buttermarblepopcorn's Profile
Help! Chicken noodle soup delivered to Pasadena work place?
Thanks to everybody for their great suggestions! Turns out my boyfriend decided to stay home for the day. I may still consider bringing him something tonight...
Help! Chicken noodle soup delivered to Pasadena work place?
Hahaha... thanks, pley -- you know, he may just in fact do that, depending on how he feels when he wakes up at the crack of dawn.
But I appreciate your idea of possibly asking a nearby place that sells soup to walk it over. This ridiculous fantasy of mine has gotten to the point where I'm even considering driving up to Pasadena, picking up some chicken noodle soup at New York Deli, and delivering it myself, then rushing back to the South Bay!
Help! Chicken noodle soup delivered to Pasadena work place?
Hello dear friends --
My boyfriend is starting to come down with a cold or flu that's making him feel crappy. He works in Pasadena and intends to tough it out and go to work tomorrow for at least a half day. I live in the South Bay and can't physically do anything for him tomorrow during the day, so it crossed my mind that I could attempt to have chicken noodle soup delivered to him.
A few quick Google searches basically gave me Vince's Deli in Pasadena, via some website called GrubHub. I looked at the posted menu and they don't have chicken noodle soup. Plus, on Vince's Yelp page, it says "no" to delivery. I will definitely at least give them a call tomorrow morning to get to the bottom of this...
... but in the meantime, I would like to know if any Hounds out there happen to know of any other delis in the Pasadena area that might *possibly* do delivery. I realize this is asking a lot, because what deli delivers, right? And I'm a bit short on time, because I'd like to surprise him with this, and if he does end up going home by lunch, I want to catch him before then.
Thanks in advance!
anything open Thanksgiving night in the South Bay?
Hmmmm, interesting. I may look into this... thanks!
anything open Thanksgiving night in the South Bay?
Thank you so much, Wienermobile! Also, I noticed your helpful remark in a different Thanksgiving thread about just going on Open Table and checking their Thanksgiving-available restaurant list. That basically helped me decide upon McCormick & Schmick's. Good price, solid food, warm atmosphere, and not too much of a drive -- bring on the rain!
anything open Thanksgiving night in the South Bay?
Thanks, DrBruin! Oh, our budget? I suppose around $30-35/pp max?
anything open Thanksgiving night in the South Bay?
Hi,
My parents and I are interested in going out to eat for Thanksgiving dinner this year. We're in Torrance and would like to eat somewhere that's middle-to-slightly-upper range, price-wise that is in the South Bay. I had originally thought of Manhattan Beach Post, but after looking at their menu I realized tapas-style isn't my parents' favorite way to dine. (Also, it's a tiny bit above the ideal budget.)
When I looked into Tin Roof Bistro and attempted an Open Table reservation, I found out -- no surprise -- that they're not open Thanksgiving. That's when I realized this may turn out to be a totally futile goal.
So I thought I'd ask if anybody has a general sense of what tends to be open for Thanksgiving dinner in the South Bay that isn't a hole-in-the-wall (which I would enjoy on my own, but not necessarily with parents in tow).
Thanks in advance!
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Tin Roof Bistro
3500 Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Manhattan Beach Post
1142 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Antica Pizzeria
hee hee.. you made me laugh!
There is no news on their official Facebook page about where or when they'll be reopening.
Mission 261 for dinner?
ADDENDUM: I woke up this morning and suddenly remembered another dish -- black pepper beef. It was really dark, almost black with soy sauce, so at first I thought it was burnt candied walnuts; the shape of the beef "slices" looked chunky and bumpy like half walnuts, too, which contributed to that initial confusion. They were way too salty (as salty as they were darkened with soy sauce), but still tasty. This was probably the only other dish I actively enjoyed eating, but there was so little of it (it made perhaps two spins through the lazy Susan, and it was gone), and it was served in such a simpleton way (just dumped, shiny with more cornstarch goo of course, on a giant leaf of lettuce), it felt unsatisfying. I also would have appreciated having some rice with it (or some of that weird fried rice, which came much later) because it was so salty.
