kellydeez's Profile
Umami Burger opens today in Los Feliz
Finally! I have been waiting for this for weeks. An adjoining Japanese beer bar? What a great idea. I can't wait to check it out! Just called and confirmed, will be open tonight at 6pm!!
Good pizza in Glendale/Montrose/La Crescenta?
Ok, I know I will be called crazy. But there is a kiosk at the Americana in Glendale. I think it's called Charlie Palmer's. They have pizza by the slice and we just found out they deliver. It is REALLY good. Very thin crust, big slices, NY style. Yes, it's from a kiosk in a mall, but it's REALLY good. Give it a try before you knock me!
What Do You Order at Hugo's?
Chilaquiles, Chipotle Scramble is divine, Pumpkin Pancakes. Can't go wrong with any of these.
best chilaquiles
I second Cha Cha Cha and Hugo's. Also, if anyone is in Palm Springs, I just had an amazing batch at the Ace Hotel Diner. Yes, they were AMAZING.
Eastside Umami
So apparently the Cobras and Matadors space in Los Feliz will soon be a distant memory. And the 2nd Umami Burger will be replacing it! I have to say I am pretty excited about this - and a bit scared to tell you the truth. Having an Umami so close spells trouble. The Sgt. Recruiter space is not remaining either, I actually called them today and they already have a recorded message confirming the switch. I hope this means we can have beer and wine with our Umamis now!
Xiomara - Lunch in Hollywood
And absolute BEST mojitos in town. They use a juice for the sugar cane so the drink doesn't have grains of sugar. Absolutely amazing.
best panang thai curry in LA?
We love Pattaya Thai on Vermont in Los Feliz. Cheap and easy and great rich flavor, they'll make it extra spicy if you request it. We usually get it veggie style as well and it never disappoints.
Pattaya Thai Restaurant
1727 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-0880
Best omelette in Los Angeles
I love the omelettes at Cafe du Village on Larchmont. They have a spinach and a mushroom I believe and they are both great. You can get them with greens instead of potatoes and the dressing is simply marvelous. The French staff is charming although it can take a while- the French are never in quite as much a hurry as we Americans. I hightly recommend it, especially on Sunday when you can hit the Farmer's Market there as well...
Mozza - what to orda?
I concur with the bianco pizza, definitely my fave and the fennel sausage as well. The caprese salad might be my favorite item on the menu. Don't miss that! Also, I never miss the white bean bruschette, it is amazing. You cannot go wrong wtih these dishes. Definitely the butterscotch!!
The Bloody to beat all Bloodies- in search of the best Bloody Mary
Honestly, the Hungry Cat is NOT to be missed. Definitely the best one I've ever had. Not only do they make their own mix, but I believe they make their own tomato juice. Phenomenal!
LA sports bars with GOOD food and drinks?
I second the Blue Palms. And in my experience the management will turn on the game for you with sound if you request it. They have at least 2 big flat screens. The beer selection as mentioned is incredible, maybe the best in the city. And the food is solid bar food. Check it out...
5x5 Collaborative Dinner
Is anyone else going?
So I Signed up for the first Collaborative Dinner which will take place at Providence on April 28th. For those that don't know about this, 5 chefs host a dinner at their respective restaurants and each prepares one course. Restaurants being Providence, Melisse, Water Grill, Angelini Osteria and Grace. The idea- to collaborate on a master dinner. There is also a guest chef who participates as well. The guest for this dinner is Alessandro Stratta of Alex in Las Vegas.
Here is a link to the LA Times article~
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/03/5-x-5-chefs-col.html
Not sure if there are spots left, but it didn't seem to create too much of a buzz and seems like such a phenomenal evening... I'll definitely be taking notes for a review. As long as the wine pairing doesn't leave me too bombed...
Saturday Brunch/Lunch in Hollywood Area?
I love the Hungry Cat for weekend lunch. It's not cheap, but neither is Pizzeria Mozza. Their drinks are amazingly good and though the menu is small, all the choices are solid. Great bloodys and never been too crowded or loud. Enjoy wherever you end up!
Craft recommendations??
