Ellen's Restaurants

Musso and Frank Grill

2012-01-17T16:04:00.001-08:00

Today's post is here.

Ramen Jinya

2012-01-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

Today's post is here.

Fiddler's Bistro

2011-10-25T14:49:00.001-07:00

Today's post is here.

Harold & Belle's Creole Restaurant

2011-09-20T12:57:00.001-07:00

Yum!! Read about huge amounts of delicious food here!

El Cholo Mexican Restaurant

2011-05-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today's post is here.

La Grande Orange Cafe

2011-04-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Brunch in Pasadena. Read about it here.

More Reviews!

2011-03-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

More restaurant reviews that did not make it to this blog, are on "L.A. Is My Beat"

A-Frame Restaurant, 12565 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA (310) 398-7700

The classic Taix Restaurant in Echo Park

Metro Diner in Culver City, once again!

Mo-Chica Peruvian near USC

Soo Rak San Noodle House

2010-12-16T15:18:00.001-08:00

Today's post is here.

Chado Tea Room

2010-11-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Today's post is here.

Tinga Tacos

2010-10-27T16:22:00.001-07:00

Today's post is here.

Rodeo Mexican Grill

2010-09-29T17:06:00.001-07:00

Today's post is here.

Tawada

2010-09-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today's post is here.

Angeli Caffe

2010-08-10T12:30:00.001-07:00

Today's post is here.

Johnnie's Pastrami

2010-07-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today's post is here.

La Cevicheria

2010-07-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

Today's post is here.

Chego

2010-04-19T14:25:00.001-07:00

Today's post is here.

Susan Feniger's STREET

2010-04-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today's post is here.

Cecconi

2010-03-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Today's post is here.

Chez Nous

2010-03-03T12:42:00.001-08:00

Today's post is here.

Speranza

2010-02-08T15:23:00.001-08:00

Today's post is here.

Allora Cucina Italiana

2010-02-02T12:30:00.001-08:00

Today's post is here.

Casa Bianca Pizza

2010-01-07T16:09:00.001-08:00

Today's post is here.

Guatemala Restaurant

2009-09-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we visited Guatemala Restaurant with Beth, Larry A., Natalie and Joe. I must say, it was excellent! Larry U. and I had eaten there to check it out last week and were pleasantly surprised.
Guatemala is in a mini-mall at Union St. and 8th St., just west of downtown. They do not serve alcohol, but they have tons of fresh fruit drinks, soft drinks and killer fresh lemonade.
On our first visit, Larry had a relleno stuffed with ground chicken and cheese, served with a red sauce. I had the pollo frito (fried chicken). Both dishes were served with a small salad, delicious yellow rice and freshly made corn tortillas.

Rellenos

Polo Frito

On Saturday each of us ordered something different. All dishes were wonderfully prepared and delectable. None of the sauces are super hot, but they do have a bite. With our limited Spanish, we were able to understand most of the menu. However, the waitress was very helpful in explaining all of the cooking processes and food choices. The prices are quite reasonable. For six people, the bill came to just over $75, not including tax and tip. We'll be visiting Guatemala again!

Camarones con Peppers y Cebollo

Grilled Tlapia

Beef con Peppers y cebollo

Steak with Frijoles, Platanos Fritos

Carne Asada

Marinated Pork

Fresh Corn Tortillas

Larry and colorful interior of Guatemala Restaurant

Beth and Larry A.

Joe and Natalie

Guatemala Restaurant, 743 S Union Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 483-4503

J and J Burger and Barbecue

2009-08-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Nothing Fancy, But Good Q!

I'd read about J and J Barbecue somewhere online. I've driven by this place hundreds of times. I go to the Sterling Beauty Supply, just west of the stand. After reading the online review, I decided to give this place a try. Larry and I went over for lunch this past Saturday.

It was fairly busy at 1pm. The window on the corner is for burgers, hot dogs, etc. The window around the side is for barbecue. We wanted to order one brisket sandwich and one pork sandwich. They were out of pork, so we both had the brisket sandwich with a side of barbecued beans and lemonade for $6 and change.

Barbecued Brisket Sandwich with Baked Beans

The brisket was smokey and tender. The rolls used for the sandwiches are crispy and firm so that the barbecue sauce doesn't totally drench the bread. The beans were slightly honeyed and sweet for my taste, but Larry loved 'em. Next time, I'd like to try the potato salad.

There was a large party of people near us that ordered platefuls of ribs. They looked divine.J and J Burger and Barbecue, 5754 W Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 933-7366

El Pueblo Viejo

2009-05-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Why haven't I been to El Pueblo Viejo? It's a mystery to me. I've been driving past this place for over 30 years! It's on my way to and from everywhere!

I must have read a blurb on this American-style Mexican restaurant online or in some newspaper recently, because I'd written the address down and put it in my purse. On Saturday night, Larry and I drove over there. It's right across the street from Sony Studios, just east of Motor Avenue. The surrounding businesses are car repair places or other small industrial shops. This is NOT the trendy end of Culver City!

Chile Relleno Plate

Machaca and Scrambled Eggs

El Pueblo Viejo is just my kind of place for old-fashioned, yellow-cheesed up Mexican food. The food is fresh, predictable and tasty...definitely NOT nouvelle. The portions are large and the prices are small. The atmosphere is old-time L.A. funky. It's a very comfortable place with friendly service. At 7pm on a Saturday night there were only about 4 other people in the place. El Pueblo Viejo's decor is typical of vintage, family-run restaurants in old L.A. Indoor-outdoor carpet, red leather booths, Mexican murals on the wall, lit beer signs and excellent accoustics...certainly nothing fancy. Remember, you cannot eat atmosphere!Parking was easy, right in front and free. Thank you. This is now my favorite classic,go-to Mexican restaurant on the Westside. See you there!

Pueblo Viejo, (310) 842-9733, 10309 Washington Blvd Culver City, CA 90232

Mariscos Chente

2009-05-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Twice in the past month Larry and I have eaten at Mariscos Chente. I read about it in the L.A. Times. The restaurant is located at 4532 So. Centinela Ave., Mar Vista. This is a stretch of Centinela that I frequent quite often. We go to Paco's Tacos, up the block, across the street....close to Hotcakes Bakery, where they make divine, multi-colored macaroons. Also on this street is Taqueria Sanchez (excellent) and the Angel Maid Bakery where we ALWAYS buy our creampuffs!

Lime Salsa and Fresh Corn Chips con Cerveza

The first time we ate at Mariscos Chente was for dinner on a Saturday night, after an art opening. The place was crowded, but we only waited a few minutes for a table. This gave us a chance to look around and see what others were eating. Lots of whole fish, served family style with vegies and other acoutrements surrounding the fish. People were also ordering huge plates of fresh ceviche. Everything looked extremely tasty.

Ceviche

The second time we ate here was for a quick lunch. We ordered ceviche and split it. It was a bit spicy for our tastes, but really good.

Spicy Tlapia

Beady-Eyed Shrimp a la Diabla in Red Sauce

We'll definitely visit Mariscos Chente again.

Golden State

2009-04-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

The Golden State Restaurant, Fairfax Ave.,

across from Canter's Deli

On Friday, Larry and I went to The Golden State for dinner. This sandwich and burger place is on Fairfax Ave., right across the street from Canter's Delicatessan. It's in the space formerly occupied by the Nova Express.

Golden State's menu is simple, just sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs. They have a nice selection of beer, wine and designer soft drinks. They also serve SCOOPS ice cream and gelato.

We'd heard alot about the burgers, so that's what we ordered. With your burger you can choose one side dish. I ordered the sweet potato fries and Larry ordered the regular fries. The burgers, fries and drinks were all fantastic. The hamburger bun was a very soft, eggbread roll. The burger comes with cheese, bacon, arugula with a marvelous dressing.

