I didn't have a name for this, so I just used Megasandwich. I'll probably use that name a dozen more times in my lifetime to describe other sandwiches.
Following last week's Italian cold cut extravaganza, I thought I'd come up with something special based on my research. Behold, an Italian cold cut sandwich forged with the help of the Greek gods and Pavilions. A quarter pound of provolone and nearly a half pound each of capicolla, sopressata, and mortadella on French bread. But lo, greater secrets lie hidden within its bowels—Italian stewed tomatoes on the lower bread loaf, olive oil & vinegar and salt & pepper on the upper loaf, golden pepperoncinis between. As a mere mortal, I could only consume a third of this mighty sandwich at any given time. The stewed tomatoes lent a moisture and sweetness that gave way to the saltiness of the meats before being overcome with the tanginess of the vinegar and spiciness of the pepperoncinis. The flavor profile was like hitting a home run and rounding the bases, if first base was sweet, second base was salty, third base was sour, and home was spicy. Gone was the lettuce and sliced tomato that so often make eating an Italian sandwich an exercise in planning and engineering. Ousted was the less than puny roll or baguette foundation. Instead arise, Megasandwich!
Originally I was going to try the Larchmont Bungalow on Larchmont Blvd, since I had heard from my mother that they serve Poutine (a Canadian treat). However upon checking out their menu, I learned that they serve their Poutine topped with shredded mozzarella. Now I'm not Canadian, but I do know this much about real Poutine—real Poutine is topped with cheese curds so fresh that they should squeak when you bite into them. So discouraged I decided to go elsewhere, although it's quite likely I'll go back to the Larchmont Bungalow some other time, just not for the Poutine.
My backup option was Tere's Mexican Grill on Melrose. I had read on Chowhound that they had really good nachos. I find nachos to be the best value on most Mexican menus since you get a usually get a good portion of meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables all for a decent price. I ordered the carne asada nachos which came served on a hot plate, a good indicator that the cheese was allowed to melt under the broiler. Now the various comments about Tere's had noted their fresh, homemade chips, double thick and lightly salted. The chips were indeed robust, and there was no mistaking these for an inferior, store-bought brand. They were topped with jalapenos, sour cream, fresh guacamole, fresh pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and beans. The overall portion was quite sizeable, and I would venture a guess that the whole plate weighed about a pound or so. Of course none of this would matter if the product itself wasn't tasty, which it quite favorably was. There's a strong sense of quality in the construction of these nachos. The chips stood out as did the cheese which was quite liberally layered on top. Overall, these were very good nachos. I also ordered a pork taco on the side. Now the cashier specified that this was not carnitas, so if that's what you're looking for, you're going to be surprised. However that surprise would still be welcome, since this was the highlight of my meal. The pork comes as large chunks of what appeared to be either lean grilled or roasted pork, smothered in a chile verde (green chile). The chile is mild, but has a nice tanginess that pops in your mouth. I plan on having this again.
I liked that the place had a very casual, laid back atmosphere. There were only about 7 or 8 tables accompanied by a soda cooler, a tower of Mexican Cokes, and a soccer game on the TV. So many of the restaurants along Melrose tend to be fancy and overly pretentious as they seek out a bourgeois clientele looking for the next big thing. At Tere's they're really just trying to put out relatively simple food with just a little more care, and that's the type of place I'd want to eat at.
Some other interesting notes about Tere's Mexican Grill: -While the nachos are good, I'll have to admit that I'm perfectly fine with Baja Fresh's nachos. They're probably about just as much quantity-wise and slightly cheaper, with just some minor drops in overall quality. But then again, this is coming from a guy who also enjoys Lucy's nachos which are little more than tortilla chips drenched in canned steak and red chili.
Tere's Mexican Grill 5870 Melrose Ave. #101 Los Angeles, CA 90038 (323) 468-9345
To celebrate Sister C's birthday, we went to Houston's in Pasadena. While there, who do you think came up and sat in the booth behind us? Why, Mr. Orange himself, Tim Roth. Actually it was my sister who spotted him, and I confirmed after hearing his British accent. I tried to tell Brother G, and the whole time he thought I had said, "Kid Rock." To get a better glimpse, I casually made my way to the bathroom with the video screens in the urinals. He was there with a lady friend.
