Recently in Covina Category

Working in a big office like I do, and sitting right next to the lunch room, I feel like I am always getting hungry.

People warming up their food, popcorn, or organizing pot lucks in the next department over, bring so many smells that even if I just ate, I could snack a little on popcorn, or grab a hot dog from the pot luck if it's offered me.

No it's not good for any diet, but luckily I don't believe in them. I believe in moderation, so I try to just eat small meals and snacks a few times throughout the day and use water to hold me over between meals.

Today, though, really tested my strength. First, because of a department meeting, we were being treated to lunch. But at the same time, a 'roast' pot luck was being held in the department next door as a 'going awa' for someone.

So while I waited until lunch time for the free pizza, (can't pass that up!), the smell of hot dogs 'roasting' on a grill roller wafted through our section of the news room hours before our pizza would arrive.

Oh, but when it did - mm mm mm mm. It was worth it. I love pizza, but I can be picky at times. I don't like really thick greasy crust, despise black olives, so over pepperoni, and absolutely love mushrooms!

I am more partial to the little family-owned pizza houses than the 'fast-food' type, but if they meet the above standards, they'll do as well.

Rio's pizza in Montebello is one of those family-owned places that I grew up with and is my absolute favorite pizza. Freshly made pizzas, no skimping on toppings and a good price, especially on Sundays.

But today, I must say I found a close second to Rio's - Michelangelo's Pizza in Covina.

Thanks to a fellow reporter recommending this local eatery to our editor, we were treated to a fresh, warm, soft, cheesy pizza.

We had a cheese, a pepperoni, a sausage and a vegetarian pizza. Something for everyone.

I had the sausage and vegetarian pizzas, despite the vegetarian having black olives I had to pick off.

I have to start with the crust. It wasn't a thin crust that's for sure, but it was more airy than greasy. I usually don't care to eat the leftover crust end, but i couldn't help myself because it was just that tasty.

The sauce and cheese were just enough to cover each slice well and perfectly seasoned, not bland and not too much. The sausage was not too salty either, too much salt just kills every other flavor.

The vegetarian had the usual suspects - mushroom (yay!), green bell pepper, onion, black olives (yuck!) - but it also had slices of tomato that I thought were perfect, they weren't soggy and added more flavor. There was plenty of mushroom, too, that more than made up for the black olives.

I am curious to see what the rest of their menu offerings taste like.

Michelangelo's has two locations - on Citrus in Covina and Arrow Hwy. in San Dimas - and offer sandwiches, salad and pasta as well as pizzas, of course.

You can order online as well as by phone.

Dining at a new restaurant can be confusing, even overwhelming. With more than 100 different items on most menus, ordering the right dish is like picking the winning lottery number or guessing the exact number of jelly beans in a candy jar.

The problem gets worse when you’re trying a new cuisine. The dishes use new flavors, different ingredients and are sometimes in a foreign language.

Offering popular yet simple dishes, Rosie Thai Food in Covina is an excellent introduction to Thai food, especially if you’re not familiar with the cuisine.

First, try all-day specials. You’ll find familiar Asian dishes, such as Kung Pao chicken and teriyaki chicken, as well as classic Thai favorites like pad Thai and spicy beef with mint.

For $5.95, the all-day specials come with rice and salad, and during lunch, a small cup of soup. For a few extra dollars, the specials include more exciting dishes, such as stuffed chicken wings, shrimp sauteed with black pepper and garlic, and Thai barbecue spareribs.

Keep in mind that Thai food expertly combines sweet and savory flavors, so the beef and broccoli stir fry at Rosie will taste very different than at a Chinese restaurant. The combination of the two flavors creates dishes that will make you hunger for more but not weigh you down.

Once you’ve graduated from the specials menu, I highly recommend dining family style and ordering more authentic Thai dishes from the second half of the menu. Not only is the food delicious and flavorful, but it’s also very affordable.

One of my favorites is panang curry with chicken, a sweet and savory coconut-based curry. I also like the Tom Kha Gai soup, which includes coconut milk, lemongrass, straw mushrooms and various herbs. Both sweet and savory, the soup is light enough as a starter or can be ordered as an entree. On a cold night, it’s especially satisfying.

If you enjoy spicy food, the hot mint leaves and chili paste with chicken is a highly addictive stir fry dish. However, you may want to keep a large glass of ice water or milk close by.

Rosie Thai Food is at 474 E. San Bernardino Road in Covina. It is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. For more information, call (626) 339-4935.

By Esther Chou

Two locations of Red Brick Pizza in the East San Gabriel Valley have closed recently, and I can only guess why. There was one location at the Lakes in West Covina, close to Edward's movie theaters, and another in Covina on Badillo and Grand, next to Von's grocery store.

Neither of the restaurants had great business, and I'm not sure why. I have a few guesses.

