Sunday, July 31, 2011

Raspberry Cheese Danish at Anderson Bakery



We have a fantastic Raspberry Cheese Danish for our random meal of the day treat. The danish starts with a wonderful flaky crust and filled with a semi sweet cream cheese. We add a layer of a tart raspberry jam to give the cheese danish some punch. A hearty layer of powder sugar coats one side of the wonderful flaky crust to give your sweet tooth a treat. This is a pleasant way to start off your day.

Found at Anderson Bakery in San Francisco, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/500, iso 200, +0.67ev)

Saturday, July 30, 2011

White Chrysanthemum Tea at Asian Art Museum



Sometimes a cup of tea is just refreshing. After touring a entire museum, it also becomes a thirst quencher. Today we have an order of a White Chrysanthemum Tea for our random meal of the day tea time. Slow down and take a break.

Found at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, CA.

(Nikon D700, 35mm, f2.8, 1/100, iso 200)

Friday, July 29, 2011

King Kobe the IV Burger at 26 Beach Restaurant



We have the King Kobe the IV Burger. This fantastic burger starts with 8 oz of Wagyu Beef! Yes that's right, a half pound of Kobe-Style beef from a Wagyu cattle. The fantastically awesome burger is topped with some thick cut applewood smoked bacon and a smooth imported swiss cheese. For some leafy goodness we have some baby mixed greens, slices of red onion and a couple slices of a heirloom tomato. A homemade brioche bun sandwiches the beefy beef and bacon together and we crown the new King, Kobe the IV!

Found at 26 Beach Restaurant in Venice, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f8.0, 1/80, iso 1000, +0.33ev)

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Pann's Belgian Waffle and Fried Chicken Wings at Pann's Restaurant



We have the Pann's Belgian Waffle and Fried Chicken Wings for our random meal of day. This is a different twist on chicken and waffles. We start with a large golden Belgian waffle with a crispy outer crust and yet stays moist and tender on the inside. We then top the waffle with four amazing juicy chicken wings. There is a perfect harmony between the waffle and the wings. Neither item outshines the other and you have this internal debate of who wins the championship crown. The outcome is that you are the winner because you ate this awesome random meal.

Found at Pann's Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 1400, +0.33ev)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Natural Corn-Fed Cornish Hen at Farm Stand



Our random meal of the day brings us an order of the Natural Corn-Fed Cornish Hen. This random meal is actually not so random for me as I actually had this meal a few times. I really like the fact that they cut the Cornish hen into eight manageable pieces. This way you can just dive in. It also looks like the restaurant recently redecorated and now you get some nice booth seating and a more vibrant plate. This does not change the fact that the food still has some wonderful bold flavors.

Found at Farm Stand in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f5.6, 1/160, iso 200)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Combo Italian Beef & Char-Grilled Sausage at Portillo's



We have a the "Combo" for our random meal of the day. The Combo consists of Italian Beef and a Char-Grilled Sausage Sandwich. It is actually kind of strange to actually be eating at Portillo's in California. I actually been to Portillo's in Chicago four different times before. Each and every time I ordered the Italian Beef Sandwich but the funny thing is that this was before I started actively photographing my random meals. So as a random meal eater, I could not resist but to choose something different. To spice up the meal I have ordered the combo and added an awesome char-grilled sausage link. It gave the sandwich a unique twist to the flavor of the meal. You get the smooth Italian beef and contrast it with a crispy sausage link. It gives the sandwich a one two punch!

Found at Portillo's in Buena Park, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f5.6, 1/125, iso 400, +0.33ev)

Monday, July 25, 2011

Grilled Pork Chops at Chef Hannes Restaurant



We have a mouth watering order of Grilled Pork Chops for our random meal of the day featured dish. The pork chops are served with a side of apple cilantro chutney that brings out the wonderful grilled pork chop flavor. This was simply an excellent meal.

Found at Chef Hannes Restaurant in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f4.0, 1/125, iso 200, +0.33ev)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cannoli at Federico's Italian Bakery



We have a Chocolate Chip Cannoli for our random meal of the day treat. This delicious Italian treat is filled with a creamy semi sweet Ricotta cream cheese and sprinkled with a generous helping of dark mini chocolate chips. The filling and chocolate chips are wrapped in a delicious crispy pasty dough shell. This is a refreshing random meal of the day treat.

