Muff-a-lotta-sandwich

The toughest aspect of writing this entry on Honeydew is figuring out what to feature: Pinkberry-style frozen yogurt, organic salads, organic coffees and homemade lemonade (different flavor every day) and the sandwiches were all options. But after talking with owner and chef Paul about the Muffeletta (a New Orleans original not easily found outside of that city) I knew I’d found my “It” sandwich.

 

Done Honeydew style, the Muffeletta includes all-natural turkey, all-natural ham and Genoa salami with sharp cheddar, parmesan and aged provolone cheeses grilled and served on toasted sourdough (locally baked every day) with an olive tapenade, tomato, romaine lettuce, red onion and mayo. And it’s good. So good that I wolfed down half of it pretty quick and only held back on the second half because I didn’t want to be unconscious for the rest of the afternoon.

 

Besides the great taste, you might have noticed another theme in the above paragraph. Honeydew is Organic with a capital “O.” They use organic foods as much as possible which isn’t unusual but what does stand out is their use of Green food containers, coffee filters, cups, utensils, recycled paper napkins, cleaners and even uniforms. Even the tables are made with wood from renewable sources. Somehow all this seems to contribute to the great taste of the food as well. Maybe I wasn’t missing the added taste of a Styrofoam container in my take-out?

 

Honeydew has a great formula: serious organic plus great taste. And the Muffeletta is a perfect example of this great combination.

Not just any Iced Tea

No, this is not another alcoholic beverage…I do drink other things too. For instance, I happen to love tea. More specifically, I love Chai Tea and Thai Iced Tea.

 

I’ve had Thai Iced Tea with just about every Thai food meal I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve been trying to decide if there is one restaurant that does Thai Iced Tea exceptionally well. During my empirical research, I ordered the tea while dining at Exotic Thai Cuisine. I’m not sure if it was the neon lights on the walls, or the brightly colored chopsticks, but for whatever reason, this Tea tasted wonderful.

 

Typically, I order my Thai Iced Tea after my meal and use it as a dessert replacement. I’ve found that when I order it with the meal, I drink it too fast and end up pouting over my empty glass. By now I’ve learned that  A: I don’t like Green Tea Ice Cream, and B: A glass of Thai Iced Tea is sweet enough to appease my sweet tooth and I tend to enjoy it more if I get to focus on drinking it (as opposed to being distracted by all the great food on the table). If you are dieting, and looking for the dessert alternatives that won’t kill your calorie count, I always recommend looking over the specialty drink list.

 

Exotic Thai Cuisine has won many, many “Best” awards over the years…they are renown for serving great food…I do think, however, that this is the first acknowledgement they’ve gotten for their Thai Iced Tea. I love being a trendsetter…Iced Tea Drinkers Unite! Go out, and discover your favorite Tea providers and give them the acknowledgment they deserve!

Never had a Mojito? Blasphemy!

One of my favorite pastimes is going to a restaurant with a great patio and sipping on a tasty beverage with friends. Granville Café not only has a superb location on San Fernando (near the AMC), but it also has the patio, drinks and appetizers to boot.

 

My absolute favorite (after much empirical research) was their Berry Patch Mojito. If you’ve never tried a mojito then you’re missing out on one of the best summer drinks of all time. A mojito is traditionally made with rum, fresh mint, fresh lime, and a splash of soda water. The Granville Café has stepped this drink up a notch and added fresh berries to the mix. Not only is the presentation of this drink impeccable (it’s the kind of drink that people see from across the room and make a point to ask their waiter to bring them one as well), this drink also will bring you back to the Granville time and time again wanting another. It is sooo wonderfully fresh, light, and perfectly balanced (not too sweet, not too alcoholic, not too minty…just right). Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are all muddled in with the fresh mint and lime to create happiness in a glass.

 

You should know, that typically, I am not a rum drinker. Usually, I stay away from drinks that include rum as an ingredient. The Berry Patch Mojito is so delicious that the fact that rum is involved was a non-issue. In fact, I’d recommend this drink to anyone, rum drinker or not. However, if you swore to yourself that you’d never drink rum again, then here are some other selections I tried and loved: Tipsy Lemonade and Pearadise Martini.

 

If you are mysteriously not yet convinced to wander into the Granville Café, then consider this: they have an exceptional happy hour with discounted mixed drinks, beer and wine as well as deliciously discounted appetizers that runs Monday-Friday 4pm-7pm.

