Eat, Play, Sip at Atwater Playhouse

IT'S AN ITALIAN combo Friday night in Atwater Village, starting April 9, 6:30pm, at Atwater Playhouse, 3191 Casitas Ave.

• Vesuvio, LA's first and only Italian food truck, serving grandma's Southern Italian recipes like $3 arancini stuffed with smoked mozzarella and $7 sandwiches
• Two Rounds, the acclaimed Italian play brought to the US by Atwater Playhouse, tickets $15
• Trilussa Wine, importer from Northern California, with tastes of their Italian wines

'The Duo Dishes' Duo Dishes Tonight's Canele Menu

SURE IT'S last minute, but that's how friends are sometimes. Canele bistro continues its Friends Cook dinner series tonight, Sept. 8, 5:30pm to 10:00pm. Chrystal and Amir, the duo behind The Duo Dishes food blog, have a 3-course menu for $30 per person:

• Sweet Apple and Bacon Puffs with Pomegranate Glaze
• Tarragon Chicken and Grape Pot Pie
• Almond and Coconut Cream Fruit Cake

No reservations taken. Canele is 3219 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village.

Korean BBQ Truck Sorta Gets Near Atwater Village

TONIGHT JUST a couple of neighborhoods over in Eagle Rock arriveth the Kogi Korean BBQ truck, 6:00pm to 9:00pm, 4372 Eagle Rock Blvd.

Best BBQ in LA?

RAVES FOR Bigmista's Barbecue, sold at a few LA farmers markets, including Atwater Village on Sundays, 10:00am, 3250 Glendale Blvd. (Go early!) Chowhounders love it. Yelpers love it. Any neighbors try it?

Obama Now Leads by 36% (of Cookies)

THIS JUST IN from lunch at Porto's Bakery in Burbank: the donkey cookie leads the elephant cookie by a whopping 36 percent. Barack Obama: 1,695 donkey cookies, 68% John McCain: 796 elephant cookies, 32% Even the undecideds win, as they walk away with at least a mango smoothie and perhaps a media noche sandwich.  Do we smell a fresh-baked mandate?

Putting the LA in Lazy: Restaurant Delivery from LAbite.com

WE WANTED STEAK and eggs. It was dinner time. But we didn't have steak and eggs in the house. And we didn't really want to leave the house. LAbite.com, the delivery service, said Home Restaurant in Los Feliz would send steak and eggs anywhere in 90039. Fine, bring it: Breakfast Steak & Eggs $12.95 Jalapeno Poppers 6.95 Yummy In My Tummy Warm Spinach Salad 10.95 Restaurant Total $30.85 Delivery Fee $5.99 Conv. Fee 1.47 Sales Tax 2.55 Order Total $40.86 Driver Tip (15%) $6.13 Grand Total 46.99 Considering we'd pay tax and tip had we gone to the restaurant, the difference tonight was delivery and convenience fees. So was it worth $7.46 to avoid getting properly dressed, loading into the car, driving 5 miles round trip and finding a place to park on a busy Friday night? For now, mostly due to the one hour wait, it's a definite maybe. Ask again when gas hits $5 a gallon.

In the Midwest, They Call It Frito Pie

Chilaquiles!, originally uploaded by Michael A. Brown.

ANGELENOS SOMETIMES ARGUE about where to get the best chilaquiles. Mt. Washington? Santa Monica? The office cafeteria? They bicker as if this dish is something unique to LA, something gringos wouldn't understand. Well, I've been the midwestern United States, people, and I think they've caught on: Chilaquiles are corn tortillas, cut in quarters and fried until golden, Next, green or red salsa, or even mole, is poured over the the crispy tortilla triangles. The dish is topped with cheese and/or sour cream. A Frito pie is Frito corn chips, with a cup of chili poured over the top, usually finished up with grated cheese or onions and jalapeños and sour cream. Other than spice, they basically have the same flavors and textures, too.