Bite Bar & Bakery just launched bottomless mimosas for $9. Food's good too, get the croissant and french toast

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Bite Bar & Bakery
3221 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405

They offered white meat when I was there. Just tell your waiter when you are seated that you want white and he'll try to save you pieces

Just had the Fried Chicken and Beer this week. Love the chicken! Seasoned well, not greasy. The creamed corn side was amazing (and rich). Love the casual vibe and the service. Chicken took a while to come out but they comped us with additional sides. Beer was Boont Amber Ale (not crappy cheap watered down beer),. DOn't think your BBE works for Chicken night but go some other time, its worth it!

I've had the french toast at West 4th and Jane a long time ago. it was nothing special. Plus, they didnt have any draft beers! Only bottles..

definitely the arroz con pollo, you can specify dark or white meat

in larchmont, there is larchmont bungalow (sammies and salads), larchmont larder, Mario's Peruvian, chan dara (thai)

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Mario's Peruvian
15720 Imperial Hwy, La Mirada, CA 90638

glad you enjoyed, I tried to dine there on Sunday, got there at 10am, already an hr wait... next time ill be there when it opens at 9!

any marrow in the oxtail? :p

just went last Friday and am so glad another gastropub/restaurant bar has opened up on the Westside! Food was good, some standout dishes, one that I didn't care for. Service was excellant.

Longer review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

I thought it was a refined yet casual Westside bar offering an accomplished menu, good alcohol offering and exceptional service. The place was lively and bustling, and pretty crowded with every table filled on a Friday night. They have a bar overlooking the open kitchen and an outside patio which is perfect for a nice warm day. There is a nice selection of starters, salads, charcuterie and cheese plates, pastas, pizzas, entrees and sides on their menu. W&C also offers a good sized wine and beer menu. There are about 60 bottles of wine, about 12 by the glass, 10 beers on tap and over 20 on bottle. Wine by the glass was reasonably priced at about $7.

1) Bread basket: Delicious and freshly baked. There was a warm garlic bread that wasn't too garlicky, and a 7-grain bread with sunflower and poppy seeds.

2) Chicken liver and foie gras mousse was rich, velvety and absolutely decadent. The mousse was paired well with a sweet potato jam.

3) Pig trotters, sweetbreads and salsa verde.
Not what I expected. I was hoping for a piece of sweetbread and perhaps trotters that was breaded or braised. This tasted like regular head cheese and I couldn't really taste the sweetbreads. Perhaps I was expecting more distinct offal flavors.

4) Manchester Quail and chopped liver on toast
By far the best dish of the night. The liver was rich, the quail was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. The liver toast sat on a flavorful, creamy sauce made with tarragon, onions and balsamic. The plate was topped with a fried quail egg.

5) Slow roasted Pork belly with tonnato sauce
I was expecting a thick, fatty piece of pork belly but instead this was more of a carpaccio. Unfortunately the pork belly was drowned in the tonnato sauce which I didn't care for. The sauce was a bit too fishy.

6) Murgh Makhni Pizza with Greek yogurt and cucumber
$12 for this large pizza and we even had a couple slices left over. The pieces of chicken were tender and the makhni flavors were delicious. Really enjoyed this spin on a pizza.

Waterloo & City is casual enough but yet service was like what you would expect from a fine dining establishment. It was friendly and attentive. Our waitress was knowledgeable and knew the ingredients that weren't listed on the menu. Prices were reasonable for the quality of ingredients and execution of the dishes.

OK, so I went back to Bite and OMG, I am a convert! Thanks to all the hounds for raving about it, so much that I had to give it another shot.

longer review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

The first time I went, they ran out of croissants at 10.30am and only had one pain au chocolate left which I found to be cold, doughy and not that buttery. This time, it was later in the morning but they had more croissant available. Perhaps they knew to make additional batches to keep up with demand. Unfortunately they no longer offer the chicken pot pie. Apparently people weren't ordering it because it required a wait of 25 minutes and was too high maintenance a dish. They now offer mimosa and belinis at $6

The woman at the counter offered to heat up the croissant. best. decision. ever. The croissant smelt great. It was flaky on the outside and I slowly pulled apart the warm, tender ribbons in the inside. They really were similar to the ones that are freshly baked from a Parisian bakery. The inside was well seasoned and buttery. It was a petite size but was surprisingly sufficient because of its richness. I wonder now if the pain au chocolate that I had during my first visit would have been better if they had warmed it up.

