Manhattan Beach Post - Manhattan Beach, California

Address:1142 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Items Ordered:

• Bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits with maple butter
• Sticky buns with pecan and brown sugar
• French toast stuffed with in house ricotta, brooks cherries, marcona almonds
• Truffle honey laced fried chicken with kholrabi slaw

I don't know how long MB Post has been open, but it's basically been on my to-eat list ever since the first day it opened its doors. I love carbohydrates, and the thought of delicious biscuits really piqued my interest. The bacon cheddar biscuits really did not disappoint. If you've ever thought the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster were good, then multiply that by 10,000 times, and you'll have MB Post's deliciously soft, buttery and savory biscuits with creamy maple butter. My second favorite dish was the ooey gooey sticky bun that while sweet was not overpowering and had a nice contrast with the crunchy pecans. I liked the French toast too, but I think we ordered too many sweet dishes, and if possible, there might have been too much ricotta stuffed in there. The fried chicken was crispy outside and contained juicy white meat inside, but something about the truffle and honey flavors just didn't work that well for me. Next time, I would try the steak and eggs or the poached eggs with polenta as my savory dish instead. All the dishes and restaurant decor were artfully presented, and if you love brunch, then I highly recommend you give MB Post a try---I'm sure I'll be making a return visit!

--y

A-Frame - Culver City, California

Address: 12565 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Items Ordered:

• Furikake Kettle Corn: buttered blazin J's Hawaiian style
• Heirloom Pickles w/ creamy dip & EVOO
• Kitchen Fries: Okinawan yam, Korean sweet potato w/ kimchi sour cream & sea salt
• Warm Cornbread & Chicken Salad w/ italian sausage ragout, salsa verde & pickled onion
• Knuckle Sandwich: braised oxtail tendons & knuckles w/ soy chili dipping sauce & toast
• Cracklin' Beer Can Chicken w/ kimchi, century egg, salsa roja & verde
• Chu-Don't-Know-Mang: cinnamon churros w/ malted choc milk & vanilla ice cream
• Thick Ass Ice Cream Sandwich - peanut butter ice cream & rice krispie cookie

I'm probably behind on posting about A-Frame by a year, BUT what I do remember is that I was underwhelmed by the food but excited by my dining companions. The furikake kettle corn was delicious, and you know I love a good fried chicken, but other than those dishes, I thought everything was a little too oily and there were too many pickled ingredients. Also, I distinctly recall that the oxtail stew was surprisingly tasteless and mushy, and I would definitely skip that option. Although I was disappointed by the food at A-Frame, I got to catch up with my co-residents, and their company and humor never disappoint :).

--y

Sonoma Wine Garden - Santa Monica, California

Address: 395 Santa Monica Pl, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Items Ordered:

• Garden pizza - ricotta, wild mushrooms, arugula and white truffle oil w/ fennel sausage
• Truffle fries with parmesan and garden parsley
• Arugula salad w/ pear, cranberry, ricotta (?), and walnuts
• Tiramisu & homemade vanilla bean ice cream

Santa Monica Place is so much cooler now. The restaurants and shops are all fancy shmancy--right up my alley. Sonoma Wine Garden is probably my favorite restaurant there since the decor is cute, there's an abundance of wine, and the pizzas are made with deliciously fresh ingredients while still retaining a crispy crust. It doesn't hurt that I love truffle oil, and they put it over almost everything. I don't care what Gordon Ramsay has to say about that! I definitely recommend the pizzas or pastas, but you can pass on the desserts since they're kind of lackluster. Dress up, be fancy, and give Sonoma Wine Garden a try, and let me know what you think!

--y

Plan Check - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 1800 Sawtelle Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90025

Items Ordered (sorry bout the camera phone pics):

• Drinks (not pictured): little Osaka sour, adulterated soda (vanilla soda w/ whiskey)
  
• Appetizers: baked crab dip, fresh cut fries, veggie chips w/ avocado dip
• Mains: Plan Check Burger, Chef's Favorite Burger, southern fry, pastrami nosh (not pictured)
• Specials: shrimp burger, pork belly torta (not pictured)
  