We arrived early for a Friday, around 6:30 p.m. by 7pm, the place was packed! The seating area is not large, but you could easily get your burger or sandwich to go.

Interior, The Golden State

We will definitely return to The Golden State! An added bonus is walking around on Fairfax Avenue. to check out the hipster shops, grocery stores, thrift shops. My favorite sign, below of the Marilyn/Spock over an old-fashioned beauty salon. Cool.

Marilyn / Spock

Pollo a la Brasa

2009-04-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Peruvian chicken, Japanese style!

Lawry's The Prime Rib

2009-04-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! Beef-a-rama-a-go-go! Taste it here.

Papa Cristos

2009-04-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Papa Cristos is in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter of Los Angeles. Read about it here.

Pacific Dining Car

2009-04-21T11:40:00.001-07:00

To see this review, click here.

Normandie Bakery

2008-07-10T11:38:00.001-07:00

I suppose the Normandie Bakery got it's name because they specialize in Normandie style French baked goods and pate'. It's not on Normandie Avenue. It's on the corner of Jefferson and Cochran in an industrial section of L.A. There are only a few tables outside, no room to eat inside. The building is taken up by a huge kitchen and small retail sale area.

I often stop by here for a quick sandwich when I'm out and about shopping on Saturdays. This past Saturday, Larry was free to go with me. We had a delicious smoked turkey sandwich with brie. The Normandie serves breakfast and lunch Monday thru Saturday. I've seen many restauranteers coming here to purchase their French bread and pastries. We have tasted their croissants and cookies too. Extremely delicious. Must try the pate' next time!

Normandie Country Bakery, 3022 Cochran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90016 (corner of Jefferson) Tel: (323) 939 5528, Fax: (323) 939 0424

Miceli's Restaurant - Hollywood

2008-06-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Read about Miceli's Restaurant, here.

La Maria Restaurant

2008-05-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, before attending an art opening at L'Imagerie Gallery in North Hollywood we had dinner at La Maria Colombian Restaurant with our friends, Christine and Michael. None of us had dined at this place before, but it is conveniently located across the street from the Gallery, so we decided to take a chance.

La Maria's was great! The food was fresh and innovative. The service was good. From the exterior, this place looks like just another latin hole-in-the-wall. The interior is painted with colorful murals; it's clean and inviting. In addition to the Colombian and Mexican specialities, they also serve fruit smoothies, beer and wine, including a fruit-filled sangria.

Christine had a large bowl of chicken soup and an arepa on the side. Michael had the tlapia. Larry had carne asada and I had the cazuela de mariscos. Everything was simply delicious. I would definitely make a return trip to La Maria's even if we don't have an art opening to attend!

Caldo de Pollo, Arepa con Queso y Arroz

Tlapia con ensalada y arroz

Carne Asada con Platanos, ensalada, frijoles y arroz

Creamy Cazuela de Mariscos con platanos, arroz y un ensalada

Sangria

La Maria, 10516 Victory Blvd., No. Hollywood, 818/755-8811

The Oinkster

2008-04-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to The Oinkster in Eagle Rock for lunch. This location was a hamburger stand for years. It's been spiffed up, painted and landscaped. The interior is clean and efficient. The menu is small, the service is good. We ordered two sandwiches, house-cured pastrami and pulled pork, along with a side of Belgian fries (served with garlic sauce) and some Oinksterade. Everything was yummy. HOWEVER, when it comes to pastrami, I prefer the lean Langer's version over the Oinkster's. The pulled pork sandwich was REALLLLLY good! It had carmelized onions and bits of purple cabbage on the soft, dipped roll. I think the fries were double-fried! Yikes! Lunch was a heart-attack in a basket, but it sure was delicious.

The Oinkster

2005 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock

323/255-OINK

Joe's Pizza

2008-02-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

B-Day Girl Aileen Leaving Joe's

Within the last few weeks I've had the opportunity to enjoy Joe's Pizza a couple of times. Joe's is on Broadway @ Ocean, near the beach in Santa Monica. This is New York style pizza...thin crust. I like the crunchiness of the crust, the slightly sweet flavor of the red sauce and the thick cheese. We recently celebrated Aileen's birthday at Joe's.

Jay Loves the Pepperoni w/Basil

Artichoke/Tomato Pizza

Check out the Garlic Rolls, top

It's a tiny shop with just a few high tables. More people order take-out rather than eating in, but we managed to seat a group of 8 people during a busy lunchtime.

Joe's Pizza, 111 Broadway @ Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, 310/395-9222

The Buggy Whip

2008-01-14T15:02:00.001-08:00

For Larry's birthday on Saturday we had dinner at The Buggy Whip with Audrey and Jeff. I'd been here for lunch (on the way to LAX, of course), but never for dinner.

This is one of those typical "red-leather booth" restaurants (except our booths were green leatherette). The Buggy Whip is major old school. The interior has a clubby English-style interior. There's a piano player in the bar. The menu is rather large with all sorts of specials. There's also an early bird special, weeknights.

The hostess gave the ladies a pink rose to take home...nice touch. Peter Wagner, on the piano was good. However, next time I think we'll get a table in the dining room instead of a booth in the bar. He was rather overpowering, but entertaining when we tried to have a lively conversation.

We ordered drinks....martinis, Manhattans, wine, etc. Dinner was excellent. Larry had prime rib, I had rack of lamb, Audrey had salmon and Jeff had scampi and steak (surf 'n turf). The sides were baked potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, ratatouille and more. They served Parker House rolls and corn muffins with dinner. The portions are huge and definitely could be split between two people.

Beware Vegetarians....Look Away!

It was a lovely evening. Thanks to Jeff and Audrey for joining us and making our evening more festive. We will definitely return to the Buggy Whip for another divine dinner in the future.

The Buggy Whip

7420 La Tijera Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90045

310/645-7131

Blue Marlin

2007-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I treated my good friend, Beth to a belated b-day lunch at the Blue Marlin on Sawtelle Ave. in West L.A. Beth and I are the same age, so I know exactly what she's going through. Getting older is difficult work, but at least we get to go out to lunch!

The Blue Marlin is in a large mini-mall on Sawtelle Ave., just north of Olympic on the west side of the street. I had been there a year earlier with Regina and her daughter, Lena. At that time, we had rissoto and various teriyaki dishes.

For this visit, I read a few of the local food blogs before we went. The fusion Japanese/Italian pastas were recommended as was the hamburger steak, called "hamburg."

Salad and Miso Soup

Miso Salmon

Hamburg Steak

Beth has the Miso Salmon and I had the Hamburg Steak. Both were served with Miso Soup and a delicious salad with a carrot, sesame dressing. I would definitely return to the Blue Marlin. Everything was fresh, beautifully served and delicious.

Cream Puffs from Beard Papa

After lunch we walked about and looked in a few shops, especially the Asahiya Japanese Book and Magazine shop in the mini-mall across the street. We couldn't walk thru that mini-mall without a stop at Beard Papa for a birthday cream puff. It was a delightful afternoon.

Seen on Sawtelle AvenueDon't you want a credit card with a tomato on it? I do!

Blue Marlin Restaurant

2121 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 445-2522

Beard Papa

2130 Sawtelle Blvd. Suite #110, Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 479-6665

Chulada Grille

2007-10-03T11:07:00.001-07:00

Chulada Grill - Mid-City

A few times a month we frequent our local Oaxacan restaurant, The Chulada Grill. It's on the corner of Hauser and San Vicente, Mid-City...conveniently located in a mini-mall across the street from the mini-mall containing a Baskin-Robbins shop.

The Chulada is small, but there are tables for indoor seating, a salsa bar and Spanish-language novelas on the overhead TVs. We usually order the burritos. The last time we were there, I, in fact, did order the carnitas burrito. It was delicious. Larry ordered the chile relleno plate, with rice and black beans. They serve beer and wine, along with many soft drinks from Mexico and the U.S.

