Vivolo's Chowder House - Pacific Grove, California

Address: 127 Central Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Items Ordered:

• Clam chowder in bread bowl with garlic cheese lid
  
• Spinach cobb salad
  
• Garlic cheese bread

Touted by some as having the BEST clam chowder ever, I was super excited to try Vivolo's on a recent trip to Monterey. The clam chowder was super creamy, just the right level of thickness and the seasoning was spot on resulting in one delicious bowl of chowder. Additionally, the garlic cheese lid and bread were both toasted so that the bread bowl managed to be both crispy and soft (and delicious). The ingredients in the cobb salad tasted fresh, and made me feel slightly less guilty for my cheesy, chowdery, bready indulgence. The verdict? Having lived in San Francisco for a few years, I can still say with confidence that Vivolo's has the best clam chowder in a bread bowl I've tasted thus far. I hope you get a chance to try it sometime so you can judge for yourself :). Don't forget the garlic cheese lid!

--y

Waterloo & City - Culver City, California

Address: 12517 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90066

Items Ordered:

• Smoked salmon terrine, fried egg, sauce gribiche
• Brussels & bacon, balsamic vinegar
• Steamed mussels, red thai curry, lime, ginger, ciabatta
  
• Yukon potato gnocchi, braised beef ragu, tomato, spinach
• Homemade bourbon glazed donuts with cream and blueberry jam
  

Last time Connie suggested a restaurant, it became my new favorite love (aka the Tasting Kitchen) so when she suggested Waterloo & City in Culver City, I was excited to try this hip British gastropub. Victoria also visited on a different occasion, and although I stole her pictures, I have no idea what she thought of the food... All the side dishes/appetizers we tried were delicious. The smoked salmon terrine layered with potatoes and a fried egg atop had a nice smoky flavor and was not as mushy as regular pate, which I tend to avoid. Connie and I fought over the last bits and pieces of the crunchy brussel sprouts and crispy bacon pieces. I never understood why brussel sprouts get picked on as the vegetable that children hate, b/c all the versions I've tried are delicious, and Waterloo & City was no exception. The steamed mussels although well-cooked, could have been found at any Thai restaurant probably for cheaper. The gnocchi had a nice chewy consistency, but the beef ragu didn't taste that special. I suppose the gnocchi was only a disappointment b/c the other dishes we tasted that night were superb. We ordered the bourbon donuts to share, and I found them too sweet for my taste. I would probably try a different dessert and pasta on my next visit, but overall, I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at Waterloo & City, and would likely take friends here for some beers and small plates to share.

--y


P.S. Only 3 more days until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finale!!

HOT's Kitchen - Hermosa Beach, California

Address: 844 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Items:

• Appetizers: smoked trout salad w/ mustard vinaigrette, roasted brussel sprouts, grilled Korean wings with kimchi, grilled lamb lollipops w/ rosemary, lemon, & garlic
• Entrees: HOT's burger w/ cheddar cheese, onion, avocado, tomato, Mexicali burger w/ oaxaca cheese, roasted poblanos, corn-jalapeno mayo, fried onion rings
• Tacos: hamachi, oxtail, spicy tuna, Mojo chicken, duck confit, steak & potato, fried chicken
• Alcohol: 2008 San Luis Obispo Petite Sirah, 2008 Andiron Farrier Sauvignon Blanc from Alexander Valley, and the Duvel Green from Belgium
  

Victoria and I attended our first ever media event at HOT's Kitchen a few weeks ago, and it was super exciting knowing we'd get to hobnob with other foodies. Having rarely visited Hermosa Beach, we got dressed up with our +1's and headed out for a good time :P. Overall favorite dishes were the smoked trout salad and roasted brussel sprouts; both had a nice smoky flavor and the brussel sprouts were deliciously crunchy while the beets had a nice earthy finish. Additionally, the HOT's burger seasoning was flavorful, and we would definitely order the burger again, yum! As for the tacos, I would skip the hamachi and Mojo chicken for the spicy tuna and ingenious fried chicken tacos instead. Perhaps our favorite part of the meal were the suggested wine and beer pairings as we sampled almost all of them, and left the restaurant fuller and "sillier" than when we first arrived. We had the opportunity to meet Chef Sean Chaney and "Beer Geek" Mike Siordia, to round out our meal. We love finding out the history and concept behind any restaurant (i.e. we watch a lot of Food Network and Travel Channel) so this was a special treat. HOT's Kitchen was a fun place to grab drinks & snacks and made our first foodie event a success! Hopefully we'll get to visit again in the future.

--v & y

Crustacean - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 9646 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Items Ordered:

• Shrimp Toast - freshly minced shrimp on French baguette
• Herb Roasted Halibut - sauteed sweet onions, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and porta bella mushrooms
• Royal Tiger Prawns - charbroiled with An's' famous garlic noodles
• Frutti di Mare - mussels, crawfish, shrimp, and lobster with garlic noodles

Victoria and I debated where to eat for eat.snap.love's 1-year blogerversary for awhile, but once we saw Crustacean's menu, we had our hearts and minds set on eating those buttery garlic noodles. Stepping foot into the restaurant with its upscale decorations and ground-level fish tank, we realized we'd come a long way since our first post at Royal/T in Culver City.

Crustacean lived up to our expectations. The garlic noodles were richly flavored al dente strands with buttery, garlicky goodness and so were the tiger prawns. The herb roasted halibut was tender and perfectly seasoned. If we had any complaints, we suppose the shrimp and mussels in the frutti di mare could have been larger and had a nicer bite similar to the tiger prawns.

On our way out of the restaurant, we saw policemen and secret service attempting to escort a celebrity into the restaurant. Who was this mystery celebrity? Only TMZ will tell ;). Ah, the lives of food bloggers visiting the 90210 area code.

Thanks for joining us to drool over food photos at eat.snap.love this past year! Our goals for next year include:

1. Create a ranking of our all-time favorite cuisines
2. Have guest bloggers
   
3. Try not to go broke!

Happy Belated 1-Year Blogerversary!

--v & y