Hapafish's Profile
Tonight Palate Food & Wine or Barbrix?
yeah, I did see some bad reviews concerning service at Palate. We did end up going to Barbrix and had a lovely time. Love the artic char (think they should go a little lighter on the remoulade but the fish was perfectly cooked) and the pancetta with mushroom!
Thankyou for your opinion.
Tonight Palate Food & Wine or Barbrix?
I can't decide! Please throw in your 2 cents Chowhounds! Even if you don't see this posting til after the fact. I'm still interested in your opinions. Thanks!
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Palate Food & Wine
933 South Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204
Barbrix Restaurant and Wine Bar
2442 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Eva Restaurant on Beverly Blvd
Wow. I've been trying to decide whether or not to celebrate my birthday dinner here. After reading these reviews and being in the service industry myself I don't think I could handle this kind of service. Sounds like bad management. Too bad.
mid-week prix fixe menus?
Yes The Park in Echo Park (thepark1400sunset.com) has pre fixes on Tuesdays (15$) and Fridays. Also connected to the Dominick's recommendation is Little Dom's. They do their 15$ pre fixe on Monday. I believe Roy's has a prefixe as well at all locations.
I second taking advantage of Dine LA week coming up!
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Roy's Restaurant
800 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Little Dom's
2128 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
the best SANDWICH in (Los Angeles) period.
I have tried another sub at Mario's.( can't remember the name of it now. perhaps it is a newer one they have been marketing lately. I think it has an acronym for a name) Anyway, it was deeelicious! I added Italian peppers to it. Wow. I'll have to try the Bad Boy next time.
Ok, i just looked it up. It's the S.O.B.
http://mariosdeli.com/
HIGHLY recommend.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Argentinian Restaurant - Malbec [Review] w/ Pics!
OK! I tried Malbec for lunch today with a friend and had a very good experience! Being in the hospitality industry myself, I noticed the attentive and friendly service right away. We were welcomed at the door and I barely had to raise a finger or eyebrow for someone to be right there. So that was wonderful.
The chimichurri was delicioso! You were so right.
We started with the empenadas. One steak and one spinach and cheese. I had to laugh to myself when I saw the ham and cheese option because we were inundated with that combo when we were in Argentina. I joked with my friends when I got back that it was like the 5 stages of accepting death with the ham and cheese. Starting out in denial, incredulous that every eating establishment had serve it, to anger, to finally acceptance, my last couple days having it for breakfast. But I digress.
They were really delicious. The shell had just the right balance of crustiness and doughy-ness.
I had their split pea soup. It had good flavor but was very salty! (and I am a lover of salt) I'm pretty sure the soup had little pieces of bacon or some kind of pork so maybe this was different than the vegan split pea you had. I also had the sole with a lemon caper sauce. Once again, the amount of capers did give a leaning on the salty side but i am a "salty" person so it didn't ruin it for me. The fish was a good portion and was served with spinach and mashed potatoes. My friend had the Malbec salad which she enjoyed. All ingredients were super fresh. We had a glass of the Navarro Malbec from Mendoza--really good, easy drinking, perfect for lunch.
I am excited about this find and am looking forward to returning for dinner where we will have more time to dine and enjoy more food and wine. Thankyou for the tip!
Very Specific (Mexican)
Yes, I agree. I've been to Ernie's and did not enjoy it all that much. I found it kind of greasy and tasteless, not too different than El Torito or Acapulco's IMO. I would love to find a really great Mexican restaurant that has real margaritas in my area!
I am familiar with Paco's and Don Antonio's on the westside and like them but they're too far for everyday dining...
Mi Piace (Pasadena) - Reviews?
Wow! can't believe this thread is still going but here goes! My co workers and I do enjoy their happy hour prices. (I think they have a special on Mondays all night long) The caprese, calamari and tuna were all decent (especially when it's half off!) Martinis too. probably wouldn't go for a full priced meal though. the ambiance is cool--kinda modern decor. Service is OK. We sit in the bar though.
I second the Brigante rec. (in south pas) It's very good all around--food, ambiance,service.
Very Specific (Mexican)
I am soo glad someone made this post since I too have been searching for a great mexican restaurant in the northeast LA area. We just moved to this area and really like it. It is close to Silver Lake, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, South Pas, Los Feliz, even downtown is not too far away.
