Cafe Verona

I had debated going to Cafe Verona for a couple of months now because while it looked so cute and charming, it got several less than stellar reviews on the web. At last this weekend though, Griffin and I gave it a shot. The atmosphere feels very much like being at an actual Italian cafe with virtually all of the tables on one of two patios and ivy covering the entire thing. Each table is adorned with a singular sunflower, which brought a bit of sunshine to us over the cloudy weekend. As far as the food goes, we were pretty impressed. Griffin ordered the French Toast Al'Italia, which was really not much like French toast at all, but uber-delicious nonetheless! The plate came with two good size portions of a soft brioche with bananas, strawberries, and cream cheese near the center and then topped with more strawberries and Trader Joes maple syrup. Truly one of the best breakfast dishes I think I have ever had. It tasted like banana bread with cream cheese and strawberries, yum! For my dish, I ordered the Frittata Aphrodisiaca, or the potato and truffle oil omelet in laymans' terms. The first one I had to unfortunately send back due to the glaring short, black hair laying on one of the potatoes, but the kitchen staff didn't complain about having to remake it and sent another one out promptly. This is different than a typical omelet, and even from many frittatas I have had in that there was a thin egg omelet on the bottom, topped by long, slender potato slices and then drizzled with truffle oil. It was really great, but extremely rich, as most truffle dishes are. My breakfast came with a dollop of sweet potato smash and all breakfasts come with a huge slice of melon. The sweet potatoes were just right for me, though Griffin didn't care for them. As we were technically there during brunch time, I almost ordered a panini and have to say that many of them sounded great. They also offer pastas and a few bigger entrees for lunch and the largest bagels I have ever seen for breakfast. Cafe Verona is only open through lunch, but the serve their breakfast menu until they close. Menu prices are pretty standard for LA at about $15 a person, but unlike so many places in the area, Cafe Verona does have a free parking lot in the back that it shares with its neighbor, EZ Lube. Despite the hair on my dish (which still makes me nauseated to think about), I'd still go back, especially on a sunny day when you could really appreciate the out-of-doors surroundings.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/63920/
Sorry, no online menu!

Baja Cantina

I've gone to Baja Cantina a few times for drinks since it's not far from the office, so I figured I'd probably better blog about it. Unlike Sonora (my post from a couple of days ago), Baja Cantina is some downright dirty Mexican food, but boy it's still pretty good. First off, the atmosphere is kind of a mixed bag. The front room is supposed to look Mexican, but the fabric on the backs of the long booths outlining the room look like they came from a cafeteria for old people (I said Luby's but none of my California-native counterparts knew what that was, but I think it's about the same as Homestyle Buffet out here). The front room is also adorned with a tortilla booth and a little Mexican lady making nonstop tortillas in there. From the front room you can go two ways, to the back where there are two slender bars, hard rock, and a couple of tables, or to the patio. The patio is the much more sophisticated route and you'll find young urban professionals enjoying a beverage after work there on any week night, all huddled around the big outdoor fireplace. No matter where you sit you can get food. We all shared the nachos, quesadillas, chicken flautas, and a sampler plate with a taco, burrito, and tamale. They were all pretty good, definitely not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but for a bar, really not bad. The nachos were pretty standard with beans, cheese (duh), and jalapenos, topped with sour cream and guac. Much in the same fashion, the rest of the stuff we ordered was your standard Mexican fare, though the flautas (called Toothpicks on the menu) are about 15" long. Don't try to attempt eating this alone! Baja Cantina also does serve salads, some that aren't really even Mexican inspired, like a goat cheese salad. It's unexpected to say the least. Happy hour runs from 5-7PM nightly, but don't expect them to let you slide with happy hour prices a moment later. We got there around 7 and after waiting 10 minutes for our waitress to finally serve us, she removed the happy hour menus from the table saying "Happy hour is already over, so I'll take those." Service wasn't great, but the bar was definitely packed and seemed understaffed. Maybe they should have had the tortilla lady giving a helping hand. Luckily if you run out of chips, you can refill them yourself right by the front door. Happy hour prices are really decent for food and drinks, but once you cross over into normal hours expect to pay more than double those prices in some cases. Rita's are normally $6 (not bad) and most menu items range from about $8-15 each. If you are a sports fanatic, this is a great place to watch any game as they have TV's all over the place. If you like Guitar Hero, they've got that too, or at least they did on Thursday night, so I'd call the bar for details if you are interested. Parking seems like a toss up. About half of the crowd was able to find street parking, but me and another friend had to valet. If you're forced to valet, I wouldn't fret too much, it's only $3.50, but just make sure you take some cash with you (I've made that mistake before!). Baja's always been a great time and I'm sure we'll end up going back soon enough!

