Recently in Burgers Category

I've professed my love for Carl's Jr's Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar burgers before - for a fast food burger, the patty is juicy, the guacamole tastes fresh complete with little chunks of tomato and cilantro, the chipotle spread instead of mayo and red onion, my favorite - it's delicious!
As much as I love that burger, I admit it can be much. I either can't finish the whole thing at once or can't move after I'm done and that does not include fries and a drink.

So when I saw the chain's new turkey burgers had a guacamole version, I gave in and needed to try it. I don't believe I ever had a turkey burger before. Actually, having turkey any time other than Thanksgiving is pretty rare for me - I'm all about the pork and beef.
But I was drawn by the fact that Carl's version is supposed to be under 500 calories and I can still enjoy the guacamole.

When I unwrapped my Turkey Guacamole burger ($3.99), it was already smaller than the six dollar burger. There was plenty of guacamole that for a second, I couldn't see the turkey patty. With the first bite, I was impressed with the texture of the patty, it wasn't too weird and it didn't have a strong taste, letting the guacamole and chipotle spread take care of that part.

I finished the burger pretty quick, for me that is, and happily I was not in a food coma. It was satisfying and a feeling of food guilt didn't follow.
I do have a few suggestions though for Carl's Jr store #7393 in Covina - I'm all for not wasting produce, including lettuce, but I would like some green in my lettuce and please don't be so stingy on the tomato or onion.

So the folks at Santa Anita got the message loud and clear about the madness that was the first Food Truck Festival held in February, (see my previous post.)
A separate admission into the festival, 23 trucks, ridiculously long lines, trucks running out of food - there was reportedly 10,000 folks in the festival alone - not the greatest start.
Now, with Food Truck Festival II being held this Saturday, April 2, they hope to make it up to foodies by not having a separate admission fee - yes, just $5 gets you into the park and the infield where the festival will be held - and featuring more than 80 food trucks.
I have to admit, I'm a little skeptical. No separate admission can mean there may be way more people trying to get at least one taste of these gourmet food offerings and there will be some trucks who will be more popular than others, no matter how many are offered.
For me, the idea of a food truck festival is great because one has the opportunity to try more than one truck in one place versus driving around all over SoCal - it's a one stop shop!
But when there are long wait times and that doesn't happen, it makes me just want to give up and resort to just following a few fav trucks.
I don't think I've been to a festival yet that features over 80 trucks, so guess I'll wait and see until after how it all went.
For more info on the festival and a full list of trucks, visit http://www.santaanita.com/specialevent/2011/food-truck-festival-ii
I will not be able to attend, but if anyone out there knows how it went, or has pictures - let me know. Meanwhile, check out below what's new in the food truck world.

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Forget drive-throughs, food trucks and pop-ups are practically bringing gourmet truck and other delicious food to your front door. But for those who still like the sit-down dinner night out, Breadbar presents the Hatchi Truck Stop.
For one night a month for the rest of 2011, a new guest truck will be cooking up a specialty menu of 8 items for $8 a pop at the bakery and pastry shop's kitchen in Century City. Yes, inside. No eating in your car or outside the truck (unless you have leftovers after.)
Kicking off the series tonight, March 31, is Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race" winner, Grill 'Em All.
Reservations are essential for all series dinners, served from 6 to 10 p.m., with a minimum purchase of $32 per guest.
Last check in by the Grill 'Em All team is some spots opened up for tonight's event which will feature heavy-metal inspired cuisines such as Molson Beer and Cheese Soup with Frisée, Lardons, and a Bacon Vinaigrette; "Behemoth Style" Meatballs with BBQ Sauce, Bacon, Smoked Cheddar, and Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings; Duck Confit Poutine with Wisconsin Cheese Curds and Rosemary; and Peanut Butter and Jelly Three Ways-Canapé and more. Microbrews from Humboldt County's Lost Coast Brewery will be offered along with the menu.
Call 310-277-3770 to see if you can snag a table tonight, or for any future series events which includes "The Great Food Truck Race" runner-ups, Nom Nom Truck, Frysmith and more. Visit www.breadbar.net for the full list of trucks and more details.
Breadbar is at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

HERE ARE TWO EVENTS THIS WEEKEND, NO FOODIE WOULD WANT TO MISS:

L.A. STREET FOOD FEST

Of course, I would have to be out of town when one of the largest foodie events in L.A.is set to take place. Good for them because I would actually wait overnight to be the first to hit up each truck and I would be all over seconds and thirds at each truck like Winnie the Pooh to honey.

