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My first visit to Tart was almost a year ago, and frankly I was less than impressed. In defense of the restaurant it was my first night out after a week in bed with the flu, and no one in the group was very daring with the menu options. My friend Molly, however, swore by their mac & cheese.
I had been meaning to go back and give it another whirl and got my opportunity this past week. The first thing I noticed was that their patio had been re-designed and was even cozier than before. As part of the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel, the Tart decor is very Americana; pitchforks mounted on the white washed walls, intimate and candle lit. [Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Reviews
Toi on Sunset came very highly recommended from a friend. The atmosphere’s great, the food is greater, and she even got to meet Quentin Tarantino in a daring after-dinner introduction during which she referred to him as “Quenti.” This being said, I don’t take Thai recommendations lightly; it is one of my favorite cuisines.
My friend Ellie and I got there around 8:15 on a Thursday night. There were some people crowding around the entrance and we worried there would be a wait, but we followed the instructions on the sign out front to wait for the doorman who showed us right to our table.
[Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Reviews
Toi on Sunset came very highly recommended from a friend. The atmosphere’s great, the food is greater, and she even got to meet Quentin Tarantino in a daring after-dinner introduction during which she referred to him as “Quenti.” This being said, I don’t take Thai recommendations lightly; it is one of my favorite cuisines.
My friend Ellie and I got there around 8:15 on a Thursday night. There were some people crowding around the entrance and we worried there would be a wait, but we followed the instructions on the sign out front to wait for the doorman who showed us right to our table.
[Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Reviews
Sometimes you just need a great bowl of pasta; whether you’re having dinner guests or just cooking for yourself, there are nights when that hearty strainer full o’ carbs just beckons!
This recipe is my own take on some dishes I’ve enjoyed in Italian restaurants, like Cafe Ugo in Culver City, for instance, where their Rigatoni ala Sorentina blends spicy tomato sauce and smoked mozzarella, with mouth-watering results.
[Read more →]
Tags: Edibles · Reviews
Summertime warm weather just lends itself to tropical flavors. Spicy and sweet… there’s just something about that combination that just works during this time of the year.
Plus, any excuse to use mango chutney is ok by us.
I “borrowed” this recipe out of a Coastal Living magazine and made a few changes since I was cooking for two, but this is a delicious summer meal that I can’t wait to make again!!
[Read more →]
Tags: Edibles · General
Until last night I had never been to the Hollywood Bowl, but I am already planning my next trip. What a fantastic venue. Usually I prefer a smaller venue when I’m seeing a show, but when my friend was buying tickets and asked if I’d like to go, I figured I would check it out. I’d heard two Feist songs before last night I’m sure anyone can guess which two; I was going for Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. For those of you who haven’t heard the powerful Ms. Jones and the soulful sounds of the Dap Kings, I highly recommend checking them out.
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Tags: Film · Reviews · shows
Mick Hucknall, the former lead singer of Simply Red, released his first solo album in June, aptly titled “Tribute to Bobby.” The tribute consists twelve of Mick’s renditions of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s classic blues sounds.
Having known little about Bobby and nothing about Mick before getting my hands on this album, I listened to the tracks with an open mind as someone who loves all musical genres, and has a solid understanding of the blues. It’s not just the song; it’s that wail that makes the blues work, the one that pulls emotion from us when we hear it- a sorrow, an anger.
As a tribute, it’s nicely done. Hucknall has taken some of Bobby’s most well known songs and made them his own, and for that, the album could succeed on effort alone. Most of us wouldn’t dare butcher the songs of our favorite musicians, but most of us aren’t successful recording artists like Mick Hucknall.
[Read more →]
Tags: Reviews · bands
Mick Hucknall, the former lead singer of Simply Red, released his first solo album in June, aptly titled “Tribute to Bobby.” The tribute consists twelve of Mick’s renditions of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s classic blues sounds.
Having known little about Bobby and nothing about Mick before getting my hands on this album, I listened to the tracks with an open mind as someone who loves all musical genres, and has a solid understanding of the blues. It’s not just the song; it’s that wail that makes the blues work, the one that pulls emotion from us when we hear it- a sorrow, an anger.
