For those of you who like your cheesesteak sandwiches just as they should be - steak and cheese and steak and cheese - then Quizno's new Double Cheese Cheesesteak is for you.

The sandwich shop's new toasty sub is not a torpedoe or bullet so you can get it in a small, regular or large size in white or wheat bread.

It comes with hand-carved marinated prime rib steak slices, double the slices of swiss cheese, sauteed onions and mayo - that's it.

Sure you may not get your daily recommended servings of vegetables but you can always get a side salad.

I recently tried the small size (ixnay on the mayo though) just to see if it was plenty enough with double the meat and cheese. 

With a side of chips and a drink, the small did satisfy but at the same time, the meat marinade was so tasty and the cheese was all nice and melty that I wanted more even if it was going to make me so full I'd place myself in a food coma - staring into the glare of my computer screen at work.

It's not the value meal you could find at some other sandwich shops - $5.29 for the small plus $1.99 to make it a combo - but it's worth the double meat and cheese alone.

By Eric Terrazas

I am a big fan of pizza, which has long been a favorite dish of mine.

Always on the lookout for a tasty pie, I decided to check out a place called Anna's Pizza, located in West Covina.

I ordered the mini 8-inch two-topping pizza for $4.99. The two toppings I selected were pepperoni and pineapple.

My first impression of Anna's was pretty positive. While it was not the best pizza I ever had, I still came away a satisfied customer.

For $4.99, the two-topping pizza is not a bad deal. I ate all of my pineapple and pepperoni pizza, which tasted pretty good.

I decided to give Anna's another try the next day. This time, I selected the $6.99 lunch special, which consisted of a mini 8-inch two-topping pizza, a small salad and a medium soft drink.

The toppings I selected were sausage and mushroom. 

I thought the sausage and mushroom pizza tasted better than the pepperoni and pineapple.

The salad, which comes with several choices of dressing, wasn't bad. I wish it included a couple more tomatoes.

Anna's salad dressing list includes ranch, blue cheese, Italian, thousand island, vinegar and oil, and Caesar. I ordered the thousand island.

I had no problem finishing my sausage and mushroom pie.  

For $6.99, I thought Anna's lunch special was a nice meal and deal. Other pizza sizes are also offered.

The choice of toppings also include meatballs, salami, ham, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, garlic, onions, green peppers, olives, jalapenos, anchovies and chicken.

If you happen to have a light budget, the $3.99 mini 8-inch cheese pizza sounds like a good choice.

Anna's menu also features dishes such as spaghetti ($6.99), lasagna ($7.75) and ravioli ($7.25). All dishes are served with garlic bread.

Different varieties of sandwiches and salads are also available. A regular (8-10 inches) sized sandwich costs $5.25 while a foot-long is priced at $6.25.

Salad selections include chicken ($6.50), antipasto ($6.25), and garden ($4.75).

So if you are in the mood for Italian fare and happen to be in the West Covina area, Anna's just might sound like a good place to eat.

Anna's Pizza is located at 1010 West Covina Parkway in West Covina. For information, call (626) 337-7297.

You knew I would try to snag a free flatbread from Jamba Juice. How could I resist free food?

Check out this article from business editor Kevin Smith explaining this special promotion.

At first, I thought of going an hour before this special promotion started, but actually got too busy in the office.

Once I had a break, it was just after 2 p.m. but thought I would still see if I had a chance to try these new low-calorie flatbreads.

I arrived at the Jamba Juice in West Covina by the mall at about 2:20 p.m. There was no long lines in sight like I remember seeing for the free chicken giveaway El Pollo Loco and Kentucky Fried Chicken had, but that was fine with me.

There wasn't even one person in front of me when I entered the Jamba Juice in West Covina on Tuesday.

I was reminded once again of the free promotion and I said yes please! Apparently they were giving away one of the four varieties (Tomo Artichoko, Smokehouse Chicken, MediterranYum and Four Cheesy) at different times throughout the promotion. I got the Smokehouse Chicken variety.

I ordered a healthy smoothie as well - Pomegranate Pick-me-up - and happily took my little warm box of flatbread. Regular price for a flatbread is $3.75.

No matter where I read or searched for online, I could not figure out what type of food exactly Jamba Juice meant by 'flatbread', but it pretty much resembles a mini-size, thin-crust pizza with flatbread as the dough.

