Hop Li - Los Angeles

PART III OF CHARIESE'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND - AKA #EPICFAIL

Overall Rating:

He Said: 1 - Although this selection was primarily my fault (IE my lack of logistical planning on my Girlfriend's birthday/Saturday night) I honestly think we would have been better off if we had eaten at the J-BOX next door. The place smelled like a pet shop , the service sucked (while in the bathroom I saw a waiter wash his hands, take a shit THEN went back to work - IN THAT ORDER) and the food had a tough time standing-up to Panda Express. I felt like a huge failure bringing my dime-in-waiting to this sweatshop for her birthday (I have some major culinary work to do to make-up for this one). For perspective's sake I AM being overly critical of this fobby Chinese joint because it was Reese's birthday but you literally couldn't pay me to get back to this place.

She Said:

Price: ¢

Ambiance: really? this is where we're eating?

Good for: Colon-cleanse


Would you go again? FUCK NO!

Date Visited: 3/19/2011 (Saturday night)

Special Notes: Just pull into the drive-through at the J-Box next door...

Restaurant Website: if you dare

 This selection was especially ironic because if we know we are going to be doing any sort of heavy drinking (as we knew we would that night) Chariese can't have any sort of seafood because she has a tendency to "bomit" all over da' place. Perfect right?

I REALLY wish I were kidding...

Lets Get this over with: I tried to order us the most Americanized items they had so we went with the 菠蘿咖喱雞炒飯 (Chicken and Pineapple with Curry Fried Rice) and the 芒果利筍雞片 (Mango Chicken). Both items but material into our stomachs and we were not hungry anymore - end of story.

Impeccable presentation

Simply flawless...

GAWD FUCKIN' DAMMIT!!!

Tupelo Junction Cafe - Santa Barbara, CA

PART II OF CHARIESE'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Overall Rating: 3.75

He Said: 3.8 So we might have been slightly hung-over from a night on the town but this place definitely came through for us when we needed it. I wasn't particularly blown away by the cuisine but the food and environment came together to get me off on the right foot for the rest of the day. We saw several other cafes on the way that I would like to make a run at before fully advocating this decent yet comfortable breakfast spot. 

She Said: 3.7. I liked the ambiance and set up of this place more than I liked the food. While it was tasty, it wasn't THEBESTBREAKFASTEVEROMGYES. Like Kevin said, there are tons of cute little cafes around the area that I'd much prefer to try before coming back here.

Price: $$

Ambiance: Vacation, brunch

Good for: quality

Would you go again? Sure

Date Visited: 3/19/2011 (Saturday)

Special Notes: Mason jars as cups


Restaurant Website: Tupelo Junction Cafe

She/we loved it

Chariese's order: Wild mushroom, asparagus, black truffle cheese scramble w/ baby green salad and homemade breads. This was good, and exactly what I needed after the night that Kev and I had. I wouldn't order it again, but I was satisfied. The salad (interesting addition to a bfast plate) was surprisingly great, as it was topped with some sort of berry vinagarette. And their homemade jam was bomb. The egg combo itself was decent, but not as flavorful as I had expected it to be.

Kevin's order: Smoked bacon, spinach, caramelized onion, tomato & gouda cheese scramble with house potatoes (yes, that's cornbread)

 (does this look delicious? Because it was!)

In all honesty, this breakfast was a great start to one of the best days I've had in a long while and it wasn't even my birthday. It was a great day! (THE BEST DAY!!)

The Palace Grill - Santa Barbara, CA

PART I OF CHARIESE'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Overall Rating: 3.9

He Said: 4 I attended Santa Barbara City College for a my Sophomore year and spent a fair amount of time eating on State St. - I'm a little upset I didn't discover this place sooner. Tucked away a block down from State this Cajun restaurant was exactly what the Dr. ordered to kick off an epic birthday weekend for Chariese. The dining room was busy with people enjoying the dining experience, the service staff making nice with the customers and a stray magician on the payroll making me feel awkward at the prospect of having to reject his services. I enjoyed the experience but will still opt to discover other venues in SB before settling on this solid eatery.

She Said: 3.8. I really liked this place. I don't often eat Cajun, so it was a nice change of pace. The restaurant was lively, and the decor was fun. The menu offered a wide variety of items and it took me apx. 17.3 minutes to finally decide on Jambalaya.

Price: $$-$$$

Ambiance: busy, cozy, funky (is that a word?)

