Posted August 13th, 2011 by Meg
The main reason my parents and I went to NYC was to meet up with my good friend Alex for dinner at Babbo Ristorante.
By this upcoming September, I will have known Alex for 18 years. That means our friendship will legally be an adult, but still will not be able to rent a car. All bad jokes aside, I have known Alex for almost 2/3 of my life! We went through middle school and high school together and stayed friends even after I moved to a different coast. We traveled through Europe together, we drove from California to Pennsylvania together, and we have celebrated many New Years Eves together. Also! In 2008, while perusing the website Passive Aggressive Notes, I encountered this hilarious passive aggressive note, and immediately recognized Alex’s handwriting. I know, I know, I’m being overly sentimental. But, I’m very grateful to have such a good friend. I’m also grateful my parents took us to Babbo because Mario Batali can do no wrong.
Lower Level Dining Area.
Cherry Bellini.
Villa Matilde Aglianico.
Chickpea Bruschetta.
Sweet Onion Crostini, with Babbo Lardo Glistening.
Goat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Wild Fennel Pollen.
Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Spicy Salami Calabrese and Green Chiles.
Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage.
Sunday Special: Braised Short Ribs.
Barbecued Skirt Steak with Asparagus “alla Piastra” and Salsa Verde.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake.
After dinner we took a stroll through Washington Square Park.
Are you still reading? Unfortunately, the time has come for me to take a break. I have had a lot of fun & I hope all two of my readers enjoyed these past few months. Tschüß!
Posted August 2nd, 2011 by Meg
I rarely enter the Westwood microcosm because of traffic and the consistent lack of street parking. But after my Dad randomly told me about Bibigo, a fast-casual Korean restaurant that just opened up recently, I figured it was worth the hassle.
Bibigo is probably most notable for its hot stone bibimbap. A bibimbap is more than just a fun word to say - it translates into English as “mixed meal” and typically includes rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables), some type of protein, and a sauce placed in a hot stone bowl. At Bibigo, if you order the hot stone bibimbap, you can choose the type of rice (white, brown, black pearl, barley & white), type of protein (bulgogi, chicken, tofu, shrimp), and sauce (kohot, bean, sesame, citron soy).
I chose the bulgogi (barbequed beef) with black pearl rice and kohot (hot) sauce. My bibimbap came with a side of kimchi and a side of pickled radish (not pictured). The hot stone is HOT (hence the caution tape surrounding it). The sauces come in packets. Kohot was sweeter than expected (sweeter than the sriracha I put on everything).
Overall, it was delicious and inexpensive for the amount of food we ordered.
Bibigo
1091 Broxton Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 824-0011
Hours: 11am-11pm
Posted July 26th, 2011 by Meg
I sure don’t go to Pasadena as often as I used to! Fortunately, I recently was able to visit one of my favorite bars in Old Town — Lucky Baldwins Pub. I’m a big fan of LBP’s partly because I grew up with English (UK) au pairs. (my sense of humor, strange loyalty to Manchester United, and use of the word “the Moz” all make a little more sense now!) Surrounded by UK paraphernalia makes me reflect back. To that time period so very long ago. Of too hot and humid summer days where we drove down to the local West Coast Video and rented a newly released VHS movie to watch. Does not feel like yesterday.
Although LBP doesn’t allow free tastings, they do let you opt for $4-5 little taster glasses. I chose an always amazing (but some say “too sweet”) Saison Dupont and a really disappointingly disgusting (I gave it away) Jolly Pumpkin something or another (bleh).
We ordered some pasties too. Cornish & chicken.
Lucky Baldwins
17 South Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 795-0652
Posted June 23rd, 2011 by Meg
It was a big week for me. My first time on the DASH & my first taste of Mendocino Farms located…. downtown!
First, the DASH experience. Only trying to get a little over a mile from where I was, paying the $0.35 to get there seemed legit on the warm June gloomy day. (However, starting on 07/01/11, the ride will cost $0.50) I didn’t pay so much attention to the actual time it took to get there so I can’t really tell if the DASH lived up to the name. But, I did get to do something I don’t do as often as I’d like: If you’re thinking it is sitting next to strangers you are SO VERY WRONG. Instead, it’s staring out the window and looking at downtown. My mental map of the area is far from developed. Finally having the opportunity to look around, not having to focus on the road and driving, helps me orient and familiarize myself with this wonderful city.
Second, Mendocino Farms. Adjacent to the Omni Hotel is the California Plaza. Inside the plaza appears to be many different restaurant choices and dining options. As it was official LA feeding time, 1pm, lines were forming everywhere. MF’s line was the longest, which reassured me that I was making the right decision. While waiting in line, a genuinely perky worker who was excited to be alive and working (but not in that annoying way), handed me a menu and asked if I had any questions. Not noticing that the answer to my question was practically written right in front of me, I asked what the soup of the day was. Notwithstanding my obvious oblivion, the worker patiently and excitedly told me: chicken tortilla and a tomato bisque.
An interesting fact about me: I will never ever order a bisque, especially tomato. I’ve tried really hard to like it, but to no avail. It might be the one food (that I’m aware of at this point in time) that I absolutely dislike. It’s a combination of the tomato taste and the texture. My reaction is like no other reaction I have had before to anything else in life. But, I digress…
Like most lunch hot spots, you order up front, pay at a register, and wait for (with the ability to watch) the preparation of your meal. When complete, the food will be placed in a brown lunch bag and someone will then proceed to call out your name.