The smokehouse had roasted corn, peppers, black beans and chicken on top of a little melted cheese and what tasted like a slightly tangy barbecue sauce. The flavors of each ingredient went well together considering it was only 330 calories.

The flatbread was warm and toasty but a bit hard on the side while it was soft on the bottom.

The flatbread was more of a snack with it's mini-pizza size, or if you wanted to make it a full meal, you could pick up a couple or add one of the salads also offered now at some Jamba Juice locations.

Next time I'll try one of the salads, wraps or sandwiches while picking up some fresh juicy smoothie at Jamba Juice.

DID YOU SNAG A FREE FLATBREAD? KNOW OF ANY OTHER FREE FOOD OFFERINGS YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? LET US KNOW BELOW - SHARING IS CARING.

By Evelyn Barge

Have you ever tried to grab an off-hour lunch in San Dimas?

On a recent late Friday afternoon, I drove around in circles to three different eateries only to find that each had closed down between lunch and dinner service.

That's how I ended up, out of sheer desperation, at an establishment like Zendejas Mexican Restaurant.

Whereas I started my late-lunch hunt hoping for healthy vegetarian cuisine, by this point I was willing to settle for - actually, devour - some greasy tacos and guacamole. (That counts as a veggie serving, right?)

From the get-go, it was obvious I was going to blow my $10 budget. (I usually go out on these types of reviews with just $10 in my pocket, as a personal challenge to remain within "Dining on a Budget" monetary limits.)

Almost every item of substance on the menu costs $9 or more, unless you count chicken strips or wings ($8.95 each) as substance. (To be fair, there are some buy-one-get-one-half-off coupons on the restaurant's Web site, but that wouldn't have helped me as a solo diner.)

The house specialty plates start at $11.50, and who doesn't order a house special when trying a restaurant for the first time? I picked the carnitas tacos platter ($11.50) with rice and beans, plus a cup of albondigas soup ($3.95).    

The tacos were dry, and the pork - shredded, plentiful but woefully tasteless - didn't hold a candle to that served out of my favorite roach coaches.

In the soup, the meatballs and broth - the heart and soul of traditional albondigas - were equally bland. I gnawed on a couple meatballs before putting the lid back on and relegating the container to the depths of the fridge, never to be regarded again.

I spent approximately 15 minutes inside Zendejas, ordering food from the hostess and waiting for it to be prepared. That time was enough to convince me there are few places I'd rather dine in less than this one.

The dining room was vacant, save for an older couple on their way out the door and a small family just settling down into a booth. And yet there was enough noise coming from the bar area and patio to suffice for a packed, rowdy house.

By the time I left around 3:30 p.m., both were filling up steadily with afternoon pre-happy-hour revelers - mostly male, mostly young and mostly on their way to the proverbial three sheets, wind business. (Maybe the food tastes better with booze?)

Shouts of "Do you want another one?" (Of course he does!) were relayed from one barmate to another.

In the parking lot, anxious to make my hasty escape, I waited on foot while a jacked-up pick-up truck squeezed its massive frame into the compact space next to mine. Its driver dismounted, before hopping the wooden railing onto the patio, apparently as antsy as I am to instead get inside.

Does Zendejas Mexican Restaurant have any appeal? Yes, for people who read a slogan like "I'ts (sic) Party Time, Zendejas Time" and think "I want to go there."

I am not one of those people.

Zendejas Mexican Restaurant is located at 665 W. Arrow Highway in San Dimas. For information, call (909) 592-6762 or visit www.zendejasmexicanrestaurant.com .

By Lafayette C. Hight Jr.

Entering Wang's was, well, interesting.

There's neither a service counter inside nor a podium of any sort, so while standing at the entrance for about many minutes I thought I'd been accidentally dipped in invisible ink.

Maybe there actually were only a handful people working that night, but the half-empty dining room - which had only about six tables occupied - didn't seem to warrant the lack of attention.

Eventually we did manage to catch someone's curiosity and found ourselves at a table, where we perused the menu and decided upon the Mandarin dinner, at $13.95 per person, which included a choice of soup and two entrees and some appetizers.

There were two of us, so the meal seemed a perfect fit. We opted for Hot and Sour Soup to start things off. When it arrived I was a bit worried because it came with a very strong smell of sesame oil. I was happy when I tasted it, though, to discover that it was the same soup I'm familiar with.

