LQ@SK-Los Angeles

After much anticipation, the day finally came!  I couldn't wait to try Chef's Laurent Quenioux's whimsical dishes.  With 2 other in our party, our trio arrived with time to spare, and waited a few minutes until the first sitting was through.

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I am a sort of late bloomer in the foodie world, and only a few months ago learned about Chef LQ, so imagine my surprised when I learned that I had landed reservations to one of the last events of LQ@SK (Before he moves locations, or decides what his next endeavor will be).

Also very very excited the male in our trio brought one of my favorite wine's from the Mendoza region, which by the way, its been a bit difficult for me to find it so points to Gus for that.
Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2005! Oh, how I love thee... Let me count the ways!
Ok, too poetic for a wine, but I was super excited!

I brought another red from the other side of the pond that I bought in Paris a few years back.  Lighter bodied than the Achaval Ferrer, but still very good.
You see our pattern here right?  We are not big on White Wines... What can I say!

We started out with our AF Wine as they brought out some delicious bread with a very aromatic Olive Oil.  I'll tell you, the wine was flowing as the was the bread & Olive Oil...

A few minutes later, our playful, yummy & whimsical Amuse Bouche arrived.

I thought it was tasty and well combined with the little shot of Mustard Greens Artridge, a cute little bite that sort of took you back to your child days.  I didn't mind that it was after all Vienna Sausage, Points for Chef LQ for introducing some playfulness and fun onto a menu, it doesn't always have to be over the top and so avant garde. Life's too short... enjoy!

Amuse - Pretzel bite, Vienna Sausage, Mustard Greens artridge

Some more bread, some more wine... nice laid-back ambiance, great company and conversation...more Achaval Ferrer... the arrival of each course was spaced out a bit longer than I'm accustomed to, but we really didn't mind, as the mood lend itself for such a laid-back evening.
Finally, our next course arrives and it's beyond spectacular.

An explosion of flavors from the soft mild buttery, perfectly presented Hamachi, nicely complimented with the acidity burst from the Lemon Curd, the luscious creamy Avocado and that intense sweet smoky flavor from the Soy Gel all together in 1 amazingly intense bite.

The Sesame Cremeux was airy and creamy with obvious but subtle sesame flavors as not to overpower the soft fish. We also really enjoyed the tiny Tobico Caviar pearls which burst and pop! as you bite into them..Pretty fun!

Hamachi, Lemon Curd, Black Sesame Cremeux, Soy Gel, Avocado Smear, Tobico, Uni Air

Next was one of the favorites of the night... and although a safe choice for Mr. LQ, Its not easy to pull off something as simple as "Fish & Chips" and make it memorable... but he did!
The fish was just beyond amazing and cooked perfectly, Soft, mild but flavorful and flaky with a nice light & crispy tempura coating, cute little baby chips infused with Sour Cream Flavor!, Chorizo and Lime for some added intensity to this amazing dish.

Skate Fish and Chips, Chyote, Argan Oil, Epazote, Chorizo, Lime, "La Ratte"

Next was the tender soft Rabbit Albondigas, well flavored and paired nicely with a bright Miso Dashi Broth... a nice kick of spiciness there, crunch from the Ramps Tempura and the creamy,buttery and fatty deliciousness that was the Foie Gras with the Teriyaki Glaze.

At this point you should notice a trend here, these are all "Comfort Foods" re-invented or re-done in in a more "Adult" & "Upscale" manner, but comfort food nonetheless...and our trio couldn't have been happier!

Rabbit Albondigas, Terryaki Foie, Miso Dashi Broth, Red Tosaka, Ramps Tempura

At this point the skinny gentleman in our group who usually could eat up a storm, couldn't believe he was getting quite satisfied with such "small" portions... LOL it was funny!

Next came the best grilled cheese dish I think I've ever had! It was so good and gooey, , I'd probably rate it "R" just so the kids couldn't eat it! ... This is definitely an Adult Grilled Cheese with Comte as a very nice replacement for your typical and ordinary cheddar!
Combined with a very tender and flavorful Oxtail, its little bit of broth would get all soaked up by the grilled cheese and add to that the House-Made veggie pickles for some brightness and crunch! Oh Man! This was The Grilled Cheese you wished your mom would have done for dinner, you know what I mean?

Oxtail, Comte Grilled Cheese, Pickled Vegetables, Tarragon

Next up was the much anticipated Cheese Cart!
We only chose to try 5 among the 3 of us because we were more than satisfied at this point and we still have dessert.
Although I don't have pictures of all of them, and my memory for French words could improve, here are some that I do remember and or have pictures!