Not interested in the soups, I focused on a sandwich. It was not an easy decision, but I ended up choosing the A Sandwich Study of Heat (Turkey Avocado) - fresh local farm turkey, smoked gouda, avocado, chili aioli, jalapeno relish, tomato, romaine lettuce, (side of chipotle salsa by request).
Although I have a useful liberal arts degree, I never sandwich studied heat before. I can only guess the studying of heat in sandwich form is in reference to the sandwich eater’s ability to control the amount of heat of the sandwich through using the spicy salsa at their own discretion. My studies turned sloppy after I accidentally spilled the salsa everywhere. Aside from my mess, the heat was not overbearing and made the turkey avocado really stand out.
MF is also a provider of Boylan Soda in fountain soda form (not bottles). I am familiar with Boylan gourmet sparkling beverages because the company is from NJ area & I know I have had it throughout my life (but only in bottle form). It was quite a delight to have refillable access to the fountain. The only complaint: it’s FOAMY. Filling up my soda took 2-3x longer than it normally does (total first world problem). However, it is totally worth the wait.
I hope to repeat MF again in the future. The whole experience (aside from the large crowd/line) was great. And, their menu is so impressive that it wouldn’t be fair to not go back.
Mendocino Farms
300 South Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 620-1114
Twitter: mendocinofarms
Posted June 21st, 2011 by Meg
Although I’ve been to El Cholo in Santa Monica on numerous occasions, this past weekend was the first time I was seated at the World-Famous Nacho Table!
While being seated, we were given the option of: “sitting here at THIS FREE NACHO TABLE or…a table… over there….” We weren’t born yesterday – of course we took the nacho table! I had never heard of this table, but immediately sitting down and getting acquainted with my environment, I realized why there was a complimentary nacho plate: the view.
The nachos were standard tortilla chips and cheese with a few semi-hot peppers on top. Nothing fancy. Although you automatically get free chips and salsa, the satisfaction of getting something for free made the whole experience… worth it. Kudos to El Cholo for making a not ideal situation, better.
Aside from the nachos, I ordered one of my favorite El Cholo plates: Tres tacos al carbon - Grilled marinated top sirloin with bacon, Jack cheese, tomatillo-chipotle salsa, black beans, and rice.
El Cholo
1025 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1906
(310) 899-1106
Posted June 18th, 2011 by Meg
One fine afternoon I was able to make it to Chinatown for lunch at Philippe. Philippe, established in 1908, claims to be home of the original French dip sandwich.
When I entered around noon, the place was packed with lines to the wall opposite of the display counter. Food is ordered and served in a unique manner: along a display counter exists about 10 servers who are called “carvers.” Each carver has everything they need to prepare your meal right in front of them so that they can take care of your whole meal.
Not surprisingly, this place is CASH ONLY (but there is an ATM (or what east coasters call a MAC machine - acronym for money access center). Seating is family style and there is an upstairs floor with many different rooms. The floor is covered in saw dust - which is presumably to absorb the many liquids that fall in this busy establishment.
A French dipped sandwich consists of either roast beef, roast pork, leg of lamb, turkey or ham served on a fresh baked French roll which has been dipped in the natural gravy of the roasts (au jus). ($6.00) Swiss, American, Monterey Jack or Blue cheese may be added. I chose the turkey French dip, no cheese!
Although Philippe’s serves close to 300 pounds of pigs feet every week, I opted for the potato salad as a side. ($1.20)
Philippe is also known for its hot French mustard. At every table there is a squirt bottle of the mustard for you to use at your discretion. The heat is more like a horseradish/wasabi. I hope to buy a jar and send it to my parents someday.
My biggest regret? Not double dipping! Double dipping is when the completed sandwich is dipped in the jus. One can also order the sandwich “wet” which I am guessing is a more serious kind of double dipping in the jus.
“You dip the way you want to dip, I’ll dip the way I want to dip.” - George Costanza
Philippe
1001 N Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-3781
Daily Hours: 6AM-10PM
Twitter: PhilippetheOG
Posted June 7th, 2011 by Meg
For the longest time I thought Señor Fish was a one of a kind restaurant located only in Eagle Rock (the Rock). [I had been to the Rock SF numerous times during the years I attended Oxy. It was conveniently close to campus and also a great change from the Cooler or Marketplace meal plan menu selection.] I realized my mistake while wandering around Little Tokyo (LT) looking for lunch. Apparently there are six Señor Fish restaurants in SoCal.
Even more surprising to me was that the LTSF establishment significantly differs from the Rock SF. First, LTSF is gigantic! It is easily twice the size of the Rock SF. Second, LTSF has a GIANT bar, a Happy Hour (weekdays 4pm-9pm; weekends 12-4pm) and a later happy hour cleverly titled Happier Hour (12pm-1am). The Rock SF serves alcohol, but not to the extreme as LTSF (no giant bar). Third, LTSF has table service. Contrast to the Rock SF where a patron must order at the register, pay at the register, take a number, and sit down to wait for the food. Fourth, the whole look and vibe of LTSF is more hip and fun than the Rock SF. I’d take my friends to LTSF and my family to the Rock SF.
I ordered the Lunch Special. Any weekday between 11am and 3pm, for $6.95: 2 tacos, rice, beans, and a drink. I chose asada tacos. The tacos were tasty. Pretty much how I remember them to be at the the Rock SF.
I know what you’re thinking — Space, bar, tacos - this place sounds great! I would be inclined to agree if it weren’t for the 50 minute wait between ordering food and food arriving (we ordered around noon, but food arrived around 12:50). This is a huge handicap and makes it unlikely that LTSF will be repeated during the lunch hour. However, the Happy Hour will be another story.
Señor Fish
422 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0566
