lolabelow's Profile
Lawrence of India has fantastic Indian/Goan food!
We used to go to Lawrence of India in the early 90's - when they were in what is now Tacomiendo. I had lost track of them until now. Glad to hear they are still around. They were fantastic.
Speranza (on Hyperion)
Oh I wanted to like it...I really did. It's charming on the patio. Cramped but we had a nice spot.
I did like the nice touch of having throw blankets on the back of the chairs - if only the rest of the experience had that much care.
Our server was pretentious. There, I said it. No other way to describe him. We got over the fact that he was a dick and really didn't know anything about their wine list.
The menu looked promising and I was really looking forward to several things. It seemed to be off to a good start with the bread. Warm, crusty and nice dipping options. That was a highlight. Sad but true.
The starters were fine. One of us had the fennel and pear (with horseradish) salad. No real taste (which seemed to be a theme tonight). I had the bruschetta. I liked the heirloom tomatoes and appreciated the color. It was one of the most solid dishes of the night...If that tells you anything.
The server recommended the bolognese - two people at the table had it. It wasn't even close to bolognese. It was a meat sauce. There was no pork, no milk, no carrots and extremely watery. A complete mess. The linguini and clams was so flavorless that my friend didn't eat hers. I had the amatriciana which wasn't horrible. The pasta was undercooked - not al dente but undercooked. The sauce had a lot of smokey bacon flavor but not enough heat. I like things spicy so that could have been my palate.
It was packed so others appreciate it. Great - let them have it. I hope it was just an off night but I'm not coming back.
Speranza (on Hyperion)
Thanks. It's on the short list for this weekend. If we make it there I'll let you know.
Speranza (on Hyperion)
There is nothing in the archive - has anyone been in the past few months? Worth a trip?
Brunch recommendations in Westwood
I am meeting some people (whom I don't know well) for brunch. Near their hotel in Westwood. I don't think they drive.
Any recommendations in the immediate UCLA area? I can think of Clementine or Tavern further - but if we are stuck in the area, I am at a loss.
thanks
Cincinnati - Any great food/restaurants that we should try?
Anyone have any other updates they'd like to add? We're coming in from Los Angeles and will be there a week.
Tavola looks good, Terry's Turf Club is a must and I hear there is a new Mediterranean place somewhere.
Looking for a couple of recommendations for places we can go with the kids and a few without.
TIA
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Terry's Turf Club
4618 Eastern Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45226
ISO breakfast in Santa Monica - takes reservations a plus
what are the prices like pp for breakfast/brunch?
ISO breakfast in Santa Monica - takes reservations a plus
Tavern seems just a bit far east but it is a favorite lunch place.
Both Fig and Zengo look fantastic and are strong contenders. We'll have a few kids with us so that might knock Zengo out for this round but it's on the list for another time.
Is Jinky's disgusting? I know that it's not up to par with the other recommendations...just trying to accommodate all ages / palates.
Thanks
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Zengo
395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401
ISO breakfast in Santa Monica - takes reservations a plus
We have a group of 8 for brunch tomorrow in Santa Monica - picking up on at the Fairmont Hotel. I haven't been in that neighborhood in years.
Does anyone have a recommendation for good food, casual is more than fine. Reservations or not a long wait necessary - we have a large party.
Thanks
My Hatfield's Report
I ate there back in January and felt it to be a real let down. Sadly, I don't remember what I had but was completely unimpressed by the food. The room was nice, service was great, drinks were lovely but the food was so-so.
Jar Pot Roast recipe question
That's what I was thinking, but when I cook a traditional pot roast, I use a chuck that is thicker. I guess I'll try it and see.
Jar Pot Roast recipe question
Not sure if this should be posted in "recipes" since I want the advice of locals who have eaten and cooked the dish...
I found the recipe online and, for those of you who have eaten the dish at Jar, I need your advice.
The recipe calls for "3 - 5 lbs of denuded boneless short rib" No problem. Found it at Costco (and Whole Foods). Here's my question - the short ribs at Costco come in approx. 1 1/2" width slices. I can get bigger "chunks" at Whole Foods by special order.
Does it make a difference? Will the thinner Costco chunks work well? Is this what was intended?
Here's the recipe if you are interested - It's from the LA Weekly
http://bit.ly/ebqky6
Thanks
TX. BBQ coming to Van Nuys:
We went a couple of weeks ago and I have decided that while it will never live up to Louis Mueller's outside of Austin, it's the best thing I am going to find in Los Angeles.
