jack n' jill's too & bodega wine bar

after months of saying we should have a foodie session together, eva & i finally made it to dinner! i always say that it's hard to get together w/married people (don't get me wrong, i adore all my fabulously wonderful couple friends!), mainly b/c i want to make sure i'm not intruding on all-important couple time that folks rarely get after long work days. aren't i considerate? totally.

and after much deliberation, we decided to try jack n' jill's too, a cute place that eva found after brunching at jack n' jill's in beverly hills (my suggestion, of course!). the menu for jack n' jill's too is less brunch-ey, but just as casual in fare. eva & i had both reviewed the menu beforehand, and found it suitable to our tastes.

upon entering, we sat down and realized that we were literally in the midst of a restaurant identity crisis. the decor seemed way too hipster and upscale for the cutesy name and menu, so we suspect that the restaurant may have changed ownership at some point. even the business cards still had the old name of the place (creperie, i think?). we weren't quite sure what to think. on one side of the room, there were mirrors w/cute cartoon dog prints. (quite adorable.) on the other side of the room, there were mirrors w/black & white photos. (also lovely.) i suppose it was all OK in the end, but still a bit alice-in-wonderland-ish.

as for the food, we were quite pleased w/what we ordered to share. the menu has a lot of yummy comfort food, and we decided to get the mini blueberry muffins w/our meal. cute and soft and warm! mmm.... partially based on the recommendations of our very cute waiter (i hate that i notice these guys so much! ok, maybe hate's a strong word.), we decided to try the cobb salad and the bbq chicken wrap. the cobb salad was delicious tossed together w/the goddess dressing. i'm not a fan of balsamic, and blue cheese dressing is usually too much. here, there was just enough dressing to lightly coat all of the salad elements, making for a great convergence of flavors. the wrap was delicious as well w/a significant portion of greens inside and yummy chicken that wasn't covered in sauce. (i'm not a fan of overly saucing anything -- i think it's a cop-out in terms of appropriate meat tenderness.)

eva was committed to getting a sweet crepe, so we decided on the lucky number seven, which involved caramelized pears and toasted almond slivers. the pears were perfectly done (not too hard, not too soft), but the almond slivers were definitely may burnt (at least the pieces that i got). on the overall, it was quite good and a great way to top off the meal.

FYI that the only other diner in the restaurant finished half a roast chicken and a side of beans in no time flat. it was obviously good. time to plan a return trip.

http://www.jacknjillstoo.com/

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after 2 years worth of random FB chatting, i finally got to catch up w/anton in person! he recommended bodega wine bar, and i decided that i definitely wouldn't mind schlepping to SM to check out a new place. thankfully, i bumped into antonio on the blue bus, and i had a lovely companion on my quick journey, plus a guide to make sure i got off at the right stop!

surprisingly, i arrived at bodega before anton (who was stuck in a client meeting), and i decided to grab a high table. the menu looked delectable (despite my limited appetite -- is this a bad trend or what?), so i decided to order a few things before he arrived. i went w/the cheese plate (which i rarely get, but always think about) and the PLT panini (which involved a portabello mushroom and cheese -- what more could a girl ask for?). anton showed up shortly, and we both dived into the food. without fail, both dishes were really flavorful and fairly hearty, despite the lack of meat. FYI that i'm trying to eat more vegetarian, and anton gave up meat for lent. (seriously, who DOES that?) the rest of the menu consisted of some yummy comfort foods as well as some great salads and pizzas -- definitely a strong happy hour contender.

the overall vibe was definitely cool and hipster, but the crowd didn't seem overly so. we were in on a weekday night, and we were eating later, which may have affected the ambiance and crowd. but i loved the combination of high tables and lounge areas, and the pervasive red lighting. i also found out that anton is an investor! which is pretty darn cool. the waitstaff were very attentive, and even though i wasn't able to partake, anton pointed out the varied wine and drinks list. we ended our catch-up meal with a bit of tiramisu, which came in a nice portion that wasn't too overwhelming. apparently, the original location is in pasadena, and the new location is opening in hollywood. look out for both! and make sure to come often -- and bring people!

http://www.bodegawinebar.com/