La Maison du Pain

Unless you were looking for it, you'd probably never notice La Maison du Pain, the little Filipino-owned French bakery near the corner of Pico and La Brea. It's really great though, and something you definitely should look for. I suppose it's a little high priced for a bakery, especially in that neighborhood, but what isn't overpriced these days? I brought some baked goods in for a coworker's birthday and then Chase and I went over one weekend. Both instances were pretty good, but they both cost about $30 and no one was really feeling full afterwards. The best thing I have had from there was the ham and cheese croissant, which I dare say is better than SK's (though about $1.50 more each). It's much better quality ham (black forest ham I believe) paired with gourmet Swiss. The chocolate croissant is also quite good. They have both regular and petite size for many of their baked goods, including the three varieties of quiche. Naturally, I had to try them all so Chase and I split one of the small sizes of each flavor. My favorite was the roasted pepper, but the ham and leek and the spinach quiche were also delicious. The macaroons, which come in coffee, lemon, blackberry, and raspberry, are also quite good. We had the lemon and it was pretty tart. It kind of reminded me of a Lemonhead candy. The brioche was pretty good too, but really rich. La Maison du Pain is also pretty popular for their fresh baked breads, so we tried a Rosemary Epi loaf, which was good, but hard in traditional European fashion. I'd really like to try lunch here as they have croques and tomato basil soup on the lunch menu. One of the restaurant's greatest features is the charm of the physical space. It's full of vibrant colors contrasted by steel tables and chairs and a frosted glass between the common are and the bakery in the back. The workers are generally friendly, though the older workers much more so than the young guy and girl who are there on weekends (it's a true family-owned business and I believe this is the niece and nephew of the owner). Overall, it's a great place to get a quick bite.

http://www.lamaisondupain.net/

Tender Greens

If you think salad is all you can get at Tender Greens in the heart of Culver City, think again. While leafy greens are the staple of the restaurant, there are several other options as you go through the buffet style line. If you want to start with a salad but have an entree of a bit more substance you can choose a simple salad. Simple salads come in Caesar, spinach, arugula, red and green butter lettuce, and mixed green varieties. Heartier salads also have a Caesar, but have more options with a Chinese chicken salad, cobb, Ahi tuna, grilled veggie, bbq chicken, and flatiron steak salads. Many of the same items can be found on the entree menu as well, which can be served either as a traditional entree with a side of mashed potatoes or on a sandwich with a side simple salad. If you are in the mood for soup, Tender Greens has both chicken soup and tomato soup. The best part is that nothing on the menu is priced over $10, a small price to pay for the taste and quality of food that you are getting. A value this great doesn't come without some other price to pay and that usually comes in the form of long lines out the door during lunch hours. I've only been for dinner, when the line was not a problem and we were able to easily find a table. The actual interior of the restaurant is pretty small and I think there are only a few if any tables inside. The outdoor patio that backs up to neighbor restaurant Ford's Filling Station is where most of the seating is, so this is probably more of a fair weather place. Of course, Tender Greens also does catering, so there's always the option to enjoy it at a place of your choosing! With free 2 hour lots in downtown Culver City, there's really no reason not to try this place. It's worth it!

http://www.tendergreensfood.com/

And if you don't have flash on your computer
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/41896189#

