Was in NYC not too long ago for a trade show and we had a company dinner at the Mesa Grill. One of Bobby Flay's places. Overall it was a good experience. The decor was nice, waitstaff helpful and attentive and the food generally good.
We started out with the salmon tartare, ceviche, blue corn pancake (with duck) and the pork quesadillas. I only ate the latter two items as I'm a little skittish around seafood. My entree was the roasted pork tenderloin with bourbon ancho chili sauce, plus a sweet potato tamale on the side. All of it was fantastic. The tenderloin was like a pork filet mignon--super moist and tender, yet lots of flavor. And the tamale was sweet, creamy and delicious.
The only disappointing thing I tried was the side of mashed potatoes--I swear they were instant. I love mashed potatoes--I eat them often and make a lot at home, so I like to think I'm good judge of this. And these potatoes definitely had a distinct artificial, not made at home taste. Darn. Come on Bobby, I expected better!
And of course we had margaritas before, during and after. Even with dessert. Which was all good too--we did a sampler and a little bit of everything.
The Great Western Steak & Hoagie Company. Finally tried it...three times. I've been seeing this place for years and have always been curious about it, but it honestly never looked that appetizing. It's in a dingy little walk-up / stand style building off a busy street that you couldn't quite tell if it was open for business. People are occasionally seen in the small outside tables & chairs section, but who knows if they were really eating. It was the kind of place that certainly wouldn't be a specific destination--as in it didn't seem special enough to actually drive there and check it out.
And then that all changed. Not that it all of a sudden looked special, but several months ago we ended up moving just a few blocks away it. So not only could we walk there, it was also on my route home. Which means I walk by it almost every day and get the pleasure of smelling whatever it is they were grilling up. And post 6:00pm--after a long work day and eating nothing but a Balance Bar, Lean Cuisine and a handful of Goldfish (typical workday fare), the smell of grilled onions and meat is especially alluring. Anything that smelled that good, had to also taste good...so I knew some hoagies were in my near future.
So one Sunday after a day of laundry and housework, I knew I didn't want to cook so the BF was sent on a mission to retrieve sandwiches--or rather hoagies, or cheese steaks as they're really called on the menu. And they turned out to be quite delicious. We did do some research before we ordered so we knew what to expect and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. This place gets a lot of reviews about whether or not it's a real cheesesteak and I really don't care about that--I just think it's a good sandwich.
The hoagie roll is nice and soft on the inside and ever-so-slightly crispy on the outside. And the meat is actually good. I'm pretty picky about eating meat outside my own kitchen and can easily get turned off, but the night before last I actually finished my own whole sandwich--without picking out any of the meat. In fact, the second before last time, I had ordered an all -veggie version which ended up being disappointed due to the overload of green bell peppers. (Which an overload of green peppers on anything is bad) The other unique thing is that all of the sandwiches come with marina sauce. I think oridinarily it's supposed to come on top of the hoagie, but we read that it's best to have it on the side--which we've done every single time. It's just OK sauce--good for a bite or two, but I'm not that into marinara so I could easily do without. We've found that Sriracha is a much better condiment!
And the cheese is really tasty as well, all melted and gooey. In fact, I like the cheese so much that next time I want to request extra. Not that I need the extra cheese, but after making the commitment to eat one of these, I don't think a little extra cheese will that make that big of difference.
The only downside is that they don't have fried sides---so no fries or onion rings, just chips. With the sandwiches being so big, it's not that big of a deal...it's not like you'd go away hungry. It's just that with any grilled sandwich consisting of bread, meat and cheese, a side of fries would make it taste ever so better. oh well.
We'll definitely keep this on our list of naughty treats.
One that I forgot to mention previously.....a little breakfast cafe in San Francisco.
Before going on the trip to SF, we were desperately trying to remember where a particular Indian restaurant was--one that we discovered on our last trip there several years. We were so impressed with the place, that we went twice during a 3 day trip. It was a small divy little place that you had to order at the counter and the food was served on paper plates. Anyway, with the aid of Google Street View--which I have to say is one of my favorite pre-vacation research tools since you can actually "walk" down a street and see where your hotel is and what kind of neighborhood it's in, I walked around the area of the city where I thought the restaurant might be. I thought I'd found it on Geary Street, but it was on the wrong side of street. However, while looking around Geary I discovered a little place called Dotties True Blue Cafe, which I decided to look up because I liked the name. Turns out it's quite the little gem of a cafe and has a huge following and lots of reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp testifying to its greatness. We couldn't help but be intrigued, being that it was a cafe (which we love), known for their breakfasts (which we also love) and for it's location in a not-so-great part of town (the Tenderloin, which is cool just because it's not Union Square). And that there were ALWAYS lines out the door because it's a really small place and sits about 10 people. I'm usually not one for lines because I tend to think that nothing's really worth waiting in line for 30 mins, that I can always find something just as good without a wait. So we decided to go early, which I'm sure nearly everyone else does too as we got there around 9:00am and sure enough there was about 6 people in front of us.....in twos, so really only three. And we ended up waiting just over 20 mins I suppose. The plus side of the wait was that we got a really good table, one that actually 4 people and it was in the back and away from the front door that remains open to accommate the line snaking out of it...and it was a little chilly.
