What started out as a crappy rainy Saturday, turned into something magical in the form of dining at The Money Pit in San Marcos. This place was originally a bank. Owner Demetri Kesallinos bought the closed down bank and reopened it as a burger joint. As a sort of homage to the original building, the restaurant has a money theme to it, plastered with “money-related” movie posters. Coins are scattered throughout the floor, presenting a challenge of pulling out the cemented coins to children that come in. The original vault door that protected the vault (which is now, by the way, the food prep area) sits nearby the entrance, coins dotting the concrete base.

A table featuring penny word art

I can’t say enough great things about the decor. It’s a real treat just walking about and checking out the individual tables. Housed underneath a glass surface is a theme to each table. From Monopoly money, vinyl records, to International currency, every table has a story to tell. License plates drive you down memory lane (Black Cali plates?!?). Coca Cola memorabilia hangs out nearby the soda machine.

The food isn’t anything spectacular, then again… it is. Lemme explain. There’s no signature “Money Pit burger” here. There’s nothing on the menu you have to come down and try. However, everything is very fresh. The Money Pitt doesn’t make anything until you order it. As far as the sides go (fries, onion rings, etc.), they cook in small batches so your tasty onion rings are fresh. Another thing to point out is the price. With a name like The Money Pit I went in half expecting to get robbed. Amazingly, you can have a full mean for under six dollars! I’m talking a full order of fries, large drink, and one of the more “upscale” burgers.

A Monstrous Hot Fudge Sundae!

I was trying to find a con to report back, which at the time I did. The patties weren’t that thick. However, after I finished my meal, I realized I was full! So I scratched that off the list. Of course, I wasn’t too full for a shake! For banana fiends like myself, The Money Pit serves up thick and frothy banana shakes that are lip-smackingly awesome.

With a vast menu of American favorites, fun decor, and a price range that would make a starving college student smile, The Money Pit in San Marcos, CA is an excellent lunch stop. Pay up, $ucka!

It’s always hard reviewing Mexican Food restaurants. I feel like I’m spitting in my mother’s face.

Onward!

I've got an eye on this ribeye...

Casa Mendoza is this new Mexican Restaurant that opened up in our neck of the woods out here in the Desert. It’s located at the University Village in Palm Desert off of Cook Street. I had no idea “University Village” existed. While driving there, I was convinced that I was going to get raped and murdered. I was told about this place by my buddy’s girlfriend, whose brother was opening up the restaurant. Her brother had heard about my site, and asked me to check it out. Upon arrival, though, I made it very clear that I wasn’t in the “doin’ favors” business, I was in the “eating delicious food” business, and if his place’s food wasn’t up to snuff, I wouldn’t tell white lies about it.

Business is boomin’…

The first thing you’ll notice about this place is the atmosphere. The name of the place literally translates to “House of Mendoza”, or “Mendoza Residence”, and it certainly feels homely. There’s a nice china hutch to the side. Beautiful Spanish wall art hung neatly around the room. The bar looks like a gorgeous well-kept bar in someone’s private home, with a LCD screen mounted nearby, playing the current game. Gorgeous place. You feel as if you’re over at someone’s house for a nice dinner. It’s a lot more intimate.

We got started with some complimentary chips and salsa. Sadly, the salsa was a cold salsa. I’m a sucker for warm salsa. Cold salsa goes very well with guacamole though, so I ordered a batch of the creamy Kryptonite. The guac is very fresh and tasty. Afterwards, the food came out. I ordered the House Special: Camarones Mi Casita, or “The House Shrimp”. Rene, the owner, told me that they worked hard to get the shrimp to be as close to the amazing seafood he remembered as a child during trips to different parts of Mexico. They achieve this by importing Mexican shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico

Where the magic happens...

