CULINARY DETECTIVE - Archived Articles / 2003 / Hm Pg.

	ARCHIVED ARTICLES / REVIEWS: 2003 The CULINARY DETECTIVE: Archived Articles / Reviews: - authored by Chris Cognac: 2003 ARCHIVED REVIEWS / ARTICLES FEATURING - 'THE GREATEST...' ....as published in the DAILY BREEZE Newspaper / Rave Section. or... ...@@ - as appearing on this website, exclusively.
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	- 2003 - 12/26/03 SPECIAL REPORT: Best Little Hidden Treasures of 2003: This column written for the 'DailyBreeze' newspaper has been a joy to write and pretty fun to “investigate” as well. I have found there are a lot of people just like me who love to check out hidden treasures and hole-in-the-wall places in the neverending quest for great food that’s just off the beaten path. During the past year I found, stumbled upon or was guided by E! readers to a host of great places. After thorough analysis, here are my favorite spots, as of 2003, around the South Bay. — Read More in the CULINARY SPECIAL REPORT 12/21/03 Rick's / Hawthorne, CA Think back to the days when you could get lunch almost anywhere for under $5. Those days are long gone. The places are few and far between where you can eat a variety of food for not a lot of money. I thought they were extinct, actually, until I stepped into Rick’s in Hawthorne the other day for lunch... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place 11/28/03 Havana Sandwich Company / El Segundo, CA I received an e-mail from a reader, Steve from Manhattan Beach, asking if I had gone to Havana Sandwich Company, a new Cuban place in El Segundo. In a nutshell — it’s really good and the flavors really wake up a person’s taste buds. I was impressed with the restaurant’s original pairing of ingredients, such as... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 11/14/03 MOM'S BBQ : / Los Angeles (S. Bay..) CA There are those who consider themselves gourmets, gastronomic elitists who require the finest, most expensive products, such as truffles, fois gras and other slimy things I can’t pronounce, let alone afford. Then there are those of us who love a good find and are not afraid to go on an adventure in search of it. We don’t need ambience, linen table cloths (or tables for that matter), snobby waiters or a health department “A” in the window. We just want good, tasty food for a fair price. And if it comes in a foam package, so be it. If you’re in the latter group, have I got a place for you.... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 10/04/03 Pho' Hoa / Vietnamese Restaurant / Hawthorne, CA Don’t deprive yourself of something truly wonderful and delicious — check out Pho’ Hoa. The food is authentic and has been made the same way for 19 years, since Triet’s father, Vinh Dang, started the restaurant using his secret recipe. I go there at least twice a week now, so if you see a big bald guy in a tie, sweating from the deliciously spicy... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 09/19/03 Isaac's Cafe / Mexican Restaurant / Wilmington, CA - A few months ago, shortly after announcing my quest for the best burrito in the South Bay, I received an e-mail from a E! reader telling me about Isaac’s. The reader wrote that Isaac’s has the best burritos around, a hot tip I had to investigate. So I hopped in the minivan and drove to Wilmington and... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 08/29/03 Cafe Cabana / Cuban Cuisine / Lawndale, CA - If you have not tried Cuban food, then you don’t know what you are missing. I went a good portion of my life thinking that Cuban food was like Mexican food. Go try Cafe Cabana for a wonderful culinary trip to Cuba. My father-in-law gave it his “seal of approval,” telling me that the food is as close to Cuban home cooking as you are going to get outside of his house... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 08/20/03 Little Asia / Chinese Restaurant / Hawthorne, CA - There is a place at which my colleagues and I have been eating for several years. It’s such a great bargain, with food that is fresh, made to order and wonderful. My fellow employees begged me not to write about it, for fear that it would be discovered by people from the outside and we would never be able to get a table again....but here goes . . .Little Asia is a.... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 08/02/03 Las Hamacas / Mexican Restaurant / Hawthorne, CA - This is a great place with real, authentic food made by people who really care about presentation and flavor. If this place were in Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach you would pay three times the price, but it’s in Hawthorne, so ... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 07/11/03 AZUMA Japanese Restaurant / Gardena, CA - I recently received an e-mail from restaurant owner Hideki Obayashi telling me about his place, Azuma, in Gardena. He said it was a traditional “Izakaya”-style Japanese restaurant that serves about 140 individual side dishes. That means you can eat a lot of different things and not fill up on a single giant item... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 06/27/03 Big John’s Village Cafe / El Segundo, CA - is a great little place right in the heart of El Segundo. It reminds me of what a place must have been like before all the big chain restaurants took over in the South Bay. It’s a place that still treats customers like old friends. — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 06/27/03 SPECIAL REPORT: "LIVING IN ECSTASY" QUESTION: How can one get totally ‘away from it all’ - in one extended weekend - i.e., eat some great food, meet some nice people, watch some great sunsets and visit another country to boot? ANSWER: Book a Calif. / Mexico CRUISE !! — Read More in the CULINARY SPECIAL REPORT 06/16/03 SPECIAL REPORT: CHEESESTEAKS - A Religious Experience... I must purchase a “cheese-wit” (cheesesteak with onions). Cradling a warm cheesesteak in each arm, much like Moses holding the 10 commandments, I must stand in the middle of the street in Philadelphia..(in between Pat’s and Geno’s), lift my arms to the heavens and declare to all “I will be the judge,” “I will be the judge.”... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT — Read Still More on the MY DINING FAVES Pg. / Cheesesteaks 05/31/03 Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop / Gardena, CA I have been eating at this place for 20 years and have never gotten tired of it. It was one of the first places I went to eat after coming home from the Gulf War (the first one). The food is outstanding, with a great variety of Hawaiian-style breakfasts, such as.. — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 06/27/03 SPECIAL REPORT: "LIVING IN ECSTASY" QUESTION: How can one get totally ‘away from it all’ - in one extended weekend - i.e., eat some great food, meet some nice people, watch some great sunsets and visit another country to boot? ANSWER: Book a Calif. / Mexico CRUISE !! — Read More in the CULINARY SPECIAL REPORT 06/27/03 Big John’s Village Cafe / El Segundo, CA - is a great little place right in the heart of El Segundo. It reminds me of what a place must have been like before all the big chain restaurants took over in the South Bay. It’s a place that still treats customers like old friends. — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 06/16/03 SPECIAL REPORT: CHEESESTEAKS - A Religious Experience... I must purchase a “cheese-wit” (cheesesteak with onions). Cradling a warm cheesesteak in each arm, much like Moses holding the 10 commandments, I must stand in the middle of the street in Philadelphia..(in between Pat’s and Geno’s), lift my arms to the heavens and declare to all “I will be the judge,” “I will be the judge.”... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT — Read Still More on the MY DINING FAVES Pg. / Cheesesteaks 06/16/03 Big Mike's / Hermosa Bch, CA *THE WINNER* - This place is great. You get a 12-inch cheesesteak for $7.15. The meat is fantastic and flavorful. The cheese melts into the... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT 06/16/03 Great Western Steak and Hoagie / Venice, CA * BEST VALUE* - They put the money into the food and not the decor as there are only two broken tables to sit at.... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT 06/16/03 Papa Jakes / Manhattan Bch, CA * ANOTHER BEST* (best bread), 312 Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA / 310-796-0470. 06/16/03 Coach's Bar & Grill / Hawthorne, CA * ANOTHER GREAT* 4775 W. 136th St., Hawthorne, CA / 310-970-0033. — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 06/16/03 Jack In The Box / Various Locations... * TERRIFIC 06/16/03 CHEESESTEAKS: - - HONORABLE MENTIONS: - South Street, 1010 Broxton St., Los Angeles, 310-443-9895; - Steak Escape, 1605 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 310-802-1756; - Sandwich House, 1373 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, 310-516-1365. 06/16/03 CHEESESTEAKS: - - OTHERS OF NOTE: -- Sandy’s Boston Pizza, Torrance; - Great Steak and Potato Company, Torrance; - Smarco’s, El Segundo; - Sizzler, various locations. 05/31/03 Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop / Gardena, CA I have been eating at this place for 20 years and have never gotten tired of it. It was one of the first places I went to eat after coming home from the Gulf War (the first one). The food is outstanding, with a great variety of Hawaiian-style breakfasts, such as.. — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 05/16/03 Ragin' Cajun Cafe / Hermosa Bch., CA If you have never tried Cajun food, you need to. It’s something that will grow on you. Suddenly you will find yourself having uncontrollable cravings for accon File Gumbo, Red Beans... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 04/25/03 Country Touch Cafe / Torrance, CA - I figured this place must be pretty good because there was no parking, no view (unless you like looking at the Mobil refinery) and nothing else near it except a liquor store, but Country Touch not only serves a good breakfast but a pretty decent lunch. I always get the club sandwich, which seems to be made just right every... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 04/11/03 Coach's Bar & Grill / Hawthorne, CA - There are certain types of places that make America great, places where there are pictures of the local high school teams on the wall, places that have golf and horseshoe tournaments, places where the waitresses greet you by name and give you great service, real neighborhood places. Coach’s is that kind of place... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 03/29/03 New China Buffet / Inglewood, CA - is in a half-empty strip mall (as are most of the places I go to). We stepped inside and I was in awe — it was like I had found the holy shrine to all things buffet and Chinese. I could not believe my eyes... — Read More in the 'CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 03/21/03 B&R Old Fashioned Burgers / Hawthorne, CA - The burger has so much flavor its almost criminal, and believe me, you will feel guilty after eating one. Look at the bright side of things, if you do manage to eat and finish a “Royal Burger”... — Read More in the CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. 03/1/03 Rizzo's Pizzeria / Torrance, CA Rizzo’s represents what’s good about family run places, they take pride in the food that they make and really care if the customer is satisfied. Rizzo’s has a very loyal following among area residents, I feel it is ... — Read More in the 'CULINARY CUISINE REPORT - including a YAHOO Map to the place. ... Click on the ALL TIME FAVES link for a more complete listing of my favorite eateries... Got a 'favorite eatery'? - please, Share it here... Yes, please send me an e'mail, and I'll swing by your 'fave' restaurant, cafe, or whatever, and run it thru the 'Chris Taste Test'. & thanks for the tip !!
	*INTRODUCTION:* Click on the ALL TIME FAVES link for a more complete listing of my favorite eateries... Got a 'favorite eatery'? - please, Share it here... Yes, please send me an e'mail, and I'll swing by your 'fave' restaurant, cafe, or whatever, and run it thru the 'Chris Taste Test'. & thanks for the tip !! ...back to top of page -