Pizza Barn

Pizza Barn
2021 Foothill Blvd
La Verne
909-392-5555

New Year's Eve, a potluck dinner, no idea what to bring. So I check my email and a very nice reader, gives me a list of about 5-7 restaurants that I should review. I check the links provided and Pizza Barn peaks my interest. Not for the pizza but the Mario's Ultimate Sandwich. So I decide give Pizza Barn a try.

Tuck in the corner of a small strip mall, Pizza Barn is less than 25 yards from Sal's Pizza & Bagelry, and just a few blocks east of Pizza N Stuff and Red Devil Pizza. I found out that Pizza Barn has been open for over 15 years and Sal's moved basically next door about three years before. Why the city of La Verne would allow this to happen is beyond me. Two pizza places so close to each other isn't good for both places.

I got the small pizza, half pepperoni and half sausage, $8.65 and the small Mario's Ultimate Sandwich, $12.49.

The pizza was just loaded with rich, savory cheese. The pepperoni was pretty spicy and had good flavor. The sausage was pretty standard. Nice crispy crust. A good pizza. Better than the other three La Verne pizza places I've reviewed.

The Mario's Ultimate Sandwich is great. A pizza shaped sandwich that is loaded with roast beef, turkey, swiss, mozzarella, provolone cheese, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, dressing and onions on request. I asked no dressing on the entire sandwich, no roast beef on one side, and the side with roast beef, no avocado. They got the order perfect.

The bread has a lot of sesame seeds, oregano and has a nice crispy crust, with a nice soft texture inside. The meats and cheeses are piled high and everything is fresh. A great great sandwich.

Service is pretty good. You get a dive bar feel, when walking into Pizza Barn. But the owner is nice and friendly.

As I mentioned before, I think the pizza here is better than the three other La Verne pizza places I've been to. So that alone would be enough reason to go back. But the Mario's Ultimate Sandwich, is great and worth the trip alone. To the reader who recommended Pizza Barn, I owe you a drink!!

Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen

Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen
202 E Manchester Blvd
Inglewood
310-671-3345

A rainy night, I'm hungry, and I'm near LAX. What should I do? I decided instead of taking the 105 to LAX, I would go down Manchester and pass by the Forum. I loved the Forum because I saw the "Showtime" Lakers, not the Lackers of today who are lead by Kobe the Rapist. The Forum is now owned by a church and basically sits empty on most nights. As I drove away from The Forum towards La Brea, I saw a sign for Soul Food Kitchen. I said, I know where I'm going for dinner.

Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen is a cafeteria style soul food restaurant. There is nothing fancy about Dulan's, you order your food at the counter and then sit down or get your order to go. Dulan's is right next to a flower shop.

I got the smothered chicken, all white meat, with corn, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes with gravy, $11.99. After I paid, I was handed a bag and man it was heavy!!! Always a good sign. I opened the box and there was a lot of food.

There were two wings and a breast piece. But the smothered chicken was on top of the mashed potatoes, making this a mushy mess. The chicken was moist and tender but not much flavor. The gravy was also pretty bland. The mashed potatoes tasted like they were made from a box. Wasn't impressed. When I first got the box, I saw to my horror, okra with my corn. I hate okra bu I just ate the corn. The corn was sweet and tender. Very good. The mac and cheese was so gooey and cheesy with very tender macaroni.

Service was good. But I got there about dinner time and they were waiting on a lot of entrees. While it is always nice to get a hot meal, you wonder why they aren't more prepared for the dinner rush.

I wouldn't go back to Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen, again. The food is only average, though the portion size is huge.

Pizza N Stuff

Pizza N Stuff
1532 Foothill Blvd.
La Verne
909-593-3676

I reviewed two other pizza places in La Verne, Red Devil Pizza and Sal's Pizza & Bagelry. I heard good things about Pizza N Stuff, especially since they have been in La Verne, since 1977. So they must be good since they have been around for 32 years.

