French Café in Milwaukee

Last night W and I went to the village in Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, for dinner at a small café called Le Reve. The ambiance is similar to that which one might find in Paris. There are small tables, albeit not as small as in Paris, close together but not as close as in Paris. The menu is very complete with many choices ranging from dinners to salads to sandwiches to appetizers to desserts. They also serve breakfast although I did not see that menu. The woman who owns the restaurant was a former pastry chef for Sanford D’Amato. She left him and decided to open this café in the Village.

Interestingly enough, after perusing the menu, both W and I decided on the same sandwich – Croque Monsieur. This was toasted French ham and cheese with Gruyere Bechamel on country white bread. The ham and cheese were grilled with the cheese baked on top. It would be hard for me to describe how fantastic this sandwich was and how filling. Both of us ate just ½ sandwich and we took home the other halves which JK heated up and promptly enjoyed when he got home. I also had some pommes frites (fries) left over which JK loved as well. These were thin and crisp, served with a garlic aioli – delicious. We were too full for dessert but W bought a pecan sticky bun for JK and I bought a little coffee cake for me to eat for breakfast today.

This morning I enjoyed that coffee cake with two cups of hazelnut coffee made with W’s new Keurig coffee maker. What a great dinner and breakfast. This is a keeper, one I will visit every time I come back to Milwaukee which I hope will be in the summer rather than in December.

The Melting Pot, Lucy 51 and Timmy Nolans

Last night to celebrate a special occasion and because I had a coupon for a free chocolate fondue, we went to The Melting Pot. I hadn’t been to a fondue restaurant in many years and wanted to try it out even though it is very expensive. First we had the cheese fondue. We chose the Wisconsin Trio from the various types offered and it was wonderful, served with three types of bread, apples, and vegetables. Then we had a salad, an excellent Caesar for BK and a California salad for me. My salad consisted of greens, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, tomatoes with a delicious black walnut raspberry vinaigrette. For our main meal we both chose the 6 ounce filet which we cooked in a very flavorful vegetable broth. It was extremely tender. There are many choices and combinations of meats and fish. We also added a lobster tail. The main dishes are served with mushrooms, portabella mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli and asparagus all of which we cooked. We also got numerous sauces that we could add to any of our food. The crème-de-resistance was the chocolate fondue. Again we were given many choices of blends. We chose one with dark chocolate, marshmallow and oreo crumbs and we were not disappointed. The waiter, Derek who attended to our every need, mixed the chocolate and then lit it on fire. By the way, he also made our cheese fondue right at the table. The fantastic chocolate fondue was served with strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, cheesecake, Rice Krispie treats and a chocolate brownie. Magnificent. I even took the spoon when we were done and spooned out the remaining chocolate. This is not a place to go for any dinner but it is one for a special occasion. The Metling Pot is a chain and is in Pasadena, Thousand Oaks, Milwaukee and many other cities. Loved it.

This past week we decided to have lunch in Toluca Lake at places we had never tried. The two places we picked happened to be sports bars but Lucy 51 is much nicer than one would think for that type of establishment. The food was good but a bit pricy. BK had very good sliders and French fries while I had a turkey club with sweet potato fries. Our servings were very generous and we each took home half our meal which we ate for dinner. That made the price a bit more palatable. They have a nice, full menu and, although there were TVs all around, the décor was not at all like a sports bar and the place was rather quiet.

As for Timmy Nolans, don’t bother. The food was OK but nothing special. The problem for me was that this was a true sports bar. Besides the waitress, we were the only women in there. The one TV that was blasting wasn’t on sports although many others were. It was on HLN and they were talking about women in the military. The men at the bar were having a field day making sexist comments about this and the news changed just before I had had enough which was good because I was ready to engage them in a discussion which would not have been very nice. Naturally, this colored my experience but I am not going back.

El Criollo - A Cuban Restaurant

The first time I had Cuban food was about 20 years ago when a Cuban friend of mine took me to Versailles. I was a bit concerned at first because I was not a fan of spicy food. She assured me that it wasn’t spicy and she was right. I don’t eat Cuban food often because it is sometimes greasy and is not what you might call low calorie. Sometimes I go to Porto’s in Burbank for their delicious Cuban sandwich. Their pastries are fantastic also. Anyway, today we looked at our coupons and there was a Cuban restaurant in Van Nuys that we had never heard of, although BK swears we went to this restaurant when it was at a different location. This was also convenient because it was not far from Costco and we needed gas.

El Criollo is a real gem. The restaurant is on Sepulveda between Kittridge and Vanowen which is not the most elegant of neighborhoods. As we stepped into this very simplistic but really nice restaurant, we were told we could sit wherever we wanted. We looked over the menu and saw that they had many items. There was the chicken, which most of the people did order. Cuban chicken is roasted with onion, garlic and some type of fruit, often lemon. The people near us had this and it was just a beautiful looking half chicken. I decided not to order that or Cuban pork which is also a favorite of mine. First we were given a basket of warm Cuban bread which was fine but nothing special. I ordered Bistec Empanizado which is breaded sirloin steak that is flattened and lightly seasoned. My meal came with rice and black beans along with plantains. I was surprised to find a small salad on my plate as well. There was no dressing on the salad but they brought bottles of oil and vinegar. Since I don’t usually eat the salad, I really didn’t care. Half the plate was rice. There was a cup with black beans and a spoon to put the beans on the rice. The steak was flat and fried crisp with raw onions on top. I actually took the onions, cut them up and mixed them with my rice and beans although the beans were tasty enough without the added onion. The steak had absolutely no grease and was very tasty. It cost $6.95, a real bargain.

BK was actually a little more adventurous. She asked the waiter to describe the Picadillo a la Criolla which, I believe, is a specialty since I have never seen it on a Cuban menu before. This was ground sirloin that had been broken up and simmered with herbs and spices. This was delivered to our table by, what I think, was the owner. He put down my dish and then BK’s. He bent over her and said that this was his favorite and best. Then he took some of the beans and put them on the rice and then put some of the ground beef mixture on top of all of it, mixed it together and told her that was the way to eat it. She took a taste and declared it wonderful. I took a taste and agreed. She mixed it all together and has brought about a third of it home for dinner. Since we brought home some pizza yesterday, we are set for our dinner tonight. She also had plantains. This meal cost $7.50.

El Criollo is at 6622 Van Nuys Blvd. The website is http://www.cubanfoodla.com/index.html . We will be back and I will have chicken. They also do have a vegetarian selections.

Watercress - A Café

Time for breakfast – actually a little late for breakfast – and we wanted to go somewhere new. When people like us go out to eat so often, we want something different. BK looked up a nearby restaurant on Yelp and there she discovered Watercress – A Café. I loved the name or brand as it is now called and so off we went. Here is a small, clean and tidy restaurant with about 12 tables. They call themselves gourmet and organic whenever possible. We were seated immediately and given the menu which is not too large but very interesting. We also were served our very good coffee which is roasted next door at the Coffee Roaster.

BK ordered cinnamon raisin French toast. It came with two large pieces and a few fresh strawberries on top. We ended up not quite sharing but each of us having more than a taste of the other’s dish. This was fantastic – not too sweet but sweet enough and tender and full of egg. I ordered the egg frittata panini. This consisted of scrambled eggs, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and a regular tomato all inside two pieces of bread that had been toasted panini style. Usually, I have found paninis to be flattened out, like put in a grill and somewhat greasy. This one looked like a regular sandwich with grill marks on the bread and there was no grease at all. It was delicious. I ordered it without basil and they easily accepted my request. This came with potatoes that are cubed and fried nice and crisp. It also came with a salad of mixed greens and a rather tasty dressing. I was asked if I wanted potatoes or salad and said potatoes but I got both.

I thought the prices were a bit high but not too high either since our bill came to $23.60 before tip. Most items are around $10 which I thought was high for eggs, sausage and toast. However, I do realize that organic food does cost more. All their bakery is homemade and looked wonderful. I will return but not often because of the cost. I do want to try their lunch sandwiches which also look very interesting. They have many vegetarian offerings as well as at least one vegan sandwich. Watercress is at 13565 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks.

Zach’s Café

Wanting to go to a restaurant that I had never been to in the Valley, we picked Zach’s Café. We had received numerous coupons and I had always nixed going there because it is Italian, not one of my favorite foods. However, on this particular day I looked at the menu and decided it was time to use the coupon.

Zach’s is on Ventura between Vineland and Lankersheim in Studio City. It is sort of hidden away from the road with its parking lot in front of the restaurant. Although it was a beautiful day, we decided to eat indoors. The restaurant is rustic looking with wood slat floors. We were immediately seated and, although I had difficulty understand the guy who was going to serve our drinks and he had difficulty understanding me as well, we did get our drinks quickly and correctly and they were refilled at the proper times. I was happily surprised at the menu which is very extensive. What really surprised me was the very reasonably priced lunch menu, the dinner menu which had smaller sizes of their regular dishes at smaller prices and the rather extensive vegetarian menu.

I had already decided I wanted lasagna with meat. They have one with only vegetables as well. First we were served six hot cheese garlic rolls that were just wonderful. I had to be careful not to eat more than one so I would have room for my food (I did eat another one for dessert). The luncheon came with a choice of various soups or salad. If you have been reading my reviews, you will know that I picked soup – minestrone this time. Minestrone is not usually a soup I would pick as they also had the house specialty, chicken vegetable, but it sounded so good. It is vegetarian blend of beans and veggies with a touch of pasta and not much, if any, oregano. It was delicious, thick like Mom used to make. A bowl of this would be a meal. My lasagna was in its own casserole type dish. It is correctly described as layers of noodles with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese covered with a ground beef meat sauce. I finished every last bit.

