The Hungry Hedonist's Stony Food Reviews

Late in the spring, some friends of mine went to this Barbecue spot in L.A.’s fashion district. We were toasted and I can’t remember the name but it was bomb; this is a spicy pulled pork sammich and seasoned fries.



These are some spicy barbecue wings with bleu cheese; bomb.



This is the wreckage and a Coachella wrist band with no v-chip in it that we never got to use; don’t ask.



In June I went to Portland with some other friends; Voodoo donuts has like 3 locations throughout the city and they are all cracking all the time… here’s why




Yeah, that’s Cap’n Crunch on one frosted donut, frosting pentagram on a devil’s food donut, peanut butter and Oreo on another (they call that the ODB) and the one in my hand with the bite taken out is the maple bar with a strip of bacon on it. Yeah.



And Sunday mornings after ragers, we hit up Papi’s Tacos in Riverside. Newly reopened off Chicago and University, primo tacos and burritos with fresh cooked green onions and fixins on the regular; hit up Papi’s for bomb ass Mexican hangover cures.


I am actually surprised there’s not more documentation of my culinary adventures over the last few months so we’ll stop there for now but tune in next time for more adventures of the Hungry hedonist!

Return to Red Hot Kitchen

Douglass & University, Riverside CA is the address for this place. I told you once and I'ma tell you again hit this place up.



This place now serves burgers with both their short rib and bul-go-gi beef, still with your choice of regular or sweet potato fries. Pretty hearty.




Teriyaki bowl has your choice of meat with fixin's such as pineapple slices and onions.



The pulled pork sandwich is with Korean BBQ'd spicy pork and pretty damn mindblowing. Same combo as the burger; don't miss out.



Tacos, nachos, burritos all have more or less the same combo of your choice of meat, salad fixin's, onion, pineapple slices and Sushi restaurant style sauces but damn if it's not a winning combination.



The fish plate was a nice blend of salad, rice and a well fried fillet with a Korean fusion style tartar sauce for the fish.

I also have been getting the jalapeno and mushroom bombs which is hollowed mushrooms or jalapenos with cream cheese, green onions and other fixin's for a rich appetizer. The Hawaiian bread roll sliders have your choice of meat and too sweet to beat, but not quite as filling as some favorites like the chimichanga and pulled pork sandwich.

I dug the flavor of and especially the sauce that accompanied the kim-chi quesadilla but I couldn't take the texture of that much kim-chi even though the flavor was bomb. That's just me though, I can't say it wasn't bomb but just not for me.

I had some seafood tacos there the other day that were bomb if a little hard to keep together. Chefs here are always fusing American and Mexican cuisine with their special So Cal blend of Korean Barbecue in simple ways for new specials and I dig trying the new dishes up on the marker board each time I come in. I always taste something tangy and leave satisfied I'll say that.

-T

Yo Gabba Gabba iiiiiiiiiiis AWESOME!

Being the only mother contributing to the Joint Review, I feel it appropriate to handle the "family living" type posts. I also deem it appropriate, if not necessary, to formally introduce you to Yo Gabba Gabba, a godsend to the world of modern children's entertainment. Film and Television are entertainment cornerstones in America and while many vilify the industries and our younger generation's "addiction" to such media, I personally cannot deny my daughter the glory that is this show.

The first time I saw Yo Gabba Gabba, all stoney and hungover, I couldn't get over the phallic, ribbed-for-her-pleasure, one eyed monster or the insanely enthusiastic black guy in an orange raver jump suit and furry hat. But still, I was captivated and I have thoroughly explored the show since this experience. It turns out the black guy is actually DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson of the LA indie band The Raymakers) and the one eyed monster is actually a creature named Muno and he's just tall and friendly. DJ Lance casually strolls in at the start of every episode with his boombox, a magic boombox you might say, as it is filled with vast lands and creatures that come to life with the utterance of the words "Yo Gabba Gabba". Muno is joined by four others in Gabba Land; Foofa, who is pink, happy and the maternal figure of the group, Broby, the little green one and most likely an immigrant, Toodee, a fun loving cat-dragon and Plex, a fucking magic robot. The shenanigans of this cast are accompanied by a plethora of colorful and imaginative animated and live-action segments including Biz's Beat of the day (in which Biz Markie teaches the audience how to beatbox), Mark's Magic Pictures (Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo draws pictures that come to life) and Super Martian Robot Girl (a comic book style superhero cartoon drawn by artists from Space Ghost Coast to Coast and the Superman animated series). If that's not enough to get you interested, you're probably retarded.

