.: 2007

Saturday, November 24, 2007

TRIPLE ROCK

I'm reading these reviews, and I am so confused! I was at Triple Rock last Wednesday night and it smelled like a boy's gym locker! On top of the place reeking, the music was heavy metal. Don't get me wrong, I can handle h.m. but back to back, non-stop? Give me 3 Advils please! Maybe I came on an off night?

Address: 629 Cedar Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55454
Phone#: (612) 333-7399
Rating: 2 out of 5

112 EATERY

Figuring that downtown might be a little slow after all the turkey stuffing, that was not the case, but luckily there was bar seating on the 2nd floor. It's a cute restaurant with a good crowd. It was hard to decide what to eat because the menu consists a lot of food that I don't eat (i.e. lamb, veal, foie gras, pork, prawn).

I ordered the bacon egg & harrisa sandwich, pan-fried gnocchi w/ parmesan reggiano, cauliflower fritters, meanwhile my friend ordered the stringozzi w/ lamb sugo. The server said that the harrisa sandwich has a little kick, let me tell you, it had a lot of kick! It's spicy that despite my effort scraping the sauce off, my stomach was flipping through out the whole night. The gnocchi is whatever, but the cauliflower fritters was yummy --be sure to add the lemon juice. I wished they made stringozzi with another type of meat, because the stringozzi pasta is very good. We finished with a chocolate pot de crme --a very rich chocolate mousse.

The restaurant has a great wine selection. I had the pinot bianco, niedermayr, dell'alto adige, italy 2005.

Address: 112 N 3rd St. Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone#: (612) 343-7696
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Photo credit: Mercy B.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

OCEAN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

I came here last weekend for a friend's birthday, and was quite surprised that I like OSR, because I normally don't like Dim Sum because I'm allergic to crustacean and picky on how my pork is cooked, and I'll admit it, I'm not a fan of Cantonese cooking. OSR is 100 times better than the popular Empress Pavilion. The servers were very helpful. My friend was craving shumai, and after the same carts passing us for the 5th millionth time, we holler'd a waiter to bring us shumai. The chicken fried dumplings were tasty despite all the grease. I really like the flat noodle dish with pork. I just wished they gave us more options. Oddly as we were leaving the restaurant, we saw a bunch of different yummy food...

Address: 750 N BroadwayLos Angeles, CA 90012
Phone#: (213) 687-3088
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Photo credit: Mike L.

Monday, October 1, 2007

BAR LUBITSCH

Bar Lubitsch opened up early this year and quickly became this hotspot, known for scantily clad Russian models enticing you to try their 200 vodkas. I'm kidding about the model, but not about them carrying over 200 vodkas.

The problem when you hear of a great place is that you have high expectations. I was expecting the interior to be more "Russian." The good thing is that there were a lot of people, but the bad thing was that there were a lot of people--it was so difficult to move around! Also, I don't know how my tab came out to $50 for 4 well vodka/diet coke...??? Hmmm....

Address: 7702 Santa Monica BlvdWest Hollywood, CA 90046

Phone#: (323) 654-1234

Rating: 3 out of 5

Saturday, September 22, 2007

SUNDRIED TOMATO CAFE

My cousin had her birthday dinner there last night, and I was not impressed. I don't know if it was the 2.5 hours drive (rush hour) from LA to LB that might have had some influence...and the last thing I wanted was to be cramed into a table; we were squished (I was tucking my elbows in the whole time).

I had ordered the three cheese pasta (I didn't see the 4 cheese pasta on the menu...) and was extremly disappointed. The bowties tasted like regular pasta from the store. The cheeses (blue, chedder and maybe swiss?) were piled on top of the pasta...I kinda like my cheeses piled up for a salad, but for pasta, it should be mixed already, no? My cheese pasta tastes better (trader joe's bowtie, spicy jack cheese, chicken, and sundried tomoto --try it!). Their spring rolls are more like eggrolls...(it's really annoying when people don't know the difference between eggrolls and spring rolls). Nonetheless, the "spring rolls" tasted better than the 3 cheese pasta.

If I had to say something positive about the restaurant, I would say that they do have good service.

Address: 361 Forest AveLaguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone#: (949) 494-3312
Rating: 3 out of 5

LAS BRISAS RESTAURANT

Despite the many bad reviews on this restaurant, I actually had a good time there with my friend. We were supposed to dine at Madison Square & Garden Cafe, but due to today's sporadic weather...they decided to close early. The only breakfast place w/in walking distance was the Cottage House and it was about a 30-min wait. We decided to head to Las Brisas and were seated immediately with a beautiful view of the ocean. I was disappointed that that the cut off time for breakfast is 11am there; in fact that's when most restaurants in Laguna stop serving breakfast (what's up with that? don't they know that's when drinkers get up in the morning?)

