The Vicious Caliente Dog

Today, as always, I asked Willy at Vicious Dogs what was new. He told me the Caliente dog. I scoffed, slightly, saying no, I've already had the Cliente Dog. He was patient. "You haven't had this Caliente Dog."

Clearly my choice for lunch had been made.

A smoked andouille sausage, grilled onions, peppers, and baked beans, topped with mozzarella and (I'm guessing) American cheese. I ordered it spicy, which included their lite green hornet sauce, which indeed stung a bit, but with a good amount of heat. About $6 for the dog, $2 more for the fries.

Corner Cottage Cheeseburger

Corner Cottage Cheeseburger, originally uploaded by ~db~.

The Corner Cottage is a Burbank favorite and famous for its breakfast burrito. I was too late for one of those, so got a cheeseburger instead. Simple but real good. Fresh veggies, properly cooked meat and a soft, tasty bun. Also, it's smaller than many burgers, which I like since I can better stuff the thing in my mouth and get a good bite. About $3.

Vicious Chicago Dog

Vicious Chicago Dog, originally uploaded by ~db~.

Now this is a hot dog. Simply outstanding. Exactly what I'd expect if I went to the Windy City and ordered one there, complete with neon green relish and Vienna dog. With this, along with the Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa I had a couple weeks ago, Vicious Dogs has quickly risen to the top of my list when it comes to hot dogs. About $4.

Shadow Goes To The Vet

Shadow Goes To The Vet, originally uploaded by ~db~.

It was stressful for us all.

Phil's Diner Cheeseburger

Phil's Diner Cheeseburger, originally uploaded by ~db~.

An excellent burger and awesome onion rings, $8.50.

Opened in the 1920's, the original Phil's Diner was set up in a small train car located on Chandler Blvd, a few blocks from where it is located now. During the early '80's I'd eat there regularly, usually having the Idiot's Mish-Mosh (eggs and potatoes and a whole bunch of other stuff). The place was always packed, and its small size meant you got up close and personal with your hungry neighbors. At the time the place was decidedly not some trendy eatery, with great gobs of goo coating the single exhaust fan behind the flattop. But it was a local landmark. During that era, "Phil" was an Asian man who's attitude provided half the reason I'd want eat there.

The place was closed down in the 90's and the train car languished in disrepair. Thankfully its been rescued and moved a couple of blocks to its current location on Lankershim in the NoHo Arts District. Opened in April, the new owners have cleaned it up, added a proper hood over the cooking area and a few tables outside. Voila, a trendy neighborhood eatery! The inside it still tiny, with so little room behind the counter that two people can only pass each other with great difficultly. Of course that makes it fun to watch.

The food itself was pretty excellent. The burger bun is as good as it looks, and the onion rings were fantastic. The service was a bit slow, especially since it wasn't very busy, but was very friendly. Even though it's been opened only a couple months, it's clear the place now a part of the neighborhood, with customers being greeted by first name and stories of home life being exchanged while their order is being prepared. Really glad it's back, even if it's more a re-creation rather than the actual original.

Oh, and yes they still serve the Idiot's Mish-Mosh.

City of Angels

City of Angels, originally uploaded by ~db~.

Hidden Kingdom

Hidden Kingdom, originally uploaded by ~db~.

The alley behind my home.

Movie of the Year

Booboo Kills Yogi by Edmund Earle

Room 700

Room 700, originally uploaded by ~db~.

Brewery Art Colony

la frida

la frida, originally uploaded by ~db~.

A beautiful piece on the side of a Oaxacan restaurant at Wilton and Melrose in Hollywood.

I've been there.

"My girlfriend's run off with my car,
And gone back to her ma and pa,
Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty."

Burbank AMC IMAX Ripping Off Patrons?

The AMC theater in Burbank charges $5 extra to see an "IMAX" version of movies such as Star Trek. But, according to Aziz Ansari, it's a total rip-off. He suggests the theater should be boycotted for what he sees as a misleading promotion. From what I read, I'm sure glad I didn't pay the extra fee.

Boycott Kellogg's

From Raw Story:

Pot activists aren't taking Kellogg's very public snub of Olympic champion Michael Phelps lightly: four national organizations are calling for a boycott of all the cereal and snack company's products – and asking their members to contact Kellogg with complaints.

Cop Prevents Cat Rescue

A Phoenix man is claiming his neighbor, a police officer, prevented anyone from rescuing his cat, which had climbed into the cop's tree. It took 9 days before fellow police officers went to the house and were able to get the pet out of the tree.