• Desserts: Cereal ice cream bar from Momofuku, cruller donuts

Plan Check has been garnering a line outside the door ever since it opened in West L.A. Apparently, the restaurant is from the owners of Umami Burger, which might explain the hype. Since I love Umami Burger, I went a little overboard on my 2 visits, and have been able to try almost everything on the menu :P. Drinks-wise, I loved my adulterated soda, which tasted like an alcoholic ice-cream float. As I was nearing the end of my glass, a waiter came by and mistakenly poured ice tea into the glass. Did drama ensue? Was this a restaurant FAIL?! No, actually I got a replacement drink free of charge, and it actually made dinner even more enjoyable :). The appetizers didn't fare as well as the drinks as they were kind of small or a little too oily. I would recommend just ordering an extra burger instead! Having tried a bite or two of several burger offerings from Plan Check, the definite standouts were the Chef's Favorite Burger (CFB) and the pastrami nosh. The CFB actually had a spicy tang from the hot sauce, and I loved the runny egg paired with the soft bun--this one is a must order. The pastrami nosh was beautifully smoky, and had a nice contrasting flavor from the kimchi mustard. After eating both dishes though, I was super stuffed! As far as the other burgers go, I thought I would like the southern fry & PCB more, but they can't really match the flavors of the 2 standouts. The pork belly torta was tasty, but overall had too much fat and mayonnaise for me to order it again. Last but not least, I SUPER recommend the cereal milk bar for dessert if it's available. It's one of the best desserts I've had in a long time. Overall, if you've been debating whether braving LA traffic to the Westside is worth it to visit Plan Check, then I would say stop debating and start driving! :P

-y

The Apple Pan - West Los Angeles, CA

Address: 10801 W Pico Blvd, West Los Angeles, CA 90064

Items Ordered:

• Hickoryburger with Tillamook cheddar cheese
• Steakburger
• French fries
  
• Apple pie à la mode

The Apple Pan is within walking distance of where I live, yet I've only eaten pies there for the last 2 years--albeit deliciously, gooey, and warm boysenberry, apple, and banana cream pies. It was at the recommendation of Jonathan Gold's 99 Eats that I decided to brave the line and try the hickoryburger at The Apple Pan, and I'm so glad I did. The hickoryburger had a nice tangy sauce and the cheese was melted perfectly, making this one messy but super enjoyable burger. Oh yea, the fries are perfectly crispy here, and I would go back just for the fries as well. Last but not least, with a place called Apple Pan how can you not get the apple pie...mmm. I really loved this old school diner, and I highly recommend you try it!

--y

Son of a Gun - Los Angeles, California

Address: 8370 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Items Ordered:

• Smoked mahi fish dip: celery, radish, crackers
• Lobster roll: celery, lemon aioli
• Shrimp toast sandwich: herbs, sriracha mayo
• Fried chicken sandwich: spicy b&b picckle slaw, rooster aioli
• Linguine and clams: uni aglio-olio, chili, breadcrumbs
• Roasted escolar: truffled pomme puree, chicken jus

HAPPY 2012!! Hope last year was fantastic, and that each new year continues to be better than the last! And now back to the food...

I was excited about trying Son of a Gun, the seafood counterpart to Animal, since I prefer seafood over random piggy parts, and the restaurant did not disappoint. First, the not-so-good: the shrimp toast was too oily for my taste, the fried chicken sandwich was overwhelmed by the tangy slaw, and the linguine and clams weren't that special for the price. With that said, we still polished off every plate. The goods: mahi dip was a smoky, creamy leap above tuna salad made in my kitchen, and the lobster roll was amazing! Too bad it came in such a small size, I recommend ordering one per person so you don't end up fighting over it. Last but not least, the roasted escolar was crispy and tender and probably one of my favorite dishes of 2011! The truffle potato puree was creamy and buttery, and the dish just really works. I would definitely return to Son of a Gun for the escolar and lobster roll. Try it and let me know what you think.

--y

The Six - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 10668 Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Items Ordered:

• Turkey Sloppy Joe Sliders
• The Six Mac n' Cheese
• The Six Pizza: Margherita, Mushroom
• Organic Jidori Chicken Breast Risotto
• Parmesan Truffle Fries

The concept of the Six is a full menu of 6 of each type of menu item (entree, fries, appetizers, etc.). It is definitely an interesting mix of food. I love risotto, but this risotto was made out of a quinoa rice. I much prefer arborio rice for risotto, but the chicken did have good flavoring. Great if you feel like having an American meal - very innovative menu and good atmosphere.

