Taco Truck Day!

I haven't done enough research to be for or against the actions of the Los Angeles County supervisors. I mean, I see the restaurant's gripe and I understand the Taco Trucks need to make a living.

But seriously, there's an organized Taco Truck Day. That's pretty cool. That I can get behind.

Thrill A Minute

Not only does Gelson's have fabulous honey bran muffins for breakfast, but you can see celebrities in their sweats doing their grocery shopping. (And, if I may add, she looked quite fetching in her sweats.)

The Cookie Puff will Change your Life

Seriously. I can't make this up. Go to Beard Papa. Have a Cookie Puff. Personally I'd recommend the vanilla filling, but ya know, go with whichever you love.

Let me know if you're not hooked.

I can't do the regular cream puffs anymore.

I can't even think about the regular cream puffs anymore.

Cupcake War 2008 - Week 2

The site of the second battle: Eagle Rock, CA

The second victim: Auntie Em's.

Battle Recap:

As Auntie Em's is a restaurant as well as a bakery, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I mean, usually you have a really good restaurant or you have a really good bakery. Oddly enough Autie Em's was able to pull off both beautifully.

Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't "fine dining." The tables don't match, the chairs don't match, the waitstaff is, ahem, very friendly and the odds are good that you're going to have to wait for a table. But the vibe, man, the vibe is fabulous.

This place is friendly and fun and yummy...so very yummy. All of us ordered different food and every damn one of us was pleased.

And then we come to the cupcakes.

I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of red velvet. Mom made them on a lark and they were fine. But Auntie Em's...she provides one fine looking cupcake. (Of course Heather has mad photo skills but still, a fine looking cupcake nonetheless.) And then Steve was kind enough to share.

Do we start with the cream cheese frosting or the moist happy red velvet cake? I have no idea because they both rocked. I am now a Red Velvet fan.

And then the chocolate.

Why doG, why did I not buy one to take home?

After a full meal of half of my tuna sandwich (for the record it was huge) and Todd's Cobb salad (again amply endowed) I could only vanquish one fourth of the cupcake. One fourth went in trade to Steve and the other half went home for gramma's evaluation. She categorized the frosting as fudge...a compliment of the highest order. And, not only was she happy with what I brought home, but she saved half of what I brought her for later. Now, that is saying something.

Out of all of cupcakes bought before this one, no solid chocolate compares. This is in the land of gramma-baking. The frosting was fabulous and the cake was moist and fresh and happy.

Seriously people. I'm not really in favor of driving this far east without a good reason. Autie Em's is a damn good reason.

Cookie Monster

For S'n'B tonight, we have a yarn swap and cookie exchange. Last month I brough a bunch of yarn I didn't want which quickly found an much more loving home so I can't contribute any yarn as I like what I have. But, I can bring cookies. mmmm, cookies.

Part of the cookie exchange is to bring the recipe. As mom's copy of the recipe left much to be desired (i.e. you needed psychic abilities to understand the directions), I took it upon myself to expand the directions for people other than mom to understand and add a Tools Needed section as I didn't want someone to get all excited about making these one evening only to have them look like blobs instead of happy snowflakes because they didn't know they would need a Pizzelle iron.

Pizzelles

Ingredients
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter (melted and cooled)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp anise seed or anise extract

Tools Needed
pizzelle iron
large bowl
small bowl
Italian mother
wire cooling racks
electric hand mixer (optional)

Directions

1. Place the Italian Mother ("IM") where you can see her.

2. Plug in pizzelle iron to heat while you work.

3. In the large bowl beat eggs. If you have an electric mixer place on a high setting or else the IM will tell you that you're nothing beating the eggs enough.

4. Add sugar and continue mixing.

5. Add melted cooled butter. (If the butter is hot you'll cook the eggs. Don't do that.)

6. While doing the above have the IM measure out the 1 1/2 cups of flour into the smaller bowl. Have her add the 1 tsp of baking powder to flour and mix together. (According to the IM, this is obvious as everyone knows that you are to mix baking powder and flour together before adding to the mixture.)

7. Have IM add flour slowly into larger bowl while you continue to mix & try not to choke on the flour dust. Understand why the only other person in your family with asthma was a baker. Continue until all flour/baking powder has been added & mix well.

8. Add vanilla while continuing to mix.

9. Add anise seed or anise extract while continuing to mix.

10. Once the anise is added you should have a smooth mixture. Congratulations! You now have your cookie dough.

11. Take a spoon and scoop a dollop into the dead center of each of the pizzelle mold. Don't move the dollop around if you dropped it in the wrong place or else you'll be chastised by the IM.

12. Close pizelle iron and let cookies cook for approximately 45 - 60 seconds. (After 20 seconds you can start checking to see if they're done.)

13. Once cookies are a light golden brown, remove gently. (We use a butter knife but you can use whatever you like to grab a corner and transfer to the cooking rack. They're oddly sturdy when you transfer them.)

