Catalina Kitchen

Mary invited Zohreh and me to celebrate Zohreh's birthday last Friday. She wanted me to make the reservation at Catalina Kitchen at Terrenea Resort. Two days before the reservation, I received a call confirming our time of 4 p.m. The person also informed me that this was a seafood buffet they have every Friday.  I was delighted since all three of us liked seafood. 

We arrived on time and were seated promptly. We were handed the Happy Hour Menu. We looked at it but also informed her we were there for the Seafood Buffet. We were told that the Buffet did not start until 5 p.m. We all looked at each other, not knowing what to do. We then decided to order from the regular menu, but we were informed that dinner did not start until 5 p.m. I got up and saw a man who looked like the manager speaking with an employee.  I told him of our dilemma. What didn't make sense is when the reservation was confirmed, she should have said that the buffet does not start till 5 p.m. We were ready to get up and go to Trump National Golf Club. First, he apologized and assured me the chef could cook dinner for us. So we decided to give it a go.

The dinner menu looked good. We decided to order the Calamari and the Wild Mushroom Flatbread as appetizers. Shortly after we had placed our orders, Ernest Cruz, the manager, brought us another appetizer: the handcrafted hummus with pita bread. We thought that was a nice touch, which we appreciated. We loved the Hummus, Crispy and very light Calamari, and the Wild Mushroom Flatbread, which tasted more like a pizza, which was a good thing!

For our entrées, we all picked the Seabass, which was outstanding. The skin was super crispy, and the most flavorful mushrooms and spinach were present underneath. Both Zohreh and Mary could not finish their seabass. I, on the other hand, had no problem. I must mention that throughout our dining experience, Ernest kept coming to ensure everything was perfect. 

Our servers, Luis and Luisa, were excellent. Mary and I have short torsos, so the chairs were too low for us. Jokingly, I asked for a booster chair. Luisa laughed and said she would get us pillows. She later appeared and apologized that she couldn't find pillows, but she brought us two blankets, which made a big difference. 

They later brought some desserts on the house for Zohreh's birthday. Ernest came by with another server and jokingly said they would sing Happy Birthday but didn't feel they would do a good job. As soon as Ernest walked away, we were able to convince his partner to sing, which he indulged in.

We walked out of the restaurant feeling good. What started out as an unfortunate incident ended up being very fortunate. I was impressed with how the manager, Ernest Cruz, handled the situation. Most restaurants would have just said sorry for the misinformation and left it at that. Mr. Cruz went above and beyond, which made the three of us happy and sure to return in the future.  

Catalina Kitchen is at 100 Terrenea Way in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

The Steak Library

Sandi treated me to The Steak Library, which was outstanding. The restaurant is in this nondescript mall on Pacific Coast Highway in Lomita. We were delighted by the ambiance when we walked in. A refrigerated section showcased some of the meat with the certificate A5 authenticity. A5, for those unfamiliar with the term, is the highest grade of Wagyu from Japan.

Our reservation was for 3:30 p.m., which was perfect. We were the only ones then and lucky to have Makoto, the manager, as our server.  Shortly after we sat, we were presented with 2 toasted bread with butter and something else, later identified as garlic and herbs. It was delicious. We decided to split a Caesar Salad prepared at the tableside. We also ordered the Cotton Candy A5 Wagyu appetizer as it sounded intriguing. Wow! That was our reaction when it arrived. It was a huge ball of white cotton candy. As Makoto poured some gravy on top, the cotton candy melted, which made a cavity that revealed an egg yolk inside. We mixed it as the yolk was incorporated with wagyu beef slices. Our first bite was mind-blowing. We've never had anything like it, the excellent taste of the beef with the sweet cotton candy; what a combination, but it was genius.

For our entrée, we both decided on the 8-oz Filet Mignon. We could not get over how tender these babies were. Chewing was optional! We had choices on the sauces, even if they did not need any, as they were packed with flavor. I opted for the peppercorn sauce, and Sandi had the garlic sauce. We also ordered a side of mashed potatoes and mac n cheese. We were in 7th heaven. We both finished our steaks; unfortunately, there was nothing to take home.

Makato handed us the dessert menu. We were not sure if we had room but decided that we had to make room. It was unanimously agreed to get the Bananas Foster. I thought for sure this would be their downfall. I was elated to be wrong, as it was one of the best Bananas Fosters I've ever had.

The Steak Library is the ultimate steak place. I've been to some steak places in Redondo Beach, but this takes the cake.  It is pricey, but it is worth every bite. The Steak Library is at 1937 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Lomita, California.

Benji's French Basque Restaurant

It's been a year since we visited Benji's French Basque Restaurant. We were in Bakersfield, and this is our go-to restaurant. We know what to order by this time as we've been there a few times.

The Set-up Menu usually costs $21, but it is included with an entrée. It includes French bread, butter, salsa, soup, beans, fresh marinated tomatoes, French fries, and vegetables. We didn't care much for the green beans in the past, so we just asked for more fries. This alone can be filling, but since we're always game, we also decided to order entrées. You could order a small plate of Tongue for $8 or a plate of Spaghetti for $7. I have had the tongue before; it was tender and delicious.

Sandi had the Veal Medallions with mushroom sauce, and I ordered the Veal Scaloppini also with mushroom sauce. Though the medallions were not quite as tender as my scaloppini, Sandi still enjoyed it, especially the yummy sauce.

This was an enormous amount of food. The prices are very reasonable, which is why the restaurant is always full. The locals know a deal when they see one. We did order the Baked Alaska in advance, but sadly, they didn't offer it that evening, so we tried the Raspberry Souffle. Our server, Kenji, was delightful. He brought the souffle, made a well, and poured the raspberry sauce into it. Unfortunately, we didn't care much for it. It hardly had any raspberry flavor, let alone the white sauce, which puzzled me.

So far, I highly recommend the Baked Alaska and their Crème Caramel (flan) if you have room for dessert. 

Benji's Frenc Basque Restaurant is a must. The food and Service are always good. It is located at 4001 Rosedale Hwy. in Bakersfield, California.