First Time at Little Fatty

I've been meaning to try Little Fatty since they opened, and I really have no good reason why it took so long, but like many delays in life, the ultimate point is to eventually having the experience. Even now during the last phase of Covid restrictions, it is still mainly my preference to pick up food. Their online ordering system circumvents the apps which eat away at their margins so I gladly drove to their little window and got my hainan chicken fix for $15 which had the most delicious chicken fat rice that

came with ginger scallion sauce and delicious crisp pickled cucumbers.

Since I am still in search of my favorite beef chow fun, I tried theirs for $16. It was a generous portion, but although their meat was good quality, I found the dish a bit lacking in flavor and too oily.

I am glad to finally try Little Fatty and would go back for some other dishes, so there will be a follow up post :)

Pann's Patio

Slowly getting back out to eat, so for my 2nd post Covid meal out, I opted for the patio at Pann's. Originally I was planning to go to Lunetta, but they were packed (a great sight to see), so instead I made a short drive down the packed 405 (seemed like everyone was on the road today just like any pre Covid 19 Sunday) to join a friend for brunch.

The owners live across the street from me, so it was a chance to not only support a neighbor, but also enjoy some company in a very airy, well spaced out patio. It was also a time to indulge in some fried goodies, and of course that included a side of bacon:)

Their cole slaw and potato salad would fit right in at any Sunday picnic

and their tuna melt with a great pickled jalapeno pepper and pickle is the kind you would make at home if you had the time and ingredients to do it properly.

I came for the fried chicken wings and since it had been so long since I've had non curbside pick up orders, I got some onion rings too; a reminder that some freshly fried fragile foods are best when eaten as soon as possible. Of course I had to get some spinach too just to be a little healthy ;) 

I finished everything except the biscuit and one wing drumstick, so it was handy to have the plastic serving containers double as take out trays. Hmmm that reminds me I still have that biscuit and wing in the fridge....

 

First Meal at Restaurant since Covid 19 @ Kagura

Now that I am fully vaccinated (2 weeks after my second Moderna shot), I finally ventured out for my first meal since February of 2020 at Kagura in El Segundo. I felt a bit like an invalid who had been bedridden for over a year, being a bit wobbly as I tentatively took my first steps back into familiar territory. 

I found the Covid 19 protocols are in place with hand sanitizer, face masks, and separated dining areas. I was willing to order to go if there was any problem, but I was relieved to find everything was strictly health conscious. I chose Kagura as my first post vaccination restaurant because of their very private separate booth areas and the security that provided even pre Covid 19. Some thing are different now with drink menus posted and separate mini single servings of soy sauce and hot sauce rather than multi use larger tableside ceramics or glass containers.

The service was lovely as usual with the same servers they had preCovid, all wearing the same kind and professional demeanor with excellent service. From serving tea, salad and miso soup to delivering the main gozen lunches of sushi and miso black cod. It was wonderful to go out to eat with a fellow food lover who had also been housebound the past year; it felt as if we were released from prison on the same day to enjoy life as we had known it before our confinement :)

 

2 Grilled Salads & 2 Great Sandwiches To Go

It's been over 1 year since I've been out to eat, but curbside take out from my favorite places has given me a much needed break from constantly cooking:) Assembling great salads is as time consuming as preparing a mise en place for Chinese stir fry; the preparation takes 5 times longer than the actual assembly. 

Two of my favorite salads are the grilled chopped salad for $17 from Lunetta and the grilled mushroom salad for $15 from Metro Cafe. Both use quality fresh vegetables and each dressing perfectly compliments the mix, from the vinaigrette for the chopped salad to the balsamic for the mushroom salad.

Clark Street Bakery was already sold out of all their marvelous sourdough by the time I got there, so I opted for the roasted turkey pesto with aged provolone, arugula, and avocado for $15

and their Italian tuna with mozzarella, heirloom tomato, arugula, and pickled jalapenos for $13.

Taking a needed break to from cooking was well worth the change of pace. It also gave me a taste for an eventual return to dining out as Covid 19 cases drop with vaccinations rising in California. I'm salivating at the thought of seeing my servers again in all my favorite dining spots.

 

Colossus Bread 2021

My first post about this small bakery in San Pedro was written right before the world changed, and I'm happy to report that some good things are still around to keep us going until we are able to share bread with others as we did before March of 2020.

It was a pleasure to find that good sourdough has survived the pandemic, and they have pivoted to make it easier to place and prepay before you arrive at their window, so you can just pick up your goodies when you arrive. They also have a few items on display if you are lucky enough to get there early. They practice social distancing, have hand sanitizer, use tongs to gather the pastries, and wear face masks.

I got a chocolate chip cookie for the first time here and it was so good I think next time I will pick up a few as a reward for the trek down to San Pedro :)