So...for the food. I opted for one of the "Specials" on the whiteboard.....black bean patties w/ pica de gallo, eggs and breakfast potatoes. And he had the Blue Plate Special which was a complete standard breakfast of eggs, choice of meat, juice or coffee, pan cakes or french toast and breakfast potatoes. He chose the pancake and it turned out to be the best thing we had--they were so good, that we ended up eating all of them which we rarely do. Mine was good, but not over the top....I wasn't so crazy about the black bean concoction and the potatoes were just so-so. All in all, our meal was good but nothing that I felt compelled to rave about. I would try it again, but for lunch.
There's a new kid in town and we're loving it! Venice finally has an Indian restaurant worth going to that's not outrageously priced and is super tasty as well. Agra was discovered in one of those nifty little free coupon brochures that get mailed out every few weeks or so. I first noticed it because of the great coupon deals, so I read the menu and discovered it looked just as good as the prices....and they were local. So I went a step further and looked them up online and saw that they were getting rave reviews and were already a local favorite. So BF and I just had to try it out as we are ga-ga about Indian and are always up for a new Tikka Masala. Plus we had one of the great coupon deals, which of course we ended up forgetting on the first trip there.
Anyway, we've now been back several times and they are definitely one of the best Indian places we've tried in the area. The Tikka Masala is awesome and the Korma is close behind it in favoritism. We've also had: the eggplant, which is nice and spicy and not too mushy and the kofta, which is wonderful dish of smooth and creamy goodness.
And what's great is you can specify: mild, medium or spicy. We tried the tikka spicy and while it was super good, we admitted it was a little too spicy...even for us and we have high tolerances. Not that we couldn't handle the heat, but it kinda took away from the creamy tomato yumminess of the sace.
And another huge plus is they start out every meal with a serving of soup and papadums & chutneys. No other place I've been to does this! They also have great prices on drinks...there's a good selection of Indian beers and even a cheap glass of bubbly for about $6. And for dessert there's a pistachio ice cream like none other I've ever had--it comes in a little round disc-like shape and is cut into pie-shaped sections. It's creamy and chewy and has an almost cakey texture, but yet it's smooth and cold and still very much like ice cream. Strange, but absolutely grand....in fact, the first time we tried it, we were making such loud "MmmMmmmmm" noises, that the couple in the next table leaned over to ask what we were eating!
This is definitely one of our favorite local places and favorite Indian places and one that we will be back again and again. Oh, and they deliver....for free which is another big plus. And they have even those long rectangular menus that are the rage of all the local thai take -out places!
Irish Coffees. Need I say more!
This is a great little cafe near Fisherman's Wharf at the end of the Powell-Mason Cable Car line. We first discovered this place on a previous trip when we got caught in a cold rain and needed somewhere to dry off and something to warm us up...and there's nothing better than an Irish Coffee to do the trick! The coffees are served in little clear coffee mugs and are topped with a float of whipped cream which never sinks and stays on top until the very last sip. On this recent visit the sun had just burned off all the fog and blue skies were aplenty so the atmosphere wasn't as cozy and charming as when it was rainy and gray, but the drinks were still just as tasty.
Went to San Francisco awhile back and chose to stay away from Union Square which was a great choice as we discovered Fillmore Street, which is a great little street away from the tourist crowd and is packed w/ loads of great bars, cafes, restaurants, shops, etc. And one of these great places was the Elite Cafe, which we found by accident and decided to try it based on the lovely storefront and the view from outside looking in...I spied a wonderful old bar with cozy lights and patrons sipping what looked to be fabulous martinis. That's all I needed....a nice cozy atmosphere (it was cloudy and cold out) and classy cocktails and I'm in. Turned out to be a great choice...so great in fact that in a 4 day trip, we visited the place the three times!
The first night we sampled: Martini for me, Jack & Coke for him and we split the fried okra for an appetizer which was absolutely amazing. It was cut length-wise like a fry and served with a spicy mayo dip.
The 2nd night we sampled: Side Cars for both and an order of fries and a side of deviled eggs--yes, deviled eggs....something that normally doesn't make appearances outside the neighborhood picnic or church function, but here it really worked and they were fantastic.
The 3rd time was for Saturday morning brunch and we sampled: biscuits & gravy, huevos rancheros and the cajun beef hash. And of course we tried the Bloody Mary's.
All in all it was my favorite place we tried on this trip and I'd definitely go back.
