Bleu Morning

Located along San Pedro's main thoroughfare, Gaffey street,  is a really nice restaurant called Omelette and Waffle Shop.   The staff is great really friendly.  The crowd is diverse,  from high school kids to retirees.  And the menu is excellent.  

I got the first one on the list, Bleu Cheese Burger Patty and Eggs.  The burger patty is topped with melted bleu cheese and sauteed spinach.   I like ketchup on my eggs, as you can see.   The dish is simply amazing, blew me away.   I'm coming back to try other stuff on their menu.

Omelette and Waffle Shop

1103 S. Gaffey St.,

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 831-3277

*Open only until 2 pm

Route 66 Diner

I found myself in a diner along  Route 66 in WLA on Santa Monica called Cafe 50's.   The place is not easy to miss with it's blaring red neon signs outside.  Inside is a real throwback in time,  their signs, equipments, and decors look authentically 50's.  There's even a phone booth inside.  I also saw some vintage-style postcards for sale.

I had Corned Beef sandwich, Fries, and a Root beer with a complimentary side of Coleslaw and a slice of pickle.  The sandwich was delicious and huge.  I had to take home half.

Cafe 50's

11623 Santa Monica Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 479-1955

Taste Buds Fatigue

If you can get over the ever confusing San Vicente Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area , you can find a nice Spanish restaurant called La Paella.  Almost everyone in our group had to go around the block at least once to find this place.  Inside, the place gives a very homey vibe, candle-lit tables, lots of hand painted ceramic plates on the wall, very colorful and vibrant.  A woman singing Spanish songs was playing in the background.  

We got a few tapas: Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid with garlic and parsley), Mejillones Costa Brava (Steamed mussles with white wine), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sautee with garlic and chili pod), Vieras al Ajillo (Scallops sautee with garlic and chili pod), Callos a la Madrileña (Tripe stew with sausage and garbanzo beans), Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated anchovy filets), and Jamon Serrano from Spain.  I really enjoyed each and every tapa,  the seafoods were clearly fresh and deliciously cooked lightly, making it soft and savory.  The Mejillones,  steamed mussles, were so good we ordered another one, the wine broth made excellent dipping for the crusty bread.  The Callos had a creamy texture that felt like butter on the tongue and the savory mix of chorizos, garbanzos and tomatoes makes you forget it is tripe.   I expected the Boquerones to be salty and fishy, so I was delightfully surprised to find it fresh, sweet, and tart, reminds me of pickled Herring.  The Jamon Serrano from Spain was also so good we had to order another one.  The paper-thin slices of ham looked deliciously smooth and glossy, the bite is firm not soft, and the taste is unforgettable, nutty and sweet, with a wonderfully floral hint.  

We had two huge pans of paellas, what a magnificent sight,  Paella Valenciana Mixta (lower)  and Paella de Montaña con Chorizo (upper).   

The Paella Valenciana is made with rice, seafood and vegetables with saffron and rosemary.  The dish is pure eye candy.  I think Paellas are the best looking dishes.   In terms of taste, this is sensory overdrive with so much going on in your palate.  Delicious but a little salty.  The Paella de Montaña con Chorizo is made with rice, chicken, in-lieu of the traditional rabbit, pork chorizo, green beans and lima beans with saffron.  Also delicious,  I must have had some form of "taste buds fatigue" because I swear both paellas tasted the same!  Except for the distinct seafood flavor in the Valenciana and the robust flavor of chorizo in the Montaña.  These were still superb dishes that I would come back for.

Unfortunately, they did not have any Txakoli, so I had some Estrella Damm beer to go with my food, a Spanish pilsner beer from Barcelona, light crisp and refreshing, goes very well with Spanish food.   I took this picture with my iPhone before the tapas were served.  I looked at the picture and decided to bring out the camera.  

La Paella

476 S. San Vicente Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

The General's Grub

After having a few Belgian beers at Lucky Baldwins we headed off to Thai Town, in the east edge of Hollywood boulevard, to a swarm of late night clubbers out for a quick grub at Sanamluang.  We got seated in under 5 mins.  The place was full and spilled out into the seats outside.  It is a very popular place, maybe because it is open very late until 4 am, or maybe because of it's close proximity to the clubs and bars in Sunset Blvd.  I would like to think it is because of their food.

The General's Noodle Soup  $ 6.50, is rumored to have been named after a Thai general who used to direct traffic in the parking lot on weekends.   The soup base is a clear , light amber, thin in density and rich in flavor.  Loaded with thin egg noodles cooked just the right amount, slices of charsiu pork, ground pork, roasted duck slices, and whole shrimps.  Topped with chopped scallions and wonderfully smokey roasted garlic bits.  Simply delicious.

Sanamluang

5176 Hollywood Boulevard, 

Hollywood, CA

(323) 660-8006

Lucky Lucky Lucky

Located in Old Town Pasadena is simply the best place to sample Belgian beers in Los Angeles, Lucky Baldwins .  Twice a year they have a Belgian Beer Festival where everything on their 50 plus beer taps is Belgian.   Even in Belgium you can't get that much Belgian beers on tap in a single place.  They also have hundreds of Belgian beers in bottles.

