DeFranko's Submarines - Van Nuys, California

August 2011

DeFranko’s Submarines
7535 Woodley Avenue
Van Nuys. Ca 91406



www.defrankos.com 818-780-9556

In the late 70’s my brother took his flying lessons at the Van Nuys Airport and after these lessons he often grabbed a sub sandwich at the nearby DeFranko’s which was operated by a young dark haired woman. Memories of those subs stirred his imagination. Were they still in business? Would the subs still be delicious? This was my quest; to satisfy my brother’s curiosity. Normally it would be simple drive by and see, but fate had him living across the nation in Florida and I in Idaho. Luck was on my side as my son was planning a vacation to Southern California and I was lucky enough to be invited.
After checking the internet to see if they were indeed still in business I was armed with their menu, a picture of the shop and camera in hand. Woodley Avenue runs north/ south paralleling the airport and several corporate type business’s, but as soon as you pass the last of these you begin to see single family homes, but don’t blink because nestled on the east side is DeFranko’s a quaint red and white building with a small counter and 3 stools. Having sped by on our first pass we quickly turned around and parked in front of the building. It was crammed with customers. Now remember I said 3 stools. There were 2 customers sitting at the counter, and two more waiting to order and then my son and I were next in line. I thought we would be there forever. Not so for the man behind the counter was lighting quick.
The menu is simple with choices of beef, ham and cheese, Italian cold cuts, Pepperoni, Tuna and Chicken Calada and Capocollo and Salami. You toppings consist of finely diced white or red onions, dill pickles and chopped tomatoes. You dressings include mayonnaise, mustard, Dijon mustard, Italian oil dressing, and sprinklings of Italian herb seasonings. They have their own special Italian bread which is crusty and very tasty and the sizes are DeMini (4-inch), Small (8-inch) and Large (12-inch) and are jammed full of ingredients.
The gentleman behind the counter asks your order and turns around and grabs several handfuls of meat and presses it into the bread, large serving ladles are used to pick up the onion, pickles and tomatoes. Our two sandwiches were ready in about two minutes. That included preparation, cutting the rolls in two and wrapping them. During our time in the sub shop I did manage to spot the owner, the young woman my brother remembered. Time has been generous to her as she still as quite attractive and very friendly with her customers.
There are no scales, no pre portioned packets of ingredients, just the very careful eye of the man who places the meat in your bun, tamps it down and then adds another for good measure. You will not go hungry. With our bag in hand we headed back to our R.V. to sample and savor our subs and most importantly report back to my brother if they indeed were the finest still. The subs are laden with meat and toppings, they are large and heavy and most of all out of this world. I am not a major sub sandwich person, but the taste of their seasonings and the crunch of the diced onions and pickles explode in your mouth. I got the 8-inch and was sated after completing the first half. My son got the 12-inch and just managed to finish his first half. We both had lunch for tomorrow.
I am happy and pleased to report back to my brother that his memories of a sub sandwich, which back then was heavenly, was still in vogue and DeFranko’s is still serving the valley the finest sub sandwiches. If ever you find yourself in the San Fernando Valley you owe it to yourself to seek them out and give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Red Robin, in Anchorage, Alaska and Idaho Falls, Idaho

A nationwide franchise, Red Robin is perhaps best known for their endless plates of French fries and fee drink refills (excluding alcoholic drinks). Their specialty of the house is hamburgers in every shape and fashion from the regulation cheeseburger to the Monster burger, aka “the open wide burger”. You can have an oriental inspired burger, a burger topped with pepper jack cheese, or just double the cheese, or perhaps guacamole or a Whiskey River ® BBQ sauce burger. They have chicken burgers, fish burgers and even a garden burger for the vegetarian. Or sample the turkey club burger and for those carb counters out there they have a lettuce wrapped protein burger. Something for everyone. They of course also offer entrees of Carnitas fajitas, pasta Alfredo, or perhaps their clam strips just to name a few. They offer you a towering stack of onion rings, or buzzard wings might tease your taste buds. Soups and salads round out the offerings and bringing up the rear are their margaritas, beer and wine list a nice list and very tasty. They offer “chillin” concoctions of groovy smoothies (seasonal fruits), or dreamy orange smoothies, of if your hankering for a more traditional drink, try their monster shakes and malts. A full variety of sodas and ice teas, coffee and tea complete the list. I’ve noticed that most of the Red Robins are located in or very near to malls, and some like the Anchorage location you need to know where you are going or you miss it. The buildings are the same inside and out with little to no variation in decor or menu items. So to say you ate in one then you ate in them all is perhaps a true statement, only the wait staff could alter your impression of a Red Robin. Prices are reasonable, you get your money’s worth no mater what you try, and it’s all good. Even the modest burger was hard to finish along with the fries and drink; of course I gave it my all. The more robust eaters can handily finish off their order and even have refills of fries and beverage. They provide to go for all menu items (except alcoholic drinks) and provide take home containers for your leftovers. For more information about Red Robin, http://www.redrobin.com/