I ordered the crab sandwich to go and they packaged the watercress separately.
The crab wasn't mixed with a whole load of aioli but had just enough to bind the crab together. The crab was abundant, fresh and not at all fishy. The panini was pressed thin and the sourdough bread was toasted crispy and buttered. The watercress salad was fresh and lightly dressed with a lemon dressing with an additional squeeze of the lemon wedge.

I'm still salivating when thinking of my perfect meal.. I will be back for sure.

Finally! Been waiting for this one to open. Bread basket and quail sounds great. Thanks for sharing!

Yeah.. i had the pain au chocolat and i thought it could have been more buttery, flakier and a bit larger.. it was wee tiny. Perhaps it didn't taste fresh out of the oven because it was around 10ish and that was the last one left.. Def want to try the pot pie though

I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of Glendon Bar & Kitchen in Westwood. Unfortunately their website still read "Coming Soon", their Facebook page shared practically no information about its opening and no one was picking up the phone. We finally called again over the weekend and yes!! open for business.

It's located right beside Westwood Brewco, no signage yet. I liked the space the moment I stepped in. High lofty ceilings, a sleek bar and plenty of table and couch seating. It's chic, it's modern, it's sophisticated. They have wooden tables with fresh cut roses in vases, leather banquettes seating, suede chairs and also a top loft perhaps for VIP seating.

The menu is pretty simple with a bunch of bar bites ranging from $6-12. Cocktails are $11.

- Cocktails: Grapefruit Ricky (Finlandia Grapefruit, Lime Sugar) was the tastiest, Blackberry Agave (Cazadores Blanco, Splash of Chambord, Blackberry preserves, Lemon) was strong, pinot grigio was cheap at $6, and a Black and Tan that was lukewarm so we asked for another beer.

- Pretzel was fresh from the oven. It was warm and lightly salted inside, crispy on the outside and served with honey dijon.

- Belgian Garlic fries with garlic aioli.
The fries were crispy yet soft and fluffy inside.

- More cocktails including The Distinction (Cazadores Blanco, Croft Distinction Port, Lime, Ginger Beer, Sugar) and Dimmi Pepper (Seven Tiki spiced rum, Dimmi Italian Liqueur, Egg white, Bell pepper and Sugar)

- Glendon sliders with caramelized onions and horseradish aioli. The meat itself was juicy but the sliders were nothing special.

- Glendon South Pizza
This was a cross between a salad and a 7 layer dip of some sort. I'm not a big fan of the salad pizza.

- Baked Mac and Cheese, bechamel based three cheese, with panko bread crumb crust
Waitress said it was Parmesan, gruyere, mozzarella but as it turned out, there was gorgonzola blue cheese. The macaroni itself was cooked well and the crunchy panko crust added a nice crunch. The cheese sauce wasn't too creamy and had a hint of green chili pepper flavor in it that gave it some heat.

Food was decent although the menu was rather eclectic. The dishes seemed to span over many cuisine. They will be offering a larger dinner menu in the coming weeks. They still have some service kinks to work out but definitely have potential. I'd be willing to come back to check out their new expanded menu.

Longer review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

Valentino has been on my list for a while but it's rather pricey so I was stoked when the 30% coupon appeared in my inbox a couple weeks ago.

Here's what we got:

Bread basket including bread sticks and rolls.

#1. Prosciutto e Burrata San Daniele prosciutto, aged 20 months, fresh Apulian burrata and “gnocco fritto”
The prosciutto was fresh, and the burrata was mild and creamy. You could tell the excellent quality of the ingredients. A+ for sure.

We decide to order two pasta dishes to share, which were both specials of the night. To our surprise, the kitchen portioned it without us asking (and at no extra charge either).

#2. Hand rolled pasta with veal carpaccio, arugula, aged balsamic and shaved pecorino. The veal was tender and well seasoned.

#3. Fettuccine and squid ink tagliatelle with Santa Barbara spot prawns, calamari, cherry tomatoes in lobster sauce.
The seafood was cooked perfectly. The calamari was tender, and the prawns were just a tad undercooked. It tasted as sweet as lobster which was amazing, especially the runny prawn brains that dripped all over the pasta.