Once you start making the cookies you can adjust the size and crispiness based on your personal taste. I like them a bit bigger and less crispy but it's a personal preference.

Let the cookies cool for about an hour. (You can start to stack them as soon as they're not completely hot) After the hour, seal them in a Ziploc sort of container to keep the moisture out.
Eat and Enjoy!

My family has been making these for generations. Although Wikipedia credits the Abruzzo region for these, my family comes from the Campania region (near Salerno) as well as an Albanian settlement somewhere in the Cosenza region. And, according to my grandfather, everyone in Italy made these and crediting one region is silly. He's 92 so he knows these things.

Cupcake War 2008 - Week 1

The site of the first battle: Pasadena, CA

The first victim:Dots



Battle Recap:

Dots is fabulous and cute with a very helpful, quick and attentive staff. Love that. In addition, there is street parking as well as a lot they share with the Pasadena Inn. Finally, a cupcake shop where I don't have to hate it before I walk in because I'm driving around the block twice and praying to the parking doGs only to have them mock me so I have to hoof it 2 blocks. Ahem, Sorry, yes, there is parking available.

As for the cupcakes themselves, they were really good. They didn't change my life the way the Cookie Puff did at Beard Papas, but if you're looking for a yummy treat in Pasadena, you need to go.

And, just to point out the obvious, they're beautiful.

Inspired!

So I'm reading Eating L.A., a blog I visit about three times a year. Its not that I don't dig Pat Saperstein's blog....just the opposite, I always enjoy it. It just isn't on my usual radar. And no, I don't need to add to the list of blogs I check every day. Seriously, that list both for work and for personal is out of control as it is. So, on a day like today when I have a few extra minutes, I read the whole thing at once. Her blog is just full of useful information. And you know, I'm all about blogs giving useful information.


Inspiration No. 1:

A cupcake map. That's right, I said it. I even linked it. (Thanks to the L.A. times for creating the map and thanks to Pat for tossing it onto her blog.) How cool is that? Most of the westside shops I've hit and blogged about. But there are more still waiting for me. In fact, I think I need to hit one new cupcake shop per week until they are all conquered. This will be a stretch as several of them are in the *gasp* valley as well as Torrance and Pasadena. But, I'm guessing I can find the will to drive.


Inspiration No. 2

Lately I've been in a bit of a rut...no fault of anyone except myself. I just haven't put the time into finding new places. Half of that is based on my new mission to save money and cook more when Todd is in town and half of that is sheer unadulterated laziness.

Last night Steve & I ventured out for chow and ended up at one of my all time favorites, Ramenya. (Don't worry, we're getting to the inspiration...) They had a sign on the wall as well as a menu for Asian-ya. Dude, its called Asian-ya. And its owned by the Ramenya kids. Seriously, how do you go wrong with a restaurant that hyphenates a "ya" in their title? The reviews aren't too promising yet but I'm still trying it. You can't stop me.

Over January

Sorry about the no posting thing. I'm of the blogging theory that if you have nothing nice to blog, you should just keep quiet.

Work has been good...super busy but I like it that way. FYI, litigators take the holidays off and then come back with a vengance after they catch up after the new year. So yeah, that's been fun. And then I'm still dealing with my own private Idaho of post-pred issues...hence the radio silence.

But, I got a fabulous haircut. Don't you just love the blurry picture? Tres artsy I know. We have high-lights, low-lights, base color and cut. Patty is the best. And she's totally reasonable in her pricing. And, she knows color. I don't say a word about the color I want 'cause she knows FAR better what looks good on me than I do. But, I do discuss what cut I want. And I'll admit that's a work in process. And I say work in process 'cause my idea of what my hair should look like and well, lets say what my hair actually is, are two very different things. So yeah, we're trying to marry fantasy with reality. Brilliance takes time.

And then to top off the fabulous hair day, I had a hot date with one of my favorite chicks. Her fiancee was trapped at sea at a company function so we headed over to Nook for dinner. YUM. Unless someone can point me elsewhere I'm confident in saying that they have the best mac'n'cheese on the westside. Of course the rest of the meal was fabulous but finding great mac'n'cheese is always worth mentioning.

I'm telling you guys, Nook is a great date place. Not too big, food is always good, staff knows what they're doing, pricing is not too cheap and not too expensive and the vibe is super comfortable and jeans with a sweater or fabulous boots casual. Seriously....I know my date restaurants.

On the knitting front I finished another Hello Kitty hat. It was a request from my hot date. Of course I couldn't show up to dinner empty-handed. She loved it so I deem it a success! I also finished the knitting on a bag but I still have to line and sew it so it doesn't count as being done yet.

Please sir, I want some more

and more we had, let me tell you.

I had every intention of being good this weekend. I cooked dinner AND breakfast and for those of you who know my eating habits, cooking two meals IN A ROW is not my usual. And I planned on cooking 2 meals a day.

Then it all fell apart.