Found at Federico's Italian Bakery in Pasadena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 105mm, f5.6, 1/80, iso 1000)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Pancake Bites at Buttermilk Food Truck



To round off the final day of random meal of the day's food truck week we have the Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Pancake Bites. I remember watching a feature of food trucks on a TV show and the Buttermilk Truck was featured. I do not recall the name of the show but I do remember putting Buttermilk as a must try food truck. The owner of the truck is an actual Chef and went to culinary school at The French Culinary Institute for Pastry Arts. Well, another truck and another disappointment by not actually seeing the chef. But alas, the Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Pancake Bites absolutely lived up to the hype. It was like eating some silky soft red velvet cookies that just melt into your mouth. The care that they take to make sure that each piece of the pancake bites have just enough chocolate to give you the sweet treat without overpowering the fantastic red velvet flavor. Each order is freshly made and is so worth the wait. This is an awesome random meal of the day treat.

Found at Buttermilk randomly in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f8.0, 1/80, iso 200, +0.67ev)

Friday, July 22, 2011

Lobsta Roll at Lobsta Food Truck



Day six of random meal of the day food truck week brings us an order of Lobsta Roll or a Lobster roll. Yes, we have a lobster roll from a food truck. It is a delicious order of fresh lobster meat on a toasted split top roll. The lobster is coated in a wonderfully fully flavored mayo sauce. The great thing about the Lobsta truck is that not only do they fly in the lobster fresh from New England but they also fly in the bread fresh from New England. So in essence, you are truly getting a New England lobster roll or in this case a Lobsta Roll. This is a bargain compared to a flight to Maine.

Found at Lobsta Truck randomly in Manhattan Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 105mm, f4.0, 1/125, iso 900)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Boolgogi Cheesesteak Sandwich at Bool Food Truck



We continue our random meal of the day food truck week with a Boolgogi Cheesesteak Sandwich. This random meal featured sandwich is a twist from a typical cheesesteak. This cheesesteak is filled with Bulgogi or "Boolgogi" and is a rib eye steak sliced thinly and marinated in a sweet Korean sauce. It is a tasty hearty sandwich that will actually fill you up. I have always been a fan of the Bool Truck and they never fail to deliver a good reasonable priced random meal.

Found at Bool randomly in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 35mm, f5.6, 1/320, iso 200, +0.33ev)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Frisee Au Lardon Sandwich at Lardon Food Truck



We have for day four of random meal of the day's food truck week, the Frisee Au Lardon Sandwich. Ahh, back to the bacon truck. It is kind of funny how you can easily get a crowd of people to go to eat bacon at the bacon truck. The Frisee Au Lardon starts with a toasted brioche bread and you top it with large chunks of bacon, a fried egg and vinaigrette dressing. Yum...

Found at Lardon randomly in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f2.8, 1/250, iso 1250)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Cheesy Mac and Rib Melt at The Grilled Cheese Food Truck



I discovered the Cheesy Mac and Rib Melt on the Cooking Channel "Eat Street". It is such an interesting concept. You start with two slices of bread and top the bread with sharp cheddar. You then add a layer of mac and cheese. Yes, macaroni and cheese. To kick it up a notch, we add a sweet bbq pork and some caramelized onions. The sandwich is then grilled to perfection. The crazy thing is that the line was epic. It rival the Kogi lines in the heydays. The Grilled Cheese Truck was scheduled to arrive at 12PM. We arrived at precisely 11:59AM and there was the longest line that I've have seen in the longest time. It took us about half an hour to get our food. The line had tripled by the time we left. This random meal of the day of Cheesy Mac and Rib Melt was fantastic.

Found at The Grilled Cheese Truck randomly in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f5.6, 1/80, iso 1600, +0.33ev)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Grilled Pork Banh Mi at Nom Nom Food Truck



Day two of our random meal of the day food truck week continues with an order of the Grilled Pork Banh Mi. I discovered the Nom Nom Truck after watching "The Great Food Truck Race" where they were robbed of victory. OK, maybe not robbed but after dominating almost all the rounds of the contest, sadly ran into the Bronx brick wall and came in second. The grilled pork banh mi sandwich starts with a 12 inch baguette and sweet grill pork is added. The sandwich is then topped with marinated carrots and daikon radish, cucumbers, jalapenos and cilantro. The only sad thing was that I was hoping to see at least one of the stars of the show on the truck but alas that did not happen. At least now I am officially a Nomster!

Found at Nom Nom randomly in Los Angeles, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f5.6, 1/200, iso 200)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Sour #5 Shaved Ice at Get Shaved Truck



We have a fantastic dessert treat as the start of our random meal of the day food truck week. We have an order of the #5 Sour Shaved Ice for our random meal of the day treat. This treat has a one two punch. It starts as an intensely tart treat that turns into a wonderfully sweet treat when you hit the vanilla ice cream bottom layer. The shaved ice has three flavors consisting of watermelon, lemon and lime. The sour spray topping is the finishing touch to turn the shaved ice into a delightful tart random meal treat.

