Whiskey/Scotch tastings in Orange County?

I agree with the recommendation for checking out Hi Time Liquor in Costa Mesa. They have wine tastings every weekend, along with semi-frequent sake tastings as well. They have one of the largest selections of scotch in the country.

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Pizza in Pasadena

It's not NY style pizza, but I love Charlie's Trio!!

http://www.charliestrio.com/

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Charlie's Trio
5769 Huntington Dr N, Los Angeles, CA 90032

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Boho - Gone downhill?

I agree...the location is prime and every restaurant there ends up failing . I think the space is rather large for a restaurant of this type...Perhpas that is one of the problems. I REALLY hope that Boho can turn it around though.

ExtraCheesePlease - Did you end up going there this past week? If so, I'm curious to hear what your experience was. Perhaps it was a fluke, but closing early isn't a good sign.

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Boho - Gone downhill?

I was thinking the same thing about the limited menu choices. I'm sure the economic situation is definitely to blame. The place has been empty for sure. I just wish the service and food quality kept up to good standards, despite the limited menu options. I guess time will tell how things work out for Boho. Still looking for that perfect pre-Arclight dinner. :)

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Boho - Gone downhill?

I had the same experience with Boho when it first opened, but they have definitely reverted back to a really bare basics bar menu at this point....at least that has been my experience in the past 2 visits.

I haven't tried the Bowery, although I have always wanted to...I suppose that is another option for my "pre-Arclight" dining and drinking.

I'm really curious to see if there is anyone else out there to have this recent experience with Boho...

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Boho - Gone downhill?

I frequent the Arclight and when I discovered a new gastropub in the complex, I was thrilled. I went to Boho twice during the first two months they were open. The beer selection was wonderful. The service was never stellar, but I liked the funky decor (despite the random trees) and the food was delicious. It was the perfect stop off for dinner before the movies.

Oh, how have things changed. I'm not sure what has happened to Boho in recent weeks. But, I have been twice in the past week before going to the movies and have had two separate bad experiences.

During my first recent visit, I brought my parents there for an early dinner at 5:15 before a 6:45 movie. That gave us an hour and a half, which I thought was plenty of time to have a drink and dinner. Firstly, we were given a VERY limited menu. The only menu choices were a few salads, burger, and pizza. So, we ordered two salads, 1 pizza, and 1 burger for the table. This was not a huge order and we were literally the only party in the dining room. It took almost an hour to get our food. We had to rush through the meal and get the check before we were finished. I know that 5:15 is in between lunch and dinner service and we expected some wait, but an hour when we were the only ones having dinner in the entire restaurant? That seems unreasonable.

We arrived at 6:15 for dinner before another movie at my most recent visit. We were given the same VERY limited menu, despite it being clearly dinner time. Again, the service was very slow and we waited 45 minutes for 1 pizza and 1 salad. Our waiter seemed to disappear several times throughout our meal.

Food/Beer quality - In April/May, I thought the food quality was excellent and the beer was cold and served fast. In this past week, the pizzas were soggy and oily with crusts that were so hard they were inedible. The beer selection is still great, but it was served warm.

Service - In all of my visits to Boho, the staff has been rather inattentive. However, the length of time it takes to get your food seems really unreasonable, especially when the place is almost empty.

Needless to say, we won't be heading to Boho again. I gave this place so many tries, but between the strangely limited menu options, the lengthy wait for food, the inattentive service, warm beer, and the dip in food quality, we will likely not return. I am hoping they turn this place around, because I really enjoy having a decent place to go before the movies. For now, it is back to the Arclight bar/restaurant.

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Anniversary Dinner suggestions?

Hey everyone,

My first year wedding anniversary is on April 28th. We are going out to a nice dinner on April 25th to celebrate. We don't usually get a chance to go out for fine dining and we are looking for excellent food, romantic environment, and good service. We are not against someplace with a "scene" as long as we can hear each other speak. We really love Italian (we went to Italy for our honeymoon, so to commemorate that we are leaning towards Italian) and we're thinking about either Angelini Osteria or Mozza. I've also really wanted to go to Lucques for awhile now. What are your thoughts on these options?