Saturday Lunch:

Novel Cafe: I dig this place. Its in Westwood, has free Wifi, good food and both indoor and outdoor seating. Every time I've eaten here I've had something different and I've always been happy. For lunch I had the veggie burger. And, unlike most places, this one gives you the option of white or wheat bun. Nothing cancels out a veggie burger like a white bun...I mean, might as well have the real hamburger if you're going that way. But, encased in a fresh wheat bun, it was tres yummy.

Diddy Reese: Of course with all that healthy eating, we had to have dessert. I've been going to Diddy Reese since I was a kid. $0.25 for a cookie was the right price on my allowance. Yeah, we're up to $0.35 now, big spender. But, on this special occasion, I opted for a fresh ice-cream sandwich...$1.50, seriously you can't beat it. And, if you've never been there because you're scared of the line I have two suggestions for you: go early or brave the line, it only takes a few minutes and its totally worth it.

Saturday Dinner:

Fufaibo: I've blogged about it before, so I won't bore you again. But, there was some FANTASTIC people watching there on Saturday. For the Minnesota kids, lets just say we had two townies on a date. Yeah, they were special. We loved them.

Beard Papa: Ok, maybe you can eat somewhere on Sawtelle without stopping there for dessert. But I can't. Don't judge me.

Sunday:

Breakfast:

Ok, it really wasn't my fault as I needed to get new tires put on whtvr so our options were rather limited. But, I will tell you that I'm digging Liberty Tire. If you need tires, go there. My mechanic recommended them and really the boys couldn't have been nicer.

Lunch:

Lawton's: Todd and I walked by this place when we were down at the Convention Center for the Eukanuba Dog Show (yeah, I just realised that I forgot to post about that.) Anyways, we were on a hunt for pretzels and although Lawton's doesn't have pretzels, we made a mental note about this place. Boy are we glad we did. We popped down to the Aquarium with Steve and Melissa and after a few hours of staring at really pretty fish we were hungry.

Lawton's might not look like much as they're just a counter with no tables and chairs but the food is cheap and they make everything fresh to order. We were all super happy with our food...we had a veggie burger (yeah, me), fries, onion rings, hot dogs and fish and chips...we sat on the grass a few feet away and had an impromptu picnic...if you're in the area and chain restaurants scare you (as they do me), I highly recommend Lawton's!

Dinner:

Yeah, 'cause we haven't eaten enough yet.

Brasa Brasil just opened in Culver City. (I now have only one more restaurant to eat at in this mini-mall before I have it conquered.) If you're a meat eater, you need to try this place. All you can eat meat. Seriously. You start out with the all you can eat salad bar and sides. Both are quite good. Between the cheesy bread and the mashed potatoes, I was a happy camper. But then we come to why we go to Brasa....the food is Brasilian bbq which means that the waiters bring out meat cooked on what looks like a sword for you to yay or nay. We did a whole lot of yaying. Yum. And, if you have your table marker pointed to yes, the food just keeps on coming...bacon wrapped chicken, garlic beef, lamb, etc... and coming until you cry uncle. Granted, as some Yelpers have said, this is not Fogo de Chao. Duh. The 6 of us at (with tip) ate for about $150. Seriously, you can't do that at Fogo. And, like its neighbor Giovonni's, you can bring your own wine to Brasa and they don't charge you a corkage.

And then Monday lunch was Pink's (I had a Turkey dog...even that's good!) and dinner consisted of gramma's homemade Italian Wedding Soup and pasta with gramma's homemade vodka sauce.

Yeah, I'll be eating veggies and popcorn for the rest of the week....

Trying new things

We all have our comfort zone. I know I do. When I go to the mall, I park in the same area so I can always find my car. You know, that sort of thing. So, since I'm getting out of the house again, I wanted to try a few new things, and try not to stick to the same things I always do/eat/whatever.

Miyako: Brigitta and I finally had dinner on Thursday. (My fault, not hers). She was tossing out various places to eat (one of the perks of Culver City living) and we both agreed on Miyako. It was the one place in that minimall I hadn't been yet. Despite the casual look of the place, the service couldn't be better. The ladies were just lovely. The food was quick, inexpensive and quite tasty. One word of advice, try to order what you can eat. I brought my extra tempura home and tried to eat it as leftovers. Yeah, that didn't work too well. But, I think if I was more careful to order only what I could eat, I would have been a perfect inexpensive meal.

Dupars: k8 and I finally had lunch on Saturday. (My fault, not hers). We were tossing out various places to push around the baby and we both agreed on Farmer's Market (one of the perks of Westside living). Upon wandering around Farmer's Market we decided Dupars would be a good place to try. Neither of us had been and there were waitresses to bring us our food...a definite perk considering the crowds at The Grove/Farmer's Market on a Saturday. Despite the casual look of the place, the service was quite good. Our waitress was lovely. The food was quick, inexpensive and quite tasty. We sat outside on the patio and watched the cars go by and gave us some room and an easy exit for when our guest of honor needed to move around. If you're looking for a reasonably priced place to sit and eat at the Grove/Farmer's Market, I'd definitely recommend Dupars.

