Paul Martin's

One of our good friends moved away last month and for a final fling we met him for dinner at Paul Martin's in El Segundo.  This American Bistro is a little bit pricey, located near a bunch of office buildings on a busy street, but it is worth it.

They had a variety of special meals that interested me adding salad & dessert to various entrees.  I ordered the Prime Rib Special that came with salad to start and choice of dessert for about $30.  My husband had a skirt steak combo that also came with Salad & Dessert.  Our friend ordered the beef dip which came with fries and no salad or dessert.

I noticed that the table next to us got a basket of bread to start--we weren't even offered any, which was good for the waistline but sort of strange.

The atmosphere is very nice--hunting lodge style.  Dark wood and low lights but classy. Fancy enough to go for Sunday dinner with Grandma but dark enough to go for a romantic date.

My prime rib dinner was delicious.  The salad to start was just greens tossed in a very light dressing.  The waitress told us about sustainability and organic local ingredients.  Wherever they were from, the greens were light and airy and a good start to a heavy upcoming dinner.

The prime rib was cooked just right and came with a heaping side of mashed potatoes that were also delicious. My husband's skirt steak was actually quite small looking when it came, cut into slices and spread out across the rather large plate. In the end, it was a satisfying amount of food but disappointing looking compared to the prime rib.  Our friend's beef dip was huge--a large sandwich with a huge side of french fries-enough for two meals.

The desserts were a delightful finish to the meal.  I really liked this place and hope to go back soon to try the ground-to-order burgers and maybe even the banana creme pie. The problem is, it's all the way in El Segundo, I won't drive there just for the restaurant but if I'm in the area I will definitely stop back in.







Paul Martin's
2361 Rosecrans Avenue  
El Segundo, CA 90245

The Bellagio Buffet

When we decided to go to Vegas for the first time for a short getaway, everyone raved about the food--and the shows. The thing is, once you're in Vegas it's really hard to center in on the best restaurants to go to--the ones that have higher prices because they have great food vs. the tourist traps. It's also hard to bring yourself to a restaurant half a mile up the strip when you're hungry and the 99 degree heat is pounding down on the hot cement beneath your already tired feet.

We're glad we decided to stay in the Bellagio, arguably in the center of things so we didn't have to worry about long walks to everything. But some days a walk up the street wasn't on our list of things to do and so we settled for what some say is the best buffet on the strip--the Bellagio Buffet.

We headed down to the Buffet around 10am on Saturday morning. I thought that since it was "so early" and most people in Vegas were probably awake until the wee hours, that it wouldn't be that crowded. When we arrived, the line was about 10 people deep and we soon found that this was only because the pre-paying was going on and people were slow to pull out their wallets. We were actually seated fairly quickly and directed to the buffet as the attentive waitress took our drink orders.

While it was 10am, I was surprised to see a couple of dinner/lunch options on the buffet line and not all the classic breakfast items expected. The buffet is varied for sure, roasts, eggs, omelet bar, fruit, cereals, Chinese noodles, desserts, pastries, and fish. The fish part of buffets is always my very favorite part. I just adore smoked salmon bit it's so expensive to buy. Eating smoked salmon at a buffet, however, suddenly makes it totally worth it.

I decided to skip the omelet line and made a beeline towards the french toast, fruit, mashed and boiled potatoes and then the fish... Even though I tried some meats as well I think it's safe to say that the smoked trout, smoked salmon (2 varieties!) and muscles were the bulk of my meal. I topped breads with them, I made tiny sandwiches, I had trout with the boiled potatoes and the mashed potatoes with pesto. It was delicious.

The thing is the buffet wasn't as special as I had hoped for $25 a person. I wanted a crepe bar or hash browns or the best seasonal fruits--I got melons, some strawberries and mashed potatoes. There were pre-constructed apple cinnamon crepes that left a little to be desired. The breakfast wasn't bad, it was good but it wasn't amazing. The brunch we had in Kauai two years ago at the Marriot far surpassed this one. The brunch at the Bellagio lacks any view at all and feels like a regular hotel breakfast--except for the heaping plates of smoked fish.