I got a large pizza with half pepperoni and half Canadian bacon, $20.36. When I got the pizza, the box was heavy, always a good sign. But when I opened the box, one of the first things I noticed, was the amount of dough. The pizza is just way too doughy for me. This is almost like a thick crust, deep dish pizza. Some of the dough wasn't even fully cooked. Most of the dough is pretty plain and bland.

They were a bit cheap on the amount of Canadian bacon. There weren't that many slices on the pizza. The slices were fairly big and flavorful. But they aren't cheap on the pepperoni. There were tons and tons of pepperoni on this pizza!! While the pepperoni was good, nice spicy flavor, the sauce wasn't good. Too tangy and sour. Not a good combination.

Service is pretty good. Nice people who greet you when you walk in.

I wouldn't go back to Pizza N Stuff. I thought, while the pizza had a lot of pepperoni, it was too pricey and the pizza is only average because of too much dough and too tangy sauce. There are better pizza options in the area.

Lawry's Carvery-Closed

Lawry's Carvery
1011 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles
213-222-2212

Lawry's Carvery is the casual version of Lawry's The Prime Rib, that has opened in the new entertainment center, LA Live. There are no spinning salads or silver carts serving up the prime rib, just place your order at the counter and find a table.

I got the original prime rib sandwich, $14.99, a 6oz portion of prime rib on a ciabatta bread, served with au jus and creamy horseradish. The sandwich was warm but the ciabatta wasn't toasted, just right out of the wrapper. The prime rib was piled high but a bit fatty. But it was tender, moist and flavorful.

Service is OK. The hostess taking my order was fine. But when I got my order, there wasn't any silverware on my table and the server who brought out my sandwich didn't provide any silverware. While I was up getting a refill on soda, I noticed the basket of silverware.

I wouldn't go back to Lawry's Carvery. $14.99 is expensive for a sandwich and I would rather use the money towards the real prime rib, at Lawry's The Prime Rib.

Ricky's Fish Tacos

Ricky's Fish Tacos
4006 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles
http://twitter.com/RickysFishTacos

There are taco stands all over LA, matter of fact, there used to be a blog that reviewed taco stands. Not sure if that blog is still around. But I found out about Ricky's fish tacos and decided to give them a try.

Ricky's usually sets up on weekends, any time from 1-5pm. Check their twitter account for the most up to date information. This address is a wireless phone store in the Silverlake area of LA.

This is an Ensenada Style fish taco stand. They serve only fish, $2.50, and shrimp, $3, tacos. The tacos are fried to order.

The first taco pictured is the fish taco, with fresh cabbage, salsa and that white sauce. The fish is covered in a light batter, pretty crispy. The cabbage and salsa are fresh. The tortilla is a store bought tortilla.

The shrimp taco was also covered with the same batter. Good sized pieces of shrimp. Again fresh toppings.

Service was good. If you're worried about the cleanliness of the tacos, Ricky is the only person who touches the food. He has two other guys who handle the money. Speaking of money, this is a cash only taco stand.

There was nothing great about either taco. They weren't bad. But they were the best I've ever had either. When I went there wasn't a long line but I've heard people have waited in line for 30 minutes or longer. I don't think these tacos are worth the 30 minute wait.

Bill's Chicken-Closed

Bill's Chicken
2234 N Lincoln Ave.
Altadena CA, 91001
626-797-4119

I read about Bill's Chicken and decided to go there. But the address I was given had Bill's on Lake in Pasadena. But they moved to Altadena about a year ago, near Christmas Tree Lane. Bill's is more than a chicken restaurant, they serve soul food and some BBQ items.

I got the pork rib dinner, $10.95, with double mac and cheese. When I first saw the ribs, I was like man, oven cooked ribs. But as I was driving the wonderful smell of real BBQ filled my car. The ribs were smoked with red oak. But they were a bit dry and felt as though they had been in the warmer too long. The meat was pretty tender with very little fat. I would like to try this ribs when they are right out of the smoker.

Since Bill's is a chicken place, I tried the fried chicken breast, $2.75. The chicken was sitting under heat lamps. But this was very moist and flavorful!! The skin wasn't crunchy but who cares when the chicken is that moist and flavorful!!