Guelaguetza: Ok, this is the inspiration for this post. I had been to Guelaguetza years ago. I really didn't like it. I couldn't even eat the food I ordered. And I was hungry. And it just sat there. And I was sad. But, its been a few years and those wounds have healed. So, when famished and facing the decision on where to eat, with Guelaguetza's Venice Blvd. outpost staring at me, I thought how better to try to step outside myself than to give a second chance to a place I know is good but I didn't like the first time. If you're not familiar with Oaxaquenan food, read the website or go to Wikipedia or something. This ain't your Taco Bell Mexican. This is something completely different. And inexpensive. And they have Mexican Coke. And it was all good. I think if I were to go again I would like to go with someone who really understands mole and Oaxaquenan food. I think that would make all the difference.

Good Enough

I try to keep this blog sunshine and moonbeams but I can't be adequately thankful for this past year without being completely honest about how this past year ended.

Its been an incredible year filled with a new job, new friends, travel, love and really just about anything a girl could want.*

Christmas held family and friends, even a logical sighting at Xian (the only yummy restaurant open in Beverly Hills on Christmas) and more gift cards and knitting books than I can still wrap my head around.

My birthday began at the Bel Air Hotel where we sat next to the Divine Miss M but ended almost going to the emergency room. I didn't go...I'm lucky to have the only pulmonologist on call during his vacation and he walked me through the medications needed to breathe again....medications I hate and will tell each and every one of you not to take unless its those medications or the hospital. But they work. And I blog now after 36 of the toughest hours I've had all year.

Therefore, I begin 2008 humbled and grateful for all that I have.

To my loyal blog readers, I thank you. I hope your 2008 extraordinary.

XOXO,
Jenna

*I must admit, I am still waiting for that Mini Cooper to appear in my driveway, with keys and a title in my name.

Guilt and then some

So I took this amazing class at the Urban Craft Center on Sunday. It was their yarn dying/painting class with John Pitblado. The class was fabulous. John was fabulous. The students were fabulous. My newly dyed and painted yarn is fabulous. But I haven't had time to upload my pictures or really review my notes to give you a good description about the class and how, well, fabulous it all was.

And I feel poorly for that.

So yeah.

My bad.

If you get the chance to take a class with John, please take that class; it'll change your life.

Seriously.

But lets talk about Craft. I had the good fortune to eat at Craft in Century City today. We were part of a 45 person private party so I'm not sure if my experience is typical but I really liked it. We had this super cute room at the back that sat all of us quite comfortably. Despite all the chatting, it wasn't too noisy. The staff inside the room was friendly. The food was good. And, best of all, someone else was paying. So, if you get a chance to eat there for free, I say go for it.

Next up: Il Moro

Crumbs

Ah, the beginning of a new blogging era. I'm so excited I could almost explode. I'm sorry for my absence last week. I didn't blow up the internet but I did blow up any desire to blog after forcing myself for 30 days. But today, today is a new day people. We have cupcakes and porta-potties and captive animals and Christmas, oh my!

We'll start with the cupcakes.

So I'm watching Access Hollywood last week (shut up) and they're talking about Crumbs in Beverly Hills. Well, its a good thing I drove by it later that week and saw it with my own two eyes, because according to their website, there is no Beverly Hills location. But, that was a petty annoyance from this morning...moving on...

After visiting Chroma and Arturo, I walked the two blocks to Crumbs to sample their wares. Let me tell you, its overwhelming in there. This is the anti-Sprinkles. Its bright, its crowded with merchandise, its colorful...I felt so at home. The nice girl behind the counter was well, nice and helpful.

I picked the obvious chocolate ding-dong looking cupcake that everyone photographs as well as the Carmel Apple. Ok, the chocolate was good but the Carmel Apple made me not want to share. And I don't love carmel, but I love this cupcake.

So, next time you find yourself in Beverly Hills desperately in need of a cupcake, I would suggest Crumbs. While you're there, please pick up a Carmel Apple and surprise me with whatever else looks good. You know where to find me.

I understand the Boy Scouts a little more now.

Dude, I so earned that badge. Its mine. That's right. I did that. You have to look at it. Even if I did a mediocre job of blogging everyday, I still did it.

Ok, now that I'm done basking in my own glory, a brief wrap-up on the NaBloPoMo thang.

I agree its a great writing exercise. But, here's the thing, like any exercise, you shouldn't have to subject the outside world to your pain. Writing everyday is good. Having me share what I write everyday is bad. And that's really what I learned from this. For me, blogging for the sake of blogging is a really bad plan. Blogging when I have something amusing or useful to say is a really good plan.

For example, dim sum at CBS Seafood in downtown L.A. is a really good idea. And the kids on Chowhound were right. The larger your group, the faster you're seated. See, that's useful information. If you're looking for good, solid dim sum in downtown L.A. and you have a boatload of people to please, you just learned where to find it.

