Meet - Culver City, California

Address: 9727 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered:

• All-you-can-eat Mussels Wednesday
• DIJONNAISE - Garlic, shallots, tomato confit, house mustard, tarragon and cream
• MARINIERE - Garlic, shallots, chablis, herbed croutons
• MEET - Crab, shallot, saffron, tomato confit, celeri, bacon, basil, chablis
• THAI - Indian curry, garlic, cumin, lemongrass, coconut milk , cream
• MARINARA - Merlot, garlic, shallots, spicy marinara
• Fries

Meet is a cute French bistro in Downtown Culver City. We came one day for the all you can eat mussels and it was DELICIOUS. I love mussels and I loved the variety of about 10 different types of mussels we could choose from. The fries came a little later than I would have liked, but once they came, they were perfect for dipping with the sauces. Each of the bowls of mussels (1 pound each bowl) had great sauces and I wanted to just drink all of it. Yummy!

--v

Mayura - Culver City, California

Address: 10406 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered:

• Chicken tikka masala: boneless chicken in a curry sauce
  
• Shrimp masala: shrimp in a savory curry sauce
  
• Masala dosa: crepe stuffed with spiced cooked potatoes
  
• Plain & garlic naans

I convinced Connie and Victoria to accompany me to Mayura after raving about the buttery, fork-tender chicken tikka masala. The dish did not disappoint, and we ended up splitting a second order along with some spicy shrimp masala! I would come back anytime for the chicken tikka masala and a order of garlic naan and rice. The portions are actually quite generous, we were just extra hungry eaters that day. The only thing I might do differently is skip the dosa for some standard samosas instead since deep fried n crispy beats pan-fried any day. Highly recommend.

--y

Update

Hi friends!

Do you find yourself sitting at home wondering, where has the food gone? Or are you slowly wasting away in front of the computer as you search for restaurant options without suggestions from eat.snap.love?! Well, no worries! Summer vacation is also coming to a close for Victoria and YJ, and there will be a whole slew of new cuisines for you to drool over shortly.

However, there have been a few changes in our lives, and you may find the pace of postings a little different. For one thing, Victoria will be posting from jolly ol' Brighton, UK for the next year. How exciting! Maybe we'll finally find out what a "spotted dick" and "toad in the hole" really is. As for YJ, well besides subtracting one fabulous eating partner, she just started a brand new job and hopes to bring you an insider's perspective into gourmet hospital food.......j/k!

We hope your summer has been eventful as well, and look forward to sharing more pictures with you in the future. :)

--v & y

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

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