Where  Michigan Ave and Lafayette Blvd come together in Detroit circa 1917

Yesterday Jazzy and me rolled to Coney Dog on Sunset blvd. (via Detroit) to meet with two adopted Angelinos who hail from Rock City.  I have had my share of chili dogs and hot dogs here in LA that are nothing to write home about, to be honest Hot Dogs are really never my go to food.  The reason that this place is intriguing is that our close allies that hail from the D swear by the Coney dog and the chili. Its right down the street from the office so we thought we would give it a try.

Anyone for some Strawberry POP or maybe a STROH”S

The taste test so i got two dogs one with the works and one without.  I wanted to taste the flavor of the plain dog so once i experienced the chili i could understand the true flavor.  I have to say that the dog was grilled just right and had a nice sausage snap to it.  The plain dog had a really nice mild flavor that went great and the steamed bun. The chili dog was on point i could really taste the cumin, at the end of the day  it was really all about the chili, not to spicy or greasy and the consistency was perfect, topped off with onions and mustard, peace.

Jazzy (OP/MT) sitting with our two Detroit natives: Mike (Parabellum), Robert (Bell&Ross) with the grub.

Ready for round 2

On our way out we ran into our friends from down the street, the usual suspects from GOURMET enjoying the menu, oh and they are all wearing MOSLEY TRIBES. Thanks guys.

-PW

This past Friday I had the pleasure to cruise east from the office to meet up with the 722 Figueroa crew over at Eastside Market and experience a Los Angeles landmark since way back when.  I love these type of spots that are off the beaten path that are local focused and have been weathered the storms of municipal change.  This non descript street corner you will get the best hot sandwiches of your life, sorry Phillipes we are still down with you.

We were lucky enough to not have to wait, 5 minutes later there was a line out the door.

Best imported meats and cheese

Here is  a little history run down on the Eastside Market.  It was opened in 1929 and was owned and operated by Joe Campagna and Domenic Pontrelli.  In 1959 Johnny Angiuli started as a clean-up boy for Pontrelli & Laricchia and eventually learned the butcher trade. His brother Frank Angiuli joined the company in 1964 as a driver.  In 1974 Johnny and Frank Angiuli became owners and operators of the Eastside Market, and started the Deli with the most delicious sandwiches in Los Angeles, the most popular being sandwich #7, Hot Roast Beef & Pastrami.  Today Eastside Market is a valued Family owned business serving the Los Angeles Downtown area and surroundings. It has been awarded several awards for its incomparable deliciousness of the sandwiches.

Thanks Chris (722 Figueroa Showroom) for lunch, as you can see below i went for it. Meatball sub was amazing,from the marinara sauce to the roasted peppers and basil i was in heaven.

This was a great way to end the week. So if you are in LA or will be passing thru you need to stop by the Eastside Market and grab lunch and something for later.

Eastside Market & Italian Deli

-PW

You can tell a lot about a city from its burgers. Hardworking, hearty, or haute couture? Brioche or basic? Dividing lines crisscross our nation, segmenting populations into burger camps willing to devote more than a mouthful to their beef-and-bun of choice. Luckily, Los Angeles is big enough to support all sides, and still leave room for fries.

As a Mosley Tribes employee, I’ve been hustling the brand for a few years out of our office in West Hollywood. But as a burger fanatic, I’ve spanned states, presidential terms, and more than a few friendships. I’ve been chronicling my burger exploits from Los Angeles, including a pseudo-definitive list of LA’s top joints earlier this year Best Burger In LA, so when Patrick offered me the chance to burger up the MT blog a bit, I couldn’t resist.

For the first stop in what will hopefully become a regular feature on the MT blog, Jazzy, PW and I headed to Bouchon http://www.bouchonbistro.com/ in Beverly Hills for their new lunchtime burger sensation. Now, for those who tend to keep food conversations on the backburner, just know that Bouchon is a classic French restaurant by Thomas Keller, of French Laundry and Michelin star fame. So as you can imagine, the burger comes with a hefty price tag ($21, with fries), but a reputation that ought to be worth its weight in truffle oil.

(Jazzy & Farley)

As you can tell by the photos, this burger looks big, but should be willing to play nice. The fresh bibb lettuce, the in-house brioche bun, and the gooey, slightly melted cheddar (or gruyere, for Patrick) all make for a great visual experience before the tasting even begins. Avalanche the rest of the plate with a mountain of fries and a side of garlic aioli to help them slide down even easier, and Le Burger Bouchon seems all set to become a new fan favorite.