But if you'll be in town and looking to splurge on that summer diet and workout routine, make some rounds at the second L.A Street Food Fest taking place this Saturday, July 24, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (1001 Rose Bowl Drive, off North Arroyo Blvd.)

More than 60 mobile food truck vendors from eateries, restaurants, celeb chefs and classic carts will park it outside the bowl while vendor booths sit under tents inside.
What will be offered? The question is really, what won't be offered.

Everything from breakfast at Monsieur Egg to dessert from Cool Haus and Sweet Lucie's. There will also be open bars and beer gardens for tequila and mezcal tastings, and specialty juices and cocktails.

Presale tickets are limited and only available online. No at-door sales. Tickets are $45 per person and is all inclusive, as much as you can handle. The last food fest included long lines for some foodie favorites so be sure to get there early if you want to make a couple rounds at your favorite truck or vendor..

For more information and tickets, visit www.lastreetfoodfest.com.

Read about how some vendors are preparing in Staff Writer Brian Charles' story.

 

YOGA FOR FOODIES

David Romanelli (aka Yeah Dave) is bringing his Yoga for Foodies to Los Angeles. Yoga for Foodies is a national tour  where at each stop, David collaborates with local chefs to create an unforgettable foodie experience.

On July 25, Dave will be pairing up with Akasha Richmond, chef founder of the critically acclaimed Culver City-based Akasha Restaurant, Bar, Bakery.

During the event, the morning will begin with David's flowing yoga class whose message and music will emphasize a more sustainable pace.

Following yoga while participants are relaxed and in the moment, Akasha will lead a guided tasting inspired by her years of cooking for and studying with Yogi Bhajan, and how his teachings influenced her style of cooking. Akasha began her professional career at Yogi Bhajan's Golden Temple Conscious Cookery, a now defunct but once popular vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles.

Menu highlights include: giner-mint lemonade and organic mango lassi; local farm egg and goat cheese frittata with spinach and caramelized onions; cumin and coriander spiced lamb sausage; grilled tandoori vegetable salad with coleman farms greens, white corn, zucchini, red peppers, and chutney dressing; punjabi focaccia with holy basil pesto, heirloom tomatoes, grilled eggplant, fresh paneer; fresh baked blackberry coffee cake, peach scones, and housemade preserves.

Yoga for Foodies will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $54. Reservations are required.
Akasha Restaurant, Bar, Bakery is at 9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City. For more information, call (310) 845-1700.

I've always enjoyed street food and taco trucks, despite the bad rep they had for many years. Now, thanks to the Kogi BBQ truck, it seems it's cool to enjoy lunch or dinner from a food truck.

I've honestly been very interested to go try some of the new food truck varieties that are popping up everywhere, but obviously not enough to follow them all over Los Angeles County. Then came the "festivals" where armies of food trucks get together.

I hadn't had a chance to make it to one of these until Tuesday. I finally made a date with my best friend and we headed to the Street Feast at the Americana at Brand.

It was my first time at the Americana, the indoor/outdoor mall adjacent to the Glendale Galleria. I liked the open space in the middle of this retail/residential community. There's a fountain, grass you can relax on, and plenty of casual and fine dining around.

On this Tuesday night, there was a good crowd that were settled on the grass. I thought they were either taking a retail break or just enjoying some of the food they had picked up at one of the nine food trucks at the feast, and then I spotted a flat screen that drew their full attention - game 6 of the Lakers/Celtics basketball playoffs - Ah! I guess there was no need to decide between the Street Feast and playoffs.

I checked the score early in the game and then went back to business. There was no map, so my feast partner and I walked around the perimeter of the inside of the Americana to scope out what each of the food trucks had to offer and spot the ones we were most interested in - The Grilled Cheese Truck and The Flying Pig.

