LA food recap

while in LA i got to eat at some amazing restaurants. we actually ate about every three hours, no joke just so we could fit in all the great places we wanted to visit. everyone got to pick their restaurant of choice on the trip and i can say, my family has great taste. i came home over five pounds heavier, but it was so worth it. it was fun taking a "food network vacation."

here is a break down of some of the highlights:


Pinkberry- there are several places who try to duplicate it but they all fail in comparison. we enjoyed pinkberry daily, sometimes more than once. my typical pinkberry order includes their original tangy yogurt, pineapple, strawberries and fruity pebbles.

In-N-Out - best fast food, hands down. i always order the same thing. single with cheese, fries and a half chocolate/half vanilla milkshake.

El Carmen - J-rod and myself had been to El Carmen before and loved it so much, we had to go back, so this was his official pick. it has a such a fun atmosphere, great service and wonderful food and drinks. featured in the picture are their verde enchiladas.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - while it might sound like a strange combination, it works! the salty and sweet flavor combination is one of my favorite flavor profiles. while they have a pretty large menu, how can you resist their signature dish? chicken and waffles. their chicken has a perfectly crisped skin but is also moist. the waffles are fluffy and fresh. roscoe's line is always out the door and is also considered a celebrity hot spot. it is also featured in several hip hop songs, just take a listen, even Notorious B.I.G. referenced it in his lyrics.

Sprinkles - i've spoken of my Sprinkles obsession several times so while in LA i had to take care of my addiction. we were able to sample some new flavors i had never had before including, key lime, orange, cherry, salty caramel and cinnamon sugar. my favorite this go around was a tie between the salty caramel and cherry.

Pink's - i've been wanting to go to Pink's for years and finally got there...for breakfast. it was the first time i've had a hotdog at 9:45 but was so delish! anyone who is anyone in Hollywood has been to Pink's. their walls are covered with autographed pictures of a-list celebrities varying from bobby flay to tom hanks. i went with the bacon chili cheese dog, it is featured in the picture along with j-rod's choice of just the plain chili cheese dog. they also serve bubble up, my favorite soda as a child and is now pretty much impossible to find. i figured if i was having a hot dog for breakfast, a soda would be perfectly appropriate to wash it down. great restaurant pick mom.

El Cholo - one of the oldest mexican restaurants in town, it has been there since 1923. this restaurant was my pick for the week. i wanted to eat there because of their green chile tamales, i love a great tamale and they are hard to come by in DSM. this restaurant and dish was featured on the originals with emeril, so i knew it had to be good. the dish has been on the menu since the day the restaurant opened. BAM! the tamales did not disappoint, they were full of flavor and had the perfect texture. even the rice and beans were so good, which speaks volumes in my mind for a mexican restaurant, as they are so often neglected.

Nickel Diner - can you see what is on that doughnut? bacon! i'm not a huge doughnut person but a maple bacon doughnut, yes please. it was fresh, right out of the oven. this was rach's pick and the day we drove downtown to check this place out, we discovered the staff lined up outside behind a table full of goodies. turns out some of their kitchen equipment broke down, so they decided to have a bake sale. pretty creative thinking if you ask me. not only did they have these fantastic doughnuts, they also served up homemade pop-tarts. yummo!

Philippe's - home of the french dip sandwich, established in 1908. their claim to fame is inventing the french dip. one day the owner accidentally dropped a slice of bread into the roasting pan with the juices that the meat was cooked in, the customer said he would take it anyway. the customer enjoyed it so much, he returned the next day with friends asking for the "dipped" sandwich, hence the french dip we know and love today. you can either get your sandwich, single-dipped, double-dipped or wet. i've heard of this place several times, it's been featured on man v. food, no reservations and many others. but i knew i had to go when wolfgang puck selected it as his pick for the "bang for your buck" episode of best thing i ever ate. not only is the sandwich cheap, they also have a $.09 cup of coffee, exactly $4.10 cheaper than my typical starbucks order.


The Oinkster - this was my dad's pick on the trip. all i have to say is homemade ketchup. i typically can take or leave french fries, but pair them up with this ketchup and i devoured them. one of the best things i've ever had. featured in this picture is my sandwich, the pulled pork, while it was good, it didn't even compare to the ketchup.