Il Pastaio, Beverly Hills

A “romantic” girls night out and catching up with my friend Mona at Il Pastaio.  I’ve been here twice and liked my experience both times. The food comes in smaller portions that are just the right size for one person, but not ideal for sharing or if you just eat a lot. But the idea is to get multiple courses so it will be satisfying.

I tried the soup aka Zuppetta: mussels and clams steamed in a spicy tomato and garlic broth. It was really good but salty, so I asked for lemon to even it out. And what I was impressed by the most is the authenticity of the Italian-ness. There were many Italian people dining there and I figured, if they like it, it must be good and authentic!

The ambiance is just right, whether you are on a date or with friends. The prices are up there, but its on Canon Drive in the heart of Beverly Hills so you’ve gotta expect that. If you’ve never been, and you’re looking for a nice restaurant in the area, you can’t go wrong with this place.

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Tofuya BBQ, Los Angeles

Tofuya BBQ

11267 National Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90064

(310) 477-6075 ‎

If you’ve never done all you can eat Korean BBQ you must try this!!! It is so much fun. You get to order as much as you can eat, but…you have to cook it yourself! If you ask me, I think that’s the fun of the whole experience.  I’ve been to several Korean BBQ restaurants, and this is just one example, a little place called Tofuya BBQ, not to be confused by Tofu Ya, both of which are on or near Sawtelle!  I’ve listed the address and phone number of the one I went to because it can get very confusing if you try to look it up on your own.  This place gives a ton of meat and was about 16.95 per person.  Other places generally tend to be a few dollars less than that.  The place was clean. Service was good.  I do recommend it.  However, I’ll be sure to review some others in the future. If you know of any good ones I should check out, I’d love to hear about it.

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BRÜ HAUS, Los Angeles

BRÜ HAUS, cool little crowded gastropub on Wilshire Blvd.  Easy to get into, AND they serve really cool food.   As for food, they had a variety of exotic sausages. Unfortunately they were out of stock on a lot of them. My first choice was the habanero tequila chicken, but I had to settle with the duck and somethingerother.  I definitely want to go back and try the other cool stuff that they had.  The great thing is, if you’re not too thrilled about it, instead of driving somewhere else, you can always just go next door in either direction where bar hopping in LA is actually doable!

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Guido’s Ristorante, Santa Monica

I went to this place on recommendation.  We ordered the Ravioli Di Aragosta and Eggplant Parmigana.  I liked the Eggplant Parmigana because it had a good amount of melted cheese on top, but overall was not very flavorful.  The Ravioli Di Aragosta is their homemade ravioli with stuffed lobster in a champagne cream sauce.  That type of dish is just so much for one person to take in because it’s just so heavy.  So between the two of us, we split the eggplant and ravioli and still had some left over.  I must say that others told us that this was a really great place to go to, but honestly I wasn’t all too impressed.  The atmosphere was a little dark and somewhat old school Italian mobsterish, but I guess it’s cool if you’re into that!

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The Penthouse @ The Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica

This next restaurant/lounge is a super fun place to go and one of my favorites in Santa Monica.  I find myself going here quite often because it suits every occasion, whether it be just to get drinks with friends, or celebrate a birthday. But the best feature of The Penthouse is the absolutely GORGEOUS decor.  Overlooking the ocean, it is THE perfect place to go to early in the day for brunch or late enough to catch the sunset and breathtaking views.  The nightlife alone gives it a different feel. We ordered a cabana, had a beautiful dinner, and followed the music to the dance floor.  I ordered the New Zealand Snapper that comes with potato gnocchi and steamed clams.  I have to admit, it was very light and delicate. The fish had a slightly crispy exterior but coated in a delicious white wine and garlic sauce.  The gnocchi was made to perfection.  Of course, the servings are rather small. But if you want the best bang for your buck, order the crab cakes. They’re the best. Everything was of excellent quality. Oh, and apparently I got a little overzealous when they brought my food because I forgot to take a picture of it! Doh!

Braised Short Rib

Brick Pressed Jidori Chicken

Crab Cakes

Cauliflower Gratin

Strozzapreti

Happy Birthday Crissy!

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South, Santa Monica

Having a lovely time with the ladies of National Ladies Professional Group @ the sports bar South in Santa Monica. There are mixed reviews of this place, mainly because of the service and the fact that it gets too crowded.  However, I went on a Sunday so parking was easy to find and it was not crowded at all. Not to mention, we had our own little private room.  The food looked good and was reasonably priced.  I wasn’t too hungry so I just ordered chicken wings.  If you’re looking for a casual place to catch a game and order some appetizers, then it’s a go!

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Monster Thai, Sherman Oaks

Was running around, doing errands, getting a car wash, ya know…and came across this tiny little Thai restaurant.  I’m obsessed with Thai soups and this one was da bomb!  Also ordered Thai iced tea, beef & broccoli, and Pad Thai (a classic). If you don’t like peanuts, be sure to let them know when you place your order or else they’ll add it to practically everything! I like that they didn’t use too much oil. Overall, I felt the quality was really good especially in comparison to the price. Actually, now that I’m looking at the pictures, I know what I don’t like about this place. I didn’t like how the broccoli wasn’t covered in the sauce.  I like my food really saucy but, like I said, this was more on the healthier side.  By the way, this was enough to feed two people with a little left over as well.

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Bay Cities Deli, Santa Monica

If you asked me what my favorite sandwich place is, I’d only have one answer: Bay Cities Deli.  If you’ve never been, can I just say that YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!! It is absolutely THE BEST sandwich I’ve EVER HAD!!!  Located near the beach, on Lincoln and Santa Monica Blvd, makes this a perfect spot to hang out at on the weekend.  Basically, its an Italian deli that is packed with people, ALL THE TIME.  Every single time I’ve gone, there has always been a long line…because it’s THAT good.  Take a number and look over the menu so that you’re prepared with your order by the time they call your number.  I usually order and split a large God Mother and a Turkey sandwhich, spicy, and ask for “the works.” The best part is that they bake their own bread and load it with meat! Most large sandwiches run around $8.  Ughh, it’s so good I can’t wait to go back!

Freshly Baked Bread

The Godmother

Turkey

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