Good for: Those who enjoy spice, a change of pace, seafood

Would we go again? You bet!

Date Visited: 3/18/2011 (Friday)

Special Notes: watch out for the magician - he/magic sucks (srry bud)

Restaurant Website - The Palace Grill 

Stop taking pictures of meeeeee - no really, stop

Our meal came with this great basket of various fresh-baked muffins - my fav was the cornbread

Main Courses:

Kevin's order: Paneed Veal Acadiana - I've never had a meal that I could recognize such a tangible relationship between taste and the relative health value of a plate of food (it was VERY tasty)

Chariese's order: Jambalaya Pasta
This was really good, my only qualm was that I had asked for spicy and this was rather mild, so if you're queen o' da spice like me, ask for it spicier next time. I did prefer Kevin's to mine, ya ya as per usual. Whatever.

Chariese put these coasters in your purse baby...

Georges Greek Cafe- Long Beach, CA

Overall Rating: 4.65

He said: 4.5 THE  GEORGE was super welcoming right from the start and the service was attentive to everything we needed. We sat on the outside patio and it was perfect. I haven't been to too many Greek restaurants but this place sets the standard. The cuisine was solid traditional that won't break the bank - awesome proportions that will definitely fill you up (Char forced her leftovers on me and I was obliged to clean up every scrap). For whatever reason this place was similar to Open Sesame (Mediterranean, large proportions, similar ingredients) yet so different (memorably delicious, awesome environment, remarkable service) - I will definitely advocate a return whenever we're back in the neighborhood.

She said: 4.8. From the moment we walked in to the minute we left, I couldn't stop talking about how much I loved everything about this place. We visited on a Friday night, but were lucky enough to find a table for two on the candle-lit patio. We were greeted with hugs by "THE George, I am THE George!", and felt right at home. The service was great, and the atmosphere was fun (they even do the whole Greek plate breaking deal; even though I'm anti-mess, it seemed fun). Everything that we ate was delicious. I've been dying to go back and to take every single person that I know/meet.

Price: $$-$$$

Ambiance: Loud, vibrant, fun, heated patio

Good for: Groups, family, pre-bar-hopping

Would we go again?: Hellz yes

Date visited: 3/11/2011 (Friday night)

Special notes:

Restaurant website: http://georgesgreekcafe.com/

I'm a silly guy! Jk I'm not I drink mojitos and wear button-ups and watch the History channel for fun.

Appetizer: Pita with hummus.

This was beyond perfect and by far the best hummus and pita that we have ever had. The pita was so warm and toasty, and the hummus so simple yet so dericious I wanted to cry when I was eating it. I wish I was kidding, but my feelings were strong. I love Kevin, but this little appie has given him a run for his money. <3Chariese + pita + hummus forever<3 {wow?}

 

Main Course:

Kevin's order: Souvlakia beef with a side of veggies and rice. (GET IN MAH BELLI)

Chariese's order: Chicken Gyro with tzantziki. Bomb bomb bomb. The chicken literally melted in my mouth. I wish I wasn't drooling right now this is embarassing.

The Winery- Tustin, CA

Overall Rating:

He said: 4.8 I've been to upscale restaurants before but this place excelled by way of service - a little confusion with the hostess and a seating situation with party ahead of us ("Charie") landed us copious attention from the ownership and staff PLUS a bomb appetizer (pizza bread) on the house. You'll get what you paid for at the winery - upscale food, wine, and service. If I have a meal I want to splurge on for a special occasion I know I'll get taken care of here. THANK YOU MR. & MRS.S

She said: 5. They have the greatest service that I've ever experienced at a restaurant. They go above and beyond to treat their guests like royalty. The two owners were there the night that we went, and made sure to stop by our table multiple times to check in, and even take our plates, doing the bus boys job without any hesitation. Our waiter was incredibly knowledgeable in regards to the food and wine, and had great recommendations. It's very well decorated, and I weirdly really liked the restrooms. It's pricy, but worth every penny (that my mom and dad spent).

Price: $$$-$$$$

Ambiance: your private clubhouse

Good for: Dates, special dinners

Would we go again?: Definitely.