#4. The fish special of the day. Seafood four ways which included (from bottom right going clockwise) turbot, lobster, branzino and dover sole.
I liked the lobster the best. Unfortunately some of the fish was under seasoned. The fish was served with a trio of sauces: tomato and butter, clarified brown butter and caper and oil.

#5. Le Quaglie: Pan-roasted Wolfe ranch quail, fregola Sarda and pancetta
I really enjoyed this dish. The sauce was very flavorful. The quail came with a side of Israeli couscous with bell peppers, cauliflower and haricot vert.

#6. La Lombata di VitelloGarlic-rubbed grilled veal chop, wild mushroom sauce
That was a big hunk of veal chop that I was so surprised that it was cooked medium perfectly through. It was moist, with a hint of pink in the center. The chop was topped with a rich earthy mushroom sauce. Also liked the crispy fingerling potatoes.

The food was good with the appetizers excelling. The pastas were absolutely delicious and something I would definitely return for. Valentino is not cheap at all so the 30% discount really helped. The service was great, wine selections were good, and fell within our budget. When the bill came, they had only discounted us for the food. We advised our waiter that the bartender had mentioned that the discount applied to both food and beverage. Apparently this wasn't the case: discount applies to F&B only if you are dining at V-Vin bar. However our waiter still applied the discount on the full bill.

Longer review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

Just went last night. It's 30%, do it. esp if you haven't been. Here's my review
Longer review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

Took advantage of the 30% BlackboardEats coupon. It was also Mozzarella Monday at Jar where a special menu was served at the bar. The discount seemed to draw a large crowd on a Monday night, mostly younger diners.

We sat at the bar first, then moved over to out table. This was what we ordered:

Amuse bouche (from the bartender). Burrata, braised artichoke hearts, currants, and olive oil.

#1 Stracciatella with celery herb salad and celery leaf pesto (at the bar
)Fresh, soft, buttery mozzarella. This was a delicious starter.

#2. Crab Deviled eggs
Needed more of a punch; either more horseradish, or additional spice or sourness. Also you couldn't really taste the crab.

#3. Kabocha squash with leeks, sage and medjool dates
Delicious!

#4. Duck fried rice
It was good, flavorful but you couldn't really taste the duck, and in the dim lighting, could barely see it as well. Additionally, the portion was rather small. For $9. For rice.

#5. Coq au vin with applewood smoked bacon, pearl onions, crimini mushrooms in a wine sauce
There were quite a generous portion of chicken, and they were all tender pieces and fell off the bone. The mushrooms were sparse though. The dish had the right amount of seasoning with a bit of sweetness from the wine.

$6. Grilled black bass. The seabass was cooked well but the plate looked boring and uninspired.

#7. Prime Filet of beef with lobster bernaise sauce
There was a lot of beef (10 oz). The steak was perfectly cooked medium rare and buttery.I also liked the rich lobster bernaise that made this dish more decadent.

#8. Jar's signature pot roast with carrots and caramelized onions
Also a well executed dish. The meat was tender and flavorful. Dish was heavy and most definitely sufficient.

The bill came out to $220 (we saved about $90) which included 5 cocktails, a bottle of wine and the mozzarella starter that we had at the bar. I thought it was a great deal considering prices at Jar aren't cheap, at $38 for the steak and $39 for the bass. The meats were prepared really well. The menu items were simple. It's just good ole home cooking.

Just went for the 1st time, LOVED the pasta esp the squid ink with SB prawns and calamari. And LOVED the 30% off even more! What a great deal. God bless BlackboardEats,

The trotters are worth it! When I said comfortable, i meant to say that it was welcoming and warm. Give it a shot!

How about Brentwood, West LA, just a couple blocks away from SaMo proper? I love Bar*Food http://www.barfoodla.com/HappyHour.aspx
They have Happy hr all night now from 5pm-midnight, with select beers at $3.50, wine for $5 (no martinis or well though, but they do have scotch & whiskey), food from $2-6 (even a full burger!) and free hot dogs. Try the potato puffs (airy and delicious). Your money really stretches here.

Thats hilarious! I was just there last night and they played Lagy GaGa, Kelly Clarkson. I think I much prefer classic rock.

attran99- funny (although not funny, really), I had similar experience as yourself at dineLA
Here's my review:

We ordered the following:
Champagne Suzy: It was served in a huge glass. The drink was lovely: bubbly and sweet.

