No Monotony Monday: Whiz 'A Neighborhood Joint'

 No Monotony Monday: 

Whiz 'A Neighborhood Joint'

Yo, it's Monday, which means it's a new work week for the common folk. It's not for you? Well then, props to you! Either way it's a day in which I am letting you in the know about a new spot to check out! If you're in Los Angeles, then it's a local spot! You live in the OC?! Ok... Then it's close enough! If not, then guess what, now you have a place to check out while you're in this City of Angels. Or at least have a restaurant you can mention if you're ever in a conversation about this city. Or about food. Or talking about cool shit you saw on Instagram.

ENOUGH ALREADY! The place to check out is called "WHIZ" located in Koreatown literally on the corner of 6th and Oxnard Street. And for you fine folks who LOVE music like myself, it's blocks away from the world famous Wiltern Theater. As a side note: DID YOU KNOW, that it's called the Wiltern because it's on the corner of Wilshire and Western?!? BOOM! You learn something new everyday. If you already knew that, then High Five to you, you filthy animal. SOOO, If you want an authentic Cheesesteak and can't seem to find one, then WHIZ this is the place!

The owner and Executive Chef is Wes Lieberher. In a nutshell, Chef Wes is from Philly and is a man of many hats. He was the lead singer of the band Kill Verona in the early 2000's and is also the head chef over at Beer Belly located up the street from Whiz. Beer Belly is equally as badass, but I'll get to them another day. Also, click here for a taste of Kill Verona to feed that curious nature of yours!

Whiz is a neighborhood joint. I grew up in a small town myself where i was surrounded by mom and pop restaurants, so naturally I'm attracted to these spots because they are in fact the real deal. The food they make is their art and they have been through enough trial an error to know what's good enough to put on the damn menu. At Whiz, they use actual cheese whiz that you would get as if you were eating in Philly. Not a slap of sliced cheese melted on top. That's for the poser and for the lazy! Chef Wes is the real deal. Not only do they have Cheesesteaks, they have Sammies and Burgers.

Don't get it wrong though, the Sammies and Burgers are creative. There's actually some thought put into these culinary marvels. For God sakes they have a dish called "Balls o' Bacon"! Ball o' BACON people!!! ( Bacon and Pork Shoulder Meatballs. Topped with Chunky Marinara and Melted Provolone. Served on a 9" Amoroso's Roll Add Pickled Jalapeños) They have a burger called the Srirach Beast Burger! LOOK BELOW YOU CURIOUS WEIRDOS!

The Sriracha Beast Burger
2 Patties, Sriracha Island Dressing, Grilled Onions, French Fries, Velveeta Cheese. Brioche Bun.

( photo credits to their instagram account )

Have you stopped drooling?!?! NO? Neither have I, and I discovered that burger months ago. I've had to keep napkins in my pockets ever since just in case I think of this burger and need to wipe my mouth! I mean we are trying to have society here people. What would this world look like if we had people drooling all over the place?!?!

ANYWAYS, this is a spot worth checking out whether you live in Southern California or Visiting. Everything is made with care and hard work goes into it. You can tell with every bite. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Wes when I was working on a food truck at Coachella Music Festival ( that experience will be told at a later date. if you have been or heard of this festival then you know it's something special ). I was trying not to bro out too hard over my excitement over meeting such an accomplished chef, so excuse my shameless personal photo.

The photo at the top of this post is of a Chipotle CheeseSteak they were serving for a limited time. It had the perfect blend of Chipotle and Cheese for the sauce and topped with sauteed onions. It was something I would HIGHLY recommend if you ever notice it's been brought back. As soon as you arrive on the spot of this place you get a great vibe for being apart of the neighborhood. It's welcoming and doesn't make you feel out of place like some of those more prestigious L.A. joints. I'm sure that's what Chef Wes was trying to accomplish, and he definitely did it. So if you want a taste of Philly or just good eats, give it try, it couldn't hurt, it could only help. Oh, and that feeling you have in your belly afterword, that's called being SATISFIED. It's a good feeling to have. Check them out!

FOLLOW WHIZ!

