Moules Over, My Frites Are Here

Oh, I am in French heaven! Last night, I ate dinner with a friend at Soleil Westwood, as Wednesday night is Moules Frites night. Now, "what does that entail?" one might ask. Ah, alas, dear friend, that is just what I am going to tell you.

Every Wednesday night, the folks at Soleil graciously offer ALL YOU CAN EAT Mussels and Fries for a measly $14.95. This place is absolutely adorable, and I probably would have never gone had it not been for this amazing deal! Which, by the way was to prove to my semi-recent LA transplant friend from NY that LA does have good mussels and fries. Jaimey-1, Caryn-0.
Both she and I were pleasantly surprised with the garlic and wine steamed mussels, the crusty french bread, and the abundant basket of shoestring fries! The service was also fantastic, and the mood is very French - low lighting, outdoor seating and guess what - you're allowed to take your time with your food! No rushing you out the door here! So, go, sit back, and enjoy plates and plates of yummy mussels and don't feel bad about it one bit (just make sure you give them a 24hr heads up for the reservation)!

Soleil Westwood
1386 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 441-5384
$$

La Paella in Your Face

Spain is so hot right now - just ask The Cheetah Girls. I wish doing "movie research" was the reason I stumbled upon La Paella on Friday night, but a romantic dinner date will just have to do. How boring am I?

Dinner, however, was anything but stale. La Paella is an adorable Spanish restaurant, with twinkle lights and lace curtains. You walk in, and the smells of fresh seafood and quite conversation take you back to a time before date night at The Cheesecake Factory was considered acceptable.

We were sat in the back of this small restaurant, amongst cook book lined bookshelves and racks of aging wine. The waitress was Spanish. Am I dreaming?

We decided to just do tapas (next time, I'll hit up the Paella). Almost everything we had was delicious (save the one special we ordered that we both disliked), so I'll just shower you with pictures so you can go try for yourself!

Start off with a glass of Sangria ($5).

Fresh and light and fruity!
Enjoy the fresh baked bread and duo of garlic mayonnaise and olive tapenade.

Then move on to these assortment of tapas:

Patatas Bravas ($3.95)Lightly fried potatoes coated in a spicy tomato sauce.

Champinones con Chorizo ($5.25)
Delicious and rich - the combo of the mushrooms and the sausage was divine!

Calamares a la Plancha ($5.50)
Grilled squid lightly seasoned with olive oil, garlic and parsley drizzled with lemon juice. So fresh and not a bit on the chewy side.

Manchego con Membrillo ($4.75)

Fresh manchego cheese (my favorite) topped with slices of quince paste. Sweet and salty!

Espinacas con Pinones y Pasas ($5.95)

A heaping plate of sauteed spinach - little bits of creamy nuts and sweet raisins makes this dish really special.

Jamon Serrano ($9.75)
One of the specials of the evening, serrano ham with figs - great quality!

The other special was avocado stuffed with crab which was drowned in a thousand island type sauce and tasted too fishy for my liking. I'll give it to them since 1)it's not a menu regular and 2) 6 out of 7 ain't that shabby.

Like I said, I can't wait to go back here and try the Paella! The restaurant had charm and good food. You can just feel the fast pace life of Los Angeles slow down with each tasty bite (or was that just the Sangria...?). This is a great date spot, and a wonderful hidden gem inside this big ol' city!

One thing to note: Like all good Spaniards, La Paella will be taking a vacation after this Saturday's dinner service and will reopen on September 12. So, either go this weekend, or wait a few weeks if you can stand it. In the meantime, you can busy yourself with a little of this action.


La Paella
476 S. San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, 90048
(323) 951-0745
$$

La Paella

Thai You Over

UPDATE ALERT UPDATE: Due to massive complaints by the neighbors who find the chanting of prayers too loud, and don't like the influx of cars parking in the neighborhood on weekends , the Thai Temple is closing! I'm not sure when, so go soon before this hidden gem is gone forever!!

Being back from a glorious vacation has been rough on the ol' Jaimey. I've been bit by the travel bug and this weekend I was in desperate need of another adventure. Because lower funds and my currentplace of employment wouldn't allow me to jump on a plane to some tropical land, I was in search of bringing an exotic destination closer to home. Thus, myself and two other unsuspecting food soldiers took off for North Hollywood for a Thai food extravaganza.

