This past Saturday, the OC Bruins went to Oki Doki after the Angels game. I wanted to go to Honda-Ya, which was clsoer, but everyone knew where Oki Doki was, so we went there. Unfortunately, it turns out Rooster doesn't eat seafood, and so I was stuck with the task of ordering for some of us without seafood. At Oki Doki, this was surprisingly hard to do, and we ended up with a lot of vegetarian offerings, which were only so-so. There was seaweed salad, which went over very well, but was just like the stuff you can buy in a supermarket. The same with the kim chee, which was also greeted with mysterious references to a Mr. Yu, whom Rooster apparently knows. There was also fried tofu, which was pretty good, but served very hot. The chicken wings were surprisingly fishy, which was gross. They were out of pork belly, which was sad because Zond liked it a lot, and thought Rooster would too. We also got a pitcher of beer, but it turned out not to really be a full pitcher, because there was a cylinder int he middle, taking up space- what a rip off! It was cheap, but not good. Their best stuff is still fish, I think, though Zond said something ridiculous about the eel nigiri (2 pieces) costing $4- way overpriced for the probable quality of fish. Sigh. Poor clueless Zond.
Date of Visit: 6/23/07
Oki Doki
Costa Mesa, CA
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sor Tino- Brentwood
BruinLawyer, GameBoy, and I went with two of my friends from high school- N. and M. (interesting moniker forthcoming) up to LA to go to the LA Film Festival. Short Program 2 had little interesting food-wise, and was pretty, well, crappy in general. The last short, about black lesbian teenagers, was a bit, um, graphic, but there was scene at the end where they're eating ice cream, and it made me hungry for some. Luckily, GameBoy felt the same way, and at the next film, which was at the brand-spanking-new Landmark theaters at the Westside Pavillion, he went to the concession stand and returned with some Pinkberry! Ok, it wasn't even ice cream, and, by some standards, not even really frozen yogurt, but it was my first Pinkberry, and it was good. Not so delicious that I would wait in line like some people, but good for movies, definitely. After "The Paper Will Be Blue," which, by the way, was a pretty good Romanian film about the end of the Cold War, we went to Sor Tino in Brentwood.
We parked on the rooftop parking lot, and made our way down to the restaurant, which was crowded with well-dressed middle aged types on the patio celebrating something. BruinLawyer was immediately intrigued by the women in their cleavage-baring outfits, but soon lost interest once he acertained their age. GameBoy spotted the burrata and carpaccio and immediately insisted we order them. BruinLawyer is allergic to cheese (I'm so glad I didn't inherit this Asian gene!), so we also ordered calamari as a final appetizer. Even better, it turned out that N. and M. weren't so hot on the burrata, so GameBoy and I got the lion's share of that. The burrata itself was creamy and yummy as usual. However, since it's not quite tomato season yet, it was atop some rather mediocre slices of tomato, which detracted from the experience. While it was much more buratta than Fraiche, GameBoy and I agreed that we preferred Fraiche's version, since they used better tomatoes and aged balsalmic vinegar, which really made the difference. The carpaccio was good, but GameBoy complained that it was less than he expected. I'm not sure if he gets that it's supposed to be very thinly sliced and that it's supposed to be a small amount. Sigh. I was so busy eating those two dishes that I didn't get a chance to eat any calamari, but judging from the empty plate, BruinLawyer, N., and M. really enjoyed it.
GameBoy got a spinach salad with chicken for dinner, but the rest of us went for the pastas, which are all homemade. M. got the risotto, which must have been good, because he ate it all rather quickly. N. got the penne with tomato sauce, which was okay, but it's really something hard to mess up. BruinLawyer and I got the wild boar ragu, which was yummy, as usual. However, I'm not sure if BruinLawyer liked his quite as much, and he said something about how he didn't see how wild boar tasted that much different than regular pork. GameBoys salad was only so-so, with the chicken all dry. So, in total, an okay meal, but not spectacular. Still, in LA, not a bad meal for $30 each or so.
The real bummer was that I had about half of my pasta left over, which I intended to take for lunch the next day. However, when I opened the container at work, I was sad to see only a tiny scoop of N.'s penne. Somehow the boxes must have gotten mixed up. So sad.
Date of Visit: 6/24/07
Sor Tino
Brentwood, CA
We parked on the rooftop parking lot, and made our way down to the restaurant, which was crowded with well-dressed middle aged types on the patio celebrating something. BruinLawyer was immediately intrigued by the women in their cleavage-baring outfits, but soon lost interest once he acertained their age. GameBoy spotted the burrata and carpaccio and immediately insisted we order them. BruinLawyer is allergic to cheese (I'm so glad I didn't inherit this Asian gene!), so we also ordered calamari as a final appetizer. Even better, it turned out that N. and M. weren't so hot on the burrata, so GameBoy and I got the lion's share of that. The burrata itself was creamy and yummy as usual. However, since it's not quite tomato season yet, it was atop some rather mediocre slices of tomato, which detracted from the experience. While it was much more buratta than Fraiche, GameBoy and I agreed that we preferred Fraiche's version, since they used better tomatoes and aged balsalmic vinegar, which really made the difference. The carpaccio was good, but GameBoy complained that it was less than he expected. I'm not sure if he gets that it's supposed to be very thinly sliced and that it's supposed to be a small amount. Sigh. I was so busy eating those two dishes that I didn't get a chance to eat any calamari, but judging from the empty plate, BruinLawyer, N., and M. really enjoyed it.
GameBoy got a spinach salad with chicken for dinner, but the rest of us went for the pastas, which are all homemade. M. got the risotto, which must have been good, because he ate it all rather quickly. N. got the penne with tomato sauce, which was okay, but it's really something hard to mess up. BruinLawyer and I got the wild boar ragu, which was yummy, as usual. However, I'm not sure if BruinLawyer liked his quite as much, and he said something about how he didn't see how wild boar tasted that much different than regular pork. GameBoys salad was only so-so, with the chicken all dry. So, in total, an okay meal, but not spectacular. Still, in LA, not a bad meal for $30 each or so.
The real bummer was that I had about half of my pasta left over, which I intended to take for lunch the next day. However, when I opened the container at work, I was sad to see only a tiny scoop of N.'s penne. Somehow the boxes must have gotten mixed up. So sad.
Date of Visit: 6/24/07
Sor Tino
Brentwood, CA
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sap Lai!
So I was talking to my friend Zond today about our lunches, and the Laotian phrase, "Sap lai!" came up. Taking advantage of a momentary lull in our GoogleChat, I quickly Googled the phrase and came up with this quote, which a poster on the forum attributes to Thanong Khanthong, as in "The Nation":
"...Isaan people, using their fingers to eat somtam Lao, exclaim “sap lai!” There is no equivalent of the word “sap” in any other language. Sap lai refers to a state of 100-times more deliciousness. Delicious stops at your tongue. Sap taste sets your tongue ablaze before sending the aroma of the food to the depths of your soul."
Isn't that phrase awesome? Gentle readers, please keep this in mind when you next hear me spouting off some random foreign phrase. And I must admit, hearing what it means has made me very curious about this oh-so-popular Tummy Stuffer. On the other hand, however, Zond regularly eats at McD's and Taco Bell, so Tummy Stuffer may only look "Sap lai!" in comparison. Stay tuned.
http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33620
"...Isaan people, using their fingers to eat somtam Lao, exclaim “sap lai!” There is no equivalent of the word “sap” in any other language. Sap lai refers to a state of 100-times more deliciousness. Delicious stops at your tongue. Sap taste sets your tongue ablaze before sending the aroma of the food to the depths of your soul."
Isn't that phrase awesome? Gentle readers, please keep this in mind when you next hear me spouting off some random foreign phrase. And I must admit, hearing what it means has made me very curious about this oh-so-popular Tummy Stuffer. On the other hand, however, Zond regularly eats at McD's and Taco Bell, so Tummy Stuffer may only look "Sap lai!" in comparison. Stay tuned.
http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33620
Fraiche- Culver City
Downtown Culver City isn't zoned for valet, so GameBoy dropped me off to secure our reservation, while he parked at a public parking lot down the street. Even though it was a before 7 pm on a Saturday night, the streets and sidewalks were alive with people- even more of a downtown than Downtown LA, and less shady!
I made my way to the resaurant, and was promptly seated. While our table was inside, the front is all windows that retract to open onto the large airy patio. It was a bit cold for a June night, but manageable. As I was waiting for GameBoy, the waitress brought out two half-glasses of complimentary champagne, which was a nice touch. GameBoy arrived shortly, and we examined the menu.
I have been rinking a lot at various happy hours this past week, so I suggested we forgo the drinks and focus on the food, which GameBoy happily agreed to do. We ordered two appetizers t split, the daily special of burrata with oven-roasted tomatoes and aged balsamic vinegar, and the beef tartare.
Though there was a bit of a wait for the food, we were kept happily occupied for a time with the bread and really yummy tapenade. Unfortunately, it was so good that we ate it all up right away, and it wasn't refreshed until right before our entrees come. Still, though excellednt people watching.
