Craft

After hearing pretty mediocre reviews of NY transplant Craft, I finally tried it for a work event last night. Located behind the massive CAA building in Century City I expected to see lots of agents schmoozing their b-list celeb clients, but alas, it was mostly just couples. The outdoor patio out front would be a great spot for a big happy hour get together on the spacious but intimate couches. Inside was very beige, dimly lit, and the tables were almost too big to really carry on a conversation with someone across the table from you. The idea of the menu is to share among everyone at the table (most orders seem to accommodate 4 persons). After getting a glass of wine at the bar we sat at our table - somewhat inconveniently placed next to a huge pole. We started off the meal with an order of the caramelized onion & goat cheese tart, the bigeye tuna and pineapple, and the short rib ravioli. The tart was purely divine, though I wasn't really all that impressed with the tuna or the ravioli. It was definitely good, but nothing to write home about really. For the main course I opted for the quail and wild blueberries with a side of braised green beans, all of which were superb. The quail was a little greasy, but it only added to the flavor. I tried a bit of the roasted corn, a French whitefish, and the roasted flowering squash. The fish was a little bland, but the corn and squash were all you could want in a vegetable dish. To finish it off we ordered a cornucopia of desserts. First up was the three ice cream sampler with maple bacon, cream cheese, and honey yogurt ice creams. There are about 20 flavors, but each of us chose the one we wanted to try. The maple bacon was definitely different, and for me, not in a good way. The bacon taste was far too prevalent in a sweet dessert. The honey yogurt was decent, but the cream cheese was the best of the three. For any Texans out there it tasted like some good ole fashioned Blue Bell (which is the best ice cream in the country). We did have a chance to try the basil ice cream as a small scoop was served with the peach tart tatin that finished the night. Turns out basil ice cream tastes just like basil. The peach tart was really flaky with warm fresh peaches atop it. One of my favorite bites of the night. I would have liked to try a few other things on the menu, but for one reason or another, it didn't work out. Case in point - the peach cobbler cocktail sounded so good, but the waiter advised against it since the pastry chef was using all of the fresh peaches and the bar was forced to resort to a less satisfying peach puree. The wagyu beef (at $25 an oz) would have been wonderful to try as well, but there was already so much food that I didn't want to push my limits. I wasn't paying for the meal, but I can't imagine it was less than $100 per person, though I think that could go up or down, depending on your appetite. I'd have to say that this would not be in my top recommendations by any means, see prior posts for some of those!

http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craft_losangeles_menu.html

Panini

I totally <3 paninis so I have wanted to try local chain Panini (clever huh?) for some time. I've only gone to the one in Marina del Rey, but I know there is at least one other location in West Hollywood. Breakfast is served all day, but I of course go for the lunch paninis. My first try was a turkey and brie sandwich with cranberry spread. So good! I loved the gazpacho even more - it tasted just like the one I make without the huge mess in my kitchen. Second attempt was equally as fulfilling with a prosciutto, goat cheese, and red pepper panini that was simply divine! Here's the only weird thing about this place - if you want your sandwich pressed, you have to ask for it. But isn't a panini by definition a hot sandwich? Maybe I'm wrong on this one though.... The Marina del Rey location has a nice little patio they share with the surrounding restaurants as well as a decent interior (think slightly above Panera). Panini is also a bakery with an entire counter full of baked goodies if you make it to dessert. I also should mention that next door is Marble Slab - a Texas treat! All organic ice cream gets mixed with toppings of your choice before being stuffed into a freshly baked waffle cone. YUM!

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/151348/marina_del_rey_ca/panini_coffee_cafe.html

Boneyard Bistro

I was vegetarian once. It didn't last and boy am I glad because I would never of had the greatness that is Boneyard Bistro. This fancy BBQ spot sits on Ventura along a string of other food establishments in Sherman Oaks. Mr. Cecil's California Ribs is only a couple of doors down but the food is so different at each that they can coexist peacefully. Boneyard is pretty modern and manly on the inside with lots of wood, brick, and steel from what I can recall. The two times I've been here the chef makes the rounds to ensure everyone is having a great experience. It's been awhile sice I was here and their online menu seems to have changed quite a bit, but the short ribs and the brisket are what I remember most. Both were really tender and juicy, even after the ribs are slow cooked for hours. Sweet potato fries are always a favorite as well. Even if you aren't eating meat, they've got your standard selection of BBQ fish (i.e. blackened catfish and ancho grilled shrimp). Prices are decent for the quality of food and won't set you back more than about $25-$30 a plate. Self-parking in the area is doable, but if you don't want to exert the effort, Boneyard has a reasonably priced valet service. After eating so much meat though (portions are huge) you may want to walk it off a little before heading to your destination.

http://www.boneyardbistro.com/

Frida

I joined my whole family for dinner at Frida in the new Americana at Brand mall in Glendale recently and let's just say I definitely perfer my Frida in the form of paintings. The margaritas were decent, but at $12 a pop it costs a small fortune to get a buzz. We all wanted to try the different ceviches they have, but unfortunately there's not much good to report. Every ceviche I've ever had comes with a variety of fish in it, but at Frida you choose if you want shrimp or tuna, and I think they're really missing out by only allowing either/or. My sister ordered the ceviche especial, which is the only ceviche that has both shrimp and tuna, but it also has a creamy sauce. It sounded a little weird to have creamy ceviche and once it came out, it tasted weird. It was like dipping fish in mayo. I ordered the ceviche acapulco, which wasn't entirely disappointing, but was still probably the worst ceviche I've ever had (next to the ceviche especial). The shrimp didn't taste fresh at all and the flavors really didn't mesh well, despite that it's the same ingredients in every ceviche. For my entree I had the enchiladas suizas, one of my all time favorite Mexican dishes, and while the enchiladas were way better than the ceviche, they still weren't that great. Not one of the 6 of us was really that happy with the food and I don't think anyone would go back. Most dishes were $15-$20 and for that you can get so much better Mexican food.