Date visited: 3/12/2011 (Saturday night)

Special notes: Reservations are a must. We made a reservation for 8:30, but got there over an hour early in hopes that there might be an opening. The owner was playing host, and was able to squeeze us in on the patio almost immediately. When he couldn't get us in early into the main dining room, he was very apologetic and threw in a free appetizer for the "inconvenience", which wasn't an inconvenience at all, as we were seated and eating way before our reservation anyways. 5 stars for service. Also, if you have nice bottles of wine (2 buck chuck?), they have an entire wall at the entrance in which they'll store your wine.  

Restaurant website: http://www.thewineryrestaurant.net/

Dinner with my favorite couple, mom and dad.

Wine:

We ordered two bottles, neither of which I remember by name. One was a cabernet and another, a pinot noir. Both were deliciou$.

Appetizers:
YG's Alsatian Pizza (Creme fraiche, applewood smoked bacon, gruyere, and onion) and lots o' bread and butter.

 Girls' orders:

Mom's order: Soup of the day, asparagus. The picture doesn't do it any justice, it was a very tasty soup. Boring, relative to the rest of the menu, but good nonetheless.

Chariese's order: Santa Barbara heirloom tomatoes, fresh burrata mozzarella (<3), micro arugula, garlic croutons, oil and vinegar. As previously stated, I love anything burrata-related. The tomatoes were fresh and crunchy, and the burrata, heavenly. This is my kind of order, and I loved it.

Guys' orders:
Dad's order (left): Chile lime rubbed mahi mahi with roasted tropical fruit chutney, jasmine rice, and roasted pistachios.

Kevin's order (right): Rotisserie Sonoma free range chicken, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and onions. This was some of the best chicken I've had in a very long time - the bed of spinach (not normally a huge fan) was paired perfectly.

Dessert: White peach, blueberry, and almond cobbler with carmelized honey ice cream. No poison detected...

La Creperie- Belmont Shore/Long Beach, Ca.

Overall Rating: 3.65

He said: 3.5 in all honestly I'm not going to seek-out a crepe joint but seeing how happy this faux-whatever joint made Reese I'll go back because it makes her smile. The crepe was not as good as Le Galette but it was an experience I suppose. Maybe the dinner is better - Ill wait for someone to drag me back before I pass final judgment.

She said: 3.8. While the crepe was decent, I especially liked this place for it's ambiance (see review and picture below). Kev and I went here for dessert after dinner at Open Sesame, and it was the perfect place for it. I'd go back for a cappuccino and a shared crepe.

Price: $$-$$$

Ambiance: Romatic, cool, douchy

Good for: Dates, after-dinner drinks and desserts, girls night out

Would we go again?: Maybe

Date visited: 3/9/2011 (Wednesday night)

Special notes: We ate on this old ass couch next to the door. The vibe is alright...

Restaurant website: http://www.lacreperiecafe.net/

Food:

Our order: The Romeo and Juliet crepe with Bailey's (nutella, strawberries, and bananas). The crepe was good, but not great. It could have used more of the ingredients, especially more nutella (no such thing as too much of that hazelnutty goodness). If you're looking for a good crepe, you must go to La Gallete (see our review here). Reese "accidentally" broke with her lent promise to give up sweets this night FYI

Ambiance:

Chandeliers and exposed brick are two of my favorite things, thus, I loved the ambiance and design here. Kevin and I sat near the front on the couches, and it was really relaxing. The workers were nice and not too in your face; they let us sit and chat without feeling rushed. Thanks peeps.

RA Sushi- Tustin, CA and a birthday celebration

Overall Rating: 3

He said: 3 - Half  of me wants to slam this place for the over all experience but the other half understands that we were a large group that was less than easy to work with (more than half of our party was missing when we were seated). The food was standard at best - I will not proactively return.

She said: 3. I was definitely more into the company than the food. I feel that the prices are too high for what you get; the sushi was decent but lacked any pizzaz, which is what you'd expect for what you pay.

Price: $$-$$$

Ambiance: Dark, cool

Good for: Groups, dates, friends, happy hour

Would we go again?: Maybe {A BIG MAYBE} for happy hour, as that's supposed to be their specialty.

Date visited: 3/10/2011 (Thursday night)

Special notes: You can only buy drinks at the bar before you're seated, not AFTER (WTF?)

Restaurant website: http://www.rasushi.com/

Happy 23rd, Eric! BeStiEs4LyFe! I made sure to look nice and awk and uncomfortable for this pic.

Food:

California Roll (left): you know how it goes...

Tootsy Maki (right):  4 pieces? bitch are you fo real?