After a little Yelp and Chowhound snooping, I hit the goldmine: Wat Thai Temple. This beautiful temple in North Hollywood is the only traditional Thai Temple in all of Los Angeles (and the first built in the US), complete with adorable Buddhist monks in striking orange wraps (somebody's been reading Vogue and knows that orange is very "in" this season). On Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-6pm the temple houses several traditional Thai food vendors who sell their wares for $1-$5. If you're not sold yet like I was upon learning these facts, than this blog is not the place for you.
We arrived at the Temple after a little tift with Mr. Googlemaps who usually is very honest, but found the need to lead me astray on this particular Sunday. It was lunchtime, and agent 1 and agent 2 and I were very hungry.
With $20 on hand we purchased all the tokens we could. The food vendors don't take cash, instead you purchase tokens from a small booth and pay the vendors with the tokens - it's quite the experience! We split the coins and went in different directions in search of the best of what they had to offer.
Agent 1 went straight for the Mango and Sticky Rice ($3). The mangoes were beautiful and golden yellow, very sweet and refreshing.
The sticky rice was sweet and flavored with coconut, delicious alone, but fantastic when eaten together with the mango.

Agent 2 headed down a more hearty route, purchasing a Beef & Noodles in broth ($4).
The beef was perfectly cooked, and very lean. The broth was perfectly flavored, and the noodles were light and tasty.

So far, we're doing pretty good... so why stop here?

I went straight to the Papaya Salad ($3), which I heard so much about.
The salad was incredibly refreshing and great compliment to everything else we ordered. The salad consisted of broccoli slaw, green beans, cabbage and peanuts and was dressed with a sweet and spicy vinegar dressing.

From the same stand that sold me the Papaya Salad, I ordered two Chicken Skewers ($2), one Shrimp Ball Skewer ($2) and one Pork Sausage ($1).
The chicken was outstanding, but the shrimp was too fishy (made primarily of artificial fish) and the pork had a strange, crumbly consistency and was too strongly seasoned for our liking.

Lastly, I couldn't pass up the FRIED BANANA stand, where I purchased an assortment of fried Plantain, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato, 10 pieces for $2.
All three were very tasty, although by no means low in calories. The pumpkin and sweet potato were my favorite, crispy on the outside and sweet and creamy on the inside.

Clearly, we did well for ourselves, but if you did the math, you know that I had $2 in tokens remaining, and what better way to spend the money than on dessert. I made my way over to the Kanom Krok stand where two women, one quite old and one very young, were busy creating pancakes in a cast iron pan with 18 small divots.

The pancake batter is made primarily of coconut milk, rice flour, rice and salt. After that sets for a minute, the women poured a second batter of coconut milk and sugar on top to create a creamy and sweet center. We had to wait a while to get our 18 Kanom Krok, as there were only 2 skillets going and it was quite a popular dish, but it was well worth the wait - a light but very sweet treat!

We left the Wat Thai Temple with full bellies and smiles on our faces. The food was fantastic, and very inexpensive. The location, (although quite a trek from the Mid Wilshire sect of Los Angeles), was very beautiful. The area was buzzing with people, many Thai, but a lot doing the same thing as I was, searching for a tasty food adventure. I set out on this very Sunday with one thing in mind, and as you will see from the last picture: Adventure Accomplished.

Wat Thai of Los Angeles
8225 Coldwater Canyon Ave.
North Hollywood, 91605
$

Next Stop: Flavor Town

I don't generally associate Travelodge hotel chains with high culinary arts. I also don't know how many Travelodge's house a restaurant like Metro Cafe.

Metro Cafe is not about glitz and glamour. The decor is simple with a few pieces of artwork on the walls and some tea lights on the table. But I don't generally go to a restaurant to look for dining room inspiration, I go to eat great food. And Metro has GREAT food.

I started my meal with a salad of Burata over Roasted Red Peppers ($9). This salad was so fresh, I swear they made the cheese in the back. The burata was creamy and the dressing was light. It was very tasty.


