Sunday, February 22, 2009
Which Sandwich?
We ate them when we were little for lunch; they were homemade and handmade by our moms and neatly wrapped and packed with a brown paper bag. There were many varieties of them and it was so exciting opening that brown paper bag up to see what was for lunch. Could it be PB & J, ham and cheese, a BLT, turkey, ham, chicken, tuna, gummy bears or even green eggs and ham? (My third grade teacher once made green eggs and ham for our class, bless her soul, I licked the plate clean.) We all have eaten sandwiches at one point in our lives, but as we grow older we develop a different taste for different kinds of sandwiches, a more exquisite and refined taste. It also seems that fast food restaurants are also expanding into this cheap but effectively selling product. One restaurant that would follow into that category is a franchise called “Lee’s Sandwich”. It is a Vietnamese franchise that has opened up many stores, some that stay open 24/7. They offer gourmet baguette sandwiches that are relatively cheaper then Subways. Lee’s tries to appeal to your exquisite side by including a somewhat large selection of sandwiches. Those sandwiches are stuffed with mayo, meat patty, with pickled veggies and plenty of greens and a choice of one main type of meat (pork, beef, chicken, tuna etc). Lee’s logo has a picture of the Eiffel tower which I believe is their attempt to relate their food to the fine dining of the French, hence the baguette. Such restaurants try to appeal to our childhood preferences but in a more grown up fashion while some restaurants such as Subways and Quiznos throw at us a $5 dollar/ foot long sandwich deal. But when you think about it $5 a fast mounting price if left unnoticed. I like Subways, Lee’s fails to appease my taste, if there aren’t any Subways around and I wanted a sandwich I’d just make one myself. Either that or go to some ma and pa shop to get a cheap and quick meal. What about you?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Cajun Nation
It seems to me that whenever I hear the word “Cajun” my mouth immediately starts to water. Cajun brings into mind its herbs and spices, unique flavoring, and intoxicating smell. The secretion of salvia is even beginning to fill my mouth as I type. I think about all the types of Cajun related food that I have acquired a taste for: gumbo, Popeye’s, crawfish, clams, and especially the fries all of which may not be completely authentic Cajun food, but is good regardless. I have the scent and taste of the food, it drives me crazy not to satisfy the hunger. This is what is going on inside my head when I hear the word “Cajun” but from the looks of things around certain restaurants , I’m may not be the only one thinking of such thoughts.
I live in Westminster and just down the street there is a Popeye’s restaurant. Every time I pass by the store the fumes of the herbs just seem to pull me in. The other day after eating lunch I drove to a store next to Popeye’s to run some errands and the next thing you know it I was in line to purchase some pricy and oily chicken along with an overpriced portion of Cajun battered fries. It was an epic failure on my part seeing as how I was too full to even eat the chicken, so now it sits in the fridge getting cold. It is amazing how people like the Cajun twist to things but on that day there were barely three customers or so. But when Tuesday comes around the corner, the line to get chicken is worthy enough to match the lines at the beach hut sometimes it gets as bad as the lines to get books during the first week of school. Why Tuesday? Tuesday is the Popeye Tuesday sale, similar to taco Tuesday, where customers can get a 2 piece (leg and thigh) deal for just a buck.
Good food and bargains seem to go hand in hand and always on a Tuesday! If these restaurants were eager to make profits, instead of competition with each other for customers on one day, why not have different deals for different food joints every night then everybody would be happy. But is that legal? Premeditated actions to pull customers in? Similar to two gas stations on a street corner that takes turn having the lower price to get customers. But that’s just some food for thought.
I live in Westminster and just down the street there is a Popeye’s restaurant. Every time I pass by the store the fumes of the herbs just seem to pull me in. The other day after eating lunch I drove to a store next to Popeye’s to run some errands and the next thing you know it I was in line to purchase some pricy and oily chicken along with an overpriced portion of Cajun battered fries. It was an epic failure on my part seeing as how I was too full to even eat the chicken, so now it sits in the fridge getting cold. It is amazing how people like the Cajun twist to things but on that day there were barely three customers or so. But when Tuesday comes around the corner, the line to get chicken is worthy enough to match the lines at the beach hut sometimes it gets as bad as the lines to get books during the first week of school. Why Tuesday? Tuesday is the Popeye Tuesday sale, similar to taco Tuesday, where customers can get a 2 piece (leg and thigh) deal for just a buck.
