blk's Profile
sandwiches at zanzabelle?
I read (on daily candy, if you must know) that Zanzabelle in Silverlake is now serving sandwiches. Anyone been?
Atwater Grill anyone?
We just tried to go there for lunch and it was empty and appeared to be a diner/greasy spoon type place. So we decided to go to Indochine across the street instead, which was pretty good.
(Atwater Grill is the place with the new brown awning with white lettering.) It seems that the stylishness of the awning might be deceptive? Please correct me, anyone, if I'm wrong.
Atwater Grill anyone?
Has anyone tried this newish place that just opened on Glendale in Atwater village near Canele? We've driven by and have been wondering. We've googled it and yelped it and haven't seen anything.
Coral Tree in Brentwood - gone downhill
I had the same experience a few months ago. I think I had a cobb salad. Whatever it was, was awful. I vowed never to go back. Too bad, because it's cute. The Century City mall outpost is better, but not amazing or anything.
Cheap lunch w/vegetarian options - Silver Lake/Echo Park
Check out the tiny Soy Cafe on Hyperion near Lyric, across from Casita del Campo. They make a delicious tofu + shitake banh mi sandwich and a soyskin + mushroom rice noodle dish. They have weird hours, and are closed on Fridays and the weekend, though.
Musha and/or other Torrance places for Sat. night
We're planning to go on Saturday night around 9-ish. I just tried to make a reservation and was told they only take reservations prior to 7:30 pm, which I thought was odd. Well, anyway, I guess we should come up with a backup just in case we get there at 9 and the wait is outrageous.
Suggestions for a #2 dinner spot in Torrance?
Empanadas
Spain on Glendale Blvd. (not sure of the cross street, I think it's just N of Berkeley) in Echo Park might have them. I think it is owned by Argentinians.
Been to Fatty's & Co lately?
I haven't had a real meal there in a while, but back in the day, I used to love their vegetarian sloppy joe. Lately, I haven't found the poor service and pretentious attitude to be worth bothering with.
ISO Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice
Haven't tried it myself, but friends keep telling me that Azami on Melrose near LaBrea (across the street from M Cafe and Pinkberry) has really good tuna on crispy rice.
Frittelli's -- Ehh...
I didn't think it was anything special either, and kind of dry too. For the fat and calories, I'd rather have a Beard Papa's cream puff any day.
Osteria La Buca?
I drive by La Buca almost every day and the barrier was still up as of last night.
Dumplings APB
Since we're on the topic of dumplings, I wanted to report briefly on Mei Long Village's crab + pork soup dumplings. My bf and I went there the past Friday night and it was the first time he had tasted soup dumplings, so of course he thought they were delish. I thought they didn't taste as good as I had remembered. They didn't seem to have much soup inside, and they were a little cold even when they first hit the table. Has Mei Long's quality gone downhill or am I just jaded?
What do you all think? Is J & J next door better?
Lactose Free Cheeses: Do They Exist?
If you live in a place where Trader Joe's has moved in, they have yogurt cheese, which I'm pretty sure says "lactose-free" on the package. Whole Foods or any other health-oriented market will probably have it too.
Red Corner Asia Lunch Mini Review
We tried Red Corner Asia this past Saturday and really liked it. I had the eggplant salad with shrimp and sliced hard boiled egg and the larb made with ground chicken, and my boyfriend had yellow curry, which was delicious-he said it was the best thai yellow curry he has ever had. We had the beef jerky as an appetizer, which was also really tasty, though a little on the salty side. I wasn't super thrilled with the eggplant or the larb. I thought the eggplant dish was interesting conceptually, but wasn't in love with the flavors, though they were really clean. The larb was overpoweringly salty. I ended up eating it with a lot of rice and some of the curry sauce, which tasted great. Still, there were a lot of other things on the menu that I'm interested in checking out.
Who makes the best cookies?
Susina on the corner of Beverly Blvd. + Detroit has delicious tiny assorted handmade italian cookies by the pound. There are probably about a dozen different kinds (?) that you can mix and match. I think they're $20/lb. Not sure if that's too pricey if you need to buy a large quantity for a crowd.
Where can I find MARIE BELLE HOT CHOCOLATE??
I think I saw it at Coral Tree Cafe in Brentwood tonight. Is it hot chocolate mix or in a bar form? The one at Coral Tree is a chocolate bar. It looked intriguing and then I turned it over and checked out the nutrition facts and it had a whopping 600 calories and 45 grams of fat per serving. I'm sorry I looked! It must taste amazing!
Best Pizza?? Not Paper Thin Crust Either
Someone a few posts up mentioned Antica Pizzeria. I went there over the summer and was disgusted by the quattro stagione I ordered. It might have been the worst pizza I've ever had.
Dinner Before Groundlings -- Melrose Area
off the top of my head:
Azami Cafe (sushi)
M Cafe de Chaya (gourmet macrobiotic)
(the) Cube (on LaBrea just S of Melrose, wine bar, maybe what you were thinking of)
Star of India (no frills, but pretty decent, basic Indian)
This is a very cheesy stretch of Melrose. Seemingly a lot of restaurants, but not very many that are passable.
Also, Red Pearl Kitchen is relatively nearby, as will be Pizzeria Mozza, but it's not open yet.
Good luck finding parking over here, as !@#$%&** Pinkberry is messing up this neighborhood now also and more and more permit-only parking has popped up, esp. N of Melrose.
DC - Metro Center Favorite Take-Out?
You've _got_ to try Potbelly (the sandwich chain that's everywhere in DC). It is so superior to Quizno's or Subway. I live in L.A. and I'm sad that they are not on the west coast (yet?).
Formosa Cafe: still around??
Has anyone else eaten at the "new" formosa cafe since the last post? If so, how is it? Would it be a good place to meet friends for dinner/drinks? What are the prices like for these new high end fusion tapas?
best bolognese
The best bolognese is the one you make at home using Marcella Hazan's recipe. It's really easy, just takes a long time to simmer (3+ hours).
Cupcakes?
Could someone confirm if the red velvet cupcakes that are sold at Flor Morena are baked by Auntie Em's in Eagle Rock? Because I had one last week and it was so nasty, I threw it away before finishing 1/2 of it, even though it was $4! It was definitely the worst cupcake I have ever tasted.
Brioche Doree - LAX
Um, IMHO, unless you work at (I mean, inside the terminal, not around the vicinity of) LAX, there is absolutely no reason to go there. Don't be fooled by the French name. Pastries from the bakery at Ralph's are better. There are so many great bakeries that have popped up around town recently--Maison du Pain, Breadbar, Susina Bakery, Clementine,...anyone else care to continue the list?
Lunch near Loyola Marymount?
Whoops, sorry, Gehry's office is not at the corner of Lincoln & Jeff., but it is nearby, at 12541 Beatrice. The purported sandwich shack is next to his office.
Lunch near Loyola Marymount?
I think so. I believe it is inside the Electronic Arts/FOGA complex, like in their office courtyard or something. Not visible from the street.
Lunch near Loyola Marymount?
That would be Alejo's.
Supposedly, there's a new design-y sandwich/salad shack on the Electronic Arts/Frank Gehry Assoc. campus at the corner of Jefferson and Lincoln across from Playa Vista that is not bad. Frank himself willed it into existence.