Sake House

One of the hip little spots of mid-city is Sake House, though it's still fairly undiscovered. It's more unique than many of the sushi joints I've been to not because of their sushi menu, but because they offer what seems to be a random assortment of Japanese tapas (which somehow includes pizza?). It feels a bit like a hipster place when you walk in with the wooden booths and the retro accessories, but they have a decent beer price and the sushi isn't over-priced either. Granted, it's not the best sushi I've ever had, but for a $5 spicy tuna roll, it's really about the best you can get. I've never tried the specialty rolls here, but they sure are interesting. It's a good place for groups or couples where not everyone likes sushi because there are enough tapas options to suit anyone's desires. We tried the Nan-Pizza which is pretty much a flatbread pepperoni pizza, but it really is quite good. We also tried the Gyu-Tataki, the seared beef with ponzu (we love our ponzu). It was so good we ordered another! Other tapa highlights include the potato croquet, shishito peppers, dynamite, Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and the Takoyaki (grilled octopus pancake with dried bonito) - though we haven't tried these, but they look interesting. Uni bowls in a few different varieties are another viable dinner option. Everything is pretty good, but it is disappointing that they charge an extra $0.50 for ponzu when most places offer it at no charge. Another great aspect of Sake House is the hours. They stay open until midnight M-Su and until 1:00 AM on Friday & Saturday, though they are closed on Sunday. If you are into Shabu-Shabu, Sake House owns Shabu Shabu Ya just a couple of doors down on La Brea. Unfortunately Sake House and Shabu Shabu Ya do not have valet, so finding street parking can be difficult, but it's usually manageable. I'd plan on spending about $15-25 a person here, more if you plan on binge eating or drinking.

http://www.sakehousemiro.com/home/top.html

Tasca

After passing by Tasca on 3rd St. and Crescent Heights hundreds of times, Chase (f.k.a. Griffin) and I ventured there last night and it was definitely worth it! It reminds me of a neighborhood NY or Italian restaurant with less than 15 tables and the large wine bar taking up near half of the restaurant. the vibe is definitely dark and cozy with lots of rich wood and mirrors across the inside. There is a small outdoor patio as well that they close in a tarp when the weather is colder. We called at 8:00pm on a Friday night and the host who answered the phone was more than cordial in saying that he'd get us a table right away as soon as we got there, which was delivered as promised. Our waiter was really nice, but spoke to each wine and dish a little too much, over-describing all of the wine and dinner specials. We had decided to have a few tapas and split an entree so we started off with a glass of wine and a small bucket of truffled potato chips. They were pretty much homemade potato chips with truffle oil drizzled on at the end, making part of the chip just a little soggy. These were so good, and so casual for truffle oil that you could still eat them on the side with a great sandwich and it wouldn't be too much. Our second tapa was the ceviche, one of our favorite dishes. This was served in a cup-like bowl on top of a bed of arugula. The fish simply melted in our mouths it was so fresh and delicious. Overall the dish was really light and a great palette opener for the final tapa and the entree. Next was the grilled white pizza with smoked mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and basil, one of the night's specials. I really didn't know what to expect for a grilled pizza, but it was similar to a flatbread. There was no sauce at all, and though the pizza was extremely good,it could benefit from a garlic sauce. Overall, though, a very tasty dish. I really wanted to try the tortilla Espanola and the mussels, but with a full entree coming, it would have been far too much food. For our main course, we split the venison chop, which was served charred on the outside and rare on the inside. This is perfection. I've really only enjoyed venison in the form of a sausage prior to last night, but the chop was different than any venison I've ever had. First off, it was incredibly tender, which I didn't know the meat could be. Second, there was a little bit of spice to it, but nothing like the spiciness you normally get in a venison sausage. I will say that seeing the venison on the bone for me was a little sad because that kind of conjures up images of the helpless creature that had to die for my dinner, but I didn't let this get in the way of finishing the dish. One thing to note is that if you are going to go with just entrees, you'll probably need to order a side or a tapa as the entree is really just the main dish. We were pretty full but we split a creme caramel for dessert. For those who have never had this wonderful concoction it's like creme brulee without the hard top. Instead, they gave us a crispy caramel candy that looked pretty much like glass, but tasted like heaven. So we all know the food, the wine, the decor, and the service was great, now let's talk about price. It's not cheap, but food prices, particularly those of the big plates, really aren't bad. Tapas range from $7-16 or so, with the meatier selections such as the New Zealand lamb and the steamed mussels being on the higher side. Most of the entrees are in the low $20 range, with some pastas and other dishes at around $15-18. Desserts are $7 each. Where things could really get expensive is on the wine. Each glass is approximately $10, and they have some really nice bottles that can get quite expensive. If you just need a little or want to sample a few, they do have about 10 wines for tasting. Parking at Tasca is like everywhere else on 3rd, difficult unless you valet. We were lucky enough to find a spot on our own, so I didn't check how much the valet was. Tasca was terrific all around and somewhere I definitely recommend to anyone looking to enjoy a great meal.