(Every time we passed the buffet line after our initial eating there it was snaking in rows of threes sometimes spilling out into the casino. It turns out if you go a little later in the day from say 12-9:3o pm, you can meet with a hungry crowd, so get your eats in early if you happen to be awake.)

The Buffet at the Bellagio

Las Vegas, NV

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Raphael

This Thursday night I was meeting a friend for dinner at a place of her suggestion in Studio City. I looked at the menu in advance and prepared myself for the prices and the potential let down of expensive food I could have made better myself. But alas, that letdown never came!

I arrived at the restaurant noting that valet parking really is the only option even on a Thursday night in Studio City. I pulled up to the curb recognizing the vertical garden of succulents before even seeing the name. I arrived at the restaurant at the exact same time as my friend, so no awkward waiting around.

At 7pm the restaurant was practically empty. We were seated at a nice window seat and the wait staff was very quick and welcoming. They also took the time to answer questions and describe dishes once served--making sure we understood what the different ingredients were.

After warm rolls with soft butter and flaky sea salt, to start I ordered the Tuna Tartar. The best thing about the tartar was this carrot glass that came with it. It was carrot and maybe ginger cooked and pressed together that became a glass--almost like candy. It was so interesting and added such a great texture to the dish along with the bright fresh tartar, herbs and edible flowers. My friend ordered the apple salad which was equally delicious but a little more traditional with walnuts and blue cheese accompaniments.

After our starters, our meals came with a little time to digest and chat in between. I thought the pacing was good and it was nice to not get an appetizer and then have the meal come immediately after or even at the same time. I ordered the lamb (the menu online does not match the one in the restaurant, must be seasonal). The generous portion on lamb cut like butter and was served on a crispy bed of square potatoes that may have been mixed with cheese and a few different chutneys, a fried squash blossom and some other little squash, flesh scooped away. The varying textures and flavors were fantastic--a little crunch, sweet and savory all at once. My friend ordered the salmon which was pretty similar to regular salmon--find something on the menu that doesn't have an ingredient you recognize and order it for the best results!

I decided to go for dessert even though my friend was filled up on wine (and maybe hit her budget as the wine was pricey) The desserts all sounded interesting but I had my heart set on the banana bread pudding with peanut brittle, fried bananas and peanut butter ice cream. The banana bread pudding part was okay, but the ice cream and fried bananas were absolutely decadent. The bananas were breaded in a brown-sugar based tempura and slightly warmed inside with a nice crunch outside. The ice cream was just lightly peanut buttery and creamy and delicious. I felt as though the pudding had been baked especially for me.

I really liked Raphael even though I was sure I wouldn't. The prices were high but the quality and portions reflected it. I was worried that there wouldn't be enough food on my plate but I ended up leaving full and satisfied. The lamb was very generous and all the different textures and flavors tricked me into thinking my dinner was large. My only complaint is that as the night got later the music got louder and it was hard to hear my friend. Also, as the light from outside went away, it got a little too dark in the corner table--all these things probably fixable if we had mentioned it but we really enjoyed ourselves and the food otherwise so it wasn't important at the time.

Raphael

11616 Ventura Blvd

Studio City, CA 91604

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Villa Sorriso

Steamed hazelnut milk and brownies that I had to end the evening were so delectable that I will most certainly go back--but for an early dinner--and a special occasion.

Villa Sorrisa is half restaurant half social gathering place. When we arrived at dinner at 8 on the patio, one of the rooms was holding a salsa or tango dancing class. It was fun to watch during conversation lulls. The wait staff encouraged us to go in and dance a little. Our table declined. The patio is sheltered from the street and a good place to sit and chat in the mild So. Cal weather. There is also an indoor dining room and several bars.

After 10 the restaurant turns into a club. The lights are dimmed, the music becomes decibels louder and a bouncer appears at the entrance. The new crowd is completely different from the dinner crowd--donning the shortest skirts and sleekest suits. The come to drink and dance. When you go here for dinner, finish eating well before 10 and leave the premises--unless clubbing is your thing.

The restaurant is Italian. As an appetizer, I ordered the caprese salad which had a very creamy high quality mozzarella in its midst--one that Mario Batali could have served at his Osteria in Weho. I also tasted the calamari--standard and my personal favorite, the carpaccio--thinly sliced raw beef flavorful with a touch of lemon, capers and Parmesan.

