after running myself ragged during week 1 of this new york vacation, i decided to drop everything (well, almost everything) and give myself a break during week 2. i mean, i pretty much rolled off the plane and started volunteering at the TFF the very next morning! even though i was assigned to a prime location, i wasn't doing all that much. after a while, i'm sure that wore down on kate (who felt bad that she didn't have anything for me to do but sit and answer the occasional question about where the bathrooms were) and on me (who felt bad about reading or stepping away from the desk, just in case there wasn't anyone answering the occasional question about where the bathrooms were). and after trekking down to second avenue in both sun and rain, i decided i didn't very much enjoy being assigned to that schlep either. plus i really didn't want to spend the rest of my vacation getting worn out and possibly sick, so i requested to be dismissed from my 3 remaining volunteer shifts. and was let go, thanks to a really nice supervisor and a really slow desk (at least in the morning when i was assigned). whew! all in all, it was a really great experience, that i definitely didn't mind coming back for.
in addition to volunteering too much, i've also been working out too much (at NYHRC's all over the city), eating out too much (at some tres yummy places), socializing too much (w/friends i don't get to see for months/years at a time), and ultimately not resting enough. even now, i'm up uber late trying to get caught up on this blog. and all i can think about for tomorrow is how i need to get back to work on editing my proposal and studying for my NSCA exam. plus i need to start researching my research topic for the costa rica trip. and i need to find out what happened to the budget report i have to review before friday's meeting. geezus christ. i'm a train wreck waiting to happen. can you see the headlines now? grad student CRUSHED by responsibilities.
to be honest, i feel like one of the mathematicians trapped in 'fermat's room' -- an AMAZING movie lily and i watched tonight as part of the TFF. not only was the acting superb, but the plotline was just convoluted enough to keep your neurons firing w/o going on overload. (i also watched boy A last week, which was impressive in terms of the acting, but totally unoriginal in terms of the plotline.) i'm hoping to get a few more films in before i head back, including 'let the right one in' (a coming-of-age vampire story -- which i'm watching in honor of eri and her buffy obsession) and 'the caller' (for which i waited in the rush ticket line for over an hour, only to not be able to get in (!!) -- let's hope for better luck the second time around). i'm thinking it might've been nice to just sit around and watch movies the whole 2 weeks, but then again, i might've ended up totally bored out of my mind from sitting for so many hours at a time! i guess the grass is always greener on the other side. *sigh*
monday:
before i forget, i must say that i had absolutely the most delicious dish -- unagi fried rice -- at (of all places) go sushi. granted, if the food's good, the food's good, but i would've never thought i'd find one of the yummiest dishes ever at a fast food sushi joint. needless to say, i was SHOCKED. i mean, unagi is already one of my favorite foods EVER. but to have the unagi and the sauce mixed in with brown rice, egg, and lettuce was AMAZING. i don't even have the words to express my enjoyment and satisfaction. this dish made the rest of my meal (a seaweed salad and a roll of shrimp, mango, and cucumber) pale in comparison. if you find this dish, you must order it ASAP.
go sushi
1649 second avenue
new york, ny 10028
212.570.1222
http://www.gosushi.net/
with the rain coming down like cats and dogs, i was quite depressed for most of monday (especially the morning). thankfully, i got to spend some time back at soon's apt before heading back downtown. after spending hours out in the rain, the apt was oh so relaxing -- and WARM. i must admit that it took a lot to get my butt of the apt, but i'm glad i did b/c it was really great catching up w/lily (who i hadn't seen in what seemed like FOREVER). we both really enjoyed fermat's room (yay for volunteer vouchers!) and we were both psyched for dinner. so it was really too bad that we had to deal w/an annoying cab driver who barked at us for not letting him know that we were planning to pay by credit card. (FYI that lily's promised to report his ass for being a jerk-off -- you suck, TF13!)
thankfully, the rest of the evening was filled with delicious eats and fun convo. i picked out merkato 55 (after much press on daily candy and thrilllist) and we were NOT disappointed. lily had read the restaurant review in the new york times and recalled some of the highlights. we decided on the african breads (w/3 kinds of bread), the cucumber sabal (a bit pickled), the soft-shelled crab (which, as i've mentioned, is my current favorite food) w/tapioca, and the frisee salad w/eggplant (for some veggies). the breads were delicious, particularly the sesame naan-of-sorts and the mildly spiced cornbread. the cucumber sabal had a nice tang. the crab was, by far, my favorite dish of the night. totally crispy and delicious. it would've been nice to have more of the sauce available for dipping though, especially since the crispy layer made the dish slightly dry. i'm not sure how much the tapioca added to the dish, but the pearls in and of themselves were yummy. the salad was OK but needed a LOT more eggplant to be satisfying.
even though we were both just full enough, i needed to end on a sweet tooth (as always), so i picked out the sorbets for a light dessert. now, most chefs say that they put ice creams and sorbets on the menu to satisfy the non-adventurous dessert eaters out there. as w/my argument for non-steak dishes in steakhouses, i believe that if you're going to put anything on a menu, it better be worthy of being put on that menu. as such, i must say that we were NOT disappointed by our dessert option. the waiter brought us a plate of 2 sorbets and 1 ice cream (whether inadvertently or deliberately, we weren't sure): pineapple sorbet, avocado-kalamansi sorbet, and rosehip ice cream. the pineapple was a bit sweet for me, but lily thought it was quite delicious. the avocado-kalamansi (which i just wikipedia'ed and found out is a lime-like fruit) was provocative and intriguing, balancing ever so precariously b/w mellow and tangy. the rosehip was the favorite for us both, with its mild sweetness and floral scent.
sitting in such an amazing space and dining on such a delicious menu, we both avidly agreed that we'd be coming back AND bringing friends. samuelsson has certainly done an amazing job. this is yet another eatery to add to the growing list of meatpacking favorites (which include florent and pastis)!
merkato 55
55 gansevoort street
new york, ny 10014
212.255.8555
http://merkato55.com/
tuesday:
FYI that i used to love love love cosi for its smores platter. OMG. to be able to toast little marshmallows on metal skewers over a little fire at the table w/o the nuisance of nature, dirt, and bugs. what a godsend! later on, i discovered their frappuccino-like arctics -- DELISH. but b/c i've never been a big sandwich eater, i've never tried their flatbread sandwiches. well, at least not until today. as a quick sidebar, the first and best thing i noticed about the menu was that it listed ALL of the calories for each item (by size even, when applicable). considering how people tend to underestimate or overestimate their caloric intake, these numbers are really helpful. and it shows that the company's thinking! i know some folks might think it's TMI, but i totally disagree. i think it's better that people know than guess. and given that, i decided to order the lightest thing on the sandwich menu -- a veggie sandwich w/hummus. i was delighted to get it home and find out how thin (and just crispy enough) the flatbread was (which was perfect since i'm generally bothered by bread). seeing as how i suck at portioning, the sandwich was pretty much the perfect size and just filling enough to satisfy me until dinner.
cosi
2186 broadway
new york, ny 10024
212.595.5616
http://www.getcosi.com/
while i was really sad that nicole was stuck at work tonight, i couldn't make dinner later so i decided to check out bar q on my own. considering that i'd been waiting forever to try it, i was SO NOT DISAPPOINTED. first of all, my waiter brian sat me at this lovely corner table, which as a single diner, i absolutely love. you have the space all to yourself, and you don't have to worry about bumping elbows in both directions. next, the menu was absolutely divine. i'd passed by this amazing oyster bar on my way in, and i decided that i'd set aside my food poisoning fears (at least for the night) and start off w/oysters. i asked for one at first, just to have one for the sake of having one. brian brought it over w/a little bit of lemon and asked whether i wanted to try any of the dipping sauces. i asked him to pick the one he liked best and he brought over a mildly spicy red sauce. the combination of the tres fresh oyster and the sauce was DIVINE. and the oyster (except for 2 tiny bits of sand) went down super smoothly. so i asked for a second oyster, and of course, it was divine as well. i really do hope that my tummy stays OK these next few days b/c my oyster experience was pretty near perfect this time around.
next, i moved onto the unagi and scallion fritters. (i swear i must have a theme going on this trip b/c i've had both soft shell crab and unagi a billion times already!) these came perfectly golden and tasted absolutely delicious. upon chewing slowly and cutting though the fritters, it was apparent that they were only lightly battered and contained mostly unagi. mmm.... scrumptious.... i'd asked brian about the stuffed spare rib and he'd pretty much gasped in ecstasy, so i decided to go w/that. as derek's mentioned in his blog, it's rarely a bad idea to take recommendations from the waitstaff. and again, i was thrilled at what was set before me. even though i've been eating out for DAYS now, i must say that this dish was BY FAR the BEST dish i've had on this ENTIRE trip. brian had described the dish as a de-boned spare rib set on top of chunky peanut butter. and he was SPOT ON. the meat was cooked and stuffed perfectly -- oh so tender. even though the sauce was a bit salty, it wasn't unlike any other BBQ sauce. well, except that it was BETTER. plus, mixed w/the chunky peanut sauce, let's just say, i was pretty much in heaven. i'm just glad i'd paced myself so that i could get it all into my tummy!
to top off the night, i decided on the lightest dessert on the menu (next to the sorbets that i'd just had the night before), which was the coconut soup w/fresh fruit. again, brian gave me the two thumbs up. and again, i wasn't the faintest bit displeased. the coconut soup was totally light and refreshing, nothing like the heavy and thick coconut milk that you find in most coconut dishes. and with the tiny cubes of jicama, kumquat, and mango, there was a lovely contrast of textures in the bowl. needless to say, i had the BEST meal. and kudos to brian for some great recs!
bar q
308 bleecker street
new york, ny 10014
212.206.7817
wednesday:
after getting some work done over yet another delicious cosi sandwich (i seriously am a creature of habit -- at least in weekly bursts), i decided to venture outside for some lovely new york sunshine. while the temperature had dropped steeply from last week, i still prefer cold SUNNY new york days to cold RAINY new york days. as i was trekking downtown on the upper west, i passed by one of the cutest tea places in the city -- alice's tea cup. when i saw that pumpkin scones were on the menu, i really couldn't resist going inside. based on alice's adventures in wonderland, this place is simply adorable. w/the yummiest looking AND tasting treats imaginable. (i also passed by magnolia bakery afterwards and their desserts looked equally delectable.)
seeing that i'm the biggest pumpkin fan, i decided to grab a pumpkin scone (theoretically to save for breakfast the next day). and seeing that i wouldn't let myself nibble on the scone, i decided to grab an iced tea as well, to accompany me on my walk through the park. the peach iced tea that the cashier recommended was delicious. unfortunately, it was drank/drunk (which is it?!) way too quickly by a person w/a tiny bladder, so i'm really glad i made it all the way down to the ladies room at grand central w/o too much angst. (FYI that i made sure to pass through the grand central market twice, just to soak up all the gourmet goodness. *sigh*)
way before reaching grand central, however, i entered a lululemon store near lincoln center, only to find out that all of the sales staff loved alice's tea cup. when i mentioned my pumpkin scone, their eyes grew wide and they went on about how DELICIOUS it was. (apparently the same holds true for the banana chocolate chip cake as well.) needless to say, i couldn't help but try a small bite of my scone -- AND THEN PROCEED TO EAT THE WHOLE THING. forget breakfast. i didn't even last an hour. isn't that pathetic?! nevertheless, i'm not ashamed. especially when that was THE best scone i'd EVER eaten. b/c you know how scones are normally dry and crumbly? well, this was nothing like that. my scone was perfectly moist w/o tasting like a muffin or a cake. it was more worthy of the scone title than any other scone i've had in my short lifetime. and with a bit of glaze on top, it was absolutely the most perfect scone specimen. need i say more?
alice's tea cup
102 west 73rd street
new york, ny 10023
212.799.3006
http://www.alicesteacup.com/
additional references:
magnolia bakery - http://www.magnoliabakery.com/
grand central market - http://www.grandcentralsquare.com/
lululemon - http://www.lululemon.com/
to close out a lovely day of yummy eats, i met up w/ivana, ben, rob, mike, and jacob (thanks for showing up, jacob!) at rosa mexicano down near union square. it'd been forever since i'd caught up w/any of these folks (except for ben who'd partaken/partook in the strip house festivities), so i was excited for the DCS reunion. too bad that every single person (other than me) was LATE. i mean, is it a new york thing? is it an urban thing? it is a cell phone thing? is it a CRACKBERRY thing? i haven't the faintest, but let's just say i was a bit dismayed when i was sitting/standing for close to 10 minutes before rob showed up as the first of the group. it's not that i was crazy mad or anything. i just never understand lateness/ which is probably why i'm always left waiting 20 minutes since i show up 10 minutes early and everyone else shows up 10 minutes late. *sigh* at any rate, the rest of the group showed up in short order (including jacob who'd just gotten the call from mike -- thank goodness for cabs).
as soon as our entire party had arrived, the hostess seated us at a lovely booth for 6. our waiter was fabulous the whole night -- even dealing w/our more-often-than-not crazy antics. (that man SERIOUSLY deserved the good tip we left him.) as we were perusing the menu, we decided to kickstart the night w/drinks, chips, and made-to-order guac tableside. except for ivana and i, the entire table ordered the pomegranate margarita, which was apparently DELISH. i was kind of leaning towards a virgin one, but really, what's the point? as for the guac, we ordered it spicy, but we must've looked weak (or the guy must've heard wrong) b/c there was absolutely no kick to the guac at all. not that it didn't taste yummy, it just wasn't what we ordered. sadness.
for our main entrees, we decided to order for ourselves and then share w/those who wanted to taste. a strategy that works well in that it allows everyone to get something they want and also try other dishes at the table. i decided to keep it light w/the salad and i managed to divvy up most of the seared tuna that i didn't want anyways. (FYI that this tuna looked almost like sashimi -- i barely saw the sear! not that it matters though, since i really don't like tuna.) i pretty much ordered the salad for the greens and the mango, which totally lived up to expectations. jacob ordered the ceviche to start (which was AMAZING) and the short rib to follow (which was LUSCIOUS). ivana chose the the red snapper, which came with a tableside preparation of a garlic sauce. it was also quite good, though i really wasn't feeling fish that night. rob ordered the short rib as well, but ben & mike both went w/multiple appetizers. the zarape w/pulled duck was my favorite of the three, though the empanadas w/lump crab and the enchiladas w/pulled chicken weren't too shabby either (though a little bit more carb-ey than meat-ey in my opinion).