Chicken Cafe - Chicken, Alaska

Chicken Café --- Chicken, Alaska The Chicken Café is not on your usual dining route; in fact it’s not on any route at all. That is to say unless you are deliberately setting out to go there, you won’t get there. It is off the Alaska Route 5, the Taylor Highway, where you begin an epic journey along the Top of the World Highway. You can also access it by small plane as there is a small local airstrip. Since the highway is not maintained from October – March the café is open for business mid March-early October. The café is on the main road, alongside the general store, bar and mercantile; the entire town site. Void of any frills or modern conveniences, it reminds you of a late 40s early 50s small diner. This café has been featured on several television specials, the kind of programs that show seldom visited and hard to get to attractions. The Chicken Café proudly boasts that acclaim and being the best food around as well. Since it’s the only food purveyor around I guess they can safely maintain that boast. Having spent the night at the Chicken R.V. campsite we were eager for a hot cup of coffee and one of their acclaimed plate-size cinnamon rolls. Linoleum covers the floors; several booths line the wall and the menu is a chalk board over the main counter. It’s late in the season and they were closing up soon so the day’s menu choices were limited. Otherwise, the hungry traveler had a wide choice of items to choose from and all are served trucker style, large portions. The coffee was hot and the cinnamon rolls warm and they indeed fill the plates. They were not oozing with that creamy white, sweet topping common to cinnamon rolls. The coffee was good, not great, but good and the rolls I found to be a bit much for a smaller appetite, but to a person with a large appetite they would certainly fill the bill. At another table, down the aisle from us, a couple was having ham and eggs and offered that they had been perfectly prepared. The owner, a rather boastful lady, proudly proclaimed throughout our stay how impressive she and her establishment were. Her menu was modest but for the area quite adequate; Hamburgers with a choice of bacon, cheese or the 40 mile variety with a slab of ham; reindeer bratwurst, chili con carne, BLT, hot dogs to name a few. A small assortment of salads, including chicken and Greek, were offered. All the lunch plates were served with homemade potato salad or coleslaw and a pickle spear. Prices were within a reasonable range with hamburgers from $8.95 to $14.95, adding a dollar for cheese. Hot dog plate for $5.95; without salad was $2.95. Salads were $9.95 and a soup and sandwich combo for $6.95. To top off your lunch she makes homemade pies from frozen ingredients. Since she is not on the main trucking road all items are local, cold-storage or frozen for long mileage transport from the nearby township. Nonetheless, from gossip supplied by locals, they are mighty tasty. It’s an experience you need to try, at least once, if ever you find yourself in that area. The nearest “big” town would be Tok Alaska. The next closest would be Fairbanks, Alaska so plan accordingly. You owe it to yourself to visit Chicken just to say you’ve been there and learn about the name. The Chicken Mercantile offers souvenirs and other memento of your trip to the far reaches of the Alaskan frontier. The area around Chicken also features gold mining exhibits such as this restored dredge, The Pedro Dredge, an interesting tour. There are no hotels but the area does have a privately operated RV and camping ground.