The brisket, a mix of juicy and lean was seasoned well and as advertised. The juicy was flavorful and moist while the lean was just that. Lean. Not great beyond that (at least to my taste) but others in my party enjoyed it.
The chicken had a nice smokey flavor and was pretty great. Even the white meat was pleasant and well smoked. I'm generally not a fan but I would eat it again off of someone else’s plate.
The hot link left no impression. I think it had a good spice and a nice snap but beyond that I'm just not interested in a hot link.
For me, the star of the meal was the pork ribs. Oh the pork ribs. The meat fell off the bone. The smoke flavor was solid but not overbearing. I thought about them for a couple of days after...not a dry one in the bunch. Someone mentioned a problem with food temperature. We never had an issue so it was either resolved or his experience was a one-off issue.
The mac & cheese was good. Was that an onion flavor in there? I'm not a huge fan but I ate it up and asked for more. The baked beans were a pass for me. Too sweet but the purple cabbage....? GREAT. Weird, I know but I loved it. I also loved the barrel of sauerkraut on the table.
Shiner in bottles completed the meal. And unlike Kreuz's, my knife isn't chained to the table.
Would I go back? Sure. Would I order anything other than the pork ribs and a side or two? Probably not. But those were good enough for me.
Has anyone eaten at El Caserio on SLB?
We ended up going to El Caserio last night and while we had a nice time, I think it everything to do with the company and little to do with the food. It wasn't disgusting or inedible, it just wasn't great. It wasn't even good at times.
The caesar salad was fine. Had a nice taste of anchovy (not too much) and wasn't over dressed. The portion was almost too large but 4 of us shared it nicely.
Four empenadas came next. There were 3 to an order but I think they added an extra cheese one since there were four of us at the table. The cheese ones were good - nothing unique. The ground beef was was a bit dry and unremarkable. The chicken reminded my husband of a "Chung King Egg Roll" - the kind he would eat after school as a kid. I don't think that's what the restaurant was going for.
One had the Arroz a la Marinera, their version of a pailla. She said the seafood was cooked well and seemed fresh. The rice was gummy and the veggies seemed frozen. Over all she was not too impressed.
The Halibut in tri-color sauce was good. The fish was perfectly cooked. The sauce was delicious and the peppers fresh. The clear winner of the night.
The huge disappointment was the Cosas Finas. Honestly, it must have gotten lost in translation because it was nothing like I was expecting. There were chunks of dry pork, sausage of questionable origin, and other elements that had nothing tying them together. My husband said, "it's like a 17 year old guy came up with this idea..."
Overall, the room was nice, the service fine, the valet was sweet on a rainy, rainy night. No one could figure out how to open the door since the wreath covered the rope that serves as a handle.
I would give the food 2 stars, the service 4 stars but overall - never again. Nothing really to recommend it.
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El Caserio Restaurant
309 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
El Caserio Silver Lake
401 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Dinner suggestion on a rainy Sat. night (Silver Lake / Downtown / Hollywood)
I wish we had gone to Marouch! I forgot how much I like that place. We went to El Caserio and I will report about it in a separate post. Bottom line, won't be going back.
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Marouch Restaurant
4905 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029, USA
El Caserio Restaurant
309 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Dinner suggestion on a rainy Sat. night (Silver Lake / Downtown / Hollywood)
Oh how I love the Lazy Ox...Thanks for the Little Dom's suggestion. I forget about that place and really like it.
Never been a big fan of Canele but I know I am in the minority.
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Canele
3219 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Little Dom's
2128 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tam O'Shanter on Christmas Eve
Excellent. Thanks Lisa. I'll report back - leaving out the family trauma and drama.
Dinner suggestion on a rainy Sat. night (Silver Lake / Downtown / Hollywood)
Any suggestions? Any type of food except Chinese is welcome. Would like to stay in a mid-upper mid range (not expense account money this time) Would like to stay away from Hollywood Blvd area.
Some place warm and cozy since the weather is going to be bad is a plus. Easy parking (or valet) is always nice on a night with weather.
Thanks
Has anyone eaten at El Caserio on SLB?
