California Love...

Yeah I quoted 2pac.Thug life.

So Twitter really is the most apt name ever because I am absoluteeeeely twitterpated by my tweethearts (I can keep going) and with so much talk of USA hols coming up I thought I would share a few good food experiences!

1) First pick of Cali is In n Out Burger. This is obviously no big secret as i've been told by about a trillion people that this is the best burger I will ever encounter. Even crazytown Tom Cruise gets it specially brought on film set's so he can feed his scientology buddies and throw a spare chip to poor Joey Potter. Free Joey! I went in SF because it was just right at fishermans wharf (which is lame btw) and convenient but they are around LA and even one in vegas. Sidetrack tangent of on dales birthday few years ago we had a limo and was causing all kinda if trouble when our part time limo driver part time strip club operator said he could really hit some in n out right now and by the time we got there it had closed 5 minutes before!we were sad, drunk and hungry all at the same time....I actually cried.cool story hansel.



Anyway the burger itself is amazing and really does taste made to order. There's even the not so secret "secret menu" items including animal style, double meat and protein style (wrapping in lettuce no bun..stupid atkins!). I just go the cheeseburger which is on the normal menu and more than enough for me! great crispy chips too. It really is worth going the extra mile for.

2) Moving right along travellers to the famed Funnel Cake of SM Pier. It is basically a giant doughnut batter thing of sorts, fried and covered in icing sugar. It really is probably one of the worst things for you that you could ever even conceive of eating but it somewhat of a rite of passage and I was determined. I made it halfway through...I challenge you to a duel! There's a couple of places on the pier that sell them and always a bit of a line..somewhere around $5 and make sure you share! It will be one of those things that you will be glad isn't easily accessible to you on a daily basis.


3) Pinkberry! I have made no secret of my love for pinkberry and even happily eat the second rate sydney substiutes just to get a hit but it's never the same. They are scattered around LA and have a cool alessi/starck ghost chairs vibe and basically are the tastiest frozen yoghurt known to man covered in tastyness. Choose your flavours and enjoy..I highly recc oreo's and strawbs but you really can't go wrong! The funny thing is the few times i've been there i've always come across some loud person dragging someone else along to "convert" them to the way of the pinkberry...it really is a religious experience.



4) This is a bit of an obscure one but Disneyland sourdough salad's and soup bowls! This is in the sourdough bakery (you can do a little tour of the bakery but it's pretty lame) over in Disney California but seriously hands down this is the best food to be found within Disneyland and maybe even Anaheim...except IHOP pancakes that it. You can choose soup or tasty salads like nicoise (I called that nick-oise till only a few years ago..true confession) and they are served in the tasiest, freshly baked sourdough bowl. I tried to recreate it at home once but it wasn't as good. Disneyland Churro's are pretty damn good too! most of the eateries are a little average though.



5) Lucky number 5 is Lawrys! Lawrys is a super old school prime rib house. The whole place just reeks of that rich 1960's style and is such a great experience. The waitresses all wear these adorable "sensible" brown and white smock thingys and have super cute traditions like the spinning salad. They have a salad bowl on ice and mix it up from a big height and spin it all around. Then the main man comes around with his trolley of meat and you choose what you are after...believe it or not mine was the smaller size serve! Everyone leaves clutching their little leftovers box and it's absolutely expected not to make it through though. Included in your meal is yorkshire puddings, spinning salad with the most amazing Lawry's trademark dressing and creamed spinach. Dessert was also gorgeous.. a lemon tart with a crispy crunchy creme brulee sugar type shell.. I've never seen it before or again and it's really so simple but amazing. The only thing with Lawry's is that recently they had a whole kefuffle about being sued because all their waitresses are female. It was so stupid..they are middle aged ladies! it's not exactly hooters. It's an absolute man meal too...no man can resist the subtle charms of prime rib.



Honourable Cali mentions of course include Johnny Rockets for that old school peach pit style dining and awesome shakes, Zuni chicken in SF which is simply the best and most famous (you sure have to wait for it!) roast chicken in the land, good old california pizza kitchen and their BLT pizza, Sprinkles red velvet cupcakes and the LA farmers market (shown below)



And remember when in doubt.....eat fried cheese!!!!!