Good food and bargains seem to go hand in hand and always on a Tuesday! If these restaurants were eager to make profits, instead of competition with each other for customers on one day, why not have different deals for different food joints every night then everybody would be happy. But is that legal? Premeditated actions to pull customers in? Similar to two gas stations on a street corner that takes turn having the lower price to get customers. But that’s just some food for thought.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Candy Craze
I'm sure that everyone at some point in their lives have heard the "pop-goes-the-weasel" tune. Where ever the tune is heard is where the source of ice cream, candy, toys and all sorts of other goodies can be found. I however am talking about a more specific type of candy, a more exotic type compared to the ones you can find at Alberstons or Ralphs. The type of candy I'm talking about calls to kids of all ages, like a siren. They scramble to it with crumpled, dirty, old, even wet dollar bills in order to get into a nonexistent line to buy cheap yet incredibly delicious Mexican candy!
I've seen pushing and shoving, scratching and pulling, kicking and screaming kids of all ages, all with the same savage looks in their beady little eyes, all wanting to ravage the wares of the vendor in the white van. Vero Rebanaditas (Watermelon Lollypop), Vero Mango, (obvious), Tamarindo (Lucas Paste), Lucas (Are you serious?) And many more are displayed just barely out of reach of the clawing gremlin like little arms of the candy crazed kids. The candy is like a magnet and kids fly from every turn and bend, neglect street signs, speeding cars, pedestrians and bikers just to buy some candy!
Remember that mexican candy scare a little while back? Well if you don't you not completely left out. The media just blew up a story about mexican candy wrappers being contaminated with lead. They urged parents to stop their kids from eating such candy and switch to some other alternative. Well guess what? Sales where the same, I walk on by from school and I still see the swarm of locusts around the white van blaring pop-goes-the-weasel. It's like the kids are defying authority, including their parents just to satisfy their monstrous sugar cravings. Its a routine that can be seen daily if one knows where to look, like the sun rising and the moon setting, there will always be a demand for the sweet and sour, juicy and spicy, hard and soft candy that we are all secretly infatuated with (though some of us are just more obvious than others). I for one am waiting for the next Latino Frat Mexican candy sale so i can stock up on these heavenly delights. It beats waiting in nonexistent line to compete against candy crazed gremlins. VIVA LA MEXICAN CANDIES!
I've seen pushing and shoving, scratching and pulling, kicking and screaming kids of all ages, all with the same savage looks in their beady little eyes, all wanting to ravage the wares of the vendor in the white van. Vero Rebanaditas (Watermelon Lollypop), Vero Mango, (obvious), Tamarindo (Lucas Paste), Lucas (Are you serious?) And many more are displayed just barely out of reach of the clawing gremlin like little arms of the candy crazed kids. The candy is like a magnet and kids fly from every turn and bend, neglect street signs, speeding cars, pedestrians and bikers just to buy some candy!
Remember that mexican candy scare a little while back? Well if you don't you not completely left out. The media just blew up a story about mexican candy wrappers being contaminated with lead. They urged parents to stop their kids from eating such candy and switch to some other alternative. Well guess what? Sales where the same, I walk on by from school and I still see the swarm of locusts around the white van blaring pop-goes-the-weasel. It's like the kids are defying authority, including their parents just to satisfy their monstrous sugar cravings. Its a routine that can be seen daily if one knows where to look, like the sun rising and the moon setting, there will always be a demand for the sweet and sour, juicy and spicy, hard and soft candy that we are all secretly infatuated with (though some of us are just more obvious than others). I for one am waiting for the next Latino Frat Mexican candy sale so i can stock up on these heavenly delights. It beats waiting in nonexistent line to compete against candy crazed gremlins. VIVA LA MEXICAN CANDIES!
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