I saw a review a few years ago but nothing recent on the boards. Thinking about meeting some friends on Saturday night. Thoughts? Opinions?
thanks
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El Caserio Restaurant
309 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Tam O'Shanter on Christmas Eve
I really hope I can have a sandwich at the bar...but I fear I'm in for a heavy meal with my ENTIRE family. My escape plan is to pinch the babies until they cry and beat a hasty retreat.
Any rec from Bottega Louie
I like the sausage and white beans and a few other small dishes are good. I was there this week and ordered poorly, I think. Napoli pizza suffered from a wet, soggy crust. I've had other great meals there as well but it is hit and miss. I will say that I've never had bad service and always walk away having had a great time - but I'm not sure it's due to the food.
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Napoli
1815 Hawthorne Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Anyone willing to give up one of your secret brunch places?
The Village Bakery in Atwater has great breakfast items, baked goods and bread. Barbara used to be one of the owners of Auntie Em's.
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The Village Bakery & Cafe
3119 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Another one bites the dust
Sunday night my dad and I would pick up a pepperoni pizza to go. We'd order it and wait, hoping for a train to come by on the tracks right behind the restaurant (now that is dating myself). We'd take it home, set up the TV trays and watch '60 Minutes' with the family.
Tam O'Shanter on Christmas Eve
Has anyone ever eaten here on Christmas Eve? Do you know if they serve the regular menu (online)? If so, can anyone recommend something? I'm not a prime rib fan.
Thanks
Royal T - Culver City
How is this place? Anything to look forward to or should I try to steer the lunch to another place? The person I am going with is eager to try it.
TIA
Anyone been to Craft lately?
We brought our own wine and that, along with the short ribs, was the most enjoyable part of the meal. We had 6 people, shared a number of salads, starters and mains (including the stupidly expensive and completely useless $110 Rib Eye For The Table...don't ask...wasn't my idea). I'm in no hurry to go back.
However, the CraftBar menu looked intriguing and I did have a good martini to warm up.
Recs needed - with kids and without
The family will be coming up for a mid-week visit at the end of the month. We're staying in JTown and have a car (but would prefer to walk).
Any suggestions on places for the whole family (Mario's Bohemian is an old stand by). Also would love a suggestion or two in case we can dump the kids with a sitter or friend.
Driving up from Los Angeles and have a great sushi place so that's not needed. Indian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, breakfast places...we'll take all recommendations.
Price point? I don't want to break the bank but work is covering some of it. Looking for places that will welcome the kids (they are well mannered but still young).
Where would you take your extended family when they came to visit? And where would you send the grown ups while you watched their kids?
Much appreciated
A-1 Eastern-Homemade Pickle Company in Los Angeles
Any idea if they sell the 1/2 sours and full sours to Nate 'n Al's? I love those pickles.
What to eat at Street
Maybe I was expecting so little but we ended up having a nice time last night. Great table on the patio, great service (Scotty, but only because I asked. To his credit, he didn't introduce himself. I hate that.)
We started with the white radish cake, the poke, kaya toast and paani puri. The poke was ok. The ono and avocado were a bit clunky on the rice cake but it did have good flavor. I wish there was a bit more ginger but that's my personal taste. The radish cake was great as was the kaya toast. The table (6 of us) agreed that the Kaya and the Paani Puri was the highlight of that course.
Thai Bites were next. I liked being able to customize the flavor however the collard leaves were a too tough along the ribs for the dish. Bites is a great way to describe it. Teeny. But fun for the table.
The black pepper clams were a highlight. Spicy rich broth and I am not a clam fan. I asked for more bread to soak up the sauce.
Saag Paneer, dal and rice plate...don't bother. Not bad but not worth it.
By the time the BBQ short ribs, bass and crab arrived, no one was hungry. The short ribs had good flavor. The asian pear salad had promise but didn't deliver. Overall it was fine but not great.
The bass had great flavor. Had a nice sear on it but was a tad dried out. The chorizo side dish was the best thing on the plate.
The crab was spiced well, the sauce was a bit sticky and the side dish was so pathetic no one touched it. Chunks of yam, baby corn, green beans...I couldn't be bothered.
The tamarind/tequila cocktail might have had something to do with my mood...it was great.
Oh, and the kitchen sent out a mung bean pancake complimentary. I had mentioned to Scotty that a friend had been there the night before and had such a bad experience (and bad service) that I was terrified to honor our reservation.
Would I go back? No. Did I have a nice time? Yep. The patio is beautiful and we had great company with old friends.
