Dolce Isola...even the simple things from The Ivy are to die for!

2869 S. Robertson Blvd
Culver City, CA 90034.
(310)776-7070
Mon-Sat 7:30AM-6PM
Sun closed

A recent addition to the Culver City empire of restaurants is the Ivy's Bakery store front by the name of Dolce Isola. Being that The Ivy is such a place of note and that just the mention of it conjures up pictures of celebrities hob nobbing on the front patio. It's no wonder that this place shouldn't become a hit amongst common folk such as myself, as well as the rich and famous.

The focus of Dolce Isola is first and foremost as a bakery so you'll find fresh breads and cakes to delight the eyes as well as your taste buds. But don't be fooled, their sandwich selection is something very special... and be sure to check if they have a special sandwich of the day!

Both our sandwiches are what I've always imagined the perfect picnic sandwiches to be. The Dolce club consisted of fresh roasted free range turkey, baby lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon and their mayo must have infused with a HINT of horseradish. All items were very fresh and the bread was a firm, toasty crispness on the outside and soft on the inside. In short AMAZING. I would grab this in a heart beat if I ever couldn't decide what to get. It was simple, but even perfection can be simple.

Celeste enjoyed their caprese sandwich, made up of fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella di bufala(aka-REAL mozarella which is made from water buffalo milk), basil, light dijon mustard and a little olive oil. With the crunchy softness of the bread, the flavors of each item came together beautifully. Also, it was refreshing to taste fresh soft mozzarella from water buffalo milk, such a difference...if only more people knew.

Here are just SOME of their baked items, additionally there were several more platters out in the open to tempt you. Celeste got a Latte to go with our selections, and I wouldn't normally mention her coffee (sorry no picture) , but she and I found it to be pretty spactacular, and she LOVED the foam (which is really saying something, cause normally she finds it tasteless and an annoying barrier between her and her drink) .

We chose the carrot cake, which if I remember correctly was the Capri cupcake of the day, a dense, double cupcake sized bit of goodness. I myself am always hard pressed when it comes to cake as I'm not such a cake guy, but this was exceptional. The cream cheese frosting was SUUUPER creamy..."like buttah". As for Mitzi's Earthquake cookie, I barely have a clue about what's inside of it. I know that eartquake cookies are made from the same basic dry ingredients as Devil's food cake, and they have a sugar coating that when they're done cracks and reminds you of the ground after an earthquake. What Mitzi's recipe calls for I don't know, but these things were killer. It seemed like a little bit of toffee as well as walnuts were tossed in but don't quote me on it instead just buy one figure it out...they're only 75 cents a cookie.

Here's their array of gelato and sorbet which makes for a great finish for any meal here.

We got a small cup of their Pecan praline and while not the best in town it's most certainly up there for smoothness and creaminess. This was very nice in that it wasn't too rich and the pralines were crushed very small, and the base vanilla flavor it was mixed into was just perfect. Indeed a perfect way to cap off this great Saturday afternoon kick back meal.

With their hours, this is a great way to bring something special home to a loved one or yourself on a weeknight, a means to arrange a perfect picnic, or have a nice low key meal on location. A big plus is that you can order many baked goods including bread, cakes that can serve intimate or huge parties (this screams weddings) as well as their to-die-for jams, chutneys and sauces. My one sadness with them is that they're not open on Sundays and they close at 6PM on the other days. I mean Sundays would be ideal for this place as they'd make a killing. Other than that, I find this place to be a new hotspot for me whenever we can make it. And make sure to hop on in because, for many, this could be the closest you will ever get The Ivy!

Free Refills: No
Menu: I'll do better than give you a range. Here's the menu from the day we went.

Joe's Pizza (of Santa Monica!)...bridging the gap between New York and LA for pizza!

111 Broadway (at Ocean Ave.)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310)395-9222
Sun-Thurs 10AM-Midnight
Fri-Sat 10AM-3AM
CASH ONLY!