Again, this felt like a random, mediocre dish. To paraphrase Alvy Singer, the food was terrible, and it came in such small portions. (Though to be fair, it wasn't so much the quantity as the sheer lack of quality that made this banquet so terrible.)
Mission 261 for dinner?
My family is all Chinese -- my cousins and I are the first American-born generation (we're in our late 20s to late 30s); our parents (Grandma's kids) were born in China and moved to Taiwan as infants/toddlers following the Communist takeover. We definitely look like we belong in the SGV. In fact, most of my extended family lives in the SGV and we always have big dinners in the area, so making reservations for this sort of thing is really old hat. The only anomaly tonight was that they decided to go a little outside the usual, reliable Chinese banquet places and go with a fancier-looking place than usual. After all, Grandma was turning 90, and maybe ambiance does matter once in a while. Too bad about the food. Never again!
EDITED TO ADD: I realize my lame, vague descriptions of the food probably sounded kind of um, heh, like a non-Chinese person's take on it, but I've always been terrible at describing Chinese food -- partly because I only know the names and ingredients in Chinese, and even then it's kind of spotty because I'm never completely paying attention to what the "adults" are ordering in the first place.
Mission 261 for dinner?
Oh, well, this was an 18-person banquet that was planned and funded by the sons and daughters of my grandma, with me and many of my cousins (i.e., their children; her grandkids) along for the free ride as usual, so I wouldn't have had any say in the matter. But yeah, speaking to others who had dined tonight, the consensus was quite unanimous that the food was simply bad.
Mission 261 for dinner?
Welp, just came back from grandma's 90th birthday dinner at Mission 261 and boy, what a freaking disappointment. My parents and a few of my cousins had had dim sum here in the past and thought it was interesting (if pricey), and decided it would be a good location to celebrate this grand milestone. Unfortunately, the Chinese banquet food was TERRIBLE. The variety of dishes was very unimpressive and un-banquet-like: we started out with a tiny plate of Chinese-style cold cuts (there were two separate tables, 10 people at one, eight in the other). Then there was bbq duck (like Peking duck-style, with crispy skin), but not served with buns, just chopped into chunks. Then some bland veggie dish that had celery stalks, slices of carrot, and shrimp -- this dish was so paltry, by the time the lazy Susan brought it to me (and again, there were only 10 people at my table, and none of them gluttons), all the shrimp was gone. So I ate a few pieces of flavorless celery covered in lots of cornstarch goo.
Then there was a simple fried rice dish. I was very surprised to see this as a part of a Chinese banquet package. But I love fried rice, so I dug in -- wow, it was horrible. There was no flavor, the peas were hard (like they hadn't been boiled enough?), the carrot chunks were hard, and the worst part was the rice -- it was wet and mushy. It was the strangest fried rice I'd ever eaten. I didn't think you could screw up something that easy.
Then there was some kind of thinly sliced mushroom laid over Chinese bok choy -- again, bland and drowning in cornstarch goo. By this point I was getting more bored than full, which was a strange phenomenon for me. But I kept thinking, stupidly, that there was more to come, and something would definitely wow me -- because there is always at least one "wow" dish in a Chinese banquet (at least in my experience). A lobster dish came in, too -- actually, before the mushroom one -- but I didn't partake because it was the messy kind (chopped up into chunks, with shell still on, and also drowning in cornstarch goo). I can't comment on the lobster since I didn't try it. Maybe that would've been the "wow" dish. (Probably not, though, judging by the way it looked and smelled.)
There was a roasted chicken dish, too. It was really similar to the duck dish in preparation. Oh -- I forgot to mention that the duck dish was not even part of the banquet package; it was ordered as an add-on. That was the dish I enjoyed the most, though that's not saying much considering how tasteless the entire meal was.
We ended with red bean soup with a few lotus seeds thrown in for show. It was the most sugary Chinese dessert soup I'd had in a long while. I liked it, though -- don't get me wrong -- but boy, it was sweet.
