Buffalo Wings And First Dates

If you've read my previous post entitled What Does Cinnamon Pancakes, Sliced Tomatoes, and Scrambled Egg Whites Have To Do With Sex then you know how I feel about eating. Once I was on this first date with this guy that I met in college. Let's call him, John. John took me to a nice restaurant by the ocean in Long Beach, CA. Great so far right ? Yeah, the conversation was smooth, he was dressed nice, brought me flowers and behaved like a perfect gentleman. We sipped on red wine and talked about current events and the day. Well, it was until we ordered the appetizers when my picture perfect scenario was shattered. John and I decided to order some buffalo wings before our main entree. So as we sipped on our wine and the waiter placed the platter of buffalo wings in front of us. What I witnessed before me as John ate was unbelievable. John picked up a buffalo wing and like slow motion he dipped it into the creamy ranch dressing ...and like a ravenous hyena he ripped into the flesh of the wing, his teeth tightly clenched on the meat and gobbled it up. Ranch dressing splattered all over his face and to make matters worse he talked with his mouth full. John continued to shred each buffalo wing with his canines and splattered white ranch dressing all over the place. I'd pay anything to see my expression as John devoured the buffalo wings right before my eyes. John chomped on the chicken flesh in between subjects, verbs, nouns and other parts of speech. All I saw were my legs hanging off his lips. Chomp, chomp, chomp. Oh no, I thought to myself, there was nooooooo way that I'd allow that mouth, those teeth, or those lips anywhere near my body. Uh-uh. My future flashed before me or better yet my imagination.

Now That's A Good Looking Omelette !

The Good Neighbor Restaurant has been open for business for around 30 years. The service was prompt and my friend and I received our orders right away. Isn't that the freshest, neatest looking vegetarian omelette ? It was good too ! The restaurant walls are covered with black and white photos of celebrities including Marilyn Monroe. Good Neighbor is open daily 7am- 3pm Daily, Get a good meal for $10.00 or less. They're located at 3701 Cahuenga Blvd West, North Hollywood, CA and snuggled in a little shopping center with decent parking.

Beary Good Food ( Hanford, CA)

If bear items are your thing, then Black Bear restaurants are the place to eat. I assume that all the locations have a large selection of bear goodies like the one in Hanford. Where the heck is Hanford, California you ask ? It’s in the San Joaquin Valley, about 300 miles north of Los Angeles. Yes, it’s a small town, and the town still has those dangling street lights. Hanford is a patchwork of corn fields, grape vineyards, and orchards and in certain sections of the town one can smell the caustic odor of cows, garlic, and wine. Inviting isn’t it ? What was I doing in Hanford, CA ? I have lots of family in Hanford. My mother was born and raised in Hanford. However, now I just have mostly cousins and a couple of aunts. So back to the bear necessities, if you’re a collector of bear items, you can purchase merchandise such as bear candles, toothpicks, t-shirts, ceramic figures, teddy bears and more.
I’ve eaten twice at the Hanford location. The food is pretty good. Black Bear make’s their own sausage where you can see fennel seeds embedded inside. I’m sure Black Bear probably makes other homemade food items too. On both visits I dined with family members. I heard about Black Bear Restaurants in Arizona but did not know it was a national chain until my cousin
suggested that we eat at the one in Hanford. Our server named Jessica waited on us on both visits. So if you’re ever in Hanford, CA and you visit Black Bear, request for Jessica, she’s wonderful, and she accommodated for all my diverse relatives. Reasonable prices. Ample parking. Good service. Black Bear serves breakfast, lunch,and dinner and is located at 1790 W Lacey Blvd. 559.584.8278

Spadra- The Place For Breakfast On Weekends

Now I was satifsfied with Spadra's food AND customer service. Spadra is an Italian restaurant that serves breakfast on the weekends from 7am-2pm. The bathrooms were clean and the restaurant is spacious and has ceiling windows to let the bright sunshine stream in on a cloudless day. Wonderful. All the waitstaff were friendly and happy to be there. No frowns or growls because I preferred strawberry over blackberry jam . It was absolutely a delight to be there. You gotta eat here. The food took a little while to arrive...but I'm sure it's because the chef was preparing the food with love and care.(wink wink). While my husband and I waited for our orders. Our nice
waitress named Nicole brought us two homemade blueberry danishes. Isn't that sweet ? I ordered the Wildmushroom Crepe w/ wild mushroom sauce and lemme tell ya it was absolutely scrumptious ! Doesn't it look delicious.

