Grand Central Market is a landmark in downtown L.A..  Not as widely known as the L.A. Farmers Market, it is a bustling gem of an open air market set amidst historic architecture.  Each aisle seemingly teleports you to a different region of the world.  My pioneering visit got me caught up in Central America, specifically El Salvador.

One of the busiest stalls in the market was Sarita’s Pupuseria.  The prevailing smell was that of wonderfully lard-y corn masa.  I’ve never had El Salvadorean food, so ordering was a bit of a shot in the dark.  Given the name, I knew I had to get a Pupusa.  But I also ordered a tamale as a safety net, and added a fried plantain ball to live on the edge (bungee jumping is next).

I watched as the uni-lingual cook stuffed pork and cheese into a corn masa dough ball (and it wasn’t English she was speaking, a great sign, if you ask me).  It was flattened and griddled on the flat top.  The result was a crispy exterior that yielded to a soft dough with an explosion of savory pork and cheese to complete the package.  Sarita’s Pupusas are complimented well by a side of tangy cabbage slaw.  Awesome!

The fried plantain was a nice surpise.  When plantains are deep fried, they mysteriously form a crispy exterior that resembles a batter.  They are naturally tangy and are, more often than not, served in savory applications.  The one I ordered had a creamy filling that was just sweet enough to make it a very pleasant dessert.  I would definitely order it again.  The safety net was completely unnecessary.  It was a nice tamale, with a slightly different texture than the Mexican version, but nothing special.  Next time I would skip the tamale and order an extra Pupusa.  Or two.

Pupusa hot off the grill!

Deep fried plantain goodness!

Okay, despite the bad rap my area code gets (the snooty folks in Orange County call the region “the valley of the dirt people”), I’ve never personally been featured on COPS, nor do I live on a farm (and I don’t have a mullet).  And even though The 909 (a.ka. The Inland Empire) is a bit of a culinary wasteland, we can definitely appreciate fine dining.  My dream restaurant has been Fogo de Chao, the upscale Brazilian BBQ chain that actually finds its roots in Brazil!  At over $60 per person, I assumed that it would be an elusive fantasy just beyond reach.  But thanks to Dine L.A.’s “Restaurant Week“, Fogo de Chao became a reality!

A quick tip for my fellow 909-ers who dare venture into such uppity places: THERE’S NO NEED TO GET INTO YOUR FORMAL WEAR!  You won’t fool anyone into thinking that you’re a “local” (the flannel shirt under your corduroy suitcoat will be a dead giveaway).  You’ll feel more than comfortable in respectable casual wear (meaning jeans and a nice shirt not shorts and a WWF tank top).

Fogo de Chao is a buffet fit for royalty.  You are encouraged to start with their salad bar, which is so much more than a salad bar.  Get Sizzler or Hometown out of your head!  It features all manner of fresh veggies, expertly prepared salads, fine deli meats (including prosciutto and smoked salmon), imported cheeses, and high-end oils and vinegars.  The highlight for the two of us was the Balsamic vinegar.  It was amazingly rich, sweet and complex.  We put it on everything!

You are given a coaster which gives the servers (gauchos) in their M.C. Hammer pants the cue to get the meat party started.  The red side means, “We need a break!”, the green side means, “It’s on like King Kong!”  When we decided to “go green”, the most beautiful parade I had ever seen got going.  Bacon-wrapped filet mignon.  Bacon-wrapped chicken.  Ribeye.  Sausage.  Garlic beef.  Lamb chops.  Parmesan encrusted pork tenderloin.  I tried everything that came my way, at least ten different meats.  I got seconds (maybe even thirds, it’s really none of your business, though) of the garlic beef, ribeye, and — surprisingly — the bottom sirloin.  Bottom sirloin can be chewy and livery, but it was tender, juicy and unbelievably tasty!  Simply seasoned and cooked to perfection using real wood, the premium quality of their meats really shine.  Wowzers, if only human evolution had taken the route of cattle … a couple extra stomachs would’ve been nice!

As if the salad bar and meat parade aren’t enough to make one spontaneously combust from “happy, happy, joy, joy” overload, you’re brought a trio of scrumptious side dishes: mashed potatoes, fried polenta, and fried banana.  They’re all very good, though I would prefer to have my fried banana topped with vanilla ice cream.  As soon as a dish is empty, they’ll bring you more.  The servers are very attentive without being annoying.  Service all around was excellent!

Commoners, peasants, and lowly 909′ers … Dine L.A. is your chance to experience the royal treatment!

