All posts filed under: Los Angeles

THE GORBALS, DOWNTOWN LA

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I have been curious about The Gorbals for quite some time. Located in Downtown LA in The Alexandria Hotel, this foodie hotspot has been on my radar for awhile. It’s continually brought up in conversations by other foodies and when I went to the Downtown LA ArtWalk recently, I finally decided to give it a shot. The menu is unconventional, daring & unique.Chef Ilan Hall, half Israeli and Scottish, definitely took a risk in challenging the limits of his patrons’ palates, which is why I think foodies appreciate and really like this place. I don’t think the menu is for everyone though. The food is different, and if you are a simple eater, there may be a little too much going on for you. See my reviews below… COCKTAILS It’s Bourbon Honey: 4 roses Bourbon, saffron-honey, lemon-grapefruit fizz Jalapeno Margarita: Jalapeno, Thyme, Contreau, Tequila, Lime, Agave Could have done with out. I never seem to like fancy cocktails like this. SWEET POTATO WITH SAGE BUTTER I liked this dish. I love sweet potato-they …

SUMMER 2013 DINELA WEEK!

Published by Nicole Isaacs

DineLA STARTED THIS WEEK! DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT WHAT RESTAURANTS ARE BEING FEATURED. http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week DineLA’s description: dineLA’s Restaurant Week is a 12-day dining event (July 15-26) showcasing Los Angeles as a premier dining destination, highlighting the diversity of culinary experiences LA has to offer. Locals and visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of specially priced prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus from some of LA’s best restaurants.

BABY BLUES BBQ, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I had the pleasure of trying the new Baby Blues Happy hour menu that just launched. After trying a bunch of items on the happy hour menu, I must say this is one of the best happy hours offered in Los Angeles. It was very unique and different than I thought it was going to be coming from a traditional BBQ restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised, or rather blown away by how amazing everything was. You really get 5-star quality food for a happy hour price. Check out my experience from the beginning to the end! LOOKING AT BABY BLUES NEW HAPPY HOUR MENU DECIDING WHAT TO TRY FROM SO MANY GREAT OPTIONS! DRY RUB POPCORN $3 Seasoned with their “patent pending” dry rub Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. I’m a salty gal over sweet, and this was the best starter to munch on with a couple of beers before the food came out. The seasoning is their dry rub that they use for their meat, which truly made this popcorn unique- it …

AVENTINE, HOLLYWOOD

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I had an amazing dinner at Aventine in Hollywood. This Italian trattoria, bar and patio is Hollywood’s hottest addition to the Los Angeles competitive dining and social scene. Whether you just want to have cocktails on the rustic Mediterranean patio, or choose to have an authentic & delicious Italian dinner, both options are ideal at Aventine. The restaurant is pretty perfect for any occasion— romantic dates, business meetings, any special occasion or even to pre-game with friends before hitting the Hollywood night club scene. It’s hip, sexy, packed with beautiful people, and just has an overall good vibe. I had the pleasure to interview two of the partners of Aventine, Sylvain Bitton & JT Torregiani about the restaurant. BURRATA Baby arugula pesto, reduced cherry balsamic, black lava salt, evoo, grilled crostini The burrata was creamy and heavenly. It melted in your mouth. I could just eat it alone it was so delicious, but mixed with the arugula pesto on top of the crostini made the perfect bite. I loved this appetizer. The flavors …

GEOFFREY’S, MALIBU

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I took my mom to Geoffrey’s in Malibu for Mother’s Day. Geoffrey’s is located on a bluff over looking the ocean in Malibu, the views are beautiful and the food is really good. Although they are known for their seafood dishes, they have great steak and meat dishes as well. The food and ambiance are both amazing. It’s great for any special occasion, and also romantic for a good date spot. A little pricey, but worth it. Check out the dishes we ordered! SAUTEED CRAWFISH CAKE Spicy Cajun Remoulade This was so good! Might have been my favorite thing we ordered. I loved the spicy cajun cream sauce. It tasted almost like a crab cake, but it was the sauce that made it. Not sure if this is on the regular menu though, it might just be a special for featured events they have at the restaurant. LOBSTER & SCALLOP CEVICHE Fresh Maine Lobster, Day Boat Scallops, Mango Habanero Chili Water served with Mini Taco Shells FILET MIGNON Cheddar Potatoes, Topped With a Blue Cheese …

