Thanksgiving 2011

Items Prepared:

• Crab and cream cheese spread with toasted almonds on French bread
• French onion soup
• Arugula, beets, and goat cheese salad
• Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding with au jus
• Chocolate mousse with mint and raspberries
  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for my beautiful family and friends today as I am everyday. No turkey this year, but prime rib is still a winner! Hope your Thanksgiving gathering is fabulous and delicious.

--y

Paco's Tacos - Los Angeles, California

Address: 4141 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Items Ordered:

• Two beef tacos combo plate - no beans
  
• Chicken taco and tamale combo plate - no beans
  

"SHOW ME THE TACOS!" I imagine that's what Tom Cruise would have said when they filmed Jerry Maguire at Paco's Tacos. When our plates arrived, they were huge and heavy and looked like they could've weighed 8 pounds! The crispy tacos at Paco's Tacos were crunchy, flavorful, and especially satisfying with the addition of spicy salsa. The mexican rice was delicious and made me happy that I skipped the beans. As for the tamale, it arrived a little on the cold side so I'll reserve judgement for another day. However, the real winner at Paco's Tacos were the homemade tortillas made fresh every minute by the tortilla lady. The tortillas arrived piping hot, soft, and chewy, and I wanted to wrap everything into them and just eat it up. Somehow I managed to reserve a tortilla to take home, and after reheating it on a grill, and wrapping it around eggs, sausage, and hot sauce, it made for one of the best breakfast burritos I've ever eaten. YUM!! I would definitely return to Paco's Tacos--after all, they had me at tortilla ;).

--y

Scarpetta at The Montage - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Items Ordered:

• Sunday Brunch
  

I blame my lackluster Scarpetta experience on the breathtaking scenery of the Beverly Canyon Gardens. The food was doomed to failure against such an amazing backdrop. The quality of the food was impeccable (think fresh fruits, veggies, seafood) but the taste and selection was just not up to par for the $70+ dollar price tag. The shellfish was a little too cold, the meats a little too dry, the vegetables a little too soggy, and the desserts were hit or miss. In fact, I much prefer the brunch buffet at M Resort in Vegas which provides flavorful food items at a reasonable price including drinks (try it!). I might visit Scarpetta again, but only for the tomato-basil spaghetti, which in accordance with popular belief can do no wrong. Toothsome and flavorful, it was the only item that garnered repeat trips to the kitchen. I wouldn't steer you away from visiting Scarpetta--it is a pleasant experience--but so is being $70 richer!

--y