Beeps

Beeps from Diana Tran on Vimeo.

On the corner of Woodley Avenue and Sherman Way, a bright pink covered building still stands as it had some 50 years ago. Beeps, which was built in 1957, has been offering the San Fernando Valley hamburgers, hot dogs, sundaes and much more to regulars whose continued support has kept the establishment flourishing.

The most popular items have been consistent throughout the years.

‘The most popular item is the steak sandwhich,” said Josephine Rowley, current owner of Beeps. “Steak, pastrami, chicken, in that order.”

Customers come here relying on old favorites and reminisce of childhood outings to Beeps with their families.

“We get [about] 90 percent regulars,” said Rowley. “Three times a week, like clockwork.”

Regulars like Michael Jovanosa has been coming to Beeps for the last 22 years.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming here, people are always good and the food is great,” said Jovanosa. “I like it; it’s a good hole in the wall.”

The décor is unmistakably 50s, which, up until a few months ago, were original relics of a time where the valley was drastically different from today. Rowley has owned Beeps for the last 20 years, and seeing the changing community she felt the restaurant needed an update.

“About nine months ago we switched everything,” Rowley said. “We had the original photographs up there and they were really old, they looked tacky and faded so we kind of revamped it a little bit.”

The building has not changed much aside from the addition of new photographs and 50s paraphernalia that adorns the walls. However, in 1971 the back of the building was bombed and had to be remodeled.

“There was a liquor store next door and it was trying to get out of escrow,” said Rowley. “So they bombed it.”

Each customer has their own favorites, like William Bilchik, who has been coming back to Beeps for the last 15 years to satiate his cravings for fish fry.

“Fish and chips and fries [are favorites],” Bilchik said. “The nights here are nice and quiet. It’s cool.”

This long established restaurant continues to feed patrons with hearty helpings that keeps customers coming back for more. While the economy struggles, people still have to eat and Beeps is the place to go for great comfort food.

Cheap Sushi Series -- Kabuki

Another great sushi place is Kabuki, which was recently voted best Happy Hour for 2008 by Pasadena Weekly (there are several locations with one right here in the Valley.) The sushi menu for happy hour has great prices along with quality fish. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Kabuki serves up a variety of treats for under $5.

Their happy hour appetizers range from broiled mussels to salmon rollers, gyoza dumplings (pot-stickers) and “fire cracker” (two scoops of spicy tuna served alongside crunchy chips) costs $3.95 for the simpler items to $4.95 for the fire cracker, calamari rings, and sesame chicken.

Fire Cracker

The fire cracker had a spicy kick that creeps up on unsuspecting taste buds and the chips that are served with them have a nice crunch to contrast the soft tuna.

The gyoza’s were fried perfectly, sitting on a light sauce with a beautiful bunch of fresh greens to garnish.

Gyoza (Potstickers)

Kabuki’s salmon sushi is fresh and much bigger than at Sushi Mac’s which resembles closer to real Japanese food, meaning smaller portions compared to Kabuki’s imitation of Western style super-sized meals. The spicy tuna roll was great for the price, also bigger then rolls found at Sushi Mac.

Salmon Sushi

A happy hour menu wouldn’t be complete without drinks since they are the main course for most happy hour attendees. Their specialty drinks are very fruity and disguises the alcohol well, for those who do not particularly enjoy the taste. The “Red Cheeni” is a must have, with Japanese vodka, Lychee liqueur, and pomegranate juice, it’s absolutely divine.

Red Cheeni

Cheap Sushi Series -- Sushi Mac

Want to satisfy that sushi craving without paying more than $20 dollars? At Sushi Mac the prices are $2.75 per plate, all day, everyday. The menu is limited to two types of roll fillings, spicy tuna or crab meat, which may seem dismal but the spicy tuna is so good it makes up for the lack of variety.

The menu is organized into the number of pieces per dish, but the prices are the same throughout. The only appetizer served are hot soy beans but are perfect for munching on while watching the sushi chefs fill orders.