http://www.bajacantinavenice.com/

BLD

Next door to the still newish and popular Hatfields on Beverly stands BLD, though the logo makes it a little hard to read. In fact, the first time Griffin and I went here we had to ask the hostess what the name of the restaurant was (only slightly embarrassing). After seeing couples and families enjoying a nice meal and the California summer weather, Griffin and I tried this place for breakfast. It's been almost a year since we first visited BLD, but it's never left our minds. It was still pretty new when we went and we didn't have to wait, but now I'd recommend making a reservation, whether you are going for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (all three are served here, hence B-L-D). The brunch menu is really great with a wide selection of cuisines. You can even get cheese plates if your palette can take them that early in the morning. To accompany the cheese (or not, up to you) are several types of Spanish meats, ranging from chorizo to Serrano ham, to Spanish salami. And it's not just a mini trip to Spain, the meats and cheeses come from all over the world, though most are from Spain, Italy, or France. If you are in the mood for a more traditional breakfast entree, they've got that too. French toast, Ricotta blueberry pancakes, and crepes are all served with an adorable tin cottage full of the most delicious maple syrup, warmed. Popular egg dishes like frittata, eggs benedict, juevos rancheros, and scrambles are all great choices too, but no matter what your entree be sure to try the bruleed grapefruit. That's not a mistake, it's a halved pink grapefruit with thick sugar crystals melted with direct heat on top. Even if you don't like grapefruit that much give this a try. It's not only inventive (way to go BLD!) but extremely tasty. Brunch costs are about what you'll find anywhere, around $10 an entree, give or take, and the meats and cheeses are about $6 a pop if you go for that. We've also been to BLD for dinner and I have to say the dinner menu is pretty disappointing. While the food is still great, the menu items are better suited for lunch, majority of which are sandwiches, burgers, and salads. They've got the meats and cheeses for $6 each for all meals, so you know you are at least covered there. I had the grilled chicken sandwich with bacon, butter lettuce, avocado, tomato, and garlic aioli on a sourdough roll with a side salad and Griffin had the short rib sandwich with fries. Everything tasted great, it's just a meal we'd normally get at lunch. We usually try for something a little heartier and with more zing than a sandwich for dinner. Not to mention for dinner sandwiches, BLD's are a little pricey, averaging at about $15-20 each. It seems like the lunch menu is a little bigger than the dinner perhaps and has more of a sandwich selection, though unfortunately with no price break. BLD does have a fun little wine section and they offer a full bar where you can eat if the wait's too long for a table. They've got a few tables outside too, so if it's a nice day (which it usually is in SoCal) go for it. Like everywhere else in LA, BLD has valet, but if you are lucky you'll find a spot on the street. We haven't gone back to BLD since moving back over the hill, but we need to. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!

http://www.bldrestaurant.com/
The site isn't built out yet, so in the meantime here's a link to the Citysearch page where the menu is available.
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/42940063/los_angeles_ca/bld.html#

Sonora Cafe

Whether it's for happy hour or dinner, Sonora Cafe on La Brea has some damn good food and drinks, albeit a little pricey. It's more interior Mexican cuisine though, or rather "sophisticated Southwestern" as it calls itself, so don't expect to get a plate of greasy tacos with refried beans and rice. It's hard to come here and not drink since their margaritas are so delicious, so I usually get the LA Lemonade, which tastes similar to a Trudy's Mexican Martini for those Austinites out there. For those unfamiliar, it's a margarita on the rocks-type concoction with several kinds of alcohol that gets you really drunk and pretty much tastes like green Powerade. What more could you want out of a drink? No calories I guess (but what great thing in life doesn't have it's price?!). Sonora's other specialty margs are also delicious and they do offer quite a selection of Mexican beers. For appetizers, the mussels are to die for. Perfectly steamed mussels come to you on a skillet with melted butter for dipping. There are two kinds of ceviche on the menu, but you'll be happy with either - or both for that matter! The Romaine salad is light and fresh with a lime vinaigrette, but don't let yourself believe that just because it's a salad, it's healthier! All of the entrees I've had are terrific but some of my family's favorites are the Texas BBQ Pork Chop with a sweet potato tamale and mango-papaya chutney, the blue corn chicken enchiladas, and the jumbo prawns with a goat cheese and black bean quesadilla. With the exception of the steak items, most entrees are $20-30 and appetizers generally live in the $15 range. While at some restaurants the $30 entrees are big enough to share, this is unfortunately not the case at Sonora and it's really hard to have dinner and even just one drink for under $40 a person. If you want desert (which is probably worth it) tack on another $10 or so. Though they don't have sopapillas, Sonora's menu consists of other Southwestern-inspired sweets (trio of creme brulee, yum!). If you want to try a few items but don't want to dish out that much cash for dinner, Sonora has an excellent happy hour, scratch that FIESTA hour. Tuesdays-Fridays from 5:00-7:00PM you can get $3 off mussels and tacos and get $6 ritas. It may not be much, but every bit helps, right? To participate in happy hour you do have to sit at the bar tables (all of which have umbrellas on them for some reason), but you do get a nice view of the street and at night they light tons of little candles and put them in the little cubby holes on the patio - very cute and romantic. If it's nice out, definitely try to get an outside table to enjoy!