I took a bunch of pictures, but they’re really lame.  Maybe I was trembling with excitement.  But here’s a taste of Fogo de Chao:

From the salad bar ... gettin' the party started right!

Terrible picture, I know. I guess I just have to go back to get a decent one!

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that more than 2,000 people attend this event.  I’d say about half of them were in line at Grill ‘Em All Truck when we got there.  No surprise that the winners of Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race” were the main event.  My wife, being the incredible human being that she is, stood in line as I meandered through the festival.  I felt like the “daddy eagle” gathering food to bring back to the nest.  In the hour and ten minutes it took to wait in line, order and receive our burger from Grill ‘Em All, I was able to hit up four other trucks!

The Grill 'Em All line.

WHITE RABBIT (see my original review here):  The line was about 10-12 deep, and they were all Filipinos (maybe a couple non-filipino Asians).  Too bad, I’m really hoping Filipino food will become more mainstream.  We’re the second largest asian population in California, but our food popularity lags waaaaay behind Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.  The White Rabbit Truck fuses traditional Filipino flavors with classic Mexican preparations.  The Tocino taco was as good as my first visit, vibrant flavor and nice texture.  Had to try the Beef Steak taco, which is pretty much exactly what you’d get at a Filipino potluck (sans the corn tortillas).  It was tender and juicy, with just the right amount of tanginess.  We both absolutely loved these tacos!

White Rabbit's Filipino tacos.

BUTTERMILK TRUCK:  This was probably the second most popular truck, the line 20-25 people deep.  Everyone — and I mean everyone – who visited Buttermilk left with Red Velvet Chocolate Chip pancakes.  There’s pancake syrup available for self-service but something told me to pass.  The pancakes come with a dollop of cream cheese frosting and dusting of powdered sugar and that’s all it needs.  They are divine, almost a flattened version of Red Velvet cupcakes.  The chocolate chips are a great addition, a texture and flavor surprise that doesn’t detract from the unique Red Velvet profile.  This was easily my wife’s favorite dish of the night.  We also got the Hawaiian Bread Breakfast Sliders, which has Portuguese sausage, sauteed onions, and shoyu scrambled eggs.  Not bad, but nothing worth ordering again.  Shoulda just had a second helping of the pancakes!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip pancakes. Just don't ruin them with pancake syrup!

Hawaiian Bread Breakfast Sliders.

TAPA BOY:  The line was 8-10 deep and, once again, all Filipino (c’mon, folks, give us a try!).  Tapa Boy specializes in Filipino breakfast, a delicacy known as Silogs which pair savory meats with garlic fried rice and a fried egg.  Not wanting to fill up too quickly, I passed on breakfast and opted for a few tiny dessert bites called turon.  “Turon Old School” is the classic recipe, banana rolled in brown sugar, a sliver of jackfruit, deep-fried in an egg roll wrapper.  It’s great, just like “lola” used to make!  “Turon New School” replaces the brown sugar and jackfuit with Nutella.  It’s even better than it sounds.  Pure genius!  Then there’s “Flan B”, a bold move to deep fry creamy, decadent Flan in an egg roll wrapper.  A great concept, but they need to work on their Flan recipe.  A bit too eggy for my wife, non-descript for me.

Tapa Boy's Turon trio.

TA BOM:  This Brazilian truck was quite busy for most of the night, but there were only two customers ahead of me when I finally got to them.  I thought it was a strange stroke of luck until it was my time to order and I realized that they were sold out of most of their menu.  I was able to get one of their last Pastels, which is a deep-fried crispy pastry filled with seasoned ground beef.  It was great, kind of like a large won-ton with latin flare.  We also tried the Coxhinas, croquettes filled with chicken and cream cheese.  It was pleasantly spicy with a nice crisp exterior, but there was a vinegar tartness that didn’t seem to fit.  Ta Bom definitely fries their food with lard, which adds nice flavor, but may freak some people out.  But, chill out, folks!  Lard won’t kill you … right away, at least.

Ta Bom is da bomb!

GRILL ‘EM ALL:  We somehow still had room in our bellies.  But barely enough for the gargantuan “Behemoth” that we split.  We saw this thing on “The Great Food Truck Race” and it was the one item we were dead set on trying.  The patty itself is huge, I’m guessing a half pound.  It was cooked “well done” with not a hint of pink — I like my burgers medium well, but they didn’t give the option.  Amazingly, it was still very juicy!  It is sandwiched between two full grilled cheese sandwiches (buns can be soooooo boring), and topped with smoked cheddar and bacon.  We agreed, an excellent burger, but not quite worthy of another hour plus wait.  But I would definitely try to get to the festival earlier to beat the crowds and try some of their other burgers.

