We Know More Than Zagat

Intelligentsia

2009-08-17T22:57:00.001-07:00

Here's my dilemma. I was ready to write about Intelligentsia coffee's revelatory "Angeleno" iced coffee beverage, and tell you all how great it is, and how I still think about it, weeks after I tried it.

I was ready to tell you that I've tried, daily, to recreate this magical elixir, and that I've hedged my bets that a lifetime of happiness hinges upon my success doing so.

Now, though, I'm not so convinced. In finding the picture you see above, I also found out that, allegedly, this tasty treat has four-- four!-- shots of espresso. Even people who believe coffee is good for you can't possibly believe that much coffee is good for you (nor would they, or anyone else, think spending $5 on a coffee beverage is a good idea even infrequently).

So I'm torn. This is a delicious beverage, and you should head down to Intelligentsia, make nice with the hipster barista at the "concierge" counter, and try it. But you should also keep reminding yourself, as you gulp it down, that this is a sometimes treat-- it's too expensive, and it's too caffeinated.

But heck, while you're there, try one of those fancy pastries. I didn't, but I regret it, mostly because I'm a sucker for everything red velvet (except for literal red velvet). Share it, though, because if you eat it by yourself, you won't be able to fit into those $200 skinny jeans that you hope people will think cost you $10 at Goodwill. And then you won't feel comfortable going back to Intelligentsia ever again.

You will, though, because they brew a damn good espresso.

Deliciousness: A+

Price: C-

Location/Decor: A

www.intelligentsia.com

Bazaar by Jose Andres

2009-07-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills

(Photos by Daryl! The complete album is available here.)

I think we all have that friend we love, but only in small doses. He stays the weekend twice a year, you two paint the town red and, by Sunday, you're ready to get rid of him. Then Tuesday rolls around and you're already looking forward to his next visit.

That's kind of like Bazaar for me. It was three hours and, at points, it felt just plain gimmicky (I'm looking at you, $16 "magic mojito" that was really just cotton candy with rum and mint poured on it). At other times, though, a complete reimagination of food I thought I knew. And in a good way.

Here are some standouts:

This is "not your everyday caprese salad," and it's true. I can tell you, though, that should this dish ever become the "everyday" caprese salad, we wouldn't need war or religion. Those little

white mozzarella balls? They're liquefied, and they burst in your mouth. You get all three flavors-- the cheese, the tomato and the basil-- all at once, and all perfectly balanced.

Lest you think all I've got here is praise, take a look at these babies. They aren't mutant lobsters; they're Bazaar's reimagining of a Philly Cheesesteak. And, well, they aren't very good, despite the waiter's claim that they're a signature dish. The "air bread" it's served on? Sort of like a fancy hollowed out creme puff, minus the sweetness, and filled with too much cheese. Throw a few pieces of Kobe beef on top (sparingly!) and that's the sandwich.

Here's one of the two shrimp dishes we ordered. In fact, everyone at the tabled ordered it, so you know we had high hopes. And it certainly delivered. But if these shrimp were potential mates, and you were a high school girl (work with me here), they'd be the "nice guy"-- reliable, and someone to become good friends with, but not someone to date. Though they appeared on the side of the menu devoted to fantastical creations, they looked pretty traditionally prepared to me.

Same goes for the steak. These two plates were the [insert your favorite character actor here] of the meal.

Then came dessert.

The big winner for me was definitely the "Passionfruit Coconut Floating Nitro Island." Not too much passionfruit, and just the right amount of coconut, on a pedestal of perfectly prepared bananas. The texture was kind of like the cross between a whipped cream and a soft meringue, and it was probably the best dessert I've ever had that didn't include a lick of chocolate.

And so, three hours later (and two seatings), the meal was over. I was ready for it to be over too, not in the least because no chairs we sat in offered back support, and I'm too old for these designer seats.

Still, I loved that meal. And while I've had my fill of molecular gastronomy for the time being, I can't wait for my next adventure.

Winner winner, burrito dinner.

2009-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

There are dozens, possibly even millions, of reasons why Chipotle wipes the floor with Qdoba every single time they're pitted head-to-head.

But here's one that stands out:

Admittedly, despite their shockingly inept copy editing, the deal is still pretty decent. (Also: what if it's a Tuesday? Isn't that a little early to be starting my weekend?)

Omnivore's Hundred

2009-03-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

My sister already posted about this back in September, but I thought it was an interesting exercise for readers of the food blog. Here's the original link. How many of these have you tried? I've tried only 35, but I would not categorize myself as an adventurous eater.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Craftbar (Los Angeles)

2009-03-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

Last night after a taping of "The Soup", Daryl, Selina and I hightailed it over to Century City to check out the newly opened Craftbar (attached to Craft). Perhaps our good spirits made us more inclined to enjoy, but we found the atmosphere, service and food to be top notch!

Admittedly I was excited to go because I love Top Chef but cannot afford Craft's exorbitant prices. Craftbar was a perfect solution since it is still associated with and attached to the main restaurant, but features drinks and food (snacks, salads, small plates, in a jar, pasta, pizzettes, cheese and sweets) for under $10 each. Very reasonable!

Unfortunately, since they close at 10pm and we got there at 9:35, a lot of the things we wanted to order were no longer available (bacon and lobster rolls, jidori chicken wings with maple dijon aioli, lamb sliders with bleu cheese and tomato marmalade). But because of this inconvenience, the chef (who we will pretend was Tom Colicchio) sent out a complimentary pizzette.

Some photos:

The bar.

Refreshing! The beers are only $5, which is amazing in LA. I think this was a Pilsner.

Falafel & Whipped Spicy Feta

Foie Gras Confit w/ Grapes, Apple & Macadamia Nuts

Steamed Short Rib Buns

Raw Albacore Tuna w/ Pickled Shallots & Kishu Tangerine (AMAZING)

Braised Veal Ravioli & Hazelnut Brown Butter

Sausage Raviolini & Manila Clams

Truffle Garlic Sausage & Lentils

Veal & Ricotta Meatballs

Pizzette #1

Pizzette #2 (gratis)- I think this one had jalapenos.

Craftbar
10100 Constellation Blvd.
Century City, CA 90067

I LOVE RAMEN

2009-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

I was looking through this list of Los Angeles ramen restaurants, and wondered how many I could eat at before I leave. I've been eating a lot of ramen lately, mostly because it's cheap and super satisfying.

Here are the restaurants I've tried so far:

Daikokuya
This is my favorite ramen joint. The broth is amazingly tasty and the portions are gigantic. I normally don't care for the pork in ramen, but the one here is tender and flavorful. I only wish it were closer, but at least it's open late to satiate your late night cravings.

327 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Asahi Ramen
Asahi Ramen was my first ramen restaurant, and as such, is the place I use to compare all other ramen places. I go here most often because it's only five minutes from my place. It's a really small space, but the service is always very friendly and quick. I personally like the taste of Asahi's ramen (not as salty as other places). Their portions are generous and their miso ramen is great. I also like their cold noodles and fried rice.

2027 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Cash only

Ramenya
I also like Ramenya, which is around the corner from Asahi on Olympic Blvd. Normally we only go here on Thursdays when we drive by Asahi and realize that they are closed (seriously, what's that all about?) Not bad, I just happen to prefer Asahi to Ramenya.

11555 W. Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90064
Cash only

Orochon Ramen
I just tried the notorious Orochon Ramen this weekend. The schtick for this place is that they have this intensely spicy ramen (Special #2), and if you can finish this enormous bowl (including the soup) within half an hour, you get your photo taken and posted on their "Wall of Bravery". I went with our friend Jennifer, who is probably the tiniest being I know, and she nearly finished (but didn't have enough time to finish the soup). Amazing. I had the #7, which is the least spicy and wussiest of all the choices.

123 Onizuka Street #303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
$20 credit card minimum

Santouka
Santouka is a gem that is located in the Mitsuwa Marketplace on Centinela Blvd. on the west side. It's low key (as it's in a food court) and really greasy but still tasty. I really like this place too but always seem to get there too late, since they close at 7:30pm. After you eat here, you can check out Japanese magazines and buy Asian goodies in the market.

3760 Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Cash only

Chabuya
I also went to Chabuya last weekend which is very close to Asahi and Ramenya. I liked the atmosphere and think it's definitely worth checking out, but overall found the broth to be too salty and the service to be kind of lazy. Our friend got the Sapporo Black Label, and it was flat despite being from a bottle!

2002 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

[Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddkim/2657155053/] Temporary solution until I load my own ramen photos!

Anisette Brasserie

2008-09-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

NOTE: this was published 3/6/09. I am lazy.

These photos are from the summer before Cindy Koh left for med school. As such, I don't really remember enough to type something of substance, suffice it to say the food was delicious.

Beautiful interiors!

Cheers!

Steak + ...

... Frites

Bag of vegetables.

Steamed to perfection.

Duck confit

Lavender ice cream

Anisette Brasserie
http://www.anisettebrasserie.com/
225 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Akasha

2008-04-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I recently stopped by the new restaurant, Akasha, in Culver City. This was on a whim because S & W Country Diner was closed and we showed up about an hour too early for a movie we were checking out at the $5 theater. (By the way, S&W is excellent).

We didn't check out the restaurant section, but we did buy some pastries which were very delicious. I was surprised to find their desserts affordable because I took a quick look at the restaurant menu, and it was probably in the $$-$$$ territory.

I took some photos, but I'll have to post from home. I just wanted to write this quick entry because I was going through my Google Reader and saw this post on EaterLA. It's rare that I can actually say, "hey, I've been there!"

The lemon bar was divine. It wasn't too sweet, the cake part was tasty and there was just the right amount of tang. But then again, I love lemon bars of all shapes and sizes and tastes. Lemon bars forever! My sister had a toasted bagel and our friend Erin had this chocolate brownie thing. Everyone left satisfied.

Sorry if this post is random, my feet really hurt so I'm kind of delirious.

Elephant Snack Corner

2008-04-11T17:55:00.001-07:00

Yes, Ravi, a B. It's still good.

I recently had the opportunity to eat at the Elephant Snack Corner, located on Western Avenue. We were hungry and jonesing for some good Korean grub, when my dad spotted it in the small strip mall next to the BCD Tofu House.

The food was good, authentic and hit the spot. To be honest, I haven't really had the opportunity to eat at very many Korean restaurants that aren't Americanized BBQ joints. I think that because Korean BBQ is so prevalent and profitable, a lot of people miss out on the variety of dishes that Korean cuisine has to offer. I don't blame anyone- I almost always go for the BBQ as well because it's so gosh dang delicious. But next time you go to a Korean restaurant, I urge you to try the many fish, tofu, or noodle dishes and stews that may be on the menu. Everything is good.

Also, please make sure your Korean restaurants offer you plenty of ban-chan (side dishes) because it's an absolute essential for a Korean meal. However, don't let them charge you extra, because that'd just be highway robbery.

Interior.

I went with one of my most favorite dishes, dduk man-du gook (rice cake and wonton soup). We usually have this soup on New Years because this type of rice cake is called nian gao in Chinese, which I believe is roughly translated as "year cake". The black stuff is seaweed (which Koreans love).

This is a soy bean stew with vegetables and tofu. Korean jji gae is so, so delicious. We used to have a soy bean or kimchi jji gae with every meal growing up. This is why I am a jolly person.

My dad got the yook gae jjang, which is a very spicy noodle soup dish. This had me sweating, but MMM so good.

No Korean meal is complete without ban chan!

My poor sister is a vegetarian, so she went with bibimbap, a dish that mixes a lot of veg with rice and a fried egg. This usually comes with some beef or sushi in there, but she usually asks for it without. It's very healthy, and also very tasty.

Please note that the staff does not really speak English here. But their menu is on the wall with pictures, so you could probably get away with pointing and saying the numbers in English. Cash only.

Elephant Snack Corner
901 S Western Ave
Ste 101
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Cross Streets: Western & Ninth

Sydney, Australia: A foodie's hell.

2007-06-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

(Note: I feel so strongly about this that I'm writing this entry from an Internet cafe in Sydney-- and it's costing me a dollar an hour.)

Not since Bush told us the WMDs existed has such a wide deception propagated over the masses of a country. Sydney, your food sucks.

I mean really really sucks.

Like beating up the kid in the wheelchair, they add insult to injury by charging far too much money for food significantly worse than that served in UCLA's dining halls.

Didn't you get the memo? Salt isn't the only spice around. And no, I'll order my food "take away" to avoid paying you an extra $2 for the exact same thing. Even though, either way, you have to get up to the counter to order it.

Do you take MasterCard? Yes? fantastic! But what's that? A TWENTY DOLLAR MINIMUM*? I suppose it isn't impossible for one person to eat $20 worth of food here-- my dinner last night cost $22, and they didn't even bother to pretend like they didn't just microwave it (seriously, he took my order, put everything onto a plate like they do at the Whole Foods hot foods bar, and then turned around and stuck it in a microwave. For a meal that cost $22!).

Australia, do you even have a national cuisine? It would appear not, though you certainly eat McDonald's more than most Americans and probably have more than your fair share of kabob stands. You're not too skinny, either. Americans are fat because our food tastes good and they give us huge portions. You are fat because your food just sucks and is made of crap, so you end up eating McDonald's or skipping the solid food and heading straight for the booze.

Oh, I noticed. (And I might end up eating Starbucks and McDonald's exclusively for the last three days I'm here too.)

I'm staying in my hostel with a British guy. And when British people complain about your food, you know you have a problem.

(Other note: besides that, Sydney is amazing and I'd love to live here someday, when I am rich and can demand only the best and freshest cuisine.)

Ravi
*According to Wikipedia, VISA's rules prohibit merchants from designating a minimum purchase threshold, though apparently they don't often enforce the rule.

My Grand Finale

2007-06-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Alright, I haven't posted here in awhile, but I've been eating out a lot. Now time is running out, so please accept, humbly, my short recaps below (of the places I remember, even though I'm sure I've been out more):

The Edison (bar) -- By far the coolest bar ambiance I've seen, though, admittedly, I haven't been to that many bars. Food is mediocre and drinks are overpriced, but it's worth a visit, particularly during their happy hour, when drinks are less overpriced. B+

The Dresden (bar) -- Kitschy, but their signature "blood and sand" drink won me over. Maybe if I'd seen Swingers I'd like it even more. Does not, thankfully, resemble the bombed-out German city in ambiance, but it's also no Edison. B-

Manna -- Oh man-na, so much meat. Go there to meat up with friends, because it's a nice social atmosphere, but the meat isn't terribly delicious. I never heard Daryl's scary bathroom story, so I can't say much else. B-

Mandrake -- My favorite bar in LA. A

World Cafe -- Mediocre all around, and not worth me trying to find something to say about it. C

El Parian -- Best carne asada I've ever had, but also more carne asada than I ever wanted. B+ [go to the website and see how hardcore I am to be a guy with a criminal record eating at a place like that.]

Fritelli's Doughnuts -- definitely not the next Pinkberry. Stick with Stan's. C+

Abode -- great food, outrageous prices. Definitely not a humble abode (not a toilet either, though). B (A- for food, A+ for menu creativity, D for value)

Spago -- Best meal I've ever had, best wines I've ever had, and best service I've ever experienced. But at $500 for two people, we deserved it. A+ (even for value) [note: I'm going to try, if I can remember everything, to go through course by course on a full entry.]

Fraiche -- Accessible French food. Delicious, fraiche ingredients (yes I had to make that pun), and the only mushrooms I've ever actually liked. I have a feeling this will quickly become the best restaurant in Culver City (it's only been open a month and a half). A

That's all I can remember from my last few weeks (it's been a busy month for my tummy... and wallet).

Kings Road Cafe

2007-05-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Rarely do I go out to eat breakfast-- I'm very picky in this department (I like the waffles at Denny's, and I'm very particular about who makes my eggs and how they make it). So what happens when I set out to eat brunch at Kings Road Cafe? I eat lunch. But since (spoiler alert!) I enjoyed the meal, I'm happy with my choice.

Kings Road Cafe is a deceptively small restaurant-- half the building is actually devoted to a bakery that we never tried. There is plenty of outdoor seating (a fixture at most restaurants that line Beverly and 3rd), but you'll probably have to wait a while to get it; we opted to sit inside. The decor is nothing to brag about-- simple brown walls, wooden tables and chairs, etc. But the atmosphere was very chill, and for the most part, it is a very enjoyable place for a meal.

Jason and I ordered the Classic Caprese as an appetizer. It's a pretty simple dish: mozzerella, a slice of tomato, and some basil in the middle, with some olive oil drizzled on top.
This was a great start to the meal. Despite being an entire leaf, the flavor of the basil wasn't too overpowering, so you were able to really enjoy the mozzerella and the delicious tomatoes. Place it on top of the complimentary bread, and you have yourself a mighty fine appetizer.

For my entree, I was debating between the French Toast with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar, or the Ahi Tuna panini. I went with the ahi tuna, and wasn't disappointed.
The ahi tuna was grilled rare, which made me nervous at first (even moreso when I saw how pink the middle of the fish was). But once I took a bite out of that panini, which was sandwiched between two amazing slices of bread that were perfectly crisp and full of so much flavor themselves, I was a doubter no more. The tuna was well seasoned, moist, and worked well with the roma tomatoes, red onions, and the watercress. The side of red cabbage was a little too lemony for me (it was tossed with a lemon vinagrette), so I steered clear of that for the most part.

Aegean ordered the mozzerella, roma tomato, and basil omlette which she thoroughly enjoyed (I had a bite of it, and it was certainly pretty good; not too cheesy, which is a plus). Jason was pleased with his choice, the breakfast burrito, as was Angie, who ordered the garden vegetable omelette. {Sorry, but the pictures were too blurry to post.}

Like I said, we skipped out on dessert, which is supposed to be amazing, but I am not opposed to the concept of returning in the near future, to try the French Toast or any of the dessert options. Overall, I give Kings Road Cafe a solid B: it was pleasing to both the wallet (breakfast $7-11, paninis $8-10) and the palate.

Kings Road Cafe
8361 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90048

A Home-Cooked Meal

2007-05-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

May 23rd is a wonderful day-- it's the day my mother was born. Normally, I try to buy her a gift (usually something useful), but this year, I drew a blank as to what she needed that I could afford, so I came up with a suitable alternative: dinner, cooked by yours truly. With the new Food Network Favorites cookbook I just purchased, I had the meal all planned out: for starters, grilled shrimp with a spicy mint dressing; the entree, roasted salmon on a bed of roasted plum tomatoes, with carmelized lemons; and a dessert that was scrapped because my dad bought a cake.

The shrimp is pretty simple: In a bowl, mix a cup of fresh mint leaves, two serrano chiles, some kosher salt and fresh black pepper, a little white wine vinegar, and some fish sauce (which I hope I will use again and again because I have a whole bottle of it). Blend this mixture then drizzle over the shrimp (which you have grilled for 1-2 minutes on each side) which is sitting in a bed of lettuce. Here's how it turned out:This was a pretty good starter. It was light, the shrimp was well cooked (naturally), and the sauce was pretty delicious, with the mixture of mint and a little kick from the chile.

The main course was even easier: Season salmon with salt and pepper to taste, then stick it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. As for the tomatoes, season to taste, drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, then stick it in the oven for the same amount of time. To carmelize the lemons, simply sautee them for a bit with some EVOO in a skillet. And that's it!

I will be honest, the salmon was a little bland, but it was cooked perfectly, so it was the right amount of moist. The tomatoes were sweet and delicious, and the lemons were also surprisingly good (even while being overwhelmingly sour). Overall, it was a pretty good main course.

So what did my parents think? My dad was the complainer. He's not a fan of shrimp (which he mentioned ad nauseum), but I got him to eat at least two pieces, which is an accomplishment. He really enjoyed the main course, despite the fact that the portions were so small. "Who do you think we are, Americans? Is this some sort of snack? Is there more food coming out? You did all that work for this much food?" etc. etc. It was to be expected.

The most important opinion though was my mom's: she loved it, like only a mother could. Here she is post-salmon and pre-cake (when she sang happy birthday to herself):
Overall, I'd say it was a success: B+ (because I did all the work).

La Luna Ristorante

2007-05-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

I was scared that my trip to La Luna Ristorante would end in bitter disappointment. I was afraid that experience just wouldn't live up to the hype and the price (for dinner: appetizers, $9-15, pastas, $10-17, entrees $25-30). But if people loved it so much that they were willing to put "Save La Luna Ristorante from Eviction" signs on their front lawn, I figured it would be a good place to check out. I was right.

Like most restaurants in Los Angeles, La Luna had a very upscale but laid back vibe. The restaurant was light on decor: bare walls, an open kitchen, and a cool (and dead) tree in the rear dining area. Families were interspersed among young couples out on a date. The room was loud but not obnoxious; everyone seemed to be having a good time. {Adding a little novelty to the whole affair, we spotted Patricia Heaton and Craig Ferguson dining separately.}

Our meal got off to a bad start. We were feeling adventurous, so we ordered the Carpaccio di Branzino and Salmone (I gave up trying to pronounce the name half way thru, and just pointed to it on the menu). The menu describes it as "thin layers of raw sea bass and salmon, with spinach and basil cream in EVOO and lemon." They weren't lying when they said thin layers. Once we figured out what was what (although the pile of rings in the middle is still unidentifiable), we had trouble scooping the fish up with a spoon. I also squirted everything with lemon, not realizing that the fish had apparently already been soaked in lemon. What was left was very lemony salmon with bland sea bass. There wasn't much flavor to the dish, leaving us wanting more.

