Poutine Pursuits

Again, being new to the Portland area, I'm learning about the local cuisine.  Voodoo Donuts, Brewery Fresh Beer, and apparently Poutines.  Poutines are Canadian concoctions of French Fries, Cheese Curds, and Gravy to which your nutritionist says no but my beau says HELL YES.

There are several resources for Poutine greatness (which must be derived from the French "Putain" which means something your cholesterol says to you as you're inhaling the delicioutude that the Poutine holds.)  The resource I used for the following information is: Portlandpoutine.com.  They know poutines and I am using their website to choose where we're going tonight (instead of the Opera).


POUTINE RULES
Best eaten hot (nothing gets mushy)
Pairs best with beer

CONDENSED POUTINE GUIDE
Your First Time: Potato Champion"The fries are excellent, and there are plenty of cheese curds plopped on top. The gravy though, is strange. It’s oniony and tart."
*Lamb Poutine: Lincoln (Happy Hour only)
"There was a lot of ultra-tender bites of meat, with hearty, well bodied, and dare I say soulful gravy. The curds appeared to be cheddar and the fries were up to snuff "
Canada Day Go To: Victory Bar
"The excellent french fries, chunks of melty cheddar. The bacon gravy rested mostly at the bottom the plate, but morsels of thick cut bacon remained atop the fries and cheddar."

*Skanky and Cheesy: Savoy Tavern and Bistro
Resembles fondue. Not for want of Cheese. "The gravy was tasty and well seasoned...fries were crispy"

NW Best Poutine: Laurelwood NW Publichouse
"The small was plenty. The french fries are a mix of sizes and crispinesses, the cheese curds are plentiful and cheddary, and the Mother Lode Golden Ale Gravy is delicious. This is one of the better poutines in town."
Best Vegetarian Gravy: Hawthorne Hophouse
 Meaty and Herby without the meat
Delicious and Unorthodox: Papa Haydn
"Topped with parmesan cheese, not cheese curds. And the chicken gravy contained spinach....Kennebeck fries...The gravy, though it could have handled a bit more seasoning, had the right viscosity – it clung nicely to the fries. It also contained chunks of perfectly moist pulled chicken.
C Bar: SE Poutines
Topped with collard greens. The fries, seasoned with salt and smoked paprika (aka vegan bacon), are crisp and smoky.
Classiest: Irving Street Kitchen
Delicious "Uniform bricks of golden yellow fries, and a light, dare I say, dainty white cheese sauce...like a piece of art on a plate....The gravy had the authenticity and heft of duck fat." (Not on the regular menu)  KNOTE: Also apparently they have a butterscotch pudding that looks amazing
Cheapest: Jolly Roger (East)
$3!  "Damn good, The fries were the weak point of this poutine.  Gravy was damn close to typical Quebec poutine sauce (sticky, brown, and salty)." Looks mostly like cheese fries but I trust these guys reviews

Sushi Dates: Sushi Etiquette

from: http://tinyurl.com/yhwaf3k

Date #22: Wurstküche (Not pronounced in a way that will offend her)

Wurstküche is the hottest dog place in Los Angeles right now. They have a gorgeous GORGEOUS array of sausages from Bratwurst to Filipino Marharlika. Here's the plan:

TIMING
Definitely a Great Datey Experience for Late at Night. After a fancy show at the Walt Disney Hall it's a fun way to mix it up.

PARKING: UGLY PLACE, LOTS OF SPOTS!
Although it looks pretty terrifying near Wurstküche just park close if the area makes you nervous. The scariest people there are NoHo Hipsters with creeper mustaches, "Creepsters" if you will. In any case, it may make your date nervous (it's in the heart of the Toy District) but its pretty innocuous.

THE WAIT
Because the restaurant portion is pretty loud, the major portion of your date here will be in line. It's a good opportunity to cruise the menu, ask about Beer preferences (they have a great selection of Belgian Beers) and talk about which animals you're interested in eating today. Rattlesnake, Buffalo, Pig or Monkey**.

SAUSAGE TRIVIA
Waiting in line can be tedious for any couple, here are some little facts to get you through the standing part of the evening. Here's my Portuguese Sausage Story if you need material, leads into some good international animal name play.
• Sausages are mentioned in The Odyssey which was written by Homer more than 2,700 years ago.
• Sausages were called bangers during the Second World War because they contained so much water they exploded when fried.
• More sausages are eaten on Saturday than any other day.

THE PLACE
So delicious, bring a pen and draw on the long papered tables, write little valentines and Hot Dog wishes. The restaurant is biggest in the back and you'll probably sitting next to all kinds of people from Los Angeles.

THE TASTE
Magnificent. I adore the "Rabbit, Veal & Pork Seasoned with White Wine" but you could definitely be adventurous and show off a little. Unfortunately everything with Rattlesnake and Alligator isn't that awesome, do you want to show off at the risk of not eating your food. That's lame.* Don't miss the fries and as many of the sauces that sound good to you. I'm talking, Tzatziki, Curry Ketchup, Bleu Cheese Walnut and Bacon.
SAUSAGE LINKS
Here are some good resources if you want to know more about those little tubes of delicious...whatevers.


*Ignore anything with Alligator or Rattlesnake not very delicious.
**Seasonal...***


*** It's more of an Orangutan...****
**** Maybe it's human...*****
***** They're so like us...******
****** No monkey at Wurstküche...*******
******* ...This time of year.

