All posts filed under: Los Angeles

GLADSTONES, MALIBU

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Open since 1972, and recently bought out by SBE, Gladstones has been a Southern California restaurant landmark for many years. Located right on the ocean off PCH and Sunset Blvd, Gladstones is a fun, beautiful, yet casual place to dine for any occasion. What I remember of Gladstones when I used to go as a kid with my family growing up, were all the huge barrels of peanuts that people used to snack on while waiting for their table. The floor was covered with peanut shells and hay and I used to be infatuated by the big tanks of live lobster in the front of the restaurant. Since SBE took over Gladstones, all of this is gone, and the restaurant has more of a pristine, “crisp” & trendy look to it. Even the menu has changed. Newer feeling and vamped up, Glasdstones has entered a new era, Gladstones by SBE. This trendy SoCal restaurant right on the beach is a must. After laying on the beach for a couple hours, my friends and I decided to grab lunch at …

ARTISAN CHEESE GALLERY, STUDIO CITY

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Located in the heart of all the hustle and bustle of Studio City, on Ventura Boulevard there is a little, charming eatery called Artisan Cheese Gallery. For all you wine and cheese lovers, this place is perfect for you. Artisan Cheese Gallery has an extensive wine selection and a counter for cheese tasting. You can order soups, salads and sandwiches, or just enjoy a cheese platter with fruit, nuts and wine. This place is popular for lunch or an early dinner- it is open no later than 7pm. They cater, arrange gift baskets, hold private parties and tastings as well. It’s the perfect place to arrange a beautiful picnic basket. I went to lunch with my girlfriends here, and we decided to taste some cheese before we ordered our lunch. We tasted a bunch, but the two below were my favorite. CHEESE TASTING COUNTER CREAMY GOAT CHEESE TOPPED WITH A VARIETY OF HERBS A TYPE OF CREAMY BRIE CHEESE (MY FAVORITE CHEESE) We all ordered a cheese platter to share. It came with three different kinds of cheeses …

MOONSHADOWS, MALIBU

Published by Nicole Isaacs

For Father’s Day, I took my dad to Moonshadows in Malibu. Moonshadows is a beautiful restaurant right on the ocean. Whether sitting on the open sundeck for brunch on top of the ocean, a window seat indoors in the dining room with an ocean view at sunset, or a drink at the bar/lounge, Moonshadows is great for any occasion. The ocean views are truly breathtaking, and the food is definitely something to blog about. MY VIEW BEHIND ME SITTING AT OUR TABLE COCKTAILS My favorite cocktail: MOJITO Minty & crisp! SIPPIN’. EXCUSE THE NO MAKEUP TAKING IN THE VIEW. THE BEACH IS MY FAVORITE PLACE APPETIZERS FRESH, WARM AMAZING ROLLS TO START SWEET MAINE LOBSTER CEASER SALAD Baby Romaine, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Focaccia Croutons, Caesar Dressing $18 Creamy and delcious. Big chunks of lobster and freshly cooked bacon. Perfect combination and the texture was perfect. Love caesar salad, but never had a lobster caesar before, and I loved the creaminess of the dressing with the lobster. Great salad! SPICY HAWAIIAN AHI TUNA TARTARE Gingered Cucumber, Crispy Marinated …

UMAMI BURGER, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I’ve done quite a few posts now about burgers on my blog. It has been the “Battle of the Burgers”, and LA is known for some pretty damn good burgers. UMAMI Burger is one of the best places to get a legitimate burger in LA. Many people I know have named this place the BEST burger they’ve ever had, and I admit it is REALLY REALLY GOOD, but is it the BEST? Read my other burger posts to find out what I think 😉 INTERIOR OF UMAMI BURGER IN STUDIO CITY Umami is very “trendy LA”. There are a bunch of locations now, and all have a cool & trendy vibe to it. I recently went to the one in Studio City that just opened up, but have been to other locations as well. Umami is definitely in my “Top 3” when it comes to burgers, but it’s not my number one. The meat at Umami is incredible. It literally melts in your mouth and is so juicy with incredible flavor. My favorite burger, and …

