Restaurant Review World

One of my favorite things about traveling, is walking around until you find a nice little place to have bite to eat with the locals. Okay, so maybe that’s my favorite thing about traveling to Europe, but it’s still fun to do in US cities, as well. That is what my husband and I did one day in Chicago. We just walked downtown until we found a casual pub called Flapjaws. Inside, the crowd was pretty diverse. From a small group of 30-somethings getting drunk at 2pm and settling in to watch the Cubs, to a young family with a baby, to your definite “regulars” sitting at the bar, this was definitely what I call a neighborhood pub.

The food was decent bar food. It really wasn’t anything special, but it encouraged game watching. I kept it simple, and got a tuna melt with a side salad - hey, I’m still from LA, right? I wasn’t quite ready to dig into mozzarella sticks.

The husband was more ready to dig into some fried food, but stuck with the lighter side of deep fried by ordering a buffalo chicken salad. I noticed he mostly ate around the lettuce, but I think that’s okay.

The chicken was tender, and the sauce had a good flavor, but to be honest, the food didn’t stand out. What really made this place memorable (besides the many plasma TVs), was the extremely friendly service. Our waiter, in particular, was very helpful. When my husband noticed that they sold Imperial Beer, (he knows the broker from the O.C.), the waiter engaged him in a conversation about the Chicago distributor, when they started selling the beer, and how it was doing. Then, he brought him out a sample, for absolutely no reason, as it was apparent that my husband had tried the beer many times before.

To me, Flapjaws is just one of those great neighborhood places that anyone who ever watched Cheers has always craved. We were there pretty early, but still the place was already heating up. I could totally imagine spending a football season here, silently cheering on the Packers amongst a pack of Bears. The food is decent, the prices are great, and the beer is flowing. What more can you ask for in a pub?

Flapjaws is located in Downtown Chicago at 22 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611-2002
Phone: 312-642-4848

The Reviews

Tonight was the pre-opening tasting party of SugarFish, and I was lucky to be invited to this event. SugarFish is the new sushi restaurant from the man who has become known as the “Sushi Nazi of Studio City”, Chef Nozawa of SushiNozawa. Hoping to bring the “old Tokyo” style of sushi to LA, while still keeping the prices moderate, Chef Nozawa and CEO Jerry A. Greenberg have opened SugarFish. While they may be sticking to Tokyo’s traditions, the restaurant will be anything but to Angelenos. If your version of tradition consists of spicy tuna, crunch rolls, or anything containing cream cheese, you will be lost at SugarFish.

However, their innovative menu will help you navigate the ordering process. You can choose one of three prix fix menus, called a “Trust Me”. They range from about $20 to $40, and include various pieces of whatever is fresh that day. So, it may be tuna sashimi one day, and halibut carpaccio the next. Why don’t they let you choose what to get? Because, in order to keep the prices low enough, they have to use whatever is available that day. Luckily, that helps keep the prices down. Keep in mind, these prices include tax and tip - they do not accept gratuities - so you won’t have to end your date using your cell phone’s calculator.

In addition to the “Trust Me’s”, a few additional daily specials can be added on to your meal, and there are a limited selection of beverages, including Japanese beer and cold sake. My husband and I had the iced green tea, which was both delicious and refreshing.

My husband and I started with the edaname, which was traditionally prepared. We both found it to be a bit underwhelming, but I wouldn’t write it off. It comes with all of the “Trust Me” choices, and I think they may just need to work the kinks out. Our feeling was that it may have been sitting in the steamer a bit too long.

Next, we shared a few traditionally prepared pieces of yellowtail sushi and one piece of shrimp sushi. These were very good - extremely fresh, with a very subtle flavor. The yellowtail was dressed with a bit of ponzu sauce and thinly sliced green onion. As you can see from the picture, there was very little ponzu sauce, but it really was just the right amount to maintain the delicate flavor of the fish. The rice was great, too. Instead of your typical sticky rice, this rice is much lighter, and you can really taste the sweetness of the rice vinegar.

Next up was the tuna sashimi, in more ponzu. This was the best dish of the night by far. The fish was so fresh, and went so well with the drizzle of ponzu and green onion. This really brought Chef Nozawa’s concept to the forefront. If you have the perfect piece of fish, you don’t need anything else. He couldn’t be more right.

