A Politically Incorrect Blog About Living in Woodland Hills, California

Escaping Rainy Gloom With A Chocolate Shake At The Habit

This rainy and gloomy week has really been throwing me for a loop.  Yesterday, around 5pm after work I decided to drop in on The Habit (22651 Ventura Blvd) for a little sweet spirit boosting joy – their Chocolate Shake.  I had actually never had it before, but it was definitely very good.  Very chocolaty, made with real ice cream, and  topped with whipped cream.  It really boosted my spirits up before I had to head back out in the pouring rain!

One of the major pluses about these rainy days is that places are not as crowded!  Stay dry everyone!

Popularity: 2%

A Little More Breakfast At BJ’s In Woodland Hills

This morning I stopped into BJ’s again in Woodland Hills to watch the first half of the Georgia Tech (my alma mater) vs UNC college basketball game.  The last time I was here, a friend of mine had the Baked Italian Omelette and he said it was pretty good, so I decided I’d give it a try.

Baked Italian Omelette Three scrambled eggs, Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, red onion, mushrooms and tomatoes, baked and topped with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Served with seasoned country potatoes and your choice of whole wheat or sourdough toast. $7.95

I really like the country potatoes at BJ’s, they have a great texture and flavor.  And the baked Italian Omelette itself is also very good – it’s almost like have an omelette and a sausage pizza combined.  Which is probably a little misleading because the dish itself is actually pretty light and healthy tasting.

When I left at halftime, the Yellow Jackets were dismantling UNC.  Somehow, in the second half they ended up blowing a 20+ point lead, but thankfully still ended up winning 73-31.  Go Jackets!

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Save Money With Friday’s Give Me More Stripes Customer Loyalty Program, And A Damn Fine Pork Chop

Back in November I signed up for TGI Friday’s customer loyal program Give Me More Stripes.  It’s probably one of the best customer loyalty programs around.  Essentially you get 1 point for every dollar you spend, and once you spend $100 you get a free $8 coupon.  But wait, there’s more.  You also get a free appetizer coupon just for signing up.  You can do so online, or at the restaurant, and it  takes a week or so for you to get your card in the mail.

In addition, sometimes they send you coupons ‘just because.’  For instance, over the Christmas holiday I received a coupon for a free appetizer.  They also periodically send coupons for free desserts and other items.  The best part is everything happens by e-mail.  They send you your rewards and other coupons, you print them out and take them to the restaurant, and enjoy the savings.  Over the past 2 months I’ve already enjoyed 3 free appetizers and 2 $8.00 off coupons.  And also, it seems like January is a double points month, which really amplifies your savings.

I’ve always been a fan of pork chops, but most restaurants really don’t have them.  Usually steakhouses do, but when I’m at a steakhouse, I order a steak.  Thankfully, about a year ago I discovered the wonderful Pepper-Crusted Pork Chop at Friday’s.  It’s on their “Right Portion, Right Price” menu which makes it about $10.  It’s just a great, great tasting pork chop.  I’ve polished off quite a few of these, and if you’re a pork chop fan I suggest you check it out.  The mashed potatoes are also exceptional!

Pepper-Crusted Pork Chop

Our bone-in pork chop is seasoned with pastrami-pepper seasoning, with pastrami. Pepper seasoning grilled to perfection and topped with brown gravy. Served with crispy beer-battered onion rings and creamy mashed potatoes.

TGI Friday’s is located at 5919 Canoga Avenue in Woodland Hills, and is celebrating it’s 30th Anniversary at that location!

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Great Weekend Brunch At BJ’s In Woodland Hills and More

This past weekend one of my friends suggested that a group of us meet at 10am at BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse in Woodland Hills to watch the Miami Dolphins’ final game of the season.  I was more than game for it since I haven’t been to BJ’s in a long time, and I figured if they were open at 10AM on weekends it must mean they serve breakfast.

I was happy to learn that BJ’s opens every Saturday and Sunday at 10AM and serves a special brunch menu from 10AM to 1PM.  Their regular menu is also available.  I’m always on the hunt on the hunt for new breakfast places in the West Valley so I was more than happy to give BJ’s a try.

Interestingly, pretty much everyone at the table was drawn to the French Toast Combo (pictured above with Swiss cheese melted on the eggs at my request).  From the menu:

FRENCH TOAST COMBO – Two pieces of thick, “OLD-FASHIONED” bread grilled golden brown, lightly dusted with powdered sugar and served with three scrambled eggs and your choice of Applewood smoked bacon, grilled ham or country sausage links on grilled sourdough bread.  Served with seasoned country potatoes.  $7.95

First of all, the price is great.  Second of all, so is the French Toast.  Wow, it was so good without being outrageously over done.  It was like a the french toast your mom would make, just good.  Everyone at the table enjoyed it immensely.  A friend of ours also had the Baked Italian Omelette (not pictured, but later reviewed) and said it was very good.  I plan to go back soon and try something else from the brunch menu, and I’ll let you know when I do.

My friend Jim waited a bit to order food and decided to order from the lunch menu.  He shuns red meat and is a huge Turkey Burger fan.  At BJ’s you can make any of their burgers a turkey burger at no additional cost, and they use a 7 oz all white meat patty.  Jim elected to get the Sourdough Burger (turkey version) and got Monterrey Jack cheese instead of the default Cheddar.

SOURDOUGH BURGER*
A juicy Angus burger served on Parmesan grilled sourdough bread with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and 1000 Island dressing. Very messy but very good! Available with Applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese.