Thankfully, our main course was superb. I ordered the Petto D' Anitra Agil Agrumi & Miele (carmelized breast of duck, sauteed with pearl onions and enoki mushrooms in honey, mango, and citrus sauce). The duck (top left) was amazing; it was tender, and thanks to the sauce, very sweet. The pearl onions were also very sweet, and were so well cooked, they almost melted in my mouth. Aegean ordered the linguini with fresh clams (top right), which she described as amazing ("I love the texture of the pasta" is the exact quote). Kathy ordered spinach and egg pasta with bolonese sauce (bottom right), which was "perfectly al dente." Mickey ordered a pizza (bottom left) with artichokes and mushrooms that he too seemed to enjoy (I enjoyed the crust-- thin and crisp).

We went all out and ordered dessert ($8 each). Aegean and I went for the tiramisu, Kathy and Mickey, the creme brulee. The tiramisu was probably one of the best I've had at a restaurant in L.A.-- it was soft and fluffy, the espresso was subtle and didn't overpower the other flavors, and as a nice little touch, there were chocolate flakes sprinkled on top. Mickey was a little disappointed with the creme brulee because he didn't get to crack the layer of sugar on top-- it was more like large, granulated sugar, not like what you'd expect for creme brulee. But the custard underneath was light, and even I enjoyed it (I'm not always a fan of custard).

Overall, I'd give La Luna a B/B+. At one point our service was a bit slow (I spent 5 minutes trying to call our waiter, who was apparently busy telling another table the history of the champagne they chose), but we were never rushed. It reminded me a bit of the service in Europe, and I welcomed that. I enthusiastically recommend La Luna, and hope that they do "Save La Luna."

La Luna Ristorante
113 N Larchmont Blvd,
Los Angeles 90004

The Talent We Must Emulate

2007-04-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

This past week, the Pulitzer Prize in the category of criticism, went to food critic Jonathan Gold of LA Weekly. You have probably heard about this because it's kind of a big deal-- no food critic, not even from the New York Times or the LA Times, has ever won the prize. Essentially, this man has been deemed the best critic of anything in the country. So of course, I had to check this guy out.

I never really read LA Weekly, because the print edition is kinda cheap looking and filled with way too many ads; their website seems a bit cluttered, so I tended to avoid that as well. But I finally checked out a few of his articles, and I gotta admit, this guy is pretty awesome: he's not pretentious, his excitement for the food he reviews is obvious, and the way in which he describes the food is pretty impressive.

Is he the best overall critic in the country? I have no idea. But he's certainly a pretty damn good food critic.

La Bruschetta Ristorante

2007-04-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

For years, I have driven past La Bruschetta dreaming about all the delectable food that could possibly wait inside-- it's named after my favorite appetizer, so it has to be good, right? Not so much.

La Bruschetta Ristorante is like an upscale neighborhood joint. We arrived at around 6:00, when the restaurant was empty, but we were assured by our waiter that the place usually starts filling up at 6:30. When people did start arriving, most seemed to be members of the AARP (it's not a place known for its atmosphere).

When I opened the menu, the first item I looked for was the bruschetta; it wasn't on the menu. But the wily owners behind the restaurant were one step ahead of us: the bruschetta is complimentary. With my fears assuaged, I eagerly dug into the the restaurant's namesake.

To say I was disappointed would be putting it mildly. In Italy, bruschetta (let's class it up and start pronouncing it with the "k") was the solution to the problem of dealing with day-old bread: grill it, toast it, do whatever to it, add tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil, and you've replaced once-stale bread with a tasty treat. The problem with the bruschetta at the restaurant was that the bread actually tasted stale. Adding insult to injury, the tomatoes had a bland taste, with little to no seasoning. This was certainly not a good way to start the meal.

As for the entrees (pasta priced between $12 and $20, "second piatti" priced between $20 and $30), I was again underwhelmed. I initially ordered the linguini al pesto e capesante... linguini with bay scallops, basil and white wine sauce. That's not what came to my table. I think I was just completely engulfed in my conversation with Stephanie that I didn't really pay attention to what I was eating. It wasn't until after I finished my plate that the waiter mentioned I was given the wrong order. Notice the absence of anything really green, like the basil sauce; I just assumed that I misread the menu (there were lots of italian words, and the lines were close together, I got confused). I was served linguini (I think) with fresh crab meat and zucchini. The crab was rather bland and practically non-existent. In fact, the flavor of the pasta (which probably needed another minute or two to be al dente) and the olive oil seemed to overwhelm what little flavor the crab meat may have had.

I was hoping our meal was going to get comp'd because of the chef's mistake, but instead, they gave us free dessert-- tiramisu.

The tiramisu was slightly above average, but not memorable. It was a little too creamy for me, and the espresso was by far the dominant flavor (in a bad way). The raspberry "sauce" complemented the tiramisu well, but the lemon "sauce" did nothing for me.

I must admit, the service was pretty good. Our waiter was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the food, although I did feel a little uncomfortable staying around well after our meal was over, but that's customary of nearly all restaurants in the U.S.

I was going back and forth with this, but I'll wuss out and give it a C-/C.

La Bruschetta Ristorante
1621 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, Ca. 90024

Ketchup

2007-04-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

Ketchup, located in the heart of West Hollywood, is the latest "hot spot" from the Dolce Group. It is definitely a place to see and be seen, but other than its upscale diner fare schtick, and the possibility of seeing pseudo-celeb/restauranteur/drunk, Tara Reid, it doesn't have much else going for it.

We made reservations for 9pm on a Saturday night about a week after Ketchup opened. Parking is near impossible on Sunset since most available spots are reserved for valet. My car was left basically where I dropped it off. So we essentially paid $10 valet for someone to hold my keys. How very LA.

As you walk in at street level, the hosts and hostesses (slash actors slash models) greet you, then take you up an elevator to the second floor where the restaurant is located. This gives those with window tables a beautiful view of the street. We had a pretty remarkable view of a billboard (see above photo).

I suppose the scene was pretty cool, or at the very least, novel. They definitely stayed true to the theme of ketchup, and all things tomato. The lighting is all red, and there are posters and large photomosaics of Heinz ketchup bottles. The wine racks are filled with ketchup bottles and the servers all wear t-shirts with fake ketchup splatters. Instead of flowers, you'll find fresh tomatos in clear boxes on the table. I couldn't decide whether I thought this was clever or cheesy, and it felt slightly reminiscent of that Top Chef challenge where they had to open up and decorate a restaurant very quickly.

The servers were very friendly and down-to-Earth, which was a pleasant surprise. However, my experience was dampened by their very evident inexperience. Our server was probably an actor, because he gave a pretty convincing impression that he knew what he was talking about. When Surafel asked how large the mahi mahi entree was, he said it was definitely big enough for two people. I know this is LA, but either he had never seen the dish before, or he was smoking crack because on no realm of reality could that entree have been enough for two people. Later, as he cleared away our plates, he accidentally spilled someone else's leftover cocktail on me. He was mostly apologetic but it left me unimpressed with their lack of professionalism. Hopefully, they've gotten their act together since.

Servers go around in carts and make your cocktails right at your table. They have some interesting combinations that fit the Americana theme: cocktails made with Kool-Aid, Yoo-Hoo or Tang (!). Surpisingly, at $12 a glass (and at a restaurant Tara Reid supposedly frequents), they were not very strong. Appropriately, Daryl deemed them "kids' stuff".

Grape Kool-Aid martini ^

Drink cart ^

But on with the food! The highlight of the evening was the pretzel bread, which they provided gratis. It was a surprising starter, and was buttery, salty and delicious. I only wish they gave more. It came with two sauces, one of which was a mustard blend. I ate my pretzel plain, but highly enjoyed it.

Pretzel bit ^

Ketchup's forte is their appetizers. In the $10-20 price range, you might be more satisfied to just order appetizers, sides and desserts while you people watch. We ordered the Kobe beef hot dogs ("Barking Dogs") and the sweet potato tater tots, and a side of parmesean fries, all of which were tasty and cute.

The fries came with five different types of ketchup: regular, maple, mango, ranch and chipotle. The weird mixes didn't particularly taste like fusions of their namesakes and ketchup. The mango just tasted like mango, the maple just tasted like syrup and the ranch just tasted like ranch dressing. The chipotle was pretty good, and had a little kick to it. It seemed like they were trying too hard to be creative, and it was not panning out. Again, kind of like Top Chef.

Kobe beef hot dogs (left) & sweet potato tater tots (right) ^

Five types of ketchup ^

Parmesean fries ^

Peruse the "Surf n' Turf" menu and you will find an array of good-ol', high-priced American comfort food, such as mac&cheese, shake n' bake chicken, and meatloaf. Their "surf" section featured standard restaurant seafood fare, like they were stretching to match the "surf and turf" theme.

The entrees weren't that great. The fish was okay (it's kind of hard to mess up fish), but it's hard to justify paying $29 for something the size of a McDonalds filet-o-fish. I thought the grilled veggies on the side were really good, and they came in handy when Surafel and I tried to fill the void left by having half a dinner. (Just kidding, the appetizers were actually really filling).

The salads, on the other hand, were enormous and could've easily been shared. Because of the dim lighting, it was kind of hard to see what you were eating and Aegean had some trouble locating her chicken. I thought the ranch dressing was a little watery, but I'm not a huge fan of the stuff in the first place.

Mahi mahi ^

Salad 1 (w/ vinagrette) ^

Salad 2 (w/ ranch) ^

Steering away from the debacle known as the main course, we decided to get some dessert because ending on those dishes would've sucked. Aegean tried to order the ice cream sandwich, but they said they ran out (apparently to the girl right next to us because she got one). So, we shared the Strawberry Strawberry, which was a decent strawberry shortcake. Surafel got the apple pie and Daryl ordered a root beer shake. Overall, they were pretty good and more appropriately priced (at $8 a pop).

Happy Endings ^

Strawberry Strawberry ^

Apple Pie a la mode ^

Root beer float ^

Overall, the food was okay, but not good enough to justify its exorbidant prices. If you want to go, I'd go before the hype dies down. Otherwise, save your money for an expensive restaurant whose best feature is its food, not its eye candy. Grade: C (average and unimpressive)

Ketchup

8590 Sunset Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(310) 289-8590

Gloria's

2007-04-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Simply put, Gloria's is one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. And remarkably, it is located right here on the West Side.

Gloria's can be found on Venice Blvd. between Clarington and Motor. In the tradition of other greats (Tacos La Flama, Alejo's), it is located in a small, unassuming strip mall (and is thus, very easily missed). It's about a block or two west of Natalee Thai, on the north side of Venice.

It's a small restaurant that looks like it could fit about 40-50 diners, most of which are regulars that want to keep this gem under the radar. It's a family-run business, which has been operating for over 20 years. The owner mentioned that they used to be located right in my neighborhood, near the Ralphs on Olympic. Drat!

I love Gloria's not only because the food is amazingly savory and delicious, but because going is always a true food experience. The decorations on the walls (e.g., empty bird cages, ship wheel??) are kind of random, but it adds to the charm. The owners call you señor and señorita, and stop by your table to chat. You can sit leisurely for hours- which kind of reminds me of being in Europe (particularly Spain) where the pace is slower (and nicer). Sometimes, the service can be a little slow, and you may have to go through lengths to get their attention. But they're always really cool, and you can tell that they make everything fresh, and ensure the quality of the food is top notch.

Last time I went, I walked in and the whole restaurant started applauding. This was because Daryl and Helen were first timers and told them that I recommended the restaurant to them. That's the sort of place this is.

The food, as I mentioned, is amazing. So, so, so good. Delicious, delectable, tasty, scrumptous, etc. And the portions are huge. They marinate their meats in a special manner and make their tortillas by hand. Their menu features El Salvadorian cuisine as well as traditional Mexican favorites, which you can order a la carte, or as part of a meal combo. If you have any questions about anything on the menu, they are quick to explain dishes and give you suggestions.

Everything I've had has been really good, and everyone I know who has been there has liked their dishes as well. I'd say it is safe to order anything on the menu. I highly recommend the carnitas plate and the bistec encebollados, and I've heard good things about the chile rellenos.

The pupusas are definitely something worth trying, if you eat cheese. These are El Salvadorian hand made tortillas filled with cheese. They look sort of like pancakes and are served with tasty sauces and salsas.

Pupusas ^

I personally love the fried plantains. They're not too big, cooked to perfection and are sweet, but not too sweet. Basically, there is no reason to go down the street to Versailles because Gloria's has it all. But you know, not Cuban.

Fried plantains ^

You can order Mexican beer, sangria, margaritas, horchata and other favorites. Be aware that their chips and salsa are really good, so don't fill up on them. Daryl got so into them, he forgot we didn't order our food and was confused when we called the waiter over.

YOM. A+.

Gloria's Cafe
10227 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034-5902
310-838-0963

Chips & salsa ^

Chimichanga combo (note: guacamole heap) ^

Chile rellenos and enchilada combo ^

Carnitas in red sauce ^

Side of rice and beans and salad (takes up a whole plate!) ^

Ciudad

2007-04-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

This was my second trip to Ciudad, which should tell you enough-- that it was good enough the first time to warrant a repeat visit, even though it's all the way in icky Downtown LA.

We went for Paella on the Patio, their blandly named special feature on Tuesday nights. Apparently, they save all their creativity for the menu-- a welcome change, if you ask me.

Anyway, each Tuesday features a different two paellas (you can choose one or get a half-and-half plate of both) and an appetizer for $30. Not a bargain by any means, but quality comes at a price. Ciudad, like its sister Border Grill, is up on all the latest dining trends: all food served is cage- and hormone-free, with no trans-fats and all those other things that might help assuage your guilt for spending so much on a meal. They're also a sustainable seafood partner and so on.

Yesterday's choices were eggplant and bell pepper paella and chicken, both of which were delicious, though I did favor the chicken. I also ordered the Argentine Gaucho Steak with Chimichurri sauce and two sides: fried plantains and garlic yuca. I don't know, I guess we were living it up.

Everything tasted fantastic, but I was still a little taken aback by the price, which seems to be happening a lot these days. $80 for two people is a bit excessive.

Overall, I'd give Ciudad a B+. Go for the happy hour (which, admittedly, I haven't tried, but if it's anything like Border Grill's, I can't wait to) or tapas Sundays, and avoid the rest.

Tom Sawyer Diner

2007-04-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is a restaurant you'll probably never visit, and you have no reason to, even if you're desperately hungry at the wee hours of the night in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

And, honestly, I wouldn't write about it here, except that, in all honesty, I feel like things have gotten a bit too serious over at ZagatWho as of late. Gone are the funny pictures, and the witty comparisons of our food to some long-forgotten childhood memories, replaced with-- surprisingly enough-- real writing about restaurants.

So I invite you to slum it with me as I write an entry about a restaurant entirely undeserving of one.

The theming of the Tom Sawyer Diner ends at the name-- there is no other mention of Tom Sawyer, a whitewashed fence, or Mark Twain anywhere in the establishment. It's sort of like the Cheesecake Factory in that way, except they actually serve cheesecake (albeit not in a factory-like environment). This is also where comparisons to the Cheesecake Factory end.

I admire their honesty-- the ubiquitous diner dessert glass case did feature desserts, but the staff had chosen not to remove their tell-tale price tags and wrappings, betraying any notion of a home-cooked pie. Store bought through-and-through.

The food was less than unremarkable-- it was hardly edible (if CitySearch rated in Harrisburg, this place would get a negative score). Virginia mentioned that her tuna melt "smelled like death" and the beef gravy atop Andrew's meatloaf tasted like it was probably distilled from the sweat of the eponymous singer-songwriter. My open-faced turkey sandwich featured turkey meat older than the Berlin Wall, with the consistency of Butterball sandwich meat (pressed turkey product, I suppose). The baked mac and cheese looked like coffee cake and tasted like nothing.

And the service. It started out nicely enough, but quickly took a nosedive. I sort of blame myself for this-- why, Ravi, must you be so picky? After she dropped off our plates, I kept eyeing her suspiciously (not out of lust-- she was, as Virginia pointed out using an Arrested Development reference oft repeated throughout the trip, a bit of a "shemale"). She eventually cut herself on something at the bar, but continued to serve food with an open wound on her hand (occasionally sucking the blood out of the wound because, well, that's the sanitary thing to do, right?). I began to count the health code violations in my head, if only so that I wouldn't have to focus on the taste of the horrible food. Eventually, she got a bandage, but it wasn't big enough to cover the wound in my heart. Or the vomit.

Ravi

Alcove Cafe & Bakery

2007-03-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Alcove Cafe & Bakery in Los Feliz is as Aegean described, "a perfect date spot". Intimate and charming, you could definitely spend a Sunday afternoon here enjoying a cup of coffee with a book, or a Saturday night (as we did) eating delicious foods and people watching.

You order at the counter, then grab your own table as you wait for them to bring your food. The inside is a bit cramped, but there are plenty of tables outside. The servers were very friendly, which is always a plus.

The food took a little while to come out, but that was probably due to the large crowd and the small kitchen. Unfortunately, their fryer was broken when we went, so we didn't have a chance to order their fries and onion rings.

The portions are HUGE. I ordered the grilled salmon salad (thinking it would be a lighter meal), and was completely stuffed by the time I finished my fish. I thought all the food was well presented and very tasty. Everyone else also enjoyed their entrees. I would definitely return.

Since their fryer was not working and Aegean's salad was supposed to have something fried on it, she got her dessert half off. (Excellent customer service!) She got the whipped strawberry cake, which was heavenly. The whipped cream was super soft and the strawberries were fresh. Surafel got the chocolate souffle which was decadant and the perfect amount of chocolate.

Below you can see pictures of what we ordered. Sorry for the harsh lighting. We were sitting outside so I had to use the flash.

Veggie burger with brie

Tiger shrimp salad

Scallop salad

Grilled salmon salad

Whipped strawberry cake

Chocolate souffle

Overall, I recommend the Alcove Cafe & Bakery. B+.

1929 Hillhurt Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-644-0100
(Valet is $3.50)

Rebuttal

2007-03-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

In regards to Surafel's last post on Gyu-kaku, I feel that as a Korean-American, I must respond.

Please note however, that I have not been to Gyu-kaku, and the Japanese version of this restaurant style could be different than the Korean. But it sounds pretty close.

The experience of Korean BBQ (galbi house) is one that every true foodie must go through. Yes, you have to cook the meat yourself, but I believe that is part of the charm. Really amazing cuts of meat, marinated to delectable perfection while you have good beer, good side dishes and good conversation. You can control how cooked you want the meat, and it's pretty impossible to ruin it. Also, waitresses walk around to make sure the meats are cooked properly, and help out when needed.

Many of these restaurants also feature coal grills (YOM) which provide a distinctive flavor to the meats. By cooking it yourself at the table, you will be able to eat the meat right when it's ready and hot. Lukewarm BBQ is whack, and anything short of sizzling meat is unacceptable.

Plus, cooking it yourself gives you a feeling of accomplishment. I like to believe that since most Korean people are fairly stubborn and think they do everything right, they like to do things on their own. Especially the men, with that whole, machisimo thing. They don't want no waitresses cookin' their meats for them. I think that's why my family always shoos them away. Or bosses them around. It's the Korean way. (Also note, if you have a rude Korean waitress, you have to be rude back to get the best service. This has been tested time and time again).

So, please don't write off a restaurant because you have to cook the food yourself. You go there BECAUSE it's part of the experience. Kind of like going to an Ethiopian restaurant and eating with your hands (or alternatively, Medieval Times).

Gyu-Kaku

2007-03-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

{Forgive me, but I'm gonna try to be philosophical for a moment. I may even go meta on you, although I don't really know what that is. It just sounds intellectual.}

Gyu-Kaku (a Japanese BBQ chain restaurant) seems to challenge the conventional wisdom regarding the purpose of eating out at restaurants. I was always under the assumption that we eat out to experience new foods, new flavors, new settings, etc. It's a chance to get away from the often mundane foods we have at home. And most importantly, it's a chance to avoid having to cook for ourselves. It's this last part that Gyu-Kaku seems to be at odds with most, and it's ultimately the restaurant's fatal flaw.

A quick blurb about the decor, etc.: The atmosphere was strange, to say the least. The restaurant was trying to create a pseudo-Japanese/industrial vibe, but it was a little clunky.

Anyways, onto the food, and the restaurant's fatal flaw: you cook the meal yourself. There is a little fire pit/grill in the center of every table, and you do the cooking. Everything we ordered needed to be cooked at our table (there are a few "pre-made" dishes). I ordered the green onion pancakes as an appetizer, and they were rather tasty. They reminded me of latkes, but with a stronger onion vibe to it. As a table, we ordered the Shrimp Garlic, Salmon Miso, Harami miso, and the Nakaochi Kalbi (miso). The shrimp was pretty good, and the salmon (which was steamed) was tasty as well-- we did a good job cooking these dishes (seafood is easy to cook). As for the beef, I couldn't taste the difference between the two dishes. None of us wanted our meet raw, so we tried our best to cook it pretty well. The sad thing is that we kinda sorta burned many of the pieces, or at least charred them, essentially nuking whatever flavors may have existed. Beef is much harder to cook, and our failure put a damper on the meal.

And that's the problem with Gyu-Kaku. The quality of the meal depended on us, moreso than it normally would at any other restaurant (even if you were to "build" your own meal, like at bld). Even worse was the fact that cooking isn't necessarily a great task to do when you're trying to have a conversation with people. Our table was silent at times as we concentrated on the food (constantly flipping and checking if everything was done). While it was certainly a unique experience, it wasn't necessarily a good one.

We also ordered dessert... s'mores! This was by far the best part of the meal, even if the graham (sp?) crackers were a little stale. It was the first time I made s'mores on an open fire. It was lots of fun.