Also, has anyone been to Foxtail yet? There is nothing on the boards about it and I noticed that Antonia (the executive chef there) is on the new Top Chef and seemed to be really excellent on the first episode.

We are up for further suggestions beyond these! Thanks for your input and I'll report back with our decision! :)

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Looking for a post-wedding bash location in Newport Beach

I haven't lived in OC for awhile, but I do remember El Torito Grill having a Sunday brunch. There is also a side room to the left when you enter the restaurant that they usually use as a bar/waiting area in the evening. I wonder if you could reserve that area for brunch? You could possibly get a discount for a big group.

Another option could be Muldoon's Irish Pub and Restaurant. It has delicious food for lunch and there is a nice outside patio where you could fit 50 people, or you probably could reserve the room with the second bar if they don't allow you to take over the patio. I went to a post-rehearsal dinner bash there in October and our group of around 25 fit nicely in a corner of that room. You could easily sit 50 in there. As I recall, there is usually traditional Irish music on Sundays in the main bar area, which could make for a nice backdrop. It definitely would be casual and fun. I've also seen kids there during lunch time.

I just got married last April and remember how agonizing and annoying it is to pick these wedding locations. Good luck!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Visiting LA from DC

I lived in DC during my early 20s for work and the food I missed the most from SoCal were tacos, In-N-Out Burgers, and Asian cuisine. So, I would definitely recommend tacos from Loteria at Farmer's Market (no, they aren't the BEST tacos in LA, but the Farmer's Market is a great destination and the tacos are good) and In-N-Out Burger (there are definitely better burgers in LA, but this is a must try - the closest to Bev Center is Sunset and La Brea). For Asian cuisines, I would go with Thai in Hollywood. My favorite for Thai on a budget is Ruen Pair (thanks to SauceSupreme for the rec a while back!). It is super cheap - about $5 a dish and the service is excellent. Beware that they do not serve alcohol, but do allow you to BYO. Korean in Koreatown is another great recommendation (with many great choices mentioned already in this post), but it is further than Hollywood from the Beverly Center.

I agree with the recommendations for AOC and Bar Marmont. However, it could run you more than $35 each if you get carried away with ordering at AOC and drinking at Bar Marmont (the drinks are pricey). Since the valet at Bar Marmont is $20, I would take a cab from your hotel. Although the cab will be more than $20 with tip total, it is well worth it to not worry about DUIs or towing! Bar Marmont is not clubby, but it is a bit of a scene and is very LA, which is why I think you should go and experience it.

I also recommend Bread Bar for breakfast and/or a sandwich since it is so close to Beverly Center. I just ate there today and had the egg, cheese, and ham croissant on a baguette. It made for the perfect breakfast sandwich and the service and coffee are excellent too! There is a parking lot in the back of the building as well.

Hugo's Restaurant is another great lunch spot in West Hollywood and close to Beverly Center. It is healthy fare, with great brunches as well. It has a very LA menu and my out of town guests always love it there (I do too!!). I love the turkey burger, corn tamales with eggs, and the salads.

Enjoy the weekend!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Pinches Tacos

I don't mean to raise this post from the dead, but I wanted to throw another taco spot in West Hollywood out there for George - El Chile in the shopping complex with Whole Foods at Fairfax and Santa Monica. I live walking distance from here and was at Whole Foods when this small shop caught my eye. I ordered the taco lunch special for $6.99 - 4 tacos, with chips, salsa, and a drink. The tortilla chips were dreadful and so greasy they were not edible. However, I was surprised about the tacos - no, I don't think the tortillas were made fresh on the premises. However, the meat was plentiful (I liked the shredded beef and chicken the best) and the salsa had a nice bite to it. These are not outstanding tacos, more like okay. But, given that this post was originally about decent and cheap tacos in West Hollywood, I wanted to throw El Chile out there as an option. The tacos are significantly cheaper than Pinches at $1.85. There is a also a parking lot. I'll be back to El Chile since they deliver and I can quickly and cheaply satisfy my taco fix after grocery shopping. However, do not expect something amazing if you go!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Griddle Cafe Suggestions