Sumisu - Pocatello, Idaho

Sumisu 309 E. Center Pocatello, Idaho 83201 Located in the historic old town section of Pocatello Sumisu occupies a small corner store front. The inside is minimum at best, dark gray colored walls, a few paper lanterns hang from the ceiling and a miss match of tables and chairs. There is a small prep area with about 2-3 stools and the kitchen is partially open, all in all I was not impressed with the atmosphere and quite frankly expected much more. We were greeted by friendly staff that seated us quickly and gave us our menu’s and almost as quickly returned asking if we were ready to order. Sending her away she returned in a couple of minutes, so to give us breathing time I ordered an appetizer of salt and pepper calamari with hot tea for me and iced for my daughter. The order came back to us in less than 5 minutes with the hot and iced tea arriving a tad bit sooner and of course we were not yet ready to order. I do believe by this time our waitress understood that we actually wanted to read the menu and decide what we wanted instead of just jumping in and opting for the first item in view. We decided on the Godzilla roll ($12.00), a crab and spicy tuna, shrimp, tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, asparagus roll topped with seared tuna and finished with sweet soy and wasabi aioli and the 6 piece Sashimi ($9.00) which was the fish of the day or better, what was available. To our good fortune we got Salmon and Hamachi, which for the price was okay but not a great value. Presentation was nice, served on a long oval white platter the roll was about 10” in length, with the tail of a tempura shrimp bringing in the end of roll, a cute arrangement. The aioli was drizzled in the platter and dollops of wasabi and ginger rounded out the dish. As one can imagine with all of the ingredients listed above the roll was quite large and taking the usual one bite per slice was a bit much. Even though I opted for the first one this way I cut the rest in two so I could chew and breathe at the same time. The flavors of the ingredients were fresh and artfully arranged and with the aioli it was an enjoyable taste. Let me not forget the salt and pepper Calamari which was tempura battered and fried to a golden brown and paired with the sweet chili sauce was absolutely suburb. Tea bags instead of loose are used and they offer iced green tea, the usual assortment of soft drinks and a children’s menu offering corn dogs, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and teriyaki chicken are available. Prices range from $3.00 to $18.00 for the Sushi combo plate and they offer the usual rolls, sushi, nigiri sushi, and basic maki and combo platters. The mid-day diner can enjoy a bento lunch consisting of house soup, house salad, tempura vegetables, steamed rice, California/tuna/spicy/tuna roll until 4PM. Only when our meal was done did we notice a chalk board to the right of the door which offered several really nice specials one of which was a soft shell crab combo. Alas there was no mention of any specials to us or as we listened to the other diners, they do not offer beer, or wine. Rating: Food 8, atmosphere 3, service 6

Cedars of Lebanon

Cedars of Lebanon
152 E. 200S
Salt lake City UT
801-364-4096

A middle-eastern restaurant in down town Salt Lake offering lamb, beef, chicken and vegetarian dishes. Seating is at tables, booths and they have a private room with floor seating and you can arrange for private parties. This was my first time and my son’s second time and I looked forward to trying out the dishes.
Persian rugs adorn the walls and highly polished wooden floors give you the impression and feel of the Middle East. Sadly we dinned on Sunday and therefore missed the belly dancers who perform on Friday and Saturday only. The lunch menu offers American sandwiches, ham, pastrami, roast beef and the like. Also featured are Middle Eastern delights such as Kafta Kebab (ground beef mixed with parsley, onion and spices, charbroiled and served on pita bread0, Cheese Burek (layered filo dough with melted cheese, baked and served with rice and vegetables) to name a few. The dinner menu offers appetizers of Tabbouleh, Falafel, Humus Dip, and Baba Ghanouj as well as many others.
You can pick your main entrée individually or for two which is a cost saver; we picked the lamb and chicken kebab for two which is served with basmati rice. It was a difficult choice since they offer such delicacies as lamb tagine (a slow-cooking lamb stew in a curry sauce flavored with a blend of aromatic spices such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon) or Pastilla (a Moroccan dish of chicken in a special sauce with spices and folded on filo dough). To start off our dining adventure we picked a bugler dish with tomatoes and cumin served with pita bread which I found to be extremely tasty.
The kebabs are marinated and charbroiled and served atop the basmati rice, I found the beef to be succulent and moist but the chicken was a little dry or perhaps a bit over cooked but still very tasty. The combination of the kebabs pairs well with the aromatic basmati rice and assorted vegetables. The potions are ample for large eaters and they offer to go boxes for your left overs. We paid $29.95 for our dual serving which is slightly less than if ordered separately.
If you have never eaten Middle-Eastern food you owe it to yourself to try out The Cedars of Lebanon or if you are an experienced diner then you are in for a memorable time. Top off the meal with a nice glass of wine and a good dinner companion; nothing could be better.

