Quick Bites: The Great Room (Redondo Beach, CA)

On a rare Wednesday off, my favorite taco spot on the corner had a line out the door and a lack of parking and seating room to match. So instead of waiting in that line only to end up eating my tacos standing up, I decided to get adventurous, head down the street, and check out the newly opened and locally owned The Great Room (2810 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278), just walking distance from the South Bay Galleria.

Walking into the restaurant, I was very pleasantly surprised by the open space and welcoming atmosphere of the building. The staff was very friendly, greeted me promptly, and were more than happy to share their recommendations on the menu to this first-timer.

Other perks? There are several big screen TVs in the restaurant, strategically placed near groups of sofas and chairs or within easy view of a booth or table. Also, their wi-fi access is super fast and easy to connect to, making this a great place to sit down and work on your computer (which is actually what I'm doing right now).

This looks like I just stepped into someone's house. I'm good with that!

This is a breakfast (until 11AM), lunch, and dinner kind of place. The menu varies from pizzas to burgers to salads and pastas. The menu has a little something for everyone. For today, I decided to try the pesto shrimp cream spaghetti. For a $10 dish, there's a whole lot of tasty food here. The shrimp was very tender and the cream sauce was quite light and blended well with the spaghetti. It actually reminded me of a similar dish from Noodles and Company without the chain restaurant feel.

Yes, that is freshly shredded parmesan cheese on top of that. My only request would've been a small piece of garlic bread to scoop up the remainder of that very delicious pesto cream sauce!

For drink selections, their coffee is powered by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf so you know you're getting good brew (my iced coffee is to spec). The Great Room also offers other bottled drinks, iced/hot teas, and several selections of wine and beer on tap.

For a nominal fee, there is access to a "toddler room" and a "game room" to pass the time or to get the kids out of your hair while you sit down with your friends and enjoy that very needed coffee. If you really want a private space for you and up to 40 people, there's a rentable party room with a projector. On the other hand, the common areas are a great meeting spot for friends who want a semi-private corner space to chill, a motorcycle group planning session, a first date that's inexpensive and great for conversation, or your casual business lunch that just needs a table and good food to nosh on.

I want to come back here to try breakfast (they have a burrito!) and a few more of their lunch/dinner selections, such as their burgers and pizza.

From my first impressions, The Great Room definitely lives up to its name in both vibe and in comfort food. For more information about this up and coming local delight, please visit http://www.thegreatroom.us/.

Quick Bites: Hash House A Go Go (San Diego, CA)

On my last trip to San Diego a few months ago, I ended my culinary journey there on a high note (after a bit of a long wait) at Hash House a Go Go (3628 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92103). When I arrived there with my boyfriend, Evan, the parking was a bit of a challenge and the line at the restaurant was out the door. Faced with about an hour wait, we perused several stores a few blocks away until I received a text message on my phone that our table was ready.

When we got there and put in our orders, we were not ready for the food experience we were about to embark on...

I ordered Andy's Sage Fried Chicken & Bacon Waffle Tower, a visual masterpiece of fried chicken waffles drizzled in a maple syrup reduction & fried leeks. This dish was full of flavor, all the way down to the sprig of sage stabbed right into the middle of the presentation. If you want the perfect blend of salty and sweet goodness and maple syrup everywhere, this dish is an absolute stomach-stuffing delight.

Evan's entree was the House Smoked Fresh Salmon hash with cream cheese and scallions served with home fries and a giant biscuit. Once again, the presentation was just icing on the cake as every bite was delectable and the individual ingredients very easy to tell apart.

This place definitely deserves a revisit and a couple more entrees to try. Hash House A Go Go has several locations in multiple states, but it all started here at this location in San Diego, CA. For more information about this restaurant, visit http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/.

Quick Bites: Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine (Hollywood, CA)

This year, I'm fortunate to have a significant other who definitely put some thought into how we were going to celebrate my birthday. How much thought? He had been thinking about this for more than six months. To my surprise, he brought me to Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine in Los Angeles/Hollywood (7181 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046) right before we enjoyed a Melissa Polinar concert just down the street.