needless to say, most of the crew was way full after the inhalation of chips, warm tortillas (that came w/the guac), and guac at the start of the meal. thankfully, ivana & i had both saved room for dessert! and we decided on the flan, which was INCREDIBLE. the mole ice cream certainly looked interesting, but when you're in a mexican restaurant, flan should be the dessert of choice. it was just sweet enough and not too heavy. and it was placed on top of a thin layer of burnt sugar at the bottom of the plate, which made for a visually appealing presentation and provided a nice textural contrast to the smooth and creamy flan.
all in all, we had a GREAT time. while the hostess was a bit blah, our waiter was really very sweet. (i mean, anyone who can put up w/us really deserves a medal.) but FYI to all those who want to eat here, make sure you make a reservation WAY ahead of time. otherwise, you're left w/at least an hour wait. this place is hopping at dinner time, so don't wait to the last-minute.
rosa mexicano
9 east 18th street
new york, ny, 10003
212.533.3350
http://www.rosamexicano.info/
thursday:
a quick note to say that i ended up at alice's tea cup again after 4 loops around the reservoir (5.2 miles, baby!). this time, i had to order the ham & cheddar scone (savory), the chocolate chip scone (sweet), and the vegetarian zucchini soup (liquid). even though i had homemade chicken soup from mom waiting for me and thoughts of another cosi flatbread sandwich floating in my head, i really couldn't resist more super moist scones. and i wasn't disappointed! yet again, they were the perfect consistency. i decided to hold back on eating the whole savory scone, but i couldn't help myself from ingesting the entire sweet one. at least i waited an hour in between halves. (that's something, right? small steps, people, small steps.) when dipped in clotted cream and strawberry jam (which the cafe provides in little to-go containers), the sweet scone was that much more delicious (i'm not sure how well they'd go w/the savory one). the soup was good, though i'm not sure it was really worth $6, especially for such a small container. stick w/the pastries if you come here. oh, and the iced tea too. mmm....
http://www.alicesteacup.com/
after much back and forth over email and text, evette and i decided to meet up at sip, a coffeebar halfway between ruby's apt on the upper west (where i was staying) and her digs in harlem. considering that scheduling's always been a bit of a nightmare for me (wherever i am), i'm just glad we were able to find a time that worked. and thank god for citysearch, which could find me a place to eat/drink/snack just about anywhere. (as for whether it's good or not, well, that's kind of a toss-up. i mean, you never know w/customer reviews, right?) after a quick search, i picked out sip. my attitude is: if you have a website, you must be halfway decent. and thankfully, i wasn't mistaken. (and yes, i love the double negatives.) even though (or maybe b/c) it was raining, the place was quite packed at 9:30 at night, so we decided to grab the high table closest to the door.
even though i'd already eaten a yummy homecooked korean meal at jenny & jimmy's new townhouse up in westchester, i couldn't resist ordering the delicious-looking poached pear. (i mean, it's fruit, so it's healthy, right?) i also decided on some lavender mint tea, which was so a propros considering that it was rainy & nippy outside. evette chose a nice salad and a chamomille tea, and we both ooh'ed when the waiter (who looked a little like that dude w/the long hair from almost famous & saved) brought us our own tea pots and dwarf-sized tea mugs. as for my pear, it was pretty much, a pear. it wasn't marinated in anything. it wasn't doused in heavy sauce. and considering that i was fairly full, it was nice to dip a few pieces of fresh pear into just a little bit of ice cream. on the other hand, the caramel brittle it came with was, well, disgusting. i'm not sure what they put in it (raisins? figs? nuts?), but the little pieces that came off tasted, well, gross. really bitter and just yucky. i'm sure the caramel part had to have been better, but i wasn't in the right frame of mind (or tummy) to try it. in terms of space, the place was really small and quite loud, so be prepared when you walk in the door. also, the bathroom was tiny and there was no coathook, which is a bit tacky, even if the place is a bit of a dive.
sip
998 amsterdam avenue
new york, ny 10025
212.316.2747
http://www.sipbar.com/
friday:
after waking up at 6:30 in the morning and deciding that i didn't REALLY want to trek downtown for pilates, i decided to get some emailing in before heading uptown to see harold & kumar escape from guatanamo bay. i know i know. totally random, but honestly, i really liked the first one! and knowing that kal penn was mel's RA really makes me feel that much more connected to the film. =S at any rate, i'd passed by the theater on my way back from sip the night before, and i'd noticed the $6 matinee price (which i never thought existed in new york), so i knew i had to come back. i mean, paying $6 for a movie in manhattan is just, well, unbelievable. and who doesn't love being one of FOUR people in a movie theater? at any rate, the movie was quite hilarious. a bit much w/the nudity, if you ask me, but otherwise pretty hilarious. this film is definitely a no-brainer in that absolutely NO brain cells are required. unless you've been in a hole since before 2001, the cultural and political references are pretty blatant. on the one hand, it's sad that the world still suffers from these notions. on the other hand, the characters use them quite well comedically. ultimately, this movie serves as a much less annoying version of borat (who i hate), but still makes a good point regarding the continued existence of annoying stereotypes. the escape plot and the cheesy subplot keep the fim moving forward; the characters and the subcharacters offer some hilarious caricatures; and the pot is (from my perspective) surprisingly successful as a theme.
http://www.haroldandkumar.com/
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
new york nibbles - week 1
i know everyone's expecting some news from my mid-term vacation in new york. so i thought i'd indulge you all by telling you how much fun i'm having just eating my way through this city. i suppose this post will be similar to my boston musings, especially since there's just so much to eat that there's not enough time to process it all. needless to say, some adventures have been more delightful than others, but all in all, it's been a total dream to be munching my days away. (FYI that i went back to a couple of my favorite places, so i'll skip those for fear of creating a snoozefest.)
wednesday:
when i saw s'mac in the TFF guide, i knew i had to go. after what seemed like a long trek east, i found it! and after perusing through all the delicious options (and skipping over the light option -- i mean, it's mac 'n cheese, for pete's sake), i decided on the parisienne w/gruyere, figs, and shitake mushrooms. (seriously? seriously.) while the mac was certainly good, i must admit that, even after walking for what seemed like a billion avenues, the dish was still way too heavy for me. i suppose i didn't need to eat it all (especially since i'd ordered it to go and i'd only wanted a quick taste), but god knows i suck at portioning. (*sigh*) at any rate, i dedicate this meal to nida -- who absolutely LOOOOOOOVES mac 'n cheese. to you, nida -- CHEERS!
s'mac - sarita's macaroni & cheese
345 east 12th street
new york, ny 10003
212.358.7912
http://smacnyc.com/home.html
as soon as i found out that harold's restaurant was open, i knew i had to try it. i'd been waiting to get to perilla for months, so i was thrilled when silvia and joanne were up for yet another FDE. after going through the amazing menu (both online and in person), i decided on the flax seed crusted soft shell crab and the sauteed chinese broccoli & spinach. the crab was perfectly crispy and the veggies were totally yummilicious (especially w/chinese sausage tossed in -- YUM!). and to top off the meal, i picked out the vanilla scented doughnuts for dessert. even though i'm not the biggest fan of donuts generally, these were super light and uber delectable, especially when dipped in lemon curd or dark chocolate mousse (provided on the side). with the amazing ambiance and the fabulous food, the only thing missing was harold himself! mmm....
perilla restaurant
9 jones street
new york, ny 100014
212.929.6868
http://www.perillanyc.com/
thursday:
even though lunch was quick, it was great to touch base w/tara (and check out her amazing ring) and ev (who needs to check her dartmouth account more often -- HA!). to make it more convenient for ev, we decided on a thai place two steps from her office. the food was typical, but my duck was delicious. i think every neighborhood needs some local joints, and this place certainly fits the bill.
song kran
330 8th avenue
new york, ny 10001
212.239.8792
i'm one of those people that likes to make plans way ahead of time. which means i really appreciate it when other people want to make plans too! so i was delighted when deb wanted to make sure we met up before she headed out of town for her upcoming nuptials. as we conversed over wedding and post-wedding plans, we dined on some delicious sushi. while deb couldn't have any rice for passover, i decided to indulge in a spicy spider roll. and even though the waitstaff couldn't seem to agree on whether iced green tea was available (go figure!), the roll was yummy. plus our table by the window made for a nice and relaxing dining experience.
ko sushi
1329 2nd avenue
new york, ny 10021
212.439.1678
http://newkosushi.com/index.html
friday:
i'm so glad i got the chance to take a relaxing stroll through the union square greenmarket b/c it's one of my favorite places in the whole city. it's a foodie paradise, and top chefs go there, bright and early, several days a week. it's great to watch the vendors sell their wares and it's even better when they share them! as i walked through, i got to try samples of free-range meat (cooked, of course) and homemade jams (i chose apple butter over garlic jelly -- who wanted to walk away w/garlic on the tongue?). i even purchased some delicious iced mint green tea, which was totally refreshing, despite the nippy temperatures. i also passed by some delicious-looking cheese biscuits, but i decided to hold back. (it's so difficult sometimes. *sigh*) thank goodness i kept myself under control b/c i would've never been able to fit in lunch!
union square greenmarket
union square (duh, silly)
http://www.cenyc.org/
considering that i'd been munching the morning away, i didn't have much of an appetite for lunch. but seeing as how i really couldn't sit there and not eat (god forbid), i decided on an eel tempura roll. thankfully, it was light AND delicious. alex was also generous enough to share some of her sashimi lunch special, so i had a few yummilicious mackerel pieces as well. i wish i'd had enough room in my tummy to order the sukiyaki (which i'd loved when ev took me to this place many years ago, though she couldn't even remember the name when i asked her about it), but there was just no way. of course, this means i'll be back, right?
kodama sushi
301 west 45th street
new york, ny 10036
212.582.8065
saturday:
before i headed downtown to meet derek, i decided that i HAD to try josie's kitchen. i've always loved josie's west, so as soon as i saw josie's kitchen on soon's block (and josie's take-out menu in soon's kitchen drawer), i knew i was meant to try it. after scanning the menu quickly, i decided on some shi-shi iced tea ($5!! can you believe it??) and a dish of brown rice, egg whites, spinach, and chunks of (what i think was) ham. everything was quite delicious (AND healthy) and i had to keep from eating it all (or else risk not getting through my steak later in the night!).
josie's kitchen
1614 second avenue
new york, ny 10028
212.734.6644
http://www.josiesnyc.com/josie_kitchen/jk.html
seeing as how derek doesn't eat much red meat down in atlanta, he pretty much decided that we had to have it in new york. and seeing as how i'd really wanted him to visit this weekend, i pretty much had to concede. (though i suppose eating a big slab of juicy steak wouldn't necessarily be considered the biggest concession.) as a surprise, i invited soon, who brought along michelle, marissa, and ben. needless to say, i was more than a little concerned when derek promptly informed me (after the hostess confirmed my reservation for 6) that he doesn't like surprises. (eek!!!) and needless to say, i heaved a big sigh of relief when he actually enjoyed the company -- YAY! (some people are soooooo hard to please! =S)
more importantly though, we all REALLY enjoyed the food. derek and i shared the special 2-person rib eye, which came out perfectly done at medium rare -- a nice crispy sear with a just slightly warm pink interior. the rest of the table ordered the 1-person ribeye, the filet mignon, the new york strip, and the snapper. the red meat turned out to everyone's liking, but the snapper didn't fare well at all. derek and i have argued many a time over the nature and quality of non-steak dishes at steakhouses. his side: why would you ever order a non-steak dish at a a steakhouse? my side: if you're going to have a dish on the menu, it shouldn't taste like shit, steak or not. and that's that.
we decided to share sides at the table, so we ordered the crisp goose fat potatoes (which i wasn't going to touch w/a 10-foot pole), the black truffle creamed spinach (which i could smell as soon as the server set it down on the table -- mmm....), the sauteed wild mushrooms (which complete any meal), and the creamed corn w/pancetta (which was THAT much more delish w/a thin layer of breadcrumbs on top). we decided against appetizers what w/all the other food we ordered, but we were SOMEHOW able to fit in some sweets at the end. soon picked out some ice creams and marissa chose the apple dessert for the table to share. it was a perfect way to end off a really fun night! (let's not focus on the waiter who was having a totally off day and was unable to process our credit cards correctly -- even though we wrote out EVERY single transaction. he was nice so i won't call him incompetent, but GOOD GRIEF!)
strip house
13 east 12th street
new york, ny 10003
212.328.0000
http://www.theglaziergroup.com/restaurants/striphouse/
wednesday:
when i saw s'mac in the TFF guide, i knew i had to go. after what seemed like a long trek east, i found it! and after perusing through all the delicious options (and skipping over the light option -- i mean, it's mac 'n cheese, for pete's sake), i decided on the parisienne w/gruyere, figs, and shitake mushrooms. (seriously? seriously.) while the mac was certainly good, i must admit that, even after walking for what seemed like a billion avenues, the dish was still way too heavy for me. i suppose i didn't need to eat it all (especially since i'd ordered it to go and i'd only wanted a quick taste), but god knows i suck at portioning. (*sigh*) at any rate, i dedicate this meal to nida -- who absolutely LOOOOOOOVES mac 'n cheese. to you, nida -- CHEERS!
s'mac - sarita's macaroni & cheese
345 east 12th street
new york, ny 10003
212.358.7912
http://smacnyc.com/home.html
as soon as i found out that harold's restaurant was open, i knew i had to try it. i'd been waiting to get to perilla for months, so i was thrilled when silvia and joanne were up for yet another FDE. after going through the amazing menu (both online and in person), i decided on the flax seed crusted soft shell crab and the sauteed chinese broccoli & spinach. the crab was perfectly crispy and the veggies were totally yummilicious (especially w/chinese sausage tossed in -- YUM!). and to top off the meal, i picked out the vanilla scented doughnuts for dessert. even though i'm not the biggest fan of donuts generally, these were super light and uber delectable, especially when dipped in lemon curd or dark chocolate mousse (provided on the side). with the amazing ambiance and the fabulous food, the only thing missing was harold himself! mmm....
perilla restaurant
9 jones street
new york, ny 100014
212.929.6868
http://www.perillanyc.com/
thursday:
even though lunch was quick, it was great to touch base w/tara (and check out her amazing ring) and ev (who needs to check her dartmouth account more often -- HA!). to make it more convenient for ev, we decided on a thai place two steps from her office. the food was typical, but my duck was delicious. i think every neighborhood needs some local joints, and this place certainly fits the bill.