http://www.fridarestaurant.com/glendale/menu.html

M Cafe de Chaya

Ever tried Macrobiotics? Didn't think so. If you're willing to give the Yin-Yang diet a shot, M Cafe de Chaya is a good place to start. As a rule, macrobiotic foods are not highly processed, so everything here is very earthy and mostly vegan, with the exception of a few fish dishes. I've tried it twice and think it's pretty good, but the lifestyle is a little expensive to keep up with. The first time I had the sushi, which was decent, though I wouldn't suggest making a trip specifically for the sushi since there is definitely better sushi to be had. The last time I ate here I went to the Culver City location which in my opinion is way easier than the Melrose location. I had the half sandwich soup combo with the panino provancale with the corn soup. The panino came chalk full of grilled veggies, arugula, balsamic, aioli pesto, and creamy tofu cheese (all cheeses are non-dairy). The corn soup was really creamy and delicious as well. Both were perfectly proportioned and I didn't feel too full afterwards. I was tempted to have a baked good because they looked so yummy, but this time around I had to pass. Even if you're not in to super healthy cuisine, this place is worth trying.

http://www.mcafedechaya.com/menu.html

Gyenari

With all of the new restaurants popping up in Culver City, it's a little hard to keep track, but Gyenari is definitely one to look for. This Korean BBQ spot opened its doors last month next to other newcomer, Rush Street. After eating both, go for the BBQ! Though no one, not even the Koreans I work with, know how to correctly pronounce the name of this restaurant, the food and the service is still top notch. The interiors are modern and beautiful with a small fountain and a wine bar to greet you. Once you stop for a drink at the bar (I highly the raspberry acai cocktail - so good!), move on to the dining area. The tables are quite large with a little pit to grill your dinner on right in front of you. The backdrop is a gorgeous lit panel showcasing natural elements and surrounded by dark wood walls. Since we were a big group we sat in the semi-private dining area which was essentially a long, skinny room with a couple of tables big enough to seat 10. The wallpaper in the room was beautiful, but it was really distracting to have flat screen TVs at either end playing ESPN. In my personal opinion, they should have left the TV's at the bar. The website says there is a partition to separate the tables if separate parties are occupying the room at once, but there was definitely another big group in the room and no partition to speak of. Having never had Korean BBQ, I left the ordering (and grilling) up to the experts. I certainly didn't mind ordering my own drinks though! Since we were there the Monday after they opened the bar was out of almost every beer, so I gave Hite, a Korean beer, a try and was pleasantly surprised. The table got a round of sparkling sake too, which was far better than normal sake to me. The term champagne of sake would truly apply here. As for the food, I can remember having bulgogi, wagyu beef, pork belly, and filet mignon. Everything was absolutely delicious! If you aren't into grilling your own meal, I think there are alternative options (black cod, salmon, or short ribs) though you'd really be missing out on the appeal of the place to just order one of these. Since I wasn't paying and I wasn't ordering, I've really no clue what the prices are like here, though I'm pretty sure it's worth it for the great food and all-around great experience I had here.

http://gyenari.com/

Campanile

I'm not sure why, but I always thought Campanile (pronounced Camp-a-nee-lay) on La Brea was an Italian restaurant. Once I got there it turned out I was wrong, but we decided to give the place a shot anyway. Let's start with interiors on this one. The architecture of this building, once owned by Charlie Chaplin, is awe-inspiring. As you enter the front half of the restaurant is largely stone with huge windows to the second floor at the top on either side. When you pass a little hallway with staircases on the left and right you move into a second room with stucco white walls and Spanish style windows. The interiors definitely reminded me of the Spanish castle in Granada, one of my favorite spots in the world. I wish I could say that the food was as lovely as the space, but unfortunately for me, it just wasn't. We weren't starving but went for dinner on a weekend. Three cheeses from their selection started off the evening, though I can't recall exactly the three we got. All were recommendations from the waiter and we only finished one since we just weren't that into it. We followed that up with some oysters on the halfshell. I like oysters, I really do, but these were covered with something resembling a chutney that just didn't work for me. For the entree we went with the special, a lasagna that I could only describe as limp and soggy. I think part of the bad experience food wise could just be that we ordered the wrong things, but by definition when you go to a great restaurant you should be able to eat anything off the menu and be pleased. I have heard that their brunch is decent, so perhaps I just need to go at a different time. Thursday night they do a grilled cheese night that ranges from a classic grilled cheese to a sheep's milk ricotta grilled cheese with roasted tomatoes, olives, and garlic, all of which are around $16-18. The normal dinner menu is more in the range of $20-35 a plate, and for me, just not worth it. Zagat calls Campanile one of the top 50 restaurants in LA, but I'm just not sure it makes my version of that list.

http://www.campanilerestaurant.com/