Lawry's Prime Rib

What better restaurant to impress guests who love good food and a bit of "Beverly Hills" other than to take them to Lawry's. I had to make sure they were back doing the "spinning salad," which is definitely part of the show.  The only thing that I was disappointed about was that they did not carve the meat tableside like they used to because of Covid, I suppose. 

We all ordered the Prime rib.  Actually, my relatives did not have a choice. I told them they had to order that and the creamed corn. They, of course, loved everything; who wouldn't? There's really not much more I can say about Lawry's since I have blogged about them numerous times. The fact that I keep coming back should be proof that it never disappoints. In fact, I was just there last month to celebrate my son and brother's birthday. I never get tired of it and never will!

We had their famous ice cream with chocolate fudge for dessert, a nice finale after a big meal. 

It was nice to see Aniel Chopra, the General Manager. He even offered to take out picture outside. I must say, he did a good job!

Lawry's is located at 100 La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.

Yellow Vase

What I do not understand is why this place is still in business. When they opened a long time ago, I recall it being good, not the best but good enough. A few years after, the quality declined.  It has been at least 6 years since I've been to one of their locations.

Sandi and I were craving the 49ers and the Potato Pancakes at the Original Pancake House yesterday. When we got there, we realized that it was Tuesday and they are closed on Tuesdays. Though we were disappointed, we went to Krust for the Lemon-Custard Donuts and forgot that they are closed Monday and Tuesdays. So we drove by Catalina Ave in Redondo Beach, and Sandi, who also did not like Yellow Vase, thought we should check it out. Maybe they got better. We walked in, and they had nice Tango music, and the ambiance put us in the mood.....for just a good time. The pastries looked good. We had had their crepes before but were not impressed, so we decided on the pastries. I had the one with lots of raisins to go with my coffee. Sandi ordered the Apricot Croissant. My raisin pastry looked a lot better than it tastes. The saving grace was the abundance of raisins that made it edible. Otherwise, it was on the dry side and not flakey at all. Sandi's apricot was even drier and tough, and it did have a little apricot something inside. She ate a quarter of her croissant. We both thought it tasted like they were at least a couple of days old. We asked the lady, and she assured us they were fresh. I doubt she would have said: " Yes, they are a old." 

I bought an Apple and Apricot Tart to go for dessert before we tried our breakfast. Those were O.K. but nothing exciting. I also brought a Strawberry Croissant and Blueberry Croissant to take home. The Blueberry was not blueberry; I couldn't tell what it was inside other than it was a bit sweet. I had the so-called blueberry and could only have 2-3 bites and ended up in the trash. 

All I can say is if they truly were fresh, which I doubt, I hate to think how it would taste the following day!

This was a complete waste of money. You are better off going to Krust in Redondo Beach, which is so good, and their pastries are TRULY FRESH, FLAKEY, and BUTTERY GOOD! 

Scotty's on the Strand

Our friend Amy turned 92 last Saturday. She really did not want to celebrate, but Sandi and I talked her into breakfast at the beach, and since she loves the outdoors, we were able to twist her arm the day before her birthday. We've never been to Scotty's though I have heard good things about it. 

The birthday girl ordered the Potato Pancakes with sausage. Sandi had the "Greek to Me" Omelette, which had feta and spinach w/ potatoes, and I had the Acapulco Omelette with chorizo, Jack cheese, and guacamole served with potatoes. We all loved our selections. Sandi made the comment that the potatoes were the best ever she had! Mine was just as delicious. Their only downfall was their coffee which was not the best. Oh well, we can't expect perfection all the time.

Scotty's on the Strand is located at 1100 The Strand in Hermosa Beach, California.

Artiano's Appetizer 2Go

The last time I blogged about Artiano's was when I had their wonderful Roast Beef Sandwich. It was just a simple but delicious sandwich. I recently had the opportunity to try their pizza. I asked that it be made with a thin crust which I always prefer for pizza. 

I ordered the mushroom, olives, and spinach. We were all pleasantly surprised at how good it was. The cheese was fresh and not the type that's usually found in regular pizza parlors. You could actually taste the quality cheese. 

