Wurstkuche

This weekend, we headed to the Art District in Downtown LA.

We heard about this interesting sausage restaurant called Wurstkuche.

They specialize in exotic sausages that are grilled to perfection and served with some ridiculous fries.

The line can be pretty long at times. But once you get close, you'll see the wiener cooler.

The menu is pretty straightforward. Pick your sausage and a couple toppings.

The variety of game meats make these sausages "exotic".


From what I was told, these fries go through a two day process which includes brining in beer.

They also have an extensive beer and soda menu.
I went with this "botanically brewed" cola. It tasted like the coca-cola that you get in glass bottles from mexican restaurants. You know, the stuff made with real cane sugar... the good stuff. But, it also had a hint of ginger. Being that this little bottle was close to $5, I could have done without the ginger taste. Too bad there wasn't a mexican joint nearby where I could have picked up the mexican cola.

Anyway, let's get to the grub.

I went with the Rattlesnake, Rabbit, and Jalapeno Sausage with grilled onions. The meat itself was mild in flavor. I couldn't tell you what rabbit and/ or rattlesnake tasted like. They put a great deal of seasoning in the sausage. So, I'm guessing the meats didn't really taste like much on their own. I did not pick up any sort of gamy taste in this sausage.

The wife had the Mango Jalapeno Sausage with grilled onions and hot peppers (pepperocinis). This sausage was very sweet due to the mango. I'd call it a dessert sausage. If you're a guy who doesn't like sweets with his meats, this isn't for you.


The fries are on another level. They have this crispy texture on the outside, and a soft fluffy texture on the inside. The brine gives them such a unique flavor. I'd suggest trying them with out any of the sauces the first time around. We picked the chipotle aioli which was very zesty. It has a slow burn that creeps up on you.

The dining room has a modern hofbrauhaus vibe where you have many community tables.

The sausages are definitely tasty, but many of them may be more of a novelty than anything else.


I'll be curious to find out what their "classic" sausages (like brats) taste like.

Wurstkuche
800 East 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013-1820
(213) 687-4444
www.wurstkucherestaurant.com




I'm from LA Trick

Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches

On President's Day, the wife and I were invited to lunch with our LAPD buddy.
He took us to a Los Angeles staple.

Philippe's has been in Downtown LA for over 100 years. They claim to have invented the French Dip Sandwich.

You start off by getting in line. We were lucky because we only waited about 15 minutes or so.

Once you get to the counter, you are greeted by these little old ladies who take your order. They reminded us of the stereotypical school lunch ladies.

The menu is extensive, but I'll focus on what we ordered.
There are four french dip sandwiches to choose from... Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Turkey.
I went with the pork and the wife went with turkey. Then you can decide if you want it single dipped or double dipped. We both went for the double dip. If you can't handle slightly soggy bread, stick to a single dip. The pork sandwich is nicely seasoned, not very salty (considering it was dunked in au jus). The roll (from what I understand is homemade just like everything else in the store) was light and fluffy (the parts that didn't get au jus on it) and had a nice crunch on the outside. In all honesty, the sandwiches are on the small side. I probably could have knocked out three of these things.

We also had their "straight" chili. No, this has nothing to do with which team it plays on. It just means beef chili without beans. It was pretty loaded with ground beef and was mildly spicy. One knock I had was that it was a little oily. I'm guessing they use some fatty ground beef. But hey, it adds to the flavor, right?

They are also famous for their mustard. To be honest with you, I thought it was like a bottle full of straight horseradish with a dab of mustard. Use this stuff with caution. It can make a grown man cry (not that I did).

As you can see, the wife went a little overboard. Her sinuses were cleared for the rest of the day.
I did sample her turkey sandwich. Even with the dunk in the beef au jus, it was a little on the dry side for me. I also heard people say they thought the beef sandwich was salty, especially if it has been dipped. I tried my friend's beef sandwich and I thought it was great. It was a damn good roast beef sandwich. I would probably go beef the next time we head out there.

We finished off the lunch with their homemade apple pie. It had a nice flaky crust and filled with large chunks of apples. Simple and not too sweet... very nice.


Philippe's French Dip
1001 N Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-3781
www.philippes.com




I'm from LA Trick

Tan Cang Newport Seafood

So the wife and I decided to have lobster for Valentine's Day. Rather than cooking one and eating it american style... you know with drawn butter and all that jazz. We took a trip to Little Saigon.

This place serves it up Chinese/Vietnamese Style. It's what you would see at a Chinese or Vietnamese wedding. But, since it was just the bosslady and I, we ordered a "small" lobster.
The sauce is filled with shallots, green onion, that soy sauce glaze (if you've been to any true chinese joint... you know what I mean), and lobster roe.

They give you the entire lobster... not just the tail like in those American joints. Some of you probably had lobster on Valentine's day as well. Let me guess, it was boiled then served with butter. Sorry, but our lobster was better than yours... nah nah nah nah nah!!!

After we devoured it, we figured that we were done. The waiter informed us that we were suppose to take the remaining sauce and lobster roe and mix it with the steamed rice. Here's our waiter making my breakfast for the next morning.

Here's the kicker, they only charge $12.00 a pound!!!
How much was your Valentine's Dinner Lobster?


Tan Cang Newport Seafood

4411 W 1st St
Santa Ana, CA 92703

(714) 531-5146

www.tancangnewportseafood.com





I'm from LA Trick