After a very delectable appetizer of Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta (no pics available because it disappeared quite fast), I ordered their fresh from the grill pub steak (made from 21 day aged prime Omaha steak). My steak was served with salsa, yucca flour, brown rice, mashed potatoes, and fried plantains.

The pub steak was very tender and juicy, cooked perfectly at my preference, medium rare. The mashed potatoes were creamy and didn't need any gravy. The fried plantains were sweet and smooth. However, I think the biggest thing that had me sold on this place was the side of yucca flour included with my dish. Somehow, the mix of that on the meat and the brown rice just brought out a pleasant meshing of flavors that was unforgettably unique. This wasn't just a steak plate. It had personality with Brazilian undertones. This place has been added to my list of favorite, "special" restaurants.

Huge tip: come hungry, because the portions are huge and filling. I've heard from friends who have been to this restaurant that their pizzas are very tasty, too. That may be an option if I end up back in this area on a super late night run.

Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine has three locations in Los Angeles. For more information, please visit http://www.bossanovafood.com/.

Quick Bites: Anthony's Fish Grotto (La Mesa, CA)

Back in May, I was given a videography assignment that sent me to San Diego to film a high school championship lacrosse game. This was my first foray into San Diego in over ten years, and the last time I was there, I hung out in the dorms of UCSD and didn't get the chance to go out and explore town. (Okay, that was technically La Jolla so it really didn't count.) Now with a lot more latitude and an adventure companion, it was time to try some local cuisine!

Thanks to a quick Facebook shoutout to friends asking for suggestions, I received quite a few different restaurants to choose from. We made the decision to go for seafood and this place was actually mentioned twice from two different friends!

Anthony's Fish Grotto (9530 Murray Dr., La Mesa, CA 91942) is one of two locations in San Diego, the other one in the Downtown area. From start to finish, this restaurant did not disappoint.

For starters, our server brought in freshly baked dinner rolls and a sundried tomato whipped butter spread. This combination just melted together in your mouth. I probably could've stuffed my face with just this, but there was a few more surprises up ahead. Now I want to deconstruct this butter spread and recreate it at home.

The appetizer was freshly fried calamari with house marinara and tartar sauce for dipping. The calamari was tender and not chewy, and the breading was light, flavorful, and crispy. Both dipping sauces were light and didn't clump onto the calamari.

And now for the main courses. The first plate was a shrimp scampi sautéed in garlic butter, tomato, basil, and sherry sauce served on a bed of penne pasta tossed with parmesan cheese and butter. The shrimp was tender and melted off the fork (I'm going to use the word melt a lot in this review). The penne was cooked al dente, and the entire plate didn't last very long.

My dish was their trademark squid steak, sautéed in Italian breadcrumbs. I've had squid steaks that were too chewy or drenched in excessive amounts of oil, but this rendition was light, easy to cut, and yes, MELTED in your mouth. I requested a side of their garlic mashed potatoes and a rice pilaf (not pictured). The carrots were thrown in by mistake, but very well cooked and tender.

We were stuffed after this taste adventure so there was no dessert to be had this time. I have a feeling that this won't be the last time that we'll be visiting this place. Maybe we'll try the one in Downtown San Diego for a change.

The La Mesa location is right off Interstate 8, shares a parking lot with a Best Western Plus hotel, and is ideal for banquets and events. As for dining in San Diego, this place has definitely made the short list. Perhaps a gathering would be in order here? Who knows.

For more information about Anthony's Fish Grotto, visit http://www.anthonysfishgrotto.com/.

Quick Bites: The House of Seafood (Carson, CA)

I don't normally stop in Carson for lunch, but there have been so many new restaurants as of late opening up in newly-remodeled shopping centers that never-before-seen ones have piqued my curiosity. The House of Seafood happened to be one of them, and it was a pleasant place to eat in lieu of the Swedish meatballs served at that one furniture store I picked up housewares from. One of the challenges about finding this place is that it's pretty far from a major road, and unless you were driving past it or trying to enter the South Bay Pavilion across the street, it is easy to miss. With that being said, this is what I thought about the food.