http://www.tascawinebar.com/index08.html

The Waffle

After waiting about an hour to get a table at Katsu-ya Hollywood (with a reservation that is), my family and I abandoned the pretentious Hollywood hot spot and wandered down the street to Hollywood's new breakfast shop, The Waffle. Like a gourmet diner, we had no complaints, and they even serve alcohol! Since we were there at dinner time, there was a pretty even split of people having dinner food and those having breakfast fare, but no one was disappointed. I tried the mac n' cheese with fontina, cheddar, and gruyere all with baked breadcrumbs on top. I also tried a bit of my sister's whole grain waffle with fruit and it was also pretty good, but very healthy tasting. Griffin had the eggs and bacon and my brother had the burger and everyone seemed pretty impressed. It wasn't too costly either, about $10 a person. The atmosphere was really casual, a nice change for Hollywood, and reminded me a bit of my old pediatrician's office with the varying shades of orange and the oversized booths. The servers were all really nice and happy to offer up suggestions of what to eat. Though we didn't get dessert, the table next to us got a hot chocolate concoction with whipped cream and berries on it that looked really good! Overall it was a really relaxed dinner and we got to enjoy each other's company and some good food without spending a fortune (which we defintely would have at Katsu-ya). My only complaint is the limited parking in the area, but it's close enough that you could park at the Arclight and walk.

http://www.thewaffle.us/Site/Menu.html

Loteria

Finding good Mexican food in LA is a challenge, but Loteria at the Farmers Market in the Grove is a time tested favorite. It's just really great Mexican flare with a hint of Caribbean influence in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. You'll easily be able to spot this little gem in the Farmers Market by the multi-colored pictures that cover their outside wall, teaching simple Spanish through pictures (i.e. la reina with a picture of a queen, etc.). There are a couple of ways to dine here. If you want to take your time and be waited on, grab a seat at the counter and the fast-paced employees will take care of you. If you're with other people getting other food (perhaps the French place next door), you can stand in line and grab your goods on a tray to sit and eat at one of the many patio tables in the Farmers Market. I believe you can do to go too if you are really in a hurry. I've never been for breakfast, but if it's as good as the lunch/dinner items you'll be in good shape. My favorite dish here is the cheese enchilada platter in black bean sauce. So good! Their other enchiladas are good too, and you really just can't go wrong here. You can also create your own combo plate of mini-tacos, burritos, and/or tortas. Though I've never tried it, Loteria also offers low-carb tacos served in lettuce cups instead of a tortilla. Don't be fooled by the queso fundido. It may sound familiar, but this is just some cojita cheese melted on a plate, not at all like the runny queso we all miss from back home. One thing they don't have is tamales, so if you are really itching for one of those, you might want to try a neighborhood farmers' market (the kind in the street). To make up for the tamale-lessness, Loteria has fried plantains with creme fresca as a side. Who doesn't love fried plantains? I know they have about 3 or 4 different flavors of aguas frescas, including horchata, but I don't believe they have their liquor license. Not to worry, though, on the other side is a sports bar for getting margaritas or Mexican beer! Even though Loteria is really delicious, we always feel like it's more expensive than it should be, usually coming in at around $25 for the two of us. If you really try though, I'm quite sure you could eat on far less than that, but then you'd be missing out. Don't forget to get your parking validated for a free 2 hours!

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/11398449/los_angeles_ca/loteria_grill.html#