The shrimp are big on taste. They marinade the shrimp in a chipotle-based marinade, stuff them with chipotle, then wrap bacon around them and cook ‘em up. As everyone knows, once bacon is involved, you almost definitely have a winner on your hands. After cooking, they melt a combination of cheeses over the hot shrimp and place them in a boat, where a creamy chipotle sauce is poured over the sinful seafood. The spiciness of chipotle is balanced with the cheese. A light fire starts in your mouth, but is quickly put out by a blanket of cheese. The smoke of the exhausted flame billows in your mouth afterwards; a reminder that you are, in fact, at a Mexican restaurant.

Beans and rice are good. With this combo, it’s usually a make or break when it comes to Mexican food. I can’t count how many times I’ve been to Mexican restaurants that have had horrid, bland rice and beans. If I had a nickel for every time, I’d have enough scratch to do this as a living for a good year or two. Alas, the world does not reward subjugation to failure. But I digress! The beans and rice at Casa Mendoza have a great home-cooked flavor. The beans taste fresh and the rice taste almost jalapeño-kissed. I was impressed.

We were stuffed, but our waitress had to come and entice us with their fairly large dessert menu. Typical Mexican desserts like flan were present, but more exciting treats like Banana Chimichanga and Upside-Down Pineapple Cake jumped from the menu, screaming for attention, and making deals with my taste buds. I slapped my taste buds back in line and settled for a flan.

Excellent flan! A rich vanilla flavor, velvety and creamy texture, and a presentation that almost makes you not want to eat it. Another member of the LTT crew went with the cheesecake, and I was too tempted not to sneak a bite. Delicious! Creamy is an understatement for this cheesecake. A delicious crust. The desserts were amazing. Even nicer to know: the family’s grandmother makes all the desserts from scratch. That’s how you know it’s good! If grandma’s in there bakin’ up a storm, you’re in for a treat!

Check out the restaurant. They have a FaceBook page, and a Twitter page that I’m told will be put to use soon. I also have it on good authority that these will be outlets for coupons and daily deals, so make sure to follow/fan them.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to call my mommy and apologize for turning my back on her cooking…

Stay Tasty!

With my mother and grandfather being Texan, I ate a lot of BBQ growin’ up. Lots of spare ribs. The house would be filled

Outside The Cowboy Way.

with the wonderful aroma of cooked meat and the sweet and tangy smell of Mom’s BBQ sauce was something I would go to bed dreaming about. When I started dating my current girlfriend, I would get invited over for some “authentic” Texan BBQ. Mr. Pavia, a native of Texas, had an old black smoker outside his place he would use. The ribs would be in the smoker for hours, using different types of wood to give it a different flavor. Can you believe that smoking ribs with burning mesquite as opposed to applewood produces different results? Once you taste smoked ribs, everything else is obsolete.

Meat. It’s what makes me look at vegetarians in utter disgust. Meat’s amazing! Steaks, tri-tip, brisket, ribs, chops! There’s plenty of ways to cook meat, but to achieve that true Texan flavor, your barbecued meat has to be smoked. This involves getting a smoker and building a fire on one side of it, and placing the meat as far away from said fire as possible. That’s because smoking meat is all about cooking it low and slow, as opposed to grilling where meat is seared at high temperatures. Good things come to those who wait.

The smoker, parked on the side of the building.

Being that LOLthatsTasty Headquarters is not based in Austin, Texas, we have a bit more trouble lookin’ for good BBQ out here in the Desert. Back in the day, there was a place called “Big Willy’s” out here that served up some good BBQ, but they’ve been closed forever. Today, most Desert Rats’ BBQ knowledge goes as far as Rancho Mirage’s “Babe’s B-B-Que Grill” and that’s a cryin’ shame. For I’ve been to the land of bronze pigs, and while the food was good, it’s nowhere near the magic and wonder that is housed at The Cowboy Way in Palm Springs.

Driving out to Palm Springs from Indio might as well be a pilgrimage. Considering what we’re dealing with, though, the trip is well worth it. After getting lost due to Palm Springs’ one-way streets, we parked in a very sketchy lot behind the restaurant. I was beginning to worry, until I saw a familiar and comforting sight on the side of the building: a smoker. I knew I was in store for something special.