They have multiple sandwiches and salads, so I have a long way to go to try more items on the menu. I don't doubt the rest would be just as delicious, judging by the items I already have tried. Artiano's Appetizer 2Go is located at 24422Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance, California.

Healthy Salmon

Yes, believe it or not, it's healthy, and I love it, and it's always a hit because it is truly delicious. I had Amy, Mike, Zohreh, and Sandi over on a weeknight.  We had a few hors d' oeuvres in the backyard. We enjoyed some Champagne except, of course, for Amy, our 92-year old dear friend who loves her red wine. 

It was an effortless dinner. I had warned Zohreh and Mike that this dinner is unlike their dinner parties, where they serve a ton of food! I just served the steamed salmon with good old unhealthy mashed potatoes. Since the salmon was healthy, I didn't feel guilty cooking the potatoes with a ton of butter, milk, and whipping cream. We had to have something green, so I cooked some asparagus and served it with a homemade sauce. Everyone loved it; at least that's what they said!

Dessert was a big hit. Sandi made the most delicious fresh Peach and Blueberry Pie. It was outstanding!

Krust

I haven't been to Krust in a long time. I was surprised to see they have much more variety in their pastries in addition to the breakfast specials. The first thing I asked them was if they still made the lemon-glazed donuts. The answer was yes, but they asked if I wanted it with custard, and since I've never had it with custard, I ordered one. Upon reviewing my old blog, I apparently had the custard but with powdered sugar, not lemon glazed. I also got a couple of Almond Croissants. 

The lemon donut was superb; I've never had custard that good ever! The custard is not sweet and very light, so it's just perfect. I preferred the lemon glaze to be more lemony since I like things tart, especially if paired with custard. The almond croissant was also perfect. So perfect that even eaten the following day, it was still flaky, crispy, light, and that was without refrigeration or heating. 

Amy loves croissants, so I thought she would enjoy their croissants. Last week I called her up just before she intended to go to the gym. I told her we could meet after her workout. She canceled her plans for the gym when she heard "croissants." 

I, of course, had to get more lemon donuts; Sandi had placed an order for breakfast the following day. Amy went crazy and bought several almond croissants and lemon donuts. Needless to say, she did enjoy both pastries. We also noticed they sold French baguettes, which looked good, so I got a couple to take home. I thought we could have some cold cuts with the bread for dinner. 

The baguettes were authentic French bread, crusty outside and soft inside. I did speak to the new owner, Yuni, who was very nice. They have expanded to the next room, a cozy room that you can enjoy your pastries and coffee. There are a few small tables outside for people that like to eat outdoors like Amy!

Krust is located at 1300 S Pacific Coast Hwy. in Redondo Beach on the corner of Ave. E and PCH.

L' Hirondelle Restaurant

I had reservations for dinner at L'Hirondelle in San Juan Capistrano while staying there for the evening last week. It was a charming little restaurant that reminded me of an old restaurant in Torrance called Chalet de France, which is no longer in operation.

Sandi and I both decided on the Petit Filet Mignon, with mashed potatoes. We did not order an appetizer or salad since we had wine and hors d' oeuvres in our hotel. We also enjoyed their bread while anxiously waiting for our food. I could not decide which sauce I wanted because I love Bearnaise sauce, and I also love the brandy peppercorn sauce. But I settled for the Bearnaise. Lo and behold, our server gave me a small dish of peppercorn sauce which  I thought was a very nice touch.

We could not believe how tender the steaks were. We both thought we have never had steaks THAT tender! Sure, we've had perfect steaks elsewhere, but nothing really compares to this. We were very pleased and pleasantly full.

We decided we would have dessert even before we ordered our entrée, which is why we asked for the dessert menu before we even looked at the dinner menu. Upon careful thinking, we decided on something light. Cherries Jubilee. I told them it better be good because I do make a perfect Cherries Jubilee. Though it was not flaméed tableside, it was still good, not as good as mine if I may say so, but that's only because mine has much more brandy!

The sad part about this restaurant is that it is too far from the Palos Verdes/Torrance area. L'Hirondelle is located at 31631 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California. If you are ever in the area, try and book a reservation. You'll be glad you did.