Our appetizers finally arrived, and I wasn't disappointed. The burrata appetizer came with two lumps of burrata- a little small- and tree tomatoes, making it easy for us to split. Since GameBoy paid for out meal, I don't know how much it was, but I'm pretty sure it was about e price of the buratta at SorTino, which gives you much more. Still, though, the tomatoes were great. The fava bean mash was okay, but really I'd like more burrata. Also, less mozzarella covering, more creamy burrata part.
The beef tartare, however, was my favorite dish all night. Two large pieces of crostini piled high with mounds of beef tartare. Instead of grinding the meat like most places, they diced it into small cubes, which showed off the flavor and quality of the meat much better. It also came with a small amount of arugula salad, which paired nicely with it. Definitely a must-get if you ever go here.
After another surprisingly long wait (especially considering how long it takes me to eat), our entrees arrived. I got the Kurobata pork chop, and GameBoy got the lamb stew. I had heard good things about the pork chop online, and wasn't disappointed. It was like taking the special pork at Santouka and eating a whole pork chop of it! Not surprising, considering that the special pork at Santouka is Kurobata, too, but, still....Tons of fat, I'm sure, which is probably why I could only eat half. But delicious. I savored every bite, and even hesitated before offering GameBoy some, becuase I know how he doesn't like fat. Trust me, this was the go type of fat. It was so good, in fact, that GameBoy's lamb stew paled in comparison. He said it was good, but I was too distrcted by my own food.
It was also a very filling meal, and after that, we skipped dessert and got doggie bags for our leftovers. Despite feeling very full, the memory of the yummy pork chop so lingered in my mind that when I woke up at 6 am the next morning, I had my leftovers with a few mimosas for brunch. In fact, I was so delighted by my experience, I half-jokingly suggested that GameBoy move to Culver City this year so we can go there more. I've heard all about the downtown gentrification, but Culver City seems to be where it's at for me...mmm..food. I'm nexly enthusistic about Culver City, and am already planning how I can check out the other places there!
Date of Visit: 6/11/07
Fraiche
Culver City, CA
I made my way to the resaurant, and was promptly seated. While our table was inside, the front is all windows that retract to open onto the large airy patio. It was a bit cold for a June night, but manageable. As I was waiting for GameBoy, the waitress brought out two half-glasses of complimentary champagne, which was a nice touch. GameBoy arrived shortly, and we examined the menu.
I have been rinking a lot at various happy hours this past week, so I suggested we forgo the drinks and focus on the food, which GameBoy happily agreed to do. We ordered two appetizers t split, the daily special of burrata with oven-roasted tomatoes and aged balsamic vinegar, and the beef tartare.
Though there was a bit of a wait for the food, we were kept happily occupied for a time with the bread and really yummy tapenade. Unfortunately, it was so good that we ate it all up right away, and it wasn't refreshed until right before our entrees come. Still, though excellednt people watching.
Our appetizers finally arrived, and I wasn't disappointed. The burrata appetizer came with two lumps of burrata- a little small- and tree tomatoes, making it easy for us to split. Since GameBoy paid for out meal, I don't know how much it was, but I'm pretty sure it was about e price of the buratta at SorTino, which gives you much more. Still, though, the tomatoes were great. The fava bean mash was okay, but really I'd like more burrata. Also, less mozzarella covering, more creamy burrata part.
The beef tartare, however, was my favorite dish all night. Two large pieces of crostini piled high with mounds of beef tartare. Instead of grinding the meat like most places, they diced it into small cubes, which showed off the flavor and quality of the meat much better. It also came with a small amount of arugula salad, which paired nicely with it. Definitely a must-get if you ever go here.
After another surprisingly long wait (especially considering how long it takes me to eat), our entrees arrived. I got the Kurobata pork chop, and GameBoy got the lamb stew. I had heard good things about the pork chop online, and wasn't disappointed. It was like taking the special pork at Santouka and eating a whole pork chop of it! Not surprising, considering that the special pork at Santouka is Kurobata, too, but, still....Tons of fat, I'm sure, which is probably why I could only eat half. But delicious. I savored every bite, and even hesitated before offering GameBoy some, becuase I know how he doesn't like fat. Trust me, this was the go type of fat. It was so good, in fact, that GameBoy's lamb stew paled in comparison. He said it was good, but I was too distrcted by my own food.
It was also a very filling meal, and after that, we skipped dessert and got doggie bags for our leftovers. Despite feeling very full, the memory of the yummy pork chop so lingered in my mind that when I woke up at 6 am the next morning, I had my leftovers with a few mimosas for brunch. In fact, I was so delighted by my experience, I half-jokingly suggested that GameBoy move to Culver City this year so we can go there more. I've heard all about the downtown gentrification, but Culver City seems to be where it's at for me...mmm..food. I'm nexly enthusistic about Culver City, and am already planning how I can check out the other places there!
Date of Visit: 6/11/07
Fraiche
Culver City, CA
Friday, June 8, 2007
Chat Noir- Costa Mesa
My boss gave me tickets last night to Hamlet, so GameBoy and I decided to hit up one of Costa Mesa's many happy hours. We saved the $7 valet fee by first parking in a nearby lot, which is free at night. The promotion at Chat Noir is half-off champagne cocktails and carafes of wine for the price of a glass. Given Chat Noir's inflated pricing, however, it's not that much of a deal, especially compared to Memphis, McCormick & Schmick's, or even Z'Tejas. However, it definitely has the most elegant atmosphere, which seemed like a good start to a night of Shakespeare.
Though the internet claimed Thursday night is house and trance night, the music was muted and mellow- appropriate for the restaurant, though a bit disappointing to me, because I wanted GameBoy to hear what house music is. In any event, we quickly seated ourselves at a high booth. One thing that drew my attention was the fat that the bar waitresses all wore fishnets. McCormick & Schmick's waitresses wear pleated schoolgirl skirts and knee-highs- I wonder what the target demographic is? Apparently, GameBoy, who was quite pleased by their attire. It seemed reasonably classy, though, and i helped that the restaurant as filled with respectable young and not-so-young professionals.
I had two champagne cocktails, the Chanel and the French 75. They were reasonably okay, but nothing memorable. The Chanel was a bit sweet, so I'd recommend the French 75 over that. GameBoy had the French Revolution and the Marie Antoinette. Unfortunately, I didn't get a taste of these, so I can't comment on them, other than the fact that we both got a slight kick out of the Disneyland-cute Francophile names.
We also got some overpriced unmemorable appetizers. Actually, the American sliders (bacon and cheese) weren't bad, and at $14 one of the best values on the menu. Unfortunately, I had the worst escagot I've had in a while. It was a bummer, especially since French 75 in Newport, a sister restaurant, does them reasonably well. But these were tiny, and drowning in way too muc sauce. They were also, surprisingly, not very juicy considering the fact that they were in a casserole! Skip these. Next time, I'll just go for drinks and stick with the free potato chips to eat.
Date of Visit: 6/7/07
Chat Noir
Costa Mesa, CA
Though the internet claimed Thursday night is house and trance night, the music was muted and mellow- appropriate for the restaurant, though a bit disappointing to me, because I wanted GameBoy to hear what house music is. In any event, we quickly seated ourselves at a high booth. One thing that drew my attention was the fat that the bar waitresses all wore fishnets. McCormick & Schmick's waitresses wear pleated schoolgirl skirts and knee-highs- I wonder what the target demographic is? Apparently, GameBoy, who was quite pleased by their attire. It seemed reasonably classy, though, and i helped that the restaurant as filled with respectable young and not-so-young professionals.
I had two champagne cocktails, the Chanel and the French 75. They were reasonably okay, but nothing memorable. The Chanel was a bit sweet, so I'd recommend the French 75 over that. GameBoy had the French Revolution and the Marie Antoinette. Unfortunately, I didn't get a taste of these, so I can't comment on them, other than the fact that we both got a slight kick out of the Disneyland-cute Francophile names.
We also got some overpriced unmemorable appetizers. Actually, the American sliders (bacon and cheese) weren't bad, and at $14 one of the best values on the menu. Unfortunately, I had the worst escagot I've had in a while. It was a bummer, especially since French 75 in Newport, a sister restaurant, does them reasonably well. But these were tiny, and drowning in way too muc sauce. They were also, surprisingly, not very juicy considering the fact that they were in a casserole! Skip these. Next time, I'll just go for drinks and stick with the free potato chips to eat.
Date of Visit: 6/7/07
Chat Noir
Costa Mesa, CA
Friday, April 27, 2007
Z'Tejas- Costa Mesa
GameBoy and I went to Z’Tejas last night before seeing Rent at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for two reasons: its location within walking distance of the OCPAC, and its happy hour. We sat ourselves down at the last empty table in the bar area, then promptly ordered drinks- a margarita for me, and a Budweiser for him. After GameBoy walked up to the hostess stand to check, we verified that their happy hour meant half-off appetizers. I had been here several times before, mostly with my family, and GameBoy had been here once before with me. I really like the catfish beignets, so we ordered some catfish beignets and perused the menu. I normally hate fried fish, but these are coated with cornmeal and the dipping sauce has a bit of a spicy kick, which really makes a difference. That, and they don’t overcook it.
