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.

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.

Baked French Toast- Recipe

Overall Rating: 3.65

He said: 3.5 This dish definitely has potential but I think where we might have dropped the ball was in waiting too long to bake it. We (a.k.a. she) made it friday night for the next morning but we arrived at our destination too late in the day to justify baking french toast so we put it away for Sunday morning. If you're serving a finickey eater (like my brother) be sure to negotiate the sogginess issue as the middle of this dish tended to be a bit eggy. The redeeming aspect of this dish was the DELICIOUS praline topping via (my side mistress) Paula Dean that was rich enough to substitute for the maple syrup (which I used just for good measure). If this had not been a community dish and we were not feeding 7 other people I would have definitely gone back for 3rds/4ths/5ths/etc...

She said:  3.8 This was relatively easy to make, and seemed to please the crowd. We were heading up to the mountains for the weekend, and I wanted something easy to pop in the oven, and to feed a group of people (kids AND adults). I did alter it a little bit, as Paula Dean isn't the healthiest of cooks {whatevs}, but most of it remained the same. See recipe below.

Price: $

Level of easiness: Easy

Good for: Big groups, brunch, families, friends

Would we make it again?: Heck yes

Date tried: 2/19/2011

Recipe adapted from: Paula Dean http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html

Recipe adapted from Paula Dean, but altered (photo via):

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf French bread
• 6-7 large eggs
• 1.5 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping (see recipe below)
• Maple syrup (I didn't add it to mine, but Buddy the Elf Kevin did)

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.
• (this recipe makes more than enough to cover the entire casserole; I didn't use all of it)

Directions:

• Slice french bread into 17-20 slices, apx. 1-inch each. Fill a buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish with the slices in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. 
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and then wisk until blended but not too bubbly.
• Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices (This is really important!).
• Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Notes:

Make sure that you cut the bread into thick slices, or else the casserole will be watery (thicker slices will soak it up). The next morning before putting it into the oven, spread the liquids around to ensure that all of the bread is covered, and that it's not swimming in juices. Don't underbake, or it becomes soggy.

Enjoy!

Plum's Cafe- Costa Mesa, CA

Overall Rating: 4

He said: I was happily surprised by this diner that's been in my backyard for over a decade and I never knew about it. Granted when we indulged I was entirely hung over but the food was just what the doctor ordered. The Dutch Baby is definitely meant to impress newcomers but, as Reese said, it is a bit much for a single individual and in my opinion was too rich (lemon juice, powdered sugar AND syrup? C'mon). We decided to share both dishes as the Baby takes a little less than a half hour so when my eggs benedict came out first I "voluntarily" shared it.

She said: I really liked this place. Everyone's dishes looked delicious, and made me want to go back. We shared the famous Dutch Baby pancake and eggs benedict (see review below), and I was more than full and happy. It's a very unassuming restaurant tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, but it's a little gem.

Price: $$

Ambiance: Family-friendly, cool

Good for: groups, brunch, families, friends, post-party hangover relief

Would we go again?: Heck yes

Date visited: 1/1/2011 (Saturday)

Special notes: Outdoor patio available.

Restaurant website: http://www.plumscafe.com/index.htm

Our order: Their famous Dutch Baby- This is a deep dish pancake with lemon and powdered sugar. It was pretty stinkin' delicious, but I probably wouldn't get it again, unless I was taking someone here for their first time. It's huge and rich and tasty (a la Kobe Bryant; sorry Kev), but it's just a lot to take in for breakfast. But as we went here the day after New Year's Eve, we were looking for something greasy and unhealthy. It's a fun order to share with people, but definitely not to order on your own. Unless you're Kevin. This also takes about 25 minutes for them to make, so either place your order the second that you arrive, or order something else to tide you over.

We also shared their eggs benedict, which was muy delicioso.

Bandera- Corona del Mar, CA

Overall Rating: 4

He Said: Bandera is quality American cuisine with the setting to match - I've been going to this place for years and have always enjoyed both the food and the ambiance. Last time I got the Filet Mignon and it was perfect. A cozy bar, outdoor waiting area with fireplace and zero corking fee amount to a solid go-to when hosting out-of-towners.

She said: I've never been disappointed by Bandera. When Kevin and I went, we ordered their delicious artichoke as an appetizer (please note that Kevin ate the entire pokey leaf. THE ENTIRE POKEY LEAF. Sendin' him back to his farm next week). I'm boring and ordered the macho salad with roasted chicken, avocado and dates. It was tasty, but I'd order something more fun next time. His filet was derricious (that's what she said).

Price: $$$

Ambiance: Low lighting and clean borders dividing the central bar area from the dining areas amount to an impressive setting where one might easily be under-dressed. You will definitely receive the service you deserve for the price.

Good for: All ages, big groups, nice dinner date, drinks

Would we go again?: Heck yes

Date visited: 12/31/2010 (Saturday)

Special notes: Nice outdoor seating area; right in the heart of Corona Del Mar. Reservations recommended.

Restaurant website: http://www.hillstone.com/#/restaurants/bandera/

Before our New Year's Eve dinner at Bandera. We fancy, huh?

Sadly, we did not take pictures of our meals (we we're just too busy staring dreamily into eachother's eyes!! jk barf), but their bar and drinks were just as great. I had a martini, and Kevin had a cranberry vodka. Both were priced as any nice bar would price their drinks (between $10-$13).