Joe's Pizza. Joe's. Pizza. A hole has been filled in me that I longed for ever since I moved out here.

After much buzz about Joe's Pizza (famous of Carmine and Bleecker in New York and just famous of New York period) and a bit of delay, are finally open in a great little spot in Santa Monica right by the ocean. Let me explain a little bit to the people of LA. Joe's to many in NY is the standard by which many New Yorkers set there level of quality for pizza. And while New York has many amazing pizza places Joe's really does have a certain something that you can't quite put into words. You can go anywhere in NY and get a great hot dog from any vendor and you can go just about anywhere in NY and get a great if not VERY decent slice of pizza but there is still one Joe's pizza.

Finding out the rumors were indeed true that they opened yesterday, I HAD to head on down there. Now let me explain, I'm in a play currently and was finishing up at 11 last night at Santa Monica and Vine and was compelled to go down there. That's what kind of hold Joe's has on me. I was past Mid City in the middle of the city, far from the 10, and headed all the way over to the ocean at midnight to grab a slice of this man's pizza. Upon arrival I see a super simple store front where they make pizza and that's obviously the main concern. A couple of tables with stools and that's about it but that's really all you need. Joe was telling me that earlier that day the place was a madhouse! Luckily for me, we went late, and LA people seem generally resigned to the fact that there isn't much nightlife out here unless you're clubbing or getting wasted some where. So this new location, while they still had customers popping in, was way more under control.

THE CHEESE!

THE PEPPERONI!

Citysearch was on-hand while we were there to "paparazzi" Joe in action

Stunning results!

In life, you hope that you find what you love doing and are able to make money doing it. Joe seems to be one of those fortunate of people of whom it's plain to see that he loves making people pizza, and feels a great satisfaction from making people happy with his craft. It's people like him that you want to be around when it comes to food.


So how's the pizza? Some of the best I myself have had the experience of tasting. Now I won't claim that this will be the best for you cause after all we all have differences of opinions when it comes to food, but I can wholeheartedly say that you'll at least like it...a lot. So many intangibles are involved from the sweetness of the sauce, to how the dough is thin and crunchy but has just the right amount of give to be able to fold. It's the consistency of the cheese and how all the ingredients interact with each other. It's the marriage of all things coming together, in the right amount of heat, where you get consistent results. Joe's Pizza has all this, not to mention the guy is just a sweet man who has got it down to a science. His pizza can only be understood by tasting it. Words fall flat when it comes to describing it.

I ordered up 2 slices, one cheese and one pepperoni and was very satisfied. And yet I was compelled to buy another slice to completely fill me up as if I was afraid Joe's wouldn't be there tomorrow. What profound pizza this is for me. Top it all off with the fact that they have bottled Coke and you have a meal that could become as popular in Santa Monica as In N Out and Fat Burger are in other places.

Oh, and did I mention the price? Try $2.50 for a slice. I think the idea is that he knows he can sell his pizza at such a great price because if you keep it at a price people can afford, they'll be more apt to come on back...with friends. So yeah he may lose a little at first on projected figures, but in the long run he's got you hooked. Sure it's worth more than that. At other places they they do in fact charge more, but it's hard to rationalize pricey pizza at anytime, because most people know what goes into making one.

As I pause and reflect on what we like and don't like, as people who just love food...and in the end isn't that what it should all be about? Just about what you like. Pizza is one of those things which should be based only on what you like, and not it's state of origin. But Joe, you make a mean pizza that is as New York as all 5 boroughs. But more importantly, you make a pizza that fits my idea of what great pizza tastes like. I welcome you with open arms and hope you never leave LA!

PS. They DELIVER! And here's the menu for download.