The drinks and the beignets came out, and while the waitress was there, we ordered shrimp Tostitos, a chicken quesadilla, and guacamole. The guacamole came out and it was yummy- nicely spicy unlike many versions, with tons of chips. We had some leftover, and it we hadn’t been on the way to the musical, I would have taken the leftovers home. The chicken quesadilla was fairly good, and filling to boot. I had eaten a huge lunch from Maggiano’s at work that day, so I was completely filled, and couldn’t even touch their usually yummy cornbread. GameBoy felt full too, so we sent back the shrimp tostitos, though those looked yummy too. We ended up taking the cornbread back with us, and hopefully my mom will not have tossed it by the time I get back from work today.
The best part about it was that GameBoy and I ended up having all that, plus another $1 off happy hour drink each, all for about $35 including tip. We stumbled away pleasantly buzzed and full. Happy hour, indeed.
Z’Tejas
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 979-7469
The drinks and the beignets came out, and while the waitress was there, we ordered shrimp Tostitos, a chicken quesadilla, and guacamole. The guacamole came out and it was yummy- nicely spicy unlike many versions, with tons of chips. We had some leftover, and it we hadn’t been on the way to the musical, I would have taken the leftovers home. The chicken quesadilla was fairly good, and filling to boot. I had eaten a huge lunch from Maggiano’s at work that day, so I was completely filled, and couldn’t even touch their usually yummy cornbread. GameBoy felt full too, so we sent back the shrimp tostitos, though those looked yummy too. We ended up taking the cornbread back with us, and hopefully my mom will not have tossed it by the time I get back from work today.
The best part about it was that GameBoy and I ended up having all that, plus another $1 off happy hour drink each, all for about $35 including tip. We stumbled away pleasantly buzzed and full. Happy hour, indeed.
Z’Tejas
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 979-7469
Monday, April 23, 2007
Baker's Square- Davis
By the time we made it to Davis and checked into our hotel room, it was pretty late, so we were pleased to find Baker's Square was still open. My tooth was aching, so I ordered spinach and artichoke dip. GameBoy was starving, so he ordered a BLT. He was pretty please with his, but mine was not too good. The service was really nice, though. If I go back here, I wouldn't order the artichoke dip. Stick with the basics like GameBoy did. They did have promising looking pies here, which I might try when I come back.
Date of Visit: 4/20/07
Baker's Square
225 2nd Street
Davis, CA
Date of Visit: 4/20/07
Baker's Square
225 2nd Street
Davis, CA
Cattlemen's- Roseville
My second cousin and his wife recently had a baby, so GameBoy and I drove across Sacramento to visit them in Rocklin. On the way, we stopped for dinner at Cattlemen's. I had been to the one in Rancho Cordova about six years ago, and had a good experience, so we figured this location couldn't be too bad. It was located right off of the 80, which was convenient in the pouring rain. As advertised, they had plenty of parking in their lot. At 6 pm on a Saturday night, the place was packed with lots of families, young couples, and even old couples. We grabbed a pager and studied a menu so that we would know what to order by the time we were seated. As promised, we were seated twenty minutes later in a booth deep within the noisy resaturant. Since I was on painkillers, I ordered a Coke, but GameBoy went for a mug of Budweiser, which turned out to be a huge 25 ounce mug. Given his low tolerance, I thought that was pretty funny, and took a series of photos as he slowly made his way through the mug that night.
GameBoy loves filet mignon, so he ordered the "petitie" 7 oz. cut of that. I had heard that the sizzling prime rib was pretty good, but with my tooth aching, I decided to go for the filet mignon as well. We both ordered it medium rare, as is our custom. The dinners included bread, salad, beans, and a baked potato as well. The sourdough bread, despite the fact that we had ignored it for about 5 minutes, was still warm, soft, and deliciously chewy. Much better bread than had been expected for this restaurant, which, with its hokey Western theme, evoked memories of Claim Jumper and Lone Star Steakhouse. The all-you-can-eat salad arrived next, served family-style in a large metal bowl. Again, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that they used good ingredients in their salad. Our dressing, Thousand Island for GameBoy and bleu cheese for me, was served in metal gravy boats. I was pleased to discover that mine had chunks of real bleu cheese.
After a few small plates of salad, our steaks and potatoes came. GameBoy's was perfectly medium rare and yummy. Unfortunately, mine, while surprisingly good, was medium well, separated into two pieces, and a bit small for 7 ounces. I don't usually send food back, but this one got sent back, and GameBoy gallantly shared his with me. The baked potatoes were fairly standard, and served with the usual sour cream and chives for toppings. We added the butter served with the bread as well, but some bacon bits would have been nice. That's just nit-picking though- I love baked potatoes.
The bean girl arrived next, bearing baked beans in a big metal bucket, which she spooned into a cute metal bowl for us. The beans were only mediocre, but I don't really like beans that much anyway. The novelty was cute, though, and she seemed nice enough. This steak was noticeably larger than the first (and GameBoy's) and cooked rare. I normally prefer medium rare, but I felt bad about complaining again, especially when the servers had been very nice about taking it back the first time (I got free button mushrooms while I waited). Despite this, the steak was very good cooked rare, and I enjoyed every bit. I was going to shared some with GameBoy, but he likes his steak more done than that, so he only had a few end slices, and I ended up eating most of it- yummy! The button mushrooms, by the way, were not good, but I was so happy with my filet mignon that I ignored them completely.
All in all, a good experience for a good price (about $20 each for the petitie filet dinner). I'll keep this one in mind too.
Date of Visit: 4/21/07
Cattlemen's
2000 Taylor Road
Roseville, CA 95678
My new steak arrived fairly quickly, and
GameBoy loves filet mignon, so he ordered the "petitie" 7 oz. cut of that. I had heard that the sizzling prime rib was pretty good, but with my tooth aching, I decided to go for the filet mignon as well. We both ordered it medium rare, as is our custom. The dinners included bread, salad, beans, and a baked potato as well. The sourdough bread, despite the fact that we had ignored it for about 5 minutes, was still warm, soft, and deliciously chewy. Much better bread than had been expected for this restaurant, which, with its hokey Western theme, evoked memories of Claim Jumper and Lone Star Steakhouse. The all-you-can-eat salad arrived next, served family-style in a large metal bowl. Again, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that they used good ingredients in their salad. Our dressing, Thousand Island for GameBoy and bleu cheese for me, was served in metal gravy boats. I was pleased to discover that mine had chunks of real bleu cheese.
After a few small plates of salad, our steaks and potatoes came. GameBoy's was perfectly medium rare and yummy. Unfortunately, mine, while surprisingly good, was medium well, separated into two pieces, and a bit small for 7 ounces. I don't usually send food back, but this one got sent back, and GameBoy gallantly shared his with me. The baked potatoes were fairly standard, and served with the usual sour cream and chives for toppings. We added the butter served with the bread as well, but some bacon bits would have been nice. That's just nit-picking though- I love baked potatoes.
The bean girl arrived next, bearing baked beans in a big metal bucket, which she spooned into a cute metal bowl for us. The beans were only mediocre, but I don't really like beans that much anyway. The novelty was cute, though, and she seemed nice enough. This steak was noticeably larger than the first (and GameBoy's) and cooked rare. I normally prefer medium rare, but I felt bad about complaining again, especially when the servers had been very nice about taking it back the first time (I got free button mushrooms while I waited). Despite this, the steak was very good cooked rare, and I enjoyed every bit. I was going to shared some with GameBoy, but he likes his steak more done than that, so he only had a few end slices, and I ended up eating most of it- yummy! The button mushrooms, by the way, were not good, but I was so happy with my filet mignon that I ignored them completely.
All in all, a good experience for a good price (about $20 each for the petitie filet dinner). I'll keep this one in mind too.
Date of Visit: 4/21/07
Cattlemen's
2000 Taylor Road
Roseville, CA 95678
My new steak arrived fairly quickly, and
Cafe Bernardo- Davis
As we checked out of out hotel, I stopped at the computer in the lobby to consult Chowhound.com for a place to go for brunch. I was quickly pointed to Cafe Bernardo, a popular cafe in downtown Davis. We parked easily a few blocks away, then walked into the restaurant, which was bustling at around 11 am on a Sunday morning. We waited in a short line to get to the counter, then ordered and sat down at a table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the patio and the sunny tree-lined streets.
GameBoy ordered his usual two eggs over medium, toast, and rosemary breakfast potatoes. Acting on the Chowhound revier's tip, I got the Eggs Bernardo, which was a version of Eggs Benedict. It turned out to be two poached eggs over thinly-sliced rosemary ham and toast, and topped with a delicious hollandaise sauce. I like Eggs Benedict normally, but my main experience with it is at buffet brunches. This version was yummier. The eggs were poached a little more than I would have liked, but it still tasted good. My only regret is that I didn't get extra sauce, which only cost 50 cents more. I also got a small glass of orange juice which was very fresh and high in quality.
The restaurant also offered great people-watching, clean bathrooms, and fast service, all at levels higher than typical LA brunch hot-spots. Since I'm pretty sure I want to go to UC Davis Law School next fall, I'll keep this place in mind.