For the main course, I had the Mussels & White Wine spaghetti--one of my favorite things to order when I'm not paying. It was absolutely filled with clams and the white wine sauce was very flavorful. I cleaned my plate. The rest of the diners got various pasta dishes and everyone seemed to enjoy them. We also tried the Margherita pizza. The pizza was very plain--I would go for pasta if I were you.

And let me reiterate...dessert! Even as I write this I crave the light taste of warm hazelnut milk perfectly complimenting the rich chocolate brownies.

168 West Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 9110

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The Magic Castle

The Magic Castle draws a fine line between dining and entertainment--but I'm going to rate it here on the off chance that you know a member and can get into the place. Last weekend, I had that chance.

For those of you who aren't from LA--or are but don't know much about the neighborhood you don't live in, The Magic Castle, is a famous Magician's club and school inside the old Lane Mansion on Franklin in Hollywood. If you haven't seen the place, be sure to drive by it. It is one of the oldest houses in the area and is filled with all sorts of history. During the remodel, the owner insisted in collecting bits and pieces from other nearby mansions being torn down. Inside the kaleidoscope of bits and pieces merge together in an eclectic puzzle.

We arrived at the castle just before 11am where we waited in line and then entered in small groups. The entrance technique is necessary because you need a secret password to exit the lobby. The staircases, hidden doorways, and carnival mirrors make the navigation around the building difficult and exciting. I was glad to always have a member as a guide.

On Saturdays and Sundays the Magic Castle offers child-focused magic shows, a looser business casual dress code, and brunch. In the evenings only patrons 21 and older are allowed in the club and see more advanced magic while dressed in full suits and cocktail dresses.

After watching a couple of magic shows and exploring the castle, our party made our way up the staircase to the dining room. There our eyes feasted on the marvelous offerings as we waited to be seated. The brunch included a cold buffet, a hot buffet, a juice bar, alcohol, and a dessert bar.

The trick is to be slightly early for your seating and to jump in line immediately and load up your plate with food. As other groups fill the dining room, the lines stretch across the castle.

I started out my brunch with fresh lox and all the fixings atop toasted bagel quarters, fruit, and shrimp. The lox was spectacular, the shrimp was just ok. Next I moved on to the hot dishes. The dishes seemed to be changing depending on the time you dined. For the tail-end of the 11am there were cheese blintzes that were replaced with french fries and chicken tenders for the 12:30 crowd. There were scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, potates, enchiladas, rice, beans, prime rib, roasted turkey, an omelet bar and waffles.

I enjoyed the potatoes, prime rib and turkey. The turkey was white meat only but was as moist as dark. The omelet wasn't the best I have ever had, but it was still good. It might have been a little bit cold when I got it and the cheese wasn't as melty as I expected.

All in all, the experience was spectacular. The shows combined with the delicious food and unlimited nature really made my Sunday morning a time to rememeber. I will go back any time I meet a member willing to take me.





The Magic Castle
7001 Franklin Ave
Hollywood, CA

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Katsuya

On Friday I went to lunch at Katsuya in Hollywood. Katsuya is located on the corner of Vine and Hollywood Blvd. just across the street from that fire that happened a couple of days before. There was plenty of street parking at meters but they also offer valet if you are so inclined.

As I walked into the restaurant I immediately felt under-dressed. The glass doors led to an upscale and trendy lobby. To my left was a lounge area with couches and a middle section of high tables for drinks. That section appeared to be closed at lunch. Straight in front of me was an extensive bar. To the right was a large room with a sushi bar station in a center square surrounded by seating at the bar. In little alcoves around the room were a handful of tables. My friend told me that the only way to get a table, even at lunch, was to call ahead.

We sat at the sushi bar right in front of a sushi chef. Immediately our waitress came around offering us hot wet towels. I ordered an unusual drink to start, a Pink Basil Rising. It was a citrusy drink with basil and while I ordered it virgin, it is possible to add alcohol. It was delicious. Incredibly refreshing with a strong sting but I'm not sure I would pay the eight bucks it cost to get it again.

