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Sake House is one of those lucky places that has a great location, just two blocks from the ocean and one block from the popular Third Street Promenade, so they are pretty much guaranteed business if they serve halfway decent food. That would be exactly how I would describe their sushi; halfway decent.
The ginger was fresh, but the crab meat was fake and those two facts were harbingers for the quality of sushi found here. I went for happy hour, a daily special menu with most menu items and drinks under $6.
We began with a seaweed salad which was about on par with most standard seaweed salads. The addition of micro sprouts and some radish were nice touches.
I ordered a spicy tuna handroll which came with fried onions and fresh scallions. As far as handrolls go, this was middle of the road for a sushi place. There was too much spicy mayonnaise and the fried onions overwhelmed the balance even though they added a nice crunch.
The sashimi plate had a decent selection of sushi and the fish was fairly fresh, but not outstanding in any way, and the presentation left much to be desired.
The crunchy onion tuna sashimi was a very basic combination of tuna, ponzu and fried onions. It was fine in the same way that a woman might say everything is “fine” when she has nothing better to say and tries to be polite.
We had a Monster roll of eel topped with spicy tuna which was the favorite of the evening, but again presentation was lacking and the spicy tuna was overworked with too much mayonnnaise.
I had the house sake, which was palatable, and they offer artisanal sakes for up to $147 for 750 ml, so I suppose if I had upgraded my drink, it may have made the food more palatable as well.
They say in Real Estate that the only thing that matters is location, and at Sake House it seems that rule does seem to hold true since the food is definitely not the draw.
My comfort food is French Bistro, so when I want to treat my palate and my sensibilities, I always head to my neighborhood favorite, La Petite Creperie. But today I “cheated” with Madame Chou Chou because I was in Santa Monica and the thought of lunch on a patio tempted me to stray. The ambiance in the back of the restaurant with rustic and modern whimsical decor was delightful. Madame Chou Chou was also a perfect hostess, making every diner in this small bistro feel appreciated and welcome.
Details like the silverware added personality to the meal.
Since it was Dine LA week, they had a lunch special of three courses for $22, so I chose the Moroccan lentil salad, made with de puy lentils, orange slices, almonds and crispy duck prosciutto for my first course. It was a lovely presentation, but the dressing was a bit salty. Thankfully there were wonderful baguette slices to help balance out the flavor.
For my main course I chose the flank steak, served with roasted potatoes and haricots verts in a red wine shallot sauce. I ordered it “bleu”, very rare, but it came out medium. I wish I could say something good about anything on this plate, but I found everything on it bland and unappetizing. I ended up leaving more than half of my meal on my plate. Madame Chou noticed and she said that she did not want me to leave unhappy, so she asked if I would prefer another entree, telling me the pasta was made in house, so I agreed to try it.
The arrival of my substitute pappardelle carbonara, with English peas, bacon and egg yolk made me smile with anticipation. After mixing my egg yolk with the pasta, I took a bite and was relieved to find it was better than the flank steak. But even though the pasta was made in house, it was heavy, and pieces of it were clumped together (it was not stirred enough during cooking). The presentation was pretty, but the dish was just not well executed; the bacon was not crisp, the pasta was not cooked in salted water, and the peas were underdone. Even though they are an Asian fusion restaurant, Sawtelle Kitchen does a much better version of this classic Italian dish.
When Madame came by, she was happy to see me eat more of the pasta than I had eaten of the steak. I told her I did like the pasta better (omitting more detail than that). Madame is an excellent hostess and will do her best to make you happy, but I was not happy with anything the back of the house put on my plate.
For dessert, it seemed every table ordered the “deenie booh”, a gluten free almond cake with pistachio mousseline and raspberries. It was beautiful and since the place sells pastries, I hoped it would taste as good as it looked. I am happy to report that yes, this was the highlight of my lunch. The almond cake was richly flavored and dense, the mousseline was light and creamy, and the raspberries added a nice fresh tartness.
They serve wines by the glass, so suggested pairings are listed under every dish, and their dinner menu includes bone marrow, steak tartar, and foie gras. You might want to have a glass of wine with an appetizer on the gorgeous patio with a date.
Sometimes you must learn through experience, and I have learned that no matter how tempting and gracious a new French Bistro might be, I have found the one I love and I will not stray again!
After reading the Actor’s Diet blog post on True Food in the new Santa Monica Place Mall, I had to try it, and the ideal time was with a vegetarian friend in town for his birthday. With the proliferation of all things healthy and holistic in Los Angeles, it is still rare to find places that serve food omnivores and vegans would eat in the same restaurant, even more rare are places which do a good job with both types of eaters and which have a decor which feels upscale enough to take a friend for a birthday celebration.