Found at Get Shaved Truck randomly in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f5.6, 1/1250, iso 200, +0.33ev)

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Signature Bun at PappaRich



We have a morning Signature Bun for our random meal of the day breakfast treat. This special bun is filled with butter in the middle so when you bite into the rich savory and slight sweet bun, you hit the buttery goodness. It is a wonderful treat to get your day started. It is also an awesome midday snack.

Found at PappaRich in Pasadena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 105mm, f8.0, 1/4, iso 400)

Friday, July 15, 2011

Fish & Chips at Second City Bistro



We have for our random meal of the day an order of Fish & Chips. We have two super large jumbo pieces of Alaskan Cod that measures in at over one inch thick are deep fried in a Ale Beer Batter. The crispy sunny golden flaky crust parts way to a juicy and tender Alaskan Cod. There is a mountain of chips that the fish placed on. A house salad topped with blue cheese and roasted walnuts round out our random meal.

Found at Second City Bistro in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f2.0, 1/400, iso 200)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pepperoni Pizza Bread at Little Gourmet



We have not one but two orders of the Pepperoni Pizza Bread for our random meal of the day. I just adore pizza. The pizza bread is a classic comfort food that just makes me smile. It brings back wonderful childhood memories of a simpler time. We have a freshly baked bread roll slice on half. Each half is a serving. We then top the bread with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and piles of pepperoni and bake it until it has a crispy crunchy crust. Simple, classic, delicious and perfectly prepared. Ahh, pizza bread, until next time...

Found at Little Gourmet in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f5.6, 1/80, iso 900)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Double - Double at In-N-Out Burger



We have a Double - Double for our random meal of the day. One of my coworkers from New York has a business trip out on the west coast and wanted to eat at In-N-Out Burger. Of course we could accommodate that request. So off we go to In-N-Out Burger. Today I decided to make no changes to the classic Double - Double so that the picture will be true to the menu. This is as listed on the their website "Two 100% pure beef patties, hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, spread, two slices of American cheese, with '...' onions, stacked high on a freshly baked bun." I believe this is the first time that I have ever not gotten grilled onions. The freshly slice onions gave the burger a more refreshing flavor while the grilled onions will give the burger more of a smoky kick. You cannot really go wrong with either choice as you can have it your way.

Found at In-N-Out Burger in Redondo Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f4.0, 1/500, iso 200, +0.33ev)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Hail Maria Burger at Dog Haus



We have the Hail Maria Burger for our random meal of the day. This burger is unique for the sheer fact that the bun is made of wonderfully delicious King's Hawaiian Bread. It gives the burger a complex taste. The burger patty is a 1/3 pound certified angus beef that is topped with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms. This was a hearty burger.

Found at Dog Haus in Pasadena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f8.0, 1/80, iso 500, +0.33ev)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Pepperoni Pizza at Mamma's Brick Oven Pizza



Sometimes a slice of pizza is just not enough. This is when a who pizza pie is calling your name. Today we have a thin crust Pepperoni Pizza for our random meal of the day. This is no ordinary pizza pie. It has the most wonderful crust and is just extraordinary.

Found at Mamma's Brick Oven Pizza in South Pasadena, CA.

(Nikon D700, 35mm, f5.6, 1/50, iso 2800)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Happy Face Crepe at Belly Good Cafe & Crepes



We have the Happy Face Crepe for our random meal of the day treat. This is a fun take on a dessert treat. We start with a cream filled crepe with splashes of chocolate syrup in the center. We then add one scoop of vanilla ice cream and one scoop of chocolate ice cream. The ice cream scoops are then turned into teddy bear faces. This is a cute and fun dessert treat.

Found at Belly Good Cafe & Crepes in San Francisco, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 900, +0.67ev)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Cinnamon Ciabatta French Toast at Hugo's Restaurant



I am always on the hunt for a french toast with a twist. Our random meal of the day brings us an order of the Cinnamon Ciabatta French Toast. I have never thought to to use ciabatta bread as the base for french toast before. It makes a softer french toast. The french toast is topped with sliced ripe bananas and candied walnuts and then covered with a "sticky-gooey Saigon cinnamon sauce." This random meal was actually taken during the winter and was a festive random meal.