I then moved on to the Thyme Chicken with Tomato Viniagrette ($14). The chicken was served with snow peas and mashed potatoes. The chicken itself was truly a delite. It was coated in thyme and then roasted to a crispy coat. The meat was tender and juicy and perfectly cooked. The viniagrette was really a wonderful treat. I could taste a South American influence on the sauce, very refreshing and sweet with the perfect amount of vinegar to compliment the chicken. The sides were good as well, although I like my mashed potatoes a little chunky, I won't hold it against them.


My date ordered the Montenegro Lamb Roast ($17) which had a lot of South American and Mediterranean influence. The lamb was perfectly roasted with a little bit of seasoning (not enough to hide the flavor of the lamb). Drizzled over the top of the meat was a mint pesto which was fantastic and fresh. The lamb was served with baked white beans which almost had a little Meditteranean flavor.


Metro was a great meal, and nicely sandwiched in between West L.A. and Culver City, it's a fun place to get a great meal. Plus, if you have too many glasses of Pinot, you can always spend the night at the TL.

Metro Cafe
11188 Washington Place
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-6821
$$

A Rose By Any Other Name...

...would not be Rose Market. If you're in the Westwood area, and are craving a sweet, check out this Persian Market. Besides homemade baklava and any flavored pistachio you can thank of, Rose Market is best known for it's Persian ice cream. The rose ice cream is fantastic, pungent but not perfumey (as I find rose ice cream to often be) and really sweet. The saffron ice cream is also a treat. If you're in for something really different, they also have a cucumber ice cream which is incredibly refreshing. It's a little pricey, at $3.49 a scoop (I got about a half scoop for $2, but I couldn't have eaten more than that). I love ice cream and definitely was not let down by this dessert stop.

Rose Market
1922 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, 90025
(310) 470-2121
<$

Nook Who's Talking

It's been a little slow at work this week, I'm not going to lie. Actually, if we're being completely honest, it's been slow for a few weeks (hence the recent influx of posts). So, on this particularly slow Friday, being that it was particularly "Good," and thus so were my otherwise agnostic co-workers, I decided to go out to an actual restaurant for lunch.

I'd heard about Nook Neighborhood Bistro for a while, but just recently decided to make the trip. I have to tell you, although I had the address and cross streets, I did drive by the locale once before finding it. Nook is located in a stripmall on Santa Monica Blvd., just west of Barrington (between Barry and Federal). Although the large mall sign does include Nook amongst it's other tenants, once inside the mall, there is no Nook sign in sight, only a blue sign with a white arrow on it! Hidden in between a pizza joint and a bakery, with no sign!, I knew this place was going to be neato.

It was pretty busy for a lunch hour, but we were seated right away at the communal table in the middle of the small restaurant. Yes, communal table! Let me just tell you that besides eating food at restaurants, my second (and close first) favorite thing to do is eavesdrop on other people's conversations. Between the man on my right telling his female coworker about the potential of missing a meeting due to his appointment at the fertility clinic (he and his wife want a son and want to increase the odds. I just hope he washed his hands before lunch.) and the group on my left, a young couple meeting the parents for the first time and arguing about where to put the couch in their new apartment, it was quite an enjoyable lunch. Not to mention, the food was pretty good as well.

I ordered a cup of Lentil Soup to start ($3), which was topped with a Lemon and Mint Feta - absolutely delish! I hate it when lentil soups are goopy, but this was the perfect consistency, not too creamy, the lentils were firm, but tender, and the broth was really rich and tasty.


I should also mention that I'm trying to keep kosher for Passover, so I was limited to what I could order on the menu. I REALLY wanted the 3 cheese Mac & Cheese which was browned and crispy on top just as it should be. I ended up with a Nicoise Salad ($12), which was just okay. The fresh Ahi Tuna was really fantastic, but the dressing was nothing special and the salad was kind of bland. I'm not going to hold this against them, as it was probably the most boring item on the menu. My lunch date, Stephanie, chose the Grilled Albacore Sandwich ($9) which was dressed with a apple fig chutney (to die for) and pickled red onions. She said the focaccia was really fresh and delicious too, of course, I just drooled looking at it. Steph ordered a side of Caesar Salad, which the menu describes as "famous," and for goodness sake, get this salad a star on Hollywood Blvd. The dressing, which truly revolves around the unique addition of a whole grain mustard, is so fantastic and different than any caesar I've ever had. The salad is sprinkled with fried capers and is just a delite.

