Chart House

I was invited for dinner at the Chart House last night, and I was excited because the last time I was there may have been 25 years ago. It was drizzling, foggy, and cold outside, and we were the first ones seated, so I immediately took pictures while no one was sitting. 

My friend Sugar (her stage name) frequents this restaurant, so she has her favorite dishes. She suggested we start with the Shrimp, Avocado, Mango Stack for our appetizer. Sounded good to me. This was more than good; it was absolutely delicious and refreshing. It was almost too pretty to eat. 

Sugar ordered the Seafood Pot Pie; lobster, shrimp, scallops, asparagus, mushroom under a roof of puff pastry crust. She also ordered the Sizzling Mushrooms, which she had before for us to share. 

I had the 7oz. Filet Mignon with the Garlic Mashed Potatoes. My steak was cooked to perfection, and it was tender and juicy. The mushrooms were so good, probably sautéed in butter. Sugar insisted I try her pot pie, and it was succulent and would be something I would order in the future. 

Our server Victor was very attentive and poured our wine from the bottle I brought anytime the level of red wine got low. It was just a lovely evening watching the ocean, and a courageous soul came out of the water from surfing. It was getting dark by then. You can't beat the ambiance of a lovely dining room with an ocean view. 

I have to mention, Sugar got a lot of compliments from her wild boots. With Sugar, you just never know what to expect. Flamboyant is her middle name.

Chart House is located at 231 Yacht Club Way in Redondo Beach, California.

Lemon Poppyseed Scones

 I remember baking these scones a long time ago when most of the scones you could buy were hard and dry. Of course, nothing will ever compare to the ones I used to get at L'Amande Bakery! I found a bag of the Poppyseed Scones in my pantry the other day and to my surprise has not yet expired so I thought of baking some yesterday after my morning walk. The best part was the only thing I had to add was cold water, and no electric mixer or numerous bowls were involved; just a fork to mix the bag's contents with some water.

It baked for 16 minutes and the house smelled so good. I had it with butter, lemon marmalade and a slice of sharp cheese. Today, I experimented using lemon curd. I preferred the lemon curd, and with that, you really don't need the butter. These scones are quite delicious and very easy to bake.

I will now have to try the other products from Sticky Fingers. This is my kind of baking; no mess, no fuss!

Fatto a Mano

After seeing West Side Story in Dolby yesterday,  Amy and I were all hyped up and ready to twirl and make some dance moves at the  AMC parking lot, not! We were both hungry, so I suggested going to Fatto a Mano. They have great pasta and the last time I was there with Sandi was to just pick up a couple of pasta dishes and some pizza to take home. We planned to dine in this time even if they're not really set up for that since they just have 3 small tables. The advantage is that you get to eat everything fresh and hot.

We got there roughly at 5:30 p.m., which is a late dinner by my standards. To be expected, the restaurant was bustling. People were inside, and later, a line developed outside. Amy ordered the Cacio e, Pepe, though she's never had it. I assured her it would be good. I love Cacio e Pepe so I figured if she didn't like it, I would gladly help out. I ordered the Carbonara, which I have not had. The pasta was aldente, and both were so good. Amy loved the "bacon," which I suspect was guanciale which had more fat, hence tastier.

Amy, who doesn't get too excited over food like I do, couldn't get over how delicious the food was and couldn't wait to tell her kids. She made sure she got a copy of their menu to take home. I have to mention that the portions of the pasta are pretty small and you really need a salad or something else to satisfy your hunger. It was getting too busy and full of people, so Amy and I decided not to have dessert. But just as we stood up, our server, Liz, stopped us and asked us to stay for some hot chocolate. How could we refuse? She came with 2 thick hot chocolate cups, and it was perfect. Amy never had thick chocolate before, and for someone that professes not to like dessert or sweets, she finished hers like a shot of tequila while I sipped mine savoring every sip.

Fatto a Mano is as authentic Italian as it can get, and I just hope they can expand soon and be the fantastic restaurant they deserve to be.  Fatto a Mano is located at 610 Torrance Blvd. in Redondo Beach, California.