Two piece sushi plates include your choice of salmon, tuna, albacore, freshwater eel, octopus, and egg, among other things. The bed of rice is gently molded so the rice is not a clumped up mess and overly worked. It’s best to get there at 11 a.m. or about 3 p.m. which is when they make fresh batches of rice.

Albacore Sushi

The warm, lightly vinegary rice tastes amazing with the fresh slice of salmon on top. The eel sushi is equally amazing with the crispy skin against the soft cooked meat all lightly drizzled with eel sauce.

Eel Sushi

Sushi Mac also makes 4 piece plates that are usually four pieces of a roll with different toppings. One plate they offer is a spicy tuna roll with crunchy shrimp tempura pieces on top with their own spicy mayo (mayonnaise and hot sauce like Sirracha.)

Spicy Tuna with Shrimp Tempura

The 6 piece plates are rolls with the seaweed on the outside; while 8 piece plates are rolls with the seaweed on the inside. They also offer a variety of four piece plates, the best among them the spicy tuna with salmon on top, deep fried. The tuna is almost all the way cooked, but the crunch the tempura batter gives the rice gives a different kind of texture that is found from traditional sushi. Adding the cooked salmon on top with a drizzling of eel sauce is an added bonus.

The only cons about Sushi Mac are parking and seating. The plaza has a valet but the parking is still very tight because of the Starbucks and postal office store that all share the same lot. The seating inside can also be just as bad, especially on weekends or at night.

Georgio's Pizza and Pasta

Georgio’s Pizza and Pasta in Studio City, California has proven to be the place to go when you’re in the mood for homemade Italian food.

Georgio’s has been family owned for the last thirty years by a Lebanese family. Liza Makhlouf says her father, who originally started the business, may have chosen Italian food because he was in the army years ago and lived in Italy where he most likely was influenced by their culture and cuisine.

Makhlouf says their recipes have remained the same since they took over ownership but they have added things to their menu. She added that pasta seems to be popular because “it’s comfort food.”

“Thin crust seems to be popular now, with the health concerns,” said Makhlouf. “But we’re known for our deep dish pizza.”

With the holidays around the corner, Makhlouf says the restaurant gets busier because “everyone is out doing their shopping” and there is plenty of shopping that can be done with stores up and down Ventura Blvd. The small family owned restaurant also caters to the studios such as CBS.

The restaurant is warm, cozy and dimly lit with splashes of light highlighting visibly ancient photographs of movie stars and advertisements from its original décor some 30 years ago.

Regulars find themselves drawn to the good food and happy vibes.

“Yeah, I’m definitely a regular,” said Benjamin Munoz, 18. “I come here at least two times a week and I’m never disappointed and everyone is always in a good mood.”

Muriel Campbello, originally from New York, now resides in Studio City where she has been going to Georgio’s for the last five years.

“It’s a local New York style restaurant and the people who own it are particularly very nice,” Campbello said.

Campbello, whose favorite dish is the Veal Marsala says that the owners helped her order food for a child she was babysitting.

“The restaurant is child friendly and they always have toys and/or crayons for the kids,” said Campbello.

Georgio’s 30 year recipes have remained intact, serving up favorites like pizza, minestrone soup, sandwiches and appetizers like calamari and garlic cheese bread. Pasta dominates the menu with a succulent variety of classic Italian dishes like chicken cacciatore, linguini and baby clams, and spaghetti with garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

After 30 years of maintaining the pristine condition of the establishment and its menu, it’s easy to see the charm and uniqueness of Georgio’s, separating it from the many Italian restaurants in the valley with its history mounted on the walls and cooking in the kitchen.

Meal Replacement Bars

For some foodies, mealtime is an opportunity to divulge taste buds and satisfy epicurean delights. Supermarkets used to offer the makings of a meal, vegetables, meats, breads and a variety of ingredients. Now they also sell whole meals packed into a convenient candy bar.

A growing trend in mass productions of meal replacement bars (high packed protein bars intended to replace full meals) has surged onto counters of supermarkets, drug stores and of course, the local nutrition stores like GNC and Max Muscle. Although the new trend matches well with the on-the-go lifestyles of those who are too busy to eat, not many have fallen for this lose weight quick scheme.

