05/13/2010
Great approachable food in a fun environment.  Chef Ludo Lefebvre's latest incarnation of his beloved Ludo Bites brings us a menu of more classical French dishes, with different influences.  With his foie gras, it's wrapped in cabbage and sits in a kimchi consomme.  His boudin noir comes with wasabi.  His white asparagus?  Soy sauce hollandaise and foie gras powder.  Although a bit tame when compared to his previous menus, Ludo's latest menu far from dissapoints.  I was alone, so was only able to order six things.  The favorite of the night was the soft shell crab cornet.  With spicy mayo and Corona granite, this playful dish allowed for the crab to shine.  The sweet and briny flavors of the crab were followed by a richness, then spice from the mayo.  Everything was tempered by the Corona granite, which left the palate cleansed and refreshed.  

If you can get a reservation, I would highly recommend it.  This current stint ends on May 28th, and Ludo has his eyes on locations outside of LA.  I hope to go back a few more times myself!

 
03/16/2010
In my old age, I've become a big fan of breakfast.  My favorite local joint was always John O'Groats.  I went there so often, I almost never had to wait for a table.  

Somehow last year, I ended up at Le Pain on little Santa Monica Blvd.  Since then, I've made it a part of the Sunday rotation.  With their extremely friendly service(Sara and Jake, you both make us feel like family!), and their variety of organic, artisinal offerings, there just isn't much more that can be done.  I usually get the soft boiled eggs, which are accompanied by a variety of bread slices.  I've also tried the ham and gruyere sandwich, the smoked salmon tartine, the steel cut oatmeal and other items.  All have been quite good, and they offer Nutella as a complimentary spread!

This place is simply a great place to enjoy a relaxed and simple French breakfast.  Their croissants and pain au chocolat are must tries.

 
03/16/2010
Pluses:  wierd sausages including rattlesnake.  Beer.  Lots of beer.  Truffle fries

Minuses:  Crowded, expensive

So much hype, and to a degree, deservedly so.  Any place that serves rattlesnake sausages should get some attention.  Especially a place that has such a nice beer selection!  I had the duck sausage with a Chimay.  I enjoyed my dog quite a bit, but with the overdoing of condiments, I wasn't able to discern any major differences from anything else.  It could've been a nice sausage from any number of vendors in LA.

I enjoyed the communal tables where people just pulled up next to each other, beer and dog in hand.  Almost like a baseball game, but no loudspeaker blaring, no jumbotron and no game to watch.

The memorable iitem of the night, though, were the truffle fries.  Deliciously crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the fries had the muted aroma of a fine truffle oil.  I was a total pig when it came to these fries!

Nice place to come after work to wind down with a good quality dog, beer and friendly environment

Recommended Dishes:
truffle fries

 
03/16/2010
When you dine out at a place you're unsure of, it's generally a good idea to order the basics.  If they can't get that right, it's a good bet that the restaurant as a whole can leave you dissatisfied.  Like when you go to an Italian restaurant you've never heard of before, you may order the spaghetti and meatballs.  Or if you go to a Cajun place, you'd do a blackened catfish or gumbo...typical dishes that should be done correctly.

When I arrived at The Slaw Dogs, I saw an immense menu offering a myriad of choices.  Feeling a bit lost and unsure of myself, I went with my rule and ordered a chili cheese dog, which was close to $5.  I also ordered the Thai Slaw Dog, which was closer to $7.

The chili cheese dog was, to say the least, quite pedestrian.  It tasted like something I could make at home for a fraction of the cost.  Just a normal hot dog, on a normal bun, with chili and cheese.  I was not too pleased at this point, so I begrudgingly took a bite of the Thai Slaw Dog.  With a tangy and slightly spicy slaw and peanut sauce, the chicken sausage(which was split lengthwise) provided a beautiful snap and immense flavor that as a whole, gave me the reason why the LA Times would write about this place.  

I took my order to go, thankfully, because after that Thai Slaw Dog, I was ready to order everything on the menu!  So I learned a little lesson today.  Just cuz they can't do anything special with the basics doesn't mean they don't do anything special.

Recommended Dishes:
Thai Slaw dog

02/05/2010
Since become a resident of the SGV in November, I've found it difficult to find a great meal.  There have been good meals, bad meals, plenty of greasy meals...just no great meals.  I was quite excited when Christine asked me to join their group of foodies on their next outing to Happy Family.  Ok, I wasn't excited, but I trust these guys, and I'd missed seeing everyone.