song kran
330 8th avenue
new york, ny 10001
212.239.8792
i'm one of those people that likes to make plans way ahead of time. which means i really appreciate it when other people want to make plans too! so i was delighted when deb wanted to make sure we met up before she headed out of town for her upcoming nuptials. as we conversed over wedding and post-wedding plans, we dined on some delicious sushi. while deb couldn't have any rice for passover, i decided to indulge in a spicy spider roll. and even though the waitstaff couldn't seem to agree on whether iced green tea was available (go figure!), the roll was yummy. plus our table by the window made for a nice and relaxing dining experience.
ko sushi
1329 2nd avenue
new york, ny 10021
212.439.1678
http://newkosushi.com/index.html
friday:
i'm so glad i got the chance to take a relaxing stroll through the union square greenmarket b/c it's one of my favorite places in the whole city. it's a foodie paradise, and top chefs go there, bright and early, several days a week. it's great to watch the vendors sell their wares and it's even better when they share them! as i walked through, i got to try samples of free-range meat (cooked, of course) and homemade jams (i chose apple butter over garlic jelly -- who wanted to walk away w/garlic on the tongue?). i even purchased some delicious iced mint green tea, which was totally refreshing, despite the nippy temperatures. i also passed by some delicious-looking cheese biscuits, but i decided to hold back. (it's so difficult sometimes. *sigh*) thank goodness i kept myself under control b/c i would've never been able to fit in lunch!
union square greenmarket
union square (duh, silly)
http://www.cenyc.org/
considering that i'd been munching the morning away, i didn't have much of an appetite for lunch. but seeing as how i really couldn't sit there and not eat (god forbid), i decided on an eel tempura roll. thankfully, it was light AND delicious. alex was also generous enough to share some of her sashimi lunch special, so i had a few yummilicious mackerel pieces as well. i wish i'd had enough room in my tummy to order the sukiyaki (which i'd loved when ev took me to this place many years ago, though she couldn't even remember the name when i asked her about it), but there was just no way. of course, this means i'll be back, right?
kodama sushi
301 west 45th street
new york, ny 10036
212.582.8065
saturday:
before i headed downtown to meet derek, i decided that i HAD to try josie's kitchen. i've always loved josie's west, so as soon as i saw josie's kitchen on soon's block (and josie's take-out menu in soon's kitchen drawer), i knew i was meant to try it. after scanning the menu quickly, i decided on some shi-shi iced tea ($5!! can you believe it??) and a dish of brown rice, egg whites, spinach, and chunks of (what i think was) ham. everything was quite delicious (AND healthy) and i had to keep from eating it all (or else risk not getting through my steak later in the night!).
josie's kitchen
1614 second avenue
new york, ny 10028
212.734.6644
http://www.josiesnyc.com/josie_kitchen/jk.html
seeing as how derek doesn't eat much red meat down in atlanta, he pretty much decided that we had to have it in new york. and seeing as how i'd really wanted him to visit this weekend, i pretty much had to concede. (though i suppose eating a big slab of juicy steak wouldn't necessarily be considered the biggest concession.) as a surprise, i invited soon, who brought along michelle, marissa, and ben. needless to say, i was more than a little concerned when derek promptly informed me (after the hostess confirmed my reservation for 6) that he doesn't like surprises. (eek!!!) and needless to say, i heaved a big sigh of relief when he actually enjoyed the company -- YAY! (some people are soooooo hard to please! =S)
more importantly though, we all REALLY enjoyed the food. derek and i shared the special 2-person rib eye, which came out perfectly done at medium rare -- a nice crispy sear with a just slightly warm pink interior. the rest of the table ordered the 1-person ribeye, the filet mignon, the new york strip, and the snapper. the red meat turned out to everyone's liking, but the snapper didn't fare well at all. derek and i have argued many a time over the nature and quality of non-steak dishes at steakhouses. his side: why would you ever order a non-steak dish at a a steakhouse? my side: if you're going to have a dish on the menu, it shouldn't taste like shit, steak or not. and that's that.
we decided to share sides at the table, so we ordered the crisp goose fat potatoes (which i wasn't going to touch w/a 10-foot pole), the black truffle creamed spinach (which i could smell as soon as the server set it down on the table -- mmm....), the sauteed wild mushrooms (which complete any meal), and the creamed corn w/pancetta (which was THAT much more delish w/a thin layer of breadcrumbs on top). we decided against appetizers what w/all the other food we ordered, but we were SOMEHOW able to fit in some sweets at the end. soon picked out some ice creams and marissa chose the apple dessert for the table to share. it was a perfect way to end off a really fun night! (let's not focus on the waiter who was having a totally off day and was unable to process our credit cards correctly -- even though we wrote out EVERY single transaction. he was nice so i won't call him incompetent, but GOOD GRIEF!)
strip house
13 east 12th street
new york, ny 10003
212.328.0000
http://www.theglaziergroup.com/restaurants/striphouse/
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
ford's filling station
today was my big day. my very big day. my i-can't-believe-it's-finally-over very big day. today i passed my orals, advanced to candidacy, and joined the ranks of the ABD. WOOHOO! many thanks to sylvia, mitch, pat, and belinda, who all signed my paperwork. to eri who has kept (and continues to keep) me sane by dealing w/all the nonsense in the world. to jarrett, lindsay, marina, and linda, for their ongoing support outside the HEOC fray. and to all those w/in HEOC who continue to support me even though i like to work under the radar.
to celebrate, i decided to splurge on a special dinner event at one of my favorite places in LA: ford's filling station. i thought it was quite cosmic that i found out about the event just days beforehand -- and even more cosmic that it was happening right after my defense! i was thrilled when i called and found out that i could still get a seat at the bar. of course, i would've loved to have gone out w/another foodie, but it was quite last-minute. plus, dani's not the biggest fan of ford's and mel's pockets were emptied recently by a lost wallet in DC. plus, most grad students just aren't willing to spend $75 on a meal. even if it IS celebratory.
at any rate, i decided that it was all a sign from above, and that i had to go and enjoy myself after many weeks/months of proposal angst. unfortunately, it didn't help that i was stuck on a super 12 bus that was moving as slow as molasses through afternoon traffic. thankfully, the bus driver graciously dropped me off at the corner of venice & bagley (which apparently was NOT a regular super 12 bus stop) and i was able to make it there just in time. not that it mattered, of course, b/c i wasn't seated for at least 10-15 minutes. *sigh* i suppose they could've moved faster in terms of seating everyon, but i think they might've been waiting for early dinner patrons to clear out on their own time. again, not that that it mattered, b/c i was too busy texting my good news to every other person in my phone. and, of course, people-watching.
as i walked in the door, i noticed this tall blonde woman who was dressed a tad skimpily for a dinner event. while she had a nice tattoo on her arm, the rest of her outfit was a bit much. when i looked again, i realized that it was the slightly less crazy aunt from sabrina the teenage witch! she was mingling with what seemed like a more modest bunch (compared to her at least), and they actually ended up sitting outside for a while (probably to avoid the slowly building crowd waiting to be seated). within 15 minutes or so, who walks in but mary sue milliken?! she walks up to the hostess (who recognizes her right away), and she (and her hubby) are promptly seated (of course) at the table closest to the kitchen. (cue seething jealousy music.)
at some point, the event started and i'd yet to be seated. thankfully, i was still texting like crazy, though it would've been nice to have been settled in before ben (ford) started speaking. at any rate, i had a nice view when he made his opening remarks. i loved the fact that he emphasized the importance of utilizing the whole animal and not letting anything go to waste. i also loved the fact that he said that he (and other chefs) like to go to local growers and ask what they need to get rid of. b/c ben (and chefs like him) could put crap on the table and people would dive right into it -- and be willing to pay $50/plate (if not more). i'm ecstatic when celebrities using their powers for good and not evil.
ben then introduced neal (fraser) whose grace dani and i both love. (jerry and teresa thought the food was slightly overpriced, but i'd vehemently argue otherwise.) apparently, ben and neal have known each other for YEARS. which i think is SO cool. i think it says a lot when people can maintain friendships for that long. and inspire each other to reach even greater heights, especially when they're in the same industry. neal also made some remarks about the role of chefs in supporting local growers and sustainable practices. again, totally admirable AND profitable. ben also introduced this other chef from a restaurant in SF that i've never heard of. considering that ben probably doesn't cavort with plebeians, i'm sure the guy's great. though he's no thomas keller, or else i'd have heard of him (and his restaurant) by now.
as a sidebar, i think it's interesting that my receipt indicated the *lecture* costing $75. i'm sure they just wanted to separate the special event profits from everything else. but considering that there was no more than 15 minutes of talk time, i found the *lecture* label amusing. i think it would've been nice to have more discussion of the food and the cooking techniques, but then again, i'm a nerd. i mean, wouldn't it be cool to hear a top chef share his culinary expertise? when would you get that up close and personal? isn't that what you're paying for? then again, we're in LA, so maybe the idea is just to see and be seen. bleh. no wonder i wanna get out of this city. (ok ok, must stop negativity.)
while it would've been nice to be at mary sue milliken's table (eating w/her and being oh-so-close to ben and neal), i must admit to really enjoying my seat at the bar. i'm not the biggest fan of bar stools, but other than that, the bartender (whose dinner recommendations i took wholeheartedly) was really attentive all night, and my random dinner friend (who turned out to be one of netta's professors) at the corner of the bar was totally fascinating. it's really nice to meet strangers who aren't totally bizarre. i mean, i'm a new yorker, so i'm wary about everyone and everything. which means it's that much cooler when i'm blown away by some random person being NOT skeevy or NOT insane. better yet, not both! needless to say, it was a good sign when he knew what advancing to candidacy meant. plus, when your random dinner friend talks about how his wife is hanging out with the "roman ladies" from her fulbright days, how his daughter writes with aimee bender (OMG!!), and how he started tap dancing at age 65, you know you're having great dinner conversation. (thanks john!)
while it's always hard to fully engage with your food when you're chatting up at a storm, i was keenly aware of why i was there in the first place. so i made sure to take good notes during the meal and to really savor every single bite -- or at least the ones i could get in before i was completely stuffed. i suppose it wasn't that good of an idea to set a full plate (that was normally shared by multiple people eating together) of baked flat bread in front of me. b/c even though i'm not the biggest fan of bread, i AM a big fan of the stuff you put on it. and this full plate included lardo (which is essentially a nice piece of FAT) and rillettes (which ultimately resembled pulled pork in terms of taste and consistency). don't get me wrong. it was DAMN GOOD. but of course, i ate the whole plate!! i know i know, i could've held back. but come ON. shi shi pulled pork? who could resist? (if you think otherwise, you're lying to yourself. even if you're jewish.)
i was mid-bite when john made some remark about how i was probably used to all this food what with my people eating it all the time. of course, that was the first remark he made (even though i noticed him staring at me eating for a while, which i thought was weird, but which i found out later was due to the fact that he was shocked at how i was inhaling the full plate of bread and FAT), so i took a bit of offense right away. thankfully, i was calm enough to inquire what he meant by his remark, and he was quick enough to indicate that his asian friends tended to be more carefree and relaxed about eating offal than his non-asian friends. whew! thank goodness he was quick, b/c who wants to start a race conversation at the dinner table? i mean, seriously.
the rest of the meal was quite delicious as well, though i could feel my tummy getting fuller and fuller with each plate. after i polished off the flat bread, i moved onto the lamb's tongue, which came w/fava beans grilled in their shells. the slight chewiness of the tongue was a good textural contrast to the mild graininess of the beans. and the spicy citrus flavor of the sauce (i sensed a drizzle of something) was an interesting flavor contrast to the saltiness of the dish. the bacon wrapped saddle of rabbit smelled like an indian or morroccan dish and came w/perfectly cooked polenta. the rabbit itself was a bit salty, but it could've been the meat or the sauce. by the time i got to the ragu napoletana, i was pretty much stuffed. (damn that bread! ARGH!) so while the plate was gorgeous in all its meaty glory (with meatballs, ribs, and short ribs), i didn't do too much besides push the meat back and forth on the plate. plus, i'm not the biggest fan of any sauce with a tomato base, so that was a further deterrent. i must admit that the few bites i had were pretty darn good, so perhaps i could've gotten over the sauce if my stomach had been more empty. there's no telling at this point.
of course, the night had to end w/dessert. and thankfully, it was something light. i finished off my absolutely fabulous meal w/a buttermilk panna cotta. i think i found the buttermilk a bit too sour for my liking, but i did appreciate that the sourness cut through the heaviness of all the meat i'd ingested in the preceding hours. and w/the biscotti, it was quite a nice ending. what made it even better was when ben came over to check on us (as he did w/all the patrons) and ask us how we enjoyed the meal. (OMG. he was so cute up close! i know, i'm such a girl.) at one point, john mentioned something about eating offal and ben realized he'd forgotten to cook up these chicken hearts. i immediately perked up and said 'i love chicken hearts!' (even though i think i might've only had chicken livers before). ben even said he could throw some on if we wanted, and of course i said 'YES!' unfortunately, he never came back. or if he did, we'd already left b/c he toook too long. i suppose it's the thought that counts. but how romantic would that have been for ben to cook up some chicken hearts JUST FOR ME?! (shut up. i'm telling you. it's romantic.)
let me end there b/c i'm getting all dreamy just thinking about me and ben. *sigh*
ford's filling station
9531 culver boulevard
culver city, ca 90232
310.202.1470
http://http://www.fordsfillingstation.net//
to celebrate, i decided to splurge on a special dinner event at one of my favorite places in LA: ford's filling station. i thought it was quite cosmic that i found out about the event just days beforehand -- and even more cosmic that it was happening right after my defense! i was thrilled when i called and found out that i could still get a seat at the bar. of course, i would've loved to have gone out w/another foodie, but it was quite last-minute. plus, dani's not the biggest fan of ford's and mel's pockets were emptied recently by a lost wallet in DC. plus, most grad students just aren't willing to spend $75 on a meal. even if it IS celebratory.