So last night I tried Bahia Caporales in Burbank. They also do not have a full liquor license. They said they make their margaritas from a liquor made from Agave. It was OK but I wanted to throw that out there. My friend and I both had the filet of sole with butter and garlic that the server recommended. It was fine but didn't blow me away. Their ambiance was a TV in the corner playing novellas really loudly. We asked if we could move to the opposite side of the room but they offered to turn it down. They do have the cozy booths and decor that the OP may be looking for. reminded me of Don Cuco's a little bit. I liked their chips that they served with salsa--crisp and thin.
Cafe Firenze - Please pack your knives and go.
OMG! this sounds horrible! maybe we won't make the trek...
Your Friendly Neighborhood Argentinian Restaurant - Malbec [Review] w/ Pics!
Thankyou for this review! Hubby and I spent our honeymoon in Argentina a few months ago and have been jonesing for a good Argentinean place. I did notice a place opened on Colorado in dreaded Old Town but this place sounds like it may be better.
Will definitely check it out.
Cafe Firenze - Please pack your knives and go.
Realize this is a few months later but was thinking about making the trek to check it out one day, maybe for lunch (?) but after reading this, I'm not sure. When I think about it, he didn't do THAT well in alot of the challenges with the exception early on with his special treatment of the olives on the Show Your Craft episode. (which I hope he serves at the restaurant b/c I am intrigued!)
I think his charm, personality and good looks has taken him a long way...not that that's a bad thing but I'm just saying....
15 in Echo Park: Still open?
We ate there a few weeks ago. It is called Allston's Yacht Club (A.Y.C. ) now. They have a small plates menu. it was decent. We liked the brussel sprouts. The french fries were good too but really salty! The pork belly was good but the fat was a little chewy not the melt in your mouth variety. Mushrooms with miso were good but very small portion. The best was their cheese plate. You create your own plate from a menu of cheeses which come from Silver Lake Cheese. Corkage is 15$.
The owners were present and were very friendly and hospitable.
PLEASE POST YOUR VOTES HERE: Ultimate Los Angeles Restaurants 2008
oh darn, shows me right for not scrolling to the bottom
PLEASE POST YOUR VOTES HERE: Ultimate Los Angeles Restaurants 2008
Over 25$
1 . Pizzeria Mozza
2. Craft
3. Roy's
4. Palate
5. Nook Bistro ( i agree, Nosh)
Under 25
1. Din Tai Fung
2. Gingergrass
3. Miya Sushi (their chicken katsu lunch special cannot be beat)
4. Casa Bianca
5. Porto's
Delicious Japanese Tempura Specialist: Komatsu [Review] w/ Pics!
This is so exciting. cannot wait to try it! I do not live close to torrance but will have to make a special trip.
Delicious Japanese Tempura Specialist: Komatsu [Review] w/ Pics!
Thankyou for your review! This place will also be a must try for me. I still think about a tempura bar a friend took me to when I lived in Japan where everything was ordered a la carte like that. The tempura was so light (and delicious) it seemed like it could fly away. I didn't know places like that existed here in the States.
I'm curious about the seating. Did you sit at a bar, facing the chef who would fry your tempura to order right in front of you? I remember it being like that in Japan...
Gourmet unpopped popcorn?
Wow. This is my type of posting! I Love making my own popcorn. I quite enjoy the "Yard of popcorn" from Cost Plus. There are 3 different types of popcorn that come in a yard-long tube.
As an aside, if you're ever in the napa valley area the culinary institute (Greystone) has a nice store where they do sell a variety pack of gourmet popcorn. The popcorn containers say "Fireworks Popcorn Company" with the popcornlovers.com web address on the back but the box itself says "Natural American Popcorn" and there is a toll free number on the back 1-877-668-4800. Looks like they are out of Belgium, WI
Valentine's Review: Craft, Will you be mine?
yes, the lamb was featured as a dish to be shared (for 2) and don't forget the cappucino.
Valentine's Review: Craft, Will you be mine?
Yes! they did give us muffins at the end! I remembered that later. I think they were a pumpkin spice or carrot cake (?) I enjoyed them the next morning. The bill was around 300$ if I peaked correctly before my fiance snapped it shut!
I don`t think that`s bad at all. The reason we used valet is b/c we felt like we were running a little bit late for our schedule (I really wanted to get there early to "try out" the bar) and we were also frazzled from the traffic. It was really bad that night. guess everyone was rushing to get somewhere! But now that I know they validate for parking no charge we will use that option next time. the valet was 8$.
Izakaya Honda Ya - Little Tokyo
Do they take reservations for parties larger than 5? does anyone know? i plan to go with a group for my b-day.