Shortly afterward, a plate with wontons, egg rolls and foil-wrapped chicken showed up.

It was here that I discovered that Wang's food seemed to only have one temperature. Hot. Screaming hot. Hot enough that Dante might have seen it served in the inner ring of the seventh circle.

It's almost as if the temperature was supposed to take your mind off the fact that the food was lacking in the flavor department.

Had my eyes been closed, it would have been difficult to tell the difference between the vegetable egg roll, the wonton and the fried wonton skins that were delivered as an appetizer  - tasting kind of like deep-fried paper. The small piece of baked chicken, however, was pretty good. The problem was that it was minuscule, about the size of my thumb.

Then the entrees arrived. The best part of the entrees was the shrimp. Not the whole dish, but the individual crustaceans. So it became a bit of a race to see who could get the most shrimp, without being obvious that we were trying to out-shrimp each other.

I was also trying to figure out why the chow mein arrived in a pie plate. Not the tin type, but a glass pie plate, while the beef dish had a normal serving dish.

But I couldn't even think about that, as I was busy attempting to perform a miracle with the soy sauce (red, not green), salt and pepper that were on the table.

I figured out the right proportion after about 10 minutes - a splash of soy sauce, three shakes of pepper - to add at least a semblance of taste to the dishes.

I have to admit, that what I did like about Wang's was that the restaurant has a full bar with some pretty decent drinks, not typically found in Chinese restaurants in the Valley.

And by the end of the night, I needed one.

Wang's is located at 120 E. Lemon Ave. in Monrovia. For information, call (626) 303-3071.

As if I need another reason to love Jamba Juice and their tasty fruit creations. I have yet to try their most recent food offerings but this will sure help.

Here's the latest from the smoothie company:

"As a part of its Fall 'Feel Good Campaign', Jamba Juice announced today that it will be filling customers up for free."

Starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, the first 150 customers can get a chance to try Jamba Juice's new California Flatbreads for FREE, at participating Jamba Juice locations.

The recently launched lunch offerings "make the perfect guilt-free afternoon snack, made with high quality, better-for-you ingredients and all under 330 calories."

"A perfect combination of delicious ingredients on top of a crispy crust, and an excellent source of protein, the new Flatbreads are available in 4 yummy flavors including: Tomo Artichoko Flatbread, Smokehouse Chicken Flatbread, MediterranYum Flatbread and Four Cheesy Flatbread."

I don't know the history of Filipino food but after my first visit to D.J. Bibingkahan in West Covina, it wasn't too far from Mexican food.

It made me wonder, who inspired who?

This little bake shop is a spacious restaurant and bakery in what is locally known as Little Manila, or the Seafood City shopping center off of Amar Road and Azusa Avenue.

On a recent lunch hour, playing on televisions throughout the dining area was a Filipino version of "Ugly Betty," an American television show that is a version of the Mexican soap opera show "Betty La Fea."

The cheesy over-acting and camera work immediately reminded me of Mexican "telenovelas" or soap operas.

Ordering food here required a quick lesson. First of all, I didn't understand the menu, and not because of language barriers, but there also isn't much clarity as to how to order food.

Luckily, I was well accompanied by two fellow foodies who were familiar with the way of the D.J. Bibingkahan.

It actually reminded me of how one may typically order food at a fast-food style Chinese restaurant. The food is spread across a long counter behind glass and you can just point to what you want.

Easy for me since I didn't know what items were what, let alone know how to pronounce it properly in Tagalog. 

Much of the food in front of me looked very good but so as not to be sorely disappointed with my lunch I went with a couple suggestions made by my companions instead of following my hungry eyes.

Everyone mostly orders combos which come with steamed white rice and an optional cup of soup, but you can order items a la carte.

With everything from a side spinach with coconut milk dish, beef boiled in blood stew to fish dishes, there was plenty to choose from.

I decided to go with the beef barbecue on a stick and a beef stew called beef kaldereta. I didn't get to try the soup this time which had pork in it.

I did try the chicken adobo off of a lunch companion's plate though. The chicken is cooked for hours in a soy sauce and vinegar mixture, making the chicken tender and juicy and the mixture a little more sweet than salty.