We ordered some edamame to start. Each time we filled the shell bowl someone would come by and empty it. The service was outstanding in that way throughout our whole meal. They were very attentive with removing plates and refilling water. There was a little stone on which to set your used chopsticks when your plates were removed.

I ordered the Sushi Lunch which was served with salad and miso soup. Unlike other sushi restaurants, the salad comes with a choice of dressing and it is not that delicious orange one. The dressing was still good, but it wasn't what I expected. After the soup and salad and the edamame and my drink I was pretty much full. But sushi doesn't last very well the next day, so I kept on going.

I was disappointed by my sushi combination when it came. It was all the same standards--a couple of tunas, a salmon and shrimp. I know there are other kinds of sushi out there but they never ever come with the combination--which I think is a mistake. I don't want to have the same thing every time but I don't know how to order something different. I thought that this place would definitely lean toward different based on its classiness, but it didn't. My friend ordered the bowl of eel and said it was delicious. If I returned to Katsuya, I think I would try to order something a little more unusual.

My favorite part of the lunch was watching the sushi chef in front of us. We talked about the different things he was making such as the seaweed wrapped cucumber and rice sushi that looked to be the most boring $7 ever spent. Then he started to make cucumber skin rolls. I was impressed by how he wielded the sharp butchers knife cutting thin slices the full length of a cucumber. The knife went around and around and you could hardly tell that he was being watched while he concentrated.

Once we asked for the check the good service diminished. It took ten minutes to get our cards back and by then I knew this was going to have adverse affects on my parking meter. I'd go to Katsuya again, but I didn't find it to be too different from every other sushi restaurant in town.





Katsuya
6300 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
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Piatti Ristorante & Bar

While Piatti Ristorante & Bar may be a chain, this is the first time I have ever heard about it. I was searching for places to eat with my family in Thousand Oaks. Since I don't know anyone that lives there, it was a blind search with my good friend Google Maps. Piatti is an Italian restaurant in a large shopping area near other bigger chains such as Applebees and Chilis.

We arrived at the restaurant around 5pm and were seated immediately. Although there were other people seated, it looked like they were still setting up for the evening--wiping down menus, the hostess just arriving, rushing back and forth with extra silverware and napkins. It was a little crazy up front and didn't seem like it was going to be a quiet evening--but it was just a rouse. One weird thing was that the restaurant was mostly empty but we got seated right next to one of the only other full tables in the restaurant. It wasn't particularly a prime area either. I wished we were a little more spread out.

We were a party of six--one being a baby and the wait staff and busboys were all incredibly attentive. They brought anything we desired very quickly and were gracious to take extra wine glasses away when we asked.

We ordered the calamari and carpaccio to start. If carpaccio is on the menu, I always make a point to try it. There was also a basket of warm bread on the table with a garlic vinaigrette dipping sauce. I didn't try the calamari but it looked pretty good and every piece was eaten. The carpaccio was delicious. The meat had lots of flavor and was delicious with the accompanying greens and shaved Parmesan. It also came with a couple of homemade potato chips that seemed to be their signature accompaniment.

While we waited for our food the restaurant filled up. We were able to see into the kitchen. The atmosphere was casual but with white tablecloths--kind of like the atmosphere at the Macaroni Grill. There was candlelight on the table and the restaurant was mostly dark. It could be a nice place for a romantic dinner but it seemed like most tables were filled with parties of four or more.

For the main meal I ordered the parpadelle pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, and shrimp. The dish was very flavorful, and filling. The shrimp wasn't a minor part of the dish--there were so many shrimp in there that I eventually tired of them and had to give the last one away. I was pretty full after only half of my meal but ended up finishing it anyway. I didn't hear rave reviews about the other food--my mom said her margarita pizza was pretty plain--and I noticed that it hardly had any basil on it. The pizza also looked normal and came on a plate--not a wooden cutting board like it displays on their homepage. My dad said his spicy Italian sausage pizza was much more flavorful. My sister had a salad that was supposedly dinner salad size--but it was really small. The kids menu was pretty neat--each meal came with a gelato sundae and a drink. My nephew ate all of his chicken and mashed potatoes.