BK had trouble deciding what she wanted. Originally, she was going to rely on her old stand-by, spaghetti and meatballs, but, after perusing the menu, she decided on their specialty, chicken parmigiana. All their chicken dishes are made with skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Her dish had a very nice size breaded chicken breast (this can also be grilled), melted cheeses and marinara sauce with a side of spaghetti. I tasted the chicken and found it to be crisp, moist and extremely tasty. BK also had a clean plate when she finished.

My lasagna cost $8.00 and the chicken parmigiana cost $9.00. We showed the waiter the coupon we had brought in before we ordered and he pointed out that we had not read it correctly because it was only good for dinner. However, he said he would honor the coupon anyway. That was nice. At the dinner hour, most meals come in two sizes and I must say that both of us had plenty to eat with the smaller size. If you like Italian food, I highly recommend Zach’s Café at 10820 Ventura Blvd.

The Final Cupcake Review

For a number of weeks now, BK and I have been, in the quest of knowledge, searching for the perfect cupcake. We have now experienced four different cupcake shops and have come up with our definitive answer – or not. One reason for this is that BK and I do not have the same tastes. So I will now end this quest by adding our latest research which happened when we went to Sprinkles in Beverly Hills.

Sprinkles is one of the first, if not the first, to start this gourmet cupcake craze that has swept Los Angeles and maybe the nation. My daughter loves these cupcakes. BK does not. I couldn’t remember if I like them better than the others we had so, of course, we had to go there and do a taste test. We ordered the usual chocolate with white icing (black and white), chocolate marshmallow, chocolate coconut, and cinnamon sugar. We split them all. The cake is dryer than some of the others but not dry and crumbly. I thought all these chocolate cakes were delicious with a better chocolate flavor than the others. It did taste different and I liked that. BK didn’t notice the difference. BK liked the icing while I thought it was too sweet and too much. Sprinkles also charges $3.25 for their cupcakes which appeared to be somewhat smaller than the others.

In conclusion, we both agree that My Little Cupcake on Ventura Blvd. was the worst and we would never go there again. That is all we agree on. My favorite is Famous Cupcakes which is near our house. I found the cake to be moist and the icing not too sweet. Bonnie’s favorite is Dot’s Cupcakes in Pasadena which I also loved and was the least expensive at $2.75. They also sell mini-cupcakes. And for the reasons listed above, Sprinkles, while not the favorite of either of us, certainly is tasty and is worth going to just because it is Sprinkles. However, when I want a cupcake and I don’t want to travel, the one near my house is #1 for me.

Coupa Café

This past Sunday we went to the Beverly Hills Art Fair, which has a much more elegant name to match the elegant art that is shown there. I love to attend that fair. As I walk among the beautiful pieces I have in my mind that I own a huge mansion with extremely large grounds, sort of like the White House, so I have the room and the money to buy everything I would want. However, I found a very nice 20 by 5 inch photo put on wood that only cost $200. That was the least expensive art I found and I didn’t like it well enough to pay that money for it. They have a very nice food court that we could have eaten at plus a wine garden but we decided to walk down the street to see what we could find – some place different and that is what we found at the Coupa Café.

I didn’t know until I just looked this café up on line that it is known for its coffee. I didn’t get that idea from their menu or I would have had some. I did see that it was a Venezuelan restaurant and that was interesting to me. They serve breakfast all day and they have a full menu. Since it was a beautiful day, we sat outside watching the people and talking to some who were sitting next to us. I wondered what they were eating and so I asked them. Getting older has made me much more outspoken. I am sorry to say I can’t write the name of what she had because it was Venezuelan. There was no menu I could take home and none posted on line so even without a name, it looked like a delicious omelet but the outside wasn’t eggs but a cornmeal pancake. She told me it was very good but very sweet. Since there are moments when I decide not to have sweet things because of the diabetes factor, I asked the man what he was eating and he told me a crepe. It looked interesting so that is what I ordered – the breakfast crepe which was scrambled eggs with gouda cheese in a buckwheat crepe. BK ordered a Black Forest ham frittata which came with a mixed greens salad. We split out meals so we could taste both.

They asked if we would like bread and I immediately said yes because I saw the bread on the next table and it looked different to me. And it was. There was some good focaccia and then these somewhat round things that were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I asked the waitress what they were and she gave me the Venezuelan name but I can’t remember it. However, she said they were cornmeal and, although I liked the crunchy outside and soft inside, it was tasteless. BK put salt on it and I put butter on it but neither helped much. That wasn’t the case with the food. I received my breakfast crepe and saw a lot of ham on it. I looked inside and it had cheese as well but this wasn’t what I ordered. It was something I would like so I decided not to point it out to the waitstaff. When the waiter came to ask how everything was, I told him I had ordered the breakfast crepe and this wasn’t it. He offered to take it back and get me what I wanted but I chose to keep it since it was really tasty. BK said it didn’t have any eggs in it and so he offered to bring some scrambled eggs at no charge which she immediately said that would be good. In a very short time, he reappears with some very nice scrambled eggs. Both the frittata and the crepe were excellent.

I want to go back. I didn’t realize that they also have some special chocolate and hot chocolate. And I want to order some real Venezuelan food. They have two other cafes – one in Palo Alto and the other in Caracas, Venezuela. The prices are very reasonable, our meals costing about $8.50 each. The Coupa Café is located at 419 N. Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills.

Café Bizou

We decided to take advantage of the great bargains that are presented from Dine LA Restaurant Week. I may have mentioned this before but I will again. Fixed price lunches and dinners are presented for two weeks by certain restaurants at a very reasonable price. We decided to go to Cafe Bizou, a place we have gone to a few times over the years, for the $16 fixed price lunch which consisted of a choice of three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts. Any drinks are extra.

I chose the meatball soup for my appetizer. I could have had a Caesar salad or baked mushrooms. The soup was a light tomato base with vegetables, pasta and small delicious meatballs. BK chose the same thing and also enjoyed it very much. For my main entrée I chose sesame crusted salmon with potato pancakes and a burgundy wine sauce. The salmon was perfectly done, tender and moist. The potatoes which were not like any I ever had. They were more like mashed potatoes that were lightly fried in a triangular shape and very tasty. There were also mushrooms laid under the salmon and over the potatoes with the sauce decoratively laced around this mound.. It was not only delicious but also beautiful. For dessert I had a trio of sorbet – mango, lemon and raspberry – a perfect ending to a delicious meal.

BK chose shrimp and scallops with black tagallini and mushrooms in a lobster sauce. Black tagallini is a linguini that has been soaked in squid ink. Had B known that before she had eaten most of it and enjoyed it very much, I doubt that she would have ordered this dish. The pasta was covered with many shrimp and scallops. I tasted this and it was fantastic. Flourless chocolate cake was BK’s choice for dessert rather than tiramisu because the cake came with whipped cream. The chocolate cake was a very rich chocolate and came warm. Yum.

Even without a special, Café Bizou is a wonderful place to go. If you order any entrée, you can get soup or salad for $1. The restaurant is located at 14016 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.

Tequilas Restaurant and Famous Cupcakes

Tequilas Restaurant

A few days ago I felt like Mexican food, which is not unusual. I truly believe that I could eat Mexican, Chinese and Japanese, along with a bit of American every day that I live. We decided to try a place we had never been so we went to Tequilas Restaurant in Van Nuys. The restaurant, itself, looks like many – brightly colored on the inside and cute. They have outside seating but we sat indoors. Looking at Victory Blvd. isn’t exactly a great outdoor scene.

Tequilas has a very interesting and varied menu as well as a lunch buffet which was in the $8 range. We skipped that and ordered from the menu. One of my favorite Mexican dishes is carnitas. One of my favorite Mexican restaurants is Mexicali where I almost always get the carnitias which is pork that has been roasted in its own juices and just absolutely falls apart. I decided to have that for my lunch. One difference I noticed immediately was that this pork had a lot more fat than Mexicali has which is just about fat free. Actually this doesn’t bother me but I know it does bother some people. It was extremely tender and tasty. It came with refried beans, rice and guacamole. She asked me what kind of tortillas I wanted. I told her corn but she never brought them which was fine with me because I really seldom eat them and it is healthier for me to eat the meat as a dish in itself. The big disappointment was when she came to tell us they were out of guacamole. How can a Mexican restaurant be out of guacamole at lunch time? I love guacamole. When she brought my meal, it had three slices of avocado on the plate. I looked at her questioningly and she said that they just got the avocadoes. So why didn’t she offer to bring the guacamole when it was ready? Her English wasn’t very good so I didn’t bother to ask her. I took my three slices, squashed them up, added some salsa and made my own. The rice, beans and chips were OK.

BK had arroz con pollo or rice with chicken. This was a grilled chicken breast on top of Spanish rice with melted cheese and salsa over it. She loved it. She would go back again and get the same thing. Our service was spotty. The restaurant filled up quite a bit and most people got the buffet. I might like to try that also. Our meals were $10.99 each which, for some reason, I thought was just a little pricey. I guess that is because at Mexicali they have a lunch special where I would have the same food, except I could get black beans which I prefer, slightly less meat but also less fat, and a soda all for $7.99. Tequillas is at 13627 Victory Blvd. They have various specials throughout the week and a Sunday brunch.

Famous Cupcakes

Since we had been going to various cupcake places, we decided to return to the one that BK felt was the best to see if we still felt that was the case. Famous Cupcakes is in a little mini-mall off Laurel Canyon and Riverside between Jack In the Box and Starbucks. On this day we got three different cupcakes – vanilla milk chocolate which was a chocolate cake with white frosting, chocolate coconut which again was a chocolate cake with white frosting covered with coconut, and black tie which was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. We found all of these to be far better than most we had tried. The cake was moist. The frosting was not terribly sweet and it was thick but not too thick. These cupcakes are certified kosher and are all natural organic. There are 15 varieties of which 10 are available daily. They cost $3.25 each which is a little high but they are delicious. I know my daughter loves Sprinkles and she will be visiting here in about 5 weeks so I think we will then be going there. I would like to see if I think Sprinkles is any better than Famous Cupcakes.