I live nearby and have been a few times in recent months. The parking lot for Rite Aid on the corner of Sunset and Fairfax is also for the Griddle, so park there and just walk around the corner to the restaurant. As for ordering, I usually get one of the pancakes (love the banana or regular pancakes) or the french toast. They are all delicious and literally enormous!! I basically eat like 1/3 (and that is when i'm starving) and bring the rest home for lunch or breakfast the next day. I have to say the pancakes hold up pretty well in the fridge! My husband usually gets the Tequila Sunrise huevos rancheros dish or one of their egg scramble dishes. I absolutely LOVE the tequila flavored chicken sausages. The coffee is delicious and free flowing. The service is quick and good, considering how packed it is. There is usually a wait (I'd say 30 minutes on average), but well worth it! Enjoy!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Dinner in Irvine

For a neighborhood spot with a rockin chef, I would definitely recommend Pascal's in Newport Beach (like another poster said, it is right on the Irvine/Newport Border). The food is delicious and Pascal comes out to chat with customers. I am from Irvine and we go there for family special occasions. For great Italian, I would try Vessia in the Crossroads shopping complex (Corner of Culver and Barranca - www.vessia.com). Enjoy!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Korean BBQ recs

Thanks Bon Vivant for the Park's BBQ specifics...and the other recs. We ended up going to Park's tonight and it was outstanding. The Kobe beef was scrumptious, the side dishes were plentiful and the service excellent. It was $35 each including tax and tip for 3 people. We had the Kobe beef, seasoned short ribs, 2 bottles of beer (which are large) and 1 bottle of soju. It wasn't cheap, but it definitely wasn't outrageous either, considering the quality of the meat. It is also a great spot for a group. We had a blast drinking and cooking the meat. Delicious food, good service, excellent quality, and definitely not extremely pricey.

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Korean BBQ recs

Hey 'hounders,

I have been dying for good Korean BBQ since I moved back to SoCal and my husband and I, along with a friend, have decided upon this cuisine for dinner tonight. I'm excited. We haven't tried anything in LA yet, but I have searched the board and found Soot Bull Jeep and Park BBQ to be the most recommended. I have some questions/concerns about these spots, based on the boards.

First, Soot Bull Jeep - How bad is the post-bbq smell? I only care because my friend is SUPER anal and the last bonfire we had, he complained about his clothes smelling. In addition, we are going out barhopping after dinner and I don't want to go home and change. What do you guys think?

Second, Park BBQ - How expensive is it? We are in a bit of a budget since we're going out drinking after (probably want to spend no more than $30 or so pp). Is this possible here without sacrificing quality?

Third, what other great Korean BBQ recommendations do you have? We live in W. Hollywood, but are willing to drive 20 minutes or so. THANKS GUYS!! :)

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Pinches Tacos

Thanks so much for the review. I live in taco wasteland as well and drive to Cactus all the time for their tacos. I'm glad to hear there is a closer option and with delivery. How much were the tacos?? Asada tacos are usually my favorite, so I'll definitely be checking them out...

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Restaurant recs needed - Friend treating us out (W. Hollywood/Hollywood/Beverly Hills)

Hey 'hounds,

So, my friend is staying with my husband and I next week while she is interviewing for some jobs. She is a graduate student still, but offered to take us out to a "nice" restaurant to thank us for our hospitality. She is not from LA (she is living in Miami now, originally from NYC), so we are choosing the spot. There are a ton of places I'd like to go to, Mozza, Lucques, to mention a couple that I haven't been to yet, but I am worried about the price. What are some moderately priced ($20-30 pp incl 1 drink) restaurants in the area we could go to? I'm leaning towards Asian or California-fusion types of places, but we're open to any kind of food. So far, I have looked into Yatai - looks good. Keep in mind, I am also trying to persuade her to move to LA, so someplace nice that represents LA would also be great. Thanks everyone!!!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Sam's Bagels in Larchmont Village

Just had Sam's Bagels today for lunch. The turkey pastrami sandwich on toasted onion and cheese bagel was excellent. The bagel itself was large, very lightly toasted on the outside while still moist on the inside. My husband had the pizza bagel, which had plenty of mozzarella cheese and sauce - perfectly toasted. We got a chocolate chip bagel for desert and it also had that perfectly moist, yet firm feeling to it that a bagel should have. I would definitely recommend this spot if you are in the general area...worth a bit of a trek even...