Top of the World Restaurant

Top of the World Restaurant
Stratosphere Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino is the tallest free standing observation tower in the United States. It is 1,149 feet tall. The Top of The World Restaurant, a rotating structure, is situated at 800 feet and boasts a 360 degree panoramic view of the metropolitan Las Vegas area. It makes a complete turn every 80 minutes. Diners ride a dual elevator to their destination at an astounding 1800 feet per second, or in simpler terms, 2-3 floors per second. Situated at the east end of the strip it’s the closest to the historic Fremont Street District.

Our reservations were for a table 0n the outside rim closest to the window and the view; one can also request the inner rim. The restaurant rotates so slowly you are unaware of its movement. An inner ring rotates clockwise with a cart showing samples of the lusciously decadent deserts offered. Once seated, we ordered a bottle of wine and sat back to take in the view and relax before ordering our entrees. The menu offers separate entrée ordering or you can opt for a tasting menu at a fixed price. We each ordered from the general menu so we could sample the various dishes.
You have several choices for salads and we chose Caesar’s all around; they had crisp greens, a lovely hint of anchovies and fresh grated cheese. I ordered the pheasant, Michael and Uncle Mark the rack of lamb, so I got to taste the lamb twice, goody for me. The pheasant was cooked to perfection with nice grill marks, it was moist and tender with a marvelous mild taste. The rack of lamb stole the show; it was tender, juicy with a mild taste absolutely a young scrumptious lamb.

You can order steaks, surf and turf, pork chops, free range chicken, duck breast, salmon, cod, prawns, lobster to name a few, there is something for everyone. Several savory sides such as Foire Gras tater tots with homemade ketchup, yam puree with brown butter and pan seared mushrooms with garlic to name a few. The menu’s change so you can experience something new each time you go. Items are ordered separately so you can eat as much or little as you like, serving sizes are adequate for a robust eater.

Prices are $15.00 to $40.00 for appetizers, salads around $12.00, entrees from $40.00 to $80.00 with sides at about $10.00. The tasting menu with selected wines runs around $130.00 per person. Reservations are required and business casual attire is required. We devoured our meals with gusto and finished our wine wishing we could linger longer. Sadly, a mandatory engagement beckoned us to depart; perhaps that was better or I would have tried one of those sumptuous desserts.

Marigold's, Pocatello, Idaho

Marigold’s
1800 Flandro Drive, Suite 330
Pocatello Idaho
February 8, 2011



It has been said that you are only given one chance at a first impression; this statement is a hard fact. If you fail at your first attempt then it forever lingers in the mind of those you failed to impress.

This statement is true for the little bistro called Marigold’s in Pocatello Idaho. It is located in a busy strip mall which makes parking arduous during peak times. It features the upcoming wine trend of pre measured pours offering the casual connoisseur a chance to taste a variety of wines at a modest cost. Their fare is geared towards the unusual but identifiable; hummus with veggies, spanakopita, tempura shrimp even a margarita pizza to name a few. Decadent desserts are also offered with specialty coffees to satisfy that sweet tooth. Sadly reading the menu, perusing the available wines and ogling at the desserts was as close as I got.

It was a Tuesday evening around 5pm, we were the only patrons in the place except for the waitress. We seated ourselves and the waitress brought us two waters and left. There was one menu on the table so we took another from a nearby table. My daughter asked a question about a cheese plate and got a rather subdued answer, so we continued to read on.

The phone rang and was promptly answered by the waitress and this is where our dining adventure at Marigolds stopped. We sat and sat and even waived at her but to no avail. At one point we thought she was hanging up but only turned around to make some coffee and continued to ignore her only customers in the place. I understand when a shop is busy and don’t mind waiting but I will not tolerate waiting for a personal phone call and being ignored. We got up and left and she never turned around to acknowledge our departure.

