Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Potpourri

11 Sep 2011

“Free Lunch” at Good Girl Dinette

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Back in college, my economics professors lectured that there was no such thing as a free lunch. I believed them with every ounce of my Adam Smith-loving heart up until last week, when my friend Lien and I were treated to a free lunch. Local news station KCET generously footed our bill at Good Girl Dinette as part of a weekly web series called “Free Lunch.”

Good Girl Dinette is a sweet little spot in Highland Park where “American diner meets Vietnamese comfort food.” In this clip, you’ll see us eating, girl talking, and meeting Diep Tran, the fabulous woman behind the restaurant. We had a blast filming the segment and hope that you’ll enjoy it just as much.

And if you can’t get enough of our witty commentary, check out this “extra helping” where we offer A Vietnamese Lesson Over Pot Pie.

Thank you to the KCET crew, Katherine Spiers, Diego Nunez, and Gabriel Jeffrey, for taking us out!

Giveaway

08 Sep 2011

GIVEAWAY: L.A. County Fair “Pure Fun” Package

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I have four general admission tickets, plus four wine tasting vouchers and a parking pass, to give away to one lucky gas•tron•o•my reader. To qualify for the giveaway, please leave a comment with your name and email address in the appropriate fields, and your answer to the following question: What Fair food are you most excited to try? For additional entries, follow the L.A. County Fair on Twitter (@LACoutyFair) and on Facebook, and leave a comment for each letting me know.

I’ll be using a random number generator to choose the winner. All entries must be received by Thursday, September 15, 2011 at midnight PST. Good luck! ** The contest is over. The winner is #2 — Johnny L. Congrats! **

Amusement Park Fare

07 Sep 2011

L.A. County Fair 2011: Deep-Fried Kool Aid, Indian Fry Bread, Monster Corn Dogs, and More

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It has become an annual tradition for The Astronomer and me to spend a glorious summer day at the L.A. County Fair. In addition to indulging in carnival cuisine, we love taking part in hillbilly fun and soaking in Pomona’s intense rays.

We had a hell of a time last year sampling deep-fried Oreos and chicken sandwiches made with jelly-filled Krispy Kremes. Not to mention, admiring homemade cakes paying homage to Vincent Van Gough and whooping it up at the pig races. This year, we vowed to outdo ourselves in all manner of food and fun.

The Astronomer and I arrived on opening day primed and ready to stuff our gullets. As “The Official Fair Foodie,” it was my duty to explore the edible terrain and leave no vendor unturned.

Our first stop was at Terri’s Berries, one of a handful of spots at the Fairplex serving legitimately healthy stuff.

The Astronomer and I shared a paper boat filled with fresh fresh fruit ($7), as well as a large and fuzzy peach ($1). These would be the only unadulterated nutrients that we would feed our bodies all day.

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