Just as my husband was about to stick his fork into his Italian omelette I swiped his plate, whipped out my digital camera, and took snap shots of his Italian omelette with meatballs and marinera sauce. Yeah, I caught him off guard with knife and fork suspended in mid air. But he


knows me. I asked for some ketchup and the waitress brought over a brand new FULL bottle of ketchup. Not a quarter full or half full but a brand new bottle. There's no doubt that this staff cares about their customers. Not once did I have to raise my index finger for a coffee refill. Oh yeah, one more thing, Spadra has an impressive collection by the entrance too.

Spadra is located in Fullerton, CA 136 E Commonwealth Ave. near Harbor Blvd. Their breakfast prices are reasonable, anywhere from $5 to $8 and the prices for dinner are a bit higher.
Reservations are recommended for a party of 6 or more. call for more information 714.447.0775 or visit the website http://www.spadraristorante.com
Muah !

How Would You Like Your Cellphone: STUFFED IN YOUR EAR OR YOUR MOUTH!( Aladdin's Mediterranean Cuisine)

This is actually my second time dining at Aladdin. It's in the North Park area of San Diego. My husband and I decided to take a drive down to San Diego just to be spontaneous. We decided to dine at Aladdin. I've eaten at Aladdin once before, it was my husband's first time. The first time I ate at Aladdin's I had the Chicken kabob(Char broiled strips of chicken, marinated in a tasty garlic lemon zafran sauce and rolled in pita with garlic and tomatoes.) Very tasty.




My husband ordered the Chicken Shawerma( Marinated strips of chicken, charbroilded on an open fire, topped with garlic tahini sauce and tomatoes rolled in pita.) It was a warm and balmy Saturday evening , there's a soft fusion of sliverware clinging and clanging with Middle Eastern music filtering the background. My husband and I are nestled at a corner table under a nice oil painting and dim lighting. Just as I was about to take another bite of my chicken kabob, all of sudden in the midst of my ultimate dining experience, "Karla's" cellphone rang!! Who's Karla you ask ? I have no FRIGGIN' IDEA! But if Karla didn't answer her cellphone I would have never known Karla's name !! Karla didn't you read the cellphone etiquette pamphlet ? Don't you pay attention to the PSA's in movie theaters ? Karla I don't want to hear your conversation in between sips of iced tea and green tossed salad ! Karla I was already annoyed as you sashayed into the restaurant with that multi-colored contraption attached to your ear in the first place! But to make matters even worse Karla, the person that phoned you had the wrong number ! Where's the owner when I need them ? Maybe there should be "cellphone snatchers" standing on the sidelines of dining areas, so that when a customer's loud cellphone rings, a "cellphone snatcher" can tackle the customer and yank the cellphone off their ear or out of their hands. Ok, maybe that's a bit extreme. I have another suggestion; restaurant owners and managers should post a small sign in the entrance of their restaurants stating that "Disruptive Cellphones Will Not Be Tolerated" or perhaps a blurb on the menu, especially in fine dining and upscale establishments.



Well, besides Karla's lack of consideration for valued customers I had a great time dining at Aladdin. We had baklava with ground pistachios for dessert. The food and customer service is good. Aladdin has a variety of entrees to choose, exotic rice plates and more ! Check out Aladdin's at 1220 Cleveland Ave #101 San Diego, CA. 92103

Get Your Cleavage Out Of My Soup !

