Piccolo Ristorante – Venice, CA

I had one of the most delicious romantic dinners the other night at Piccolo Ristorante in Venice Beach. This cozy little Italian haven is in an unassuming spot right off the beach, tucked into the neighborhood. The place was busy before it was even open. The proprietor, Vittorio Viotti, made sure we had a perfectly comfy corner table in one of their dining room wings. Everything from the room, seating and considerate attention to the bread basket, Branzino Marinato (top pic) and Doppio Raviolo di Pesce Halibut (pic below), was as blissful as you would ever want a dinner to be. This is definitely a new favorite restaurant for me. Check out some of their menu items below.

(Doppio Raviolo di Pesce – Spigola, Halibut, and Eggplant with Mascarpone and Caviar)
Chef Bobo’s seasonal menu:
ANTIPASTI CALDI
Quaglia Arrosto – pan-roasted quail, stuffed with foie grás, Marsala reduction [...]

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Real Food Daily’s Organic Cuisine Menu Update for Jan.18-31

Here’s an update to Real Food Daily’s weekly specials for the 2nd half of January. I’m ready to find out what the forbidden black rice is all about in the Madame Wong’s Stir-fry Palace. My favorites include the Country Vegetable Miso Soup, perfect for this rainy week,Faux-stess Cupcake with gooey white filling, chocolate cake, and fudgy icing, and Peanut Butter Cookies!
Monthly Special Jan 4 – Jan 31
Hippie Love Loaf
Lentils, millet, butternut squash, carrots, onions, herbs, gravy and roasted parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts
WEEKLY SPECIALS Jan 18 – 31
Madame Wong’s Stir-fry Palace
Spicy, stir fried Chinese long beans, miso glazed tempeh, eggplant, onion, carrots, forbidden black rice, peanuts
Fajita Chop
Black beans, seitan fajitas, vegetables, corn, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, romaine, chipotle ranch dressing, spicy tortilla strips
Week Jan 25 – 31
On the Mexican Riviera
Pecan-cornmeal crusted tempeh, coconut yams, sautéed chipotle greens, spicy black bean sauce, mango salsa
Pippi Longstockings
Chickpea polenta, corn, roasted [...]

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L.A. Foodfest Valentine’s Day Weekend Feb. 13, 2010

Do you find yourself torn between the grilled cheese truck in Hollywood and the southern food truck in Santa Monica? What about when you’re in Venice but the cupcake truck is in Pasadena. Now you don’t have to play cat and mouse or traverse traffic to enjoy all the mobile cuisines on the same day. Thanks to the guiding forces of Shawna Dawson and Sonja Rasula, for one day, for the first time, they will all come together for the L.A. Foodfest on Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 13. from 11am – 4pm. Location is still to be determined. All ages are welcome, however no pets are allowed due to food/health regulations.
Now this is how to spend Valentine’s Day! I can’t wait!
Here’s more from L.A. Foodfest:
EAT YOUR HEART OUT!
Set to be a delicious good time, it’s time to celebrate and discover LA’s amazing [...]

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dineLA Restaurant Week is back for 2010

dineLA Restaurant Week is coming up starting Jan 24 – 29 and Jan 31 – Feb 5. Their live to eat line-up includes over 200 restaurants across Los Angeles offering up special lunch and dinner pixe fix menus ranging from $16-$44. Reservations fill up quickly so book yours right away.
Below are some of my favorite menus – Campanile (Grilled Duck Breast with fennel, lemon-thyme potatoes and crisp leeks), Susan Feniger’s Street (Susan’s Mother’s Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies), Joe’s Restaurant (Santa Barbara Black Cod with mushroom soy dashi, baby shiitake, and mezuna lettuce crispy rice) and Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa (dinner for only $26).
To get the most out of the event, register and use your American Express card to get a $20 statement credit. See below for more details.
CAMPANILE
624 S. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036-3568
323.938.1447
LUNCH $22
Choice of Appetizers:
Soup of the Day
Warm Beluga Lentil Salad – [...]