Ok, yes, you definitely HAVE TO order the peanut butter dessert. The donuts paled in comparison. Also the pork belly is amazing, as well as the eggs dishes. I believe there is one with asparagus and truffle oil...? I hear the jerusalem artichokes are great, they weren't on the menu when we went. We had the giant aged steak, they serve it with the marrow and it was quite wonderful. We enjoyed our experience and had amazing service... Enjoy!
Vietnamese in Atwater/Silverlake
I have to also stand up for Viet. The menu has grown from when it first opened. The atmosphere is cool, and the food is really quite good, and very affordable. You can definitely byob, which is always nice. There are discernable starters and main dishes and the coffees, teas and other drinks are delicious. I love the white fish with tumeric and also the veggie noodles with soy skin. I prefer it to Gingergrass and find it much less expensive, nice sized portions.
new places in silverlake area
I just want to stress Garage Pizza here. I thouhgt it was clearly superior to Tomato Pie. Great NY thin slices, no sogginess here. Might be my new fave in all of LA. And they said they'd deliver to Atwater!
Also, Lot 1 Cafe was very good as well, over in Echo Park on Sunset.
Can't wait to try Michelangelo's, new space looks great.
Definitely NO to Hugo's. Worst taco in history. Salsa takes like water - not kidding. Avoid this place at all costs.
5X5 Dinner at La Terza
How does one find out about these dinners? Can't believe I missed them. I searched and can't seem to find much besides an article in Los Angeles Magazine.
Beer Tastings
I second the Blue Palms rec. I was in there recently and very impressed with their selection. They have flights and the owner was very helpful and informative about all of the beers. His name was Brian I think. I was talking to a guy in the bar who was a self proclaimed, "beer geek" and he told me that he takes the bus there every week and that the Blue Palms is a beer lovers dream... The food is pretty tasty too and although not on the Westside, the location is very central and right by the Hollywood/Vine stop on the red line. I bet if you asked the owner to tailor a tasting for you he would be more than happy.
Favorite eats in Eagle Rock? (cheap & date-friendly)
I actually really enjoy Fatty's. It is vegetarian and coming from a carnivore like myself, the recommendation is a true compliment. They have good wines and even the desserts are quite delicious for something on the 'healthy side'. I think a date would be impressed by this health conscious choice. I've heard grumblings about rude service but never had a problem there myself. Here is their site~
http://www.fattyscafe.com/
PROBLEMS AT PALATE FOOD + WINE "REVIEW" W/ PICS
susiequeue-
i think you should give palate a try. i recently had a great experience. we had amazing service, ordered all wines from the sommelier and even had a visit from the chef. we all enjoyed the food immensely and felt it was totally reasonable. $130 per couple with 2 bottles of wine (for 4 people) and more than enough to eat. the menu changes quite often we are told, so there will probably be new and interesting things to try. here is a link to my review...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/555788
Finally made it to Palate!
I finally made it down to Palate and let me say....what a lovely, interesting and fabulous establishment! I didn't realize it was also a wine shop and wine bar where you can go get a glass and some of the items from the menu. The space is great. Dining room only marred by these cheesy oversized grapes that come out of these giant urns. But I got passed that quick when my cheese plate arrived.
We had them select for us and all of the cheese were insanely good. We had a cheddar, a goat and a super creamy, all amazing and all the jams and spreads were great and complimentary additions. The crackers are perfect. They are the same ones that go with the rilletes as well. Light and crispy and while not being too flimsy. We had the pork and veggie rilletes, both fabulous, especially the pork. We had to fight for the last morsel.
The entrees are all reasonably prices under $20. They are meant to be shared like tapas. After much debate we chose the pork belly, braised short ribs, special fish of the evening and the veggie pack. They also had a special risotto with shaved black truffles!
The pork belly was superb. The short ribs were flavorful, not the best I've had but everyone has a version these days. The fish was cod and was cooked in parchment paper with some vegetables. It was fresh and light and a welcome counterpart to the heavier meats. The veggie pack is also in parchment papaer and drizzled with a thick unfiltered olive oil that was quite wonderful. I think the risotto may have been the highlight for me, cooked to perfection and no skimping on the black truffles. I watched the chef shaving them on as he was expediting the food.
