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/

Chulada Grill

I love Tex-Mex. In fact, I love Tex-Mex so much, I could probably eat it every day for the rest of my life and die happy. It's probably one of the things I miss most about Texas, and it's quite a challenge to find anything comparable in LA. Hole-in-the-wall Chulada Grill almost measures up, at least in the breakfast department. There's nothing to cure a hangover like a couple of breakfast tacos, and Chulada's breakfast burrito is top notch. I had one just this morning (and yes, a hangover was involved) with potatoes, cheese, black beans, and bacon. Together, it's like a good symphony, but when you dissect the pieces, there is a little room for improvement I suppose. The potatoes were fairly flavorless and I hardly noticed them in the burrito except as filler. I couldn't decide if I liked the bacon or not. It was really thickly cut and in small pieces that were few and far between. It also seemed really fatty, which while that's usually a good thing for the flavor, it was a bit of a turnoff for me today. The best part for me were the refried black beans with cheese perfectly melted into it and wrapped up in a soft tortilla. Chulada does seem a little pricey for what it is, about $7-8 per entree. It's such a hole-in-the-wall you would expect it to be super cheap, but I guess they've got to pay the bills. And if you live in the area, they deliver!

http://www.chuladagrill.com/breakfast.htm

The Chicken Lady

The Chicken Lady is kind of a random little spot tucked into a crowded shopping center behind the Beverly Center, but this place had rave reviews on Yelp. I hate to start on a downside, but they're only open for lunch, and I'm not clear if they're open on Saturday or just Monday to Friday. I got the chicken tenders with mac & cheese. The tenders alone weren't anything spectacular, but it's the sweet BBQ dipping sauce that really makes them so delicious. The mac & cheese was good, but nothing too memorable about it. The rest of the menu is chicken dishes from around the world (i.e. chicken tacos, chicken thai sticks, mesquite lime cilantro tenders). The prices are decent with each dish coming in around $7 or $8. The people here are super nice too, which made it all the better. Parking can be a bit of an issue. There is a parking lot with a parking service, but there were cars stacked bumper to bumper. The better bet is to find street parking on San Vicente. I'm hoping to go back whenever I have a day off work, but it's a little inconvenient with the hours.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/44408531/los_angeles_ca/the_chicken_lady.html#

King's Road Cafe

So maybe August isn't back with as much of a vengeance as I thought, but hopefully there'll be plenty more to come because I have lots of new places to tell you about! Let's begin with King's Road Cafe down the street from the Beverly Center. Parking is a bit of a hassle and you're likely to see several hobo's hanging around, but for the breakfast at least, it's worth it. When Chase and I tried this place, we didn't have to wait long for a table, but once we sat down, service wasn't great. They normally have an hibiscus tea, but unfortunately they were out the day we were there. Chase was trying to order a coffee drink we'd seen go by several times, but the waiter wasn't much help in figuring out what it was, and Chase had to go in and ask the barista what it was and get a new drink. As for the food, I opted for the whole wheat blueberry granola pancakes. I can't tell you how good these pancakes are. If you like pancakes, you've got to try them! I didn't use a drop of syrup and they were truly phenomenal. Chase ordered the chicken cilantro sausage, fontina cheese, avocado, and sour cream omelet. I took a bite and it was really good, but I decided I'd rather eat my entire plate of pancakes. Really, SO GOOD! Atmosphere is average for a cafe, and price is pretty standard as well. Try it folks!