Spark Woodfire Grill and My Little Cupcake

Spark Woodfire Grill

This week is restaurant week where you can get bargains at certain restaurants for specific lunches and dinners in LA. I know they also do this in Milwaukee. BK looked at the restaurants that were listed and mentioned Spark which is close to our house and we have never been there. However, they did not have a special for lunch but we decided to go there anyway.

Spark is a rather small, white tablecloth restaurant on Ventura Blvd. near the CBS Studios. It was fairly busy when we arrived which was close to 2:00. There was a large table of young people who obviously worked at CBS. There is a special lunch menu – 10 items which are $10 or less each. Although I wasn’t terribly excited about going there, my mind changed drastically. Our attentive busboy brought and refilled our Diet Cokes regularly. He also gave us wonderful, crusty bread with an olive tapenade which was good but we both felt the Gaucho Grill has one that is better. Too bad that restaurant is no longer in Studio City.

I chose ½ turkey panini with a cup of their special soup - Ribollita Soup which is described as a hearty vegetable based soup made with borlotti beans, kale, prosciutto and parmigiano cheese. I asked for the soup before the sandwich since I like to have my soup first. I didn’t think I would like it because I don’t care for Italian spices but this thick soup didn’t have any of those flavors. It was delicious. The half sandwich had turkey, watercress, tomato, roasted tomato pesto and asiago cheese on their crusty bread. I really liked this sandwich with my only complaint being that one of the pieces of bread was turned the wrong way and kept falling off the sandwich. Then I realized that it was probably an end piece put on incorrectly when melting the cheese. I didn’t mind but some may.

BK chose one of their lunch specials of the day – a BBQ chicken pizza. The pizza is cooked in a wood fired oven. It is a very thin crust but the crust is not crispy. It is soft and when we ate it, we folded it like you would a tortilla and the taste was wonderful. It had plenty of chicken, onion, excellent cheese and a good BBQ sauce. She was very happy with her choice and I enjoyed a piece as well. I definitely will return and next time, maybe have the $10 eggplant parmigiana. There were many choices and Spark is now on my list of very good places to go.

My Little Cupcake

As far as good places to go, My Little Cupcake is NOT one of them. After lunch, we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond. Then we drove back to this cupcake place that we had passed when we were too full to think about eating anything. However, give us an hour and we are ready again. My first impression was not favorable. The interior was not appealing to me. I looked at the cupcakes and saw very few choices, like 6, although there are many listed on the board. Also, the cupcakes were not nearly as attractive as many other places except for one. This one looked like a mountain of chocolate. We asked about it and were told it was a chocolate cupcake with a mound of homemade marshmallow covered in a hard chocolate. This was for me. BK couldn’t pass that one up either and so we got two of those, one peanut butter and one white cupcake with white frosting (definitely not for me).

When we got home, I took out my chocolate delight which I had to eat with a fork. The first thing I noticed was what looked like grease on the inside of the paper cupcake holder. Not a good sign. The outer chocolate was quite good and sweet. The mound of marshmallow was excellent. The chocolate cake was dry and tasted stale. After we threw away the cake part, Bonnie tried the white one. That one didn’t have grease inside the cupcake holder, had frosting that was OK but again the white cake was dry and tasted stale. She hasn’t tasted the peanut butter one but we do not hold out high hopes for that either. If you can’t make and serve moist, fresh cake, whatever is on the top is irrelevant to me. There are many excellent cupcake places. My Little Cupcake is not one of them.

Russell’s Famous Hamburgers and Dots Cupcakes

After we walked at the Rose Bowl in the annual HeartWalk, BK and I went to the RV show that was there and found our perfect RV. Well, we saw one – a 30 foot Winnebago – that fit our dreams but, unfortunately, not our pocketbooks. So now we needed to eat and, of course, Old Town Pasadena seemed the appropriate place to look for a restaurant. We remembered we had been to Russell’s a few times and decided to go back since we found a decent parking place not too far from there.

Russell’s says it has been around as long as I have which is quite a record not only for a restaurant but also for a person. (a tiny piece of humor there) The restaurant has an interesting ambiance. There is a lot of red color, ornate chandeliers, and nice music. It almost appears like a French bistro but it is a diner, of sorts. We were promptly seated and were offered drinks – Diet Pepsi for BK and ice tea for me.

I didn’t know their specialty was hamburgers and since neither BK nor I wanted one, having eaten at The Counter last night, we looked at both the breakfast and the lunch menus to find something else. I was immediately drawn to a sandwich that was on both menus, the only difference being the sides offered. The sandwich is called the Croque Monsieur which is actually a grilled ham and cheese on sour dough bread. Well, it is a little more than that as the picture shows. It is made with what they say is French ham and gruyere cheese with a mornay sauce all inside this grilled sandwich that is then covered with cheese that is also melted. It is a sandwich that is eaten with a knife and fork.  I decided on the side of hash browns which was an excellent choice. I was in heaven. It was all gooey, rich and wonderful.

BK ordered breakfast as well – her favorite – a chili cheese omelet which she said was delicious. She also liked the hash browns. The only disappointment was that she ordered their famous cinnamon bun which cost $1 extra and they ran out of them so she had very good rye toast.

The service was very good. By the way, there is one other French sounding sandwich, Croque Mademoiselle, which is exactly like the one I had but has an egg on top. That didn’t appeal to me. My sandwich was $9.75 and BK’s omelet was $10.50. Russell’s is on 30 N. Fair Oaks Av. in Pasadena.

As we sat in Russell’s, BK noticed Dots Cupcakes across the street. In my effort to help my daughter in her quest for as much information about various cupcakes as she can get, we went there after our lunch to get some for later at home. They have many different kinds, some on different days. The regular cupcakes are $2.75 and the mini cupcakes are $1.50. We bought 4 of them. I wanted the chocolate mint cupcake which is the one in the picture. It is a chocolate cupcake with a very mint icing and chocolate covered mints on the top. (see picture) I loved it. Bonnie was taken with the Hostess cupcake that is filled with real whipped cream and it was also delicious. We have two more – a peanut butter one and one called chocolate vanilla – chocolate cake with white butter cream frosting. We haven’t eaten those yet but I am sure they are also great. If you are in Old Town Pasadena, stop in at Dots Cupcakes on Fair Oaks and Colorado – 21 N. Fair Oaks.

EAT Café

After an especially hard workout at the pool this morning, BK and I went to EAT Café on Magnolia in North Hollywood, which is close to the Y, for breakfast. We have gone there various times before but I haven’t written about it. This is a great place for breakfast for many reasons. The restaurant is very small with only 9 or so tables and a few outside. I think much of their business is carry-out as I saw many people coming in and picking up food.

Today I decided to have a scramble with mushrooms and cheddar cheese. This comes with a choice of potatoes, Ned’s shreds or fruit. Then there is also a choice of toast, all kinds and I picked an English muffin. First the scramble was perfectly done and tasted delicious. I ordered Ned’s shreds which are shredded pieces of zucchini that are fried up like potatoes. I love them. They are a bit greasy but a great substitute for potatoes – not many carbs. I asked for my English muffin well toasted and often that doesn’t happen but here it came just right. In fact, the waitress told me that she would be a little late with the muffin because she was toasting it twice. I also like that they have orange marmalade jam packets, my favorite treat with English muffins.

BK ordered the 222 which consisted of two eggs, two pieces of sausage and two huge pancakes. She said her scrambled eggs were perfect as was the sausage. The pancakes were delicious as I had to take a taste also. They do make all different kinds of pancakes, including chocolate chip, so I have to remember this place when my family visits me. The coffee is also very good as was the service.

When coming on the weekend, expect to wait. However, we went at 10:30 on a Tuesday morning and there was a place to sit. If ever in the North Hollywood area and you want breakfast, this would be a good choice. Prices are moderate. Eat is at 11108 Magnolia Blvd.

By Brazil

A group of women that I used to work with have been going out to lunch roughly once a month for quite a while now. Many of us are no longer are working together but this fun time is a way for us to keep in touch and I love it. Every time we go, one person picks the restaurant. Since we all live in different areas, this also gives us a chance to visit other places in the LA area. This time we went to Torrance to the By Brazil BBQ. Originally we were going to a vegan restaurant but that was closed on Sundays so we went to a steakhouse instead. As can be seen, we have eclectic tastes.

Brazilian steakhouses are very interesting. The first one I went to was in Niagara Falls. If you like meat, you need to try any Brazilian steakhouse and I don’t think you will be disappointed. First there is a “salad” bar which does have some fixings for salad and also has various salads like macaroni, potato and tuna salad. However, it is more than that. There was beef stroganoff which appeared to have a consistency more like a soup. I didn’t have any but others in the group declared it was very tasty. I did have the white rice which I covered with very good black beans. They had a black bean and sausage dish, garlic bread and delicious little cheesy rolls. They also had lasagna. There were plantains and yucca and more that I can’t remember. The only small complaint that I could make about the salad bar is that the plantains were mushier than I like. I would have liked them to be more solid and crispy.

