Recently in American Category

For those of you who like your cheesesteak sandwiches just as they should be - steak and cheese and steak and cheese - then Quizno's new Double Cheese Cheesesteak is for you.

The sandwich shop's new toasty sub is not a torpedoe or bullet so you can get it in a small, regular or large size in white or wheat bread.

It comes with hand-carved marinated prime rib steak slices, double the slices of swiss cheese, sauteed onions and mayo - that's it.

Sure you may not get your daily recommended servings of vegetables but you can always get a side salad.

I recently tried the small size (ixnay on the mayo though) just to see if it was plenty enough with double the meat and cheese. 

With a side of chips and a drink, the small did satisfy but at the same time, the meat marinade was so tasty and the cheese was all nice and melty that I wanted more even if it was going to make me so full I'd place myself in a food coma - staring into the glare of my computer screen at work.

It's not the value meal you could find at some other sandwich shops - $5.29 for the small plus $1.99 to make it a combo - but it's worth the double meat and cheese alone.

You knew I would try to snag a free flatbread from Jamba Juice. How could I resist free food?

Check out this article from business editor Kevin Smith explaining this special promotion.

At first, I thought of going an hour before this special promotion started, but actually got too busy in the office.

Once I had a break, it was just after 2 p.m. but thought I would still see if I had a chance to try these new low-calorie flatbreads.

I arrived at the Jamba Juice in West Covina by the mall at about 2:20 p.m. There was no long lines in sight like I remember seeing for the free chicken giveaway El Pollo Loco and Kentucky Fried Chicken had, but that was fine with me.

There wasn't even one person in front of me when I entered the Jamba Juice in West Covina on Tuesday.

I was reminded once again of the free promotion and I said yes please! Apparently they were giving away one of the four varieties (Tomo Artichoko, Smokehouse Chicken, MediterranYum and Four Cheesy) at different times throughout the promotion. I got the Smokehouse Chicken variety.

I ordered a healthy smoothie as well - Pomegranate Pick-me-up - and happily took my little warm box of flatbread. Regular price for a flatbread is $3.75.

No matter where I read or searched for online, I could not figure out what type of food exactly Jamba Juice meant by 'flatbread', but it pretty much resembles a mini-size, thin-crust pizza with flatbread as the dough.

The smokehouse had roasted corn, peppers, black beans and chicken on top of a little melted cheese and what tasted like a slightly tangy barbecue sauce. The flavors of each ingredient went well together considering it was only 330 calories.

The flatbread was warm and toasty but a bit hard on the side while it was soft on the bottom.

The flatbread was more of a snack with it's mini-pizza size, or if you wanted to make it a full meal, you could pick up a couple or add one of the salads also offered now at some Jamba Juice locations.

Next time I'll try one of the salads, wraps or sandwiches while picking up some fresh juicy smoothie at Jamba Juice.

DID YOU SNAG A FREE FLATBREAD? KNOW OF ANY OTHER FREE FOOD OFFERINGS YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? LET US KNOW BELOW - SHARING IS CARING.

As if I need another reason to love Jamba Juice and their tasty fruit creations. I have yet to try their most recent food offerings but this will sure help.

Here's the latest from the smoothie company:

"As a part of its Fall 'Feel Good Campaign', Jamba Juice announced today that it will be filling customers up for free."

Starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, the first 150 customers can get a chance to try Jamba Juice's new California Flatbreads for FREE, at participating Jamba Juice locations.

The recently launched lunch offerings "make the perfect guilt-free afternoon snack, made with high quality, better-for-you ingredients and all under 330 calories."

"A perfect combination of delicious ingredients on top of a crispy crust, and an excellent source of protein, the new Flatbreads are available in 4 yummy flavors including: Tomo Artichoko Flatbread, Smokehouse Chicken Flatbread, MediterranYum Flatbread and Four Cheesy Flatbread."

By Stacey Wang

I've had bagels on the brains every Friday for the last two weeks due to the downtime "bagels or donuts?" discussion in the office.

As if Casual Friday didn't already make my day, I finally decided to satisfy my craving for those complex carbs.

In San Dimas lies Cafe Bagelry, a family-owned shop that has an extensive menu to satisfy bagel eaters of all kinds.

From cream cheese bagels to bagel sandwiches, the cafe has menu items ranging from $0.85 to $5.69, before tax.

I ordered a Californian - a cafe-proclaimed favorite tuna sandwich with Swiss cheese, avocado, tomatoes and sprouts on a toasted wheat bagel.