This place can give two shits about their decor. There’s not hostess at the front. No pretty tables with fancy Western centerpieces. No freakin’ bronze pigs. Instead, it’s simply an L-shaped bar with one waitress running it, while two men work in a prep area nearby. Country music fills the air from a small radio. As you take a seat and browse the menu, the local regulars are coming in and out, picking up phone orders to take home to their families. Our drinks came in canning jars, which just added to the “Who Cares?” attitude of the place.

What they do care about is the meat, though, and it’s very apparent when you eat the final product. Great smokey

Full Slab of Beef Ribs, Cowboy Beans, and Cornbread.

flavor, lip-smackin’ good BBQ sauce, and portions that will make you do a double-take. Best of all, the price is awesome considering it’s barbecue and in Palm Springs. Plenty of side choices. We went with the Cowboy Beans and Cornbread. The Cowboy Beans are delicious beans cooked up with some pork pieces and jalapeños. Cornbread is served up with honey butter. Big and tasty!

This is a must-visit spot out here in the Coachella Valley. If you haven’t gone, you’re doing yourself a great injustice.

Time for me to mosey on out. Until next time, my dear readers: Stay Tasty!

Yee-haw!

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I’ve never really had a sweet tooth. As a child, I was brought up thinking cut up fruit with some chile powder sprinkled on top was a “treat”. Needless to say, my culture’s “Pico De Gallo“s trumped most candy that tried to be my mouth’s new mistress. That is, until about a few weeks ago…

The Holy Grail

We were in a Love’s Gas Station when I happened upon a whale of a deal: two new candies from Wonka for a buck. Now, as far as candy goes, Wonka’s got a good track record. These are the people who brought us Nerds. These are the fine folks that had us jacked up on Pixy Stix as children. Laffy Taffy? C’mon people. Aside from a good reputation, I ultimately decided to purchase them because I’m an American Hero. How so? Well, the economy is all kinds of messed up at the moment. I had two choices that night: I could be a hero and stimulate the economy with my hard-earned dollar, or I could walk out and not have bought anything.

I’m no terrorist. America, you can thank me later…

The texture of the confectionery creation is the first thing that took me by surprise. It’s a lot softer than most licorice. I

FACT: Kazoozles are tastier than highlighters.

imagine the protective outer licorice casing to be the lovechild of a Red Vine and a Gummy Bear. Like I said… weird texture. The interior of the candy limbo’ed from being an Airhead (which I hear are “outta control”) to almost a paste. It’s a bit tart. It’s very sweet. It’s an explosion of flavor, that’s for sure. I really can’t compare it to anything else on the market as I can’t remember the last time I was this pleased with a candy.

I’ve stocked up on the delightful concoctions just to give them to people. Almost as if I were running for office or something. Everyone that’s had one agrees: this is the best thing to happen to them since the day of my birth. All kidding aside, big kudos to the Wonka team for making such an amazing candy. I’m confident that this’ll be a big hit as more people pick them up.

I don’t even need WonkaVision to know that! Bam!

Yum, son!

Ramen is something the average American isn’t too familar with. Sure, most of us grew up on the cup variation in college, but very few people have had an authentic bowl of Japanese ramen. You’re now probably staring at your case of Cup O’ Noodles sitting on top of your fridge and are pissed that you’ve been duped by your local grocer. You want ramen. The real deal. But where does one go for a truly authentic and amazing bowl of ramen?

In the heart of Little Tokyo, so you know it's good!

The Little Tokyo District of LA is a great start if you don’t have a ticket to Japan readily available. Founded around the beginning of the 20th century, Little Tokyo is a goldmine for authentic Japanese food and a frequent dinner spot for the LTT crew. We called for the first ever LTT Dinner Party last night and had a great turnout.

