Great pics! There was a short lived but very good ramen place in Van Nuys, Ramen Omae, that did burnt garlic miso ramen. So very good, but they packed up and moved to Vegas. A downscale neighborhood choice IMO.
February 2020 Rundown
That seems atypical the only thing that most of my Chinese family friends seem to like eating is more Chinese food.
It is atypical. She’s proceeding with coronavirus paranoia.
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Nope, not me. Did ask a question about reheating something awhile back, but have not yet been to Il Romanista (and would like to go after seeing these delicious-looking pics…) ::sigh::
You may be thinking of me from another thread:
“Chef/owner told me people would stock up on whole sheets on fridays so they could reheat for NFL Sunday. I think he said he had instructions for the best way to do this”
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Bootleg Pizza
Thick “naturally leavened” (per their IG) “Jersey-style” (per Eater) square slices:
Shared two slices of cheese, one sausage and peppers (pictured), and one BBQ chicken special. I thought it was pretty nice - bready but still crispy on the edges, not as absurdly cheesy/greasy as Detroit style but scratching a similar itch. All around enjoyable, though I don’t know if it’s a style I crave or would go out of my way to track down. Fun if convenient, good if that’s your thing.
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Thanks @ebethsdad, I actually went to Omae a couple times. While I did think it was good ramen, my ventures to Le Valley are not too frequent and felt the need to not have ramen out that way, especially when there is, IMO better ramen closer in Orange County and South Bay.
Didn’t know they moved to Vegas. I had Monta in Vegas and that broth had to be one of the richest, fattiest tonkatsu broths I have ever had, almost smoothie like in consistency.
Have you tried Iki burnt garlic, it is pretty darn good.
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I have not, but next time I am over the hill I will try. Thanks for the tip!
Pizza Wagon
Not much flavor in the crust but loved how thin and extra crispy it was. No flaccid tip-saggage going on here. Great slices but I think I prefer a superfine slice a bit more.
mushroom, sicilian
Pro tip: BYOA
eggplant
Wasn’t a fan of this topping. The eggplant was chopped into little pieces so it didn’t have much flavor at all.
spicy red grease chalices
Excellent
garlic sticks
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And I thought I was the only one carrying anchovies. Most pizza places use the cheap Star brand. There awful . My preference is agostino recca
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Hi @PorkyBelly,
Yah I agree with you. Love their Pepperoni, and if you are in the area again next time, try their Pesto (another standout). 
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raw mushroom???
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Yeah I’ve noticed that my pizza is different late in the day than early. That extra proofing time definitely helps. The cornicione is raised a bit more.
That is my only knock on the Wagon. Interesting enough is I have never seen that as an issue in any reviews for the Bay Ridge NY location. I wonder if he has space issues here.
Agree with you on the eggplant, not a fan.
As @Chowseeker1999 says, try the pesto!
Yeah the shorter cooking time of reheating a slice doesn’t give the mushrooms enough time to cook as opposed to baking a whole pie.
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My fault for ordering a custom slice?
Hi @PorkyBelly,
Yah that looked weird. If you scroll to the bottom of this post, we had ordered a whole pie (w/ mushrooms) and they were beautifully cooked down (and delicious). I’ve never tried adding mushrooms to a single slice before. Good to know.
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Oxnard Coffee Shop & Restaurant, Van Nuys.
The relationship between Georgian food and Armenian food is different depending on where you are in the world or even where you are in the United States. Since the Armenian diaspora is so much larger, especially in Southern California, Georgian food unfortunately only makes appearances here on a few menus in Armenian-owned establishments. Fortunately it is still really good.
This Armenian-owned establishment does not require travel to Oxnard, but rather Oxnard Street in Van Nuys for a fix of some Georgian foods. Unless you were stopped by the light, it might even be hard to notice that there is much more than diner fare here at the restaurant. The only tip from the outside is a small neon sign that reads “KABOB.” Otherwise it would probably only be pancakes and bacon that would stop you.
The menu does indeed have those pancakes, and many omelettes as well as Philly steak sandwiches, double bacon cheeseburgers, and a section for Mexican food. But there are those aforementioned kabobs with many photos on the menu, and something that looks like a boat-shaped bread with eggs cracked open inside. This of course is the ajarski khachapuri ($8.99, above), indeed so Georgian that the tradition of making khachapuri now landed on the list of 48 items of intangible cultural heritage made by UNESCO.
This type is sometimes called adjaruli, named for the Black Sea and Turkey-adjacent Autonomous Republic of Adjara in Georgia’s southwestern corner where it comes from. Here at Oxnard Coffee Shop the terrific bread should make anyone proud, so fluffy and full flavor, almost as if you can taste the baking process from beginning to end.
After it arrives, stir the unbroken yolks into the hot mozzarella so everything cooks together into a satisfying and stretchy goo. Legend has it that sailors first created this, with the bread, cheese, and eggs representing a ship, the sea, and sun. As this one was enjoyed, a custom khachapuri was delivered to a customer that had tomatoes and this led to a conversation with the lovely woman that runs the place about all the different custom options she can put together, included bacon and ham Americanized versions. Why not?
The restaurant has been open for 13 years, and by their description and observations during this meal, the chicken kabobs seem to be the most popular item. A delivery order of four was prepared and sent out, and another customer came in for some for pickup. These are of course more on the Armenian side of things, but look amazing, cooked in a specialized kabob oven that has a shelf that can be lowered or raised to get closer to the heat and made to perfection.
With cravings for more Georgian food on this day, an order of the beautifully rumpled xinkali ($8.99, above) could not be avoided. These meat dumplings seem extra handmade here, even haphazard, but in an endearing way. Thankfully they are still delicious, if a little less full of juice than normal.
If you come later in the day, Oxnard has a few draft lines for beer and some TVs. In the past it hung both Barcelona and Real Madrid banners, possibly a spot for watching football on weekends in an informal environment. With a kitchen that is full of people that look like they are both great cooks and great grandparents, not much more could be asked for once that cold beer is in your hand.
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BYA for the win!
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I drive past this place all the time, and have often pondered trying it. For khachapuri I will definitely check it out!
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$75?