If you go to Gyu-Kaku and you want good Japanese BBQ, you better be good at cooking beef, because it all rests on your talent. If you go for the above average seafood, and great s'mores, then you'll probably enjoy yourself a little more. C+

Gyu-Kaku
10925 W.Pico Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Newsroom Cafe

2007-03-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have finally completed the triumvirate of the most accessible celeb hotspot eateries in West Hollywood. First there was the Ivy, then Urth Caffe, and now, Newsroom Cafe (Mr. Chow and Koi are a little more exclusive, and also a hecka lot more expensive). This was probably the most disappointing of the three, and it wasn't just because I didn't see any celebrities (I did see some paparazzi taking pictures of someone, but I didn't recognize who it was, and since it was only two people, I figured I wasn't supposed to care).

I went pretty late in the day/early in the evening, so in terms of atmosphere, there wasn't much of it. Although, to be fair, the layout is pretty nice, with ample seating inside and outside. There are also entertaining posters inside the bathroom. And if you're dining alone, there is plenty of reading material (there's a newstand inside... Newsroom Cafe... get it?).

Onto the food... It's hard for me to go to any restaurant and not order bruschetta. It's a simple appetizer, but it's still quite different (and often pretty tasty) everywhere I go. So there was no way I would turn down the opportunity to try the Tuscan Bruschetta, which had all the bruschetta prereq's, along with kalamata olives. I was pretty underwhelmed by what they gave us. The bread was slightly toasted, but relatively bland (I'm not sure what kind it was). The tomatoes were nothing spectacular, and the olives seemed out of place. There were very few olives, and their flavor was overwhelmed by everything else.

As for a main course, I ordered the Fresh Ahi with Fusili (with a sun-dried tomato marinara). I was expecting the ahi to be scattered in smaller pieces throughout the pasta... that wasn't the case (it was on the side). I was also expecting the pasta sauce to be a little lighter... that wasn't the case either (it was very thick). Though the fish was well cooked (perfectly grilled, and for the most part, relatively juicy), the taste wasn't memorable. It seemed a bit bland without any sauce alongside it. The pasta was also rather mediocre; I enjoyed the sun-dried tomatoes, but overall, it seemed like an average dish that I could make at home.

There should be an asterisk beside this review because I was starting to get sick (I was starting to get a stuffy nose and a fever), but I wasn't at the point where I couldn't differentiate various flavors. So I can't ignore my thoughts entirely.

The food was average (esp. considering the price), but I'd certainly give Newsroom another shot (maybe with Aegean so I can see another celebrity), because there were a few other menu items that I was interested in (and I also think that you can't make a decision on a restaurant in one sitting unless it is truly horrible). An average meal gets an average grade: C+/B-.

Newsroom Cafe
120 N Robertson Blvd,
Los Angeles 90048

The Ivy

2007-02-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

urth cafeI can't believe I didn't post about the Ivy, THE celeb dining spot in Los Angeles. I'll do a "quick" post here, because I'm bored right now.

The restaurant is obviously very nice. The inside is reminiscent of a French cottage (I think I read that somewhere), and feels very much like a house... a small house (it's very cramped inside). But of course, the patio is where it's at. It was a beautiful day, so the patio was the perfect place to sit. The one down side is that some of the tables are large, so I felt far from my dining companions. The tables are also close together, so if your neighbors aren't having a stimulating conversation, they definitely listen in on yours (and they stare too)... this happened to us on both sides. I had the primo spot facing the street, which meant that I got to see who came and who left the restaurant (as well as who was walking down the street). It was from that spot that I saw Christ Kattan.

Considering the fact that I heard that the food at the Ivy sucks, I was pleasantly surprised by how good everything was (this might have been due to lowered expectations). We ordered the Fried Calamari as an appetizer. It was pretty good, but nothing special about it. They also served us scones, which were amazing. They were warm, soft, and had some sort of berry in them (I figured raspberries).

I ordered the Fish n' Chips as my main course. This isn't your ordinary fish and chips. Not only did I get fish (cod, naturally), I also got calamari, scallops, shrimp, and onion rings! Plus there were fries too! On top of that, the plate was huge, meaning lots of fried foods, and lots of plaque in my arteries later on in life. Everything tasted great; the seafood was well cooked and seasoned (especially the shrimp!), the french fries were thin and crisp (just like how I like them), and the onion rings were large and onion-y (perfect).

I can't remember what Aegean ordered, but I know Selina ordered a pasta and she said it was "alright"-- pasta is not one of the Ivy's strengths. Since both are alkies, they also ordered spirits before noon-- Aegean got a mojito-type drink, which was strong but tasted really good (very mint-y), and Selina ordered the worst drink in the world, a bloody mary. It tasted like V-8. It was disgusting.

We also ordered a pecan bar for desert, with some sort of homemade ice cream. Both were amazing.

All in all, it's expensive yes, but if you want to be cool, the Ivy is the place to go. B.

The Ivy
113 N. Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90048

Urth Caffe

2007-02-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'd heard that Urth Caffe was one of the hot spots on the Westside for lunch (with many star sightings on Defamer as proof of its hipness), but I was skeptical that the food would live up to the hype of the atmosphere. I'm no longer skeptical.

With mostly outside seating on Melrose (right after the Pacific Design Center, so the street is smaller and not obnoxiously noisy), Urth had a really good atmosphere that was enjoyable for people watching (including a celebrity sighting!... more on that later). Don't bother sitting inside, because it's too stuffy. We have great LA weather, you might as well enjoy.

On to the food... I ordered the Panini Caprese, a grilled sandwich, with mozerella, tomatoes, roasted peppers, basil, pesto, and an olive spread.
After the vinagrette fiasco at Joan's on Third, I was understandably hesitant about ordering something with pesto and a "spread," but my fears proved to be unfounded. There was just the right amount of pesto and olive spread, so it didn't dominate the flavors of the panini, which is a good thing, because the sandwich was flavorful. There wasn't too much cheese (a big plus for me), the tomatoes and basil were tasty, the roasted peppers were actually kind of sweet, and the bread was grilled to perfection (crisp on the outside, soft in the middle). The one downside of the meal was the bland salad. The mixed greens were bitter, the dressing practically non-existent, and there were no candied pecans like the menu said. Aegean went with the Panini Prosciutto (parma prosciutto, italian cheese, sundried tomatoes, basil, and housemade olive spread), and loved her meal too, but also complained about the lackluster salad.

Urth Caffe is also famous for its organic desserts (and if you don't have tastebuds, they do have vegan cakes as well), and they certainly don't disappoint in that department. We went with the Chocolate Blackout Pound Cake. For $5, we somehow ended up with three slices.
The cake was moist and not too rich, and was overall very satisfying.

A meal at an L.A. hotspot wouldn't be complete without the aforementioned celeb sighting. And it was a good one (at least IMHO): Sarah Chalke from Scrubs (who is more beautiful in person, even without a lot of makeup).

With a down to Urth food staff (get it Ravi?!), solid menu, tasty dessert, and celeb sighting, Urth Caffe gets an A- (Sarah Chalke bumps up the grade from a B+).

Urth Caffe (Menu)
8565 Melrose Ave.
West Hollywood, Ca 90069

vindication

2007-02-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Following the trend on this blog lately to link to food-related news articles, I present my contribution:

The Five Second Rule should be used carefully

http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/16/the-five-second-rule-should-be-used-carefully/

Ravi

The Future?

2007-02-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

The New York Times has an interesting article about the proliferation of food blogs and the surprising amount of power these blogs wield. Although the article is New York-centric, it's still worth reading.

It also got me looking at some of the food blogs mentioned in the article. The only one that really caught my eye was The Amateur Gourmet, because it seemed to go about the whole food blogging with a sense of humor (plus I wanted to check out the "best food blog post of 2006"... it was pretty entertaining).

And then, while on that blog, I came across his 1000th post, which gave a nice (albeit long) summary of what it takes to have a food blog. It was interesting (I definitely had dreams of GoogleAds dancing in my head), and I figured I should just pass it on, because it does have good tips about maintaining a food blog, even if it is just for friends.

Joan's on Third

2007-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

I hate creamy sauces. I just do. But this isn't some sort indiscriminate kind of loathing-- I hate the texture, the look, and based on all the cream sauces I've tried, I hate the taste too.

So to find out that Joan's Vinaigrette is more of a creamy sauce is disappointing. It was even more disappointing finding this out after my food arrived. I ordered the Tarragon Chicken Sandwich (baby greens, tomatoes, chicken, and the vinaigrette). I could definitely taste the tarragon (which was good), and the bread was great, but the sauce? Yea... not so much. The whole meal looked to be a disappointment (in spite of the great company), but then, we discovered a little thing called dessert. And Joan's on Third knows how to do dessert.

We decided to mix it up and order three different desserts (one chocolate dessert, one fruit dessert, and one "outlier"). I went with the rustic apple pie. Once I saw it, I fell in love. It had a thick, crispy crust that enveloped the apples in the center. I looked amazing. But when I asked to get it warmed up, the workers accidentally burned it. In spite of that, the pie still tasted amazing. The apples were warm and a little sweet (maybe a little tart?), there was a perfect amount of cinammon, and the crust was perfect (when not burned).

Aegean ordered some sort of fruit tart. It had an assortment of berries, and was delicious-- just the perfect combo of sweet and tart (word of the day?). Elained ordered the old-fashioned chocolate cake. The chocolate icing was so rich and the cake was moist and perfect.

The staff there is amazing. To make up for the burnt pie, they let me get whatever dessert I wanted, then proceeded to pile on more. I picked up the Clouds cupcake, a chocolate cookie, and something I believe was called "Chocolate dream" (it basically looked like a brownie bite. The Cloud was a chocolate cupcake topped with merengue in an our chocolate shell. The merengue was so airy... like a cloud (get it?!), and the cupcake was very good (also moist!). The cookie was more like a brownie in the form of a cookie, but it was perfect in every way. The chocolate dream, however, wasn't very dreamy. The chocolate was too bitter, and the whole thing was dry. It was a let down. But it was all freeeee!

I'll give Joan's on Third a second chance in the lunch department (both Aegean and Elaine were satisfied with what they ordered, so I can't be too quick to judge). But I'll definitely go for dessert.

{Grainy cell phone pics shortly?}

Joan's on Third (Warning! Website has annoying music! Can't turn off!)
8350 West Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Quick show of "hands": who thinks my posts here are too long?

Dessert @ Simon|LA

2007-01-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the basics: SimonLA is located in the newly renovated Sofitel(LA) on Beverly Blvd. across from the eponymous Beverly Center.

And now the meat of the matter.

We went to Simon to try their signature dish-- the Junk Food Sampler. At $25, it's not a dessert meant to be sampled by just one person. Nor could you without dying.

What you get varies slightly-- In other words, I didn't get what was in this picture. We got: cotton candy, the rice krispies, two cupcakes, two "snowballs", a vanilla milk shake, a fair size of caramel corn, a bag with three cookies inside, and a scoop of sorbet (which seemed out of place on a junk food platter and dangerously approaching the "moderately healthy" category).

Like memories of my childhood, nothing stood out. Everything was good-- and a reasonable facsimile of the real thing-- but the novelty wore thin fairly quickly, even though we only ordered three to split with ten people.

We tried other desserts too-- some strange avocado-chocolate puddingish thing that actually tasted pretty good and a banana-caramel chocolate cake that also scores high marks for taste but was, ultimately, lost in my desensitized taste buds.

Do what Simon says and go try it once, if that's your thing.

Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen

2007-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Surafel single-handedly breathing new life into the food blog, I'm going to probably write 2-3 entries today. Alas, my long-in-the-works Happy Hour Round-Up isn't quite ready for the big leagues.

Last night I went out to Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, encouraged by the promising review from the LA Times and the yuppy-sounding name (the Prius felt right at home).

But I won't be returning.

Let's start with the name. The restaurant, located at 1119 Wilshire Blvd, overlooks a strip mall with nary a canyon-- or any rust, thank God-- in sight. I'm all for idealistic names, but you have to have the theming to go with it-- just ask Disney's California Adventure (or... don't).

Walking in the restaurant, I hadn't felt that conflicted since I found out The O.C. was finally ending (once it got good again, but before I could get bad again). The decor is pretty nice and mellow-- some would say stark. But the acoustics are awful-- it might have been the loudest restaurant I've ever eaten at, and whole "communal table" idea pushed things over the edge, to the point where I felt like I had to yell at my dining partner to carry a conversation.

The food was good but overpriced. In all, a glass of wine cost about $10 dollars, bringing the total meal cost to over $50 for just one person (no appetizer-- just drink, meal and dessert). I had the chicken-- and while the chicken was perfect, the strange cabbage and risotto combo underneath added some interesting flavors. Still, good chicken. But nothing truly daring or remarkable.

The money would have been better spent at a therapy session-- at my personal favorite, the Rustic Canyon Whine Bar and Seasonal Bitchin' (that's the obligatory pun, admittedly weak, for this entry).

Overall: Don't go.

(to other food bloggers here: since we all know Jane has the market cornered on super-detailed numeric rating systems, how's about we go for a simpler "go/don't go" standard rating system?)

Ami Sushi

2007-01-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

{I feel like I'm taking over the blog. Someone please eat something! Just because Nicole Ritchie is skin and bones doesn't mean it's the cool thing to do... although I must admit, exposed clavicles are hot.}

I visited the uber trendy looking Ami Sushi restaurant in Westwood. I was lured in by the menu, only to have my spirits crushed by the bad food, awkward ambience, and poor service.

The interior epitomizes the modern Asian decor that's apparently all the rage nowadays-- dark colors, leather, bamboo, crazy compartment plates (no joke), etc. It was all meant for an intimate setting, but the extremely high ceiling made it seem as if you were eating at some dance club and not a restaurant; it sucked the life out of the room. On top of that, you had gigantic artistic photographs of Buddha statues (I think), next to a giant projection TV showing ESPN. And they played Green Day, Sean Paul, and Beyonce as background music. Everything clashed; I was confused.

As for the food, we went with the 3-piece combo plate, and picked the salmon steak, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and spicy tuna rolls as the 3 entrees. The spicy tuna rolls came out first. In spite of the spicy-ness, the tuna was particularly bland, and had a strange, "mushy" texture. Even with soy sauce, the rolls were disappointing. The salmon steak (grilled salmon covered in teriyaki sauce) was slightly better, although it was not something to rave about. While the salmon was certainly moist, the teriyaki sauce seemed to be a secondary addition, just plopped on at the end (ie. the salmon wasn't "infused" with the teriyaki juices). I was underwhelmed by the salmon overall. As for the tempura, the shrimp was mediocre at best. The "tempura sauce" was too watery, and failed to add any real flavor to the food. The vegetables were unrecognizable (I think one was a yam), and the different textures (crispy on the outside, really mushy on the inside) was not enjoyable. Worst of all the salmon was near room temperature, and the tempura was cold.

The service wasn't much better. We were bothered numerous times about whether or not we were ready to order (when the menu is closed, we're ready! argh!). When I asked for a lemonade refill, the woman said "No, is not possible" (I'm not sure if she meant I had to pay, or that I couldn't get a refill; it was really awkward). The waitress also forgot to bring me water after I asked her to.

Overall, the restaurant was a disappointment in every conceivable way.

(You know where it is)

The Good...

2007-01-14T17:19:00.001-08:00

I went up to San Francisco this weekend, and filled myself up with some amazing food (including delicious homemade pancakes care of Jason and Kayvan). But this is blog is all about restaurants, so let's do it to it...

The first was Indian Oven, in the Lower Haight district. This non-descript restaurant had quite the wait outside (nearly 30 minutes), but was well worth it. The restaurant had a very homey feel to it. It was very intimate, the perfect place for a nice, relaxing dinner with friends.

This being a special occasion (no idea why though), we decided to go all out, ordering wine and an appetizer. While going to the restroom, I noticed an amazing appetizer dish ("assorted appetizers") on another patron's table, so we ordered it ourselves. It consisted of a samosa, vegetable pakora (spinach, onion, and potato dipped in a chick pea batter), and papadum (a sun-dried lentil wafer). The samosa was rather tasty, with just the right amount of kick to it that was a great complement to the amazingly sweet mango chutney. The pakora tasted like onion rings for the most part-- it was hard to really tell what you were eating-- but was satiating nonetheless. The papadum was a bit plain, until you added the mango chutney, becoming an outstanding combo.

I went with the dal (assorted lentils delicately spiced with sauteed ginger and garlic) for my main course (it was more than enough with the rice and garlic naan). I'm used to eating Ethiopian food, so I was very familiar with the dal (which is almost identical to some Ethiopian lentil dishes). The dal had a subtle (re: plain) taste, but was meant to be eaten with the naan (which was perfectly garlicky). Together, I couldn't get enough of them. The rice was flavorful by itself, needing nothing to kick it up a notch. Like I said, I ordered wine, a Riesling, Yalumba "Y" series (a white wine), that was sweet, with a slight apple taste to it, which went well with the mildly spicy dal.

I didn't try much else, because I had enough to deal with myself (waaaay to much dal), but it was definitely a satisfying meal. My fellow diners were also satisfied. And the fact that there were a few Indians enjoying the restaurant as well made me think that it was pretty authentic Indian food.

Indian Oven proved to be a great find in the city.

Indian Oven
233 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94117

I also had the opportunity to go to the greatest food court in the world... found in a mall (because that's usually where food courts are). The mall (the Westfield San Francisco Centre), only a couple blocks from Union Square, is your typical high-end fashion mall (much like the Beverly Center here). Except, the luxury of the Beverly Center stops just before the food court. At the San Francisco Centre, the food court is an extension of the kind of luxury you can find at the nearby Bloomingdales (i.e. no Fat Burger, Sbarro, or McDonald's, de rigueur at most mall food courts). Food is served on white plates (similar to the presentation plates ubiquitous on the Food Network), alongside silverware. Soda can be served in a glass, and most restaurants (?) offer beer and wine.

After debating between Japanese food (the tempura platter was rather enticing), Korean food (the smell of Korean BBQ was tempting), and a steakhouse, I went with the steakhouse, the Buckhorn Grill, because I saw three people with Roadhouse Onions-- I'm a sucker for high end (-ish) onion rings.

I went with the Little Buck Sandwich (the perfect size), the side of Roadhouse Onions, and a soda. The meat was amazing-- it was so flavorful, juicy, and rather tender. I couldn't get enough of the carmelized onions either. For a rather simple sandwich (just tri-tip and onions on a french roll), it was bursting with flavor. It was the perfect choice. The Roadhouse Onions were what I expected-- fried deliciousness (is that a word? because it is now). With a little ketchup, it was a great side dish. Not nearly as oily as most onion rings, it didn't seem too unhealthy (although they give you so much, it still probably is). Getting all this, in a food court, at a mall, for only $8?! That's pretty insane.

...Apparently the redesigned Century City Mall has a similar food court (with a few of the same choices). It may be worth a gander.

Westfield San Francisco Centre
865 Market St.
San Francisco CA 94103

...and the Bad

2007-01-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

I came back to LA, and ate at another great restaurant, the Beachcomber Cafe in Crystal Cove/Laguna Beach-- it's right on the water, creating a beautiful environment. And they had the most amazing seared ahi tuna, and the juiciest, softest, salmon I've ever had (both delicious even without the savory Asian dressing). They have great service, and even give you blankets so you can stay warm while you eat. It's hidden from PCH, creating a welcomed sense of (tropical) isolation from the city. So the week to this point (Friday), had been pretty delicious. Then came La Dijonaise Cafe. Oh how I loathe thee...

First, a little bit about the menu. This is a moderately priced restaurant (the most expensive entree is $16-- this isn't even Cheesecake Factory expensive). It's also a relatively laid back environment (trendy yuppies mixing it up with the untrendy elderly, etc. etc.). And yet, the menu items are all in French (with English descriptions). What type of bourgeois/snobbish/pretentious kind of place is this?! Either jack up the prices and go all out with the pretentiousness or, give it up. You can't have it both ways! (The restaurant didn't even feel French!)

And now the food: It would probably be better if we didn't talk about it. I ordered the shrimp scampi, which was served with a lemon and garlic sauce. I went with french fries and vegetables, because I didn't want rice. The food came out, and I was already disappointed. There were five pieces of shrimp. And while I was expecting some sort of creamy sauce, I got watery sauce instead. The shrimp was satisfactory, nothing special, nothing I couldn't make at home (although I guess it wasn't necessarily an inventive/risky choice... but nothing else on the menu really jumped out at me). The vegetables (green beans and carrots) were bland... even with salt and pepper. The french fries were the one bright spot. But the "sauce" from the shrimp drenched most of the fries, leaving them soggy (the few that survived unscathed were crisp and delicious). I could only eat the fries with ketchup (to mask the sogginess-- don't try to rationalize this) and a fork (probably the first time I've ever eaten fries with a fork). The fact that this was all $14 made it even more of a disappointment.

I also ordered dessert, a chocolate brownie, for a reasonable $1.50. It was a horrible dessert. You'd think it would be pretty hard to mess up a simple chocolate brownie, but not for them. It was moist, but lacked any real chocolate flavor. It was as if no real chocolate had been added, but instead, the brownie was sprayed with chocolate mist, giving the slightest hint of chocolate with nothing really there to back it up. There was no bittersweet chocolate taste I've come to know and love. It did taste like something familiar, but I still don't know what it was (it's not something "good-familiar" either). A major let-down.

Oh, and the fact that cleaning a table involved sweeping the crumbs off the table and onto the floor, was irritating too. There were pieces of lettuce underneath several tables. That's just wrong.

...I'm pretty sure "dijonaise" is French for "disappointment." ... It's not? Well who cares what the surrender-happy French say. I'm an American. If I want to change the translation of one of their words, then I have every right to. They still owe us for all those World Wars.

{I won't even tell you where this place is.}

Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken

2007-01-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

{Ok, I'm new to this, and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, and I ate at this place weeks ago, but I'm gonna post anyways, because that's how I roll...}

Situated in the heart of downtown Culver City, just minutes away from the douche bags at Sony, and surrounded by trendy restaurants and bars (and a Cold Stone) sits Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken. The place is first and foremost a fast food restaurant, so don't expect much in terms of atmosphere. This isn't one of those hoity-toity, uber-trendy Westside restaurants (although it does have cool plasma TVs showing sports/the news).