Let’s get down to business. Orochon Ramen has plenty of competition. What separates this ramen shop from the rest is the spiciness of their broth. They have a total of nine levels of spice, with the top two being suicidal. Out of the thousands of people that have tried the “Special 2″, the absolute hottest ramen they have to offer, only a few hundred have succeeded. They have a wall in their honor named the “Wall of Bravery” that’s worth a look at. You can see a picture of my idol while you’re there.

LTT didn’t go with a death wish. We just went for some delicious ramen. We had basic Orochon 4, a ramen with great

Pick a broth, then a spice level, & finally your extras.

broth and just the right amount of kick. For those that like their foods really spicy, we suggest kicking up to Impact Orochon 3. It would be spicy enough to give your tongue a workout, but not too spicy where you ditch the monstrosity. The option to add extras to your ramen is something that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially when it comes to the Cha-Shu Pork Slice. We added Cha-Shu, extra noodles, and a slab of butter to ours.

The broth is very complicated. There’s definitely some cayenne peppers in there, but subtle hints of other spices I still haven’t been able to place my finger on. Of course, if it were that easy, Orochon would have copycats everywhere. Maybe it’s a good thing it’s complicated.

Definitely worth a try, especially if you’re a ninja on your off-time or something.

Of course, the first time we try doing video here at LTT, the Wind Gods have to have an ass attack and ruin our precious audio. -.-

But I digress…

We were told about Giovanni’s during our most recent trip to Hawaii by one of the locals. He gave us some ridiculous driving directions to North Shore, saying that we will, at some point, feel as though we’re lost. We headed there uneasy, thinking we just got duped by a local.

If you don't feel lost, you've gone too far...

It is out in the middle of nowhere. You pass up all the primo surfing spots, a town or two, fruit stands, Turtle Bay Resort, and other general points of interest. You’ll know you’re going in the right direction, however, when you start seeing what look like little ponds in marshes. These ponds are shrimp farms and are the first key to some truly amazing food. Because it doesn’t get much more fresh than having the actual shrimp you’re cooking living in your backyard, doin’ little tumble turns in the water with his buddies.

You start seeing shrimp trucks dot the Kamehameha highway. Welcome to Kahuku, a town well known for its aquaculture, shrimp trucks, and failed Fox TV Series. Keep passing up all the trucks until you see what looks like a picnic area and a white truck that looks likeMarc Ecko got a hold of for a few minutes. Don’t expect waiter service, valet parking, or a Black-Tie affair. This place is simply a truck serving good eats and some picnic tables for you to eat said food. The menu is limited and is as follows:

• Shrimp Scampi
• Hot-N-Spicy Shrimp
• Lemon-N-Butter Shrimp

Regardless of what you pick, it’s twelve bucks a plate. That includes two scoops of rice and 12 jumbo shrimp cooked up in your choice of the aforementioned sauces and whatnot. The Scampi is their claim to fame, and if you’re a big garlic fan, this is one you don’t wanna miss. The shrimp are served with skin, so you’ll have to peel-and-eat them. But, man oh man, it’s worth putting in a little work for these scrumptious shrimp. They’re massive and tasty.

Refreshing!

The butter and garlic are a tag-team made in Heaven, and they’ll quickly go to work on your tastebuds. Slapping your tongue around, asking where their “money’s at”. The rice makes for great texture when paired with the shrimp. Drinks are limited, but I suggest pairing it with local favorite Hawaiian Sun Natural Green Tea with Ginseng. It compliments the food very well. Another thing that’s worth trying is Giovanni’s Garlic Dog, a huge hot dog cooked in the same magical substance the Shrimp Scampi is cooked in. We all had one after annihilating our shrimp plates.

Hawaii has amazing food and some amazing restaurants. This, I learned very quickly while on the island. Being back on the Mainland now and thinking about my trip, it’s amazing how the restaurants we visited (while being delicious) still didn’t hold a candle to Giovanni’s Truck. For being so simple, it was simply amazing.