My brother-in-law ordered the warm chocolate cake for dessert and it came with chocolate sauce, and vanilla gelato on the side. The cake looked pretty good, but I didn't try any. The restaurant wasn't cheap--but it wasn't over the top either. If we had stuck to one course each I'm sure it would have been a lot cheaper. I wouldn't go out of my way to Piatti, but if I was in the area again, I would certainly consider returning.





Piatti Ristorante & Bar
101 S. Westlake Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
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Amalfi Ristorante & Bar

A few nights ago I met a friend at Amalfi Ristorante. Amalfi is a large Italian restaurant with tables in the front room, back room, and a party room even further back. I think that when there is a performance at the Acme Comedy Theater next door the restaurant gets extra business from theater goers. There is valet parking, but if you get there right as the clock ticks 7pm you can park at the meters on the street for free (there is no parking 4-7pm on the street due to commute congestion).

My friend and I arrived on Tuesday night at 7 and while there were others dining there, the restaurant is so large that we were seated immediately. Unlike some restaurants that try to draw in business by placing customers in the windows, this restaurant put most of its diners in the comfortable and warm back area where they couldn't be seen from the street. We opted for water to drink, but there is a large wine list if you are so inclined and they have other alcohol as well. It occurs to me that the front of the room might house a bar which would clarify why everyone was sitting in the back. The atmosphere is dark and warm with cushioned benches around the edge of the room dotted with pillows. Beware, the bench is significantly lower than the chairs, so, if you are the shortest member in your party I recommend the chairs.

While we perused the menu, the waiter brought us a basket of warm bread. The bread dip was an oily roasted red pepper dip. It had a small spoon with it so i thought I'd spoon some on my plate. In the end, I ate the bread alone because the dip didn't taste like much to me.

I ordered the beef carpaccio to start off. Beef carpaccio is my favorite Italian dish ever, and I order it whenever I see it on the menu. This beef carpaccio could have used a little salt or pepper (but this is the kind of restaurant where they do not have salt or pepper on the table) or maybe a little oil. However, the capers and the cheese gave it a very interesting flavor--it was only a little dry.

Our main courses came. My friend ordered the Mushroom Risotto. While I don't usually like risotto or mushrooms, I found this dish to be quite delicious. I was a little jealous actually. She was going on and on about how delicious truffle oil is, and it is true, it really rounds out the dish. I ordered the pumpkin ravioli with braised short rib. The short rib sat in the middle of a surprisingly large plate of ravioli. The meat was succulent and moist and just fell in fork fulls onto my plate. The marscapone sauce was very creamy and I didn't feel it matched the flavor of the meat. However, it did match the ravioli. The ravioli seemed to be handmade although since they didn't advertise it as so, it may not have been. The pumpkin had just the right sweetness that merged with the marscapone. While my dish wasn't as delicious as the risotto, it gave me a feeling of great Italian food and I would certainly go back but probably for something else.

After our main courses the waitress craftily dropped the dessert and coffee menu on our table. While I don't usually opt for dessert, it sounded like it might be delicious and we wanted to stay and chat a little longer. I ordered the tiramisu and my friend got the chocolate mousse.

The tiramisu was a large square with chocolate drizzled on the sides and the top. The drizzled chocolate tasted like Hershey's to me. The tiramisu was delicious except drenched in alcohol to the point where I could taste more alcohol than coffee or chocolate or anything else. Perhaps this is the way the dish is supposed to be prepared, but it wasn't my favorite--although I did eat the entire thing. The chocolate mousse was totally different than anything I have ever had mousse-wise. It was a very dense mousse that looked more like a couple scoops of gelato. It was incredibly rich and served with blueberries. The mousse reminded me of the texture of flourless chocolate cake. My friend could barely eat more than the first scoop. She asked for it to go, and it was obvious the waiter didn't know how to make this to go. He was able to crush it down into a very small condiment container in the end.

The meal was rather expensive, but we did order several courses and my friend ordered some grilled vegetables to take home. The atmosphere was comfortable and the service friendly. If you need a fancy Italian restaurant to visit, I recommend trying out Amalfi next time.





