Sampler Platter: Cupcake car, Godfather vodka, KISS M&M'S, Kanye West on chicken

Ridiculous branded products (from vodka to candy), risky foods and fast food chains that are trying new tricks and treats... All this and more in today's food news roundup.

-- Squabbles between street vendors are becoming more frequent at the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Soto Street. The Eastsider LA
-- Five of the Top 10 riskiest FDA-regulated foods are vegetables and fruits. Booster Shots
-- Despite the down economy, food festivals are booming. Wall Street Journal
-- Chef Robert Danhi (brother of Grilled Cheese Truck founder Dave Danhi) leads tasting tours through Little Saigon, a.k.a. Westminster. Brand X
-- Burger King to overhaul all its restaurants in an attempt to compete with more upscale fast casual eateries. AdAge
-- Taco Bell tests cupcakes and smoothies. Fast Food Maven
-- Neiman Marcus' newest item: a $25,000 cupcake car. Slashgear
-- Godfather Vodka opens door to Oscar-winning branded booze. Movieline
-- Kanye West on chicken: I eat it because I'm black. The Boombox
-- KISS band members to be immortalized as M&M'S. KISS Army News
-- No more free cookies at Harvard faculty meetings. Oh, the humanity! New York Times

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Ground lamb skewers at the Anatolian Culture and Cuisine Festival held in April in Costa Mesa. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Veggie Grill to open in West Hollywood on Sept. 29

"One hundred percent plant-based" (read: vegan) the Veggie Grill is scheduled to open its newest restaurant on Sep. 29 in West Hollywood. The fast casual eatery specializes in healthful, vegan versions of California comfort food -- sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and more -- at a price point of under $10 for every entree.

The menu, which boasts no animal fats, trans-fats or refined sugar, features signature items such as the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ Sandwich ($8.95); sweet potato fries seasoned and served with chipotle ranch dressing ($4.25); and the Baja Fiesta Salad with chopped romaine lettuce, papaya, avocado, roasted corn salsa, quinoa, cucumber, cilantro and a ginger-papaya vinaigrette ($8.95).

There are already three locations, two in Irvine and one in El Segundo. This latest outlet of the growing, Southern California-based mini-chain is at 8000 Sunset, a once-bustling strip mall that suffered after a  Virgin Megastore and a Wolfgang Puck Cafe closed but that has been revitalized by the opening of a Trader Joe's (and to a lesser extent a CB2). It's also convenient for gym bunnies heading upstairs to Crunch.

The venture is the brainchild of Kevin Boylan, once a financier and a senior executive at Drexel Burnham Lambert; T.K. Pillan, who co-founded Guidance Solutions, a firm that designs e-commerce websites; and Ray White, a co-founder and former owner of SoCal vegan restaurant chain Native Foods.

-- Elina Shatkin

Update: A previous version of this post identified the West Hollywood location of Veggie Grill as a franchise. It is independently run. Also, T.K. Pillan was incorrectly identified as the founder of Guidance Solutions. He is the co-founder.

Photos: courtesy of the Veggie Grill

Sampler Platter: Warm ice cream, canned bacon, secret fast-food menus and West Coast vs. East Coast barbecue wars

Cali-style burgers in Philly, secret fast-food menus, a new barbecue joint in Mid-City West and more in today's food news roundup.

--Unilever is working on producing "ice cream" that can be sold at room temperature. Popsop
--The Smokin’ Joint barbecue restaurant opens at 3rd Street and La Cienega Boulevard. Sweetzer + Blackburn
--Food Marathon visits -- and likes -- New York BBQ on La Brea Boulevard.
--Need a bacon fix but too lazy to cook it? Enjoy some Tac Bac - Tactical Canned Bacon. Think Geek
--How to order off the secret menus from In-N-Out Burger, Fatburger, Jamba Juice, Kogi BBQ and Starbucks. Squid Ink
--Gizmodo says Chipotle's new iPhone app, which allows you to build your meal, add special instructions, send your order to any Chipotle outlet and pay for it, "sets the standard for deliciously unhealthy fast food convenience."
--The New York Times hops on the Mexican hot dog bandwagon.
--Food She Thought reviews Ortolan's Bourdeaux dinner, held Aug. 26.
--Pat Saperstein of Eating LA reviews Allston Yacht Club. Los Feliz Ledger
--P.Y.T., the hot new burger joint in Philadelphia, has people raving about their "California-style burgers" -- even Roots drummer Questlove. Burgatory
--The winner of Ben & Jerry's "Do the World a Flavor Contest" is Toni Gunnison of Mount Horeb, Wis., who invented a caramel ice cream with almonds and a caramel swirl.