Thanksgiving came early

Because of Mom's mad cooking skilz, she's a wee busy this time of year. This week alone, she's already baked dog and people cookies and made two batches of soup. For Thanksgiving, she's doing two turkeys, one for my stepdad and one for the extended family. Then there's the salad and veggies she's making for 33 people. (No, I'm not kidding.) Did I mention she works full time? Yeah, she's a bit busy. I understand this. However, what I didn't understand was the announcement that she wasn't making stuffing. As someone else had that responsibility for the main dinner, she figured she wouldn't do it this year.

That's not funny.

That's like Christmas with no gifts.

That's like Halloween with no costumes.

That's like Jenna with no designer shoes.

We don't joke about things like that.

Needless to say, I was a bit disturbed. Several conversations ensued. Conversations turned to negotiations. The final agreement: in addition to my usual indentured servitude, I would exchange my chopping assistance for her willingness to making stuffing. Completely fair if you ask me.

Tonight, I chopped celery, onions and eight heads of brociflower, giddy with the thought of stuffing tomorrow.

I knew she was doing the stepdad turkey today. What I didn't know is that she stuffed it for me. I'm sitting upstairs knitting a gift and she pages me for turkey. After finishing the row I was on I saunter down:

"There's the stuffing. Its all yours."

(blink, blink) All of it?

"Well, leave a bite for Tony, but yeah, all of it."

Its sick how happy I was about this. I was dancing around the kitchen. It was so good. It was everything I've been waiting for for the last year. My blessed stuffing.

"The hills are alive, with the taste of stuffing...."

Plus, I get more tomorrow from the Turkey she's making for the family dinner. (There's a small group of us who share that stuffing. Everyone else gets the "other stuff." Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Thanksgiving came early today.

doG bless us, everyone.

Panic at the Disco

I'm a professional shopper, kids don't try this at home, filmed on a closed course, no animals were harmed in the shopping at this mall. I shop the department stores, big box stores, boutiques, sample sales, outlets, you name it, I'll shop it. I've been pushed, elbowed, glared at and threatened. If there's a deal, I'll find it and I don't care what you say, how you look at me or how you try to get by me, I won't be intimidated. But, with all that being said, there are certain understood rules to shopping.

Rule 1: Get in early, hit hard, and get out.
Rule 2: Don't Panic.
Rule 3: Use only as much force is necessary but don't hurt anyone enough to get thrown out.

And yet, this early in the game, all of the above rules are being broken. Not cool.

We went to Costco last Saturday at opening to get the majority of our Thanksgiving shopping out of the way. We grabbed our cart and sauntered inside. People were literally running through the aisles with their shopping carts. Running. Why are you people running? Seriously. Its Saturday. I don't understand. Why are you freaking out? That's so not in the shopping handbook; you're breaking all of the rules. Just so you know, Thanksgiving isn't tomorrow, its Thursday. The store is empty. The prices don't change in 10 minutes. This isn't Black Friday.

And that brings us to to Black Friday....

If people are freaking out the Saturday before Thanksgiving, what sort of chaos and anarchy are we in for on Black Friday? Unless requested otherwise, I'll have my booty firmly planted in my bed, watching bad TV, shows on my DVR, knitting, wrapping Christmas gifts (see shopping credentials above) and such what not. But, I don't really think I'll be venturing too far outside my neighborhood. I've seen the Walmart video. Those amateurs scare me. They don't play by the rules.

File this under stuff I didn't know

Tito's Tacos chips never go bad.

I was the lucky recipient of boxes of tacos and bags of chips last Saturday. I put one of the paper bags full of chips into a very fancy Gelson's plastic grocery bag and tied it up. Its like a Ziploc only not.

Mom calls me at work today to announce we're going over to a friend's house for dinner. She grabbed the bag o' chips, and a bin o' Tito's salsa and a 3 chick party was born. Both the chips and the salsa tasted exactly as they did last Saturday.

I'm not sure if I'm excited or frightened by this discovery.

Then I came home, walk and fed the pups, watched Heroes on my DVR and knitted.

Do I know how to party or what?

Other People's Opinions

Not that I really care what other people think, but here were a few votes on favorites in L.A.:

Tito's Tacos: The received two HUGE votes. (Warning, the website opens with a very, uhm, interesting theme song. So if you're reading from work or with a sleeping baby, you're warned.)

Gelson's Spinach Artichoke dip: You get no link because I can't even believe I'm telling you about it. Its the best Spinach Artichoke dip out there. Hands down. Chips down. Every other Spinach artichoke dip must bow in reverence. Best. Ever.

Have a Corn Chip: Love these. Like Pinkberry, they have a taste that's slightly different than what you're used to with your corn chips. And, like Pinkberry, they're vaguely addicting. But, yummy nonetheless.

Phoenix Bakery: Best bang for your cake buck. Super affordable, super yummy and a great excuse to run downtown for some art and some lunch.