http://www.kingsroadcafe.com/menu.htm

Quality Food & Beverage

Quality Food & Beverage had quietly been on my radar of places in my area to try, but I believe they close pretty early, so Chase and I recently went for breakfast and it was a bit of a mixed review. I had the German pancake, which is pretty much a gigantic baked pancake with lemon juice and powered sugar, and Chase had the breakfast burrito. I was really happy with both, and I ate off of his while we waited for mine (it takes about 20 minutes to make). I'm not sure what he didn't like about the breakfast burrito, but I thought the salsa verde on top was just the way I like it, a little sweet and a little tart. I'd also never had a German pancake before and he had a German guy live with him for a while that used to make them for all of their roommates. Chase didn't seem to think there was much of a comparison, but I really liked it. There was a high crust kind of thing around the outside, which was the best part. The interior got a little soggy and I have a weird thing about soggy bread. Nevertheless, the interior had the most lemon taste to it, with was the other sparkling feature. Other than our entrees, we really didn't try much else. They do have a pretty big menu though, and I think it was certainly worth going back. It wasn't terribly expensive either, about $15 a person with a drink (the homemade lemonade was great). We were lucky that we didn't have to wait more than about 10 minutes, but I can see how this place would get as crowded as Doughboys or Toast and with equally as mediocre parking.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/81678/

Hatfields

Hatfields is another one of the restaurants in LA that I've been trying to get to for over a year now and last night Chase and I finally went. The setting is very serene with creamy white walls and tables and cabin-looking wood accents surrounding. Once at our table, we were delivered a little treat from the chef consisting of deviled quail eggs and a cold corn soup. Deviled eggs are not usually something I like, but the deviled quail eggs were superb. The corn soup was served in a shot glass and while it was good, I really couldn't of handled more than the 3 or 4 sips that we were given as it tasted so strongly of corn. Beyond that we tried another corn dish, the house made corn agnolloti with Dungeness crab, sherry beurre fondue and shaved summer truflle. The pasta was extremely rich (even without the truffle) but the crab was still really mild and overall a well balanced dish served in a really interesting plate with a bowl cut out of the middle. For entrees, I had the buttermilk steamed organic chicken breast on top of brown buttered sunchokes with julianned squash and zucchini basil coulis. I can't say that I've had steamed chicken too often in my life, but I'm not sure I prefer it that way. The chicken was so tender, but it didn't have any overwhelming taste. Maybe baking the chicken would be give it a little more flavor? The sunchokes were great and the zucchini basil sauce was interesting and an unexpected flavor. Chase was really excited about the date and mint crusted lamb with potato chive puree, and a mixed vegetable sautee. I tried a bite of his and the lamb, cooked pink in the center, was really great. The crust of date and mint on the outside was probably the best part. The potato chive puree was another unexpected flavor that worked really well, though you definitely don't feel like you are eating potatoes since they are so light and fluffy. Mid-way through the meal we decided we needed to try the rhubarb bellini, which was better than most bellinis I've ever had. After finishing all of that off, we took the waiter's desert suggestion and went for the beignets and chocolate fondue with a shotglass of vanilla milkshake. Probably the best milkshake I've ever had and we would have loved to have more than 2 sips each. The chocolate with the beignets was just right and this dish reminded me of what churros con chocolate is really supposed to taste like. Que bueno! Take heed though, this is a very fancy place, with high prices and small portions. They are really going for quality over quantity. At the end of the night, our meal for two was $120 and Chase was making jokes that he needed to grab some fast food on the way home. While it was really delicious, I don't think I'll find myself craving anything we had or wanting to come back anytime soon. Especially not with so many other places on my to try list.

http://www.hatfieldsrestaurant.com/menus.html

Kokomo Cafe

We first discovered Kokomo when it was located at the Farmer's Market in The Grove. It used to live in a cozy little area facing 3rd St., but since it has moved not to far to a location on Beverly & Martel. I believe the move had to do with the growing popularity of the restaurant, and their menu seems to have grown since the move too. I've only tried Kokomo for breakfast, but it's really great comfort food among the likes of The Griddle Cafe and Doughboys. My favorite dish to get here is the waffle with warm fruit compote. The compote is comprised of banana, berries, and rum. I would personally think it would be improved with no bananas and a milder portion of the rum. Still, really delicious. Also delicious are the pumpkin pancakes, served year-round. The breakfast burrito is also really tasty and hearty, though nothing that makes it stand out over other breakfast burritos. Chase likes the croissantwich. One of the things I've always really wanted to try here is the chicken and waffle. I've never tried this soul food combo, but I think at Kokomo would be one of the best places to do it. The lunch and dinner menu is chalk full of salads and some interesting looking sandwiches. The two that sound particularly creative and delicious to me are the ahi tuna with sesame-ginger sauce and the crab cake sandwich. Almost everything on the menu is under $10, with the exception of the salads, that range from about $10-$15. I know before the move Kokomo used to have $3 beers, which is hard to find in LA, but I'm not positive that this steal traveled to the new location. But it's worth going back for dinner to find out!

