Fridge? Some leftover tomato soup and lotsa raw ingredients. Screw cooking. Push on.
Freezer. A few of Cat's emergency TV dinners (ain't touchin' those) and lotsa raw, frozen ingredients. Crap. I'm really getting hungry now.
Snack cupboard. Trusty old cupboard. You won't let me down. I believe in you. Whadda ya have for me today? Tins of chicken noodle soup, a few packets of kimchee ramen, and some candy bars. This is what I get for forgetting to hit Costco this weekend.
Great, some assembly required for everything other than the candy. Dammit, I'm an American! Instant gratification is my god-given right. I live in the land of plenty. Surely there must be a place nearby where I can get something decent to eat before bed. Aw hell. I forgot. I live in Irvine, the city of plenty, but only until 9:00pm. I'm facing a valley of dearth, beset on all sides by the tawdry temptations of fast food and the tyranny of the Irvine Company.
Chowhound. Chowhound will show me the way. Let's see, late night places in Orange County... Too far, can't make it in time, can't make it in time, too far, too far and scary as hell at night- hang on a second. Lee's Sandwiches in Westminster, eh? Definitely too far, but I think there's one near UCI. That's doable. I can get there, score some grub, and be in bed by 1:30am. Gotta be rested for work early tomorrow.
Wow, this place looks awfully superficial. That doesn't bode well for the food. Meh, it's Irvine. Everything is polished. I've still got a shot at style with substance. Why hello pretty counter girl, bahn mi me baby!
Now we're talking. Rub a dub dub, time for some grub.
Hot Wings - Huh. Came from a tray under a heat lamp. Heat lamps aren't evil; they're just the tools of evil. Mmm... Crispy, salty, spicy, chickeny. This stuff is pretty good. Is chickeny even a word? I've definitely been awake for too long.
Shrimp & Pork Spring Rolls - Uh oh. Came prepackaged. Hey! Who are they kidding!?! If this crap is goi cuon, I'm a flag-waving Chinese Communist. Flavorless shrimp, dry and tough BBQ pork, and shredded Romaine lettuce. Where are the herbs? Where's the flavor? Oooh! Thai basil leaf! Bah. Tastes like grass. Maybe the sauce will help. ... So this stuff is like hoisin with peanut butter and oil, eh? Awesome. Instead of flavorless goi cuon I now have goi cuon that tastes like ass. Mr. Garbage Bin, meet Ms. Goi Cuon. Awww... Don't you two make a cute couple.
#4 Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Hefty. Not bad. The meat is pleasant. Good pickles:meat:cilantro:jalapeno ratio. Mayo used sparingly. Baguette is kinda chewy, though. Seems a bit dry and stale. At least they used the right pickles. It's not Westminster/Garden Grove good, but it'll do. I'm just happy I'm not at the bloody Taco Bell.
Might be the goi cuon talking, but let's go for broke.
Medium Gelato Cup (half durian/half honeydew) - Aww jeez. How long has this been in the case? It's gooey and lumpy. I can't tell which is which, and they both have that nasty sugar-crystal crust you get when ice cream sits in the freezer for too long. Mr. Gelato, meet Mr. Garbage Bin and Ms. Goi Cuon. Uh oh, it's a three-way love triangle. That's not tasty.
Time to get my ass home and into bed, with a brief stop to post this.
Lee's Sandwiches in Irvine: If you're hungry early in the AM and you want to avoid hitting the nearest McCrap Shack equivalent, you could do a lot worse. But stick to the sandwiches; it's safer.
Bill (for one):
Hot Wings (5 pieces) - 2.75
Shrimp & Pork Spring Rolls - 2.50
#4 Grilled Chicken Sandwich - 2.45
Medium Gelato Cup - 3.64
Tax - 0.59
Tip - 0.00 (Not the type of place where you leave one.)
Total - 11.93
Flavor: C-
Ambience: B
Service: B+
ROI: A (As long as you're careful.)
Overall: B
Lee's Sandwiches
4127 Campus Dr. @ University Center
Irvine, CA 92612
1-949-509-9299
Open daily from 8:00am - 2:00am
http://www.leesandwiches.com/
Other Locations:
Aww hell, I've gone corporate food whoring again. Here's the list.
Posts
9 comments:
Hi CP - "that sexy bastard Kirk" has got to be the funniest thing I've read in a very long time! And you're right on...even a barely decent Banh Mi beats Taco Bell anytime! LOL! You are too funny....
Wow, you really got an extensive four-course meal at Lee's Sandwiches! I've never thought to try their ice cream--you are intense man!
Kirk,
I can't help it. You keep turning my head with those naughty food photos. You're the type of chow buddy that would leave my diet crying in the shower, eating a box of Double-Stuffed Oreos while rocking back and forth hugging itself. Dangerous man, dangerous. I love your blog.
PE,
It was really more of a two-course meal. Ms. Goi Cuon ran off with Mr. Garbage Bin only to find out he was seeing Mr. Gelato Cup on the side. Boy did it get ugly. You can't find reality drama like that on Fox. Keep it up with those tasty home recipes. Those radish pickles and that BBQ reminded me of summer camping trips up in Big Sur. That's a wicked combo.
I miss the days when the UCI Lee's was 24/7. What a sad sleepy town we live in.
You're right CB. Their ice cream is nass-tay, baby. Yee.
Hey Chubby Panda!
I'm a frequent visitor to the Lee's in Alhambra and would think they're consistent...but lumpy gelato along with dry banh mi? Nooooo! But better than Taco Bell? Indeed :) (though sometimes I have unexplained cravings for their bean burrito, extra onions, hehe!)
I've been checking your blog from time to time, and i decided to bookmark it. :) It's nice to see another orange county food blog. I don't have a food blog though.
I can't believe you tried the gelato! I've never tried it because it didn't look good, but i'm glad that you confirmed it for me.
Hey Prof,
I agree completely. There's precious little to do in Irvine after 10:00pm. No non-restaurants bars, no bookstores open past 10:00pm, no coffee shops open past 11:00pm. Honestly, if I'm out with the boys and the movie we're at gets out after 11:00pm, half the time we end up at Ralph's for lack of anything better to do. I can count on one hand the number of places in Irvine still open at that time.
Hey Kathy,
How are you adjusting to another year away from the beautiful islands? I went on a Vietnamese food kick after both you and Kirk did your own series. Good to have you back in SoCal.
Christine,
welcome to my blog. I can't believe I tried the gelato either.
Ah Lee's... they raised prices from $1.50 to $1.75.... I would absolutely love the sandwiches if the bread wasn't so tough... my jaws get tired from chewing them... when I was in the dorms last year, I'd always walk the extra quarter mile and go eat at the 24 hour Jack in the Box.
Word, leetmaster.
Jack in the Box, late night cram food of champions.
- CP
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