The creators of the show, Christian Jacobs (of the Aquabats) and Scott Schultz have taken the quirkiness of Pee Wee's Playhouse and all of the educational and moral ground of shows like Sesame Street and blended them with modern music and just plain awesome to create a children's show that I can be proud to show my daughter and be excited myself to watch.

I leave you with some of my personal favorite musical performances from the Super Music Friends Show segment, as well as a bonus video of Mos Def as Super Mr. Superhero... Enjoy!


Devo- Watch Us Work It


The Roots- Lovely Love My Family


I'm From Barcelona- Just Because It's Different Doesn't Mean It's Scary

Why haven't you been to Red Hot Kitchen yet? -Restaurant Review

Sweet potato fries, regular fries, Korean BBQ burger, deep fried bacon cheeseburger

This is two burger combo meals; each of them is 6 bucks.

Red Hot Kitchen is a pretty new Korean Mexican American fusion restaurant in downtown Riverside at 1995 University Avenue, Riverside CA. It is awesome.





1 spicy pork taco, 1 beef bul-gogi taco, 1 kalbi beef taco. 2.45 each, 2 each on Saturdays.




a better shot at a Korean BBQ burger with sweet potato fries.

This place does Mexican and American favorites but with a Korean twist. The BBQ burger is a standard awesome cheeseburger except for the fact that the meat is sweet Korean BBQ. The tacos have large helpings of savory Korean BBQ meat in them as well as a zesty and unique blend of seasoning and flavor. I find the prices and the wait reasonable.



My roommate was understandably intimidated by her short rib chimichanga.

The chimichanga has been the most noteworthy item I have tried yet: egg roll style tortilla fried around it, bomb Korean meat of your choice heartily added, Korean style fried rice inside as well as spicy mayo and other sauces typically associated with sushi in addition to cheese sprinkled on the 4 massive slices of chimichanga you get with the meal.

The deep fried bacon cheeseburger is noteworthy as well, not only in its rich flavor but the burger stays together despite its size and elaborate nature. It's crispy on the outside with sweet juicy onions easily pulled and enjoyed from the inside-yum.

I have yet to try the kim-chi quesadillas, the Hawaiian bread sliders, or the burritos but you damn well better believe I will as soon as possible. This place is open til 9, let me know if you go but either way: enjoy.

I'll leave you with one more shot of a spicy pork chimichanga in all its food-porn glory.





so far this place has a rating of 4.75 of 5 joints from me. Only points off for not making sampler box available at all times.

-T

Breaking News: Cravers of Buffalo Wings and Freedom descend upon soon to be opened Buffalo Wild Wings

Camping has already begun at the new Buffalo Wild Wings in Moreno Valley, California.




The settlements have been confirmed by our people on the ground as having extended onto the other side of the neighboring Sports Authority premises, traversing an area referred to by Al Jazeera correspondents as the "Buffalo Strip".



Excited campers and prospective nugget munchers play catch in the Spring time wonderland that is the Day Street business plaza.




Nothing seems to quite bring Americans together like the possibility of free fried chicken coupled with icy beer pitchers and sporting events.



Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, when asked about the stirring events taking place in Moreno Valley, responded " Whether you're left wing, or right wing, we can all enjoy some wild wings."




The excitement is certainly palpable here at Wing Central (patent pending), as wing enthusiasts gather from all around. This reporter counts about 90 wingnuts in line so far. Many campers have EZ-ups, tents, as well as sleeping bags. Friends pay each other to go on Chic-Fil-A runs during the wait. Several middle aged men have been disappointed to find that Sports Authority is not having an epic sale. Sports authority is rescinding their one day return policy for one day in anticipation of scamming wing campers who want to use the equipment simply for the wing campout only to bring materials back the next day, with unmentioned buffalo sauce stains.



Surprisingly, people have not been using power outlets provided by both BWW and Sports Authority despite their proximity and availability.



"You know, we're really enjoying just kind of roughing it, getting away from it all, and camping out in nature with other members of the community you know?" said local mother Susan Enzi before gently scolding her child for spilling her Starbucks.


Eventually I asked Mrs. Enzi what the direct incentive for being first in line was. She explained to me that the first hundred customers that entered the hallowed doors at 11 AM on Monday, March 21st would receive 52 '6 wing' vouchers, representative of a free order of 6 wings for every week of the subsequent year for the voucher recipients.

