nimo's Profile
Vertical Wine Bistro Pasadena - Laurent Quenioux Exec Chef - anyone been lately?
Ha. When is LQ's cooking not rich and heavy?! I still have a not-so-fond memory of overindulging at Bistro K and the havoc it wrought on my insides. Not the food's fault, though. He's a damn fine chef.
Bangers in LA?
I'm a little late to this, but the butcher up at the Beachwood Market in Beachwood Canyon also makes excellent English bangers, as well as fantastic slab bacon that they'll slice to whatever thickness you desire.
RIP Mako
Very sad news. Mako has been one of the best and most consistent restaurants in town for the last decade. Robata-Ya is solid but not the same. Let's hope the promise of a new place in SM isn't just a dignified way of saying he's done.
Any Chowhounds Have Reviews of: The Eveleigh or Salt's Cure?
Eveleigh is pretty good. Lovely space, excellent bar/drinks, solid food, not cheap. Nothing spectacular, but nice to finally have a decent option on the culinary wasteland side of the Strip.
-----
Eveleigh
8752 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Looking for Great Mid-City Italian (not Mozza)
You can't go wrong with any of the below, but in order of preference:
1. Angelini Osteria
2. Scarpetta
3. Osteria Mamma
4. Marino
-----
Angelini Osteria
7313 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Osteria Mamma
5730 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Scarpetta
225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
La Frite Sherman Oaks -- My Kitchen Nightmare
Does Capri still have their famous identical twins working there?
La Frite Sherman Oaks -- My Kitchen Nightmare
I wonder if that's Capri? If so, it's a very odd and slightly unique place that feels like it hasn't changed for about five decades. Sort of like La Frite, come to think of it. I actually have a soft spot for these kinds of places, as there are precious few left in Los Angeles, and am not sure they need to be Ramsay'd.
-----
La Frite
15013 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Tokyo 7-7 is closing on the 18th of December
I haven't been for years, but when I worked in CC fresh out of college, this was my de facto place for lunch. Cheap, tasty, and always welcoming. Sad to see them go.
Is Sushi Ike closing?
My friends ate there tonight, and also reported that Ike is gone (although the older man who usually assisted him is still there). They - and others at the bar - asked about Ike, but no one would tell any of them anything. It's all a bit strange.
Many of the sushi chefs around town know and respect Ike, so maybe the next time one of us is sat at another counter, we might subtly inquire if anyone knows his whereabouts...
Is Sushi Ike closing?
Anyone know why? Hopefully not related to the health problems he had a while back. I hadn't been to Ike for a while, but he will be missed.
Best fixed price sushi on a budget besides Sushi Gen?
Yup. Don Sasabune is good value for money.
WTB Vita Brand Pickled Herring
Funnily enough I just had some of the IKEA pickled herring (marinated with dill) on toast yesterday morning for breakfast, and rather decent it was too. A pleasant surprise.
Marino Italian Restaurant. Any opinions?
Funnily enough, after having driven past this place for 15 years without ever venturing inside, a Blackboard Eats deal finally convinced me to try it this weekend. Pleasantly surprised. Partly old school Italian-American red sauce joint, partly more adventurous Sicilian-inspired cuisine. Much smaller room than I had anticipated. Waited about 45 minutes for a table on Friday night (we just dropped in) but Mario, whom I'm supposing is the owner, was extremely nice despite the wait, even topping up our prosecco for free, and the overall vibe felt very welcoming. Food was good. Littleneck clams in white wine/garlic, squid ink pasta with calamari, artichoke heart salad, ragu with meatballs - all solid. Decent wine list too, Italian-heavy of course, with a few well selected by-the-glass selections for $10.
Overall, it also was a little more reasonably priced than expected. Including two glasses of prosecco and two glasses of a nice montepulciano, the tab was just over $100 before the BBE discount. It's not a place I would rush back to necessarily, but it's a very good neighborhood option, and I'm glad I finally checked it out.
Lou's Wine Bar Soaks Every Last Nickle
Chipping in here to briefly add to the chorus that the OP couldn't be more wrong. It may not be cheap, but the food is always solid and they have one of the most interesting and eclectic wine lists in town; although not every bottle is a winner, I've discovered numerous excellent new wineries, wine-growing regions, and even grapes that were previously unknown to me. Furthermore, Lou and his staff have always seemed to me to be friendly and knowledgeable - it's actually one of the warmest places in town to go for a drink. And those "rough edges," especially with regards to the decor, are part of the charm.
GIO CUCINA means Great Italian Food
Yup. Gio is a secret gem. Fantastic food, lovely people. Highly recommended.
Top 5 Sushi L.A.- I know it's been done, but this is 2010!
Yeah 4 on 6 is a hidden gem.