Blue D'Tuvergne, Comte, Cavet and 2 others that although pungent and delicious, no power on earth will make me remember those names :(

Saving the best for last and this is not just a pretty face! (Or dish), the Tonka bean infused Tres Leches Cake with a Cajeta mousse, rich creamy Guava Gel and a refreshing Blood Orange Sorbet this was a hit all around!
I'm not usually a ice cream (or sorbet for that matter) person, but this was incredibly flavorful, and the slight acidity did an excelent job at cutting through the rich sweet cake.

It was an event! more than just a nice dinner... Hopefully Mr. Chef LQ will stick around L.A. for a long, long time!

Tonka bean Tres Leche, Cajeta, Guava Gel, Blood Orange Sorbet, Serrano Lime Thai Basil Seeds

On the Plaza Cafe-Pasadena

Thought I would write a quick little review about this cute little cafe in the Gateway Plaza on Lake where I work.
They have really fresh and yummy lunches and I appreciate the dedication to always keep changing the menu just a little bit, but always keeping the favorites... as is the Chorizo Burrito for Breakfast!
Yum! The only downside: They always run out! :(  but I guess that's a good thing, right!

Here's a picture of the Famous Chorizo Burrito... (sorry about the quality of the picture, it was taken with my ipod)

Chorizo Burrito with Eggs, Salsa & Potatoes

La Creperie Cafe-Long Beach

It's Saturday night, you have kids, sisters with their own kids, and really don't want to drive down to L.A. for some french bistro if the French mood were to strike you... what do you do?..
Well, we found this little place on Pine St. in Long Beach and gave it a shot.

The decor is very Sexy French, probably a nice place for a date, but mind you our kids are very well behaved so bringing them was not a problem, however be forwarned that the music, albeit nice, its a bit too loud... at the end we couldn't wait to get out of there, it was so loud.

Started off with their Lobster Bisque which according to our waiter, was made in house... ( I ask because you never know).  It was quite tasty, well seasoned, with minimal amount of actual lobster, but good.  By far not even close to the best one I've had and a bit too thick, still good though.

Also in the soup department, we couldn't go to a French Bistro without trying the required: French Onion Soup.

Pizzeria Mozza-Los Angeles

I've heard so much about this place and the amazing pizzas, I was so excited to finally make it out to their L.A. location with my mom and my son... (the best, pickiest critics ever!)

We had reservations and were seated right away, pretty good for a weekend, right?? I will say, I did have high expectations, maybe due to all the love it gets on Chowhound and amongst my own family members...

The place was busting at the seams with people, but service was attentive and rather efficient.
Nice starter with the bread stick, although pretty dry mouth feel since they do not bring you any accompaniment.

I had asked a very trusted source about Mozza (the Pizzeria) and recommended dishes, which in turn they answered ..."everything is so good, there's usually nothing left on the plate, and if there was... I would rub it all over!" LOL
Sadly, I did not feel like rubbing it all over :) ok, maybe the meatballs! but that would be gross! LOL

We started with the meatballs which turned out to be amazingly tasty,very tender, with great seasoning  paired nicely with the must have traditional red Italian sauce, which by the way, I loved that it was not sweet!( I hate when that happens)... this one had a very nice acidity to it... but not over the top and really well balanced in flavor, really tasted like it cooked all day. Great Start!

Meatballs al forno

Another hit dish! The octopus was extremely tender (and we all know how easy it is to get over-cooked rubbery calamari) and well seasoned, beautifully balanced with the fragrant olive oil,acidity from the red wine vinegar, creamy white fagioli beans, a touch of herbaceousness from the oregano with a light sweetness and freshness added by the tomatoes.

Calamari al forno with fagioli, tomatoes & oregano

Ok, here things start to go down hill... I hate to say this, because I'm sure I'm the only one in the world that thinks the following dishes are really not much to talk about and I may just be thrown out of Chowhoud and every foodie worthy .com place for the following comments LOL!

The bread with olive oil: Ok, I know that is what we ordered, and you really cannot tell from the picture, but trust me that this was drowning in Oil! waaaayyy too much oil... Sadly that really ruined the experience of this otherwise amazing bread.