Afterwards my brother and I admitted that we both wished he had been Gary Oldman instead. That way we would have had a lot more to talk to him about. Things like, "I know who Batman is! It's millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne!" Or, "how can you be a crazy DEA agent and also be the commissioner of Gotham City?" Or "why did you have such weird hair and why were you so mean to Bruce Willis?" Or "who would win in a fight, Harry Potter or Batman?"
The hip-hop world lost one of its greatest contributors when Nate Dogg passed away on March 15, 2011. Originally partnered with Snoop Dogg and Warren G, he went on to collaborate with a number of artists and helped shape the music landscape with his deep vocal stylings. So it is only fitting that I break down one of his greatest hits performed along with Warren G, the seminal song, Regulate.
Let me start off by saying that this is one of my all-time favorite songs. I owned both the "Above the Rim" soundtrack and "Regulate ... G Funk Era" because of that song. That being said, why would Warren G and Nate Dogg want to rap about what happens in Regulate?
First of all the song opens with a sound bite taken from "The Untouchables" television show explaining what a regulator is: someone who takes care of his property and is handy with a gun. And the song does in fact reinforce this idea, but meanders around this point rather than focusing in on it.
Warren G is just chilling by himself, looking for some girls. But Mr. Nate Dogg is determined to find Warren G. The priorities here seem muddled, but get even more so when Warren G is quickly distracted and decides to join in on a corner craps game which already sounds like a bad idea. Surprise, surprise, instead of letting him in on the game, the brothas decided to rob him at gun point, to which Warren G points out the obvious: "I'm stuck." They start shaking him down and taking all his bling, including his Rolex. (Now why would you pull up to a street game with a Rolex unless you wanted to get jacked?)
Meanwhile, Nate Dogg, so dogged in his quest to locate his fellow rapper Warren G, has to fight the urge to pick up on some girls that pass him by. He does so successfully, turning his attention back to Warren G just in time to see him getting held up. With his sidearm, Nate Dogg subdues, or "regulates," Warren G's robbers. Then, quite generously he mentions that both he and Warren G "had to regulate."
Obviously Nate Dogg is devoted to his friend, for how else could you explain his focus in not chasing after the girls, not getting sucked into other local betting games, locating and rescuing his friend, and giving him credit for helping to regulate the busters? If anybody did any regulating that night, it was clearly Nate Dogg and Nate Dogg alone. Warren G spends most of his time rapping about how pathetic his situation is and how quickly everything devolves. Furthermore even after the fact, he continues to dwell on it, bringing it up later in the song ("Before I got jacked I was on the same track"). He doesn't know when to leave well enough alone.
The second act so to speak sees Warren G and Nate Dogg turning there attentions back towards the honeys. From this point on, the song really has nothing to do about regulating. And if you pay close attention, it's really Nate Dogg who picks up the chicks and not Warren G. Warren G acknowledges that "Nate got the freaks," and it's Nate Dogg who says "I got a car full of girls and it's going real swell," not "we got a car." It sounds like Warren G is just along for the ride at this point.
The third and final act of the song has Warren G and Nate Dogg waxing philosophical. Warren G breaks down the meaning of G Funk and from whence it derives. The "rhythm is the base and the base is the treble" is some deep, impenetrable stuff. Not to be outdone, Nate Dogg starts going off on some esoteric shit about G Funk (If you know like I know/You don't want to step to this/It's the G Funk era/Funked out with a gangsta twist"), then quickly shifts back towards reality ("If you smoke like I smoke/Then you high like everyday"). The song concludes that "if your ass is a buster/213 will regulate." However if this song is any indication, only one of two people will regulate a buster, and sadly that man has departed. Rest in peace, Nate Dogg, it seems the streets of the LBC will be a little more crowded with busters from now on.
Cuz the boys in the hood are always hard, you come talkin' that trash, well pull ya card. Knowin' nuttin in life but to be legit, don't quote me boy cuz I ain't said shit.