--v

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

The Foundry on Melrose - West Hollywood, California

Address: 7465 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90046

Items Ordered:

• Foundry tots: fried potato, cheese fondue, violet mustard
  
• Steamed black mussels: harissa broth, chickpeas, spiced yogurt
  
• Grilled cheese: taleggio, raisin bread, apricot-caper puree w/ short ribs
• Roasted hanger steak: creamed spinach, crispy potatoes, brown butter bernaise
• Halibut: spring vegetable, bacon, watermelon radish
• Assortment of breads: "pizza" bread, foccacia, cornbread w/ herb butter spread
  

Looking back, I thought the food at the Foundry was delicious, and even more so cuz it was free (!) since my roomies brought me here for my birthday. The restaurant has been on my list of places to visit for awhile and their grilled cheese with short ribs was featured on the "Simply Irresistible" episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate. However, I think the grilled cheese might have been the least favorite of the night for me since it was too sweet tasting for an entree. The tater tots were soft, crunchy, and delicious, and purple mustard just looks cool. My medium-rare hanger steak was cooked impeccably and the creamed spinach helped cut the saltiness of the bernaise sauce. The mussels were flavorful, but ever since having my favorite mussels ever at The Tasting Kitchen, these mussels didn't seem as fresh :(. Connie wants everyone to know that her favorite part of the meal were the miniature breads that they kept bringing out, especially the cornbread w/ herb butter spread. The tiny breads were super cute and delicious, and I might have to return just to have them again or steal their recipes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, and while the grilled cheese seems a tad overhyped, the delicious food and service is what will bring me back to The Foundry for another visit.

--y

Tart Restaurant - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 115 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Items Ordered:

• California scramble with egg whites: pico de gallo, chicken andoullie sausage, green chili, cheddar cheese, topped with avocado
• Tomato, spinach, and mushroom egg white scramble
• Biscuit, hash browns
• Vanilla latte
  

I've driven by TART many times and the sign outside is so intriguing that it always catches my eye. On a Sunday around 11:30, the restaurant was not very crowded, and we found parking and seating easily. Justin Walker (Dave Annable) from Brothers and Sisters and his wife sauntered into the restaurant right after us and were seated right in Connie's line of sight. Thus, I had a lot of free time that morning to concentrate on my food since Connie was too busy drooling over the hot actor instead of our food or conversation ;).

The vanilla latte tasted creamy and was a great pick-me up for the morning. I requested the California scramble made into an egg white omelette, and I loved the bounty of ingredients included in the omelette. The hash browns were grease-free and tasted like delicious carbohydrate-y goodness. I managed to refrain from ordering the Chicken 'n Waffles on this visit, but I vowed to return to try that dish at some point in time farther away from swimsuit season... Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere at TART, the fresh ingredients, and unique dishes. Maybe next time I return, I'll also be starstruck by someone I actually recognize.

--y

The Copper Onion - Salt Lake City, Utah

Address: 111 E Broadway, Ste 170, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Items Ordered:

• Ricotta Dumplings: thyme, lemon
• Mussels: creamy black pepper sauce, toast points
  
• Sauteed mushrooms: fried farm egg, potato sticks, parsley, garlic
  
• The Copper Onion Burger: house-made bun, roasted onions, steak fries
  
• Mimosa

On a recent snow trip to Utah, we stopped by some restaurants we read about online. We decided to stop by the Copper Onion for lunch while on visit to downtown Salt Lake City. I still think about the Sauteed Mushrooms that I had there. I wish I could recreate that perfect mix of ingredients! I mean, egg? Potato sticks? Garlic? It was all my favorite ingredients in one mushroom dish. We wanted to try so many things so we got the entrees and also ordered appetizers to start. All the dishes had a lot of flavor and were made with a great mix of ingredients – very innovative! I enjoyed the burger, mussels and dumplings! Definitely a cute restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City!

--v

The Tasting Kitchen - Venice, California

Address: 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Items Ordered:

• Mussels with saffron and fennel
  
• Clucks 'n frites
  
• Bucatini alla amatriciana (bucatini in spicy marinara)
• Bass, forbidden rice, mandarin beurre blanc

After our first bite of the mussels at Tasting Kitchen, we were madly in love with the restaurant. The mussels possessed a beautiful texture and the buttery toast was addicting soaked in the saffron sauce. The bucatini was our second favorite dish as the marinara sauce was actually spicy and the pork was extremely tender. Too bad we had to share the portion amongst 3 people :(. The roast chicken had a crispy skin and retained its moisture, but the taste was ordinary compared to the other dishes. However, it photographed beautifully and became the poster child for Tasting Kitchen when we were retelling our experience. The bass also had a nice crispy exterior and flaky interior. We highly recommend Tasting Kitchen and would definitely return; hopefully in the very near future.