It really was a monstrous Turkey Burger and Jim reported that it was delicious.  The deliciousness of which, however, did little to quell the pain of the Dolphins being eliminated from NFL Playoff contention.

Lastly instead of fries and the variety of other items that BJ’s offers as sides, Jim elected to have a side garden salad which he also reported as being very good.

So if you’re looking for a great breastfast/brunch on the weekends, don’t forget about BJs from 10AM to 1PM!

Popularity: 10%

Another Meat Missile From Dan’s Super Subs – #8 Roast Beef

I’ve reviewed a couple other sandwiches from Dan’s Super Subs for this site, and I’ll tell you what, now I am really hooked.  There’s a reason there’s a line out the door every time you drive by this place.  The food is good.  Better than good, it’s great.

I swear these sandwiches really taste like subs do back East.  They taste like the subs I grew up on, like the subs I used to eat in college, and that’s a really good thing.

Last week I stopped by and ordered myself a #3 – Roast Beef- with the “Works” - except this time I skipped the mustard.  I believe roast beef is meant to be eaten with mayonnaise.  I’m a purist.

I think what really leaves you craving these subs is the bread.  It is so good.  So soft, so delicious.  And a nice big juicy serving of meat.  Oh yeah, then there’s the bread.  Did I already mention that?

I love this place.  I see another visit in my near future.

P.S. Dan’s Super Subs also announced on their Twitter account (@danssupersubs) that they have a brand new sandwich - The Spicy Italian Sub – “Made with Capicolla, Deli pepperoni, hard Italian salami and Provolone Cheese. Try it..” and their weekly special is “Weekly special: Try a new Spicy italian Sub and get a free small Drink. Valid Jan 4 thru 10“

I think you know where I am having lunch on Saturday.

Update: I had a chance to check out the new Spicy Italian Sub, read about it here.

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Dinner At The Cheesecake Factory With Peppermint Bark Cheesecake For Dessert :) Yay

I had the opportunity tonight to hit up The Cheesecake Factory in Warner Center with a good friend for dinner and as always it was a pleasure!  I actually branched out and tried a few things that I haven’t had before, so I figured I’d post some pictures and comments here on the blog.

The Fresh Vegetable Salad (Asparagus, Green Beans, Tomato, Cucumber, Roasted Beets, Apple, Edamame, Radicchio, Romaine and White Cheddar with Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Available with Chicken)  We decided to go with a healthy appetizer, and at first I was a little skeptical that the Fresh Vegetable Salad would be a little too healthy or boring.  But, my worries were unfounded because this salad actually presents quite a few great flavors in a pretty unique combination.  You never know what you’re going to get in any given bite.  I was particularly fond of the apple, edamame, the very fresh and sweet tomatoes, and the roasted beats were quite a hit with my friend.  A very smart and healthy choice!

Shepherd’s Pie (Ground Beef, Mushrooms, Carrots, Peas, Zucchini and Onions in a Delicious Sauce Covered with a Mashed Potato-Parmesan Cheese Crust) In a surprising move, my friend was in the mood for the delicious and decadent classic – Shepherd’s Pie.  In a health conscious move, she elected to forego the cheese crust.  Personally, I would have gone for broke and gotten the cheese crust, after all she wasn’t driving.  Sorry, only die hard fans of Home Alone 2 will get that reference.  Honestly, this dish was awesome.  The meat and sauce in the Shepherd’s Pie has an amazing, and almost spicy, zing to it.  I was definitely impressed.

Jamaican Black Pepper Shrimp (Sautéed Shrimp with a Very Spicy Jamaican Black Pepper Sauce. Served with Rice, Black Beans, Plantains and Cool Mango Salsa. Available with Chicken or Chicken and Shrimp) I’ve always had great luck with shrimp dishes at The Cheesecake Factory.  In fact, one of my favorite items there is the Bang – Bang Chicken and Shrimp.  In an effort to be adventurous and try new dishes, I opted tonight for the Jamaican Black Pepper Shrimp.  This, my friends, is an awesome dish!  First, the sauce that the shrimp are bathed in his flavorful and spicy, just the way I like it.  And plantains, well, I never met a plantain I didn’t like.  As you can see the shrimp are plentiful, and the mango salsa is a nice sweet complement to the spiciness of the dish and is great when mixed into bites of shrimp and rice.  Good stuff!

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake – Seasonal (White chocolate cheesecake swirled with chunks of chocolate peppermint bark and topped with white chocolate mousse and finished with chopped peppermint)  Seasonal cheesecakes at The Cheesecake Factory are something  that I look forward to during the holiday season every year.  Particularly the Pumpkin Cheesecake and the Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake.  I love them both, although I haven’t had a chance to have the Pumpkin Pecan slice this year, I will certainly do so before it’s gone.  Recently, I also had the special edition Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake, and it was awesome.  Now, I can admit that Stefanie’s cheesecake is very, very sweet.  Probably the richest, sweetest piece of cheesecake you I or anyone will ever eat.

Now, the Peppermint Bark Cheesecake is definitely rich, but this slice is not quite as sweet as Stefanie’s, so I can see it definitely being more appealing to those trying to avoid a sugar overdose.   That being said, I love the texture and flavor of the white chocolate cheesecake in this slice.  The chunks of chopped peppermint are actually a really neat and creative touch for this cheesecake – it’s like eating a slice of cheesecake covered in crushed candy canes.  Now, nothing ushers in the holidays quite like that!

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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%

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