Doughboy's

Despite the love/hate relationship I currently have going with Doughboy's, I've decided to blog on it anyway. When I first went here a couple of years ago, I fell in love with the place, but lately it's more like I love it, but I'm not in love with it. The dish that became the apple of my eye was the after school special, comprised of an outstanding grilled cheese sandwich with fontina, emmenthal, and white cheddar on two slices of buttery French bread with a creamy tomato soup. Time after time I went back and was impressed by the breakfast, sandwiches, and pizza. Particularly enjoyable on the breakfast menu was the breakfast quesadilla. I'm not sure what's in the salsa they give you with this, but it's a little sweet and absolutely delicious. Also good are the fiber-packed blueberry flaxseed pancakes and Griffin loves the breakfast sandwich. They also have a rice krispy pancake with a marshmallow sauce that sounds delish! Additional sandwich highlights include the french dip and the roast beef. The pizza's are good too, and the extra soft crusts are like only a bakery could make. The meals are quite large so plan to share or take half home for later. If you are just going for bakery goods their bread is great and their red velvet is supposed to be fantastic (it's Ellen Degenerous' birthday cake of choice). Here's the problem, however. The 3rd St. location closed down once they opened the Hollywood location (I think the cross street is Willoughby?). The Mid-city shop closed reportedly due to a rumor of rats, but El Carmen, the tequila bar that shares a kitchen, is still open so I either they are dealing with the rats, or the rumor isn't true. Unfortunately the Hollywood location hasn't lived up to it's predecessor so far except in decor (think industrial chic) and the degree of difficulty to find street parking before having to wait for a table on a busy street corner. The last time I went to the Hollywood location I had my usual after school special, but the sandwich was all different and the tomato soup was far too chunky with huge pieces of tomato and onions. I wouldn't say it was bad, it just wasn't as good as what I was used to. It looks like they are finally making some progress on the 3rd St. location, so hopefully it will reopen soon and I'll give it another try.

http://www.doughboys.net/

Cliftons Cafeteria

So I haven't been able to devote as much time as I would like to my blog lately, but hopefully I can make up for it in the coming weeks. But on with today's post!

This weekend I had the, er, pleasure (?) or visiting Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles. We were there with some friends who were visiting from Austin, one of whom had gotten very specific instructions about Clifton's, "Here's the address. Don't look anything up about it, just go." Famous last words is what I say. Clifton's was like a crappier Luby's (who knew it got worse, right?). Amid the numerous fake gold jewelry shops and the homeless people wandering around downtown, you open the door to this unusual cafeteria. It's like something from a 1960's postcard with bizarre fake animal carcasses hanging on the wall and a waterfall running right through the center. There's all kinds of food here, but I can't really say any of it looked good. Even worse was the taste. It was like eating hospital food and frankly I still feel sick even thinking about it. I tried to play it safe getting the turkey and dressing with a dinner roll and mac n' cheese. The only thing I can speak nicely about is the cornbread stuffing, which was mediocre at best. The turkey was dry, the mac n' cheese overcooked and with too much cheese, and the dinner roll was the kind of bread that gets stuck to the roof of your mouth as you're chewing. I tried a bite of Griffin's pumpkin pie, which wasn't good either. Overall, a big poop sandwich - and it wasn't even cheap! My meal alone was $13. I can think of SO many better places to eat for under $13. This is not to even mention the homeless lady that approached our table telling us we were all wanted by the FBI. She then proceeded to eat what was left of Griffin's food while hovering over our table. The manager came over and asked her to leave, but we let her take the rest of the food we weren't going to eat in a box with her. It was overall a really terrible experience and one I never hope to relive! To be fair though, I was the only one who didn't enjoy it. The other three had pleasant things to say about this raunchy spot. Let's just say that there used to be 9 locations and now, not surprisingly, there is only 1.

http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/home.html

Pace

It's hard to say exactly what part of town the Italian restaurant Pace is in, but their slogan, "Peace in the Canyon" somewhat gives it away. On the strip of Laurel Canyon between Sunset and Mulholland you'll mostly only find residences (and pricey ones at that), but those residents are blessed with having one amazing restaurant reserved almost exclusively for them. Pace is a small little place underneath the Canyon market store on Laurel Canyon. It's really best to go with a reservation, but if you don't mind waiting for a spell, then stop by any time. There's really no cheap way to do Pace, but there are definitely frugal ways to spend here. Griffin and I like to order a pizza (the Aphrodite pizza with potato and green beans is the best!) and then we'll have a second dish, something like the filet mignon, to share. The pizzas are relatively inexpensive (about $15) and filling, so they help balance out the expensive entrees (the filet is the most expensive at $43). As far as appetizers, the steamed mussels are delectable. I don't believe we've ever had dessert here, but based on the quality of the rest of the food, I'm quite sure it'd be terrific. As I mentioned, the space itself is pretty small, but there is a cozy outdoor patio with space heaters that provides a few extra tables. If you'd rather not wait for a table, I've seen the Pace delivery car driving around the area, though I'm not sure the parameters they'll deliver to. Even if you're just having pizza, it's hard to leave Pace spending less than $30 a person, and depending how much you are going to drink, that price just gets higher.