The generous portions of the sandwich alone were enough to fill me up, but the cafe offers a meal deal every Friday. Customers can order any bagel menu item, chips and a fountain drink for $6.

On any other day, my meal would have cost $7.79. It's not a huge savings, but I don't mind taking what I can get - especially if it's as gratifying as it was.

I also ordered a cafe specialty known as a Peaches 'N Cream bagel for $3.02 purely because it glimmered from its glass encasing with visual appeal.

The pastry was a bagel bread with a light spread of cream cheese. It was topped with peach slices fanned out like a pinwheel and sprinkled with cinnamon, which added a light fruity sweetness to it.

I didn't attempt to finish all of my food in one sitting - I would have cursed bagels until the new year had I tried.

The shop also offers alternatives to bagel items - including muffins, omelettes, wraps, croissants and more - while supplies last.

Some other items include an Early Bird Egg Wrap with egg, herb cream cheese and cheddar cheese at $3.13 and cookies at $0.75, which the menu proclaims is "the best" the cafe has ever tasted.

But don't expect to eat there at night. The place is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Cafe Bagelry is at 969 W. Arrow Hwy., San Dimas. Call the shop at (909) 394-9592 for more information.

I was at a Californa Pizza Kitchen last month and not intending to have wine with my food, I went ahead and had a small serving any way - since they were free.

Trying to get ahead of other casual dining chain restaurants, CPK has launched its new redesigned wine list nationwide and looking to start a new "wine culture" at its restaurants.

To give diners a glimpse they are offering free wine tastings to diners ages 21 and over. Each week two featured wines are chosen and offered as tastings.

The selection of wines were handpicked by the restaurant's co-founders/co-CEOs Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax. Most selections on the new list are priced under $10 for a glass but still considered high quality for their price.

The selection includes:                                 

-Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay

-Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay

-Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

-La Crema Pinot Noir

-Stags' Leap Merlot

At my visit, I tried the pinot grigio, a white wine for those unfamiliar with wine, and the pinot noir, a red.

I'm not big on white wines and even though the Santa Margherita was tasty and a little woodsy, it was too sweet for my wine taste.

The La Crema pinot was nice and smooth for a more dry and bitter wine but it had the right amount of dryness which is not easily accomplished in many reds.

It's nice to see CPK step it up to compete with the many smaller upscale restaurants that are more able to switch up their wine offerings. I wonder if they'll also start offering pairing suggestions too.

Now, can I just have a truly small side salad for like $3 with my pasta? Please....

If you haven't read any of my other posts, then I must say it again - I LOVE BUFFALO! The sauce that is.

So when I heard Subway had a new Buffalo Chicken sandwich and were offering a footlong for only $5, I couldn't resist trying it.

The chicken, including everything except the sauce, was pretty much just like any other chicken sandwich at Subway - chopped "grilled" chicken strips and any veggie fixin's you want.

The sauce was what I was most curious about anyway. And though the buffalo sauce was not dissapointing, it wasn't anything spectacular. Actually, I really think it was just Frank's Hot Sauce brand.

What definitely didn't add anything else but soggy bread to the sandwich was the light ranch dressing they drizzle on top of the buffalo sauce, I'm assuming so you get a whole "buffalo wings and sauce" experience.

The sauce didn't have that bold zesty ranch flavor and I'm guessing because it was light, it was thin and watery so it dripped throughout and out of the sandwich.

I don't think I would try this sandwich again. I'll do better adding jalapenos to one of their regular grilled chicken sandwiches to get more flavor or just head to Hooters.

By Evelyn Barge

I'm not a big fan of restaurants with gimmicky food names; even less so, nightclubs with lame drink labels.

It's an allergy I developed after ordering, with head hanging in shame, the embarrassing "Jenny's Favorite" smoothie at a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Monterey many moons ago. I still haven't figured out just why Jenny - an abused child, turned counterculture hippie, turned druggie, turned baby mama, who finally gets sick, settles down and then immediately dies - would have a predilection for strawberries, cranberry juice and non-fat raspberry frozen yogurt. (Send me a memo if you know more than I do.)

At any rate, New York's Finest Bakery and Cafe proprietor Salvatore Mangiafreno obviously disagrees with me. 

Every sandwich on the West Covina eatery's menu is named for a New York City attraction or borough - The Bronx, The Staten Island, The Yankee Stadium, The Shea Stadium, The Park Ave., and on and on.