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Laguna Beach

haha! yeah, he was pretty confident! would have made for a bad meal for sure!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Laguna Beach

If price doesn't matter, I was about to recommend Studio at Montage resort. Then I saw you ask about it! This was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. In fact, my husband proposed to me right outside this restaurant on the cliff overlooking the beach at sunset! Could not have made the more perfect proposal. He proposed, I said "YES!" and then we enjoyed an amazing meal at a window table at Studio.

I think the menu changes there often and honestly, I don't remember exactly what I ate because I was staring at my new ring, the view, and my husband all night. I do remember the foie gras, which was outstanding. I ate a beef dish and my husband had fish. Both were amazing. The sommelier helped us pick our wine. He was very helpful and friendly. The wine list is EXTENSIVE - perhaps the largest I have ever seen.

Overall - fabulous dinner, unbelievable views, romantic atmosphere, friendly staff, and extensive wine list. It is at a cost - our dinner was WELL over $500 total. But, well worth it. Be sure to check out the sunset right outside the restaurant before you eat!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Recommendations needed for friend visiting from NYC

Thanks guys! These are perfect recommendations! I have some research to do for sure! I will leave my friend with some options and see what she is in the mood for. I agree that driving up the coast is a must! And, good Mexican should be mandatory as well. Hope I can convince her of that! More suggestions are certainly welcome!! Thanks!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Recommendations needed for friend visiting from NYC

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! We will definitely be checking out Hirozen for sushi and Jitlada and Ruen Pair for Thai. I haven't been to Babita yet myself and would love to convince her to head there for Mexican...

I agree that Farmer's Market is a must...we'll probably head there for a pitcher at the outdoor bar and a few tacos.

I'm definitely interested in the recs for Uzbec food. I haven't had any Russian cuisine before, so it will be an interesting experience. We will probably go into a few of the Russian delis and bakeries in my neighborhood (I'm right at the corner of Fairfax and Santa Monica, in the heart of the Russian part of the neighborhood) and she'll probably ask them in Russian for the best Russian food around. If I find a great spot, I will post a full review!

Thanks again everyone! Also, I haven't ventured out much for nightlife yet. Do you have any suggestions for bars or hotel bars with views or something unique for nightlife? I've heard Bar Marmont is a good spot....Any thoughts? Thanks!!!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Silver Spoon Restaurant, West Hollywood - Review

Thanks for the recs...I am still reeling about how horrifying that breakfast was! The more I think about it, it is probably the worst breakfast I have ever eaten!!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Recommendations needed for friend visiting from NYC

Thanks so much! I will check those out. I agree about better Italian in NYC....I will be steering clear of Italian for her here. I can't seem to find Horizon online? Do you have a link?

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Recommendations needed for friend visiting from NYC

Hey chowhounders!

My good friend is coming to visit in a couple of weeks from NYC. I want to take her to a few uniquely LA restaurants while she is here. She has requested sushi/Japanese, Russian (she is Russian and is interested in tasting Russian food out here), Thai, or Italian for dinners. We have three dinners and a couple of brunches while she is in town.

