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December 2017

DID SOMEONE SAY FRIED CHICKEN?

FRIED CHICKEN, LONG BEACH

There’s very few things in life that get me quite as excited as fried chicken.

I got the opportunity to FINALLY visit Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles after years of having it bookmarked as a place to try.

THE MOOD:

There is nothing super fancy about this eatery – just be prepared to come here and eat!  I’ve eaten at both the Long Beach location and the newer location in Anaheim.  Long Beach location, prepare to park in the lot across from Roscoe’s or on the side of the road.  The Anaheim location, there is a lot where a traffic director will point you to a spot.  At either place, you will be greeted warmly by the host.

THE FOOD:

THE CAROL B. SPECIAL:  This comes with one waffle, a fluffy dollop of butter, fried chicken breast, and maple syrup.  So, I’ve thought all this time that the fried chicken was what made Roscoe’s amazing.  No my friends, surprisingly, it’s the waffles that absolutely steal the show!  How do you eat this succulent, tasty hunk of waffle you ask?  Spread that fluffy butter all over the top of the waffle, cut out a slice, dip it into that maple syrup, and you have yourself a mouthful of heaven.  There is so much depth and satisfying flavor to the waffles.  First, the maple syrup isn’t super thick, so you have a nice subtle sweetness that coats the waffles.  Then, the saltiness of the butter really brings out those wonderful flavorful notes that are packed into the waffles.  I could probably eat these waffles every morning for breakfast.  The waffle also is not crispy like toast, which is just perfect for this combo of flavors because you really feel like the flavors melt into your mouth and taste buds.

CORNBREAD AND MAC AND CHEESE:  The cornbread and Mac and cheese are sides that you can order with your dish.  Perhaps I really should have tried these side items first before taking a bite of the waffle.  After the first bite of the waffles, nothing else seemed to matter.

THE OBAMA SPECIAL:  The Obama Special was the dish I ordered at the Anaheim location.  This comes with one waffle and three fried chicken wings.

WHICH LOCATION REIGNS SUPREME?:  You will leave feeling happy and full when eating at either Long Beach or Anaheim, but if I had to choose which location reigned supreme, I’d have to say that it would be the one in Long Beach.  There is just more punch in flavor that goes into the waffles there and I can appreciate the love I feel that is being put into the food.

The Carol B. Special

Cornbread and Mac & Cheese

Cornbread and Mac & Cheese

Waffle details

Obama Special

THE ‘TUDE:

Like I said, you get a warm greeting at either location and the waiters and host makes you feel appreciated.

OVERALL:

I’d definitely come back for those waffles.  Whatever you do, do not leave Roscoe’s without trying their waffles!

Burger Cravings – Satisfied!

BURGERS, GLENDALE

I have been WAITING to sink my teeth into Shake Shack burgers and fries.  I finally got the opportunity to while perusing through The Americana in Glendale today.

THE MOOD

The Americana is very reminiscent of The Grove.  It is very beautiful walking through the place since Christmas lights are up and everything just feels so vibrant and festive.  There are plenty of shops, people watching, and eateries as you walk through the area.  I mean, there is a ginormous Christmas tree in the middle of The Americana that you can’t help but stop and snap a picture!

It was a beautifully lit Christmas tree!

As we walked to the corner of Brand Blvd. and Colorado St., the iconic green Shake Shack logo was summoning me to it!  There was a large menu of items as you walk in on your left and the cashiers keep the line moving, so you can quickly place your order and find your way towards indoor/patio seating.

THE FOOD

Single Stack SmokeShack Burger:  I instantly fell in love with the Shake Shack burger after my first bite of the SmokeShack burger.  I ordered a single-stacked cheeseburger which comes with all-natural smoked Niman Ranch bacon, chopped cherry pepper, and ShackSauce.  The burger buns were fluffy and perfectly encapsulated the juicy burger meat, crispy bacon, cheese, and cherry pepper.  The burger was so simple, but what really made the burger was the the sour/tangy-ness of the chopped cherry peppers with the savoriness of the crispy bacon.  It was literally heaven with every bite.

Strawberry Mint:  The Strawberry Mint drink tasted more just like super sweet strawberry juice.  I didn’t really taste the mint, but it probably would be a refreshing drink in the summer – just be prepared for the sweetness.

Cheese Fries (Crinkle-Cut Fries):   I’m not usually a fan of crinkle-cut fries because I feel like they’re usually cut too think and you end up getting a mushy texture.  But, thickness of the crinkle cut fries still kept the crispiness of the fries intact and the light sprinkle of salt and delicious drizzle of the cheese really made these fries a complement to the SmokeShack burger.

Invictus Concrete:  This was SUPER sweet right off the bat.  Concretes are made up of frozen custard with pieces of waffle cone, caramel drizzle, and chocolate.  Again, be prepared for the sweetness!

SmokeShack Burger

Invictus Concrete – Frozen custard with waffles, caramel drizzle, and chocolate

Strawberry Mint, Root Beer, Invictus Concrete, Cheese Fries, Single Stack SmokeShack

OVERALL

Now that I’ve had Shake Shack burgers, I can’t help but have happy thoughts thinking about them.  Each bite was more savory than the last and satisfied my carb/carnivore cravings.  I enjoyed it so much, I immediately started googling to see where the nearest Shake Shack was near my house.  Why are they all in LA?!  Can we bring a Shake Shack to Orange County please?? 🙂  Anyways, I’ll be sleeping well tonight and will most likely be dreaming of the SmokeShack burger.

I SCREAM YOU SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

DESSERT, ICE CREAM, LOS ANGELES, SWEETS

Did someone say ice cream??

Matter of fact – did someone say a whole museum dedicated to ice cream?!

I HAD to come visit The Museum of Ice Cream (“MOIC”) in L.A. to explore.  The moment you arrive at the MOIC, you are immersed into a bubbly and bright experience. As you are waiting in line, you are being hyped up by who I will call the hype girls.  They will lead a group of people and explain the do’s and don’ts of good museum etiquette before leading you on your way.

The doors leading to your happy experience!

As you make your way through the museum, there are different themes with each room.  Each one just as Instagram worthy as the last.

DETAILS! Mint chocolate chip mochi ice cream

That is actually cacao shavings where the mint is growing.

As you make your way through, you also get samples of different types of sweets or ice cream.  Here is some mint chocolate chip mochi from My Mo.

My favorite room was the gummy bear room.  Not only do you get to snack on gummy bears, but you are in a disco room with with giant gummy bears.

They’re also very adamant that guests do not mess with the bananas – you will have to take a banana promise before you walk in.

Ice cream by law

Be prepared to find sprinkles on you even after you leave!

The infamous sprinkles pool! Dive in!

And the main star of the show as the sprinkles room.  You will literally be able to dive into a pool of sprinkles.  Prepare for these sprinkles to get EVERYWHERE.  Thankfully, these are made out of plastic, so you won’t be sticky after your sprinkles pool session.

If you are able to make it out to the MOIC, make sure you take your camera and your appetite.  I had so much fun in my 2+ hour experience through the museum.  Each room was vibrant, the staff were all enthusiastic, and the fact that you could eat little snacks throughout the whole experience made it that much better!