Except, it wasn’t. In fact, while powering through the slightly dry sirloin, chuck, and brisket blend, we couldn’t stop talking about the other great burgers this city gets right. The dry-aged meat cut through with decent flavor, but suffered from a lack of seasoning before hitting the heat. Meanwhile, a bready bun forced Patrick into commandeering some of his aioli to help grease the burger wheels and ease consumption. As for Jazzy, the oversalted and double-dipped fries proved too much for her, and we all left a little thirstier than when we entered.

As a burger man about town, I know there are a lot of different methods, blends, buns, and opinions that all get wrapped up into people’s perspectives on what a burger should or shouldn’t be. But when Thomas Keller throws one on the menu at north of $20, there are certain requirements that ought to be met. Unfortunately, while Bouchon offers great atmosphere and stellar service, their burger was merely serviceable. Maybe it’s the In-N-Out or Apple Pan lover in us, but Bouchon’s $21 burger sideshow is simply not worth the price of admission.

-Farley

So this is our view from the office, a 40 ft Tecate beer can.  You know who is ready for tomorrow, oh and it is Mexico’s independence from France, not sure why we celebrate but any excuse to have a cold one.

-PW

So yesterday i cruised over to Queen Beach printers in Long Beach to be on press as we ran the 8th seasonal magalog for MOSLEY TRIBES. I know that the world continues to move towards an all digital format. There is nothing better than to hold a tangible object in your hands. The texture, the smell of the fresh glue from the bindery, there is nothing better. This is an art form from, the pressmen that handle all the dials and gears on the printing press, it is truly a quality craft.

The pressman cleaning the black (K) plate.

Light table proof.

-PW

Article from saberone.com

Early on the morning of the 1st of September, I was woke by the phone ringing: My Piece Was Getting Buffed! I immediately went down to the river, found a crevice to hide in, so that I could watch the whole production of the piece being painted out.

Watching something that I had done 12 LONG years ago, being painted over, I didn’t expect my reaction to be what it was. I thought I’d feel horrible, it was something I had done when I was in my twenties, when I still felt invincible and had an unwavering sense of mission. But hiding there watching the workman paint, what I actually felt was a calming sense of accomplishment. What I sacrificed to create this piece, gave back to me ten fold. I never expected it to reach all corners of the world. And even though it was only a blurb in history, I feel it helped put LA graffiti on the map.

Ultimately I’m not happy with them painting over history, BUT, I won’t mind, if it means they will follow through and adopt an intelligent policy along the lines of the Friends Of The LA River’s mission:” to protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the Los Angeles River and its riparian habitat through inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship”. Fuck it! I would rather trade shopping carts, rotting canine corpses, and florescent purple water with a shit brown tint, for clean water and a flourishing, vital habitat, wouldn’t you?.

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So after watching the video i think it is ridiculous that the city is spending 800k on river bed graffiti removal, no one goes down there unless you are a vagrant, LA should take some tips from Amsterdam and have a sanctioned area for artist to do their art in public view.

-PW

Exhibition Dates: Saturday, August 1, 2009 – Thursday, August 20, 2009
Opening Reception: August 1, 2009, 7-10pm
Crewest Gallery
110 Winston Street, Los Angeles CA
(213) 627-8272 www.crewestgallery.com

see you there

-PW-

This past Sunday Pepsi, Undefeated , and Union joined for a Slam Dunk Contest hosted by Epiphany Media Group. The multi-activity event was held at the beautiful London Hotel in West Hollywood with video game stations provided by EA Games, life size Chess, and a 7 foot basketball hoop set up for dunking participants like: Coltrane (Epiphany) Johan (Rogue Status) Ben (Clae) Mega (Black Scale) etc…. who showed off their creative hops. Belvedere IX and Sobe Life Water cocktails kept the party cool and jumpin in the summer Cali sun.

One of the Judges and man on the mic Chi Mcbride

The working girls (left to right) -me Sarah Miriam and Sunny

Sal won the contest. Look at him fly! lol

To top it off, Mos Def graced the stage with a dope performance.

- Jazzy

N.A.S.A. “Whachadoin?” (feat. M.I.A., Spank Rock, Santogold, & Nick Zinner)

Love this joint, the mixing of various gernes of music really brings creativity to a whole new level.

-PW

Exhibition Dates: Saturday, August 1, 2009 – Thursday, August 20, 2009
Opening Reception: August 1, 2009, 7-10pm
Crewest Gallery
110 Winston Street, Los Angeles CA
(213) 627-8272 www.crewestgallery.com

see you there

-PW-