http://www.kokomocafe.com

Joan's on Third

For a little cafe/caterer on 3rd St., Joan's on Third sure has a fancy website! It's funny that I started this post, proceeded with another post, and then the next day, we had Joan's on Third delivered to my office. Chase and I had been here for dinner once before and we really liked it, but they close really early. My sister had told me that the meatloaf and cupcakes were the stars of the menu, but I didn't try either. but we did try the field greens salad with field greens, spiced pecans, and vinaigrette. Chase tried the meatloaf sandwich and seemed pretty happy with it from what I can recall. Yesterday I had some of the breakfast pastries from there and I have to say that the cinnamon sugar doughnut muffin was really good, but so dense that I couldn't finish it. Everyone always has such glowing reviews of Joan's that I really need to go back and try a few other things here, like the apricot glazed ham and brie sandwich and the cupcakes.  

http://www.joansonthird.com/marketplace_menu.php?id=1

Cobras & Matadors

One of Chase & my favorite spots when we first moved to LA was Flora Kitchen, connected to Rita Flora Florists on La Brea. Sadly, Flora Kitchen closed last year and reopened to be Happi Songs, a Korean restaurant and sake bar. About 3 weeks later, Happi Songs turned into Goat, a restaurant focusing largely on the meat, cheese, and milk of that animal. Chase and I wanted to try Goat and joked that we should hurry before it turned into something else. Last night we finally made it over there, and apparently we were too late. From the front you won't notice much change except the writing on the door, and we walked in from the parking lot in the back, so it wasn't until we were there and really started looking around while we waited for a table that we even noticed the change to Cobras & Matadors. I asked the waiter how long it'd been since Goat closed and they opened and he said about 2 weeks, but this was their first really busy night. And busy it was, but luckily we didn't have to wait long until a seat at the bar opened up. The interior was really cool with brass buckled to some of the walls and dark wood with interesting and varying textures on others. Over the kitchen is a big multi-colored glass window and several old signs hung up throughout. Our waiter was really great in recommending wines and we were both happy with what we were given, though the glasses are really small, probably around 3-4 ounces. His food recommendations were on par as well. Above all he suggested the skirt steak with peppers. Both the steak and the peppers were a little bit sweet, almost like Korean bbq, and served medium rare it was definitely the best dish of the night. Since it came first, it made the event a little anti-climatic. After that came the warmed drunken goat cheese, not a dish that the waiter recommended but one of our own choosing. It was basically a huge block of warmed up goat cheese with crumbs and sherry soaked cherries on top. It was incredibly rich, even for someone who loves goat cheese, and could be balanced out a little better if eaten on a piece of toasted bread. Next up was the gazpacho verde with corn. This was something I really wanted to try, but I was disappointed when we got it, not to mention getting full. We also tried the tortilla espanola with truffle oil and if you've had the real thing in Spain, it was another disappointment. The salted cod cakes with fried capers were our last tapa and one that the waiter had recommended. They were really great and I don't normally care for capers. I guess when you fry anything it's only going to make it better. For whatever reason, this dish had been delayed so the waiter was nice enough to give us a glass of wine on the house. After the cod cakes, we were both full, but churros con chocolate is not only one of my favorite Spanish dishes, but enjoying it in Madrid with friends is one of my favorite memories and I really wanted to share that now with Chase. That being said, I suppose the churros con chocolate had a lot to live up to, and frankly it just didn't deliver. The churros were really doughy, when they should be pretty fried solid, and the chocolate should be more liquidy than it was, along the consistency of chocolate fondue, not like a paste. I think having tasted the real thing in Spain may have jaded a good portion of the meal for me. I wanted to have it just as I remember it, but nothing lived up to my expectations. I think if you've never been to Spain, you'll most likely really enjoy the food here. At the end of the meal we owed the place $75, which I feel was a little high, but the service was really good and we enjoyed ourselves while we were there. Will we go back? That I'm not too sure of.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/11525802#