AND THAT WAS IT! When they'd brought out the red bean soup, I was again surprised, because I had expected more (and better) food still. I don't know what's wrong with this restaurant; I know that our family had ordered one of the cheaper banquet choices (and yet the bill came out to $548), but we always stick to the same price point, so that's very telling at a place like Mission 261 where ambiance is obviously far more important than food.
I would not recommend dinner at this place.
EDITED TO ADD: I would like to emphasize that I'm not certain I recounted every dish that was served in this banquet, so if it sounds to you like this was an unbelievably tiny banquet for the price, it's probably because I left something out. And understandably so, considering how forgettable everything was (except for the bizarre fried rice). But I can assure you it wasn't more than one or two dishes. And above all, the quality of the dishes I did detail above was just absolutely HORRIBLE.
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Mission 261 Restaurant
261 S Mission Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776
Hollywood Pizza, the chitown style pizza joint
Maybe it's because you got the name wrong: it's called Hollywood Pies. I haven't tried them just yet but my impression is that you wouldn't have trouble finding them if you place an order first, because then you can ask them for details. Their website, however, is pretty clear about the pickup location. It's purposely set up as take-out/delivery only, so there's no point in trying to show up unannounced.
http://hollywoodpies.com/
LA coffee scene: are we at the start of a revolution?
Ooh, thanks for the tips, ristretto. I had no idea these two coffee places existed; the South Bay is sorely in need of cafes like these!
Funniest Thing a Server Said to You
Oh my god, I died laughing at your anecdote, jao.
Afternoon Tea - where is most similar to Langham, Pasadena?
Well, I actually took my mom to the SLS for afternoon tea and while the food was *maybe* conceptually interesting, there was such an incredibly tiny amount of it (not only tiny portions but very few of them) I'd never left a restaurant so hungry before. It was embarrassing and I felt bad for my mom, who was also hungry afterward. And it didn't feel that classy, despite our gorgeous surroundings, because the food was so dinky and minuscule; it felt cheap.
STACKED - Torrance - New South Bay Restaurant Review
I suppose that's another credit to them, then, that they offer a non-credit-card-starting option as well, especially if the process didn't turn out to be a big hassle.
STACKED - Torrance - New South Bay Restaurant Review
I just wanted to chime in with a report. I went to Stacked today with two friends after seeing a morning matinee at the AMC. We were seated right away even though there were plenty of people inside -- the place is huge. The servers were very friendly and helpful, and while it took me and my friends a few minutes to acclimate to the ordering system on the iPad, we had loads of fun doing so. The design is quite impressive, and I found that for once, technology is actually being harnassed in a way that's practical.
Nearly all the menu items are customizable (burgers, hot dogs, salads, pizzas, cookie sandwiches, shakes), and the payment options offered cover every conceivable permutation (minus bank checks, of course), including splitting up the total bill -- by item, by amount, or by number of checks (onto which you drag and drop the consumed items). They even give you different ways of including tip -- by percentage or dollar amount. Takes all the calculating work out of your head and saves time.
Anyway, the iPad ordering system is really brilliant, and the cookie sandwiches the three of us had were fine (we were in a hurry, so didn't eat a real meal). It took them a long while to make them, though, which kind of bothered me because how hard is it to make three small cookie sandwiches?
When we "ordered" three glasses of water, they came almost immediately -- I liked that a lot.
Anyway, my friends and I are definitely returning for a real meal next time, as well as the chance to play with the ingenious ordering system some more.
Incidentally, the prices are quite reasonable (you see them on the iPad, but not on the printed menu). Also, I like how you also have options on how to take your receipt -- not at all, in paper form, or via email. My two friends opted out of getting one at all so I chose email just to see how that goes, knowing full well I may be putting myself on their email list, which doesn't bother me in this case. Of course, the emailed receipt was instantaneous. I love going paperless, and this is really great.
Obviously, I'm super-impressed with the non-food elements of Stacked and hope when I return for "real" food that it's not a disappointment. In any case, this idea they spawned is very forward-thinking and I hope other businesses get a clue and do the same.
