Friday, June 27, 2025

Vin Folk

I have been dying to try Vin Folk ever since I read one of their reviews. Vin Folk is a new restaurant in Hermosa Beach. They received a Bid Gourmand award. For those unfamiliar with this award, it is a distinction awarded by the Michelin Guide. It is for higher-quality food without breaking the bank.

Sandi, Cindy, and I decided to take my brother Gary for his birthday. The menu was not extensive, which could be a good thing. Gary brought a nice bottle of wine he had purchased while in Napa. While they decanted the wine, we studied the menu. Our server, chef in training, Nathan, was most helpful in answering our questions, and boy, did we have a few. 


We were to share the small plates, and not everyone agreed on some of the selections. Cindy and Sandi were not as adventurous, but since it was Gary's birthday, they were kind enough to give their blessings to order a couple of unquestionable items and promised to try them.

Our first plate was the Pan de Cristal with Salty Stracciatella and black cod rillette. It had interesting flavors and was very good with the bread they served. Next was the Squid Al Ajillo, served with Gribiche sauce (an egg-based sauce) and peanuts. Gary and I loved it, and the two of them could not handle the tentacles. They didn't know what they were missing. While we waited for the next dish, we saw this beautiful dish go by. We asked Nathan what it was, and he told us it was the Mussels Tart. Because it looked amazing, Cindy and Sandi agreed to give it a try. Wow! It was truly delicious. Very flaky and just beautiful.


The Yellow Tail with fried shallot oil, ikra, and capers was delightful. Both Cindy and Sandi had some, and they did enjoy their portion. There's hope for the two! Next came the Beef Tongue with hrenovina sauce (horseradish), tatsoi and tomato. We all enjoyed the tenderness of the tongue except for one who shall remain nameless. The En Papillote was a welcome dish, especially for Sandi. The catch of the day was Halibut, her favorite. It had kohlrabi (German turnips), asparagus, leeks, calabaza, and saffron. The fish was exquisite!

The Chili Crab with Arborio rice was delectable. We saved the best for last. The Trofie (short, twisted, narrow pasta) made with arugula, walnuts, sea beans, lemon basil, and parmesan was outstanding. When we finished the pasta, there was a lot of sauce left over. I thought it would be a shame to waste it, so I asked Nathan if I could have more bread. I also asked if he receives this request often. He said I was the first one. If this were another restaurant, they would have charged us extra for the bread! 

Despite all the food we had consumed, it was unanimous that we order dessert. We tried the Strawberry Tiramisu and the Koko Crunch; chocolate 6 ways. This was very different, as I no longer get excited over chocolate, but this was an exception. I did enjoy it except for the milk. Gary and I do not drink milk, so Cindy had it. She said it was very good, especially with the salt that got into it, while Nathan grated fresh salt from a coconut shell.


Since it was Gary's birthday, they gave Gary a sherbet and a candle to make his birthday wish. The 4 dessert spoons obligated us to share this with him. 

The service was excellent. It couldn't have been any better.  Nothing beats the Filipino hospitality. Nathan, hope to see you soon.

We got to meet Chef Kevin de los Santos. I knew he worked for some of my favorite restaurants, like Ink, Nobu, and Bazaar, to name a few. It was a genuine pleasure to meet this culinary genius. 

To Chef Kevin, Maraming Salamat!





Friday, June 20, 2025

J. Trani's Ristorante

Filippo Trani opened the Majestic Cafe in 1925. In 1937, his 13-year-old son joined him, and the tradition passed from father to son over 75 years. Almost 90 years later, the fourth generation of Trani's carries on the tradition at J. Trani's. I have known about this restaurant but have never tried it. Our friend Sugar invited us last Wednesday.

The place was warm and cozy. We got there when they opened, but it did not take long for it to fill up. They got very busy on a Wednesday evening. Sugar had been at the restaurant before, so she knew we had to order the Pork Belly as one of our appetizers. It had white chili puree, crispy garlic, pickled shallots, and sweet soy. That was super delicious, as was the Grilled Calamari Milanese with Parmesan cheese, crispy parsley, lemon olive oils, and their majestic tartar sauce. Our server raved about some in-house brined Olives served with garlic cheese bread. None of us was impressed with that. The olives were mainly pits, and there was little meat in them. 

Sugar ordered the Local Sea Bass with lemon butter caper sauce. It came with mashed potatoes, but she opted for double spinach instead. She was disappointed with it because she thought it was overcooked, unlike Zohreh's Swordfish, which was delicate and delicious. I can see myself ordering that at another time.

Sandi had the Rigatoni Special Sauce with short rib ragu, bolognese, arugula, and feta. Only, she had them substitute the rigatoni for penne pasta. Her pasta was very good; much better than my Steak Linguine with sautéed ribeye, garlic, parsley, tomato, and mozzarella. The ribeye was not as tender as I would have liked it. I did have an issue, though. I asked for Parmesan cheese, and it never came. I saw our server merrily serving other guests and knew she had forgotten because time passed, and my pasta was getting cold. I finally got up and chased her. She said they were getting it. She finally came and apologized, but it was too late. I had just a few bites and had to take it home as it was already cold. 