Found at Hugo's Restaurant in West Hollywood, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 4000)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Marinated Skirt Steak at Paul Martin's American Bistro



We have an order of the Marinated Skirt Steak with roasted maple-bourbon sweet potatoes and arugula. I think I finally realize what I like so much about this random meal. The steak itself is great but the sweet potatoes are just spectacular. The sweet potatoes are cover with a bourbon-maple glaze that enhances and brings out the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. It looks like the sweet potatoes are also grilled to seared in the glaze. This is a heavenly random meal of the day.

Found at Paul Martin's American Bistro in El Segundo, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f5.6, 1/125, iso 220)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Paidakia (Lamb Chops) at Petros Restaurant



We have an order of Paidakia or otherwise know as lamb chops for our random meal of the day photographer edition. I did not eat this meal but was the mere photographer of my friend's random meal. The Paidakia is a Greek dish consisting of peasant style baby lamb chops that is marinated and seasoned in a Greek spice mix. The lamb chops were placed over some crispy fries that were topped with feta cheese shavings. A healthy salad topped with a light dressing consisting of citrus and olive oil completed this random meal.

Found at Petros Restaurant in Manhattan Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f4.0, 1/250, iso 200, +0,33ev)

**RMOTD Photographer**

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Happy National Fried Chicken Day at M & M Soul Food



Today is July 6th and it is National Fried Chicken Day! For this food holiday we have what has to be the best piece of fried chicken that I have ever eaten. The skin has a perfect layer of crispy golden batter. When you bite into the crunchy golden crispy skin, you meet the juicy piping hot and succulent layer of moist chicken breast. The most wonderful part is that there is not a single drop of grease to be found. I think this is the most awesome random meal of the day food holiday yet!

Found at M & M Soul Food in Inglewood, CA.

(Nikon D700, 50mm, f4.0, 1/80, iso 900, +0.67ev)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Lobster Salad for Random Meal of the Day 2 Year Anniversary at Hot’s Kitchen



We have for Random Meal of the Day's 2 year anniversary, the Lobster Salad. The salad starts off with a bed of bibb lettuce, butter lettuce and mixed greens. We then add some heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, green onion and corn into the mix. For the extra kick, we have some pistachio and kiwi added and mixed together with an orange muscat vinaigrette. Finally we have a whole Lobster claw added to the salad for the finishing touch.

Wow, I can not believe it has really been 2 years since I started random meal of the day. It is actually kind of strange actually for so much time to pass by and to still be shooting so much. The real personal goal for me was not to necessarily run a blog, but to improve my photography skills and have the blog motivate me into shooting more. Well, I believe according to my spectacular Nikon D700 camera shutter count, I have shot over 30,000 frames in these past 2 years. OK, to be exact it is 32,363! That breaks down to about 45 shots a day. The goal of shooting more has definitely been successful! Now the goal is to shoot less. Look and see before I shoot.

I also realize that I would be consider a Comfort Food Foodie. It is the comfort foods that I truly gravitate towards. I does not mean that I would not try something new, but I really believe that if I had to choose my last meal, it would be something that would bring a soothing memory. It is really interesting how personal your food choices are and how it defines you. Without Random Meal Of The Day, I would not have tried the so many of different random meals.

Another year down, maybe another year to go. You never really what is good until you try it. Just give it a shot once, and if you do not like it, it will at least be an adventure. The adventure is half the fun...

Found at Hot's Kitchen in Hermosa Beach, CA.

(Nikon D700, 85mm, f2.8, 1/200, iso 200, +0.67ev)

Monday, July 4, 2011

Strawberry Mango Shaved Ice at Guppy House



Happy July 4th Independence Day! It has been blistering hot these past few days so we need to cool down with a small order of the Strawberry Mango Shaved Ice for our random meal of the day treat. Yes, this is actually what they consider a small size. Shoot, it is way bigger than your head. You start with a mountain of smoothly shaved ice and top it on one half a heaping pile of sliced strawberries. On the other side you top the shaved ice mountain with sliced sweet sliced cubed mangos. The treat is complete when sweet condensed milk is layered over the fruit and ice to make this awesome refreshing, heat melting treat.

Found at Guppy House in Anaheim Hills, CA.

(Nikon D700, 35mm, f4.0, 1/60, iso 900, +1.0ev)

Friday, July 1, 2011

Gingersnaps for National Gingersnap Day at Miette Patisserie



Happy National Gingersnap Day! These marvelous gingersnaps were featured on "7x7 Magazine" for the "100 Things to try before you die in San Francisco." They have a super awesome crispy crunch and the real ginger flavor just explodes in your mouth. It is definitely a random meal treat that you should try! The only warning is that it makes all other gingersnaps pale in comparison. Yum!

Found at Miette Patisserie in San Francisco, CA.

(Nikon D700, 60mm, f8.0, 1/250, iso 200)