Good Things Come in Threes, Right?

Okay, I have to be honest with you. I was so very very much looking forward to my lunch at 3 Square Cafe, as much as I would assume a young, toe-headed child wakes up hours before the sun rises on Christmas morning. For one, the cafe (which stands adjacent to the 3 Square Bakery) is on my favorite street in Los Angeles: Abbott Kinney. And second, there have been so many good things said about this little Venice cafe that it was like Tickle Me Elmo all over again.

So there I was with this fantastic sounding menu in front of me and not knowing what to pick. So I did what every hungry girl does, and ordered the one plate that offers the most options, which in this case was the Mini Sandwich Sampler, of which I chose: Tuna salad with avocado and red onions on brioche roll, Bavarian meatloaf on pretzel roll with sweet mustard, and, Chicken curry.

As you can see from the picture, the sandwiches were almost too cute to eat. As they say, you eat with your eyes first and my eyes were watering. Here's the thing. The sandwich's weren't bad, but they weren't this either. The tuna was tasty, but it wasn't anything different. And although I'm a fan of curry chicken salad, this one wasn't any better than my favorite salad at Quality. And then there was the Bavarian meatloaf... which I think... was SPAM. I don't want to insult and Bavarian people out there, but is it? I mean, I've never had SPAM, but if it looks like a duck...

Needless to say the best part of the meal was the bread that my lovely piece of SPAM was sandwiched in between. It was a homemade pretzel roll which just melted my little heart. Long story short, I think I'll give 3 Square another shot in the Brunching hour, and make sure I go next store and grab some pretzel rolls to go (sans the SPAM).

3 Square Cafe & Bakery
1121 Abbot Kinney
Venice, 90291
(310) 399-6504
$-$$

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