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
Posted July 15th, 2009 by Meg
I read some great reviews about the recently opened West 4th / Jane gastropub in Santa Monica. A few of the articles mentioned their extensive beer list, so of course I went to check it out. They did have a great beer list, but just know before you go that all the beer is bottled! And, maybe research the beers found on their multi-paged menu before you go because it does not offer descriptions other than location of origin. Unfortunately, our waitress was not able to describe the beers either and had to go up to one of the owners to ask for help. Even worse, she came back saying “he said that beer was good.” I fully believe this situation was just part of the learning curve that occurs when opening a bar, and I hope and encourage that they quickly learn. (Let them drink to learn! Nothing beats drinking learning games. I think that’s how I am going to get through the next few years). Also, I hope they start a Happy Hour.
My palate is currently evolving to include darker beers, so it was quite the gamble on whether I would like the Californian Telegraph Stock Porter or not. The owner was correct though, it was good. A 750 ml marriage between fresh brewed ale with aged oak ale forming a unique glass of good drinkability. I was able to pick up hints of coffee and chocolate.
If you love bottled beer and know your beer, this is the place for you!
West 4th / Jane
1432 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401-2309
(310) 395-6765
Posted October 9th, 2008 by Meg
I finally got a chance to check out Rush Street with both my boyfriend and my roommate (they are not the same). Rush Street is named after the northbound one-way street in the Near North Side (1 of 77 well defined community areas) of Cook County, Chicago. It is approximately a mile long. It was named after the Declaration of Independence signator Benjamin Rush (who lived in Pennsylvania and went to Dickinson College). Rush Street is part of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country. It is particularly known for it’s nightlife (supposedly especially on the northern side). But I digress.
The owners of the Rush Street restaurant in Culver City are Brian McKeaney, who grew up in the bar/restaurant business (his family owns thirteen establishments on and around Rush Street!), and partners Ken Kaufman, a successful television and film producer, and Tom Patchett, an Emmy winning writer (Carol Burnett Show) and producer and co-founder of Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station Art Complex. The Executive Chef is Dave Northrup. I have never been to Chicago, so I had no idea what to expect or how to judge. Fortunately, my roommate is a native. One thing I have learned about Chicago is that is raises the bar on everything, especially food. (Side note: How much did you love Top Chef in Chicago?)
Walking in, you immediately notice the high arched wooden ceiling, which I was told helped give it the Chicago feel. There is an upstairs bar/lounge/private area, but I did not go up there. We were told we would have to wait 45 minutes for a table, but could hang out at the bar. Even though I was ridiculously hungry, we agreed to the wait. While looming around the bar and taking pictures, within 5 minutes they seated us. Boo yah!
For the love of gin, I ordered their rendition of the Aviation (bombay sapphire, fresh lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, creme de violette) to drink from their Vintage Classic Cocktail menu. Let’s discuss this creme de violette. Wiki tells me that it is another name for liqueur de violette, which is a generic term for a usually French liqueur with natural and/or artificial violet flower flavoring and coloring with either a brandy base, a neutral spirit base, or a combination of the two. I have no idea what brand Rush was using, but it was not common in the States until mid-2007 when Haus Alpenz began importing Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette from Austria. The drink was delicious. I could have had 5 more, but at fourteen dollars a pop I kept it to one.
Although they have Pizza on their menu, it is not Chicago style. They only offer Chicago style on Monday nights as a special. However, our waitress (who lived in Chicago) explained that it is not great Chicago style pizza; they are still perfecting their recipe at Rush. This was a great warning. I still have never had Chicago style pizza. Tears. Our waitress did recommend the Macaroni and Cheese, which my boyfriend loves. So I ordered it for the table to share. It came looking almost too cute to scoop into, but the taste of it made the destruction of beauty worth it. Like my cocktail, I could have probably eaten several of these pots. Fortunately, we had more food coming.
As the main course I ordered the also recommended Mesquite Turkey Burger and Fries - applewood bacon, cheddar, shoestring onions, avocado, and confire sauce (confire is French for “to preserve”). I just started to eat turkey burgers recently and am becoming a big fan. It is a different taste and makes me feel a little bit healthier. Although there are a lot of toppings on it, the mesquite turkey dominates, but still plays nicely with others. I would order it again. However, they have a bunch of appetizers their that all sounded very… appetizing. Hah. (I really need to work on my burger photography)
I had no control or discipline at this dinner. Nobody else wanted dessert, but I ordered it anyways. It was a Chocolate Mousse cake. I don’t know much about cakes or mousse, but I do love chocolate. I usually can tell how good a dessert is by how quickly I can feel my blood sugar change. I felt warm and tingly about half way through, but it was so rich that by the end I had to reluctantly put my spoon down. A great dessert to share with people.
In the end, I would go back to Rush in a heartbeat. It’s a little pricey, but if you go in a group and share food it probably would lessen the blow. I would love to go to their Brunch that caters specifically to the hungover crowd. Sounds like it would be perfect for a lazy Sunday.
Rush Street
9546 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 837-9546
Posted October 8th, 2008 by Meg
Last week my roommate and I went to Father’s Office in Santa Monica. Surprisingly, it wasn’t crowded at all. We ordered our drinks and sat down at a table. My Father’s Office drink is usually the Grimbergen Blonde, but they were out of it. I ended up getting the always delicious Saison Dupont. My roommate got a Duvel.
We ordered some sweet potato fries and the olives. Their sweet potato french fries are the best in the city; crispy and seasoned perfectly. I am a sucker for Father’s Office olives because they mix various olives with Moroccan spices. I love them.
We split the Father’s Office burger. It’s not the best picture, but seriously this burger doesn’t need my praise to succeed in life. It’s the tops.
Just know this:
1. It’s usually always packed and there is limited seating.
2. No substitutions on the burger. I suggest the Counter if you can’t handle life without substitutions.
3. The Father’s Office 2 in Culver City is better because it is bigger and serves cocktails.
Father’s Office
1018 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 393-2337