Back to Dominique's Kitchen

My friend Sugar invited me to dinner and asked where I wanted to go. She's never been to Dominique's, so I was happy to introduce her to my friends, Liza and Dominique. Unlike me, Sugar has a small stomach, so it was not wise to order an appetizer because I wanted her to enjoy her entrée.

She opted for one of the specials of the evening; Sea Bass with a tarragon champagne sauce. I had the other special, Pork Filet with porcini mushrooms in a cabernet sauce. Sugar's fish was absolutely delicious. Flaky and cooked to perfection. The tarragon champagne sauce was just delightful!

My pork filet was tender and juicy. There were 3 good size pieces, and I was genuinely amazed that I could only consume two; the doggy bag was appreciated by my son. I couldn't get over how scrumptious it was, especially when paired with the crunchy polenta! Jonathan, our server, was on the ball, making sure everything was satisfactory. Needless to say, Sugar is now a new fan of Dominique's.

I was indeed stuffed but ended up with a Panna Cotta, which I inhaled as soon as I got home. I guess the drive home was all I needed for my stomach to clear some space for dessert! Thank you, Liza, and it was really nice seeing you and Dominque as usual.

Dominique's Kitchen is located at 522 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., in Redondo Beach, California.

Republique

This was one of Sandi's lists to dine one more time before she left for Florida. I happen to agree with her choice since I can't get enough of this place. Gary, Sandi, Amy, Zohreh, and I met at Republique. Amy and Zohreh have never been, so we had a few suggestions. We planned to have breakfast there but also get some pastries to take home. We, of course, told them to buy some Raspberry Pistachio Kouign Amann's. The sad part was they ran out of them after I bought 8-10. Gary has only had the regular Kouign Amann, which is delicious, but I told him to try the raspberry-pistachio, which is so much better. The lady helping him suggested he try the Parisienne Flan (French Custard Pie), so he got one along with 8 Bombolinis! While we waited for our breakfast order, Gary was kind enough to share the Flan. He had the first bite, and while we were slicing slivers to try, he started moaning, and shortly after, I started moaning, and the rest followed! It was pure heaven. It's like we all died and went straight up to heaven.

Amy ordered the Croque Madame, which was too much for her, so she ended up taking half of it home. Sandi ordered the Avocado Toast, which we've had before. I also ordered what I had previously, which was the Potato Pancake with Smoked Salmon. Zohreh had the Mushroom toast, which I also loved. Gary ordered the Belgian Waffle with fruit. 

We were all happy campers. If Republique were closer, I know I would be there at least once a week! Republique is located at  624 S. La Brea in Los Angeles, California.

Back to La Bocca Felice

My friend Sugar has never been to this restaurant, and after I told her I've recently been there, and it was terrific, she thought it a good idea to meet for dinner. She was impressed with the decor. Corkage is free, so I took advantage of that and brought a bottle of 2008 Director's Cut, Francis Ford Coppola's Zinfandel. Since the wine was old, the cork broke upon opening. Francisco, our server, took the bottle with him so he could pour it into a decanter. I was afraid that the wine might not be good, but to our surprise, it was excellent. 

We had to order the Capesante, which I had the last time, and couldn't stop dreaming of having it again. These were the large scallops with cranberries and pine nuts cooked with Marsala wine. I think they can make this into an entree and serve it mashed potatoes! 

Sugar ordered the Vitello Marsala, which I had previously and was absolutely delicious. She did love it. I wanted to order the Pappardelle Short Ribs again but thought I should try something different. I talked myself into ordering the Pizza Bianca with prosciutto, gorgonzola, parmigiano reggiano, mozzarella, topped with honey, yes, honey! I once had a similar pizza in the Philippines, and we were given the option of squeezing spicy honey on our pizza, and it was great. I was not aware that it came in 2 sizes; small and medium. They gave me a medium, and we were both shocked at the size of it, humungous. I immediately thought I would take half home to my son. I ended up eating most of it and only left 2 slices!

