medrite's Profile
Umami Burgers....Worth the price ??
IMHO the truffle burger at the Studio City location is to die for.
In LA for work Sat - Tues.....where to eat alone?
IMHO, Bottega Louie has great food and cocktails and a nice bar where you can eat & people-watch. But go early if you can as it tends to get very noisy when crowded. My favorite dish there is the fettucine Belmondo.
Enjoy!
Early solo dinner downtown?
You sold me...anyplace with a dessert called Ooey Gooey Cake is a place I want to try.
Early solo dinner downtown?
Hello all,
Got a last-minute solo ticket for Waiting for Godot at the Mark Taper this evening. Would appreciate recs for an early dinner within walking distance before the show. Love Louie's but been there a million times already (that's my idea of walking distance).
Thanks in advance!
Versailles
I agree with your assessment of the Encino Versailles -- I had lunch there about a year ago and had a terrible experience. I ordered chicken (I think it was the garlic chicken), and it came out on a plate buried in raw onions and swimming in juice. There was no way to get to the chicken without spilling onions and juice all over the table. When I pointed this out to the waiter, he stood there and argued with me! I wouldn't go back. There are better places.
Recs for solo business diner
Hello all,
I will driving down to your fair town on business from the City of Angels on Wednesday, just in time for dinner, and driving back on Saturday. Would appreciate some dinner recs -- good is better than trendy (although trendy is OK too). I've been to & love Starlite Cafe & Point Loma Seafoods, but tried to get into Starlite about a month ago on a Thursday night and the parking was impossible -- I had to go somewhere else. I've heard a lot about Noble Experiment...does it deserve the hype? What else do local CH'ers recommend? I'm flexible regarding price & cuisine.
Thank you in advance!
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Point Loma Seafoods
2805 Emerson St, San Diego, CA 92106
Starlite
3175 India Street, San Diego, CA 92103
RIP: Dish Bistro (Pasadena)
I had a late lunch at the La Canada Dish last Saturday -- all I had was a burger, but it was great, and my friend and I sat right by the fireplace, which was perfect for a rainy, chilly afternoon. Good bar, nice wine selection, not at all crowded.
Nice Dinner Downtown
Hello all -- looking for recs for early-ish (5-6 PM) but romantic Friday dinner in downtown LA in the general vicinity of Metro Center-7th Street Red Line station (around 7 th & Hope). Something a little quieter & more intimate than Bottega Louie.
Thank you!
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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Recs for Birthday dim sum?
Sounds like it's gonna be Sea Harbour, unless anyone else weighs in...thanks to all who replied!
Recs for Birthday dim sum?
Hello all,
I am having a birthday in early October & thought it would be fun for a bunch of us to go for dim sum in Monterey Park (or elsewhere). What's your favorite place for dim sum in the LA area? Do they take reservations? Recommended dishes? Can we bring wine?
Thank you!
Rivera recs?
I was thinking of planning a night at Rivera for my gourmet club -- anyone been there lately? Would you recommend it?
Thank you!
Bad Experience at Church & State (long)
I had dinner with 3 friends at Church & State last night. We arrived on time for a 6:45 reservation and they seated us promptly. The waiter came & took our order -- since we're all foodies, we ordered 6 appetizers among the 4 of us, then main courses. They brought out the appetizers in 2 shifts, which was fine with us because we were sharing everything anyway.
After the second round of appetizers, the waiter came over and asked if we wanted coffee or dessert. Uh, what about our main courses? Whoops, sorry, I'll check with the kitchen. About 10 minutes later the mains came out. Foodwise, everything was superb -- all I'd anticipated and more. We also shared a bottle of wine among the 4 of us.
After the main course the waiter came to take our dessert order. Then he vanished, and after about 20 minutes we started wondering, where's the dessert? By this time it was after 8, and on a Saturday night, the place was absolute pandemonium. We finally managed to flag down the manager to ask about our desserts. We also told him the waiter had already screwed up by forgetting our main courses. Another person at the table said the manager told her later that he's had trouble with that waiter before and tries to give him the least crowded tables. Uh, so you put this guy to work during the busiest night of your week? Anyway, we waited, and waited, and waited. We finally had decided to just cancel the dessert order when they magically appeared, along with one we hadn't asked for, as an appeasement. The waiter muttered something about our ticket having gotten lost in the kitchen. The manager said there would be no charge for any of the desserts, and also gave us each a glass of Sauternes on the house. OK, great.