at any rate, i decided that it was all a sign from above, and that i had to go and enjoy myself after many weeks/months of proposal angst. unfortunately, it didn't help that i was stuck on a super 12 bus that was moving as slow as molasses through afternoon traffic. thankfully, the bus driver graciously dropped me off at the corner of venice & bagley (which apparently was NOT a regular super 12 bus stop) and i was able to make it there just in time. not that it mattered, of course, b/c i wasn't seated for at least 10-15 minutes. *sigh* i suppose they could've moved faster in terms of seating everyon, but i think they might've been waiting for early dinner patrons to clear out on their own time. again, not that that it mattered, b/c i was too busy texting my good news to every other person in my phone. and, of course, people-watching.
as i walked in the door, i noticed this tall blonde woman who was dressed a tad skimpily for a dinner event. while she had a nice tattoo on her arm, the rest of her outfit was a bit much. when i looked again, i realized that it was the slightly less crazy aunt from sabrina the teenage witch! she was mingling with what seemed like a more modest bunch (compared to her at least), and they actually ended up sitting outside for a while (probably to avoid the slowly building crowd waiting to be seated). within 15 minutes or so, who walks in but mary sue milliken?! she walks up to the hostess (who recognizes her right away), and she (and her hubby) are promptly seated (of course) at the table closest to the kitchen. (cue seething jealousy music.)
at some point, the event started and i'd yet to be seated. thankfully, i was still texting like crazy, though it would've been nice to have been settled in before ben (ford) started speaking. at any rate, i had a nice view when he made his opening remarks. i loved the fact that he emphasized the importance of utilizing the whole animal and not letting anything go to waste. i also loved the fact that he said that he (and other chefs) like to go to local growers and ask what they need to get rid of. b/c ben (and chefs like him) could put crap on the table and people would dive right into it -- and be willing to pay $50/plate (if not more). i'm ecstatic when celebrities using their powers for good and not evil.
ben then introduced neal (fraser) whose grace dani and i both love. (jerry and teresa thought the food was slightly overpriced, but i'd vehemently argue otherwise.) apparently, ben and neal have known each other for YEARS. which i think is SO cool. i think it says a lot when people can maintain friendships for that long. and inspire each other to reach even greater heights, especially when they're in the same industry. neal also made some remarks about the role of chefs in supporting local growers and sustainable practices. again, totally admirable AND profitable. ben also introduced this other chef from a restaurant in SF that i've never heard of. considering that ben probably doesn't cavort with plebeians, i'm sure the guy's great. though he's no thomas keller, or else i'd have heard of him (and his restaurant) by now.
as a sidebar, i think it's interesting that my receipt indicated the *lecture* costing $75. i'm sure they just wanted to separate the special event profits from everything else. but considering that there was no more than 15 minutes of talk time, i found the *lecture* label amusing. i think it would've been nice to have more discussion of the food and the cooking techniques, but then again, i'm a nerd. i mean, wouldn't it be cool to hear a top chef share his culinary expertise? when would you get that up close and personal? isn't that what you're paying for? then again, we're in LA, so maybe the idea is just to see and be seen. bleh. no wonder i wanna get out of this city. (ok ok, must stop negativity.)
while it would've been nice to be at mary sue milliken's table (eating w/her and being oh-so-close to ben and neal), i must admit to really enjoying my seat at the bar. i'm not the biggest fan of bar stools, but other than that, the bartender (whose dinner recommendations i took wholeheartedly) was really attentive all night, and my random dinner friend (who turned out to be one of netta's professors) at the corner of the bar was totally fascinating. it's really nice to meet strangers who aren't totally bizarre. i mean, i'm a new yorker, so i'm wary about everyone and everything. which means it's that much cooler when i'm blown away by some random person being NOT skeevy or NOT insane. better yet, not both! needless to say, it was a good sign when he knew what advancing to candidacy meant. plus, when your random dinner friend talks about how his wife is hanging out with the "roman ladies" from her fulbright days, how his daughter writes with aimee bender (OMG!!), and how he started tap dancing at age 65, you know you're having great dinner conversation. (thanks john!)
while it's always hard to fully engage with your food when you're chatting up at a storm, i was keenly aware of why i was there in the first place. so i made sure to take good notes during the meal and to really savor every single bite -- or at least the ones i could get in before i was completely stuffed. i suppose it wasn't that good of an idea to set a full plate (that was normally shared by multiple people eating together) of baked flat bread in front of me. b/c even though i'm not the biggest fan of bread, i AM a big fan of the stuff you put on it. and this full plate included lardo (which is essentially a nice piece of FAT) and rillettes (which ultimately resembled pulled pork in terms of taste and consistency). don't get me wrong. it was DAMN GOOD. but of course, i ate the whole plate!! i know i know, i could've held back. but come ON. shi shi pulled pork? who could resist? (if you think otherwise, you're lying to yourself. even if you're jewish.)
i was mid-bite when john made some remark about how i was probably used to all this food what with my people eating it all the time. of course, that was the first remark he made (even though i noticed him staring at me eating for a while, which i thought was weird, but which i found out later was due to the fact that he was shocked at how i was inhaling the full plate of bread and FAT), so i took a bit of offense right away. thankfully, i was calm enough to inquire what he meant by his remark, and he was quick enough to indicate that his asian friends tended to be more carefree and relaxed about eating offal than his non-asian friends. whew! thank goodness he was quick, b/c who wants to start a race conversation at the dinner table? i mean, seriously.
the rest of the meal was quite delicious as well, though i could feel my tummy getting fuller and fuller with each plate. after i polished off the flat bread, i moved onto the lamb's tongue, which came w/fava beans grilled in their shells. the slight chewiness of the tongue was a good textural contrast to the mild graininess of the beans. and the spicy citrus flavor of the sauce (i sensed a drizzle of something) was an interesting flavor contrast to the saltiness of the dish. the bacon wrapped saddle of rabbit smelled like an indian or morroccan dish and came w/perfectly cooked polenta. the rabbit itself was a bit salty, but it could've been the meat or the sauce. by the time i got to the ragu napoletana, i was pretty much stuffed. (damn that bread! ARGH!) so while the plate was gorgeous in all its meaty glory (with meatballs, ribs, and short ribs), i didn't do too much besides push the meat back and forth on the plate. plus, i'm not the biggest fan of any sauce with a tomato base, so that was a further deterrent. i must admit that the few bites i had were pretty darn good, so perhaps i could've gotten over the sauce if my stomach had been more empty. there's no telling at this point.
of course, the night had to end w/dessert. and thankfully, it was something light. i finished off my absolutely fabulous meal w/a buttermilk panna cotta. i think i found the buttermilk a bit too sour for my liking, but i did appreciate that the sourness cut through the heaviness of all the meat i'd ingested in the preceding hours. and w/the biscotti, it was quite a nice ending. what made it even better was when ben came over to check on us (as he did w/all the patrons) and ask us how we enjoyed the meal. (OMG. he was so cute up close! i know, i'm such a girl.) at one point, john mentioned something about eating offal and ben realized he'd forgotten to cook up these chicken hearts. i immediately perked up and said 'i love chicken hearts!' (even though i think i might've only had chicken livers before). ben even said he could throw some on if we wanted, and of course i said 'YES!' unfortunately, he never came back. or if he did, we'd already left b/c he toook too long. i suppose it's the thought that counts. but how romantic would that have been for ben to cook up some chicken hearts JUST FOR ME?! (shut up. i'm telling you. it's romantic.)
let me end there b/c i'm getting all dreamy just thinking about me and ben. *sigh*
ford's filling station
9531 culver boulevard
culver city, ca 90232
310.202.1470
http://http://www.fordsfillingstation.net//
Saturday, April 12, 2008
pampas grill
as part of a lovely study day w/marina, we got to take a delicious dinner break at pampas grill, located in the heart of the culver center. (granted, i had no idea what and where the culver center was until tonight, but now i know.)
seeing as how i have to wake up at 6:45AM for my 5K run tomorrow, all i really have to say is that the meal was quick and fabulous. you pick up a tray, you pick up a plate, you pick through the salad bar, you pick through the meat, you pick up a drink, you pick up a chocolate, and you pay. BAM! there's your meal.
my favorites: the caesar salad (basic), the eggplant salad (yummy), the yucca flour w/bacon bits (delish), the collard greens (fresh), the cheese bread (marina's fave), the chicken stew (saucy), the eggplant lasagna (tasty considering that it was pasta), and the grilled lamb (which was the only thing i got off the skewers and which was perfectly cooked -- crispy outside, moist inside). i skipped the soda for the chocolate, which was totally the right decision. and i made it out of there w/o feeling completely stuffed and/or sick. HURRAH!
i just checked the business card and it's apparently the same place that i love at the farmer's market! i could've sworn there were more varied cuts at the farmer's market, but it's been so long that i can't say for sure. i suppose i'll just have to go back and check it out. oh, the things i must do for the integrity of this blog....
pampas grill
3857 overland avenue
culver city, ca 90232
310.836.0080
http://www.pampas-grill.com/
seeing as how i have to wake up at 6:45AM for my 5K run tomorrow, all i really have to say is that the meal was quick and fabulous. you pick up a tray, you pick up a plate, you pick through the salad bar, you pick through the meat, you pick up a drink, you pick up a chocolate, and you pay. BAM! there's your meal.
my favorites: the caesar salad (basic), the eggplant salad (yummy), the yucca flour w/bacon bits (delish), the collard greens (fresh), the cheese bread (marina's fave), the chicken stew (saucy), the eggplant lasagna (tasty considering that it was pasta), and the grilled lamb (which was the only thing i got off the skewers and which was perfectly cooked -- crispy outside, moist inside). i skipped the soda for the chocolate, which was totally the right decision. and i made it out of there w/o feeling completely stuffed and/or sick. HURRAH!
i just checked the business card and it's apparently the same place that i love at the farmer's market! i could've sworn there were more varied cuts at the farmer's market, but it's been so long that i can't say for sure. i suppose i'll just have to go back and check it out. oh, the things i must do for the integrity of this blog....
pampas grill
3857 overland avenue
culver city, ca 90232
310.836.0080
http://www.pampas-grill.com/
venice grind
although there's no AC (!!) at this cute little coffee shop in mar vista, there IS (thankfully) free wireless, a lot of perfectly-sized, single-occupancy square tables, a cute back patio, and a delicious selection of eats & drinks (including this yummilicious quiche that i keep eyeing but have no tummy room for at the moment -- *sigh*).
marina and i are currently sitting here with our lovely laptops (w/their lovely HUGE screens -- i can't stand tiny screens. i mean, way to go BLIND.) and it's a great way to spend a day with a friend while simultaneously getting work done. granted, it's not a great way to get HARDCORE work done, but if you're just going through your emails and lots of little tasks, isn't it more fun to be doing that stuff w/someone else around? plus, you get to get out of the house. (which is always a good thing. unless it's raining, i suppose....)
i've been sitting here for the last few hours, just working on the final details of my big presentation. and it's surprising how time flies even when you're staring at the same slides over and over. but i suppose there's no way to achieve perfection, no matter how much effort you put into something. (even if you're type A! which, um, i'm not saying i am or anything....)
i love lazy weekend days. when i'm not really stressed or worried about anything. these kinds of days are rare. which is why i'm so intent on not letting them get ruined.
for example, i'm sitting here while this random, sketchy-looking dude is babbling on to this girl that i don't even think knows him. b/c she keeps staring at her computer screen, pretending not to notice him babbling on incessantly. and all i wanna do is get up and choke this dude, who obviously has a mental condition and doesn't realize he's being a complete nuisance. but i won't. b/c she obviously has enough patience to deal w/him. and i don't really want a murder charge on my record. though i really really REALLY want to stab him in the jugular right now. is that bad?
i can see it now....
ASIAN GIRL UNLEASES FURY AT NEIGHBORHOOD COFFEE SHOP
venice grind
12224 venice boulevard
mar vista, ca 90066
310.397.2227
http://www.venicegrind.com/
marina and i are currently sitting here with our lovely laptops (w/their lovely HUGE screens -- i can't stand tiny screens. i mean, way to go BLIND.) and it's a great way to spend a day with a friend while simultaneously getting work done. granted, it's not a great way to get HARDCORE work done, but if you're just going through your emails and lots of little tasks, isn't it more fun to be doing that stuff w/someone else around? plus, you get to get out of the house. (which is always a good thing. unless it's raining, i suppose....)
i've been sitting here for the last few hours, just working on the final details of my big presentation. and it's surprising how time flies even when you're staring at the same slides over and over. but i suppose there's no way to achieve perfection, no matter how much effort you put into something. (even if you're type A! which, um, i'm not saying i am or anything....)
i love lazy weekend days. when i'm not really stressed or worried about anything. these kinds of days are rare. which is why i'm so intent on not letting them get ruined.
for example, i'm sitting here while this random, sketchy-looking dude is babbling on to this girl that i don't even think knows him. b/c she keeps staring at her computer screen, pretending not to notice him babbling on incessantly. and all i wanna do is get up and choke this dude, who obviously has a mental condition and doesn't realize he's being a complete nuisance. but i won't. b/c she obviously has enough patience to deal w/him. and i don't really want a murder charge on my record. though i really really REALLY want to stab him in the jugular right now. is that bad?
i can see it now....