Although you could just order the salad bar and hot buffet ($14.99), that isn’t why anyone would come to this restaurant. It’s the meat, it’s all about the meat. The man comes around throughout the meal with skewers of meat, all kinds of meat. You can have as much as you want, whatever you want. When you are finished, you turn this large spool over so the red side is up and then they don’t come to your table anymore. We started off with chicken thighs which were so tender, tasty and delicious. Then he came around with various steaks and would cut off what you wanted – tri-tip, top sirloin, skirt steak and I don’t remember the others. If you wanted it rare, as I did, he brought rare. If you wanted it more well-done, he gave you that. He sliced off as much meat as we wanted and he kept coming around at intervals that were just right. He also had sausage, which I didn’t have but BK loved. And there was marinated pork. I loved all the steaks except the skirt steak which I thought was rather tough. All the others, and I ate them all, were as tender and flavorful as could be.

There is a Brazilian steakhouse closer to my house which I have wanted to try. After this experience, I absolutely will go there. The cost for the entire meal including the hot buffet and salad bar is $19.95 which is very reasonable. This was a very nice experience, not only because the food was very good but also because the company was great.

Rock Bottom Brewery

Prior to going to hear Kate Clinton, a very funny comedienne, four of us decided we would eat in Long Beach where she was performing. First we thought we would find a place at Shoreline Village which isn’t far from the convention center but, as so often happens in LA, especially on the 405, the traffic delayed us quite a bit. We found the Rock Bottom Brewery directly across the street from the convention center and decided that would be a good place to go - and it was.

I didn’t realize until today that this was a chain and that they have a restaurant in Milwaukee but this is the only one in the LA area. Although they brew their own beer, none of us imbibed but instead drank sodas and ice tea which were fine. BJ and I each ordered the Brew Burger with cheese and we had the fries. We could have had their homemade chips but they were made with vinegar, not pleasant for us. We also could have had fruit or brewery slaw but, being the health nuts that we are, we chose the fries. The hamburgers were very large on a very nice bun (remember I like soft buns and this one was perfect). It came with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on the side. The burgers were very juicy and delicious. The one complaint was that they were not done as we ordered. BJ ordered hers medium well and it was cooked medium and I ordered mine medium and it was definitely medium rare which actually is OK for me. If you go there and get a burger, order it more well-done than you would like and it will be perfect. The fries were seasoned and tasted very salty but they weren’t greasy at all. BJ had a side of BBQ sauce and she liked it and said it was a tangy sauce rather than a sweet one.

M ordered a Rueben sandwich. She said that she realized if you want an authentic Rueben, you need to go to a deli. She liked the bread and the sandwich was OK but not like you would get at Jerry’s. She didn’t care for the seasoning on the fries. BK had Classic Mac and Chicken. That came with a side Caesar that had real Parmesan cheese sliced on the top but seemed to be too light on the dressing. Although she liked her dish, she felt it could have been called pasta and chicken with a little cheese. She had expected true mac and cheese with chicken added but she liked the meal.

We were all very full and mostly satisfied. We opted out for dessert. Our server was pretty good as was the food. I would go there again and again get a hamburger although they have many other interesting items on the menu. The prices are in the upper medium range – our burgers cost about $9, the Rueben was about $10 and the mac and chicken was about $13. The Rock Bottom Brewery is at One Pine Avenue directly across from the Long Beach Convention Center.

Last day in Las Vegas – September 23, 2009 (4)

The best laid plans of mice and whoever – we didn’t go to the Paris. I was ready to leave the city but I wanted to go to that café. When we left the Luxor – a hotel where we will never return – we saw a lot of traffic on the Strip. They are, for a change, constructing and so many lanes are closed. I looked at that and decided to leave the city. I had been asked to review some out-of-the way places in Las Vegas so we decided to look for a place for breakfast. Bonnie took out Jack (our name for our GPS) and found a place called the Original Sunrise Café. We hoped that the place still existed and that it really was a restaurant. If you are one who has read my travels before, you will know that Jack is not always accurate but that was not the case today. We were directed to a mini-mall and there was a small restaurant with people sitting outside and enough people on the inside as well for us to take a chance.

The Original Sunrise Café has no ambiance but it doesn’t need it. They were voted one of the healthiest restaurants in Las Vegas. Don’t think this is health food place because it isn’t. However, they offer healthier choices. That doesn’t mean we chose the healthy way. Bonnie had The Original which is a sandwich on a Kaiser roll. Cut the roll. Put one egg fried with the yolk broken hard. Top that with American cheese, although she had a choice of maybe 6 different cheeses. A sausage patty topped with another egg and another American cheese and topped off with the top of a very good Kaiser roll. She loved it! This came with quite good shredded potatoes. I had the Complete Breakfast with two basted eggs done perfectly, Canadian bacon, the non-greasy shredded potatoes and a toasted Sesame seed bagel with cream cheese. I was given a choice of bacon, Canadian bacon, or sausage. I was also given the choice of potatoes or fruit. The coffee was also excellent.

The Original Sunrise Café doesn’t look like much but it is really a very good place for breakfast and probably other meals as well. This very unassuming restaurant is located at 8975 S. Eastern Ave in Las Vegas, the actual city rather than the strip. In fact there was not one slot machine in the place. Our bill, including tax, came to a little over $20. It is south of the city which makes it somewhat, but not really, on the way. Use a GPS or mapquest or google maps and remember that it is in a mini-mall. This was a great way to end our over-eating trip.

I was so satisfied that I drove all the way home without stopping which is unusual for me. I am glad to be home and will especially like going to sleep in my comfortable bed.

Las Vegas – September, 2009 (3)

This morning we didn’t leave until a little later and we drove to the Rio. Even though we had vowed not to eat any buffets ever again in our lives – we are prone to making those type of impossible for us statements – we couldn’t pass up the one at the Rio. Much of that has to do with price. Another part is that I like to eat a little bit of a lot of different foods. Unfortunately, I do eat a little bit of much too many different foods. We got there just after breakfast so we had to pay the lunch price of $16.95. Before I even go on, let me say that this is an amazing buffet for that price and, if you like large buffets with very good food, the Rio is the place to go.

There are 11 different food stations serving ethnic and American food. They were carving roast beef (too well done for my taste) and ham. I did what I usually do when entering a buffet – I cruise through the situation to decide what I want to eat first. Lo and behold there was lox and both onion and smoked salmon cream cheese. But where was the bagel? I put the lox and cream cheese on my plate and went looking for the bagel. Then I asked and she said that breakfast was over. I replied that I had lox and cream cheese but nothing to put it on. She went to look for a bagel and told me they were all gone. I found that weird. I did put it on a small roll and that worked.

I also had sushi which was very good. They were making this Japanese dish (I forgot what it is called) where you put all the vegetables into a bowl and the meat as well and then they stir fry it. It looked very good but I didn’t get it. I did have a delicious sweet potato dish and some excellent mushroom rice. Carbs, anyone? They had many different kinds of sausages that Bonnie really liked. I was more careful this time and didn’t really overeat but I ate enough. There was also an excellent salad bar with many different salads. Since I didn’t want to overeat, I skipped the salads.

For dessert I had no sugar added chocolate gelato that was wonderful. We also liked the cookies. There was an array of pies and cakes ( some sugar free), bananas foster and so much more. If you want to go to one buffet that doesn’t cost a fortune and is very good, this is the place.

The Rio may have a wonderful buffet but the gambling left a lot to be desired. I lost again. This has not been a profitable trip for me. Well, there is always tomorrow.

I went back to the hotel and again went to the pool area to relax. Again I enjoyed it and Bonnie joined me a little later. We were not hungry at all before the show so we decided to wait to eat until after it. Criss Angel is quite a performer. He teamed up with a group from Cirque de Soleil (sp?). It was a spectacular production with pyrotechnics, lots of fog, and lots of booming noise, much to Bonnie’s chagrin. It was a rather dark story but the dancing was magnificent and his illusions were breathtaking. I sort of wished we saw more of the illusions but we both really enjoyed the show.

By the time it was over, we were hungry and went to the Pyramid Café at the Luxor. Bonnie ordered an appetizer of meatball sandwiches. She got four of them and they were very good. I felt more like a snack than real food so I ordered nachos and got enough to feed four. They were also excellent. The only soda they have here are Pepsi products and our waitress was nice enough to go to the bar and get me a bunch of limes to put into my soda. I think the prices are a bit steep but the portions are very large and we thought the food was quite good.

Tomorrow morning we leave. The check-out time is 11:00 and we are planning on going to my favorite restaurant here - Mon Ami Gabi, a café at the Paris. They have fantastic French onion soup and the crispiest frites I have ever had. That will be our last meal here. I will not be posting this until after I am home since I no longer have internet access.

Las Vegas – September, 2009 (2)

After a pretty sound sleep, I was raring to go this morning. OK – let’s say after creaking my body out of the rather hard bed, I was raring to go this morning. We got moving quite early for us in Vegas (8:30 out and about) because we had decided to buy the $29.95 special buffet here at the Luxor. That meant that we would be able to go to the buffet all day long, come in any time and eat. We had decided this was a good deal and we would try it today so we wanted to get there early. One reason we decided on this is that it cost us almost that much for a lunch. Another reason is that we are not the eaters we used to be and so, although we like buffets, we never eat enough or we stuff ourselves. This time we wouldn’t have to stuff ourselves and we know we would get our money’s worth.

Well, the breakfast brunch was a real disappointment. If we would not have bought the day pass, it would cost $13.95. Having gone to many breakfast buffets here that are close to that price, we both felt this was inferior. I don’t remember everything I ate but all tasted OK. It was just that there weren’t the choices we expected. There were no made-to-order omelets, something we always expect. They had little bagels and cream cheese packets like we get at our free breakfasts at a Hampton Inn but there was no lox or no capers. There were plain all ready made plain omelets. They had tiny cheese blintzes that were quite good. There were nice desserts – donuts, sweet rolls - but Bonnie felt they tasted rather stale. If you are in Las Vegas, go to any other breakfast buffet – not this one.