He came over to our table as well and we had a delightful conversation with him. What a character and very obviously very much in love with what he does. Our service was excellent, very attentive, friendly and helpful. The sommelier was lovely too, suggested 2 bottles of wine that we all greatly enjoyed. The whole meal came out to $130 per couple (with 2 bottles of wine and PLENTY of food). A great price in our minds.
As I was putting the last bite of the chocolate pudding in my mouth and washing it down with espresso all I could think about was my next trip to Palate. The chef said the menu changes weekly so I feel I could easily rationalize a quick return as there will be new selections to try! A welcome addition to a neighborhood that was badly in need of a little creativity and selection in the way of food and wine.
What are the best appetizers at Pizzeria Mozza?
The white bean bruschetta is definitely not to be missed. The Caprese with the burrata and roasted tomatoes is out of this world, do not miss this. I have had better squash blossoms myself. Haven't had the bone marrow but yet to have one I do not like!
The special desserts are always good. I never stray from the budino myself.
REALLY REALLY IMPRESSED BY SONA w/ pics
La Tache Burger! I LOVED your review. It made me excited about food, not that I really need that much encouragement. I've never really had Sona high on my list of places to try, but I think I do now. And I love the idea of eating at the bar and small talking it with the bartender. At the end of the review your writing even sounded tipsy, as I'm sure you were! Great job and thanks for giving me an inviting perspective on Sona.
The Park before a Dodger Game?
We tried out the Park last night and I was happy for the most part. It really is quite a good deal, you can't argue with that. My SO had the pork and it was quite lovely. It is pulled and very juicy and flavorful. I had the polenta cakes and those were really nice too, and I'm not even that big a fan of polenta. I guess my vegan alter ego ordered for me! I had a bite of the burger as well and it was solid, not the best ever, but well done. Lasly, someone had the mushroom enchiladas. This seemed to be the weakest dish. We started with the calamari and while I liked the flavor, I was a little turned off by the carrot strips...they looked like those pre packaged carrot strips from Trader Joe's or something in an "American salad Mix".
All in all I would definitely go back, and love the no corkage. If you're an Eastsider you should certainly give it a try!
Blue Palms Brew House
New gastro pub stlye place opening next door to the Fonda on Hollywood. Supposed to open this weekend...looks to be a cool little spot with great sports watching potential...anyone heard anything about the food? Beer list looks really impressive.
http://www.bluepalmsbrewhouse.com/Site_2/Home.html
dan tanas tonight - what to order
Steak is great. Chicken parm, the veal mentioned above also is a winner. I think there is a great chopped salad as well. Don't miss the coffee ice cream. I would go there just to get that. Fabulous.
Lot 1 - Echo Park, Review with photos
I visited Lot 1 a few weeks ago. We just noticed it in passing, had no idea about the chef's status. I agree about the ambiance, but it didn't bother me too much because I found the prices totally reasonable and there is room to improve. Our food was really good. I had the pea soup, creamy and delicious with raisen bread croutons. My friend had the roast chicken. It took quite a while, but it was truly delicious. I really can't wait to go back when I am more hungry. I hear the bacos are wonderful too. I think if we give this place a little room to grow and figure themselves out we will finally have another great place to eat on the east side!
Pizzeria Mozza - Menu Recommendations
I just went again recently and have finally solidified my order...you can't go wrong with these items:
Pizzas - Fennel Sausage and White Pizza
Caprese Salad is to die for - do not care for the chopped salad. Too many onions.
White bean bruchette is great, also the butternut squash and bacon while they still have it.
Prusciutto is heavenly wrapped around those breadsticks.
Don't cheat yourself and miss the butterscotch budino ~ my favorite dessert in town! Simply heavenly!
I like to start with a glass of prosecco and then let the waiter choose a good wine depending on my mood that day.
Have fun!
Thoughts on 15 in Echo Park?
I think this place is definitely worth it if you can make the early bird meal. I believe it's $15 for a 3 course meal, between 5-7PM. There are a few options to try but basically you get a starter, entree and dessert. Good deal I think. I felt the food was pretty good with potential to get better.