 

The secret is out…CPK has Mac and Cheese to die for.

Once upon a time, I was a waitress at California Pizza Kitchen (nope, not the one in Burbank) and I met a number of CPK big-wigs. One of the funniest people I’ve ever met, was also the creator of the CPK Mac & Cheese recipe.

 

CPK has Mac & Cheese on the kids menu…BUT DID YOU KNOW, that there is also an “adult” version? No, this item is not listed on the menu, but you better believe that you can order it…and you should! The Mac & Cheese from CPK has been one of my little secrets for a number of years now. When ever I run into a Mac & Cheese enthusiast, they always have a recommendation for me as to where to find the “best” mac & cheese in town. I always politely jot down their recommendation, but then I ask them to go try the adult mac and cheese at CPK…then to email me and let me know what they thought. Without a single exception, the enthusiast always come back to me thanking me profusely (and sometimes cursing me) for intruding them to this addictive and undisputable champion.

 

Now, it’s not “fancy” mac and cheese, in fact there’s nothing gourmet about it. I don’t know about you, but when I’m craving this kind of comfort food all I want is three things: for it to be filling, reliable, and so good that I can’t wait until my next craving strikes. CPK’s Mac and Cheese is so good that I’m sure they don’t put it on the menu simply because they want people to continue eating their pizzas…having the mac and cheese known by the public at large might create some kind of mass hysteria should they ever run out.

 

By publishing this article, obviously I’m willing to risk mass hysteria…the mac and cheese is just that good…people should know about it, and it saddens me to think of how many mac and cheese enthusiast have been going without. So go, be satiated my comfort-food-loving friends! You can thank me later…

Sucker for Shrimpies.

I stopped in Market City Caffe while I was out doing research for the Where’d You Get That blog. I wasn’t planning on featuring them for WYGT, but after pounding the pavement for hours, a girl’s gotta eat.

 

I always get the same thing whenever I go to Market City, the Pancetta Shrimp. If I’m super hungry I’ll get it as an appetizer and then another entrée as well, but more often I just get the Pancetta Shrimp and have it as my entrée.

 

I was trying to try new things, and find a new favorite, so I ordered a pasta dish, and had a bite of the entrée’s that my friends ordered. Not to my surprise, nothing could beat the Pancetta Shrimp. All my friends loved it, and I found myself wanting more after the last bite. When you eat something that just sings to you and calls your name as you walk by the restaurant, you know you have to feature the item in Ya Gotta Try This.

 

So, that said, here’s what the Market City Caffe menu has to say about the Pancetta Shrimp, “A Market City Caffe favorite since 1988. Jumbo shrimp marinated in balsamic vinegar and fresh basil, wrapped with pancetta and grilled.” Okay, as if that isn’t good enough to inspire a ride in the car, here’s what they left out: the appetizer order comes with four of these scrumptious jumbo shrimp and they are all served on a bed of broccoli, tomatoes and olives that are all equally as delicious as the shrimp themselves…I never know what to eat first, or what to save for the end, because it is all so good.

 

Practice what I preach: “If it is a nice day, eat on a patio. If you are at Market City Caffe, order the Pancetta Shrimp.”

Chocolate Cookie Anyone?

With a name like Pizookie, how can you not be a little curious?

 

Well, I’ll be frank, even as a hard core Doritos connoisseur, with a love for all things salty and dip related, I enjoyed this cookie lovers dream. The Pizookie at BJ’s is a large cookie baked and served in a single serving pizza tin, that is topped with vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. Not too long ago, I had a craving. Not Doritos this time, they just were not going to do the trick. I NEEDED a good cookie, and I knew that BJ’s was the only place that was going to do my craving justice.

 

Just read the description, “A freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped with 2 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish. Your choice of chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin walnut.” I mean, come on…really…it’s the mother of all cookie desserts. And if you just feel like having your dessert in your pj’s while watching a chick flick at home, call BJ’s, place the order over the phone, and pick up your gooey chocolate goodness at their curbside take out without ever leaving your car…how perfectly great does that sound!?!

 

To top it all off, BJ’s is open late: Sun-Thurs 11am-12am, and Fri-Sat 11am-1am. Thanks to BJ’s late hours all of the midnight cravings of Burbank can breath a little sigh of relief.