This restaurant has since closed and is now a gay bar here in Long Beach. However, when it was in operation a few years ago, my partner and I had a taste for some soul food. So we decided to give this local joint called "The Golden Frog" a try. We walked in, the ambiance is dim, nice blues music playing in the background. We were "pointed" a seat and so we sat. Now, I noticed that there was no silverware on the tables. It was dinner time but the tables weren't set. So this busty waitress comes over and takes our order. She still hasn't noticed that we don't have any silverware. So when the waitress finally brought over our plates I told her about the missing silverware. When she returned to place the silverware on our table, she does this catty like stretch and leans over so close to my partner's face, that she might as well have just shoved his face in between her
breasts ! I mean hey, the only breasts that his face belongs in OUR MINE ok ? There goes HER tip. I mean she's lucky I don't have a hair trigger temper because if I did....believe me there would have been collard greens, yams and chicken flyin' all over the place. Anyhow, it was so obvious it was funny. We couldn't help but laugh!

How About A Toilet Seat With That Shake ?

One afternoon, my partner and I had a taste for some authentic African food. My partner recalled that a friend of his told him about this joint in Inglewood,CA. So we drove all the way from Long Beach just to eat at this place. When we arrived at the restaurant we sat down and there was a television blasting in the background. A man walked in with what appeared to be a part of a toilet seat in his hand ! He walked past us and went into the bathroom to apparently do some plumbing repairs during business hours. Thank God I didn't have to go while the owner or cook (who knows) was repairing/replacing the toilet seat. And it gets better, or shall I say worse ? The waitress came over handed us some flimsy paper menus. She walked away and then came back over without a order pad and asked "What do you want?" not "May I help you?" or "Are you ready to order?" but "What do you want ?" Jarred by this blunt and rather rude approach to taking my order, I rolled my eyes and gave her my order. On top of that she forgot to bring my partner's drink and got my order wrong ! She didn't offer an apology or credit. How's that for customer service. Paper menus or training the staff "TRAIN THE STAFF"

Restaurant Owners Please Train Your Staff ( Professionally)

On some occasions there have been times when I’ve been in restaurants and I just knew there was a hidden camera somewhere. Why ? Because in some cases I have experienced some of the worst customer service imaginable. It just couldn’t be, I just knew there was a camera behind the counter, the door, in the plants, somewhere. Case in point, my partner and I were at this joint in Los Angeles to enjoy some soul food. It was a small establishment and therefore didn't really require a "staff." But whoeva you got working for you el jefe, smiling in customers' faces and smackin gum make sure they’re trained, make sure they know where they are, and why they were hired. Geesh !
So anyway we sat down at a table and were ready to order our food. The waitress,(if you wanna call her one) or the owner's cousin Shemeka dug in her pockets and realized she didn't have a pen ! I had to lend the woman a pen ! I had to give her my pen so she could take our order ! I kid you not ! On another occasion my mother, my brother and I were at a Red Lobster in Torannce, CA. Now, I’m not really into chains, chains of restaurants that is(wink wink) But when we were seated, my mother noticed that we didn’t have bread on our table. So after a good 5 to 6 minutes or more my mother flagged down our waiter. He had already taken our order for drinks and brought them. We thought naturally that he was going to bring our bread with the drinks. Let me tell ya, the bread wasn't coming anytime soon. So my mother asked for the bread and the waiter reached over to another table and grabbed a basket of bread and set in on ours! Dead center ! Now, we know that Red Lobster can afford to train their staff. So what was up with this guy ? Owners if you have to make a decision between cushions on your chairs and training the staff, TRAIN THE STAFF, velvet drapes and traning the staff, TRAIN THE STAFF, ceramic coffee cups and training the staff, TRAIN THE STAFF, chocolate mints and matches TRAIN THE STAFF !