Sugar cookies (with different kinds of sprinkles) from this bakery in the South Bay but I can't tell you the name because I tossed the box. (k8, could you comment or email me the name of the bakery? thanks. and, uhm, B could you send me the name of your Indian place. I forgot to ask about that.) Yeah, the cookies are freakin' spectacular. And I'm a sugar cookie connoisseur.

A few of my favorite things

When I started this post I was going to write blurbs about all of my favorite restaurants around L.A. Then I realised that I eat a lot and the more I listed the more I thought I needed to add. Therefore, today's contribution will be various Asian restaurants I can't live without and the yummy deserts that often follow.

Westwood:
Mr. Noodle: Good, cheap, fast and nex door to Diddy Reese, which is also good, cheap and fast.

Sawtelle:
Little Hong Kong Cafe (Thanks to Catherine for letting me know this has reopened. I was sad when it was closed.): best inexpensive Chinese on the Westside.

Curry House: Best Japanese curry. If you like it hot or not (I order "white-girl mild" which they completely understand), its fantastic and even better as leftovers the next day.

Beard Papa: Cream Puffs filled while you watch for $1.75. (Ok, I think that's the dirtiest sounding sentance I've ever written.)

FuRaiBo: I don't even know how to describe the food. The linked website calls it Izakaya style but without wikipedia, I don't know what Izakaya style is. When I tell people about it I describe it as Japanese tapas. Its little plates of yummy goodness. And I also tell them to try the cheese filled fried fish balls. If I haven't scared them at that point, they're going to love it. Its not the kind of place for people who are afraid of new foods.

Blue Marlin: For years I didn't go in as the specials board outside sounded weird. Then Regina took me. Ever since, I go there when I need comfort food but I want something more interesting than a deli.

For those of you willing to go east:

Korean:

Tahoe Galbi: Recommended by the most rockin' Korean chick in L.A. She was correct. For two lovers of the Korean BBQ and two who have never witnessed the goodness that is cooking your own food, this was a great pick. Yummy, cheap ($16/pp all you can eat) and well-ventilated (we sat on the "patio" which is an enclosed space but has huge windows) and an attached parking lot, you can't ask for much more in Koreatown.

To Ugo we go!

Last night I had dinner with the always charming B. You know you have a true friend when that friend is out running errands only to return to find you in their house, after letting their dog out of the kennel, with your feet up knitting away with the aformentioned dog hanging out by your side and their thinking that's a great way to start an evening.

Off to Ugo we go.

Now, I adore Culver City. I think Westwood could take a cue or two on this little slice of L.A. just improving by the day. Not only does Culver have food, but good food, interesting food. So, any suggestions B makes on a new place, I'm in.

Ugo is just darling with their main restaurant and then their separate gellato/dessert/light menu cafe next door. Because it was a nice evening we opted for the patio. Sadly, we were not informed that this patio is a smoker's paradise. (Note to smokers: This is your place. Anyone who gripes that you have no place to go and smoke, I've just given you a yummy one.) Also we were not informed that the service would be less than acceptable. (sigh) But, I will openly admit that the food was very good.

With the smoke and the level of service, there are just too many places to try in Culver City now to settle for anything less than fabulous. So, I think it'll be awhile before I give Ugo another chance-o. But, if you're a smoker and you want a friendly place to hang out, enjoy!

The Return of the Century City Farmers Market

Well color me excited! Not even oxygen related challenges could keep me away from the rumor of the return of the Century City Farmer's Market. Word on the mall was that if you crossed over the bridge (over Century Park East) there it would be in its market glory.

And there it was.

I was first met with my favorite flower place. I love these guys. The always have the freshest flowers at the best prices. And, every now and then, like today, they have really odd looking flowers (fuzzy, blood red, and $3, oh my!) which of course I had to buy.

Because all the kids are not crammed up against half a sidewalk anymore, it *looks* smaller. But all of the usual vendors (organic and non-organic fruits and veggies, soap chick, cheese crisp guy, etc...) as well as my favorite vendors (almond guy, Greek guy, previously mentioned flower guy) were all there. And, there were quite a few new ones. Not to mention quite a bit of choices if you want to buy more than fruit and veggies for lunch. There's Korean food, Hawaiian food, African food, Mexican food, and at least 3 other food stalls I don't remember the type (please note the oxygen related challenges above). But, I'm super excited to make this a weekly walk.

So yeah, if you work in Century City or plan on stoppin' by the market, please do! I was told that the vendors are being charged more to sell there so they're trying it for a few months to see if its worth their time. Seriously, the prices and quality are fabulous go spend your money there.

Sawtelle, the untold story

Ok, seriously, have you ever eated at a restaurant on Sawtelle that wasn't good? I mean, some of the places aren't life changing, but they're at a minimum good. That just occurred to me.

You're welcome.

So Regina & I went to Fabulous Fiber Fest 2007 (summed up beautifully in both pictures and words by Ellen). I enjoyed it, got my annual fill of people in ren faire costumes without having to actually go to the ren faire, bought some fabulous yarn, regret not buying more yarn, and did lunch. A good time was had by all.