http://www.sonoracafe.com/

Food Court LA

Food Court LA resides along the same stretch of 3rd St. as Sushi Roku, Wokano, and Electric Karma and is pretty much on par with the quality of it's neighbors. I ate here with a group of 10 or so friends about a month ago and the experience was a good one, though the food did not quite live up to my expectations. Either other people have thought the same way, or people just don't know about this place, because we were able to get a reservation for 10 only a couple of hours before we walked in, which don't get me wrong, it's a good thing, but for a place that small, it seemed kind of strange. When we got there, the space is really cozy with circular dashes of color, dark wood benches and booths, and mirrors furnished by Ikea. They do offer a full bar here, so we all started off with a few cocktails. Some of our favorite specialty drinks were the white wine sangria and the Fruit Loop cocktail. When ordering appetizers for the table, we were really interested in ordering the sashimi and fried onion, but were disappointed when our waiter informed us that this item was no longer available. We then wanted more details on the taco/spring roll appetizer that changes contents nightly (choices range from carne asada to mahi mahi to pancetta & Monterrey jack to goat cheese and fig). We weren't interested in the nightly special and ended up ordering the mac & cheese with bacon and sun-dried tomatoes, which was good, but not really anything to write home about. For the main course, Griffin and I shared the Latchino steak and a house salad. The salad was great with goat cheese and vinaigrette, and the steak which was served as a skirt steak with chile, cumin, and ponzu spread on top of a bed of potatoes was pretty good, but a little blander than what we expected. Another friend had a burger, and said it was good, though it didn't seem that he was that impressed. The meal that looked the best and had the best review came from my friend who ordered the steak and eggs (yep, breakfast served all day!). I have to say that everything on the menu sounded like it might be the best thing you ever had in your life, but nothing really delivered. Luckily, nothing on the menu is more than $16, so even if you don't love it, you're not out an arm and a leg. We didn't save room for desert, but the chocolate cheesecake marbled brownies sounded pretty delicious! Like all of the other restaurants in this area, there is some street parking available occasionally, but the valet is cheap enough that you won't break the bank if you can't find a spot on your own. I'd be interested to see what this place is like at brunch. I bet it's a little more crowded, but probably serving better food, which might be worth the trip back.

http://www.foodcourtla.com/

BOA

Up on the Sunset strip amid bars and restaurants for the stars is BOA, a steak house where the food is great, but if you are not one of those celebrities for which this place lives, anticipate to be treated as such from the wait staff. As to be expected from a steak house, the menu is largely meat driven, but there are also some great fish options for those pescatarians out there. I was here with my family, and it was a great spot for a big crowd. As an appetizer we all shared an oyster platter. For the most part, this was great, but there were a couple of shucks in there that were just awful. It was literally like licking a dead fish. Being hypochondriacs, everyone worried for the rest of the night about whether or not we'd all be stricken with the awful afflictions one can get from eating oysters. Needless to say, no one was feeling the effects of the oysters as an aphrodisiac after that, but luckily we all survived. Looking back, I wish we had instead tried the Kobe beef corndog and the truffled nachos. Most other appetizer items were seafood dishes like prawns and Ahi tuna tartare. My sister ordered a BLT salad as a starter and that was actually quite good. Moving on to the main course, it was pretty much steaks all around. BOA is unique in that you choose the cut of steak you'd like and then you select a rub and/or sauce to pair with your it. For those who don't do well with options, you might have a little trouble here. It can be overwhelming to choose because you're out almost $40 if you don't like what you get. In our case, however, everyone was more than pleased with their plate. Four people at the table tried the Kansas City bone-in filet with various rubs (options include peppercorn, herbed butter, blackened, blue cheese, and fois gras). I myself tried the petite filet (about 5 oz.) with the herbed butter, served medium rare. It was phenomenal. Truly the best steak I've ever had. But I guess butter makes everything better, right? Since we were such a large party and most everyone was eating steak, we had the waiter bring us a spread of the six different sauces (peppercorn, cabernet, bearnaise, chimicurri, creamy horseradish, and BOA's signature J-1, with peppercorn being the most popular). Those not having steak tried the short ribs and the lobster and both were quite impressed, though the 3lbs. of lobster was a little much for my 110 lb. sister. Not to worry though, the rest of us ate it right up. For sides we ordered family style, getting the sauteed spinach, which was good, but mostly just tasted like salt, the mac and cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and my favorite, lobster mashed potatoes. We were all pretty full by the time we got to desert, but we ordered 2 anyway. We opted for the "adult s'mores" and a bananas foster. I'm not much into bananas, but everyone raved about this dish. I instead stuck to the s'mores, with charred melted mallow, a crispy slender homemade graham cracker, a dense chocolate cake, and dulce de leche ice cream, all with a subtle hint of cinnamon. BOA also has a location on Ocean in Santa Monica which offers cotton candy far better than what you'll find at any fair or Staples center event. In terms of atmosphere, BOA on Sunset is hip, but relaxed. It's a small space, but they did with it what they could. Rich dark woods are accented by natural elements like a twig woven screen and a glass insert in the floor with pebbles inside. To contrast, brightly colored lamps hang from the ceiling and cut the room in half. I will say that considering the design elements of the restaurant, the restrooms (which are in the Grafton Hotel) feel dirty and cheap with their sponge-painted orange walls and stalls. The sommelier was very friendly (which could have something to do with us ordering upward of $70 bottles of wine, 4 times), but the waiters here were uppity and inattentive. There were multiple times that we waited more than 10 minutes for our water glasses to be filled and when Griffin had his red wine glass taken off the table, our waiter never replaced it, despite our request. We had to ask 3 other people working in the restaurant before someone finally took care of it. One of the waiters I asked for the glass said "Do I look like your waiter?" instead of something more helpful like "How may I help you?" There's at least 3 or 4 waiters working at a time and there can't be more than 20 tables here, not to mention food runners, etc. so that kind of service when you are paying that price is inexcusable. The poor service continued to the valet, though at least BOA validates, so parking was only $8. I have been to the Santa Monica location and don't recall poor serivce being an issue there, though the interior design is not quite on par. Regardless of the bad service, we all still had a great time and a great meal, so I would still recommend going here for a fancy dinner, but like I mentioned before, entrees are $30-$40 each so either share or go for a really special occasion, or in my case, when someone else is paying. Thanks, Dad.