I mentioned that yesterday I lost my shirt. It was a nice shirt – one I wear when I go out to a nicer place rather than a jean or khaki shirt. Bonnie suggested that I go back to New York New York and ask at security if anyone had turned it in. I thought that would be an impossibility but we went there. I went to security and the 55 year old security man (he volunteered his age after we sort of did some cutesy banter) called in and said they had a yellow plaid men’s shirt. I told him my shirt was yellow, green, blue and white stripes but the stripes are not all the same so maybe someone thought it was plaid. He said he would have them bring it up. I didn’t tell him my shirt is not a man’s shirt, especially when he said it is an XL. So, they brought up the shirt, rolled in a ball in a bag, and it was my not plaid, not men’s yellow, green, blue and white striped woman’s XL shirt that I love. And today, so far, I am ahead $15 so I am not losing my shirt. I am back!!!

Later, we went for lunch to the lunch buffet. This was much better as there were many choices. They had various ethnic stations. I did not care for the Chinese egg roll or fried rice but I did like the chow mein soft noodles. Bonnie really liked the meatballs. I liked the Mexican food. The desserts were small, which I like on buffets, and very good. We both especially liked the chocolate mousse. They have a very small salad bar with few made salads and not much to put on the lettuce as well. This is due to their remodeling the salad bar so, if anyone comes here in a few months, I would imagine that it would be completed and there would be more salad. The lunch meats looked good but we didn’t have any. Lunch, for $14.95, is well worth it. I hope tonight they have carved meats.

I went to the pool and it was just wonderful. I didn’t go in the pool but I did go in the spa and sitting around the pool was so relaxing. I may go tomorrow also.

I will continue this after dinner.

I am stuffed. I will never do this again. Meaning I will never get the buffet special. I have no self-control. I ate so much today that my loosest pants are tight. Dinner is well worth the price. They have made-to-order steak, which I did not have because there was a line waiting, and excellent, tender prime rib done rare as I like it. The steaks were being grilled on a flame and so if you wanted the prime rib cooked more, they would put it on the flame and cook it. There was peeled shrimp, carved turkey breast, much more salad, BBQ ribs and chocolate lava cake, a favorite of mine. They had some of the same food from this afternoon but there was enough more to make it a different buffet for us. We went at about 8:00 and when I went for dessert, it was very empty. Since the buffet is open until 10, I thought that was not very good. The ice cream and frozen yogurt left a lot to be desired. Otherwise, it was well worth the $19.95 that they charge. The whole thing is a good deal except for the overeating part. I feel there are truly many other buffets that may cost more but, if one wants a buffet, they are wonderful – the Paris for one.

Tomorrow we are going to drive to the Rio but not having any more buffets. I will not be writing any more posts from Las Vegas as I will not have access to the Internet. I have lost $9.50 today but I got my shirt back. It was a good day.

Las Vegas – September, 2009 (1)

Since we have been driving to Las Vegas on a somewhat regular basis – maybe 3 times a year lately – or maybe I should say we have been driving on highway 15 more than I ever thought, we now have a standard place we stop, always going and often coming home as well – Peggy Sue’s Diner. This is just a cute restaurant if you like 50’s décor and attitude. The food is pretty good but it is the atmosphere that brings us in. Also, it is just about ½ way to Las Vegas from our house. And the service is usually pretty quick. Today it took us 4 ½ hours to get to Vegas, including our stop for breakfast.

Speaking of which, I had poached eggs – done perfectly for me – hash browns that were OK – perfectly crisp bacon and a slightly underdone English muffin. Bonnie had a good cheeseburger with OK curly fries. We both had diet Coke and left happily full after listening to all that great music in the background. They also give you a tiny Tootsie Roll after eating if you go into the very glitzy and fun attached store.

Our experience, so far, has not been great here at the Luxor. Without going into detail, this hotel just isn’t quite up to the standards of a luxury Las Vegas hotel. We also had some minor problems getting our room and that has been disappointing. We have decided not to stay here again and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

For dinner tonight, we decided to walk over to the Excalibur and go to their coffee shop, the name of which escapes me at the moment. I was shocked at the amount of smoke that I could smell. When the waitress came, I asked if we were sitting in the smoking section. She responded that the smoke comes from the casino which was plenty far from our booth. I think they need a better air filtering system, if they even have one. I ordered French onion soup and it was very good. Bonnie had chicken tenders and she rated them an A- to B+. We also ordered Diet Pepsi and the big plus was that she also brought a carafe so we could fill our own glasses as needed.

Tonight, I lost my shirt in the casino - literally. It is sitting over some chair in some casino. Boo Hoo. It is very hot here and very cold inside so I took my nicest shirt to wear inside as we roamed around. When walking back, I realized that my shirt was not with me. I also lost over my allotted amount of money today. I am now out $35.06. Boo Hoo again. Tomorrow will be a better day!

Cafe Aldente

As we were going to lunch today, one of our neighbors asked where we were going. When we said we were going to lunch, he strongly suggested we try Café Aldente which is located in the same mini-mall as Chin Chin on Ventura but way in the back. We asked about the type of food and he told us they make the best lentil soup and Greek salad he has ever had. He also said their pastas are delicious. I am not the biggest fan of Italian food, especially when I am watching carb intake, but I am a fan of going to new places and I like lentil soup so we took his advice.

I really wonder how anybody finds this restaurant. It is truly hidden behind escalators. We walked in and saw a menu on the wall. There were no other patrons there but it was after 3:00, a little late for lunch and too early for dinner. They had some lunch specials but we were too late for them. The menu is definitely eclectic – skewers, pizza, pasta, sandwiches and paninis, chopped salads of all kinds. The walls had movie posters in Italian but we ended up choosing Mediterranean which is surprising for me. We each ordered lentil soup and then shared chicken skewers.

First we were served 4 small garlic rolls that were really good. Then they brought the very large bowl of lentil soup. This soup has no animal fat or dairy products and it is pureed. My mother-in-law used to puree all her soups and this was thick as were hers. It is probably made from yellow lentils and had a light Mediterranean flavor. Both of us really liked the soup and I was looking forward to the skewers. Much to my surprise, we were served a chopped salad that was quite full of small cubes of fresh vegetables. The problem with the salad was that it had a dressing which to me tasted mostly of vinegar. I hated it and did not eat the salad at all and actually B ate a little and did agree with me about the dressing. One plus was that they divided our meal for us which was great. We each got a skewer with chicken, onion and green and red peppers which we asked him to leave off and he didn’t. The skewer was atop some good rice which was very buttery. There was also a roasted tomato which I didn’t taste. We also got some nice pita bread and a small but sufficient amount of good tasting hummus.

I didn’t care for the taste of the chicken. I can’t really explain why but there was some flavoring that I didn’t care for. I do eat Mediterranean food but I didn’t like this. It was all white meat and there was plenty of it. I felt some was dry but B did not find hers to be like that. We had too much food and brought some home which B can eat since I will pass.

The food was OK. The service was iffy. I had to ask to have our table washed. I was not offered a refill for my iced tea until we had finished eating. We told him that we wanted to take the remainder of our food home and he forgot to give it to us. When B went to the register to charge the bill rather than wait for him to come, after signed the receipt, she had to ask him for our take-home which he had for us. I see no reason to go back there. However, they have some nice specials. On Tuesday night, kids eat free with one adult meal. The specials on Tuesday are pasta dinners for $7.95. Since I didn’t eat a pasta meal and I know the garlic rolls are delicious, I can’t really say whether or not this is a good deal.

Brats Brothers Gourmet Sausage Grill

B dragged me kicking and screaming into this very small restaurant on Ventura Boulevard. Brats and sausages are not my favorite things. I sometimes eat brats when I am at a cook-out in Milwaukee, especially when that is all that is offered or if they have been sufficiently burnt. B is a brat lover so when she read about this place, she wanted to go. Then when we got a coupon for the restaurant, I caved in and off we went after an hour exercising in the pool. She caught me at my hungriest, most exhausted time of day.

A few disclaimers – the first being that I would not be a good judge of brats since I apparently, as B tells me, only like the white ones. I am not sure I even know what that means. We never had brats when we were growing up so I am new to this “delicacy?” My second disclaimer is that I like soft, squishy, white buns. I know that isn’t gustromically (new word I invented) correct as we should all love wheat or many grained rolls. I am not opposed to them but not when I am eating hot dogs – soft and squishy like at the ballpark, or at least as it used to be at the ballpark. My third disclaimer is that I have been watching my carb intake and haven’t had anything other than lower carb bread in a while. My fourth disclaimer is that I really like Hebrew National hot dogs and that was the kind they had.

The menu is on the wall in this tiny restaurant. Orders are taken at the register and then delivered to the table. All sausages are homemade. There are two tables for four and three tables for two. There are also some in a fenced off area outside on Ventura. Luckily for us, there was only one other table taken when we arrived but all were filled and there were a few take-out orders while we were there. There are 20 different kinds of brats and 2 kinds of hot dogs. Some of these are called exotic and they are, featuring ostrich, wild boar, buffalo and lamb. There are also turkey and chicken brats. You can either get just the brat and bun or you can get a combination which includes 2 sides and a drink. The sides are Grandma’s sauerkraut (ick on sauerkraut), roasted red potatoes, red cabbage salad (another ick for me), beef chili, potato salad and cheese spaetzle.

I was very excited when I saw they had hot dogs so I ordered the All American, a grilled Hebrew National dog. Both of us chose not to get the combos since none of the sides appealed to me and B didn’t want any. She chose the Big Cheese which is labeled as a Swiss cheese infused pork brat. We shared a bag of chips at my insistence and they were terrific. We also had our usual Diet Coke which came in a can.