The other food trucks were Coolhaus, mainly dessert; The Buttermilk Truck, breakfast-time and dessert; Mandoline Grill, curry and noodles; Worldfare; Patty Wagon; Comfort Truck; and Vizzi.

Almost every truck already had a good long line of people eager for service. The Grilled Cheese Truck seemed to be the winner though. It looked like there was about 15 to 20 people in line, relatively short, but when I tried to step into the back of the line, an Americana "ambassador" politely asked if I was looking for the Grilled Cheese truck line, which I was so he patiently pointed to a line that wrapped around one of the stores to the actual end of the line with about 40 more people waiting. I apparently tried to step in at a traffic break and cut the line. Oops.

Knowing we would not be able to wait in line patiently, and our stomachs already grumbling, we decided to find a smaller line to grab something quicker and smaller while we take our chances waiting at the Flying Pig line, which also looked like it would be a good wait.

Some local restaurants were serving up mac and cheese and salad plates and sliders. We each grabbed a quick slider and headed to the Flying Pig line. Again an ambassador approached us and asked if we had ordered yet, we hadn't so he directed us to the front to order.

The Flying Pig menu on a small stand outside had a selection of tacos and drinks, we found out later the menu directly on the truck had more of a selection.

The pork belly taco and spiced pork taco piqued my interest but alas the attendant regrettably informed me they were out of spiced pork, so I went with the tamarind duck taco instead.

There was no line to order but then we had to head back to the end of the 20-something-people-long line, which was not much compared to others.

Fifteen minutes and one slider later, we had barely moved one person up in the line. After almost 30 minutes and only one more move up, we overheard the ambassador was beginning to tell people wishing to get in line or to order, that the Flying Pig had stopped taking orders since they were having problems with one of their "ovens" (maybe he meant grills, I hoped those ordering carne asada tacos were not getting oven-cooked asada - weird.)

Seeing the occasional plate of tacos being served, we remained hopeful we would get the tacos we paid for - eventually.

According to their website, "The Flying Pig truck has hit the streets featuring the perfect blend of Asian & Pacific Rim flavors with French technique." The tamarind duck was a great example of that combination. It featured duck confit with pickled red beets, toasted almonds, radish sprouts, mandarin orange, and tamarind gravy.

The pork belly taco features braised pork belly with red onion escabeche, pickled sesame cucumber, and death sauce.

After learning of the "oven" trouble, I decided to take a chance on the Mandoline Grill which seemed to have many people coming away with food pretty quickly, and some tasty smells were coming from that direction. I went ahead and waited in the grill line to order while my friend stayed in line at the pig truck.

In 15 minutes, I had one 12" grilled pork and one 12" grilled beef banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette sandwich ($6 each). I headed back to the taco line and had a few nibbles of the sandwich as we were quickly approaching the end of the line.

After over an hour wait, we finally got our tacos - priced between $2.75 and $3.25 each - and although I wasn't as hungry as before, these definitely were worth the wait. I was only sorry I hadn't ordered the limit of five items to begin with.

The pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth awesome, soft but not greasy. The sesame cucumber and sauce complemented it well without overwhelming the natural taste of this little piggy. The sauce was a kind of chili sauce with a bit of a kick but I still have no clue why it's called the "death" sauce. It wasn't that hot. There was Sriracha, or rooster, sauce available to add. I passed.

This would be my first time tasting duck, in any way, but my friend was excited about it so I imagined it wasn't as odd as it sounded to me. The beets and small orange slices were a nice start. When I finally bit into the duck, it was moist and tender. Surprisingly, it reminded me of shredded beef and not like its cousin, the chicken, but not as fatty either.

Yes, these tacos were worth the wait but I don't know if I'll do it again. I will be more prepared next time, arriving a lot earlier, getting a large group together and planning out a strategy of who to send out to wait at different trucks, all mission-impossible style.

A mission I could definitely practice at the next L.A. Street Food Fest to be featured at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 24. But sadly, I will be out on other adventures that weekend and will have to hold off on that rescue plan. Next time Gadget, next time.

Check out details for the L.A. Street Food Fest at their website or here on our Rose magazine blog.