http://www.peaceinthecanyon.com/main.html

Zeke's Smokehouse

This Texas girl felt right at home at Zeke's Smokehouse in the Target shopping center on La Brea and Santa Monica, though that may of had something to do with the pictures of Texas hung on the wall. The interior is spacious and clean (it's very clean and white for a bbq shop!) and you seat yourself anywhere you like, or march up to the counter for to go orders. Everything looked great to me and Griffin, but we ended up ordering a mixed rib plate to share with mac n' cheese and potato salad. We were a little worried about sharing the plate, but it was more than enough and we could hardly finish it all. It came with 3 varieties of ribs, the Longhorn beef ribs, and 2 types of pork ribs. The Longhorn ribs were huge, each about the size of a grown man's forearm. They were all really good, but I thought one of the pork ribs were a little dry. I don't know that much about bbq, but I believe those were the Kansas City ribs and they are supposed to be served that way (crazy Kansasites). We tried a bit of all three of Zeke's bbq sauces and the mild and sweet one was by far superior to the smokey and spicy sauces. The potato salad was pretty delightful, despite the small amount of mustard in it and the side of mac n' cheese was definitely worth the $0.96 extra. The mac n' cheese is really on the menu as a house specialty for almost $10, an insane price to pay for mac n' cheese, but they'll give you a little as a side if you ask. Our plate came with Texas toast, which was quite a bit crispier than what Texas toast is supposed to be. Anyone from Texas knows that Texas toast is thick, soft bread a little toasted on the top and smothered in butter. I really wanted to try the hushpuppies with honey butter, even though the price seems a little steep at $6, but we'll have to try it next time. On a separate occasion Griffin and I had Zeke's bbq brisket for sandwiches and it was really tasty! If you choose wisely, you can eat here for $10 a person. It's also notable that they serve beer and even have a couple kinds on tap. Their dessert menu looked a little disappointing and I couldn't believe they didn't have cobbler, so we didn't indulge in any sweets here. If you can eat in under an hour you get free parking!

http://www.zekessmokehouse.com/

As a side note, we totally saw Mr. Rooney's secretary from Ferris Beuhler here. She was rad.

Fraiche

I am yet to meet anyone who knows how to pronounce the name of Fraiche with certainty, but most people seem to know that it's one of Culver City's most talked about restaurants. Ever since it opened last year I'd really been wanting to try it. For months I built the place up in my head, so when I finally got to dine here a couple of months ago, results were average to say the least. The atmosphere is cool enough, I guess, with a kind of East-coast pub feel to it, and the waiters, or at least the one we had, was pretty much consistent with that characteristic. When we asked for suggestions on the lunch menu, the waiter didn't really have any and kept saying "It really depends what you're in the mood for." Apparently he doesn't really get what a recommendation is because if you're in the mood for a certain something, you'll order that and won't need to ask for any assistance. It wasn't until we finally asked what the most popular dish was that the guy really came up with an answer - the Royale with Cheese burger. Four out of five of us ended up ordering that dish, but I can't really say that anyone would order it again. Don't get me wrong, but it was a very rich, flaky, burger that is just so far from what you are used to in the American classic. It's a beef burger with Gruyere and a kaiser bun that has had the inside of the top hollowed out and Gruyere baked in. Thus, the bun is extremely crispy and the Gruyere almost overpowers the rest of the dish. The fries that come with it are really great though and served with mayo. The one person who didn't get the burger (the only guy surprisingly) got one of the specials, and seemed pretty happy with it. We tried a few of the desserts, which are supposed to be one of the main attractions at Fraiche, but they were a disappointment as well. We had checked out the menu online before we went and really had our hopes up for some creme brulee and a cappuccino pudding. Unfortunately for us, the online menu was outdated and they no longer offered those items for lunch. So instead we got the pot of chocolate pudding and the assorted cookies. Neither were that great and we didn't finish any of it. I think probably the trick to eating at Fraiche is coming for dinner and enjoying a full blown gourmet French dinner. There was a lot of potential here, but like so many other places the real issue is having the food deliver the taste and quality that the menu promises. I'd say don't rule it out, but if you've $50+ burning a whole in your pocket, I'd try Fraiche for dinner, then let me know how the creme brulee is!