Service was very good. When I called to get directions to their new location, they were very nice and helpful. I was greeted when I walked into the restaurant and everybody working there was nice and friendly.

I would go back to Bill's Chicken, if I'm in the area. I just hope next time, the ribs and chicken right out of the smoker and fryer.

8oz Burger Bar-Closed

8oz Burger Bar
7661 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles
323-852-0008

2009 marks the 70th anniversary of Nile Kinnick, of Iowa, winning the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player. But Nile Kinnick was more than a football player, he was leader, he was honorable young man, who did what was right. This was shown in his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech:

"Finally, if you will permit me, I'd like to make a comment which in my mind, is indicative, perhaps, of the greater significance of football and sports emphasis in general in this country, and that is, I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe. I can speak confidently and positively that the players of this country would much more, much rather, struggle and fight to win the Heisman award than the Croix de Guerre."

Kinnick would not play professional football after his college career at Iowa. Instead he went to law school, finishing 3rd in his class after a year. But after one year in law school went enlisted in the Naval Reserve. Three days before Pearl Harbor, Nile Kinnick was called to active duty. While training in Florida he wrote this:

"There is no reason in the world why we shouldn't fight for the preservation of a chance to live freely, no reason why we shouldn't suffer to uphold that which we want to endure. May God give me the courage to do my duty and not falter."

Later, he added, "Every man whom I've admired in history has willingly and courageously served in his country's armed forces in times of danger. It is not only a duty but an honor to follow their example the best I know how. May God give me the courage and ability to so conduct myself in every situation that my country, my family, and my friends will be proud of me."

He also wrote this- remember this is the early 1940's.

"The inequities in human relationships are many," he wrote, "but the lot of the Negro is one of the worst...kicked from pillar to post, condemned, cussed, ridiculed, accorded no respect, permitted no sense of human dignity. What can be done I don't know.... When this war is over the problem is apt to be more difficult than ever. May wisdom, justice, brotherly love guide our steps to the right solution."

On June 2, 1943, during routine flight training, Nile Kinnick's plane made an emergency landing in the Gulf of Paria, Kinnick's body was never found.

The last letter Nile Kinnick ever sent included this:

"I am so glad you could speak enthusiastically of your visit to Iowa City. That little town means so much to me...It is almost like home. I love the people, the campus, the trees, everything about it. And it is beautiful in the spring...And I hope you strolled off across the golf course just at twilight and felt the peace and quiet of an Iowa evening, just as I used to do."

The Big 11 honors Nile Kinnick at every coin toss before a football game. His face is on the coin. The University of Iowa's football stadium is named after Nile Kinnick.

America lost a potential future President and leader.

Why am I bringing up Nile Kinnick, in a review of 8oz Burger Bar? Well Iowa produces some of the best beef in America.

I was in the area and while I already had a burger the night before at Russell's in Pasadena, I decided to try 8oz Burger Bar.

8oz Burger Bar is another contender of the gourmet burger battle of LA. Father's Office, Umami Burger in Hollywood, Umami Burger on La Brea, and 38 Degrees.

I got the 8oz burger, with lettuce, tomato, onions, 8oz secret sauce, a combo of ketchup, mustard, and mayo, with white cheddar cheese-$10 play $1 for cheese. The burgers are cooked medium rare and I got medium rare. This was a great burger, just awesome!! Juicy, flavorful, tender and just awesome. The meat is a combination of sirloin, tri tip, short rib and chuck, stored in their salt-tiled locker. This is so good and for $11 well worth it and a steal!!! I didn't mind paying the extra $1 for my choice of cheese.

I also got the stout battered onion rings, $4. This was great too. The first bite I took was very salty, but afterwards, each piece was great. Light, crispy, flakey, just wonderful. They could have been hotter, my order was sitting under heat lamps for awhile. But this was one of the best onion rings I've ever had.

Service was great. The hostess was very nice and welcoming. I actually had two servers. The first server was nice and friendly. But I guess I got there just as her shift was over. The second server was fine but not as nice or friendly as the first server. The second server wasn't bad, just not as good as the first server.

I love 8oz Burger Bar and is my favorite in the battle for the best gourmet burger in LA.