http://www.boasteak.com/balboa/

Cha Cha Cha

Though the West Hollywood location recently closed, the original Cha Cha Cha in Silver Lake lives on, serving up its wonderful Caribbean tapas to all. This is a fun little joint, decorated in Caribbean gear, which seems a little a-typical for Silver Lake, but that's what makes it charming. While they do offer full entrees of Caribbean specialties, such as jerk chicken and their own variations on paella, it's more enjoyable to come with a group and do a tapa sampler. There's a tapa for any appetite, but I most certainly have my favorites. On the top of the list - the goat cheese and guava quesadilla topped with a dollop of homemade guacamole. Unfortunately, this is pretty small being that it is a tapa, but it is mouthwatering! Speaking of the guacamole, the dirty chips and guac is also worth mentioning. And no, dirty chips does not imply that the chips are dirty, but rather are covered in yummy Caribbean spices. White fish, shrimp, and salmon chemically cooked in citrus is served in a coconut for the ceviche tapa, with a basket of dirty chips for dipping. A few pizzas also live on the tapas menu, including a juicy jerk chicken pizza with just the right amount of spicy. I know there was a goat cheese pizza at the WeHo location, but I think the menus were slightly varied from shop to shop, so no guarantees. And don't forget the fried plantains with crema fresca! More traditional appetizer-ish foods like fried calamari and coconut shrimp also sprinkle the menu. It's worth noting that drinks are pretty reasonable at Cha Cha Cha and they make their own sangria which is just as delicious as you'd find in any Spanish cafe. I believe they offer a happy hour, though I have never been, as well as a brunch menu and a prix fixe that includes drinks. If you are coming for the regular dinner menu, anticipate spending $20-$30 per person, plus the extra few dollars for the valet. While I am incredibly sad to see the West Hollywood location close, though I guess not all that surprised since you never needed a reservation, I can take comfort in the fact that some of my favorite dishes in LA are just a hop, skip, and a jump away over in Silver Lake.