Luckily we're not big eaters, so the Picaedillo Atun and the Playa Azul suffice. The Atun was served w/ delicious marinated vegetable, and for the Playa Azul, we had Chicken Tamale (yum), Steak soft taco (meat was perfect) and rice. I wanted to try their guacamole dip, but not for $10. Overall, they serve good "Americanized" Mexican food. If I had to pick on something besides their breakfast hours, their orange juice is not freshly squeezed... The next time I am there, going to try their salad w/the soft shell taco (looks amazing) and profiteroles (didn't have room for dessert. :( ) The bill came out to $42 (including tip) --I guess that's why I am still able to give it a good review. Crowd wise, you have the tourists, yuppies, couples, and the married men w/ their mistresses (yup, I saw one --shame on you!)

For service, hands down, 5 star.

Address: 361 Cliff Dr. Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone#: (949) 497-5434
Rating: 4 out of 5

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

LITTLE NEXT DOOR

The food is excellent but the service can be better. I had brunch their last Sunday with some friends. As annoyed I was with two of my friends for showing up 30-45 minutes late because they had to make sure their make-up were perfect, the servers/host didn't help by asking me every 10 minutes if my friends were going to show up --they made me feel that my friend and I were hogging a 4 top table.

Ok, switching to their food & drinks, I ordered...Chai (OMG, so good --comes lightly sweetened) Fresh squeeze OJ (good, but definitely on the pricy side...$5.50) Frech Ham Eggs Benedict with Organic Mixed Greens (I'm so happy to have found another place that has good eggs benedict $12.00)

Now back to service, okay, we were tired and couldn't really add, but we knew that one of us overpaid. The server wasn't really helping us and personally, we think he wanted to keep the money. We asked for the cash back so we can figure out the amount, but he said he couldn't do it as he closed out our tab...I don't see why he couldn't give us the money back and let us figure it on our own..maybe he has adding problems too. Needless to say after 15 minutes arguing about the bill with the server, the bill was settled. AMEN.

A few days later I ordered a Nicoise salad to go --YUM again, but I requested no olives. Lo and behold, there were 15 small olives in my salad. (no deliveries, but takes pick up orders)

Address: 8142 W 3rd StLos Angeles, CA 90048
Phone#: (323) 951-1010
Rating: 4 out of 5

Monday, September 17, 2007

BONA VISTA LOUNGE

1 star because I have to give it a star --nothing to do with the service. My stomach couldn't handle the revolving room after working 10 hours. Another star because the view is really pretty. I've been told the best time to come is when the sun is setting--that's if you can handle the dizzy spells.Parking after 10pm on a weeknight: 7th & Fig (by the mall) parking meter = free Drinks cost: 1 vod/cran & 1 dirty martini = $26 (including tip)

Address: 404 S Figueroa St Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone#:(213) 624-1000
Rating: 2 out of 5

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

LOTERIA GRILL

I really don't understand why people love this place. I've dined at L.G. a few times and am always expecting "the best Mexican food in L.A," and am always disappointed. Their chicken burrito is a rice burrito; okay, they threw a few scraps of chicken. I'm not wow'd by their chips.

Also once, after spending $10, I had to ask the guy behind the counter three freakin times for a glass of water --I was really annoyed the second time I asked (the guy gave me a dirty look the first time), that I made sure everyone nearby heard me on my third time, and the guy reluctantly gave me my water. Okay, I didn't really ask him, it was more along the line, "You SERIOUSLY can't give me a glass of water. Where's your manager?" Sure, I was bit demanding, but come on, water is free; what's the big deal??

Address: Farmer's Market 6333 W 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone#: (323) 930-2211
Rating: 2 out of 5

LOFT CAFE

Sorry, couldn't really give it a 4 star because the coffee is so damn expensive if you stay and the food is nothing to get all excited about--as Runt said, the turkey sandwich is just like a subway sandwich. I don't know if it's a Korean cafe thing but there are two prices -- a to go price and a stay in price. A to go price is what normal coffee costs, and a stay in price is double the cost (I've never had a free refill...but then again, I usually order a Latte or a Mocha). It's smart on their part I guess because they just want to maximize their profit without doing too much work. But come on!? $6-7 for a mocha? I can get a vodka/cran with that money. I will have to admit that their mocha is the best mocha I have had so far--not too sweet and not to bitter. The interior is great --it's a loft style --there's a 2nd floor, and the patio is cozy and cute. They have a parking lot on Serrano & 6th I believe...and they offer Sweet Lady Jane cakes - yum!

Address: 3882 West 6th StreetLos Angeles, CA 90020
Phone: (213) 383-3006
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

**Update (3/16/09): I've now accepted the fact that all coffee joints in K-Town are expensive, so I'm giving them a 4.5 out of 5 now. The parking and Wi-Fi are free.