Free Refills: No
Entree Price Range: $2.50 to $2.75 a slice and pies range from $17 to $20

Brasa Brasil Grill...stuffing our faces with some of the best meat in Culver City

10022 Venice Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310)558-3287
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11AM-3PM
Dinner Daily 5PM-10PM

First things first, sorry about the delay in posting. Sometimes you get a string of restaurants that suck and therefore can't be posted about. I had a sizable run of "wow...that was a waste of time and money and I feel tainted for going here". Some people may say, " but you can still write about other places?" My answer? Yes I can, but pictures convey so much in telling stories, and if I'm posting about some place I really like, I want to do it justice. So, when I have pauses from posting, you can be assured it's due to lack of pictures.

The second order of business is about this brand spanking new place (and that's "new" as of October) on Venice in Culver City called Brasa Brasil Grill. Bring your massive appetite to this spot! As many Brazilian eateries do, they concentrate heavily on meats. This has got some of the best meat going on in Culver City (which is saying a lot considering it's the mecca of mastication at the moment and shows no sign of stopping thanks to Sony).

The interior is pretty chill and please don't think it's messy cause the picture shows all the chairs wacked out, there was good size party there for a birthday party. The eating style is buffet and yes there is a buffet bar, and no I didn't grab a picture of it. Rest assured the buffet bar is not the main attraction here, though it sports all the sides you'd want for your meal such as garlic rice, beans, plantains, poached salmon, Brazilian potato salad, cucumber and tomato salad, black eyed pea salad, farofa, fresh greens and even boiled quail eggs. The place was spotless and the buffet bar was a reflection of that as well the fact that everything that we had from it was fresh.

Notice the object I took a picture of. This red and green wood dowel looking thing rules your meal. When you get there they tell you how it works, "When you want us to bring out more meat turn this so the green side is up. We'll bring out whatever you want from our meat menu and we'll keep on bringing out meat until you turn this so that the red is facing up". Sounds simple enough. It happened 3 times at least that we forgot to flip back over and they kept bringing meat (though you can decline it when it comes out...just made for a funny times is all). The best thing is that it's all you can eat and your choice of which meat or meats you want.

Salad (that's right...from the buffet) , as stated, was fresh and the boiled quail eggs were a pleasant surprise. Celeste topped her spring greens with the black eyed pea salad (firm but smooth) and the cucumber and tomato salad (crisp and almost sweet) as well.

Their garlic rice, black beans and plantains were superb. If you had nothing else from the buffet bar this would be more than excellent to accompany any of the meats. The beans were marinating in meat making their flavor more pronounced, the rice hinted at the garlic and the plantains were perfectly ripe and made to perfection (as you can see).

We tried ALL the meats they had which would be quite the feat for some people (and was actually for Celeste) . Did I mention that after having this we've realized we really need to lose some weight haha? Shown up above is a piece their bacon wrapped chicken and one Brazilian sausage. The bacon wrapped chicken was succulent and glistened with bacon juice. The sausage packed a huge flavor that was gentle on the salty side. As for the rest of the meats (except for the Spicy Chicken...sorry about that) take a look...

Tri Tip (not to be confused with their Picanha)...it tasted even better than it looked. Super moist and great marbling in the meat with an outstanding spice blend that complemented it well.

Their garlic beef was super tender and packed a wallop of spices, and oddly, it is called Garlic Beef but it's richness wasn't from the garlic.

Here's their Picanha which is their creme de la creme meat. Picanha is technically tri-tip (or sirloin), and is, to date, now in our top five for that cut of meat. The slight garlic char on the outside sealed in the wonderful juices inside. Just a mighty fine piece of meat.

Their lamb was almost perfect (Celeste's piece had a little bit of fat, but it's not hard to see). Slightly sweet on the outside with a perfectly done inside. And, if you do get a bit that has a good sized piece of fat, that's the beauty of the place...you just get another piece. I personally loved their lamb. It was nice having lamb a little nontraditional to me.

The only thing that wasn't all that happening, and unfortunately goes with the territory, was their pork. All their meats are on open fire on a spit and while all the other meats have a lot leniency when it comes to keeping them warm, the pork has to be very precise. Once you go passed that temperature you start to lose moisture inside the meat. While the outside of the pork was wonderful the inside was a bit on the tough side for lack for juice. That said, based on everything else, it might have just been an unlucky fluke.