Russell's

Russell's
30 N Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena
626-578-1404

The sign at Russell's says since 1930. I know that Russell's used to be in Long Beach during the 1980's but now this Pasadena location is the only Russell's left. I heard that Russell's is known for their burgers so I decided to give Russell's a try since I was back in the Pasadena area.

I got the Russell cheeseburger, $8.95, with lettuce, and pickles. You have to request tomato and onions, so I asked for a slice of tomato. The burgers came with your choice sides, I got the salad.

Let me tell you this is among the best appetizer salad I have ever had. The salad came with fresh iceberg lettuce, spinach, shredded carrots, cucumbers, garbonzo beans, and rye bread crutons. This seemed like a regular dinner salad, not an appetizer size. A great great salad.

The burger was cooked well done, was juicy, and flavorful. It was good but nothing outstanding. I was thinking I could get the same burger at any fast food place for about $2 less.

Service was outstanding. I was greeted promptly when I walked in. Both the server and host helped me while I was having dinner. I wasn't lacking for anything and both were very nice. The host even told me that there is free validated parking, for 90 minutes, in the parking structure just behind Russell's.

I didn't think the burgers were anything special at Russell's but the salad and the service was great. I may go back and try other things on Russell's menu but I wouldn't go back for their burgers.

LaRocco's Pizzeria-Culver City

LaRocco's Pizzeria
3819 Main St
Culver City
310-837-8345

If you're going to post a comment like that jerk Shan, at least have the courage to provide a return email addy or blog. Posting a comment ripping me is gutless. Understand Shan you gutless loser?

As with any NY style pizza, I compare everything to Village Pizzeria. When I heard a few people tell me that La Rocco's Pizzeria comes pretty close to Village Pizzeria, I had to give it a try. As far as I can tell, this La Rocco's Pizzeria is not affiliated with the La Rocco's Pizzeria in Huntington Beach.

They have a two slices and a soda special for $6. So I got a slice of pepperoni and a slice of the Bronx Special, meatball, sausage, and pepperoni. I tried the pepperoni first and WOW was it good. It gives Village Pizzeria a run for their money. Nice crispy crust, gooey cheese, a light, sweet flavorful sauce, and lots of pepperoni.

The Bronx special was very good though a bit salty for my tastes. The sausage and meatball were flavorful but just a bit salty for me. I don't think I would order this again.

Service was pretty good. The lady taking my order was nice but after I paid for the two slices and soda, she started getting the slices ready. But I was missing a cup for the soda. I asked her, 'I get a soda, right?" She said the cups were next to the soda machine. This isn't that big of a deal but she should have told me that, after giving me my change, instead of having me stand there and asking about the soda. That is part of good service. But often times things like this, can be overlooked or forgiven if the person is nice.

This is damn good pizza and I'm glad to know I can find a good New York style pizza on the Westside. I will be coming back here soon.

Ciudad-Closed

Ciudad
445 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles
213-486-5171

I'll get straight to the point, this was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had!! Terrible service and overpriced bad food. What a waste.

I had heard mostly positive comments about Ciudad. So I decided to give them a try. I had the fried buttermilk calamari,$10.50. On of the bottom was the calamari was a sweet and smokey chili sauce. But this was one of the saltiest items I have ever had. Very heavy handed on the salt there. The calamari was chewy, rubbery, and not fresh at all. The batter was pretty good but this wasn't hot. It was sitting under heating lamps and sitting there until somebody made a mistake and ordered this crap. But what got me is that they also fried some red and green jalapenos, so while the plate looks full of calamari, most of it is the damn jalapenos. What a rip off!!!

Then I got the gaucho steak, medium rare, $33, domestic kobe beef rib eye stuffed with caramelized jalapeños and roasted garlic, herb chimichurri,
bacon mashed potatoes, warm black bean, corn, and spinach salad. This was a waste of money. The steak had portions that were burnt on the outside and just a bit undercooked, a little longer on the grill and it would have been medium rare. It was also very fatty, with lots and lots of gristle, not that tender, and lacked flavor. I'm not big on presentation but this steak was put on top of the mashed potatoes and spinach salad, and looked terrible. They could either get a larger plate or put the steak on a different plate. What a waste of money!!!

