The Vitals: the spot: Dave’s Hot Chicken 970 N. Western Ave Los Angeles CA + locations throughout the city  the eats: Chicken Tenders and Chicken Sliders + fries the bucks: $11-$13 for a combo the full nelson: A delicious gut buster on multiple levels Nashville Hot Chicken ain’t just a Nashville thing anymore. Take it from a guy who has been to Nashville and done the deed, you can now find spicy as Hell fried chicken in Austin, Chicago, NYC ...

The Vitals: the spot: Ippudo 65 4th Ave New York NY 10003 the eats: Ramen the bucks: $16  the full nelson: a ramen that comes with a ton of hype and some seriously good pork belly buns How much should you pay for a bowl of ramen? That answer has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, in the US at least. In college, I never touched the stuff. And by “the stuff” I mean the ramen packets my pals ...

The Vitals: the spot: Casita Nicole Antojitos Mexicanos 9618 Manchaca Road Austin TX (parked at the Texaco) the eats: Machete, Huitlacoche quesadillas, and everything else on the menu the bucks: $10 a person will set you up nicely the full nelson: the taco place Danny Trejo should have opened and Austin’s answer to a Mexico City delicacy Just when I think I have seen it all when it comes to tacos, I come across machete tacos, tacos shaped like a ...

The Vitals: the spot: Salt and Time 1912 E. 7th St. Austin TX 78702 the eats: Butcher’s Burger the bucks: $11(with cheese) the full nelson: the best burger I have had in years . . . I’ve been reading Aaron Franklin’s book about steak recently, and it got me fired up to splurge on a premium steak. Not just a Filet Mignon from Whole Foods(ps I think filet is overpriced and not close to the best) but a steak carefully ...

The Vitals: the spot: Better Half 406 Walsh St. Austin TX 78703 the eats: Better Half Burger the bucks: $10 the full nelson: A respectable burger that’s a real deal at happy hour One trend that cannot be denied is that restaurants aren’t getting cheaper these days. A more promising trend for people like you and me are restaurant concepts that merge counter service with high quality food. If you have been keeping up with Bang for your Burger Buck, ...

The Vitals: the spot: Tompkins Square Bagels 184 2nd Ave or 165 Ave A NY NY  the eats: Bagel with Lox Deluxe the bucks: $13 the full nelson: an East Village Bagel Breakfast fix

The Vitals: recipe: Prime Rib Holiday Dinner difficulty: Easy. Seems intimidating but the technique is nearly fool proof with the right equipment. health rating: indulgent. It’s the Holidays after all. time: Prime Rib: 4 hours including cooking time and prep. the roast has to be seasoned the night before. Mashed Potatoes: 30 min. Creamed Spinach: 30 minutes Cooking turkey is a big fat pain. There I said it. And this is coming from a guy who literally did a Thanksgiving ...

The Vitals: the spot: Sixth and Waller 1108 E. 6th St. Austin TX 78702 the eats: Waller St. Diner Burger the bucks: $13.50 for a double, $8.50 for a single the full nelson: a nostalgic burger built with quality ingredients.