So imagine our surprise when the check came out and we were each charged for 2 glasses of Sauternes, as well as for 2 bottles of wine, when we'd only had one! So again, we had to hunt down the manager, no small feat in this packed restaurant, and wait while he fixed the check. That took him so long that we seriously considered just walking out without paying. But finally the corrected check came. We paid, but left no tip.
I have to say the food was terrific, and the staff clearly did try to do the right thing when we brought the problems to their attention. Nevertheless, for a place as ambitious as this, you'd think they would have this stuff down. Everyone makes mistakes once in a while, but this consistent train of errors makes me think the place has some serious problems with management and/or organization, or maybe its popularity has overwhelmed its capacity. A meal that should have taken perhaps 2 hours at a leisurely pace wound up stretching out to nearly 3. We all had had very high expectations for this place, and needless to say we were quite disappointed.
BBQ Recs
Hello all -- my gourmet club wants to meet at a good, not obscenely expensive BBQ place somewhere in the Valley or West Side. Suggestions?
HELP HOUNDS!!!! CHINESE IN THE VALLEY????
I second the recommendation for MB...it's on the south side of Ventura, in the same mall as Jinky's. No atmosphere, but I think the booths are pretty comfortable and the food is decent, if not up to the standards of Monterey Park or San Gabriel.
Fine Dining near LAX airport?
I've stopped there for dinner several times en route to catching a fight, and it's never taken me more than 30 minutes to get to the airport afterward.
Fine Dining near LAX airport?
You might also consider the Bel Air Bar & Grill, somewhat north of the airport on Sepulveda...it's right off the 405 (take the Moraga exit, then head south on Sepulveda, it'll be on your left), has a wide selection of comfort food (meat loaf, whitefish, etc), good wine list, cozy bar area. After dinner you hop right back on the 405 & back to LAX.
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Bel Air Bar & Grill
662 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Bel Air, CA 90049
So much food, so little time...
Uh-oh, you said the magic word. Sweetbreads. I love them. I order them whenever I see them on a menu anywhere. So Momofuku Noodle Bar will be a DEFINITE stop for me. (Maybe I'll go to Setagaya afterward for the ramen...)
Thanks!
So much food, so little time...
Thank you for your comments & suggestions. I have made a reservation at Jean-Georges for lunch, but not yet at Degustation--I guess I should do that. Regarding Shake Shack, I know the lines can be long but I was hoping that, as a (sigh) tourist, I could minimize the wait by showing up at an off time on a weekday, instead of at peak lunch or dinner hours or a weekend when I imagine the lines would be at their worst. As for Momofuku, actually I was thinking of trying both, but maybe I'll go to the Ssam Bar and take your suggestionfor Setagaya instead for ramen.
So much food, so little time...
Hi everyone:
I will be visiting NYC for one week starting June 3 and needless to say plan to do some serious eating. Based on what I've read here and in my trusty Zagat's, I've decided to try these places:
Jean-Georges
Degustation
Shake Shack
Yasuda
Momofuku
Any good dumpling place in Chinatown
I also try to visit Picholine and Shun Lee West every time I'm in NY because I used to live in the area and they are old favorites of mine.
Any other recs? Am open to pretty much any type of cuisine, all price points, dinner or lunch. Manhattan only please.
Thank you!!
Korean and Mexican Food Tour
I would definitely say try Babita. But make a reservation--the place is teeny and I've seen them turn people away.
Ford's Filling Station?
Hello fellow CH'ers,
I've wanted to try Ford's Filling Station for some time, so the BF and I have reservations for this Saturday night, but now I'm hearing rumors that the place is overrated. Opinions?
Thanks!
Solo in Seoul
Hi--I'm also a woman traveler on my own in Seoul for roughly the same dates, probably for the same conference you are. If you'd like a dining companion you can contact me at juno403@aol.com.
Dining in Seoul
HI Simon--thank you very much for your post. I will definitely try Baekje Samyetang when I'm there. I do remember your earlier post about the problems of dining solo, so your recommendations are most welcome.
Did you spend all of your time in Seoul, or did you venture to points beyond?
Norra (AKA Medrite)
Dining in Seoul
I will be spending 2 weeks in Seoul in late August-early September and would appreciate any food/restaurant recommendations, all price points considered. I am a woman traveling alone and am wondering if that will be a problem.
Also, do they really eat dogs? (Not that I want to try any!)
Thank you!
Lunch ideas for Studio City
If I may add my belated 2 cents...if you like sushi, I recommend Ahi Sushi on Ventura just west of Coldwater Canyon.