The restaurant itself could seat about 50 or so and is in a small strip mall that has about 15 spaces and 4 other restaurants, but thankfully, street parking is abundant in that area. Pedro the owner is a totally sweet guy and was eager to please (no he didn't know who I was and from what I could tell never saw me taking a pic of anything) . This restaurant is definitely for those who can put it away, but make sure you sure you only eat what you can as they have a policy to charge additionally the full meal price if more than 1/2 a pound of edible food is left on your plate...though if you're like me, once you taste it, you'll totally stuff yourself.

PS: ON A BIG SIDE NOTE, KEEP YOUR EYES GLUED TO WHAT'S TO EAT LA AS I'LL BE GIVING AWAY MORE TIX VERY SOON!


Free refills: yes on Soda only
Entree Price ranges: Buffet and BBQ combo dinner is $23 for dinner and $15 for lunch (you can have the BBQ meats only for $16 or the buffet only for $15 but hey go for both and be happy).

Miru 8691...local, different and by far not for the purist

9162 W. Olympic Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310)777-8378
Daily Lunch: 11:30AM-3PM
Dinner 6PM-11PM

Miru 8691 was a place found after frustration. Walking up me and Celeste were both hungry, tired and still didn't know what we wanted. We looked at the menu outside the restaurant and thought that sushi was not on our appetite BUT they had other stuff. So we walked in not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into.

We had arrived pretty close to when they opened for dinner. Their vibe is more about comfort and it's casual with a long bench against the wall and what would appear to be IKEA tables.

No we don't know whether they ALWAYS give free appetizers at dinner time, but we got our own individual taster plates with mini cucumber roll, spicy tofu and edamame. All very fresh tasting and a good way to start the meal.

We then shared their Vegetable spring roll, which came lightly fried, mainly filled with mushroom and avocado, over rice straws and a tangy citrus shoyu. This was very good, but I'm not sure if it's seasonal or not. And also we shared...

....the scallop sushi with garlic aioli. It was really fresh and the garlic was not too strong but a welcome change. I don't know but something was pretty surprising about this. There was a just a tad of citric flavor that really added some character to this.

Though I wasn't feeling very sushi, something got me to order their Chanel roll (all their house rolls are named after fancy designers). Quite a quirky roll consisting of white tuna on a crunchy shrimp roll with tabasco, jalapeno and pineapples. I have to admit, I was super shocked at how much I liked this. The roll itself would have been decent but the tuna and spiciness from the tabasco and jalapeno made this thing pretty amazing.

Celeste ordered the Orange Chicken Burger with Fries fried to that perfect golden color. I think this is the reason she wanted to go here in the first place, which in the end was quite the comedy. But, before we laugh, let me tell you why you have to order this at one point to check it off your "life experiences" list. How many people do you know that, as kids or teenagers, weren't convinced to eat Chinese food by the first time by tasting a friends orange chicken. Past that though, most of our Orange Chicken experiences ended, cause at most places, it tastes pretty similar. Well allow this fresh take on the dish to rebirth your craving. This was not just a ground chicken burger dressed up, this was a full on moist, juicy cutlet, in the traditional batter and sauce brought to the point where it was crunchy enough in texture, but didn't fall apart all over you. What DID fall apart was everything else which included greens, tomato, spicy mayo and tempura onion rings (visible on top of the burger) which housed a small pile of mandarin orange sections. As for the comedy...well...that's the picture I'm NOT posting, but I'll just say Celeste got a little messy eating this.

After all that messiness, they were kind enough to bring out the coolest towelette ever. Click the video to see how it's moistened. For us, it was better than bubble wrap.

So hop on down for dinner or lunch (check the hours though... they're closed from 3pm-6pm). They had great looking lunch specials, and on the special side for dinner, they have a prix fixe menu that looks delightful for just $30.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Ranges: Lunch specials are $8 to $16 and dinner prices go from $7 to $19 with most being on the lower end of the scale.