http://fraicherestaurantla.com/main_pages/opening_page2.html

Cynthia's Restaurant3

Last night as we were trying to think of a place to get a quick bite to eat, Griffin remembered Cynthia's Restaurant on 3rd (though he kept calling it Suzanna's). At first I couldn't recall the place because he didn't really remember what we got and he couldn't remember the right name. Once we drove past it though, all the food memories came rushing back. It's certainly been over a year since we dined at Cynthia's, but now that I remember it, I can't wait to go back. We didn't end up eating here last night because we didn't intend to spend $70 on dinner, but we did pick up some of their blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. More on that later.... Once I looked at the menu for Cynthia's I could remember everything we got and just the way it tastes. I recall that we started with the goat cheese quesadilla with mango creme, thinking it would taste similar to the goat cheese and guava quesadilla we loved so much from Cha Cha Cha. It was a little different, but still delicious. For our entrees I tried the spicy fried chicken, as I had read several really positive reviews about it online. As any fried chicken should, it comes with some creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. So good. I realize this is my second time to blog about fried chicken this week, and both are delicious, but they are very different. The fried chicken, and all the other dishes from Cynthia's for that matter, are very upscale home cooking. I guess because it costs $25 and is on a real plate it makes you think it's a little healthier than the Honey Kettle variety too. Griffin had the Dijon pork chop with potato pancakes and applesauce. While I'm not too keen on any kind of mustard or applesauce, I remember the potato pancakes being just great. For dessert we had the blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream. I had also read about this online and between the fried chicken and the cobbler, we had to try it. I love all kinds of cobbler, but I think the blackberry might be king. It's sweet and tart, warm and cold (from the ice cream), and just an all-out mixture of sugar and spice and everything nice. I know it's been a while, but thinking back I remember that we sat in the table next to the bar in the back and that our waitress was about as nice as can be. Even the owners stopped by to say "hi." I also remember that when we went it was a weekend night and it was pretty full, but when we went by to pick up our dessert there last night (a Friday) it looked pretty quiet, with several open tables in the small space. So I'm not sure if you'd really need a reservation or not, but if you are planning ahead, then there's really no harm in making one. There's street parking if you are lucky enough to find any, but there's also $5 valet at the restaurant. For a party of 2, you definitely wouldn't be able to eat 2 entrees and leave without shelling upwards of $60, and that's just for entrees and doesn't include any apps, drinks, or delectable desserts. If you want to try Cynthia's on a budget, you may want to try going for lunch, when most menu items are under $15 (though the menu is admittedly smaller - but they still have the fried chicken!). Whether it's for lunch, dinner, or just dessert, Cynthia's is definitely worth giving a try.