The Behemoth! Such a fitting name.

Speed Zone and festival organizers, thank you so much for bringing some of L.A.’s very best food trucks closer to our stomping grounds!  We’ll see you again soon!

Rooted in southern tradition, the Red Velvet cupcake has become the darling of the cupcake craze.  Invented in the early 1900s, its red hue was originally the product of a chemical reaction between natural cocoa powder and buttermilk.  Somewhere along the way, bakers started adding food coloring to the batter to create a more stunning red.  Nowadays, it’s too easy to waste money on a sorry imitation that is simply a red dyed yellow or white cake.  It may catch the eye, but there’s no distinctive Red Velvet flavor and texture.

I think its “flavor charm” comes from a little bit of sensory trickery.  Our eyes see the red and signals are sent to the taste buds to expect a fruity flavor.  Then we actually partake and the flavor profile is so unique.  It’s that surprise (almost confusion) that is part of the pleasure.  A real Red Velvet cupcake will have a slight hint of cocoa, without being chocolatey.  Add to that a gentle tanginess from the buttermilk and flavor compounds not generally found in nature are created!  It should be moist without being oily and have a delicate crumb that still feels substantial in the mouth.  These final two characteristics are also a chemical reaction attained by using natural cocoa powder, not dutch processed.  Lastly, the cream cheese frosting better not be too sweet!

Upscale cupcakeries dot the southland with their cutesy names and decor.  Among the most popular are Sprinkles, the Beverly Hills hero that started it all, and SusieCakes, the retro bakery that also happens to be one of Martha Stewart’s favorites.  And so we clash….

Red Velvet from SusieCakes.

I really dig the dollop of frosting in the middle of the cupcake, a SusieCakes signature.

Red Velvet by Sprinkles.

As you can see, there’s a big difference in color.  SusieCakes’s is an almost neon red, no brownish tinge, meaning not enough cocoa powder (if any).  It’s very moist, and the frosting surprise in the middle is nice, but the flavor just wasn’t there.  I walked into Sprinkles a bit of a skeptic.  But it lives up to the hype.  The cupcakes are presented beautifully and the service is excellent.  Despite my blurry picture, you can see that it definitely has sufficient cocoa powder.  It’s everything a Red Velvet cupcake should be.  Maybe more.

Throw the towel in!  Sprinkles wins this clash in an easy first round knock out.

There’s not much doubt that this popular sandwich was birthed in L.A..  The controversy comes with trying to figure out exactly which “hospital” gave it its first spank.  A gamut of legends have emerged.  They range from a simple accidental falling of bread into the pan, to the appeasing of a customer complaining about stale bread, to the kindness of a chef helping a patron with sore gums.

Clash #3 is between the two purported originators of the French Dip: Philippe’s and Cole’s.  Both are 100+ year old institutions with ardent defenders.  But that’s where the similarities end.  Philippe’s is bright and bustling, rather large with a casual feel.  Cole’s is dark and subdued, yet cozy with a retro charm.  Philippe’s menu is extensive, offering a wide range of classic American comfort foods.  Cole’s is straightforward, sandwiches and sides.  I take it as a kind of “in your face” brashness that says, “we’re so good at what we do we don’t need to try to be anything else.”

Philippe's pork dip with potato salad.

Philippe’s roasts huge bottom round roasts for their beef dips.  I was shocked to learn that fact on the Travel Channel.  I had already experienced Philippe’s and it was truly one of the best sandwiches I had ever eaten.  The problem is that bottom round is one of the cheapest cuts of beef you can buy.  And for good reason: it is awful.  The flavor is bland at best (livery, usually), and it is a terribly tough and dry piece of meat (a heavily worked muscle at the animal’s hind quarters with little fat).  I have no idea what Philippe’s does, but they do it right.  They somehow transform a bargain cut into something fit for gourmet consumption.  All it needs is a touch of their house-made hot mustard (be careful, it is really hot!).  As awesome as the beef dip is, we actually like the pork dip even more (they also offer ham, lamb and turkey).