(Don't worry, I'm getting to the above random Sawtelle mention.)

Blue Marlin...I've walked by this place about a hundred times and have even glanced at the menu. I'll be honest. It scared me. But, not one to turn down a challenge and a promise of yummy food, in we went.

The menu is fantastically random. Apple pie, green tea ice cream, risotto (with either cream or tomato sauce), hamburger steak plate, the list goes on. Being a risotto expert, I decided to try the wild mushrooms risotto. And let me tell you, the title didn't lie, there were multiple mushrooms in it and it was really good. And, let me tell you another thing, I'm really picky with my risotto.

So yeah, next time you venture down to Sawtelle to eat at Little Hong Kong Cafe, don't be sad when you see the paper on the windows, the door locked and a really random ransom looking note that says no solicitors in several languages, go a few doors over and try Blue Marlin instead. You won't be disappointed.

Man fakes, women enjoy

So Carla knows like half of L.A. (all the kids I don't know); one of her former acting class buddies invited her to his one man show. Now, to be completely honest, I wasn't expecting much. I've been to a small play or two in this town and sadly, the small ones tend to disappoint.

Holy crap was I wrong on this one. Go see Men Fake Foreplay at the Hayworth. Ticket link here. The last performance is on the 24th so you have a few weeks. Seriously. Not only is it funny as all get out, but its raw and honest and just a great show. Carla and I are still calling each other up talking about different things Mike said.

Here we are, great show, great company, now all we need is great food. We head over to Sonora Cafe on La Brea. You all know it; its been there for about a zillion years and you've driven by it about a thousand times. We walk in and its just gorgeous inside. The staff is friendly the chips are yummy and the drinks are fabulous. We order a few appetizers (I mean its after 10, a whole meal isn't sounding like much of an idea) and here they come. I hate to say it, but my guacamole kicks their guacamole's bootay. That shouldn't be. Their guac was bland. Sad. Alone. Needing love and attention. Next we move onto the chicken soft tacos. Its the same. They look purty, but like your hot 21 year old date, that's all you get. Hmmm. Carla felt the need to say something so they knew. Since she's the super model cute one, not to mention the super nice one, I nominated her. Needless to say, the manager did the right thing (without her asking) and pulled the guac off the bill.

Review: Go have drinks here. The ambiance, the staff and the drinks themselves are worth a visit. Though, I need to hear from someone that the food for dinner is fabo before I return for a meal.

E Baldi Birthday

Last night I ventured into Beverly Hills for a birthday dinner at E Baldi. Now, I'm not one for the Malibu scene so I didn't know or care that this place is owned by the same family that has Georgio Baldi in Malibu. But, the waiter will point this out to you on several occasions to impress upon you that yes, they do know what they're doing. Which leads to the question, why do you need to let me know that you know what you're doing? Surely your Cannon Drive location and the prices on the menu allude that you know how to prepare food.

Ambiance.

Sparse. That's OK...minimalism works for me. However, the tables are very small and having a party of more than 4 is dinner suicide. We had 11.

Now, I didn't realise that our large party was a bad idea until we were hours into the meal. Here we are chatting and eating and what not and there are all these people gathered at the hostess station waiting for their table glaring at us. Nothing is better than having an agent and his team of minions glare at you for taking up a good portion of the restaurant. I just gave my best look to say "Hey buddy, I'm not in your business...your glare means nothing to me." So, that was amusing.

What wasn't amusing was their putting a party of 3 next to us that no longer allowed any movement from one side of the table to the other. We had to go around the ENTIRE restaurant any time we wanted to talk to someone at the opposite end of the table. Yeah, they crammed that many tables into that small room.

And I haven't even started on the noise.

Holy crap was it loud in there. I mean, we lost the father of the birthday honoree as well as the brother, sister-in-law and niece due to the noise. Thank doG this is L.A. and everyone, even those that live together, took separate cars, otherwise, this would have been a taxi-heavy evening.

It was loud.

Really loud.

Chiniose on Main loud.

Don't eat dinner there loud.

OK, so we've covered that its loud. Lets move onto the service.

OK, if I'm paying that much for my dinner, I want brilliance. I want stellar service and I want amazing food. I didn't get either. There was no follow-up on the drinks (wine glasses were left painfully empty), no bus boys to clear in a timely manner, no attention to detail, nothing. Yes, our waiter was charming with his Northern Italian accent and knowledge of the preparation of the food. But, for me, that's really not enough.

Food.

Now I understand why agents and actors love this place. The food is fine. Its expensive and tasty but you're not going to break your size 0 diet by insisting on your own appetizer and licking your plate after your entree. You're happy to split something and the portions are fair to small so you're really not breaking any rules here. Now granted, I'm tough to please on Italian food based on my background (Southern Italian from mom, Northern Italian from dad) but it is possible to do. Give me fresh ingredients and chef who knows what they're doing and I'm a happy pasta-eating camper. Give me food that's been sitting and chef who feels rushed and I'm not overly amused. Now, several people loved their food. And that's nice. I'm happy for them. Was it great? Nope.