Nostalgic Bites: Lomeli's Italian Restaurant (Gardena, CA)

This particular food review is a bit special for me as it answers a question nearly 28 years in the making.

So a little background story here. For the first four years of my life, I lived in Gardena, CA, a suburb south of Los Angeles for the out-of-towners. Occasionally, I would be treated to pizza for dinner from a place called Lomeli's Italian Restaurant (2223 West Redondo Beach Boulevard, Gardena, CA 90247). My parents never told me where the pizza came from (they figured I was too little to care), but fortunately I learned to read at a very young age and was able to remember the restaurant's name from reading the receipts and the pizza boxes. However, that wasn't the only thing that ingrained that name into the deep recesses of my childhood memories; it was the distinct taste of the cheese and the homemade sauce together when I would eat my pizza slices. There was no other place that I would find in my motorcycle adventures and pizza trips to other shops across the country that would replicate that particular flavor.

Quick Bites: Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza (Los Angeles, CA)

It's been a while since I've done a quick food review, and I hope to share more experiences here on Two-Wheeled Tourist over the course of this year.

Late last month, I had the opportunity to venture into a part of Los Angeles that I usually just passed through en route to somewhere else. That night's dinner, just east of Hollywood, was the famous giant slices of Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza, a popular restaurant in Los Angeles County. There aren't any of these restaurants where I live in the South Bay region of LA County so this was the first time I've ever heard of them.

If you're just there by yourself and don't want to order one of their massive 36" pizzas to feed an army, this restaurant's trademark is a thin-crust pizza that's served in a huge way. What I mean by huge is that individual slices are the size equivalent of three standard slices. The amount of food one gets in a big slice was pretty much a full meal in itself.

All pizzas are made to order, and you can customize them to your liking with a wide variety of toppings and sauces. This slice is pesto sauce-based with chicken, onions, and red peppers on top. What I really liked about this pizza was that the pesto had just enough flavor to complement, but not overpower, the other ingredients on the slice. The crust was also flavorful and had a nice crunch to it.

Here's a shrimp and spinach slice with their normal red sauce. That is a generous amount of shrimp considering the size of the serving.

Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza has multiple locations across Los Angeles County. The pizzas in this post were enjoyed at the Vermont location (814 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029), across the street from Los Angeles City College. For more information about their menu selections, visit www.bigmamaspizza.com.

The Summer Quest for a Lobster Roll in Southern California

From my motorcycle journeys on the East Coast, I remember fondly the delectable flavor of the lobster roll. For those who have never had a lobster roll, it is giant chunks of fresh lobster smothered in either butter or mayo and placed on a buttered bread roll. When it's paired with a side of fried clams, a lobster bisque, or clam chowdah (have to spell it like it's pronounced over there!), it is a filling meal for a seafood-craving traveler.

Even though I'm back home on the West Coast, there are moments when I desire the taste of genuine Maine lobster. The west coast variety of this crustacean is very plentiful in these parts but lacks that melt-in-your-mouth quality that lies in the east. However, I do live in Los Angeles, and the beautiful part about living here is that damn near anything can be acquired with the right kind of research and a little bit of motorcycle riding.

So on an off night in late July when I finished my work and wasn't scheduled for a hockey game, I caught wind of a food truck night happening in North Orange County while poking around on the internet. More specifically, it was near the La Habra/Fullerton border near my old digs there. Run by the Truck Squad, it's a regular food truck gathering on Friday nights that has become so commonplace that patrons will set up chairs and tables in parking stalls or eat from the tailgates of their trucks to enjoy the evening. I saddled up on Eleanor and rode the 35 or so miles down the freeway to have my fill of gourmet traveling meals.

