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/