Went back to Le Saigon for lunch today with two coworkers. It's the third time I've been and I always have the same thing. Bun Bo Xao (Rice or rice Vermicelli with sautéed beef caramelized onions and peanuts). I have no idea how to pronounce it but it's delicious. The first time I went I had the rice, the second the noodles and I'm this time the rice. If you do noodles it comes in a bowl with all the veg accoutraments--shredded cucumber, carrot, mint leaves,etc. But the rice comes on a plate with the veg on the side, which I much prefer. It also comes with a sprinkling of peanuts and I alwasy ask for extra, which is brought on the side. I like to dress mine w/ lots of Siricha, another garlic chili sauce and some other sauce that's brown and a little sweet & smoky. All together very tasty. And fairly inexpensive. We also shared a side of pork & vegetable rolls, which were just OK...I only had one as they were a tad greasy and I wasn't too crazy about the pork. I think I'd prefer the all veggie ones. I've tried the spring rolls with shrimp and they completely gross me out...the little shrimps peeking through the thin, slightly transclucent papers and the crunchy, too fresh grass like texture of all the veggies inside just doesn't do it for me.
And yes, they do serve Pho, but I don't like it..to watery, soupy, runny with lots of floating things in it
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On the same house and dog sitting excursion---which lasted a week, so we had lots of time to eat...we tried a new Indian place out that we'd never been too. It was in Playa del Rey, so pretty much in our backyard but we just never get that far south. And it turned out to be not so far from the place we were staying, so it was super convenient. The place is small and sort of built on a small incline so you have to go up a flight of stairs to get in the front door. The inside is breezy and bright--at least the front dining room and the walls are adorned with mirrors and other Indian deco. The vibe is cozy and comfortable and smells heavenly--but what Indian restaurant doesn't! We had what we always have when first trying out a new place--the chicken tikka masala, eggplant and a mixed appetizer dish....and of course garlic naan because plain is a wast of time and the requisite raita (we can't eat Indian without it). Everything was really extremely tasty and just the right spiciness. The tikka masala was a creamy smooth blend of tomato curry goodness, I could eat just the sauce all night long and have nothing else with it and be satisified. We loved it so much that we wanted to go back several days later but we didnt'. Instead we saved our second visit for a time when I had to be picked up at the airport and we thought that would make a nice "welcome back to LA" dinner. We were seated again in the front dining room, but this time our experience was just so-so. The service was super slow and we were the only ones there! The food was still good, but just didn't feel as super tasty as the first time. They say they deliver to our neighborhood, so we may have to test that out. I would try it again, but only if I happened to be the neighborhood again--I probably wouldn't make a special trip down there.
A while ago I was house and dog sitting for some friends and the BF and I decided to go to Dinah's. We'd been once before and remembered it being 'okay', so we thought we'd give it another go. We were seated in the main dining room this time which is much more fun than the smaller, more plain side dining area. The place has been here since the late 50's / early 60's and certaintly looks like, but that's all part of the fun. Giant curved booths, laminate counters and tables and an overall classic diner atmosphere. I decided to go for the classic and have the fried chicken breakfast, this came with eggs any style and pancakes. I paid a $1 to get white meat, which is definitely worth it. Eggs were over medium and pretty good. And I had the regular pancakes and not the speciality ones, which were just okay--nothing to get excited about. BF had just a regular 3 egg breakfast w/ toast, potatoes and bacon. It was pretty standard in flavor and quality, but again nothing to get too excited out. We've both definitely had better. The fried chicken was good though and made a nice compliment to the pancake and syrup--but then again, I like mixing sweet and savory things together. The one cool thing about Dinah's is the never ending pot of coffee, if two people at the table order coffee you get your own pot right on the table. But then I had to have an OJ too since that seemed to wash the chicken down better than coffee and then BF had to have a diet coke because the OJ was so small I nearly finished it in two sips. So by the time we were done, we spent nearly as much on beverages as the food portion of our meal! Overall it was a fun experience and a neat place to try out if you're in the Westchester/Culver City area....but not a place I'd seek out if I wasn't in the neighborhood. But...as I've only ever been for breakfast, I would be curious to try either lunch or dinner.
So a few Fridays ago most of the big bosses were gone for the day so a few coworkers and I decided to have a nice lunch at a semi new spot a few blocks away. Rustic Canyon--a nice little restaurant/ wine bar that took over an old school Chinese place on Wilshire. It was absolutely fantastic. Everything we had from the wine, cocktails, food and dessert was amazing. We started off sharing the yam wedges with spicy harissa for dipping and they were yummy. Prior to that I had a Black Velvet cocktail which was super tasty--you put bubbly in almost anything and I'll drink it! For my main entree I did a split-split with Brian--we split the burger and the roasted beet salad; both were delightful. We also sharead a bottle of wine--The Prisoner by the Orin Swift winery. Again delightful! And then lastly for dessert we all split the buckwheat cake w/ blueberry compote and this too was wonderful. It was thick and tasty and not too sweet and topped with vanilla ice cream--our only comment was that we wished there was more of the blueberry compote, it was a little small. Overall a great dining experience and I would definitely go back. Needless to say going back to work after a cocktail, wonderful food, wine and dessert was a little hard. But at least it was a Friday!
PS-this was far more enjoyable than the Buffalo Club lunch from last week!
http://www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com/
