Sri Windsor Cafe in Glendale

This place is unique.

Sri Windsor Cafe
123 W Windsor Rd
Glendale, CA 91204
Neighborhood: Glendale
(818) 242-2789
www.sriwindsorcafe.com

I've ordered delivery a few times from my office... Great lunch specials for home cooked style Thai food. Green curry, Thai BBQ chicken, garlic pork, etc... I heard they have a food stand in Hollywood Farmers Market... so check em out! i promise good food.

What makes this a special establishment is not really the food... It's more about the location of this place.

The restaurant in located inside a institutionalized looking concrete building. Next to the entrance you will see a bulletin board filled with sobriety living listings. The building belongs to the Windsor Club (Alcoholism Treatment, Addiction Treatment)... Interesting right?



Inside, you will be greeted by a receptionist... then you walk through to the restaurant... sit and order your food. Occasionally during dining you will notice interesting characters passing through the center... It's kinda like people watching at the mall, but a little different.



I ordered the Thai BBQ Chicken with fried rice and egg roll lunch special... Beth ordered Pad See Ew (broccoli and wide rice noodle with brown sauce). As expected, it's got that home cooked Thai Food taste... very enjoyable!



You should definitely give this place a shot, its worth the experience :) BYOB

The Channel Islands

A few weeks ago, Beth wanted to check out some beach rental houses in the Channel Islands by Camarillo/Oxnard... figure we'd make a nice little road trip out of it.  Although we got distracted by the outlet malls for a few hours, we still made it to the beach before the sun sets.  This place is gorgeous.











After a nice stroll on the beach in the warm summer weather...
Of course we got hungry :)
We Yelped and found this seafood restaurant thats just a few blocks away from the beach. It was called

Fishermen's Catch
3960 Tradewinds Dr
Oxnard, CA 93035



Here is what I read in Yelp about this establishment...

Fishermen's Catch is owned and operated by an Italian fishing family, The Guglielmo's, that dates back three generations. The father son team both own their own fishing boats - the Sandy Bea and Philip Nick. They specialize in catching fresh white sea bass, local halibut, crabs and lobsters.


The Guglielmo's opened Fishermen's Catch to bring fresh affordable fish to the public. They take pride in both their fish and their customers. After fishing in the early morning you can visit them at the Fish Market and Grill.They purchase the fish they don't catch from high-quality vendors from all around the United States. If we don't eat it...We won't sell it. Come visit us at Fisherrmen's Catch as we are "Redefining Fresh."

When we were there, The Mom and Pop of the Guglielmo's family would walk around the restaurant cleaning and wiping the tables... chatting and conversing with the customers, old and new.  We felt welcomed... and the food was great!

The famous clam chowder



We also ordered Mahi Mahi taco, calamari taco, sea bass taco and shrimp taco... you just have to try at least one of the 4... we got all 4 :)



And of course we have to order something healthy, so we feel skinny :) Grilled red snapper fillet with grilled vegetables and brown rice.

I am back!

It's been way too long since my last blog post... Sorry readers, work's been kill'n me!  Well, I'm back now with more EATS!  Let's start with some local LA's favorites... Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) and lobster tacos.  I will provide everyone the address of both local food spots!

First y'all gotta check out this little deli / market in Chinatown. It's like a little Chinese bodega in Los Angeles. They have Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich stuffed with Cantonese style bbq pork. It was a party in my mouth! Must go and check this place out!

Lien Hoa Deli & Seafood Market
721 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Cash Only

Here is a snap shot of the mouth-watering bbe pork Banh Mi.



Also, while we were waiting for the sandwich outside of the market, we saw the employee from the market buying fish from a dude in a truck load of fish... alive and fresh!



We continued riding through Downtown, K-town, Hollywood, then Los Feliz / Silverlake. John wanted to show me this fish taco spot called Ricky's Fish Tacos... which is located a few blocks south of the Best Fish Taco of Ensenada. Word on the street is that Ricky's Fish Tacos is BETTER than the Best Fish Taco of Ensenada. Well, this I gotta try!

Ricky's Fish Tacos
1400 N Virgil Ave, Hollywood, CA 90027
Cash Only



When John and I arrived at the doubled tented outdoor fish frying station I knew we were in for a treat. This place was packed with people waiting to get their hands on the fish, shrimp and lobster tacos. For about 6 bucks a taco you get a giant sized taco with a fried lobster tail.  The tail is perfectly seasoned and fried... topped with fresh cabbage and pico de gallo, I'd like to have one... now.







All I gotta say is, see you next time Ricky's Fish Tacos! maybe this weekend... ha!

After the taco break, John and I parted by the train station...end of bike ride.
Thanks Uncle John for this great biking experience! I'll call you up next weekend and let's go on another adventure :)

Amazing Video Project by Rick Mereki

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

That is the description of this video... watch it and drool!!!

my stomach is extremely inspired... TIME TO TRAVEL !!!