ASIAN GIRL UNLEASES FURY AT NEIGHBORHOOD COFFEE SHOP
venice grind
12224 venice boulevard
mar vista, ca 90066
310.397.2227
http://www.venicegrind.com/
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
GO KANSAS!
if UCLA couldn't win, i'm glad MEMPHIS got a BEATDOWN. that's it. that's all i had to say. (kisses to k-love & psycho-t!)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
drago
after being totally depressed by march madness, all i wanted was to get my social time over with. i really didn't want to see anyone or do anything.
fortunately/unfortunately, i'd made plans w/ruby (em, and ed) for dinner -- and it would've been totally rude to cancel last-minute, especially w/ruby coming from 3000 miles away and me being depressed by sports (of all things). so after conferring w/all the necessary parties, i decided to push dinner up, instead of cancelling completely. thankfully, the restaurant would accommodate us (which was lovely), and the girls (plus ed) were up for eating earlier as well. (personally, i don't like eating after 7:30 -- i know, i'm such a grandma.)
even though i really just wasn't sure what the cross streets were, it was still really good to get off the bus, walk around a bit, and tear up about the game before dinner. the one annoying thing was that i was in the midst of telling miki how depressed i was when two random girls in UCLA shirts piped up with "we're depressed too" right behind me. granted, i might've been a bit loud (though i swear i wasn't), but i hate when strangers join in your PHONE conversation w/o being invited. i mean, that's just totally RUDE. (ok, unless you're k-love or psycho-t or something.)
at any rate, i found my way to the restaurant just in time. (apparently, i'd been so distracted by my depression that i totally missed poor ruby waving at me and calling my name -- eek!) as soon as we walked in, we were seated right away in a side room. given how quickly the hostess had said yes to my request for moving up the reservation, i'd been worried that the place was going to be empty. thankfully, there were groups already in the midst of dinner, which made for a nice dining atmosphere.
as soon as we were seated, our slightly eager waiter offered two amuse-bouche (how do you pluralize this?) for our enjoyment -- a fried corn/rice fritter (which made me a little sick just looking at it after having ingested all the fried stuff at the brew co.) and a basic bruschetta. at this point, i wasn't remotely hungry, so i'd convinced myself to have nothing but veggies all night. that being said, i found the fritter (and yes, i did eat it) pretty tasty (though not as much as if i'd been eating it on an empty stomach). i didn't even bother touching the bruschetta, especially since i'm a fan of neither the bruschetta nor the basic bread it's made from.
some may find it odd that i chose italian (since i generally hate italian), but i know ruby & em love italian, and i always make it a point to push myself to go to places i don't like b/c i inevitably find something i enjoy on the menu. and it's always good to sample other people's food -- as long as they're up for it!
while there were so many other things i would've tried if i'd been less full, i ordered the basic insalata primavera w/mixed greens, roasted bell peppers, grilled eggplant & goat cheese (all of which i love) as well as the vegetable minestrone soup (very basic). i thought both dishes were quite excellent, and i almost freaked out when the waiter tried to take my salad away too soon. (yes, the service was VERY attentive.) em picked the cavatelli w/venison ragout, which looked like little green beans, but tasted divine w/the venison flavor infused into the pasta. ruby chose the penne w/cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, & crispy eggplant, which is what i would've chosen (b/c of all the veggies) if i actually ate pasta (which i don't -- at least in regular servings). the dish totally tasted like fresh veggies (though i must say that the crispy eggplant was a little weird), which made it seem like it would've been just as good as a salad (thereby nixing the pasta).
ed, a seasoned foodie (from what i was told), decided to let the waiter pick for him. a very classy move, i must say, and one that served him well. b/c the waiter picked exactly what he would've picked if he'd had to pick -- the wide fettuccine in a pheasant & morel mushroom sauce. while i wasn't a fan of the flat pasta (i suppose i prefer the chinese ho fun), the sauce was AMAZING. next to duck, pheasant may seriously be my next favorite foul. (i'd consider quail, but they can be quite small.) and of course, anything w/mushrooms is DIVINE.
after a fun night of catching up and conversing about random stuff (which was oh-so-therapeutic for me considering my earlier depressed state), we decided to skip dessert (even though the menu looked oh-so-good) and find some shaved ice on sawtelle instead (especially since ruby hadn't experienced it out in LA).
while i may not enjoy italian, i must recognize a hit when it's a hit. and the group definitely seemed to think drago was a hit. thanks to bud bundy for his recommendation!
drago
2628 wilshire blvd
santa monica, ca 90403
310.828.1585
http://www.celestinodrago.com/
fortunately/unfortunately, i'd made plans w/ruby (em, and ed) for dinner -- and it would've been totally rude to cancel last-minute, especially w/ruby coming from 3000 miles away and me being depressed by sports (of all things). so after conferring w/all the necessary parties, i decided to push dinner up, instead of cancelling completely. thankfully, the restaurant would accommodate us (which was lovely), and the girls (plus ed) were up for eating earlier as well. (personally, i don't like eating after 7:30 -- i know, i'm such a grandma.)
even though i really just wasn't sure what the cross streets were, it was still really good to get off the bus, walk around a bit, and tear up about the game before dinner. the one annoying thing was that i was in the midst of telling miki how depressed i was when two random girls in UCLA shirts piped up with "we're depressed too" right behind me. granted, i might've been a bit loud (though i swear i wasn't), but i hate when strangers join in your PHONE conversation w/o being invited. i mean, that's just totally RUDE. (ok, unless you're k-love or psycho-t or something.)
at any rate, i found my way to the restaurant just in time. (apparently, i'd been so distracted by my depression that i totally missed poor ruby waving at me and calling my name -- eek!) as soon as we walked in, we were seated right away in a side room. given how quickly the hostess had said yes to my request for moving up the reservation, i'd been worried that the place was going to be empty. thankfully, there were groups already in the midst of dinner, which made for a nice dining atmosphere.
as soon as we were seated, our slightly eager waiter offered two amuse-bouche (how do you pluralize this?) for our enjoyment -- a fried corn/rice fritter (which made me a little sick just looking at it after having ingested all the fried stuff at the brew co.) and a basic bruschetta. at this point, i wasn't remotely hungry, so i'd convinced myself to have nothing but veggies all night. that being said, i found the fritter (and yes, i did eat it) pretty tasty (though not as much as if i'd been eating it on an empty stomach). i didn't even bother touching the bruschetta, especially since i'm a fan of neither the bruschetta nor the basic bread it's made from.
some may find it odd that i chose italian (since i generally hate italian), but i know ruby & em love italian, and i always make it a point to push myself to go to places i don't like b/c i inevitably find something i enjoy on the menu. and it's always good to sample other people's food -- as long as they're up for it!
while there were so many other things i would've tried if i'd been less full, i ordered the basic insalata primavera w/mixed greens, roasted bell peppers, grilled eggplant & goat cheese (all of which i love) as well as the vegetable minestrone soup (very basic). i thought both dishes were quite excellent, and i almost freaked out when the waiter tried to take my salad away too soon. (yes, the service was VERY attentive.) em picked the cavatelli w/venison ragout, which looked like little green beans, but tasted divine w/the venison flavor infused into the pasta. ruby chose the penne w/cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, & crispy eggplant, which is what i would've chosen (b/c of all the veggies) if i actually ate pasta (which i don't -- at least in regular servings). the dish totally tasted like fresh veggies (though i must say that the crispy eggplant was a little weird), which made it seem like it would've been just as good as a salad (thereby nixing the pasta).
ed, a seasoned foodie (from what i was told), decided to let the waiter pick for him. a very classy move, i must say, and one that served him well. b/c the waiter picked exactly what he would've picked if he'd had to pick -- the wide fettuccine in a pheasant & morel mushroom sauce. while i wasn't a fan of the flat pasta (i suppose i prefer the chinese ho fun), the sauce was AMAZING. next to duck, pheasant may seriously be my next favorite foul. (i'd consider quail, but they can be quite small.) and of course, anything w/mushrooms is DIVINE.
after a fun night of catching up and conversing about random stuff (which was oh-so-therapeutic for me considering my earlier depressed state), we decided to skip dessert (even though the menu looked oh-so-good) and find some shaved ice on sawtelle instead (especially since ruby hadn't experienced it out in LA).
while i may not enjoy italian, i must recognize a hit when it's a hit. and the group definitely seemed to think drago was a hit. thanks to bud bundy for his recommendation!
drago
2628 wilshire blvd
santa monica, ca 90403
310.828.1585
http://www.celestinodrago.com/
westwood brewing company
let me just say that i've never been one for bars. as such, i've never been one for the brew co. granted, this may have to do w/the fact that i'm allergic to alcohol and i think bar food is nasty and gross. but setting all that aside, the brew co. has absolutely horrific service. i swear, i need to be all saccharine just to get the waitstaff to come over to the table and give me water. and even though there aren't enough bars in town, that's no reason for the brew co. to SUCK as bad as it does.
case in point: game day -- UCLA in the final four.
seeing that it was game day and that we were advised by R's friends to show up at the brew co. by 1:30pm, kel and i decided to grab lunch there since we were starving and it was a quarter past 1 by the time we got out of the movie. we sat down and we grabbed some chairs to put on the other side of the table for R and his roomie (whose name is B as we found out later). we're promptly scolded by the bartender who says: "don't you notice that ALL of the chairs are lined up against the wall?" i'm thinking: "you're an ASSHOLE who could've just TOLD us to put the chairs back instead of being an ASSHOLE who'll be getting no tip which would then make you a DUMBASS." can you tell i was pissed?
the worst thing was that neither of the waitresses (of which there were only TWO on fucking GAME day -- are you serious?!) seemed to be fully aware of this no-moving-chairs policy (nor any other policy) established by the bartender (and possibly the bar). in addition to being told by the bartender that we couldn't move chairs to the other side of the table, we were told by our airheaded waitress (when we could finally flag one of the TWO of them down) that we were expected to spend a minimum of $50 per hour if we were to sit at our table throughout the game. when we asked for details, she said that she'd just been told and that she wasn't sure when the policy started. i mean, seriously, waitresses who have no idea what's going on when the place is about to be PACKED w/UCLA basketball fans? god, what kind of dumbass people are running this joint?! (and no, i don't care if i'm banned from this place b/c it's god awful.)
after we flagged down our airheaded waitress AGAIN, expressed our overwhelming sense of starvation, and placed our lunch order, we had to watch as she took her sweet time chilling at the adjacent table for several minutes before putting our order in the system. i mean, seriously?! SERIOUSLY. of course, b/c we were starving, the food seemed to take forever coming out. when it did come out, i had to admit that it was quite edible. (but then again, we were starving. kel had had a muffin, and i'd had no food before or after working out. *gasp*) i ordered a cobb salad, which was pretty yummy, especially w/the standard blue cheese dressing. (for those of you who dislike blue cheese, you need to work on that.) kel ordered a club sandwich, which seemed pretty substantial. and we ordered some onion rings to share (b/c we never have them and they're typical bar food, so why not?).
R & B (that's slightly amusing) showed up just as we got our food, so they were able to partake of some of our fries & onion rings before we started shoving them in our faces. (when we're starving, we're starving.) by that point, our airheaded waitress had come around w/sheets of paper indicating that it wasn't $50 per hour, but rather $15 per person per hour (which is close to $50 anyways) to keep the table. again, are you SERIOUS? to be honest, there wasn't even a point to the table since we had all these people standing and blocking our view ANYWAYS. i mean, geezus christ. talk about fucked-up management.
of course, our airheaded waitress made the $15 policy known to the boys as soon as they sat down and promptly leered at us every time she walked by (b/c we weren't ordering enough fast enough). the worst part of the whole thing was that we ordered stuff that she NEVER EVEN BROUGHT OUT. even though R's second pilsner was on the bill, it never came out. and even though i ordered a veggie quesadilla (only to pacify her glaring looks), it never came out (and thankfully wasn't ever put on the bill -- b/c she would've gotten an earful for sure).
even though the atmosphere was quite boisterous, we decided that it wasn't worth it to dole out more cash for only semi-good seats (i swear they should've projected the game at pauley or something -- maybe we would've been able to send some collective luck over to texas). but of course, even paying the bill was painful. while we got the check pretty quickly, it took forever for our airheaded waitress to appear from the depths of the kitchen. and b/c the service was so goddman (excuse the french) awful (and b/c i had no energy to deal w/the non-existent pilsner), i tipped her $5 off a $75 tab. (to all those servers out there, don't you dare freak on me b/c i don't care how much being a server sucks, heinous service means no tip.) she should've been glad i put down something other than $0 -- or a negative tip even. talk about frustrating.
on many levels, i'm really happy we left when we did. especially when we lost in an absolutely crushing game. i can't even believe how poorly we did. (and yes, i still love our team.) and b/c i've never followed march madness or our team so closely before, it was even harder on me. i swear i was tearing up talking about it on the phone. THIS is why i shouldn't follow sports -- or at least not any particular team. you just get so connected and wedded to your team that your heart disappears into the game. and when they lose, it's all over. i was so upset that i didn't even want to hang out any more, despite having lots of fun w/R & B (you guys are absolutely hilarious together). i didn't even want to watch the next game (which i'm so glad i didn't b/c i would've been even more depressed). i mean, i'm happy for ivana & kansas (kinda), but to have both my teams not make it to the championship is just plain depressing. *SOB*
ultimately, i'm glad i didn't have to be around lots of depressed people at the brew co. that would've made things a million times WORSE.
westwood brewing company
1097 glendon ave
los angeles, cA 90024
310.209.2739
case in point: game day -- UCLA in the final four.
seeing that it was game day and that we were advised by R's friends to show up at the brew co. by 1:30pm, kel and i decided to grab lunch there since we were starving and it was a quarter past 1 by the time we got out of the movie. we sat down and we grabbed some chairs to put on the other side of the table for R and his roomie (whose name is B as we found out later). we're promptly scolded by the bartender who says: "don't you notice that ALL of the chairs are lined up against the wall?" i'm thinking: "you're an ASSHOLE who could've just TOLD us to put the chairs back instead of being an ASSHOLE who'll be getting no tip which would then make you a DUMBASS." can you tell i was pissed?
the worst thing was that neither of the waitresses (of which there were only TWO on fucking GAME day -- are you serious?!) seemed to be fully aware of this no-moving-chairs policy (nor any other policy) established by the bartender (and possibly the bar). in addition to being told by the bartender that we couldn't move chairs to the other side of the table, we were told by our airheaded waitress (when we could finally flag one of the TWO of them down) that we were expected to spend a minimum of $50 per hour if we were to sit at our table throughout the game. when we asked for details, she said that she'd just been told and that she wasn't sure when the policy started. i mean, seriously, waitresses who have no idea what's going on when the place is about to be PACKED w/UCLA basketball fans? god, what kind of dumbass people are running this joint?! (and no, i don't care if i'm banned from this place b/c it's god awful.)
after we flagged down our airheaded waitress AGAIN, expressed our overwhelming sense of starvation, and placed our lunch order, we had to watch as she took her sweet time chilling at the adjacent table for several minutes before putting our order in the system. i mean, seriously?! SERIOUSLY. of course, b/c we were starving, the food seemed to take forever coming out. when it did come out, i had to admit that it was quite edible. (but then again, we were starving. kel had had a muffin, and i'd had no food before or after working out. *gasp*) i ordered a cobb salad, which was pretty yummy, especially w/the standard blue cheese dressing. (for those of you who dislike blue cheese, you need to work on that.) kel ordered a club sandwich, which seemed pretty substantial. and we ordered some onion rings to share (b/c we never have them and they're typical bar food, so why not?).