Note: There are at least 3 locations now, and I am not sure how much the menu varies by location. I do know that the menu last night somewhat resembled the one on Citysearch.

Pasquale's Cafe & Shoe Repair

So yeah, it's a strange combination, but both Pasquale's Cafe and Pasquale's Shoe Repair could stand on their own merit. The location is in a crappy strip with a 7-Eleven, a laundromat, and a Baskin Robbins, but the physical space is entirely charming. It feels like stepping into a family owned business in a small town in the South of France. A small tree-covered terrace with small wicker tables stands between the shoe repair shop and the cafe. On the left, the shoe repair, which is actually quite good and friendly. On the right, the cafe. It's wood about everywhere you look inside, with several wooden shelves housing gourmet groceries for sale across from the cash register. The shop is open breakfast through dinner (9:00-6:00), but so far we've only tried the breakfast. When I first read about the place online, I kept reading that they had Montreal bagels, which I really have no idea what that means. Wikipedia tells me that Montreal bagels smaller, sweeter, and denser than their New York counterparts and are always baked in a wood oven. I have to say that I didn't really taste a difference between the bagels that I am used to, but some people swear it's different. Their breakfast menu also boasts several different specialty coffees (hot, blended, or iced), smoothies, and freshly squeezed juices. If you are looking for something of more substance, there are gourmet omlettes with your choice of smoked salmon, smoked ham, eggplant, or turkey served as sandwich on a croissant. You also have French toast, poached eggs, granola parfaits, a breakfast sandwich on an English muffin, or of course a bagel (you can even get a bagel with nutella!). Outside of breakfast, Italian salads, pasta and paninis. We are yet to try it though, it's rare that we make it home by 6:00. I think the lesson here is if you need a pair of shoes fixed or polished, stop in at least for a coffee. Plus, there's free street parking all around.

Sorry no online menu this time.
http://www.aboutcitysearch.com/review/42543112

Electric Karma

We tried this place on a friend's recommendation, but were terribly disappointed. We love Indian food and always get chicken tandoori, cheese naan, aloo mataar, and samosas, but the food here was unlike any other Indian food we've ever had, and not in a good way. Most frustrating was that we ordered to go without looking at the menu and despite that there are 3 specials containing the items we got for a much more decent price, we were charged full price for all items and the waiter didn't even suggest the specials on the menu. The tandoori chicken was flat out burned and even the rice wasn't right. I can see how people would like the atmosphere, but it doesn't even come close to making up for the poor cuisine. We'll be sticking to our other local options. Please note that I don't work for either of these restaurants, but we much prefer Bollywood in Studio City, and Star of India on Melrose is pretty good on that side of the hill. If you're looking for good Indian food I would definitely recommend one of those over Electric Karma.