Once we arrived, I started getting that sinking feeling.  As we were seated, everyone started discussing how they'd read some great reviews on another website, and I realized just what I was really dealing with.  I quickly prepared myself, but like the Titanic, there just wasn't much I could do.

The food wasn't awful...close, but not quite.  There were a number of vegetable dishes, like the sauteed pea sprouts, that I kinda enjoyed.  There were also a number of fake meat dishes, like minced "quail"; "chicken", "pork" and "fish" iterations.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you what I had because I couldn't tell what the "meats" were pretending to be.  There was one "fish" dish that I kinda enjoyed, but really, it was nasty.  I only enjoyed it because it brought back memories of my dearly departed grandma, who would hang fresh fish, covered in salt, on the patio to dry.  The smell was rancid and disgusting, but I loved my grandma, and so, I was reminded of her.

Unless your grandma hung smelly fish in your yard, I don't think this is a place to go.  I allow my dear friends this mistake in judgement, as it was so good to see them.  But dang, even for the 12.95 per person for all you can eat, I'd rather find a good greasy meal down the street.

 
08/05/2009
A must try for all food lovers
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Recommended Dishes:
Vegetarian tasting menu
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07/22/2009


Recommended Dishes:
fried mochi; japanese bouillabaisse

07/20/2009
This Korean owned, Vietnamese restaurant is new to the neighborhood.  Considering I'd driven all over the place for pho(I loves me some good pho), I was excited to see this place pop up.  Pho' Show opened up further down, but I was not happy with their watered down broth.  I dropped by and saw various tables enjoying different Vietnamese dishes.  I only had eyes for pho, and was on a timetable, so I have no idea what else they offer.

I ordered my standard combo sans brisket.  I love the rare steak, tripe, tendon and meatballs, and I always ask for extra tendon and meatballs.  

Upon ordering...you have to walk up to the counter and order, then they give you a number...I sat down and waited for my pho.  Within minutes, I received a piping hot bowl of noodles with my side of accoutrements.  The basil, jalapenos, sprouts and lime were all extremely fresh and crisp.  I added everything, including the extra lime I ordered and lots of Sriracha sauce, and mixed.  

I immediately noticed that their was barely any tendon, and only three meatballs.  I walked over to let them know, and the young Korean "cook" kinda snapped at me that he did put it extra, but he'd bring me some more.  I'm not fond of people snapping at me in those situations, so when he came, I shot him a look of death.  Suffice it to say, his facial expression and demeanor changed and he apologized.  But, I digress.  Back to the pho...ok, extra lime.  I've loved that tanginess since growing up in Mexicali and having tangy veggie soups.  But no matter how much lime I put in(got up to five or six good slices), I could not taste the lime.  The broth wasn't watered down, but it was bland.  Even so, the lime still didn't show.  Then I realized the broth had a wierd taste to it.

Overall, it wasn't awful.  They are new, so I'll go back in the near future in the hopes that they've tightened things up.  The tendon was very good, as were the meatballs.  The ciao gao(eggrolls) were pretty legit, but the dipping sauce was fishier than I'm accustomed to.  Not unpleasant, but a bit overpowering.  The serving wasn't small, but they are a bit chinsy on the noodle portions.  If they can get that broth right, it'll be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, especially since it's open 24 hours.

07/20/2009
You know?  I've been to this restaurant at least a dozen times, but for some reason, never got around to writing something about it.  Truth is, I've never walked out of there thinking I had a meal that was earth shattering.  But then, why would I, considering this is a chain?  That's right...it is a chain.  Sometimes I forget, because the place dishes out really good food.

I was here yesterday for a birthday party.  My buddy Dave's daughter turned one, and he rented out one of the 4 or 5 private rooms upstairs.  We were in the Bellagio room, their largest.  In fact, I had my son's 1st bday in the same room.

Aside from their immense menu, Maggiano's caters to parties just like these.  They give you a myriad of choices, and for yesterday's brunch, we started out with two salads and fried calamari.  The salads were a spinach with bacon, and a house salad.  Both were quite tasty, and the calamari was crispy and accompanied by a tomato dipping sauce.  Next came a platter of roasted chicken, roasted salmon on spinach, a platter of penne in a creamy chicken and mushroom sauce, and a large lasagna with ricotta and mozzarella, and doused with a tasty ragout.  For dessert, we had massive profiteroles and a huge platter of tiramisu.