Date #19: Cooking for your date

Date #19: Cooking for your date
I have recently become interested in the concept of cooking for your date. I'm aware that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Also, this is one of the finest ways to make a woman's knees buckle. There are many ways to go about this and this sort of date can serve as either an early or a later in dates date. The three major factors you have to account for: (1) The Capacity to Cook. (2) The Set Up (3) The Menu.

THE CAPACITY TO COOK
This is tricky. I am stupid enough to be the daughter of the woman who owns Old Town Cooking School without really knowing how to cook. Going to the cooking school is a great date in and of itself. That's a good way to learn how to cook. Another method would be to go to Noble Pig. Noble Pig is a great website with simple recipes. I would suggest cheaply going about this (canned soups, whipped cream, cheese, wines) but you're better than that.


THE SET UP
YOUR HOUSE
You can either start cooking before they arrive or invite them to cook with you. Before they arrive set up the table. Add tealight candles for ambience, grab some flowers from the yard (no carnations).

ALTERNATIVES
Make a picnic in a park. Or take your date to the campus of Caltech. Other outdoor alternatives for romance.

LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS:
Go to a park with the food. Set up the table in the backyard, try mid-day when your parents are at work. Or just tell them you're trying to do something special for your date and it would be really great if they could go out for the evening. Or Old Reliable: Give 'em $20 to go see Avatar for 14 hours.

THE MENU
The menu at the least should have an entree and a dessert and wine. If you're trying to be equal have them make the dessert. See the above websites for recipes. Old Town Cooking School has the option of making you a menu, I recommend it.

DATE BY KATE #14: Winter WonderBra, A HoliDate

The Balian Mansion is owned by an Ice Cream Family in Pasadena,
they light it up so gaudy and good.
Great for watching tourists and kids wave to baby Jesuses.

This is a Classic Pasadena Date especially because it's starting to get cold, you won't look so doofy in your scarf, coat and ugg boots...which still look doofy with that mini skirt, but I digress. Here is your Winter Wonder Date, see directions at the bottom.

YOUR DATE

1. HOLIDAY NOSH AT PASEO
Start the evening with a little nosh. Something warm and cozy. Although a little pasadena odd, I would like to suggest perhaps Paseo. Tokyo Wako is great for some sushi and a sake while the Yard House is good for a beer and a skanky burger. Go with Tokyo Wako, it's usually pretty quiet, big glass window romantic while remaining not as trashy as the Yard House.

2. GOOFY CHRISTMAS MOVIE
Trust me on this one. Hop right over to the Paseo movie theater and see some totally inane Christmas movie. Giggle over some Rudolph the G-Rated Nonsense. Grab some snowcaps or a slushy to meet the frosty mood....frosty here is code for sexy and actually funny enough to get you to part three.

3. Sip STARBUCKS
Get over to Starbucks at North Allen. Treat your date to some Cider or a Hot Chocolate to go, open her door (even if she's driving) and hop over to....

4. THE BALIAN MANSION
And Behold! The most gaudily decorated Christmas Mecca in the World. That's right! This Christmas Mansion, owned by the Altadena Ice Cream Family is complete with Christmas Trees, Christmas Dinosaurs, Baby Jesuses and the cutest tourists Pasadena has to offer. So take a walk around or have a seat and listen to the kids jeer the Christmas Stegosaurus, scream and wave at the Christian Saviour like a celebrity or their best friend.

DIRECTIONS

TO NORTH ALLEN STARBUCKS
Directions: Leave Paseo and go east on Colorado. Take a left on Allen (heading towards the mountains). At the corner of Allen and Washington. 1390 N Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104 map

TO THE BALIAN MANSION
Directions: Go north on Allen (towards the mountains), take a right at Mendocino

DATE BY KATE #11: CarnAmore

Burger Bias
For a very long time I have been deliberating over what is the best burger in Los Angeles. I have had many, and there are many that rarely pass must...ard. But there are few that really hit the spot. These are my top three choices for a burger joint in Los Angeles.

Your Date
Say you and your date are in a meaty mood as noon rolls around and you are ready to rate the Kate Burger Choices. But you can't decide. Here is your guide.

WANT A BURGER ON A TRAIN: Carney's
This is really one of my favorite burger places ever. Carney's is ideal for (a) delicious burgers and (b) watching tourists or clubbers as they ramble on about whatever. Forget the chili, but go for the fries and a cheeseburger. Pretend to be famous on the porch of the restaurant as the posers walk by. Add a giant body guard for effect. Park for free in the back lot.

WANT A BURGER AND A MILKSHAKE: Wolfburger's
Wolfburgers. I have only been going to Wolfburgers my entire life so I am a little biased. The burgers are aight, but if you want a Milkshake in Pasadena before you hit up the Ice House I recommend it. Free Parking.

WANT A HUGE, MELTY AWESOME BURGER: Houstons
Houston's, I know it's a chain, has some of the skankiest, drippiest, deliciousest burgers in town. Grab the cheese burger it melts in your face. The place is really swanky most of the time, very mature. Right outside of pasadena. A little expensive, but go for broke if you want to go for stuffed. Free Parking.

Date By Kate #2: A Pie Contest Date, not Kobayashi style

The Food: Pie
The Price: Free
You and Your Homeboy: There.

Your Date
KCRW presents the first annual Pie Contest where 150 contestants will be submitting their pies for tasting...by you...for free. While I wouldn't necessarily suggest a pie/pizza/hotdog/kimchi eating contest for a date, everyone loves free food, and even more, everyone loves pie. Registration is closed but you can absolutely get your pie on if you show up!

Date: November 14
Place: Canyon Atrium at Westfield Topanga
Time: 2-4PM