A Sprig Of Cilantro Would Have Been Nice

Well, this is what happens when you’ve been spoiled by other restaurants and then you go to a place like Salt & Pepper. Now, the waiters and waitresses were friendly and so was the owner. Just glancing over the customers in the restaurant you could tell that some of those people have been dining there for years. It seems as if Salt & Pepper is loved by the locals.
There’s a huge wall of photographs from customers in the back of the restaurant.
However, you don’t serve a customer an omelette that looks like this.


How come the chef didn’t place the omelette in the center of the plate with a few sprigs of cilantro and a sliced orange or something ? How come the waitress didn’t at least center the damned thing while she was in route to our table. My husband tasted the omelette and said it was good....but he said it after he stared at it for a few minutes. I felt bad for him. Oh the agony of having to eat something slapped on the side of your plate without any care of how it looked. It’s all about presentation folks. For an establishment that has been in existence for over 20 years , they should have known better than this. The mini syrup decanter on our table was sticky and dripping with syrup. Yuck ! And the ketchup bottle was about a quarter full. This establishment has potential. It really does.
In any event, I must say that the waiters paid attention to when my coffee was low, because ya’ll know how I feel about my coffee and flavored cream. They were consistent with refilling my coffee. Prices are very reasonable $5 to $10. Breakfast is served all day although when I ordered a Belgian Waffle the waitress had to go check to see if the waffle iron was on ? Hmmmm... Anyhow, if you're interested in Salt & Pepper, they're located at 1849 W Orangethorpe in Fullerton, CA. 714.871.8650

Sassafraz ( Toronto, Ontario Canada)

A really nice upscale restaurant. Located in the Yorksville area of Toronto. To me it was like the Beverly Hills of Toronto. Sassafraz is large and roomy with candlelight and jazz playing in the background. There's signed photographs of celebrities on the walls , like Robert Deniro, Michael Douglas, John Cusak, and Robert Conrad. Our waiter recited a rhythmic monologue of wine and dinner specials. I was tempted to snap my fingers with his recitation. The appetizers were a piece of artwork as well as the entrees. I ordered the Sassafraz Signature. The Sassafraz Signature consisted of smoked salmon covered in purple crusted rice, lemon cous cous, grilled vegetables and adobo beurve blanc sauce. Hmmm. Hmmm. I highly recommend this one. Visit their website for more infor mation http://www.sassafraz.ca

The Potholder ( Long Beach, CA)

The Potholder Café ( Long Beach, CA)
If you like sassy, bubbly waitresses that provide excellent customer service with a smile then the Potholder in Long Beach is the place to eat. I get a kick at observing some of the regulars. Anyhow, the café looks like someone’s mother’s kitchen. There’s pictures, I mean tons of pictures of customers over the years with signs that read " Eat At The Potholder" There’s also all kinds of toys, collectibles and quirky knick knacks on the shelves. There's three rooms of tables, plenty of space for everybody. There’s even a little section for fliers, magazines, and newspapers (community friendly). There’s always a fresh pot of coffee brewing (that’s important to me) Oh yeah, and they have flavored cream on all the tables for your cup of coffee.(double thumbs up).What else can you ask for ? The environment is casual, although I cringe when I sometimes see some men and women walk in wearing pajamas ! Eeeeeew. That’s gross. C’mon, have SOME class or eat at home !
The Potholder serves breakfast and lunch daily. The Potholder is known for its variety of omelettes. There’s close to thirty omelettes to choose from. My favorite omelettes are, "Mary Aphrodite" ( spinach, feta, olives, chicken, and tomato), "Baja" ( Spicy ground beef, olives, green onions, sour cream, jack cheese, and tomatoes) and one of their newest dishes "Knacker Snacker" ( turkey bacon, spinach, tomatoes, and avocado scramble). There’s even choices for the healthy eater like their turbo charged oatmeal called "The Works" it includes bananas, raisins, nuts, brown sugar and butter,( minus the butter) and Kevin’s Super Chicken (6 egg whites, grilled chicken, spinach, mushrooms and steamed white rice)(actually brown rice is healthier) Location is 3700 E Broadway, 7am- 3pm Mon-Friday, Sat and Sun they close at 4pm. You can also order to go too ( maybe that’s a good option for the people that show up in their pj’s) No reservations needed. Check out The Potholder Café when you find yourself in Long Beach.

