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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Cafe Bizou, Sherman Oaks

I just went here to grab a glass of wine and dessert and ended up loving it!! I cannot wait to go here for dinner. This is a great place to go with a date that you want to get cozy with because you will by the end of the night!   The dessert I ordered was the chocolate and raspberry flourless cake.  Delish. But, there’s more to come!

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Pitfire Artisan Pizza, North Hollywood

Pitfire Artisan Pizza is essentially “rustic, fire singed pizzas.”  It was an unexpectedly nice restaurant nestled on the corner of Lankershim Blvd.  I went there for lunch on a really nice day and sat on the outside patio.  In fact, I believe they only have outdoor seating so I would definitely save this for a nice day, at least at the North Hollywood location.  I tried their soups, salad, and pizzas, all of which were good.  I felt like everything erred on the healthy side, so if that’s your thing, than definitely go here for some really good options. Unfortunately for me, because I went with my mom (a health nut), she didn’t let me get the pizza that I really wanted with all the meat and stuff but otherwise, it was a great pizza.  Just from the pictures alone you can see how rustic looking the crust is.  Try it for yourself!

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Sweet Butter, Sherman Oaks

Sweet Butter is such a cutely decorated little restaurant with lots of outdoor seating. Great for lunch. But more importantly, the food is so good! I ordered one turkey and one tuna sandwich.  They use imported Italian tuna fish. This was really good, but a little too salty, even for my  taste.  The turkey sandwich, however, was amazing!  I suggest requesting the 5 grain bread. It seems healthier and has great texture.  For the side, you have a choice between arugula, fries, or homemade tortilla chips.  Be sure to check out their delicious desserts and coffee. You’ll love it!  The only problem is you won’t be able to decide which one to get!

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The Bear Pit, Mission Hills

Ok, went back to this place and honestly, I loved it.  The people there were so friendly  and from what I’ve been told the waitresses have worked there for 20+ years on average.
One thing you should know about this place is that their meat is all smoked, not BBQ’ed.  So it has that nice smokey flavor to it.
I ordered the hotlinks which were drizzled in this sweet syrupy sauce. I also got the spare ribs and the baby back ribs. Both were prepared just the way I like it, with the bbq sauce on the side. Personally, I LOVE it that way, and its hard to find places that do that. Usually they drench it in BBQ sauce and you can’t get a good feel for the taste of the meat.  But you have to ask for this, otherwise it will come cooked regularly with the sauce.
They also have 2 very different bbq sauces that are made by them, both really tasty. I recommend trying both.
I went there on a Friday night and it was PACKED. Plus they’ve been in business for 58 years, so that should tell you something!  The other good thing about it is that the portions are big! So you know you won’t be leaving there still hungry.

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Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica

Casa Del Mar…what can I say? It is an incredibly elegant and sophisticated hotel with a restaurant on the beach where you can eat or just sit and have drinks.  I can only imagine what it would be like during the day.  It’s a good place to go just for the sake of going.   Beware, it is pricey.  I only wish I had more pictures of the actual restaurant area.  Would I go back? Absolutely.

Happy Birthday Priyanka!

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Springbok Bar & Grill, Van Nuys

Springbok Bar & Grill is a South African rugby and sports bar located in Van Nuys.  Greatttt place if you’re interested in catching a sports game because they’ve got tons of t.v. screens, especially for those of you who like to yell during the games.  They welcome that. If anything, just go for the cuisine if you have not had South African food before.

I tried the homemade potato chips.  The salsa was definitely a little spoiled, but the chips were ok. I also tried the chicken peri peri and the chicken sosaties.  Both are good choices to go with and mainly what they’re known for.

They also have a good selection of beer to try out.

The staff was nice and friendly.

The prices were reasonable.

Would I recommend going here?  If you’ve never had South African food, than definitely. I’d also recommend it if you’re in the area or just looking for a good place to catch a game, or two.  Say, if you’re with a group of people who are interested in watching different sports games all at once, you can do that here because they’ve got several different games going on at once.

Chicken Peri-Peri

Chicken Sosaties

Homemade chips

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Nellie’s 6th Annual Christmas Party!

I usually make this one a pajama party, but this year I felt like doing something a little bit more elegant and a lil less “comfy”.  I think the biggest hits of the night were my apple-cinnamon vodka drink and succulent beef roast.  Here are some pictures from the night.

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