When you walk into this one room space, all you notice is tables, tables, tables; pushed into every corner of the restaurant with just enough room for one person to walk through or get in and out of your seat without hitting the person behind you.  I tend to like places like this, where they can concentrate on each customer without being overloaded.  Needless to say, when we were hungry, our server was right there.

Coming from an Italian family with many italian friends,  I have never been a fan of sangria, but I have learned to get into it since I have moved out here, and I would highly recommend their red sangria.

Overall, this place had many tasty things on the menu, such as the bacon wrapped dates.

Bacon wrapped dates

Cmon, we all know everything is better wrapped in bacon!
Their muscles…

Muscles

the chicken empanadas…

Chicken Empenada

And even shrimp in a tasty aioli..

Shrimp Aioli

But I do want to mention a couple of dishes that I could have done without and one that was slightly surprising.

Squid in its own ink:

I have had squid before in many different ways, fried, bbq’d, etc, but whenI saw this on the menu, I had to try it.  Its like cooking a steak in milk, kinda seems a little, hmmm.. i have to remember the word my friend used for it, but anyway.  This was more of a mental block for my dinner companions, they just couldn’t wrap their heads around the concept.  If you didn’t know any better, by first look, its in this fairly thin black liquid, which in all honesty didnt look very appetizing, but for this show, I had to try at least once.  And it was nothing like it looked.  Although the squid doesn’t really soak up a lot of flavor, the sauce brings a garlic and onion flavor.  The ink was surprisingly neutral flavor.

Squid in its own ink

Peach Bread:

I can’t remember exactly what this is called, but you would know it if you read it on the menu.  I can always appreciate a new dish, but this was not impressive.  I love peaches, and I love blue cheese, but they should really never come together.  Our server said some people liked it and some didn’t.  Here is my impression:  At first bite, the peach is very well done, not too sweet, not too tart, and very tender, but then there is a slight aftertaste that is a little off about it.  I won’t use my exact phrase to describe it, but these things should not go together.  And while my friends were trying to figure out the flavor, as soon as I mentioned it, they agreed.  Needless to say, no bueno.

Peach Bread

Strawberries on a 4 cheese bed:

This was a dessert selection, and wasn’t on any menu, but it sounded like something we had to try.  Again, stop with pairing these fruits and cheeses please!  Very well marinated strawberries in a little strawberry reduction over these boats of cheese, looked pretty, but again, I don’t know what people think sometimes.  They worked well separately, but eating the whole thing was not a good idea.  The cheese tasted like something I could have got out of a can.  I was not impressed with this dish.  Although…  get a order of creme brûlée and have that with the strawberries.. that worked out very well!

Strawberries on 4 cheese fondue

All in all, I would go back to this place.  Its not a quiet place by any stretch of the imagination, but I will warn you that the clientele has a keen sense to go silent as soon as you are in the middle of a juicy story or punchline.  As happened to me a couple times.  Great place for something quick to start your night.

Price:

We had 6 main tapas dishes, a liter of sangria, which easily gave three of us 2 full glasses, 2 desserts, and a couple cups of coffee, the total bill came out to about $75.  I would highly recommend this type of place as a starter and could probably get out for around $20-$25 for 2 with a generous selection of meals.  Not a bad way to start the night!

Piatto a Stutare

We started with the Piatto a Stutare (Prosciutto San Daniele, burrata, grilled fresh artichokes, mint & extra-virgin olive oil).  Now Im almost addicted to prosciutto, so this was an amazing starter.  The meat is sliced very thin and had a buttery finishing note.  The burrata and artichoke gave it an added freshness that worked well on the tongue and gave it a lighter taste.

Santo Stefano

Since our dinner was rather late, I wanted to have a lighter dish as a main, so we shared this Santo Stefano pizza (Tomato, buffalo milk mozzarella, fresh arugola & prosciutto di Parma).  What can I say, this hit the spot.  Nothing on the pizza contracted or overpowered each other.  The prosciutto di Parma has a distinctly different taste than the San Daniele and paired well with dollops of buffalo mozzarella and light tomato sauce.  This is one of those pizzas that is satisfying but has no guilt.  Now if I could only get it more often! All in all, Terroni is a great casual to dressy place, with prices in the high teens per dish or daily specials in the upper twenties, our dinner was about $75 for 2, which included 2 glasses of wine, the plates you see here, and coffee afterward.  These dishes were more than enough for a quick nosh, but if you are looking for a couple appetizers and 2 main dishes with drinks, be prepared to spend another $50. Not an every day hitter, but a great place for a nice dinner on occassion.