First, let me start with what they don't do wrong:
1. The pizzas taste good.
2. The menu offers a lot of a lot of variety and creativity. Toppings included prosciutto, pine nuts, ricotta cheese, sesame thai sauce, arugula, kalamata olives, and all the traditional pizza toppings.
3. They also have breadsticks, salads, sandwiches and gelato
4. They offer coupons and specials
5. Every booth has its own flat panel TV and remote control

Here's what I don't like:
1. It is expensive. Small pizzas cost about $7, mediums for $10.50 and larges for $17. Sure, the pizzas tasted good, but they weren't that good. The pizzas didn't feel like a good value for the money.
2. The pizzas aren't filling. A medium pizza feels like a small pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
3. Service is slow. The restaurants can operate with just two people in font -- one person making pizzas and another person taking orders and making salads.
4. The casual dining environment feels fast food restaurant, but the menu prices aren't.
5. The restaurants don't market themselves as a take-out pizza place, don't offer delivery nor do they allow customers to order online. They want dine-in customers, but it's not very enjoyable to dine there either.
6. You can't control the volume level on the televisions.

When a restaurant gets shut down by the Health Department, it's not only embarrassing for the restaurant owners/managers, it's also embarrassing for its customers.

On Thursday, Bishamon, a Japanese restaurant in downtown Covina, had this sign on the front door. "Closed due to construction."

The front window displayed the Health Department's closure notice. "Vermin infestation, no hot water, scored below 70."

I couldn't believe it. I've eaten at this restaurant at least a dozen times, and I go there about once a month. The restaurant has plenty of customers, and the sushi bar is usually full. I thought the food was pretty good and never dreamed about unsanitary conditions in the kitchen.

I've even taken my friends to Bishamon and recommended it to others. How embarrassing.

There's no way to know that these poor conditions were around when I dined there, but it certainly makes you wonder.

I was never a huge fan of Spike's. Now that it's closed, I'm sure some readers will be looking for an alternative. Try Golden Bowl (aka Golden Burger) in Covina. They have excellent chicken teriyaki and teriyaki burgers. They also sell gyoza and teriyaki chicken sandwiches.

Golden Burger (aka Golden Bowl)
207 E Rowland St
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 974-5751

This comes from sports reporter Steve Ramirez:

The news business is often filled with shocking, unbelievable stories.  But today was like no other.

Spike's, one of my favorite eateries, is closed.

I was visualizing today my favorite - a chicken teriyaki bowl with steam rice - for lunch, only to be broadsided by a sign that simple read: "Permanently closed due to illness. Thanks for 15 wonderful years."

I was completely shocked. I had to give it a second read, just to be sure.

I was enlightened to Spike's by former Tribune staff writer Joe Haakenson, and it was always a must visit, at least once a week. I always stopped by in the spring before I headed out to a Cal State Fullerton baseball game. There was nothing like watching the Titans while eating a chicken bowl.

Oh well, I guess Panda Express will have to suffice for now.

Steve is referring to the Spike's location in Covina on 420 N Azusa Ave. There are two other locations in San Gabriel and in Ontario. Hopefully, those restaurants are still open.

Dining on a budget:

I have tasted a lot of good Mexican cuisine over the years, whether it be homemade or of the fast-food variety.

Some of the best Mexican food comes from small mom- and-pop eateries. Boca Del Rio, located in Covina, is one such place that serves delicious fare.

Tacos and burritos dominate Boca Del Rio's menu, which also offers drinks such as an Orange Bang and a horchata.

When I visited Boca Del Rio, I ordered three tacos. After finishing my meal, I came away thinking that I just tasted the best tacos out there.

My tacos consisted of meat, cheese, cabbage and a red chili sauce that gave my dish the right amount of spicy kick. Carne asada and grated cheese enhanced the taste of the tacos.

Rosie Thai is one of my favorite local Thai restaurants. It's close. It's cheap. And it's not bad. Recently, I've noticed the quality of the food has gone downhill, especially in their curries and pad thai. The prices have also gone up. I used to go to Rosie's about once every two weeks, sometimes once a week. Now, I go there about once or twice a month. It's the food. If the food is bad, people won't come back, no matter how great it was in the past.

Today, I had the BBQ chicken. It was OK.

My friend had the ginger chicken:

Rosie Thai
474 E San Bernardino Rd
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 339-1547
(626) 339-4935

What did you have for lunch today?

Have you ever been to Sandwich City in downtown Covina? The idea is simple: homemade sandwiches made with with good ingredients. Today, I had an egg salad sandwich on squaw bread. It comes with a pickle spear and a side of potato salad (although you can ask for macaroni salad or coleslaw instead). My total? About $5.

Sandwich City
117 N Citrus Ave
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 966-7363

I tried out A&A Express on a whim today. The focus of this Chinese restaurant is steam plate lunches, although you they have a special order menu. I ordered the House Special Rice Noodle, which comes wth chicken, beef and shrimp.

Unfortunately, it did not taste like Chinese food. I should have known better when I first walked in. Chinese restaurants have a certain smell about them -- garlic, ginger, carmelized sugar, hot oil, savory meats, vinegar and tasty sauces. But this place smelled of stale medicines. My dish wasn't much better. Sure, it had all the main ingredients -- rice noodles, cabbage, onions and meat -- but it didn't have any of the flavor, aroma or satisfaction that I was expecting.

A&A Express
519 N Azusa Ave
Covina, CA 91722
(626) 332-1398