It's pretty simple, you order at the counter then wait for your food. The wait to get your food is manageable (although it seemed like days until I got my food, probably because I was starving, and had a hankerin' for fried chicken). I ordered a 2 piece lunch meal, which comes with a side of fries and a biscuit (I avoided the side of pickles). So far, it's your typical fried chicken fast food joint, like KFC or Louisiana's Fried Chicken. But the similarities end there.

The fried chicken is amazing. The skin is just the right kind of crispy (with that slight aftertaste of "Oh God, this is definitely not healthy"), and if I remember correctly, a little sweet too. By far, the skin was much better than anything you could get at KFC or LFC. The meat (I ordered chicken breast, but you can also get two legs, or two thighs, etc.) was tender and juicy. The biscuit, although a little salty, was also very tasty (slightly crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside). The fries (I think you'd call them steak fries) were pretty good too. I also ordered a lemonade, which was just the right combo of sour and sweet (a little more of the former over the latter, just how I like it).

For those of you who don't like fried chicken (?!), they have a pretty extensive menu, and have pretty appetizing desserts, although after all that food (plus the lemonade), I definitely didn't have room for dessert.

Good eating overall. I was happy.

- Surf

Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken
9537 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, Ca. 90232
{There's also a location in Compton, just minutes from my house, if you wanna come visit me}

Paddington's Tea Room

2006-10-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to revive this sad, neglected little blog, I will post about my experience last weekend at Paddington's Tea Room in Beverly Hills. However, I implore all the other Zagat Whooligans to please post about restaurants (including some San Francisco reviews, ahem ahem).

Paddington's Tea Room is an intimate little shop that was basically created and decorated by some crazy British lady who apparently (really, really) loves florals and Paddington Bear. The server was a little creepy, but very attentive and nice. Not quite a recreation of my UK hey-day, but close enough for Los Angeles.

I went on a weekend, so they only serve afternoon tea (3 courses, $25) and high tea (5 courses, $35), but I believe if you go on weekdays you can order individual items from the cafe menu. I didn't make a reservation because it was short notice (the website takes about 2 days) and they did not answer their telephone. Fortunately we were seated when we got there, though it seemed like they only had one small table available because they were saving the majority of the shop for a high tea reservation (which never showed up during the hour and a half we were there... hmm...). If you go, there might be a problem with availability, but it was alright for us. Have a back-up in mind, just in case.

Even though it's $25, it's well worth the money. The tea was delicious, and as mentioned before, the service is top notch. They provide you with an array of tea sandwiches (including smoked salmon, egg salad and I think turkey with cranberry?) I really enjoyed the light cucumbers to cleanse the palate.

After the sandwiches (and many, many refills of tea), they serve you dessert. This includes madelines, hazelnut truffle type things and a third chocolatey thing. However, the real treat are the scones. WARM, DELICIOUS, BUTTERY. They are served straight out of the oven with strawberry jam and DEVONSHIRE CREAM. The cream is so sweet and delectable ohmigoodness so wonderful. I LOVE SCONES. THIS ENTRY NO LONGER HAS ANY STRUCTUREILOVESCONESSOMUCH.

I'm intrigued to try their traditional English breakfast, which is only served until 11am.
Here are some photos to tide you over, but overall I thought it was great tea, scones and atmosphere.

Tea.

Sandwiches.

Dessertssss.

Foodies.

Paddington's Tea Room
355 Robertson Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 652-0624

BLD

2006-08-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Like others who write for this blog (and maybe even people who don't), I have a hard time naming my favorite restaurant. There are too many factors-- are we talking about food only? or food and price? or food and ambience? There's no one answer.

Until yesterday. Even before my food arrived, I knew I had found my favorite restaurant in LA.

Opened just a week or two ago, BLD has it all-- food, environment, friendly servers, and fairly reasonable prices for the quality of food. A few items on the menu are over $20, but nothing is over $30-- we're talking Cheesecake Factory prices. Desserts are about $7.

The restaurant comes from the same team of chefs that brought us Grace. I ate at Grace, and I loved it, but it was pricey-- about $120 for two people.

BLD-- which stands for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner-- cost much much less when you don't include the booze. And about that, beware: I had a Long Island Iced Tea (I was with my parents, and that's apparently my dad's favorite drink) that set me back a whopping $11. For one drink! I can't stress the need for a pre-party enough, people.

I had the construct-your-own-dinner option: I chose the hangar steak with the garlic nage sauce, some fancy name for green beans, and 'taters (of the mashed variety, though they also had a fancy name).

The food, as I said before, was delicious. The service was attentive. The chef came out to meet people. All of that was great.

But I really enjoyed, apart from the food, the atmosphere. I'm a casual guy, but most places with great food require pants. No such requirement here. Come as you are-- the wait staff wears t-shirts and jeans, so you won't feel out of place.

And come early (and often). You probably won't regret it.

Ravi

Eat Well

2006-08-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should count myself among the fortunate. Part of the reason I don't write about every place I eat in this blog (though I will try my best to catch up) is that all good food now seems to taste the same-- delicious, but of the same (high) quality. It makes for happy tastebuds and a boring review.

We're talking about the Graces, the Wilshires, the Violets, the Fords Filling Stations, and Fogos of the world. The freshest ingredients wrapped up in an enchanting ambience.

And then you have places like Eat Well. There are 3 Eat Wells scattered throughout the greater LA area, and I knew I had to try it when LA.com said that it's "rare a true Angeleno foodie hasn't stopped by an Eat Well at least once." Well, ok, maybe that's not the exact quote, and I shouldn't have put it in quotation marks, but I'm no journalist.

Whatever. They said I had to go, and being a follower, I went. And boy was I disappointed. The service was rushed, despite the fact that there were only two other tables occupied in the restaurant (which should've been my first clue). And while I appreciate the open kitchen, the food that came out of it was bland.

My vote: in the $5-10 price range, it's more expensive but less tasty than Chipotle. Stay away, unless you're in the neighborhood and crave diner food (in which case you probably don't belong in West LA).

Ravi

mrs. knott's in pictures

2006-07-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

the restaurant. cool hat, man.

old newspapers on the wall

dear lord, the heavenly biscuits.

so warm, and buttery.

creamy chicken noodle soup (so salty, yum!) and side salad.

daryl & cindy

fried chicken (!!!!!!!), mashed 'taters, corn.

mindy!

daryl & cindy again (with chicken)

pete

ravi

and this is how you get mo' biscuits.

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant

2006-07-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

There's a song that comes to mind, and I'm not proud to admit it, but you've all heard it. It's by The Fray (will they still be popular in the fall... say, around September 24th or 25th?) and I think it's called "Over My Head."

Heeding Kathy's warning, I hadn't eaten all day (some would argue that, by the time we arrived, I was so famished my stomach was tied up in Knott's, but I wouldn't stoop that low with a pun).

The "deets":
- Salad
- Soup
- Unlimited buttermilk biscuits (while I remain partial to the Fogo de Chao biscuits, these were still delicious)
- Side dish: corn (everyone's wise choice at our table) or a weird-sounding ham+cabbage number
-3 pieces of fried chicken
- mashed potatoes and gravy
- Your choice of boysenberry sherbet or a fruit pie.

In the short time I've lived in LA, I guess I've become "LA." Food isn't enough. Ambience counts for something in my book, and Mrs. Knott's has none (well, it has a truck stop ambience...) but, more importantly, no air conditioning. It was sweltering in there, people. For that matter, virtually all of the "California Marketplace" shops had no a/c, which isn't very Californian.

But back to the food. The chicken was far and away the star of the meal. I won't bother with the sides, because they were predicable and not stellar (you've probably eaten corn before). The chicken, however was moist, tender, and white, with a crispy brown skin. Delicious.

In many ways, Knott's Berry Farm is merely a shadow of its former glory-- the park was sold to Cedar Fair LP about ten years ago, and the food businesses (jams, etc.) were sold to ConAgra Foods about eight years ago. Inexplicably, Cedar Fair's first plan was to add a replica of Independence Hall to their parking lot. I don't know why. I'd like to think the restaurant also deteriorated (because it's easier to blame corporate accountants for cost-cutting than genuine employee negligence)-- once spotless, its most recent regular inspection cited violations for vermin and other small insects in the food preparation areas. Had I known this before... well, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to try the chicken.

And the chicken made it worth the trip.

Ravi

Alejo's Presto Trattoria

2006-07-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Ravi, Mickey & I went to Alejo's in Marina Del Rey. It's near Costco (Lincoln and Washington), in a tiny strip mall next to a 7-11. The restaurant itself is also very small, and has about ten tables where you cram next to other parties.

But the Zagat awards and food critic reviews that are framed on the walls are quite right- the food is awesome. We had: the spaghetti & meatballs (me), eggplant mama mia (mickey), and the shrimp al diablo (ravi), all of which were very tasty and huge portions.

You also get delicious bread with olive oil packed with garlic (yumm). Everyone buys cheap wine from the 7-11, which they uncork for free. We bought $13 chianti.

We were so full by the time we left, we died.
Dead.
You should go too.

Alejo's Presto Trattoria
4002 Lincoln Blvd
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292-5614

Panera Bread

2006-04-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

How you let me down.

Oh, I've been before-- which is what makes this post so hard to write. Panera, how I loved you. And how you've hurt me so.

Eric was hungry. Kathy, Colin, Eric and I were driving down Wilshire trying to decide what to do. I suggested Panera and everyone else agreed (they were all first-timers).

We got to Panera. I went to the menu (I had already eaten, but there's always room in my tumbly for a baked good).

Kathy asked, "Ravi, are you going to order something?"
I answered, never one for word variation, "Yeah, probably a muffin or something."
"But what about the grade?"
OH GOD.
I glanced up and there it was. Panera got a B! Panera, a chain restaurant that can afford to pay for reinspections, settled for the B!
But you know what, I ordered anyway (more about that on my personal blog).

As I made my way to the line to order, there was a vision usually reserved for my nightmares: a basket of bread, in which they had placed several loaves, and from which sampling patrons would have to tear a piece of the bread off, and (if they so chose) dip it in olive oil.

EWWWWWWW.

This picture is far too large:

-->Ravi

Diddy Riese Hot Dogs

2006-04-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Working under the assumption that no meal is too trivial to be blogged about, it's time to talk Diddy Dogs (as I now call them).

Problem is, I may never call them by that name again. Indeed, the old Diddy Riese should stick to making cookies, because the hot dog was a little disappointing. Of course, when price gets factored in, I'd probably eat them again-- $1.75 for a hot dog and soda can only be beaten at Costco (but then, what can't be beaten by Costco? Whenever my mom would go to Costco and ask my dad what he wanted, he'd always say: "a new wife," and then she'd get offended and pretend like he hadn't told that joke before, which to me establishes Costco's frequently superior quality-- so much so that my mother would feel threatened by the big box retailer's bride selection).

The main problem with the Diddy Dogs was the way they were served.

Imagine your pre-made hot dog rolled up in a longer version of these puppies (canine imagery galore!). It just isn't right.

Bonus points for having Strawberry Slice on tap, though. You just don't see that kind of dedication to a soda fountain anymore these days.

Next time I'll just stick with the cookies: Cinnamon Sugar, Candy Chocolate, and Chocolate Chip.

-->Ravi

Hazelnut Cinnamon Buns with Mascarpone Icing

2006-03-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

Although I love venturing out, trying new restaurants, when I come home I always enjoy a good bakefest (not that kind). Another one of my hobbies is wasting time watching the Food Network, and finding recipes that are within my power. So when the big breasted Italian girl (Giada De Laurentiis) on the television told me that even a kid could make these cinnamon buns, I figured I had found something to do over spring break.

So to start you need to toast and chop some hazelnuts. This step gave me some trouble because my local supermarket calls these nuts "Filberts" increasing their difficulty to find. The toasting was also semi-difficult as there were no directions in the recipe for this step and I had no idea when they were done. Also, each nut has tiny shell or skin, that once I started chopping came off and would've made the buns taste bitter. So as I cleaned each nut, I wondered if the store had preshelled filberts.

The next step was preparing the mixture to go within the dough, you know the cinnamon sugar goodness that laces the sticky buns. And to my surprise this mixture was pretty much just brown sugar, regular granulated sugar, and cinnamon. The only complicated factor was the magical clove dust. Since no clove powder was to be found, I kicked it old school busting out the mortar and pestle and ground up some whole cloves. What a wonderful aroma!

One of the beauties of cooking food on television is the ability to magically skip steps. In her thirty minute show Giada completely skipped over dealing with the dough, and now I understand why. You start with frozen white bread dough, which then you need to roll into a 12" by 9" rectangle. Well this dough put up way more of a fight than would be expected out of a one pound mixture of inanimate but edible objects. Because of my lack of skills with a rolling pin, the dough ended up really uneven and hard to manage leading to ultimately uneven buns.

Basically you then need to add your mixture in the middle of the rolled out dough, spread melted butter around the edges of the dough, and then roll it up hot dog style.

Unfortunately, you can't just stick'em in the oven and eat'em right away. You have to wait for the buns to rise and double in size. So while waiting I went to eat Indian food, yum chicken tandori.

After letting them bake for 25 minutes, you then a make a beautiful icing. It is a little more complicated than normal and involves to specific ingredients, but it is the most yummy icing in the world. First you need an Italian cheese called mascarpone. It has the consistency of a thick cream cheese, and makes it taste much like a cream cheese icing but with even more nuance and tang. And finally, you need a little buttermilk and some powdered sugar. Then you drizzle the whole concoction over the steaming hot buns and you have a mini-miracle on your hands.

Although I emphasized the difficulty of this recipe, I am going to try it again the next week, and if you have a little more experience baking than I do I'm sure it is much, much eaiser. Everyone wants me buns!

Ford's Filling Station

2006-03-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

After I got over my bout of pancake fever (see entry below), Joanne and I took a trip to Ford's Filling Station, located at 9531 Culver Blvd, deep in Culver City's burgeoning fine dining scene (part of the overall transformation from "Westside slum" to "wow, this city has more than just roads to the airport" the city is currently undertaking).

Wouldn't it be cool if you were so rich that you could open a restaurant (Chadwick's), sink it deep in debt, close it, and then open another one? If your name is Ben Ford and daddy (Harrison of such gems as Firewall and Hollywood Homicide) is your version of a small business loan, you can!

Let me give you the highlights, in bullet-points, as I have no narrative this time around:
-Trendy but not unwelcoming ambiance
-No Dept. of Health grade posted (they have an A, so they should be proud!)
-Kinky service. And I don't mean sexy-- I mean it had kinks. They took our menu before we could order and our waiter must've been working on some sort of commission because he oversold the $7 butterscotch pudding like it was yesterday's fish. What's worse: we bought it. Bill Cosby hasn't been this embarrassed since Leonard Part 6 was released.
-One single-stall bathroom per gender. The women's room had a carpet. Men's, unlike Days of Our Lives, didn't have enough soap.
-Bread was DELICIOUS. Just enough garlic to keep things interesting.
-Salt and pepper were served in weird mini-bowls that, as Joanne pointed out, could lead to some unsanitary salt-pinching (it's like penny-pinching but can cause scurvy).
-Brook trout, like Brooke Shields, was decent but not particularly flavorful/talented.
-Seated very promptly.

Don't let your hopes get as high as Josh Holloway before he tapes Lost (like I did) and you might like it.

Griddle Cafe: Where pancakes are a baffling ordeal.

2006-03-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

Gather, if you will, to hear the tale of--

Just kidding. It seems like I'm the only one who enjoys food blog posts written in Epic Narrative. You're all Philistines. (That's bad.)

I'm going to go ahead and say it: if you don't like pancakes, you're probably a child rapist and mass murderer. And bearing that in mind one can imagine how pleased I was to hear that we were going to go visit the Griddle Cafe, a tiny restaraunt in Hollywood (7916 Sunset Blvd, the corner of Sunset and Fairfax) that is known for its mastery of the oft-forgotten art of the Pancake.

That's right, I said it. "Mastery." You didn't misread me. Their menu is dauntingly vast, and that's only the breakfast portion (though, to be honest, I didn't see particularly many people ordering anything else but).

Griddle Cafe is open on the weekends from 8AM to 4PM (7AM-4PM on weekdays), and we set out on our merry excursion at about 9:15AM from Westwood. This proved to be a greivous mistake. Parking was pretty simple for once in this godforsaken city as there is a clearly marked lot around the corner for use of Griddle Cafe customers. But there's always a catch: apparently it's one of those quintessential LA sorts of places (like every fucking block on Sunset, apparently), so by the time we arrived (I'm a little fuzzy, but I want to say about 10AM.) there was a disheartening line of people waiting to be seated. Kathy her name down for our party of five, and it was about 12PM by the time we were seated. To be fair there was some sort of kitchen difficulty (fire, flood, gnashing of teeth, etc.) which delayed seating, or so the endearingly wiseassed buzzcut waiter guy announced a number of times. But even without the unnamed calamity, it still would have been a pretty damn long wait. So get there early if you plan on eating breakfast-breakfast, rather than lunch-breakfast.

Upon reflection, I never actually set foot inside the establishment as we were seated outside. Outdoor seating didn't feel particularly cramped, but the building shades the sidewalk pretty much completely so if the heatlamp you're seated under runs out of propane you're kind of in trouble if you're there in the morning. But it's got a pretty laid-back atmosphere to it. Informal like a diner-type place but not quite so diner as to feel truck-stop cheap.

But I'll stop being such a damn tease and get to the main event. Sweet zombie Jesus in the sky, Aiko had warned us when the trip was being planned that Griddle Cafe gives WTFHUGE (Intarweb-to-English: mind-bogglingly huge) portions. Why didn't we listen? Like the headstrong young go-getters that we are, we laughed off her dire warnings and dove in with bravado that would prove to be our undoing.

Picture your average-sized dinner plate. Just so we're on the same page here, let's say about nine or ten inches in diameter. Now, picture a stack of three pancakes towering some four inches into the Heavens, the fluffy golden breadth of the pancakes spilling over the edges of the plate effortlessly mocking of the capacities of a mortal human stomach. Each of the five of us stared in awe at the steaming monstrosities before us, and I instantly regretted ordering an additional side (THEY ABSOLUTELY WERE NOT JOKING WHEN THEY NAMED IT AN "Oversized Slice of Ham." GOD HELP ME, THEY WERE NOT.).

Don't let my fearful tone give you the wrong idea, though. Had I believed that I was going to face down pancakes the size of bike tires, I would have prepared. But even though they were huge, they were heavenly. Cooked thoroughly, yet still fluffy and delicious on the inside. Buttery and delicious, but not overly rich. I ordered the BLUESberry (okay, so they lose a few points for hiring a fifth-grader to name their dishes), traditional blueberry 'cakes topped with a blueberry sour cream. And they weren't no mass-produced Bisquik blueberry pancakes (read: blue food-coloring tablets to fool you into thinking those spots are actual berries). They were fresh blueberries cooked right into the pancakes. The blueberry sour cream might sound a little strange at first, but it was a beautiful addition to an old trick. It was like a generous dollop of blueberry yogurt on the top of the stack.

Though I didn't sample any of the others' pancakes (I was deathly focused upon mortal combat with both my 'cakes and my ham), they ordered the Banana Nana ("Brown-sugar baked bananas cooked inside our buttermilk batter"), the Yellow Brick Road ("You don’t need courage for these butterscotch, caramel and walnut filled originals. Topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar [There’s no place like The Griddle!]", Sow Your Oats ("Honey, cinnamon and rolled oats make these something you shouldn’t resist!!!"), and Eye's [sic] Wide Open ("Wake up with a shot of espresso and semi-sweet chocolate chips folded into our buttermilk recipe…….Sprinkled with powdered sugar").

I only finished about half of my pancakes, but all of the ham because you NEVER waste meat GRAAGHGHHHGHGH. I felt like I had eaten an entire hobo (one of the fat ones, with a hobostick and everything). It was not an unsatisfying feeling.

The total bill for the five entrees (Does that term apply to breakfast? Question mark?) and three sides was about $60, which ain't too shabby considering the sheer magnitude of delicious pancake.

North Woods Inn it for the Money

2006-03-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Again,

I had planned to start the new year with a strong "expose" style post about the WORST restaurants in LA. After realizing how daunting that task would be (my list of bad mexican food places was already 19 restaurants long)I buckled under the enormous weight of having so much hatred to spread that I decided to drop it altogether.

So today I bring you only one restaurant's share of hated. NORTH WOODS INN in the SGV. It's a small chain of maybe 4 or 5 so maybe you've seen one on your way to Disneyland. They look like very large log cabins with blankets of snow on the roof.

My mom used to have a flower shop about ten seconds away from the NWI on Rosemead so I grew up my whole life wanting to go there. (When I was little I was obsessed with all things "American" like mashed potatoes, family board game nights, singing in the car. Then I found out that none of those things are really American as much as just corny)The main reason my parents refused to take me to the NWI was because it looked too expensive.

So FINALLY after years of wearing them out my parents took me to the North Wood Inn a couple of weeks ago.

I.
WAS.
STOKED.

Little did I know that my dining experience (and childhood dreams) would come tumbling down after a night of rudeness, grease-where-it-shouldn't-be-ness, and deceit. I will explain:

RUDENESS:
Our waiter resembled Louie Anderson sans cute cartoon affiliation and annoying voice. After overhearing us speak Spanish he insisted on taking our orders using his broken Spanish. Con Caizo (queso) or no Caizo (queso)??!! My parents, who are perfectly capable of ordering in English smiled politely at his poor attempt at being funny and ordered in English.