Whether you are a meat eater, a vegan, need gluten-free choices, or vegetarian choices, there are choices on the menu for you. That is choices (plural) for everyone. Their menu is noted with V, GF, and Veg so you can choose your items in accordance with your preferences.
I was impressed that they had a nice international selection of wines starting at only $6 a glass, and even their wine and beer list has notes on whether the glass or bottle you choose is bio dynamically farmed, certified organically farmed, or sustainably farmed. Their coffee and tea selections are of course organic, and if you take half and half in your coffee or tea, that is also organic.
Since it was Jersey’s Birthday, he started with the Shrimp Dumplings with shiitake mushrooms, ginger, broccoli for $12. Even though he had offered to share, he could not stop eating “just one more” until he finished the appetizer. I did not want to diminish his plate by tasting one, but I did try the broccoli and the sauce, which had a nice light and slightly sweet flavor.
Mika and I split an order of the Monterey Bay Grilled Sardines with salsa verde and grilled lemons $10. They were grilled to perfection and the salsa verde and grilled lemon slices added a nice freshness to the fatty fish. I asked the waitress if many people ordered the sardines and she surprisingly said, “Yes”. Perhaps Los Angelenos are beginning to broaden their fish preferences to more than the usual salmon found on every menu. For those of you not familiar with fresh sardines, be forewarned that there are many many tiny bones, so it will take some work to get bites of the tender flesh.
I had eaten a very hearty lunch, so my dinner was the Tuscan Kale salad with lemon, Parmesan and bread crumbs for $8. You can add grilled chicken or salmon to this, but since I had eaten the sardine, this was perfect on its own. The tangy lemon and the flavorful Parmesan made the kale a hearty and satisfying dish and I could easily eat this several times a week for lunch.
The Birthday boy chose the King Salmon with quinoa, local beets and preserved lemons for $24. He requested the salmon to be done rare and was afraid it would be overcooked, but he was happy to find they had cooked it to his preference. He was a bit taken aback by the “small” portion, but after he began eating his dish, he wasn’t able to finish it all. He had never tried quinoa and was happy to find that he liked it.
Mika ordered the Miso Glazed Black Cod with bok choy for $24 based on the waitress’ suggestion and she loved it so much she literally screamed “Oh my God” after taking a bite. She insisted we all taste it and it was delectable; perfectly seared, just to the point of doneness, with a marvelous miso glaze. If you only order one dish here at dinner, order this one.
Mika loves bananas, so she ordered the banana chocolate tart with a mesquite flour crust, and brazil nut $6. She didn’t like the hard crust, but loved the flavors. I like the tart, but I would describe it as more of a hard cookie than a crust because there was no way to eat this with a fork, you had to hold it and bite into it like a big cookie topped with chocolate and banana.
I ordered the Almond Olive Oil cake with blackberries and Greek yogurt $7 so everyone could have a taste. It was a nice rendition of an olive oil cake, very moist and light, and I would have said I would order this again, but then I tried Jersey’s choice.
For his birthday, Jersey got a free dessert of Strawberry Rhubarb crisp with vanilla ice cream $7 (he had to fill in a card with his email). I loved the tangy rhubarb and the sweet strawberry flavors so much I was taking spoonful after spoonful “just to taste”, this was by far my favorite dessert of the evening.
I don’t know what Jersey wished for when he made his birthday wish, maybe it was for another birthday dinner at True Food next year.
Having been to Sonoma Wine Garden when they first opened for breakfast (see my previous post), I have been wanting to go back for a meal and finally did last week. Sunset on a balmy Southern California day is the perfect time to take advantage of the rooftop views of the Pacific and to bask in the last rays of sunshine on the outdoor patio.
The tomato basil soup with a drizzle of basil oil and garlic croutons, was a perfect way to start.
I chose the Caesar Salad ($12) because it had white anchovies (my favorite), but I was pleasantly surprised by the high garlic content of the dressing and the Parmesan crisps which added a nice crunch to the crisp leaves of romaine.
Cindy chose the beet salad with shaved fennel and goat cheese ($12) and cleaned her plate. She loved the presentation as much as the flavor combination.
We both had the 2005 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley and very much appreciated the ability to order a half as well as full glass (Cindy never drinks more than a half glass). A truly wonderful way to end the day is watching the sunset over Santa Monica, sipping wine from Sonoma, with a great friend.
