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Remember the first season of “American Idol”? This guy, Justin Guarini, finished second, but he’s made not much of an impact in the music industry since.

Chicago For Ribs 1637 W 25th St San Pedro 310-832-7774 There is this myth about Chicago beening the rib capitol of US. Part of it stems from the TV show, MASH. When Hawkeye ordered a couple slabs of spare ribs from a fictional place called Adam's Ribs, near Dearbon Station. There is a Dearbon Station but there has never been an Adam's Ribs. While Chicago was the place for pigs to be

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Yeah, yeah, it's probably referring to the Jeep Liberty... but hey, on this 4th of July, let's all celebrate freedom and "librdee."

Here’s Bill Miler performing one of his songs, “Tumbleweed,” which is set in the heart of Route 66 country, Oklahoma. Miller says the song was inspired by one of Oklahoma’s native sons, Woody Guthrie.

As many people now know, Wall.E is a trash-collecting robot who finds love in an extremely unattractive environment, our own Planet Earth in the year 2700. The Pixar flick is touching, clever, and a tad too long. The film opens...

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A former Variety colleague, Peter Gilstrap, has just launched a new sex and relationship column over at Metromix (where another old Variety pal, Geoff Berkshire, is film editor). Check it out online, or Metromix is also available in print at various locales around town. Peter writes Franklin Avenue to note he's on the lookout for good questions -- so go check it out.

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You've seen the signs all over town. Sarno's on Vermont, for example. Bullocks Wilshire. Helms Bakery on Venice Blvd.

They're signs for businesses that have long since disappeared. In some case -- such as Bullocks and Helms -- the signs have been lovingly restored or preserved as a part of that building's history. In the case of Sarno's, the bakery's one-time operators still own the building, and keep the sign up as a nod to the past.

Then there are the remnants of old businesses that remain because, well, no one ever bothered to remove the old sign. Take this one, on 3rd, of "Normandie Coiffures." The business itself is long gone... but the cool old sign remains.

Got more examples? Send 'em to franklin_avenue(at)yahoo(dot)com!

I walked to White House Subs from the Tropicana, which was a nice distance to work up an appetite. I arrived there only to find the line outside the door and down the sidewalk. I enjoyed the 45 minute wait, just hanging out with the other sub lovers. Once inside the door I found you can get the subs for takeout, and you can eat in the park across the street (a great idea to cut down the wait time). I was told to only get a half of a White House Special (Italian sub) but as I waited in line I thought, when will I next get a chance to try one of these? I made the decision to get a whole. It was at least two feet long and packed with meat and cheese. The best sub I have ever had!!! I was able to eat about 3/4 of it and was full the rest of the day. I highly recommend the wait for, and the experience of, getting a White House Sub. Bring your own drink: the only available drinks were from a soda machine in the rear of the store. ©

D:Fuse, an electronica artist who hails from Texas, was interviewed by the Vail (Colo.) Daily before a show in Vail. Here’s the interesting excerpt: VD: What has been your major impact on electronic music and how do you plan on impacting the future of electronic music? DJD: I hope my biggest impact will be turning dance fans into [...]

I live in Knoxville, TN but while attending college at East Tennessee State (in nearby Johnson City, about 30 years ago) I was "indoctrinated" by a local girl into the exclusive club of those who have discovered this incredible place. So for the last 26 or so years I have driven up to Ridgewood from Knoxville (over 100 miles) to eat here, with occasional overnight stays centered around the BBQ experience. It is SO that worth it. This BBQ is unlike any other anywhere, and I've eaten a lot of BBQ. The meat is actually sliced ham smoked on-site, served either on a bun or plated. The coleslaw is fresh-made with a bite of vinegar, and you can get it on the sandwich or in a bowl on the side (in the bowl it's served first, like a salad). Now for the other side items: the fries are hand-cut fresh potatoes; you'll never appreciate frozen ever again. But the best thing of all is the little bowl of BBQ beans; be sure to get two bowls! They are sweet and savory, the best! If you come anywhere within driving distance (let's see, how far? The southeastern United States should cover it) then do not miss this great little hidden BBQ joint! ©

Nick's Chili is an Indianapolis landmark. I eat at Nick's at least once a week for lunch and thought it was time to add it to Roadfood! Housed in a building that was formerly a Rax Roast Beef restaurant, Nick's is packed for lunch and dinner, and is usually fairly busy throughout the day. Although they have a few other menu items, Nick's does chili and does it well. A bowl of chili, chili dogs, and chili cheeseburgers are their most popular items. With large chunks of meat, hearty beans, and just enough spices to give it some bite, the chili is a warm, satisfying meal on a chilly fall night. Hot tamales are wonderful, rivaling the best I've had. If you've got a hearty appetite, you can't go wrong with their fish sandwich. This is a HUGE fillet of whitefish, deep-fried, on a hoagie bun, with homemade tartar sauce, and you can't beat it. Nick's has wonderful skin on fries. Their chili cheese fries are a real treat. Add to that great, HUGE onion rings, and an array of homemade desserts... you can't beat a trip to Nick's. At Nick's, you're served cafeteria style. You work your way down through a line, picking and adding items as you go. And I must add a note about the staff: they are among the friendliest group of folks you'll meet. Nick's cooks and staff are largely retired folks working part-time. You'll feel like a loving grandma is serving you food. ©