Monday, August 13, 2007

LIFE

I order/dine at Life often because it's nearby my work; it's also the only decent looking restaurant w/in walking distance (nice big couches and has nice bar style patio --am sure Austen would mock me on my repetitive usage of the word "nice"). The food is fine - not going to blow your mind but not going to turn you away. The service...eh, it's a hit or miss. My take out orders are fine, but when I dine in...there's usually something missing; I thought that's what a pen and a pad is for? Despite the absent minded waiters/ waitresses, the people there are really nice and do make you want to come back. Afterall, it's the only nice restaurant close to my work.

Update: Mojito Chicken Skewers - chicken is a bit dry
Grilled Cheese - yummy!
Caprese Salad - average

Roasted Turkey - boring, $12 is a waste of your money
Cheese Burger - massive!
Grilled Chicken Sandwich -tasty

Life Salad - my prefer salad, simpleCaesar - average
Chopped Salad - sad looking
Pesto Penne - tasty
Veg Burger - ok

Address: 6311 Wilshire BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90048
Phone#: (323) 651-5433
Rating: 3 out of 5

GRUB

The restaurant's name is very fitting because this place has GOOD grub. The perfect place to go for brunch! I love the location and the look --it's a house that's converted into a restaurant. Outdoor seatings for those smokers (wink, wink). For a free side dish, they give fruit loops. I would have given this place a 5 star if the wait wasn't so damn long -- I waited for 30 minutes...

Address: 911 Seward StLos Angeles, CA 90038
Phone#: (323) 461-3663
Rating: 4 out of 5

VEGAN GLORY

Can I say "yuck" or "very gross" --V.G.? Ok, I am not a vegetarian, but I have had much better soy chicken, soy beef, soy whatever than at V.G. The soy chicken tastes like a wet cardboard. The soy burger tastes really funky as well. The whole point of soy meat is so it would taste like the real thing. I've ordered food from there four times since my boss is a vegetarian, and each time I ask myself, "why do I keep ordering there if I hate the food?" Oh, because it's free lunch for me, but I have learned my lesson and know now to never order food from there--even when it's free.

Address: 8393 Beverly BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90048
Phone#: (323) 653-4900
Rating: 1 out of 5

Photo credit: Dave C. (top photo only)

AOC

I was expecting the restaurant to have a better white wine selection since AOC is known to be a great wine bar/restaurant, but after the third wine test, I decided to stick to my first glass. The bartender was very nice and patient --no attitude. Hence the 4-star, not a 3.5 star. My friend and I ordered four dishes, and the only dish that wow'd me was the egg & proscuiotto sandwich--heaven.

Address: 8022 W 3rd StLos Angeles, CA 90048
Phone#: (323) 653-6359
Rating: 3 out of 5

CITIZEN SMITH

I love the interior and the patio. Oh yeah, the food is good too. Drinks are strong. Service is fine. They started to show films on the patio (you pay an extra $8, but then you get a discount on your drinks), but it's really hard to hear the film...so I don't recommend If you plan on dining here, I highly recommend sitting outside (if you don't mind the smoke) and bring your credit card--you'll make a nice dent to it.

Address: 1600 N Cahuenga BlvdHollywood, CA 90028
Phone#: (323) 461-5001
Rating: 4 out of 5

HAPPI SONGS ASIAN TAVERN

My friend invited me for drinks at this place, and since I was not in the mood to drink (very rare), I decided to have dinner there. I ordered the chicken yakitori and the vegetable udon. The chicken yakitori didn't taste any different from those kabbob vendors for $3 that you find at the street festivals and it was a bit on the dry side. The vegetable udon was bland--I had expected some flavor to the soup. I guess it's a good meal if I was on a diet...but I'm not. I am checking this restaurant off my list.

Address: 460 S La Brea AveLos Angeles, CA 90036
Phone#: (323) 936-7622
Rating: 1 out of 5

**Update 3/16/09: It's now CLOSED. I might have shut down the restuarant as it was the last review on Yelp...

R BAR

I was really buzz prior to entering the bar, and completely plastered when I left (yup, the drinks are strong and good...). We had trouble entering the bar because the previous password expired, but luckily my mates were able to figure out. Great wooden interior, but a bit too dark--ladies, don't wear heels, unless you don't plan to drink much.

Address: 3331 W 8th St Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone #: (213) 387-7227
Rating: 4 out of 5

Photo credit: Monica T

THE LIBRARY BAR

The Library Bar is a great bar if you want to relax and have some drinks with your friends. It's not crowded, but then again, I was there around 1am. The music is not loud and the interior is adorable (yes, it's like a library). Stephen the bartender is awesome!

Address: 630 W 6th St Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone#: (213) 614-0053
Rating: 5 out of 5

Photo credit: Irma S. (top photo only)

**Update 3/16/09: Stephen no longer works at the Library Bar. They serve food now.