Even though I knew it may disappoint, I gave Carl's Jr's new Grilled Cheese Burger a try anyway.

There are four ways to get the sandwich - single burger, double burger, six-dollar burger size or vegetarian with no burger or bacon - starting at $2.49 and up.

I thought I would try it the way they advertised it - with a single burger patty. It was exactly what I thought it would be - see my rant here.

It wasn't horrible but it was definitely not a grilled cheese sandwich. Carl's Jr. burger patties are generally good and the bacon is tasty, the cheese was plenty and tasty, but the sourdough bread was not the buttered and grilled toast we love about having a grill cheese sandwich. It didn't even taste freshly grilled.

Again, it wasn't a terrible burger or sandwich, but I don't think it was anything spectacular and I definitely wouldn't call it a grilled cheese.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE CARL'S GRILLED CHEESE BURGER?

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR FAVORITE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH?

Of all the fast-food choices out there, Carl's Jr. is one of my top choices if I want to grab something tasty to go.

But their new menu item had me excited and then disappointed all in one commercial.

I love grilled cheese sandwiches - they're so tasty, buttery, and cheesy. Simple but they can hit the spot perfectly every time.

So when I saw the commercial about Carl's new "grilled cheese," I was ready to go out and try one until I realized their "grilled cheese" is just another big Carl cheese burger with bacon and extra cheese on sourdough bread.

Not to insult either fast-food chain restaurants but I would call it a Sourdough Jack with bacon and extra, extra cheese.

Saying they want to give their customers that comfort food they crave, the fast-food chain's newest creation started out as a menu item for vegetarian customers but instead created Carl's Jr. Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger - a charbroiled burger patty, bacon, four slices of melted American and Swiss cheeses in between grilled sourdough buns.

Though the vegetarian is also available, I wish they could have just given this new burger another name so as not to confuse (and excite) customers for no reason.

I have not tried the "grilled cheese" yet but not sure if I want to - I could just go order a grill cheese from my local Rick's.

WHAT'S YOUR TAKE? REAL GRILLED CHEESE OR JUST ANOTHER CHEESY BURGER?

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.

Whether it's because of the current economic downturn or more people favoring smaller meals to super-sized ones, many fast-food chains are adding smaller, quick and less-pricier items to their menus.

MINI MANIA

To add to their mini-sirloin burger craze, Jack in the Box has now added mini buffalo ranch chicken sandwiches - mini Homestyle chicken fillets topped with Frank's® RedHot® sauce, ranch sauce and shredded lettuce on toasted mini buns.

I love buffalo sauce so these are on my list to try. I already love the mini-sirloin burgers, with a nice juicy thick mini sirloin patty, slice of cheese, grilled onions all sandwiched between two mini sweet buns.

 

These are definitely not super-sized, but these three fill me up just fine. These mini's start at $3.89 plus tax, for three burgers or sandwiches alone.

 

SLIDER SENSATIONS

Moving on from their not-so-difficult fight with KFC and their new grilled chicken, El Pollo Loco is adding more items to their tasty menu such as their new chicken sliders, chicken carnitas tacos, and bringing back barbecue chicken for a limited time.

I recently took a chance on their sliders which come in three ways - bbq, original and spicy all on a mini telera roll - and start at 99 cents each, plus tax.

The original and spicy come with lettuce and either a chipotle spicy sauce or a cool mayonaisse, and a breaded, crunchy, fried chicken patty.

The barbecue is shredded pieces of their flame-grilled chicken smothered in a slightly tangy barbecue sauce with coleslaw.

 

I only tried the spicy and the bbq and they were pretty tasty for how small they were, but they're not very fillin. Even after three I was still hungry. They should also still be a little careful when shredding the pieces of chicken for the barbecue - I bit into a small piece of bone in my slider.

Maybe they'll try mini shakes and wings next.

Now that we've touched a little on bringing lunch from home in 'Brown bagging it', let's talk about value menus.

With many people tightening their wallets, restaurants and fast food joints seem to be trying anything to get you to part with your money in increments of $1, $5 and $10 at some places, thinking that we'll believe it's a great deal if it's on the value menu or the special of the day.