Quiche de Canard which is duck confit with herb creme served in a crispy pastry shell. The duck was tender and shredded. The herb creme was rather subtle so the quiche wasn't too heavy.

Gougeres were served in a paper bag and were fresh and airy with a hint of cheese.

Amuse Bouche which included bacon wrapped date with Roquefort and tuna tartare.
Greasy fried bacon with the sweet date and surprisingly mild cheese was a perfect amuse bouche. The tuna tartare was served on a homemade potato chip with a bit of avocado cream and cubes of fresh tuna.

Next up were appetizers.

Escargots- I liked the portion and the presentation. The snails were soaking in butter and garlic, which is a good thing but I didn't like the addition of capers in the sauce as it added a tartness to the dish. The pastry needed some salt and butter. It wasn't rich and flaky and instead tasted doughy and bland.

Heirloom Roasted Beets with goat cheese, arugula and lemon oil. Simple and fresh ingredients

Entrees were served after a unbearably long break.

Duck Leg Confit - The duck itself was cooked well. Not the most succulent and tender piece but at least it wasn't dry.

Vintage Natural Short Ribs - The meat itself was cooked perfectly. The short ribs were rich and tender. The only thing missing was salt.

Bouillabaisse - Once again, this needed salt. I liked the selection of seafood and it was cooked perfectly.

Finally, on to desserts.

Lavender Crème Brûlée - Tasty dessert but not one of the better ones I've had. .

Bread pudding - This needed some salt as well because it was bland.

Apple Caramel Beignets - The pastry was fresh out of the oven and the chunks of apple in the filling were warm and sweet.

Overall, I thought the food was decent. It wasn't great by any means but it wasn't a bad meal. It was also a good deal at $34 for three courses. I really enjoyed the Champagne Suzy. The ambiance at Cafe Was was fun and unique. It'd be cool to have a party there perhaps on the second floor balcony overlooking the dining room and pianist. Dining at Cafe Was is a different experience, something that fits very nicely in with Hollywood. With the right amount of seasoning in their food, the night would have been better.

longer review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

Agree on the salads. Love California Chicken Cafe's chinese chicken salad (hold the pasta if you are trying to do low carb). I hate salads but I can eat this all day long. Portions are big so you can eat half and save the rest for later.

I went to the lazy ox canteen last week and really enjoyed myself. . It's pitched as that casual neighborhood joint with a sophisticated yet affordable food menu

full review and photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2010...

Lazy Ox is small, casual, comfortable, loud and most importantly, a place where you can gather with friends for a good meal and conversation. The menu has a number of small plates and a few entrees, with a wide selection of items priced under $10 and even some as low as $4-5. We ordered a couple small plates between the two of us.

1. Crispy pigs ear with lime and horseradish aioli
The pigs ear was crispy and chewy but soft and buttery inside. Although it cannot compare to the pigs ear at Church and State, I thought that Lazy Ox's version was notably better than the other ones I've tried, including at Animal and FIG. Animal's and FIG's seemed to be just crunchy all around without the contrast of the soft and mushy center.

2. Pig trotter and gooseberry, mash potatoes and wine sauce
OMG, this was one amazing dish. The pig trotter was shaped into a cake and breaded.

3. Buttermilk fry Quail with pomegranate
The quail was tender and the breading was not greasy. Perfectly done. I liked the citrus salad.

4. Cod brandade fritters with yuzu aioli
The cod was of good quality. The inside of the fritters was soft and airy, and the batter was reminiscent of Fish and Chips.

Cancha. Crunchy nuts, seasoned with lime salt, which is very popular in Peru and Ecuador.

5. Hand torn Pasta with sunny side egg, brown butter and citrus vinegar
Unfortunately, it turned out to be lighter than I had hoped. The sauce was a bit watery and I thought the dish needed a bit more seasoning.

I really liked The Lazy Ox Canteen. The menu boasts a lot of really good small plates, the food was well executed, flavorful, hearty yet delicate, prices were very reasonable for the quality, and the restaurant has a warm and casual feel to it.

Hits: trotter, pigs ear, quail, prices, ambiance
Misses: pasta a bit bland

I went last Thurday for drinks and food. Sat at the bar and ordered from the bar and dinner menu. I really enjoyed it. Liked the food, drinks and the ambiance. Classy and sophisticated crowd. It got crowded when I left at 9ish.

