State Bliss Blog — Orange County

For most of human history, we had no way of identifying what made certain dishes so delicious. We could describe sour, sweet, bitter, and salty sensations, but not savory. That is, until 1908, when Kikunae Ikeda discovered the fifth taste — umami. Umami is the essence of savory, giving life to some of the world’s most delectable ingredients like meat, soy sauce, and fish paste.

That same year, Ikeda identified the molecular happenings that take our taste buds on this journey. In short, he found that an amino acid called glutamate is largely responsible. Scientists have since expanded on Ikeda’s findings, saying there are nucleotides found in many foods that, when combined with amino acids, intensify the umami experience. It’s this interaction that gives alcohol and meat pairings so much depth, as the amino acids in alcohol pair exceptionally well with the nucleotides found in all meat.

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It can be hard to find good comfort food when trying to live a plant-based lifestyle, especially when it comes to breakfast. This is largely because living this way encourages one to pay attention to the ramifications of any excess consumption. Part of it is because, well, most comfort food relies on some sort of meat. To this, Munchies Vegan Diner in Santa Ana, CA scoffs.

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Michael Jordan beat three teams on the way to his first NBA finals appearance during the 1990-91 season: the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. After losing a total of one game in those three series, MJ trounced the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals to begin his reign in the league. This summer, Nike honored this playoff run by releasing the Air Jordan 1 Mid SE “Rivals,” a shoe featuring each team’s colorways. More recently Jordan brand released an accompanying Rivals clothing line featuring the same bold colorways and retro style. To celebrate the release of this collection, Foodbeast and Foot Locker have teamed up to open the “Rival’s Cafe” Pop Up in Los Angeles during the next two weekends.

The “Rival’s Cafe” will open up in Foot Locker’s flagship store at Hollywood & Highland as a pick-up window that will be available to anyone buying a piece from the Jordan Rivals collection. The pop-up will be open during the weekends of Oct. 24-27 and Oct. 31-Nov. 3 from 5-9 PM Thursday-Saturday and 3-7 PM on Sundays . Here, we’ll be dishing out iconic menu items specific to the flavors of Los Angeles and Chicago.

The LA vs CHI menu pits two cities, and their corresponding versions of two iconic street foods, against each other. Let’s break it down:

First up, the hot dog. The LA Dirty Dog will have a bacon-wrapped hot dog, grilled onions, peppers, charred jalapeño, mayo, mustard and ketchup. It’s opponent, the Chicago Hot Dog, features an all-beef dog, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spears, tomato, short peppers, and mustard, all served on a poppy seed bun.

The other juxtaposition we see is the two city’s variations of a beef sandwich. The LA French Dip is a white roll stacked with thinly sliced roast beef and a side of beef broth, as well as the option of Swiss cheese and onions. The last menu item is the famed Chicago Italian Beef, which is an Italian roll stuffed with simmered beef, hot giardiniera, and sweet peppers.

What menu item, and city, will come out on top? It doesn’t really matter. Both cities win, purely for having these delicacies grandfathered into their culture.

But, really, it would be a shame if I had to try every item to see what I like best. A real shame.

Created in partnership with Foot Locker. 

What’s not to love about ice cream? Especially, when it’s piled high with fresh fruit and a special blend of Tajin and Chamoy.

At La Michoacana Premium (pronounced Lah Meech-oh-ah-CAH-nah) in Anaheim, Calif., you can enjoy delicious mangoneadas — fresh fruit topped with chamoy sauce, mangos, and a choice of lime juice, chili powder and a tamarind straw. These traditionally authentic treats are made to order and are completely customizable.

In order to ensure freshness, La Michoacana Premium makes all their ice cream with fresh fruit and other natural ingredients.

With a variety of water-based popsicles made with real sliced fruit, cereal and other sweet treats, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.

From delicious agua frescas, to freshly prepared gazpacho cups filled with diced fruit, and freshly squeezed orange or lime juice, you can create a brand new flavor experience each time you visit La Michoacana Premium.

Photos by Pete Pham

By Evan Lancaster

A journalist focusing on news and anything that’s trending. Insists that cherry flavoring makes any soft drink better. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @ThatsThatFuego.

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