Cole’s uses a much better cut of beef, the brisket.  It is the go-to slab for corned beef, pastrami and Texas BBQ.  It has big, beefy flavor and melt-in-your-mouth succulence when cooked properly (low and slow).  Most foodies would agree that this would give Cole’s the upper hand right off the bat.  I walked into their historic building expecting a clash of titan proportions.  But it wasn’t really that close.  Cole’s beef dip was good.  Very good, in fact.  The meat was tender and flavorful, the bread had that classic crusty exterior, and the “jus” was nice.  Philippe’s is just better in every facet of “French Dip-ology”.

Cole's beef dip. Good, but not quite good enough.

Philippe’s array of creamy side salads are all very good.  Plus, you can get a good cup of coffee for nine cents!  At Cole’s, we had their bacon potato salad, which was extremely good.  If this had been a potato salad clash, Cole’s would’ve scored a knock out.  But this was a battle of L.A.’s finest, the famous French Dip.  Regardless of who actually invented it…

Philippe’s is the best.  Hands down.

You be the judge.

The standard dough and cinnamon/brown sugar filling was used. A couple good handfuls of Reese's peanut butter chips were added to make up the "P.B." part.

The "J" is as simple as adding 1/2 cup of strawberry preserves to the cream cheese icing and using 1/4 cup less powdered sugar.

The Los Angeles gourmet food truck craze has spawned over 2,000 mobile eateries.  They are truly unique eating experiences, sometimes over-hyped, but often times they’ll break new culinary ground.  Think about it.  With no seating and unpredictable ambience, these trucks have got to come up with creative offerings to bring in business.  From Korean BBQ tacos to burgers smothered with sausage gravy to red velvet pancakes, the menus are inspired and inspiring!  In this “culinary clash”, I’d like to highlight two of the street food scene’s newest competitors: The Manila Machine and The White Rabbit Truck.  As a Pacquiao fan Filipino, their island offerings are near and dear to my heart.  And stomach.

The Manila Machine, the brain child of two food bloggers, was the very first Filipino food truck on the scene (see my original review here).  They offer dishes that feature familiar ingredients that are presented in creative ways.  Their style is a fusion of old school and nouveau.  Excellent food from really friendly folks.

The White Rabbit Truck takes a more aggressive approach, creating a Mexican-Filipino fusion.  Traditional Filipino meats like Adobo and Tocino are paired with tortillas to create distinctive tacos and burritos.  I must admit, the thought was quite off-putting at first.  Don’t get me wrong, I loves me some Mexican food (as in King Taco not Taco Bell)!  It just seemed so very wrong to have the comfort foods of my youth served with anything other than white rice. 

This deep-seeded prejudice overwhelmed me as I approached The White Rabbit Truck while it was parked at Disney headquarters in Glendale.  I ended up ordering an old fashioned Sisig rice bowl.  No fusing cultures on my watch!  We were keeping everything separate … but equal, of course.  But as I waited for my racialy pure dish to be prepared, I had an Affirmative Action moment.  Why not give a Filipino taco a chance?  About 90 seconds after ordering my Sisig, I ordered one Tocino taco.

And it was good!

Tocino taco ... judged by the content of its character!

Really good!  Tocino is cured pork that many think of as “Filipino ham”.  It is not smoked and quite a bit sweeter.  White Rabbit serves it on two corn tortillas and tops it with a tangy and slightly spicy slaw.  The flavors work together like the colors of a rainbow.  I couldn’t believe my taste buds.  Tocino tacos … who woulda thunk it?

Sisig. Kickin' it old school.

The Sisig was also quite good.  A melody of crispy (yet succulent) bits of fried pork, sauteed with onions, garlic, and jalapenos.  It is brightened up with a splash of citrus.  I can definitely see this working fabulously as a taco, kind of a kicked up version of carnitas.  Two complaints about my first White Rabbit Truck experience: the steamed rice was a bit dry, and the tortillas were not warmed up on the griddle (they were brittle and one actually cracked).  C’mon, White Rabbit, measure out the water carefully and slap those tortillas on the griddle for a couple seconds!

Now for “The Clash”….  The Manila Machine makes their Sisig with pork cheeks, and you don’t get much more tender than those nuggets of goodness.  They add a textural counterpoint with crushed chicharrones on top.  The flavor profiles of the two trucks are very similar with this dish, but the unique mouth-feel of The Manila Machine’s rendition is truly a wonder to behold.  Score one for the bloggers!

The signature items … now, that’s a different story.  If I weren’t so full, I definitely would’ve returned to the truck to order a few more tacos.  The Manila Machine’s pandesal sliders were tremendous, especially the Beef Tapa with Achara slaw.  I’d have to call it a draw.  Obviously, more research must be done.

