‘Santa Monica’

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Kid Stuff at Hostaria del Piccolo

April 3rd, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

You take a hot dog, put it on a pizza...

Being a kid was pretty cool. No responsibilities. No money. No rent/mortgage/car payment. And you got kids menus. You know that awesome set of options that were simply meant as a cheaper alternative to the regular menu, but turned out to have the best stuff on it anyway. Things like grilled cheese, chicken fingers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were mainstays always a hit. Yet growing up can be tough, and not just because of those silly responsibilities, but also because you can’t quite get away with order PB and J at age 27. Fortunately, all is not lost. Burgers have taken a gourmet turn. Hot dogs are still popular for people of all ages. And then there is a little restaurant in Santa Monica called Hostaria del Piccolo. Continue Reading»

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Tacos Por Favor, Please

March 8th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Por supuesto.

Santa Monica doesn’t exactly have a reputation for good food. And what reputation it does have usually tends to lean on the upscale. But reputation alone does not simply make a city, and Santa Monica actually has a surprising number of little gems hidden in its nooks and crannies. One of these, I had heard, was Tacos Por Favor.

Yet, aside from actually hearing of Tacos Por Favor, I hadn’t really been told what was good on their menu, so when I arrived and found a vast menu full of nearly every Mexican dish I had ever heard of, I was in trouble. Continue Reading»

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Expiring at Patrick’s Roadhouse

January 9th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Quick, before the lettuce attacks!

Through an act of charity (seriously), my lady friend and I found ourselves in possession of a gift certificate to Patrick’s Roadhouse in Santa Monica.  The only catch was that this thing expired at the end of December.  Being the go-getters we are, we finally made our way there on December 21st to get some brunch.  When we arrived, we quickly learned that the whole menu wasn’t being served due to it being the manager’s last day.  I’m not sure why that prompted a special menu, but it still looked great and we didn’t ask any questions. Continue Reading»

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Waffling at Bru’s Wiffle

January 3rd, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Chicken and wiffles?

While “the bun” has undergone many iterations (pretzel, brioche, etc…) and sandwich bread is known for its varieties, there is one bread-like breakfast conduit that still hasn’t really seen much glory as far as being put to alternate uses. It is the waffle, but Bru’s Wiffle in Santa Monica is out to change that.  You see, Bru’s thinks that waffles need more of the limelight and they are willing to give it.  At Bru’s, you can get a pizza waffle, taco waffles and even “sliders” with waffle buns.  Of course, Bru’s offers waffles in their sweet breakfast form, but the savory offerings were really what drew me to Bru’s. Continue Reading»

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Southern Discomfort at South

November 9th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

This passes for southern, apparently.

A couple years ago, the Michigan Alumni Association started gathering at South in Santa Monica. This struck me as strange, because Michigan is about as north as a state can get. Yet, any place willing to host the legions of Michigan football fans was a winner in my mind. Plus, it didn’t hurt to have Abita on tap. But in these years, I had not attempted their food until the past weekend. I heard some bad things, but sometimes you just have to eat.

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Feeling French with Monsieur Marcel

September 13th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

An extreme grilled cheese.

Situated somewhere in the middle of 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica is a place called Monsieur Marcel.  It’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking, and in the countless times I have been there I had never seen it myself, at least until I was looking out specifically for it.  Based on the name, you would expect Monsieur Marcel to be French, and you would be right.  The menu is populated with unpronounceable dishes, but fortunately they also come with English descriptions. Continue Reading»

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Sinking into Hara Sushi

September 6th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

It's uh, yeah it's sushi.

I’ve never understood the point of expensive sushi.  When you get down to it, they’re all pretty much using the same ingredients with similar results.  So when I ended up grabbing dinner at Hara Sushi in Santa Monica, I was a bit excited.  Why?  Because their sushi is always half-priced.  And, they have a happy hour until 9:30 pm with some pretty cheap beers.  So for once in my life, sushi sounded like a good time. Continue Reading»

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Unexpected Fruitiness at TnB BBQ

August 17th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

What the what sauce?

On a one-night bender, I found myself facing down three strange taco trucks on Main Street in Santa Monica.  None looked familiar and none looked particularly amazing.  But it was 2 am in Los Angeles, when food options are usually limited to subpar diners and…well…taco trucks.  The trucks here seemed to be some sort of missing link between gourmet and roach coaches and so after much circling we wound up at TnB BBQ. Continue Reading»

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Choosing an Adventure at Fritto Misto

May 17th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Pillows of love.

In Santa Monica, there is a little Italian restaurant called Fritto Misto.  It’s way to small to handle the people that want to eat there and there are always people wanting to eat there.  Why?  First off, they only charge 2 bucks corkage fee if you bring your own wine.  But more important than that is their actual food. Continue Reading»

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The Not-So World Cafe

February 11th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Pizza of...THE WORLD

With a night of partying in Santa Monica looming and a dire need of dinner, we turned to a place on Santa Monica’s Main Street called World Cafe.  I really didn’t know what to expect from the place except that I had a feeling it would involve food from around the world.  When we took our seats and then took a gander into the menu, it became apparent that World Cafe was not at all a cafe of the world.

I had expected to see food from all over the world, like Sri Lankan curry, Icelandic swan, The Falklands penguin and Uzbekistani rock.  Instead, I found myself gazing into menu full of Italian food.  Okay, I guess there were a few random appetizers.  Real worldly. This obviously wasn’t the place to get any new and exciting food, but at least I would make the best of it. Continue Reading»

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Going Global at Plan Check

Fries of the world.

A couple of weeks ago, The Backyard Bite invited me to The Burger Culture Clash, sponsored by Stussy (which apparently still exists) and Plan Check. Plan Check, by the way, is a sort of new (since February) restaurant in West LA with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger fame. As my love of burgers, especially those of the umami variety, I jumped at the opportunity.

Although I arrived alone, I was not the only lone eater. Just next to where I was seated, I met e*star LA and we decided to share a meal called loneliness, because it’s better than eating alone. We made quick friends over our respective blogs and Midwestern roots, then got to work at dissecting the special menu, which Plan Check will be featuring for the next month if anything tickles your fancy.

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It doesn't taste like wool.

What is this?»

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