Carnitas Burrito

Chile Relleno Plate

Salsa Bar

It's always wonderful to have a place right in the neighborhood that's quick and where you can pick up food to go. Chulada will also deliver within a 3 mile radius. There's a live theater, a hairdresser and a dress shop in the same block, along with a laundromat in the mini-mall. Across the street in the same mini-mall as the Baskin-Robbins is 7/11. Kitty-Corner, you'll find Pasquale Shoe Repair and Coffee House. It's one-stop-shopping at it's finest in good ol' Wilshire Vista!

Chulada Grille, 5607 San Vicente, LA, 323/954-7570

ChoSun Galbee

2007-08-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night our good friends, Beth O. and Larry A. invited us to join them for dinner at at Korean BBQ restaurant called ChoSun Galbee. Larry had been here before with members of his martial arts group, so he knew his way around the menu.

The restaurant is quite large and very modern. The exterior is covered in greenery. We were lucky to find a parking spot right on the side of the building near the entrance. However, valet parking is only $2 here! The lobby/waiting area/bar is brightly lit, modern, with lots of granite and bamboo paneling. There's a full bar with a huge flat-screen TV over the bar. The place was filled and there was a waiting list. They do not take reservations, but the place is so huge and the service so fast, that we only had to wait about 20-30 minutes for our table, primetime Saturday night.

We were ushered to our booth by a beautifullly dressed hostess...hot pink kimono-style jacket, long skirt and white tennis shoes. There are huge ventilation vents over each granite table and center barbecue.

The waitress started bringing us little bowls of side dishes, including broccoli, kim chee, spicy zucchini, potato salad and other delicious mystery dishes. We were brought dinner salads. We ordered BBQd beef, chicken, Hae Mul Pa Jeon which is a pancake with green onion.

Then, the sizzlin' began! The waitress threw some meat, onions and mushrooms on the grill. She came back often to cook the meat. When it was done, she served us our portions and then brought the next course. This was different from other Korean BBQ restaurants I've been to in the past. Cooking is usually done by the customers. This was rather elegant. The ventilation vents over each table really did a marvelous job of sucking up all of the smoke. It's a very clean atmosphere.

There's a lovely patio that would be perfect for a summer evening's dinner. It was crowded and not readily available for us, but NEXT TIME.....

I can't wait to go back to ChoSun Galbee and try more of the barbecued specialties. Thanks Beth and Larry for introducing us!

ChoSun Galbee Korean Barbeque Restaurant

3330 W. Olympic Boulevard

(@ Manchester Pl., west of Western Ave.)

Los Angeles, CA 90019

(323) 734-3330

Skooby's - Hollywood

2007-07-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Skooby's on Hollywood's Walk of Fame

Last Friday, Larry and I were on our way to the Mods & Rockers film festival at the American Cinematheque, Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. We were running late and hadn't eaten dinner, so we stopped at Skooby's Hotdogs, a few blocks from the theater, across the street from Musso & Frank's.

Larry @ Skooby's

The hotdogs were really good. I had the Quesadilla Dog, which is a frank in a flour tortilla with fresh grated cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and homemade basil mayonnaise. Larry had Skooby's Original Hot Dog, which is a classic frank with your choice of toppings — spicy mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, jalapeños, mayonnaise. The highlight of the meal was the fresh-squeezed lemonade. Our meal was fast, delicious and inexpensive....the perfect L.A. food experience!

On an architectural/landmark note, after closer inspection, it looks like Skooby's is in the same building as the now defunct Pussy Cat Theater! Check out the blank oval sign above the Skooby's logo...yup...it's the former Pussy Cat!

Pepy's @ Mar Vista Bowl

2007-07-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

Pepy's Coffee Shop at the Mar Vista Bowling Alley on Venice Blvd. and Grandview in Mar Vista is a good coffee shop. It's small, often crowded, has excellent service, is inexpensive and good.
We were there last Sunday with my Mom and Step-Dad for breakfast. At 10 am on a Sunday, we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table.
You can read more about the architecture and style of the building here.
Mom and Hal ordered the chili omlette. The beef chili has a pleasant kick to it. Not too hot for gringo tastes.

Chili Omlette

I ordered the machaca with eggs, which is shredded beef, onions and peppers, scrambled into the eggs.

Machaca con Huevos y Papas

Larry ordered Pepy's version of the triple-play...eggs, bacon, French toast.

Eggs, Bacon & French Toast

Everyone was quite pleased with their meals. Plus we had the pleasure of dining inside an authentic tiki-style building!

Pepy's Coffee Shop @ Mar Vista Bowling Alley
12125 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles
Phone: (310) 391-5288
Fax: (310) 391-1651

Polka

2007-06-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

In Saturday we drove over to Atwater to visit Tom and Claire. We had planned to go out to dinner somewhere in their neighborhood. I asked them to surprise us with a place. We ended up going to a restaurant I've wanted to visit for years! It's called Polka and it's in a mini-mall at the corner of Colorado and Verdugo Road on the border of Eagle Rock and Glendale.

Tom and Claire

The owners have turned a boring mini-mall space into an Eastern European, homey and cozy restaurant. There are burgundy lace curtains on the windows, obscuring the views of the city; lots of European knick-knacks and paintings covering the walls; charming little lamps on every table and they serve your food on old-fashioned, colorful china.

The menu seems authentic. I am one-quarter Polish and I love Eastern European cuisine. Two minutes after you sit down, the waitress (ours was Kasia) brings you the soup of the day. On Saturday it was a very flavorful pea soup, followed by a delicious salad. Claire and I both ordered the special Polka tea (which has a shot of bourbon in it). Polka does not have a liquor license, but you can bring your own bottle of wine for a $3 corkage fee. Claire and I also both ordered pierogi for dinner. Claire had the sauerkraut & mushroom combo. I had some potato & cheese and also some pork and chicken pierogis. They were delicious. Tom ordered bigos, which is Polish stew, a mix of stewed sauerkraut, mushrooms, Polish sausage and chunks of pork. Larry ordered the mild kielbasa. The sausage looked slightly graphic sitting on the plate, but it was really delicious. All meals were served with rice and vegetables. Our meal also included dessert of vanilla pudding, topped with fruit and whipped cream.Needless to say, this was a hearty meal!

Special Chocolates for Preferred Customers

The service was good. The staff friendly. The prices were reasonable. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be having a good time. I'd definitely go back. Thanks, Claire and Tom for introducing us to Polka! Next time, we'll bring our own accordion!

Polka

4112 Verdugo Road, LA, CA 90065

(323) 255-7887 or (323) 255-1000

Chichen Itza

2007-06-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Mr. Larry and I went out to dinner on Saturday to a place that had been recommended. The restaurant is called Chichen Itza. We had been to their other, less fancy restaurant in the Mercado La Paloma food court on Grand Ave. while we were on our L.A. Conservancy Mosaic Tour a few months ago, but I didn't connect the two until I read about that online. The restaurant is named after the great pyramids on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Chips w/Bean Sauce and Tomato Salsa (gratis)

Surprisingly, Larry ordered the exact dish that Mary Jo had for lunch that day at the Grand Ave. location, Papadzul (Yucatan Style Enchilada) which is four rolled corn tortillas moistened with ground roasted pumpkin seed and epazote sauce, stuffed with hard boiled egg and topped with tomato sauce. I ordered the Questo Relleno which is a ball of baby Edam cheese, carved out and filled with raisins, almonds and caper-flavored ground pork, covered with white and tomato sauce. For our appetizer we had Kibi which are small ground beef and cracked wheat patties, seasoned with mint and spices, fried golden brown and served with Yucatan pickled red onions and cabbage.

Kibi Appetizer

Papadzul

Queso Relleno

Everything was delicious and served beautifully.