R & B (that's slightly amusing) showed up just as we got our food, so they were able to partake of some of our fries & onion rings before we started shoving them in our faces. (when we're starving, we're starving.) by that point, our airheaded waitress had come around w/sheets of paper indicating that it wasn't $50 per hour, but rather $15 per person per hour (which is close to $50 anyways) to keep the table. again, are you SERIOUS? to be honest, there wasn't even a point to the table since we had all these people standing and blocking our view ANYWAYS. i mean, geezus christ. talk about fucked-up management.
of course, our airheaded waitress made the $15 policy known to the boys as soon as they sat down and promptly leered at us every time she walked by (b/c we weren't ordering enough fast enough). the worst part of the whole thing was that we ordered stuff that she NEVER EVEN BROUGHT OUT. even though R's second pilsner was on the bill, it never came out. and even though i ordered a veggie quesadilla (only to pacify her glaring looks), it never came out (and thankfully wasn't ever put on the bill -- b/c she would've gotten an earful for sure).
even though the atmosphere was quite boisterous, we decided that it wasn't worth it to dole out more cash for only semi-good seats (i swear they should've projected the game at pauley or something -- maybe we would've been able to send some collective luck over to texas). but of course, even paying the bill was painful. while we got the check pretty quickly, it took forever for our airheaded waitress to appear from the depths of the kitchen. and b/c the service was so goddman (excuse the french) awful (and b/c i had no energy to deal w/the non-existent pilsner), i tipped her $5 off a $75 tab. (to all those servers out there, don't you dare freak on me b/c i don't care how much being a server sucks, heinous service means no tip.) she should've been glad i put down something other than $0 -- or a negative tip even. talk about frustrating.
on many levels, i'm really happy we left when we did. especially when we lost in an absolutely crushing game. i can't even believe how poorly we did. (and yes, i still love our team.) and b/c i've never followed march madness or our team so closely before, it was even harder on me. i swear i was tearing up talking about it on the phone. THIS is why i shouldn't follow sports -- or at least not any particular team. you just get so connected and wedded to your team that your heart disappears into the game. and when they lose, it's all over. i was so upset that i didn't even want to hang out any more, despite having lots of fun w/R & B (you guys are absolutely hilarious together). i didn't even want to watch the next game (which i'm so glad i didn't b/c i would've been even more depressed). i mean, i'm happy for ivana & kansas (kinda), but to have both my teams not make it to the championship is just plain depressing. *SOB*
ultimately, i'm glad i didn't have to be around lots of depressed people at the brew co. that would've made things a million times WORSE.
westwood brewing company
1097 glendon ave
los angeles, cA 90024
310.209.2739
Saturday, April 5, 2008
leatherheads
if you love george clooney, john krasinski, and renee zellweger, and need a light-hearted comedy to get you in a good mood, this is the movie for you. kel and i saw it on a saturday morning (gotta love cheap matinees), and it was just what i needed to start off the weekend.
much like george clooney himself, leatherheads isn't a movie that aims to please the critics or the general public. it isn't a hard-hitting drama, a brooding film about issues, or an SNL-type slapstick comedy. it's just what george is in real life (or at least in his interviews) -- cute, funny, and adorable.
as i've mentioned in previous reviews, movies tend to be either plot-driven or character-driven. (scene-driven movies get boring after a while, at least in my opinion.) leatherheads is a little bit of both. the main plot revolves around john krasinski's character (a college football star) and how his war hero tale has turned into a lie -- and how renee zellweger's character has been sent by the chicago tribune to expose him. the side plot focuses on george clooney's character and his attempts to legitimize pro-football, particularly as his sports career has begun to wane.
of course, the most adorable element of the movie is the love triangle b/w george, renee, and john -- all the knowing looks, subtle winks, and bated breaths. what woman (gay man, and sensitive straight man) doesn't LOVE seeing all that on the big screen?
aside from that, i ADORE period pieces. and the costumes and set designs were absolutely AMAZING for this little movie. (and i call it little only b/c i don't think anyone would call it a blockbuster, despite all the big names and quality talent involved.) there's just something so romantic about love back in the old days (or at least how it's portrayed in the movies) -- a sense of restraint combined w/the sudden smooch. *sigh* (i know, i'm such a cheeseball.)
at times, the movie is a bit slow. once (and if) you get past that, you can't help becoming enamored by george and his adorable expressions. (i'm not sure i know anyone else who can do the cocked eyebrow as well as he does.) it's really sick how much i love him. thankfully, i'm not so sick that i can't appreciate the adorableness that is john krasinski. i mean, i don't even watch the office and i know who he is. of course, he's even goofier than george, but there's something about the doofball that's so IN these days. (i mean, michael cera, seriously? um, yes.)
think adorable. think sweet. think george and john competing for YOUR attention. think leatherheads.
http://www.leatherheadsmovie.com/
much like george clooney himself, leatherheads isn't a movie that aims to please the critics or the general public. it isn't a hard-hitting drama, a brooding film about issues, or an SNL-type slapstick comedy. it's just what george is in real life (or at least in his interviews) -- cute, funny, and adorable.
as i've mentioned in previous reviews, movies tend to be either plot-driven or character-driven. (scene-driven movies get boring after a while, at least in my opinion.) leatherheads is a little bit of both. the main plot revolves around john krasinski's character (a college football star) and how his war hero tale has turned into a lie -- and how renee zellweger's character has been sent by the chicago tribune to expose him. the side plot focuses on george clooney's character and his attempts to legitimize pro-football, particularly as his sports career has begun to wane.
of course, the most adorable element of the movie is the love triangle b/w george, renee, and john -- all the knowing looks, subtle winks, and bated breaths. what woman (gay man, and sensitive straight man) doesn't LOVE seeing all that on the big screen?
aside from that, i ADORE period pieces. and the costumes and set designs were absolutely AMAZING for this little movie. (and i call it little only b/c i don't think anyone would call it a blockbuster, despite all the big names and quality talent involved.) there's just something so romantic about love back in the old days (or at least how it's portrayed in the movies) -- a sense of restraint combined w/the sudden smooch. *sigh* (i know, i'm such a cheeseball.)
at times, the movie is a bit slow. once (and if) you get past that, you can't help becoming enamored by george and his adorable expressions. (i'm not sure i know anyone else who can do the cocked eyebrow as well as he does.) it's really sick how much i love him. thankfully, i'm not so sick that i can't appreciate the adorableness that is john krasinski. i mean, i don't even watch the office and i know who he is. of course, he's even goofier than george, but there's something about the doofball that's so IN these days. (i mean, michael cera, seriously? um, yes.)
think adorable. think sweet. think george and john competing for YOUR attention. think leatherheads.
http://www.leatherheadsmovie.com/
tahoe galbi
i'm not sure quite what's happened to me since i got to LA, but i feel like i've been progressively veering away from meat, and particularly red meat. this, i must admit, is pretty saddening. especially when i'm known for my carnivorous, low-carb ways. i mean, people really don't know what to do w/me when they find out about that i'm no longer as into steak and that i eat dessert w/every meal (and that i eat bread when i'm in the mood -- *shocking*).
even though i'd just stuffed my face on an AMAZING sandwich (there goes the carbs again!) at clementine earlier in the day, i couldn't say no to chiara's 28th birthday bash at tahoe galbi. i kept telling myself to hold back when i got there (and i did to some degree), but who can really hold back when you're paying a flat fee for unlimited amounts of meat? (and despite what i said earlier, korean BBQ still brings out the meat-lover that exists somewhere deep w/in my psyche -- and my stomach.)
thankfully, i was distracted from stuffing my face again by the presence of my lovely HEOC cohortians (as oscar would say) -- patti from fullerton, jovan the hubby, dr. kim, miss d, and cindylu. it was fabulous to have us all together over the grill. but even MORE fabulous that none of them had ever had korean BBQ before. what a treat! especially since i love sharing experiences w/newbies. it's always so great to see folks all excited over food.
we ordered the kalbi (short rib), the bulgolgi (rib eye), the chicken, and the pork -- and skipped the tongue and the unmarinated meat (the two remaining options from the all-you-can-eat menu), neither of which sounded very appetizing. as we were waiting for the meat to come, we had a wide array of little dishes (like korean amuse-bouche) on the table to snack on. in addition, the waitstaff also brought over some boiled egg, vegetable soup, and salad. while some of the folks were a bit picky w/what they were willing to try, most of the group was adventurous enough to sample the bulk of the dishes set before them. neither kim nor de'sha were very interested in the boiled egg, and jovan wouldn't go near the gray-green, jello-like dish. but i must give everyone props for at least picking through the more bizarre-looking items. like patricia who sampled the bean paste w/the tip of her chopstick!
when the meat finally came, we nominated jovan to be the grillmaster. (though the ladies managed to do quite a bit of flipping once the meat was on the grill.) he did an impressive job, considering that he was wearing off-white. (seriously, who does that? ok, i'll give him a pass for naivete.) in fact, he managed to keep clean the entire night. (applause, applause.) we got the pork first. (which i mistakenly thought was short rib. then again, how would i know? it's not like i cook or anything. *sigh*) let's just say that the table did NOT appreciate the pork, which kim & de'sha observed tasted like uncured and unseasoned bacon. granted, i agree that the meat wasn't seasoned enough, but the reaction to this pork was quite FIERCE. this was likely due to the note on the menu indicating that any portion of meat left over that amounted to more than an OUNCE would have to be paid for. personally, i think this was a scare tactic to make sure we didn't waste any meat. however, the table took the note quite seriously, as folks were thinking of ways to pawn off our pork to unsuspecting tables -- or at least hide it in case of search & seizure. it was all quite amusing to say the least.
while the pork was probably the least appreciated meat of the night, everything else was thoroughly enjoyed, particularly the bulgolgi. my personal favorite was the kalbi, especially since i like meat off the bone. (which everyone knows helps keep the flavor in.) and from what i could tell, patricia seemed to enjoy the chicken. considering that we could barely get through the second FULL plate of bulgolgi, we made a point to ask for a very small amount of chicken. which the waitstaff nicely obliged us with.
speaking of waitstaff, i must say that the waitstaff was SUPREMELY attentive the ENTIRE night. from the beginning when they asked whether i wanted to turn on the heat lamp (seeing that i was shivering and all), to the end when they were taking our mini-chicken order, i was SUPER impressed. aside from having to grab their attention for water, they were at the table regularly -- helping us get the meat on the grill, asking whether we wanted rice, changing the grill halfway through the meal. and when we tried to stop them from taking away our meat bowl (which was originally the salad bowl), they promptly offered us clean dishes instead. even when we were done eating, they kept offering us more meat (which we had to kindly decline as our stomachs were expanding beyond the limits of our stretchy pants). there really wasn't much more we could ask for. well, except maybe some oranges at the end. i know i know, picky point. but it's so asian!!
tahoe galbi
3986 wilshire blvd
los angeles, ca 90010
213.365.9000
even though i'd just stuffed my face on an AMAZING sandwich (there goes the carbs again!) at clementine earlier in the day, i couldn't say no to chiara's 28th birthday bash at tahoe galbi. i kept telling myself to hold back when i got there (and i did to some degree), but who can really hold back when you're paying a flat fee for unlimited amounts of meat? (and despite what i said earlier, korean BBQ still brings out the meat-lover that exists somewhere deep w/in my psyche -- and my stomach.)
thankfully, i was distracted from stuffing my face again by the presence of my lovely HEOC cohortians (as oscar would say) -- patti from fullerton, jovan the hubby, dr. kim, miss d, and cindylu. it was fabulous to have us all together over the grill. but even MORE fabulous that none of them had ever had korean BBQ before. what a treat! especially since i love sharing experiences w/newbies. it's always so great to see folks all excited over food.
we ordered the kalbi (short rib), the bulgolgi (rib eye), the chicken, and the pork -- and skipped the tongue and the unmarinated meat (the two remaining options from the all-you-can-eat menu), neither of which sounded very appetizing. as we were waiting for the meat to come, we had a wide array of little dishes (like korean amuse-bouche) on the table to snack on. in addition, the waitstaff also brought over some boiled egg, vegetable soup, and salad. while some of the folks were a bit picky w/what they were willing to try, most of the group was adventurous enough to sample the bulk of the dishes set before them. neither kim nor de'sha were very interested in the boiled egg, and jovan wouldn't go near the gray-green, jello-like dish. but i must give everyone props for at least picking through the more bizarre-looking items. like patricia who sampled the bean paste w/the tip of her chopstick!
when the meat finally came, we nominated jovan to be the grillmaster. (though the ladies managed to do quite a bit of flipping once the meat was on the grill.) he did an impressive job, considering that he was wearing off-white. (seriously, who does that? ok, i'll give him a pass for naivete.) in fact, he managed to keep clean the entire night. (applause, applause.) we got the pork first. (which i mistakenly thought was short rib. then again, how would i know? it's not like i cook or anything. *sigh*) let's just say that the table did NOT appreciate the pork, which kim & de'sha observed tasted like uncured and unseasoned bacon. granted, i agree that the meat wasn't seasoned enough, but the reaction to this pork was quite FIERCE. this was likely due to the note on the menu indicating that any portion of meat left over that amounted to more than an OUNCE would have to be paid for. personally, i think this was a scare tactic to make sure we didn't waste any meat. however, the table took the note quite seriously, as folks were thinking of ways to pawn off our pork to unsuspecting tables -- or at least hide it in case of search & seizure. it was all quite amusing to say the least.
while the pork was probably the least appreciated meat of the night, everything else was thoroughly enjoyed, particularly the bulgolgi. my personal favorite was the kalbi, especially since i like meat off the bone. (which everyone knows helps keep the flavor in.) and from what i could tell, patricia seemed to enjoy the chicken. considering that we could barely get through the second FULL plate of bulgolgi, we made a point to ask for a very small amount of chicken. which the waitstaff nicely obliged us with.
speaking of waitstaff, i must say that the waitstaff was SUPREMELY attentive the ENTIRE night. from the beginning when they asked whether i wanted to turn on the heat lamp (seeing that i was shivering and all), to the end when they were taking our mini-chicken order, i was SUPER impressed. aside from having to grab their attention for water, they were at the table regularly -- helping us get the meat on the grill, asking whether we wanted rice, changing the grill halfway through the meal. and when we tried to stop them from taking away our meat bowl (which was originally the salad bowl), they promptly offered us clean dishes instead. even when we were done eating, they kept offering us more meat (which we had to kindly decline as our stomachs were expanding beyond the limits of our stretchy pants). there really wasn't much more we could ask for. well, except maybe some oranges at the end. i know i know, picky point. but it's so asian!!