When I made it to the Best Buy Fullerton parking lot, there it was - The Lobsta Truck. Were these lobster rolls going to be the same as I had remembered in my memories of Maine? I was about to find out.

I decided on a standard lobster roll with mayo (the roll was already buttered) with a side of lobster bisque. As you can see from the photo below, that's real chunks of the good stuff! And needless to say, it tasted just as delicious as it looked. The bisque was very creamy and even had small chunks of lobster floating in it! This was about as authentic as one could get short of making a field trip to York Beach. However, a motorcycle ride back there would be a wonderful adventure.

Capping off off my meal with a octopus takoyaki and a honeydew boba from the Tokyo Doggie Style truck, I was pretty much seafood-ed out for the evening. So another ride down to the Dave and Buster's in Irvine for some arcade games and that was an eventful Friday.

I'll also throw this one out there. If you really want to get your lobster on, the annual LA Lobster Fest in San Pedro is the perfect place to stuff your face. Head over to https://lobsterfest.com/ for more information.

Food truck events are everywhere in Los Angeles/Orange County. Looking for the next one? Here are a few links to get you started. Also, check your local city's events calendar or nearby school find them as well. Bon appetit!

Los Angeles Food Truck Maps - http://www.foodtruckmaps.com/la/
Find LA Food Trucks - http://www.findlafoodtrucks.com/
Roaming Hunger - http://roaminghunger.com/la/

Quick Bites: GEN Korean BBQ House (Torrance, CA)

Torrance's GEN Korean BBQ House serves up an all-you-can-eat delight at a very reasonable price and will definitely have you coming back for seconds.

Now, all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ is just one of those things that has to be experienced. You're sitting there at a table in front of a giant grill with all this food ready to be cooked. As you're munching on a few side dishes, everything cooks in front of you. This is a great group activity and I suggest doing this with friends who have huge appetites. I'll let the photos do the talking.

Ready to fire up the grill!

Quick Bites: Cha Cha Chicken (Santa Monica, CA)

I have to say, Santa Monica is a great place to be after a filming shoot. The food choices run the gamut, and places to hang out and take a nap between jobs offer a wonderful view and a relaxing vibe.

This brings me to this "quick bite" review that first piqued my curiosity when I had to pick up an order from this place on a Saturday night on a motorcycle courier shift. I use the quotations on purpose; when it's a regular Saturday, the line is so far out the door that it becomes an ordeal to just acquire the food. I came here on a late Monday afternoon to avoid the crowds and I have to say, I now understand the weekend mobs that flood this establishment.

So, who wants some Jamaican jerk chicken?

Cha Cha chicken prides itself in serving "Carribbean Cuisine with Latin Fusion." For this review, I went with their signature chicken dish for a very filling late lunch. I will say that the spiced Jamaincan jerk sauce that this oven roasted, fall-off-the-bone chicken smothered in is just divine. I chose the medium level sauce that had just enough zip to make it interesting (it's also their most recommended). My half chicken-sized plate came with a side of dirty rice and plantains. For my drink, I went with a delicious mango-guava agua fresca. Well then, I think I figured out where the Latin part fits in.

You'll get a lot of food for your buck. The 1/2 chicken platter is just under $12 and is more than enough food to keep you busy. Their homemade agua frescas complements the flavors of the jerk sauce and chicken quite well.

With the beach house-style open seating and friendly atmosphere, this is a wonderful casual place to enjoy a lunch or dinner. Like I said before, this palace is packed on evenings and weekends, so expect to wait a bit in line for your food. Trust me, it's worth it.

After that relaxing lunch, I decided to head around the corner and sleep off my food coma before my upcoming motorcycle courier shift. It's easy to fall asleep to a view like this. Oh, Mondays.

Cha Cha Chicken is located at 1906 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica CA 90405. For their menu and their alternate location in Northridge, visit http://chachachicken.com/.

Quick Bites: Island Hut (Lomita, CA)

Right before I had to report for my courier shift, I stopped at this local eat to try out this restaurant's take on Hawaiian BBQ. Needless to say, if you're looking for a bang-for-your-buck, filling meal this is the place to go.