After doing some quick math, I found myself muttering "Damn, it's a recession." as I got the hell out of there to avoid mace sprays from state troopers who were almost certainly on their way for purposes of crowd control.



Stay tuned, the Joint Review will be on the pulse of this breaking news. Specifically we expect some 'chicken hawks' to be swooping for the spots of squeamish campers who may or may not disembark on their wing camping journey if expected levels of rain in the Mo Val region come into fruition.

-T

Review- Crisis: Behind A Presidential Commitment (documentary)

Robert Drew, D.A. Pennebaker and others produced this film about when Vivian Malone and James Hood were admitted to the University of Alabama as the University's first African-American students ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_in_the_Schoolhouse_Door ).


Occurring in 1963, this documentary is a really worthwhile document because it chronicles firsthand what Alabama Governor George Wallace, as well as President Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, did during this crisis. There was a film crew with each Kennedy, Wallace and RFK's Deputy Nicholas Katzenbach and the crew was allowed access to most meetings surrounding the events.

The product is that rare instance where a document is produced that provides incontravertible evidence that there indeed have been people in our modern history who have fought on the side of justice for all the world to see.

This film is not only entertaining to politicos like me but I think a great value to anyone who wants to see victories of the civil rights movement up close and personal..

You see the first two African-American students who go to the University of Alabama, you see the Kennedy's discussing the best way to handle this, and probably most importantly you see the actual confrontation between Nicholas Katzenbach and Governor Wallace, providing the political class a little taste of what todays politicians deal with every day: making news live while the whole world watches.

It's truly awesome and amazing to see the nuts and bolts of on instance where people in power pull strings to make sure what's just is what occurs.

Stylistically, the film reminds me of other Pennebaker work like War Room, Primary and Don't Look Back and they are similar in their candor, in their almost awkward but ultimately cinematic silences with the clickety clack of typewriters and 60s style stationery being used by people in government offices. You get moments of candor and interesting discussions on the part of Wallace and Kennedy and you get vignettes of two very different men. RFK and Katzenbach seem most aware that they are taking part in history; Malone and Hood are remarkably beautiful young people and one can't help but root for all of their dreams as you watch the hour long film.

It's one of the few documentaries I've seen that to me moves like a film, you have heroes, victims, antagonists, and political twists in black and white (no pun intended) all in less than an hour.

We hear a lot about the Kennedy's from our mainstream media, but there are so few documents of them at their best in the 60s in such an uncut and substantial form like this; anyone with the slightest interest in the Civil Rights struggle in this country, the Kennedys, the presidency or politics should check this out.

I give it 5 of 5 stars.

-T

Review: Casino Jack (film)

Casino Jack
directed by George Hickenlooper
starring Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Jon Lovitz

This film was released in certain theaters late last year (2010).


This movie impressed me in that it used Kevin Spacey's comedy and character acting muscles in all of the most amusing ways. Spacey takes on ticks and phrases and delivers pompous diatribes at the drop of a hat in a delicious manner. The film is called Casino Jack because it primarily deals with Abramoff's lobbying operations bilking Native American tribes of millions of dollars over years.

If the West Wing is one of those fictional programs that can deliver a romanticized notion of government if just for a second, Casino Jack is the exact opposite- arriving at a time when class warfare and the disparity between the rich in America is more noticeable than ever, this film has a darkly humorous relevance. The light manner in which lobbyists and important congressmen talk about the fates of millions in their golf game cocktail conversations is cynical brilliance. The story largely hinges on Jack Abramoff's exploitative dealings intertwined with his substantial connections to high level congresspeople.

That said, the exploitative scheme and the story that ensues as a result of Jack Aramoff and his partner, one-time Tom DeLay chief of staff Mike Scanlon executing it is all pretty astounding. The ironically kitschy cool jazz and harmony soundtrack complements the whole shiny on the outside, evil on the inside motif the film holds together and completes the over-all aesthetically pleasing delivery of this most cynically clever of stories.

I appreciate that the film maker attempts to communicate a possible philosophy behind Abramoff's thoughts and actions especially in comparison to that of Scanlon's- Abramoff, in the film, was interested in helping someone besides rich white men, was interested in diversifying his ventures and being respected in the faith community whereas the young Scanlon was ruthlessly enterprising but ultimately they are both committing the same crimes despite different self justifying philosophies in regards to it.

I've watched this film two or three timesnow and recommend it to anyone that digs politics or loves a great con-man story.

5 of 5 stars.

-T