Hash House A Go Go - Originally Published 2010

Vegas prides itself on going big without any hesitation.  Buffets, big margaritas, remember those Rosewood Grill signs?  It’s easy to get over saturated with the whole “big” thing.  If this ever happens, I recommend heading over to the Hash House A Go Go.  Quite honestly, the size of the food there is jarring.

 On our most recent excursion to Las Vegas found us taking breakfast at the Imperial Palace location.  After seeing the size of the portions, we opted to share an omelet and get a pancake to go.  If you’re not a professional competitive eater, I would recommend going this route.

 Call me jaded, but bigger does not always mean better.  How was it, you ask?  It was pretty good, says I. 

Clifton's Cafeteria - Originally Published 2010

Clifford Clinton was a bold man.  How bold?  First, he opened a business that catered to the everyman in the middle of the Great Depression.  Second, he took on the mayor of Los Angeles, the LA Times, and the LAPD.  That little disagreement got so heated that the LAPD set a bomb off in his Los Feliz home.  Needless to say, he was undeterred and as a result, he changed the power and scope of LA politics.  If you want more on that, follow this link.

Clifton’s is like a moment frozen in time.  This is a place that serves the stick-to-your-ribs kind of food that the shuffling masses in the last century yearned for.  Clifton’s specializes in the dense fair that our grandmothers told us would make us grow big and strong. 

The Clinton family has hung in there at the same location with the same menu for over seventy years.

The food is just one thing that sets Clifton’s apart from the rest.  The décor is another reason to show up.  The three-floored cafeteria is set up to look like a cabin, complete with real wood paneling, fishing bears, and a running stream.  There is also a chapel for those that are weary in spirit.

Stop into Clifton’s and get a piece of pie and some coffee.   It should be on everyone’s to-do list the next time you’re in downtown LA.

The Sushi Cruise - Originally Published 2010

I know what you’re thinking.  The Sushi Cruise is shaped like a boat.  And it’s all you can eat.  Nothing good can come of this.  As someone who was once a member of the Los Angeles Glitterati, I know where you’re coming from.  But I assure you, this place is amazing.

Since I moved inland about four years ago, this has been my sushi place of choice.  It keeps getting better every time I come here.  Recently, there were some menu upgrades.  The creativity has made all of the rolls taste like angels came from heaven and kissed each one.

So here’s my advice.  You can spend a few hundred at a place because some celebrity chef went there one time.  Or, you can grow wings, fly out the window and take a cruise.

Pea Soup Andersen's - Originally Published 2011

It was Nietzsche who wrote, “And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes into you.”  I’m not big on abysses.  Moreover, I’m not big on abysses staring into me.   I suppose that’s what Pea Soup Andersen’s became for me, a big black unknown.  I’ve passed it numerous times, but have never made the stop.

Recently, I decided to end the abyss’ power over me. On a dash up north, the wife and I decided to stop and shed some light into the deep, dark unknown.  Upon entering the quaint roadside stop, it would appear that my nemesis, the aforementioned abyss would again test out my will.

The challenge was thrown out to me.  For nine and a half dollars, how much pea soup could I eat?  The pea.  The Paul McCartney of the legume world.   Would I stay and play the game?  Or would I leave and let the abyss feed on my fear of the unknown?

Fear is normal, but to back down to it is unacceptable.  To do so would mean that I should turn in my Animated Meat card and go back to playing it safe.  “Waitress, bring me a bowl!”  And bring me a bowl she did.

The pea soup here is special, 100% vegetarian.  Don’t look for any pork in this soup, just spoonful after spoonful of pure pea delight.

And so I had my answer, a bowl and a half.  That’s how much pea soup I can eat.  I have looked into the eye of the beast and have not blinked.

The Mad Greek - Originally Published 2010

If the Mad Greek would have tried to get his business going these days, it probably wouldn’t have happened.  You see, with the number of doctors all too happy to prescribe mood stabilizers, the Mad Greek would be known as the Well Balanced Greek As Long As He Doesn’t Go Off His Meds.

The Well Balanced Greek would have never had the vision to open a Mediterranean restaurant in the middle of the California desert.  He would have done something considerably more conservative, like work for the city as an accountant. Something steady where he would have a pension, a dental plan, and a few weeks of vacation.  Sure, he might be boring but at least he wouldn’t be prone to flights of fancy.

But apparently, modern psychiatry hasn’t yet got a hold of our Mad Greek.  Instead, he resides in the town of Baker and serves up all kinds of Mediterranean eats.  I’m sure that at times, his toaster talks to him, but he also makes one of the richest, densest milkshakes I have ever had.