Thanks Rick Mereki for this amazing video :)


EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Sonic America's Drive-In

I was first introduced to Sonic when I lived in Phoenix, AZ.  For the longest time Sonic wasn't available in Southern California, now I believe there is one in O.C. by Disneyland and one closer to Pasadena... Duarte to be exact.  Check it out when you get a chance!

This fastfood establishment is definitely one of my guilty pleasures... but when I am feeling a little adventurous, I eat at Sonic.  Order an extra large cherry limeade, tater tots and Texas toast chicken sandwich... if you want to eat like Joe.

God bless Sonic burger :)

Bay Cities Italian Deli

Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica is great for everything you need that's Italian and more! Beth and I always make sure to pick up a Godmother sandwich whenever we are in the area.



The Godmother is their signature sandwich that is very popular everywhere. The sandwich has been featured in Food Network's Best Food I've Ever Eaten - Sandwich Edition.

Watch out for the rush hour crowd at the market, which happens a lot, not just 5pm on weekdays :) This place is almost ALWAYS packed with hungry people. They do have the option to pre order your sandwich online pick up when you arrive or they will have pre made Godmothers on the counter.

If you have not try the Godmother do it now!

Also try the fresh made pasta and marinara sauce! its the bomb-diggity!

Mama Chang's Big Lunch

July has been a busy month for me... especially at work. This is the kind of month where I wish I can get some home cooking by Mama Chang, my mother.

Few weeks ago my mom cooked up a storm for my little brother Sean's return from college. Well, as the big brother and being a part of the family... Beth and I are of course invited to this fancy feast!

When we showed up Mama Chang was in the process of cooking her signature sticky rice... and it was delicious!





She also surprised us with my favorite, Drunken Chicken (cooked with a lot of rice wine, trust me)



We've got veggies, fish balls, tofu noodles, tofu and seaweed, fish, etc.



My dad prepared the beverages for us, including Taiwanese root beer and grass jelly.



NO! we don't eat dogs! Her name is Mickey and I love her.

Music Festival and Pizza

I figured I should post the images from Make Music Pasadena 2011 before I forget.

Check out this kid dancing in front of the dj booth. SICK!



Beth and I decided to walk to the festival from our house... Our first mission was to get something to eat when we get there :)... We walked around the festival and saw this little pizza stand. We picked up a slice of Margherita and a slice of the Mushroom Party! It was super yummy, especially the Mushroom Party!  Oh, we also scored a complimentary pizza card! #pizzabonus





Wife Approved



I took some photos of the festival by using this cool little app called TinyWorld, check them out.





It's a cool little app :) download it !

Astro Family Restaurant

Gosh, do I really have to write about this place? I mean, it wasn't a bad experience at all, but to me Astro Burger is just another American diner... just my opinion :)

That being said, the year Hilary Swank won the Oscar Awards, instead of going to the after party, she insisted on going to Astro Burger! (if you don't know who she is, she was in the Next Karate Kid 1994).

I went to their website and this is under their About section, pretty interesting stuff.

Two Restaurants, Two Names, Two Girls, Same Result!
Both Restaurants were named for the original owners’ daughters.

Jan’s Restaurant

Named for the original owner’s daughter which of course is Jan.

Astro Restaurant

Named for the present owner’s daughter which is Maria -Nick Name Astro.


The Result:

At both Restaurants we strive to make all our customers feel like home.

We provide excellent service in a clean and comfortable atmosphere.

We use nothing but the best products available.

We prepare all of our foods in our kitchens by our chefs and our daily specials are made with some recipes that are in our family and brought down from generation to generation.


Our Motto is:

“If it is not good enough to serve it to your mother,
do not serve it to our customers.”

We appreciate your business and we value your faith in us by patronizing our Restaurants.


We Thank You So Much!

Harry and his dedicated Staff


iphone / instagram / tinyworld (only one photo)

Hot Sauce Winners!

Last week and a half has been really busy for me... But not busy enough for me to forget to announce the winner of the Lila's Lemoyne Hot Sauce GIveaway :)



Here are the winners

CONGRATULATIONS!

Todd Kennedy  (New York City)

Joey Carmelo  (San Francisco, CA)

Britton Reid (Kentucky)

Email me (eatwithjoe@gmail.com) your mailing address and you will get the hot sauce in the mail shortly :)

Congratulations to the winners and Thanks everyone for submitting your awesome recipes! I will definitely dig into the recipes in the next few weeks, so make sure you check back for my recipe test results!

again, CONGRATULATIONS !!!

If you didn't win the giveaway, don't worry you can get your very own or Lila's Lemoyne St. Hot Sauce here!

Atlantic Time Square then Big Bear Adventure @ 3AM

This was a special night for the Changs... Another one of our spontaneous adventures!