If your life is dull and you need a challenge, may we suggest the Megabob? On a blackboard in Bob’s eatery, the names of those who have tried and succeeded are written in chalk … just waiting to be erased by a newer, faster gun in town. What is the Megabob Challenge, you ask? You must eat a 3/4-pound hamburger, 3/4 of a pound of French fries, and a cookie, plus drink a large bottle of soda pop faster than Jason Carpenter did it on March 7, 2002. It took him 5 minutes, 9.82 seconds. Beat that time, and you get the Megabob supper free. Otherwise, it’ll cost you $7.25. Eating contest notwithstanding, Bob’s is a Roadfood joy. A tiny diner with a curvy counter and about a dozen seats, all with a view of the grill, it specializes in plentiful hash house breakfasts, burger baskets, broasted chicken, and sides of ribs. What fun it is to sit at the counter in the morning and watch Bob work the grill – as he has done since 1951 – all the while kibitzing with customers, buttering toast that pops from the toaster, and stacking pancakes hot off the griddle. Incongruously for a joint so steeped in blue-plate tradition, Bob’s partner in the operation tallies up bills on a computer opposite the grill. Fans of diner food will think they’ve entered heaven the moment they walk into this place, take a sniff, and see what’s on other people’s plates. Bob is a true grillmaster. Eggs are made exactly as you like them; bacon (extra thick) is cooked under a press so it gets crisp and flat; hash browns sizzle alongside, absorbing the flavors of the grill. Although it is a minuscule space, Bob’s specializes in cooking vast amounts of food for big parties, and will deliver in the Sioux Falls area. For example, 90 pieces of broasted chicken are available for $81; 25 slabs of ribs go for $117; and if you call a couple days ahead, you can get a whole broasted turkey for $23. ©

We arrived at Southern Kitchen at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. The place was nearly empty. It was summer but there were no fresh vegetables on the menu as sides. Most of the food was fried. Their special sandwich, the "Trailblazer," was small with thin-sliced sparse meat on a small Italian roll, about half the size of a Subway sandwich, for $7. A coconut cream pie was made on-site, but the other pies were purchased frozen and baked. In fairness, the fried chicken was moist and the portion was large. The coffee did not have the full flavor of diner coffee, but there were free refills. Service was fairly fast. We did not try the peanut soup (one of us is peanut sensitive) or the ham, the two items recommended by Roadfood.com. The main cook, now in her 80's, has been working here for more than 50 years. The retro look made the stop interesting, but I would not make any effort to return for the food. ©

I am generally cool to pedestrian malls because so few of them seem to work. So I was a bit surprised by the call to save the Charlottesville Downtown Mall I just found in the newsletter of the The Cultural Landscape Foundation. I never been to Charlottesville so I don't know the merits/demerits. Any first-hand knowledge?

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Someone loves to surf... and watch "The Simpsons" (although, yes, then it should be "Mmm... surf...")

Deliberately paced, filmed without a musical score, the 2007 Belgian movie Private Property starring Isabelle Huppert delighted us recently. The story of a divorced woman living amidst tension with her two lazy adult sons features people both eating--numerous times--and cooking,...

Here’s a nice way to spend about nine minutes — watching a rear-view video of a motorcycle tour driving Oatman Road, aka Route 66, from the outskirts of Kingman, Ariz., to Oatman, Ariz. The landscape of the Black Mountains is stunning. Music is by Pink Floyd and Moby.

Kona 16278 S. Pacific Coast Hwy Huntington Beach 562-592-1321 I went to Happy Hour at Kona. Happy Hour is from 4-7pm Tues-Fri in the bar area. I believe Kona is closed on Monday. Kona used to be Sam's Seafood but changed to Kona and they developed a Hawaiian style menu. During Happy Hour many appetizers are $2.95 including sliders, which I ordered. Actually there are two kinds of

A few recently spotted, strangely or inappropriately-named businesses around Los Angeles:

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Rubby's

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Toe Bang

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Loco Computer

That last one isn't as disturbing as the first two, but I still don't get why you'd call your company "Crazy Computer." Although, at least there's alliteration there. But if you're gonna go with "Loco Computer," shouldn't it be "El Computer Loco"? I dunno.

I'm not even going to discuss those first two. Uh, yuck.

The only tipoff that Joe Beez is primo Roadfood is the steady stream of locals, from the white collar guys from the county computer center across the street to the cars of local kids (how do those teenagers fit six in a compact?). This place is about subs: high-caloric, high cholesterol, delish subs of every conceivable makeup... and every year, Joe runs a contest for new ones. In spite of the rough and ready appearance, the subs are made with care, with class ingredients like crusty sub rolls. Your taste buds will think they've gone to heaven. What's good? It's ALL good. The place is hometown: walls are plastered with newspaper clippings of hometown and national teams, there's a big mural of the hippie 60's and 70's (you're about 10 miles from Woodstock, after all), crates of soda (Boynton soda is available, in addition to the usual Pepsi line) are stacked here and there. There are newspapers for while you wait. There is no, zero, zilch atmosphere and no presentation... but you didn't come here for that. For that you go across the Hudson River down to Hyde Park to the Culinary Institute of America. I'd go to Joe Beez two to three times a week for lunch except that, at age 60, I'd have a coronary in six months. ©