I’ve been waiting 2 years for this pizza, ever since the cashier told me about this special NYE pizza. That year, I tried to get there, but it was raining so hard, the freeway was flooded and I had to turn around. This year I was determined and was able to get one to share with the family. The special New Year’s Eve Mushroom Pizza from The Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley. With Chanterelle, Baby Shiitake, Hon-shimeji, King Trumpet, Maitake, Cremini, Velvet Pioppini, and Oyster mushroom with porcini powder, red onion, mozzarella, garlic olive oil, truffled Pecorino cheese, oregano, parsley. BTW, get the green sauce, it’s a must! The pizza was really good and worth the drive up to Berkeley from Santa Cruz. We finished it off in my sister’s oven and the whole family enjoyed it. Happy New Year! #pizza #nye #mushroompizza

“I never met a lasagna I didn’t like” ~ Jim Davis It’s been years since I’ve been to Monte Carlo Deli & Pinocchio Italian Restaurant in Burbank. During my entertainment days, we would have lunch here at least once a month. A sandwich with an Italian salad or pasta dish, too many good options. Tonight, it was Lasagna with Meat Sauce. Just like I remember, simple but good. Hard to believe the year is almost over… “If I could have drawn a cat yelling for lasagna every day for 15 years and have them pay me $30 million to do so, I would have.” ~ Berkeley Breathed #lasagna

Talk about a natural tree… Now, THIS is the kind of holiday tree I’d like to celebrate Christmas with. Well that, some rice, soy sauce, chopsticks, and a @Asahi Super Dry Beer. I’m lucky to live in Southern California and close to some of the world’s best sea urchins in Santa Barbara. When I was in Japan, I was invited to dine at an exclusive restaurant. As part of the Omakase course, we were told we’re being served a very special “Uni” or sea urchin. I asked the chef if it was a special one from Hokkaido? He said, “No, it’s imported from Santa Barbara.” I was about to tell him that I’m from California, but decided to keep my mouth shut and have him continue to serve me the day’s best offerings. 👨‍🍳 This time, the best gift isn’t under the tree, but it is the tree! 📸: @maruhideusa #seaurchin #uni

Christmas Came Early… Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo from a Louisiana chef friend who made this for the holiday. Served with a side of rice, it made my sleepless Christmas Eve worth it as I watch Christmas movies. I can’t wait to try her Seafood Gumbo tomorrow with some homemade tamales from another chef’s family. “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” ~ Clement Clarke Moore #chickenandsausagegumbo #gumbo #cheffriend

This is the reason why I always order two, only ONE gets home! Jamaican-Style Beef Patties from Caribbean Gourmet in San Gabriel. Love these house-made patties, so good! One is never enough… #beefpatties

TODAY, was the perfect day to do laundry, sit in parking lot traffic, do some holiday shopping, wrap gifts, and ending the day with good food… Fantastic Pork Belly from Manduyo_sg in San Gabriel. Pork Belly, Garlic, and Rice Cake served over Steamed Rice, with a House Salad and Pickled Radish. (Soy Glazed or Hot & Sweet) The ending of a busy day… Happy Saturday! #ricebowl #porkbelly

“Life is like a burrito – you never know what you’re gonna get, but it’s usually delicious.” ~ Unknown Grande Burrito from Casita Tacos Al Carbon in NoHo. With Rice, Beans, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Lettuce, Cheese, and my protein of choice tonight is Chicken wrapped in a Flour Tortilla. I opted not to have Pico de Gallo added, as I was bringing this burrito home and didn’t want it to be come soggy. I did, however, bring home their Verde Salsa to add to it. I’ve ordered the Grande Burrito at Casita Tacos Al Carbon in Burbank and now North Hollywood for about 30 years, it’s still the same, very good and filling. “Burritos: Because life is too short for small portions.” ~ Unknown #grandeburrito #burrito

Sunday Dinner is Served… Cheese Enchilada and Beef Taco Plate from Pepe’s Finest Mexican Food in Alhambra. After an evening of laundry, it was time to eat and there was a short line at Pepe’s Finest Mexican Food. #enchilada #taco

My Fried Chicken Salad, with Mojo Potatoes, from Shakey’s Pizza in Los Angeles. "A salad is not a meal. It is a style." ~ Fran Lebowitz Gotta love Shakey’s Pizza, it’s a part of my childhood…