Amalfi Ristorante & Bar
143 North La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036
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Engine Co. No. 28

Based on the website alone, Engine Co. No. 28 looked like my kind of restaurant. The restaurant is located in an original Los Angeles Fire Station built around 1913. While the building was renovated, it kept a lot of the original architecture and interior--the floor is paved with the original bricks and the fire station doors still stand. One is hard pressed to find a restaurant in an architectural gem like this in such a new city.

The restaurant is located in Downtown LA, not a place I frequent often, so I was happy to see that although it is near a lot of the sites and in the city, a large portion of it's menu was reasonably priced. I went with a date on a Saturday night before going to the theater. Like a multitude of other restaurants in the area, Engine Co. offers a free shuttle door to door from the restaurant to the Music Center and Staples. This is a really nice perk in the city where parking twice could end up being more than the cost of your dinner.

I made reservations a couple of days in advance and they sounded like they had plenty of room. When we arrived, we felt a little under-dressed at first in jeans and nice tops--but as we walked through the restaurant to our table, I noticed a mix of dress and lots of people were indeed wearing jeans, albeit nice jeans. This is a white tablecloth restaurant, so be sure to dress somewhat appropriately.

The restaurant has a large main room, a small bar area with several two-person tables separated from the main dining room by a six inch frosted glass window on top of the two-person booths, and an upstairs area. It turned out, the restaurant was completely booked that Saturday night and waiters were bustling around as was the valet when we arrived. While I thought this would be a romantic dinner, I was disappointed to be seated in one of the 2-seater booths near the bar. The table itself was fine (although a little low), but at the bar they had two large flat screen TVs playing that night's hot sports events - the baseball playoffs and the USC/Stanford game. Instead of the dinner being romantic and full of conversation, we found ourselves watching the TVs between topics. If you go to the Engine Co. with two and want something more romantic, request a table away from the bar.

Our waiter was very nice when he was at the table. He probably realized right off the bat that we would be his lowest paying customers of the night, and while that might have been true, I would have appreciated a little more receptiveness to our needs. Bread comes free with the meal. It was a little hard on the bottom, but the sourdough was tasty and there was plenty of butter to go around. The soda comes by the bottle without refills, but the iced tea has refills--I think they are free.

The food at Engine Co. is supposed to be made up of recipes from firehouses across the country. For this reason, I was looking forward to trying their chili. We had dinner a little earlier than we our used to, so I didn't need more than just the bowl of chili. For the price, the bowl of chili was a lot smaller than I expected. In the end though, it was plenty. I excepted a hot and firey chili with plenty of beans and peppers. Instead, I got well stewed meat that was incredibly tender in a thick sauce that mildly resembled chili. The flavor was like canned green chilies and there wasn't a hint of spice. I couldn't even eat the whole thing because there was so much meat and the flavor was a little too citrusy for my taste. The chili came with equally flavorless fried bread triangles. I tried stuffing the triangles with the chili and that helped a little but still didn't do the trick.

My date had a cheeseburger which came on sourdough toast. While I didn't taste the burger, it looked like it too could use a little something more. The burger came with a choice of fries, salad, or firehouse chips. Intrigued by the sound of firehouse chips, my date received what looked and tasted like slightly stale Lays potato chips with chili powder and no salt sprinkled on top.

We didn't order dessert because I was so full from all the meat, however, the menu looked delicious. I wish now that I would have been hungry enough to find some goodness food wise from the restaurant via dessert.

I imagine some of the other dishes at Engine Co. are delicious. The fried chicken looked nice, the onion rings looked delicious, and the restaurant had a nice warm feeling like a real firehouse kitchen might. It generally smelled delicious in there and I was disappointed that mine was not.
If someone else was paying and I could order anything I wanted, including dessert, I would go back to Engine Co. No. 28. Until then, I think I'll shy away from the white table-cloth clad restaurants and stick with something a little more my own pace.





Engine Co. No. 28
644 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
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Fogo de Chao

On La Cienega just above Wilshire there is a section that is referred to as restaurant row. Being in Beverly Hills, the restaurants that reside on this row are not cheap. The restaurant that kicks off this row with eye-catching architecture is Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian meatery.

There is valet parking, but if you are lucky, you may find a meter or street parking nearby, watch the signs for permit parking. In a blue chimney shape window you can view a variety of meats roasting on sticks. There is a waterfall by the oversize doors and a small waiting area, bar, and giant dining room.