I ordered a steak sandwich, which doesn't come with all-you-can-eat sides. Our waiter made it very clear that I wouldn't be allowed to have any of my parents all-you-can-eat salad and that even though it would be on the table it wasn't part of my meal. OKAY A-HOLE I GET IT, NO SHITTY RED CABBAGE SALAD FOR ME, COMPRENDO MUCHO BIEN.

GREASE-WHERE-IT-SHOULDN'T-BE-NESS:
I am a huge supporter of the grease. But I think we can all agree that there are places it shouldn't be. Like swimming around at the bottom of our plates, on our (unused) utensils, on the menu and all over the salt and pepper shakers. Finished. Done.

DECEIT:
This is the clincher. Just as my parents suspected, the NWI is pretty expensive. The average price for a dinner entree is about $24 and our waiter made it very clear that it was DEFINITELY big enough to share between two people. So my parents shared a chicken entree. When we received the check I noticed a $8.00 SHARING FEE that was NOT mentioned by our waiter and was no where to be found on the greasy menu. They had shared half of a dry chicken, a scoop of rice and vegetables (don't forget all-you-can-eat red cabbage salad) for $8.00 more than what they had expected. i was soooooooooooooooooooooooo pissssssssssssssssssssssed. But now I'm over it because I'm never going back there again and hopefully neither will you.

After dinner my parents disclosed the REAL reason why they had never taken me to North Woods Inn. When they first opened the flower shop my mom put together a nice flower arrangement for the North Woods Inn as a "we're your new neighbors, if you ever need flowers let us know" sort of thing. My mom remembers getting ignored by the staff so that eventually she just left the arrangement and walked out because no one would stop and talk to her long enough to see what she wanted. The whole ordeal made her feel embarassed enough to never go back. It was sad to hear but I was glad they shared that with me, especially since sharing thoughts about the North Woods Inn with my parents doesn't come with an $8.00 fee.

Persian; Malaysian!

2006-03-11T00:50:00.000-08:00

Two totally different genres of food, back to back. Both, immensely heavenly and orgasmic.

First up:

Shamshiri Grill
1712 Westwood Blvd.

It's that restaurant that you always see driving past--but never think to go in. But you should, because this Persian restaurant is the greatest delight I've ever encountered with my fellow co-workers. They serve mostly Meditteranean type dishes/foods: typically the hummus, baba ganoush, crazy other things with eggplant, falafel, tzatsiki (that yogurt w/ cucumbers!)--all things you can eat with unlimited (warm) pita bread! It's all extemely delicious.

Food: The main dishes tend to be either lamb, chicken, or beef--and I high recommend their lamb--I got something like this A_ _? Polo dish with AMAZING basmati rice (different colors, with sour berries? CHERRIES?) it was sweet, but not overpoweringly so, and added to the succulent lamb before me. My lamb shanks are HUGE, many in number, and juicy--in their own little dish thing.

I have to also mention that their portions could probably serve 2.3 persons!!! I had soooo much leftover that I wish I could have stuffed down into my belly. Alas, this was not so.

Their vegetables are also suberb (all grilled! I'd die for another one of their tomatoes. Seriously.) This is also a slightly vegetarian-friendly venue.

We didn't try the desserts because they sounded crazy, like BURBUR CHA CHA. Iono what that is, but I was so full, I though I would burst!

Service: PERFECT. Never have I (esp. in a LARGE 20? person group) in a BUSY/full restaurant been so attended to. The owners and head waiter person kept asking us if we needed help, etc. They were all extremely friendly and filled ALL of our waters, pita bread without us asking (or even, needing it!). They were always making sure everything was perfect. And on top of it, they were sooo nice and friendly. Even playful ALMOST. I'm gushing. But it was really perfect.

Price: $8-15 for a main dish. The upper range is mainly for the higher up specialty dishes that no one ordered. But my lamb dish was only $9.95 and since the prices were relatively cheap for a nice (warmly decorated) restaurant with a slightly business/posh crowd, Saabir and I decided to get separate dishes (boy did we not need to!).

Also: Roti Canai for $2.95 (but you only get one, which is sharable for 2 ppl.)

I believe this place received an A from the Health Dept., etc.. YAY!!!!!!

Belecan Grill Restaurant
2701 190th St.
Redondo Beach
Ph: (310) 370-1831

I'd never had Malaysian food before, unless Indonesian food at Penang in the Upper East Side of NYC (AMAZING) counts as similar enough to Malaysian food, but it was really a venture worth taking.

This restaurant is a little bit out of the way of LA, but if you're ever in the area, or want to stop for tastiness whilst driving down the 405 (it's close to the Hawthorne Blvd. exit), please stop by.

The atmosphere here is similar to that at Shamshiri--kind of more business class type crowd. A little fancier than your normal restaurant (i.e. cloth napkins, drinking water/chardonnay out of wine glasses, etc).

Food: The Roti Canai (Malaysian pancake w/ curry sauce) is to DIE for. It's not pancake in your traditional sense--it's more like the Indian roti, except not as thick--think the buttery greatness of puff pastries, and that's what this Roti Canai is. The curry sauce is also very flavorful and pitch perfect.

We ordered the large prawns in a coconut-curry crockpot? and it was more than enough for the two of us sharing it (even though we also someone ordered one of their rice noodle dishes AND Belacan string beans).

The food tends to be spicy in the Malaysian style, but it's mild-medium, so definitely bearable for non-spicy eaters! Their Belacan (shrimp paste signature) spice is very very good, but not if you don't like seafood.

I definitely recommend getting the coconut rice w/ the meal since it complements the spices (coconut, shrimpy ones) in the food.

Service: The service here is also VERY good and attentive. Saabir's parents ordered the noodle dish veggie-style w/ no egg, but since the chef forgot and put egg in it, we told our waiter and he not only let us keep the egg-infested dish, but brough out the replacement one piping hot! in a flash. They're good.

They also are quick on refills, making sure everything is okay. I love that.

The only downside is the heavy accented-ness of the waiters (it's a family run restaurant)--kind of a downside because if you ask him/her what's in a dish, it's difficult to understand what s/he is saying. But the food all tastes delicious so who cares!

Price: The normal beef/chicken/veggie and noodle dishes are about $7-10, but I highly recommend their seafood, which is very good/good looking (i.e. shrimp, prawn, or crab!) which runs a little higher, around $13-15/dish.

Random tidbit, thrown in: There appears to be a heavy endorsement of Malaysia Airlines in this restaurant--banners/posters for Malaysian tourism everywhere! Kind of funny.

All in all: YES! a High-Fivin' good time. Please eat (t)here. I'll go with you. Because it's amazing.

We should still go to CHABA in Redondo Beach (the fancy Thai place I keep raving about) because it is simply scrumptious, but a little pricey. Mindy, it's waiting for you!

The end. I can sleep now because my hair is dry.

Orange County: where good bargains go bad.

2006-02-22T00:54:00.000-08:00

If I retired in Orange County I think I'd have to hire a live-in chef.

The day began early at 9:00AM, which, on Saturday time, approximates 6:00AM. Fortunately, I didn't have to throw a tantrum to get Mickey and Kathy to drive out of our way to Ikea for breakfast.

IKEA
We saw their $0.99 breakfast advertised in front of the store whilst on our way to San Diego the weekend before (see previous entry). Hours (nay, DAYS) of internet research later, I craved it-- what could be wrong with $0.99 for two strips of bacon, scrambled eggs, and seasoned potatoes?

Nothing, except for the crazy/mentally unstable IKEA employee who served us. Basically, imagine a whole lot of crazy wrapped up in sass with a nice sprinkling of "the Health Department ain't the boss of me" and you've got the woman that served us our food.

Despite the odd environment of the "Bistro" (which, apparently, isn't normal for an IKEA store), I decided to splurge: lingonberry pancakes for $1 more and then a cinnamon bun and coffee to split with Mickey for another $1. While the eggs/bacon/potato portion of the breakfast tasted good, the coffee was watery, the cinnamon bun tasted stale (despite being freshly baked) and the lingonberry pancakes had the texture of the forearm of one of those tough guys who likes to put out his cigarette butts on his person. Burn marks aplenty. Lingonberries are tasty, though.

such hopes and dreams...

ikea breakfast (worth every penny, all 200 of 'em): swedish pancake, lingonberry, potatoes, eggs & bacon (also note, free tropicana juice)

had the ikea staff been on their a-game, they wouldn't have let these babies go unpaid for. they are quite difficult to open however.

A for ambiance.

TORTILLA JO'S
Let me start by saying that I'm generally opposed to "restaurant groups"-- companies that operate multiple facilities with no real focus on the food type, but rather the income segment they're trying to capture. Tortilla Jo's, operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, pleasantly surprised me-- the food, while probably not authentic, was tasty and plentiful.

Still, it came at too steep a price for me to go again. Orange County has tons of cheap Mexican food restaurants, and even though I haven't tried most (or any) of them, this place won't make my Top Ten, simply because $15 for a burrito is too much money.

The environment was pleasant and fun. The wait: almost unbearable after a day at the park (TJ's is located in Downtown Disney).

Basically, I have no doubt Tortilla Jo's is the best tasting and best value restaurant in Downtown Disney, but that's like being the smartest kid in the slow class. While I love Disney, and generally don't mind handing them my hard-earned cash, Downtown Disney Anaheim is a little too "we'll distract you with pretty buildings while we rob you blind" for my taste.

ravi's burrito and strawberry margarita (also note: ravi made the keen observation that their chip to dip ratio was off. they gave tons of chips, and not enough dip for it. however, both were quite salty and tasty)

mickey's carnitas (w/ beans + rice). he was disappointed to report that their carnitas were not tender.

my wet burrito (sans cheese, sour cream and beans). mexicans hate me. it looks albino because i can't operate the flash.

"I SAY, I DEMAND SOME SERVICE!", he bellowed.

My face immediately after some kid popped the balloon of another kid. Another note: Tortilla Jo's margaritas very strong. You could still taste the tequila in Ravi's strawberry (this ain't no Acapulco's) and I could practically whiff the alcohol from Mickey's from a foot away.

In summary: Fortune magazine missed the mark, apparently, when they claimed IKEA was one of the top 100 places to work, and Disney hit the mark entirely when planning a shopping district to win the hearts and wallets of guests.

OVERALL:
Ikea:

Tortilla Jo's:

Chipotle:

All photos and photo comments posted by Kathy!

i could retire in san diego

2006-02-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

and eat until my girth matches my height.

last weekend, ravi and i (with mickey in tow) had the delight of eating at four establishments on one sunday. we had krispy kreme for breakfast, noodles&co. for lunch, extraordinary desserts after that and china well for dinner.

KRISPY KREME

unfortunately, you cannot walk into a krispy kreme store and get a free sample of an original glazed anymore. as of january 3, 2006-- only 12 and under punks get this courtesy. when we got there, we each decided to get the 2 donut + 1 small coffee for $1.99. ravi and mickey got the flavor of the month: creamy caramel, so you'll have to ask them about it. as always, krispy kreme has a wide selection of overly sugarly donuts that disappear in nanoseconds. good, but a tad overrated. especially if you don't get free samples. grr.

ravi's original glazed.

blinded by the awesome sight of the krispy kreme.

the creamy caramel (note the oozing caramel)

i want free shit.

NOODLES & CO.

this restaurant is a kind of fast-food noodle place. we came here because some former chipotle executives moved to this company and ravi wanted to check it out. it has different types of noodles with weird american twists to them. mickey and ravi got the japanese pan noodles which were supposed to be udon noodles with ginger glaze on them, and i think that is probably the best thing on the menu. i got the penne rosa which was penne pasta with tomato cream sauce. it was a little too creamy for my taste, but was fairly filling. the food is not really worth the price (~$6) for the quality and the quantity that you get. you get filled with a large bowl, but you can't help but feel slightly stiffed. the food is also very heavy, which kind of makes you feel gross afterwards.

ravi's japanese pan noodles.

mickey's japanese pan noodles.

mmm penne rosa.

EXTRAORDINARY DESSERTS

i was excited about this place-- since ravi had been looking forward to checking it out and my staffer had been telling me how awesome the food is. basically, this place is pricey (for desserts) but their desserts are simply amazing. beautiful yet decadent. however, their hostesses and waitresses are not attentive (unless, i suspect, you are white/old/rich) and their chocolate cakes might be TOO chocolatey for those that are not as dessert-inclined. if you're ever down in SD, and have a hankerin' for something sweet (and someone else is paying), then i would recommend the torta misu (not as heavy as the other cakes, deeeelicious, and only $7 a slice!) oh yea, everything has flowers on it. classy.

creme brulee

some sort of chocolate cake

fruit tart.

napoleons.

rich people don't use packet sugar. they use crystallized brown sugar. duh.

expensive coffee.

kiwi lemonade. kind of gross.

my torta misu!

mickey's au chocolate

ravi's bette noire

CHINA WELL (San Clemente)

this is mickey's uncle&aunt's restaurant, and every time i go, they pile on the delicious foods. if you city search it (google: china well, san clemente) you'll see that many people in the area love the family style restaurant and the great food. this time they gave us chicken chow mein, beef and broccoli (for ravi), pork mushu and this special seven seas dish with seafood in it. yumyumyumyumyumyumyumyum.

we took the picture halfway through the meal because we forgot to take photos when the food first came.

sea food

chicken chow mein

beef and broccoli

quite a day!

I ate food with Eric McCormick from Will and Grace!

2006-02-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

being in the next table over at Firefly!

I never understood why The San Fernando Valley had so many wannabe actors until I realized that 1) B-list celebrities live here (Brooke Burns and Sarah Michelle Gellar) and when they don't live here, they dine here 2) Eric McCormic at Firefly and Jessica and Nick at The Valley Inn.

But celebrities aside, Firefly is one of those new hip hot-spots in the valley. And lord knows the Valley is fucking burnin' up (96 degrees in February? Fuck you SFV). If you didn't read the review on citysearch you would never have know that the exterior of Firefly was covered in Ivy and would have easily passed it. Luckily for me, I read the review.

Upon walking in you are greeted with warm scarlett walls, oversized faux-Boroque paintings a bar with plenty of accoutrements including a relatively cute bartender. To your left is a smaller bar dining area with comfy sofas, quite comparable to the couches you'd find in Powell, and two walls covered from ceiling to floor with books. But whether those books are being read, my guess is as good as yours.

The dining area is towards the back; it's a beautiful arrangement. Quasi-outdoor patio dining to be slightly less ambiguous. Tables are arranged around a fire hearth and lighting is completely by candlelight. The menu is short but heavy on the wallet.

One of my dining companions's boyfriend actually was a chef at Firefly so lucky for us, we were showered with free appetizers. We started with succulent steamed mussels with a side of drawn butter. I am usually not a fan of mussels, but these were absolutely to die for. Then we had the cheese platter consisting of three cheeses (Brie, Parmesan, Blue) with lovely flavor enhancers like fig or honey. THEN we had fried olives served with a garlic aoli. For my own appetizer I ordered a delicious non-tomato based minestrone. This was only the first course.

My main entree was a Jumbo free range chicken breast (aptly named) wonderfully grilled with white corn and a wild mushroom and potato skin salad. Annie (my friend) had pan-seared Tuna done medium rare with cucumber carpaccio and avocado. Though everyone was stuffed from the appetizers, we all ate as if it we hadn't seen food for days. We were pretty sure the restaurant workers were absolutely disgusted with how 7 girls and 1 guy could put food away. There was not one bite left. NOT ONE.

Though obviously stuffed and bloated we still ordered dessert. Hell Yes we did.

Now I'm just going to make a list because we did a round robin of desserts

Banana Bread and Butter Pudding= Orgasmic
Baked Alaska= 7/10
Chocolate crepe with almond marscapone and espresso beans=8/10
Lemon buttermilk pudding with fresh berries=8/10
Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee= Will eat babies for

But prices were not cheap mind you, Minestrone=$8, Chicken=$20, Bread pudding=$13

Definitely well worth the saving up for.

Firefly
11720 Ventura Blvd. (Colfax Ave.)
Studio City, CA 91604
818-762-1833

Lickity-Split

2006-02-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

3 Locations, plus one online: www.lickity-split.com

Bottom line: Citysearch lied. Best Ice Cream in LA? Not even close. I'd put Lickity-Split somewhere between Ben and Jerry's and Yoplait.

With the texture of melted ice cream, frozen custard is allegedly all the rage in the eastern United States. If there's one thing I hate more than people who always tell me about how much better everything is in Europe, it's people who tell me that folks on the east coast are more sophisticated. To paraphrase a movie quote, more or less, from Jack Nicholson's finest: sell your arrogance someplace else-- we're all stocked up here.

The restaurant was empty when we got there, which should have been a clue (that we're still in February should've been a clue too).

9 of us went, and 9 of us were sick of the stuff by the time we had our last bite.

Weirdest of all was the scene that transpired between the restaurant worker (RW) and Eric (EC)-- this is as best as my memory can recount right now:

[Eric finishes his sundae. RW approaches with a broom after sweeping up the rest of the eatery.]
RW: I just emptied that trash bin. If you throw your trash away in there, I'll fucking kill you. We have cameras and I'll hunt you down.
EC: That's funny because I already threw my trash in there.
[they high five]
[it's incredibly awkward for everyone.]

Overall, lickity split made me feel:

--> Ravi

New look

2006-01-31T01:16:00.000-08:00

Here's Mindy's new design for ZagatWho. I'm not entirely sure she would have taken credit for it herself, so I'm writing this to make sure everybody knows Mindy designed it.

Campanile

2006-01-25T23:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.campanilerestaurant.com

Honestly, I was underwhelmed.

We went for our Campus Events Directors' Dinner, meaning that ASUCLA picked up the tab, but did I get my money's worth? I don't think so.

I had the fluke (puns abound) on a whim. Nothing fishy there (it was fantastic). Actually, all of the food met or exceeded my expectation, except for the dessert, which was mediocre at best. Sharing ownership with La Brea Bakery (at one point), the pre-meal bread was naturally the best I've ever had.

But the service killed the meal. I know we were a big group (9) but we sat there for over three hours-- essentially the duration of their entire dinner service. People came and went and came and went while we sat waiting for someone to take our order. And trust me, we earned the service-- we probably spent enough money to cover the salaries of the wait staff for the evening.

When our server did come, she was helpful and attentive.

If you know me, you know I hate/thrive on awkward moments (if only to talk about them later), so it should mean something to you that while we were tabulating out tip I said, consciously within earshot of the staff, that the service was disappointing and we should reflect that opinion in our gratuity. Oh, they heard. And they best recognize.

I don't know what else to write. This entry sucked.

(A note about the entry: I usually include pictures, and I was going to attach a photo here of a morbidly obese man-- someone that roughly resembles a very large man sitting at the table next to us that thoroughly entertained Aiko. But I couldn't bear the Google Image Search results, so you're spared.)

Ravi

24 Hour Dining: Canter's Deli

2006-01-21T00:50:00.000-08:00

419 North Fairfax, LA

I'd been to Canter's once before, so I should have known to expect mediocrity.

24-hour joints like Canter's and Fred 62 are meant to be experienced only in the wee hours of the morning-- what passes for acceptable food at those hours become Dennysesque at best when the sun rears its bright head. And it was 2am.

I had a fruit bowl. Last time I had the hot open-faced turkey sandwich (also at around 2am-- a bad idea). The fruit bowl was decent and not outrageously priced, which is more than I can say for Swingers (and their $8 bowl), but the service was so-so and the environment shared frightful similarities with the dining hall of a retirement home (both in clientele and decor).

Their pickles put me in a bit of a sour mood. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that when a restaurant publishes in their menu "Try our world famous _____," said food item should be amazing. And yet these pickles-- which were delivered to our table for free-- were the worst I've ever had. They were still 98% cucumber, which (coincidentally) makes them 98% bland.

I should've just sliced them, put them on my eyelids, and gone to bed.

-->Ravi

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill

2006-01-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

Last quarter, when I dragged my sister all the way to the Grove during rush hour to see an advanced screening of Match Point, only to discover that it was being played in Santa Monica (doh), I saw that there was a Wood Ranch Grill there. Whilst images of meat danced in my head, I promptly proposed a Zagat-Who trip which was enthusiastically received.

After a painfully long five week wait, we finally gathered a ravenous group to trek through Friday night traffic from Westwood to La Brea.

(oh what choices!)

For those of you who don't know (www.woodranchgrill.com), this establishment has epic tri-tip and bbq, even for those people who aren't normally that into red meat. Though they have other menu items, you will probably get the combo meal- 2, 3 or 4 bbq items with two sides. Their bbq items are glazed with their signature bbq sauce and roasted overnight, and include beef ribs, babyback ribs, bbq or fire-roasted chicken (breast or half-chicken) and the tri-tip. I would recommend the tri-tip because that is what they are famous for.

Their sides may cause a problem for the indecisive one, but otherwise are fun to choose from: mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, ranch fries, mac and cheese, corn on the cob, grilled vegetables, baked potato, baked beans, and coleslaw.

Our experience was pretty standard. Because the Grove is normally very crowded on Friday nights, we had to wait about half an hour for a 7-person table. Our food came in a timely manner (not too long but not a short wait), and we were presented with warm and fresh GARLIC BREAD ROLLS THAT MELT IN YOUR MOUTH.

(AHHH DELICIOUS GARLIC ROLLS!)

(Ravi's last moment pre-garlic roll consumption)

But our waitress gave Aiko a virgin raspberry Ranch lemonade (it was supposed to have rum) and they gave Eric the wrong meat (but he liked it, ZING!). But on the up side, they brought him his tri-tip and he got 4 meats for the price of 3. And that my friend, is beating the system.