The beef barbecue was perfectly cooked, not too tough, and had the nice barbecue taste and not just the marks of a grill.             

The beef stew tasted so close to a Mexican dish my mom cooks. The spices in the stew and the juicy, chunky cut of the beef are almost exactly the same as the Mexican version, though the color is a little different.

I didn't taste them at first but the stew also has potatoes and carrots, much like the Mexican dish. My mom's dish also has peas and squash though.

My mom serves the dish with rice as well. It's a great way to absorb the stew and flavor the rice.

This D.J. restaurant is actually one of six chains with another in Las Vegas.

D.J. Bibingkahan in West Covina is at 1515 Amar Road, (626) 581-4682.

(NOTE: After this article ran in print and on the Highlander website, there were many commenters helping me out with a little history lesson on Filipino and Mexican food. And others commented on Spanish soap opera history. Feel free to join in on that discussion by clicking on the link above or start a new one here - Comment away! Thanks.)

By Stacey Wang

I've had bagels on the brains every Friday for the last two weeks due to the downtime "bagels or donuts?" discussion in the office.

As if Casual Friday didn't already make my day, I finally decided to satisfy my craving for those complex carbs.

In San Dimas lies Cafe Bagelry, a family-owned shop that has an extensive menu to satisfy bagel eaters of all kinds.

From cream cheese bagels to bagel sandwiches, the cafe has menu items ranging from $0.85 to $5.69, before tax.

I ordered a Californian - a cafe-proclaimed favorite tuna sandwich with Swiss cheese, avocado, tomatoes and sprouts on a toasted wheat bagel.

The generous portions of the sandwich alone were enough to fill me up, but the cafe offers a meal deal every Friday. Customers can order any bagel menu item, chips and a fountain drink for $6.

On any other day, my meal would have cost $7.79. It's not a huge savings, but I don't mind taking what I can get - especially if it's as gratifying as it was.

I also ordered a cafe specialty known as a Peaches 'N Cream bagel for $3.02 purely because it glimmered from its glass encasing with visual appeal.

The pastry was a bagel bread with a light spread of cream cheese. It was topped with peach slices fanned out like a pinwheel and sprinkled with cinnamon, which added a light fruity sweetness to it.

I didn't attempt to finish all of my food in one sitting - I would have cursed bagels until the new year had I tried.

The shop also offers alternatives to bagel items - including muffins, omelettes, wraps, croissants and more - while supplies last.

Some other items include an Early Bird Egg Wrap with egg, herb cream cheese and cheddar cheese at $3.13 and cookies at $0.75, which the menu proclaims is "the best" the cafe has ever tasted.

But don't expect to eat there at night. The place is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Cafe Bagelry is at 969 W. Arrow Hwy., San Dimas. Call the shop at (909) 394-9592 for more information.

I was at a Californa Pizza Kitchen last month and not intending to have wine with my food, I went ahead and had a small serving any way - since they were free.

Trying to get ahead of other casual dining chain restaurants, CPK has launched its new redesigned wine list nationwide and looking to start a new "wine culture" at its restaurants.

To give diners a glimpse they are offering free wine tastings to diners ages 21 and over. Each week two featured wines are chosen and offered as tastings.

The selection of wines were handpicked by the restaurant's co-founders/co-CEOs Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax. Most selections on the new list are priced under $10 for a glass but still considered high quality for their price.

The selection includes:                                 

-Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay

-Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay

-Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

-La Crema Pinot Noir

-Stags' Leap Merlot

At my visit, I tried the pinot grigio, a white wine for those unfamiliar with wine, and the pinot noir, a red.

I'm not big on white wines and even though the Santa Margherita was tasty and a little woodsy, it was too sweet for my wine taste.

The La Crema pinot was nice and smooth for a more dry and bitter wine but it had the right amount of dryness which is not easily accomplished in many reds.

It's nice to see CPK step it up to compete with the many smaller upscale restaurants that are more able to switch up their wine offerings. I wonder if they'll also start offering pairing suggestions too.

Now, can I just have a truly small side salad for like $3 with my pasta? Please....

If you haven't read any of my other posts, then I must say it again - I LOVE BUFFALO! The sauce that is.

So when I heard Subway had a new Buffalo Chicken sandwich and were offering a footlong for only $5, I couldn't resist trying it.

