steviejoe's Profile
San Diego/La Jolla - Anything new and wonderful?
Really enjoying everyone's suggestions, but they seem to all be in La Jolla or Del Mar, which I don't think is in our future this weekend. Any new + wonderful suggestions in San Diego itself? Downtown/Gaslamp/etc.? Thank you!!
Larkin's in Eagle Rock?
Went for dinner last night and just wanted to add my two cents. Based on everything that's been written so far here and on various blogs, I expected teeny tiny portions and a staff that didn't know which end was up. I'm happy to report that we found neither last night.
Mostly, I was pleased that this place isn't trying to satisfy the sterotypical LA crowd. The place is adorable and homey. There are some instructions on a placard at your table that basically encourage everyone to act like adults. To paraphrase: 'If a menu item says "spicy", it's spicy. Substitutions are frowned upon. Mama's in the kitchen and though the food might be a little on the slow side, rudeness will not be tolerated.' That kind of thing. (I hear Larkin actually came out of the kitchen and threw someone out recently.) I took it all to mean, "you're here for a different kind of experience" and it was a welcome difference.
There were no delays in getting anything to the table and beverages and water were refilled when they should have been (two service issues that tend to put me somewhere between irritated and enraged when handled poorly.) All the food was excellent and neither of us had any qualms about the portion sizes either. Between a shared appetizer (salmon cakes), shared side (mac n cheese), two entrees (tri-tip and candied yam special + jambalaya), mini-muffins, southern caviar, and a stellar red velvet strawberry shortcake, we left stuffed and very happy.
Looking forward to many return visits. I'd tell you all that I highly recommend it, but then it might be harder for us to get a table next time!
Problems at Mozza?
Was there on Saturday. Though Nancy wasn't in the kitchen, everything was wonderful and three pizzas for our party of four were all great (speck, potato/gorgonzola, lardo). No soggy or greasy crust to be found. Other than the apathetic server, I have no complaints and have found the food to be consistently deelish.
Bachelor Party Dinner Suggestions? (Gramercy or nearby)
There will be six of us. I don't have an exact price limit. Four of the guys (including the groom) are in their early 20s. Two of us are older and make quite a bit more money. It is a special occasion and I know we'll spend plenty, but I'm just trying to be considerate of those on tighter budgets.
Thanks for those suggestions though! Can't wait to check 'em out.
Bachelor Party Dinner Suggestions? (Gramercy or nearby)
Looking for dinner suggestions for my brother's bachelor party, where we'll be in Manhattan on a Saturday night. We're having a whole night out - with one destination in the Gramercy area - and I'm hoping for a great-but-casual dinner somewhere somewhat nearby. Trouble is, I live in LA and my knowledge of the area and the good eats in Manhattan is sorely lacking.
As for other tricky limitations: my brother is not the most adventurous eater you could ever meet and the other groomsmen may not have the budget for a super-pricey meal. That said, I still want it to be a great meal at a great place.
One thought I had was OTTO which is not too far away, but I have no idea if it's absolutely impossible to get a reservation on a Saturday night and whether it's a nice enough place for a special occassion.
Any suggestions my dear Hounds? Truly appreciated.
Philly cheesesteak hunt
This Philadelphia native highly recommends South Street (locations in Burbank and Westwood - www.southstreetcheesesteak.com.) IMHO (and as SauceSupreme rightly pointed out), one of the things that makes a true Philly Cheesesteak is the Amoroso roll (www.amorosobaking.com). To my knowledge, South Street here in LA are the only ones that understand that detail, as they have the rolls shipped to them. (I think the dough is frozen and then South Street bakes it here, but don't quote me on that. I realize that doesn't really sound ideal, but the effort for a real Amaroso roll is truly worth it.) The place isn't fancy, the Philly decor is pretty out of control, there's always a sporting event on the flatscreen TV in either location, but damn the cheesesteaks are good. Added bonus: they even sell other Philadelphia food items like water ice, Goldenberg's Peanut Chews and, best of all, Tastykakes!
Anniversary Dinner Party Suggestions?
You guys are great. Thanks so much for all the suggestions... keep 'em comin'!! I truly appreciate it.
Anniversary Dinner Party Suggestions?
Looking into an anniversary party for around 50 of our family and closest friends. While we understand that we'll have to spend a pretty penny, we also don't want to take out a second mortgage for one dinner. Trouble is, quality of food is very important to both of us, and we don't want to sacrifice great food just to save a few bucks and end up in a banquet hall at a local Marriott.
Some of our favorite restaurants that we've considered are Cicada (beautiful room, but our party just isn't big enough) and Ciudad (we love the food, but the patio just wasn't terribly impressive). Considered the Patina restaurants (we're music folks, so something related to Disney Hall would be lovely) and The Castaway in Burbank (amazing view, but the food sucks.) The private room at Mozza looks great but it hold a whopping 14 people. A bit of a "wow" factor for out-of-towners would, of course, be nice, but I don't know if that's in our budget. We were thinking about the restaurant at the Getty Center, although we've never been.
So there you have it. Any suggestions would be truly appreciated.
Sincerest thanks!!