Also lacking was the service. The host, who was OK when I walked in, never bothered to say "Thank you" when I walked out. But the server, plain and simple was a jerk. He gave the impression he didn't have time for my table. Everything after this jerk server took my drink order, was terrible. Within two minutes of taking my drink order, the drink still hadn't arrived, but WTF, why so quick, for the drink but so slow for everything else? He would only came to my table to bring the entree and the check. Nothing else, he never bothered asking how the food was or if I needed anything. He got a 26 cent tip. I don't believe in this BS, even with bad service you tip 10%. Servers are there to make my dining experience the best it can be. It is not asking much of the server to come to my table and ask how everything is. Even places like El Torito and Chili's the servers ask how the food is. Giving this terrible server a 26 cent tip is being too generous.

I would never go back to this terrible service, overpriced, terrible food, "restaurant" again.

Original Tops- Pasadena

Original Tops
3838 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA
626-449-4412

I first heard about The Original Tops when I went to Gus's BBQ. I believe the owners of Tops bought Gus's BBQ. Tops has been in Pasadena since 1952. This is the original location. There are other places called Tops, even in pretentious jerk Orange County, but they have nothing to do with this location. I have a feeling the original owners were from Chicago, since they have a Maxwell Street Polish Dog and a Chicago hot dog, though they do not use Vienna hot dogs, they use Hebrew National.

I decided to give Tops a try and wanted to go to Pasadena before it is invaded by T-sips and hicks for the National Championship game. This is a no frills diner style burger place. The burgers are charbroiled on a grill and prices are a bit higher than other comparable places. So I get the Kobe Bistro Burger, $6.79, with half pound of American Kobe beef, smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions, tomato, mixed greens, herb mayo on a ciabatta bun. The first thing I noticed about this burger was the size, huge!! I asked them if they could cut it in half, they did, and I was impressed at the size of both pieces.

What was interesting was the taste of each half. One half the Kobe beef was cooked well done, I would have prefered it medium rare, but the other half had burnt pieces, which isn't good.

I like everything they put on the burger, the fresh mixed greens were a nice touch and a welcomed changed from iceberg lettuce. The mozzarella was melted and didn't overpower the taste of the meat as some other cheeses tend to do. The caramelized onions and herb mayo was a good combination. I loved the ciabatta bun, lots of texture, soft and chewy. Good stuff.

Service was pretty good. Nice friendly people. But my burger took a little longer, ther were people behind me who got their burger orders before me. Either they forgot my order or it takes longer to cook the Kobe burger. Either way, not that big of a deal since the burger was hot and fresh off the grill.

I saw people order the onion rings, fries, and zucchini sticks and they looked great. I would go back to Tops to try their hot dog or Polish dog, other sandwiches and burgers but I don't think I would go back for the Kobe Bistro burger.

Update Dec 17, 2009




I was back in the Pasadena area and decided to go back to Tops for the onion rings, $2.89, and polish dog, $3.89.

The onion rings are among the best onion rings I have ever had. Super light and crispy, outside with some pepper in the seasoning. Not greasy at all. Inside a wonderful sweet onion, not greasy.

The polish dog came with grilled onions and mustard. The onions were just piled onto the polish, too much for my tastes. The onions made for a soggy, messy bun, which wasn't grilled or anything. The polish dog was grilled but was pretty salty. It had a nice snap but I couldn't get over the saltiness of the polish dog. The polish sausage at Costco for $1.50 is bigger and better. I wouldn't order this again.

I wish I got better service though. I got terrible service. The young girl who took my order had a lot of attitude and quite simply, she was a bitch. From the moment I asked what comes on the polish dog, she was a bitch. Why she copped an attitude because I asked what comes on a polish dog, is beyond me. When my order was ready, she never even said thank you. Terrible service and Tops needs to do something about it.

As I said before, Tops is a higher priced burger place. I didn't think the polish sausage was any good and the Kobe burger was underwhelming. After the terrible service, I won't return anytime soon.

