Tale of Two Types of Fried Chicken

I had a craving for fried chicken and after having seen the food at Go Go Bird last time I went to Citizen Public Market, I wanted to try their version. I got one non spicy order of chicken tenders, which came with Japanese pickles and a flakey delightful biscuit topped with honey miso butter and condensed milk that was a perfect dessert if you like your desserts on the less sugary side. 

The tenders and wings are both $16 each and are good sized servings, but keep in mind that you are paying for organic chickens and Japanese style frying techniques so if you are looking for fast food chicken with fast food prices, this is not the place for you. Both the mildly spicy wings and the non spicy tenders were most, crunchy, and absolutely wonderful! I would stick to mildly spicy or medium spicy unless you are a heat freak and want a burning mouth! I took one bite of the pepper with the wings and had to stop eating until my mouth fire was put out!

Big Boi is a Filipino place in the heart of Little Osaka on Sawtelle that specializes in fried chicken with gravy. I've never heard of, nor tasted fried chicken with gravy, but since it was a weekend special and it looked like a great combo, I gave it a try and loved it! I got one order of original and one of spicy, but next time I will just order spicy, since it had a mild kick that was complemented by the gravy. The gravy could have been made for a Thanksgiving turkey! For $12, you get a BUCKET of chicken, and a container of gravy that is enough to share with 2 people if you are not a big eater :)

Their side vegetable (it changes) was broccolini for $8 and absolutely fantastic! again portion size was generous, so plenty to share if you wish.

Since it was the week-end, I ordered the specials of chicken adobo and beef giniling with a split side of pancit (noodles) and garlic rice as a Bigz combo for $15

I thought I was ordering for 3 people, but I had leftovers for DAYS afterwards, which is not a bad thing when the food is this good! Unfortunately still no indoor dining, so take out or eat at one of the seats nearby at the sweet shop. My recommendation is simply to take it home and share your feast with friends!

Revisiting Heroic Italian

I have several favorite restaurants, depending on the people whom I eat with, my choices change according to their location and the time of day we are eating. Trying to make a 7pm dinner reservation on Friday night anywhere that requires a drive on a freeway, or through congested areas like Hollywood, requires planning and patience. A last minute decision to eat Italian on the west side, made me return to Heroic Italian, and I was very happy to introduce another friend to this bastion of great Italian food.

I actually chose dishes I had not tasted before, like their Caesar salad for $16 with the perfect balance of parmesan and imported anchovy.

I loved the $17 Santa Monica salad and barely had room for more after eating this hearty salad with impossible crunch, artichokes, chick peas, zucchini, and greens.

Linguini and clams for $28 were perfect with a delectable lemony and garlicky flavor that I sopped up with the marvelous loaf of garlic focaccia which came with it (I ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture)! 

The lasagna for $24 made with grass fed beef and sofrito was easily enough for 2 or a very hungry person ;) Marvelous layers of pasta with perfectly balanced tomato based layers. I almost ordered one to take home for another day!

Their pesto was very rich and the pasta perfectly al dente.

I loved the branzino served with clams, asparagus, and tomatoes in a garlicky buttery sauce that would have made an excellent sauce for pasta (or you could order some of their garlic bread to sop it up as a marvelous dip.

The fabulous fritto misto was absolutely worthy of a trip for dinner on Fri, Sat or Sun! Enough to share with at least 1 or 2 other people, this luscious combination of fish, prawn, shrimp, calamari, and shishito peppers was served with a delightful aioli and spicy pepper sauce. The fragrant lemon added a brightness to the fried seafood and we only ate about 1/2 the plate after finishing the salad.

When guanciale is offered in any dish, order it! the closest thing that you may know that resembles the taste is bacon or pancetta, but truly this is one of the best cured pork products to eat:) Because we had not even finished the fritto misto, we tasted this rich delightful dish, but had to have it packed to go, along with the remainder of the fritto misto. My only warning to those eating here for the first time is to order as you eat, or be prepared to take home leftovers!

I had to finish with a decaf espresso after all that food just to make it home!

I'm always happy to eat well with good company, and even more so when it is to share a place I have been before that consistently pairs excellent food with great service.

Jame Enoteca Still A Solid Staple in El Segundo

Even though I have not lived in El Segundo for years, Jame Enoteca is still going strong, with expanded outdoor dining, and more staff to handle the clientele. Parking in the lot is easy if you arrive outside of prime time, otherwise plenty of street parking (again outside of prime times). Service is excellent, and if you are more interested in the food than the casual parking lot adjacent strip mall patio atmosphere, this place should be on your radar. I was treated to a birthday dinner here and I also went for 2 lunches, so this post includes food from all 3 visits.

The lunch special for $21 includes a drink, starter and pasta for $21 (add $5 for wine if you want a nice glass pf red or white instead of the non alcoholic choices offered). For the quality of food, the lunch special is a steal! 