I love introducing my old friends to new places; it’s like watching kids discover a new toy hidden in their closet. Even though Cindy only lives about one hour away, coming to “The Big City” offers possibilities her bedroom community does not, and some of my neighborhood favorites, like Huckleberry Cafe, are exotic tantalizing experiences for her. Since she is a pescatarian (eats fish, but no other animal), a place which offers vegetarian choices automatically gains a spot on my list of places to take her.
Being an omnivore, my choice was the asparagus salad, made with arugula, Jidori chicken, fried prosciutto, roasted red peppers, feta, red wine vinaigrette, and of course asparagus for $12 (normally farro is also included but they were out). This was an incredibly luscious combination of crunchy prosciutto, tender greens, and juicy Jidori chicken. The light dressing enhanced the salad without overpowering it, and the tender asparagus was perfectly cooked. I would order this salad any day as a hearty meal.
Cindy chose a trio of salads for $12 from the deli, with brussel sprouts, squash, and the best quinoa salad she has ever eaten (her words) made with pistachios.
She adored the soft slice of bread that came with her salad so much she took it home.
She also ordered a cup of the pureed vegetable soup for $4 which was a symphony of fresh goodness in a cup.
I had to order a doughnut ($2.50) since Huckleberry makes my favorite fluffy yeast doughnut (but I did share it with Cindy).
I would have ordered some of the best beef brisket I have ever eaten to go, but we were going shopping and I wasn’t sure it was cold enough to leave it in the car for several hours. Oh well, that just means I have to come back (again)!
I love fresh figs; my friends who have fig trees always give me their excess bounty. I’ve been hearing about Fig for years but for one reason or another (usually having to do with traffic / parking at the beach), I never got to taste the food here until today. The timing worked out perfectly as I missed the Farmer’s Market morning traffic and got there in the afternoon to watch a movie at the Laemmle down the street. The movie was great (the documentary “I Am”) and the movie let out just in time for me to walk the two blocks to the Fig for their Happy Hour from 5-6pm when EVERYTHING on their menu is 50% off.
The hostess asked for my name (Fig is in the Miramar so some diners are hotel guests) and seated me with a nice view of the small pool. Service was excellent, from the waitress to the bus boys, never intrusive but always prepared to meet any need, whether it be for clarification on a menu item or a refill of water. The warm delicious bread came in a bag with a small tin of arugula butter that was absolutely addictive; I ate the entire bag of bread during the course of my meal.
The menu* offers many choices from chicken and prosciutto croquettes ($13), duck rillettes ($10), cheese flights ($18), mussels ($19), brussel sprouts with bacon & vinegar ($11), vegetable curry ($18), short rib and pancetta meatloaf ($26), or what caught my eye, the pork schnitzel ($27), made with Niman Ranch Pork, Pickled Cabbage, Walnuts, and Brown Butter.
It was beautiful and as tasty as it looked, with the tart pickled cabbage adding a nice freshness to the nearly grease less fried pork. The addition of golden raisins and walnuts to the cabbage was an interesting touch; at first I was hesitant to taste all the ingredients together, but once I did I appreciated the combination of the crunch of the walnuts, sweetness of the raisins, tartness of the pickled cabbage, and richness of the fried pork. I tasted the Trockenbeerenauslese brown butter, but it was entirely too heavy and rich for me, so I was very grateful they served it on the side. I loved this dish so much that I finished it along with my glass of French Merlot ($14) in less than half an hour!
I had absolutely no room for dessert, but that just means I will be coming back with friends for a second visit; after all if one fig is good, two is better!
*Menu prices I list do NOT reflect the 50% off happy hour price 
>Yesterday was International Women’s Day, but the appreciation of women needs to continue everyday and one of the ways you can show your support for women is to attend the PPLA (Planned Parenthood Los Angeles) Food Fare in Santa Monica tomorrow; for $150* you can spend the morning (10:30-2:00pm) feasting on food choices from 150 restaurants, including the venerable Michael’s, Portia Via (see my recent blog post), Church & State, Joe’s, Westside Tavern, and even a few trucks will be there like the Border Grill truck and the Grilled Cheese truck.
If you are a late riser, go to the evening portion from 6:30-9:30pm for $225* per person, and enjoy the food, demonstrations, silent auction, and festivities all to benefit women’s health services. If you are busy all day and evening, you can also make a donation to PPLA at any time and support the health of the women in your life and your community.
Just as you make the choice of whether or not to attend this event, remember that every woman has the right to make choices for her own life.
*Advance purchase prices, at the door prices will be an additional $25 per person.
I’ve been wanting to try Blue Stove in Nordstroms at the new Santa Monica Mall since they opened, but with the holidays and then the gift return season, I have avoided going to any mall for a few months.