Brownstone Bistro In Toronto (Where It All Began)

Brownstone Bistro proved to be a very popular place to socialize and dine. I frequented the artsy style restaurant during my stay in Toronto. Their hot chocolate saved me from Toronto's artic breath in November 2000. I didn't know that cities could get that biting cold, until I visited Toronto. I was literally clueless of how cold the weather could get for our neighbors of the North. Many of the locals assured me that I hadn't felt nothing yet !! Brownstone serves breaksfast, lunch, and dinner. And of course for breakfast one can sample the authentic maple syrup with pancakes or waffles in a mini glass decanter. The entrees are reasonably priced and the food is good. A variety of music is played in the background, anything from traditional Cuban music to Swing. The walls are decorated with chips of colorful tile and oil paintings from local artists. I highly recommend the smoked salmon fussilli and mango sangria for lunch or dinner. Brownstone Bistro is located on 601 Yonge St. Sun -Thurs 10am-11pm and Fri-Sat 10am-12am for more info 416.920.0607

The Produce Section

I often frequent the produce section of grocery stores. Slowly bending over vegetables tickling leaves and sniffing radishes.Cucumbers and carrots are my favorite.I run my fingers tips along their garden skin feeling their firmness and size. I hold cucumbers up in front of elderly women getting opinions about the length. I know the cameras are watching. A pornographic salad if you will clashing under fluorescent lights.Yes, a cucumber in one hand and a carrot in the other.I caught the grocery clerk staring at my egg plants. He quickly turned around, but I tapped him on the shoulder with a carrot and asked if he could turn on the sprinklers because moisture is important. He smiled and quickly walked away. I want a bed of lettuce to toss in. A fantasy of green and orange lovers leading me to a climatic dressing of a lifetime.

Food For Thought !

Caribbean Gardens (Guyanese Cuisine)

Caribbean Gardens is located in a large business park plaza with ample parking in the city of La Verne, CA. It’s conveniently located about a half a mile east of the 210(frwy) on 2007 Foothill Blvd. The parking lot is also heavily shaded by several trees which contributes to the Caribbean atmosphere. The seating capacity is 50 but the restaurant is arranged in a conservative and comfortable manner. Photographs and paintings depicting Guyanese culture adorn the walls. Reggae and island music playing in the background set the mood for a real island experience. The restaurant menu consists of authentic cuisine from South America’s Guyana. Food items are set at reasonable prices( between $7-$10) whereas seafood dishes may be a bit more expensive ($13-$18). The drink menu consists of a variety of Caribbean drinks and juices as well as domestic and foreign beers. The staff is friendly and down to earth and the owner, Yvonne Corder, is also the cook and she'll come out and talk to you too. Their bathrooms are really clean as well.

Exquisite Dining At Avo's Bistro ( Mediterranean & Greek Cuisine)

Mediterranean & Greek Cuisine

Avo’s is located in Costa Mesa and conveniently close to the Orange County Performing Arts Center, South Coast Repertory, and the South Coast Plaza. Avo’s restaurant is spacious and employs a friendly and professional staff. Avo’s offers the best in gourmet Greek & Mediterranean cuisine. Menu items are prepared fresh daily, are cooked to order, and contain no MSG or other artificial ingredients. Each entree is prepared with Avo’s special culinary presentations. Some popular dishes are the Braised Lamb Shoulder (fresh Colorado lamb shoulder slowly roasted in herbs for 7 hours, served with their special red wine sauce) Grilled Salmon (A generous fresh cut of a wild King Salmon fillet grilled and topped with a caramelized shallot sauce) and the Chicken Lemono ( A marinated, boneless, skinless chicken breast char broiled to perfection and dressed with fresh lemon mushroom sauce and julienned vegetables.) After dinner, you can sip on the popular "Turkish coffee" and receive a traditional "reading" comparable to "reading tea leaves." One can’t sip on the strong Turkish coffee though without having Avo’s homemade Baklava or special desserts like Tiramisu or Chocolate Cake.
Avo’s Bistro has a beautiful scenic patio deck with a panoramic lake view. Complementary parking is available in a safe and well lighted designated area. Avo’s also hosts corporate parties, offers valet parking, and provides entertainment for special events and large groups. Hours are 11:00am-2:00pm daily for lunch, and 5:00pm to closing for dinner. Reservations are highly recommended call 714.556.6555. Avo’s Bistro, 580 Anton Blvd, Ste 101A Costa Mesa, CA. Please visit the website for menu and dinner/theater packages www.avosbistro.com .