1) duck confit sliders
The duck was excellent, with a mixture of thin tender slices and crispy skin. The duck juices dripped all over the salad and was scrumptious. The slider bun was buttery

2) fried oysters, with preserved lemon remoulade and crisp ginger
Delicious, perfectly fried oysters. I really enjoyed this dish: sometimes fried oysters can be dry but these were plump

3) pork cheek and ear with orecchiette pasta, salsa verde, braised beet greens and dandelion greens, served in a cast iron skillet
This was from the dinner menu. The pork cheek was tender and the ears were sliced thin and chewy. The pasta dish was a bit soupy and thus was on the lighter side, however I thought it needed a bit more salt.

Thanks exilekiss. There are so many restuarants to hit in LA but I have a feeling that once in a while, I'd still need my Animal fix!

Thanks Servorg! I think the water refill was only a fluke because service otherwise was great. You definitely have to order your own pork belly sandwiches :)

What a coincidence! Thanks for your review: the broccoli looked good, Id like to try it the next time!

Thats true cls. sometimes they'll stay open just a tad after 10pm especially if you are doing the tasting menu. I recall when I went to Ortolan, we started at 6.30 and stayed past 10pm. Long meal but it was 11 courses and worth every second and penny :)

there were a couple men with jackets and blazers, but I did see some that wore shirt and pants, albeit not khakis.. You might want to call to check. They didn't seem TOO stuffy so they may accomodate

Hi Nicole, I heard it got extended through December, so you still have a couple mroe weeks!

I know there are many animal reviews out there but I had such a great meal so I wanted to share.
Longer review + photos here: http://stuffycheaks.blogspot.com/2009...

Animal is located on Fairfax in West Hollywood. The place is pretty nondescript, there's no signage outside but they do have valet. It's a pretty small space with stark white walls and minimalistic decor. One complaint that I had was that it got a bit drafty whenever anyone opened the front door.

We started with glasses of Prosecco then ordered the bottle of Pinor Noir (Baxter from Anderson Valley); a light bodied red that would pair well with all the meat dishes that we had ordered.

1. Rabbit loin, wrapped with Benton's bacon, parsnip, pear and mustard leaf on the top
The loin looked like a sausage and was tender and cooked perfectly. It was mild and very lean. At first we thought the meat needed a bit more seasoning but when eating it with the bitter mustard leaf and sweet pear sauce, it was the perfect bite.

2. Sweetbreads with capers, creamed spinach and hen of the woods
Amazing. it was perfectly breaded. The strong taste of the thymus gland cut by the citrus from the Myer lemon sections and the tartness from the capers really worked.

3. Pigs ears with chili, lime and a fried egg
The pigs ears were crunchy but a tad too greasy. We felt that the pigs ear lost its integrity in the preparation; they just tasted like deep fried thin strips and you really couldn't tell that they were pigs ear.

4. Pork Belly Sliders
This was friggin awesome. The toasted brioche was buttery, the huge hunk of pork belly was cooked evenly despite its thickness. It was fatty and juicy.

5. Quail fry, grits, chard, slab bacon, maple jus
I thought they did a good job of frying up the quail. The breading was well seasoned, crunchy and wasn't oily. The meat was tender but was a little under seasoned. It would have tasted better with a bit of salt or if it was brine before it was breaded. I actually enjoyed the grits.

6. Loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger
The rice was short grained and cooked well, and sopped up all the juices from the burger, spam, runny yolk and sauce on the plate. One of the best of the night. Great flavors, rich and all animal.

After four appetizers and two entrees, it was on to dessert.

7. Bacon chocolate crunch bar with salt and pepper anglaise
The chocolate was kind of compact and heavy and the chunks of bacon just didn't wow me.

8. Tres leche cake
Surprisingly, I thought this was better than the popular bacon chocolate crunch bar. The cake had a light, spongy bottom that was soaked with sweetened milk. It was topped with a thin layer of dulce de leche and topped off with a nice frosting that wasn't overly sweet. Delicious.

Overall, service was good although our water was not refilled which is necessary given the saltiness of the food. The staff was really knowledgeable; when we asked what garnishes were on the plate, they were able to point it out even though it wasn't listed on the menu.

In conclusion, I have to say that dinner at Animal was an amazing meal. I enjoyed almost everything that we ordered including the wine. The menu was unique and the food was executed well. Animal serves good, hearty, rich, decadent food with a modern spin.