Food Trip!

Last Sunday, Jojo and I took our friends, Jake and Chico, for an impromptu food trip around Los Angeles. We had about 6 hours till they had to catch their flight so we planned a jam-packed trip to maximize the time. Our first stop was lunch at Philippe’s in downtown LA. The restaurant was featured in an episode of the travel channel’s, Man Vs. Food, and since we are all avid fans of the show, we had to pay homage to this dining institution with a 100-year old history. It is a no-nonsense restaurant with a cafeteria like feel. You literally walk up to the counter to order your food which is then served on a tray. Ambiance wise it is definitely not the Four Seasons but people don't go there for the ambiance. Philippe’s is most well-known for French dipped sandwiches. Basically, these are crusty baguettes, liberally dunked in flavorful au jus, then piled high with thin slices of meat. We chose the beef and the pork sandwiches. Despite being dipped in au jus, the bread still retained its crusty consistency. I liked this since I hate sandwiches with soggy slices of bread. The au jus was very tasty and really added flavor to the meat. The guys favored the beef sandwiches, while Chico and I preferred the pork. I like how tender the meat was and how the pork slices had a slightly caramelized texture and a bit more fat (which as we know adds tone of flavor!). Partnered with spicy mustard, these sandwiches really hit the spot!

Chico and I modeling the french dipped sandwiches and our matching purses!

Jake going in for a big bite! Yummy!

Happy couple number 1: Jake and Chico (after our delicious lunch at Philippe's).

Happy couple number 2: our turn naman!

After Philippe’s we headed to The Grove to do some shopping. While taking a break, we took out two slices of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Chico chose the original slice. I like the original too. I think cheesecake is rich enough without an overload of other toppings. Cheesecake Factory has a great original blend. It's sweet without being overpowering and is extra creamy too. Jacob chose the Godiva cheesecake. Like Jojo, they are both chocoholics. The Godiva cheesecake was heaven in a slice! Rich, decadent and super-duper luxurious. Both slices were fabulous! But then again, it’s the Cheesecake Factory - enough said! Since the restaurant was so crowded we took our cakes to go. We had a mini picnic in the car. Four people, four forks, two huge slices. It was great. (Sorry no pictures, though, we were too excited to eat!).

Our next stop was Pink’s Hotdog in Hollywood. Another famous LA institution, Pink’s has been serving awesome hotdogs for over 70 years. They are most famous for chili dogs and chili cheese fries. We would not be very good LA hosts if we did not make a stop here at least once! When we got there, the lines were incredibly long - which is totally normal. It may seem strange to line up at a food stand for over an hour for hotdogs, but once you’ve tried a Pink’s hotdog, you will know it is worth it. Besides us, the hundred or so people in line with us seemed to think so too! After a long wait, we finally got 4 chili dogs, a side of chili fries and a side of onion rings. We hunkered down in the eating area behind the food stand to enjoy. The place is nothing fancy - just a couple of plastic tables and chairs next to a parking lot. But it works and is perfect for enjoying our fare. As usual, the chili dogs were delicious. Beefy franks that are steamed not fried, mouthwatering chili, and a soft bun. Chili cheese fries with an overload of chili and melted cheese. Crispy onion rings with a great buttermilk batter coating. All good. I wish we could have made the meal last as long as the time we spent in line. But then again, as with all good meals, they usually go by pretty fast.

Here we are at the end of the line. The wait doesn't look too bad - the air is cool, everyone is excited, and there are hotdogs and fries at the end of the line. Not too bad =)

Still in line ... still waiting ... we were about 30 minutes along ... we could see the finish line and smell the food cooking ... that kept us going =)

Almost at the counter ... it was a 45-minute wait, but I think it was worth it!

Jacob hungry after our long wait at Pink's ... just look at those chili dogs, onion rings, and the fries ... don't they make your mouth water???


We considered heading to Sprinkles in Beverly Hills for their famous and super delectable cupcakes. In my opinion a red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting would have been the perfect end to a wonderful day of eating. But we found ourselves to be too full and out of time. Jacob and Chico had a flight to catch. And did I mention we were too full? I mean really stuffed! On our way to the airport, we had to make a quick stop at Walgreens. We loaded up on antacids, just in case. Luckily everyone survived the day pretty well and we are all looking forward to another time when we can pace ourselves and go on another food trip!

P.S. Thanks to Jake and Chico for the photos ... here's looking forward to another food trip with you guys ... either here in LA or back in Manila =)