Shoppers Line Up For Free Groceries at Whole Foods Woodland Hills!
Did someone say "free?"
Today is Whole Foods tenth anniversary at its Woodland Hills location and as part of the celebration they were offering up a ‘free bag of groceries’ to their first 200 customers. As you, might imagine the lure of free food was enough to rouse some people out of bed just a little bit early!
I swung by at 6:50AM to take a picture of the festivities and counted about 6o people in line waiting for the doors to open at 7. Also on the menu today is a ribbon cutting and BBQ at 11AM and an RSVP-required wine tasting at 7:00PM for $2.00.
From the Whole Foods website:
Please join us on Friday, November 13th and help us celebrate our stores 10 year anniversary. At 7:00am join us for a grocery bag giveaway. At 11:00am join us for a free BBQ, ribbon cutting ceremony with the Woodland Hills/ Tarzana Chamber of Commerce, goodie bags, prize giveaways and check out K-Earth 101 who will be here with their prize wheel. Round out the day with our top 10 winter wine tasting from 7:00-8:00pm. $2.00 per person all attendees must be 21 years of age and present valid id. Please RSVP to the wine tasting (818)610-0000.
If anyone was there for the 7:00AM opening or for anything else related to today’s events, please leave comments on this post and let us know how it went!
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Last Day For Whole Foods $5.99 Hot Bar/Salad Bar Special at Woodland Hills Location!
As previously reported, Whole Foods Woodland Hills has been running a special every Wednesday where the hot bar/salad bar is only $5.99/lb. Well, today is the last Wednesday that the deal is available. So get it while the getting is good!
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Tell Me: Where is the BEST BURGER in Woodland Hills?
A friend of mine My BFF was telling me about a great burger place in the town where she lives (the arctic tundra of Michigan) and it got me thinking. Where is the best burger in Woodland Hills? Or perhaps more appropriately, “What is the best burger in Woodland Hills?”
I did a quick survey of my friends and coworkers and they confirmed what I was already had on my list: The Bleu Cheese Burger (with Caramelized Onions) at Gaucho Grill and the Great Kate’s Cheeseburger (available with bacon) at Kate Mantilini in Warner Center.
Both are excellent when served rare (my preference) and the Kate’s burger in particular is not a cheap one, but it is delicious.
I’d love to hear your comments on this, as it’s impossible for me to go around sampling every burger in the area or I’d be dead of a heart attack by next week. Feel free to categorize your pics by “Best Value Burger” (burgers under $5) – “Best Burger for Your Money” ($5 to $12) and “Most Overpriced Burger” ($12 +). And overpriced doesn’t necessarily have to mean it’s bad! Let your wheels spin on this and post some comments, and hopefully I can go and sample them for myself!
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Underwhelming First Impression of Maria’s Italian Kitchen on Mulholland
I was prowling the western frontier of Woodland Hills this past weekend and came a cross a surprising sight – a Maria’s Italian Kitchen (23331 Mulholland Dr)! I had no idea there was one of these out this way, and I had fond memories of both the West LA and Brentwood locations of the local chain that bills itself as ‘your neighborhood Italian restaurant.’
It was time for a late lunch so I figured I’d stop in and sample the atmosphere and cuisine. First, the positives. The service was great and friendly. They also have a delicious garlicky cheesy bread. Can’t go wrong with that. I decided to try the soup of the day which was corn chowder. I’ll be honest, corn chowder seems to be one of the typically most boring soups in the world. But, wow! This was the best corn chowder I’ve ever had. Very sweet and delicious, a big plus.
Now for the entree. I have been on something of a Chicken Piccata kick for the last few months. There’s just something about the lemony, buttery goodness that drives me nuts. And capers. Don’t get me started on capers! I love them!
So, I just wasn’t impressed by the Chicken Piccata at Maria’s. First, the chicken was not as tender as it should have been. The sauce and capers etc. was fine. And also, they must have butterflied the smallest chicken breast in the world, as the portion was tiny, and I paid for the $15.99 dinner size portion, not the less expensive ‘half’ portion.