The restaurant is located on 6th St. across from the Park Plaza Hotel @ Carondelet St., west of MacArthur Park (site of the recent, violent May Day protest). It's on the first floor of the Asbury Apartments which is a very laa-de-dah and fancy looking building from the mid-1920's. At one time, this area, called Westlake, was a very desireable and high-rent neighborhood. It has gone thru transition in the past few years and is slowly coming back. There is some amazing architecture to view in this district.

Entrance to Asbury Apartments

We didn't have room for dessert at Chichen Itza, but they have three that sound enticing: Papaya en Almabar con Queso which is papaya slices cooked in sugar syrup with aged Baby Edam Cheese; Caballeros Pobres which is bread soaked in raisin syrup; and Queso Napolitano which is a dense vanilla flan with caramel sauce.
Chichen Itza

2501 W 6th Street L.A. CA 90057

213/380-0051

Tito's Tacos

2007-05-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Ahh...Memorial Day Weekend...the start of summer hours at my daily job. On the Friday before a holiday we usually get out at lunchtime. Then, every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day we get to leave at 3pm. Woo Hoo! Summer hours makes the daily grind all worthwhile.

surprisingly short lines on a Friday afternoon!

I felt so free last Friday as I zoomed out of the parking garage, that I headed for one of my teen haunts, Tito's Tacos on Washington Place in Culver City, just west of Sepulveda. Many people think that the food here is awful. Well, come on now! This is not a fine-dining experience. It's fast food, cheap and tasty. I love the sauce they pour over their cheese enchiladas. The crunch of the old fashioned taco shell is perfect with the beef, lettuce and mild salsa. Cheese on your taco is extra. The taco chips are thick and crunchy with just a hint of that clean Clorox odor, so you know the place is tidy!

retro signage on the side of the building

I've been going to Tito's since the mid-60's. It opened in 1959 right on the corner of Washington and Sepulveda. There is another taco stand at the old location now. Tito's built their new and improved, larger stand a half-block west and have been pleasing folks ever since! The menu is limited, but everything is assembled while you wait. The lines can be long at the outside windows. The service seems faster at the inside windows.

On Friday I had my usual: A taco with cheese and a cheese enchilada with a soft drink. Perfection.

Tito's Tacos

11222 Washington Pl, Culver City, CA

Miyako

2007-05-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Mini-Mall @ Venice & Clarington, Palms

Eating in mini-malls. It's what we do in Los Angeles. Some of the best food in the City can be found in mini-malls. The architecture and ambiance of the basic mini-mall may be uninspiring, but remember, YOU CAN'T EAT ATMOSPHERE.

Miyako is one of our favorite Japanese restaurants on the Westside. It's in a mini-mall on Venice Blvd. and Clarington, just east of Motor in Palms. We usually order the Udon noodles, either with chicken or shrimp. I've had the tempura, teriyaki chicken and various sushi. The Udon is the best. The noodles are large, spongy and comforting. The broth is excellent. We each ordered the chicken Udon on Friday and the chicken tasted char-broiled...yum. We also ordered a shrimp California roll as an appetizer.

Chicken Udon

Shrimp Calfornia Roll

They've recently remodeled and updated the interior. Miyako is very pleasant, reasonable, tasty and has excellent service.

Miyako

10020 Venice Blvd., Palms

La Playita

2007-05-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

I read about La Playita on The Great Taco Hunt. Since this place is within easy driving distance of my office, I decided to give it a try. I've been back several times over the last six months. I love the food here!

Medium Shrimp Cocktail

True, there's no place to sit, except for this ledge-like stainless steel bench. There's also a shallow counter along the side of the building where you can stand and eat your meal. I've had the taco de carnitas....good; the chicken burrito....good and the shrimp cocktail...EXCELLENT. The seafood is so very fresh. They serve the shrimp cocktail in an insulated cup with chunks of avocado in a gazpacho-like sauce. On another plate there are 3 fried tortillas with wedges of lime. I usually order the medium size which costs $6 and is absolutely loaded with shrimp. A can of soda is 75 cents.

If you can't find street parking, you can park in the Big Lots parking lot, just south of La Playita. One-stop shopping at it's finest!

La Playita is open seven days a week from 9am to 11 pm.

3306 Lincoln Blvd. @ Ozone

at the southern Santa Monica border

Capitol Burgers

2007-05-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

I read about this place on Cafe LA LA. I drive by this hamburger stand all the time...it's about 8 minutes from our house. I've always wondered about the architecture and the name. Capitol Burgers, with picture of a capitol building on the sign....however, the building looks kind of tiki-style, Asian, with an upturned roofline. Maybe it was a tiki-shack in it's early days and then turned all constitutional on us?

Anyway, the dude at Cafe LA LA liked this place way more than I did. I thought the burger was OK, not as tasty as Rae's in Santa Monica or Phil's Deli at the Farmers Market. The chocolate shake was good. The fries were crispy and yummy.I know that hamburger shacks along my section of Pico can look kinda' scary. This one wins the prize. The wooden tables were riddled with splinters. The benches were sawed off and crooked. The one plastic table was really dirty. I can overlook all that stuff if the food is amazing. It really wasn't. I might go back for the shake and fries, but that's it.

Capitol Burgers

4301 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

(323) 936-0366

Rae's Diner

2007-03-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I've posted about the diners, grills and lunchstands of Santa Monica before. Since I work in this City, I'm always ready to discover new and "old" places for a quick, satisfying lunch. One of those places is Rae's Diner on Pico and Yorkshire in East Santa Monica (between Centinela and Stewart).

I hadn't been to Rae's Diner since I was a student at Santa Monica College many, many moons ago. Those were the days when you get could get a burger, fries and a coke for about $2. I ate lunch yesterday at Rae's and was nicely surprised that the same meal from the early 1970's is only about $5 today. It was delicious. The hamburger meat was good quality, the bun was toasted, the fries were thick and beautifully fried. The service was excellent too.

I've been frequenting Rae's in the past year since I started taking ukulele lessons at McCabe's Guitar Shop. When class is in session, they are held on Monday nights at 8pm. I often meet my friend, Nancy for dinner at Rae's. Nancy lives a few blocks from the Diner. I've had their tuna sandwich and some breakfast selections. All have been excellent. Rae's gets a crowd for weekend breakfasts and it is a small place with some booths and counter seating, so be prepared for a wait.

The next time Larry and I are in Santa Monica in the evening, I'll be sure to try Rae's meatloaf or turkey special.

Where's your favorite burger stand? Inquiring minds need to know!

Rae's Diner

2901 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

310/828-7937

Beard Papa

2007-03-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Plain Creampuffs

Ooooooo...the other day we had an office birthday party. This is a regular occurence at my place of business, making it almost impossible to watch calories!!

Sometimes we have cupcakes from Buttercake Bakery, Sprinkles or the Bluebird Cafe. Sometimes we have cakes from Sweet Lady Jane's. Sometimes we have cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Yesterday, the birthday girl took my suggestion and ordered the most delectable cream puffs from Beard Papa. You can read about the Beard Papa story here.

I visited the Beard Papa shop in Hollywood about a year ago. I was blown away by the freshness of the creampuffs. It is a pain in the neck, however to park at Hollywood and Highland just to have a creampuff. There is a location on Sawtelle Blvd. now.....close enough to our office!

Chocolate Covered Creampuffs

The Ravenous B-Day Girl Chowin' Down on the C-Puff

The creampuffs are so fresh, they fill the shells with custard while you wait. We had plain and chocolate. The chocolate iced ones were good, but it was a shame to ruin the simplicity of the original plain creampuff. The custard is so rich and creamy......double yum.

