Larry's in Venice Beach

Potted chicken liver and foie gras pate....simply amazing! The Grilled Cheese Sandwich was great, especially with raisin bread, but could have used more cheese. The people watching was priceless!

Savory in Malibu

My husband took me to Savory for my birthday back in March, and ever since then I've been dreaming about the meal we had and couldn't wait to get back there....well I didn't have to wait long! We went back last night and the food was just as delectable as before. The broccoli burrata is insanely delicious and I would say it's like broccoli cheese soup on crack. I was drinking the broth like I was drinking my wine. It was just so good! As for a great side dish, because of its gorgeous color and earthy notes, is definitely the Chilled Red Beet salad. It's so pretty to look at, but quite as good to eat. Now, our main event dish is the most important because it literally is the best burger I've ever had! At Savory its called the Wolfmother and it certainly was memorable just like the name. The bun is so perfect for this juice rendering burger sopping up all of that greatness and then it's brilliantly paired with blue cheese, Brie, arugula and, my favorite, the balsamic-red onion compote. No one who eats this beautiful beast will walk away the same person. It's a life changer! I highly recommend this place!

The Wolfmother

Chilled Red Beet Salad

Broccoli Burrata

Buvette

Cyberspace: http://www.ilovebuvette.com                 
Grade: A
Where to Find It: 42 Grove St. New York, NY
Food Group: French
How Much to Fork Over: $$-$$$
Faves: Noble Road Cheese, Pesto di Parma, Mussels
Peeves: Small restaurant, long wait, no reservations

Jibba Jab: Cute French restaurant tucked away on a quiet street in West Village. (Street cute enough to have t.v. pilots filmed here)  Although the place is tight and there is a long wait, the food is well worth it.  Plates come small as well as the tables. Wine is labeled by the regions of France and Italy on a map, which is located on a wall. Great for a romantic dinner or group no larger than 4. 

Noble Road Cheese, Fresh Bread, Pesto di Parma

Moules a la Rouille (Mussels)

Asparagus with cheese

San Fran trip

Just wanted to post a few pics showing some of the wineries, amazing dishes I've been eating and cool concoctions I've been drinking during my trip to San Francisco and Russian river/dry creek valley this past weekend. I have to say this part of California is at the top of my favorite places in America list! Wine country is definitely my Mecca!!

Expressel Sprouts

This post is for all of the Brussels Sprout haters out there and especially for my family and friends who have asked me how I make them so delicious.  Brussels Sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables to roast or grill and they usually takes some time (around 30-40 min) to get them really tender, but I have created a shortcut to get that roasted flavor in half the time, plus a few add ins that I think pair really well when these green tiny cabbage looking veggies are caramelized in the oven.  Enjoy!

Expressel Sprouts

1 lb brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed and cut in half or quarters if they are really big

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled (or more if you prefer)

2 tbsp honey

sliced figs, toasted nuts, pomegranate seeds (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Turn on broiler. Put cut brussels sprouts in a microwave and oven safe baking dish.  Microwave for 9-11 minutes (until sprouts are slightly tender, not hard).  Add olive oil and garlic and toss until combined.  Broil for 5 min, stir and broil another 3-5 minutes or until the sprouts are slightly charred.  Stir in blue cheese, honey, salt and pepper and anything else you would like to add.  

Scardello

Cyberspace: scardellocheese.com
Grade: A++
Where to Find It: 3511 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
Food Group: Cheese!!
How Much to Fork Over: $$
Faves: Fantastic selection of handmade cheeses, Cheese classes, great service and very informative

Peeves: Any place that serves cheese from all over the world does not have any flaws

The Jibba Jab:

Pure cheese ecstasy!  A few of my girlfriends and I signed up to take a Cheese 101 class at Scardello the other day and I am still giddy over it.  First, I’ll start off with a couple of great things that have nothing to do with cheese.  They carry Arista Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in California, and it’s a very nice wine that is very difficult to find.  They also sell McClure’s Bloody Mary mix from Detroit, MI and Brooklyn, NY, which is where I first discovered this amazing mix.  It is not one to miss out on, and it is not one that is easily obtained.  It is also my husband’s favorite, so I snatched a jar to bring home.

Now, onto the good part….Cheese! The class started off with each person receiving a cutting board full of 17 different cheeses and a few. The owner, Rich Rogers, first introduced himself, the other employees, and his story of naming the shop after his grandfather.  He was extremely sincere and you could tell he has a real passion for cheese.  I wanted to be a Cheesemonger right then and there.  After he educated us on the 8 different types of cheeses (Fresh, Semi-Soft, Soft Ripened, Surface Ripened, Semi-Hard, Hard, Washed Rind and Blue) we moved onto the tasting.  Each cheese was discussed in depth and I truly felt like I learned a few great cheese facts after finishing the class.  It just made my love for cheese that much stronger! Shhh….don’t tell my husband.

All in all, if I could choose bits and pieces of things on earth to place in my heaven, this little cheese shop would be there!  I have officially added it to my Mecca List. 

P.S. I apologize for my bad photos. I will take better ones on my next visit or better yet visits.

Cheese!

Cheese Menu with my notes

Nosh Euro Bistro - Plano

Nosh Euro Bistro - Plano

Cyberspace: nosheurobistro.com

Grade: A

Where to Find It: 4701 W. Park Blvd, Suite 101, Plano, TX 75093

Food Group: European, American

How Much to Fork Over: $$$

Faves: Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Braised Lamb Shank, Truffle Mac N Cheese

The Jibba Jab:

Transparent and Tasty.  Nosh is a place that lets nothing go unnoticed…literally, you can see everything that the kitchen is doing from it’s open and exposed layout to the dining room to a flat screen tv near the restrooms that displays the intense actions of the chefs.  Flames flying high, stacks of plates dwindling down, orders being shouted, and the rest of the clinking and clanking of a well managed kitchen.  It is quite a sight to see and hear. 

The front of the house is just as well maintained as the back of the house because our service was impeccable.  The owner or manager (not sure which) immediately greeted us after we sat down at our table, explaining the menu and that he would be happy to accommodate us with anything we needed…..extremely welcoming!  We were brought new flatware and plates for each course, and our water and wine glasses were always full….that is until we drank all of the wine, which was the Franciscan Cabernet. 

Now on to the food!  After we were brought bread and butter on the house, we chose one of the specials, the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, as our starter.  It was incredibly delicious and had a velvety richness that was perfectly complimented by a hint of sweetness.  Next, we were recommended to try the Roasted Red and Yellow Beet Salad and I’m definitely glad we did.  The creamy peppercorn goat cheese sung in precise harmony with the earthy accents of the beets and was a great way to prepare our palates for the following round.  The Braised Lamb Shank was succulent, falling off the bone, and perfectly seasoned….I had absolutely no complaints.  Our side of Garlic Roasted Broccolini had a punch full of flavor, but the Big Kid Truffled Mac was something that I’ll never forget.  I’ve been to many restaurants that have this dish on their menu and I’ve always been disappointed with the outcome, but I’ve finally found the Mac and Cheese that is worth talking about.  It actually smelled and tasted like truffles, the bread crumb topping was in fact “tortilla chip” crispy, which is a must for contrasting texture to the extreme creaminess of the combination of cheeses, and most of all, NO glooping (not really a word, but you know what I mean) of grease or that grittiness you get from the cheese separating….ekkk… such a pet peeve.  This Mac and Cheese, and the rest of the experience deserves a trophy for all of the above!!

Hudson Valley Foie Gras

Roasted Red and Yellow Beet Salad

Braised Lamb Shank

Garlic Roasted Broccolini

Big Kid Truffle Mac