What Does Cinnamon Pancakes, Sliced Tomatoes, and Scrambled Egg Whites Have To Do With Sex ?

A couple of weeks ago, I sat in one my neighborhood’s newest and most welcomed eating establishments called Sotelo’s Café. Sotelo’s has been in my neighborhood for over a year now and is supported by all the local residents. One late morning I went to Sotelo’s and ordered my usual breakfast: one cinnamon pancake, scrambled egg whites, and sliced tomatoes. A couple of the regulars were present when I arrived. I grabbed a section of that day’s newspaper and sat at the table with the two. I tried not to be disruptive because the regulars, (a hairstylist named Jim and an entrepreneur named Kenny) were engaged in a serious conversation. So in the meantime. I just browsed through the newspaper minding my own business.
Soon my order was ready. The chef, named Alejandro, brought my order to me within minutes. The pancake was a dark golden brown (from the cinnamon), the egg whites were soft and fluffy, and the tomatoes were bright red, neatly sliced, and crisp with freshness. After Alejandro placed the porcelain plate in front of me, I proceeded to eat my breakfast. I picked up a glass container of maple syrup and slowly poured the thick sticky syrup onto my pancake. I used the butter knife to spread the whipped butter in a circular motion blending it with the syrup on the pancake. As I ate, I noticed peripherally that Kenny was observing my every movement. I figured that maybe I was smacking or performing some other unpleasant eating etiquette. Nevertheless, I continued to place each intricately cut portion of the pancake into my mouth. I sprinkled salt and pepper on each of my tomatoes and then sliced them into quarters with my knife and fork. I savored each bite of food that I placed into my mouth. I allowed the portions of pancake to practically dissolve in my mouth and slide down my throat. I took intermittent sips of ice cold water. Jim and Kenny’s conversation continued but Kenny, Kenny kept looking at me with his piercing blue eyes as I consumed my breakfast. I asked myself, was I eating too fast ? Too noisy ? Too slowly ? Finally, Kenny blurted to Jim and I, " I have never seen anybody eat a pancake and tomato so sensually before in my life" Kenny pointed at me while talking to Jim, "Have you seen her ? Watch her eat." he said with enthusiasm. Well, I guess one can say I blushed. But I wasn’t trying to eat my syrup saturated pancake sensually. I wasn’t trying to impress anybody, let alone two men that have no interest in women whatsoever. "You make me wanna rub that pancake all over by body" said Kenny with excitement. Jim and Kenny held their heads back and released roaring chuckles like characters from a Rob Zombie horror flick. But Kenny meant it.
So Kenny’s observation made me think. When I’m writing a story or poem and I have a female character who’s a seductress. I confess, the character eats sensually, seductively, erotically, and every other adjective that means "sensual." In contrast, when I’m a writing a scene or a poem involving two characters and I want one of the character’s to be viewed as undesirable, disgusting, or unappealing you best believe it’s done through his/her’s eating habits. Perhaps, that special moment with my cinnamon pancake, scrambled egg whites, and sliced tomatoes was art imitating life but subconsciously ? I mean, now I feel compelled to give tips to men and women on how to eat one cinnamon pancake, scrambled egg whites, and sliced tomatoes sensually or did I do that already ?