I’m going to wonder down to Old Town for some lunch, some libation, and some photography. What should I eat? The choices are:
[ul]
[li]Indian (Punjab) food at Akbar: probably some Coco Lamb or Prawn Madras, washed down with a Karma.[/li][li]Barney’s (faux Irish pub): An Arroyo (ham and feta) or Raymond (chicken and avocado) wrap[/li][li]Father Nature: Lavash wrap[/li][li]One of the multitudious but unimpressive Thai joints along Colorado Ave.[/li][li]???[/li][/ul]
I forgot to mention that with Barney’s comes a Hogaarden (yum), plus checking in with one of my favorite barstaff, so there’s a whole social aspect to that as well.
Of course, I could go get Indian and then just wander over to Barney’s for a postprandial drink and socializing.
Yep, although I usually either get the Father Nature Wrap or the Fisherman’s Wrap. Unfortunately, all they have to drink are fountain drinks and Snapple (ugh!) I used to get one and go over to Jakes for a beer but Rachel left and the new weekend day bartender is a little crabby, so
All of their salads are pretty good, and they’ve got a great selection of beer (Chimay White, Hoegaarden, and Guinness on tap…could it get better?) Just don’t get the steak or other entrees there.
Yeah, and it’s always crowded. City Thai isn’t bad, but not exceptional. I do most of my Thai eating down in Los Feliz and Thai Town.
Well, you can always run up to Fred 62 on Vermont. Just a run up the 5 and off of Los Feliz Blvd, or a couple blocks off of the Vermont & Sunset stop on the Red Line. That’s always my stock 24 hour nosh house, conveniently just up the street from The Dresden and well within staggering distance of my favorite watering hole, the Good Luck Bar, and it’s a great place for people watching, 'specially in the wee hours when the bar crowd starts rolling in. And my favorite waitress in Los Angeles works there, hopefully manning the counter tonight.
Anyway, for the edification of the peanut gallery, I ended up eating lunch at Akbar (and never mind what Campion says, it’s good stuff), and skipping the beer in favor of perusing book bags at the Patagonia Store and a photographic constitutional to the far end of Green St. and back. And now it’s a bit of the vino before I start cleaning up this mess of an apartment and preparing for the coming dread of the work week.
City Thai is an abomination. I make better Thai food than they do.
From a box.
That’s past its expiration date.
By more than three years.
If I were trying to get a hostage-taker to give up his hostages, I would not send in pizza. I would send in City Thai. He would become so dispirited, he would give up immediately.
And my opinion was justifiably cemented by the time that a friend (spoiler’d for the weak of heart and stomach) found a band-aid in her food.
I now must question your judgment about everything. Everything.
Wow. I have to admit I’ve only eaten there a couple of times, and it’s been probably two years since I’ve eaten there last, but I found it passable (to my recollection and in comparison to that place across from Paseo Plaza), but then I’ve never found any medical waste in my dish, either. Then again, as I said, it wasn’t good enough that I’ve continued to patronize it. I generally feed at Rambutan on Sunset or late night at Ruen Pair.
I can’t handle the grease anymore. B’sides, none of your Fatburger/Tops/Tommys/Johnny Rockets can touch Kopp’s for shear fatty decidence. (Wisconsin resident Dopers will know of what I speak.) It’s curious how something can be so hideous and so appealing at the same time.
I did, and I got the Coco Lamb…mmmm. Their a la carte dinner servings are kind of pricey, at least for a lone ranger, but the lunch plates are a great deal.
I also like the All-India Cafe further down Fair Oaks, but mostly for their tandoori chicken (so moist, so succulent, the bastards must be brining) and the fact that they have a few Bombay “street food” appetizers that you usually don’t see on most menus. My (punjabi) boyfriend quibbles that the tandoori chicken isn’t up to par but his main problem with it is that it isn’t red enough and that it’s too mild. The “too mild” issue might be a valid critique but not red enough? That’s what homemade tandoori masala really looks like you blood-traitor!
The last time I was at Akbar I had their fennel lamb dish (had hints of saffron, too) with a decent Pinot Noir. I asked for it to be spicey and while it was good (and I was able to eat it), it was the only time I ever refused a doggy bag. The boy and I spent the rest of the night writhing in intestinal distress.
That’s the Coco Lamb. And yeah, they actually know how to spice foods, unlike any other resturant in Southern California where “spicy” seems to mean “slightly more than mild” in my estimation. (S’still better than the Mid-West, where asking the cook to “heat it up” results in a pure infusion of sodium chloride.)
I’ve never been too impressed by All-India. There’s a Tibetian place on Walnut?? that’s pretty meh, and an Afghani resturant on Union which didn’t excite me the one time I’ve eaten there but I keep meaning to go back and give it another shot.
Pasadena is just generally pretty blah on food, and especially “ethnic” food. I guess that’s why there’s such a traffic jam in front of the otherwise unremarkable Cheesecake Factory.
I’ve been to Azeen’s (the Afghani place). Granted I was pretty drunk but I wasn’t terribly impressed, nor was my boyfriend. The food was way too bland. I know Afghani is supposed to be like a subtle Indian but I think it was subtle to the point of tasteless. On the other hand, the owner is super-nice, the service was excellent and we got to meet Little Azeen. I don’t think we’ll be going back but I don’t regret spending the money that one time.
Haven’t tried the Tibetan place yet.
All-India Cafe is one of those places where I tend to like the owners more than the food AND it’s right next to the place where I get my manicures done, hence the love. Their tandoori really is succulent, though. And they serve bhel and shev puri, which is hard to find outside of some Indian enclave.
You may consider Pasadena bland for ethnic food but it’s a damn sight better than the rural wasteland I used to inhabit.
Having grown up in a locale where “ethnic” meant “Mexican” and deep fried pseudo-Szechuan “Chinese” food, I sympathize. But if you go slightly west and south it gets much better. Just…stay…out…of…The…Valley.
Yep. You and anu-la1979 can keep your Indian food. I’ve been to two restaurants (one in Austin and one in Chicago) that are reportedly tops for Indian food (as well as a handful of the run-of-the-mill ones out here) and I’ve never been more than “meh” on the genre.
So, more for you!
Well, for that, you would need to head out to the valley.