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Real Food Daily’s Organic Vegan Cuisine Menu for January

Good for you food and yummy comfort food can both be delicious and drool-worthy. Vegan and vegetarian food has come a long way but most people still think of them as tasteless boring vegetable dishes. That is so untrue and the complete opposite, especially with the abundance of choices in Los Angeles. So for 2010, I’m promising myself to remember to try out more new healthy delicious dishes. One of my favorite and very popular restaurant for this occasion is Real Food Daily. This place has done all the work for you in preparing yummy high maintenance food for vegans, vegetarians, macrobiotic dieters, organic eaters, kosher certified, low-calorie low-fat and low-sugar, and all foodies. My favorite is the Cold Soba Salad with soba noodles, julienne vegetables, cucumbers, cilantro, sesame seeds, peanuts, peanut dressing, and marinated tempeh. Check out their new menu [...]

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August in New York for the Holidays

I really wish I was in New York this holiday season. One of my very favorite restaurants, August, has released their special Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve menu. They’ll be serving the special holiday menu in addition to their drool-worthy regular a la carte menu. Finally, they’re opening up their reservations to any party size. Since their place is super tiny, I’d call it in now. They will be closed Christmas and New Years day. Check out their holiday special menu below and see my previous review here. For me, I’ll be dreaming of their wood oven roasted duck, crudo de tonno bianco, and frozen milk chocolate parfait.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Wood Oven Roasted Duck $26
Duck confit and prune pasty, chestnuts, maitake mushrooms, and plum wine jus
NEW YEAR’S EVE
We will be offering a special tasting menu available as a 5 course or 3 course tasting [...]

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Restaurant Review: The Hungry Cat – Hollywood, CA

Here’s another perfect spot for dinner after movies at Arclight Hollywood. The Hungry Cat is just across the street behind Borders, tucked away from the noisy street. The place is sleek and modern but low-key with a nice outdoor seating area perfect for a first date or catching up with good friends. Their kitchen serves up seriously fresh seafood and a menu reflecting the culinary genius of a David Lentz and Suzanne Goin partnership. I had no doubt the food would be good but was still blown away by the incredibly flavors of even the most simplest items on the menu – Heirloom tomatoes, burrata and arugula salad with grilled bread (top pic) and steamed king crab leg with grilled toast (pic below).

Here are some of items from their recent dinner menu:
oysters on the half shell $2.25/ each
little neck clams on the half shell [...]

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Restaurant Review: Alcove Cafe & Bakery – Los Feliz, CA

My 3pm brunch doesn’t have to be at home with Alcove Cafe & Bakery around. This place is the perfect spot for lingering over heart-warming meals in a garden setting that feels just like home. Their menu serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a dizzying list of pastries throughout the entire day and night. I love this place!
Finally, I can have a seriously good brioche french toast with side of apple wood smoked bacon as late as I want. I had to order the fruit plate to add something healthy to my table. They also have an impressive coffee/smoothie bar and variety of other drinks to order. There is plenty of patio seats around the front and sides of this house converted cafe – with umbrellas for shade in this sunny spot on the block.

Apple Wood Smoked Bacon – cooked to order! Goes perfect [...]

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Restaurant Review: Breadbar – Los Angeles, CA

I think I had discovered the best baguette in L.A. when I was having a sandwich at the Artisan Cheese Gallery. They get all their bread from Breadbar and so that’s where I headed off to. Not only do they have fabulous fresh baguettes with impossible texture, but they have a string of pastries and full lunch/dinner menu.
I had such a hard time not ordering everything off their menu. They have so many of my favorite things, it was seriously hard not to just have a table full of cheese, bread and pastries. So between my friend and I, we divided up the order – Greek Salad, Chilled Red Beet Gazpacho, Mini Butter and Chocolate Croissants, Sweet Potato Fries, and Apple Turnover. This was probably the strangest greek salad I’ve had – not bad, but very different then any other. The dressing [...]

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Restaurant Review: Paia Fish Market – Paia, Maui

I think the fastest I ever inhaled an entire grilled fillet of Ono was at Paia Fish Market in Maui. I sat down with my Grilled Ono Platter (top pic), took one bite, and then it all disappeared before I took my second breath – at least it seemed that way. It literally melted in my mouth, it was so unbelievably delicious. This was the best charbroiled fish I’ve ever had. The fish itself was so incredibly fresh, it didn’t need anything but a little bit of salt & pepper.
You can find the freshest fish possible here. Their menu covers any which way you’d like your fish cooked or seasoned. If fish isn’t your thing, there are other options for meaters and veggies too – pastas, quesadillas, fajitas. The place is super casual with rows of communal benches in a wide open room. [...]

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