http://www.electrickarma.com/client/electrickarma/index.html

Amalfi

I've had several Italian eateries in my neighborhood on my to-try list for awhile, but when Chase and I tried to visit one on Sunday Ca'Brea, Campanille, and Cube on La Brea were all closed. Italian was really sounding good though, so we gambled on Amalfi. Luckily for us, it was a big win. Judging from the outside, the place seems really small, but there's a front patio, a full bar inside, a dining room, and then a back private room. We were seated in a lovely booth next to a stone fireplace. I would argue that the tables are too tall for the booths. I had to sit on a pillow in order not to struggle to reach my food. We ordered some wine and started off sharing a caprese. I always love caprese, but the one at Amalfi is particularly delectable due to the incorporation of yellow tomatoes ($11). Our second dish was a sausage and rapini pizza, which was surprisingly bland ($16). The real star of the night was a pumpkin ravioli with braised short rib ($18). The pumpkin wasn't overwhelming at all and the short rib was so tender that we didn't even need a knife to cut into it, it just simply fell apart with a poke of the fork. A bit of creme fraiche on top really made the dish. Though the ravioli was pretty sweet in and of itself, we wanted to try the creme brulee flambay for dessert ($7). The presentation was really fun as it comes out to the table aflame, but unfortunately it didn't do much for the creme brulee. Chase even said he thought it tasted like butane. There were a few additional dishes I would have liked to try such as the carrot and ginger soup. A lot of the menu seemed to be cuisine typically found in the fall, but made available year-round at Amalfi. Overall, it was a great experience, and if you were to ever go to the Acme Theater next door, it'd be a great place to grab dinner or a quick drink and app before the show.

http://www.amalfiristorante.com/

Anarkali

While I was having my car serviced the other day Chase and I lunched at Anarkali on Melrose for a quick bite. We went in purely due to convenience, so I really knew nothing about the place, except that they have great lunch specials, starting at $6.95 a person. Chase and I got the Chicken Tikka Masala Lunch Special for two which came with a full plate of chicken tandoori, chicken tikka masala, vegetable curry, rice, and naan. We had the tandoori prepared medium spicy, but it was still pretty spicy and left our fingers stained yellow. It was really good and lemony nonetheless. The chicken tikka masala was probably the best I've ever had. The sauce was really sweet and tasted almost like tomato basil soup. I would have preferred to switch the veggie curry out for aloo mataar, but the restaurant won't let you substitute anything. All of this was more than enough food for two (I think the only think we finished was the masala). We had enough to pack a to go box and walked out with a $22 check, which we thought was pretty delicious. I was a little concerned about the B rating in the window, but once the food came out my worries were relieved. The interior was pretty over the top with several booths lined along each wall, shadowed by Indian fabric that extends across the ceiling. I didn't check the dinner prices, but I'm sure they are just as reasonable. I'd say it's definitely worth a shot, and the lunch specials are available on Saturday too.

http://www.anarkali-la.com/

Sky's Tacos

I had noticed Sky's Tacos on Pico back when Chase and I were walking down to that area for weekend brunch, but had never been until last night. I guess it's not fair to say that I've been, only that I have eaten the food since Chase picked it up for dinner last night. I had read on Yelp that the lobster tacos were really great so I just asked for that and whatever else Chase thought sounded good. He came home with a smorgasbord of Mexican options. For me, there was a shrimp taco and a lobster taco. He got a beef torta and a steak taco (the special of the night) then a cheese quesadilla to share. All of the tacos came in corn tortillas, which for the fish was good, but we both felt that the steak taco would have been better in flour. The torta was kind of more like a Caribbean burger and neither of us were too keen on it. By far the star of the night was the lobster taco. The lobster meat absorbed all of the flavors really nicely and I couldn't really even tell it was lobster. Since I didn't pick up the food so I don't know how expensive each item was, but the total bill was around $40, so roughly $8 a piece, which in actuality is really steep for a taco. I think the only thing I would consider going back for would be the lobster, though they don't have an online menu, so I am curious what other options they serve. Also, Chase did get a lemonade that tasted like sugar water, so we had to add some water from home. I've heard that they have a really nice patio for outdoor dining but there aren't many seats, so it's more of a take-out place, FYI.