We shared a Banana Foster Bread Pudding, which hit the spot. It was tasty.

J. Trani's is at 584 W. 9th St. in San Pedro, California.





Saturday, June 14, 2025

The Little Oliva

Cindy has been wanting to try this restaurant. We all read about it and decided to experiment with this semi-new place in Rolling Hills Estates. We finally got a day when all three of us were free, so we made reservations for a late lunch. 

We were all in awe as we walked in. This charming place had a warm and exciting vibe. The menu was Greek, Italian, and American, so there was something for everyone. 


Cindy and I ordered the Santorini Moussaka since the article we read raved about the Moussaka. This had a different twist in that it had a layer of potatoes. We were excited since the last time we had Moussaka was at Petro's in Manhattan Beach. Sadly, we were both disappointed with it. It was not bad, but it was not great either. It was on the bland side. 

Sandi, however, had better luck. She had the Athens Chicken Skewers, which were delicious. I had a bite, and it was moist and juicy. 

Since most of us were unimpressed with the food and service, we didn't order desserts. The consensus was that we would not make a special trip back unless maybe if we were invited. 


Friday, June 13, 2025

Wool Growers Restaurant

When in Bakersfield, we usually go to Frenchie's Basque restaurant. This time, we decided to try another Basque restaurant. We made reservations at Wool Growers. The owners, Mayie and J.B. Maitia, opened the restaurant in 1957. It was located at Sumner St. but has since relocated to 620 19th St. in Bakersfield, and their granddaughter Jenny and her husband Francois now run the restaurant.

Sandi and I had just come from hearing mass and were starving. The menu was a prix-fixe offering; the entée price included Pyrenees bread, vegetable soup, salad, beans, salsa, vegetable of the day, penne pasta, and French fries! This guaranteed no one would leave the place hungry. We truly enjoyed the crusty bread and the vegetable soup. The beans and salsa were delightful when we added them to the soup. The pasta was a nice addition; the fries were crispy, and who wouldn't want fries?


Sandi was ecstatic to see Halibut on the menu. I decided to order something healthy, so I chose the Salmon with a cream sauce. They were both quite edible. Next time, I want to try steak or veal.

We were both stuffed but needed something to settle our tummies. Sandi had a scoop of Spumoni, and I had the Raspberry Sorbet. 

Service was very good, and we enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We definitely will be going back to Wool Growers.




Sunday, June 1, 2025

Zaytinya

The name Zaytinya means olive oil in Turkish. This restaurant is another José Andés restaurant. It is  Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine. It is located inside the Shay Hotel in Culver City, quite a nice setting. 

Gary invited Sandi and me for our past birthdays. Gary ordered his usual Old Fashioned, and I had the Sidecar to Tangier, which had orange liqueur, honey, and lemon. It was both pretty and delicious. Sandi stuck to her usual 2020 Diet Coke.

Their Pita bread was not the usual we were all accustomed to. They were all puffy and airy. They went well with the Baba Ghanoush, which is fire-roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, and garlic. The different thing about this dish was that it had pomegranate seeds, which not only made it super attractive but added a lot of life to the baba ghanoush. 

Our server, Patrick, was vital when it came to ordering. We had so many questions, and he was so helpful. He made his suggestions, and they were all spot on. We ordered the Za'atar Pide Flatbread, a blend of dried za'atar, sesame seeds, sumac, kasar cheese, and an egg. The Crispy Brussels Sprouts had coriander seeds, barberries, and garlic yogurt. Both were delicious. The Black Cod with mushroom tahini, warm greens, lemon, and pine nuts lacked flavor. Note that this was not one of Patrick's recommendations.

We tried the Shish Taouk, a grilled chicken skewer with sumac onions, garlic toum, and a grilled tomato. We all enjoyed this tender and juicy chicken, and the sumac onions were great, all topped with the garlic sauce. The Bone Marrow Kibbeh was interesting. It consists of beef and bulgur wheat fritters with bone marrow filling with almonds, pine nuts, currants, and labneh. We were not all excited about this dish. I couldn't pinpoint why; maybe it just had a lot going on.

We were all pleasantly full but had to order dessert. Sandi decided on the Golden Raisin Sorbet and Apple Sorbet. Gary and I were excited about the Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake; molten chocolate cake with roasted pistachios, Turkish coffee syrup, and Mastic ice cream. This was just a glorified lava cake. We didn't detect much coffee flavor. The ice cream was one of the worst flavors we have had. We asked Patrick what Mastic was. It's a resin from the Pistacia lentiscus tree, a small evergreen native to the Mediterranean. They should have left it in the tree! We noticed the next table left their ice cream too. The best dessert was the little shot glass Sandi got for her birthday, which had yogurt and apricot. That was very good. Fortunately, she shared it with me and Gary. 

Zaytinya is at 8801 Washington Blvd. in Culver City. Parking is valet only, and it costs $18.