FOOD TRUCK GALORE! LA FOOD TRUCK CHOWDOWN- DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Yesterday on June 11, 2011 from 11am-6pm, at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in Downtown LA, over 50 of LA’s most renowned and iconic food trucks gathered for an event to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Tickets cost $10 to enter which went to a good cause, and there were two stages with live bands, carnival games and more food than I have ever seen in my life! My friends and I went to town with all the food trucks there. I had to try as much as I can for my blog. See what I do for my readers! I couldn’t move at the end I was so full lol, but it was fun and worth it. There was a big grass area where people chowed down at picnic tables, and had picnics on the grass while listening to the bands play with the skyline of Downtown LA in the background. It was a beautiful day. There were more than 50 food trucks there, only made it to a couple of them but I …

SHIBUYA, CALABASAS

Published by Nicole Isaacs

SHIBUYA HOUSE ROLL If you love sushi like me, you are probably very critical when it comes to it. Shibuya in Calabasas is known for good quality, high-end sushi. It’s definitely more on the pricey side, but it’s worth it for the quality of fish they have. Shibuya is TINY. If you go for dinner, there will most definitely be a wait because this small place is always crammed to the max. Even during lunchtime all the tables are usually filled. If you go, expect to wait for a table. This little gem is in a small strip mall in Calabasas, so sometimes parking can be tough too, depending on what time of day it is. Shibuya isn’t a fancy restaurant by any means. It’s actually the contrary- it may be a little pricey, but it’s just a hole in the wall with great sushi. THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE RESTAURANT. TINY & CRAMMED! MY FAVORITE ITEMS ON THE MENU: ~ALBACORE SASHIMI W/ GARLIC PONZU & JALAPENO- SO GOOD. AMAZING QUALITY AND SO FRESH TASTING. IT MELTS …

THE GOLDEN STATE, MID-CITY LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Located on Fairfax Avenue in Mid-City Los Angeles, is a gastropub called The Golden State. It’s a small joint known for their burgers and ecclectic milkshakes and floats. Burgers are “IN” now- all over LA there are new burger joints popping up, each place competiting for the title of “Best Burger in LA”. The Golden State was recommended to me by someone who reads my blog- she noticed I blog about a lot of burgers, and told me that I must try this place. She said it was better than Father’s Office! That got my attention so I definitely had to make my way to The Golden State to try one of their burgers ASAP. The Golden State interior- small and casual spot The menu mainly offers burgers and fries, salads and sandwiches, but they are also known for their drinks- most famously, their beer floats. The Golden State makes their own gelato and all the flavors are super unique. A couple of flavors are chocolate rasberry, peach champagne, spicy chocolate, salted caramel, lavender goat cheese, …

IL TRAMEZZINO ITALIAN CAFE

Published by Nicole Isaacs

One of my FAVORITE sandwiches ever is at Il Tramezzino. There are a couple locations around Los Angeles- one in Tarzana, Studio City, & Beverly Hills. I go to the one in Tarzana, because that is closest to where I live. Located on Ventura Blvd., Il Tramezzino is a very popular lunch spot. This Italian Cafe has amazing sandwiches, salads, fresh fish and pizzas. Everything on the menu is delicious, but they are known for their grilled sandwiches, and there is one in particular that made this place famous. For those of you who read my blog, you probably know that sandwiches and burgers are my favorite food. Their Grilled Breast of Chicken Sandwich (first sandwich featured on the menu), is up as one of the tops of my list for favorite sandwiches. This sandwich is actually grilled “panini style” with sun dried tomato, avocado, provolone cheese & a basil garlic sauce. The basil garlic sauce is like a pesto mayo- which is one of my favorite condiments ever. This sandwich is amazing with Cholula …

BERRI’S CAFE, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

TWO WORDS: LOBSTER PIZZA. I’ve managed to land my drunk ass at Berri’s Cafe two times in one week. Both at 3am. That’s how you know I had a good week, lol. Berri’s Pizza Cafe on 3rd street is a club after the club. Not really, but this Italian pizza cafe bumps loud house music and is packed all hours of the night, especially with people that just left the club wanting to get their grub on. Specializing in pizza, I go to Berri’s for one reason…for their famous LOBSTER PIZZA. If you don’t like seafood, that’s a damn shame, and even though Berri’s menu is big and has something for everyone, I am blogging especially for the lobster pizza, so sorry lol- don’t mean to discriminate against you non-seafood lovers. Even though it wasn’t a smart move, my friends and I ordered champagne with 24K gold flakes lol. It was actually amazing, but probably not the best move at 3:30am. Next, the pizza. Berri’s Cafe is known for making great pizza. So many different and unique …