Ketchup

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

The Ivy

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

Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen

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?)

BLD

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

Jones & Nationale

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.

Rick's Tavern vs. Father's Office

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