The Hump serves whale?
I guess we now know why the Hump is so outrageously overpriced.
Japanese food tour LA this weekend
Nobu and The Hump are ridiculously overpriced for what they are. The Hump's quality is very good but not sensational, and the last time I was there the tab really wasn't that far off from Urasawa, which is one of the best restaurants in the country, so you might as well just go there and spend an additional $100 pp.
Your downtown choices are without exception weak. As others have said, Torrance isn't far off, and has far better alternatives.
Koi/Katana/Katsuya are barely Japanese. Tourist/celebrity traps, not worth the excessive cost or attitude.
I do like Orris, but as Ciao Bob said above, Mako is even better. He also owns Robata Ya, but I would choose Mako over that as well.
Olivia Italian-Sherman Oaks?
This place has definitely had the same owner and chef for a while though. When did you think it had last swapped hands? I have been going there for probably 5+ years.
Anyway, the owner is from Naples, and the menu reflects that. Plenty of non red-sauce options. Have had a great pumpkin-sage ravioli, excellent lamb, crisp pizzas, etc. Pasta is made fresh every day. The location is a dive, but the simple freshness of the food reminds me of places in my hood like Girasole and pre-renovation La Buca.
Really suggest you give it a shot.
Olivia Italian-Sherman Oaks?
I mostly agree with you, but Gio Cucina, on Ventura just west of Haskell (I think), is actually really good. It's upstairs in a tiny, divey mini mall, but have had a number of surprisingly good, fresh, authentic and reasonably priced meals here.
Katsu Sushi- BH Closed?
That's really sad news. Katsu was one of the LA sushi masters. Used to enjoy Tama, but, like many it seems, never got around to following him over to BH. Hopefully his absence will be short term.
Fatburger going under?
Not that it's the greatest burger in town or anything, but I was surprised to learn that Fatburger is in financial trouble. To be honest, it's probably been about five years since I've even eaten there, but I have lots of fond college-era memories of the Kingburger with cheese. They'll be missed if they close up shop. Article below:
Fatburger Restaurants of California and Fatburger Restaurants of Nevada, both subsidiaries of Fatburger Corp, filed for Chapter 11 in April. According to the Wall Street Journal, the parent company was not included in the filing, but the two subsidiaries accounted for 72% its total revenue in 2008.
The bankruptcy came under pressure from G.E. Capital Business Asset Funding, which Fatburger owned nearly $3.9 million for defaulted loans.
The company's 90 franchise owners are waiting to see what happens next.
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/107369/7-franchises-that-went-bankrupt.html
Osteria La Buca LOVE/almost HATE experience…
In the couple of dozen times I've been to Angelini, I've had perhaps only one experience like you mention. It was likely an off-night.
Osteria La Buca LOVE/almost HATE experience…
Pre-renovation, I probably went to La Buca once a month, was a regular, knew Filippo and the others very well, and never had anything less than a fantastic meal. Post-renovation, I have been once period, and have no inclination to go again. Why would anyone, when they can drive another 2 miles west and spend the same amount at Angelini?
ma9e11an's post above completely nails it. Such a shame.
Joe's Pizza on Sunset Strip!
While I've enjoyed the NYC location, the SM one left a lot to be desired. Not even close to Vito's. Hopefully the WH one will be a step up.
Best Sushi Deal for those Wanting to Tighten their Belts
Another shout out for Sushi Masu.
While the quality is not in the realm of the established Mori/Zo standard, it is pretty good and astounding value. Two omakase, a large bottle of Sapporo and two 'boxes' of (awful) house sake came to a mere $95 before tax and tip. Fish was for the most part very fresh and generously portioned. The omakase consisted of toro, yellowtail belly, two different kinds of amberjack, spanish mackerel, bonito, uni, orange clam served 3 different ways, seared salmon, albacore, and two decent hand rolls (tuna, and scallop with shiso leaf). Nothing too adventurous or out of this world, but at $95 for 2, this was an incredible deal. I know some restaurants where the toro order alone would be more expensive than the entire omakase here (hi The Hump!).
We sat at the bar with Masu, who is a nice guy with a dry sense of humor, and the place was pretty crowded and has a laidback, friendly atmosphere. As the OP states, the value here really is second to none, especially in these belt-tightening times.
Good Food & Service at Tasca on Third: review with pics
I just ordered a fantastic '05 Chateau La Tour Carnet for $35 plus delivery from NJ-based Wine Library.
anyone tried atch kotch lately?
Yeah, their omakase is very much worth it (how can it not be for $25?). Nice, solid comfort food. The owners are incredibly nice as well.
favorite large bakery/cafe?
Chalk one more up for Susina. Aside from the great coffee and pastries, the prices are surprisingly decent.