Pane bianco with olio nuovo

Pizza's:
Let's start with the crust:  They bring you a butter knife to cut your pizza... Butter Knife?? really? Yes, really! LOL (I could have asked for a steak knife, but couldn't really find our waitress and I made due, but they should know that their pizza's cannot really be cut with butter knifes)
I had this notion that the I would take my first bite and this extreme crunch sensation would begin to fill all my senses. instead, it was sort of average...well cooked, not burned per se, but missing that extra umph! However the nice puffy edges were crunchy and very good. 

This really could have benefited from a bit less cheese (although my cheese loving fanatic mom would argue against this) and a little bit of bechamel so its not all bread & cheese... A creamy element would have really saved this.

Bianca with fontina, mozzarella, sottocenere & sage

Our second and last pizza made our mouth water... until it came to the table. Sad, I know, but true.
The Prosciutto was cold and placed onto the pizza after it was baked & cut, thus warming portions of it by the heat of the pizza while other portions of the prosciutto were still cold. This temperature unevenness and the fact that the rucola was not even dressed with a little olive oil, lemon or vinegar..nothing! made it almost inedible.

However, once home, we placed it in the oven, let the Prosciutto get nice and warm and a bit crispy (the prosciutto crispy) but also the pizza... oh man! waaayyy better! IMHO, that's how they should serve it... Please Mozza...??

Overall above average experience (barely), but I really would not do the drive all the way to L.A. just to go to Mozza, if I'm in the area, I might give it another try.

Prosciutto di Parma, rucola, tomato & mozzarella

ANIMAL (2)

As the day come closer that all California Foodies will have to cease the consumption of Foie Gras (As this becomes Illegal in July 2012) I had to have another try at Animal's famous "Seared Foie Gras, Biscuit, Sausage Gravy & Maple Syrup.... and did so in amazing company!

It was, as always, a full house.. even on a Sunday Night!  
Our quartet arrived without a minute to spare, since we were busy with our pre-dinner gathering of delicious appetizers and a wonderfully refreshing Orange-Cucumber Martini! (Thanks Juli!)

The boys in our party had brought some delicious Malbec to complement our meals, and I thought that was a great idea since Animal allows you to bring your own, albeit a $20 corkage fee, but a much more cost effective option IMO, since we finished 2 bottles!

Staff as always very courteous and the atmosphere was well... loud! That was absolutely no problem for "some" in our party, as they speak loud anyways! ha ha

We were not sure how many dishes we'd end up ordering but in the end, ended up trying 11 dishes,
and highlight of the night was the Polenta & 6 Hr bolognese sauce.. which Julio politely ask the waiter if he could have a bucket of it!
The Citrus Dessert was also a very nice way to finish of a rather rich and somewhat heavy meal, it was combined with Sable crumbles and and a very creamy fresh sauce (maybe yogurt?) I thought all the components in this dish went rather well together. I was very sad though that they no longer had the Sticky Toffee Pudding... oh well! That was my favorite, more so than the Bacon, Chocolate Crunch.


I started by trying the very reasonably priced ($3) Chicken Liver Toast: Very good for the price, with a semi-strong liver taste and a nice fruity marmalade on top.
No one else was game to accompany me on this one... I think the fear of the strong liver taste puts people off sometimes... but come on... be adventurous!

The polenta, as mentioned earlier, was really the star of the night.  I know, its a simple dish, and with so many other (perhaps more creative combinations) dishes, why was this the star of the night?  Well, first I will tell you my family as a whole is extremely selective and persnickety and they all cook amazingly, and second,we come from an Italian background, so we know most places do not do justice to this dish as grandma could! LOL.
So it was much to our surprise that a mere simple ingredient such as polenta could really get us so worked up... in a good way! It must have had 1LB of butter! but I don't mean that in a bad way... it was soo good, creamy and not at all gritty, as most other restaurants. Until this moment, my mom by far... made the best polenta in the world! but Butter makes it Better! It WAS missing the little hole in the middle my mom makes to hold the sauce "in".  