Thai House...a personal favorite spot in my hood

8657 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310)274-5492
Lunch: Mon-Fri 12PM-3PM
Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5PM-10PM
Friday: 5PM-11PM
Saturday: 1PM-11PM

I laughed the other day when I realized I hadn't put one of my favorite local Thai places up. Thai House has been open for a quite a few years now and I've been blessed to live within relative walking distance of it. But really what is "walking distance" in LA? It's been interesting to watch how they've slowly been adding to their clientele and have really made it a great community dinner spot. Funny thing I've noticed recently about many Asian spots about our town is their very generic in their choice of names. I mean how do you distinguish one Thai House from another Thai House? Just makes me wonder why they chose the names they did. But I digress.

The walls covered with young artists artwork, the exposed roof, and the kind of a trendy overall warehouse atmosphere gives this place a pleasant feel that makes everyone feel at home. Now, while I can personally vouch for a good portion of the entire menu let me show off some recent highlighted plates that were pretty killer.

We started off with a bowl of their Coconut Chicken soup which had creamy Thai spice and lemongrass broth with galanga and fresh mushrooms. The coconut cream coupled with lots of tang thanks to the lemongrass and galanga are great. It's also hearty, with the healthy sized crimini mushrooms that float around in it. After having this a couple of times I need to ask my wife to snag me some of this soup next time I'm sick. It's big on taste and the hints of heat give it enough zing to put it within reach of most heat sensitive palates.

I test many places out with their cashew chicken to get a feel for how they make some of their basics. Their's consists of good sized hunks of tender, juicy, sauteed chicken coated in roasted red curry sauce (not too spicy), with scallions and water chestnuts to even out the plate. It's solid and worth getting when you can't decide on what to get.

Their Spicy Beef Thai Yumm has thinly sliced tender NY beef strips on a bed of fresh greens with tangy lemon grass vinaigrette and crisp red onions. Everything's lightly dressed, but there's plenty of extra if you decided to douse the meat and greens like we did. This is such a great plate when you're feeling like you want something more fresh but still want some meat.

Other plates of note include their Panang, Pad Thai, their Catfish Special (crisped whole catfish falling off the bone with a teriyaki and lime sauce), and their Angel Wings (chicken and pork stuffed in chicken wings). Every time I come back I wonder why I don't come here more often. The prices are pretty good, the place itself is always a pleasure to be inside and the service is good. Oh and theirs that whole walking distance thing...maybe I'm just lazy. Have a great 3 day weekend guys!

Free Drink Refills: No
Entree Price Range:Lunch specials range from $7.50 to $9 while dinner prices range $8 to $15
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A funny thing heard at a wine shop at their cheese section. A customer picked this up and the person at the counter said "Yeah made from real pug's milk". The customer was like "really"? Some people are so gullable.

Caffe Carrera...Quite possibly some of the best Italian in America

235 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310)652-5992
Mon-Fri 11:30AM-10PM
5:30PM-10PM
Sun Closed

I'm finally back. On my way back to LA I determined in my heart to hit as many buzz/trend watch spots as humanly possible this month. Let me just say that so far I've been let down on my first run out so I decided to post about some place that goes farther than to classify itself as stellar. Yes, it is above phenomenal. The first trend place I hit was on restaurant row and while I won't mention the name of this place, cause I'm thinking about writing them some specifics to step it up (I care about good dining experiences in LA), I will say that when you dine on LA's famed Restaurant Row you should be floored. I also won't tell you the name of this aforementioned place due to the fact that the page is What's To Eat LA not What's Not To Eat LA.

Caffe Carrera is by far one of the best Italian spots in LA to dine at. Notice I say dine and not eat since it's an experience when you go there. Located just south of Restaurant Row on La Cienega, this small den of perfection has done what very few on Restaurant Row have been able to do... stay in business for 14 years! This is a testament, in general, in comparison to any LA establishment of any kind. In LA it's just plain hard to stay in business for that long. The owner Armando has found a way and he's been sticking to it for years.