Beard Papa, Sawtelle Store, 2130 Sawtelle Blvd. Suite #110, Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310) 479-6665

El Coyote

2007-03-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

OK, OK...I know that many people do not like the food at El Coyote on Beverly Blvd. I've been going there ALLL my life. My parents (who were married for 60 years) used to go there on dates. Larry and I had our first REAL date there. It's all about Los Angeles history! I remember the owner, Mrs. March working the cash register when I was a little girl. I have many happy memories of this restaurant.

The decor is over the top kitschy, but that's what makes it such a fun place! Who doesn't like velvet paintings of Pancho Villa with glowing eyes, along with plastic flowers in bird cages? It's dark, relaxing and a huge, rambling place.

That stated, I still like the food there. Granted, it's not exactly the newer, fresher Mexican food we've become accustomed to, but the flavors and textures of most of the dishes are still wonderful. I love their creamy guacamole. The margaritas are some of the best in town. There's something about the flavor of the rice. I'm sure it must be cooked in chicken broth to give it that rich, fullness. Who doesn't like orange cheese on their refried beans? My favorite dinner is the #4: Beef taco, chile relleno, rice and beans. The relleno is like a puffed up omelet with mild Spanish sauce on top. It's yummy and satisfying. the prices are extremely reasonable too!

Larry and I were there just the other night, re-living our fond memories and enjoying the essence that is El Coyote.

El Coyote Spanish Cafe

7312 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 939-2255

Pinkberry

2007-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to buy into the latest yogurt craze. Yeah sure, I like soft-serve, I like ice-cream, I even like store-bought flavored yogurt in plastic cups. When Pinkberry hit town, everyone went crazy! It seems that Pinkberry frozen yogurt is devoid of fat, so it's perfect for all of the calorie counters in L.A. The first shop was opened in West Hollywood on a semi-residential street. You can read about it here.

There are two Pinkberry flavors: Plain and green tea. I've yet to try the green tea. I visited the Larchmont Pinkberry last Saturday afternoon. I was in the area, I wanted a treat, the line was short. I ordered a small, plain flavor with chocolate chip topping. If I didn't like the sour yogurt, at least I'd like the chips. To my surprise, it was yummy. There's something about the cool tartness of the creamy frozen yogurt that's addicting. I was supremely satisfied.

Cool Accessories @ Every Pinkberry Shop

Today, I thought I'd like to get another Pinkberry at lunchtime....5 days since my last taste. My cube-mate, Jessica informed me of a few other locations on the Westside. There's one in Westwood Village and a hidden one in the Olympic Collection at Olympic and Sawtelle. That was it! I zoomed over to Sawtelle from my east Santa Monica office at 1pm. I parked easily on the street. The store was EMPTY!!! I picked up a small with granola and chips for me and another small with raspberries for Jessica. You should have seen the glow in her eyes when I came back to the office.

Pinkberry on Larchmont

One more great thing about the Sawtelle Pinkberry, I noticed it's high-fat, high sugar competition right across the street......there's a branch of Beard Papa on Sawtelle, but that's another story for another day!

Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch

2007-01-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we were invited to a birthday celebration at Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch in Marina del Rey. There were about a dozen people in our party. The place was filled with diners and very lively, even on a rainy L.A. night. The wait staff is very attentive at Aunt Kizzy's. The food is the usual selection of southern soul food, including fried chicken, catfish, hush puppies, meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, pork chops, mac n' cheese, collard greens, and more. They make really delicious lemonade and have good desserts like sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, sock-it-to-me cake and more.

Carla, Michelle, Natalie Crowded on a Rainy Night Clive's Catfish, Hush Puppies, etc.

Mac 'n Cheese, Cabbage
Larry's Meatloaf, Vegies, Red Beans and Cornbread Dressing

Ellen's Spicy Chicken and Dumplings

We had such a large party, so we were able to sample a variety of entrees. Everything was prepared and served beautifully. It's difficult serving large parties all at the same time, but Aunt Kizzy managed to get our order together in a timely fashion.

Singing Happy Birthday

Peach Cobbler AND Sweet Potato Pie

Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch has been around for a long time...at least 20 years in this location. Although the food is good, I have to say that there are better examples of this type of cooking to be found in the Los Angeles area, like M & M's Soul Food on MLK Blvd., Dulan's Catering on Crenshaw near 48th and even Pann's Coffeeshop has great down-home cuisine. However, you just can't beat Aunt Kizzy's for atmosphere and service.

Larry and Alem

Since it was Natalie's birthday, there was much merriment, singing, presents, etc. Kizzy's staff sang along with a recording of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" a 1980 single written, produced, and performed by Stevie Wonder for the Motown label. Wonder, a social activist, was one of the main figures in the campaign to have the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. become a national holiday, and created this single to make the cause known. Thanks to Natalie's husband, Joe for hosting this joyous birthday celebration!

La Bodeguita de Pico

2007-01-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

La Bodeguita de Pico

Friday was Larry's birthday. We had dinner at a new restaurant near our house to celebrate. La Bodeguita de Pico was recently reviewed in the L.A. Times. Anytime we hear about a new restaurant in our area, we try to support it.

When we arrived at the restaurant, housed in a restored Deco building along the Pico Revitalization Corridor, just west of La Brea, it wasn't too crowded. There was a musician playing Cuban tunes on the piano. After about 15 minutes, the place started to fill up. We spied former L.A. D.A., Gil Garcetti walk in with his wife and another couple for dinner.

Friendly and Lively Crowd
Grainy Close-up of Garcetti's Party

The waiter took our drink orders and brought us hot, buttered and garlic-ed French bread. The menu at La Bodeguita is good....lots of selections and decent prices. We ordered a Caesar salad to split. Larry ordered the Clasico Plato Cubano which includes rice, black beans, roasted pork and ground beef in habanera sauce with yucca and platanos fritos. I ordred Habanero Relleno con Camarones which is halibut filet sauteed with large shrimp then glazed in a seasoned tomato sauce, also served with rice and black beans, along with platanos fritos (fried bananas). Everything was really delicious. For dessert we split an order of flan de caramelo...divine!

Garlic Toast

Pork and Beef Dish

Halibut and Shrimp

Caramel Flan

It was Friday night and the place was really busy, so the waiter wasn't as attentive as he could be. It was quite awhile between the end of our main course and our dessert. The restaurant is huge...the kitchen is way at the back, so the waiters have to cover a lot of ground. I definitely want to go back on a less busy night.

Birthday Boy

Next to the piano was a conga drum which leads me to believe that La Bodeguita de Pico offers live Cuban music on certain nights. There's certainly enough floor space for dancing too.

As we were leaving, we bumped into another celebrity....actor, writer and director Buck Henry! He's always been one of my faves. We ended up chatting with Buck and his lady friend while they waited for their table. Nice guy...very approachable!

La Bodeguita de Pico, 5047 W. Pico Blvd., LA, 323/937-CUBA

Dupar's @ Farmers Market

2007-01-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Ah, the good ol' days!

Dupar's Restaurant is finally open at the Original Farmers Market after being closed for two years. The owners of the old Tiny Naylor's and Biff's Coffee Shops took over and totally updated the aging place. They did an excellent job of refurbishing. The place looks almost the same, just cleaner and neater. They did get rid of the counter, however and replaced it with a huge dining table for large parties. I'll miss the counter. It was always nice to sit, have a slice of pie and chit-chat with your neighbor. That's what the Farmers Market is all about for me....chit-chatting with neighbors and feeling that sense of community.

Excellent Lemonade

Brit and Ted Peruse the Menu Most of us tried the Chicken Pot Pie T.K. had the Meatloaf Dinner Ted had Turkey w/ all the fixin's Stuart had French Toast w/ a side of bacon Tatiana had the Cheeseburger

Anyway, our regular Wednesday night dinner group included 10 of us last night: Amy, Stuart, T.K., Tatiana, Rob, Ted, Brit, Jack, Larry and me. Most of us had been frequent visitors to the old Dupar's, so this was a test to see how the new menu compared to the old one. Well, the menu hasn't changed much, but the prices certainly have! We used to be able to get the Chicken Pot Pie for $5.25. Now the Chicken Pot Pie costs $10.20. It was really delicious though and much larger and more full o' chicken chunks than past pies. We ordered a variety of dishes. Everything was tasty, especially the lemonade. We were too full for dessert, but will return soon to see how the famous pies are.

