A Politically Incorrect Blog About Living in Woodland Hills, California

Corner Bakery Cafe Has Free Wi-Fi And Pretty Good Salads

The Corner Bakery Cafe is a pretty convenient place to get a quick meal, and I’ve been taking full advantage of their free Wi-Fi as of late.  I recently had a great Grilled Ham and Swiss on Sourdough Panini (Thinly sliced smoked ham with melted Swiss cheese, plum tomatoes, and Dijon mustard-mayo) – sorry, forgot to get a picture on that one – and on another occasion got take-out of the Chopped Salad (Romaine lettuce, shredded Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and spicy croutons with Caesar dressing) – both were excellent.  The Chopped Salad was very Cobb Salad like, which of course is one of my all time favorite salads. (See my review of the Cobb Salad at JFD for more on that.)

At peak hours it can be a very busy place, but they have overflow seating at Maggiano’s and a pretty sizeable patio area.  I’m a pretty big fan of the place, and it’s good if you want good food that is both fast and affordable.  They also have a pretty good (and very inexpensive) breakfast menu, which I’ve hit up numerous times.  I’ll try to get a few more pictures of their cuisine up soon.

Popularity: 2%

Great Chicken Wings And Wallet Friendly Specials at Friday’s

As I mentioned a few days back in a post about the chicken wings at Soup’s – which I didn’t think were up to snuff – there are definitely a shortage of places in Los Angeles that can cook up a decent chicken wing. One safe bet is actually Friday’s. They serve up a consistently meaty and delicious chicken wing. So every now and again when I get a hankerin’ for some ‘wangs’ I stop by.

I should also note that Friday’s has some great specials on appetizers during happy hour which is 4pm to close in the bar, and all day Sunday in the entire restaurant.  Most appetizers are 50% off, which means you can get a delicious plate of wings for under 5 bucks.

Friday’s also has recently introduced a loyalty program called Give Me More Stripes which lets you build points toward various rewards and perks.

It’s good to know that in this crappy economy a big company is actually giving you some incentive to dine out and enjoy your life.  I also came upon this advertisement at the table:

It offers up a great deal – an appetizer, two entrees, and a desert for only $20.  An unbeatable deal!

Popularity: 1%

The Jerry’s Deli Cobb Salad Is On My “Last Meal” List

Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a death row prisoner who has to select his last meal.  It makes you think about what food you’ve had that has made a special connection to your inner psyche.  One such meal, for me, is something simple, basic, and altogether wonderful.  The Cobb Salad at Jerry’s Famous Deli.

It is filled with delicious ham, turkey, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, tomatoes, and topped with half an avocado.  Now, I love Cobb Salads and I’ve had them from many restaurants.  And honestly, none are as good as the one at Jerry’s.  Although, I must say the one at Daily Grill (Studio City, Santa Monica, etc.) comes pretty damn close.  But, there is no Daily Grill in Woodland Hills, so they are dead to me.  Well, okay that’s an exaggeration.

Since I almost always get this salad to go (because in December 2005 I had a bad experience where I almost had to kill a homeless degenerate inside the Jerry’s Deli, so I won’t eat at the restaurant any more), I always have them chop it and toss it, because if you try to do this at home, you will make a mess.  I also  get it with Italian dressing on the side, so I can gently mix it in myself.   Traditionally a Cobb Salad is served with bleu cheese dressing, but I’m not a big fan of that.  And, the Italian dressing at Jerry’s is dynamite, so it’s perfect for this salad.

Now, this is not an inexpensive salad.  When I first started getting it in 2004 the after tax cost of buying this salad was $11.94.  Now, it is close to $15.00.  However, one day when I am a condemned man the taxpayers of the state of California will have to foot the bill for it for me.

Popularity: 2%

The Gaucho Grill “Bleu Cheeseburger” – Bloody – and Bloody Delicious!

I suggest you cover the eyes of anyone in the room who may love animals. A couple weeks back in my Best Burger in Woodland Hills post I mentioned the Bleu Cheeseburger at Gaucho Grill ($11).  It comes topped with caramelized onions and a scorched, delicious layer of bleu cheese.  It’s actually be about a year since I had once of these, and I figure it’s only a matter of time before they close down this location of Gaucho Grill too, so I better get one while it’s still available.  So today after work, I dropped on in.

To use the parlance of our times – “This burger is off da chain, yo!”  Wow.  Of course, like any burger connoisseur I got the beast rare.  Look at how drippy, bloody, bleu-cheesy, and oniony this thing is.  The only thing I can really short them on is that it’s an 8 ounce burger, which seems like “wow that’s a half pound of meat,” but for some reason it didn’t seem super meaty.  But ya know what, it was delicious.  Look at the pics and you’re cattle slaughtering mouth will water.

If you are into burgers I really do suggest you partake of this treat.

Popularity: 1%