Eat All You Can!

Back in February 2010, I had the opportunity to eat at the Choices Buffet at Pala.... for those wondering, Pala is near Temecula. Choices was a good experience for me, easily one of the most satisfying all-you-can-eat binges I've been on. Lots of their food was delectable, and I sampled a few things I'd never eaten before.

I must apologize because I didn't take a photo of my second plate, but I think the pictures I did take do justice to the offerings at this Pala restaurant. Italics will denote the foods that I was sampling for the first time.

 1) King crab legs, jumbo shrimp, lobster tails, and swordfish

2) Prime rib, sirloin steak, lobster tails, roasted duck, veal, potatoes, and leg of lamb

3) Hamburger patties, ketchup, piles of cheese, french fries, lobster tails, and curly fries. This is standard fast food mostly, but it was there - and it tasted better than usual. I really enjoyed the pepperjack and provolone cheeses, which you don't often find at McDonald's or Burger King.

4) This is one of the things that separates higher-end buffets from the rest: custom desserts with real ice cream! I was impressed with this vanilla-banana split, buried as it is under a pile of M&M's. It was refreshing to eat some sugar after all the preceding salt.

5) These fancy desserts came from a display case. I asked the server to put one of every kind on my plate.... they were all good, but I especially liked the ones with chocolate in them.

6) Strawberry shortcake sundae, with an extra chocolate chip cookie

7) The desserts from the other side of the display case. I was feeling a massive sugar overload by the time I got through the offerings on this final plate. Again, I really dug the chocolates, but the tiramisu was awesome too. I'm still impressed by the printed designs on the dessert items.

I had a great time at Choices Buffet, and I think that anyone who likes their food will too. It was not easy thinking about food for several hours after I completed my meal. At about $15-30 depending on the meal, I think this a higher-end California buffet worth visiting.

Go there. Eat. 

Party of Five

Forgiveness the lateness of my post. There's been a lot going on lately, and this blog kept getting pushed onto the back burner. I'm going to work on it a little more these days.

About a year ago - possibly a little less - I went to Venice, CA to sample an upscale burger establishment called "26 Beach." The restaurant was on the expensive side - the most basic burger runs $12. Their options are gourmet, meaning you can try a few burgers on the odd side, like peanut butter and jelly burgers, burgers with anaheim chiles, and burgers topped with egg.

I wasn't in Venice to eat the eccentric. I was there to eat the monstrosity.

This is their "Party of Five" cheeseburger. It offers five half-pound beef patties smothered in cheddar cheese and topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and house sauce. For those keeping score, that's 40 oz of beef - a whole 2 1/2 pounds. It looks scrumptious, and from what I remember it tasted great if a bit greasy. How can you resist the presentation? Look at those fries in the little dish!

This was once an ordinary menu item at 26 Beach, but by the time I got there it was pulled. You could only order it if you knew about it, and I got on the inside track by scouring blogs about big burgers in the Los Angeles area. Supposedly finishers of the burger would get a coupon for a free meal on the next visit, but all I got was public admiration, gawkers, and bragging rights. I'll settle for that sometimes.

Technically, 26 Beach (along with many other restaurants) will serve you a burger of any patty denomination. You simply pay a small fee for each piece of beef you pile on. People who frequent In N Out or EZ Take-Out Burger know this pretty well. This was cooler because it used to be offered as an official, set menu item.

I only needed 20 minutes to finish the combo. The waiter remarked that it was apparently no challenge at all!

Maybe they need to consider a Party of Ten.....

Miniature Fame

Frank's Famous Hot Dogs in San Luis Obispo, CA has a "Wall of Fame" in their restaurant dedicated to people who love eating sliders.

Sliders, or miniburgers as they known in this establishment, are simply smaller versions of the hamburger or cheeseburger. They have the exact same condiments you would find in the larger, older, more common burger. They're just more convenient, easier to hold, and pack fewer calories per unit.

Eaters are honored on the Wall of Fame if they can manage to eat 10 miniburgers (or more) during a single dining visit. They also receive a free t-shirt advertising Frank's, and of course, all the glitz and glamour that goes with completing an eating challenge.... and maybe some bragging rights. If you're the kind of person who likes to brag about mass consumption.

One special mass consumer is honored as the reigning miniburger eating champion.... the record as of my January 2010 visit stood at 26 miniburgers. Beat the record by one burger and you become the new champion. Not only do you get your name and picture mentioned in a special slot.... you also get a refund for your entire meal. That's a heck of an enticement! At $1.39 per burger, a new champ would be looking at $40 of free food. Not bad.

I was not in a position to make the attempt, but I gladly went for the 10-on-the-wall. The burgers were moist, juicy, and flavorful. I ate mine with all the toppings - lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese - and did not regret my experience at all. It took me 20 minutes to fully consume the burgers, which were slightly larger than what I would call miniburgers. The staff was incredulous that I had finished so quickly.

My picture now adorns their wall, lost in an anonymous sea of fellow challenge winners. Obviously, it's not a very difficult feat. One day I will go back and lay claim to their championship title. Just 27 burgers to go, right?

San Luis Obispo has not seen the last of me.