BIRTHDAY DINNER AT LOTUS OF SIAM

Joyce and I had another epic meal at Lotus of Siam.  To top it off we got to take a picture with James Beard award winning chef Saipin Chutima.  Awesome!

NEON MUSEUM

Joyce setup a fun trip out to the Las Vegas Neon Museum to check out some relics and brush up on our history of adult Disneyland.  If you can spare some time away from the tables this is worth a look at.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

CHRISTMAS TIME

Christmas tree is up, but things have been so busy we haven't really been able to take it all in.  It's a bummer, but hopefully with Christmas week around the corner things will slow down.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!

Joyce and I got to celebrate Steve Caballero's 50th birthday at the Vans Skatepark in Orange.  The night was filled with great food (Pizzanista & Wahoos), skating, art, and tunes.

There was an awesome shrine to Cab's legacy with shots from his time with the Bones Brigade There was also a mock up of his shop where he created the famed Vans Half Cab.

Robert Vargas was on site working on portraits of some legends for his documentary.

Custom pizza boxes from Pizzanista.

The best part was when Cab took the stage with his band The Faction for some tunes.  Took me back listening to some solid punk rock.

DISNEYLAND

We rocked out a solid family picture on the Tower of Terror (back row).  Weirdly, it was the first time Joyce and I road this ride and we laughed hysterically the entire time.  It was awesome.

WYNWOOD WALLS (MIAMI)

Joyce set up a trip to Wynwood Walls before we grabbed a bite to eat. Wynwood Walls were a product of late Tony Goodman in 2009 to showcase street art.  Wynwood is a warehouse district and Tony recognized that the windowless walls provided an amazing giant canvas.  After speaking with our Uber driver the area has truely transformed from a place of drugs and prostitution to a place of creativity and exploration.

FOODVENTURE: Mandolin Aegean Bistro (MIAMI)

Miami has such a great food scene.  One would visit to take in Caribbean or Cuban cuisine given the proximity to both regions, but there are other great spots like Mandolin, in the Art District of Miami. Mandolin highlights Mediterranean fare with simple ingredients and bold flavors.  You can taste the attention to detail and the homage they pay to their family recipes.

I didn't take a shot of the courtyard, but it was amazing.  Not only was the food so good, the ambiance was top notch.  Since we both had our fair share of bug bites we opted for inside seating which was really nice; one because there was A/C and two it was like we had a private dinner.  The decor inside was perfect, very cottage chic.

So this always happens when Joyce and I go on a foodventure, we get a starter that is really supposed to feed 4 or more people.  So we have the insurmountable task of trying to finish it.  Good thing this trio of tzatziki, eggplant puree, and humus could be used for all our entrees. 

This is where simplicity is never overrated.  Perfectly grilled octopus with a hit of lemon.  Ridiculous.

Keftes: grilled lamb and beef meatballs.

On the outside, what looks like a simple lamb dish over orzo pilaf, is a perfectly seasoned and cooked rack of lamb.  It is amazing comfort food like if your Greek grandma (pretend you have a Greek grandma) has cooked this for you because she is so happy to see you.

Another thing I really like about Miami is how fast everything comes out.  There is no fuss about it, which is awesome because I am always so hangry.

FOODVENTURE: Puerto Sagua (MIAMI)

With over 1000 plus reviews at 4 stars, we couldn't over look this joint.  Puerto Sagua serves up authentic Cuban cuisine and brought Joyce and I back to Turks and Caicos.

Joyce was all about the mango juice.

The table is set.

Oxtail Stew.

Fried Whole Red Snapper.

FOODVENTURE: Los Olas (MIAMI)

Joyce and I hit up Miami to take a break from the grind and run through the local food scene.  This spot, Los Olas, was at the top of the list and came with many recommendations.  It was also featured by Anthony Bourdain on his travel channel show "The Layover: Miami".  A local spot, Los Olas is known for dishing out solid cuban favorites.

Joyce was hyped on the fried goodies in the window.  

We had a little starter with a ham croqueta and beef empanada.  Writing this post after getting back from our trip I can proudly say I ate these empanadas everyday of the trip.  It was that good and worth the trek back to get this fried goodness.

On our flight to Miami we watched Chef and after all that cuban food porn, it was satisfying to sink my teeth into a legit cubano.  Damn it was good and yes I had this more than once too.  I am not ashamed.

MIAMI

DISNEYLAND

We spent labor day at the happiest place on earth to do some people watching, eat awesome snacks, and take in some rides.

FOODVENTURE: The Hundreds x East Borough EAT MEET

What happens when The Hundreds mixes food with great people? Only awesome-ness, literally. Tuesday night The Hundreds along with East Borough played host to the inauguaral EAT MEET in Culver City. Following the success of STREET MEET, the mixing of fans and photography, EAT MEET brought together the same idea this time with the focus around food.

When Bobby posted about this event on his instagram I jumped at the chance to experience this unique event with Joyce. If you follow our instagrams you know we are huge foodies and never pass up the opportunity to try new things.

The event was ran so well and the best part, aside from the amazing food that Chloe Tran served up, was the opportunity to meet amazing people. Joyce and I sat at a table with 3 young aspiring guys (Justin, Joe, and Derek) looking to make a mark in the industry and two brothers (Ara and Armen) who shared as extensive a love for food as us. Not to mention, we found out Armen is a kick ass Jazz musician. What are the chances of that?! The kicker...Joyce and I are going to meet up with Ara and Armen soon to check out new food spots and share our passion for food together.

Check out some shots from the event and the food run down. Aside from the Pho Baguette, the other 4 dishes are not on the East Borough menu yet, but hopefully soon because they were so delicious.

So let the fun begin.  The night started out with Citrus Marinated Tilapia with peanuts, red onions, herb salad, pickled lime aioli, and wonton chips.  This reminded me of ceviche.  It was sweet, tangy, and refreshing.  It paired well with my jasmine lime iced tea (not pictured).

Dish #2: Fish Sauce Glazed Wings with scallions and cilantro.  These were on point; crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside.  It was a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.  We wish we had a bucket of these.

Dish #3: Pho Baguette - beef brisket, basil, onions, hoisin sriracha aioli and a side car of pho broth.  First of all the bread was perfect and the beef brisket so tender.  You dip your banh mi into the cup of pho broth like a french dip.  Insanely good.

Dish #4: Ha Noi Cod Fritters with wilted dill, tumeric aioli, and a pickled salad.  They were delicately battered for a good crunch and total comfort food. The pickled toppings balanced the salty cod very well.

Dish #5: Milk Toast with strawberry compote, sweetened condensed milk, and saigon cinnamon.  I will say it again, it was like a warm hug.  It was like a reinterpretation of a beignet.  This is something I could eat with a cup of coffee for every meal of the day.  They had extras and I ate two servings.

Thanks to Bobby, Ben, Chloe, John, and both teams from the The Hundreds and East Borough for an amazing night.  Until the next one.