When the food was served, I was dismayed. The bun is not soft and squishy but more like a Kaiser roll hot dog bun. The hot dog was large with both ends hanging out. They serve nothing on the meat unless you order such things as sauerkraut, roasted peppers and onions or grilled onions as toppings. They have 4 different mustard types and ketchup. I put Dijon mustard on my perfectly grilled hot dog – the outside just burnt perfectly. I took a bite into this crunchy bun and loved it. The entire combination was perfect. (Remember disclaimer 3 and 4). B loved her brat which she had with whole grain mustard. I tasted it without the bun and told her I couldn’t taste the cheese and it didn’t taste like a brat to me. B said that was because I only like white brats. OK. She said she could taste the cheese and the brat was a very good. She also loved the bun. She would return there in a minute to try other brats. I would go back also for my same hot dog.

Brats Brothers is at 13456 ½ Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. They are open from 11:30 – 7:00 every day but Sunday when they are open from noon to 4:00 PM.

Big Wangs

Today I was feeling foul – or fowl – after having a cold, muscle clinching, joint locking morning at the pool. It was time for lunch and my mood left a lot to be desired. We wanted to stay in the NoHo area because B had to return and pick up some books at the library. I was too hungry and nasty to go to the library first so I drove up Lankersheim and parked where there were a number of restaurants. We saw a Panara and decided to go there for some black bean soup which they advertise on their Tuesday menu. We walked in and there appears to be no black bean soup on the board. I accuse B of making a mistake in the day. True to form, she gets a menu and shows me that she was correct. I ask the person behind the cash register if they have black bean soup. She replies that they will have it later. I, in my way – remember my mood – told her that will not help me now. I looked at B and said that we should leave. B was fine with that. I said goodbye and the woman said amazingly – you’re not staying? I said no because we came for black bean soup and you don’t have it. Out we walked and she stood there with her mouth open. I think another rather disturbing fact about this is that Panara is supposed to have the freshest food but it was obvious that they were getting rid of yesterday’s soup before they put out today’s.

That left us still hungry so we walked a little and saw Big Wangs. We had no idea what to expect. We walked in and found a sports bar with quite a nice menu. Usually we don’t frequent sports bars but the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament is on and I am a fan so we decided to stay and my mood began to improve. It improved even more when very quickly we were asked what we wanted to drink and we got our Diet Cokes, very large glasses, rather quickly.

As I perused the menu, I saw some very unusual items. Cheeseburger quesadilla as well as other fillings but no plain cheese or chicken - buffalo chicken they did have. They had about 4 different kinds of sliders. B picked the meatball sliders which come with fries. Since this is a wing place, I chose the wings without any sauce. They had 7 different sauces. I sat and pondered these for quite a while – quite a while since it took quite a while for the waitress to come and take our orders. I decided on Teriyaki sauce on the side.

We also waited a bit longer than usual for our meal but it was hardly noticed. I had a second huge glass of Diet Coke and watched the tennis matches while B played with her iPhone. My mood was now curmudgeonly as usual. B’s meal came with 4 very good sliders filled with Italian meatballs which she loved. She said she would go back there and have them again tomorrow. The fries looked very good as they were the thinly sliced ones. However, B said that some of them were crispy but many were somewhat soggy. She said they needed to change their oil. OK. I have no knowledge that old oil causes soggy fries but she knows.

My wings consisted of 6 of the leg part, none of those parts that have no meat. That was a big plus. They were very good, not very greasy but also not very tasteful. I think that is because all of their sauces are very tasty. The teriyaki was and that helped the wings considerably. My meal was an appetizer so it came with two pieces of celery and two pieces of carrots and some nice ranch dressing. I chose the wings with the bone in but they also have boneless wings.

They have two soups – chili and French Onion. They have some salads and some wraps and sandwiches as well as pizza and the unusual quesadillas. It is a sports bar so there are TVs all over. Prices are reasonable enough. Many things had double entendres – such as the name of the restaurant – their motto, “size matters” - the restrooms called cocks and chicks – this is a macho rather sexist restaurant but there were plenty of women in there. I would go back at lunch if I was in the neighborhood but not anywhere close to happy hour because I think the place will really be jumping and loud. I left there feeling much better than I did when I came in.

Web site: http://bigwangs.com

Magnolia Grille and Casa di Giorgio

BK’s sister, CA, who lives in Milwaukee, had suggested I write a review of a restaurant that we went to while we were there, Casa di Giorgio, one that we all enjoyed. I would love to do that but I can’t remember it. I do remember going there and that one friend was late and that my oldest daughter came with us but I have no recollection of what I ate. However, CA has reminded me that it has “good food, service & reasonable prices.” BK remembers having a very good steak. If any of the other people who were there could remember what we ate and give me some more hints so I can remember, I would appreciate it.

I would love people to write even very short messages on this blog about where they have eaten. Wouldn’t it be great to have many reviews from all over the country? However, I have yet to figure out how to get people I don’t know to read this so I just post it on Facebook and hope there might be some ripple effect. If anyone knows how to do this on Blogger, I would love that information.

I write these blogs very soon after the experience because I want it fresh in my mind (never mind my forgetting the whole thing). After water exercise today, we went to the Magnolia Grille, 10530 Magnolia Blvd., in North Hollywood. This is a neighborhood type place and they also bake their own bakery. The first big plus was the Diet Coke. Not only did it cost $1.50, but they brought a good sized carafe of soda to the table so we never had to wait to get more to drink. As you know from my previous posts, this is very important to me.

We were waited on promptly, served the drinks quickly, our orders taken as soon as we were ready and the food delivered in a proper amount of time. We each ordered a cup of chicken tortilla soup and then we shared a hamburger with fruit. The soup was wonderful, although not like a tortilla soup one might have imagined. It had a chicken broth base that was completely devoid of grease, was filled with white meat of chicken, some white cheese, corn, tortilla strips and a slight bit of cilentro. It was thick with ingrediants with no tomato or any real Mexican spices and I loved it as did BK. Our hamburger was a normal burger, good but nothing spectacular. The fruit was fresh and sweet. The wonderful thing was that they split the hamburger and the fruit for us and charged nothing extra. We were very satified with our meal.

We have been here a few times before, mostly for breakfast where there is a choice of freshly baked breads instead of toast – banana and zuchinni are two I saw there today. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Again, if you are in the eastern North Hollywood, western Burbank area, I would recommend the Magnolia Grille.

Shiki Sushi

If you like sushi and you are in the valley – Studio City to be exact – during the lunch hour, make sure you go to Shiki Sushi which is hidden in the back of mini-mall off Ventura Boulevard, east of Coldwater Canyon just past Sportsman’s Lodge. They have a sushi lunch that ranges in price from $7.95 and I think the highest one was $14.95. Come hungry and be prepared to eat some of the best sushi I have eaten.

As usual BK and I (I now use the initials BK because there are many people who have name starting with B) ordered Diet Coke. This time we were given a 12 oz. can that cost $1.50. Sure beats the one we had last week which was smaller and more expensive. I would still prefer the glass that can be refilled. BK ordered that $7.95 lunch (main dish being a shrimp tempura roll) and I ordered the $10.95 lunch (main dish being rainbow roll).

We started out with a bean sprout salad of sorts and miso soup. For the first time that I can remember, BK finished the soup. It was salty but that is what miso soup is. There was no tofu in it but there were a few rice noodles, some spinach and a little onion. There seemed to be something wrong with the way they served our food. After the soup and bean sprouts, we got a salad consisting of lettuce and one tomato soaked in French dressing. That we didn’t care for. It would have been fine if there was less dressing. Then I got my next course, three pieces of sushi – one piece of tuna, one piece of yellowtail and one piece of salmon. It was terrific. The fish that they put on top of the rice was huge, well over the ends of the rice, and it melted in my mouth. BK watched me eat. We waited for some time when our waitress came with BK’s second course and her entrée. Her second course, a California roll – 8 pieces, and her entrée, shrimp tempura roll of 6 extra large pieces was brought all at the same time. And I sat with nothing. And I waited as BK was thoroughly enjoying her meal. Finally, the waitress came over and told me that my rainbow roll would be out soon. It wasn’t too long before I had it and it was wonderful. If you don’t know, a rainbow roll is a California roll with strips of tuna, yellowtail and salmon on the top. It was huge and just wonderful. I ate every bit as did BK.

This food is a bargain and it is excellent sushi. I am not a connoisseur never having been to the really expensive sushi restaurant. I am comparing this to the medium priced sushi and this beats every one coming and going. The service left something to be desired but the food did not. The place was very crowded which may be one reason for the way we were served. I don’t think they have specials like this in the evening. If you just ordered the rainbow roll by itself, the cost is $10.95. Go for lunch and enjoy.

Redondo Beach Pier and Tony’s Restaurant

This past weekend we celebrated the birthday of a close friend. The four of us have a tradition where we treat the birthday person to a meal of their choice at a restaurant of their choice. This time, M chose to spend the afternoon at the Redondo Beach Pier capping off with dinner at Tony’s which is right on the pier.

The Pier was having a sidewalk chalk drawing display. I don’t know if it was being judged but I don’t think so. There were some really creative drawings and then there were many done by children. There was also music, one being a drum circle, and bands. However, the most interesting event was the dolphin run. First we thought it was a race somewhere. There was little information on the poster except that all proceeds would go to the library. We walked around the pier, seeing people pick out their crabs, watching them die in the boiling water and then pulling them apart to eat the tasty meat. I prefer mine away from the live animal so I can forget that it was once a living creature that has a right to live.