Date of Visit: 4/22/07
Cafe Bernardo
234 D St.
Davis, CA
GameBoy ordered his usual two eggs over medium, toast, and rosemary breakfast potatoes. Acting on the Chowhound revier's tip, I got the Eggs Bernardo, which was a version of Eggs Benedict. It turned out to be two poached eggs over thinly-sliced rosemary ham and toast, and topped with a delicious hollandaise sauce. I like Eggs Benedict normally, but my main experience with it is at buffet brunches. This version was yummier. The eggs were poached a little more than I would have liked, but it still tasted good. My only regret is that I didn't get extra sauce, which only cost 50 cents more. I also got a small glass of orange juice which was very fresh and high in quality.
The restaurant also offered great people-watching, clean bathrooms, and fast service, all at levels higher than typical LA brunch hot-spots. Since I'm pretty sure I want to go to UC Davis Law School next fall, I'll keep this place in mind.
Date of Visit: 4/22/07
Cafe Bernardo
234 D St.
Davis, CA
Thai Cuisine- Bakersfield
Given this restaurant's generic name and its location in a seedy discount strip mall in Bakerfield, I was understandably skeptical of GameBoy's former roommate, QuietLawyer, when he suggested this place for dinner. Still, though, I was hungry and was willing to settle for anything that promised to be better than Benji's, the unmemorable Basque restaurant from a few weeks ago.
The decor wasn't much- very diner-like, with a few Thai Buddhist statues, some Asian instrumental music, and a very basic menu. We started with Chicken Satay, and ordered different types of curry for our entrees.
The Chicken Satay was surprisingly decent. Not spectacular, but well above what I had expected. It was relatively moist, and served with a peanut sauce and a cucumber relish. The appetizer came with 6 healthy sticks of chicken, which we gobbled up quickly.
Next came the curries. QuietLawyer got the green curry with tofu, which was the spiciest. GameBoy got the Panang curry with beef, and I got the red curry with chicken. These two curries were rated as medium spicy. The curries came with rice, and we spooned the curry onto the rice. Mine was yummy, despite the mysterious profusion of bamboo shoots. Not bad for about seven bucks.
The dishes used were surprisingly nice, without chips, with intricate lacquer designs in bright blue and gold. The place seemed clean, and brought our food out fairly speedily. For a restaurant in Bakersfield, this is a good bet.
Date of Visit: 4/22/07
Thai Cuisine (formerly Thai Gardens)
Somewhere in Bakersfield, a few blocks from the 99
The decor wasn't much- very diner-like, with a few Thai Buddhist statues, some Asian instrumental music, and a very basic menu. We started with Chicken Satay, and ordered different types of curry for our entrees.
The Chicken Satay was surprisingly decent. Not spectacular, but well above what I had expected. It was relatively moist, and served with a peanut sauce and a cucumber relish. The appetizer came with 6 healthy sticks of chicken, which we gobbled up quickly.
Next came the curries. QuietLawyer got the green curry with tofu, which was the spiciest. GameBoy got the Panang curry with beef, and I got the red curry with chicken. These two curries were rated as medium spicy. The curries came with rice, and we spooned the curry onto the rice. Mine was yummy, despite the mysterious profusion of bamboo shoots. Not bad for about seven bucks.
The dishes used were surprisingly nice, without chips, with intricate lacquer designs in bright blue and gold. The place seemed clean, and brought our food out fairly speedily. For a restaurant in Bakersfield, this is a good bet.
Date of Visit: 4/22/07
Thai Cuisine (formerly Thai Gardens)
Somewhere in Bakersfield, a few blocks from the 99
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Mother India- Costa Mesa
GameBoy likes Indian food, so we tried Mother India for lunch today. Like most Indian places, it had a lunch buffet for a reasonable prince- $7.95 per person. Eagerly, we headed to the buffet. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a particularly good buffet, even for an Indian lunch joint. There were two meat options: a mediocre chicken korma and tandoori chicken. While both were not bad, neither were they that great. This would have been fine if I could have supplemented them with the other dishes. However, the samosas were lukewarm and bland, the saag burnt, and the garbanzo bean dish unappetizing. I’m not sure if it’s our taste buds or what, but I normally enjoy Indian buffet more than this, even if it’s not my favorite cuisine. There was no lentil dish, surprisingly, and only the squash dish proved to be relatively okay. In addition, I got saag on my sleeve from where someone had smeared it on the glass protective cover. Since there aren’t too many other Indian options in the area, I guess this is okay if you have a real craving. But I’m not going back.
Date of Visit: 4/10/07
Mother India Restaurant
688 Baker St # 8
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Scardino's- Torrance
Due to my dinner at Basilic, I was late for my friend’s birthday party at Scarindo’s. By the time I got there, it was time for dessert. I ordered a limoncello, which turned out to be some sort of sweet lemon sorbet in a glass. It wasn’t bad, and for $5, it was a steal. Also quite nice was the $10 overall corkage fee, which was generous considering that about six or so bottles were consumed by the birthday party. The service was a bit slow, but it didn’t matter with all the wine. I don’t know how the food was, but I think it’s my friend’s favorite. Not bad if you’re in the area.
Date of Visit: 4/3/07
Scardino’s
4803 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
Santouka- Costa Mesa
We tried to go to an Indian place we had seen along that strip of restaurants along Bristol, but the parking lot was set up for it in such a way that, despite two attempts, we were still unable to navigate through traffic to get there. Time was running short, so instead we headed to Santouka once again.
Based on GameBoy’s previous visit, in which, he gave me all the fat from his special Kurobata pork, I recommended that he get the regular pork, which was less fatty. I, having tried the regular pork a few days before, stuck to the special pork. This time, however, I branched off from my usual miso broth to the much-recommended shi (salt) broth. GameBoy tried the spicy miso broth.
The shio broth turned out to be a great idea. Though I like the miso broth, the shio broth was so amazing I found myself picking the bowl up to drink the last drop of broth. And anyone that’s ever seen Tampopo, that classic Japanese ramen movie, knows that this sort of broth is the pinnacle of perfection in terms of ramen broth.
GameBoy thought the shio was a bit too salty, but to me it was all juicy pork slurpiness. In contrast, the spicy miso ramen was not bad, but reminded me too much of my college days of instant ramen to be too enjoyable. The noodles, of course, were perfectly chewy, and the pork was delicious. The regular pork isn’t bad, either, but definitely go for the special pork if you can spare an extra buck or two- it’s well worth it. GameBoy, notoriously picky, still ended up trading me some of his regular pork with fat for a no-fat part of the special pork, which he agreed is fantastic.
Santouka is still the best quick lunch in Costa Mesa, hands down. Too bad you have to go through parking hell to get to it.
Date of Visit: 4/5/07
Santouka
Mitsuwa Marketplace Food Court
665 Paularino Ave.,Costa Mesa CA 92626
(714) 557-6699
Basilic- Newport Beach
I originally discovered Basilic while searching for a nice place to go to dinner with GameBoy’s parents. We found it to be a tiny, cute Swiss-French place with lots of charm, great service, and yummy food. Unfortunately for GameBoy and I, such greatness does not come cheap. On our own, we decided the best time for a return visit was for their Raclette Night, which is held on the first Tuesday of every winter month. We tried to get reservations for last month, but the restaurant is so small that it books up ridiculously fast, and after a bit of a muddle conversation on the phone with the maitre’d, who spoke only heavily-accented French, I managed to get reservations for April’s Raclette Night.
I was running late, and by the time I showed up at the restaurant, GameBoy was calmly sitting by the raclette machine, sipping a beer. Raclette is a type of Swiss cheese that is traditionally melted, and eaten with potatoes and cornichons. Baslic uses an electric device to heat half a wheel at a time. The heat source faces down, against the flat surface of the halved wheel. As the cheese on top melts, it is scraped off onto a plate and whisked away to diners. Unfortunately, this device, similar to ones used in Swiss and French alpine towns, also gets hot if you sit too close to it, so we squeezed onto the banquette side of the table so GameBoy could avoid the heat near his chair.
The waiter, who surprisingly remembered us despite that fact that we had last been there in February, was friendly and helpful as usual. We ordered a glass of Fendant wine each, which is the traditional wine one eats with raclette. We also split an order of raclette, which was all-we-could-eat, and a plate of Swiss charcuterie. The charcuterie plate was not bad, but not spectacular either. Still it was good to have some meat with all that yummy cheese. It’s a bit strong for some people, and definitely makes you breath smell, but for me it was all worth it. I’m glad this place isn’t in LA, because then it would be even more packed than it already is. I can’t wait for next winter already!
Date of Visit: 4/3/07
Basilic
217 Marine AveNewport Beach, CA 92662
Sushi Zo- West LA
Sushi Zo had gotten rave reviews from two of GameBoy’s friends, one of whom works for Bon Appetit (though in the marketing division). A quick search on Chowhound yielded very good reviews as well. GameBoy had been wanting to try it for a while, and last Saturday, we finally did. It’s located in a surprisingly shabby area of town, between Cheviot Hills and the Culver City/ Palms area, just east of the 10 on National. Though we were able to find street parking just outside, at 6 pm it was about 1/3 full, with an all-Asian clientele.