(Top: Aiko and Cindy, a bit daunted by their entrees?; Bottom: Eric with his ranch fries, sweet potatoes and incorrect meat)

(Count 'em: all four meats)

We all ate and were merry and died of meat overload. This was all concurrent with listening to the worst EZ listening/reject pop (e.g., NSync "Bye Bye Bye"). Be prepared to drop about $30+ if you get the 2 bbq combo and a non-alcoholic drink, but they do validate for parking. Overall, it delivered what I expected it to, so it's an appropriate restaurant when you feel like having some high-quality meat. They have ample portions (my leftovers were a hearty lunch today), but this is definitely a once-in-a-while thing.

Overall: MEATASTIC.

-k.

Wood Ranch BBQ and Grill
The Grove
189 The Grove Drive Y-80

(Aiko, Cindy and Nish- waiting for food)

(Erica and Eric- the calm before the storm)

(Cindy, Nish and Ravi with their entrees)

Levels of Spicy=Mild to "Please let this death be swift"

2006-01-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of trusty ramen stand bys on the Westside--Asahi Ramen and the other ramen place that's a block down from it that I can never remember. However, when in Little Tokyo, Ramen must be held up to a higher standard. I've tried the 4.00 bowl of Ramen in the Mitsuwa and found it relatively satisfactory and a good eat for a ginormous bowl of soup and noodles. But for those who desire more from their bowl of noodles, I suggest Orochon.

Orochon Ramen is located on the 3rd floor in Weller Court in Little Tokyo. It's the triangular shaped open air plaza on Astronaut E S Onizuka Street. The first time I went I thought these noodles couldn't possibly been have different from any other ramen place I went. Oh but I was wrong,not only can you choose between Miso, Salt or Soy Sauce flavored broth (Soy Sauce is the best) you can choose what level of spicy you want. From 7-2. 7 being "You're a titty baby" mild and 2 being "The heat is hitting the back of my throat and I want to vomit" spicy.

Since I'm obviously a titty baby I chose level 7. But Neil chose level 3 and ten minutes into the bowl he started to tear up and beads of sweat collected on the bridge of his nose. After calling him a pussy, I tried some of it.

This kind of spicy isn't the type of heat that you would get from biting into a hot pepper. The heat of the broth lies in the millions of tiny little ground cayenne peppers. You don't realize it until it hits the back of your throat and parches your tonsils until you cry for relief.

So in other words, I highly suggest it. The $6.45 ramen comes in a very large bowl with a few slices of tender pork and bamboo stir fry.

Orochon Ramen
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Inside the Weller Court there's also this great bookstore that sells lots of great Design and Japanese books.

P.S.

2006-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Has anyone gone to a restaurant based on our "reviews" yet?

Breadbar

2006-01-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

When I was little my mom used to say that if I didn't behave she'd send me to prison, where they'd only feed me bread and water.

If they served bread from Breadbar, then I'd look forward to life in the slammer. (I don't know who I'd kill-- vehicular manslaughter, of course, because I don't want the death penalty-- but it would probably be a Baja Fresh executive or someone else responsible for introducing some sort of horror into this world.)

More of a regional detention center than your local jail, Breadbar delivers the goods to several restaurants in the area, including the Wilshire Restaurant.

And like any institution run by the government, they suffer from subpar customer service and a workforce that exhibits less motivation than a brick. Instead of greeting us when we entered, the server didn't even pay attention to our arrival-- eventually we had to ask for a menu. Likely graduates of The Milford School, these employees only speak when spoken to. We got our food after a party that arrived after us, and once we were done, we just sat awkwardly while no one got us a check. No one bothered to check up on us or offer water refills, and we were sitting five feet from the counter. During our visit though, every employee I saw did find the time to stuff their face with bread.

Awkward moments abound when we found out they mislabeled their bakery display case, incorrectly positioning a $4 dark chocolate bread loaf under the label of a $1.50 chocolate croissant. What was a bargain at $1.50 became decidedly less so when offered at $4.

Without the warm embrace of federal subsidies (like sick people who commit crimes and go to prison just because it's significantly cheaper than actually paying for the medical care-- the analogy continues!), prices were a bit on the steep side. $9 for a filling chicken sandwich or salad.

The food certainly was tasty, but I would prefer the bread to come for free as part of a much larger (albeit more expensive) meal or a life sentence. That's just how I roll.

(Okay, I'm REALLY proud of that last pun.)

Overall, Breadbar made me feel more or less:

-->Ravi

Ramayani

2006-01-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Indonesian! WOW!

Atmosphere: Peaceful, homely (in a good way), quaint.

As you enter, there's barely a person in the restaurant. Granted, it was almost 10pm, but still. Hence it was quiet with a background buzz of some strange island music one the speakers. When I looked around, I realized that this restaurant was really just as much a home as it is an eatery. They've got photos of grandkids, little shrines, and what appears to be a regular apartment kitchen in the back. Cute, colorful, laid back.

Service: Initially undecided, Finally extremely satisfying.

The wait staff seems to consist of about 5 indonesian relatives milling about the back of the restaurant as described above. They finally seat us and the waitress (a kind faced old indonesian lady) seeming to have a tendency toward asians, speaks barely a word to Kyle and turns to me expecting that I order for the both of us. When the food comes out, I indicate that we were planning on sharing the food and the waitress proceeded to bring us 2 plates, another pair of chopsticks, another spoon, and another fork. Wow. And more than once, more than twice, we were checked up upon. In addition, if I ever needed anything, at least 2 of the 5 continued to linger around the "kitchen" area.

Food: Tasty exotic treats -- all of it.

Coconut curry noodles with shimp -- an every so slighty spicy delicate dish, with its coconut flavors really coming through.

Sampler plate (as I'll call it) -- Corn, peanut fritter, curry beef, green beans+tofu, rice topped with eggs strips and chili peppers, beef jerky+red pepper sauce, and more. It's a good way to go to begin understanding indonesian food, i suppose, but more importantly it really gets you to LIKE the food.

Lime soda -- lime juice, sparkling water, and vanilla syrup = deliciously sweet and refreshing.

I loved it. Close to all you westwood kids, I'd say it's worth the trip. And at about $10/person it's not a bad deal considering I left feeling light and refreshed, then ended up full and satified about 15 mins later.

Ramayani Westwood
1777 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024-5607
(310) 477-3315

Special notes: For all who were at Mindy's potluck and had my "black jook," they had that dish on the menu at Ramayani! I've never seen it anywhere else on a menu, not even in Malaysian restaurants. WOW! There's also a great cheap zagat rated lebanese place right next door.

Lucille's B-b-ew!

2006-01-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, that does sound harsh, but I don't regret going, and it was pretty tasty.

The lo-down:

Lucille's Barbeque
Del Amo Fashion Center
21420 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
310-370-RIBS (7427)

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars, but it's really a borderline deal--where I really would have put 2 and 7/8th stars out of four, but the 2 might throw people off and then no one would come here. But it's not that bad.

We (Saabir + I) were pretty excited to come here since the website and menu looked pretty darn amazing--and upon getting there around 8pm on a Saturday night--after being told we had to wait about 50 minutes (we actually ended up waiting 1hr13minutes)--and seeing GAZILLIONS of very very overweight African-Americans--we thought we hit the jackpot in terms of bbq.

To (tell the) truth, the bbq chicken and any other chicken there--is goddamn amazing! I've never had such soft, tender, and juicy! chicken--EVER. Especially as chicken strips--which tend to be dry and/or not real chicken tasting. If you come here, order the chicken.

The slightly lower rating that I'm giving is mainly due to the immense disappointment in the baby back ribs. It is what Lucille's is supposedly famous for--as well as their 3 different original bbq sauces! But after taking one bite into a sauced rib, I knew I would not be eating any of the others--the meat was dry and not particulary special, and the sauce made me feel sick. Is bbq suace supposed to do that? I mean, I'm not fan of bbq (and sauce) but I know how to enjoy good food. These ribs? Ain't so cool.

We ordered and shared: the $17.99 appetizer platter which came w/ 3 sauces (honey mustard, ranch and some egg roll dipping thing)--and--wait for it:

-fried green tomatoes
-southern chicken w/ corn eggrolls
-chicken strips (AMAZING!!! I will dream about them)
-stuffed jalapenos (I hate jalapenos but I still ate them--the taste was gorgeous. Yes, I can say that)
-two STUFFED quesadillas with caramelized onions, corn salsa, tri tip beef, and loads of cheese
-ONION STRAWS. enough said. (red onions, too!!!)
-buffalo wings!!! mmm. The sauce on them was tasty. What happened, RIBS?

For the main course, we decided to share the dish where you got to choose two different bbq-ed meats and we chose the baby back ribs and the bbq chicken (!!!). We also got garlic mashed potatoes and braised greens as sides. Don't get the braised greens. Not a good idea. All you get are mushy green leafs of some vegetable I have yet to place. I wish we had selected the corn on the cob because everyone else in the restaurant got that and it looked perfect.

Considering we really only just shared a (huge honkin') appetizer and one main dish--there was WAYYY too much food. You also get homemade buttermilk biscuits with apple butter complimentary right before your food comes. And the food came FAST. Like in 5-8 minutes after we ordered it. But that could be due to the crowdedness of the restaurant, and the mad cooks just making loads of everything.

I was really happy with all the food we got, but like I said--Lucille, what happened to your Ribs?!

Oh--and the service--never have I been so ATTENDED to. Literally. I wanted to tell our (2!) servers to STOP interrupting our meal (about 5-6 times) with the same question: "Are you guys doing okay? How's the food?"

It's really unnecessary, but I'll let it slide because it's better to be attended to than not at all.

I recommend this place--because I liked it, and would give it the benefit of the doubt--maybe we just got some bad ribs--something that doesn't usually happen. The decor, music, and little things won me over. Here's why:

-instead of mints, you get tootsie pops! as many as you want! (I really didn't take any, but that's not the point--I saw some obese persons grab handfuls and waddle their way out)
-they give boxes of fancy toothpicks. but i was really hoping for matches instead.
-each drink is HUGE!!! and comes in JARS without the lid, of course. it's so quaint and southernly homey, that it's cute. ALSO! you can take your drink out with you in a huge plastic cup (like almost 64 oz.) with you. I've never heard of that.
-you really get a lot of food (but the prices run a little high, but it's worth it if you love bbq).
-buttermilk biscuits. worth mentioning twice. APPLE BUTTER!!!

So, in finishing my lo-down,

sauces: Original BBQ, Hot & spicy BBQ, and some other reddish one that I didn't catch the name of. If addition to this, they had their own special HOT SAUCE. Saabir loved that all the sauces sat in HUGE container/bottles at the table. You could buy them at the cashier too for your own bbqs.
service: extremely attentive, almost to the point where I want to kill them. I hope this isn't the epitome of Southern Hospitality.
food: pretty damn good, but I'm not in love.
prices: around Cheesecake Factory prices--about $8-9 for appetizers, and for the specialty bbq meats (the main reason you go here)--around $20 (give or take some bucks)
atmosphere: homey, and friendly in a country way. If you have fear of 1) large crowds of African-Americans or 2) REALLY REALLY FAT FAT FAT persons or 3) meat, this place is not for you.

And for those who care, Lucille's did receive the A grade.

I still cannot get over the cute oversized mason jars for glasses. CUTE!

Easy as cake? I think not!

2006-01-04T01:10:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this entry by saying that I know WKMTZ is designed for us to post restaurant reviews. But I'm in Davis right now and that isn't really possible, since any Davis restaurants I review are probably of no consequence to you. You may, however, some day have to suffer through my cooking.

I raised to believe that cakes should celebrate something. Yesterday I decided to celebrate my love of chocolate by baking my first cake ever-- a Grand Fudge Cake with a recipe from Ghirardelli.

Not since the ant infestation of 1999 has the Dehar family witnessed such a disaster. I made the cake competently and followed all of the directions, including the ones that seemed superfluous to me ("alternate adding the flour/sugar mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour").

Not a perfectionist so much as a person with self-diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder, once I ran out of confectioner's sugar for the frosting I decided to start ad-libbing all sorts of recipe ingredients and amounts because in my heart I knew that Perfection, that fickle monster, had escaped my grasp. I used regular sugar instead, giving the frosting a texture that sand dunes would consider too grainy.

Things went from bad to worse when the finished cakes wouldn't come out of the pans. I let them cool for an hour, and then I stuck them in the freezer in hopes of loosening them that way (first hardening them, then scooping the damn things out). This only served to freeze the non-stick cooking spray, meaning that the cake would never come out in one piece. So I scooped out what cake I could, hoping to cover up my mistakes with the sweet-tooth's makeup, frosting.

The result was lop-sided and badly frosted with bad frosting. I could take a picture of my cake, but I think I would lose everyone's respect.

I was so embarrassed with my effort (I know I don't have to earn my family's love, but it helps when they aren't ashamed of you) that I tried to cover up the uneven frosting with shavings of Valrhona chocolate. But I was cheap and wanted the Valrhona all to myself, so I only covered the top and gave up.

Then I placed my cake underneath a stainless steel cover and sat on the couch, afraid of my creation. I think I know how Frankenstein felt.

-->Ravi

Manna Korean BBQ

2006-01-02T23:16:00.000-08:00

Please tell me if someone has already posted about this place... I don't think they have, so I'll continue.

Warning: this place received a C rating, which means Ravi will never enter the establishment. I, on the other hand, found it even more intriguing.

For $14.99, a person can eat as much Korean bbq as humanly possible. The marinated beef was delectable, the thinly sliced beef just right...

All the little dishes you get were yummy, including: jap chae (glass noodles), kimchi, this sweet dried seaweed thing, fish cake, spicy pickled daikon, and ambrosia. Oh, and they had some egg thingy that was delicious too.

There's a sweet tea to end off the gargantuous meal. Nice way to complete it.

Remember to wear clothes you don't mind smelling up a storm. It's definitely pungent for hours after your meal.

Overall--yummy and affordable for Korean bbq.

Manna
3377 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
323.733.8516

Teresita's Restaurant

2006-01-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago my friend Jessica came over to my parents house to visit me. I was helping myself to the big pot of Cocido my mom had just made.

Cocido is the Mexican version of beef stew. It uses the same soft meat used in american pot roast, which accounts for 85% of its irrefutable tastiness. The other 15% is a combination of vegetables, spicy salsa and rice. It looks a little sum'sum' like this:

I asked her if she wanted any.

"No thank you", she hastily said, completely oblivious to the deliciousness she was going to miss out on.

After I had taken a few spoonfuls she changed her mind and asked for a taste. Once the broth hit her lips she was hooked, and in the following days she developed full blown Stage 3 Cocido Fever. I received two (maybe even 3) calls from her that week asking me to reccommend a place to satisfy her recently acquired addiction. I thought long and hard about it and there was only one place that I could recommend knowing that it would be JUST as delicious as my mom's: Teresita's.

Teresita's Restaurant is located in between the 710 and 60 freeways in East L.A. The food is authentic enough to appeal to the the most pretentious of purists AND clean and nice enough to invite your Gringo boss to. To sum it up (because I need to do laundry)

Salsas: 3 different kinds on your table, all delicious
Service: Friendly, attentive, friendly, amiable, nice, sweet, tender.
Food: Everything I've had is good. Portions are large. Very homecooked feel.
Decor: Modest and clean. Fresh flowers on the tables.
How welcomed you'll feel even though you aren't Mexican: VERY
Prices: Higher than most Mexican restaurants but lower than a mediocre American diner (Coco's, Norm's, Denny's)
Willingness to honor free dessert coupons that I printed out from the website: VERY

So there you have it. It's kind of a drive for those of you on the west side but it's definitely worth it. If you are REALLY lucky you might even see the aging, yet regal, Señora Teresita herself walking around in the back kitchen.

Wilshire Restaurant (3)

2005-12-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Check out #8:

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/roundup/40605

Looks like Joanne's predictions are on their way to coming true.

In the Mood for... Mediterranean

2005-12-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

Did I spell that rightly?
Sorry... engineer. This is my excuse for not knowing english.

Anyhow,

Gaby's

Yum.

Food...

Hummus. Yum. $4/order, serves about 4.
Falafel. Yum.
Rice Pilaf. Yum.
Pita Sandwiches. Yum.
Comes with rice OR salad OR french fries... all for $5 - $6.
Falafel pita sandwich + rice + hummus = 2 meals... all for $9...
WOW!

And yeah, ask for some pita on the way out, they'll give you 1/2 a bag full.

Service... not so Yum.

Atmosphere... fun to look at beach coming and going people.

Yeah. Pretty cheap lebanese? food by the beach... or by Versailles, which is another story. I enjoy. Tasty food, swallowable prices, swallowable service. Ahh.

Gaby's
by the beach at the end of Washington Blvd. on the south side.

OR

10445 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles CA

Meanwhile, back at the...

2005-12-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

I know it's Christmas and I should post something festive. Sadly, I have nothing.

Instead, I shall present the first WKMTZagat poll!

How do you feel about Ranch dressing, and its increasing pervasiveness within the American casual culinary scene (I think Spago is safe for now, while Hometown Buffet probably offers 4 different blends of Ranch dressing)?

Comment! (I will go first)

Jones & Nationale

2005-12-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was Dinah's birthday.
She is a girl from Arizona I met along with another named Rebecca from NY.
The two of them met in New York.
They now live in LA.

And boy, they really love celebrities.
And celebrating.

So we went to Jones.
Here is my critique with layout inspiration from Joanne!

Atmosphere:
Now, many of the comments about Jones on citysearch.com are not true.
The music is not too loud.
What's loud is just the amount of people.
And these people are verrrrrry trendy.
Good thing I was wearing green eyeliner and was with a hot gay boy,
otherwise I don't know if they would let me in.

Food:
I didn't get there until everyone was done with dinner. I hear the food's great though, and so said the NYers. But I had dessert and boy, was it deliciiiious! Creme Brulee, amazing. Just solid and creamy enough inside and just crispy and thick enough on top. WOW.

Service:
I thought that the wait service there would be horrible considering that service generally becomes exponentially worse with trendiness of restaurant. But, we had a cute, nice, AND trendy waitress. She said she wished she could talk with us more, except for her to do that, she'd stand in the aisle and everyone would be trying to squeeze by. But she made her best effort, which was really a great effort, and impressed even ME! As soon as our h2o bottle would empty, a hand would come, sweep it up, and place a new full bottle of water on our table.

And though it was quite loud there, I didn't have hard time socializing with my group of friends or talking over all the noise.

Then we made our way over to Nationale.
Amazing club.
Amazingly hard to get into...
unless you're a group of hot chicks not wearing much...
or one of the people you're with "knows someone"
and luckily for me, I experienced the later.

Atmosphere:
Outside, you'd think you were about to step into a rap video. Everyone waiting in line outside looks ghetto fabolous or like some of the Persian students you might see "studying" at Powell. You know what I mean? But then you walk in and see that it's all a facade for the mostly rich white crowd inside. It's unappealing at first, but then you realize that there's a generally good mix in the club. White, black, asian, latino, native american... I sure saw quite a few colors of the rainbow in there. And though everyone's trendy and obviously checking everyone else out, people generally keep to themselves, and the boys aren't TOO grabby. Though the dance floor's a bit small, a lot of people just go there to chill. Also, there's this neat-o smoking area upstairs that's closed off, but open air. Anyway the atmosphere in 3 phrases would be: trendy but not too snobby, rich and posh, generally very fun.

Music:
WOW. WOW. I sang along to "I Want You Back", "California Love", "Next Episode", "99 Problems", Lauren Hill, Bob Marley, A Tribe Called Quest. YEAH. GOOD freaking music. Takes me wayyyy back... back to middle school, when I was a wee ghetto 7th grader who was all about the A-Z-N pryde! yeYAH! But if you're looking for that good ole hip hop, Nationale on tuesdays has got ya covered.

Drinks:
I ordered a vodka tonic, only to find that the emphasis was on the VODKA not the TONIC. That was a strong drink, until the ice began to melt, then it just became mostly watered down vodka. I don't know how the rest of their drinks were, but this one was definitely not up to par with vodka tonics I've had in the past.

Yeah. Fun fun fun night. Nationale, I would definitely make the trip back. I don't know how much cover is though. Probably about $20? I'm not sure. Jones, I would venture back to if my pocket book was feelin' it and so was my cockiness. But at both the places I mention above, they do check id. Don't forget to be 21 before you mosey on in.

baja fresh

2005-12-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

baja fresh is awesome.

eat there.

(Unrelated) Happy Birthday!

2005-12-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

WKMTZ (probably) wishes Mindy a happy birthday. I know I do!

don't forget to check out her newly redesigned blog at www.actuallycrazy.com

Ravi

The Buffet at Wynn Resort & Casino

2005-12-19T00:18:00.000-08:00

***WARNING: long post ahead.***

I must admit... gluttony is one sin I indulge in on a fairly consistent basis. Albeit, it doesn't help I was raised Asian and therefore have the idea that eating 3x one's body mass at a buffet is standard conduct (that is, if one wants to make their experience at said buffet worth the price of admission). Since I was in Sin City this past weekend, I thought I would venture into the newest of the luxury buffets for kicks.

It all started out at 2:15PM, local time. Everything seemed hazy considering the lack of sleep I suffered the entire weekend (damn the poker tables!) and the lack of food in my stomach. But no, I was determined to hold it out and gorge like there was no tomorrow at this buffet. We opted to sneak into the Champagne Brunch at the Wynn Resort & Casino before it hit the dinner hour so that we could: (1) enjoy the brunch items like scrambled egg whites, honey-cured bacon, and apparently, candy apples; (2) partake in the consumption of unlimited champagne/bloody mary(s)/mimosas until we were redder than a redneck; (3) and hopefully make it for the first run of dinner items all for the cheaper price of the Sunday brunch. Cheap asses... maybe. Brilliant... I think so.