So what makes me speak so highly of the spot? Well, Armando Carrera comes from 5 generations of his family cooking and owning Italian restaurants going all the way back to 1908 in Grammichele, Sicily. He has maintained a healthy clientele who swear that he has one of the best spots in LA to eat at, and I agree. The man really has it together when it comes to serving up not just good or great dishes, but food that is fit for kings.

The restaurant itself is completely unassuming from the outside and you just might miss it by the size of it. The entire place houses 11 tables if I remember right so it'd best be to call and reserve a table just to be on the safe side (not to mention just to make sure he's open cause sometimes he's off doing special events). The interior has a familiar charm to it that is best seen and felt, and this is only one facet of it's sparkling charm.

When you go in you realize there isn't any wait staff. Armando IS the wait staff (with the exception of one guy that might bring out one or two things and pick up your dirty plates). He comes by and talks to you like a friend, and he has quite the sense of humor. He's one of those guys who could go in to any conversation with any person and be immediately at home in the topic, whatever it may be. He has an air about him that tells you you can trust his decisions and you should, at least when it comes to the food. Last time we went we were glancing through the menu and he sat down beside us and just asked us what we're feeling like. Like in the "what would you like from the menu?" kind of way but more of the "If it's Italian I can make it so tell me what's your hearts desire?" We chatted about the evenings events, then decided on the Gamberi & Funghi for our appetizer, Celeste had the Farfalle Amalfi and I, by suggestion of Armando, decided on his favorite, the Osso Buco (not on the menu) with spaghetti and meat sauce for my side(that was my idea). He replied with, "Ahhh, not a vegetarian are we...Meat sauce with your meat haha."

The Gamberi and Funghi was a plate of solid perfection. The shrimp and mushrooms were hearty, cooked to the consistency of jambalaya, served over a bed of lemony orzo. The sauce was balanced and not heavy or exhausting on the palate one bit. Truly a well crafted plate that rocked our socks.

The Osso Buco with spaghetti was an incredible surprise for me as I didn't know what to expect, all I really knew was that it's his favorite. He brought it out and the smell was huge. Boasting a huge beefy aroma, with hints of tomato thanks to the meat sauce. My mouth was instantly salivating. The braised veal shank was to DIE for! Veal is a tricky thing, and this was some of the most tender succulent veal I've tasted. Like butter in my mouth, it was tender and smooth. The simple stewed vegetables that accompanied it were the perfect compliment. The marrow of the bone (which Armando said to make sure I try) was like the concentrated essence of the entire shank. It wasn't gelatinous as some would presume, but more like a fatty piece of meat minus any gristle. The spaghetti and meat sauce were nice for me as I came with a big appetite. The noodles were perfectly al dente and the meat sauce was top notch, a veritable testimony in and of itself to the brains behind all his plates. A small note is that you should get wine. He pours generously and it goes great with all the meals.

This is Celeste's bowl of Farfalle Amalfi, a bowtie pasta with salmon throughout in a slightly peppery gorgonzola tomato sauce. It was mild but strong all at the same time, with the slight garlic and pepper flavors present and pleasant but in no way overpowering, and there were even chunks of tomato that were filled with that unidentifiable wholeness of flavor that must have been gently stewed into them. It was so well balanced that Celeste even said how silly she felt because she wasn't even worried about the quantity of salmon that was included (anyone else ever feel ripped off cause a pricey dish only included about 4 bites of the featured meat?).

We finished our meal by sharing a piece of the Tiramisu. Someone online had commented that it was the best they'd had, including New York. While I don't have the experience of those other areas to make that statement, I know this was an outstanding dessert on every level I could evaluate it. All the cakey layers were very moist, but didn't mush into the other layers or fall apart. As you ate it, there were phases of flavors, first a little ammoretto, the the chocolatey coffee cake and a slightly sweet creamy finish. We consumed it alongside an excellent espresso and latte, making a wonderful ending for our meal.

