The Potholder- Long Beach, CA

When asked why he climbed Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary replied, "Because it's there." The same could be said for Alex's breakfast choice.

Located in the vibrant neighborhood near the intersection of Broadway and Redondo, the Potholder is staffed by friendly waitresses and boasts a very diverse breakfast menu. Choices range from eggs benedict to chiliquiles to fruity pebble French toast. However, Alex picked none of these options. After the waitress mentioned how a man at another table couldn't finish his pancake, Alex decided to rise to the non-existant challenge. He ordered the "Mac Daddy".

Julia ordered Super Spuds; a giant plate, full of hash browns, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and mushrooms. It is worth noting that you can have this dish with eggs or country gravy. You can never go wrong with crispy potatoes and melted chedder cheese. Avocado is simply a bonus.

Alex's breakfast, the "Mac Daddy" (worthy of quotation marks), consisted of two eggs, two pieces of bacon, and a single pancake, 18 inches in diameter. To put that in perspective, it is served on an extra large pizza tray. Eggs are eggs. Bacon is bacon. And the pancake was a fluffy, gooey, thick delight. At least the first twenty bites were! Alternating between the three, Alex did manage to clean his plates. But the price paid was steep- he needed about six hours to get from "bursting" to merely "full." It was touch-and-go there for awhile. But, Julia had underestimated the amount of practice he had at this sort of exploit.

Our check was $20.39. This does not include the value of the t-shirt that Alex won for showing the "Mac Daddy" who's boss.

P.S. As an aside, the shirt is only available in XXL. Is that a hint?

The Potholder is located at 3700 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA

http://www.thepotholdercafe.com

Wurstkuche- Downtown Los Angeles

For a food snob, Oscar Meyer just won't cut it.

Sometimes you just have to know where to look and Wurstkuche is one of those places. This small industrial looking restaurant is located in a questionable part of the arts district, across the street from Little Toyko. One can smell the aroma of sausages from a block away. But it is clear that this isn't your average restaurant.

A simple menu consisting of sausages and French fries does not sound special, but a peek at the refrigerated case proves otherwise. Your sausage choices are broken into three categories- classic, gourmet, and exotic. Classic includes such staples as Bratwurst (pork, coriander and nutmeg), which sits next to gourmet offerings like Chicken Turkey Mango Jalapeno and Filipino Marharlika. At the bottom of the menu, the exotic offerings beckon. The more adventurous have their choice of Alligator Pork Andouille, and Duck Bacon Jalapeno. Alex says it doesn't taste exotic, but Julia doesn't believe him.

The real surprise stars of the menu are the French fries and dipping sauces. In keeping with the unique sausage offerings, the dipping sauces could merit their own blog post.

Alex ordered the Alligator Pork Andouille with carmelized onions and sauerkraut. Julia had the Chicken Apple Sausage with carmelized onions and sweet peppers. For the French fries, we chose Thai Peanut and Curry Ketchup dipping sauces. Other options include Bleu Cheese Walnut Bacon and Pesto Mayo. Alex also drank an Affligem Noel bier, one of 24 imported biers.

In a bizarre combination of German influence and Art District location, the dining room looks like a artsy German beer hall. Long communal tables and open rafters make it a loud social place with excellent people-watching. If you're in the neighborhood, it's definitely worth a visit.

Our check was $28.40.

Wurstkuche is located at 800 East 3rd Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/

Dick Church's Family Restaurant, Costa Mesa

We've driven by Dick Church's a ton of times, but never seemed to make it in. Located at the north-end of Newport Blvd. in a non-descript building, it never stood out in our memories.

Looking for something new (without a wait) this morning, we made the trip. Old photographs of Orange County hang on the wood-paneled walls, and the orange booths remind you of where your grandfather used to eat. And it looks like other people's grandfathers are still eating there. An old crowd, clutching their brown coffee mugs and sitting at the small counter was comforting, if nothing else.

Julia ordered the french toast combination, and Alex had the chili omelette. The french toast was soft and sweet, with powdered sugar and well-done bacon. And the eggs were eggs. The chili omelette with cheese and onions was good, but not special. Although the extra-prompt service and friendly staff more than made up for it.

You don't stay in business for 63 years if you don't put a good product on the table. And with three owners in that time, Dick Church's has figured out exactly what it wants to be. No fine dining or gourmet cuisine here- just honest, simple, fast food. It's the place you go when you want a "greasy spoon" vibe, but without the grease.

Our check was $19.55.

Dick Church's family restaurant is at 2698 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa. www.dickchurchrestaurant.com

Welcome

Welcome to "If you can't take the heat... A young couple's guide to restaurants in OC and LA county."

We are your hosts- Julia and Alex. A young couple with modest cooking skills and no practical place to exercise them. So, we are forced into dining out together. Fortunately, this isn't such a great chore.

We are not picky eaters, and no cuisine is off limits. We hope this blog will help us answer the incessant question of "where are we going to eat" both for ourselves and, maybe, for you too.