My friend and I were lucky enough to snag a couple of spots at the bar.   I like sitting at the bar,  that way I can see what beers I am having next and talk to the bar keep as well.  The food is so-so here, British pub grub, fish and chips, meat pies, hot wings, burgers etc.  During Belgian Beer Festivals they do offer some specialty foods, I was able to go last February and had some Flemish carbonades (Beef Stew) in Maredsous 8, absolutely sublime.

To start I had some Gulden Draak Tripel 10.50% ABV a Belgian style strong ale.  A friend of mine, who has been to many beer tastings with me,  introduced me to this beer.  This is probably the first Belgian beer I tasted and got me hooked for good.  The bottle and even the tap handle for this beer evokes an image of a Golden Dragon when in fact Gulden Draak translates as "Golden Duck".

The beer pours a cloudy deep dark brown with a reddish hue,  the head is thin with little or no lacing.  The nose is hops, malts, sweet and fruity, like mixed dark berry jam.  The aroma carries on with the taste that is sweet caramel and fruity, with raisins, and some chocolate undertones.  It is not sour, but sweet with some bitterness that lingers in your mouth.   The mouthfeel is creamy almost syrupy with little natural carbonation.   Easy to drink despite it's 10.5% ABV, a deadly combination.

Then I had some Scotch Silly 8% ABV a Scotch Ale type of beer.   I never had this before.  The beer pours deep dark copper with a nice foamy head and excellent lacing.  The nose is malty caramel reminiscent of toffee and some dried fruits.  I get the same metallic taste as with Double Enghien Blonde in the beginning which rapidly disappears, then some malty toffee sweetness and tea-like bitterness.  I also get some complex flavors of butterscotch, cherries and dates.  The mouthfeel is medium creamy with good carbonation.  This beer is easily dinkable and might go very well with some nice warm beef stew.

To finish, I had some (maybe a couple) Hoegaarden 4.9% ABV a Belgian Witbier (wheatbeer or white beer).  One of my favorite beers.  It is made with wheat, flavored with coriander seeds and orange peel.  This is the standard to which I hold other Witbiers against.  I would describe this beer poured in a glass as "a light golden cloud of beer under a billowy white head".  The cloudiness is because it is unfiltered and still has some yeast suspended.  The nose is unmistakably distinct,  citrusy, with strong wheatiness and a hint of coriander.  The taste, mirroring the nose, is a masterclass in balance and subtlety,  not too sweet,  not too bitter, not too citrusy, and not too spicy.   The mouthfeel is light with excellent carbonation making it crisp and refreshing.  A very drinkable beer specially during summer, and SoCal weather ;) .   This beer is great with spicy foods.    

Lucky Baldwins Pub

17 S. Raymond Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 795-0652

Lucky Baldwins

DELIRIUM PUB

21 Kersting Ct.

Sierra Madre, CA 91024

(626) 355-114

Tall Ships and Clams

I had time to have lunch on Friday, but had to get back to work.  I knew the Port O'Call was having their annual Lobster Fest,  I didn't want to deal with the crowd, and opted to go to Fisherman's Seafood for lunch.

 

Surrounded by aquariums of live seafood the people working in the place were all busy chopping onions and potatoes.  I managed to distract one of them to order some Steamed Clams.  He took a bunch from the aquariums to cook.   I also got some French fries and a beer.  The whole spread looked delicious.

The Steamed Clams were so fresh and delicious I had to ask for a spoon to get all of that wonderful clam juice.  He added some ginger, when he steamed my clams, which I did not ask for.  I was glad he did.  The clams came with some lime wedges, butter, and chili sauce, which I did not use.  I liked it "as is".  I did use the lime wedge on my Corona.  The fries went really well with the clams, crunchy and buffered the briney saltiness of the clams.

Everything cost me around $ 18 and change.  Kind of pricey.  And here is the view from where I was eating.  I can even see some of the Tall Ships in the distance.  Makes you want to eat more.  Too bad I could not stay longer,  had to get back to work.

Fisherman's Seafood Restaurant

950 Sampson Way 

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 519-7333

Full House

Full House Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown, is a place we usually go to for late night hankering because they open until 3 am. There are only a few places in Chinatown that open this late.


Sizzling Rice Seafood Soup $7.95, this is one of my favorite soups, it's your basic clear broth seafood soup then they dump a whole plate of deep fried rice and the dish just sizzles from the heat and popping of the rice. The rice adds a smoky caramelized taste to the soup.. yum.

Fresh Clams with ginger and green onion $ 9.50, we usually get the one with the black bean sauce but opted for this for a change.

Chinese Mushrooms with X.O. sauce $ 10.50, three kinds of mushrooms stir fried with their X.O. sauce. For me, this was the dish I liked the best in the whole meal.


Cantonese Beef Stew with turnips $ 7.95, beef in a hot pot braised to delightful tenderness. Not as tender as I hoped it would be, the tendons were a little rubbery.


Full House Seafood Restaurant
963 N. Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-8382