harry potter and the big ol chocolate cake

After a few days in dc, we took the bus for 9 bucks to philly to meet another cousin. while waiting at the local B&N book store for her to pick us up, i started reading several volumes of y: the last man , and i found it to be pretty damn good. while i could go on about being a comic book geek (and btw, isn't a graphic novel just a fancy way of saying a thick comic book?), i'm sure you rather see pictures of what i had for dinner.

we picked up some wine and walked over to Dmitri's, a Mediterranean joint. The place was quite small, and we sat at a table behind the grill. I can't see myself settling down in the city, but I really do like that you can just walk around everywhere.

Our wine was chilled (I think no corkage fee, but correct me if I'm wrong) and a basket of pita bread was brought out. We hadn't really eaten lunch, so my sister and I were starving, and we (or maybe big ol fat me) went to work on the place, ordering the hummus.

Beets, one of my favorite veggies.

A crappy picture of some delicious meatballs, cooked so that the shell was a little hard, but everything inside, still good.

Calamari. Chewy chuga choo choo.

We also had some blue fish, but I didn't bother taking a picture because at that point, I was more concerned about stuffing my face rather than thinking about the blog. Sorry yall, but a guy's gotta eat! The food here is prepared simply with no frills or tutus to be found. Perhaps I am biased because I was starving at the time, but I really enjoyed my meal here along with tossing back a few glasses of white wine.

We then stopped by for dessert, getting some water ice (think soft shaved ice) at a local joint (not ritas) and trudged back home. The night ended with Scrabble and The Blind Side while munching on some cheetos, Haribo gummy bears (the best), the fattiest slice of chocolate cake you ever did see from a Jewish deli in DC (the name was Fat Chocolate cake or something and which was SO damn good), and a bottle of red wine. Note: I thought the gummy bears would go well with the wine, but guess it just goes to show I have much to learn about pairings.

Stay classy my friends.

how time flies

I write to you, dear reader, to let you know that I am alive and well. I cannot believe that it has been about a month since I last wrote. Despite the hackneyed phrase, it never ceases to amaze me how days are minutes passing by. Listen to Pink Floyd's "Time." So sad, but so true....rip wright. I got a job as a writing tutor at the school shortly after my last post, and along with school and work at the hospital, I spend my spare free time on the weekends catching up on sleep. But enough about me, and onto the food!

update on the last post: my hot carrots were a failure. I did not blanche (sp?) the carrots before hand, and learned it does make a difference in the end result with regards to time. I like my carrots crunchy, and was afraid that it'd make them too soft. Also, I might change the type of vinegar I used, and not use oil in it at all...it got all over the jalapenos nasty like.

On the corner of DB Blvd/Grand Ave, where Diamond Palace and Round Tables Pizza is (two great lunch buffets for your money btw), I've noticed a Mediterrean Place that opened up a while back. I had some time last Friday, so I went to check it out for lunch. I got there around 1230, and it was empty. The menu was very simple, as it offered just a few items, such as kabobs, wraps (chicken, beef, or falafel), and some plates, along with several sides.
I opted for the beef shawerma plate, which included hummus, some greens/tomatoes, and a pita for $6.49.

They did have meat on a spit, and boast on their menu that they use USDA choice top sirloin beef. I remember reading something once explaining the differences among choice, prime, and some other one that I forget. Anyhow, I'm not sure if the lady sliced it off the spit for me. I want to think and say that she did, but I'm not sure. What I did see was her heating it up on a grill with some sauce. Or was it water? I'm no expert on Mediterrean food, but I always thought you eat it sliced off the spit, not reheated. Anyhow, while the portion was generous, the beef was dry. I wasn't sure if I had shawarma (prounounced SHWAR-muh according to wikipedia) before, so I looked it up and read some recipes. I'd like to give it another shot sometime, but maybe at a different place.
What I did enjoy was the hummus, which I'm not sure if it was made fresh. The container holding the orange stuff was a spicy garlic spread, which was quite potent. I had read about some kind of garlic spreadfrom Zonko's I want to say, and I was curious to see what that tasted like. I'm not equating the two, but now I have some idea of what garlic spread is, and I did like it. You also get some pickled onions/radishes was it? I wish I had gotten more. I love that kind of stuff.

Lastly, kudos to the first falafel I really enjoyed. I've had falafels at several places, but all of them, while bigger than the one here, which cost 60 cents each btw, were dry, and I always thought they were previously frozen. This one was moist and tasted home made...meaning different.

Overall, despite the fact that I did not like the beef, I would return here, and try something new, as well as ordering several falafels again. The lady recommended the kabobs, which are a lunch special. The prices are fair, and their menu quite simple. This is Sawyer signing out.

Taza Fresh
1220 S Diamond Bar Blvd
Diamond Bar
Open Mon-Sat 11am - 9pm