The chicken, including everything except the sauce, was pretty much just like any other chicken sandwich at Subway - chopped "grilled" chicken strips and any veggie fixin's you want.

The sauce was what I was most curious about anyway. And though the buffalo sauce was not dissapointing, it wasn't anything spectacular. Actually, I really think it was just Frank's Hot Sauce brand.

What definitely didn't add anything else but soggy bread to the sandwich was the light ranch dressing they drizzle on top of the buffalo sauce, I'm assuming so you get a whole "buffalo wings and sauce" experience.

The sauce didn't have that bold zesty ranch flavor and I'm guessing because it was light, it was thin and watery so it dripped throughout and out of the sandwich.

I don't think I would try this sandwich again. I'll do better adding jalapenos to one of their regular grilled chicken sandwiches to get more flavor or just head to Hooters.

By Eric Terrazas

I have made a recent addition to my list of most visited fast-food eateries.

Earlier this year I decided to sample the Flame Broiler, which had recently opened in my hometown of Whittier.

I ordered the rib plate, which featured two beef short ribs served over steamed rice. The meal also came with fresh green salad and orange slices. The tender ribs, topped by a helping of green onions, satisfied my taste buds. I also thought the salad, served with Oriental Sesame Supreme dressing, enhanced my meal.

After finishing off my ribs and salad, I wrapped up my dinner by eating my orange, which nicely completes the meal.

On a recent Saturday, I elected to spend my lunch at the Flame Broiler's location in Hacienda Heights. I once again went with my favorite selection, the Rib Plate, which costs $7.39. Granted it's a little on the pricey side, but overall it's still not a bad deal since you receive a healthy portion of food.  

Four other plates are available: chicken, beef, chicken and beef and The Works. All of those choices include the steamed rice, salad and the orange.

The chicken plate costs $6.99 while the beef, along with the chicken and beef, both cost $7.09. Those with more hearty appetites might be interested in ordering The Works plate, which carries a $7.39 price tag. The Works consists of chicken and beef that is served over steamed rice and steamed vegetables. It sounds like I might have to try The Works on my next visit.

If you happen to have a tighter budget, the Flame Broiler also offers several bowls, which are all served with steamed rice. At $4.99, the chicken bowl sounds especially good. The beef bowl costs $5.09. If you happen to be craving both beef and chicken, a half and half bowl is also offered for $5.09.

Vegetable lovers might want to try the chicken veggie or beef veggie bowl, which both cost $5.29. Both selections come with steamed rice and steamed vegetables. And if you want a meal without the meat, you can order the veggie bowl for $3.99. The Works bowl, which includes chicken, beef, rice and vegetables, costs $5.39.

The Flame Broiler has two locations in the San Gabriel Valley: 17110 Colima Road in Hacienda Heights, and 21750 Valley Blvd. in Industry. For information, call (626) 964-7041 for the Hacienda Heights location or (909) 598-5777 for the Industry location.

By Evelyn Barge

I'm not a big fan of restaurants with gimmicky food names; even less so, nightclubs with lame drink labels.

It's an allergy I developed after ordering, with head hanging in shame, the embarrassing "Jenny's Favorite" smoothie at a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Monterey many moons ago. I still haven't figured out just why Jenny - an abused child, turned counterculture hippie, turned druggie, turned baby mama, who finally gets sick, settles down and then immediately dies - would have a predilection for strawberries, cranberry juice and non-fat raspberry frozen yogurt. (Send me a memo if you know more than I do.)

At any rate, New York's Finest Bakery and Cafe proprietor Salvatore Mangiafreno obviously disagrees with me. 

Every sandwich on the West Covina eatery's menu is named for a New York City attraction or borough - The Bronx, The Staten Island, The Yankee Stadium, The Shea Stadium, The Park Ave., and on and on.

I find this a little too cutesy for my taste. But, let's be honest, a good taste - the kind that really counts at a restaurant - can overpower all sorts of cornball phrases.

That's how I felt ordering "The NYPD" sandwich ($5.50) at New York's Finest. Yes, the sandwich is really called that, and just speaking the name aloud gave me low expectations for it. 

But I was won over by the force - or, more specifically, the ingredients, which piqued my interest from their place on the menu.

