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.
Showing posts with label Sherman Oaks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sherman Oaks. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
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.
Friday, September 4, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
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).
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