Finally, we were served yellowtail rolls and blue crab rolls. Again, they were simple rolls that focused the attention completely on the seafood. And, no, we didn’t dare ask for soy paper here!

In all, I think SugarFish is an asset to the LA restaurant scene. While I can’t say I don’t love spicy tuna and crispy rice, and all the rest, it’s almost refreshing to know there is a place where you have to stick to the traditions. Where changes are not allowed. And, like Father’s Office, I definitely think it can work. Because, when you have great food at a great price, people will come.

And besides, check out the chic bar (though it’s not an actual sushi bar - the chefs are kept in the kitchen).

SugarFish is located at the Waterside in Marina Del Rey at 4722 1/2 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: (310) 306-6300

The Reviews

Note 1: Despite the no-gratuity rule, the waitstaff was both friendly and helpful.  How do they do it?

Note 2: The restroom doors are pocket doors.  They slide open and closed.  So, don’t be like me, and stand there like an idiot pushing and pulling, thinking there was someone in there.

I know there are some people out there who are against this whole cupcake movement. I can understand their reasoning to an extent. Anything over done is rarely done well, and cupcakes are everywhere. I blame Sex and the City, but then, I love Sex and the City. In addition, the nostalgia factor is more syrup than sweet to cupcake haters.

But, as cupcake shops have replaced 31 Flavors across the nation, I say, let’s rejoice. For now, at least, the majority of these shops are not chains. You can have a new experience in each cutesy bakery. I always feel like I am tasting a new family recipe. Sometimes the recipes are better than others, but there is always the sense of stepping into a grandmother’s kitchen. And, let’s not forget the fact that you can have the perfect-sized cake, often filled with a custard and topped with a dollop of icing. I don’t know - I just feel one with this whole cupcake trend.

In Chicago, there is a great little cupcakery called Molly’s Cupcakes. A great stop for cupcakes gallore, Molly’s does one thing that I haven’t seen yet: they let you build your own cupcake. That’s right, pick a cupcake base, pick a frosting. They will put it together for you. With gourmet flavors like brown butter frosting and pumpkin cupcakes (a favorite combo), you really can’t go wrong. My friend swears by the peanut butter chocolate, and the husband loved the chocolate chocolate.

My favorites were the red velvet with cream cheese frosting and the lemon with lemon curd filling. The red velvet was crumbly, and not too sweet. The lemon was nice and tart, with a beautiful bit of candied lemon zest on top. Sitting in the playful and colorful interior, eating cupcakes, and sluggin’ down some milk - what’s more nostalgic than that?

In addition, they have some killer chocolate chip cookies, coffees, and lattes. This is a great place to bring a date if you want to show your playful side - they have board games, and people just hang, lounge, and play. Or, sit on a swing at the cupcake bar! They are open till Midnight on weekends, to satisfy all late-night sweet tooths. But, they do start to sell out of items as the night goes on, so make sure to get there earlier if you have your heart set on something in particular.

Molly’s Cupcakes is located in Lincoln Park at 2536 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (773) 883-7220

The Reviews

Zum Beispiel 6-10, oder A - 5 (Ace http://www.poker-neu.de kann als high und low in Geraden).

I spend a lot of time mulling over the fact that I live on a busy street in a busy part of Los Angeles, and I often wonder if living within walking distance of some of my favorite things is worth fighting the traffic Monday through Friday.  But, when I walk to the Brentwood Farmers’ Market, held every Sunday, I remind myself that it is, indeed, worth it.  While only a block long, this market features everything you need to have fresh produce for the week.  Seasonal fruits & veggies, freshly baked breads, and even fish and eggs.  Not to mention that you can get a quick lunch from one of the vendors, adopt a lap dog, and attend a mini-petting zoo!

My Spring-time resolution this year has been to attend the Farmers’ Market as often as I can, preferably every Sunday that I am in town.  That way, I can get to know the farmers, and learn to cook both seasonally and locally.  I only buy what I can carry back, so I can be sure that I don’t over shop.  And, I only bring $20, so I don’t just buy ten pounds of cherries at the first stand I visit - though it’s pretty damn tempting!