Since the entire menu is small bites, you can taste as many dishes as you would like in true tapas style. Most items are about $10 with a few of the heartier plates like the braised short rib or lump meat crab cakes at about $15. I opted for the clams with pasta and chorizo as my first plate. It was a very tasty take on the clams and chorizo combination, although it was a bit rich.
I asked my very efficient server Lisa which of the other seafood options she would choose as a second plate and after hearing the salt and pepper calamari included the tentacles (yeah!) I chose it. It was a generous serving, very crunchy and tender, but the bottom of the plate belied the greasiness of this dish because it had a coating of residual frying oil.
I ordered a crisp glass of Chardonnay from France to cut the richness of both plates and was delighted to find my total bill with two plates and a glass of wine was only about $32 including tax and a 20% tip. My waitress Lisa gave me a helpful tip in return for my explanation of how Open Table works; if you eat at any restaurant in the Santa Monica Mall, use the Valet parking because a restaurant validation will give you FREE parking for THREE hours instead of the two that come free with self-parking!
The best tips are mutual!
Since I am leaving this week for Paris, I wanted to share an “American” meal with my friend Mika before my trip so we went to Wilshire in Santa Monica for their Dine LA week dinner. Their special menu is only $34 for three courses with the option of pairing two wines for an additional $15. I chose the 2009 Inception Chardonnay and the 2004 Chateau Reignac Bordeaux and enjoyed both the quality of the wines and the value of the pairing.
Mika loves lobster, so for her appetizer she chose the Lobster Bisque, tarragon crème fraiche, with olive oil fried croutons. It was a wonderfully creamy version with plenty of lobster flavor and the tarragon creme fraiche added a nice accent in both color and taste.
I chose the little gem and endive salad, apple, walnuts, served with roaring 40s pomegranate vinaigrette; a great combination for a salad! I was pleasantly surprised to find bits of blue cheese in the salad which complimented the crisp lettuce splendidly. I also enjoyed the sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and the light hand with which this salad was dressed; a bigger version of this salad would be a perfect lunchtime meal.
For my main course I chose the miso cod, crispy rice, and shitake mushroom salsa. The fish was meltingly tender and very flavorful with miso, but it was not warm (much less hot). I enjoyed the Shitake mushrooms, but I found the rice cake a bland disk of slightly crunchy rice.
Mika chose the braised short rib, mashed potatoes, with glazed cipollini onion and enjoyed the meat, sauce and potatoes immensely. This is a great dish for any meat and potato lovers. I tasted the meat and found it a good version of braised short rib, but I felt it could have used a bit more braising time.
We chose the same dessert of flourless chocolate cake, with black pepper ice cream. This was a very rich and light cake for a flourless cake, so the black pepper ice cream was a refreshing counterpoint. Somehow we both managed to eat the entire slice!
Service was professional, the decor was welcoming and relaxing (the bar area is a local hotspot if you are looking for action), and the outdoor patio is a perfect spot for a warm afternoon or evening meal, so Wilshire is the perfect go to place in Santa Monica.
American food has certainly evolved from the Blue Plate Specials of unknown meat with brown gravy served with frozen vegetables. Wilshire is a wonderful example of the great dishes that are being served today in America, and although I look forward to leaving for Paris, I also look forward to eating at Wilshire again upon my return.
I have been eating at World Cafe since the 1980′s when I first moved to Los Angeles. It has evolved over years from a beachy casual cafe to an eclectic place that still manages to combine a comfortable ambiance with delightful fresh flavor combinations.
Since the heat of summer finally came to Southern California this week, I sought out a place with a nice patio for lunch along the beach and I remembered World Cafe had exactly what I was looking for: a tasty salad in a shaded patio with lovely ivy covered walls keeping the street traffic and noise out of sight and earshot.
With a selection of specials starting at $9.99 for a seafood Louie or seared salmon salad, I opted for the grilled shrimp and corn salad on romaine with asparagus, red and yellow peppers with tomatoes for $18. The dressing was a tangy tarragon vinaigrette that was a perfect accent to the fresh ingredients and very generous salad. I loved the freshly roasted corn and the perfectly grilled shrimp so much that I started eating the salad without any salad dressing! The crispy fried onions added a nice crunch to the plate and would have been good just by themselves (they are offered as an appetizer if you so desire).
With sandwiches, burgers, pastas, entrees for vegetarians, or grilled seafood and meat, and desserts galore, all under $20 for lunch, this is a wonderful place to go with friends or alone. Service was absolutely professional and the location on Main Street in Santa Monica, means there is plenty of city parking behind the restaurant (meters) unless it is a sunny week-end.
Nice to know that after all these years of traveling the world, the World Cafe is still a good place to come home to in Southern California.
