The Valley | Dig Lounge

The Valley goes Gastropub at Laurel Tavern

7. November 2008

Library Bar alums Will Shamlian and Mark Leddy’s new Studio City Gastropub is a bright shining star along Ventura Blvd. It’s front glass frosted windows open up to the street, beckoning local residents in for a beer and some grub. Inside, it’s rustic and slightly industrial, with exposed brick walls, wood details, and antiqued tin [...]

The Ripper, a Fab-ulous hot dog

17. September 2008

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The end of Summer. The time of year were the days are getting shorter, the nights getting cooler. You start to look back and think to yourself, the one thing I didn’t have this summer was a deep fried hot dog. Thanks to Joe Fabrocini and his wife Susie Speck Mayor (and J Gold for [...]

Frida Mexican Cuisine - Glendale

15. June 2008

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It was a warm Sunday afternoon and some tacos and a margarita sounded perfect. We happened upon Frida while checking out the Americana at Brand. I usually only like to talk about the places I dig. But every once in a while you have a meal which is just bad on so many levels you [...]

Chili John’s - Burbank

7. June 2008

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Chili John’s is Burbank’s oldest restaurant. They’ve been serving chili from the U-shaped dining room since 1946. It’s trademark chili is older than Coke, first being trademarked in the year 1900. Inside, gingham curtains hang and a mural of the Rockies is painted on the wall. The chili is served from lovely silver containers in [...]

The Infield - Sherman Oaks

7. May 2008

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The Pastrami Dog As I write this, my stomach weighs heavy with chili and pastrami. But it’s a good feeling, and I encourage you to experience the same thing as soon as you can. Before hitting the batting cages at Sherman Oaks Castle Park I thought what better meal than a hot dog and some chili [...]

WineStyles - South Pasadena

25. February 2008

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While exploring South Pasadena via the Gold Line over the weekend I stumbled upon a wine store/bar called Winestyles. Winestyles is a new wine store chain, with an interesting concept. Instead of setting up shop and lining up the zins, cabs and blancs side by side, they organize their stores by the style of wine; [...]

A Day at the Races - Santa Anita

20. February 2008

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What’s better than a day at the races? Santa Anita Race Track provides 6 hours of entertainment for just a few dollars, majestic views of the San Gabriel Mountain range, fresh air, beer, fresh carved deli sandwiches, beautiful million dollar horses and of course 5 foot tall jockeys. You don’t have to know horses and [...]

Boneyard Bistro - Sherman Oaks

17. January 2008

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Expand your horizons, eat out in the Valley? OK, I must admit. My comfort level of going out exists within certain boundaries of our city. La Cienega to downtown, Franklin to Pico. But when I read a recent review in my Westways magazine of the BBQ joint Boneyard Bistro and their half off wine on [...]

Casa Bianca Pizza - Eagle Rock

6. October 2007

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So I’ve finally made it to Casa Bianca Pizza. I’ve been hearing for years that they serve up some of the best pie in the city. I have some experience with pizza. My first job ever (besides the one summer I cleaned pools) was working the pizza oven at an Italian restaurant in Whittier called [...]