Nate n Al Deli

Nate n Al Deli
414 N Beverly Dr
Beverly Hills
310-274-0101

LA has many delis. Some people think there are more delis in LA than in New York City. The New Diner has reviewed many deli's in LA including, Billy's, in Glendale, Brent's Deli, in Northridge, Langers, in downtown LA, Art's, in Studio City, and my personal favorite, Canter's.

I found another deli in Beverly Hills, Nate n Al. So I decided to give it a try and see how it compares to other delis on LA. When I arrived I saw a long wait and I didn't want to spend anymore time around the pretentious assholes of Beverly Hills, so I got an order to go. I got the #11 combination sandwich, corned beef and pastrami with swiss cheese, $15.50. The sandwich is suppose to come with Russian dressing and cole slaw but I asked for both on the side.

After I got the sandwich, I found a place to sit down and took the pictures you see. I tried a third of the sandwich and found the corned beef to be dry and pretty salty. The pastrami was pretty good, nice seasoning and flavor. Both meats were pretty lean. The rye bread was pretty good. A nice firm crust, dense bread. The swiss cheese had a nice nutty flavor, though they could have put one side at the top and bottom of the sandwich, instead of doubling up at the top.

The Russian dressing was awesome. A more mild, less tangy flavor, which is a plus in my book. Maybe the best Russian dressing I ever had.

Service was pretty good. I walked in and people were nice and friendly. When I found out how long the wait was, one of the servers told me where to go to place a take out order. The guy who took my order was nice until it came time to pay. He finished preparing my order and asked "Would that be cash or credit?" No mention of the total, nothing. I mean I know this is Beverly Hills and every pretentious jerk has tons of money, but even they want to know the total for an order.

Also the way he made the sandwich was bad. One third of the sandwich did not have the bottom part of bread. It was almost as though he threw everything in the container. Now people may say I had a to go order and maybe taking the sandwich out of the container to take a picture was the problem. No it wasn't. The container is a clear plastic container and when I looked at the bottom of the container, I saw no bread on the bottom on one of the thirds. I also only took the sandwich about two stores down from Nate n Al, right by a nice waterfall.

I thought parking would be tough but I found out you can park at the Crate and Barrel parking structure, for 2 hours free. Canters is still my favorite deli in LA. Nate n Al doesn't come close to Canters. There is no reason for me to go back to Nate n Al again.

San Biagio's Pizza

San Biagio's Pizza
1263 W 7th St
Upland, CA
909-946-9277

Army-Navy the best college football rivalry ever. Today Navy beat Army for the 7th time in a row. I always say the only time I ever root against Army is when they play Navy!! I have three memorable Army-Navy games.

1983 Army-Navy game at the Rose Bowl; the first time that the Army-Navy game was held west of the Mississippi River.

2001 Army-Navy game. Think about what was happening in America when this game was played. Three months after 9-11. War in Afghanistan is less than two months old. Our Commander in Chief is at the game. Along with some of the finest military leaders like Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf. Some of the finest officers ever produced at the Naval Academy and West Point are playing their last football game ever. In a few short months, they would become teammates on a much bigger and important stage, on the field of battle. If that doesn't make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, you're a gutless, coward.

2005 Army-Navy game. This may not mean a lot to other people. But to me this game represented what is great about the young people of America. Every single class, freshmen through seniors, came into each academy knowing damn well what they were getting themselves into; going to war after graduation. I really respected the seniors because they were seniors in high school, when 9-11 happened. They could have gone to another school but they wanted to serve their country and were willing to put their lives in harm's way to protect this country.

Now what does this have to do with reviewing San Biagio's Pizza. Well, San Biagio's Pizza is a New York style pizza and West Point is in New York, not far from New York City. I'm surprised somebody like me, who loves New York style pizza, hadn't been to San Biagio's. So I decided to give San Biagio's a try.

One thing I've learned about NY style pizza places is don't order slices unless the pizza looks good under the heat lamps. I saw a whole pie that looked as it had been sitting around since they opened. I wasn't going to order slice from that pizza. I did see another pie that look as though it had been made within the hour. So instead I ordered a medium with pepperoni, $14.99, plus $1.50 for the topping.