I find this a little too cutesy for my taste. But, let's be honest, a good taste - the kind that really counts at a restaurant - can overpower all sorts of cornball phrases.

That's how I felt ordering "The NYPD" sandwich ($5.50) at New York's Finest. Yes, the sandwich is really called that, and just speaking the name aloud gave me low expectations for it. 

But I was won over by the force - or, more specifically, the ingredients, which piqued my interest from their place on the menu.

Hot capicola, prosciutto, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, lettuce, oil and vinegar. Simple, spicy; I'll take it. I picked the round roll, which is really more of a giant oval, but the sandwiches are also available on 12-inch hero subs.

The pepperoncinis really steal the show here, acting en masse to overpower thick layers of meat with a mild, pleasing, pickled heat.  

The New York Style salad ($5.00) with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze was beyond basic but comprised of fresh ingredients and quite satisfying. It reminded me of something I'd whip up at home to take on a picnic.

New York's Finest has an interesting kind of appeal for a city like West Covina. It's Italian-American deli fare through-and-through, with fresh bread, cookies and pastries baked daily on the premises.

It's the kind of place you stop on the way to work to get a baker's dozen of cannolis for the office.

It's refreshing, light, healthy fare - just don't forget something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

New York's Finest Bakery and Cafe is located at 648 S. Sunset Ave. in West Covina. (626) 814-9900. www.nyfinestbakery.com. 

By Amanda Newfield

We all know that there is no way to dine on a budget at the L.A. County Fair, but the experience and variety are worth paying for.

Deciding what to eat can take all day. And with the usual cotton candy, corn dogs and funnel cakes, the fair offers an overwhelming amount of choices. It's the perfect place to ditch the diet and pig out.

Fish 'n' chips booths are scattered throughout the fairgrounds and the smell of the freshly fried seafood and veggies is alluring.  

On my recent visit, I went for the fish, fries and zucchini plate for $10.50.

The batter was light and not at all overwhelming, while the veggies were fresh and tasty. What surprised me was the large portion I was served. I was able to share the meal and still feel that sense of satisfaction. Those 10 bucks went a long way. 

Another place that offers the fried selections the Fair is famous for is Chicken Charlie's Broasted Chicken.

Also, try the "Totally Fried Veggies," featuring zucchini curls, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and onion strings, for $7.75. The appetizing chicken kabob is $9.75. If you want fries with it, the cost is $12.75.  

But those are just the usual menu items.

Last year, Charlie Boghosian, known as "Chicken Charlie," debuted his Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich.

His creation this year is the "Meat Lover's Ice Cream," featuring soft serve ice cream with chocolate-covered bacon bits.

Also new additions this year are the deep-fried frog legs and the deep-fried peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches. 

Which dessert to try at the Fair is also a difficult decision to make, especially since Colossal Gelato, a gelato ice cream in a 16-inch waffle cone, is new to the Fair this year.

I decided on the $3.75 Fried Twinkie with strawberry syrup drizzled on top from Chicken Charlie.  

This selection was definitely one for those who have a strong sweet tooth. I enjoyed the crispy texture on the outside with the warm, creamy filling on the inside.

No one can miss Juicy's BBQ, which offers whole turkey legs, giant western sausage, burgers and chicken.

The Fair also has fun, reasonably priced meals for kids, and some come with a toy in a Fair collector's box.

For those looking for an elegant air-conditioned dining venue, the Top of The Park restaurant located atop the horse racing grandstand offers a more upscale dining experience.

Enjoy your meal with a view of the Fair; indoor or outdoor seating is available. Top of The Park is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To view the menu or make a reservation call (909) 865-4120.

Any food selection made at the Fair will be a good one. But don't get distracted or overwhelmed, and try as many different foods as possible.

For more information about food at the Fair, visit the Web site at www.lacountyfair.com/2009/attractionscompetitions/fairfood.

I didn't grow up eating at fancy restaurants. The first time I stepped into a Denny's I thought it was fancy because we had to be wait to be seated.

So when I first went into Sizzler and saw it's salad bar I thought I was in heaven. I love creating my own salads and when I was younger I used to eat almost everything in sight. (Can't really do that now that I'm not as active.)

After high school, I really found out what a fancy restaurant really is but I still love having the freedom of creating my own salad every once in a while, so I made a lunch trip to Sizzler in West Covina with some colleagues recently.

I think Sizzler's steaks are decent and I definitely loved when they had all-you-can-eat ribs, but I never tried a cheeseburger there.