I’m not sure if it’s because GameBoy is white, or if we just looked clueless, but the first thing the hostess said to us was that this was not a place where they served California rolls or cut rolls. Familiar with the Sushi-Nazi reputation, we reassured her that we were still interested. Then came the next question- whether or not we wanted omakase. Though we had heard it was well worth it, the fact that a price wasn’t listed on the menu gave us pause. When we inquired as to the relative price, she told us it would range from between
$100-200. Though I understand that sushi can get pricey at top places, the location, florescent lighting, and unremarkable interior of Sushi Zo certainly did not warrant that price, especially since I had seen omakase menus as low as $65 at Sushi Sushi in Beverly Hills. Since GameBoy and I aren’t making that kind of money yet, we opted to just order a la carte.
Surprisingly, we were still seated at the bar, possibly because the tables were reserved. This is especially remarkable, because I’ve found that seats at the bar normally book up before table, since people prefer to banter with the chef. I began to understand, however, as we began getting our food. Though there were only four diners besides us sitting at the bar, the two sushi chefs ignored us, and we were forced to order over our shoulders to the waitress. Our only communication with the chefs were when we were gruffly instructed on how much soy sauce to use (or not use).
As I may have mentioned before, GameBoy is a bit slow at reading menus, and even I have to admit that the waitress came to take our orders way too fast. In contrast to, say, the impeccable timing at bushi-tei, the timing of the service here seemed calculated to make you feel rushed and unwanted. Since you order by the piece, it was difficult for GameBoy and I to coordinate our orders so that we both got food at the same time. I didn’t think this was as big of a problem as GameBoy, but then, I knew that they would serve one piece at a time, to ensure freshness, while he didn’t, adding to the confusion. While we could have just kept bothering the waitress for each piece, ordering from her made me feel like I should at least order a few each time, to save her time, whereas I would have felt fine ordering sushi one at a time from the bar. In any case, we didn’t enjoy ordering from the waitress at the bar. To make matters worse, there was a bit of a language barrier, and she didn’t get down all of our orders.
Once the sushi got ordered, however, it was quite nice. It was very good quality, but definitely overpriced for what we ate. GameBoy felt stressed about eating the sushi correctly, but I thought the little guide they had on the counter on sushi etiquette was helpful in maximizing my enjoyment of the experience.
Besides the pricing, which was too high for the service, atmosphere and location, I was also bothered by the fact that I had to keep moving to let the waitress remove my plate while I was still chewing. This may sound minor, but I like to savor each bite of sushi, not be interrupted. The worst was when I was prompted to order by the waitress when I was still enjoying my mirugai (giant clam).
Having gone to many Chinese restaurants, I am very familiar with poor service. While not atrocious, the service at this restaurant clearly needs some work. I left with the feeling that they were upset we didn’t go for the omakase, and that we weren’t particularly welcome there. The sushi was really good, but given GameBoy’s particularly negative reaction to the service at Sushi Zo, it might be a while before we go back.
Though it is possible we hit it at the wrong time, the flurry of negative reviews recently posted on Chowhound makes me think our experience was not unique. I think we’ll head to Sushi Echigo or somewhere else next time we want fine sushi.
Date of Visit: 4/7/07
Sushi Zo
9824 National Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 842-3977
Hours:
Mon-Fri 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Wahoo's FIsh Taco- Costa Mesa
Today, I continued to explore the strip of restaurants along Bristol just west of the 405. I had been to a Wahoo’s before in Aliso Viejo, but wanted to try the one on the corner of Bristol and Baker to see how it compared. Unlike the Aliso Viejo location, which was located in a nice strip mall, the Costa Mesa II branch was an old free-standing ramshackle building with low ceilings. Since it was lunch time, it was very crowded, and all the tables appeared to be full. Luckily, it’s a sunny day today, so I ordered my two taco combo platter to go. The food came out quickly, and I got back into my car and parked on the roof of our office parking structure to better enjoy the weather.
My blackened fish tacos were hot and spicy. Topped with a little pico de gallo salsa, the corn tortilla tacos were pretty yummy, and I gobbled them right up. Unfortunately, the ahi rice was too buttery, and I don’t like black beans. As far as beans go, they were fine, but nothing special. Next time, I’ll just order more of their tacos.
Date of Visit: 4/9/07
Wahoo’s Fish Taco
3000 Bristol Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA
714-435-0130Monday, April 2, 2007
bushi-tei, San Francisco
Although we were only in San Francisco for a weekend, I wanted to squeeze in a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Unfortunately, most of them were too expensive. After a methodical survey, I found two one-Michelin star restaurants in the city of San Francisco that were somewhat reasonable- Range and bushi-tei. Both restaurants looked good, but Bushi-tei got better reviews and seemed to have a more interesting menu.
It’s a Japanese-French fusion restaurant located in Japantown. Unlike Orris, that other Japanese-French fusion favorite of mine, however, bushi-tei is decorated with wood from a 16th century Japanese building. As you can guess, the design is more high-concept, and the prices are correspondingly so.
We were seated by an older woman in a kimono, which is actually sort of unusual given that this was a sophisticated city restaurant and not, hopefully, a tourist trap. The clientele was sleek, sophisticated, and in their 30s and 40s. I was very glad I had worn my Dian von Furstenberg wrap dress. While not quite as label conscious as LA, the diners were definitely a cut above the vegan people last night.
I wanted to order a glass of sake, but the first one I ordered was out. Given the foods we were ordering, a white wine or sake would have been fine, but I though a Pinot Gris would hold up better to the heavier plates than sake. Well, that, and I can tell the difference between good and better wines more easily than I can for sake. In any case, GameBoy got some white wine, and I ended up with some Pinot Gris. It worked well for me.
We nibbled the amuse bouche, a piece of cocktail toast with green flying fish caviar on top, and perused the menu. Having filled up on cheese and fries late in the afternoon, we decided to order four different appetizers to split. The first appetizer was smoked sockeye salmon. It consisted of about 5 slices of salmon, sliced sashimi-thin, and topped with delicate paper-thin slices of radish and a few soy sauce-marinated ikura. It was a bit awkward to pick up the fish with our stylish wood branch chopsticks, but deliciously rich and flavorful.
Next was the ahi tuna tartare. The tuna was made of big-eye tuna, which was chopped and mixed in with other stuff, then piled high on top of an avocado base. It was garnished with the typical wonton chip, but a very good version compared to every other place in California that does this dish. The thing that set this apart was the generous helping of tobiko flying fish caviar on top. It was a nice dark red, and had a satisfying crunch we both liked. Still, I think it’s hard to taste the quality of the tuna this way, and I would have preferred to try other dishes. Very yummy, though, and something to keep in mind when making my own variant of ahi poke.
Our third dish was the miso-marinated Kobe beef. This was sliced sashimi-thin, and topped with sprouts, slices of apple and melted cheese. The Camembert was nicely smoky and flavorful on its own, and complimented the beef and toppings nicely. It’ve had Kobe beef once before, but this was much better prepared and even GameBoy, who generally avoids fat, ate every morsel. We also noted that the General Manager, who was dining next to us, ordered this. He ordered this as an appetizer, and his date ordered it as her entrée. Incredibly yummy, and definitely a must-eat.
Finally, we had the foie gras. This was seared and served in a dish with a pumpkin crème. As you might have notice from my review of Orris, I love foie gras, but this version was particularly good. It was seared nicely and contrasted well with the sweetness of the pumpkin crème. My only complaint was that it was somewhat of a small portion for the price. I need to learn how to sear my own, since otherwise I’m going to spend all my money on this indulgence until it gets banned in a few years.
During this dish, the owner came over to talk with us, which was quite nice and interesting. He was a short, well-groomed Japanese gentleman who spoke knowledgeably about his chef, restaurant manager, and the food. Though I suppose it’s very common for owners to go over and talk with customers, I felt especially flattered since I’m relatively younger than his target demographic. GameBoy seemed especially happy when the owner asked if he was in the hospitality business. Since his father actually is in that industry, it was fun for GameBoy to be asked this, apparently. The owner talked with us for some time, and returned later, which was very nice of him.
For dessert we split the apple dumpling, which the owner described as a signature dish of the chef. It was a good version of an apple tart, and had cute presentation. GameBoy stopped eating when we ran out of ice cream, but it was not overly sweet like many desserts, and I finished it on its own.
Surprisingly, the bill, while pricey, was not as high as for Millenium, despite the top-quality dishes we had ordered. To us, this reaffirmed our initial feeling that Millenium was not a good value for the money. In contrast, bushi-tei, though pricey, was well worth the expense, considering the quality of ingredients together with the sophisticated preparation and presentation of the food. The timing, in particular was of note, since each dish came out at just the right time, without making us feel rushed, or like we were waiting forever. I’ll definitely be back, but I might have to supplement this fine dining with food afterwards- the portions, like many similar restaurants are a bit on the small side. However, it made up for this with its beautiful décor. The wood added charm and character to an otherwise somewhat sterile design, the place settings were nicely done, and the fancy automated Japanese toilet was a fun quirky touch. Well worth a trip if you’re in town.