At work, our playlist includes “Waffle House” by the Jonas Brothers. “No, don’t get stressed, it’s gon’ get figured out Oh, deep conversations at the Waffle House” A late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning breakfast, since my work schedule varies, it depends if you’re a late nighter or early riser. Sirloin Steak Tips with Eggs at IHOP in Los Angeles Sirloin steak tips with grilled onions & mushrooms. Served with 2 eggs, golden hash browns & 2 buttermilk pancakes. Took the scrambled eggs home, will make a burrito with it later in the day. The sirloin steak tips were pretty good and I enjoyed them with the grilled onions and mushrooms, just needed some steak sauce with that tang… Is ain’t the Waffle House… but this breakfast was just as good. #steakandeggs #open24hours #latenightmenu

Was invited to a friend’s holiday reception for their customers and vendors this afternoon. Since I know most of her staff and I guess the staff asked about me and I was invited…Yes, I know people. After saying my hellos, I was invited to grab a plate and have something to eat. It all looked delicious, a variety of cuisines, and dessert. BUT, I saw Shakey’s Pizza boxes on the kids table filled with Pepperoni Pizza, Fried Chicken, AND Mojo Potatoes. Yup, I was in heaven. The reception was almost over and I didn’t see any kids in attendance. The office manager was happy that I enjoyed the Shakey’s food, she’s a Mojo Potato fan too. I’m such a kid at heart… Happy Holidays! #shakeyspizza #mojopotatoes #friedchicken #holidayreception

It’s Rolled Taco Tuesday! Chicken Taquitos from Bachan’s Take Out in Monterey Park. My love for tacos knows no bounds, especially on Taco Tuesday… #taquitos #tacotuesday

A Surprise Dinner Delivery… Our promoted manager is back from a month-long training and brought the late night managers tamales. We missed her and she must have missed us. Regardless, it’s good to have her back! Pork Tamales from Porto’s Bakery in Burbank. A Cuban-style soft corn tamale with Porto’s signature slow-roasted pork wrapped in a corn husk. Dinner is Served #tamales #porktamale

All good things must come to an end… I hope not, for good anyway. Tonight was the last night of DoughboxLA in Highland Park. I’ve been a fan since their first brick and mortar in East LA, even had pizza for two birthdays there and got a special birthday donut from them one year. Back then, I was saddened by them closing in East LA, but happy they found a home in Highland Park. I’ve been a handful of time in the last 5 years, but glad to visit one last time before they closed this location. My only pizza of choice here was “The York” a deep-dish pizza with Mozzarella, Pepperoni, and House-made Italian Sausage. Doughbox saved me trips to Chicago for good deep-dish pizza and able to share their pizza with friends who probably visited more than I did over the last few years. Hopefully they’ll find another home, soon! #deepdishpizza #pizza #restaurantclosure

It was a good day at work… Although many businesses were busy with Black Friday shoppers today, we weren’t really that busy for a Friday. We did, however, have a visit from our regional executive who happened to be in our area today. She came by after visiting the newest restaurant in the area, it’s been a few months since I’ve last seen her. She had nothing but good things to say about our restaurant, our food was good, crew working well together, but just pointed out a couple of things that we needed to coach the crew on (but minor items). Besides her visit, the crew worked efficiently today and that made us managers happy. I kept thinking today was Saturday and maybe (in my mind) it was a good day as I have Sunday off. Regardless, I was hungry… Half and Half (Spaghetti and Ravioli) for dinner from Little Toni’s in North Hollywood. Did you go Black Friday shopping today? #spaghetti #ravioli

After Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Caesar Salad, Steak, and Gumbo, I had to bring home dessert. I’m not a Pumpkin Pie person, but this one was pretty good. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday Dinner is Served! I actually didn’t leave work until after 8:45 pm AND since this was early, compared to a closing shift, I wasn’t used to a lot of options on the way home. Finally, thinking of an Italian place I had not been in years, I decided to head in that direction. Before arriving, i checked and saw they close at 8 pm. THEN, like a sign (a neon sign anyway), I saw a place that I visited so much when I worked at Disney, Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, the oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy in America. I would come with coworkers for lunch and also after movie screening, we would sit at the Beatles Booth. The Beatles ate here in 1965 during their U.S. Summer Tour and is their most requested table. Growing up, my parents would bring us here and I mostly remember the desserts more than the food. Besides the Original Big Boy, The first “Double-Deck Hamburger”, Pappy Parker’s Fried Chicken, the famous Bob’s Chili Size or Chili Spaghetti, I had a hard time deciding… I finally decided on the TOP SIRLOIN. A ½ pound flame-broiled top sirloin steak cooked Medium with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The perfect size for a night I didn’t want a lot of meat The steak was good and glad I ordered it for Sunday Dinner. Maybe next time, I’ll have Pappy Parker’s Fried Chicken. #topsirloinsteak #steak