I took a chance on it this time since the restaurant chain's promotional commercials of a cheeseburger, side of fries and endless salad bar for only $9.99 had me brainwashed.

I ordered my burger medium raw, I would usually go raw on meat but I didn't want to take that much of a chance this time. The burger comes with your choice of cheese, I went with Swiss, lettuce, tomato and sliced red onion, which is my fave. Of course I like a little kick so I added some steak sauce and jalapenos.

After a cup of clam chowder soup and a nice helping of salad, complete with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and drenched in ranch, I dug into my burger.

The toppings were fresh and the meat was cooked the way I ordered, not too raw or too cooked, but the meat didn't seem to be the best quality of beef used.

I know I'm spoiled because I have a chef at home who makes amazing burgers, any way I want them, but I was dissapointed with the quality at Sizzler. Even Carl's Jr. and Burger King burger patties taste better.

So finally, I will still be going back to Sizzler for the endless salad bar, including frozen yogurt, but I'll stick to other menu items I'm more familiar with like steak and lobster next time.

But since I don't have much room in the belly anymore, the salad bar hits the spot all on its own.

By Eric Terrazas

In these tough economic times, I am always hunting for good food deals.

One offer that caught my eye was Quiznos' Toasty Torpedoes, which cost only $4. On a recent Tuesday, I decided to spend my lunch hour at the Quiznos in Irwindale. 

The Torpedo is a foot long and is served on thin ciabatta bread. Five different Torpedo sandwiches are offered: Italian, pesto turkey, big kahuna tuna, turkey club, and beef, bacon and cheddar.

I decided to try the beef, bacon and cheddar, which featured roast beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce and tomato, mustard and mayonnaise.

When I took my first Torpedo taste, I felt a satisfying feeling from my taste buds. 

I thought the beef, bacon and cheddar version of the Torpedo had a nice mixture of tasty ingredients. The ciabatta bread also enhanced the meal.

Satisfied with my Torpedo experience, I decided to head back to Quiznos the next day. This time, I selected the turkey club Torpedo.

The turkey club consisted of turkey, bacon, mozzarella, chopped lettuce and tomato, mayonnaise and red wine vinaigrette dressing. The red wine vinaigrette dressing gave the sandwich a nice, tangy taste.

The Toasty Torpedoes I haven't yet sampled also sound scrumptious.

Since I'm a longtime fan of tuna sandwiches, I'm probably going to next try the big kahuna tuna, which consists of tuna salad, cheddar cheese, banana peppers, chopped lettuce and tomato, and red wine vinaigrette dressing. I will probably order it without the peppers.

For those with lighter budgets, Quiznos also sells Toasty Bullets, which cost $3.

The five selections available for the Torpedo are also offered for the Bullet, which is a smaller version of the Torpedo.

Quiznos has several locations in the San Gabriel Valley, including: 15660 Arrow Highway in Irwindale, (626) 851-3611; 465 N. Azusa Ave. in West Covina, (626) 732-9836; 14510 Baldwin Park Towne Center in Baldwin Park, (626) 480-0464; 1407 N. Azusa Ave. in Covina, (626) 633-1800.

So here's my final installment in the $5 lunch wars.

For the last battle I thought I would put the tuna sandwiches head to head.

I started with Quiznos Big Kahuna Tuna Torpedo for just $4. I had a coupon for a torpedo meal for $5 so I scored with a bag of chips and soda for just a buck more.

The Big Kahuna Tuna has tuna salad, cheddar cheese, sliced banana peppers, lettuce and chopped tomatoes in a foot-long warm and toasty ciabatta bread.

The tuna salad alone was tasty. I don't know if there was something other than mayonnaise in there but there was some type of seasoning that really brought out the tuna.

The peppers were a perfect addition as well. I sometimes add pepperoncini's or jalapenos to make things spicy but didn't want to ruin the sandwich really so I left them out.

At Subway, I had to get a six-inch tuna sandwich, on wheat bread, because the foot-long was more than my $5 budget.

I thought I would take a cue from Quiznos and keep it simple by just adding a few items on top of the tuna.

What I do like about Subway lately is the toppings menu has expanded. I can now get sliced cucumbers and spinach instead of plain iceburg lettuce. And I can add red wine vinaigrette instead of only having mustard and mayonnaise to choose from. 

I must say I was impressed with the taste. I think mostly because of my combination of ingredients but I must also admit, the couple Subway's I've been to since this little project of mine started have been cleaner and fresher than I last remembered, and the reason I stopped going to Subway.