“I do not use supplemental bars for many reasons,” 46-year-old Danny Goodwin said. “One is the cost, second is the ingredients. Really all they provide is protein and carbohydrates which is necessary for training.”

Although high in protein, these bars have not yet been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration and its contents can be uncertain.

“I don't think that these bars should replace meals because though they have protein and may or may not make you full,” said Stella Ortiz, a registered nurse. “They do not have all the nutrients that a meal offers.”

When consumers do use meal replacements they often times find that they use it in-between meals instead of replacing them altogether.

“I use it in-between meals as a snack or before a workout,” said 22-year-old Spencer Hamilton.
Additionally consumers who use them in-between meals find it is a better snack then traditional junk foods like chips, French fries, and other greasy, unhealthy treats.

“They’re better to eat than normal snacks while you wait for your next meal,” said Franca Livelli, 28.

And still, there are others who prefer to stay the natural route.

“I’d rather keep it simple and natural then to use any enhancements or anything like that,” 20-year-old Andrew Rosales said.

Ortiz believes alternative healthy snacks are better than snacking on meal replacement bars.

“One can eat them in between meals,” added Ortiz. “But I feel that fruit, crackers, something of that nature which is natural is better for you than these bars in which the ingredients can be questionable.”

The key factor in eating appropriately is proportioning to fit your needs. Many people eat to satisfy the hunger pangs, while others eat to the brink of “stuffed.” In American culture, bigger is better, getting super-sized for only 10 cents more. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the world, where proportions are better suited to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Meal replacement bars are usually not sufficient for many people to feel “full.”

“Personally, I tell people not to [use it as replacements] because a lot of bars aren’t basic meals,” Spencer said. “A protein shake can replace a meal, but only when you’re used to smaller portions.”

Replacing regular food with what looks and tastes like a candy bar can not be better than eating healthy, natural foods that tickles the taste buds while providing the needed nutrients.

“If you eat appropriately and you eat timely, you don't need supplemental bars,” Goodwin said.
While many are smart enough to know that meal replacement bars are not the answer to a healthy diet, these products still have quite the selling power. Whether or not people choose to eat candy bars or real meals, the scope has broadened regarding the choices of consuming nutrients and continues to develop using basic ingredients that shape itself around the ever changing society.

Day Of the Dead

I could not think of a better combination of culture and food than this Mexican celebration known as Dia de los Muertos celebrated on November 1st . This ritual is celebrated in Mexico but also in parts of the United States, especially in the valley.

People construct in their homes and in cemeteries this festival in which we believe departed souls return to earth.

People dance in honor of their deceased relatives sometimes using wooden masks called calacas and cover their kitchen tables with flowers, fruits, vegetables, candles, incense, statues of saints and photos of the deceased.

The aromas are used to be consumed by the spirits like a scent that cannot be seen. And, naturally you want to provide them with the best and include their favorite dishes.
Some of the various foods and beverages at this event include:
*pan de muerto (bread of the dead)
*tamales
*mole verde or mole poblano (sauces)
*posole (stews)
*chicken in pipian sauce, chalupa, blue corn enchiladas (main dishes)
*horchata, agua de tamarindo, agua de jamaica (beverages)

This is a celebration for all!

Halloween fun

Chocolate, lollipops, and many more deliciously tempting treats can dangerously lead you to the line between enjoying and gorging this Halloween. Yahoo's Lisa "Hungry Girl" Lillian blogs this month a list of candy you won't feel guilty about eating in addition to 5 tips to survive the night and the aftermath.

Looking for a more sophisticated Halloween? Head to Candlelight Restaurant and Bar in Simi Valley for their Halloween event where the grand prize for best costume is $5,000 cash.

Try to get a seat outside in the main garden, which is furnished with clusters of comfortable sofa's and lounge chairs. Don't worry about getting too cold; the restaurant strategically places fire burning clay pots around to keep guests warm.

Dinner will be served all night and their drinks are amazing; try "Seduce" or "Arouse," both are delicious and served icy cold. Alongside their jumbo calamari with extra skinny fries served in a large martini glass, your night can't go wrong.