Courtesy of Fritz That's It

Pole Dance!

As Anaheim becomes more and more hipster-friendly, may the city's redevelopment ways NEVER take away Fritz That's It, the legendary gentleman's club that's celebrating it's 20th anniversary tonight. There's not need to; while hipsters think they're all classy as shit for going to burlesque shows, real men come to Fritz for a night of good drinks, good food and great lap dances. Take it from from the many men of distinction (whose names I won't mention out of respect) who have come here or continue to patronize Fritz.

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Photo by some OC Weekly intern or other

And let's not even get into meatloaf...

Dear chefs who keep reinventing comfort food:

Twenty years ago, the idea that a restaurant would cook things you could make at home was novel; we were fresh out of the horror show known as nouvelle cuisine, where tiny bites of food were presented on table-sized white plates, and the other horror show known as fusion, where chefs suddenly discovered Asian flavors. "Comfort food" was a return to things Americans could pronounce, with the deft hand of a professional chef making up for Mom's kitchen shortcuts like bouillon cubes and saltine crackers. Lines were out the door at places like Kate Mantilini in Beverly Hills.

Flash forward to 2014, and now "updated comfort food", which is still all over fully half the menus in the country apparently means adding bacon and braised short ribs to everything. Braised short ribs used to be a meal all their own, and they overwhelm absolutely everything they touch. Bacon ends up everywhere, including on dessert and in places where it has no business. I kind of blame Animal, the meat-centric restaurant in Los Angeles, for this obsession with the enmeatening of restaurant food. Every chef in the country is copying their menu, except most of you can't cook like Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo can.

The rule for updating classic comfort foods ought to be simple: if you can't make an absolutely flawless version of the classic, don't claim to "update" it. An ounce of braised short ribs covers a myriad of you-can't-actually-cook sins.

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Photo by LP Hastings

Chefs and drinking pair well together

Our inner wino sometimes craves a place to imbibe besides a date with our couch and DVR. We're sure some of you feel the same way, and who are we to deny you of such a request? That's why we've got intel on the good stuff.

Serious grape action is scheduled for this Friday evening over in Monarch Beach. Back in 2012, we interviewed Chef Frederic Castan of Motif inside the St. Regis. While his back-of-the-house responsibilities keep him busy, Castan manages to crank out the occasional rustic dinner.

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Photos by Jennifer Fedrizzi

Purty!

"Where is this place?" my date asked nervously, looking around at the barely lit street and deserted sidewalks.

We were driving through a desolate, industrial part of Costa Mesa we'd never been to and had no business being in before tonight. A factory with gigantic pressure vessels and pillars spewing steam passed on my left. On the right was a darkened car-repair shop.

"It's around here," I said, trying to sound confident.

Then I saw it. The only hints of life for blocks are a string of lights and a sign in the dark that reads, "Boathouse Collective parking." We parked under the glow of a street lamp and walked toward the entrance: a gap between two shipping containers, with razor wire strung across the tops. As we neared it, a pair of flood lights flickered on, triggered by motion detectors.

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Photo by Professor Salt

Big, big burrito...

So notice how the biggest fans of burritos aren't Mexicans but gabachos? Breakfast burritos, fish burritos, Mission burritos, Korean burritos--it ain't Mexicans who are turning them into a multi-billion dollar industry but everyone else. I tackle this subject in the latest edition of my ¡Ask a Mexican! videos, filmed at the Weekly Studios in Costa Mexico.

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Edwin Goei

Tuna in; Spam-a-lot

Cream Pan has been and always will be known for its strawberry croissants. Many have pondered how three simple ingredients--custard, croissant, and strawberry--can come together and become the stuff of legend. If you've not tried it, you should go now and wait in line. It's the reason people go there in droves, and it always will be.

While you're there, you should know they do other things well, and not all of them sweet. Some items are savory, such as the onigiri we wrote about a few years ago. Also great: the crustless finger sandwiches stuffed with cucumber, tuna, and egg salad that are begging to be served at a tea party.

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Dave Lieberman

One less toll to pay

In June, Cleo gave details on Cismontane's future tap room. Over the weekend, the Rancho Santa Margarita-based brewery opened its doors with specials on tap and food trucks to fill your belly.

Found off the 55 and Warner Avenue (cross street Grand), their hours during the week are weekdays from 3 - 9 p.m. Saturdays are from noon to 9 p.m., and Sundays go from noon to 5 p.m. Three cheers to a more easily accessible location!

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foodchainsfilm.com

The rebellion in Florida fields by Immakolee workers chronicled in the new documentary Food Chains partially started in Irvine. Tomato pickers, toiling under exploitative conditions, took their fight to Taco Bell's Irvine headquarters during a four-year "Boycott the Bell" campaign that ended in 2005.

The fast food chain finally agreed to pay a penny more per pound of tomatoes harvested in a victory for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). It propelled their Fair Food Program--one of the most powerful examples of labor organizing in the 21st century--to take on other companies with the same demand. The story of their struggle is set to return to Irvine by way of a special Food Chains screening on November 24 along with a protest action against Wendy's!

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Latest Illegal Pete's logo...

Over in Colorado, there's been a big brouhaha over a burrito chain called Illegal Pete's trying to open an outpost in Fort Collins. Activists there tried to get the owner to change the name, arguing "Illegal" is offensive to Mexicans, arguing it's as offensive as "Redskins" and "Marco Rubio"; the story got picked up by conservative outlets, leading to all sorts of nastiness. The owner, to his credit, listened to the activists and gave his side of the story.

Then, when it was all over, he kept the name.

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Thanks for serving

It's easy to lose sight of what a holiday represents. Whether it be a day off school or work, there is always significance to what we are observing. In a month where we give thanks, today we are thanking those who have served in the armed forces. Regardless of how you feel about the military, these people put their lives before ours. Show some respect.

We looked up lists of food specials for vets, but noticed our go-to waffle brand was left out of the mix. They might not be the big boy chains streaming commercials and celeb endorsements, but Bruxie is a local joint that's done well for themselves.

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