tahoe galbi
3986 wilshire blvd
los angeles, ca 90010
213.365.9000
Friday, April 4, 2008
grilled cheese sandwich month @ clementine
i'm not quite sure i got through childhood without a grilled cheese sandwich -- but i did. and that may be one of the most devastatingly tragic things you now know about me.
at any rate, i had my first grilled cheese sandwich at novel cafe w/nida last spring. and it was divine. absolutely divine. the warm crusty bread w/the gooey melted cheese. and yet somehow a slice of tomato got in there. my purist friends would deny this sandwich the glory of being called a grilled cheese simply b/c of this (ever so minor) addition. at this point, however, i've yet to weigh in.
nevertheless, if one slice of tomato could cause such a ruckus, i'm not quite sure how these purist friends would react to clementine's ridiculously wide array of grilled cheese sandwiches. (which definitely contain more than your typical bread & cheese.)
at any rate, i had my first grilled cheese sandwich at novel cafe w/nida last spring. and it was divine. absolutely divine. the warm crusty bread w/the gooey melted cheese. and yet somehow a slice of tomato got in there. my purist friends would deny this sandwich the glory of being called a grilled cheese simply b/c of this (ever so minor) addition. at this point, however, i've yet to weigh in.
nevertheless, if one slice of tomato could cause such a ruckus, i'm not quite sure how these purist friends would react to clementine's ridiculously wide array of grilled cheese sandwiches. (which definitely contain more than your typical bread & cheese.)
as i found out last year (right after i missed it -- grrr), april is national grilled cheese month. and to celebrate, clementine (the most adorable little restaurant in LA) offers 5 different grilled cheese sandwiches every week for the entire month. (for those of you who are mathematically-challenged, that means TWENTY different sandwiches -- TWENTY!)
as if that weren't scintillating enough to draw you in, they've developed a brilliant marketing campaign called MELT THE VOTE: http://www.meltthevote.org/.
as an example of the kind of effort they've put into this campagin, you can download (or pick up) a voter guide that lists all of the sandwiches (as political candidates), their individual party affiliations, and all of the partisan measures (e.g., legalizing cheese for vegans). you can vote for (and order) your favorite sandwich at a makeshift voting booth located at the register. and you'll even get an "i ate grilled cheese" sticker after you vote (and order)!
needless to say, i was amused in every way. and i'm glad i was b/c the place was *so* packed that it took erika and i quite a while before we were even able to place our order. as soon as we did, we grabbed the number for our order and snagged a cute little table by the window. fortunately/unfortunately, we were gabbing away until we realized that our food hadn't come after 15-20 minutes!
so now, i know i should give waitstaff some leeway when things are busy. but honestly, restaurants should be used to the lunch rush, which means they should know how to staff accordingly and get food out quickly. even though they've been doing grilled cheese month for EIGHT years now (as i was told by a waitress bussing our table), clementine still has some kinks to work out.
for example, when the waitstaff came out of the kitchen w/orders, they didn't do a full sweep of the restaurant, so they could've easily missed our table w/our order number, since the place was jammed w/people and they barely even came over to our end of the room. i even attempted to make eye contact to let them know we were still waiting on our food, but that obviously meant nothing, b/c i finally had to stop a waittress to let her know that we were still waiting for our food, and that we at least wanted our drinks (which usually come out first -- at most places anyways).
after the waitress apologized for the delay, she asked for our order and went back to the kitchen to check on it. w/in a few minutes, a server came out with our drinks. a few minutes after that, the waitress came back, apologized again b/c she couldn't find the order, and said she'd put a rush on it for us. we recited our order again and went back to our conversation. when the waitress came back the second time, she apologized yet again for the delay, and offered us whatever we wanted from the deli or dessert cases. which was a totally sweet (and appropriate) gesture considering that our tummies had probably started growling by that point.
erika opted for a deviled egg, but i decided to splurge on the chocolate dessert bar that i'd been eyeing since we sat down. when i asked the waitress what it was (two large, thick squares of chocolate w/some white cream in the middle), she made sure to say that it wasn't as heavy as it looked. which brought out my immediate response, which was something to the effect of: "i don't care if it's heavy. i don't mind decadent." i just think it's hilarious when people in LA presume that no one likes cream or fat or butter. i mean, it's DESSERT, for pete's sake. what's the point if it's not creamy, fatty, and buttery? at any rate, i LOVED it. i totally don't remember a thing she said about it. as long as she was willing to comp it for me, i really didn't care. you'll notice this thing in the dessert case as soon as you walk in. don't think. just order it.
when our meal finally came, we did our best to converse at the same time that we were stuffing our faces. however, we were quite challenged, since both of our sandwiches were quite delicious. i ordered the white cheddar w/roasted turkey, bacon, and chutney on whole-grain bread (c/o the gobble gobble party). erika (who i found out was vegetarian) orderd a basic grilled cheese w/gruyere, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado. both of us were pretty much in grilled cheese heaven, though i must admit that i didn't think my cheese was melted quite enough. not that it mattered b/c it was really the chutney (which i think was mango) that really made the sandwich. even though derek isn't a fan of the sweet/savory blend, I AM!! and this was a perfect combo. in fact, the chutney was SO good that i barely remembered the bacon! (that's pretty much heresy, isn't it?) along w/the sandwich came a little bit of cucumber salad, which was a bit vinegar-ey, but made for a nice palate cleanser. the ginger limeade was a tad sweet for my tastes, but when and where else can you get homemade ginger limeade, right? it had to be had.
needless to say, i already have my next sandwich picked out for this week. who's up for some havarti w/braised leeks and whole grain mustard on multigrain bread (c/o the fancy party)?
clementine
1751 ensley avenue
los angeles, ca 90024
310.552.1080
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
nook bistro
so dani and i had been planning this meal for WEEKS -- something, anything to get us motivated to work through our proposal drafts. (plus mark's apparently unwilling to dine out on the west side. as for why, we're not quite sure, but i'll simply have to get him all my amazing west side restaurant picks pretty darn soon!) after much agony (on both our parts) to meet our deadlines, we made it!! YAY!! and we were FINALLY able to treat ourselves to a lovely dinner at nook. WOOHOO!!
for those of you who don't know, nook prides itself as a neighborhood joint. and honestly, you most definitely need to be a local, a regular, or a serious foodie or you'd never EVER find this place. first, you'd need to know that nook is located in a strip mall. (right across from cafe 50's actually!) so you'd need to be able to find the orange sign among all the other signs in the big strip mall directory to even know it's there. second, you'd need to know that nook has no sign above its door. only a big blue sign with a white arrow. (i mean, seriously? seriously.) and as dani pointed out, an etching of "OOK" on the door. (which i don't even think was there the last time i went.) needless to say, dani was glad that i was there to point the way.
as soon as we stepped inside, the waiter was right there to check off my name (and apologize for it being horribly butchered by the reservationist -- thank god he didn't tell me how badly b/c i really didn't want to know) and seat us at a lovely table for two. FYI that nook's a personal fave and i've been here at least a half dozen times, so i gave dani free reign to order whatever she wanted to try, though i absolutely HAD to get the mushroom & butternut squash soup. mmm.... mushrooms.... mmm.... squash.... plus it was a puree, so no cream! (not that i don't love cream, but it *can* be quite heavy.) yay for immersion blenders!
given that we were starving, we ordered the nook dinner salad and the mushroom & squash soup to tide us over, while we made our way through the rest of the fabulous menu. after i gave my recommendations, we decided on the organic half roasted chicken and the roasted squash & chickpea stew for the main dishes. and of course, we HAD to order the shitake & gruyere bread pudding. simply b/c who FINDS that anywhere? mushrooms, cheese, and bread pudding -- what more could you ask for? the answer is: nothing. absolutely nothing.
first of all, the appetizers were delicious. the nook dinner salad was amazing as always. aside from the fabulous red-purple color of the dish, the flavors were spot on, with just enough acid from the rosemary beet vinaigrette, and the most interesting textures from the combination of greens, cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. the soup was absolutely delectable and totally un-creamy (which is precisely what i like). plus it was just salty enough, so it didn't need any additional seasoning.
considering how wedded i am to supermarket rotisserie chicken, i've rarely ordered roasted chicken anywhere else. (what can i say? i like what i like.) but this chicken was suprisingly delicious. the skin was perfectly crispy and the thigh meat was full of flavor. dani made sure i got some of the sauce, which was very yummy indeed. to counter the heaviness of the chicken, i'd chosen the stew w/couscous, which seemed healthier, what w/all the veggies in the mix. and it was just that -- light, healthy, and mild on the palate. you just felt like you were getting your daily dose of veggies and doing good by your body. (oh, and FYI that i've never been a big fan of couscous, but i think it's growing on me!)
as for the shitake gruyere bread pudding, it was (again) to die for. there's just something about the combination of mushrooms, cheese, and bread pudding that unlocks the secrets of the universe. i mean, seriously. it was just perfectly crusty on the top, perfectly scrumptious in the middle, and perfectly devoured on the bottom. w/yummy chunks of mushrooms sticking out all over the place -- OMG. SO good.
i'd warned dani that every meal had to end w/dessert, so we ordered the key lime pie, since that was the lightest dessert and probably the best palate cleanser. and we were right! it was nice and light and creamy, and even came w/some fluffy whipped cream on top and some blueberries on the side. whenever there's fruit, it's healthy, right? right. (let's just go with that. keep moving, people, just keep moving.)
needless to say, we'll have to plan another adventure soon b/c eating out w/dani is always mucho fun. especially since she knows more about eating out than i do! (and i thought i was a pro!) YAY for more foodie adventures! next stop: grilled cheese month at clementine's! http://www.meltthevote.blogspot.com/ mmm....
nook
11628 santa monica blvd
los angeles, ca 90025
310.207.5160
http://www.nookbistro.com/index.htm
for those of you who don't know, nook prides itself as a neighborhood joint. and honestly, you most definitely need to be a local, a regular, or a serious foodie or you'd never EVER find this place. first, you'd need to know that nook is located in a strip mall. (right across from cafe 50's actually!) so you'd need to be able to find the orange sign among all the other signs in the big strip mall directory to even know it's there. second, you'd need to know that nook has no sign above its door. only a big blue sign with a white arrow. (i mean, seriously? seriously.) and as dani pointed out, an etching of "OOK" on the door. (which i don't even think was there the last time i went.) needless to say, dani was glad that i was there to point the way.
as soon as we stepped inside, the waiter was right there to check off my name (and apologize for it being horribly butchered by the reservationist -- thank god he didn't tell me how badly b/c i really didn't want to know) and seat us at a lovely table for two. FYI that nook's a personal fave and i've been here at least a half dozen times, so i gave dani free reign to order whatever she wanted to try, though i absolutely HAD to get the mushroom & butternut squash soup. mmm.... mushrooms.... mmm.... squash.... plus it was a puree, so no cream! (not that i don't love cream, but it *can* be quite heavy.) yay for immersion blenders!
given that we were starving, we ordered the nook dinner salad and the mushroom & squash soup to tide us over, while we made our way through the rest of the fabulous menu. after i gave my recommendations, we decided on the organic half roasted chicken and the roasted squash & chickpea stew for the main dishes. and of course, we HAD to order the shitake & gruyere bread pudding. simply b/c who FINDS that anywhere? mushrooms, cheese, and bread pudding -- what more could you ask for? the answer is: nothing. absolutely nothing.
first of all, the appetizers were delicious. the nook dinner salad was amazing as always. aside from the fabulous red-purple color of the dish, the flavors were spot on, with just enough acid from the rosemary beet vinaigrette, and the most interesting textures from the combination of greens, cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. the soup was absolutely delectable and totally un-creamy (which is precisely what i like). plus it was just salty enough, so it didn't need any additional seasoning.
considering how wedded i am to supermarket rotisserie chicken, i've rarely ordered roasted chicken anywhere else. (what can i say? i like what i like.) but this chicken was suprisingly delicious. the skin was perfectly crispy and the thigh meat was full of flavor. dani made sure i got some of the sauce, which was very yummy indeed. to counter the heaviness of the chicken, i'd chosen the stew w/couscous, which seemed healthier, what w/all the veggies in the mix. and it was just that -- light, healthy, and mild on the palate. you just felt like you were getting your daily dose of veggies and doing good by your body. (oh, and FYI that i've never been a big fan of couscous, but i think it's growing on me!)
as for the shitake gruyere bread pudding, it was (again) to die for. there's just something about the combination of mushrooms, cheese, and bread pudding that unlocks the secrets of the universe. i mean, seriously. it was just perfectly crusty on the top, perfectly scrumptious in the middle, and perfectly devoured on the bottom. w/yummy chunks of mushrooms sticking out all over the place -- OMG. SO good.
i'd warned dani that every meal had to end w/dessert, so we ordered the key lime pie, since that was the lightest dessert and probably the best palate cleanser. and we were right! it was nice and light and creamy, and even came w/some fluffy whipped cream on top and some blueberries on the side. whenever there's fruit, it's healthy, right? right. (let's just go with that. keep moving, people, just keep moving.)
needless to say, we'll have to plan another adventure soon b/c eating out w/dani is always mucho fun. especially since she knows more about eating out than i do! (and i thought i was a pro!) YAY for more foodie adventures! next stop: grilled cheese month at clementine's! http://www.meltthevote.blogspot.com/ mmm....
nook
11628 santa monica blvd
los angeles, ca 90025
310.207.5160
http://www.nookbistro.com/index.htm
sak's teriyaki
we all need dives in our lives, particularly dives w/good food. and thankfully for me, i have one not more than 10 minutes from my apt! and for what it's worth, i think dives are WAY better than eating fast food. considering that they both cost about the same, you know you're getting way better product for what you're paying for when you get food from good dives.
sak's has been around FOREVER from what i know. and undergrads and grads alike, over many years, have flocked to this local joint for yummy (and OH SO CHEAP) teriyaki. not only does this place have a billion options to choose from, it also has a billion combinations to mix and match your favorite items. and even though these combinations are offered up in non-biodegradable styrofoam containers (tsk tsk), you get pretty much two meals worth of food (well, if you don't eat like jared, that is -- sorry, jared, you know it's true!) for the price of one. and you simply can't beat that in these times of recession. (shut up, bush.)
given my random schedule where i often don't need to drag my butt to campus several days a week (or at least not until much later in the afternoon), i'm always so grateful that linds is willing to grab lunch (or pinkberry) in westwood. it's such a great way to break up the day and catch up on stuff, especially when you're sure (or almost sure) no one you know is around to eavesdrop.