Date of Visit: 3/31/07
bushi-tei
Hotel California's WIne and Cheese Reception
After drinks and a snack with M, GameBoy and I headed back to the Hotel California to watch the UCLA game. However, we arrived in the middle of the daily wine and cheese reception, which featured complimentary cheap wine and cheese. We poured ourselves glasses from the carafes sitting across from the front desk, grabbed a few slivers of cheddar and Munster, then walked upstairs to the mezzanine to sit and talk for a bit. When drinking cheap wine, I’ve found that it’s generally better to go with red. GameBoy made the mistake of going with the white, but switched to the red, which was not really that bad, for the second glass. The cheese was nothing special, but it was free, and worked well in filling us before our 9 pm dinner reservations.
Date of Visit: 3/31/07
Hotel California
580 Geary Street, (formerly The Savoy Hotel),
San Francisco, CA 94102Cafe de la Presse- San Francisco
As mentioned in my review of Wat Thai, lunch last Saturday was rather underwhelming. So I wasn’t surprised when GameBoy began mentioning, with increasing frequency, that he was hungry during our afternoon walking tour of San Francsico. Though we were in Chinatown when we began to look for food, I was hesitant to stop without guidance from Michelin or Chowhound, since I was wary of a tourist trap. Instead, we continued on to just outside of the gates, where we stumbled upon a cute French café in what M described as San Francisco’s “French quarter.” I saw a blue street sign posted on the corner of a building in French, so I guess he was somewhat accurate. In any case, the area, and the café had a great atmosphere. Café de la Presse vaguely rang a bell from my research, and it was Michelin-recommended, so we ventured inside.
It was around 4 pm, so we felt free to order drinks. I got a glass of Chimay Rouge, GameBoy tried a Kroenburg, and M got some sort of alcohol as well. GameBoy and I also split a cheese plate, which consisted of a semisoft cow’s milk cheese with a bit of blue veining, a creamy soft sheep’s milk cheese, and a dish of goat cheese in olive oil. GameBoy normally doesn’t like goat cheese, but either his hunger or the olive oil suddenly made it more palatable. The cheeses were pretty good to me, especially the sheep’s milk cheese. Nothing extraordinary, but above what I expected for the price and location. There wasn’t enough bread served with it, so GameBoy had to request more. We also got a cone of frites, which was served in a large metal cone, accompanied by mayo and ketchup. Again, basic but well-executed French cafe food. All in all, a yummy experience.
M got some sort of dessert, which he was pleased with, but he ate it so fast I didn’t get a chance to taste it. This cafe is a nice place to keep in mind should I return to the area.
Date of Visit: 3/31/07
Café de la Presse
352 Grant Avenue,
San Francisco,
California
Telephone: 415-398-2680
Telephone: 415-398-2680
Millenium Restaurant- San Francisco
This past weekend, GameBoy, M, and I went up to San Francisco to attend the UC Hastings Admitted Student Day. To maximize out dining experience, I did some quick research at work. Since M could only get off work at 2 pm, we ended up leaving Orange County at around 3. Not surprisingly, we hit a lot of traffic getting out of LA. Thanks to GameBoy’s efficient driving, however, we were able to roll into the Hotel California at around 10 pm. While GameBoy handled our check-in, I ran to the hotel restaurant, Millenium, in an attempt to make our 10 pm reservation. Leaving M to hold down the table, GameBoy and I raced upstairs to our tiny hotel room to drop off our bags, then joined him for dinner.
We were seated in a large booth near the bar area of the restaurant. Since the Hotel California’s building dates back to the turn of the century, it had high ceiling and nice, dark wood. The restaurant area was a curtained-off section of the lobby near the bar, but the high ceilings made it seem much larger than it was.
Though the hotel had provided us with frosted tequila shots at check-in, GameBoy and I opted for beer- an Ommegane Witte for me, and some sort of pilsner for GameBoy. M, less of a beer drinker, ordered a French 75, which proved to contain currant seeds. M was very excited about this, since apparently it’s an ingredient that’s hard to find. Mostly, I was just puzzled as to why it was so different than the French 75 at French 75 restaurants in LA and Orange County.
M was really eager to try the four course tasting menu, and one could only order it if the whole table did so, so GameBoy and I somewhat hesitantly agreed to do so. The reason for our trepidation was that Millenuim is a highly regarded vegan restaurant, and the tasting menu cost $48 per person, before tax and tip.
Our first course was a strawberry salad, which, while yummy was basically a salad with nuts, topped with strawberries, something one could easily do at home. We were so hungry from the trip that this was scarfed down quickly. Once we realized how unfilling it was, M and I started to get worried.
The next course was a tiny triangle of mushrooms over polenta. The presentation was nice, but it was too small to be filling, and again, we had questions about the monetary value of the ingredients.
For our main course, we had a choice between an Asian-influenced black rice cake or artichoke over risotto. M got the rice cake, and GameBoy and I opted for the risotto. Both were good, and the rice filled you up. The waiter made much ado about the seitan sausage, which, in my mind, does not taste at all like sausage. We were very hungry, so we cleaned our plates, but I think I just don’t like still feeling hungry or ripped off.
I don’t normally finish desserts, especially rich chocolate ones, but I devoured my chocolate brownie sundae. It was decent, but the strawberry banana sorbet was a bit too sweet, and it lacked the creamy goodness of non-vegan desserts.
The food was not bad, but I don’t think I’ll go back here unless someone else is paying and I’m very full already.
Date of Visit: 3/30/07
580 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: 415-345-3900
Fax: 415-345-3941
Orris- West. LA
After a few bottles of wine and some good cheese, GameBoy’s friend Ember, M, and Beta stumbled a bit tipsy down the street with GameBoy and I to Orris. Since it was a Sunday night, we walked in and were seated at the bar right away. To continue our buzz, we ordered some sort of nice red wine. Unfortunately, I haven’t the slightest idea what it was, other than to say it was good. M and I decided to split the foie gras, shrimp mousse ravioli, and the seafood spring rolls. However, due to our late arrival, they were out of both the ravioli and the spring rolls, so we ordered the seafood salad and roasted quail instead. In addition, we ordered a Seafood salad, featuring Maine Lobster, squid, tomatoes, cucumber, and green beans. Finally, M selected the quail, which GameBoy and I had had before, and rather enjoyed. GameBoy, familiar with my passion for foie gras, split another order of the foie gras, which came seared atop a chunk of Japanese eggplant in shoyu sauce.
The food here is a bit pricey for my current salary, but compared to pricier and trendier small plates options in LA, such as the overrated A.O.C., Orris has better quality food for less cost. The service is good, and I like that they don’t take reservations, so you can actually go to a good place on a moment’s notice. Parking is readily available, both in the lot and on the street. One of my favorites delivered once again.
Date of Visit: 3/18/07
Orris
2006 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90025
(310) 268-2212
Monday, March 19, 2007
Cafe Marly- Beverly Hills
A few weeks ago, GameBoy’s roommate (Beta), his friend Enchanted Forest, and my friend M joined GameBoy and I on our usual Sunday brunch at Café Marly. Despite its location in the heart of Beverly Hills, it’s surprisingly charming and homey, and not too stuck up. In addition, parking at the meters is free on Sundays.
I ordered the Brie Sandwich, which comes with either a green salad or French fries (Additional charge). I chose the fries, which come sprinkled nicely with dill, and a cute container of mayonnaise. There's also ketchup, for those people that have not yet acquired the European taste for mayo with fries. Instead of my usual hot chocolate, I got coffee this time, having decided I needed an caffeine boost later.
GameBoy got his usual, two eggs over medium with white toast and extra-crispy bacon. The eggs come with yummy breakfast potatoes and a nice fruit selection of strawberries, kiwi, and pineapple. I especially like it when he orders this, since I get to eat his kiwi! GameBoy, of course, got his usual coffee black.
M ordered a combination of half a sandwich, green salad, and a cup of French onion soup. Even though they soup is recommended by a newspaper review on the wall, M pronounces it too salty, which reinforces my prior negative opinion of it. It may be authentic, but to me, it’s just not good. M enjoyed his half of a pan bagnat, which looked like a tuna sandwich to me. I’m not usually a big fan of anything with cooked tuna, preferring it as sashimi, but it is supposed to be authentic, so perhaps I’ll try it sometime soon. He washed this down with first an Orangina, then a mimosa.
Since Beta and Enchanted Forest arrived later, I forgot what they ordered, but they did seem to enjoy it. Another good dining experience!
Date of visit: 3/18/07
Cafe Marly
9669 Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210-4303
310-271-7274
Bay Cities Italian Deli- Santa Monica
It was a beautiful and sunny day, so GameBoy and I decided to skip our usual Sunday morning brunch spot, Café Marly in Beverly Hills, in favor of Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica. I first heard about this place from one of GameBoy’s friends, PonytailedGuy, whose tastes sometimes coincide with my own, so I was curious to try this “landmark” eatery down near the beach.
Unfortunately, the rest of LA decided to take advantage of the sunshine, and our ride down Santa Monica Boulevard was slow and frustrating. Bay Cities also turned out to be incredibly crowded, with families and 20-somethings fighting for parking, and then jockeying for a place to stand and wait. The small lot was full, so we found parking about a block down on the street and made our way inside. Pushing past the people milling about, we found the deli counter, took a number, and located a menu to study.