One lunch, I chose the spicy caesar, with fresh, romaine hearts and a very mildly spicy dressing.

Another lunch, I chose the famous kale salad as a starter, which could also be a meal in an of itself as a main course if you choose another starter.

One evening meal, our table shared 2 orders of their extraordinary brussels sprouts, and I defy anyone who says they hate this vegetable to taste it here and still make that statement! The char and balsamic combined to make this the side vegetable you will not regret ordering!

My friends loved the octopus starter for $21 (and they are octopus connoisseurs).

I chose the spicy rigatoni alla vodka with chili, basil, and gran padano for my lunch, which was such a big portion, I only ate about half of it! Perfectly done al dente pasta, with a creamy sauce that had a bit of a kick. This would be great if you are very hungry and craving comfort food.

Another lunch entrée was the paccheri rigati with spicy pork sausage sugo, fennel, sage, and pecorino, that was a spicier version of the above, served with an equally generous hand.

The 36 hour capellini (I added 2 meatballs) in the evening was a disappointment. 

I loved this when they first opened in 2018, but the pasta was overcooked, and the meatballs were bland.

Tagliatelle with bolognese during the evening meal was delicious, with well rounded flavors and as with all their pastas, the serving size was generous.

One of our evening party ordered the scarpinocc and practically licked the plate, but I couldn't get a good picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it ;)

 

Pasadena Perle

I was looking forward to a nice French meal while my friends at A Food Affair were away on vacation in August, and I wanted to eat close to a friend who lives in the Northeast, so we decided to try Perle. After reading the reviews and looking at the pictures, it looked very promising, especially for my friend who lives in the area. 

I had made a reservation, but got caught in Dodger stadium traffic, combined with the usual late afternoon Downtown Los Angeles interchange clogged freeways, I was quite late. The marvelous hostess even called me back after I called to say I was stuck in traffic to check in on me for me friend who was already there waiting for me!    

I hoped the food would be as stellar as the service, but alas the promise of good food was not fulfilled. Our waiter was pleasant and professional, but did upsell us on getting more bread for the escargots we ordered (we only ate half the bread, so it was a total waste of food and a $3 surcharge).

I was so happy to see Wild Burgundy escargots on the menu for $19, and they were indeed the real thing, but the butter and garlic lacked salt, so no one dipped the extra bread into the boring leftover butter.

I needed some salad, so I ordered the salad verte for $15 served with a dijon vinaigrette. It was a pleasant enough salad, but nothing special and a small portion for the price.

Like the escargots, I was excited to eat a true steak tartare for $21. Like the snails, the meat quality was outstanding, hand cut, and served with cornichons and toast. However, it was surprisingly bland and I had to ask for dijon to help perk it up.

My friends ordered the truffle pasta for $50 which I tasted and found overcooked and again lacking seasoning and flavor. Even with the price of truffles, the boring and poorly executed pasta were crimes at this price point.

We ordered a side of the haricots verts for $9 with shallots and soy-balsamic. We found half the string beans were stringy and tough, and the entirety of the side dish was as disappointing as the other dishes we ordered.

The hit of the evening was the chocolate soufflé for $15 made with fair trade chocolate and served with vanilla creme fraiche ice cream and creme anglais. The soufflé was perfect, and I didn't mind the tiny portion as I'm not a huge dessert eater.

The other bright note of the evening was the wine, which I took home to enjoy after we decided that we had had our fill at the restaurant.

Even after all the reviews and pictures from other people, nothing compares to experience, so I am glad I had the experience so that I am no longer curious, but I would only come back for wine and dessert.

Jolly Oyster

There are several great seafood places near me, but I had not yet tried the Jolly Oyster, so late one afternoon I headed over to Citizen Public Market to get a taste of their offerings. Steamers were very garlicky and served with excellent bread to sop up the wonderful liquid. The clams were very small, but the portion was a decent size for $14 a pound.

The baked oysters with leek and parm, six for $17 were a great choice for non raw oyster lovers. This was like a fusion of a less intense version of Oysters Rockefeller with a creamy leek base.

Just to be sure that I had enough to eat, I also ordered the shrimp cocktail, which included a horseradish cocktail sauce that was so good that I wanted to take it home! 

The ease of parking in the lot behind the market, the choices and quality of the seafood, and the proximity to where I live, all combined to make this a neighborhood choice to return to for more shellfish.

 

Pizzeria Sei

Sometimes I get a craving for a specific food that sends me on a hunt until I find satisfaction. Fortunately Los Angeles is home to several great pizzerias, and Pizzeria Sei is definitely one of the best. 