I want to stay in the West Hollywood vicinity. I am definitely open to driving a bit, but I don't want to spend her whole trip driving around either...Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Silver Spoon Restaurant, West Hollywood - Review

I've honestly had better breakfasts at Denny's!!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Silver Spoon Restaurant, West Hollywood - Review

My husband and I live a few blocks from this diner and thought we would try it out yesterday for breakfast. We were especially enticed by the covered patio and parking lot. The staff was friendly and quickly sat us on the patio. We each ordered a Bloody Mary, which came to the table quickly in a small glass, without any garnish. The waitress told us that customers get a free Bloody Mary or Champagne with each breakfast. This was a nice surprise, but we quickly thought, "Why are they giving away free drinks?" We should have taken this as a sign, but instead chose to enjoy our watered down, "free", ungarnished cocktail.

We both ordered the Eggs Benedict. It came out quickly and was drenched in Hollandaise sauce. The eggs were overcooked. The English muffins looked like they were fried or something. I don't know what they did to them, but they definitely weren't put into a solid toaster. I could almost squeeze Hollandaise sauce out of the muffins like a sponge! The home fries were under seasoned and had about 2 bits of green peppers and onions in them...I had to practically pour pepper over the whole thing to take a few bites.

The patio was nice and the staff was friendly. But, I will definitely not be returning. I knew this wouldn't be a stellar breakfast, obviously. We were not in the mood for something amazing, just decent. We really just wanted a solid diner breakfast and this couldn't even live up to that expectation.

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Magic Castle - Review

hey yoga,

It was $32 for the filet mignon, served just with mashed potatoes. It was about $7 for each veggie side dish, which easily could be shared by 2 people. I think the salads were about $9 or so each. I can't vouch for anything besides the filet mignon though, since that was all I ordered. My husband had the NY strip, which I thought was a tad overcooked, but decent as well. They serve bread at the table, which really was only so-so. It was warm and I was starving at that point after a couple of drinks, so I was eating it up.

There is also a $20 entry fee to get into the Magic Castle, even if you have an invitation from a member. BUT, there is a photographer who takes pictures of your group and for $20 you get an 8 x 10 photo, PLUS another invitation to the Castle good until the end of the year. You can bring up to 8 guests without a member, but you need to have dinner there. I will definitely be coming back with my parents and sister and having the filet mignon again. :)

Overall, the food is overpriced. For $32, I have had much better steak, hands down. But, I still will be returning because the ambiance, service, and magic are just worth it.

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Magic Castle - Review

Hey guys,

I went to the Magic Castle tonight for the first time and earlier this evening, I read the previous comments on their food. I wanted to add a review for future guests at Magic Castle. Obviously, one is going to the Magic Castle for the magic, not the food. Since my husband's company had made dinner reservations, we ate there. It really wasn't as bad as I expected. I ordered the filet mignon and it was tender and perfectly cooked. It definitely wasn't the best I ever had, but better than a chain restaurant, which was good. The mashed potatoes were mushy, but I have very high standards from my Irish mother and grandmother...The chocolate cake was pretty dreadful...I think it may have been frozen?? I should have went with the cheesecake, which my friends liked. The wine list was decent and we ordered a medium priced cabernet from sonoma county, which we all enjoyed.

Otherwise, the drinks were reasonably priced at the bars - $8 for a martini, which isn't bad. The shows were just great and the architecture, decorations, and "ghost" piano bar are priceless. I definitely recommend going to the Magic Castle, if you can. It was wonderful to get dressed up and experience a Hollywood landmark! It isn't necessary to eat there, but if you have to with your reservation/guest pass, the filet mignon was decent...enjoy!

erintoc in Los Angeles Area

Monday Night B-Day Dinner - in WeHo (or near)

For the dinner with your boyfriend's mom, I suggest Pane e Vino on Beverly. It is reasonably priced and the patio is a beautiful spot. I just had dinner there last Saturday night for a family celebration. We love Italian and were going to go to Angelini Osteria, but decided on Pane e Vino, because it is a bit cheaper. We really loved all the dishes and the service. All of the pastas we had were flavorful and reasonably priced (around $15 a dish) and they have a grapa menu for after dinner drinks, which made the perfect ending to the evening. The wine menu had a decent amount of selection by the glass. Overall, great spot for family...romantic and casual, yet reasonably priced with good food. Can't beat that! :)

erintoc in Los Angeles Area