No website, but here's the link to the Yelp page:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/skys-gourmet-tacos-los-angeles

East India Grill

After complaining that there wasn't much good Indian food around our area, Chase and I were delighted to stumble upon East India Grill on La Brea. This place is all Bollywood, all the time. It's tucked away in the cute little eatery section of La Brea with Sante La Brea and a couple of others. We came for dinner on a week night and the place was pretty empty. The servers were attentive, albeit pretty unfriendly. We got our usual: samosas, tandoori chicken, and aloo mataar and it was all really great. Everything tasted the way we prefer our Indian food to be: grilled and a little charred on the outside, but with a tender center, though I do have to admit that I thought the chicken was really dry. Still, definitely worth trying!

http://www.eastindiagrillla.com/
Warning! Very ethnic website!

Mani's Bakery & Cafe

One of Fairfax District's gems is Mani's Bakery & Cafe. Chase and I have been here a couple of times between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mani's is a little bit hippie, a little bit hip, and all really good. For breakfast, I've had the breakfast wrap with Yukon gold potatoes, salsa, and turkey bacon and I've also tried the multigrain pancakes. Both were really good, but I always remember thinking that the lunch menu sounded a little bit better. My favorite thing on the menu is chicken mango salad. It's a really full salad with grilled marinated chicken, avocado, mango, tomato, and red onion with a really yummy lime cilantro dressing. It's one of the best salads I've ever had and Chase and I can get full pretty much just off of the salad. Their burgers are also really great and I've always wanted to try their turkey chili. One of the most unique things about Mani's is the 400 calorie menu featuring a couple of egg white breakfasts, a turkey/basil/artichoke wrap, another wrap that is almost like a variation of the chicken mango salad, and last but not least, a veggie burger on pita. To wash down your hippie burger you can enjoy one of the teas (hot or iced) or juices, then to finish it off, grab a pastry from the bakery. I haven't tried much out of the bakery, but what I have had is really good! Eating inside Mani's is nothing special and the tables can fill up pretty quickly on weekend mornings and afternoons, so you might prefer to do take out, though if you don't get a dessert, you may find yourself wishing later that you had. Mani's is definitely a must try spot for people in the area, as it's a viable option for any meal.

http://www.manisbakery.com/

Pizzeria Mozza

The spot on the SW corner of Melrose and Highland had previously been a pizza restaurant, but nothing comparable to the Mozza empire that stands there now. Since it opened last year I have wanted to grab a bite at Pizzeria Mozza, and even had a reservation for about a month ago, but we weren't able to make it at the last minute. Over the weekend, though, Chase and I were finally able to stop by. Even at 3:00 on Sunday the place was packed and there was hardly a space for us at the pizza bar, but after waiting for about 5 minutes, a place was cleared for us. We were seated in front of the pizza chefs and the wood-fired brick oven. As a starter we were torn between the caprese salad and the white bean bruscetta, but ultimately opted for the bruscetta. It was delicious and have a drizzle of truffle oil on top and a chewy onion in the center. For our main dish we split the bianca pizza, which has a white sauce and 4 cheeses, along with what I believe was fried basil. Que magnifique! It was melt in your mouth goodness. The fennel sausage and some of the other meats pizzas looked really great and I plan to try one of those next time. The special of the day was a lasagna and we watched as more than generous helpings were warmed up inches from the burning logs and then shuttled out to the tables. We couldn't help ourselves and had to get dessert. We opted for what we thought sounded like the most unique dessert on the menu: butterscotch pudding and creme fraiche with rosemary pine nut cookies. It was an interesting, but tasty combination and the flavors were subtle and worked surprisingly well as a sweet. The interior of the place looks pretty much like a normal nice restaurant, with a lavish bar on one side and the pizza bar perpendicular. One of the most charming parts of the restaurant is the display of the fresh ingredients they use sitting on the pizza bar. Next to the front door is a private wine cellar with a table set for about 10, that I believe can be rented out. Tables are limited and there are probably not more than 70 seats in the house, thus the ridiculously long waiting list to get a reservation. To go is available, and that's most certainly what we'll be doing next time!

http://www.mozza-la.com/pizzeria/about.cfm

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/

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