The pizza was damn good. Not up to the standards of Village Pizzeria, but in the neighborhood, ok, maybe the suburbs. But still a damn good pizza.

The crust was thin but a bit thicker than other NY style pizza places. Still good but just a bit different. The cheese covered every inch of the pizza. The sauce added a mild flavor to the pizza. The pepperoni was spicy and very good. But I thought they could have put more pepperoni on the pizza.

Service is very good. I was greeted when I walked in and the guy was very helpful and nice.

I did enjoy watching Navy win while eating a San Biagio's pizza. I would go back here anytime. It is better than the two pizza places in the La Verne I reviewed; Red Devil Pizza and Sal's Pizza & Bagelry. Yes, Red Devil and Sal's are not NY style pizza but even their pizza doesn't stack up to San Biagio's.

Dumpling House- Arcadia

Dumpling House
921 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia
626-445-2755

This is not the Dumpling House in Temple City, that I reviewed and really enjoyed, earlier. This Dumpling House is in Arcadia, near Din Tai Fung and they are not affiliated with the Dumpling House in Temple City, in anyway.

On a rainy Friday night, I decided to have dinner at Dumpling House. Parked in the back and then walked into the restaurant. Be careful the floor is slippery. They give you an order sheet, much like a sushi order sheet, where you mark how many orders of each item you want. They do serve Chinese dishes but I came here to try the dumplings!!!

I got the pancake with sliced beef and green onions, $5.95. This was amazing, a rolled light flakey pancake with flavorful sliced beef inside. I liked the pancake and loved the beef which was tender though I was surprised it was served cold. But still a wonderful dish and a steal at $5.95.

Xiao Long Bao dumplings (XLB) or in English, juicy pork dumpling, $5.95. This xiao long bao is so much better than Din Tai Fung. They are much bigger, more pork and a more flavorful juice. The pork is tender and has a nice texture, the juice is wonder and just bursts in your mouth.

Pan fried pork dumplings, $5.95. These were very interesting. One side was fried to a golden brown but the other side wasn't fried for as long. So one side was a nice crispy side and the other was a bit soft and chewy. The pork was the same as the xio long bao, so it was great.

Service is good. The were attentive, getting me extra napkins even before I asked.

Dumpling House in Arcadia is so much better than Din Tai Fung, I don't know why people would go to DTF!!! Not only are the portions bigger but the quality of food is so much better. The place for xiao long bao is Dumpling House in Arcadia, not Din Tai Fung.

Sal's Pizza & Bagelry

Sal's Pizza & Bagelry
2095 Foothill Blvd
La Verne
909-596-4002

I first found out about Sal's Pizza & Bagelry from a review by David Allen.  Though David didn't have the pizza, some people commented about the good pizza at Sal's. So I decided to see for myself.  One of the comments mentioned that Sal used to own Red Devil Pizza, and when he sold it, there was a clause in the contract that Sal could not open up another pizza restaurant within so many miles of Red Devil, for ten years.  Well, clearly those ten years have come and gone.  If anybody can confirm this story, please email me.

I got the medium pepperoni, $14. The first thing you notice about the pizza is the crispy crust. What was interesting was that inside the crust was soft and doughy. The sauce was mild, almost bland, and didn't really add much to the pizza. There was a lot of cheese and pepperoni which is always good. But there was nothing outstanding about this pizza.

Service was below average. The young girl taking the order was just there to earn money. Not friendly or helpful. You could tell she didn't want to be there. But what really got me was one of the pizza cooks brought the pizza to our table and only brought ONE plate. Not a big deal but damn take a look at who is getting the pizza and bring enough plates. What was a big deal was the fact that pizza cook didn't say one thing. Not; "You had the medium pepperoni?" Not "Enjoy" Nothing. I mean could it be that tough to be personable and friendly, you are running a restaurant!!

I would not go back to Sal's again. I much prefer Red Devil Pizza, which isn't anything great. I wouldn't even go back to try the bagels because of the bad service.