Dupar's added a patio dining area next to the parking lot. I'm not sure I would want to sit in the parking lot, but there is a fence. Landscaping will probably be added to shield you from angry motorists.

Patio Dining at Dupar's

I know that a few people are not that happy with the food at the new Dupar's, but from what I've seen and tasted the food is good, the atmosphere and service are good, even if the prices are somewhat higher than the good ol' days!

Dupar's at the Original Farmers Market

3rd and Fairfax, Los Angeles

Porto's Bakery in Burbank

2007-01-02T14:56:00.001-08:00

We tried to buy yarn, but ended up eating our way from Los Feliz to Burbank!!! Read about it here.

The House of Pie on Vermont near Franklin has fairly good breakfasts. The new Porto's in Burbank is fantastic!

Kaido

2006-12-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

Special Bento Box

Kaido Japanese Restaurant in East Santa Monica is a real find. I was introduced to Kaido by two of my co-workers, Christina and Renee. The restaurant is in the Yale Mini-Mall on Santa Monica Blvd. with a few other restaurants, so parking is scarce during the busy lunch hour.

The atmosphere is very pleasing, the service is excellent and the food is very fresh and beautifully prepared.

We all received a Salad with Tasty Dressing and Miso Soup before our entrees...delish.

I had the Chicken Bowl with egg. Renee has Teriyaki Chicken and Christina had the Special Bento Box (above).

Chicken Bowl with Egg

Teriyaki Chicken, Side of Brown Rice

Savory Custard served with Special Bento Box

Our meal was presented in a very artistic manner, it was scrumptious and reasonably priced. The green tea is served in large mugs...perfect for a chilly day.

Kaido Japanese Restaurant

2834 Santa Monica Blvd.

Santa Monica

Versailles Cuban Restaurant

2006-12-06T14:45:00.001-08:00

If you've lived in Los Angeles for even one year, you already know about the Cuban restaurant, Versailles. There are several locations around town. We frequent the one on La Cienega, just south of Pico. I've been going to Versailles for over 30 years. The original L.A. location is on Venice Blvd. at Motor Ave. in Palms. I remember when they opened, we all flocked there for the inexpensive Cuban chicken, laced with a citrus marinade, garlic and smothered in onions. They still serve the exact same chicken recipe, with plaintains, rice and black beans on the side. It's delicious.

Famoso Pollo Versailles...lots of onions!

The Cuban chicken is so delicious and garlicky, that we rarely try anything else at Versailles. Last night we met our friends Laurie and Curt at the La Cienega branch. Laurie ordered the grilled salmon filet. I decided to try it too. It was fabulous. They use the same citrus, garlic and butter marinade for the fish as they do for the chicken...all of the sides are the same, except you also get a little salad. Finding something green at Versailles is a challenge. They're heavy on the carbs and protein here. Curt had the Carne con Papas which is beef chunks and potatoes cooked in a tomato-base, also served with plaintains, rice and beans. Mr. Larry went for the classic Famoso Pollo Versailles (chicken). I've yet to try any of the desserts here. We're always stuffed after the big portions.

Filete de Salmon a la Parilla

Carne con Papas

Everything was excellent and served quickly. Versailles is always busy, but the place is large so there's rarely a wait during the week. The prices are reasonable too, for the amount of food you're offered.

Mr. Larry, Laurie and Curt

Remember, you can't eat atmosphere, so don't expect a fancy dining room!

Versailles Cuban Restaurant

Various Locations

Henry's Tacos

2006-11-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

I recently found out about this 1960's taco stand in North Hollywood. I was visiting the Yarn Garden on Tujunga and had to park a few blocks away. Henry's Tacos is on the corner of Moorpark and Tujunga. I love the retro signage and cool mid-century shape of the taco stand.

I just had to try one of the tacos. Yup. L.A. - Mexican-style food from 1961. That's what they serve at Henry's. There are only a few choices...tacos, burritos, tostados, beans, rice and hamburgers. All menu items used the seasoned ground meat as their base. It's delicious in a home-taco-night sorta' way. This place will take you back a few decades, when the taco was considered exotic. I had one crunchy taco and an orange drink. The perfect snack!

Next door to Henry's is another cool looking old place with killer retro signage called The Star Lite Room. Must check that place out when I have an escort!

Bloom Cafe

2006-11-28T16:39:00.000-08:00

Bloom Cafe - Pico Blvd. @ Sierra Bonita, Mid-City

Last week we went to the Bloom Cafe right in our own neighborhood! No, the cafe is not named after my family. In fact, I haven't quizzed the owner yet about the name. I do love seeing my name in green neon lights on Pico Blvd. Bloom Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch only.

Soon, a take-out pizza shop, Bloom Take Out, will open next door to the cafe. I'm sure the take-out will have evening hours. Mr. Larry and I went for breakfast. He had the waffles. I had 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, turkey sausage and 2 pancakes. Both the waffles and pancakes were made from a very delicate batter, laced with an orange flavor....delish! The eggs were scrambled perfectly. Larry loved his latte'.

It was busy on a Saturday morning, but not too crowded. There are tables inside and in front of the Cafe on the sidewalk. The decor is minimalist, soothing colors, but with all hard surfaces. So, when there are only a few people inside the cafe, the sound of their voices, coupled with the sound of the kitchen can make for quite a clatter. Next time, weather permitting, we'll sit outside for a more soothing experience.

Mr. Larry zoomed over to the Bloom Cafe for lunch last week with a friend. He had a hamburger that he said was excellent. We are so happy to have a nice little cafe just a few blocks from our house. It's a great improvement upon the many car-repair and autobody shops in the area. Wilshire Vista is finally coming around. Yayyy!

ADDENDUM - December 10, 2006: We returned to Bloom Cafe today for breakfast and had lemon pancakes and the poached eggs on crostini with crumbled hickory smoked bacon, tomatoes, feta cheese, potatoes and greens. Everything was excellent!

Thanksgiving @ Punch Grill

2006-11-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Private Dining Area

We had such a nice time at our family Thanksgiving last Thursday. My Aunt Mae and Uncle Marvin hosted the party at Punch Grill in Santa Monica. Everything was delicious, the ambiance was lovely and the service was good. The menu for this specical dinner is here. I definitely want to try this restaurant for lunch.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Mixed Salad with Cranberries, Bleu Cheese

Roast Turkey

Short Ribs

Cousin Laurie with Grilled Salmon

Pumpkin Pie

Bread Pudding

obligatory See's Candy

Most of my family thought it was slightly strange that I was taking photos of our food and NOT taking pictures of the family. Oh well, this shows where my true interests lie. They're lucky I didn't bring my knitting or crocheting to dinner!

Pann's

2006-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

My favorite coffee shop in Los Angeles is Pann's. Besides having delicious food, architecturally it's one of the few "Googie" style coffee shops left in Los Angeles. The architecture team of Armet and Davis designed this coffee shop, among others (Denny's, Ship's, Norm's, Bob's Big Boy, etc.). The second generation owner of Pann's, Jim Poulos, totally renovated Pann's a few years back to it's original 1958 glory, even replicating the landscaping from the 50's.

I've never been disappointed with a meal at Pann's. The breakfasts are legendary. I often have the salmon patties with spinach, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, accompanied by fluffy biscuits. Larry is a devotee of their waffles. Needless to say, this is NOT a dieter's delight. Pann's has good, old-fashioned coffee shop food. They use excellent quality ingredients, service is great and the atmosphere is classic.