It is a tiny place, with counter seats around the kitchen, and literally two tables inside and 2 tables on the sidewalk. If you want to eat outside, you order to go and they will bring it out to you. It's handy to use the Yelp app to see the current wait times and put yourself on the waitlist if you want to dine inside.

I ordered the tricolore salad for $11 which was plenty to share. The second picture shows more of the colors after mixing in the dressing and eating half of it :)

I got a margherita for $19, but wanted some meat on it, so I added Cotto Salami ($6 extra) cooked in and I may have found a new favorite combo. I abhor doughy, tasteless thick crusts, so this chewy, thin crust is my paradigm for an absolutely perfect pizza. The char and chew were spot on, and the quality ingredients were addictive.

The Napoletana for $20 with olives, capers, anchovies, and oregano was a combination of salty, umami, and herby goodness. The only thing missing was some wine to go with it, but they do not have a liquor license, and do not allow BYOB, so take one of these home to enjoy if you wish to imbibe.

They have takeout available only during the week before evening hours, and only take delivery apps orders during the week before evening, so time your visit accordingly, for it is very much worth the planning to please your tastebuds.

First Taste of Tangaroa

Tangaroa is an ocean god in Polynesian and Maori mythology, so the name of this fish market and restaurant is a well chosen one if you revere fresh fish and seafood.

I stopped by for lunch and found their service, space, and food all impeccable. I have never been to New Zealand, but I know several kiwis. I appreciate their very honest, clean, and sustainable ethos, which also comes through in the bounty from the sea; there is a reason that New Zealand Red Snapper is one of the preferred fish for sushi and good restaurants. 

The beet salad for $19 could have been a meal for a vegetarian, and it is ample enough to share if you want to split it an an entrée.

Their calamari for $17 was tender and flour battered. I would have preferred a different crunchier batter, but it included tentacles (my favorite) and was done with a light hand.

Crab cakes for $19 served with salad could have been a small meal with two good sized cakes. There was a bit of heat from the mustard in the crab mix, but the crab meat still shone through.

Grilled octopus salad for $29 was my favorite dish (so far). Perfectly cooked octopus was tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, served with a generous panzanella salad, this was a hearty plate!

Red snapper filet for $31 with carrot purée and sautéed squash featured perfectly crisp skin and tender red snapper, served with a medley of sautéed squash. If you order this dish as a solo eater, I would bet you will leave with delicious leftovers!

I can't wait to come back for their lobster special on Wednesday and a happy hour oyster fest!

Wood & Vine

Going to eat at Wood & Vine has become my automatic choice before a show at the Pantages. It's literally across the street, so there is no need to stress about traffic or parking, and the food, atmosphere, and service are always pleasant. They have instituted a no tip policy, with 20% automatically added to the bill to cover both back and front of the house employees, so those who work behind the scenes are paid a fairer wage for their work. I wish more restaurants would institute this policy.

I was going to a show for a pre birthday celebration so our serve gave us TWO complimentary glasses of sparkling wine (from Albuquerque and normally $14 per glass) and although I would not have ordered this ordinarily, it was a nice gesture and I appreciated the thoughtfulness.

The classic caesar for $12 had slices of garlic toast instead of croutons, and had enough garlic and a bit of anchovy to satisfy my picky palate.

The braised short rib for $26 was GIGANTIC! It was so tender and tasty that we put the leftovers in the car (it was a cool day and we parked underground across the street) as we went to watch the show!

I got the linguini and shrimp for $26 that was also a hearty portion, and a tasty rendition with fresh tomatoes and good sized, perfectly cooked shrimp.

We arrived for the show 2 hours early, so we had time to linger, but not much room after the meal. Our waitress once again gave us a complimentary dessert (normally $10). The hot donut holes with vanilla sauce were fantastic! 

It was nice to find Wood & Vine survived Covid 19, and it was fun to attend my first performance at the Pantages in over 2 years!

Hog Island Larkspur

On my way back to Los Angeles from Sonoma, I stopped off at Hog Island in Larkspur so some oysters before heading home. I got 3 East Coast ones per the waitress' suggestion, and after tasting them, I agreed I preferred them to the West Coast Oysters! A bit brinier and smaller, but each one was a smooth, sweet fresh bite. Your choice of any six was $21 and I simply dressed them in a squeeze of lemon juice and contemplated ordering some champagne or wine, but since I was driving and it was only 11 am, I stuck to water!

The grilled Monterey Calamari for $15 in a lemon parsley vinaigrette was bright and tender, and if you are looking for a light bite this side and a salad would be plenty.

The $14 Caesar salad had a nice roasted garlic-anchovy dressing.

Because I had no idea what the portion sizes were before ordering, I also got a bowl of clam chowder for $18 that was so rich and filling that I could barely finish the shellfish, much less the broth. 

I will definitely be back for an afternoon of oysters and wine when in the area and when someone else is doing the driving!