--v & y

Go Burger - Hollywood, California

Address: 6290 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90028

Items Ordered:

• "UltiMELT" the ultimelt patty melt! our burger topped with caramelized onions bacon is sandwich between two slender rye & gruyere grilled cheese sandwiches yes we went there
• Smashed Burgers: griddled hand smashed burger studded with onions and topped with american cheese
• Miso Hungry Burger - Burger of the Day
• Duck Fat Fries
• Fried Dill Pickles
• Spiked Milkshake: The Nut Job frangelico, pistachio ice cream, nutella
• Adult Floats: Keith's Quencher guinness stoul, coffee ice cream

Go Burger is located is located in the heart of Hollywood and was opened for less than one week. From the creators of BLT Burger in Vegas and New York, comes a similar style of burgers and spiked milkshakes. Mmmm! I had the UltiMELT and it did not disappoint. I didn't think I'd like the rye bread, but it was surprisingly very good. I tried the other burgers and they were decent too. Our sides were the duck fat fries (yum!) and the fried dill pickles. I basically hate pickles, but the breading on them was good enough for me to want to eat it on it's own. My drink was the Nut Job and even though I could barely taste the alcohol, was a nice alternative to traditional diner cafe milkshakes. Overall, I enjoyed my experience there!

--v

Animal - Los Angeles, California

Address: 435 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Items Ordered:

• Marrow bone, chimichurri, caramelized onions
• Pig ear, chili, lime, fried egg
• Quail fry, grits, chard, slab bacon, maple jus
• Flat iron steak, sunchoke hash, truffle parmesan fondue
• Foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger

Located in a nondescript venue on Fairfax, Animal's concept and interior is typical of a trendy L.A. restaurant. Although we were early for our 8:30p reservation, we were seated promptly at 8p and had plenty of time to peruse the menu as well as gawk at Zach Galfinakis' table in the middle of the restaurant.

My favorite dish of the night came early; the bone marrow was soft and succulent and tasted absolutely scrumptious spread on the accompanying toast. We even ordered more toast so we could slowly savor the dish. The pig ear appetizer received good reviews on Yelp, and while the sunny side up egg was cooked perfectly, the pig ears tasted overwhelmingly of lime. The consensus was that the next time we order pig ears, it would be at a Chinese restaurant.

The fried quail and mashed potatoes were great, but even though it tasted just like chicken, it was a much smaller dish than fried chicken would have been :( . The flat-iron-steak was nothing extraordinary and the parmesan fondue was a little overpowering. Last but not least, the bite of the foie gras loco moco I had was delightful, and the birthday girl thoroughly enjoyed her dish! Overall, Animal has some interesting dishes, but I'm not tempted to return anytime soon.

--y

8 oz. Burger Bar - Los Angeles, California

Address: 7661 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Items Ordered:

• Melrose: 6 oz. house blend, garlic roasted tomatoes, red onion marmalade with added fried mozzarella, roasted mushrooms and roasted garlic aioli sauce
• Truffled potato skins
• Kennebec fries
  

When I first looked at the menu, I decided I wanted a basic burger that I could do add ons with. It doesn't quite work like that - you have to choose one of their burgers (that already have add ons) and add on/remove from that. The options for add ons were full of all kinds of goodness from toppings to cheeses to sauces. Now how could I really resist fried mozzarella, mushrooms and garlic aioli?! Overall, the burger was delicious - especially because of all the creative add ons. The sides of fries and potato skins were good too. I especially liked the truffled potato skins - truffle oil basically just makes everything taste that much better! Didn't make it in time for happy hour this time, but I'd definitely want to go back -- I was eyeing the Kobe mini corn dogs and short rib grilled cheese sandwich for next time!

--v

The Park - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 1400 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Items Ordered:

• Fresh Orange Juice
• Marian's Frittata - wild mushrooms, spinach, onion & gruyere served with toast & home fries
• Side of Spicy Italian Sausage
• Arlene's Breakfast - half french toast, 2 eggs & soyrizo

Weekends are made to enjoy a nice, relaxing brunch. Headed out to the LA neighborhood of Echo Park to visit the Park, a cute little cafe off of Sunset Boulevard. There was no meat in the Frittata, so I opted for a side of sausage to go along with it. Yum! Each item on my plate went so well together. The Frittata was a great blend of mushrooms, eggs, onion and spinach and I really wanted to finish everything on my plate but it was just too much. Everything was topped off with a fresh orange juice - now that's what you call brunch!