Hot capicola, prosciutto, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, lettuce, oil and vinegar. Simple, spicy; I'll take it. I picked the round roll, which is really more of a giant oval, but the sandwiches are also available on 12-inch hero subs.

The pepperoncinis really steal the show here, acting en masse to overpower thick layers of meat with a mild, pleasing, pickled heat.  

The New York Style salad ($5.00) with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze was beyond basic but comprised of fresh ingredients and quite satisfying. It reminded me of something I'd whip up at home to take on a picnic.

New York's Finest has an interesting kind of appeal for a city like West Covina. It's Italian-American deli fare through-and-through, with fresh bread, cookies and pastries baked daily on the premises.

It's the kind of place you stop on the way to work to get a baker's dozen of cannolis for the office.

It's refreshing, light, healthy fare - just don't forget something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

New York's Finest Bakery and Cafe is located at 648 S. Sunset Ave. in West Covina. (626) 814-9900. www.nyfinestbakery.com. 

A few weeks ago, I was sent out to work out of one of our other sister papers' office in Torrance and while I was only there for a couple days, I thought I would venture out for lunch and see what the city had to offer.

The first day, on my way into the office I passed by a sushi place that caught my eye and I knew I had to try it for lunch - Sushi Boy.

From the outside it looked like a fast-food type of sushi bar and even though that didn't sound too appealing, I was intrigued.

As I walked in, it was just what I thought - fast food. They did add some cool Japanese art throughout the dining area to get a more authentic Japanese restaurant feel to it.

The menu featured a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi and sushi, as well as combo meals with salad noodles and bowls offered.

Wanting to try a little of everything I ordered the Takumi value meal for $6.80 which came with four pieces of california roll, one salmon and one shrimp sushi serving, three pieces of tekka maki and kappa maki each (tuna and cucumber, respectively) and a spicy tuna hand roll.

Each value meal comes with a serving of miso soup, or get a fountain drink instead for a few cents more.

My order came out pretty quick - ten minutes or less - and with the price, I was a little hesitant.

Everything looked surprisingly fresh for how quick it was served. The soup was okay but there wasn't much, if any, tofu which I'm used to having in my miso soup.

I dug into the Califoria rolls first - they were average, nothing special but pretty good for fast food. I don't know what type of wasabi they served but it didn't taste like wasabi I've had before and it wasn't necessarily good.

The cucumber and tuna tasted fresh but the seaweed was sometimes a bit too chewy. The salmon and shrimp tasted pretty fresh and not fishy. I wish I had better wasabi to serve it with.

The best item by far was the spicy tuna hand roll. Not only did the spicy tuna have the right amount of heat but there was plenty in there and it all fit perfectly with the cucumber and rice.   

When I first spotted Sushi Boy I never seen anything like it and I thought maybe I was trying something that could only be found in Torrance but as I perused the to-go menu I discovered there is a Sushi Boy in the San Gabriel Valley!

Or at least a version of what seems like a franchise. The company has 12 California locations in all including one in West Covina - Marukai West Covina at 1420 Azusa Ave. 

I will definitely have to try Marukai in West Covina one day but I may still call it Sushi Boy because it sounds cooler. For the other locations, visit www.sushiboy.net .

For the variety and price, I was happy with the quality of my lunch at Sushi Boy.

SECOND DAY

For lunch on my second day in Torrance I thought I would entrust my new Blackberry to help me find something I hoped would be different and unique.

Craving noodles, I was torn between a Thai restaurant and a curry one.

Since I don't have too much experience with curry I thought I would give the Curry House a try and it was only across the street from the office.

When I stepped in it was a nice sit-down restaurant. I was seated by a hostess and soon visited by my waitress. She sensed I was new there and gave me more time to look over the menu.

I don't know much about what exactly is normal for a curry restaurant menu but there I knew it didn't seem normal to have jambalaya on the menu.

The jambalaya entree was special to Curry House because it also included curry sauces. 

I really wanted to try something with a good curry sauce but the Jambalaya-style curry meal came with rice and I was still craving pasta or noodles so I went with something else.

The Seafood Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine ($10.05), featured shrimp, white fish, baby clams, squid, onion and bell pepper in a curry cream sauce - perfect! Pasta and curry all in one.

I ordered hot tea and water but there was a wide variety of beverage options with tropical iced tea, iced oolong and green teas, shirley temple, iced cafe au lait and more.