We enter the ridiculously New England/Martha Stewart-decorated facility which housed ostrich leather chairs and granite tables. At this point, I was hoping that the $30 I spent on the buffet wasn't used to pay off the fake mangos on display. We were promptly seated at a table to accommodate seven starving people eager to try everything on the menu. The table was sufficient enough to hold at least 2 plates and 3-4 glasses of assorted beverages per person. I started off with a mimosa (the first of 5). Yum.

Now on to the actual food. Note: I did not bother with the salad area. That's filler and doesn't really make a point to land in my plate.

First run: I hit the seafood section. My father believes this holds the most money and therefore, should be gobbled up in large quantities. I can disagree (as demonstrated by the cherry-infused venison served at the Bellagio buffet). However, it was closest to my table and therefore, the first area I had to attack. Needless to say, it was abundant in the variety. No longer did the buffet customer had to endure endless platters of smoked salmon. No, no, no. We had tuna poki (which was, by far, my favorite item in the seafood section), tiger shrimp cocktail, octopus salad, ceviche, spicy salmon salad, teriyaki broiled swordfish, smoked sturgeon, white anchovies, seafood frittata, and grilled salmon. Mind you, this was just the brunch! When the dinner came out, we had your typical pile of Alaskan King crab legs, with clarified butter, more baked fish, clams in a white wine sauce, mussels in a spicy tomato sauce. But what really sealed the deal was the shrimp risotto bar (you could make the risotta to your liking, using the 8 ingredients in front of you... reminiscent of the omelet bar at Hedrick). I made mine with shrimp, carmelized onions, mushrooms, garlic, and... TRUFFLE BUTTER. Ah, yes. I didn't think I would be so young and experience the glorious taste that is truffles. Okay, so it was in a very small quantity; but it was definitely what made my risotto that much yummier.

Next area: the "breakfast/later on to become the carvery" area. They had your stereotypical scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. Silver dollar pancakes, Belgian waffles, and French toast were plenty. But to differentiate themselves from other brunch buffets, they included creamy butter mushrooms, eggs benedict with a hint of cayenne pepper, scrambled egg whites, a make-your-own omelet bar (which featured at least 5 more ingredients than the aforementioned Hedrick), scrambled eggs with chorizo, chiliquiles, and, oddly, prime rib. But the highlight was the specialty slab honey-cured bacon--basically, a giant slab of extremely fatty pork that can be sliced to your desired thickness. So tasty, but after every bite, I felt myself get closer to needing a triple bypass. But as brunch disappeared... out came the plethora of meat and more meat. We had: grilled pork loin, prime rib, Kansas BBQ ribs, fried chicken, roasted chicken, lamb chops, tandoori chicken, and something else I can't quite remember. As for the side dishes for our meaty affair, out came the mash potatoes, the ravioli, the tortellini, buttery carrots, and corn. Oh, and the yummy mushrooms were there too.

What is a Vegas buffet without Asian food?! Ah, but for brunch is where it got interesting. They had a "make your own" congee bar. That's right, a CONGEE bar. How random, yet somewhat satisfying. I admit, I did not bother with this because I felt that I could make an equally yummy bowl of congee at home. But for a full recount of my experience, here are the items you could add: ginger, duck eggs, that shredded pork stuff, green onions, fish, ground beef, and regular eggs. Saw a line of Chinese grandmas waiting for this. Other than that, they had spicy eggplant, spring rolls, rice, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), and some assorted meat dish in the area. There was sushi, of course, but definitely a lack of tempura items (a plus in my book, if you ask me). Apparently, the dinner consisted of lots of seafood-y items and curries. Oh, and then there was Indian items too like praathi (is that right? that cracker thingy?). On the other hand, I couldn't venture so far as to reach this area again because by my 3rd plate of food, I wanted to vomit on myself.

The last area I will cover is the most important of them all... DESSERT. As mentioned earlier, they had candied apples--one of the most random desserts one will ever find at a buffet. Here are the list of yummy things they had: raspberry tarts with a lemon curd, floating islands (one of my new favorite desserts, courtesy of some random steak restaurants in France), mango and strawberry sorbet (they actually had 10 different gelato/sorbet flavors and a variety of toppings like shredded coconut, prailines, or almonds), flan, something I understood to be a rum ball but know there is a real name for it, bananas foster, and white chocolate mousse. Dislikes: the creme brulee was alright, and they only had sugarfree pecan/apple/berry pies. What if I did want sugar in them?! They had the typical assortment of cookies and miniature cupcakes to appease the kiddies, but I didn't bother. Not my style. My favorite, by far, was the mango sorbet. Delicious. They had bread pudding, but again, too lazy to get up to get some.

And on random notes... they had rambutan (sp?) which look like hairy/prickly lychees. Yummy. Pineapple was sweet--probably Maui Gold. Their soups looked delicious, but wasn't in the mood for chicken noodle or a gumbo. The breads reminded me of the ones from La Brea Bakery, as seen at places like Costco.

All in all, the experience was enjoyable and made me want to unbutton and unzip my pants to accommodate my gorging stomach. Definitely a tasty time, but I don't think I can see myself eating here for dinner. Will only continue the "brunch/dinner" approach with Wynn's buffet. And I will still head over to Bellagio for their crepes and creme brulee any day.

Sadly, I can describe other ventures in the Vegas buffets. So if you ever find yourself dying to know whether the Rio is all that it is cracked up to be--ask and I shall divulge.

--Megan

Wilshire Restaurant (2)

2005-12-17T00:21:00.000-08:00

Wilshire Restaurant is like a young Mexican girl on the eve of her Quincieñera: bright-eyed, beautiful and eager to enter the best years of her life. Though WR has yet to develop a strong following it has all the makings of a great restaurant. The service, fare and ambience of this newbie effortlessly keeps up with the Jones' of this town (more commonly known as the Puck's and the Chow's) Give this place a couple more years and you'll definitely run into a couple of those no talent ass clowns from "The OC".

Service: Good
The staff is pretty young but definitely well trained. At first I got a "Aah geez here come a couple of kids who are going to drink water and leave me a shitty tip" vibe from our waiter but that lasted only miliseconds. (It might've even been in my head, who knows?)They were very attentive, the courses came out like clockwork, and one of them even offerred to adjust the heating lamp when they thought I was cold.

Fare: Very Good
I don't usually order chicken at restaurants because KFC does a pretty good job but the chicken breast offerred on WR's menu was too tempting to pass up. IT WAS PERFECTION.

Skin: Crispy
Meat: Juicy
jus: well there is no such thing as bad jus
farm fresh vegetables: foreign but delectable, esp. when rubbed all up in the jus.

Ambience: perfect
I generally hate eating out on the patio because I feel like the restaurant is telling me that I'm not important enough to eat inside the house. This outdoor patio, however, REALLY does feel like an indoor patio because its warm and there is a lot going on above the tables (giving it a bit of a treehouse feel) and the music is just loud enough.

Bad stuff: The cups in this joint are awkward and stupid. Imagine the coconut cups that Gilligan and the gang used on the island except they are made of glass. I practically had to hold it with two hands. I was afraid my mits were going to shatter the delicate glass or that I was going to accidentally take a bite of one whilst drinking.

Other than that, the place is great. Be ready to spend between 50-75 dollars a person. And don't come when you're in a rush because you'll be there at least an hour and a half. Like a Quincieñera party, Wilshire Restaurant will practically take up an entire night of your life but UNLIKE a Quincieñera party, your night won't end in a no holds barred chola brawl complete with lipstick liner shanks and wind tunnel bang casualties.

Wilshire Restaurant (1)

2005-12-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

I'd eat here every day if any one of these people was my father.

Apparently they aren't real, so I guess I'll have to survive eating at Wilshire once in a blue moon.

I started with foie gras, and while I enjoyed the opportunity to try it, I'll probably never have it again (sort of like 6th grade camp for my tummy). Still it was tasty.

Oh, and the bread. Three varieties: olive, some sort of fruit-and-pumpernickel (probably prunes), and plain french. They were all decent but not earth-shattering.

For the main course I ordered the Santa Barbara sea bass. A hallmark of the Wilshire Restaurant is their commitment to purchase organic food from local farms and fisheries. I don't know if I tasted the difference, but what I did taste was fantastic. Possibly the best fish I've ever had.

The dessert was a lot like power in that I couldn't get enough. Chocolate cake with caramel ice cream sprinkled with delicious.

None of the portions were huge, but there was so much and it was so well-timed that I never felt uncomfortably full or still hungry.

Impeccable service: whenever I needed a water refill all I had to do was turn my head and there they'd be.

I wish we had taken pictures, but I thought it'd be out of place in a restaurant like this, so you'll just have to imagine it. Outdoor seating that doesn't feel like outdoor seating.

I'm really tired, so that's all I'm going to write. I'd like to note that Joanne said she'd have her review up that night (Wednesday) but seems to be at a loss for words. So, really, I hadn't planned to write much.

http://www.wilshirerestaurant.com/

Overall, the meal made me feel:

(yes, that's Steven Seagal, perhaps the most underrated actor of our time)

-->Ravi

Two Ya's, One Day

2005-12-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

Thus begins the continuation of the saga of the Blog of Jenn via We Know More Than Zagat.

This past Saturday, December 10th, I had the great fortune of experiencing two Ya's in one day. Though, I first must admit that I've been to both of these restaurants previously.

The first is Ramen Ya. What can be said about Ramen Ya. Now, I must first compare/contrast Ramen Ya to Asahi Ramen. I'd heard quite a bit about Asahi, that it was amazing, etc. But when I had ramen there, all my friends and I could really say about it was... it's really SALTY. I could feel the MSG burning into my stomach lining and even felt a bit dizzy, which has never happened before because of MSG. Anyway, I was very wary of going to another Ramen house in the vicinity of Asahi.

But since the first time I went to Ramen Ya (which I've learned basically means Ramen Shop in Japanese) I've had their Mabo Ramen + Spinach, Miso Ramen, Wakame Ramen, and Gyoza. Mabo is a wonderful chinese creation that can only be described as ground beef and tofu in Mabo sauce. It's a bit thicker than the usual ramen soup, but is spicy and yummy. Miso ramen is all that can be expected of miso ramen. Wakame Ramen is for the vegetarian in you. It has seaweed, carrots, bamboo shoots, waterchest nuts, and more. It's light and at the same time filling. Gyoza are delicate and flavorful. All have been great. Everyone I've taken there has left full, satified, and happy, and often with leftovers.

With their Ramen ranging from $6.25 - $7.75, it's a pretty cheap eat too! The main thing about Ramen Ya that seems to stand out to people is that their NOODLES are exceptional. It's not the broth or toppings or side orders, it's the NOODLES. So there you have it.

Next up is Honda Ya.

This is quite a far drive from LA, but I believe it's worth the trip. Honda Ya is basically a Japanese pub, where their serve up the Japanese equivalent to the Spanish tapas. It is always crowded, and for good reason.

I've had their Takoyaki (Octopus pancake like balls), Albacore Sashimi, Saitamo Azami? Ni (A broiled taro pot), Miso Eggplant, Bacon Asparagus, Rainbow Roll, Negiyaki (soft, chewy salty turnip cakes), and more that I can't remember. My favorite include Albacore sashimi, takoyaki, and miso eggplant. The sashimi comes with watercress sprouts, shaved daikon, garlic chips, sweet soy sauce, and is absolutely melt in your mouth divine. Takoyaki is a bit more rough, but the pancake like outside is soft and delicious, with the tiny surprise of octopus leg in the middle, and smothered in a delicious bbq sauce, with ginger and mayo on the side. Miso eggplant is a salty sweet treat, always served super hot off the grill, it also melts in your mouth life a sweet treat from your Japanese friend's mom.

A warning though, *DO NOT GO THERE FOR SUSHI* Though the sushi is indeed delicious, the reason for going to Honda Ya lies in their tiny plates, which can be found on the first pages of the menu and their secondary menu. Another warning is that this place adds up. If you're a heavy eater, a gourmand, not gourmet as they say in french, then Honda Ya is not your place. With their little plates ranging from $2.95 - $5.95, it can really add up, and you'll be spending at least $15/person for dinner. BUT SO WORTH IT AND the GAS AND WEAR & TEAR ON YOUR CAR. Another important note is that the Honda Ya is only open from 5pm -1am.

Ramen Ya
located on Olympic just west of Colby
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=W+Olympic+Blvd+%26+Colby+Ave,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90064&iwloc=A&hl=en

Honda Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780-4308

Dry heaves

2005-12-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's imagery, you are probably thinking that things can't get much more disgusting than someone pouring eggnog on someone else's ass.

First I took a look at Clementine, a restaurant I visited with Erica maybe a month ago or a little more. Turns out they got a B around the same time. I was disgusted with myself enough, but then I had to read on.

I can't possibly set this picture up well enough or convey my disgust-- the written word simply isn't powerful enough to capture the hand gestures, the tears, the cringes, the nail-biting, and the sounds that came out of me when I read this, the most disgusting health code violation EVER:

Easily the most vomit-inducing thing I've seen since that fully cooked bacon that doesn't need to be refrigerated.

Seriously, this is like 12 times worse than the Chipotle pigeon incident.

-->Ravi

Not-so-viscous liquids: eggnog and dayquil

2005-12-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

They're a holiday cocktail of sorts... people drink eggnog in the winter and people get sick in the winter. At least I do.

First, Dayquil.
(I make the "constipated member of Parliament" face when I drink it)

Dayquil not only tastes awful, it's ostentatious enough to make everything else you eat afterwards taste awful, too. I'm not even sure if it works. And it's neon orange, which is unnatural and not appropriate for something you put in your mouth (except tangerines, which are occasionally that color and delicious).

My recommendation: stay away.

And now, eggnog.
(In case you were wondering just how thick eggnog is...)

A surprising number of people (to me) have never tried eggnog. Could it be the raw egg and potential salmonella?

Food maverick that I am, though, I'll admit it-- despite the potential health risks involved, I like a glass or two of The Nog around the holidays (I also like cookie dough). The odd combination of nutmeg, egg and milk should be tried once by everyone who is tolerant of the lactose. It's like fruitcake that way (not that you have to be lactose-tolerant, but that you should try it once so at least your enemy can have a flavor).

I don't know why I wrote this,
-->Ravi

Rick's Tavern vs. Father's Office

2005-12-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't have my first hamburger until I was 17, partly because the Hamburglar scared me and primarily because I HATE CONDIMENTS. And the main reason why people like hamburgers is because they are smeared in ketchup or mustard or (dry heave) mayonaise or "special sauce". I don't care for any of the above so I steered clear of hamburgers altogether. After a couple choice encounters with In N Out --tomatoes, lettuce and grilled onions ONLY-- I've acquired a taste for them.

On the Westside I know of two places that are famous for their hamburgers. One being Rick's Tavern on Main Street, the other Father's Office on Montana. Even though its probably not fair to compare the two because they are so different, I am going to face them off against eachother anyway. Because that's life.

FATHER'S OFFICE: The heavyweight
Upscale, trendy bar with a bazillion beers on tap.
Specialty: Mouthwatering gourmet burgers smothered in bleu cheese and carmelized onions.
Pros: The burgers are really great, the atmosphere is fun if you like interracting with strangers (i.e. you are the type of person who doesn't mind talking to the people next to you in line at the supermarket) They have a ton of old Trivial Pursuit questions cards from the 70's that help kill time. The bartenders are very helpful and attentive.
Cons: Finding a table during peak hours is tough. I suggest going on a weekday before 7 or after 10. The prices are painfully high. A burger, drink and fries (which have to be purchased separately) will run you about $15-$20 depending on what you drink.
The Pros about the Cons: The crowded atmosphere can be a lot of fun. Snagging a table is easiest when you make friends with someone who is getting ready to go. For those of us which social anxiety issues, Father's Office is a good place to practice that assertiveness everyone keeps talking about.

I know, it's tiny.

Rick's Tavern: The Underdog
Dive bar with sticky floors, tv screens and old men.
Specialty: Enormous burgers that are half off on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Pros: The 1/2 off special (comes out to be about $4.50) can not be beat. The burger is about the size of a ten year old's face and it comes with CRISS CUT FRIES. All of the hamburger accessories, including the condiments, are served on the side. They even have A1 sauce, which is one of the few condiments I actually like.
Cons: The place is pretty janky. Not exactly a great date place unless your date is an awesome person that can look past the disgusting sports bar paraphanalia and cheap old man cologne. Parking is kind of a bitch, but the biggest bitches around are the waitresses. Yeah, they are tired and underpaid and sexually harassed but can I please have an order of courtesy, hold the sarcasm.
Pros about the Cons: The atmosphere really puts you at ease to eat your burger comfortably. Its a big burger so its hard not make a mess.

Who says you can't find love in a sports bar?

The name's of these two places ALONE give you an idea of what to expect. F.O. is the kind of place your Father would go after leaving the Office. That is, of course, assuming your father is a 20 something year old yuppie struggling to hide the remnants of his frat guy past. Rick's Tavern isn't OG pirate enough to deserve its surname but it could definitely satisfy a pirates hunger.

--Just for the record I like F.O. more but I'll probably go to R.T. more often in my lifetime.

-Joanne

Rick's Tavern --> 2907 Main Street Santa Monica, Ca 90405
(310) 392-2772

Father's Office --> 1018 Montana Ave Santa Monica, Ca 90403
(310) 393-2337

Sprinkles Cupcakes

2005-12-10T01:08:00.000-08:00

I'd eat here every day if it rained money.

I don't know what to say. Sprinkles cupcakes are tasty. But they're also far more expensive than a cupcake of that size should ever be. $3.50 each or $36 for a dozen.

Other things you could get for $36:
3 books/dvds/cds
1 parking ticket paid
1 tank of gas if your tank holds 12 gallons and the price of gas is $3/gallon

As with all bakeries, the earlier in the day you go the better. For some reason, the concept of cooking food while you're open escapes pastry chefs. So, a late afternoon visit might mean a diminished selection and imminent staleness (just barely detectable, but there around the edges exposed to the air all day).

Someday I will make cupcakes that are that tasty, or embark on a plan to open a Caketorium that will drive Sprinkles out of business. Either way.

Sprinkles cupcakes make me:

(have feet that point outwardly stemming from a weird crotch)

But their price makes me:

(a sad and angry minority with bad teeth)

-->Ravi

Taco Showdown: King Taco vs. Tacos Por Favor

2005-12-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

If tacos could tac, what would they say?

(Images courtesy of tacohunt.blogspot.com, because I forgot to recharge my digital camera's battery. Technically we did not visit that King Taco branch.)

King Taco has found its queen: Joanne is possibly the most devoted customer they have. That's not to say that her allegiance is blind: when they mixed up my order, she showed them who's boss (it wasn't me).

The winner of this battle? King Taco, at least for the time being. At both places I had tacos, but at King Taco they were each $0.62 cheaper, which really adds up when you eat four tacos. At KT I also tried a carne asada burrito with my chicken tacos. You are what you eat, I guess, because I was too chicken to tell them that my burrito was supposed to be made of meat-- they rectified the situation quickly and without protest, though.

King Taco also wins on the salsas. The red salsa packed punch but also had flavor, while the TPF salsa was a bit runny and was hot more than anything else. TPF's green salsa didn't have much of any flavor.

Ah, but Tacos Por Favor wins on menu variety. That is, they actually had a menu with more than just tacos and burritos. I look forward to trying their chile rellenos.

But I'll also be back for their hot chorizo and cheese little number in the corn tortilla skirt. (That made no sense.)

Does this spell the end of my Chipotle trips? If anything, it's made me realize that Chipotle isn't all that expensive-- both meals cost more than the Potle.

I also prefer crispy tacos.

Overall, Mexican Food makes me feel:

-->Ravi

2005-12-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

Instead of writing my essay, I did a little research.

I get asked this a lot, so I'm happy to finally be able to provide the answer.

In Los Angeles County, restaurant inspections fall into two categories: routine and follow-up. Basically, routine inspections happen regardless of the restaurant grade, and they are random and without notice. Follow-up inspections-- to make sure that a violation which poses some threat to public safety has been resolved-- are scheduled visits. (There are other grey areas, like when a restaurant owner requests a re-inspection to improve his/her grade, but let's not get bogged down in the details.)

I would also like to direct your attention towards Environmental Health's Self-Inspection Checklist. Think of it as the home version of your favorite TV game show, except it's actually a way for you to inspect your own kitchen and I may begin to require it when I eat at friends' houses starting in 2006 (wow me during this generous three-week grace period!).

Helping you help me,
Ravi

ninjas part 2

2005-12-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

where do your burrito loyalties lie?

2005-12-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

mrsewan: raaaavi
Ravi728: kaaathy
Ravi728: are you on campus?
mrsewan: yea =(
mrsewan: i want to go home!
Ravi728: until the sneak tonight?
mrsewan: my sister's buying me food but i can't eat it until i get home at 8:30
mrsewan: yea
Ravi728: eeeeeeek
mrsewan: so my burrito will be cold =(
mrsewan: so i'll have to microwave it
Ravi728: awww
mrsewan: which makes it taste slightly soggy
mrsewan: but still delicious
Ravi728: from where?
mrsewan: i can't disclose that information.
Ravi728: hahaha
Ravi728: because
Ravi728: it's baja fresh?
Ravi728: you don't even have to say it
Ravi728: your silence implies your guilt!
mrsewan: hahahaha

To eric, thought of you:

2005-12-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry, not food related.

The Stand--Your local hot dog eatery

2005-12-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

If your local hot dog stand was the Ritz Carlton.

I have only known of maybe a total of three places where I could fulfill my love for phallic shaped meat: a) Pink's b) U-Dog (RIP. you will be forever missed) and c)Josie Maronne's sausages at the Century City Mall. As for Pink's, I refuse to stand in line for thirty minutes for a relatively decent turkey hot dog. I just won't do it. Besides, parking is a bitch enough as it is in LA, I don't need it to be complicated by dodging for spots with hipsters in Volvos. U-Dog went out of business and I only found this out recently, so a single tear goes out for their deliciously spicy veggie hot-dog. And since I'm never in Century City anymore, I have no reason to visit and a hot dog isn't enough for me to make the trip.