Valentine's Review: Craft, Will you be mine?
Last night my fiance and I celebrated Valentine's Day at Craft and I cannot stop thinking and dreaming about it. One of the best meals/experiences I've ever had was at Craftsteak in Las Vegas so when I heard it was coming to LA I was ecstatic. I also had very high expectations. Craft LA did not disappoint.
First let me just say that when we were in the making reservations process a couple months ago, it came down to Craft or Fraiche (a restaurant which I had heard very good things about and have been wanting to try) but whoever was taking the rsvns for Fraiche was not as hospitable as Craft, actually borderline rude. So Craft it was!
Now having dined here, I can attest that the same hospitable spirit and attitude we received on the phone reflects itself throughout the whole restaurant. Every person we came across--greeter, bartenders, bussers, runners, amuse bouche guy, servers--were effecient, knowledgeable, gracious, and accomodating. (not one bit of snootiness) Don't worry I still plan to visit Fraiche but I just wanted to touch upon how impressed I was by Craft's consistent thread of great service from start to finish.The staff at Craft strikes the perfect balance between being professional and also being open and warm.
While waiting for our table we tried two of their signature cocktails , the guava margarita and the pomegranite cranberry proseco. (sorry I can't remember their proper names) They were good but not noteworthy. I think next time I'll just order a martini. The candied nuts and marinated olives they serve at the bar were delicious though. We tried not to eat too much of them but found we couldn't help ourselves especially with the olives!
They informed us our table was ready midway through so somebody transported our drinks and the bartenders encouraged us to just transfer our tab to our table bill (very nice).
There was no pre fixe menu but there were some specials printed in the box at the bottom that were featured for that night.
We had brought our own wine selected from special wineries we had visited in years past. The corkage fee is 35$ by the way. We started with Le Cuvier Chardonnay 2002 ( we were fearful the wine had peaked but it was still good with some lovely caramel notes!) It went well with the first amuse bouche which was a small pastry stuffed with some sort of light cream. It didn't go so well with the oysters we ordered next but we enjoyed the oysters nonetheless.
We ordered 4 of each oyster: Kumamoto, Caraquette, and Malpeque. My favorite was the Malpeque which was meaty but still delicate in flavor. Usually I'm a huge Kumamoto fan but for whatever reason (the wine? not a good season?) they didn't pack the punch for me they usually do. Still good though.
Next we ordered the Parsnip Mezzaluna with Black Truffle Butter. We were still deciding on our main dish. It was between the Wagyu beef cheek or the lamb special for the night. (braised lamb shoulder and rack). We decided on the lamb.
We also ordered 2 sides--the roasted assorted mushrooms and bok choy.
We gave our server Daniel the rest of our white (whenever we bring our own wine in we try to give our server a glass and leave a little extra on the tip) and moved on to a cabernet--Stag's Leap Artemis 2004.
OK here's one small note: the mezzaluna although we ordered it much earlier than the main dishes and sides, arrived with the lamb and sides. Maybe it was our fault in not specifying we wanted it before? Although it is listed under first courses like the oysters and we received our oysters first...no matter. Once I put the first ricotta, marscapone stuffed mezzaluna and slice of truffle in my mouth, all was right with the world. (This was a good match with the chardonnay btw) I felt like the little rat on Ratatouille with all the flavors and colors bursting and swirling around my head!
The roasted assorted mushrooms (trompette,chanterelle, hen of woods,oyster, hedgehog, shiitake) were also out of this world. Not to sound cliche, but they really were seasoned to perfection allowing the flavor of the mushrooms to really came through.
The lamb was delicious. The shoulder fell apart with the touch of your fork like a tender pot roast. And the rack had a medium rare center and was very flavorful. There was a sauce surrounding it but it wasn't memorable.
The bok choy was so rich in flavor I asked our server if it any sort of meat (like chicken) broth worked into the recipe but he informed me that it was ginger infused. Very Very good.
The second amuse was a heavenly concoction using sweetened yogurt which can only be described as “One second you’re in heaven and then it’s gone.” Yes I did stick my finger in to get a second taste!
For dessert we had the glazed donuts with the chocolate,coffee custard and pear jam (?) I thought they were decent but not raveworthy like I had heard from everyone else. My fiance said "They're like krispy kreme" (gasp in horror if you wish)
I also ordered a cappuccino after the dessert arrived. I appreciate that it was brought to the table in a timely manner so I could enjoy it with my dessert.