http://www.theoriginalchachacha.com/

Philipe the Original

Ever wonder who had the great idea of dousing a roast beef sandwich in au jus and thus creating the oh-so-yummy French dip? Search no more! The story of the French dip starts in a two-story downtown LA restaurant with wooden benches and saw-dust covered floors. In 1918, owner Philipe accidentally dropped a French roll into a roasting pan still full of piping hot juices. A policeman in line said he'd still eat the sandwich and returned the next day for another. Philipe's is still making amazing French dipped sandwiches and have expanded their menu a bit. Several short lines form in front of the display case and servers dish out French dipps in beef, turkey, ham, pork, and lamb varieties, available with or without cheese and singlely- or doublely-dipped. My personal favorite is the traditional beef French dip with Swiss, double-dipped. If you are not into French dipped sandwiches I've heard that their chili and stew are also quite delicious and if your sweet tooth is jonesing, they offer about 12 different kinds of pie. One thing to consider before going to Philipes is take cash. They are cash only and while they do have an ATM, you're better off being prepared when you go in, but you shouldn't need more than $10 a person. Once you get your order, you may have to search high and low for a seat at the many picnic tables. One of the most charming things about Philipes is how down-to-Earth it feels, with a make-shift convenience shop in the corner offering candy and cigarettes, just like you would expect a restaurant from the early 1900's to have. Unlike so many restaurants in LA, Philipes does own a parking lot across the street. The parking attendants are always really nice, and the parking is free, so if you have a couple of spare bucks on your way out, I'm sure they'd be more than appreciative of your generosity.

http://www.philippes.com/

Katsu-ya

Being that this is my favorite restaurant in LA, it's a little surprising that I didn't blog on Katsu-ya first. In fact, I could probably keep an entire blog on Katsu-ya and their franchises with their magically delicious cuisine. With new Katsu-ya locations popping up everywhere, it's important to note their distinctions. The original Katsu-ya lives in a strip mall in Studio City and has a sister store down Ventura in Encino. Their red-headed step-sisters are the Brent Bolthouse owned, Philipe Starck designed locations in Brentwood and Hollywood (with more locations to come). The Michael Jackson of the group is Izakaya in mid-city. Why is Izakaya the best you ask, because it takes the ideas, philosophies, and menu from the original location in its entirety and adds on, without becoming pretentious, a la $15 valet at the Hollywood location. The Encino and Studio City locations are the most low-key with the Brentwood and Hollywood locations being really glitzy (think glam rock sushi) and Izakaya living somewhere in the middle. No matter which location you fancy, fan favorites span the franchise. First and foremost is the sushi crack, the crispy rice with spicy tuna. It's that little hashbrown looking thing that EVERYONE around you has ordered. And the crispy rice does taste a bit like a hashbrown, only with spicy tuna and jalapeno on top. There's no sauce, but it's a little greasy, so you don't really need any. Next up, cut baked crab roll. They offer this in a hand roll as well, but it's not nearly as good as the cut. This one is served warm (naturally because it's baked) with real shredded crab and rice wrapped in soy paper. This comes with no sauce on it, but it's good with just regular old soy sauce. Third, you've got to get the crispy sesame tuna, which somewhat resembles tuna tartare with avocado on a crispy chip all topped with a creamy sauce. Unfortunately there's only two to an order, but it's definitely worth everyone at the table getting at least one. Other popular favorites include the yuzu peppers (only about 1 in 10 is spicy), spicy albacore with crispy onions (seared albacore under fried onions with ponzu on top, what more can you ask for?), fried mozzarella tempura, creamy rock shrimp tempura (the last two are great for people who don't like sushi, and both are served hot). The traditional rolls are good too, but that's not why people come back in droves. If you have a hankering for a more traditional sushi experience, go for the yellowtail sashimi tasting, the red snapper sashimi with yuzu, the albacore sushi (melts in your mouth), and the Robert roll (tuna, crab, and shrimp roll - very popular, and delicious!). Katsu-ya is a great place to try to coax people who say they don't like sushi into liking it. Most items are cooked, so there's no being weirded out by raw fish. At the Hollywood and Brentwood locations the menu also includes a robata grill. Izakaya's menu boasts some unique extras like Katsu-ya fries served with 3 different kinds of ketchup and mayonnaise. If you don't have a reservation expect to wait at least 30 minutes at any location and don't plan on leaving without fishing out about $30 a person - AT LEAST. Proof that the great things in life aren't free. Valet is the best parking option for any location, and they all get their fair share of celebrities, if that kind of thing is important to you.