TERRONI, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Good times at Terroni in mid-city Los Angeles! I left dinner feeling like I just ate at a restaurant in Rome lol. People were speaking Italian, the food was authentic and delicious, and we overall had a great experience. The pastas were great, take a look below to see what we ordered! TAGLIATELLE AL RAGU’ Tagliatelle in a traditional Bolognese meat sauce & parmigiano It was good, but wasn’t amazing. The other two pastas you’ll see below were better. But still a decent traditional Bolognese. AGNOLOTTI NE’ Handmade agnolotti filled with braised beef in a butter parmigiano and sage sauce This was my favorite of the night. The sauce was so delicious. It was creamy, cheesy and buttery and just had overall great flavor. The pasta itself is handmade and it was tender and tasted fresh. The sauce is what made this dish. Definitely recommend it! BRANZINO Light and flavorful. Sometimes with branzino it can taste bland, but this had a nice flavor. TONNARELLI WITH SAUSAGE & SHAVED BLACK TRUFFLES This seems …

SON OF A GUN, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I have been hearing about Son of A Gun for so long, so I finally decided to cross it off my food bucket list. It is now one of my new favorite restaurants in LA. Everything that was ordered was not only good, it was amazing. The items on the menu are meant for sharing and are small “tapa” style dishes, so you can order more and try more things. Everything was cooked and prepared to perfection- the flavors in everything were incredible. See below! KENNEBEC FRENCH FRIES MALT VINEGAR AIOLI These fries were out of this world. Everything about it- perfectly crispy, every french fry had tons of flavor, and I loved the aioli with it! It wasn’t your ordinary “garlic aioli” (which I happen to love), but I liked how the aioli was a malt vinegar flavor. The seasoning to these fries though were amazing. Must order! LOBSTER ROLL CELERY, LEMON AIOLI This bite size lobster roll could have been one of the best lobster rolls I’ve ever had. We actually had …

PACE, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

ON MY WAY TO DINNER AT PACE 🙂 Tucked away in the heart of Laurel Canyon is a cozy, romantic, Italian restaurant Pace. I love the vibe there- it’s dim, cozy and very charming. I think it’s perfect for any occasion. I went for a friend’s birthday dinner and we had such a nice meal. Here are some of the things we ordered…. MY FRIEND BROUGHT THIS EXPENSIVE & RARE BOTTLE OF RED WINE. IT COMPLIMENTED OUR MEAL PERFECTLY. GRASS-FED PRIME DRY-AGED RIBEYE prime cut and seasoned with mediterranean sea salt on a bed of arugola I had a bite of this steak and it honestly was one of the most flavorful steaks. I have to go back and order this for myself because I remember it being very flavorful and cooked perfectly. HERA’S PIE pesto, mushrooms, arugula, fresh tomato and fontina cheese PEACE PIE fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, mozzarella and oregano Both pizzas were good and baked fresh! Loved the crust. I recommend ordering a …

DAN TANA’S, HOLLYWOOD

Published by Nicole Isaacs

ON MY WAY TO DAN TANA’S 🙂 I went to the famous Dan Tana’s last night for dinner. Dan Tana’s is an old Italian restaurant that has been a Hollywood classic for many years now. Many Hollywood celebrities are regulars at this authentic Italian spot. The food pricey but good. This is what we ordered…. ESCARGOT A LA SHIRLEY I love escargot. I love the garlic flavor. This was good, but lacking flavor a little. Looked a little better than it tasted…I’ve had better. CHICKEN PARMIGIANA, TED DEMME This was out of this world. Probably the best chicken parmesan I’ve had. It was cheesy, saucy, crispy- all consistencies in one dish lol. The chicken was nice and crispy on the bottom and the sauce had great flavor. I love the very generous amount of cheese too lol. Nothing can never be too cheesy! Highly recommended. I would come back just for this dish. It’s the perfect chicken parmesan… WHITEFISH WITH WHITE WINE LEMON SAUCE Another great dish. Sometimes with fish it’s hard to make it …