Burger's Please!

Since experiencing Umami Burger a few weeks back, Tone and I have been talking more and more about the burger joint we want to open up together in the future.  There are a few places on my list I want to scope out, and I was finally able to cross off, The Counter, off my list.  We weren't able to go to the Hollywood or Santa Monica locations, so we went to the Pasadena location.  The walls were decorated with various graffiti  like paintings and stake boards.  I was pretty cool, and the food was yummy!

<----- The Counter

The beer, wine, and dessert options

Strawberry Shake ----->

The shake was a classic strawberry shake.  I was a little bummed that there weren't too many options. 

 <--- Sweet Potato Fries and Shoestring Onion Rings

The sweet potato fries were nice and crispy. I loved that I could still taste the sweet potatoes.  They weren't topped with anything and didn't come with the standard maple syrup, or brown sugar. 

Onion rings were flavorful and not too greasy.  They were nicely seasoned with the onions perfectly cooked. 

Chili Cheese Fries ------>

Of course, Tone had to order the chili cheese fries (it's his ultimate favorite side item to order with a burger) It was a bit spicy and loaded with ground turkey meat.  So yummy, I took the leftovers home and ate them for lunch today. 

<----- The Counter Burger

Tone ordered the Counter Burger which included onion rings, sauteed mushrooms, provolone cheese, all beef patty that was cooked to medium rare, and some greens, all sandwiched together between the house hamburger bun.  Tone proceeded to eat the majority of this onion rings off his burger because it was piled too high. 

My "Custom Ordered" Burger ------->

I liked the fact that I could custom order my own burger adding whatever I wanted.  So I ordered a burger which included scallions, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, Gruyere cheese, all beef patty cooked medium, roasted green chilies, and organic mixed greens all sandwiched between the house hamburger bun. It was very tasty....

<----- Inside my "Custom Ordered" Burger

Can you see the layers of flavors??? yummy... my only gripe about my burger was that the bun wasn't very sturdy.. it began to fall apart on me after I took my first 2 bites... next time, I will try another bun. 

When GG gets older, where she can actually begin to eat full on solid foods, we will take her on a burger adventure.  Until then, I can't wait to check out a few more burger joints on my list.  I hear Father's Office in LA is a must. Any suggestions or recommendations on local joints that deserve to be tasted and written about?

Viva Las Vegas

Went to Las Vegas this past week to celebrate my 25th birthday.  I was extremely excited, not only did I desperately need a mini vacation, but I was going to celebrate my birthday with a group of my favorite girls.  Needless to say... this weekend was filled with tons of fun, lots to drink, dancing, and of course, lots of yummy food....

I have been to Las Vegas at least 15-20 times in the past 4 years, but every time I have been there, I have NEVER past by, or even thought of going by the famous Las Vegas sign.  I went with a good friend of mine to run a quick errand, and she was determined to get a photo of the sign afterward. 






Cherry Vodka --->

We all drove in right after work on friday, so we didn't get to Vegas till a little after 12:30am.  As soon as we got there, we got ready for a long night of dancing and drinks...

The next day we were all a bit hungover, and a whole lotta hungry, so we went to the new buffet at the M Hotel, which was about 20 minutes off the strip.  Overall I enjoyed my food, and it didn't hurt that the price (Seafood Buffet for $29.95) included endless beer on tap and wine. 


<--- Caesar Salad with some cherry tomatoes


Shrimp Cocktail ----->

The standard shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce, except the M Hotel's sauce had a bit more horseradish in it, which gave it a big bite towards the end

<---- King Crab Legs

so much work, but totally worth my time.. I mean half the fun is digging for the sweet meat, and cracking the shells open

Mac and Cheese ------>

After a long night of dancing, this is exactly what I needed the next day to refuel my body.. so luscious, creamy and cheesy, it was very good considering it came from a buffet.  However, nothing and I mean nothing, can beat  The Slide Bar in Fullerton, Mac and Cheese. The Best Mac and Cheese ever, but that's another blog entry.

<----Amber Rose Root Beer on tap

I had to wash all this delious food down with some amazing root beer.  This root beer was on tap and exactly what I needed for my soda fix.  It was smooth, full of flavor and totally refreshing, just like a wonderful beer. 

Chocolate Mousse and Creme Brulee ----->

The chocolate mousse is for chocolate lovers.. I love chocolate, but this mousse was too sweet for me.

The creme brulee was amazing! It was creamy, loaded with tons of vanilla, and the crystallized/torched sugar on top was awesome.

<----- Carrot Cake with the M Hotel logo on Chocolate

cream cheese frosting and carrot cake... yummy...

I ran an errand with a girlfriend of mine while out in Vegas.  She kept telling me of this chicken joint called Raising Cane that had super yummy sweet tea.  She bought 3 jugs of sweet tea to take home, and it was pretty good.  A little too sweet for me, so I ended up diluting my cup a little bit, then it was just right.  Next time I am in Vegas, I will go back and actually sit down and try the chicken. 

On the way back to the hotel (we stayed at the Palazzo, which I highly recommend everyone to stay at least once, it's perfect if your party is 8-10 people, you can all fit comfortably in one room/suite) I played around with my camera, and used the silhouette function for this photo. 

