UnHip LA

I got the Greek salad from Fresh and Easy and it was very disappointing - just some hacked up leaves thrown haphazardly in a container. (Trader Joe’s has much better salad presentation.) The leaves did not remain fresh for longer than a day despite the freshness date on the package.  Is this because Fresh and Easy does not use preservatives, artificial flavorings and colorings?  Has anyone else received limp, brown lettuce from this place?  This is the second time I’ve brought home salad from them and saw it turn brown within a day.

Anyhow and regardless of my disappointment with F&E, I still find myself drawn to the place and buying chocolate chip granola bars from them.

The Fresh & Easy website says that the Alhambra location of this budget grocery chain will open January 14th.  I’m curious about this British-owned market, which seems to be a cross of Trader Joes and Aldi markets.  Supposedly Fresh & Easy has fresh foods at low prices and a happening ready-made aisle.  We shall see!  I did stop very quickly at a Fresh & Easy in Escondido around 10 pm when the prices on sandwiches and salads were being reduced to a dollar.  I will reserve judgment on the sandwiches until I try more of Fresh & Easy’s goods.  A website criticizing Fresh & Easy says it is owned by the "Wal-mart of Britain."  In these tough times, I don’t think those words are a deterrent.

Fresh & Easy

MAIN ST & RAYMOND AVE
2121 W Main Street, Suite 300
Alhambra, CA 91801

*** UPDATE ***  For my review of my first Fresh & Easy visit, click here.

According to the Orange County Register’s Fast Food Maven Blog:

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is giving out free 12-oz. drinks on Tuesday evening. And, unlike the Starbucks Election Day freebie, Coffee Bean is handing out more than just free java.

Coffee Bean said it will serve these drinks for free: Holiday Blend coffee; Winter Dream Tea and Tea Lattes; Peppermint Ice Blended drinks and Lattes; and Espresso Mint Chip Ice Blended.

The freebie is being offered to kick off the holidays. The giveaway is valid Tuesday (Nov. 11) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Coffee Bean locations

Sounds like a Winter Wonderland of drinks! 

 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted in the Salad Spotting category.  I just found about this great-sounding deal at Whole Foods - $7.99 for a make your own salad.  Normally the Whole Foods salad bar can run your bill if you’re not careful with how many heavy tomatoes you throw in, but it looks like the store is dropping the ounce restriction on their salads.  I’ll have to investigate.  But for now here’s the verbage from Whole Foods:

Every Day

Create Your Own Salad

10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

We’re taking salads to a whole new level! Create your own Grilled Steak Salad, Grilled Chicken Breast Salad, Grilled "Gardein" Chicken Salad, or Grilled Tofu Salad.

• Choose Your Lettuce: Romaine Lettuce, Mixed Baby Greens, Iceberg, Spinach
• Choose Your Toppings: Croutons, Shredded Carrots, Grilled Vegetables, Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes, Sliced Olives, Broccoli, Onions, Hard Boiled Eggs, Mushrooms, Feta Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Blue Cheese, Avocado*, Bacon* (*$1.00 extra charge for Avocado and (or) Bacon)
• Choose Your Dressing: House Made Italian, Vegan Cesar, Ranch Dressing, Blue Cheese, Red Pepper Ranch, Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar

All salads are $7.99 each. The Create Your Own Salad station is located upstairs in the Prepared Foods department, next to the Mediterranean station.

 When I make my rabbit run over there, I’ll let you know! 

Whole Foods Market
465 South Arroyo Parkway
(South Arroyo Parkway and Bellevue Drive)
Pasadena, CA 91105
626.204.2266 
Store hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily

 

I read somewhere that one way to be environmentally conscious is to buy recycled clothes, as in thrift store shopping. Could me boycotting The Gap really make that much of a difference?  For the past week, I have been looking for inexpensive, thin, 100% cotton, long sleeved shirts for traveling to India.  I scoured many stores and came up with nothing reasonably priced.  Then it dawned on me to try the Goodwill.  Score, score, score.  Thrift stores are perfect for buying clothes that are out of season, as long sleeve shirts seem to be right now.

