Lenzini’s Pizza, North Hollywood

I was thrilled to be invited to come taste Lenzini’s Pizza…and what can I say except that it was BOMB! Crunchy melty mozzarella sticks, tasty juicy chicken wings, and ooey gooey pizza.  C’mon…how can it not be good? Of course, I ordered their namesake pizza, the Lenzini Special made with a pesto sauce rather than the usual tomato sauce, drizzled with olive oil on a thin crust, which I love.

But most importantly, what sold me on this place is that it is very hard to find pizza places that actually serve whole wheat pizza dough.  AND I love the fact that their pizza’s are thin crust. They also have vegan cheese upon request.  And best of all, they don’t skimp out on the ingredients.

The chicken wings were nice and meaty.  Everything I tried was just as it should be.  They also demonstrate great customer service, which makes the experience all the better.  And if you don’t feel like having pizza, they also have other items like sandwiches, salads, desserts, etc.  It was a bit out of the way for me but totally worth it.  Check it out, what’ve you got to lose?!?

Mozzarella Sticks

Lenzini's Special

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Art On A Plate: Red Medicine, Beverly Hills

Red Medicine

8400 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

www.redmedicinela.com

Beautiful and artistic creations is what you’ll find at Red Medicine. The pictures on their website are absolutely breathtaking.  The visual presentation with the edible flowers and overall creativity are unlike anything I’ve ever had before.  The food itself is Vietnamese inspired, although it is not your traditional Vietnamese food.  I have to admit though, besides the visuals, freshness and creativity, I was not at all pleased with the actual taste of the food. My sandwhich, the Heritage Porkbelly glazed with vinegar and malted barley was unique but I was not a fan of the taste at all.  My friends noodle dish was also very plain because it only had a little bit of chicken and vegetables, and the rest was all cold noodles with no sauce or flavor.

Let that be your warning. With that said, is there a reason to go there still? The answer is yes, because the appetizers and drinks are incredible and will still be an experience all on its own, I just don’t recommend the entrees.

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Oyster House, Studio City

If you LOVE oysters, then you’ll LOVE Oyster House.  Its a no nonsense place for you to just get your fix of oysters without the foofooey frills or prices of a fancy restaurant. In fact, this place is quite the opposite. Its a tiny little restaurant North of the Boulevard, at quite a random intersection. It is very dark and dreary inside, since there aren’t too many windows.  The workers are all 50+ and have been working there for ages.  Yet, there is something quaint about that.

Oh, and did I mention their drinks are cheap too?  They also make their own Peach vodka drink.  It’s a dive bar, so I really recommend you try their dirty martini. You’ll love it and it goes so well with the oysters.  Their food is really good. I ordered a pasta, but they accidently gave me the eggplant parmesan instead…but it turned out to be a happy accident.  Plus they accomodated by giving me a small plate of pasta.  Their oysters are chilled and so fresh!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Not to mention, they’re actually good for you!  Increases your libido and some other stuff.

I try a lot of restaurants, but its rare that I’ll go to a spot more than once unless I really like it.  This is one of those places that I have made a regular spot.  I can’t wait to take my friends.

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El Pollo Nortenito, Van Nuys

El Pollo Nortenito

14522 Vanowen Street

Van Nuys, CA 91405

I love trying random hole-in-the-wall restaurants.  They can be quite pleasantly surprising, like El Pollo Nortenito.  I was on a mission to find this Creole restaurant that I has just bought a restaurant.com coupon for and when I got to the location the restaurant was actually out of business!!  I was bummed as hell, but low and behold across the street there was smoke coming from a bbq and something told me to check it out.  Well, I’m sooo happy I did because the food was UH-mazing!  They have combination plates of chicken and beef and delicious homemade salsa, at very affordable prices.  Even though it’s a bit out of the way, located in the heart of Van Nuys, I would still drive out there JUST to have this again.

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Umami Burger!

Many of you probably consider this next burger one of the best burgers you’ve ever had. I can totally see why because the pattie is so soft, delicate, and juicy as hell!  You can actually see the juice oozing out of the burger.  It literally melts in your mouth.  I suggest you read up on Umami and how they created this unique taste.  According to the Umami Burger website, Umami is a Japanese word describing the pleasant and savory taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides that occur naturally in foods.  I think one of the most popular burger that I know of is the Truffle Burger seen below, but there certainly are other burgers that I’d love to go back and try.  Now a lot of foods that I try and blog about, they’re good, but I try to make it clear which ones to ABSOLUTELY go to, and which ones to go to ONLY if you’re in the area. Meaning, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest you go out of your way to try it.  This place, however, I DEFINITELY insist you go out of your way for because it is delicious, and some of you may just consider it the best you’ve ever had (mine is still IN N OUT!).  That is why I think it is absolutely worth the try.  The one thing about it that makes it not my favorite burger is that I feel like the bun, or some sort of sauce on the burger makes it just a tad sweet.  In fact, it might even be that “umami” taste that I’m just not a fan of.  That’s why I can’t call it MY favorite.  However, you might try it and absolutely love it.  I’ll post a better picture when I go there again, but until then, I HIGHLYYY recommend you try this.  What’s your opinion?

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$5 Margaritas + Mexican Food

El Coyote

7312 Beverly Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90036

www.elcoyotecafe.com

El Coyote is a cool place to grab drinks during happy hour because they’ve got great $5 margaritas and good food too. Plus they’ve been around since 1931, so you can only imagine its great history. It is lined with autographed images of celebrities that date back many years ago.  It was clear to me that my co-workers had many stories to tell about this place and how it used to be THE spot to go to, and still is.  In my opinion, the best entree is the Coyote Plate with the rib eye steak, seen below as the first pic, but the enchiladas are tasty too.

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Rosalind’s Ethiopian Cuisine, Los Angeles

On a mission to try a new cuisine, I came across two Ethiopian restaurants online, Little Ethiopia Restaurant and Rosalind’s Ethiopian Cuisine.  The reviews for Little Ethiopia were really good, but when we got there, it was really empty inside.  However, just a few stores down was Rosalind’s which had a good number of people inside.  I took that as a sign and went to Rosalind’s.  From the pictures below you can see that we ordered a combination plate with different meats to try.  I recommend this if you are having a hard time trying to decide what to get.  It comes on a plate of Injera, which is a flatbread that is rather spongy. It kind of reminded me of miniature rolled up carpets.  Because the plates already come with it, it may not be necessary to order a separate order of Injera.  We also ordered sambussa as an appetizer which was really good. I also loved their salad which had a very simple but tasty dressing.  Ask the waitress about their special Ethiopian wine and beer which is definitely worth trying.  I can’t say you’ll fall in love, or like it enough to go twice, but if you’re and adventurous eater and want to try new cuisines, then Rosalind’s is a great choice

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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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