In summary, everything was great if not fantastic. The décor is modern, the lighting giving the room a warm orange, yellow glow. You dined near others yet it didn’t feel cramped and it wasn’t noisy.
We were seated right next to one of the computers where the staff places orders but I didn’t hear any “shoptalk”. The servers silently went about their business.
The blow your mind dishes were the mezzaluna and the mushrooms, followed closely by the lamb (which is not a usual menu dish) and the bok choy. We finished everything that was served to us but didn’t feel overfull or like the portions were too small.
Next time I want to try the pork belly, baby broccoli and gnocchi.
The crème of the crop moment was as were getting in our car already feeling like we were on cloud nine, our server comes running out. We had forgotten our wine bag with a bottle of wine we decided not to open still inside!
Craft, will you always be my Valentine??
The Edison, early Friday evening--a good idea?
I haven't been yet but I've heard the happy hour lasts until 8. I think you should be fine. If you don't go there, i rec. the library bar.
Reviews From Hawaii - Kauai, Poipu & Oahu, North Shore and Honolulu [Long]
My fiance and I are in Kauai right now and really enjoyed reading your reviews. (even though it's 2 years later!) So far we have eaten at Hukilau Lanai (located where we are staying so it's convenient. Food is decent. We both think the calamari is fantastic), Kintaro's (fresh fish but kinda sloppy cut rolls with not much flavor), Smith's Family Luau, High Tea at the Princeville (which is in it's last days), The Beach House (food OK, service good), Olympic Cafe for breakfast (their kolua pork is delicious!) and the best meal so far, Roy's. We both ordered Roy's Classic Trio. The fish was cooked to perfection. The butterfish was like butter in your mouth! The layout was interesting for a restuarant. Felt like we were sitting in a converted gallery or shop. Anyway thanks for taking the time to write these. As you can see people are still enjoying them!
Restaurants you will defend no matter what anybody says...
I'm gonna name a few chains cuz they always need defending:
Houstons
Cafe Bizou
In'N'Out
Restaurants you will defend no matter what anybody says...
Don't mean to gang up on you, but I have to put my vote in there against the Stinking Rose and I love garlic. I can see how the kitchy atmosphere could be fun for some though.
Popping your own popcorn
Alright!! Homemade popcorn is my all time favorite snack!
I use a stainless steel pot about 2 1/2 quarts (this is the perfect size for 2-4 people) We always use this pot for popcorn b/c over time the bottom does blacken with mistake burnings and normal wear and tear.
Canola oil--this seems to be the lightest and best tasting out of the healthy oil (tried vegetable oil one night and started to feel nauseous,not sure what the reason was, but we went back to canola and everythings good, olive oil's a bit too heavy)
I've tried all kinds of corn from the cheapo in the non reclosable plastic bag to Orville in the plastic jar. I haven't had a bad experience with any per se but my favorite corn is from Cost Plus. They sell a "yard of popcorn" with three different types of corn, can't remember what the names of them are but there's a blue black colored corn, and two more on the yellow side. The blue black colored corn, although when popped is smaller in size, is VERY tasty!
Cooking is harder to describe b/c i never measure anymore having done it for so long. i would suggest following the ratio on the bag at first. but basically i cover the bottom of the pot with about an 1/4 inch of oil, enough to mostly cover the corn you are going to pop. put it on medium-high heat -we have a gas stove. then add one or two kernels of corn. cover. when those pop, the oil is ready--add in desired amount of corn.
I find it works best when the corn you add is almost all but not completely covered by the oil. (hope this makes sense)
put the cover on slightly cockeyed (turned away from you), so as to emit some steam but tightly enough so no kernels shoot out. (if the cover is put on tightly with no steam escaping the popped corn comes out rubbery and stale-like) Do shake--especially when the popping begins so the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom of the popped ones.
When the popping gets really slow I dump it into a big bowl and just add sea salt! I know i'm in the minority but with the oil, i don't feel any added butter is necessary. (Now with air popped corn--that's another story) Also although i enjoy the taste of butter i don't like how it makes some popped kernels wet and dissolved.
A friend of mine makes popcorn the way i just described but at the end she adds melted butter and parmesan cheese. This is tasty but a little on the decadent side for an everyday snack.
Houston's Pasadena
I know for a fact you can make reservations for parties of 4 or less all through the day or night.They just started doing this a year or two ago. Before that they never took reservations at all. I think the large party reservation times are the times you stated and that's because they don't have very many large tables. You shouldn't have been treated arrogantly or rudely though.