We were there last Friday night for dinner and saw a few neighbors from our Wilshire Vista neighborhood. They were having burgers. Larry had the babyback ribs. I had the fried chicken. They were out of mac 'n cheese, so I had the baked yam with my chicken. Everything was perfectly divine.

Babybacks w/baked beans, corn & stringbeans, cornbread

Fried chicken w/ yam, spinach, cornbread

I know people talk about the fried chicken at Roscoe's and Dinah's, but for me, the fried chicken at Pann's is by far the best. Often on a Friday, we'll have the bouillabaise. This is not a tomato based soup, it's chicken based, filled with fresh salmon, shrimp and other fish and veggies. Yummmmm.....I want some right now!

Pann's Classic 50's Interior

Hmmm? Wonder if they'll have turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce this weekend?

Pann's, 6710 La Tijera Blvd. @ the intersection of La Cienega & Centinela, Ladera Hts.

Canter's Deli

2006-11-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Brooklyn Ave. with Corned Beef

After our excursion to the L.A. Eyeworks sale on Friday, we were exhausted and hungry. We zoomed over to Canter's Deli on Fairfax Avenue for dinner. Larry ordered a cup of barley bean soup. I ordered a bowl of chicken soup with kreplach and we split the Brooklyn Avenue Sandwich with corned beef.

Chicken Soup with Kreplach

The Brooklyn Avenue sandwich comes with coleslaw inside the sandwich...delicious. I call this a "sky-high," which is the name that another local deli gives this creation. I'm sure the name of the Brooklyn Avenue sandwich comes from the old Canter's location in Boyle Heights. Brooklyn Avenue is now called Cesar Chavez Avenue. When I was a kid, my Dad used to take me to Canter's in Boyle Heights....his childhood neighborhood. For awhile, both Canter's (Brooklyn Ave. and Fairfax Ave.) eo-existed. I think the Boyle Hts. place was closed in the late 1960's.

I've been eating at Canter's all of my life. It's open 24 hours, so the restaurant became a rock and roll meeting place at the end of the evening, when all the clubs had closed down for the night. You always see characters there.

The food is basically good. Sometimes, I'll get a fatty pastrami or a dried out brisket, but that's only once-in-awhile. I just wish they would take out that false ceiling of leaves in the big room and replace it with better fixtures that doesn't make everything look a greenish-yellow.

Canter's has a good take-out deli counter and an excellent bakery too. The rye bread is heavenly and their mandelbroit has a special crunch to it that's addicting. The Kibitz Room is the bar and lounge at Canter's. They often have live music.

I was surprised to see a delivery truck from Label's Table outside Canter's as we were leaving. Label's is from my childhood neighborhood and advertises as a cut-rate deli. Hmm? Maybe Label was stealing some secret Canter's recipes!

Gramma's Country Kitchen - Banning

2006-11-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

On our way to the high desert on Friday night we stopped for dinner at Gramma's Country Kitchen in Banning. I've never eaten dinner there, just breakfast. At breakfast, I'm fond of the fresh trout and eggs. I decided to try the dinner version of the trout.

It was delicious and came with tons of sides: Vegies, baked potato, cornbread, salad or soup and a beverage.

Larry had the chicken pot pie which was also chock full of moist chicken and vegies. The lemonade was just OK, not fresh-squeezed.

Gramma's specializes in pies and desserts, but we were way too stuffed to sample anything!

Gramma's is one of those folksy places with pine paneling and lots of 'country-cute' stuff hanging on the walls and from the rafters. It's rather large, so there's rarely a wait for a table. All in all, it's a pleasant place to stop while you're on the road.

I'll be updating about our visit to the Morongo Basin Open Studio Art Tours tomorrow.

Gramma's Country Kitchen

2868 West Ramsey Street, Banning

Take the Sunset Ave. turnoff from the 10 Fwy. and go east to Ramsey St., turn right

Tacos Chabelita

2006-11-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

I first read about Tacos Chabelita in the L.A. Weekly. Jonathan Gold is an excellent restaurant reviewer and I usually agree with him. His review from 1999 made me want to drive directly to 2001 Western Avenue, just north of the SM Freeway.

Chabelita has a taco stand, a seafood restaurant and a taco truck on what I fondly call "Chabelita Corners." There used to be a juice and ice cream shop associated with Chabalita too, but that closed awhile back. Many people have written about the tacos, burritos, mariscos, etc. here. Some like the food, some do not. I REALLLLLLY like the food at Chabelita. My favorite is the fish taco plate, served with rice and beans ($5.95). The fish is crispy, not oily, the rice has a chicken-stock flavor and the beans are creamy, dreamy. Last week I tried a carne asada (steak) taco and a carnitas (pork) taco ($1.80 each). I prefered the carnitas taco, but both were yummy.

Fish Taco Plate

Tacos de Carne Asada (left), Carnitas (right)

For me, one of the major attraction of going to Chabelita's are the colorful paintings on the side of the building. I always like paintings of food, including flying burgers and floating, dancing shrimp.

This place is next to a fire station, so be prepared to cover your ears during lunch.

Across the street from Chabelita is a beautiful mid-century modern A-frame church...nice building....great tacos.

Breakfast @ Phillippe's

2006-10-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to meet Christine downtown for breakfast. I've been lunching with Christine for about a year now every Thursday. We work across the street from each other and we both knit and crochet, so we've formed a mini-Stitch 'n Bitch at work. Sadly (for me), Christine has relocated employment to the Valley, which is good for her, since she lives there. I met Christine through Crazy Aunt Purl. Christine showed up at one of Auntie's yard sales. Being extremely outgoing and Southern, Auntie invited Christine to a barbecue at her home. That's where we met and hit it off immediately.
Christine and I are going to attempt to see each other often, even though we don't work near each other anymore. We wanted to choose a location half-way between our homes, so we decided on Philippe's for breakfast.
I've been eating at Philippe's all my life, but never for breakfast. The breakfast menu is huge. I decided to have The Combo: Choice of two halves of French toast, dipped in cinnamon egg batter, or two pancakes, choice of one sausage patty or two strips of bacon, two eggs any style, and your choice of any small juice or coffee...$5.75. Christine had eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, biscuits, coffee...about $4. We ordered a baked apple to share.

Ellen's Combo

Christine's Classic

Everything was simply prepared and delicious. We sat in an old wooden booth in the Clown Room which features clippings, photos and memorabilia of all the circus folks who have eaten at Phillippe's over the years.

Clown Room @ Phillippe's

For an early Saturday breakfast, Phillippe's is perfect....not rushed, not too crowded. We spent lots of time in our booth visiting without feeling like we had to give up our table to people waiting. I'll definitely go back for breakfast to try the corned beef hash and eggs

The Grills of Santa Monica

2006-10-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

My office moved from Century City to Santa Monica just over two years ago. Our company is located at the east end of the City in a large office 'campus.' The restaurant selection 'on-campus' is limited. We have a food court consisting of 3 fair fast food places, Tully's Coffee and The Daily Grill. In the office complex across the street there are a few more fast food places, Mrs. Winston's salad bar and Cafe Bizou. A block or so away there are more fast food places: La Salsa, Quizno's, Roll & Sushi, Starbucks.

Needless to say, we get rather tired of fast-food and the hustle and bustle of these types of places. Once in awhile, we just want to go back to our roots and eat at a down-home, one-of-a-kind grill! Individuality is not dead in Santa Monica. You can still find family-run restaurants and cafes.