Aside from the crazy lady running around blowing balloons and doing magic for the kids(hired by Dave),  the entire experience was incredibly fun.   The Bellagio room has it's own private bar, where I waited behind a 12 year old ordering an Arnold Palmer for my drink.  The food must have been good, because our table ordered extra everything...especially of that sinfully rich and decadent tiramisu.

Down below, there's a nice bar before you enter the main dining room.  Platters of calamari and a great spagetti and meatballs are constantly flying about.  Outside patio seating is available, which makes for a great experience on a cool summer day.  I'm sure you've been, but if you're ever at the Grove, walk a little the West End and treat yourself to a solid Italian meal for a very reasonable price.

What Happened?
07/01/2009
For Father's Day, my dad wanted lobster.  Being the frugal, older generation Chinese guy that he is, he was excited to hear that we had secured a reservation for Cima..something we failed with for Mother's Day.  

We had been there once before, eating and enjoying the buffet that included king crab legs, sushi, dim sum, prime rib and sauteed lobster halves.  The memory of the all you can eat lobster was enough to make dad foam at the little corner of his mouth.  At the $60+, we still felt it was well worth the price.

As we arrived, the restaurant was noticeably vacant of the huge throngs of people I would have expected on this special day.  The familiar dessert bar was present, as were the oysters and prime rib.  Outside, they had a grill which looked amazing.  Outside, as well, was the Chinese station of dim sum and sauteed lobster.  After surveying the Chinese offerings once, than twice, I noticed the absence of the lobster.  

"Excuse me, sir. Where is the lobster?"
"No lobster.  Saturday onry" was the curt response I received.  How convenient, I thought.

Oh crap.

"Hey dad, they don't have lobster today", I said, hiding my fear.

His jovial smile turned to a frown in less than a heartbeat, then his eyes became thin slits as his brow scrunched.  After some inaudible mumbles, and some very audible Chinese curse words, I immediately fell to plan B...I would return with a huge plate of king crab legs to distract him from the absence of his beloved lobster.

I beelined over to the seafood bar, and found a large mound of opela crab, with some king crab mixed in. The opela crab(I do believe that's the right name) is decently large crab and is normally found at cheaper buffets that can't afford the more desired king crab.  In terms of quality and size, opela does not compare to king crab.  I took all the king crab that I could scrape up and presented my pops with a half full plate.  He took it and finished it quickly, looking for more.  So...off I went again.  By the way, I'm not a slave, but I've learned over the years not to mess with my pops at a buffet.  

"Excuse me, do you have any more king crab?"

"No more king crab!  We lun out"

Considering it was around 11:00 am of what should have been one of the busiest days of the year, I was quite astounded.  It was then that I started noticing that there were flies everywhere.  The sushi selection was limited to 3 or 4 types of funky looking fish...thin slices on mounds of rice.  The dim sum looked ok, but the pasta bar produced some nasty dishes that the kids wouldn't touch.  The grill?  They had tiny lamb chops and some carne asada.  They kept running out, but why wouldn't they when they were only cooking a few things at a time.  Prime rib looked nice, but when I asked for an extra thick slice "so that I could surprise my mom", I got an uncaring look and a thin slice, finished with the lovely "NEXT!"

Was it all bad?  No, no, no...of course I had the dissapointment of not having lobster on my dad's special day, but that's not what killed it.  The overall sense was that we were being cheated.  For the price, they seriously lacked the value that is to be expected.  We made the best of it, though, since it's about the special occasion, right?  Well, the special occasion became an emergency occasion, with my mom in the emergency room suffering from major food poisoning.  The rest of us had, to put it delicately, issues, but my mom was in really bad shape.  In the ensuing conversations about the restaurant and her health, we discovered that she ate an inordinate amount of the salads and fruits.  Ecoli, anyone?  

We're not complainers, yet we felt the need to inform the restaurant.  Their response?  Sorry, we'll get back to you.  Latest update?  No return phone calls.  At this point, I'm hoping Carl's Jr is creating the six dollar lobster burger, because at any rate or expense, I'd rather go there than to ever set foot in Cima again.  Thanks for ruining our Father's Day!  Take care, jerks!

Recommended Dishes:
Carl's Junior down the street