10:00 PM

Atlantic Time Square - Monterey Park, CA.
This place is almost exactly like one of those big outdoor shopping plazas, without the typical chained establishments like PF Changs or Applebees. Instead it is a plaza of famous SGV restaurants... Chinese, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Japanese and Vietnamese. Basically, if you are a big fan of Asian food and new furbished condos... this is your paradise!

Phoenix Food Boutique is a restaurant specialized in food and desserts from the southeast region of China. It is definitely worth a visit! Check out what we ordered:

House Special Pan Fried Egg Noodle with shredded duck, chicken and bean sprouts. I don't think anymore explanation is necessary for this dish... It was a very special serving of chow mein.



Braised Tofu with seafood



11:00 PM

After the delicious dinner at Phoenix Food Boutique, we decided to go on a night photo scouting adventure.

Route 66 was on Beth's mind and that became the first target destination of our adventure. The Wigwam "teepee" Motel to be exact. I mean, a motel that is shaped and designed like an Indian teepee tent... Badass.

When we arrived at the motel, we were freaked out a little bit and we changed our minds at the office window. Mainly because it reminded us of Heisenberg's neighborhood from Breaking Bad... creepy and it would probably be more fun if we had more people with us.

1:00 AM

We were disappointed... heading back home and about to call it a night...
I thought, Hell no! It's 4th of July weekend and I am not going to waste my precious holiday weekend at home. Maybe it just felt like the perfect timing, but I was determined that we should totally check out Big Bear Lake, early Monday morning.

3:00 AM

It was 3AM and there weren't any other options that are awake at that time. Todd at the front desk of Northwoods Resort gave us a great deal so we have a comfortable bed to sleep in. We were blessed with the 2nd largest suites in the resort... also badass.

comes with king size bed, small kitchen / bar, jacuzzi, living room and balcony.



Wake Up and Explore Big Bear Lake

we drove up to the lake to get some fresh air, I wish I had a grill...



When we were scouting for future cabins for rent, we drove by this patriotic house.



Lunch at the local pizza joint. Hits the spot



After lunch we drove back to Pasadena.
Back to reality.
It was a great getaway!
Happy 4th Everyone!

The 100th Post!

This is the 100th blog post of eatwithjoe.com !!! so, what should I do for this special occasion?

How 'bout a...
4th of July Plus 100th Blog Post Giveaway!



Introducing Lila's Lemoyne St. Hot Sauce. ("like" them on Facebook)

This pretty much sums it all up:

"From deep in the hills of Echo Park, CA; Lila's Sauce is made with the sweetness of mangos and the punch of habanero peppers.  The result is a 'Sweet then spicy' flavor - great on anything from BBQ ribs to fish tacos or even just to add a little pep to your salad."

Summer time is here and it is also time for barbecue season! To have a perfect barbecue, you will need the perfect hot sauce!

To win this special hot giveaway you must submit in the comment box below (DO NOT submit on Facebook) with your favorite summer barbecue recipes!  The recipes selected will be featured by me and the winner will receive a bottle of Lila's Lemoyne St. Hot Sauce!

If you don't have a recipe, you can also submit your favorite summer barbecue food or just summer food!  Basically if you submit something in the comment box below, you could win a bottle!

Not from LA? No problem! I will ship the hot sauce to you ! so don't hesitate to share your summer favorites !

GOOD LUCK !!!

Winners will be selected after the 4th of July weekend!

Bring Salad Bar to Work

Last Wednesday we had a small work potluck and I was assigned to bring salad. This is my opportunity to show y'all how to prepare a simple salad, that is both delicious and healthy!

Preparation is the key.
Topping

• a can of corn
• halfs of small cherry tomatoes
• carrot peels (I used the peeler and peeled the carrots to the core)
• pack an avocado (its better to cut up fresh avocado on the spot... black avocado is gross)
• pack fresh Parmesano Reggiano or you can bring regular Parmesan
• dressing (scroll down for recipe)

Lettuce

You can just chop up your own lettuce or get them in pre-chopped packs. I like to chop my own, it's crunchier and fresher.





The Dressing

Mix (whisk) the following ingredients in a bowl

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of mustard
• i/2 tablespoon of agave syrup

Chicken (optional)

I used two large chicken breasts, butterflied and marinated with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.  This is actually a perfect chance for you to develop your "eye-balling" skills... Trust me, you can't really mess up the seasoning on this one... just few pinches of salt and pepper... drizzle olive oil... squeeze one lemon... that's it!

My favorite marinating technique is zip-lock bag the meat and marinate... push out the air... zip and refrigerate... in this case, refrigerate minimum 3-5 hours or overnight.

When the marinating stage is done, pan grill the chicken in an oiled grill pan. 3-4 minutes on each side on high heat, cut into strips and serve.




There ya go, bring your own salad bar to work!