Last random fact: I also really like that in order to begin ordering, someone must slide a credit card through the iPad first. You totally don't get charged; it's just a security measure, I assume. I say I like this because I've always been theoretically paranoid on behalf of restaurants that customers will take advantage of the honor system and just walk off after eating, without paying. This method prevents that (I imagine the card would get charged if you did end up trying to dine and ditch), but does so without insulting customers or wasting anybody's time.
Musha’s Cheese Risotto (Torrance)
I actually found the cheese risotto portions to be too small!! It was so good, I wanted more, but unfortunately there just wasn't enough. There were maybe four of us. In fact, both times I went to Musha with about 3-4 other people, we all left still kinda hungry, though our mouths certainly enjoyed what we ate.
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Musha
424 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Esslack, the gold/silver spray paint?
Hi all,
Ever since I stumbled upon news of this neat little German product a few years ago, I've been curious to know if it's as good as advertised.
Esslack is apparently an aerosol can of spray paint that is supposed to be totally safe and edible -- but the really neat thing is that it comes in shiny gold, silver, and now iridescent red and blue. Their sample photos look gorgeous (if not necessarily appetizing), and what it makes me want to know is whether this is the real deal; that is, whether real-life usage actually produces the same exact kind of fabulous shine.
I tried Google images to no avail; all I ever got were the same sample photos from the company.
So, I thought I'd put the question out here on Chowhound to see if any of you have bought and tried this out, and if so, I'd like to hear how it looked and tasted.
For reference, here is a link:
http://www.the-deli-garage.com/ESSLACK_detail_16.html
Describe your ideal coffee house...
I wouldn't necessarily lump Peet's into this category. Maybe you meant "Starbucks/Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf" type? I only say this because Peet's offers all their hot drinks (and possibly cold ones, too) in mugs upon request if you're drinking it in-store. That itself distinguishes them from the other suburban chains, not to mention their espresso drinks simply taste better.
Describe your ideal coffee house...
I rather like Catalina Coffee Company in Redondo Beach. Its many ratty couches, giant chessboard, shelves of books, fireplace, and old, nonmatching lamps really remind me of the comfy, settled-in cafes I loved as a college student in Berkeley. Their espresso-based drinks are above average, and they serve everything in giant white mugs that they bring to whatever corner you hunker down into. Ironically, the South Bay is otherwise your utterly classic, annoying, cookie-cutter suburb when it comes to businesses, restaurants, and cafes.
What are you doing for Carmaggedon weekend?
You know, I wonder how difficult it will be for the farmers to come to the Torrance Farmers Market tomorrow morning (Saturday). They say to patronize your local FM but what about the vendors themselves who aren't surface-streets local?
Words that Annoy You in Restaurant Reviews
@LindaWhit: Wow, and adding a nonexistent accent mark -- even better.
Words that Annoy You in Restaurant Reviews
Another vote for "cloying/cloyingly," most often paired with the word "sweet." HATE IT!!
Food loves & hates of your parents, maybe passed on to you.
You know, it wasn't until many years after college that I became fully conscious of the fact that I dislike raw vegetables. This isn't a strict, 100%, across-the-board hatred or avoidance, as I sometimes will eat a salad (and crudités with huge gobs of ranch dressing if I'm starving), but I definitely have a strong and general dislike of uncooked vegetables which I was totally unaware of until that epiphany. I also noticed that I generally prefer hot, cooked dishes and meals regardless of the time of day or season. I just prefer cooked over raw, hot over cold. And I slowly realized this must have to do with the fact that I'm the child of Chinese immigrants, since Chinese food (what I mostly ate growing up) rarely involves uncooked vegetables. Sure we have cold dishes, but they are usually prepared in some fashion that distinguishes them significantly from rawness, like pickling or smoking or marinating or drying or fermenting.
And as hard as I've tried in my adult life to make myself appreciate the multitudes of salads and their creative variations out there (for the sake of my health), for the most part I would simply never, ever choose to eat a raw vegetable dish first if there were any cooked choices available.