The neon green menus were laminated, and taped thoughtfully to the glass displaying the meats at the counter, at the perfect height for leisurely perusal. With my knowledge of Italian deli meats limited to a few charcuterie plates, I quickly narrowed it down to either GameBoy’s choice, the Godmother sandwich, which was a standard mix of proscuitto and capricola, or a soppressatta sandwich. I decided on a large Godmother, and communicated this to GameBoy. However, it turned out later that he had misunderstood me, and I ended up with the soppressatta. Luckily, we agreed to split our sandwiches, so we could both try the large Godmother ($7.65) and the regular soppressatta ($5.90).
The reason the wait for Bay Cities is so long on weekends is that they make each sandwich to order. Oddly, GameBoy noticed that the option of “The Works” actually wasn’t cheaper than getting each condiment individually. We thus determined that he would order each of our preferred condiments separately.
Having finalized our order, I then wandered around the rest of the market, which had a promising selection of Italian foodstuff, unsurprisingly. I took special note of the burrata, which was cheaper than Bristol Farms’ price, and the fact that they carried Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, a cheesemaker I am eager to try. Unfortunately, our plan at that point was to go the beach afterwards, so I was forced to put any cheese buying off to another day. I also noticed that they have a fax and online order area, which seemed to be much faster at producing sandwiches, and made a note to order before we drive down next time.
After a fairly long wait, especially for me with my cute but somewhat painful brown heels, we got our sandwiches, grabbed some drinks (Jones root beer, $1.29, for him, Le Village sparkling pink lemonade, $1.98, for me), paid for our sandwiches at the register, and headed outside. We found seating at a table on the side of the deli. The seating is a bit unusual there. You sit on narrow concrete ledges that have been placed as benches near the tables. This, I guess, functions to prevent homeless people from sleeping there at night, and to prevent chairs from getting stolen.
Anyway, all that waiting made GameBoy and I pretty hungry, so we eagerly dug in. Unfortunately, the bread, apparently a signature item, was hard, making it diffiuclt to bite into the sandwich. GameBoy and I agreed that the bread’s hardness forced the fillings out along the sides, making it more messy and less enjoyable. The sopressatta was nice and spicy, and the Godmother proved to be fair as well. GameBoy preferred the Godmother, and I the soppressatta, so after a few test bites of each other’s sandwiches, we went back to our initial orders. They were both good sandwiches, but we left thinking that they were a bit over-hyped for what they were. I am curious, however, to try the cheeses and other charcuterie they had available. I think I’d prefer to make my own sandwiches next time, though.
On a side note, GameBoy and I both felt slightly ill a few hours later, and the possibility that Bay Cities may be responsible for my stomach cramps has definitely made a return trip less of a priority.
Date of visit: 3/11/07
Bay Cities Italian Deli and Bakery
1517 Lincoln Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-8279
Fax (310) 395-1575
Tues-Sat 9-7, Sun 9-5, closed Mondays
HOURS:
Tues-Sat 9-7 Sunday 9-6 CLOSED MONDAYS
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Honda-Ya, Tustin
GameBoy and I decided to head over to one of our Orange County favorites, Honda-Ya, which is located in Old Town Tustin. It's also notable because it's the first, and best, restaurant that I've discovered while surfing food blogs. We parked, then dashed to sign outselves up on the clipboard outside the front door. Though it was relatively late- around 9:30pm- the place was packed. The list gives you the option of sitting in the tatami room and at the bar, in addition to the tables. Since it was cold out, we checked everything, and huddled with the others out in the cold. Honda-Ya's clientele on this Friday night was young, Asian, and very hip. I felt a little out of place in my office attire, but was very glad for my black coat, especially when I saw GameBoy shivering in his gray sweatshirt. After about a 30 minute wait, we were seated, surprisingly, at a table for four.
Immediately, I grabbed the pencil on the table and filled out the yakitori menu. It lists a variety of items you can get grilled on wooden skewers, all for about $3 a skewer. GameBoy, a bit of a Jack Sprat, chose items without fat- chicken hearts, chicken wing, and quail eggs. I, on the other hand, have no such qualms, and went with chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, quail eggs, shitaki mushrooms, and pork belly.
Having made our selections, we handed the waiter our order, ordered some hot sake, and then turned to the regular menu, which features both Japanese pub (izakaya) small plates and larger Japanese dishes, such as ramen, sushi, and teriyaki. Having ordered more skewers, I went for broiled squid, while GameBoy chose the more substantial tempura dinner.
Though it sometimes takes a while for yakitori orders to show up, this time they appeared rapidly, and all at once. I eat the eggs first, since their flavor is the most mild. They really taste just like tiny hard-boiled eggs, except for the fact that grilling them gives them this nice, subtle smoky flavor.
I go for the pork belly first, which is a thin strip of meat threaded on a skewer. It tastes like bacon, only better, with each taste oozing with salty smoky flavor.
Next are the mushrooms, which, like the eggs, are fairly bland on their own, but yummy to eat in order to appreciate the flavor of the grilling process, and the special salt they shake on everything. Yum.
I go for the chicken hearts after that. The hearts were tiny but flavorful, and very different from the special hearts. GameBoy and I made the mistake of getting those one time, and to me the flavor is too, well, hearty. GameBoy and I stick with the regular hearts.
Finally, the last skewer is my favorite- chicken gizzards. GameBoy doesn't like the "Fatty" part of these, but I pop them in my mouth as one crunchy and chewy morsel. They are a bit bigger and chewier than the hearts, but with similar flavor.
I look up from the bliss of eating my yakitori sticks to find that GameBoy has already begun to dig into his miso soup, which comes with the meal. His tempura and my squid arrive. The squid is a whole, broiled squid that is cut horizontally into thin strips and drizzled with some sort of sauce that's a bit like unagi sauce. In any case, it tastes like how it sounds, and I munch it up happily.
GameBoy's tempura was not bad, but not spectacular, and the mountain of fried shrimp and veggies proves too much for him to eat. We leave, tummies full and happily toasty. Another Friday night ended early due to food coma, but it was worth it.
Date of visit: 3/9/07
Honda-Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA
714-832-0081
Open 7 days, dinner only
5:30pm - 1am, last order at 12:30am
Immediately, I grabbed the pencil on the table and filled out the yakitori menu. It lists a variety of items you can get grilled on wooden skewers, all for about $3 a skewer. GameBoy, a bit of a Jack Sprat, chose items without fat- chicken hearts, chicken wing, and quail eggs. I, on the other hand, have no such qualms, and went with chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, quail eggs, shitaki mushrooms, and pork belly.
Having made our selections, we handed the waiter our order, ordered some hot sake, and then turned to the regular menu, which features both Japanese pub (izakaya) small plates and larger Japanese dishes, such as ramen, sushi, and teriyaki. Having ordered more skewers, I went for broiled squid, while GameBoy chose the more substantial tempura dinner.
Though it sometimes takes a while for yakitori orders to show up, this time they appeared rapidly, and all at once. I eat the eggs first, since their flavor is the most mild. They really taste just like tiny hard-boiled eggs, except for the fact that grilling them gives them this nice, subtle smoky flavor.
I go for the pork belly first, which is a thin strip of meat threaded on a skewer. It tastes like bacon, only better, with each taste oozing with salty smoky flavor.
Next are the mushrooms, which, like the eggs, are fairly bland on their own, but yummy to eat in order to appreciate the flavor of the grilling process, and the special salt they shake on everything. Yum.
I go for the chicken hearts after that. The hearts were tiny but flavorful, and very different from the special hearts. GameBoy and I made the mistake of getting those one time, and to me the flavor is too, well, hearty. GameBoy and I stick with the regular hearts.
Finally, the last skewer is my favorite- chicken gizzards. GameBoy doesn't like the "Fatty" part of these, but I pop them in my mouth as one crunchy and chewy morsel. They are a bit bigger and chewier than the hearts, but with similar flavor.
I look up from the bliss of eating my yakitori sticks to find that GameBoy has already begun to dig into his miso soup, which comes with the meal. His tempura and my squid arrive. The squid is a whole, broiled squid that is cut horizontally into thin strips and drizzled with some sort of sauce that's a bit like unagi sauce. In any case, it tastes like how it sounds, and I munch it up happily.
GameBoy's tempura was not bad, but not spectacular, and the mountain of fried shrimp and veggies proves too much for him to eat. We leave, tummies full and happily toasty. Another Friday night ended early due to food coma, but it was worth it.
Date of visit: 3/9/07
Honda-Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA
714-832-0081
Open 7 days, dinner only
5:30pm - 1am, last order at 12:30am
Metro Cafe- Costa Mesa
I met my new friend, OCBruinLawyer, at Metro Cafe for lunch, mostly because I only have an hour for lunch, and the Metro Cafe is located at the bottom of a mid-rise near where I work. It's a surprisingly small cafeteria-type place with sandwiches and burgers. OCBruinLawyer and I both get burgers (no onions) with fries. You pay at the register, then wait for your food to be finished. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be too good at letting you know when that is, as we ended up waiting for several minutes before he went up to the counter and asked, whereupon two styrofoam containers appeared with our food.
The burger was probably the worst I've had in a while, on the level of McDonald's in taste. The soggy bun was too big for the tiny patty, which appeared to be similar to the McDonald's QuarterPounder. It was drowning in mayo and some sauce, which dripped all over. Oddly, the fries were decent, and now that I think about it I can't figure out why I finished the burger and left the fries. I must have been distracted by the conversation.
