Fall seems to be a popular time for malls, I guess because we start spending more time indoors. Being a foodie, I always look for new Food Court additions, usually to no avail. So that you don’t have to waste your time, as well, I’ll give you a quick run-down, mostly of ones to avoid. Many of these are in multiple LA area malls.
QUIZNOS
Gag me with a spoon, even if they are in malls other than ones in the Valley. How bad does a place have to be for me to turn down coupons for free sandwiches there??? They always look so good in the commercials, but trust me, the real thing is positively gross.
SBARROS
I used to be such a fan of their meatballs, potatoes, and salads. It was fun, too; you paid by the pound, so you could sample a little bit of everything, without having to get full orders. All of a sudden, they must have changed recipes or something. The place is going downhill faster than an Olympic skier. I had meatballs and penne here last week that I could barely choke down. Usually, I would be a tad peeved at the small size of the order, but in this case, I was grateful.
MCDONALDS
Who would go to a mall and order food that you can drive-thru and get on a daily basis?! How are these mall franchises even in business? I just shake my head over this one.
SUBWAY
Though usually a slight fan of these sandwiches, I will never order one in a mall again. I recently ate a meatball sub (do we sense a theme here), and it was all gamy. I didn’t even want to foist the meatballs on my beloved Clarence, the Singing Dog. For the first time in my life, I had to chew gum sitting in the house, to try to erase the taste!
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN
Don’t get me started on this Emperor’s New Clothes of food. Please someone, explain its popularity to me, because I just don’t get it. I once took Mr. X here, when we were time-challenged. Upon eating, he was amazed at my choice. He said, “Out of all the food in LA, why would you possibly pick this place?!” I explained that we were in a rush and this was convenient. He said that he’ll never be in that big a rush that he would have to choose CPK again, and I realized, neither would I.
And lastly, the only winner is:
CALIFORNIA CRISP
I have never had a bad meal here. And you can’t get their food outside of a mall, so it makes it somewhat special. All the salads are great, especially the Chinese Chicken Salad. The cornbread that comes with it is a meal unto itself. Even the baked potatoes are delicious. This one is actually making me hungry, so that’s all I can write now. Westside Pavilion is calling my name.
For more on Karen, go to www.karensalkin.com
|
|
|