I arrived before the rest of my party and was welcomed warmly by the hostess. She offered for me to wait at the table, but instead, I chose to wait outside by the waterfall.

The other guests arrived and we were brought immediately to our table near the windows. The restaurant was relatively empty but I did notice several later reservations on the list and as it was Friday night, expected a later crowd in LA.

Upon being seated we were offered drinks and a choice of 3 waters, sparkling, flat, or tap. We chose the tap which came with a lime for each glass. The host told us we could go immediately to the salad bar, which we did.

The salad bar has a variety of prepared salads, lettuce, vegetables, cheese, smoked meats (like salami, salmon, prosciutto), and olives. My friends warned me not to fill up on the salad bar, as the main course, is what you go for.

Fogo de Chao is a base pay dinner. You pay $53 for all you can eat roasted meats and all you can eat salad bar. Throughout the meal you head to the salad bar, and then turn a card on your table to green and men come around with spits of roasted meat and slice it onto your plate. Using a small set of tongs you take the meat and place it where you like. As long as you have the card turned to green, meat vendors will come by with beef, sausage, pork, chicken, and lamb on sticks offering as little or as much as you please. They also bring platters of loaded mashed potatoes, plantains, and little fried sticks as well as cheesy bread to your table.

The meat is delightfully moist and tender with a smoky grilled flavor. I particularly enjoyed the bacon wrapped fillet mignon, the house specialty Picanha, and the Alcatra. While you can go to the restaurant and enjoy the salad bar, that is one expensive salad bar ($32), and the meat really makes the restaurant.

The service was exceptional, attentive staff member watched for dirty plates, half filled water glasses, and the glazed looks of overfull patrons. On several occasions, waiters brought clean plates when it looked like our plates were spent. We also ordered dessert, not that we were hungry, but only to change the taste and see the menu. While I was interested in the molten chocolate cake, it sounded overly filling and I was already filled to the brim. Instead, the three of us shared the papaya cream which is garnished table side with brandy. It seemed to come only minutes after we ordered and it was a delicious ending to a filling meal.

We didn't loiter after dinner, but it was 8 when we left and the dining room was crowded but still the servers were attentive and helpful. While this is definitely a place to go for a special treat and not just a casual weeknight dinner, the food is delicious and you will not be disappointed by the service.





Fogo de Chao
133 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
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Taste

Taste is on Melrose near La Cienega. It is slightly hidden by trees and a patio, but don't miss it! It is worth a stop for a casual, upscale dinner. The food was delicious and the atmospher restaurant had a comfortable yet chic atmosphere. It was casual enough for jeans, candle-lit and comfortable. Although we had a reservation, we didn't need it at 5:30 as the place was nearly empty. Probably later in the evening, after people get out of work it is a little busier.

We ordered two appetizers--Calamari and Ahi Tuna Tartare. The tartare was good--but a little salty, it had a nice mint flavor. The calamari was very light and not oily at all. The dipping sauce had a light mustard taste though--completely different than expected from the description. I wish I could have also tried the beet salad which looked amazing on another diner's table.

For dinner I had the salmon on a bed of creamy mushroom risotto. The risotto was delicious, I think I was drawn to the mushrooms that were mini portobello and shitake and had a great texture unlike the regular button mushrooms that you have on pizza. My fellow diner had the braised shortribs (which is meat off the bone in a stew over some kind of pasta) and it was also delicious. The meals were plentiful and I took the leftovers home so that we could save a little room for dessert.

For dessert we shared a piece of the lightest flourless chocolate cake I have ever had. But, another interesting thing about the dessert menu was that it had a whole menu of Hot Chocolate flavors! My fellow diner got the mint hot chocolate and she loved it. Just enough mint for flavor but not too much to overpower the chocolate. I would go back there just for the hot chocolate.

I also really liked the carvings in the bathroom. They were these wooden pictures with carvings in them and they looked like pictures exactly--not like sculptures.

I recommend Taste for a special occasion as it is a little pricy. The food was delicious and still tasted great the next day, the dessert list is excellent and the hot chocolate menu is fun and unusual.





Taste
8454 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Map