We had a delightful dinner at Red Lobster that evening, sadly I felt bad for my daughter since she had purchased the $30.00 gift card to Marigolds for my Christmas present and wanted me to enjoy myself.

I am unclear if I will return to Marigolds, I really don’t want to waste my daughter’s gift card, but I will always have a bitter taste towards this establishment and it will be hard to be un biased when it comes to judging their food and, yes, their service.

Sand Piper - Idaho Falls, ID

Sand Piper
Idaho Falls, Idaho
February 2, 2011

I have blogged Sandpiper in Pocatello several times and as my readers can attest, it is not my favorite place to dine. Yesterday was my oldest son’s birthday and as tradition goes, he got to pick where he wanted to eat. Yes you guessed it, Sandpiper! But this time not the Pocatello restaurant but the sister establishment located in Idaho Falls. A fifty two mile trip down the interstate, the historic district of Idaho Falls and the Sand Piper restaurant are situated alongside the Snake River. It looks exactly like the Pocatello building but that’s where the resemblance stops. Inside we were greeted by eager and friendly staff and quickly seated. Our table was by the window which normally would afford the diners a magnificent view of the river but in winter your view is that of a frozen river, still a fantastic vista.

Our waitress was friendly, informative and eager to please but not overdone, she allowed us ample time to peruse the menu and the wine list. Our pre dinner drinks ordered, we eagerly read over the menu. As soon as our menus were closed she appeared to take our order. Almost as soon as she left she reappeared with fresh hot bread and our salads. My youngest son ordered the Caesar salad and had strips of fresh anchovies; my garden salad was a mixture of greens both mild and peppery. We eagerly ate all of our salads and a second helping of bread.

Sand Piper was having a wine special, so we chose a Cabernet Shiraz blend from Australia which to our great pleasure was a superb pick. Aromatic, smooth it paired well with our entrée selections. My youngest had the rack of lamb, the birthday boy had a sirloin steak our guest had the battered shrimp and I picked the chicken Oscar. I had reservations about the entrée’s since the Pocatello menu offered the same choices but in children’s portions. To our enjoyment, when the dinners arrived we found them more than ample; in fact we all had to go boxes at the end.

The lamb was expertly grilled to the rare ordered, the shrimp cooked through but not overdone. The steak was charred to perfection and my Oscar was tender and the crab meat was the intact claw portions. The baked potatoes were of good size and the steamed vegetables done to a turn. We all thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and all attested we would have changed nothing. My youngest son tipped the waitress about his brother’s birthday and she soon appeared offering any dessert item free of charge. He ordered the chocolate turtle dessert, which was a thick and gooey deep chocolate brownie surrounded by scoops of vanilla ice cream and covered in thick dark chocolate sauce.

Reservations are suggested especially for the weekend. They have a separate bar and lounge section and there are steps, a ramp is available but since the lighting is dim caution is suggested. All tables, no booths, but all afford a view of the river and beltway. The prices range from $14.00 to $26.00 with daily specials. A full bar and an excellent wine list pair nicely with the menu items which range from sea food, pasta, beef and your usual salad assortments.