I like the new Sizzler commercial about getting great values that include chicken, steak and fish dinners, and the salad bar, all starting at $9.99. That's the catch right there - starting at. I like Sizzler on occasion, if I'm in the mood to create my own monstorous salad my way, but I wouldn't say it's always a great value for what they have. Sometimes the meat or chicken can be a little plain and dry, and adding a drink or any sides brings your total lunch to about $15 or more.

Not necessarily value.

And I don't know what it is, but I got over Subway sandwiches about a year ago. Maybe it's the fact that I know I can get a better tasting, fresh sandwich at a small family-owned little shop for less than $5 - AND I get a drink and chips.

So when they try to tempt me with their $5 foot long specials, I am not enticed at all.

It seems that almost every fast-food place has a value menu now, even Pick Up Stix - go figure.

Here are my top 5 favorite value menus:

1. Wendy's - Can you say baked potato, chili cup, original frosty, jr. bacon cheeseburger - all for about $1 each?? Now that is value.   

2. Taco Bell - I can definitely fill up for $5 here with choices from soft and crunchy tacos, burritos, nachos and more. 

3. Jack In the Box - Make your own combo meal with choices of two regular tacos for $1, small fries, egg rolls, a good old classic Jumbo Jack and more.

4. Burger King - I must admit I'm not always tempted by new items the King has, but I like that their value menu has plenty of classic items like the Whopper and Whopper Jr., as well as new like the Spicy Chick'N Crisp sandwich, AND even breakfast items - score. 

5. Carl's Jr. - I love Carl's Six-Dollar burgers, as I have mentioned before, and the taco salad is pretty good too. But as far as a value menu, the only thing I enjoy there is the spicy chicken sandwich. It's delicious but a little plain - there are a few Carl's locations that will add tomato and/or lettuce for free, but others will charge an extra fee - ridiculous.

 

TELL ME WHAT YOUR TOP 5 ARE BELOW.

 

By Eric Terrazas

When I first heard the news that Bob's Big Boy was going to open a restaurant in West Covina, I couldn't help but smile.

I haven't visited a Bob's Big Boy in many years. The last time I tasted a delicious Bob's burger was in the early 1980s.

On a recent afternoon, I decided to check out the new Bob's Big Boy in West Covina. I ordered the Big Boy Combination, a burger that consists of two patties, American cheese, lettuce and red relish sauce.

The meal also comes with French fries and cole slaw. For $1.99 more, you can substitute the fries for onion rings. I decided to order the onion rings even though it cost me the extra cash.

When my food arrived, the burger did not disappoint. The burger tasted delicious, just like I remembered it. Adding to the burger's scrumptious taste was the red relish sauce.

The onion rings, which are hand-breaded, and cole slaw also tempted my taste buds. Overall, it made for a good meal.

On my next visit to Bob's Big Boy, I plan to come with a bigger appetite. That way I could try their dessert menu.

Bob's dessert offerings look rather tasty. The selections that most caught my eye were the hot fudge ice cream cake, the banana split and the Big Boy Super Shakes.

The dessert menu also includes pies and pastries. I received a good look at some of Bob's pies while waiting in the cashier's line. I wouldn't mind trying their pies as well.

I'm also curious about Bob's half-pound burgers. As a longtime bacon burger aficionado, the Big Cheese and Bacon burger is something I especially want to try.

If you're a morning person, you would be happy to know that Bob's also offers a nice-sized breakfast menu that includes pancakes, eggs, waffles and French toast.

As a longtime fan of hamburgers, I'm happy to see that Bob's Big Boy has opened in West Covina. I plan to take my family there one of these days. I think they will be happy customers.

Bob's Big Boy is located at 100A S. California Ave., West Covina. For information, call (626) 851-2627.

By Eric Terrazas

I never shy away from a good hamburger.

Over the years, I have eaten at many different burger joints. And on a recent afternoon, I made my first visit to Victor's Villa in West Covina.

I decided to order the quarter-pound cheeseburger along with a side of onion rings. The burger cost me $3.15 while the onion rings are priced at $3.19.

After taking my first bite, I was impressed with the burger's fresh and tender taste. My cheeseburger came with lettuce, tomato and thousand island dressing, which all added to the burger's goodness.