The location is right on the corner of Pennsylvania and Lomita Blvd. It's hard to miss and its exterior is quite welcoming.

During my quick stop there, I ordered their California Rolls and a main dish consisting of half chicken katsu and BBQ chicken. The rolls were quite big and actually required a couple bites to get through each one. The crab in them was fresh and flavorful, and I enjoyed the generous chunk of avocado in each one of them. These could be a meal in themselves!

The main course of chicken and rice was filling to say the least. It could easily feed two people with the amount of food on here. I found the teriyaki sauce to be a little strong so I didn't need the additional side of sauce that came with the plate. The katsu was fried properly and was tender and moist.

I'd like to return to try their other dishes and perhaps their Hawaiian-style shaved ice for dessert. Island Hut is located at 2387 Lomita Blvd. in Lomita (intersects with Pennsylvania Ave.) and is right at the corner. You can check out their whole menu at http://www.islandhut.net/. Support local business and gives these guys a try!

Quick Bites: Ramen Yamadaya (Torrance, CA)

Los Angeles is littered with ramen shops. This one is becoming a favorite with their flavorful take on this aspect of Japanese cuisine.

Ramen Yamadaya is a restaurant chain with several locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, and San Diego. Their claim to fame is that their tonkotsu (pork) broth is cooked 20 hours to achieve flavorful perfection. But that's not all they serve - their other side dishes including their chashu bowl (first photo below) definitely showcase their attention to detail. If you're looking for a good, filling meal sub $20, this is the place to go.

The following photos were taken at the Torrance location (3118 W.182nd St. Torrance, CA 90504). I've also eaten at the Culver City location (11172 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232) and that place is just as good. Enjoy the photos, and get yourself down there!

For more information about Ramen Yamadaya, visit http://www.ramen-yamadaya.com/.

Quick Bites: Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ (Torrance, CA)

Anyone up for a quick bite of Japanese BBQ? The catch: you have to cook [most of] the meat yourself. However, that's the fun part and part of what makes this place entertaining...and you don't get the charcoal smell when you're all done!

In this place, you're seated around a gas-powered grill and given specially-prepared food that is designed to be cooked on the spot. You have the ability to cook that food as long or as short as you'd like (the servers give you a recommended time depending on the entree), and it's not just meat or seafood! All sorts of vegetables wrapped in convenient packages can be thrown onto the grill as well. And yes, they use tons of garlic.

But before I get into what goes on the fire, here are some appetizers and sides that they've already prepared for you.

Quick Bites: Noodle World (Downey, CA)

I'm continuing on my food review binge for the month of May. This trip sent me to Downey to try out a chain that's just starting to make its rounds here in the United States. Not to mention, I got to see an old friend for the first time in years.

Noodle World Jr. (yes, there is a big Noodle World somewhere) features multiple noodle-based dishes from various parts of Asia. Their menu features favorites that a regular American would recognize, such as Chow Mein or Pad Thai, and everything is made to order. Noodle World also offers deserts such as milkshakes, slushies, and boba drinks.

Speaking of recognizable noodle dishes, I requested a serving of Pad See Ew, a Thai noodle dish with large flat noodles, a sweeter sauce, and beef. The food was pretty good, although I think the sauce could've used a bit more flavoring. But for the sub-$8 price for the meal, I wasn't going to argue much for quick cuisine. This place would be great for a quick lunch or takeout.

This location of Noodle World Jr. is located at 8236 Firestone Blvd. in Downey. For more information about this chain, visit http://www.noodleworld.com/.

Quick Bites: 山 Mountain (Gardena, CA)

It's another round of foodie "catch-up" here in the South Bay. Here is a quick preview of 山 (Cafe) Mountain in Gardena during a regular lunch.

