William "The Professor" C.'s Profile

Just moved to the area and checking things out.  After a trip to IKEA we stopped in.  We actually found a place to park that was only half way across the Mall.  In the future we'll be able to walk, so that won't be an issue.

The staff was extremely friendly right from the front door.  Orders were taken within five minutes, drinks were there a minute later.  This kind of service continued throughout lunch.  My Ball's jar of iced tea couldn't get down below an inch before a new one arrived.

Yeah, kind of a corporate look.  Very different, but the same as, Famous Dave's and others.  If you worry a lot about the "authenticity" factor, I suggest you drive up La Cienega to JR's Barbeque.  You'll get all the atmosphere you want and their BBQ is quite good.  I will say:  a great selection of blues playing all the time.

But back to Lucille's.  We had read that the lunch was a good deal so we both ordered lunch specials.  Large amounts of food and we took half home with us.  I would say for average appetites, two people could order the lunch patter and an extra side with biscuits and be filled up.  At least that would work for us, but maybe we've been dieting so long that it's altered our perception.

...and?  What about the barbeque?  Very good taste, everything very tender.  I tried the pulled pork, tri-tip, back ribs and a hot link.  Everything was great.  I also gave all of their sauces a try and really liked the Memphis sauce with the pork.  Yellowish and mustardy; not exactly Carolina, but going in that direction.

Also very good:  biscuits, mac and cheese, cheese grits and potato salad.

We will be back, maybe even for dinner.

Gotta say, the new Asian Elephants exhibit is just perfect.  We're both big Billy fans, but we're getting to know Tina and Jewel.  We know all the birds in the Aviarys and we adore any pigs, as in babirusa and red river hogs.

The membership is the best value around.  We spend an afternoon every few weeks, so we're paying about a dollar a visit.

Reggie's Bistro is at the LA Zoo, right across from Reggie the Alligator.  This is probably for fellow Zoo Members, but I thought that Reggie's deserves it's own listing.

If you're not a Zoo Member, go do it now.  This is the best value in LA, and a great place for a walk on the weekend.

Reggie's recently re-opened after a major upgrade.  I used to drop in there for coffee in the morning, then they were closed for months.  What came out was way better.  We tried a blue cheese burger and a side of Thai coleslaw.  The burger was huge and quite good.  The coleslaw was amazing.  Next time out we'll be trying the Salmon and a few more of the sides.

Prices are a bit high, but for us it's just another donation to the Zoo.  Plus, we feel like we should reward them for doing this right.  Having something more available at the Zoo beyond popcorn and churros is worth supporting.

Yeah, I know.  I feel the same way.  Fatburger is right across the street.  Big, fabulous burgers for a couple of bucks.  Unami just seemed like another example of everything that's going wrong with Los Feliz...at least on the Vermont side.

Well, we did try it and we were impressed.  Had both the Unami Burger and the Stilton Burger.  Beautifully prepared with lovely ingredients, but it's the meat that makes the difference.  Both burgers were exactly medium-rare and full of meaty taste.  Also had Sweet Potato Fries which came with a ketchup that seemed to be made on the premises.  Not a taste you run into every day.

Portions will be an issue, an extension of the price issue for some folks.  You are paying a premium for a tiny little burger.  For me it was worth it.  YMMV.

This few blocks are doing very well lately.  Arty without being trendy (trendy in a Westside sort of way, IYKWIM).  I had some fears about this place, but now I've put them aside.  Plus, Unami Burger is much better than the Cobras and Whatever place that was there before.

11-2011:  New owners have come in and doubled the prices.  Please ignore my former recommendation.

Every other week we get to the Super King.  We try to get in before 10am, but no matter when you get there - it's going to be crowded.  Parking is the first issue.  Just drive out to the end rows and wait...and wait.  Getting past that hurdle, if you bring a basket inside, you'll spend most of your time guiding it through narrow aisles and keeping collisions down to a minimum.  Hint...don't park it near the Deli, park it in the rice/pasta aisle :)

Prices are very low.  Produce is fabulous.  The exact opposite of Gelson's , where they spent a fortune on the lighting for little piles of perfectly tasteless oranges and lettuce.  Deli and meat counters are a long wait, but worth it.

Selection is the best part:  Asian, Middle Eastern, Central American; vegetables I've never seen before, an entire aisle of rice, twenty different versions of Feta...the list goes on.

I see that it's well regarded.  I will say:  don't go there if you're claustrophobic and/or agoraphobic (which, IIRC, means "fear of the Marketplace" from the latin).  This is a crowded and fast moving place!

Just dropped in after shopping at the Super King.  Have I ever reviewed the Super King?  Maybe next.

Now, I'm just coming from a pan-island festival in Las Vegas and the Samoa Day festivities in Carson.  I had a lot of this sort of thing and I guess it's a matter of taste.  If you like spam and macaroni salad, you'll be fine.  I think someone mentioned that you can get tired of this food quickly, and that's true for me.  I enjoyed this visit, but I won't be in the mood again for months.

The BBQ combo was more than I could eat.  It was all very good, with the exception of the chicken, which was just OK.  Pork and Beef are great.  Next time around, Pork only!

We had to go to Aaron Bros. and decided to head into Thai Town for dinner.  Lots of other Thai choices on the block (of course) but Ord didn't look too crowded and it did look...well...kind of cute and inviting.

Service was quick, had water and tea in a flash.  We ordered noodles with Beef and Asparagus and Crispy Pork.  That was out quickly too.

Food was very good.  The waitress brought out some special hot sauce which my Wife went for immediately.  How a Northern German can go for hot, hot, hot, I will never know.  If you're like me, on the other hand, order the Crispy Pork mild.  Even the medium had my tongue burning.

I should mention cheap, as in inexpensive.  We had two excellent meals for $14.  Yee haw!

Just reinforcing what everyone else has said.  If you've ever tried to get some help at Home Depot, you'll feel the difference instantly at Baller.

They've got an amazing lot of everything crammed into that tiny building and the staff knows about all of it.  I just hope they can stay in business through these times.

Art Supply across the street is also wonderful.  Check it out.

When I get tired of Dos Burritos, Macho's Tacos and El Gran Burrito, this is where I go.  Just slightly out of my Los Feliz 'hood.

I will say, up front:  if you want to go to a busy place and drink pitchers of Margaritas, try Mexico City on Hillhurst.  Not my sort of thing, but maybe yours.

La Cita is really a breakfast or lunch thing.  Cheap little plastic tables outside under the lime trees.  Not fancy, but exactly the backyard I'd like to have.

Now the food is not exceptional, just good.  I go for the Chorizo con Huevos before noon, enchiladas after noon.  The wife is in love with the tostadas.  She's a salad lover from way back.  Once she found out what a tostada was it became her only choice.

The wait staff (what there is of it) is quite friendly, always refilling my ice teas and pretending that my Spanish is comprehensible.  The price is right.  It's kind of like visiting your friends in Mexico and hanging out in their backyard.