Viva Las Vegas Roll (center): This was one of the better rolls of the evening. Open wide...

Cowboy face with some sake shots: go.

 At the bar, as per usual.              

Open Sesame- Belmont Shore/Long Beach, Ca.

Overall Rating: 3.25

He said: 3 The only reason to go to this restaurant is if you need some variety to get you away from the standard dishes your used to seeing on every other menu. Although I I appreciated the volume of food (a common trend in Mediterranean restaurants?) it was a bit south of what I was looking for. Not blown away or wowed by anything in particular but if it were to come down to CPK or Open Sesame I would go with the latter just for diversity's sake.

She said: 3.5 This place had such hype to it that I had expected something beyond amazing. And while it was delicious, I didn't run home and tell everyone to go there (as I generally do if I love a place). Everything was good, but I shouldn't have set my expectations so high. I'd go back for lunch.

Price: $$-$$$

Ambiance: small, quiet, dimly-lit

Good for: Small groups, dates

Would we go again?: Maybs

Date visited: 3/9/11 (Wednesday night)

Special notes: Make reservations. They have a small location on the corner, then another one a few doors down. But still, on a busy night you will need to have a table saved.

Restaurant website: http://www.opensesamegrill.com/

Appetizer and Drinks:

- Appetizer: Spicy hummus and pita bread (3.5/5). The bread was warm and the hummus was tasty, although not spicy enough for my (Chariese) liking. I wouldn't have ordered this had I read the menu better and realized that our orders come with pita and hummus. Nonetheless, it was good. They offer a few different beers and wines from various parts of the world. All that and I ordered a Stella, while Kevin ordered some foreign beer.

Main Course:

- Kevin's order (left): Lamb kabob on a bed of basmati rice. (3/5) All I saw was lamb (something that's not very common on most menus) so I went for it. It came with some crazy paste shit that was mediocre and this rice stuff that left me satiated at best. The thing that I liked most about this plate was the amount of food that came with it (I was definitely full afterward) but was not stoked about much of anything else. 

- Chariese's order (right): Chicken Tawook  (3.5/5). I thought this was pretty good. The charbroiled chicken is tender and juicy, and the garlic sauce and hummus are clutch. There's also a little hidden pita hiding under all the chicken, marinating in it's juices. So good. It comes with your choice of salad, and I chose tabouli. Not sure why I did, as I'm not a fan of the stuff, but it was probably good. Kevin took the left overs for lunch and they were a superior selection in the cold-lunch bracket but still less than amazing with the dinner crowd.

Herro.

Bruschetta- Recipe

Overall Rating: 5

He said: 8. I've been eating this girl's food for a minute now and this simple dish is BY FAR my favorite. The first time she made it I honestly had ten before the meal was even finished. THERE IS EVERYTHING TO LOVE ABOUT THIS ISH: toast, cheese, prosciutto, roasted tomatoes and greens. The roasted tomatoes are good enough to eat by themselves (I practically ate two whole tomatoes while she was prepping/not paying attention). I know she loves me when she makes this food.

She said:  5. This has become one of my favorite recipes; since first making it for Kevin last Tuesday, I've already made it two other times (once for myself, and the other for my family and Kevin's). I'm a big fan of bruschetta (I'll often times order it as my meal), so I was thrilled to find my own bruschetta recipe that others really seemed to enjoy. Olive oil and garlic are two of my favorite things to cook with, and there are a lot of both in this recipe. The roasted tomatoes are to die for, and the rosemary makes the kitchen smell delectable. The appearance is also great, I love the colors and the bite-sized pieces. It's relatively easy to make, using many ingredients that you may already have. Filing this one under my go-to crowd pleaser recipes.

Price: $

Level of easiness: Easy

Good for: Big groups, friends, family, appetizers, parties, dinner dates

Would we make it again?: Heck yes

Date tried: 3/2/2011

Recipe adapted from: http://susikochenundbacken.blogspot.com/2010/07/bruschetta-with-rosemary-roasted-pum.html?showComment=1299540930323

Notes: I tried them once without the prosciutto (Kevin ate it all), and while it was still good, it's definetly not 5 star-worthy, so be sure to include a good prosciutto.

Kev's big mouth impatiently sneaking bruschetta before dinner.

We first tried this recipe alongside an Italian sausage pasta (recipe here) and red wine (awesome Spanish wine from Trader Joes, La Granja). Great combo.