TWITTER //  FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM

  

kit crispies

alright vegabonds and foodies alike, i give you the 'kit crispy'. i'm not going to lie, it's a dessert idea i came up with after having a few drinks. at the time of this creation, i was living with my good friend and his wife. his wife was preparing for a bachelorette party and made rice crispy treats to take with her. the following day when leaving for the trip she forgot to take the treats with her.

after having a few drinks, i figured i would take advantage of the left behind dessert and be creative. so i threw on my headphones and walked on over to target, because target is the shit. and let me tell you, target is already a tough time spending little money while sober. so after watching a few movie trailers and scoping out the new releases in the CD aisle, i made my way over to the food section of the store.

i figure, i like kit kats. i like frosting. lets make a frankenstein out of this. i wanted to use rainbow chip frosting with this, but to my dismay i come to find out that it has been discontinued! apparently i am not the only one upset with this. there are petitions and even a facebook page for people expressing their anger over this. ANYWAYS, i got a different frosting and went home to DO WORK!

ingredients you will need:

*rice crispy treats ( already made )
*kit kat bar ( or any other candy bar you feel will work )
*favorite frosting


*pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees on bake
*tin foil
*cookie sheet
*favorite knife

so turn up your favorite music, pop a few bottles, and go to town on this! in case you're wondering, the song in the video below is by a band called Echosmith and the song is "cool kids" it's more or less a new song. it's getting some airplay lately and it's very catchy. if you don't like it, that's cool bro, just figured i would give you a little something something.

ALSO, you don't have to add the other half of the rice crispy treat to it. you leave it open like an open faced sandwich. so it would look like THIS!

If the below video doesn't work, click on this link to watch it on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSI5NPXjNM8

 

Delicious & Devoured: Fridge Does Seattle

Delicious & Devoured 

"Seattle"

As some of you know, I was asked to be the videographer up in Seattle for some very close friends of mine this past week. Everytime I make the trip up there I am always slammed with the most delicious food the city has to offer. This is partly because my friend is a fellow foodie, but also because that city has some of the best food in the nation. I realize the purpose of this blog is how to create meals with awesome taste while on a budget. Considering we are all human and deserve to treat ourselves from time to time, it's ALWAYS a great idea to spend that little extra when you're in a different city. You never know what you'll stumble upon.

There's always one famous staple I get when I'm up there, and it's from a spot called 'The Other Coast Cafe'. It's a hole in the wall joint with very little sitting. The walls are lined with posters of upcoming local band shows and other artistry work. They even got a water jug with glasses so you can help yourself as you wait for whatever awesome sandwich you chose to order. But for me, there's only one that keeps me coming back: The Rajun Cajun.

This sandwich is so good it'll make your head turn into a wolf and howl at the moon like Jim Carrey's character in 'The Mask'!

This hoagie consists of Roasted Turkey, Pepper Jack Cheese, Sautéed Onions, with a Spicy Salsa Mayo! The real hero if this sandwich is truely the bread it lays it's head on is to die for. They then TOAST it, in an actual oven, not the kind of pansy one you find at Subway. The outcome is really one of a kind, and the photo doesn't do it justice.

That's just one fine example of what this fine city has to offer. Below are some other places I suggest if you ever find yourself in the city that brought us Kirk Cobain and Starbucks.


Here is what YOU can find at: Eastlake Bar & Grill 

Chicken Club 

Grilled Chicken Breast, Swiss Cheese, Chipotle Mayo, 

Lettuce, Onion, & Tomato on a Telera Roll. 

Habanero Mac & Cheese

Gobetti Pasta tossed ina  Sharp White Cheddar with Habanero Cheese Sauce with Pickled Habaneros.Topped with Bread Crumbs & Shredded Chicken. 

 Mediterranean Chicken Salad 

Grilled Chicken Breast served on Mixed Greens, Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Feta, & Kalamata Olives. Tossed in a Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.

Bacon Blue Burger

Blue Cheese Crumbles, Caramelized Onions, Smoky Bacon & Herb Mayo. 

Next Up: The Shack 

The Eggle 

Egg, Tomato, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, on a Everything Bagel. 

Last but NEVER least is Dessert, these were provided by: My Two Sweets

Cupcakes 

Chocolate with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

& 

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So there you have it folks, my short but definitely rememberable trip to Seattle was a culinary hit ( the wedding wasn't so bad either ) ! If you have any questions about what you see above or any other suggestions about where to go when you're in Seattle, don't be afraid to ask and comment in the comment section below!