As we walked more, we noticed many people were standing along the railing looking at the water. We looked and saw nothing except what looked like a group of blue junk floating. I went to a police officer and asked what everyone was looking at. He said the dolphin run. I looked and then said that I needed more of an explanation. He said they take the dolphins and throw them in the water from a boat and the first one to reach the beach wins. I must have looked horrified as I pictured these poor dolphins being thrown from a boat and I didn’t see any. After seeing my face, he said that they were plastic dolphins about 3 to 4 inches long and each one was bought by someone which is where the library gets its money. The blue stuff in the water were the plastic dolphins. We walked to the other side to get a better view. Watching this was almost like watching grass grow. We stood there for quite a while and then we decided it was time to eat dinner.

Luckily, we were able to get a table right next to the windows, some of which were open, and right on the ocean. In fact, for part of the time, a sea gull stood on the railing intently watching us. Three of us ordered iced tea and BK ordered a Diet Coke. Tony’s is mainly a seafood restaurant but they do have other food as well. The four of us really like seafood so this was perfect. I asked the waitress which of the fish are fresh and she said they only have fresh fish. There was an extensive seafood menu with many different choices. There were two specials. One was crab stuffed shrimp which BJ ordered. The other was lobster and shrimp linguini in a lemon garlic butter sauce which both M and BK ordered. I ordered the lightly breaded, sautéed halibut. Both BJ and I ordered rice as our side. All dinners include soup and salad which is really unusual today and they were all below $24.

First we were served bread and butter. It looked fresh but none of us ate any. Then BK, M and I had clam chowder. BJ passed on the soups. There were three choices – clam chowder, minestrone and smoked salmon chowder. We all liked the flavor and there were many, tender clams and not many potatoes which to me is always a plus. However, it was rather thin and seemed to be thickened with corn starch and little creamy type base that we are used to. BK and I had some of the most wonderful clam chowder ever in the Maritime Provinces and down the east coast so maybe we are a bit spoiled. We all declared that the soup was good but not great.

We were then served a salad consisting of various types of extremely fresh and crispy lettuce and those who ate the croutons said they were good – not excellent. The salad dressing was also fine. As the waitress brought the entrees, she tipped one of the linguini plates and spilled some of the butter sauce but not on any of us or our table. BK felt that didn’t detract from her dish. This was a plate full of linguini covered with many, many chunks of lobster and many shrimp, all of which were very good. The problem with the meal was the sauce. It didn’t have very much flavor. Both felt it was a bit tasteless and, after BK finished her meal, she saw many garlic cloves but they were whole, not crushed or diced so the flavor never permeated the sauce. Both finished their meal and really liked the seafood.

BJ had the crab stuffed shrimp – four extremely large ones. They were delicious. The stuffing was made up almost entirely of crab and then had been browned on the top. She ate two of them and took the others home for a delicious dinner the next day. My halibut was as tasty as any I have ever had. It was lightly breaded and very moist. It was a very large piece of fish and I savored every bit of it. BJ and I both had the rice and it was the kind that is often served in restaurants which I really liked it as did BJ.

I had told our waitress that we were celebrating M’s birthday and she told us that they would give her their famous chocolate mousse. When she gave us the dessert menu, BK and I decided to share a piece of Red Velvet Cake and that was a great decision. They gave us a nice size piece. The cake had 4 layers filled with cream cheese frosting and dark chocolate slabs like candy bars. It was fantastic. M’s birthday mousse came with a lit candle. Thankfully, for her, they did not send in all the waitstaff to sing. We very quietly sang and she blew out the candle. There was a lot of whipped cream on what appeared to me to be not that much mousse. Since I don’t like whipped cream, this would not have been great for me. But M does love whipped cream and BJ tasted the mousse and announced that it was very good. The best part was that it was on the house, a very nice gesture.

While we were eating, we looked out to the water and saw that some of the plastic dolphins had made it to land. After dinner we continued a walk on the pier and listened for a while to band that was playing. This was a very nice afternoon and evening. Our dinner was very good. The setting was beautiful. The company was great. What more could a person want?

The Beachcomber – Malibu

This morning I realized that I was in a rut. Wake up – eat breakfast – go to gym – eat lunch – read – eat some dinner - watch TV – go to bed. Every day, Monday through Friday, I do the same things. I realize that most people live like this and I did when I worked but my work was always exciting and different within itself. I have to have more variety so today I declared I wasn’t going to the pool. That did not upset B in the least. I wanted to go somewhere and, after reading the Westways magazine from AAA, we decided to go to Malibu for lunch. They had a wonderful write-up for The Beachcomber at Malibu Pier so, after I slowly got dressed, we were on our way.

The ride was very pleasant. We took Topanga Canyon, knowing we would then have a ways to drive on PCH which is always calming for me. The temperature was 92 in Woodland Hills and 72 in Malibu. We hit some construction on Topanga Canyon which was reminiscent of our recent journey as we waited about 10 minutes to be able to drive on the one lane road. When I drove into the parking lot, I immediately saw the handicap parking. After pulling in, I felt I should go and ask the man collecting money if I needed to pay. He told me it cost $14 and when I came back with validation, he would return $10 to me. I pulled out a $20 bill and he said he had no change and did I have correct change. I looked and showed him I had 4 single dollars and just 20s. He took the $4 and told me to forget about it. I saw the sign that said $14 for beach parking, $4 for restaurant parking. Did we look like people who were going to the beach? I think not.

To our recollection, we hadn’t ever been out on Malibu Pier. We remembered it only as being closed due to some storm and it was questionable as to whether or not it would be open again. The Beachcomber is not actually out on the pier but rather just before the pier. They have two areas to eat, one on each side of the pier. We went to the outside desk and asked for a table for two outside. The woman asked if we minded being in the sun. Well, B doesn’t like to sit in the sun because she gets too hot and I like the sun so we told her we needed some shade but not entirely in the shade. She had us walk up a few steps to a sort of deck and was going to seat us there. I immediately told her that I could not sit on the high chairs that were around the high tables. I also felt that those seats were much too far from the view of the ocean. She then did find us a table right next to the glass wind breaker, right next to the ocean. This was perfect and I wondered why she was going to sit two older women on bar chairs away from the water.

She gave us the menus and left. Then our waiter came and asked about drinks – Diet Coke for B and iced tea for me. I didn’t want to get stuck with a bottle like yesterday and wanted as many refills as I desired. As it turned out, the drinks were constantly being refilled and we never had to ask. At the table next to us, a woman didn’t know which wine she really wanted. The waiter actually brought her samples of the two wines for her to try. I thought that was a nice touch.

Now the food. B. ordered “wild mushroom and truffle mac” and I ordered a club house sandwich. When they brought out food, B. was a bit surprised because she expected more of a macaroni and cheese dish and this didn’t look like that at all. I was surprised because the person who delivered my food spilled about half of my fries and the ketchup all over the floor. None of it came on me and he swiftly cleaned it up as our waiter also quickly came over to see what happened. He asked if I wanted more fries and as I opened my mouth to say no (I had promised myself not to eat any fries so I thought it was divine intervention that put less on my plate), B. says yes she does want more. They brought me a full bowl of fries which B polished off easily. They were very good and I did eat those left on my plate. My sandwich was on toasted artisan bread. It consisted of real turkey as opposed to deli turkey, lettuce, tomato, bacon and avocado. It was very good as was the cole slaw that also came with it. I even liked the pickle. B’s meal was fantastic. I took one taste and could have eaten the entire, delicious meal. As it was, B ate ½ and took the rest home for dinner. The pasta was this curly-que kind. There were a number of different kinds of mushrooms in this magnificent light sauce which apparently was made from truffles. What a treat!

Our waiter nonchalantly put the dessert list on our table. Had he asked if we wanted dessert, I would have quickly said no. However, faced with the list, B had to order the one dessert they showed in the magazine - s’more sundae. This consists of a scoop of vanilla ice cream with four half squares of graham cracker sticking up on the side of the dish. Along one side and a little on the top was chocolate, some that hardened on the ice cream. Along another side with a little on top was marshmallow which had been fired with a torch. Then there was whipped cream on top of that. I have put a picture on Facebook. B described this dessert as not as good as it looked and over-priced at $8.99. We both felt there should be more chocolate and B thought that a place like that should have their own whipped cream, not from a can. She is a connoisseur of whipped cream. It did taste good and the ice ream was very creamy. I helped her eat it.

The setting is wonderful. The food was very good to excellent. I would skip the expensive dessert next time. After lunch we walked out on the pier where people were fishing and the waves were splashing. It was so nice. The weather was perfect. There is a Ruby’s Diner at the far end of the pier but all seating is inside. I would go back again when I need a reprieve from the daily life and want to feel like I am somewhere else. I also love to be next to the water – ocean, lake, river, pond – makes no difference. I am now revived. Maybe that’s because I am a Scorpio.

La Frite

Ah, coupons. Aren’t they wonderful? They get me into restaurants that I don’t often frequent. This is what happened today as B and I were trying to decide where to go for lunch. If we are going to eat out, which as can been seen is often, we prefer to go for lunch and eat a lighter dinner at home. This is especially true when, like today, we have been to the Y. Today we had a coupon allowing us to buy 1 lunch and get 1 lunch 50% off at La Frite, a restaurant that we have been to quite a few times over the years but don’t go to on any regular basis,.

My first disappointment occurred when we couldn’t sit outside. After all, who wouldn’t want to sit outside on a beautiful day watching all the noisy traffic on Ventura Boulevard? Directly next to the outdoor patio was a tar truck filling a hole and I didn’t want to smell tar throughout my lunch. So we were seated at a very nice booth and were immediately asked what we would like to drink. This is a common question usually given by the person who seats us to make sure we are placated while waited for service. This was my second disappointment. We ordered our usual Diet Cokes and were each served a cute 10 oz. bottle with a little glass full of ice. Now we knew there were no refills. Boo Hoo – especially when it cost $2.75 per bottle.