Bruschetta with Rosemary, Roasted Plum Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (the more the better, for dipping bread in while waiting)

2 large garlic cloves, minced (I tend to add more, no such thing as too much garlic)

2-3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 large plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

12 1/2-inch-thick diagonally cut baguette slices (each 3 to 4 inches long)

12 tablespoons ricotta cheese, divided

6 thin prosciutto slices, cut in half crosswise

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup baby arugula

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Stir 6 tablespoons oil, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend. Add tomato quarters and stir to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lift tomatoes from marinade and arrange, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet (reserve marinade for toasts).

Roast tomatoes until skin is browned and blistered and tomatoes are very tender, about 35 minutes. Cool tomatoes on sheet. Maintain oven temperature.

Meanwhile, arrange bread slices on another rimmed baking sheet. Brush top of each with reserved marinade (including garlic and rosemary bits).

Roast bread until top is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool toasts on sheet.

Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese on each toast; sprinkle with pepper. Fold prosciutto halves over and place on ricotta. Arrange 2 tomato quarters atop prosciutto. Whisk lemon juice and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in medium bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Add microgreens (or baby arugula) and toss to coat. Top bruschetta with greens. Arrange on platter and serve.

The Crow Bar- Corona del Mar, CA

Overall Rating:4.3

He said: 4.25. This place was buzzing when we showed up - no room at the bar and people were patiently waiting outside in the cold for their table to become available. As we made our way through the upper-level to the downstairs dining room I saw all sorts of food that indicated a wise decision on our part. Aggressive price structure but suppose it was warranted.

She said: 4.5. I'd definitely go back. The ambiance was fun and young, and the food was AWESOME. The menu offers a wide variety for all types of eaters. I have zero complaints. Prices are what you'll find at your average gastropub.

Price: $$-$$$

Ambiance: Upstairs- loud, bar-like, young 20's-30's crowd. Downstairs- quieter, smaller, nice.

Good for: Younger crowd, groups, dates, dinner with mom and dad, after-work drink.

Would we go again?: Heck yes

Date visited: 3/5/2011 (Friday night)

Special notes: Make a reservation, as it gets pretty packed. Downstairs is quieter and a little more romantic, upstairs is loud and bar-like, so choose your table based on who you're going with/who you're trying to go home with.

Restaurant website: http://www.crowbarcdm.com/index2.html

Draanks:

Being that it's a Gastropub, CB has a wide variety of beers. Knowing little to nothing about beer, I flailed my fingers around the extensive beer menu and chose the Russian River IPA and a Delirium Tremens. Mine weren't what I normally look for in a beer (I'm a Blue Moon/Stella/Coors kinda gal), but boy were they strong, so I have no complaints {she choose primarily based on alcohol content - no joke}. K chose a bottle of Whistler Imperial Pilsner followed by a Victory Golden Monkey ale.This would be a good place to ask for recommendations as to which beers went with which meals.

Food

- Appetizer: Grilled dates with chorizo and laura chenel goat cheese filling topped with a port syrup (5/5).  We've ordered stuffed dates at many places, and we will definitely be ordering them from here again. They were perfect. The only problem was that we didn't order more of them.{/they should have given us twice as many for the price but whatevs}

- Chariese's order: Flatbread of the day- Burrata, arugula, pesto and tomatoes (4/5). I ordered this as soon as the waitress said that there was burrata cheese involved, as I am burrata's #1 fan (go fight win). I loved this; it was light and tasty, and exactly what I was looking for. Kevin's burger was definitely better, but being that I don't soberly normally order a whole burger for myself (that's what boyfriend's are for, picking off of their plate), I was happy with my order. You HAVE to order the duck fat fries though. OMGZ.

- Kevin's order: The Crow 'Black Label' Burger with duck fat fries and truffle aoili. This shit was fuckin' delicious. I've eaten my fair share of burgers but this was definitely in the top 1% of my experience. I like my meats rare and this burger was prepared PERFECTLY - conservatively juicy (not messy) light dressings on a Potato bun toasted to the point of optimum juice absorption. The burger was allowed to "speak" for itself with a minimum in ketchup/mustard/mayo/etc - carmelized onions were the only discernible condiments. The duck fat fries rocked my world and I don't even know what an aoili is. THE END.

Will sell bodies for duck fat fries.

I'd like to take a moment of silence for my lost diamond hoop earring, last seen in the picture above. RIP.