I still need to figure out a ratings system.  I would give it 4 out of 5 for now …

Anyway, let me tell you about this place I went to last night with a neighbor of mine called Noir Food & Wine.  After only 8 months, I am still a newbie to the LA area, so most of the things that I have found are on pretty main streets, but this one is tucked quietly off on a side street with a fairly unassuming entrance, right next to a, from what I have heard, pretty popular comedy club called Ice House.

Simple and elegant come to mind when you walk into this place.  A couple small rooms with 2 bars and small intimate tables with just enough room for one person to walk without running into someone.  Traffic stops when food comes out.  Anyway, so we sit down, and my friend used to call this place home so she schools me on the ins and outs of the restaurant.  The owner is originally from Louisiana, so all of the dishes are relatively simple with a Louisiana flare, (and a really nice guy, he came out to talk with us during dessert.)

This is a small plate restaurant, everything is served tapas style.  We started off with a couple of wine flights.  I had a Malbec flight of three wines, (at this point, I honestly forgot to take pictures of the menu, but there I was), paired with a cheese plate with some slices meats, nuts, honey, and a preserve.  Im a sucker for wine and cheese, so this was a perfect start to the meal to get me into the mood.

While we were waiting for a main course, we ordered Crab Fritters.  This was a perfect light intermediary dish; lightly battered and fried, served with a couple of dipping sauces, a light tartar and a dijon style mustard.  My main course was the Hanger Steak, medium rare of course!  The steak was cooked to perfection served a in wine reduction with veggies.  Ever bite was savory and perfectly tender.

Hanger Steak @ Noir Food & Wine, Pasadena, CA

As if this was not enough, after the main dinner, we went to the front bar for dessert.  Now I will say, this was definitely the right call.  You sit in again, simple elegance with white upholstered high chairs looking at the wine selection.  I had a nice port wine with their Chocolate Terrine.  Talk about heaven on a plate.  Its a thick chocolate custard served with a raspberry reduction and fresh berries.  That was worth the whole meal!

Chocolate Terrine @ Noir Food & Wine, Pasadena, CA

All said and done, this place is simple, elegant, and classy.  A little on the pricy side.  Dinner for 2 with wine and dessert was about $250.  But this is definitely a great experience that is something that can be saved for a special occasion and would highly recommend it.

http://www.noirfoodandwine.com/

Recently, I walked to a nearby village main street near my new job.  It was nice to get out of the office for a while and take a walk.  After exploring the street, I moseyed on into an organic restaurant, which shall remain nameless.  I ordered a Paris Ham & Gruyere sandwich, all organic of course.  In spite of its $12.99 price tag, I received an open faced sandwich, well you can see in this picture.

Granted it was a great presentation, and tasted great, but I can’t help to think that I didn’t get what I paid for.  Was it supposed to be healthier?  Taste better?  What was the difference?

Here are some excerpts from a WebMD article:

“If a food has a ‘USDA organic’ label, it contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and a government-approved expert has inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer follows USDA requirements.”

“The organic farmers talk about the soil being more alive on organic farms than conventional farms. That life isn’t just insects and worms; it’s loaded with bacteria,”

“Right now, no one can say for sure whether organic food is any more nutritious than conventional food.”

For the full article, check it out here

After reading that article, Im not too convinced that being “organic” is worth the extra money.  After decades of regulation from the USDA, now there is a better type of food?  I live by the mantra, everything in moderation.  Eat healthy and in variety and you will live a healthy lifestyle.

I just think I will save the couple bucks and live on the edge.

Welcome to Chin-ma-ya located in Little Tokyo in downtown LA. This place serves ramen how it should be served, in giant bowls topped with the most tasty of toppings.

I started, and well didn’t even Gino’s a bowl called a Tan Tan Men. This ramen bowl has a broth with a little heat to it topped with pork. Add some green onions, bambo chutes, and bean sprouts and it’s one hearty meal! Let me rephrase, several hearty meals! This meal is nothing like you find at the store in the pasta section, but, it’s a simple meal to put together at home.