I wanted to meet the owner to give him my compliments to the restaurant and the chef. Nima was apologetic since he thought he hadn't dressed appropriately, I told him he looked fine, and it showed how the big boss was working and getting his hands dirty, so to speak.

La Bocca Felice does not disappoint. I'm just sorry I have not discovered this restaurant sooner. La Bocca Felice is located at 301 W. 6th St. in San Pedro, California.

The Rex Seaside Steakhouse

I took Sandi for her "last supper" to Rex Steakhouse in Redondo Beach last night. I had to talk her into ordering a cocktail which she did. The cocktail was appropriately named, Lady Luck wishing her all the luck on her move to Florida. The drink consisted of vodka, strawberry, citrus, and sparkling wine. I ordered a glass of Malbec. 

I thought of ordering a salad to split, to begin with. The Rex Wedge had chunks of bacon, scallion ranch, baby iceberg with a blue cheese dressing. We enjoyed this salad! The kitchen was kind enough to split it for us. We obviously had to order steak since this is a steakhouse. I decided to splurge and have the Tomahawk; 40 oz. prime bone-in ribeye for 2 or more. They had different sauces you could order. The roasted bone marrow sauce sounded divine but I also like Bernaise sauce. Our server. Brody brought us two of the sauces. Though I liked them both, Sandi and I preferred the bone marrow sauce. The steak was definitely enough for 3 people. The steak was delicious, way too much for both of us so I ended up taking the leftovers home to use the bone for Sandi's beef barley soup. 

The sides we ordered were the Pommes Puree and the Roasted Corn. The Pommes Puree was buttery and silky but lacked salt. However, the corn was super delicious, a must order next time. 

We had to try their desserts so we ordered the Cake of the Month which was an almond cake of some sort with creme fraiche and the Bananas & Cream. The cake was not particularly good. I am not an almond fan but Sandi is. She disliked the cake. My bananas and cream was 95% cream and something at the bottom that was unidentifiable to me. There were banana chips on top. I had 2 bites, trying to like it and asked Sandi to try it. She didn't like it either. When Brody came back to check on us, I told him that everything was delicious but this was their downfall. He apologized. Later he brought us 2 glasses of sparkling wine for Sandi's last supper and offered not to charge us for the desserts which we appreciated. He also brought us a dessert liquor which was a nice touch. 

The Rex Seaside Steakhouse was good but I think that overall, Pacific Standard Prime is better. The Rex Seaside Steakhouse is located at 221 Ave I in Redondo Beach, California.

La Bocca Felice

Amy's daughter Lynn treated Sandi for dinner, and Amy and I were lucky to be invited. She took us to this Italian restaurant in San Pedro, La Bocca Felice, which translates to "happy mouth."  Indeed we all ended up with happy mouths!

Sandi, Amy, and I have never been there, but Lynn has previously had the pleasure of dining there. She ordered a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and an appetizer for us to share; Capesante were wild jumbo scallops, seared with dried cranberries, pine nuts cooked in Marsala wine. This dish was outstanding.

Amy and Sandi ordered the Pappardelle Short Rib Ragu. That sounded so good, so I asked Sandi if she would be willing to share that if I ordered the Vitello Marsala, thinly sliced veal seared with portobello mushrooms cooked in a sweet marsala wine sauce. She happily agreed. We both thought that the pasta was cooked to perfection and the veal was tender, juicy, and had a wonderful flavor.

 

Lynn had the Pesce Del Giorno (fish of the day), which happened to be Sea Bass. I had a bite of this delicious flaky fish with veggies. 

Though everyone was full, Lynn didn't have difficulty persuading us into ordering dessert. Amy and Lynn shared the Panna Cotta, which they seemed to enjoy. Sandi had the Cannoli, which made her very happy, and I chose the Sorbeto Al Limone, which had the right amount of tartness and was an excellent finale for my meal.

I can't wait to go back to La Bocca Felice. After all, my mouth should always be happy! La Bocca Felice is located at 301 W. 6th St. in San Pedro, California.