That was the ending of disappointments. Everything else was, again, terrific. We passed on the rolls because we are watching carbs? The question mark is because our lunches were not at all low carb, but every little bit helps – right? Almost every time we have been here, we have had crepes. Today, B did not break that habit as she had a ham, mushroom and cheese crepe. This crepe is not just a rolled piece of dough filled with ham, mushrooms and cheese. This is a baked dish which came to her bubbling. It is rich and wonderful and she finished every bit of it. I ordered something I hadn’t had here before – vegetable quiche, which was different than any quiche I have ever had. I got a very healthy slice that was made in layers. The bottom was a tender crust. Then came a layer of eggs with some cheese; then the layer of spinach and mushrooms; then a layer of cheese the top of which was either put in the broiler or torched as is done with crème brulee. It was fantastic. My lunch also came with a small salad of a nice lettuce and two small slices of nicely ripe tomato and a little too heavy but delicious dressing. My entire plate was clean.

The waiter was attentive without being intrusive. La Frite has delicious frites (fries) and reminds me in some ways of cafes in Paris. One aspect which took away from the French ambiance was the music – The Blend on Sirius/XM radio which I like a lot but didn’t seem to fit here. La Frite is on Ventura Boulevard, a few blocks east of Sepulveda. It has a yellow and black awning which makes it easy to see. We have been there for Sunday brunch (not buffet) and have had various crepes which are always excellent (and very rich).

Studio Café

Studio Café, also known to me as Jinky’s East, has one of the same problems as the original Jinky’s – lack of parking. That didn’t bother me when I lived in Sherman Oaks because we always walked there. After we moved, one of our many moves during that time, we found ourselves rarely going there because of parking. We would park in Ralphs parking lot and hope nobody would notice. Studio Café is closer to our home but it isn’t within my walking distance. They have a parking lot which is taken over for valet parking and cost $2 even during off hours. This is another of my pet peeves – restaurants with large parking lots that still have a valet. I then refuse to park there and find parking on the street. Today we were lucky as we found a space right around the corner. By the way, the parking lot had maybe 4 cars in it.

We were immediately seated and received our usual Diet Cokes while we looked over the menu. We decided to get a hamburger with sweet potato fries and a bowl of chicken vegetable soup. Since the hamburger was ½ pound, we decided to split it but I wanted sweet potato fries and B doesn’t care for them. She ordered the bowl of soup. The waiter brought everything at the same time which was fine with B and he also brought two plates without us having to ask. I did have to request a refill on my soda. The soup was excellent with many vegetables and chicken in what looked like fat free broth. There was also garlic toast as a side with the soup. The hamburger was served on a fresh wheat bun and was perfectly done as we had asked – medium. It comes plain with purple onion, a slice of tomato, lettuce, jalapeño, and pickles on the side. I like tomato and pickle on my half and Bonnie asked for and received Dijon mustard and pickles on her half. Both of us declared that this was again a wonderful hamburger. The sweet potato fries were excellent, not at all greasy.

I wonder if others have noticed that hamburgers seem to be much better than they used to be. Is that because they are making them so much bigger? Is it because they are using better meat? There was a Kobe burger but we chose the plain burger. I can’t remember exactly what the burger cost but it wasn’t cheap. Again, wouldn’t it be nice if they had a ¼ pound burger at half the price? Our bill came to something over $24 without the tip, a little high I think for soup, a hamburger, fries and two sodas. I did, however, bring home about half the fries.

I think I have been going to some very good restaurants and had some very good meals lately. I like that. Studio Café is on the corner of Colfax and Ventura in Studio City.

Souplantation

I had decided not to post any reviews of restaurants that I frequent but I may do that once in a while. I also had decided not to post any reviews of national chain restaurants unless something wonderful or terrible happens at them. In one previous review I did mention The Cheesecake Factory but I really didn't review it. So, now one of the restaurants that I probably go to a little less than once a month - Souplantation.

Do you sometimes just hanker for a really good salad bar? Go to Souplantation.
Do you like excellent soups? Go to Souplantation.
Do you like pretty good muffins, bread and other baked goods? Go to Souplantation.
Do you like mediocre pasta? Go to Souplantation.
Do you like really creamy frozen yogurt? Go to Souplantation
Do you like all-you-can-eat restaurants that have healthy choices? Go to Souplantation.

I do not like salads. I go out of my not to eat them or many vegetables. There was a time in my life that I forced myself to eat them but suddenly I realized what I was doing and went back to not eating them unless they are well disguised. Here I can disguised them very well with all sorts of stuff in my salad. Every time I have been there the vegies are always really fresh as is everything else.

I love soup - almost any kind of soup so this is nirvana for me. There is healthy, low fat soup as well as delicious creamy soup, usually six types. I have loved them all but, then again, like live musicals, there is hardly any that I don't love.

Here is a tip - join Club Vegie. There are many coupons that come through email for members. There is also a free birthday coupon. And if you are over 60, you always get 10% off the bill. I go most often to the one in Porter Ranch because I like it the most. I first found Souplantation when we lived in El Segundo and went to the one in Marina Del Rey. I was not as impressed by the ones in Brentwood or Pasadena. Enjoy the soup and salad and muffins and brownies and frozen yogurt and fruit and numerous kinds of drinks and did I mention the baked potatoes?

Daily Grill

On Sunday evening, after a very interesting lecture, B and I and two friends went for dinner to Daily Grill in Studio City in a mini-mall at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard. We were there a bit early (5:00 PM) and were immediately seated. We ordered our drinks (3 Diet Cokes and 1 iced tea) and then perused the menu. This is also a restaurant that I have been to many times so I knew their menu. I had been thinking about having fish. They had a parmesan crusted Alaskan halibut on their special menu that appealed to me. However, I became turned off to having any fish when I went to the rest room, passed the kitchen and the odor of fish was overwhelming. I am not a great fish eater and fishy smell or bones in my fish stop me in my tracks. One of my friends suggested that the smell came because they filet their fish and this was probably the stuff they threw away that smelled but that made no difference to me.

One of my companions and I chose a chicken quesadilla, hold the sour cream. It was delicious. There was plenty of cheese but not so much that the tortilla got soggy. All the chicken, and there was a lot of chicken, was entirely white meat and tender. The guacamole and salsa were very good. The only problem was that it was so big. Actually, we could have shared one but I, true to form, cleaned my plate – except for the lettuce. B had fish and chips which she said was delicious. B was unphased by the fishy odor. It was fried tilapia, fried golden brown and not at all greasy. There were three large pieces, one of which she brought home for Monday night dinner along with some of the fries which she also was unable to finish. I have had the fries at Daily Grill in the past and I also have always found them to be wonderful. Our fourth companion ordered the cheeseburger and fries. This is a 12 oz burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and I can’t remember what else. She ordered it medium rare and that is exactly how it was served. She also was unable to finish the huge meal.

If I have any complaint at all, it would be that the portions are too large. I would like it if they, as well as other restaurants, would offer smaller portions at lower prices. Daily Grill is a bit pricey but they serve these enormous portions. Almost everyone leaves with a “doggy” bag. The Cheesecake Factory has the same problem – extra large portions and moderately high prices but they have started to have a menu of “small bites,” if I remember the name correctly, but the menu was limited. The Cheesecake Factory also has lunch size portions, which are still large but are a bit better, up until 5:00. The only thing that makes these large portions worthwhile is if they can be divided between two people or if half can be taken home for a meal the next day. But for people like me, it makes eating less much more difficult.

Having said that, I am still sure I will return to the Daily Grill because everything I have ever eaten there has been very good. By the way, they sometimes have specials and do send out a free, I think, birthday meal if you sign up for their club. Look online and check it out. http://www.dailygrill.com/

Hugo's Restaurant

Hugo’s Restaurant

B and I decided to have dinner at a place we frequent, Hugo's. We go to the one on Riverside and Coldwater Canyon because we often walk there. This time we drove. One reason for walking is the difficulty of parking. It is a popular restaurant and the parking lot is often filled. Luckily, probably because we were early on a Saturday night, there was parking space available. By the time we left, the lot was almost full.

Hugo's is not a place to go for a quiet, intimate meal. It can get rather noisy. There is a somewhat outside eating area which looks like a veranda around part of the restaurant and is enclosed when the weather is poor. We chose to eat indoors. Hugo’s has many choices including vegan, vegetarian and plenty for us carnivores. They also have numerous teas available. We were seated quickly and were served our Diet Cokes immediately. I had to search the menu because I wanted something I had never had before. They had a special menu but nothing there appealed to me. The waiter was very patient as he kept returning when it looked like I had decided. I finally chose Hugo’s shepherd’s pie with turkey. I had the choice of turkey, meat or tofu. B wanted her usual - Pasta Mama - which consists of pasta, eggs, lots of garlic, spices and parmesan cheese.

We were given warm multi-grain rolls which are always delicious while we waited. Our Diet Coke glasses were also refilled without our asking. When the food came, B said hers was as delicious as always. My pie was made up of turkey cubes, various vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, and more all diced in very small pieces), thin mushroom gravy all covered with mashed potatoes and melted parmesan cheese browned on the top. It was really lovely looking. I was also served a side salad, very large for a side salad, made up of various lettuces and covered with a very good vinaigrette dressing. I am not a salad eater unless there is a lot of stuff in the salad but I tasted this and really liked it. B and I shared the salad. The shepherd’s pie was excellent. It was tasty and amazingly light. Our portions were large enough that we both took home half our meals. When we heated them up the next day, they were still delicious.

Hugo’s is not cheap, as far as price goes. However, they use only quality ingredients and I have always felt the food was worth the cost. I would also recommend the hamburgers and the oatmeal frittata which is unique and wonderful. They have a full menu on line ( http://www.hugosrestaurant.com/ ) and also have a restaurant in West Hollywood. I will return many times again as I still have items I have not tried on this varied menu.