Showing posts with label nom nom nom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nom nom nom. Show all posts

The Little Door

Saturday, March 20, 2010 by The Fashion Fool
3rd St has got to be one of the best streets in all of Los Angeles. You can literally walk up and down this entire boulevard and not find a single bad restaurant. (well maybe there's one but I haven't encountered any yet) Anyway I had the pleasure of dining at a place that I've wanted to go for ages, The Little Door, and the wait was absolutely worth it. You see, what initially attracted me to go here, instead of any other restaurant in the city was the fact that not a lot of people actually know about. It is not owned by some over publicized celebrity nor is it housed in a swanky club environment like some of its LA counterparts. (think Dolce, Geisha House, Koi, Mastros to name a few) AND the most appealing part a.k.a definate winning quality in my book? There is no sign on the resaturant not like the little door cafe next door. Nope. The restaurant itself is just A LITTLE DOOR! Oh my god. I'm in love with gimmicky things like this.
It literally makes my day. I almost walked right past it trying to find a door, only to have a strange man ask me if I was going to the little door and have him open said door for me. It was right in
front of me this whole time! So great.
The ambience was out of this world. It was like being transported into a chic little outdoor villa in Cannes or Greece somewhere. (it truly felt like that! although I've never been to said places) But each different sitting place has its own theme so there was a lot to look at. Enough about the decor, I came for the food and it did not disappoint. Word of advice: YOU NEED TO try the Pistachio encrusted New Zealand snapper. yes it's a little pricey but this thing just melts on your taste buds. SO GOOD. Everything else we had, from the soup (made from cauliflower and teragon puree, I think) to the scallops to the vanilla creme brulee was heavenly. Even the bread they put out as an appetizer was the best bread that has ever laid in my mouth. Oh, I can just dream about this place forever..


(Pictures via Yelp and my phone..)
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Your Friendly Neighborhood Italian Kitchen

Saturday, February 27, 2010 by The Fashion Fool
My aunt came to town this week and on her first night, my mom and I took her to a restaurant called The Original Mama D's in Manhattan Beach. I must admit, I am not usually the biggest fan of Italian food (but that'a only because I don't go out of my way to go to good Italian restaurants. lets see I've been to Bucca Di Beppo's once, Olive Garden maybe twice, and well there is Pizza Hut..but that's pretty much where my Italian culinary experiences take me. My sister did study abroad in Italy for six months so she obviously has a more refined palatte than I do. "you have never tried real Italian food until you've been to Italy." haha) Anyway what blew me away about Mama D's was not necessarily the food but the customer service. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE was out of this world. I don't think I have ever experienced a place more inviting, more friendly, and just plain more family (not an adjective but it works!) than this one right here. My own grandmother's kitchen does not even compare to the level of coziness that this place exudes. Sorry Gma! haha. When we first walked in, servers came up and offered complimentary samples, the waitress asked US for our names and was soo incredibly nice, i almost felt guilty. The host even put coins into the meter our parking. Clearly their attention to service was beyond impressive. But how does their food compare to their excellent service? Well despite my extremely limited knowledge in Italian food, I LOVED the food. I REALLY DO. Everything that I had just tasted so fresh. I mean when I was eating mozarella, it's legit mozarella. It was just so refreshing to eat food that is made from not a lot of ingredients but everything is just so well made. I'm getting so hungry just writing this. And now I will take you on a culinary journey through crappy phones once again. (This is the last time I will do this!)
we even received a complimentary dish because it was our first time there. NICE.
the most delicious vegetarian lasagna. i love my meat, but i'm always on the hunt for the perfect vegetarian dish. their lasagna comes close.
I thought when Jack N' Jill's of Beverly Hills dished out tootsie rolls with your bill was great, Mama D's trumps that by offering gooey chocolate chip cookies after your meal. WHO DOES THAT?!
Zagat rated Noteworthy Newcomer. Well deserved. :)
Mama D's creates the perfect atmosphere for beach communities. Its inviting enough so that you can stroll in wet and grimy after a day of sand and surf. The food is good and cheap, the portions are reasonable, and what's more impressive is that it truly gives a vibe of being in your family's kitchen. Everybody cares, which is a refreshing attitude compared to a lot of restaurants in Los Angeles. Did I mention you even get a free meal when it's your birthday! (which I wished i knew because mine just passed! ugh. but i did go to a very special post which i will write about in a future post.) So, if you're ever in the borough of manhattan beach, or newport, or Hermosa in southern california, Mama D's is a truly a dime in a dozen.
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Joan's on Third

Sunday, February 14, 2010 by The Fashion Fool
Yesterday my friend and I ventured on to Joan's on Third, a cafe/ gourmet market place in LA. Now I have a secret to share: I am the absolute worst at directions (it's no secret if you knew me, I have trouble telling left from right), so after spending about an hour and a half circling my friend's campus, (it really should not have taken this long!), needless to say I was starving. Usually when we go to lunch in 3rd St, we usually go to Toast, another one of those typical "LA" eateries where the point of the place is to sit outside so you can people watch and play "spot the celebrity incognito." But this time we decided to try Joan's on Third, and my, was it a sight for sore eyes. It is the worst place to be when you are hungry as I was because being a semi marketplace, they put the smorgasbord of food on display yet the line always take forever! But the longer the line is, the better the food! And Joan's on Third surely does NOT disappoint. For a self-appointed veteran foodie like myself, that is saying something. ha.

all the food that was on display while we were waiting! thank god I'm poor or else I would have kept adding and adding on...
grilled vegetables+goat cheese on a french baguette. mm mm good

friend's grilled cheese+tomato and lemonade tea

the cute cow motif extended outside

an entire side of Joan's is dedicated to desserts! and it is to die for...

quite possibly the best cupcakes ever? coconut+vanilla w/ raspberry filling. ohh my gawd. Let me tell you I am a cupcake fiend. I used to be a fan of Sprinkles before I realized that there are better ones out there. I am still convinced that Toast has the best red velvet but Joan's a better selection of specialty cupcakes. (marshmallow filling anyone?) And did I mention the famed Magnolia's of NY is opening on third st as well? I WILL be there on the grand opening. oh boy.. I shall do a cupcake guide in a future post.
(pictures via my phone)

AND HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY! I love it when holidays are back-to-back!
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