Creamy, buttery Polenta with 6 Hr. Bolognese Sauce

The balsamic pork ribs were good, although in the picture they do look as if they've burned, they were not at all, in fact the nice char on the outside gave them a nice smoky taste, although we could have done without so much balsamic, they were very good and tender.

balsamic pork ribs, delicate squash, arugula, pecan

Next came the petit basque melted cheese with chorizo and grilled bread.  The bread was your standard french bread, sliced and nicely toasted, but this bread, as I came to find later, is much better than the bread served with the Foie Terrine dish.  At first we noticed a very strong, stinky smell coming from a nearby table... first we thought someone must have taken their shoes off? ha ha! JK... but seriously, it stunk! Ohhh, its the Petit Basque!... Ok.. we had to have it!.  It was as delicious as yes, stinky. Not rocket science obviously, but still very nice.

melted petit basque, chorizo, grilled bread

My Foie Gras Terrine came along with the previous two dishes and do you notice what I noticed when I saw my plate?????? Julio said: "Is that Wonder Bread?"... Come on guys... you cannot serve me sliced Wonder Bread along such a delicious, buttery Foie!
Besides the bread disaster, the terrine was very nicely done, very mild in taste (no strong liver notes) and nicely accompanied by a sweet fruity & acidic orange marmalade.  My sister thought "it taste like dessert!" Yeah!! that's my Sis!! Foie for Ever!!
However, the steamed endive... what?? I didn't get it! maybe for some added texture... but really did nothing for the dish, in fact.. just leave it aside as I did.

Foie Gras Terrine

I feel the dishes were being sent out of the kitchen at a nice pace, giving us plenty of time finish our 1st round, unlike my first visit.

2nd round of dishes:

Grilled baby broccoli, crispy egg, smoked trout, mustard, hatch chili.  I only tried the baby broccoli which was nicely cooked (I hate when you get vegetables so raw still that you're afraid you'll break a tooth!) and seasoned, along with the crispy egg which was basically a soft boiled egg with a nice crunchy breading on the outside.  It was nice to have something "green" in a sea of "Animal" dishes.  Oh, and the romesco sauce was amazing!

grilled baby broccoli, crispy egg, smoked trout, mustard, hatch chili

Veal Tongue:

The Foie Gras Semi-Freddo/Mousse was spectacular with distinct smoky notes and plenty of rich,lush,creamy,buttery goodness. This is a new menu item, and a true winner in my book.

Veal Tongue, Smoked Foie Gras, Pastrami Spices, Crab Apple

I was a little hesitant when we ordered this dish due to the mixed reviews... but sounded amazing and we took a chance.  Happy to say, it was cooked to perfection, well seasoned, but not they didn't go sodium happy on it. The Parmesan fondue made this a truly decadent dish. the potatoes were good too, but really, who notices the potatoes when you have an amazingly well cooked piece of meat with lots of parm truffle fondue on top, right??

flat iron, potato hash, truffle Parmesan fondue

Next but not least, the Quail:
Grilled to perfection, nice char, super tender and tasty without that strong "meat" taste. I didn't try much else from this dish, so I cannot comment on the apple and yogurt and how that would combine with the quail, however, the plum sauce was amazing!

grilled quail, plum char-siu, apple, pear, yogurt

Our first of our dessert duo was the Citrus with Sable crumbles which was deliciously creamy, buttery notes from the sable, and of course totally refreshing from the various citrus, pink pomelo being the most prominent on the dish.
I'm glad we gave it a try, because I was so disappointed they no longer had the Sticky Toffee Pudding that I have loved so much!

Citrus, Sable crumbles

Our last dessert was of course the Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar.  As I'm my first review of Animal, still rich and chocolate-y with nice hints of the salty bacon for an amazing contrast.  I wish the bacon was a bit more generous as the chocolate really takes over the whole dish, the saltiness of the bacon is there, but very very subtle.

Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar, Salt & Pepper Ice cream

Overall, am amazing evening, not only the food, but the company and ambiance of the place!
Can't wait to be back!

BEST TRAVEL WEBSITES!!

People always ask me how I am able to travel so well an a relatively low budget... well, besides the fact that I do tons of research (and love to share it with all of you) I have some trusted websites that I use.

TRIP ADVISOR.COM

This is my 1st stop... where I start asking questions in the forums (and God knows I ask a lot!).  Just choose the Country/City you are interested in, and ask away... "Regulars" of the forum are eager to always help you out.
(Make sure to always "thank" the Trip Advisor Members as many put in a lot of their time in answering questions)

Also great for asking questions on Tours, Lodging, Restaurants... I Don't Really only on the Reviews because those are sometimes from 2 sides of the poles: they either had an amazing (not typical) experience, or a horrible (not typical) experience... The Forum Experts are likely to give you a more honest and straightforward opinion.

MATRIX.ITASOFTWARE.COM

I have used Kayak, which is Ok... Skyscanner is better (but it will not search multi-city which I tend to do a lot). 
With Matrix you can do multi-city searches, all airports in your area, search day before/after/2+ - days... lots of combinations... its Fantastic!