And if you have a reason to celebrate or feel like a little libation they also serve alcoholic beverages such as plum wine and Kirin Ichiban, a Japanese beer, on tap.

The table settings and the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice but it didn't seem too busy at the time but I was having a late lunch so I hope, for their sake, there was more customers there a little earlier.

Despite not having too many customers, my meal took a little while but that only made me believe it was freshly made to order by real cooks in the kitchen.

By the time I did get my plate, I was pretty hungry. It was hot but luckily for me not too hot (I can't stand extreme temperatures in my mouth).

I dug right into the squid and the fettucine, swirling it around in the curry sauce to get a nice taste of it.

The squid wasn't too chewy but it did have a bit of a fishy taste and after having some bites of the perfectly tender and flaky white fish I knew it wasn't that. Maybe it was the baby clams.

It was pretty easy to scoop them out of their little shells but they also had more of a fish taste than clam flavor. The fettucine was nicely cooked and the curry sauce was tasty but I was expecting it to be spicy and it wasn't.

Overall for a seafood dish it was tasty but I would skip the clams next time and maybe ask for some spicier sauce on the side or instead of.

Now, it being my second and last day in Torrance I thought I was having lunch at a restaurant that again, is exclusive to Torrance but once again I was mistaken.

Curry House is a small chain of restaurants with 11 California locations, (one being take-out only), including one near the Puente Hills mall in the City of Industry.

There is such a variety of food on their menu that it's a good thing there is one closer to me so I can try other offerings.

There is everything from salads to curry rice dishes to spaghetti dishes and even kid's meals.

Curry House in Puente Hills is at 17865 Colima Road in the City of Industry. For more information on other locations or menus, visit www.house-foods.com/CurryHouse.

So much for adventure dining in new cities.... At least I don't have to drive to Torrance to try these places again.

By Amanda Newfield

We all know that there is no way to dine on a budget at the L.A. County Fair, but the experience and variety are worth paying for.

Deciding what to eat can take all day. And with the usual cotton candy, corn dogs and funnel cakes, the fair offers an overwhelming amount of choices. It's the perfect place to ditch the diet and pig out.

Fish 'n' chips booths are scattered throughout the fairgrounds and the smell of the freshly fried seafood and veggies is alluring.  

On my recent visit, I went for the fish, fries and zucchini plate for $10.50.

The batter was light and not at all overwhelming, while the veggies were fresh and tasty. What surprised me was the large portion I was served. I was able to share the meal and still feel that sense of satisfaction. Those 10 bucks went a long way. 

Another place that offers the fried selections the Fair is famous for is Chicken Charlie's Broasted Chicken.

Also, try the "Totally Fried Veggies," featuring zucchini curls, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and onion strings, for $7.75. The appetizing chicken kabob is $9.75. If you want fries with it, the cost is $12.75.  

But those are just the usual menu items.

Last year, Charlie Boghosian, known as "Chicken Charlie," debuted his Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich.

His creation this year is the "Meat Lover's Ice Cream," featuring soft serve ice cream with chocolate-covered bacon bits.

Also new additions this year are the deep-fried frog legs and the deep-fried peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches. 

Which dessert to try at the Fair is also a difficult decision to make, especially since Colossal Gelato, a gelato ice cream in a 16-inch waffle cone, is new to the Fair this year.

I decided on the $3.75 Fried Twinkie with strawberry syrup drizzled on top from Chicken Charlie.  

This selection was definitely one for those who have a strong sweet tooth. I enjoyed the crispy texture on the outside with the warm, creamy filling on the inside.

No one can miss Juicy's BBQ, which offers whole turkey legs, giant western sausage, burgers and chicken.

The Fair also has fun, reasonably priced meals for kids, and some come with a toy in a Fair collector's box.

For those looking for an elegant air-conditioned dining venue, the Top of The Park restaurant located atop the horse racing grandstand offers a more upscale dining experience.

Enjoy your meal with a view of the Fair; indoor or outdoor seating is available. Top of The Park is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To view the menu or make a reservation call (909) 865-4120.

Any food selection made at the Fair will be a good one. But don't get distracted or overwhelmed, and try as many different foods as possible.

For more information about food at the Fair, visit the Web site at www.lacountyfair.com/2009/attractionscompetitions/fairfood.