so on this windy day, i decided to bring linds into the sak's fold and show off sak's wares. after much deliberation, linds decided last-minute on the udon combo, while i picked out the spicy chicken salad (no rice). for the first time ever (or maybe i've just never been here during lunch), someone actually brought our food over to us! (i'm surprised they knew who ordered what, especially since neither of us got a number.)
linds seemed to enjoy her udon combo just fine, but i found my spicy chicken a little harder to chew than usual. and seeing as how i'd had fabulously moist chicken at this place before, i had to let it go and just keep munching. other than the chew factor, the flavor was still pretty delish. i mean, you really can't go wrong spending 6-7 bucks on a full meal, right?
sak's teriyaki
1121 glendon ave
los angeles, cA 90024
310.208.2002
http://www.menukarma.com/menus/menu-for-saks-teriyaki-in-los-angeles
sak's has been around FOREVER from what i know. and undergrads and grads alike, over many years, have flocked to this local joint for yummy (and OH SO CHEAP) teriyaki. not only does this place have a billion options to choose from, it also has a billion combinations to mix and match your favorite items. and even though these combinations are offered up in non-biodegradable styrofoam containers (tsk tsk), you get pretty much two meals worth of food (well, if you don't eat like jared, that is -- sorry, jared, you know it's true!) for the price of one. and you simply can't beat that in these times of recession. (shut up, bush.)
given my random schedule where i often don't need to drag my butt to campus several days a week (or at least not until much later in the afternoon), i'm always so grateful that linds is willing to grab lunch (or pinkberry) in westwood. it's such a great way to break up the day and catch up on stuff, especially when you're sure (or almost sure) no one you know is around to eavesdrop.
so on this windy day, i decided to bring linds into the sak's fold and show off sak's wares. after much deliberation, linds decided last-minute on the udon combo, while i picked out the spicy chicken salad (no rice). for the first time ever (or maybe i've just never been here during lunch), someone actually brought our food over to us! (i'm surprised they knew who ordered what, especially since neither of us got a number.)
linds seemed to enjoy her udon combo just fine, but i found my spicy chicken a little harder to chew than usual. and seeing as how i'd had fabulously moist chicken at this place before, i had to let it go and just keep munching. other than the chew factor, the flavor was still pretty delish. i mean, you really can't go wrong spending 6-7 bucks on a full meal, right?
sak's teriyaki
1121 glendon ave
los angeles, cA 90024
310.208.2002
http://www.menukarma.com/menus/menu-for-saks-teriyaki-in-los-angeles
cobras & matadors
it's taken lisa and i MONTHS, and i seriously mean MONTHS, to meet up. i mean, countless emails trying to figure out good dates and good times, coffee/lunch/dinner, only to fail utterly and completely. i always wonder: "how hard could this possibly BE?!" only to realize: "REALLY HARD!" *sigh*
well, FINALLY, before winter quarter even ended, we set a date for the beginning of spring quarter (before things got hectic) and we did it! i seriously was about to give up at one point and write it off as impossible, but i'm so so so glad we didn't. b/c it was the funnest time! as i told lisa, the funnest, chattiest, girls night out in a while. i mean, we were SO CHATTY. (my friend em and i used to have nights out like that back in jersey, and i totally miss them! god, i'm such a cheese doodle.)
at any rate, after a small freak-out over a possible lost wallet, we finally made it inside the restaurant! i'd made an early reservation for several reasons: 1) b/c i like to eat early (the more time to process my food the better) 2) b/c i was available early (who likes to wait around?) and we were both coming from campus and 3) b/c i get a whopping 1000 points on opentable.com (brilliant!). before i move on, i advise EVERYONE to check out 1000 point times & places, b/c they're pretty much just off-peak times when restaurants are trying to draw in more people. and they're not yucky places! on the contrary, most of them are pretty yummy. i'm guessing they just want EVEN more customers. and i'm all for that -- as long as it doesn't keep me from getting a seat!
we actually ended up at cobras & matadors b/c, after ALL that work scheduling and re-scheduling, violet (http://www.violetrestaurant.com/) was closed on mondays! how sad! especially since lisa had been wanting to go and i'd totally given the place my two thumbs up! well, this just means that we already have our next dinner location, right? right.
so we go into an empty restaurant (which really doesn't bother me at all) and we get seated right away at a little table by the window. which is perfect at any time, especially when the restaurant is UBER crowded. b/c if you're sitting on the banquette, you're bound to bump elbows with people on both sides of you. so anything away from the fray is a good thing. i've been here once or twice before and i don't think i've ever had the joy (a.k.a. misery) of having to deal w/that. whew!
off a menu of delightful tapas options, we decided to try four dishes (and keep one menu for add'l selections as needed -- always a good route to take!): the wood oven fired flat bread w/white figs & cabrales cheese & shaved fennel (doesn't that just SOUND decadent?!), the socca cakes w/honey & goat cheese (we actually had no idea what socca cakes were until we asked the waittress, but anything w/honey & goat cheese couldn't be bad, right?), the wood oven roasted mushrooms w/hazelnut basil picada (b/c you know how i adore mushrooms!), and the bacon wrapped prawns w/garlic cream sauce (bacon, prawns, garlic, cream -- HELLO?!).
as we waited for our food, we chattered on about anything and everything. even about how we wished we had more people around us who we could chatter on with. to be honest, conversations are great, but sometimes you just need folks who can keep up with your thoughts and words going at lightning speed. it ain't easy, people. many have tried and failed. but sometimes you find a few kindred spirits out there and you just need to hold on tight -- or else you'll lose their train of thought.
when the food finally came, i thought the portions were a bit small for the prices. thankfully, the flavors (almost) made up for that shortcoming. the flatbread was AMAZING. the sweetness of the figs cut by the savoriness of the cheese & the fennel. YUM. the socca cakes were actually little panckakes made from chickpea flour -- and those topped w/honey & goat cheese was NO JOKE. again, OMG, so good. the prawns, as our only real source of protein, were DELICIOUS. and the sauce was so incredible that i had to sop it up with the bread. (and yes, we all know how i hate bread. ick!) unfortunately, the mushrooms totally didn't live up to their name. (and yes, we all know how i love mushrooms. *sigh*) and even though the waittress indicated that they were normally used as a side dish, i didn't think that was a good enough excuse for them being so flavorless. sadness.
to be honest, i could've ordered more food, but seeing as how lisa was already full (and the check total was just about right), i decided to just push for dessert. and out of the options provided by the waitress, we decided on the french toast. even though french toast is usually offered as a breakfast food, why shouldn't it be offered as a dessert? especially when it's sweeter than a whole lot of other sweets! and when it came to the table, we were able to polish it off -- despite our fullness.
needless to say, the meal was quite good (except for our poor mushrooms). and the menu was pretty lengthy, which makes this the perfect place to come back to! especially w/jerry, who's been hearing me rave about it for years and has YET to be able to go.
cobras & matadors
7615 beverly blvd
los angeles, ca 90036
323.932.6178
well, FINALLY, before winter quarter even ended, we set a date for the beginning of spring quarter (before things got hectic) and we did it! i seriously was about to give up at one point and write it off as impossible, but i'm so so so glad we didn't. b/c it was the funnest time! as i told lisa, the funnest, chattiest, girls night out in a while. i mean, we were SO CHATTY. (my friend em and i used to have nights out like that back in jersey, and i totally miss them! god, i'm such a cheese doodle.)
at any rate, after a small freak-out over a possible lost wallet, we finally made it inside the restaurant! i'd made an early reservation for several reasons: 1) b/c i like to eat early (the more time to process my food the better) 2) b/c i was available early (who likes to wait around?) and we were both coming from campus and 3) b/c i get a whopping 1000 points on opentable.com (brilliant!). before i move on, i advise EVERYONE to check out 1000 point times & places, b/c they're pretty much just off-peak times when restaurants are trying to draw in more people. and they're not yucky places! on the contrary, most of them are pretty yummy. i'm guessing they just want EVEN more customers. and i'm all for that -- as long as it doesn't keep me from getting a seat!
we actually ended up at cobras & matadors b/c, after ALL that work scheduling and re-scheduling, violet (http://www.violetrestaurant.com/) was closed on mondays! how sad! especially since lisa had been wanting to go and i'd totally given the place my two thumbs up! well, this just means that we already have our next dinner location, right? right.
so we go into an empty restaurant (which really doesn't bother me at all) and we get seated right away at a little table by the window. which is perfect at any time, especially when the restaurant is UBER crowded. b/c if you're sitting on the banquette, you're bound to bump elbows with people on both sides of you. so anything away from the fray is a good thing. i've been here once or twice before and i don't think i've ever had the joy (a.k.a. misery) of having to deal w/that. whew!
off a menu of delightful tapas options, we decided to try four dishes (and keep one menu for add'l selections as needed -- always a good route to take!): the wood oven fired flat bread w/white figs & cabrales cheese & shaved fennel (doesn't that just SOUND decadent?!), the socca cakes w/honey & goat cheese (we actually had no idea what socca cakes were until we asked the waittress, but anything w/honey & goat cheese couldn't be bad, right?), the wood oven roasted mushrooms w/hazelnut basil picada (b/c you know how i adore mushrooms!), and the bacon wrapped prawns w/garlic cream sauce (bacon, prawns, garlic, cream -- HELLO?!).
as we waited for our food, we chattered on about anything and everything. even about how we wished we had more people around us who we could chatter on with. to be honest, conversations are great, but sometimes you just need folks who can keep up with your thoughts and words going at lightning speed. it ain't easy, people. many have tried and failed. but sometimes you find a few kindred spirits out there and you just need to hold on tight -- or else you'll lose their train of thought.
when the food finally came, i thought the portions were a bit small for the prices. thankfully, the flavors (almost) made up for that shortcoming. the flatbread was AMAZING. the sweetness of the figs cut by the savoriness of the cheese & the fennel. YUM. the socca cakes were actually little panckakes made from chickpea flour -- and those topped w/honey & goat cheese was NO JOKE. again, OMG, so good. the prawns, as our only real source of protein, were DELICIOUS. and the sauce was so incredible that i had to sop it up with the bread. (and yes, we all know how i hate bread. ick!) unfortunately, the mushrooms totally didn't live up to their name. (and yes, we all know how i love mushrooms. *sigh*) and even though the waittress indicated that they were normally used as a side dish, i didn't think that was a good enough excuse for them being so flavorless. sadness.
to be honest, i could've ordered more food, but seeing as how lisa was already full (and the check total was just about right), i decided to just push for dessert. and out of the options provided by the waitress, we decided on the french toast. even though french toast is usually offered as a breakfast food, why shouldn't it be offered as a dessert? especially when it's sweeter than a whole lot of other sweets! and when it came to the table, we were able to polish it off -- despite our fullness.
needless to say, the meal was quite good (except for our poor mushrooms). and the menu was pretty lengthy, which makes this the perfect place to come back to! especially w/jerry, who's been hearing me rave about it for years and has YET to be able to go.
cobras & matadors
7615 beverly blvd
los angeles, ca 90036
323.932.6178
the counterfeiters
i'm a lover of indie films. and cheesy chick flicks. and dance movies. and lots of things that most people wouldn't be interested in watching. and seeing as how i don't want to drag people into films they wouldn't otherwise see, i'd much rather watch my movies on my own. seriously, it's much better this way.
at any rate, i went to see 'the counterfeiters' this past weekend and LOVED IT (and how it made me think). the movie was set during the holocaust, which is a period that i find absolutely fascinating. whenever i think of it, i wonder how humankind could've been so evil. which then makes me wonder how humankind can still be so evil. and it's not a depressed sort of wonder. it's more of a shocked sort of wonder. as in, how? why? what does this mean about people's inherent ability to hate?
as with many movies set during the holocaust, this film is about survival. in particular, the survival of a group of honorable, and not-so-honorable, jews ordered to produce counterfeit money for the nazis. while there were some interesting plot points, the overall plot line was more than enough to keep the movie going. more importantly, however, was the emphasis on characterization in this film.
there was something about the main character that made him almost impossible to read throughout the entire movie. and it was that something that made him so riveting. he seemed so non-committal in his actions. who were his allies? who were his enemies? why did he do/say what he did/said? you just could never be sure. and i left feeling a little confused and a little lost. but it made me wonder (even days later) whether that might've been his strategy to stay alive.
the other characters were uber fascinating as well. like the printer guy who wouldn't perform this one act b/c of his overwhelming sense of morality even though it could've ensured the safety of the entire group. or the military guy who seemed to live two lives -- one in the dark underbelly of the concentration camps and another in the pristine world of stepford wives & children. again, how? why? would i do the same?
i really love movies that make you think about stuff way after the credits have rolled through. that's the power of great films. it's not simply about what you see on the screen, but how you're affected hours/days/weeks later....
http://www.sonyclassics.com/thecounterfeiters/
at any rate, i went to see 'the counterfeiters' this past weekend and LOVED IT (and how it made me think). the movie was set during the holocaust, which is a period that i find absolutely fascinating. whenever i think of it, i wonder how humankind could've been so evil. which then makes me wonder how humankind can still be so evil. and it's not a depressed sort of wonder. it's more of a shocked sort of wonder. as in, how? why? what does this mean about people's inherent ability to hate?
as with many movies set during the holocaust, this film is about survival. in particular, the survival of a group of honorable, and not-so-honorable, jews ordered to produce counterfeit money for the nazis. while there were some interesting plot points, the overall plot line was more than enough to keep the movie going. more importantly, however, was the emphasis on characterization in this film.
there was something about the main character that made him almost impossible to read throughout the entire movie. and it was that something that made him so riveting. he seemed so non-committal in his actions. who were his allies? who were his enemies? why did he do/say what he did/said? you just could never be sure. and i left feeling a little confused and a little lost. but it made me wonder (even days later) whether that might've been his strategy to stay alive.
the other characters were uber fascinating as well. like the printer guy who wouldn't perform this one act b/c of his overwhelming sense of morality even though it could've ensured the safety of the entire group. or the military guy who seemed to live two lives -- one in the dark underbelly of the concentration camps and another in the pristine world of stepford wives & children. again, how? why? would i do the same?
i really love movies that make you think about stuff way after the credits have rolled through. that's the power of great films. it's not simply about what you see on the screen, but how you're affected hours/days/weeks later....
http://www.sonyclassics.com/thecounterfeiters/
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