http://www.sushikatsu-ya.com/home.html

Luna Park

Thinking that Luna Park on La Brea and Wilshire was too expensive, Griffin and I had avoided dining here in the past. However, after a recent trip, we have discovered that we were wrong and the menu prices are actually pretty decent. On our last visit we started with the goat cheese fondue which comes with Granny Smith apple slices and warm, crispy grilled French bread slices. We love goat cheese, and this dish is phenomenal. It's definitely something you'll crave when you are still thinking about it a few weeks later. For our main dish, we ordered the El Camarone pizza to share, topped with Rock shrimp, chili flakes, aioli, Parmesan and baby arugula. Though we were somewhat wary of ordering shrimp on pizza, it was delicious! Apparently seafood pizzas are pretty popular overseas I found out later from a totally unrelated conversation. We weren't sure if the one pizza would be enough to fill both of us, but we ate until we were full and we still had leftovers to take home. For a $12 gourmet pizza, that's really a better deal than most chain pizza joints. We were so full we didn't even have room for desert, but we had been here before just to get the ever popular tableside smores. Yum! For this camping favorite, they bring out a small pot of melted marshmallow and also provide you with all the other necessary ingredients to make a great smore. Perfect little graham crackers and chocolates on a plate at your table eager to be anointed by the creamy marshmallow melt. If you prefer your mallows burned, this might be a little too gooey for you, but it will certainly fill anyone with a sense of nostalgia from their days as a cub scout. Other honorable mentions on the dessert menu that I am yet to try include deep fried apple pies smothered in caramel, coconut creme brulee, and Valentino pie (blackberry chocolate pie with a graham cracker crust). In the ways of additional entrees, Luna Park is largely known for being a hot lunch spot serving up great gourmet burgers. Pizzas, pastas, and Continental fare comprise the dinner menu and even the most expensive item is just under $20, with the glazed short ribs coming in at $19.50. For other entrees expect to spend around $15 per person. There are lots of metered spots on the street around Luna Park, but they offer a reasonably priced valet. Best of all if you don't feel like going out, Luna Park delivers!

http://www.lunaparkla.com/index.asp

El Toro Cantina

Being from Texas, finding good tacos in LA hasn't been an easy feat, but El Toro on Wilshire has a wonderfully eclectic taco selection. Grouped by protein, there are about 30+ types of tacos from which to choose. My all time favorites are primarily from the seafood group, more specifically I love the rock shrimp and the tuna tartare. All of the tacos are fabulous though! The tacos are listed a la carte and range in price from $3-7. They are small tacos so I'd recommend getting at least two, but if you are hungry enough for three (which it's really not that hard to eat three) I'd suggest getting the three taco dinner that includes rice and beans and only costs $15 - so you can order all of the most expensive tacos for a bargain. The restaurant does have a Taco Tuesday special, though I have never been on a Tuesday so I'm not positive what it entails, other than discount tacos and drinks. The atmosphere is very reminescent of a Tex-Mex restaurant with vibrant, colorful sombraros on the wall. El Toro does have a full bar with great (and strong) margaritas and they love to give out free shots. I have never gone here without getting a shot from a ridiculously good looking server. The employees are all young and hot (typical LA), but luckily they are also all really nice. The place is never too crowded and it's always quick. This is a great place to go with friends to enjoy dinner, drinks, and each other's company. It's owned and next to Busby's sports bar's new location on the Miracle Mile. We've never had a bad experience here and definitely plan to go back!

http://www.busbysonline.com/toro_details.htm

Bollywood Cafe

Want the best Indian food you've had in your life (unless you've actually been to India of course)? Bollywood is the place. Though the space looks like an American interpretation of what an Indian restaurant should look like, the food is second to none. It's always best to go here with several people and sample everything because there's just too much great stuff to pass up when it's just one or two people. Anytime Griffin and I have gone by ourselves, we always over-order, but we're always happy to have leftovers! The creme de la creme starts off with an order of the vegetable samosas (fried potatoes and peas for those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine). The main course for us usually consists of garlic cheese naan (a soft, thick bread served warm), chicken tandoori (red in appearance, but tastes like bbq chicken) or chicken tikka masala (grilled chicken in a creamy yogurt-based sauce), jasmine rice, and some aloo mataar to top it off (potatoes and peas again!). If it is just a party of two, Bollywood offers a tandoori for two that is fantastic. This sampler platter comes pretty much with all of the above, but also adds in an onion pakora (think Awesome Blossom), and the pudding desert, which if you like rice pudding, you'll love. Bollywood opened a second location literally blocks down Ventura from the original Studio City shop and called it Bollywood 2. I haven't checked out the new store yet, but I am curious to hear what the differences are, if any. For those on the other side of the hill, Star of India on Melrose is as close to Bollywood quality as we've found so far, but still it could never compare. If you aren't up for driving across town though, it will still do you right. Both places deliver and usually cost $30-$40 a couple, with leftovers of course.