Nicoise Salad

Grilled Albacore Sandwich

I really want to go back here for dinner as it's romantic, secluded and has a great menu. Plus, "nook" is just plain fun to say.

Nook Neighborhood Bistro-
11628 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 207-5160
$

Tuk Tuk and Away!

My first time at Tuk Tuk was quite a while ago, but as I drove by it this morning I was reminded of how much I enjoyed the food there, so I thought I'd share the love. First of all, the ambiance is wonderful. The bright orange sign makes the restaurant stand out amongst its kosher food neighbors, which is what originally caught my attention. It was either going to be Factor's or Tuk Tuk, and feeling a little more in the mood for pad Thai than lox & bagels, I opted for the latter. You also have the option of outdoor seating, which is pretty great as it's starting to warm up down here in sunny so cal.

The restaurant itself is very small, with less than 15 tables inside. I've never been there when it was overcrowded, but there's always a good amount of people dining there so you may want to make a reservation if it's a special occassion (I've never had a problem just walking in). It's a great date spot, very romantic with candles on the table to the low lighting. It's also very reasonably priced, so take a friend, take a first date, or just grab some food for yourself. Tuk Tuk is one of my favorite Thai places in all of L.A., so be sure to put it on your list of "must eats."

Tuk Tuk
8875 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 860-1872

This One's Just Rice

When a co-worker and I were desperately craving Sushi in Santa Monica, we really didn't have anything coming to mind that was close by. Plus we didn't want to break the bank. So, I did like any adventurous woman would do, and googled "sushi" near "my office" and came across Hakata (check out the site for a coupon).

This place immediately intrigued me as the outside of the restaurant exclaims "ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI" and "SPORTS BAR." I thought, this could either be really fun, or I would be recalling my lunch over the toilet for the rest of the afternoon. Luckily, it turned out to be the former.

The lunch special is out of this world. For $12 you get 18 pieces of sushi and miso soup. The sushi really good quality, especially for the price. This is probably one of the best California Rolls I've ever had, as they use fresh crab meat and it's definitely well-crafted.

Although we didn't partake in the all-you-can-eat, I did inquire more. For $28.95 you can have regular sushi, and for $49 you get your pick from a premium sushi list, which has a few more options. The catch is, you only have an hour to make your choices. I don't think they kick you out after 60 minutes, but I think there's an added cost attached if you order more past that time. I certainly will come back and check that feature out the next time I'm feeling like a challenge and/or I'm wining and dining Kobayashi.


Hakata
2830 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310)828-8404
$

While It Isn't Chanos...

Okay, I have some serious separation anxiety from my college fast-food obsession, Chanos. When I moved west from USC, I decided to try out Lucy's, which happens to be just down the block from me. They have in no way filled the void that Chano's has left in my heart, but it has introduced some new plates and unexpected surprises. While the burgers are good, the tacos are amazing when you're drunk, the dish that takes the cake is Lucy's Ceviche Platter. Okay, I know it seems completely absurd to order Ceviche from a drive-thru, but it came on the recommendation of my foodie friend, so I had to try it. The dish is great, and for $6.95 you can't go wrong. Next time you're craving fast food and would rather not have anything fried, give Lucy's a try and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Lucy's
1373 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 938-4337
$

Yuca Take Me Here Again

For those of you who know me and/or have read this blog before know that I love a hidden gem or diamond in the ruff, or a great place to eat that is relatively undiscovered. While this restaurant doesn't completely fit the bill being that it's been in business for 5 years, it did just open a new restaurant this year that's a little more "formal dining" than its flagship restaurant.

Enter: Chichen Itza. Now, for those of you who live West of La Brea, please don't fear when I tell you that this place is located in South East Los Angeles. While you might not want to take a stroll in the hood after dinner, the restaurant itself is incredibly clean (I mean you can practically smell the new paint!) and the food is worth the trip East.