All in all its rehashed my love for the underrated noodle and given my imagination more food to play with.m a definite win!

And for sides, we paired the ramen with a tasty pork goyoza, pork dumplings with vegetables.

Needless to say, I was eating this meal for a couple days. With all the fixins, the ramen bowl ran about $12. Slightly less,nor the half portion.

I love LA!

I find that the best restaurants keep it simple, and this is about as simple as you can get, sausages and beer.  And what a beer list it is!  But that is for another show.  Anyway, when you peruse the menu, the choice becomes clear, regular or exotic sausages.  I happened to choose a platter of exotic sausage: Wild Boar, Venison, and Smoked Buffalo with caramelized onions, mustard, and srirachafor dipping.  What a taste treat!  Venison has always been a little salty, but these were tastes that just melted in your mouth!  Not at all gamey, but mild and flavorful with the snap of a Nathan’s hot dog.  The caramelized onion and sriracha topper brought savory, salty, sweet, with a touch of heat all into one bite.  Pair this dish with a beer, and its very fling and satisfying!  All for under $30.

Check it out!

[Show as slideshow]

Salmon Benedict 

I started out with a favorite of mine, Eggs Benedict, but with a slight twist.  This order was for Salmon Benedict over a potato latka, similar to loose hash browns.  This was a nice twist on a classic recipe since the potatoes were not going to get soggy as soon as the yolk breaks its seal.  Eating salmon, egg, and latka in one bite made my mouth a very happy place.  The one thing I was a little disappointed on was that on its own, the smoked salmon was rather salty, which nullified any smokiness to the meat.

Chorizo

What can I say about this loose chorizo?  A little dry, but tasty none the less with a nice kick on the front end and lingering heat.

Bacon French Toast

If there is a reason why any place should hold the title of “Best Breakfast,” its because of this dish.  I really don’t know how to explain it.  This is not a main dish food, its a topper on the end of your meal.  The french toast is prepared with a bacon infused caramel syrup and served with bacon.  How much more decadent can you get?  The perfect ending to any breakfast!

[Show as slideshow]

Unless you can read Korean, you will pass right by this place. My friend and I did the first time we tried to find it and went to the place across the street. When we did find this place we were greeted with about a dozen or so tables each with the signature grill in the middle.

Unlike my previous experience, the food here was a la carte, but well worth it. We ended up feasting on pork belly, deliciously marbled prime rib, and boston butt marinated in a kim chi type of sauce. This was served with a mix of kim chi and sprouts on the burner, lettuce and typical thin white wrappers (yes, I dont know what its called), along with a spicy and bean paste. The presentation was simple, but very delicious.

All I can say is the cut of meat definitely enhanced the experience. While dining all you can eat, I think I put away food for about 30-45 minutes trying everything on the menu I could and still left hungry. But having 3 or 4 cuts of prime meat kept me satisfied even until this morning. Although this is not a luxury that I could afford on a regular basis, being 2x the price of the other, its definitely something I am going to look forward every time I go!

Unfortunately I was so enthralled with eating, I didnt get a chance to get a picture, so I got this one off of Urbanspoon.

I highly recommend mobile applications like Groupon and LivingSocial. I have been using Groupon to find foods and activities I would have not even thought about unless I passed right by them or someone recommended it to me. And even then its kind of a crap shoot as to when I would have got there.

Since I have moved to LA in March, I have bought the following:
Surfing lessons
White Water Rafting
Korean BBQ and Peruvian food,
Diving
Comedy Club tickets and wine tastings.

I will admit, I have not bought much on LivingSocial, there is not much that has appealed to me, but I am excited about their escapes. LivingSocial offers vacation escapes from one nighters, to multiple night packages all over the US and Latin America. Gotta save those pennies.

So if you are looking to move or go on vacation, these are two applications that are a must have to make your new experiences varied and exciting!

At this moderately sized restaurant on the main drag in downtown Burbank I sat down for a light but filling meal. The Insalata all Bisteca, is a field green salad garnished with onions, tomatoes, gorgonzola, and even corn, with a nice piece of flank steak as a topper, with a hint of oil and vinegar. For what I was looking for, it served its purpose, this was a purely functional meal, there was no hidden flavors, or something that made me want look forward to another bite. Although tasty, this is not something that I would be craving for, but I will remember for those post workout protein boosts.

I give it a 4 out of 8 stars.