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The CULINARY DETECTIVE: by Chris Cognac:

What the heck is a Culinary Detective you ask? Well let me explain things to you a little bit.

You know when you are driving down the street, kind of hungry with a grumbling tummy that’s saying “feed me now”! You see those little places on the corner; in the non-descript strip-mall with the hand-painted signs, the ultimate “Mom and Pop” place. You know you want to go, but you don’t, you just can’t bring yourself (...continued here..)

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  10/19/07
  ROSY's Bakery & Cuban Cafe: / Cuban Cuisine / Hawthorne, CA
  I have gotten a few e-mails from readers as of late asking about good sandwiches in the South Bay, so I started off with a place that makes a hard to find style of sandwich, the “Cuban” sandwich..The answer: Rosy’s. It certainly has that rare Cuban sandwich, and so much more. It's a great little neighborhood bakery and café, with great fresh baked bread, great desserts and empanadas.
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  08/24/07
  NENO's Italian Cafe: / Italian Cuisine / N. Torrance / Artesia , CA
  There is a typical Italian-type eatery on nearly every street corner in NYC, Boston or Philly. A great little 3 or 4 table mom and pop run joint where you can get a good quality pizza pie and some pasta and still have money left in your pocket. So, where in L.A. does one find such great places to eat,
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  07/27/07
  KONA KRISP / American (..taste of hawaiian) Cuisine: / Rolling Hills , CA
  Kona Crisp is a breath of fresh air to the desolate “PV Peninsula dining scene”, the food is fun, fresh, tasty and unlike so many places on the hill, affordable! Check it out, the sweet potao fries are worth the....
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
  
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  07/13/07
  SAPORI / Italian Cuisine: / Hawthorne, CA
  I was on patrol with my partner, Steve Romero, the other day and happened to see a brand new sign in the strip mall for Sapori Italian Food. I pulled the black-and-white into the parking lot and could not believe how tiny this place was. Sapori has a grand total of four small tables and nothing else. But it's the realization of the American dream for - -
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  06/29/07
  TED's PLACE / American Cuisine: / Harbor City, CA
  My first impression of Ted's Place was that someone creative put some work into what was once a generic corner burger stand. It had lots of color, a big sign and pictures of food -- and good-looking food at that.
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  05/18/07
  SUPER UDON OSAKA NOODLE / Japanese Cuisine: / Gardena, CA
  My friend / expert witness, Greg tells me that in Japan its polite to "slurp" your noodles -- it's considered a sign of respect and means that you are enjoying the noodles. Let me tell you, Super Udon has a high "slurpability" factor, that's for sure. There are about 50 combos at Super Udon. I went for the...
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  05/04/07
  SPECIAL REPORT:
  DRINKING WINE - A LABOR OF LOVE FOR THE SOUL !
  Drinking wine, I have discovered, is much more than just "drinking wine." It is enjoying the labor of love that involves someone caring for the vines through bad weather, making sure they are healthy and will grow to ripen so they can be passed onto the winemaker, who then crushes, ferments, ages and blends the wine until it is...
  — Read More in the CULINARY SPECIAL REPORT
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  04/27/07
  EAT AT RUDY's / American Cuisine: / Wilmington, CA
  Eat at Rudy's took an old beat-up coffee shop and gave Wilmington a new jewel in its crown. The inside is gorgeous, with nice hardwood floors and flat-screen TVs, and when I sat down, my server brought me a copy of the Daily Breeze. Eat at Rudy's is a diner that caters to the working people that make the Harbor Area run -- they serve....
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  04/20/07
  SPECIAL REPORT:
  HIGH PRICED WINE - NOT ALWAYS BETTER !
  A good wine is a wine that you enjoy and that makes you smile when you drink it. Wine enthusiasts who only drink high-end wines from Chateau Snob are....
  — Read More in the CULINARY SPECIAL REPORT
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  04/06/07
  BODACIOUS Q / Barbecue Cuisine: / Hermosda Bch., CA
  It's pretty well-known among readers that I love barbecue. I will go to great lengths to find and consume a good piece of smoked meat. Pork, beef, chicken, ribs, brisket, its all good -- I'm an equal opportunity carnivore. Now, I've had barbecue all over America and am a pretty tough critic when it comes to smoked meats. One thing I have learned is that when it comes to barbecue, experience counts
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  03/16/07
  SKOOBY's HOT DOGS/ American Cuisine: / Hermosa Bch., CA
  I had heard some buzz about Skooby's Hot Dogs in Hermosa Beach and was having a full on "must have" hot dog attack: TO CUT TO THE DOG...The food arrived and I was stoked. My hot dog craving was going to get satisfied -- right now. I bit down into it, past melted cheese, past the homemade chili (which was quite good) and snap, found what I had come for: The hot dogs at Skooby's "snap," something true hot dog lovers look for. The hot dog was full of flavor and fantastic, a perfect—
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  02/23/07
  REDONDO DINER / American Cuisine: / Gardena., CA
  What a great find, a real "diner" with the classic diner food, and run by a family. The Redondo Diner is on my short list now when I can't find a new place to go. I would give it a try if you have a hankering for some good honest food, made by hard-working people. If you were in the military, get the S.O.S. and bring back some memories.—
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
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  02/09/07
  KAPPA FAMILY RESTAURANT / Japanese-Hawaiian Cuisine / Torrance, CA
  Once upon a time there was a great little Chinese place called Ding How. The food got worse over the years, however, and it died a quiet death. Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes of Ding How is Kappa Family Restaurant, an establishment to feed the South Bay's ever expanding appetite for all things Hawaiian and Japanese. I passed Kappa Family Restaurant daily for the last few months but vowed not to go there until they got a real sign out front—
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
  