This week at the Farmers’ Market, I found what could be one of the last batches of cherries, raspberries, and rows of fragrant strawberries.  Blueberries are making an appearance, but the ones I tasted were a bit tart.  And, the apricots were gone, but the peaches, nectarines, and plumbs were in full force.  As for greens, there were still some fava beans, the green beans were crisp and plump, and green onions were still hanging on.  The only tomatoes around were the vine-ripened.  I will hold out for romas and heirlooms.  I saw plenty of avocados, and dwindling supplies of artichokes and asparagus.

FYI, right now my apartment actually smells like those luscious strawberries and peaches you see in the picture above.

What would you say if I told you there was a restaurant that made me want to pack my bags and move to Chicago? A Sushi restaurant. In the middle of the US, with no ocean to be found anywhere. Would you think I was crazy? Well, what if I told you they had a fish that I had never seen before - super white tuna. And the fish was amazing. And the rolls were creative. And the prices? How about three people eating for under $50. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Toro Sushi happens to be just that restaurant. This tiny, BYOB sushi bar is run by a Korean man named Mitch - and thankfully one of my best college friends happens to know Mitch well enough to ensure we would sit at the sushi bar in his section. Mitch is friendly with all who come to the sushi bar, and makes you feel right at home. He is the inventor of all of the creative rolls, which are not only delicious, but huge! We’re talking 5-10 pieces per roll. If you get a roll with fewer pieces, each piece is twice as large as you’d expect, so it’s still a bonus.

We started with some sashimi, which featured the super white tuna (see the picture of it on top of the “Awesome” below). This fish looks like it’s cooked in its raw state - it’s solid white. My husband and I were very curious as to how we could have never heard of a fish before, as according to our friend, it’s very common in Chicago. Mitch told us it’s more common on the East Coast and in the Midwest, but I decided to do some research about it. According to Wikipedia, and a few other sites out there, super white tuna is not actually a tuna at all. It’s actually a fish called escolar, which is a snake mackerel. Apparently, it has 18-21% oil, and if you eat too much of it, you can end up with Olean-style gastrointestinal problems. I will say no more, as this didn’t happen to us. If you are not grossed out by such matters, click on the Wikipedia link to find out exactly what can happen. But, the issues did cause Japan and Italy to ban Escolar. The few ounces I shared with two other people didn’t harm me a bit, and I am glad that I ate it before I learned about the possible side affects. Yikes! Anyway, as far as flavor, super white tuna is very mild and buttery. It has a firm flesh, and does taste like a mild tuna, which I am sure is what gives it it’s sushi-bar name.

Another item you shouldn’t miss at Toro is the fried tofu. It comes in a delicious broth, and is topped with green onions. We gobbled this up before I could get a picture, but it was truly delicious.

One of the benefits of going with a regular, is that she knew all of the best items to order, even ones that aren’t on the menu. Typically, I shy away from rolls that have cream cheese in them, but my friend insisted that we get the Arizona roll. I am so glad that I listened to her, because this roll was amazing. Avocado, spicy tuna, and cream cheese, assembled by Mitch, are far greater than the sum of their parts. And, look how it’s shaped like a cactus! When I go back to Toro, I will get two of these. One just isn’t enough.

Next up was the crunch roll. While this is a roll you find all over the place, if you like a crunch roll, you have to order this. It was delicious in its simplicity. Spicy and sweet, with a crunchy outside and a soft inside, this roll was just perfect. I think I could have had two of these too, although they are really filling.

Finally, we had the “awesome” - another that’s not on the menu. If you like blue cheese, this roll is for you. Stuffed with crab meat, and fried soft shell crab, and topped with shrimp, super white tuna, and salmon, this roll is finished with a dollop of blue cheese on each piece and then flamed by Mitch himself before your eyes. Could it be called anything other than the “awesome”? I think not.

In all, Toro Sushi was a great experience. I never thought that I could eat sushi like that for such a low price. And the BYOB was great because it helps keep the cost down. I did seriously consider moving after eating here. If you try it, I am sure you’ll see why.

Toro Sushi is located in Lincoln Park at 2546 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (773) 348-4577

The Reviews