True Hood Story: Vato Showdown At McDonald’s

by | Jan 26, 2019 | EAT, DRINK AND PLAY, Food Reviews

Last night, Vato Loco 13 cut in front of me at the McDonald’s drive-thru …and then gave pounds to the occupants of his car, on some “See what I did?” type tip.

I was irked.

Flummoxed, even.

But thinking…always thinking.

Aight, bet.

I can be tough!

So when it was my turn to order, I bellowed, “Yeah, the dude in the car in front of me is going to pay for my order.”

She offered a quizzical, ‘Huh?’

Even louder this time, so dude could hear me…maybe.

“The DUDE in front of me is PAYING for MY order.”

‘OKAAAAAAY, I’ll tell him.’

When I pulled to the window she gave me the bad news.

‘He said he’s not paying.’

Yeah, but I showed him.

Not sure what I showed him but he definitely saw it.

A Little Something About Fun Belly Food Tours

by | Dec 9, 2018 | EAT, DRINK AND PLAY, Food Reviews

“I started Fun Belly Food Tours because I wanted to give everybody the chance to eat like a  food critic,” says Carlos Aguilar, the Founder and Executive Producer of Fun Belly Food Tours, a company that provides walking, historical tours through some of Los Angeles’ most delicious  neighborhoods.

Aguilar, a Los Angeles native from the San Gabriel Valley, graduated from Bassett High School and then Occidental College,  where he wrote about food for the student paper. “The Occidental Weekly gave me a chance to explore the food and culture of Northeast Los Angeles, and I’ve been witness to the dynamic changes taking place. I realized that the story of a neighborhood can be uniquely understood through its food.”


While a graduate student in Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Aguilar  received a Durfee Foundation grant to study the intersection of food and friendship in Beijing and Shanghai. “There’s so much more to discuss about food than its taste; as important as that is, preparation and presentation are equally important.  I learned to appreciate this fact in China”

After seminary, Aguilar spent a few years teaching literature, history and philosophy before landing his first TV writing job.  “I wrote and produced award shows, reality shows, talk shows, documentaries and travel shows. Whenever I’d produce a story about an incredible chef or restaurant, I’d select the signature dish for our hosts to sample and we were always treated like VIPs.  I believe that experience should available to everyone.”

On each Fun Belly tour, guests visit 6 establishments in order to enjoy signature and off-menu treats.  Fun Belly offers tours in Eagle Rock and The Claremont Village and each tour is seasoned with stories from local history.

Fun Belly offers public tours every weekend and anybody can join them.  They take place every weekend. They also offer private tours that can be scheduled at any date and time.  A private tour is a great way to celebrate a graduation, engagement or birthday amongst friends and family. Funbelly.com has tour schedules posted.

Aguilar is upbeat about Fun Belly’s prospects because he knows nothing beats eating, learning laughing.  “Come hungry and you’ll leave happy. That’s my promise.

Current TV Throwback: Club Bounce

by | Oct 9, 2018 | Play Date, VIDEO

By now, you know the story. Al Gore and an heir to the Hyatt or Hilton or Motel 8 fortune launched a cable netlet in 07 that promised to bring the creativity of the internet to TV.

This wonderful experiment was Current TV. They were bought by some internet behemoth who didn’t care to archive or license the bundle of dope content that was produced, and I don’t care to remember which behemoth it was or is or whatever.

What I do know is that I’ve uploaded a handful of about a dozen short documentaries I produced for them.

Here is a fan favorite that seems to be generating views on views on views.

What can I say about this video that I didn’t say while making it?

 

Big Brown Dad Does Food Network’s Grilled Thai Curry Roll

by | Oct 1, 2018 | EAT, DRINK AND PLAY, Food Reviews

I’m up for a challenge.

Sunday is Dad’s grill day and I’ve had one too may T-bones, so I decided to surf the net and landed on the Food Network’s Grilled Thai Curry Roll.

This was going to pose a challenge because I’d never cut a flank in half and I’d never used barbers twine.

The flank slice was a fail–my dull knife was likely the problem– while I resorted to the trusted shoelace tie with barber’s twine.

This pic is from the Food Network site;

 

Here’s mine:

This is how it came out tho:

 

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A post shared by Carlos Aguilar (@big_brown_dad) on

8.2/10

 

Soccer O’ Soccer: A Soccer Dad’s Dirge

by | Oct 1, 2018 | EAT, DRINK AND PLAY, Play Date

soccer o’ soccer
that game of yore
whose kicks and cuts
shan’t waylay the bore
whose hustle and heart
shan’t be denied
but zero to zero?!
they cried till they died

soccer o’ soccer
that salve of youth
sacrifice thy ankle, your knees, his tooth
it’s like chess on grass, a science they say
but I’m just a soccer dad trying to get on with my day.