So I think in total, Quizno's tasty torpedoes and bullets have won the battle for my taste buds and my wallet but Subway was not as far behind as I expected.

But I'm pretty sure the lunch wars are not over yet.

Check out Staff Writer Eric Terraza's own take on Quizno's in Thursday's Highlander edition at www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders.

WHO WON THE BATTLE FOR YOUR TASTE BUDS AND WALLET?

Since it was only $5 for a foot-long for a limited time only, I thought I would give Subway another chance by trying its new Orchard Chicken Salad sandwich.

It's like a Waldorf salad with cubed pieces of cooked chicken, cranberries, raisins, and small pieces of apple. I'm assuming it's all tossed in a mayonnaise sauce but it didn't seem too heavy or thick so that's good.

I'm not a huge fan of cranberries so I must admit I picked them out of my sandwich. The raisins were golden and added a nice sweet flavor without overpowering. If there were apples in there they must have been green ones and soft, because I don't remember any crunchiness.

I had my sandwich on wheat with spinach instead of lettuce and avocado at 60 cents extra per 6 inches. It's not much on the caloric and fat factor either at 340 calories, 7 grams of fat and 6 grams of fiber for six inches.

I must say it was better than I expected and maybe the avocado helped but I just might try this sandwich again. Especially if it's under $5 for the six inches or just $5 for the full foot.

NEXT UP: THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN - TUNA vs TUNA. I love tuna and I will face off Subway's tuna sandwich with Quizno's Big Kahuna Tuna in the final phase of this lunch war.

At only $3 a pop, I tried a few of the five varieties available of Quizno's Bullets, which are the same offerings for the $4 foot-long Torpedoes.

I'm not big on turkey but I thought I would give the Pesto Turkey Bullet a try first.

The sandwich with thin-sliced turkey, red wine vinaigrette, mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, topped with basil pesto and toasted in a ciabatta bread was all snuggled in its own paper sleeve for on-the-go munching.

Perfect for when I eat at my desk while checking emails, messages, etc....

The warm and toasty 8 inches of sandwich was just enough to save room for chips and a drink or if you're feeling really ravenous, another sandwich.

Even though this is the first one I tried, I must say it is my favorite and all because of the pesto.

The fresh ingredients were great but the pesto really brought it all together. I usually like to add some peperoncinis or some of their Batch 81 sauce, which has a nice kick to it, to my sandwiches but the pesto sauce was so flavorful it didn't need anything else and I didn't want to ruin it.

The second variety I tried was the Italian with pepperoni, spicy capicola, ham, mozzarella cheese and red wine vinaigrette, and chopped lettuce and tomatoes.

I liked the spicy capicola and ham, but the vinaigrette didn't impress as much as the pesto did so this seemed like a basic Italian sub.

The next sandwich I tried was the Beef, Bacon and Cheddar with thin sliced roast beef, crispy pieces of bacon, mayonnaise and cheddar.

I liked that there wasn't much mayo in this sandwich because I hate when I have to wipe off excess mayo that's oozing out the side of a sandwich or burger. If anything I would prefer no mayo.

The roast beef and cheddar was nice but it was the crispy bacon, not greasy either, that made this one my next favorite.

There is still a Turkey Club and Big Kahuna Tuna that I will try next, but so far these little bullet-sized sandwiches are worth their $3 price tag.

For a few bucks more you can make it a combo with chips and a drink. 

NEXT TIME: SUBWAY'S $5 FOOTLONGS

I gave Kentucky Fried Chicken a shot first in my exploration of the $5 lunch wars.

First off I was mistaken, I thought the $5 Fill-Up Box came with two pieces of its grilled chicken, a side and biscuit and regular drink, but there are actually quite a few options.

Instead of just two pieces of chicken, you can also choose from five pieces of wings, chicken strips, or a twister wrap.

I went with the five pieces of their version of hot wings, you know the ones without the sauce. The wings themselves were good, not great, I still prefer sauce-drenched hot wings, but they were pretty filling.

I went with a side of potato wedges and barbecue sauce to dip into, but I had maybe a handful and I was full.

Maybe it was the heat but I couldn't eat much, so I would say I definitely got a good deal for my $5.

My growing teenage sister, who has a bigger appetite than me, finished her twister wrap box and said she was happily full, well at least for another hour.

I live right across from a KFC so if I was really hungry and didn't want to drive anywhere I would definitely scrounge up $5 to get myself a meal there, but I can't say I would go out of my way to eat there.

NEXT UP: QUIZNO'S BULLETS.