Bianca and Pizzana Week-end Encore

It's been nice to revisit local Italian favorites over the week-end now that the crowds from the Super bowl and Valentine's Day are gone. 

The Bianca House salad for $18 is one of my favorites in Los Angeles, combining a simple vinaigrette with arugula, frisée, radishes, carrots, and avocado.

The Kale Minestrone for $18 with pesto is a comforting, filling bowl of vegetable goodness, perfect for a chilly day (in Los Angeles that means under 70 F).

Also the first time I tried their Pollo alla Parmagiana for $26, and it was so perfectly pounded, breaded, and sauced, that I could only finish half of it (I ate the oven roasted string beans and potatoes), taking the other half home. This picture is only HALF of the portion they served!

On Sunday I took out curbside from Pizzana, starting with the Tricolore for $15 with arugula, treviso, endive, cherry tomatoes, candied walnuts, and parmagiano reggiano.

I'm a bit boring when it comes to pizza, going with a classic Margherita for $20 ready to heat and uncut so that I could get a crisp hot crust at home :)

Revisiting old favorites is as important to me as trying new places because without repeat patronage, old favorites fade away....

Auld Fella

I have tasted Guinness in other places (including the UK), but this draft at Auld Fella was the first time that I actually liked it! It was deeply satisfying, with a smooth robust, smoky almost chocolatey flavor. If you like American beer, this is very different, so you will either love it or perhaps hate it, but I highly recommend that give it a taste here!

They offer a combination of savory pies with a beer or glass of wine (for $6 more), so I chose the Irish Lamb Stew pie with the Guinness. It came with mushy peas to offer a bit of greenery on the plate (I generally don't like this dish and still don't), and a wonderful gravy that enhances the seasoning of the pie and mashed potatoes. I found the pie undercooked on the bottom and lacking seasoning without the gravy, but the rich lamb stew filling inside the pie was wonderful, and I would order the Shepherd's pie next time to avoid the soggy bottom crust. It was such a generous portion that I took half of it home, but it reheated well.

I tried one of their craft cocktails, the $15 Freckled Mexican, made with Uno Blanco tequila,ginger, jalapeno, lime, it was a nice balance of flavors and if I wasn't drinking beer or wine, I would order this again.

Their $16 Casear salad with Skellig cheese was unusual with the very salty Skellig helping out the very plain romaine. 

Their fish and chips uses Atlantic Cod for $23, set atop hand cut fries and served with tartar sauce and the mushy peas once again. I loved the fish, which was perfectly cooked, but I found the fries very oily underneath the fish, and the batter was not as crisp and seasoned as I would have liked. The tartar sauce was good, but a squeeze of the melon and perhaps some vinegar  are my preferred fish and chips condiments.

I ordered a glass of the Juggernaught Pinot Noir for $16 that paired well with the corned beef I ate for dinner.

I love corned beef, even more so when it is house cured and served with a lovely gravy, mashed potatoes, and vegetables for $23, this serving was big enough to share if you are ordering a side vegetable or salad.

The charred broccolini with garlic and almonds for $12 is a good fresh supplement to the meat centric menu.

It may seem strange that my favorite dish at an Irish Pub is a vegetable, but the $14 'Shrooms will convince meat eaters that vegetables can become your good friend :) The bed of caramelized onions add even more depth to this plate of umami goodness.

Musso & Frank Grill

It's been years since I've eaten at Musso & Frank, and I found out that since they reopened their dining room, many other people are also feeling nostalgic for old school fine dining in an historic venue. When I tried to get a reservation a week out, I quickly found that getting any available time and date takes about a month of advanced planning, but my patience was rewarded with the Joe Dimaggio and Marilyn Monroe booth :)

I very much appreciated that there was a guard at the door checking for reservations, Covid 19 vaccination cards, and IDs before allowing anyone inside! 

I am still thinking about the perfect Elit® dirty martini I drank that night. By the time I finished my one drink (I love the little side car of more martini on ice that replenished my glass 2 times more), I was very happy that I was not driving home!

If you have never seen this, this is jellied consommé for $6, basically consommé soup, but in jelly form eaten chilled with a squeeze of lemon, this is a refreshing way to eat your soup :)

Classic Caesar salad for $16 was loaded with parmesan, but very tame with no anchovy taste and very little garlic. 

It's been ages since I've eaten sand dabs, so I chose it as my main for $28 served with a meuniere sauce. The filets were very thin and a little overdone but not inedible.

The steamed asparagus with hollandaise  for $15 was a very generous portion of perfectly steamed tender asparagus.

My dining companion chose sautéed calf's liver and onions with bacon for $24 and graciously shared some of the bacon :) 

Leaving was sad, but after being regaled by the stories of shenanigans of previous customers, a nostalgic meal of old fashioned comfort food, and perhaps the best elit martini I've ever tasted, it was mitigated by a mental note that I could return anytime I planned ahead with a reservation a few weeks out!