from raleighwood to hollywood

yum.

in the midst of eating the last of all the perishable food in my apartment, it has occured to me how excited i am for all of my favorite east coast foods. for weeks now i've been on the hunt for cheese dip--which is something that you find at EVERY mexican restaurant on the right side of the country. it's gooey, it always drips onto the table, it's completely the opposite of authentic mexican food, and it's one of my favorite things in the world. seriously. i can eat an entire order of it by myself.

seriously.

so you can imagine my surprise when i found out that no one here carries my beloved queso dip. because california is so close to mexico, every mexican restaurant in the city (even the holes in the wall) are all in competition with each other to be the most "authentic" that they can be. this means that my favorite americanized classics are nowhere to be found. so today i dedicate this blog specifically to cheese dip (las margaritas' cheese dip to be even more specific), but the general theme is east coast foods that i just can't wait to get my hands on. most of the pictures are from me, but a few had to be borrowed from the internet.

thanks google.

and here's to you cheese dip:

nothing better than starting an important day with one of these.

sometimes they're even complimentary:

i love you too breakfast sandwich!

speaking of love...

i need a cookout tray and milkshake ASAP. i dream about those corndogs.

no really...

ever had a babycakes cupcake?

i believe that these could actually create world peace. i'm in the process of trying to figure out how to duplicate my best friend so that one version of her can live here and make freshly baked cupcakes each morning.

  

cheesecake from nina's ristorante in north raleigh.

taking a bite of this is like playing in a field of sunflowers and puppies.

unreal.

just seeing boondini's kind of makes my heart skip a beat. i believe this will be one of my first meals back home, which says a lot because clearly i didn't narrow down my options very well.

grilled jumbo buffalo wings from carolina ale house make you forget about every over-fried, under-sauced, crappy wing you've ever had.

it's kind of a spiritual experience.

speaking of spiritual experiences...

there's a reason i got assigned the nickname fanny pancakes.

i wish i could take credit for this picture of the cheese fries with roasted garlic ranch from raleigh times.

but i will eat an entire plate of them at 2 AM and then take credit for that.

basically, i'm just ready to eat my way through north and south carolina.

and i'm willing to share.

i had some great food experiences today, but i'll be posting those tomorrow along with a review of what i'll be eating in the morning. don't worry, it's not another omelet. tomorrow, i'll be dining with a friend for breakfast at a place called syrup in downtown LA. this place is known for their coffee drinks, sweet grilled cheese sandwiches, and most importantly...waffles. click on the link to browse some amazing photos. and click here to check out their insane menu.

check back tomorrow for the review!