One place we really like is the Sunset Grill on Ocean Park Blvd. & 17th Street (1701 Ocean Park Blvd, 310/450-7546). There is a small parking lot in the mini-mall where Sunset Grill is located, a few outside tables and about 10 tables inside. There's a beautiful display of freshly made salads. You can order sandwiches, burgers, lasagna, homemade soup and even some entrees. They carry divine baked goods too. They also serve breakfast. The other day I went for lunch with two of my co-workers. We each had salad combos. Christina had the pesto pasta and tuna-salad stuffed avocado; Renee had a tuna sandwich and the roasted eggplant with pine nuts; I had the salmon-salad stuffed avocado and a marvelous salad with mango, avocado and tomato. The service is friendly and fast. Each salad plate is served with delicious piece of sourdough bread which I suspect is from the Normandy Bakery in Mid-City L.A. The clientele here are office workers from the nearby business park, moms with kids in strollers and ladies who lunch. Lunch typically costs from $8-$12.

Christina's Lunch

Renee's Lunch

Ellen's Lunch

Sunset Grill - Counter

Big Jo's (1955 Broadway, 310/828.3191) is another grill here in Santa Monica. The initial Big Jo probably sold the place years ago, but the original menu is still intact with the addition of a few Asian dishes. You can get the gooiest and most delicious Philly cheese steak sandwich here. I'm not an aficionado of cheese steaks, but I like the hart-clogging version they serve at Big Jo's.

Big Jo's

There are no tables inside this greasy spoon, just some picnic tables in a garage-like area, or you can eat in your car in the ample parking lot. When my NEW CAR was delivered last month, Mr. Larry and I ordered cheese steaks here and tailgated for lunch. It was such a beachy-Santa Monica thing to do. The clientele here seems to be workers from nearby offices and small factory-type businesses and people in a hurry. Lunch generally costs from $3-$6.

Today, my office-mate, Aileen and I went to the Tulip Cafe (1319 Colorado Ave., 310/394-1537) for lunch. We've been driving by this place for two years.

Today, we finally ventured inside to find a very nice, vintage little coffee shop. The menu is standard: Burgers, sandwiches, some Mexican and Asian dishes. They do have daily specials 5 days of the week that look good. Tulip also serves breakfast. Aileen had the fish and chips. I tried the avocado, bacon burger. Both were tasty.

Aileen's Fish, Chips & Coleslaw

Ellen's Avocado Bacon Burger

Tulip Cafe Counter

The service was good. There were decorations up for Halloween. The place was filled with workers from the offices and small factories nearby. The cost of lunch will run you anywhere from $4-$8. We will definitely go back to try some of the specials.

Jolly Food at Jollibee

2006-10-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was a cold, rainy night in Los Angeles. We wanted to go to the art opening at Thinkspace Gallery in Silverlake, but needed a quick meal beforehand. We remembered the bright and cheery Jollibee on Beverly Boulevard near Vermont. Perfect! Jolly food on a dark and dreary night!
The best thing about Jollibee is the Jolly Bee statue.

The place is certainly clean, tidy and modern. There were lots of choices on the menu. It's a chain restaurant from the Philippines. They are getting more popular here in the U.S. They have Yumburgers; chickenjoy; spaghetti with slices of hotdogs topped with cheese (yeah, that's one dish); Jolly-hotdogs, Jolly-fries; Jolly-steak and rice; and lots of really colorful desserts, beverages and Jolly-shakes.

I ordered the Chickenjoy. Yes, it's called Chickenjoy, not just fried chicken. It comes with rice and gravy. Larry ordered the Fiesta Palabok...noodles with shrimp, pork, onions, garlic and hardboiled egg slices in a sweet-ish sauce. We both ordered American soft drinks.

The fried chicken was very much like KFC or Pioneer, but not quite as spicy. I preferred the rice with my chicken to the usual mashed potatoes. Larry's Fiesta Palabok wasn't really a fiesta at all. It was a small plate full of slithery noodles with 6 teensy, tiny shrimp, some pork and that hard-boiled egg slice. This dish looks and sounds better than it actually is. It was just OK.

We spent much more time photographing the cheery place and having our photo taken with the human-sized Jollibee statue in front of the restaurant. The only reason I'd go back to Jollibee would be to have a soft-drink or re-photograph that darling Bee.

Mr. Bee and Mr. Larry @ Jollibee

The rain stopped. We made our way over to Thinkspace and had a lovely time checking out the killer art and hipsters.

Hipsters, Ted and Brit @ Thinkspace

Luna Park and Tar Fest

2006-10-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night we attended the Tar Fest on the Miracle Mile with our friends, Beth and Larry. The Tar Fest encompasses film, music and art for an entire weekend. We wanted to check out the galleries along Wilshire. Lately, more galleries have opened on the Miracle Mile, along with the old electronic stores and wig shops.
We met Beth and Larry at Luna Park Restaurant on La Brea, just north of Wilshire. This is the restaurant in the old Mutual of Omaha Building, now the Samsung Building. We had visited this restaurant last July with Audrey and Jeff. It was the height of the summer heatwave and we tried their salads. All were excellent.
Luna Park was jumpin' on a Friday night. The music was booming, the crowd was loud and there was lots of action. The waitress immediately brought fresh sourdough bread with olive oil to our table...delish. We ordered our dinners: Beth: Grilled Flank Steak with French Fries and Salsa Verde; Larry A.: Breaded Pork Cutlet Stuffed with Mushrooms and Gruyere Cheese with Mashed Potatoes, String Beans and Apple-Cranberry Sauce; Ellen: Spicy Wild Boar Rigatoni with Braising Greens and Larry U.: Pan Fried Trout with Spicy Remoulade, Arugulita, Cherry Tomatoes, and Shaved Fennel. Everyone photographed their own meals, below. It was quite dark, so we needed to take a few practice shots.

Beth's Steak

Larry U's Pork

Ellen's Rigatoni

Larry U's Trout

Dinner was very good. It was difficult to visit though because of the noise in the restaurant. High ceilings combined with hard surfaces and lots of people makes for a loud space. We were probably the oldest people in the place and we all have rock 'n roll ears! All those years yelling and screaming at rock concerts and blues shows, standing in front of huge speakers have taken it's toll on most of my friends. What? What did you say? Also, we know we're old when we have to take out our little flashlights to read the menu! Oy! It was a relief to finally get out of the restaurant on to La Brea Avenue where we could finally hear and see each other again. I would suggest trying Luna Park on a quieter evening, unless you like that sort of din.
We proceeded west on Wilshire Blvd. to visit a few galleries. Galleries are popping up all along the street. We visited a few small places, then came up to the Korean Cultural Center. There was a group show upstairs. I remember this building being a bank before the Cultural Center took it over. On the lower level there was a show of the permanent collection of the Center...very beautiful masks, costumes and an entire historic room set up. Upstairs, the group show had many different artists represented from the Los Angeles area. It was a lively scene.

Korean Cultural Center Exhibit

Ellen and Beth @ Tar Fest

We crossed the street to the Desmond's building and the Ace Gallery. Sadly, the historic building was closed, but there was an empty storefront next door filled with art, more loud music and lots of activity. I read somewhere that this stretch of Wilshire Boulevard, The Miracle Mile, between La Brea and Fairfax has the highest concentration of Art Deco builldings.

Marble and Brass Entrance @ Desmond's

We stopped at a few more little galleries, then ended up at a wig display near the corner of Cochran and Wilshire. Larry A. took a great photo of us admiring the wild wigs!

L.A. Is My Beat - Restaurants

2006-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ships Coffee Shop, Wilshire Blvd., Westwood

This is a sister-blog to go along with my main blog, "L.A. Is My Beat." Most of the posts here will encompass the restaurants that Mr. Larry and I visit throughout the City of Los Angeles. I will add past posts here too!

I will also try to categorize my posts, so that, in the future, there won't be too much yarn-talk mixed in with the restaurant reviews.

I do want to recognize restaurants from the past here too. I hope to write about the coffee shops of my youth in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Let me know if you've experienced a great place to eat in Los Angeles. I'm always looking for new restaurants to try!