http://www.usmenuguide.com/cynthiasrestaurant3.htm

Yoshi Sushi

After reading several positive reviews about Yoshi Sushi (and due to my affinity for the Nintendo character), Griffin and I tried the Japanese joint a couple of years back. Though we don't go there for sushi all the time, we are always pleased when we dine here. We've never sat at the sushi bar, so I'm not really sure what a different experience it is from the sushi bar to a table, but it at the very least seems brighter over the sushi bar. The tables in the back are where we prefer, where it's dimly lit, but you can still admire the bizarre fish paintings on the wall (think the crazy paintings in Royal Tenenbaums). There are two days we especially love to come here: Friday night for 1/2 price drinks all night and Saturday for sake bomb night (order a beer and get some warm, cheap sake free). On those nights, we always order a Sapporo to share upon sitting down. The hostess/owner (I think?) is always so nice and accommodating. Before you order the staff brings you thinly sliced cucumber in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds. I rarely care for cucumbers, but these are actually pretty good. Much preferred to edamame in fact. We definitely have our favorites here too, like at any good sushi place. The crispy rice, one of my favorite all time dishes, is pretty delicious here. The rice cake is denser and cooked longer than most other places and then topped with a mountain of spicy tuna and sesame seeds. The real pull to come here is the sushi bomb and the spicy California ball. First - the bomb. It's like a spicy tuna roll with a little bit of crunchy balled and wrapped in seaweed. For presentation they put tiny little wicks on foil and light it as they place it on your table. It doesn't take long for the spark to go out on its own, but if you can't wait, you can always just blow it out. The bomb is split into four medium size pieces (about the size of a piece of nigiri) and is really only enough to share with 2 people max. Similarly, the spicy California ball is sliced in quarters of the same size, though ingredients and presentation differ. The California ball is stuffed full of spicy crab meat on the inside and then layers of avocado are placed around it in a ball shape. Then the dish is drizzled with a creamy sauce. If you don't like a lot of rice with your sushi, this is your dish - there is none. The nigiri here is very fresh and fairly reasonably priced. We also really like the miso sea bass here. It's sweet and a little tangy but comes in portions that end up really only being about 8-10 bites. Like most places, Griffin and I can get out of here spending roughly $60 for the two of us. There is no valet and it's in a pretty busy part of West Hollywood (pretty much across from Marix and Basix) so street parking can sometimes be hard to find. On the bright side, if you live close enough, Yoshi does have a delivery service they use, but I'm not sure what extra cost is incurred by that. Overall, the people are always really friendly and the food is really great, so we'll continue to keep coming back.

Warning: This is not that great of a representation of their menu.
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/41735803/

Firefly

I hesitate to label Firefly in Studio City as "American" because they are quite a bit more than that, with both French and Asian flares. Griffin and I went here for an anniversary a while back and I can't wait to revisit. Though it can be a little hard to get into on the weekends (my friends and I were once turned away going for drinks on a Friday because we weren't on the list), but if you have a dinner reservation you should be alright. Luckily, you don't have to be somebody to get a dinner reservation either. When you first walk in to the bar, it looks a bit like a library, but certainly the hippest library you've ever seen. As you pass the bar and the plush bar seating you venture to the back outdoor patio, which looks a bit like something out of a movie. The bricks and ivy mix is charming and a big outdoor fireplace adds flare. There are tables spaced under an awning of stars and little bungalow-like tables line the walls. Behind each table are several little candles lighting the scene. It's all very romantic, hence it was perfect for an anniversary dinner. We started out with a glass of wine each and an order of the cast iron skillet mussels. As I consider myself a connoisseur of the crispy rice dish, we also had to try the hamachi sashimi on crispy rice cakes. I love my crispy rice, but this is the best, far surpassing that of Katsu-ya, Iroha, or Yoshi. The flavors are delicate but crisp and certainly worth the $16 for the appetizer. For dinner, we tried the roasted hen breast and the sea bass. Both were exceptional and the pan roasted mushrooms that were served with the hen were to die for. By the time we finished our meal we were unfortunately too full for dessert because the trio of chocolate custards (i.e. chocolate creme brulee) sounded superb! The whole meal was roughly $100 for the pair of us, but like I mentioned, it was a special occasion and well worth the money. The restaurant is a little hard to find as it's completely covered in ivy, but just look for the valet umbrella down the street from Katsu-ya.

