goodnightdean's Profile
birthday dinner patio suggestions?
Can anyone suggest a restaurant that has a great patio? I'm hoping to host my birthday dinner for 10-20 people in early June...I'm adventurous and open to most any type of cuisine, but would prefer a decent wine list (or BYO!). Blue-line friendly is preferable, but not a must.
Masa in Echo Park?
horrible.
i ate there on Saturday night (01/26/08) with a party of 5 and it was not a pleasant dining experience.
my boyfriend threw up the crepes and the mussels gave my friend dia****a (sorry, i couldn't bring myself to say it on a food messageboard, but i felt the truth should be told!).
i had the bistro pizza (not sure why it took 30 minutes) with mushroom and pineapple and there was no flavor whatsoever. the sauce was indistinguishable and the crust was totally hard and tasted like it was made from a box. the only thing i could taste was the salty cheese.
i had a bite of BF's mushroom and spinach crepe and it was completely bland, no seasoning, wet, soggy, a pile of mush that resembled a quesedilla.
the crinkle-cut fries that they give you with the mussels are a joke-- they're frozen from a bag! how can you pair thick, tasteless fries with something as delicate as mussels?
overall the portions are WAY too big. the mussels and fries would barely fit on the table in front of my friend. the bistro pizza could feed 3 people. they really need to take some tips from Gordon Ramsey (haha, sorry, but its true!) and whittle down their menu to half the size it is now. focus on doing a few things really well, rather than doing a lot of things really poorly.
our waiter was nice, but too personal (he cussed a lot and was too buddy-buddy) and he made weird noises that were odd and startling (like "WOO WOO! when he'd bring our food out).
i'm never going back to Masa and I'm spreading the word...
New Pizza Joint in Eagle Rock
but do they deliver?
i love Casa Bianca and Folliero's in Highland Park, but neither of them deliver! I generally dont mind picking up, but sometimes it's nice to order in and it seems like there are hardly any good restaurants in the area that deliver (no Thai places either!).
Food & Drink Near The El Rey
Go to HMS Bounty after the show. Sure there'll be scenesters there, but its a good semi-divey post rock show place to grab drinks. Either there, or The Prince. Honestly, though, I'd only go to the Prince if I was with a Korean friend...they treat you totally differently and its way better.
Where can i get a great taco?
i cannot believe that no one has mentioned the La Estrella taco truck in Highland Park at York & Ave 54. it is by far THE BEST tacos i've ever had and their pastor is soooo good. its super cheap too. they have a few trucks plus a standing restaurant with tables outside (Figueroa & 61 I think). I love bring out-of-towners to the truck...they think its so weird!
Silverlake Happy Hours
sure, the Bigfoot Lodge is pretty cool...havent been in abotu a year, but its full of taxidermy, hunting decor, and i think they even have a plaid carpet. its dark but cosy, full of wannabe hipsters, but its not too bad. i like it.
dont know about happy hours though...
Marty's in Highland Park - Menu
a friend called me from Marty's last weekend...
"WeHo has moved into Highland Park," he said.
i went to investigate and sure enough, he was right...the door guys and the bartenders were super nice, which makes me feel bad for the rest of my review...but it must be done, right?
the decor and interior make the space feel like its trying too hard to be fancy. the walls are "texture painted" a salmon color and its mostly dark wood. the leather benches/couches are alright, but are they serious with the pillows? please do not make pillows available in a bar...the lighting is low and comes from some circle ceiling light thing...hey, i was drinking, i dont remember everything ;)
i think it was the clientelle that was the major turn off...lots of "dudes" with slicked back hair, shirts open, giving me the look-up-and-down and the "hey baby", even though i was obviously sitting right next to my boyfriend! lots of lip-liner and pushup bras on the ladies...it just seemed pretty deuchy to be honest...
the barback/bartender came out to collect drinks and picked up my friends half-finished greyhound...some guy sitting next to us was all "hey man, that guy wasnt finished!" and the bartender brought him a new drink. that was pretty nice.
the food smelled good and the fries looked delish, but we didnt have anything.
i'd go back if there was nothing else to do and i was with some brave friends who were up for people watching and sharing a few things off the menu...
