Chartreuse Detroit

My first meal in Detroit was at Chartreuse, one of the most recommended restaurants in the area. The waitress said they do not have a refrigerator because everything on the menu is fresh and seasonal (one of the restaurant people at my table raised her eyebrow at this statement in disbelief). 

The menu ranged from smaller to larger bits, with the shrimp and grits being the beginning of the larger plate dishes.

We got 2 orders of the burrata for $17 served with tomatoes that were barely ripe

as well as 2 of the Gobi Manchurian (fried cauliflower) for $15 to share. I liked the fried cauliflower and looked forward to tasting more.

The hit of the night was the shrimp and grits with scallops for $28. I only tasted this dish because of my scallop sensitivity, but both the shrimp and grits were nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked.

 

I was disappointed by my pork ribs for $23, which were very tender, and very sweet, served with a sweet coconut rice. I loved the cucumber side salad and wished there was more, but even though I took my leftovers to go, I did not eat them.

My glass of wine was very nice and the rest of the table split a bottle of sherry which they enjoyed. So would I go back? Yes, but depending on what is on the menu, your satisfaction with your meal will depend on which plate you order, so going with several people so you can share and taste different dishes would be a wise choice.

 

Element Hotel Detroit / Monarch Club

My first trip by plane since Covid 19, was to Detroit for a wedding :) It was a city I had never visited before and it was fun to explore the downtown area from my home base at the Element Hotel. The renovation of this beautiful structure that was abandoned for 40 years, is documented here.

The extended stay focus of this hotel makes it an especially good choice if you are staying more than a night or two. Having a full refrigerator with freezer, 2 burners, microwave, dishwasher, dishes and silverware for 4, as well as utensils and pans for cooking, was very convenient for reheating and eating leftovers. 

I missed the usual hotel extras of bathrobes, slippers, hairdryer, and a full length mirror, but the full kitchen was a great trade off. They offer a complimentary breakfast on the Mezzanine level (only one of the elevators goes to that floor, so ask at the front desk which one if you don't want to take the stairs), and it offers the standard American eggs, sausage, toast, but also yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit.

The citywide people mover stops literally a block away, so for $0.75 a ride, you can tour the city from the rail.

Having the rooftop Monarch Club with panoramic city views was a nice in house option, but it is only open at the end of the week and closes at 11pm. I went there one night for a drink and snack, and noticed they had charged me 30% MORE for my VSOP cognac than the price listed on the menu. Once I told the waitress, they corrected it, but make sure you double check you bill before paying for your drinks.

The lamb meatballs were a bit dry and dense, but nicely seasoned, and definitely a large enough portion to share. It's a hearty enough appetizer to make a meal if you did not get a chance to eat dinner elsewhere.

Konbi Culver City

I've been waiting for Konbi to open in Culver City ever since I saw them put up the signs next to GGET. I'm so happy to finally taste their famous katsu sandwich, and I was thrilled to find that they do a marvelous salad medley with nectarines, sungold tomatoes, cucumbers, soy glazed hazelnuts, and greens, served with a miso dressing. It was around $15 and very a hearty vegetarian meal for one.

I asked James at the counter which sandwich he liked besides the katsu which I had ordered and he said the tuna, so that's what I ordered and it was a comforting rendition served on their fabulous milk bread (now made in house) with sliced cucumbers and nori mayo.

The pork katsu sandwich lived up to the hype, with the quality of the Peads and Barnetts pork loin, cabbage and bulldog sauce, I would order this is you are a meat eater and only have room for one thing from their menu.

They are now serving ICE CREAM! so I tried their chocolate caramel in a cup and the vegan pistachio on a waffle cone. Both were rich wonderful, and served at the perfect temperature to eat, not too hard nor soft. 

The quality of ingredients makes everything a bit pricey, from about $15 per sandwich/salad to around $8 for the ice cream on a cone, but if you want to budget this in once in a awhile, it is a worthwhile place for a midday treat.

Jetta Thai

I went to Jetta when they first opened in El Segundo, and I am very happy to find that they are still one of the better Thai restaurants in the South Bay. Chicken Satay for $10 is a classic Thai appetizer and they do it well here, with nicely marinated skewers and an earthy peanut sauce.

I love rice noodles and their pad see ew for $14 was a good rendition without the greasiness that many places serve up on their plates.

I enjoyed the glass noodles with shrimp for $21 as a light dish that is still fulfilling enough to satisfy.

Always nice to find a favorite still lives up to my memories of being a place to stop by for a good meal:)

Day at Newport Beach

I've been to Moulin, loved the French products for sale and took home a baguette and some pastries, but their sister restaurant Moulin Bouillon next door kept beckoning me to come sit and eat, so I succumbed and was delighted with my surrender:)

I met with friends who live in Orange County, so it was an easy drive for them, and they had never tried Moulin Bouillon. We started with a tartine of chevre chaud drizzled with honey and walnuts to share. It came with a nice green salad lightly dressed in a classic vinaigrette for $12.

I chose the steak frites for $25 done bleu. It was so wonderful to order my steak very rare and have the waitress reply, "Bleu"? OUI!!!! The entire plate was typically French except for the slightly larger portion which just meant I got to take some home:) My other friends chose the Boeuf Bourguignon ($22) and oeufs bénédicte ($16) and enjoyed their dishes enough to finish them and want to come back. We all drank glasses of either red or rosé for $12 each, but as we lingered, and more glasses, we would have been better off ordering a carafe or bottle.

We decided to adjourn to the Balboa Bay Resort for drinks and we enjoyed the air conditioning in the beautiful lobby, rather than suffer the humidity with a view of the boats ;) As a nice bonus, they were offering sample bites of their sweets, so we snagged a few bites since we didn't have dessert at Moulin Bouillon.

A perfectly sweet day spent with friends is a priceless gift.