P.s. The restaurant Firefly has nothing to do with the Joss Whedon TV series by the same name (much to Griffin's dismay).

http://www.fireflystudiocity.com/
Since the website isn't very built out, Citysearch has the menu.
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/12252451/#

Honey's Kettle

I'm from the south, no naturally, I enjoy some fried chicken and biscuits (i.e. love that chicken from Popeye's!). Now I haven't had much fried chicken out here with the California health craze, but Honey Kettle is probably the best fried chicken I've had ever. Period. Their secret? They use waffle batter to fry their chicken, and it's just perfect. I was lucky enough to get Honey Kettle today (for the second time) in honor of a coworker's birthday, and it wasn't just me who was excited, but everyone's been talking all week about how they can't wait for some Honey Kettle. Both times I've been here I've had the fried chicken, but I think I pretty much covered that in the above. Their biscuits are also quite scrumptious. The buttery flakiness just melts in your mouth (though I still think Popeye's has the best biscuits, except for maybe Bubba's in Dallas). I also partook in the corn on the cob (at least I got one vegetable) and it was decent. I prefer my corn grilled and this could have been cooked a little more. I also tried a hushpuppy, or a little fried cornbread ball, which are pretty hard to come by in LA, much like the rest of their Cajun cuisine family. To my delight, there were no jalapenos in the hushpuppies. Others tried the fried fish and said it was pretty good, but it didn't sound like it was much better than fried fish you'd find elsewhere. Honey Kettle is also known for their hotcakes, which come in the plain and blueberry varieties. It pretty much looks and tastes like a pancake, but if anyone knows what the difference is between the two, if one exists at all, please tell me because I'm curious to know. Prices are pretty reasonable here. Twelve of us ate on $80 or so, which breaks down to $6-7 a person. Obviously you get a better deal when you buy in bulk, but it's doubtful you'll spend more than $10 a person if you patronize the shop. The restaurant itself is certainly not ultra-chic and looks pretty much like your run of the mill fast food joint, but they do have some outside tables where they rival neighbor Ford's Filling Station for the loudest music. One of the best parts of going to Culver City is the ample free parking. For those unfamiliar, CC has several free parking lots, for the first 2 hours at least, that require no validation.

http://honeyskettle.com/

Milk

If you Google "Milk Los Angeles, CA" you'll get three results all within about 2 miles of each other. Two of those results are all about the baked goods, though Milk (a.k.a. The Milk Shop) has quite a bit more to offer. Milk rests in a corner spot on Beverly and Poinsettia and shares a parking lot with El Coyote, to give you some perspective of location. When you walk in, you are immediately greeted with baskets of baked goods and jams available for sale. Next to that stands a small refrigerator full of beverages, including fresh bottled milk (plus, if you return the bottle they'll give you $2 back!). As you move forward in the line, you have the opportunity to check out the homemade ice creams and gelatos as well as an entire fridge full of ice cream sandwiches. On the other side of the counter you'll find all of the baked goods, ranging from a few varieties of cookies (my favorite is the ooey gooey chocolate chocolate chip - rich but delicious), and a few cakes and pies as well. I'm always intrigued by the deserts they serve that change regularly. Once I remember seeing a blue velvet cake, Milk's take on the popular red velvet variety. I regret that I didn't try it though, as I couldn't tear myself away from my usual. Listed on the menu board are the scrumptious shakes and malts available. From fruity to chocolate-y these are pretty tasty. If you need a little something savory before diving into the sweets, Milk offers a small selection of sandwiches, salads, and entrees. In all honesty, I think the kid's menu sounds the best and I've tried a bite of the mac n' cheese, and it's pretty tasty. Kid's could also get their choice of an all beef hot dog or a grilled cheese. On the big kid menu are a number of paninis, from the Media Noche (pulled pork, manchego cheese, pickles, and roasted garlic mayo) to the grown up ham and Swiss (baked ham and Swiss with peppered greens) to the prosciutto and provolone (with arugula, potato slivers, onion, and black pepper cream). The salads are of garden variety with a Caesar, Chinese chicken, Cobb, and garden salad. Milk also serves one type of noodle bowl, which to me seems out of place, but to each their own I guess. If it's nice outside, the outdoor tables are pretty pleasant for people watching on Beverly. If it's not so nice out, I'd do to go if you're headed to Milk because there really aren't that many tables indoors. If you're going just for desert you can spend as little as $1 on some of the cookies (and trust me, they are rich enough that one might be enough) or you could spend about $10-15 a person and get lunch/dinner and desert. I only wish this place was open for breakfast, I'm sure it would be fabulous.

http://www.themilkshop.com/