I really can't do this place enough justice with words. I hold this place in such high regard that words seem pointless. Very few people in LA know about this place but those who do know about it all give it nothing less than 4 out 5 stars(a rating of 4 being more the exception). Next time you're feeling Italian and want something that will knock your socks off, call and reserve your table at Caffe Carrera...I can promise you wholeheartedly that you will be not only be impressed, but you'll also be wondering why you would ever go anywhere else.

P.S. They deliver, cater, do take out and just about anything else you could want from a restaurant.

Drink Refills: You know what I don't know...I always get wine there. You should too.
Entree Price Ranges: $10 to $15 for appetizers and $17 to $30 for entrees.

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I'm finally back from possibly the first official vacation I was able to take since I started working. It's not that I haven't had time where I've been off, it's just that even those times I had to think about work. I went to the Arizona and let me say it's such a spectacle that it looks fake. It honest to goodness looks like a painting. While I was out there I stayed in Williams and thought about nothing related to work including writing on my site. Let me just say that it was one of the most refreshing times I've had in my life.

See it looks fake! I actually took this at the Grand Canyon:

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And in other news:

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE INVITES YOU TO JOIN FOOD NETWORK'S DAVE LIEBERMAN AS HE HOSTS OUR GREEN PARTY

WHO: Food & Wine, the modern epicurean magazine, and Food Network's Dave Lieberman

WHAT: "Green Party", featuring hors d'oeuvres from chefs: Akasha Richmond, Akasha; Dominique Crenn, Abode; Sang Yoon, Father's Office; and Michael Cimarusti, Providence.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 15 from 7-9 PM

WHERE:At the home of Dave Lieberman in Hollywood Hills, California

CONTACT: Lori Lefevre 212.827.6403
917.627.0803/c
Sonia Zala 212.536.2014/o

Tickets are $100 per person with proceeds benefiting Food & Wine's Grow For Good, a national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased until August 10 by calling 646.366.8644. Space is limited.

Milk...the rest of the carton

7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323)939-6455
Sun-Thu 6AM-10PM
Fri-Sat 6AM-11PM

I said I would continue the story of Milk since my last post on Milk and so I'm making good on my promise. Consider this Milk part Deux.

Seeing as most people go to Milk for dessert, I started with that in the other post. But there's so much more at Milk... like actual food. Not only that, the food is actually good. I start with exhibit A, a pulled pork sandwich with Manchego cheese along side a fresh salad. Nestled between two lightly toasted pieces of panini style bread were crunchy pickles and mustard that made the shredded pork come to life. The manchego was a real treat to have on this sandwich as I'm only used to having it with wine as part of a cheese course. It really snazzed up the pork. The salad was fresh and was the perfect side for a simple and cool summer lunch.

The other sandwich I had the pleasure of scarfing down was their roast beef. Deli fresh thin slices of roast beef with no fat whatsoever highlighted this fantastic sandwich. The toasted artisan bread and salad were the same as the pulled pork sandwich. Such a nice meal to have on the summer weekends.

And this...

This monster of a thing, is their Grasshopper(mint with chocolate) ice cream sandwich.

This ice cream treat...well...let's just say it's not for the faint of... taste. My wife Celeste enjoyed it thoroughly, but she's a mint and chip fan. The mint was strong, and in saying that I mean Altoids strong. Otherwise, the dark chocolate it was dipped in was delectable. They have several kinds of ice cream sandwiches that they rotate through daily. Their really popular flavors are their Strawberry Sorbet and Coffee Toffee sandwiches.

We finished off this trip by heading over to the New Beverly Cinema, just a block away, making Milk a great place to catch food with friends before one of their movies that they've dug out of someone's dusty vault. Another plus is that you can order individually up front and not have to worry about splitting the check at the end.

Free Refills: No
Entree Price Range: sandwiches are in the $5 to $8 range (if my memory serves me correct)