So why is it becoming the new darling of Beverly Hills where restaurants die on a daily basis?

Heck if I know. I can tell you there were more agents and industry people in that one small restaurant than I've ever seen in one spot before. And remember, until recently I worked next to CAA's new Deathstar. So, that's really saying something. At one table, we had an actress politely waiting for not one, not two, but three agents for dinner. Now that I'm looking at IMDB I think my first identification of her was wrong. The others I'm quite sure of. We had a very pregnant wedding crasher with her exceedingly attractive girlfriends as well a Jack with a female friend.

So, if you need to industry gawk, here are the details:

E Baldi
375 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 248-2633

Tsujino Hana

Its been years since I've been to Tsujino Hana. Back in the dot.com days, it was a regular haunt for us. First dot.coms went boom and then k8 and mrk moved and then s.ly moved and then we really had no reason to go. I mean, its in this little strip mall in the Marina and unless you live in Marina Del Rey or Venice, it is truly traffic suicide to get there.

HOLY CRAP is it worth death by traffic.

Its like having o.k. pizza and then having REALLY GOOD pizza and you remember why you don't waste the carbs and the calories to eat pizza until you know its going to be REALLY GOOD. Or, maybe that's just me.

But anyways, I overheard the following words last week in the office:

"Yeah, lets go to California Roll. The sushi is really good."

Ok, I haven't had sushi in a few months and I was cringing at that statement because: a) its a chain; b) I've been to that West L.A. location (as well as the Downtown location); c) its fine; and d) its not really very good. If someone in the office had the nerve to say that within earshot of me now that I've been reminded of the happy goodness of Tsujino Hana, I'd cry. Or, maybe I'd grab them by the shoulders and shake them. Neither would be good for my career but if I talked them into truly fabulous sushi, it would be worth it.

Tsujino Hana
4714 Lincoln Blvd., D3
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
310.827.1433

P.S.-Happy Birfday s.ly!

X marks the spot

I actually went out on a Friday night, seriously shocking, especially considering the options available in Century City.

Houstons - Personally, I'd rather stab myself with a pencil than brave the happy hour crowd here. Its beyond crowded. Its Christmas mall crowded. Its not fun crowded. Its I'd rather hand with Dick & Jane crowded.

French 75 - Been there, done that, don't want to go back. My main complaint with this place both for lunch and happy hour is the service. No matter how empty or crowded they are, the servers are always overwhelmed and inattentive.

The Cellar - The constant stand-by - There are people who work in Century City who don't know about this place which is surprising all on its own. Despite being under new ownership, the Cellar is still the same as its always been. If you feel that drinks in L.A. are obscenely expensive, hit the happy hour at the Cellar. It'll restore you faith in the existence of reasonably priced alcohol.

But wait, there's more! We have a new kid on the block! X bar just opened. Its inside the Century Plaza and quite pretty really. The drinks tasty, the food quite addictive and we're already planning another outing. I don't think they've attracted the full crowd that they're after. I didn't see much of the CAA-ICM peeps but they are getting the office kids and really, our money is just as green, even if the CAA-ICM contingent dresses better.

View from the Top

I had the pleasure of eating at the Roof Garden Restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel. It was just gorgeous and I'm not just talking about the hotel itself or the view. Let me put it to you this way, you're sitting in the path to the pool. And, people who stay at the Peninsula don't tend to be ugly. Cowboy up, grab a seat and enjoy the scenery. But as I've said before, the food is not perfect. It was fine, but really, you're paying for the atmosphere...not that its a bad thing mind you. I just wanted to warn you in advance.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Before I start the actual post I feel the need to explain my crap titles. One of you has registered a formal complaint and I'll take this time to respond.

I really don't believe in titles. I mean, they're good for books, but for my own essays and such, I have never found them necessary. However, Homer always gave me crap about that and insisted that I title my essays. So, I used cheesy titles just to appease him. If he had insisted on good titles, I would have worked harder at it. But just having a title seemed to work for him and really it was all about Homer. The joke is on me since I'm incapable of liking anything but horrid titles.

Today is gramma's birthday. (Gramma styled this photo in case you were wondering; she LOVES it.)

Since she wouldn't let us plan a party, we went out to dinner. Wow, the Sultan of Brunei is a hellova hotel owner. The Bel Air Hotel is stunning to the point where the grounds even smell good. Seriously. When was the last time you were in a parking lot and it smelled good? The food was spectacular AND the staff was genuinely nice. I was overwhelmed.

As expected, I had a celebrity sighting. There was also some musician guy who pulled up in a yellow Porche while we were waiting for our car. But, I'm musically challenged so I haven't a clue who he was. But I recognised him. Sort of.

If I win the lottery, I'm spending a large amount of time there. This place seriously kicks the Penisula and Beverly Hills Hotels' asses.

I know, I'm Klassy. Its a gift.