--v

Michael Mina - San Francisco, California

Address: 335 Powell St (inside Westin St. Francis), San Francisco, CA 94102

Items Ordered:

• Ahi tuna tartare appetizer (not pictured)
  
• Sonoma County duck trio: duck breast, seared foie gras, leg confit
  
• Brandt Farm beef trio: filet mignon, grilled ribeye, braised oxtail
• Cheese trio (not pictured)
  
• Catherine Schimenti's dessert trio: panna cotta, raspberry chiboust, chocolate mousse cake
  

While the concept of trio plates and presentation of dishes was extremely exciting, the same can't really be said regarding the food at Michael Mina. Some noteable dishes were the ahi tuna tartare, which was a generous portion of well-seasoned tuna and the panna cotta, which was light and creamy at the same time. On the other hand, not much can be said about the entrees. I might have had more succulent duck meat at Chinese restaurants and the foie gras was too oily/fatty for my taste (although that might not be the restaurant's fault). As far as the beef trio, my roommate concluded that it was really just unremarkable. Overall, the ambiance and great service at the restaurant still made it a good experience, and that's why there are plans to visit another Michael Mina restaurant, XIV in Los Angeles, sometime soon.

Bing Crosby's - San Diego, California

Address: 7007 Friars Rd, San Diego, CA 92108

Items Ordered:

• Crab & shrimp stuffed loch duart salmon w/ sweet corn succotash & potatoes
  
• Grilled NY steak w/ Dianne sauce & garlic mashed potatoes
• Chocolate decadence
• Grand marnier creme brulee
  

How do you get to eat at some of the nicest restaurants in any city for free? You just have to sell your soul and attend a drug talk sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. Since Bing Crosby's was known for good food and atmosphere, I decided that 2 hours of nodding and feigning interest was worth it this time. We were seated in a private room so I didn't get to see people dancing outside or hear as much of the music as I would have liked, but the atmosphere was very lively when we ventured outside. The stuffed salmon was crispy on the outside and the crab tasted fresh inside. I really liked the concept of stuffed seafood. The steak was only okay as I found the Dianne sauce a little too salty. The chocolate decadence was kind of dry, but the creme brulee made up for it, and the meal ended on a positive note overall. As for the drug that was presented, I can't remember a darn thing about it.

--y

Ketchup - Los Angeles, California

Address: 8590 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069

Items Ordered:

• Appetizers: meatballs, mac & cheese, truffle fries with ketchup sampler
• Entrees: BBQ baby back ribs, scallops, sea bass, and pork chop

Ketchup is a cool concept restaurant with an amazing view of Sunset and hot waiters ;). The decor was cute, but too much red starts hurting my Bruin eyes after awhile. I was extremely excited to try the truffle fries with ketchup sampler, which included chipotle and BBQ to name a few. The fries along with the mac&cheese and scallops were the best parts of this meal. The scallops were abundant and well-seasoned, and even the accompanying vegetables were delicious. The mac&cheese was just my type--extremely cheesy! However, the meat dishes were nothing out of the ordinary, and I can't remember much about them. I would likely return to Ketchup but only on 50% off Sundays when the food is more reasonably priced.

--y

Urth Caffe - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 267 S Beverly Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90209

Items Ordered:

• Egg white omelette
  
• Curry chicken salad
• Oatmeal with fresh fruit and granola
• Tiramisu
• Cafe lattes

It is true that this particular Urth Caffe location in Beverly Hills is crowded, but for good reason. Sitting out in the sun, people watching, and enjoying delicious food and drinks really does a body good. Everything that I have tried here from breakfast to the salads and sandwiches is fresh tasting and prepared with care. The portions are definitely filling--even if it's only greens. Urth Caffe makes me want to become a vegetarian, get a hybrid car, and run 26 miles in recycled shoes. It is really that fresh tasting. One of my favorites is the tiramisu, which is a hugely generous portion of sugar, caffeine and mascarpone cheese. It has just the right balance of sweet and bitterness from the cocoa and reminds me of really fancy pudding. If that doesn't give you enough of a sugar rush, try the cute coffee drinks, which are actually quite tasty too. I have been to this location several times and have yet to see a celebrity I recognize so I guess there will be many more visits in the future, lucky me ;).

--y