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

Porto's Bakery - Downey, California

Address: 8233 Firestone Boulevard, Downey, CA

Items Ordered:

• Meat Pie
• Ropa Vieja Sandwich
• Pork Tamale
• Ham Croquette
• Chicken Croquette
• Potato Ball
• Fresh Mango Juice
  

I’ve been to all 3 locations now – Downey, Glendale and Burbank. They are all DELICIOUS. I usually just eat the savory items because I am not big on dessert. I blame it on the small size and cheap prices, but every time I come here, I can’t seem to control my orders. It gets out of control! My favorite are the Potato Balls – a fried ball with mashed potatoes and ground beef inside. My favorite stuff all in one! This was the first time I ordered a sandwich and I would have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Can never pass up on the Croquettes and Tamales though! Mmmm. I love this place.

--v

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

Tasty Garden - Alhambra, California

Address: 288 W Valley Blvd, Ste 110, Alhambra, CA 91801

Items Ordered:

• Walnut Shrimp
• French Style Filet Mignon
• Chicken & Mushrooms with Rice in Hot Pot
• Sauteed Fish Fillets
• Deep Fried Tofu with Dried Scallop
• Salt & Pepper Squid
  

Tasty Garden is my go to place for Chinese food in the San Gabriel Valley. One of my favorite Chinese dishes is the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and this is one of my favorite places to get it. The shrimp is crispy and has just enough flavor to go great with rice. My second favorite dish here is the French Style Filet Mignon. It is wonderfully marinated and a perfect level of tenderness. All the other dishes were good and went well together. It is great for a family style dinner. Every time I come here, I want to order everything off the menu, especially because the leftovers are great. Good thing I have SOME sense of self-control.

--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

Geisha House - Santa Ana, California

Address: 2773 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92705

Items Ordered:

• Spicy tuna on crispy rice
  
• Beef robata
  
• Rock shrimp
• Black cod with miso (not pictured)
  
• Various sushi rolls

I would probably never go to Geisha House if they didn't offer 50% off food and drinks on Monday nights. It's not because I'm cheap, but because the food is way overpriced. With that said, I do enjoy myself whenever I happen to visit Geisha House. The spicy tuna on crispy rice is the highlight of their menu. The spicy tuna is fresh, packs some heat, and the crispy rice provides a nice contrast to the texture of the dish. The miso black cod is also a fantastic dish to try. The stellar seafood quality makes up for the inexperienced wait staff and overpriced drinks. A word to the wise, if you're not an 18 to 21 year old Asian teeny bopper (which I am NOT), I would avoid visiting the club/lounge on Friday and Saturday nights.

--y

Simpang Asia - Culver City, California

Address: 10433 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Items Ordered:

• Laksa - mild curry noodle soup served with shrimp, boiled egg, sliced fish cake, and shredded chicken
• Bihun Goreng Special - stir fry rice noodle with chicken, shrimp, beef ball, and veggie
• Lumpia Semarang - Indonesian style egg roll with chicken, dried shrimp, and veggie
• Potato balls

There's this food blog I frequent where tantalizing pictures of curry laksa, nasi rames, and Hainanese chicken rice are displayed once every few posts. I haven't eaten much Indonesian food, but after drooling over those photographs, I decided it was time to take my own Indonesian eating adventure. At Simpang Asia, my curry laksa came in a large bowl overflowing with shrimp and a perfectly hard-boiled egg in a creamy, mild curry soup. The noodles had a nice bite, and I was pleased that my first laksa was a success. Victoria's stir fry noodle dish had a nice smokiness and great flavor, and I couldn't stop eating her food either :P. The appetizers were on special for $2/plate; they were alright, although the potato balls definitely fell short of Porto's version. I enjoyed Simpang Asia, and am on the hunt for more authentic Indonesian restaurants to try if you have suggestions or want to join me on my excursions!

--y

Musha Restaurant - Santa Monica, California

Address: 424 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Items Ordered:

• Tofu French Fries
• Spicy Tuna Dip
• Salmon Sashimi
• Musha’s Risotto
• Pork Belly
• Seared Mackerel
• Takotama
• Saikoro Steak
• Crispy Shrimp
  

Love at first sight. Or should I say love at first bite? I love Japanese tapas and this place was full of everything I love about Japanese Izakayas. We got our own room in the back so it was definitely an all around fun experience. The mackerel was seared at the table with a blow torch and the risotto was stirred right in front of us – how cool is that! I love fries and I love tofu, so tofu in French fry form, nothing could go wrong. The pork belly just melted in my mouth and the fish was fresh and delicious. The crispy shrimp had a perfect amount of breading and crispiness and the mayo sauce on top sealed the deal. Each of the items we had were great and I’m getting really hungry thinking about it. I think I need to make a trip back there soon!

--v

BLD - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 7450 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Items Ordered:

• Eggs Floretine: wilted baby spinach, crispy fingerling potatoes, piquillo pepper hollandaise, english muffin
  
• Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes with Berkshire maple syrup
• Merguez Chicken Sausage
• Trio of housemade pastries

Is brunch a girls-only thing? If so, then BLD is the perfect place for girlfriends to get together and enjoy a nice brunch. The food is artfully prepared and the space is modern and cute. The spinach for the eggs florentine was fresh and the potatoes underneath were indeed crispy and delicious. I ordered the ricotta blueberry pancakes I heard so much about, and they were fluffy and HUGE, although the blueberry flavor didn't really shine. My friend who doesn't eat much meat thought the chicken sausages were tasty and had a hint of spiciness to them. I enjoyed BLD immensely and would definitely go back to sample the L and D (lunch and dinner) as well!

--y