As a tribute, it’s nicely done. Hucknall has taken some of Bobby’s most well known songs and made them his own, and for that, the album could succeed on effort alone. Most of us wouldn’t dare butcher the songs of our favorite musicians, but most of us aren’t successful recording artists like Mick Hucknall.
[Read more →]
Tags: Reviews · bands
The Warehouse feels something like walking into a Disney World hotel restaurant that’s been stuck in a time capsule for a few decades. It feels outdated, but you know that at one time, this was the place to be. The front walls are adorned with (mostly) old celebrity photographs. There are even photos of the cast of Meet the Fockers, who shot scenes here. Out front is a dock that wraps around a swampy looking pond, and out back, beyond the patio is the Marina Del Rey harbor. I went there one Saturday morning to try their famous all you can eat champagne brunch buffet which had come highly recommended, and was disappointed to discover that brunch is now only on Sundays, and that we would have to eat from the regular menu.
[Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Reviews
I have been waiting to write about this restaurant since my first visit there, and while it’s no longer a well-kept secret, this is still a destination for incredible food that will leave you and your wallet stuffed.
First and foremost, this place is byob and the corking fee is nothing! There is no corking fee, and if you’re anything like me you show up with a bunch of friends, each carrying a bottle of wine and the staff is always accommodating. They take it back and chill it for you, serve it, everything that most places charge you to do!
If the byob doesn’t get you there then the food should. They serve delicious tapas plates, and even thought they’re small, I always leave there swearing I’ll eat less next time. Last time I went, for instance, there were only four of us and we ordered 6 plates, plus a dessert plate. I couldn’t finish!
Cobras & Matadors has two locations, one in Los Feliz and the other, which is the one I’ve been to, in LA on Beverly. It’s small, dimly lit with a partially open kitchen exposing a wood-fired oven. The walls are adorned with old photographs, while the tables are bunched close together, but no one seems to mind being so close to their neighbors; everyone wants to eat some good fun and drink lots of wine so the patrons are always in good spirits. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, so after a few glasses of wine the bright kitchen lights and the dishwashers will jolt you back into reality.
Here are some of my favorite plates:
[Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Reviews
I have been waiting to write about this restaurant since my first visit there, and while it’s no longer a well-kept secret, this is still a destination for incredible food that will leave you and your wallet stuffed.
First and foremost, this place is byob and the corking fee is nothing! There is no corking fee, and if you’re anything like me you show up with a bunch of friends, each carrying a bottle of wine and the staff is always accommodating. They take it back and chill it for you, serve it, everything that most places charge you to do!
If the byob doesn’t get you there then the food should. They serve delicious tapas plates, and even thought they’re small, I always leave there swearing I’ll eat less next time. Last time I went, for instance, there were only four of us and we ordered 6 plates, plus a dessert plate. I couldn’t finish!
Cobras & Matadors has two locations, one in Los Feliz and the other, which is the one I’ve been to, in LA on Beverly. It’s small, dimly lit with a partially open kitchen exposing a wood-fired oven. The walls are adorned with old photographs, while the tables are bunched close together, but no one seems to mind being so close to their neighbors; everyone wants to eat some good fun and drink lots of wine so the patrons are always in good spirits. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, so after a few glasses of wine the bright kitchen lights and the dishwashers will jolt you back into reality.
Here are some of my favorite plates:
[Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Reviews
Following a particularly harsh comment on one of my latest fish recipes, I thought I’d avoid posting recipes for a bit, unless they photographed perfectly; that is, vibrant colors complimented by the plate (because most of us with full-time jobs make it a point to serve a midweek meal with a full color palate and we buy dishes in a variety of shapes and colors just so our meals photograph nicely) The truth is, however, I have continued to make “embarrassingly simple” yet delicious food that I believe is worth sharing.
And so I have a new recipe for all of you, (even our meanest readers) and it even involves my last culprit Tilapia!
I have included a recipe for Lentil Salad, which is delicious, I promise, and an easy blackened tilapia recipe.
[Read more →]
Tags: Edibles · General