http://www.bollywoodcafela.com/
http://starofindiala.com/

Chado Tea House

Chado Tea Room, nestled in the strip of restaurants on 3rd St. near the Beverly Center, offers an extensive tea menu and an impressive sandwich selection. Many items on the tea menu can be served hot or iced, and when iced, they'll throw in some fresh fixin's such as strawberries and grapes for the fruitier teas. Some may find the 20-ish page tea menu overwhelming, but big parties can enjoy ordering several different teas and sampling a few. Though there are only a few varieties of sandwiches, they are all quite flavorful. My favorite is the turkey and cranberry, served on a normal slice of white bread with the crusts cut off. With all of the artisan breads served at modern sandwich shops it's easy to forget how good a piece of just regular old white bread can be. The sandwich combo is a good option that allows you to pick 2 different sandwiches (or two of the same kind if there's one you are really excited about). Also delicious is a side order of scones, served warm with fresh cream and strawberries. Yum! This is the perfect spot to have lunch on a warm summer day. It's light and fresh and won't put you in a food coma for the rest of your day. Chado is also very popular for events like ladies' birthday parties and baby showers. Prices aren't bad either and you can usually eat and drink to your heart's desire for under $15. The only downside is that there is no parking lot and street parking in the area is limited due to the number of great restaurants packed in to this small space. Chado does offer valet parking during certain hours of the day, but I've always been lucky enough to grab a street spot so I'm not sure on the details of the valet. If you've got someone who can wait in the car, Chado will prepare meals to go and you can buy many of their loose teas in bulk to enjoy at home.

http://www.chadotea.com/tearooms.asp

Bistro Du Soleil

Not far down the road from Cafe Pinguini and Dockwieler Beach is the quaint little French cafe, Bistro Du Soleil. Serving up traditional French fare like sweet and savory crepes, croques monsieur and madame, and quiche, BdS is delicious! They have an assortment of hot coffee drinks and a strong iced tea for beverages, some starter salads, hot and cold sandwiches, and also offer some of their dinner menu for lunch. Everything sounded so great on the menu I had a hard time deciding what to get. I ultimately decided on the croque madame, a sandwich served warm with buttered and toasted sourdough, turkey, and swiss. You can opt to add fried egg on top (the true French way to eat it) for an additional cost. Most menu items come with a choice of pomme frites (fries) or salad. Be warned though, the only dressing option is dijon vinaigrette, so if you are like me and don't care for mustard, opt for the fries. They come with just a bit of seasoning on them and are quite good. Other people in my party had the calamari salad (which was really an entire order of calamari on top of a normal sized salad), and the chicken crepe with a light mushroom cream sauce, all of which looked fantastic. The portions are considerable and not one of the four of us were able to clean their plates. We finished up with a small assortment of desserts. The chef was more than willing to substitute peaches for pears in the brie quesadilla, and the owner even had her make two because she thought it sounded so good that she wanted to try. And it was great! A light, fresh way to conclude your dining experience. The other dessert we tried was a chocolate mousse crepe topped with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. My only suggestion to BdS would be on this dish, make your own whipped cream, or at least use Cool Whip, but please don't use whipped cream from a can. Though the dessert was tasty, it looked like a recreation of the pancake special at IHOP. BdS, I know you can do better than that! I've only dined in for lunch, but I've heard from others that Bistro du Soliel is a prime place for Sunday brunching and they even have a bar to serve up mimosas and bloody Mary's!

http://www.bistrodusoleil.com/

Indulge Cafe

After reading several Yelp reviews that raved about the tiny corner burger shop down the street, Griffin and I gave it a shot this weekend. Indulge Cafe, though the name may lead you to think French bakery, is a down home burger joint with an interesting and innovative way to present it's menu. Options include beef burgers, turkey burgers, and veggie burgers, all of which come in 3 oz (petite) or 5 oz (normal) varieties and can be made in a combo with a drink and their oh-so-delicious hand cut, skin-on fries. Turkey and veggie burgers are placed on a whole wheat bun, while the beef burgers are on a traditional white bun. Toppings include onions (can be grilled or raw), pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayo, & mustard. I chose the turkey burger on a wheat bun with Cheddar-jack cheese and grilled onions. While it was one of the best turkey burgers I have ever had, I couldn't help thinking that if I had the sauce from In-N-Out that this burger would damn well be near perfect. I tried a bite of Griffin's beef burger and I have to admit that it was better than the turkey. The meat was so juicy and tender. I thought that the 3 oz. serving would be a little small, similar to a kids meal, but it was plenty for me and the 5 oz. burger looked pretty colossal. Being still pretty new, the place wasn't exactly hopping, but everyone there was really nice and accommodating. Griffin and I were the only customers sitting and eating there, but a few people came in and out in the 30-45 minutes we spent there. It's a really small space, so hopefully they won't get too busy to seat all of their customers soon!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/indulge-cafe-los-angeles

S.K.'s Donuts

We tried SK's on a hunch about 2 years ago and have tried to go back as much as possible. From the outside SK's looks about like any other donut store, but the goodies inside are out of this world! I don't normally care much for donuts, but the real gem at SK's is the croissants. Being from Texas, Griffin and I were used to having kolaches available at the corner donut store and SK's croissants are about as close as we'll come to the Czech delight in kolache-less Los Angeles. Flavors range from sweet strawberry and cream cheese to savory ham & swiss. If you opt for the ham and cheese croissant, be sure to ask for it warmed up. It's so much better! The donuts are pretty exceptional for fried bread too. They also have sandwiches and ices cream, but I've never tried any of it. SK's is open 24 hours, so you can enjoy it anytime!