Your meal will begin with no ordinary basket of chips. Chichen Itza serves its freshly-made tortilla chips topped with black beans and salsa fresca. What a creative and lovely start to the meal, and certainly sets the tone for the rest of the dinner.


As a first timer to this restaurant, I ordered the Antojito Sampler, a selection of 4 different Appetizers. The first thing I tried was the Salbut, a soft corn tortilla topped with lettuce, shredded turkey, pickled red onions, tomato and slice of avocado. Upon first bite, I was immediately surprised by how light this dish was. The turkey was definitely well seasoned, but didn't have a heavy feeling. The flavors were strong, but not overwhelming. The same went for the similarly concocted Panucho, differing from the Salbut by a black bean puree and a crispy tortilla rather than a soft one. Just as yummy! The other items on the plate were two Codzitos (chicken taquitos) which were okay, not amazing, and the most interesting and flavorful Kibi I've ever had. Okay, I've never had Kibi before, but it was still delicious. Kibi are ground beef and cracked wheat patties seasoned with mint and other spices and lightly fried. The flavor is unlike anything I've ever had. Truly fantastic.


For the main course, I tried two different dishes, both equally superb. The first dish was the Chochinita Pibil, which consisted of moist and tender shredded pork, marinated in an achiote and sour orange juice. The pork is cooked in banana leaves, giving it that fall-apart-in-your-mouth effect that I am oh, so fond of. The dish is served with black beans, rice, and corn tortillas in an authentic tortilla warmer, lined with a handstitched cloth napkin. Yes, I'm Jewish. Yes, I just ate pork. But it was really, really good! Isn't there something in the Commandments about "thou shalt make all gone" and "if the pork is good, eat it"? I sware I read that somewhere...


The other dish I tested was the Papadzul, which sounded so different I just had to try it out (and I'm glad I did). Corn tortillas are dipped in ground roasted pumpkin seed sauce, and filled with hard boiled egg, topped with pumpkin seeds and light tomato sauce. Again, this dish was incredibly light although the look of the sauce is deceiving. The eggs are cooked perfectly, and the infusion of pumpkin is mouthwatering.


The food aside, the service and presentation was on-point. With our check, we received a hand written thank you note from our server (on stationary), that let us know that on our next visit, we would receive a free appetizer. Couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Yucatan cuisine.


Chichen Itza
2501 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 380-0051
$

What's for Brunch?

I happen to be a fan of any widely accepted "in between" meal, brunch being my favorite. Here are my top five favorite brunch spots in Los Angeles:

OFF VINE
6263 Leland Way, Hollywood
$$
This is an incredible hidden gem in Hollywood. It's right off Sunset and you would have no idea it was there unless I told you. So now that I've told you, you have to go. Rather than giving you bread before you meal, Off Vine gives you a plate of assorted bagels, cream cheese and their homemade jam - and that's just before you get your meal!

KINGS ROAD CAFE
8361 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
$$
If you don't mind waiting (especially on the weekend), this place is worth the massive amounts of saliva you've collected in your mouth. Great eggs, great home fries. You can't go wrong with this traditional brunch spot.

QUALITY
8030 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles
$$
This is one of my favorite brunch/lunch spots in Los Angeles. I'm a big fan of Mexican food for all meals, and this place has awesome huevos rancheros. They also make great egg white scrambles if you would rather not have to take a nap after breakfast. If you're feeling more on the "unch" side of brunch, they make an incredible curry chicken salad. You can't miss here.

JACK N' JILL'S
510 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
$$
Don't be turned off by this order at the counter, take a number and we'll bring you you're meal, type of place. The food is really wonderful. The Chinese Chicken Salad is awesome and get a side of corn bread - it's huge! Their lemonade is great too, which always wets my whistle (actually, only when I wear a whistle around my neck and it accidentally falls into the lemonade). They also make wonderful coffee and tea drinks, so even if you want to grab a muffin and a coffee to go, go to Jack n' Jill's.

LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN
1055 Broxton Ave., Westwood
$$
Belgain baked goods and tasty sandwiches? Am I dreaming? These may be questions you'll ask yourself at this old country style food spot. The answers are collectively, yes. Trade in your Eurorail pass for some new kicks, and take an instant trip to Europe at Le Pain.