Both trucks are really good, and different enough to carve out their own distinct niches.  I suppose the Sisig and attention to detail (properly cooked rice and gently toasted pandesal) give The Manila Machine the slight edge.  But if they were parked on the same block, I’d definitely visit both!

Mabuhay!

My good Lord showed favor upon me by allowing me to cross paths with a transplanted New Yorker in San Diego.  His accent was undeniable and brash attitude strangely comforting.  If there was true New York goodness to be found anywhere in SoCal, this guy would know.  I asked, and he did know.  I don’t even remember his name.  I wish I had the chance to thank him for pointing me to Bronx Pizza in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego.  I’ve bragged on it before (read my review here).  It immediately became The Fun Family’s favorite pizza place and a definite must-stop whenever we’re in San Diego.  We’ve found some nice spots in L.A., but nothing really close to the authentic greatness of Bronx.

Curious as to what others were saying about Bronx, I sought the reviews of Yelpers, Chowhounds and bloggers.  It didn’t take long to learn that my beloved Bronx had a rival.  More like an arch-enemy if you take on the passion of these pizza joints’ ardent followers.  Turns out a transplanted Italian opened Pizzeria Luigi, and has built up an almost cult-like following.  I’m no homer.  I’ll not blindly follow or ignorantly answer.  I’m a reasonable man.  And a hungry man.  I decided to see for myself.

And, thus, the first in a series of “Culinary Clashes” I’ll be posting.

Pizzeria Luigi's "Donatello".

We wanted to have as even a playing field as possible, so we went with two very similar specialty pies:  Bronx’s Whitestone vs. Luigi’s Donatello.  Both are sauce-less with mozzarella and ricotta.  Whitestone adds grated parmesan and minced garlic, while Luigi adds only grated romano.  Both use high quality cheeses that are very milky and creamy.  Romano is supposed to be much sharper than parmesan, but I didn’t catch that distinction.  The garlic really was the difference.  It was a unanimous decision amongst the six of us judges.  That added punch of flavor just really put it over the top.  The Whitestone is a unique and tasty pizza experience!

I must say that Luigi’s crust edges out Bronx’s.  They’re both close to perfect, Luigi’s just happens to be a little closer.  A tad crispier, with just the right amount of dark brown charring for added flavor.  Their oven must be quite a bit hotter.  Had we never had a Bronx Whitestone, I’m sure the Donatello would’ve been the very best pizza we’ve ever had.  In fairness, it could be that Luigi has another pizza that could beat Bronx.  Maybe something featuring their marinara.  Or possibly that BBQ Chicken Pie I saw in the glass counter.

Hmmm, maybe we should have a rematch.

Maple Bacon Donut with Nutella Donut in the background.

Brioche French Toast with house-made jam.

You read that right, Maple Bacon Donut!  Weird, I know, but think of the salty-sweet goodness of a HoneyBaked Ham, plus the pillow-plush luxury of yeast-risen dough.  Much more substantial and a bit more dense than a Krispy Kreme donut, Nickel’s creative pairing is magic!  The contrast in textures and tastes just works.  Please, trust me.  You must try one before you die.  The Nutella Donut is quite awesome, too.  The added crunch of the crushed hazelnuts is yet another testament to the fearless innovation of the folks at Nickel Diner.  I must return to try the Strawberry Crumble and Red Velvet donuts.  I would go tomorrow if it weren’t for that pesky obligation called a job.

And The Fun Couple makes yet another great French Toast find!  Brioche is a flaky and rich french bread that is a cross between a pastry and a yeast bread.  Nickel takes cinnamon brioche, lightly batters it, griddles to a perfect golden crispiness and serves with butter and house-made jam.  The strawberry-pear-rhubarb jam (I had to ask) was absolutely the best preserved fruit spread I’ve ever had!  I think they fill their homemade pop tarts with it.  Yeah, they make those, too.  Wanna go, dontcha?

We also shared the “Fifth and Main”, spicy BBQ pork hash with two poached eggs.  The shredded pork was tender, but the BBQ sauce was a bit on the sweet side for our tastes (not bad, though).  It did have a nice kick and was paired nicely with the fried potatoes.  The eggs helped tone down everything.  Nice meal, but probably not one we’d order again.  The coffee was good.  So was the service.

Our breakfast came out to be just over twenty bucks with the tax and tip.  My wallet thanked me.  My circulatory system, not so much.  With an ungodly rush of sugar and pork coursing through my system, I could hear my heart whisper:

“I know you hurt me because you love me.”