La Gondola, Beverly Hills

La Gondola

9025 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

(310) 247-1239

www.lagondola.com

I was fortunate enough to be invited out to dine at La Gondola in Beverly Hills.  La Gondola is a kosher Italian restaurant.  I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I was happy with the taste, quality, and presentation of the food.  We started off with their bread and signature garlic butter…so so good!  As an appetizer we order the avocado egg roll, how can you go wrong with that? I ordered the beef wrap which comes with your choice of soup, salad, pasta, or fries.  I could never resist matzo ball soup so of course I ordered that.  The wrap was on point and the soup really hit the spot. As I write this, I’ve been back multiple times.  My favorite appetizer besides the avocado egg rolls is the spicy tuna tartar…Love this! I get it every time.

Avocado Egg Rolls

Matzo Ball Soup

Beef Wrap

Spring Spaghetti

Pollo Marsala

Turkey Sandwich

Sesame Chicken Salad

Spicy Tuna Tartar

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Plancha, Los Angeles

Plancha

8250 West 3rd Street  

Los Angeles, CA 9004

This next place is a cute little taco joint with a very casual yet modern and neat dining area, as you can see from the picture.  I was just looking for a quick bite to eat so I tried 3 different tacos, the chicken, steak, and al pastor.  Not my favorite al pastor I’ve eaten, but all of them were certainly made with good quality meat.  I definitely enjoyed the steak taco the most of all three.  One thing to note about this place is that they also serve vegetarian food as well. Located right on the corner, you can’t miss it!

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Oliva Trattoria, Sherman Oaks

Oliva Trattoria

Pizzaria & Italian Grill

4449 Van Nuys Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

(818) 789-4490

www.olivarestaurant.com

Ventured up and down Ventura Blvd. with my uncle, going this way and that, looking for a good restaurant, until we finally decided upon Oliva Trattoria.  It was nicely decorated on the inside and had a bit of an upscale feel to it.  We were served some fresh cut tomato and basil with bread upon being seated.  I ordered the Capriccio oven baked pizza, a good choice…as you can see below.  I also ordered the Spaghetti Mare but asked for Fettucini instead. It was an ok choice, however I do wish it was a little bit more saucy and garlicky. I wish I’d thought to ask for some fresh garlic on the side, but it was too late by the time I remembered.  Would I recommend this place? Well, if you’re trying to please multiple people and want a safe pick, then yes I do recommend.

Spaghetti Mare

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Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, Beverly Hills

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop

9671 Wilshire Boulevard

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

(310) 246-0756

http://www.greenleafchopshop.com/

For a really healthy place to eat, and delicious too, try Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop out in Beverly Hills.  They offer freshly made salads-to-order, sandwiches, and wraps using organic and gourmet ingredients everyday in an open-display kitchen.  My friend ordered the Grilled Vegetable salad. But since I’m not a rabbit, I’m not usually satisfied with just a salad for lunch, so I ordered the Turkey Melt on Pretzel Bread…..SO SO GOOD!  You could tell it is healthier than most other sandwiches, but still delicious at the same time. Romeo had the BBQ chicken panini, but he was already practically done with it by the time I remembered to take a picture of it! Although I like trying new restaurants, and especially new meals if I ever go to the same restaurant, but this is one sandwich that I would actually come back here for to have again.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Turkey Melt on Pretzel Bread

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Hanami Sushi, Sherman Oaks

Hanami Sushi

4454 Van Nuys Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

(818) 986-7060

www.hanamitaste.com

I read rave reviews about this place and thought to myself that I’ve GOT to try this. Although I was truly craving sushi, I have to admit, after eating here and not being satisfied, I went and ate at In N Out right after!!  The problem though, was not the actual sushi itself, but with what I happened to order.  The fish itself was very fresh I must say. The only problem was that there was a lot of rice, not enough fish inside the rice.  I know it may seem like I was not satisfied with this place, but I know that I still have to give it another shot because of all the great things I’ve read about them. There’s got to be more to it.  This time though, I’ll focus more on their specialty rolls.  One important thing to know about this place is that each night they’ve got different specials going on.  So I would call ahead to learn what they are. I’ll be sure to post an update once I try it again!

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Rincon De Guyabitos, Los Angeles

Rincon De Guyabitos

735 S Atlantic Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90022

We all occasionally need to get our car fixed, and my recommendation is to go to East Los Angeles, specifically on  Atlantic Blvd. The reason being is you will most likely be spending a fraction of the cost.  I’m tellin you, it is soo cheap compared to going to big name places.  And if you do find yourself out there, chances are you’ll probably have to wait a while for your car to be fixed. If you’re waiting for your car to get fixed, chances are you’ll probably get hungry. Unfortunately, most eateries out there look pretty sketchy.  This is where I come in.   I can assure you that Rincon De Guyabitos, although shabby looking, was actually really good.  Yes, I know it’s really weird that I ordered a burger when I probably should have ordered Mexican food, but I couldn’t help myself. It sounded pretty good and I was craving it from the get-go.  It totally satisfied my craving.  The salsa on the other hand…..man Oh man that was THE spiciest salsa I think I’ve ever eaten. I love spicy food, but this was on another level.  All I could do was laugh because I’m sitting across from someone, and neither of us could speak to each other for a good 15 minutes because our mouth was on fire.  So worth it though, and it has my stamp of approval.

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Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco

If you ever get a chance to go up to San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf is an absolute must!  They have some of the best seafood around, but I think their most popular main attraction is the clam chowder in the bread bowl.  My personal fave though is the oysters!! I absolutely LOVE them, especially when they’re nice and cold with a little bit of lemon, salt, and horseradish. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  I had an amazing time on my visit.  And on your way, don’t forget to stop in Gilroy where its garlic-lover’s heaven!  You  can smell the garlic right when you exit the freeway.  We stopped at one of the local garlic stores and bought a whole bunch of goodies including a garlic peeler, garlic mustard, and even garlic chocolate ice cream!

Couldn't help but capture this beautiful display walking the streets of San Fran

Another cutesy display I just had to snap a picture of

Bread Bowl with warm soup and crab/lobster salad

I'm happy as a clam

Best in show!

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Le Diplomate Cafe, Irvine

Le Diplomate Cafe

4237 Campus Drive

Irvine, CA 92612

So, most of you may know that my favorite sandwich place is Bay Cities Deli, but this next sandwich in particular is pretty darn good too.  Although, it’s not nearly as creative.  Le Diplomate Cafe is located near the UC Irvine campus, and is apparently a very popular place among college students.  What makes all their sandwiches so good is their garlic sauce.  I swear, garlic makes everything taste better.  But to be perfectly honest, if you ask me, I’d say their garlic sauce is really nothing more than just mayo and fresh pressed garlic (which anyone can make!).  Not something you want to eat very often, but good enough that we drove 25 min one way just to have it. That’s a true foodie right there! I have to admit it was worth it to have once, but certainly something I can make at home next time.

Garlic Chicken Sandwich

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