 

The onion rings also did not disappoint. They especially tasted good after I added ketchup. All in all, it made for a nice lunch.

If you are not a fan of cheese, a quarter-pound hamburger is available for $2.85.

The Victor's Villa menu should also delight bacon and chili lovers. For $3.20, you can order the quarter-pound chili burger. If you're in the mood for bacon, the quarter-pound bacon burger can be had for $3.99.

Since I'm a fan of both bacon and chili, I would be willing to try the Victor's Villa take on both the chili and bacon burger.

For those with slightly bigger appetites, the quarter-pound Onasis Special burger is available for $4.85.

Victor's Villa also offers a good Mexican food selection. For $2.99, you can order a taco asada. Burritos, taquitos and quesadillas are also offered.

Several different sandwiches are also on Victor's menu. Selections feature pastrami, rib-eye steak, chicken breast, roast beef, turkey breast, fish, tuna, club and patty melt.

In addition to the onion rings, other side orders offered include fries, hot dogs, zucchini, corn dogs, rice and beans.

Patrons with hearty appetites can check out the dinner plates, which come with salad, fries, onion rings, zucchini and garlic bread. Dinner selections include the New York steak, pork chops, rib-eye steak, fried chicken, shrimp, fish and pastrami.

Victor's Villa also serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon. Selections include pancakes, omelettes, eggs, steak, chorizo, sandwiches and burritos.

Victor's Villa is located at 2201 W. Francisquito Ave. in West Covina. For information, call (626) 338-1129.

By Daniel Fritz, Staff Writer

The unassuming red, white and brick building on the corner of Ramona Boulevard and Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park is the home of Stars Burgers.

While the venue may be a bit harsh on the eyes, customers' undoubtedly happy palate will most likely forgive the visual shortcomings of what is essentially a hotdog stand.

On first glance, it appears Stars Burgers only has outside seating, however, there is a small inside seating area attached to the building. There's even a few prehistoric arcade machines inside.

However, the restaurant makes sure to cater to the diverse Baldwin Park demographic by not just sticking to one food genre.

Stars Burgers has a huge menu, ranging from hotdogs to Mexican food to all sorts of sandwiches. The marquee even states that "Shish-k-Babs" are sold, however upon further inspection, they're no longer on the menu.

Not only is the menu far-reaching, but the vast operating hours make Stars Burgers a place where, if one were so inclined, one could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They're open from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

There's even a few breakfast specials, like the two pieces of bacon or sausage, two eggs, hash browns and toast combo for $3.05. Several lunch combos exist as well, none of which will set you back more than $5.

In fact, pretty much everything on the menu ranges between $2 and $5.

During my visit, I had a hamburger and a hotdog for $4.87, and took a seat at a patio table outside.

While the dining experience was pretty much what you'd expect from sitting on a corner in Baldwin Park (I had a woman try to sell me Chicklets while I was eating and a pigeon got a little too friendly), it was enjoyable nonetheless.

The hotdog, which came loaded with onions and mustard, was clearly of the footlong variety as it had outgrown the bun.

The hamburger came medium well (I wasn't given an option) and was tender and juicy. Thousand island dressing and shredded lettuce came standard on this one.

Both were satisfying, and I cleared my plastic basket from the table feeling heavy in the stomach and light in the wallet.

Stars Burgers is located at 14351 Ramona Blvd. in Baldwin Park. For information call (626) 337-7777.

daniel.fritz@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2201

Dining on a budget:

I walked into the Canadian Cafe in Monrovia ready to take all of Canada they were willing to throw at me.

The amount of time I've spent in Canada doesn't even add up to 20 minutes - the time it took to walk back and forth over The Falls. So I decided to do a bit of culinary research on America's neighbors to the north.

In addition to the many varieties of fish, shellfish, and other seafood to be found, Quebec is known for its cheese; Ontario, its maple syrup; and in Newfoundland, seal flippers, cod tongues, moose, caribou and venison are among the delicacies.

I didn't find any of these on the Canadian Cafe's menu - unless they have an In-N-Out -styled secret menu - so I decided to piece together the most Canadian meal I could.