In addition to the good conversation, I also had some bottled grapefruit juice by Langers, which was a nice change. Still, though, I'm not going back if I can help it.
Date of visit: 3/14/07
Metro Cafe
575 Anton Blvd , Costa Mesa 92626
714-957-3316
The burger was probably the worst I've had in a while, on the level of McDonald's in taste. The soggy bun was too big for the tiny patty, which appeared to be similar to the McDonald's QuarterPounder. It was drowning in mayo and some sauce, which dripped all over. Oddly, the fries were decent, and now that I think about it I can't figure out why I finished the burger and left the fries. I must have been distracted by the conversation.
In addition to the good conversation, I also had some bottled grapefruit juice by Langers, which was a nice change. Still, though, I'm not going back if I can help it.
Date of visit: 3/14/07
Metro Cafe
575 Anton Blvd , Costa Mesa 92626
714-957-3316
Orchid- Costa Mesa
My loyal dining companion, GameBoy, and I set off at 1 pm with one goal in mind: to eat lunch and return to work by 2 pm, sharp. We drove down Bristol, passing Paularino, searching for an Indian restaurant I thought I had read about. Instead, we found Orchid, a Persian restaurant with an $8.50 lunch buffet. With the clock ticking in the back of our minds, we quickly grabbed plates and hit the buffet.
It was a bit picked-over, which was not surprising given that it was a little past prime lunch hour and only partially-full. Nonetheless, there were still 3 types of rice (yellow, green, and white), something that looked like naan, something that looked liked a samosa, a chicken stew dish, an oxtail stew dish, something that looked like tandoori chicken, ground beef kabobs, hummus, and a parsley salad. I'm not sure why the food had a lot in common with Indian food, but I'm pretty sure it was a Persian place since it had Arabic writing.
In any event, I loaded up on a little of everything, then dug in. The tandoori chicken-like item was nice and juicy- better, in fact, than many versions of tandoori chicken I've had. The kebab was decent- not bad, but not spectacular. It may be that I just don't like ground beef kebabs. The oxtail stew was a surprising find for me, having only had oxtail stew as a Chinese dish. This oxtail was also cooked until juicy, but wasn't complimented with anything else, so while it was initally yummy to eat the tender meat, it got heavy and greasy-tasting on my second course. The chicken fared much better in this preparation, especially since it was given an extra kick by some sort of spicy sauce.
I've had parsley salad before, in a Persian restaurant on Westwood Boulevard up in LA, but the one offered by this buffet tasted particularly good. Its onions, tomatoes, and couscous were refreshing, especially given the heavy meat items I selected. Finally, I had the hummus, which was an overly-chilled and average version, but still good with the naan-like flatbread. I passed up the yogurt and salad offerings, but left with a full tummy and slight food coma. Mission accomplished.
Date of visit: 3/13/07
Orchid Jewel
3033 S Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA
(714)557-8070
It was a bit picked-over, which was not surprising given that it was a little past prime lunch hour and only partially-full. Nonetheless, there were still 3 types of rice (yellow, green, and white), something that looked like naan, something that looked liked a samosa, a chicken stew dish, an oxtail stew dish, something that looked like tandoori chicken, ground beef kabobs, hummus, and a parsley salad. I'm not sure why the food had a lot in common with Indian food, but I'm pretty sure it was a Persian place since it had Arabic writing.
In any event, I loaded up on a little of everything, then dug in. The tandoori chicken-like item was nice and juicy- better, in fact, than many versions of tandoori chicken I've had. The kebab was decent- not bad, but not spectacular. It may be that I just don't like ground beef kebabs. The oxtail stew was a surprising find for me, having only had oxtail stew as a Chinese dish. This oxtail was also cooked until juicy, but wasn't complimented with anything else, so while it was initally yummy to eat the tender meat, it got heavy and greasy-tasting on my second course. The chicken fared much better in this preparation, especially since it was given an extra kick by some sort of spicy sauce.
I've had parsley salad before, in a Persian restaurant on Westwood Boulevard up in LA, but the one offered by this buffet tasted particularly good. Its onions, tomatoes, and couscous were refreshing, especially given the heavy meat items I selected. Finally, I had the hummus, which was an overly-chilled and average version, but still good with the naan-like flatbread. I passed up the yogurt and salad offerings, but left with a full tummy and slight food coma. Mission accomplished.
Date of visit: 3/13/07
Orchid Jewel
3033 S Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA
(714)557-8070
Inka Grill- Costa Mesa
My loyal dining companion, GameBoy, and I met up for dinner here on night that quite suddenly turned from sunny to foggy as I was driving down Bristol. As I got out of my car, I felt a fine layer of mist settle on my bare skin, and I grabbed my umbrella before heading inside to wait for GameBoy. Inside was warm and cozy, and minutes later I found myself sipping a fairly sweet Pisco Martini with Maracuya ($6.50) at a booth by the window. There was a bit too much maracuya juice, which is apparently a fruit found in the Amazon, and not enough liquor. However, I was pleased by the fact that it came with its own small pitcher of refill- enough to fill a whole additional martini glass!
After having a bit of difficulty finding the place (it's next to Del Taco on the southeast corner of Bristol and Red Hill), GameBoy parked and made his way in. Though I had already selected my entree, having scanned the menu as I waited, GameBoy, a bit of a slow and methodical reader, took several minutes to peruse the six or so pages of menu items. After our waitress had come and gone a few times, we were finally ready. I ordered the paella, while GameBoy went for the lamb stew, which the waitress pronounced as her favorite menu item.
The food came out quickly. My paella had more brown rice than the yellow that was depicted on the front of the menu. It contained one mussel, perfectly-cooked chunks of salmon and some white fish, lots of calamari rings, and two perfectly-cooked shrimp. I'm not that familiar with paella, but I liked this version, and certainly it's price ($14) was reasonable too. Not being a huge fan of calamari rings, I would have preferred more shrimp and mussels, but no big quibbles.
The big disappointment was GameBoy's lamb stew ($15), which to me tasted heavy and greasy. I should note, however, that I'm not a big fan of lamb other than lamp chops, so maybe it's just that I don't have a taste for it. GameBoy claimed he liked it, though he didn't finish it. In any event, though, I was glad I had gone with the paella, which was yummy. Service was a bit slow when we wanted to get the check, but other than that was fairly competent. It was my first time trying Peruvian, but I'll definitely come back.
Date of Visit: 3/13/07
Inka Grill
260 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone 714-444-4652
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am-9pm. Fri & Sat 11:30am-9:30pm. Sun 5pm-9pm
After having a bit of difficulty finding the place (it's next to Del Taco on the southeast corner of Bristol and Red Hill), GameBoy parked and made his way in. Though I had already selected my entree, having scanned the menu as I waited, GameBoy, a bit of a slow and methodical reader, took several minutes to peruse the six or so pages of menu items. After our waitress had come and gone a few times, we were finally ready. I ordered the paella, while GameBoy went for the lamb stew, which the waitress pronounced as her favorite menu item.
The food came out quickly. My paella had more brown rice than the yellow that was depicted on the front of the menu. It contained one mussel, perfectly-cooked chunks of salmon and some white fish, lots of calamari rings, and two perfectly-cooked shrimp. I'm not that familiar with paella, but I liked this version, and certainly it's price ($14) was reasonable too. Not being a huge fan of calamari rings, I would have preferred more shrimp and mussels, but no big quibbles.
The big disappointment was GameBoy's lamb stew ($15), which to me tasted heavy and greasy. I should note, however, that I'm not a big fan of lamb other than lamp chops, so maybe it's just that I don't have a taste for it. GameBoy claimed he liked it, though he didn't finish it. In any event, though, I was glad I had gone with the paella, which was yummy. Service was a bit slow when we wanted to get the check, but other than that was fairly competent. It was my first time trying Peruvian, but I'll definitely come back.
Date of Visit: 3/13/07
Inka Grill
260 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone 714-444-4652
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am-9pm. Fri & Sat 11:30am-9:30pm. Sun 5pm-9pm
Introduction
Hi everyone!
I created this blog to remedy a possible flaw in the methodology of the food/ restaurant blog community. By taking photos, bloggers identify themselves to the wait staff as possible restaurant critics or snap-happy tourists, thus altering the level of service they may receive. My aim is to review Los Angeles and Orange County restaurants much like a Secret Shopper does- without any identifying actions, such as photos that could give my intentions away. In addition, I have a secondary goal of working on this blog entirely at work. My decision to go photo-less, at least at first, is to aid me in achieving this ambitious goal. Wish me luck in not getting caught!
I created this blog to remedy a possible flaw in the methodology of the food/ restaurant blog community. By taking photos, bloggers identify themselves to the wait staff as possible restaurant critics or snap-happy tourists, thus altering the level of service they may receive. My aim is to review Los Angeles and Orange County restaurants much like a Secret Shopper does- without any identifying actions, such as photos that could give my intentions away. In addition, I have a secondary goal of working on this blog entirely at work. My decision to go photo-less, at least at first, is to aid me in achieving this ambitious goal. Wish me luck in not getting caught!
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