Now, even though this comparison should be ludicrous, it is not. The Chicken Piccata at The Cheesecake Factory is the same price. It is also amazing. And, you get a much larger amount of chicken – and it’s always so juicy, tender, and succulent. I was just disappointed, as a more authentic place like Maria’s should definitely provide a better version such a basic Italian dish than a national chain like The Cheesecake Factory.
That being said, I’ll need to go back again and try something else and see if I’m more impressed. If you ever plan on going, call ahead and see if they have the corn chowder. It’s amazing.
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The Korean Bulgogi Hot Doggie at Curry Up Cafe is a Slam Dunk
Korean Bulgogi Doggie at Curry Up Cafe
So, after I dropped in on the folks at Curry Up Cafe on Saturday I found myself checking out their Facebook page. They had a picture on there of a hot dog called the Bulgogi Hot Doggie that really grabbed my attention. After I saw an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that featured Reseda’s Fab Hot Dogs I found myself on a little bit of a hot dog kick, so the Bulgogi Doggie got my juices flowing. Curry Up Cafe is definitely the epitome of a fusion restaurant, and they leave almost no geographic or culinary boundary uncrossed. I ordered my Bulgogi Doggie ahead over the phone and went to pick it up. Chris, the owner, probably put it best as he described it to me as being ‘like a pastrami hot doggie only Korean.’
I think the real secret to any topped hot dog dish like this is starting with a great hot dog, then you build from there. And let me tell you what, this 1/4lb all beef ‘ripper’ doggie was pretty damn awesome. Even the bun was great, and when you pile on all that grilled beef, onions, and mushrooms cooked up Korean style how can you go wrong?
Honestly, this was a great hot dog. And I’m not just saying that! I even paid for it, and I’ll probably go back soon for another!
Nice Interior with Flat Screen TV
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Maui Grilled Chicken Grand Opening Today at 4904 Topanga Canyon!
As I stopped by Starbucks in the plaza on the corner of Topanga Canyon Blvd and Dumetz on the way home from work today, I noticed a brand new restaurant next door – Maui Grilled Chicken (4904 Topanga Canyon Blvd). I was surprised as I had been at that same place about a week or two ago and didn’t even notice that there was a new place going in. I figured I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to talk to some new local businesspeople so I grabbed my camera and ventured inside. It turns out that they just opened today. What a crazy coincidence, eh?
From their menu:
Aloha Maui Grilled Chicken is proud to announce its grand opening. Our island style secret recipe will keep you coming back for more. Come taste our succulent food and homemade desserts made with the freshest ingredients. All our poultry, fruit, desserts, and produce are carefully hand selected and prepared to server you daily.
Come hungry, leave full!
MAHOLO
Julian, the owner, happened to on hand at the restaurant and I had a few moments to talk to him about the new place. He tells me that his chef and partner Yero is the cullinary genius behind the amazing food and that he is ‘just the money man’ and that the magic is all courtesy of Yero. He lavished lots of praise on Yero and I’m looking forward to dropping in and trying out something from the menu very soon. Julian also points out that all of the food is prepared in a health conscious way – with no use of oil – and as the menu points out all of the food is cooked ‘with just its own nature juices and flavor & flame grilled on a bed of lava rock.’
Just the sound of it made me hungry, but I had a date with a with a Bulgogi Doggie at Curry Up Cafe so I’ll have to postpone my review of Maui Grilled Chicken until later in the week.
Attached is the menu in PDF format. Wow, those prices look pretty amazing. Also take note of the hours, Maui Grilled Chicken is open daily from 11am to 10pm. Now that is good news! By the way, if you stop in please tell them you heard about them from Girard at Hills of Woodland Blog. Thanks!
UPDATE: Stopped in for my first taste of the food at Maui Grilled Chicken!
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dineLA Restaurant Week Being Exended from Oct 18-23!
Thanks to one of our readers – Thuan Le – for letting us know that they are extending the dineLA Fall Restaurant Week for another week! It’s not for sure yet that it will be all of the same restaurants, according to the dineLA site:
dineLA Restaurant Week is being extended Oct. 18-23! Check back Saturday, Oct. 17 for the list of extending restaurants.
Either way, I’m guessing it will be most of them, and it’s certainly good news!
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