I was amazed at the really good selection at this Wesssside Goodwill:
8905 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 845-9327 

The fashionable cast-offs here were aplenty.  Seriously!  The Wessside’s good for something.

Right down the street from here is Govinda’s, a Hare Krishna restaurant, store, museum, and temple.  I actually stopped here first to try to find shirts but didn’t find anything I liked (the shop is nice and worth a visit).  The LATimes has written about Govinda’s food many times, and I would have given it a try, but I wasn’t hungry.  The vegetarian buffet did not look that extensive though.  It’s $7 all you can eat or $4.15 a pound.  On Sundays at 6 pm, they offer a free six course feast, according to their website.  It was very peaceful there.

Govinda’s  www.govindsla.com

3764 Watseka Avenue • Los Angeles, California • 90034 • 310-836-1269
>> DIRECTIONS <<

And while you’re over there thrift shopping and eating Indian food, might as well stop by the Musuem of Jurassic Technology which is also nearby.  It’s probably L.A.’s most unique, imaginative museum consisting of fictitious displays.  It’s a great and freaky.  So there you have it, UnHip LA does the Wessside: Govinda’s, The Goodwill, and The Museum of Jurassic Technology. You might even forget where you are.

The Museum of Jurassic Technology 
www.mjt.org
9341 Venice Boulevard
Culver City, California 90232
four blocks west of Robertson Boulevard in the historic Palms district of Los Angeles across the street from Main Street, Culver City.
See Map

(310) 836-6131

PS  The LATimes also recommends eating at Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine for their $4.99 lunch specials.  Tara’s is near the other stops mentioned above  and is number 16 on the Time’s recent Delciious Deals list.  I plan to try it someday.

Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine, 10855 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 836-9696.

 

 

I swear I am not a Foodie but it appears that I blog a lot about food.  This is all because I hang out at BiggestMenu.com.  The site and the friendships I have made there have massively educated my taste buds - I am now a betel leaf addict (Thanks WCX).

So I’m excited to visit two new grocery stores in the SGV:  Whole Foods on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, and Fresh & Easy on Foothill Boulevard in Arcadia.  The Whole Foods is a new 77,000 square foot operation that I read has a huge in-store dining area and a quiet room for massages. I’ve always enjoyed eating at Whole Food’s hot food bar, so yay for all this.  Their calendar has some fun (and free) food tastings coming up.

Fresh & Easy is a grocery store concept from the U.K. in which fresh, ready-made foods are available at low prices.  Since I am not much of a cook, I often cruise the ready-made aisles of grocery stores.  This store supposedly is full of ready-mades so I’m excited!  I remember shops like this when I visited London many years ago - I’d just pop in grab a good sandwich and go.  I wished that such things existed here and now they do.  Grabbing a fresh sandwich is much nicer than getting tuna fish in a triangle, something which I’ve done way too many desperate times. Fresh & Easy also appears to have a good corporate culture and offers health benefits to part-timers, how nice.

You can read more about both stores here:
www.freshandeasy.com

www.wholefoodsmarket.com 
Click on Whole Foods link to see their calendar for tastings: December 2, 8, 9, 15th look like good days to shop and snack on holiday foods.  Jonathan Gold in his review of Whole Foods suggests that one could easily make a small plate of samples from the store.

Whole Foods Market
465 South Arroyo Parkway
(South Arroyo Parkway and Bellevue Drive)
Pasadena, CA 91105
626.204.2266 
Store hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily

Perhaps I’ll be back with photos.  I wonder what kinds of salads are there.

I was desperate for a salad and this was a great late-night option.  Jack’s Southwest chicken salad is pretty tasty and only $4.59!  I’ve gotten it a few times. 

 

Your choice of grilled (pictured) or crispy chicken.  

Hey FN, 

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to youuuuu! 

Here’s to a dude-a-licious year for you!  

 

ATTACK OF THE KILLER CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD! 

Eaten at the Cheesecake Factory, Pasadena ($12.95) on FN’s bday.  This is the first entry into my "Salad Spotting," where to get good salads category.  It’s so hard to find a good salad these days.  Please let me know when and where you find one.