Caffe Pinguini

Nestled against the beach of Playa Del Rey, Caffe Pinguini serves as a quaint little Italian spot for locals. Particularly enjoyable is the outdoor patio (about 1/2 of the tables are outside). On a nice day, this is an ideal location to enjoy some time outside. The authentic Italian staff makes you feel as if you've been whisked away to the coast of Italy. I've never had a bad dish here, but my favorite is definitely the shrimp salad. The butterfly shrimp is grilled just right and strategically placed on a bed of mixed greens, all topped with a lemon vinaigrette and some fresh ground pepper to result in the most refreshing of salads. The salad is of a good portion, but it usually helps to have an appetizer or a pizza for the table as well. As a precursor to the meal, each table receives a bowl of the softest warm bread and dipping oil. The iced tea is great and I've heard the cappuccinos are pretty tasty too. The paninis, pastas, and pizzas are better than your average Italian joint with a spicy arribiata penne shining on the pasta menu. The entrees showcase various seafood specials, the most popular of which being the Chilean Sea Bass in a lemon butter sauce with capers. If you save room, traditional Italian desserts are served. Lunch menu prices range from about $8-$20. I've only been during lunch but I understand that Pinguini is quite nice for dinner too when they turn on the lights around the patio. Add some wine (they do have a wine menu) and you'd have yourself a very romantic dinner, possibly followed by a long walk on the beach that's merely steps away.

Caffe Pinguini's site is currently under construction, so here's the link to their Citysearch profile:
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/152544?cslink=search_name_noncust&ulink=search_2_searchslot1_520__0_profile_2_1

Yang Chow

If you watch NBC's Chuck, you've probably seen the sizzling shrimp episode. I believe that is based on Yang Chow's Slippery Shrimp, possibly one of the best Chinese dishes around. Located in Chinatown, this authentic Chinese restaurant is a great value, but definitely order family style. There are lots of options, as is typical of Chinese restaurants, so get a few dishes and share. Once seated, the table is provided with a pot of hot green tea. Beyond that, we always like to start with the spring rolls and the hot & sour soup. There are about 8 different soups to chose from and they come in orders for 2 or for 4 people, but it really serves about twice as many people as it's supposed to. Next we devour a dish of the slippery shrimp, which is always quick to go! For the entrees we always switch it up. We are yet to find an entree dish that we absolutely love and must get every time. So far we have tried the beef & broccoli, lemon chicken, beef with green peppers, and the house special chicken (upon our last waiter's recommendation). We were not disappointed with any of them, but also haven't found the one entree we always have to have. There's usually enough food left to take home for a snack or meal and it generally costs less than $20/person. Also, it should be noted that they serve really decently priced alcoholic beverages here. Bottled beers for just $3, that's a deal you won't find too often in LA.

http://www.yangchow.com/index.html

Bloom

Just this weekend I tried organic Mid-City spot, Bloom. While I'm not a granola-eating, peace-loving, pot-smoking hippie, I did enjoy this place - well at least the idea of this place. The interior feels so fresh and modern that you forget you're between a liquor shop and an auto garage. Bloom is open breakfast thru dinner and offers a fairly large menu for organic fare. Probably most intriguing is the large list of juices and smoothies they offer, ranging from simple organic apple juice to a beet, apple, lemon, avocado smoothie. I opted for the apple and pineapple juice with bee pollen on top while Griffin had a green chai latte. We were both happy with our drink orders, but I will say that being organic, the juice did have about 2 inches of froth on top that made me doubt it was worth the $6.50 it cost. For our entrees I had the lemon ricotta pancakes with a side of fresh fruit and Griffin had the 2+2+2 (eggs any style, piece of bacon, piece of sausage, and 2 whole grain buttermilk pancakes with a side of roasted potatoes). I've had ricotta pancakes before and loved them, but this time around I was less impressed. The lemon was a little overwhelming and the cream topping didn't seem to match the dish. The fruit salad was a nice change of pace from the melon mix you get at most restaurants, combining purple grapes, mango, papaya, pineapple and kiwi. Griffin seemed more satisfied with his combination plate. The sausage was particularly delectable. I tasted his wholegrain buttermilk pancakes just for a comparison and actually preferred those to the lemon ricotta. The potatoes seemed a little undercooked, but we downed them all anyway. Portions are enough to fill you up, but don't plan on taking home any leftovers. After reading other online reviews of this place, I'd have to agree that the service wasn't particularly first class. The host was amicable, but the waitress was not altogether friendly. If you are into organic food, this place is for you. If eating organic is not top priority, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I am willing to give Bloom another try for lunch or dinner (the turkey chili sounds delicious!) and I'll let you know how that works out for me.

http://bloomcafe.com/