So what do I have left now that I am living in Sherman Oaks?

It's a five minute drive from my apartment and they offer one free hour of parking with validation! (*****)

Quaint doesn't even begin to describe The Stand. The exterior brings back nostalgic memories that I've never had of childhoods in North Carolina, sipping lemonade on the front porch, and tire swinging. The interior is small and cozy with a diner feel, but not contrived like Johnny Rockets.

But on with the hot dogs.

I had the "Chicago" turkey dog which consisted of small turkey hot dog (a little thinner than what I'm used to; I'm a fan of girth) encased in a kaiser roll. Piled on top were pickles, onions, tomatoes, mustard, sport peppers, and a raddish whose teal green color should never occur naturally.

Neil had a regular all beef hot dog, piled high with bits of bacon and cheddar cheese. I was disappointed that the cheese was not melted, but I guess it is only a hot dog. We also shared a small side of Macaroni and Cheese (how the hell do I not weigh 500 pounds?).

The Verdict: I would definitely visit again. The atmosphere is lovely. The hot dogs were satisfying and paying a measly $3.95 for a hot dog? Both wallet and appetite are sated.

The Stand
17000 Ventura Boulevard
(Just West of Balboa)
Encino, CA 91316

Swedish Antics

2005-12-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Webster House

the best meal of my life this year (particularly in sweden but not restricted to it or the world), closely comparable but better than the expensive anniversary dinner at Il Cielo over one year ago, would be at the Webster's house.

yes, it is a family joint. (i just cringed at the word "joint") and yes it is ~~cheap~~ free. and yes, the chef was the father.

main point: he is a self-made gourmet chef.

i feel like i'm cheating by this non-graded, frequented by the same four family members and work colleagues&friends--but this house should be a high scale restaurant in a posh area of your favorite great city.

the atmosphere is warm, lively--old, good U2 plays in the background, Dali and Italian Renaissance Jesuses adorn the walls alongside native art and sketches of Malmo from the 1970s. the table is (elegantly) set for intimacy, laughter, and best represents the Webster's unique unconscious concept of how dining ties people together.

the first dish is saffron peasant soup--an asiatic bird not indigenous in Sweden, but introduced here some time ago. the gorgeous texture is trimmed by the dashes of an herb scattered atop--it looked like basil or koriander, but its taste held a subtler punch. this was served with thinly sliced french baguettes. this dish firmly introduces the holidays as saffron, a once rare and precious spice, is primarily used around this time of year.

the main course was seared lamb shanks--with perfect crossing grill marks (but no char residue), medium perfect rareness--and from the taste of it, rosemary seasoned. i made every bite last. it was served with a side of french green beans, cherry tomatoes, and small red potatoes quartered, baked along with red pepper slices and a loosely chopped onion.

the white wine complemented each bite--the balance of the meal was pretty damn remarkable. i was heaven. why isn't this my family?

dessert was an italian dish--i do not remember the name of, but i recall the chef saying how it was made from a special milk and--it had the consistency of the good part of tiramisu and vanilla pudding--but with shaved dark chocolate on top, and a sauteed cherry sauce on the side.

i declined the dessert liqueur but it was beautiful.

i wish i had taken pictures of this--i felt like i witnessed an artist at work, and felt all of its repercussions.

it was honestly great enough for ZG. and the kitchen was spotless--the chef, sanitary. my favorite part was the swedish efficiency, candlelight, allusion to the fact that the family does not believe in god but yes i am surrounded in the dining room by jesus stained glass-art, paintings, or murals.

The Webster House: fantastiskt. if you can come to sweden, befriend Rebecca Webster and get invited to their Sunday dinners, do it.

The B Material (or: "Coming Clean About Being Dirty")

2005-12-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't been exactly truthful.

I pretend to be snobby. I pretend to be above the hoi-palloi, what with their "Pooled/Shelled Eggs," "Deterioration/Facility Not Fully Enclosed," or "Wiping Rag" violations at the restaurants they frequent.

Yes. I, Ravi Dehar, have eaten at B restaurants. And I'm not talking about shady restaurants in towns in which they don't grade their eateries, so they're probably Bs (Silver Dragon Chinese Cuisine in Davis comes to mind, but good lord, if I die eating their crab-meat cheese fried wantons, I die happy). I mean knowingly eating at restaurants that have received a less-than desireable grade. And if not knownlingly, then in large quantities I soon regretted.

I've strayed four times that I can count. Here is a summary of each instance, complete with an excuse.

Urth Cafe
I had just visited Sweet Lady Jane's (bakery) for the first time, and we took the cake to go. I needed milk, and this looked like a place that'd have it. They did, I drank, and I live. But I'm not proud of it.

Frankie and Johnny's NY Pizza
I didn't know this was a B restaurant until much later after I ate it. Last year I was on the Student Committee for the Arts and the only benefit to that was the free dinner on Mondays. Honestly, I expected better food, but we got pizza a lot. This one looked shady, so I only ate one slice, then when I got home I found out the awful truth. I wanted to throw up.

Daikou Ramen
I knew this was a B restaurant going in, so I didn't order anything. The host insisted that I try some of the Ramen broth, and I relented. Got home to see the violation was for no hot water and cockroaches(!). He probably doesn't read this blog, so that'll be our secret for now.

U-Dog
I was inebriated (for the first time). I don't really remember much, but boy was I embarassed when I walked by the next day and saw the B. Beer goggles affect different people in different ways, I guess.

I'm not proud of it. But now we can move forward, right, with a clean slate? Just because I've eaten at B restaurants and lived, though, doesn't mean I'm going to make a habit of it. If you've been saving a seat for me at Gushi, well, keep waiting.

Yes, this honest (every ZagatWho? entry from me will end in a random offensive image, so apologies in advance):

-->Ravi

Bluebird Bakery: Retrospecticus!

2005-12-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

Come and give heed, if thou wouldst, to the story of the Noble Four and their journey to the Bluebird Bakery. From the annals of the intarweb, our four heroes did decipher apocryphal lines of the most ancient runes in order to divulge the most closely guarded secret of the Ages... The location of the fabled shores of Bluebird Bakery: 8572 National Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232.

The trek was arduous, hearts (and bellies) were tempted by the more easily-had prizes of the Boston Market. But with steadfast hope in greater riches to come, the Noble Four did surpass the Siren's Call of meatloaf, beef tri-tip, and cornbread rolls. For great are the rewards to those sure of heart and steady of spirit. And great rewards were exactly what the Noble Four did have for their own upon arrival:

While they may look delectable, delicious, and any other d-word you may think of, many are the wandering travelers who have unwittingly fallen prey to the most vicious of all pastry toppings: the walnut. With this knowledge steadfast in their thoughts the Noble Four approached their quarry with great care, despite the more than ample glass shielding that lay betwixt us and the deceptively innocuous beasts that lay neatly arranged within. (Editor's Note: When they say "Do not tap the glass," maaaan you had better not tap the glass! I barely made it out of harm's way, but Ravi lost his left ring finger! Where is a man gonna put a ring now? He's going to die a spinster!)

Their nerves steeled and wits firmly about them, the Noble Four did take their leave of the Cagéd Pastries and march onward to gentler wings of the menagerie. Here we have the holding pen of the docile Cupcake, upon which herds the Bluebird Bakery spared no expense. With an air of showiness, they almost flaunt their skills in pastry husbandry. There was more than a little irony in the herds, in that the numerous breeds were presented with such nonchalance that one knows great care was taken in the breeding and grooming of each particular cupcake in particular. Which is not to say that the individual attention was a waste; they tasted as one might expect the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ would taste like, were he to offer Himself up in pastry form to the sinners of the world.

Were they mere peasant-folk, the Noble Four may easily have been bewitched by the achingly beautiful treats before them. But nay, foolish reader. Are not the Noble Four capitalized for a reason? Indeed, our canny heroes' attentions were not long intoxicated by mere desserts. Bluebird Bakery is more than just as such. They also field a vast array of sandwiches, both traditional and pressed. These great brutes are borne of naught but the finest breads (the ranks of olive loaf and rye bread are stacked most impressively in formation at all times) and meats (from Chicken to Pastrami to Tuna Salad-- harvested from the very children of Neptune himself! What opulence!). With fierce determination, great ardor, and (they hoped) the blessings of their respective patron gods, the Noble Four did dive headlong into fierce combat with the many sandwiches of Bluebird Bakery. Behold!

Ravi the Fuzzy-Chops, great chieftan from the Northlands, shows little fear and even less mercy to his Chicken Melt. Its layers of olive loaf are no match for his eager teeth. Lush slices of fresh tomato and melted aged cheddar did ooze from the gaps in his foe's armor. For unremitting domination is the way of his people. Woe unto their enemies.

The Mysterious Erica, hailing from lands beyond even the hazy shores of Bluebird Bakery, ambled forth to face her foe with naught but a flimsy plastic fork and a mischievious grin. Her tiny stature proved a most unfortunate facade to the Tuna Melt before her. Cybernetic enhancements to numerous portions of her skeleton made short work of the sandwich's hearty potato dill bread (delicious, but deadly). Though taciturn in peace, Erica proved every bit as vicious in action, hewing molten cheddar and fresh tomato from her foe every bit as eagerly as Ravi the Fuzzy-Chops.

Shahin the Scholarly, who lived among the Germanic tribes and learned of their implacable ways, did carefully peel back the restraints on his Pastrami Reuben. The crisp autumn air quickly filled with the scent of pastramied beef, grilled rye bread, melted gruyere cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing-- which the Ancient Sages of Bluebird described as a veritable witch's brew of herbs and potions ranging from parsley and peppers to vinegar and chili sauce. Shahin the Scholarly heeded the advisement of the Sages and faced his foe methodically, peeling its layers back piecemeal and layering the provided coleslaw (a light, almost summery concotion which did not have the heaviness of other slaw dressings) in the innards of the sandwich. The pleased chewing of our hero gave witness as to the effectiveness of this sagely tactic.

Thy humble chonicler, Eric the Righteous, did beseech his mighty Lord for the strength and wisdom with which to defeat the Pastrami Reuben that lay before him. With none of the calculated steps that Shahin the Scholarly employed to vanquish his Reuben, Eric the Righteous challenged his own with bites that other men would call unearthly, impossible. But Eric the Righteous did merely smile and give thanks unto his mighty God for embiggening his eternal soul and, more specifically, his gaping jaws. The ways of the Lord are mysterious indeed, but the Holy shall never fall to the Sandwich. Glory and Hallelujah to the Lord Most High, Mighty Defeater of Sandwiches big and small alike!

But what have we here? What treasures lay within this plain brown box, inscribed with but a single simple rune...?

...Such treasures that mighty Empires have been lost over. The Noble Four were given charge of four cupcakes, three paid for in doubloons and pieces-of-eight, one a generous gift from the magnanimous Sages of Bluebird. The breeds of cupcake tamed and eaten by our heroes were, starting clockwise from the top:

Coconut: Pillowy vanilla cake-- flesh whiter than the first snowfall of the frigid Northlands-- is topped with a creamy coconut frosting and sprinkled with slivers of dried (Wait for it...) coconut (BAM!).

Red Velvet: Bred by Buddhist Monks high in the Himalayan Mountains for its signature red cakey flesh, dense and almost (but not quite) chewy, with the vaguest touch of a berry flavor that may well have been hallucinations brought on by the richness of the cream cheese frosting covering the top.

Chocolate: Though not as fancy as the previous breed, any gift from the Sages of Bluebird is not to be confused for some pedestrian snack-cake. Beneath the outer layer of gooey chocolate frosting beats a pure brown heart of darkness so chocolatey that it is rumored one can transcend time itself with such rich chocolate cake on his tongue. The Mysterious Erica was not one to divulge whatever transcendental wisdom she gained from communion with the Chocolate Cupcake.

(Another) Red Velvet: The Geminaic counterpart to the previous Red Velvet specimen.

Such were the immortal delights of the Cupcake that our ordinarily stern heroes were given to flights of fanciful tomfoolery. Ever dedicated to the art of the scrivener, thy humble chonicler did capture the sSexy cupcake wrapper footage that ensued! Ooh la la! (Editor's Note: Video footage encoded in XviD, in case you need to chase down the proper codec. Hint-- Google XviD, click the second link, and install.)

Though the roads were long and fraught with danger, the Noble Four did feast their eyes, noses, and bellies upon the fabled delights of The Bluebird Bakery. Ravi the Fuzzy-Chops was noted to have given the Bluebird Bakery an unprecedented five thumbs up!:

(Editor's Note: Though I did meekly attempt to advise the mighty Fuzzy-Chops that but one of the appendages on his mighty paw were thumbs, thereby making his five-thumbs-up laudation somewhat of a misnomer, I was hardly able to eke the words from my humble mouth before the Fuzzy-Chops reached for his impressively heavy war-club with full intent to dash thy humble chronicler's brains out upon the walls. Again I declare: woe unto the enemies of thy people, O Ravi Fuzzy-Chops. Woe and terror.

And these things I say unto you in this year of our Lord Two-Thousand and Five are truth, O faceless populous of the intarweb!

Ever thy humble servant,
Eric the Righteous

Tofu Yuck!

2005-11-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

Tofu-Ya
More commonly known as the new place next to Asahi Ramen.

The Good

Food tasted good and was filling.

The shrimps were pretty decently sized.

They were quick to refill the side dishes and noticed that I liked the spicy cucumbers the most and gave a more generous serving of those.

The Bad

I’ve seen pebbles that were bigger than the clams in my tofu soup.

Ordering was confusing and it didn’t have to be.

Me: Can I get #2, the Seafood Beef Tofu?

Her: Mix Tofu?

Seafood Beef Tofu?

Mix Tofu.

#2 (points to menu)

Yes, mix tofu is #2. Seafood and beef. Mix tofu!

Silly me. How could I forget that Mix Tofu is the code name for Seafood Beef!

They served no hot tea, a staple of Asian culture.

Service was slow. I’m used to Korea Town’s speedy service where the server is summoned by a button. I understand they were busy, but Asahi Ramen is equally if not more busy and they still have great service.

Our appetizer dishes came late in the game, and there were only 4 choices: kimchi, spicy cucumbers, bean sprounts, and fishcake (?). Very disappointing.

I had two real, in-the-shell clams, and one of them was shut, meaning 50% of my fresh clams were rotten or dead.

My rating: 3.5 stars. I’d rather make the trip to K-Town.

queen pig

2005-11-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

first of all, i'm sad to say that i received ravi's message about the dessert outing after i ran into the lucky five that actually got to go. i damn my poor luck of having class and finding out too late, but i look forward to the post.

i did want to establish in this food blog that i officially declare myself the heavy-weight title of queen pig:
i ate at not one, not two, not three, but four westwood establishments for lunch today. it was all gut-sticking food and completely gratuitous, but i justify it by saying my generous boss likes to dabble in a variety of culinary treats (and paid). however, i was able to drive a gigantic vehicle in lunchtime traffic to four restaurants in under half an hour. a feat for someone who admittedly, can't really drive. i shall rank by fatty's:

chili's: we ordered a chicken ranch sandwich (my personal favorite) and the ground peppercorn burger. the chicken ranch sandwich this time was a bit smooshed, but they had a huge piece of chicken, which is a plus. the peppercorn burger is a tasty selection (but i couldn't eat it as i've given up hamburgers a year ago minus that relapse that we shall not speak of)- it sounds weird because it's supposed to have bleu cheese on it, but i don't think it does. both sandwiches are sans cheese- which is why i usually order them. the fries could've been a bit saltier, but overall- chili's is fattyfatty, but delicious.

ono hawaiian bbq: ok, before today i'd really only ordered ono once before per my roommate's roommate's indirect suggestion. i don't really like their food. in one word, it's too heavy. we ordered the ono family plate which consisted of white rice, macaroni salad, chicken katsu, bbq beef, teriyaki chicken and heart disease. i heard the macaroni salad was good (but it was just too mayonaissey for me). i had some chicken katsu which made me lethargic (as fried food tends to do) and chicken teriyaki (which was surprisingly tender). the bbq beef looked a bit sketchy and i don't really like franchised hawaiian restaurants' takes on korean bbq. overall- fattyfattyfatty and so-so.

california pizza chicken: my boss is a really picky eater and says she only eats those "crazy pizzas" on special occassions. personally, i think 24 dollars for two tiny pizzas is a bit outrageous (dominos 5-5-5 deal!). we ordered some goat cheese (sick) pizza and some chipotle chicken pizza. i didn't try the goat cheese one, but the chipotle one was very spicy. i don't really know how ravi would feel about this one. overall- fatty-lite and too pricey.

tomodachi: i think they overcharge at tomodachi because they're really the only place in westwood to get decent sushi (r.i.p. cowboy sushi, you weren't even a contender). since my boss is a bit picky, we ordered "fake" sushi: tempera salmon roll, tempera tuna roll and some other salmon roll. i ate much of this and the belly was quite filled and content. i wish we got the unagi (mmmmm unagi). overall- fatty-lite and just right.

we also had some noah's bagels for breakfast- i had the cinnamon bagel which was alright but cold. but why is it that no matter which noah's franchise you go to, EVERYONE IS ALWAYS A HUGE DICK? apologies if you work there, but you're probably a jerk.

my boss also made brownies and red velvet cake.
i'm leaving ucla a huge cow.
good thing i'm on a food blog.

cheers,
kathy

Thank you!

2005-11-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

Thank you Ravi for inviting me to this food blog. I promise I will
a) Not talk shit about Chipotle because I too, am a large fan. I remember the first time I found the sweet bountiful harvest of Chipotle's burritos in high school and immediately I knew, it was mex-cali non pareil.
b) Eat at a lot of restaurants
c) Cover what culinary specialties the San Fernando Valley has to offer me

Qdoba in Pictures

2005-11-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

overall, i'd have to agree with ravi in saying that qdoba didn't wow me off my feet. the food was good but not worth the drive. it was too reminiscent of chipotle without the free soda, more ample servings and enthusiastic servers. chipotle servers dressed up as burritos for halloween. qdoba servers don't give a hoot.

my naked burrito (aka burrito bol) was tasty, but i felt like i didn't get as much food as i would at chipotle. for $7, i should be so full, i'm hurtin'. however, their chicken was delectably tender and their tortillas were warm and welcoming. if there were a qdoba nearby, i would eat there again.

mindy's salad (aka tostada)

mindy pre-salad consumption

concerned eric

poor wrap job

still 'ungry

naked burrito

chipotle rip-off

ravi & the pesto poblano

ericarawrrrrrr!

RAVI'S OVERALL IMPRESSION

disappointed

my rating: relatively swell

cheers,
kathy

Qdoba, Part 1

2005-11-28T23:26:00.000-08:00

(Qdoba was the first restaurant simultaneously visited for the first time by all of the charter ZagatWho? members, so there very well may be multiple takes on our visit this afternoon. At the very least, Kathy-- our principal photographer-- will kindly provide images to go along with my text, and Mindy-- our principal webmaster-- will provide a scanned menu that you may peruse at your leisure very shortly.)
Qdoba (Mexican Food)
655 S. Hope St., Los Angeles (Downtown)

Those who know me know that I love Chipotle. Chipotle is a fresh mex chain that began in 1993 in Denver, CO. Now it's owned by McDonald's, though they don't get involved with the day-to-day. Qdoba is a fresh mex chain that began in 1995 in Denver, CO. Now it's owned by Jack in the Box, though they don't get involved with the day-to-day.

I had to try Chipotle's doppel-ganger.

I ordered a Poblano Pesto Burrito.

THE FOOD:
Rice: Infected with LIME disease (too much citrus!)
Guac: Too watery (it has that cheap feel that might mean too much lemon/lime juice was used). And lordy, they put lettuce in it (you know what I always say: "let us not put lettuce in our guac").
Fajita mix: they wanted to charge me extra for it! Potle gives you beans AND peppers for free.

They also mixed the 'rito really sloppily, and the salsa fell to the bottom. I got the hottest and barely felt it, whereas Chipotle's sauce always makes the snot drip outta my nose.

The pesto sauce (or maybe it was the salsa?) was far, far colder than it needed to be. It made my whole burrito cold, and that's not appetizing.

The pie pans they put under the burritos are pretty cute, though, I guess.
THE SANITATION:
LA County Public Health Grade: NOT VISIBLE
I went ahead and assumed that they got an A because the other area Qdoba's did.
The bathroom was clean-- probably cleaner than Chipotle's, but without a mirror.

BUT EW.
The preparation counter was a cross-contamination nightmare. The girl making my burrito used the guacamole spoon to scoop in some pesto sauce, and there was brown-to-black bean liquid transference when she scooped those in, too.

CONCLUSION
A mi no me gusta Qdoba. Stupid name aside, the food was at best ok-- a reasonable facsimile for Chipotle if I ever found myself working across the street from Qdoba and more than an hour away from the nearest Potle. I would like to try their breakfast menu, though.
Disappointed.

(until Erica is able to make us our ratings graphics, please accept this random clip art in its place, which also fulfills our Affirmative Action quota for the day)

-->ravi

filet o' crap

2005-11-26T10:03:00.000-08:00

yesterday i ate a mcdonalds filet o' fish for the first time. this is a surprising fact because i have been a loyal patron of mcdonalds since i was a wee babe. i could be one of those nutty oddballs from super size me. anyways, i wasn't very impressed because i paid $4+ for a subpar fish stick and i still feel it in my gut. i don't know if it was the establishment (westlake, ca) or if the growing apathy of mcdonalds with time has created this lesser than sandwich- but i'm sad to say that i cannot follow the many who have only praises for this meal.

also- the french fries were warm instead of piping hot/super salty. sad times.

happy thanksgiving.

cheers,
kathy