LA Edition: Fresh Corn Grill

Fresh Corn Grilled Salad with Shrimp

Another fantastic LA find! For lunch we dined at Fresh Corn Grill which serves exactly what the name might imply. The signature salad offered grilled corn, grilled asparagus, avocado, scallions, and grilled zucchini served over mixed greens with a house vinaigrette. While I normally don't opt for seafood at fast food restaurants, it looked and smelled so delicious that I simply could not resist. I'm so glad I went for it- it tasted every bit as good as it looked and smelled. The salad was a bit pricey, but I ate until I was quite full and it didn't even look like I made a dent in it, so it's actually a pretty good deal for the money. Now if only I can find a salad this good somewhere nearby me in NYC!

LA Edition: John O'Groats

Vegetarian Hash & Eggs

Pancakes with Chocolate Chips, Pecans, & Strawberries

I did some investigating on the internets and found a little place for breakfast called John O'Groats. My research paid off, and we were rewarded with a hearty breakfast of Vegetarian Hash and Pancakes. 

The hash was a refreshing blend of vegetables, home fries, apples, onion, and garlic sauteed in olive oil and topped with eggs. The sweetness of the apple gave it an unexpected dynamic which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

We felt it would be a shame to leave this charming little spot without trying some of their pancakes, so we ordered a stack to split with chocolate chips, pecans, and strawberries. The consensus was that we would have enjoyed it a bit more if the strawberries and pecans were toppings instead of fillings, but despite this ordering error, we enjoyed them immensely.

LA Edition: In-N-Out Burger

Welcome to a very Los Angeles edition of Newbie Foodies.

Our plane landed in LAX, we hopped into our rental car, checked in to our hotel, and then made our way to the closest In-N-Out Burger. The first thing we were struck by is how cheap it is! No $15 hamburgers here! We had enough inside info to order our burgers "Animal Style", but made the mistake of not going Animal Style for the fries as well. We really regretted this, since the fries were pretty bland. However, all in all, we were more than satisfied with our late night 'snack'.

Big Apple BBQ 2011

Day 1

VIP POV

17th Street Ribs & Beans

Started our day out with 17th Street Bar & Grill's Memphis style ribs and baked beans. Mmmm fall off the bone, dry rubbed meat. Now that's what I call breakfast. I'm not usually a big baked beans fan, but these were full of veggies which gave it a really nice twist.

Checkered Pig Ribs & Slaw

 Time for round 2, St Louis style ribs from the Checkered Pig. Oh man, my heart melted for these ribs just like they melted in my mouth. I also really liked the cole slaw which is another surprise for me, however The Mr felt pretty ambivalent about it.

Bob Gibson Pulled Pork Sandwich & Slaw

After a break to drink some beer and listen to the band, we were ready to tackle Big Bob Gibson's pulled pork sandwich. Even the fast pass line for this tent was pretty long and one bite in, we could see why. Juicy and moist pork topped with your choice of Bob Gibson's special sauces. Another slaw win for me, this one had a faint mustard hint to it.

At this point we were pretty stuffed, but had the yearning for something sweet. Unfortunately, the line for Fried Pies and for Blue Smoke's Dessert tent were both just out of control at this point. We meant to come back for dinner...but never quite built up the appetite. Round 2 will have to wait until tomorrow.

Newbie News: Mario Batali's Favorite Chelsea Eats

Mario Batali's tips on where to eat around The High Line.