I’m Back for Breakfast, Again! T-Bone Steak and Eggs at @norms in Hollywood. Another EARLY MORNING breakfast after work, served with Hash Browns and Hot Cakes. Of course I ate the Hash Browns and Hot Cakes first, (no one likes cold Hot Cakes and soggy Hash Browns) took most of the Steak and Eggs home for a later meal. I enjoyed the Sirloin from my last visit, but wanted to try a different cut of beef this time. I preferred the Sirloin, but want to try the NY Steak next. I’m on the way home now with my leftovers for breakfast, I mean, lunch or whatever my next meal of the day will be… It’s hard when some of my week I don’t have regular work hours and meals don’t match up with everyone else’s. Happy Saturday! #steakandeggs #open24hours #latenighteats #latenight #steak

Food Always Tastes Better on Fridays… Before anyone tells me there’s better places for Hainan Chicken than Savoy Kitchen, I like the sauces here AND I picked up a pasta dish too, cuz I didn’t feel like having a Smoked Duck Pizza today. Hainan Chicken Rice & Salad from Savoy Kitchen in Alhambra. Poached chicken with rice steamed in chicken broth, served with 3 sauces, soy, ginger and chii sauce. I watched No Reservations this morning and got hungry for Hainanese Chicken Rice. Anthony Bourdain said, “If there’s one dish that’s a must-try, it’s chicken rice.” Happy Friday! #hainanchickenrice

Pork Chops and Applesauce, I mean, Fried Rice. My favorite at Din Tai Fung… Pork Chop Fried Rice at Din Tai Fung in Glendale. A perfectly cooked Pork Chop served over Egg Fried Rice. I don’t know how many people I’ve introduced to this dish to, I’ve lost count. #porkchopfriedrice #dintaifung

Visit Shakey’s for pizza… but the fried chicken is a Must! Remembering my childhood. #friedchicken

It’s starting to look a lot like Thanksgiving or something like that… This was the first Monday I haven’t closed and got off at Midnight. Although tonight’s crew thought that I was the closing manager, but I wasn’t. I was hungry because I didn’t eat during my shift as @starbucks let me down. I wanted coffee and a sandwich and walked over during my break. They had a sign on their window that the cafe was closed and only accepting mobile orders. So, I opened up the app and put in my order. Once I hit payment, a message came up saying this location is not accepting any mobile orders… Grrr! We started talking about our holiday party at work today and I started thinking about holiday foods. So, after work, I wasn’t able to get to the place I had selected to get food before they closed and thinking of an alternative. I happened to drive by Denny’s… I was thinking about ordering breakfast, but saw the turkey dinner. Turkey and Dressing Dinner at @dennysdiner in Los Angeles. A carved turkey breast with savory stuffing, turkey gravy, and cranberry sauce. I went with a side of broccoli and red roasted potatoes, instead of mashed potatoes. Not bad, it was enjoyable. Gobble Gobble #turkeydinner #open24hours #latenight

It’s National Baklava Day! Baklava is a layered pastry dessert made from filo pastry, chopped nuts, and a syrup or honey. It’s a popular and traditional dessert in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. My favorite is a Pistachio baklava, which is common in Turkey. But, I forgot where this one is from… It’s flaky, nutty, and not too sweet (the ones I like anyway). Each region has different flavorings; cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange and lemon peel, etc. Just another reason to eat Baklava… #baklava #foodcalendar #foodholiday

I Got My Club Sandwich! Also… Cold and Flu Season has begun! We had to send the closing manager home early as he was really sick, as was another crew member. Since I was scheduled until 2 am, the big boss asked me to stay and close (3:30 - 4 am). Not a problem, but it’s a Saturday Night and we got really busy just after Midnight. Fortunately, I had a Manager-in-Training working tonight and gave her some responsibility to run the kitchen, while I took care of everything else. I didn’t leave until 4:15 am and after a 12 hour shift, I was hungry and no taco place open… THEN I remembered the Club Sandwich that I had wanted earlier in the week. So, I headed to Norms Restaurant. The Clubhouse Sandwich at @norms in Hollywood. With JENNIE-O* Turkey Breast, Bacon, Mayonnaise, Lettuce & Tomato on toasted White Bread. I opted for Onion Rings instead of French Fries. I’m satisfied, but I should’ve brought my @bertmanballparkmustard with me. Time to head home, I need to be back at work at 2:30 pm for hopefully not another 12 hour shift. Sunday Funday! #clubsandwich #clubhousesandwich #open24hours #latenight

It’s Sandwich Saturday! A Saturday Tradition in Burbank, the famous Handy Market Saturday BBQ. BBQ Tri-Tip Sandwich on a Roll with BBQ sauce at @handymarketburbank. A Tri-Tip Sandwich on the way to work, it was delicious. Happy Saturday! #tritipsandwich #tritip