For this quick lunch, I had one of their specialties, galbi (Korean BBQ short ribs), in a "bento box" style meal complete with fried shrimp, kimchi, wild rice, and two sides of vegetables. This was a very flavorful and filling amount of food for just under $10 for the lunch special, and you could request a sweet ginger iced tea to finish off the meal at the end. Looking at the crowd that was in here, it's a favorite of many people who work within a few blocks of this place (Gardena Memorial Hospital is just down the street.)

Decor was quite simple here, no frills and no thrills, just good food. This delicious hole-in-the-wall restaurant is located at 15460 S. Western Ave. in Gardena, inside the Tozai Plaza. Lunch was pretty busy but service was pretty efficient. I hope to return here pretty soon.

Quick Bites: Umenoya Ramen Company (Torrance, CA)

Now that I'm back in Southern California, it's time to explore some of the local eats that popped up while I was gone.

Umenoya Ramen Company is a hole-in-the wall eatery with, well...ramen. I rode here with a friend at 9PM on a Sunday night, a time when most restaurants are closing up for the evening. At this place, the night is just beginning (they're open up to 3AM on some nights). Don't expect any frills here, just good soup and a few motivational posters.

I started dinner with some fried calamari with a side of spicy mayo. This was very delectable, and it was all tentacles! That's the best part right there, in my opnion.

Tonkatsu ramen was the main course, and it was a huge bowl of goodness. It was very flavorful and the meat was very tender. Needless to say that this disappeared quite quickly.

If you're looking for a good bowl of ramen at any hour, this is a great spot to hit. Umenoya is located on the corner of Lomita Blvd. and Crenshaw across the street from Torrance Crossroads. I'll go back for seconds.

Maid-Rite: First Drive-Thru in the United States (Springfield, IL)

After my visit to the Lincoln Home Historic Site, it was time for lunch. And in fitting fashion, I set my sights on a local eat on Route 66 with a historical significance to the United States and drive-thru restaurants everywhere.

The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Part 6

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

I had to make my last day on the motorcycle on this vacation count.

I joined my old friends at the Orange County Spirit Riders for lunch in Wilimington, near the Port of Los Angeles, at a floating restaurant known as the Chowder Barge. Their food definitely didn't disappoint. I went with fried clams and their signature clam chowder. Just tasty. I'm coming back here again sometime.

The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Part 4

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

Another day on the Daytona 675 took me into West LA and the Tesla service station where I got to check out one of the most of the technologically advanced cars on the market. Tesla cars are 100% electric with the power and speed of a high-end sports car.

This particular one is a 2013 Tesla Model S 85 with power equivalent to 400 HP and uses no gas. That means plug and play! For many people, the current issue with electric cars is the lack of charging stations and the initial cost of the vehicles. Hopefully machines like this will be far more affordable and considered as a truly viable alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the near future. Still though, these are amazing works of technology that showcase the potential of cleaner sources of energy.

Imagine your entire dashboard replaced with LCD screens and an overgrown iPad. Sign of the times when CD slots, radio dials, and buttons are completely gone.

The [over] proliferation of hybrid cars in California have pretty much made true electric cars the only vehicles that one can drive solo in the carpool lane. Oh wait, motorcycles have always been allowed to do that!

The power port is stealthily hidden underneath the left turn signal.

After the car show-and-tell, it was a straight shot back down the 405 and 91 freeways to the MasterCuts at the Lakewood mall to see an old friend and my long-time hairstylist, Sylvie. Since it was rush hour, I did get to throw some lane splitting back into my motorcycle diet as well. Yeah, I traveled 2500 miles and several freeways to get my classic do, because I'm hardcore like that. Loyalty goes a long way with me, and Sylvie is awesome.

For dinner, I went out with a couple friends to get my Hawaiian BBQ fix at Back Home in Lahaina in Carson. One cannot go wrong with a small plate of Hawaiian fried chicken and a side of iced tea. Yep, that was some tasty stuff.

In the next part of this trip recap, I pull out the guns...literally. Throw in some soccer games in the cold of winter and a Filipino party and it sounds like Southern California all over again!