Product Evaluation - Vigo Pallea Valenciana

Paella by Vigo
A Yellow Rice and Seafood Dinner

Although dining out is perhaps the most pleasurable night out I can have, often times I find that circumstances require a fast homemade meal. Often times when one chooses a pre packaged “fast” meal you get speed but most sacrifice taste. Living in Idaho has it high points but in culinary standards I find choices few and far between both in restaurants and variety in the grocery store. My brother lives in Florida and came across a packaged Paella dinner by a Spanish company, Vigo. He sent it to me to try. Here is my critique on Paella Valenciana.
The directions could not be simpler or easier and all you need is a measuring cup, large spoon and a 2 quart pot. Add your water to the pot and bring to a boil, stir in the rice packet and the entire contents of the seafood can, juice and all. Stir the mixture for 1 minute, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes (Almost identical instructions for Vigo’s popular Yellow Rice).
Uncover and you find a nice looking dish of rice and assorted seafood and vegetables with a rather pleasant taste. A hint of saffron lingers in the background while the combined flavor of the mussels, squid and cockles gives you a nice flavor combination. Vigo Paella is both fast and indeed flavorful. While the prepared dish is not the picture presented on the box, it gave the diner a good tasting dish of paella.
The cook in me wanted to experiment with this dish and the next few ingredients came into play; clams and mussels in the shells, shrimp and lobster tail to round it out. (It was an interesting trip to my favorite fish monger: I asked for just 7 cherry stone clams, 6 mussels, 2 langostino tails, 6 medium shrimp and 2 lemons. “What was I making?” he wondered.) I simmered them in a combination of butter, olive oil and white wine and then introduced the mixture into the already cooked paella. I put the contents into a cast iron pan and heated a bit more on the stove top, of course one could put into the oven too.
Garnished with capers and wedges of lemon I got a dish of paella I would proudly present to guests and I don’t think any would be the wiser it came from a box. From start to finish while cooking the rice mixture and sautéing the fish you could have this made in about 40 minutes, truly a pre packaged “fast” meal without the box taste. I would highly recommend this dish to anyone who likes paella or as an introduction to those who have yet to savor the unique taste of one Spain’s national dishes.

Le Cirque in the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

I think perhaps once in every one’s lifetime they should really dress up and dine out with a touch of opulence and elegance. Le Cirque is just such a place, not only to experience some quality French food, but to be pampered to the extreme. I had on this occasion my son and brother in law accompanying me for this adventure in dining.
Since dress codes are enforced I made sure that both my companions had the appropriate dinner attire. Dressed to the nines we ventured down the elevator and traversed the casino to the main entrance of Le Cirque. It is small, intimate and very formal; we were greeted immediately by a hostess who checks our reservations. Our table was not quite ready so we were required to sit in the entry lounge which consisted of a small seating area and an ornate bar which would seat about 4 guests. Quickly our drinks arrived and after a brief period our table was ready.
The matre’d came for us and the waiter carried our beverages into the dining room. We were seated at a table for four complete with white linens, china and crystal. Menus were passed out and soon we were ooing and awing over each offering. My brother in law was having difficulty with the menu, he had forgotten his glasses, but our ever so aware waiter soon presented him with a pair of reading glasses kept for just such occasions.

The décor is in pastels of pinks and yellows with a whimsical circus theme. Fine tapestry materials are draped from the ceiling with circus murals painted on the walls. The dining room is small and intimate but the tables are far enough apart to provide you some privacy. You are also afforded a view of the inner garden and fountain through a large window. Conversations were kept to a respectable level so there was no chatter or distractions; clearly each diner was there to enjoy the food to the maximum.
The menu features fine French cuisine whose offerings change seasonally and in some instances daily. There is an option to dine prix fixe three-course dinner or choose the five-course option which changes nightly. An expert sommelier is available to help chose the right wine for the menu and also to select one to your budget. The three course dinner is around $95.00 and the five course $115.00 plus the cost of your wine. We chose the three course dinner and the sommelier helped us pick a nice wine to accompany entrees but stay within our budget of $40.00 per bottle, a nice red which came from Paso Robles California, my childhood town.

We dined on Bass (Chilean Sea Bass - Herb & Ginger Chilean Sea Bass, Hon Shimeji Mushrooms, Swiss Chard, Citrus Vinaigrette), Chicken ( Poulet Rôti Contiser à la Truffe Noir - organic Roasted Chicken, Black Truffle, Macaroni au Foie Gras) and Veal (Filet de Veau - Milk-Fed Veal Tenderloin, Pink Lady Apple Beignet, Creamy Polenta, Prunes & Armagnac Preserve) and we sampled each other’s dishes and to our delight each was suburb. The salad was served first along with an assortment of bread. The main courses along with our sides came next; not huge nor were the offerings small. There was enough to satiate your appetite but not enough to send you out with a bloated feeling. I need to add that Le Cirque makes an absolutely marvelous cup of coffee; one could almost chew the richly roasted coffee beans.

Open Tuesday –Sunday from 5:30-10pm, no children under age 12 are allowed nor are cell phones, cigars or pipes. Reservations are absolutely required.
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S (Bellagio Drive) Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 425-6502
http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/le-cirque.aspx