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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