SKY SCANNER.COM

Skyscanner.com will search crazy combinations!  Don't care where to go... Just input your city and choose "TO" Anywhere!..
Also you can choose to travel in certain months without specific dates... I love this website...I also have the IPOD/IPHONE APP... which is way too cool to put into words...but I will tell you that with the App, you can actually see the Globe and spin it... and it will give you prices to each Country!

TRIPIT.COM

I have been using tripit.com for many years, and with good reason... its an amazing website that really makes your travelling life a lot easier!
Basically, you E-Mail all your reservations to your profile.. and it automatically organizes them, adds maps, Airline phone number, etc... you can also manually add things to your itinerary and notes... it much easier to print out 1 itinerary from TRIPIT.COM, than searching through all your emails and pint each individual Airfare Confirmation, Hotels, Tours, etc...  (also they have an APP)

ROOM77.COM

Room 77, which uses official hotel data, reviews, and geographic coordinates to find the best accommodations for you. You’ll also find virtual room views via Google Earth and floor plans for thousands of hotels.Nice views and proximity to (or distance from) the elevator are just two of the criteria you can select. What ever happened to just trying your luck? LOL

VEGAS DEALS

Who doesn't love a nice weekend getaway to Sin City, right?

Here is a deal I have not seen in a long time from The Venetian Suites!

Some of the days are as low as $107 for Sundays, and $125 for Saturday...


CLICK HERE FOR THE VENETIAN DEALS

CLICK HERE FOR THE PALAZZO DEALS

**Please keep in mind you must pay a $20 per day resort fee**

A day at the spa. A night at the club. The trip of a lifetime.

Your luxury Las Vegas hotel experience, now 40% off.

Experience romance, grandeur and unapologetic indulgence at The Venetian^® with this incredible package. You’ll escape to spa bliss with treatment and dining specials at the world’s largest Canyon Ranch SpaClub^®; you’ll savor the exotic fare of Zine Noodles Dim Sum, and light bites of Café Presse; and, you’ll have an unforgettable time at the hottest spot on the Strip: LAVO Nightclub. There’s a world of excitement, relaxation and opulent decadence just waiting to welcome you. But, hurry! This special rate won’t last long.

• This package includes a Luxury Suite at up to 40% off* standard website rates with amenities provided by:

  
  

  • Canyon Ranch Grill - 20% off the food bill
  • Canyon Ranch SpaClub - $25 off a spa service of $125 or more
  • Zine Noodles Dim Sum – $30 off a bill of $60
  • LAVO Nightclub – Complimentary admission†
  • Cafe Presse - 20% off purchase

  
  This offer must be booked by February 8, 2012.

NICARAGUA & COSTA RICA 2012

After much thought and consideration (and research!) I really fell in love with Granada, Nicaragua and Costa Rica's Rainforests & Beaches.

July 2012 I will be there with my son having an amazing time! We are so excited and cannot wait!

In the mean time, as you all know me, I've been doing massive amounts of research for this upcoming adventure... and I'll leave you with some of my favorite places:



SAMARA BEACH

Of course you cannot go to Costa Rica without a few days in Beach Paradise, right? ... Samara Beach is a beautiful little town on the Pacific side.  And the Samara Tree House Inn is truly the only place I want to stay! They have "tree houses located "on" the beach.  Its kind of a rustic paradise.  Next to the tree houses there is a nice surf shop and school where we hope (or at least I hope) to be able to stand up on one of those boards!

Your Own Private Hammocks

Samara Tree House Inn-Out Door Dining under your personal tree house

Samara Tree House Inn-Living Room with View of the Beach



ARENAL NATIONAL PARK, COSTA RICA

the Arenal Observatory Lodge is the only lodging within the Arenal National Park.  From my research I know the food is sub-par and thus being the foodie that I am, I had to think about this one, but in the end a very wise person said: "When will you ever have a chance to stay in the middle of the Rainforest?"

Ok, I'm sold! That is very true, besides this place has amazing views, lots of hiking trails through the rainforest, a bar open until 10pm, pool and jacuzzi and a game room... who cares about food?  Ok, only for these 2 nights!

Arenal Observatory Lodge-Pool area overlooking the Rainforest

Rio Celeste-All day tour from Arenal

Arenal Observatory Lodge-Nearby Hanging Bridges through the Rainforest

Granada, Nicaragua

Granada, Nicaragua

Granada, Nicaragua-Town Center

Granada, Nicaragua

Masaya Volcano-Nicaragua