Lastly, I leave a photo of just a small glimpse of what this past weekend looked like.  I love to Dance!

Birthday Brunch and Dinner with my Fam

Woke up early today to have Champagne Brunch with my Family for my birthday.  This was the best time for all of us to get together, since Wednesday (my actual birthday) is not a good day for everyone.  We went to Luminarias in Monterey Park. My sister had heard reviews that it was fairly tasty, so we went to go try it.  Like every buffet, there were hits and misses.  The serve was good, and there was a nice mariachi band that was going from room to room singing various songs.  We all had a good time hanging out and drinking mimosas and  I even went back to the omelet station twice... it was my favorite item there...

I usually prefer my eggs to be over easy.. I am a sucker for runny yolks.. and somehow the cook making my omelet, with mushrooms and tomatoes, read my mind and somehow he knew I would like my eggs this way... seriously... way too good

I had my far share of these Mimosas... and I need to stop myself at one point and ordered some hot tea to slow down... I mean.. it was only 10:30am....

The best way to end my meal... freshly made waffles with a bit of maple syrup, a small dollop of whipped cream and strawberries..... I am still drooling









I found a few flowers around the restaurant that were yelling at me to photograph... I love Spring and all the beautiful and bright colors.

Played around with one of the functions on the camera and changed this photo to be seen in black and white









Of course my family and I met up again after I stopped by my place to do laundry. I have been running more often throughout the week, and told me sister I would come by the house, so we could go running together.  My other sister showed up with GG as we were able to leave for our run, so plans changed quickly.  Instead we played a Wii game called, Just Dance.  This game was AWESOME! Way to combine 2 activities I really enjoy... dancing and playing with the Wii console.  It was crazy fun, and my sister and I worked up a sweat! (we played straight for 45 minutes) Afterward, we did some yoga stretches as a warm down.  We got done at the perfect time to make dinner.  Last week I went to Umami Burger in L.A. and was inspired this week to make homemade burgers.

Stuffed Mozzarella Burger------>

All beef patty seasoned with various spices and lots of roasted garlic stuffed Mozzarella. 

Grilled rosemary and parmigiano reggiano cheese rolls from Trader Joe's. 

Italian Pork Sausage and Beef with Basil  burger----->

Grilled rolls, Parmesan crisp, cole slaw mix, and Italian pork sausage and beef with basil  patty. 

<--Italian Pork Sausage and Beef with Basil  Burger, Version 2

Grilled roll, roasted grill tomato, Italian pork sausage and beef with basil  patty, and Parmesan crisp

 Jalapeno and Smoked Gouda Burger---->

Lettuce wrapping around jalapeno and smoked gouda patty with roasted tomato

 <--- Banana Ice cream dipped in chocolate

I want more of these!!

 

The best way to wash down delicious burgers... is with some wonderful wine.... A must for everyone!

First Date with Nikon D5000

I am very lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive family.  For my upcoming 25th birthday, my family gifted me a Nikon d5000.  (shout out to the Fam Bam... Thanks so much... and I love you guys so much, but you already know that...)
 I have been itching to use/play with this DSRL all week!! But I had to refrain myself, due my monstrous workload that needed to be taken care of first.  I finally had time today, so I took full advantage of my time.  I have been practicing a lot but I continue to learn a lot about the various functions on the camera.  Enjoy!

GG loves the toothpick holder... look at all those teeth!!!

On the way home from the park down the street from my Parent's house.

One of the family dogs... Q-Tip... he is a grumpy old man... but we love him...

At the park

caught the sand falling down... she did this for a few minutes

Some flowers on the way back from the Park

Lunch is Served

Unexpected day off today.... the perfect time to update.... Over the past few days I've been making lunch at home, from the leftovers from the night before.  I've been trying to save up for an upcoming Vegas trip with girlfriends for my birthday.. super excited!!!

<----Tuesday Lunch
Monday night I had dinner with brown rice.  I had brown rice that was left over the next day, so I wanted to make sure to use it all.  So I made some steak that was marinating from the night before, stir fried some broccoli with green onions and added roasted tomatoes to my brown rice. 

Wednesday Lunch --->
Tuesday night my love suggested we go to Shakas, a local Hawaiian BBQ eatery in Alhambra.  I got the Shakas Sampler, which came with Crispy Chicken, Sweet Teriyaki Beef skewers, and Spam Musubi.  Obviously, too much food for just one person to consume.  So naturally, I had leftovers.  The next day I crisped the chicken back up in the toaster oven, and heated up the beef.  I then chopped the meat up, got my Trader Joe's herb mixed salad out, added someone roasted tomatoes, a bit of goat cheese, and voila! My salad was complete.

In addition to my salad, I had a bowl of tomato soup, with a few wheat thins on the side.  The wheat thins were good... the tomato soup... not so much

Thursday Lunch----->
Wednesday night I get an exciting call from my brother that he was on his way to get my birthday present...  the nikon d5000 (I am very excited) and to come home to pick it up.  I was also encouraged to stay for dinner (I didn't need much persuasion).  My sister made steak with various peppers and mushrooms.  I took my huge piece of steak home and the next day i sliced it up and added some bread with a salad.  YUMMY.....