--Elina Shatkin

Photo: Pecan-crusted spareribs with Kentucky bourbon barbecue sauce. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Menu labeling law takes effect: How many calories in that sandwich?

Would you reconsider your lunch order if you knew the number of calories in that bacon cheeseburger or chili fries? California legislators are counting on it.

California's latest effort against obesity takes effect today: Chain restaurants with 20 or more locations have to provide brochures listing the nutrition information about their foods. That's the first phase of California's new menu labeling law.
 
The brochures must contain counts of calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium for all standard menu items. For sit-down restaurants, the information must be provided at the table -- in a brochure or menu insert or on a table tent. 
 
“The way Californians order food is about to change. More than 17,000 restaurant locations throughout California will provide important nutrition information starting today.  California is the first state in the nation to tackle obesity with menu labeling,” said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), the author of the legislation with Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) and Assembly member Marc DeSaulnier (D-Concord).

The next phase will hit diners more directly: Beginning Jan. 1, 2011, calorie information must be on menus and indoor menu boards.
 
The legislation was modeled on a New York City ordinance that affects large chain restaurants that now post calorie counts on menu boards, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks and Quizno’s.
 
Nearly 16 million Californians are obese or overweight, and many suffer from diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.

-- Mary MacVean

Photo: Quizno's menu with calorie counts. Credit: Center for Science in the Public Interest

 

Sampler Platter: Malt loaves, lobsters, luxury burgers and 'Food, Inc.'

Malt loaves, luxury burgers, tobacco regulations and the evils of agribusiness in today's roundup of food news.

• "Food, Inc.," an upcoming doc about the influence of agribusiness on America's food supply, is generating tons of buzz and has so far scored 82 on Metacritic (but based on only four reviews). David Edelstein of New York magazine: "The sheer scale of the movie is mind-blowing.... It's the documentary equivalent of 'The Matrix': It shows us how we're living in a simulacrum, fed by machines run by larger machines with names like Monsanto, Perdue, Tyson, and the handful of other corporations that make everything."
• Man finds dead mouse embedded in a "malt loaf." With photo. BBC
• 10 most expensive hamburgers in the U.S. -- includes Spago and Taste. Forbes Traveler
• Sen. Edward Kennedy's bill giving FDA regulatory power over tobacco products is about to pass. Boston Globe
• Atwater Village Newbie posts rumors that the Atwater Village Farmers Market may be in jeopardy because Wells Fargo may start opening on Sundays.
• Yellow lobster caught in Canada is a 1-in-30-million rarity. Associated Press
• Norman Brinker, who created Steak & Ale and Bennigan's  and transformed Chili's into a fast-casual juggernaut, dies at 78. WFAA

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Fiona, a rare yellow lobster (rare because she's yellow before she's been cooked) sits among ordinary lobsters. Credit: Julia Cumes / Associated Press

SanSai, Fresh Bites coming to Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood

The website for 7950 West Sunset, a mixed-use development on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, boasts of the building's infinity pool, its gourmet kitchens with granite counter tops and its access to "arguably the four coolest zip codes in the country." (Of course, the website also boasts that the building is close to the Getty, Universal Studios and Dodger Stadium, a logistical conundrum on par with the Holy Trinity.) When it comes to dining, the theme is decidedly less chic. The ground floor of the development, which is located only a block away from the recently opened Trader Joe's at the revamped Laemmle's Sunset 5 complex, will feature two fast casual restaurants: Japanese-themed SanSai and soup/sandwich/salad emporium Fresh Bites. Both are expected to open in summer or fall 2009.

-- Elina Shatkin

Photos: Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times