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  01/19/07
  COZY CAFE / American Cuisine: / Redondo Bch, CA
  Cozy Café is, without a doubt, the smallest place I have ever written about. It may be 10 feet wide and has only one counter and about eight chairs -- that's it. It's as up close and personal as it gets, where the cook takes your order at the counter, walks a couple of feet away and cooks it for you. What I liked about Cozy Café was that the customers knew each other and chit-chatted about the day's goings on. When you sit down at the counter,
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a GOOGLE Map to the place
  
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  12/29/06
  SPECIAL REPORT:
  I'm BACK .. !!
  Eating Out: The TOPS In Local Dining for 2006:
  Culinary Detective Chris Cognac is BACK from traveling the country taping his upcoming show for the Food Network.
  
  Well, 2006 has come and gone quickly for me and I am glad to be home for a while and able to patrol the South Bay dining scene once again. A huge thanks to Gene Kato and John Lee for their reviews while I was off filming the "Hungry Detective" series for the Food Network...
  — Read More in the CULINARY SPECIAL REPORT
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  - - -
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  NOTICE: The 'Detective' is temporarily 'on location', shooting a FOOD NETWORK TV Series entitled, 'The Hungry Detective'....
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  08/00/06
  Until Further Notice -
  Culinary Detective Chris Cognac is traveling the country taping his upcoming show for the Food Network. While he's gone, some of his food- and wine-tasting partners will offer up their reviews of South Bay restaurants at 'DailyBreeze.com'.
  
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  07/14/06
  HOLE IN THE WALL DELI / Barbecue Cuisine: / Torrance, CA
  While I was on food patrol recently, cruising Western Avenue looking for some vittles, I spotted a sign with my favorite letters: "BBQ." There are not many barbecue places in the South Bay, so I decided to check it out. I parked and went inside and saw that the Hole in the Wall Deli had some serious potential -- after all, it was inside a liquor store. There was a...
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place...
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  06/23/06
  RAUL's MEXICAN RESTAURANT / Mexican Cuisine: / Hawthorne, CA
  If you are long on hunger but short on cash, it's a great place to check out for lunch. Raul's has been a Hawthorne institution for as long as I can remember, serving families good food at reasonable prices. I must have eaten there more than 100 times and I almost always leave satisfied... PLUS - A SPECIAL, TV-ORIENTED ANNOUNCEMENT !
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place...
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  06/02/06
  LOS PAISAS / Mexican Cuisine: / Meat Mkt / Torrance, CA
  I recently wanted something that fell under "authentic" -- food like I've eaten during journeys to Mexico; stuff that I have eaten off of carts and at small stands and made with fresh ingredients.Los Paisas was just the place. It also has a meat market, featuring organ meats, lengua (tongue) and all the other goodies most of us ignore, in case you want to try some. I said it's authentic didn't I? - BUT...On the other side of the establishment is a wonderful restaurant with a massive menu and a dish so special that my regular food tasters -- my wife, Martha; Gene and Jima Kato; and John and Sally Lee agreed was the best we have ever had.
  — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place
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  05/12/06
  CHOWDER BARGE/ American / Seafood / Mixed Cuisine: