Fatto a Mano

Fatto a Mano; The Pasta Shop is a wonderful place to get homemade pasta and sauces. The name "fatto a mano" literally means handmade. Sandi and I visited this place several months ago to dine there but were unable to due to Covid. They only have 2-3 small tables since the object is really to buy your pasta and various sauces. We went there yesterday to get dinner for three to take home. 

We met Arlene, the owner, and her husband Marco, who was busy making pizza while serenading us. He loves to sing. I am fully convinced that the joy he experiences from his singing is what makes everything delicious. 

We ordered 2 spaghetti dishes; one Bolognese and one Amatriciana, which had a hint of spiciness. We would have preferred it to be a bit spicier. Both were super delicious. The pasta was cooked aldente, and the freshness of it was evident. I was not sure that was enough for the 3 of us, so we ordered a slice of pizza. The slices are huge, so we had Arlene cut one in 3 to avoid fighting over it. The pizza was Roman Style, not thin, but this was different from your regular thick pizza. This was very light and airy. The pizza we chose was the Buffalo Margherita. Arlene gave us specific instructions on preparing the Mozzarella by cutting it pieces with your hand and putting it on the pizza just before we eat it. 

While we waited for our order, Arlene had us try the Soft Mascarpone Strawberry Cake, which was moist and delicious. 

Amy, Sandi, and I really loved everything, and it was unanimous that we would be returning to Fatoo a Mano soon. We also agreed that it would be much better to eat there to fully experience the freshness of it all and be entertained by Marco. 

Fatto a Mano is located at 610 Torrance Blvd. in Torrance, California. They are open Tuesday-Sunday from 11:00-9:00.

Welcome Back Dominique's Kitchen

They never really left, but with Covid, Dominique's Kitchen managed to stay open for pick-ups. Since they have been available for dine-in again, I was too excited to return to "home." 

Sandi, Amy, and I are "regulars," but our friend Zohreh has never had the pleasure of dining at Dominique's. Liza, Dominique's wife, welcomed us like long lost friends! The place looked good, tables were far apart, of course, and it still managed to look warm and cozy. 

We had to order their fabulous Fondue Savoyarde with diced apples and a baguette. Though the baguette is good with the fondue, it does not beat an order of Truffle Fries. As soon as the fries came, we showed Zohreh, the proper way to get maximum "umami" out of this dish was to dump the fries in the fondue. It was sheer heaven. You could almost hear a choir in the background singing "Glory, glory hallelujah...".'

I haven't had their Lamb Chops in a long time, so this is what I ordered. I was happy that Sandi changed her mind and ordered the Steak instead so we could share. Both were absolutely deeeelicious. My lamb chops came with something square that looked fried. It turned out to be polenta which I shared with the girls to taste as it was so good. 

Zohreh and Amy decided on the Sea Bass, which I had a bite from Amy's, and it indeed got my seal of approval. It was nice and flaky. 

We were too full for dessert. Well, actually, I had a bit of room for dessert, but none of the girls were game. Though they discontinued my favorite, Baked Alaska, they still have the Floating Island. There's always a next time. 

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

Sweet Rice

The best Sticky Rice & Mango can be bought at Sweet Rice. I hadn't been back since the restrictions from Covid, so yesterday, my son and I drove there to eat our early dinner but, most importantly, to pick up some dessert. This really is the star of the show. The mangoes are ALWAYS sweet. I have had them at other Thai restaurants, and it's always a hit and miss. If the mangoes are not sweet, you might as well not order them, or it may be very disappointing. 

When we got home, I almost poured the coconut milk on the rice that still had its cellophane. Sandi told me I almost did the same thing before. She, by the way, put in her order for one. I only ate half so I could have a little bit more heaven later. There is really nothing like it. For people who have never had it or never been exposed to it, I have this to say: Do yourself a favor and head on to Sweet Rice!

Before dessert, I ordered my favorite Chicken Kao Soi, which is yellow curry, ba mee noodles, beansprouts, mustard greens, red onions, fried onions, cilantro, and crispy noodles. It was absolutely delicious. My son ordered the Chicken Thai Omelette, which he thought was a bit too salty, but it was perfect for me since I do like salty.

It was nice to chat with the owner, Angela who has a great memory. She even remembered when I was there last with my friend from the East Coast! Sweet Rice is located at 1630 W. Redondo Beach Blvd. #4 in Gardena, California. They are open every day from 11AM-9PM except for Mondays.

El Rocoto

This restaurant was recommended to me by Tony, who works at the Physical Therapy office I go to. Sandi and I were anxious to compare it with our recent visit to Kotosh, also a Peruvian restaurant. We got there for our early dinner, around 3:30 p.m. There were just 2 couples dining at the time. We noticed about 4-5 servers milling around and no one seemed to notice our presence. I finally had to say "Hello" and someone finally approached us. 

I wanted to order a Margarita but $13 seemed a bit much for a drink so I ended up with a diet coke. We ordered the Fettuccine Huancaina; stir-fried tenderloin Angus, with mushrooms and huancaina fettuccine. Sandi liked this dish better than what we had a Kotosh. I thought it was pretty good, especially the flavor of the meat. I wasn't sure I preferred this pasta to Kotoshs'. We also ordered the Aji de Gallina, shredded chicken with walnut creamy aji amarillo, and potatoes. This was disappointing as it lacked flavor. We both didn't care for it.

Before our food was served, they brought a basket with 2 French rolls and butter which we enjoyed.

We decided not to have dessert because we sat there waiting for our check which never came. By this time, we were the only people in the restaurant. The servers seemed to be enjoying each other's company. We tried eye contact but there were no eyes.....so I finally had to get up and approach 2 guys at the register to ask for our bill. 

The food at El Rocoto may be good/mediocre but the service is certainly lousy. I can only imagine how it is when they get busy. Do they get busy? 

El Rocoto is located at 1356 W. Artesia Blvd. in Gardena, California.

Kotosh Peruvian Food & Sushi

We have been to this restaurant once before and thought it was good, but we could not remember what we had, so it was time to refresh our memories. Sandi and I decided to try it again last week. We ordered two dishes to split. Sushi was not an option since my partner did not care for sushi. Fried rice sounded good, so we ordered the Arroz Chaufa Pollo, chicken fried rice with scrambled eggs, green onions, and bell peppers. The other dish was called Tallarin a la Huancaina con Lomo. Spaghetti with Huancaina sauce with stir-fried beef, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.

Both dishes were absolutely delicious. Sandi thought it was the best fried rice she had had. The spaghetti was very different, but we both loved it as it went so well with the stir-fried beef. It didn't bother either of us that we were loading up on our carbs; rice and pasta. Absolutely nothing wrong with that! We can't wait to go try the many other interesting dishes. Allison, our server, was efficient, friendly, and took care of us. Good service is always a bonus.

Kotosh is located at 2408 Lomita Blvd. in the city of Lomita, California. They are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Sandi's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This cake is one of Sandi's creations. It's very easy to make, so she says, and is so delicious and looks impressive! 

The dinner she served before was also delicious. It was called Mississippi Pot Roast which she served with Brussels sprouts, a salad, fresh carrots, and mashed potatoes. I felt like I was dining at a gourmet restaurant. 

Unfortunately, as the saying goes: "All Good Things Come To An End", I will miss all her cooking and baking when she moves away!

Good Old Forma

My brother Gary took us out for dinner last Sunday. It was the "Last Supper" for our 2 aunts that were visiting. I was excited since I love this restaurant. I couldn't wait to have the  Fried Artichoke Salad with arugula, snow peas, walnuts, and aged goat cheese. 

Diane and Maria were in awe seeing the wheels of cheese, even if they are both from the cheese state, Wisconsin. I explained to them that someone scrapes the cheese inside, and after the Cacio e Pepe is cooked, they dump it in there to add more cheese! Shortly after my explanation, a man started scraping away.

Gary ordered a Charcuterie plate to start. We were all starving, so that was quickly inhaled. He decided to order family style so they can try several dishes. He ordered 2 of the Fried Artichokes, which was perfect because I know one order was not enough for four of us. The three of them probably would have gotten only a bite, and I would have eaten the rest. 

We had to have the Chitarra Cacio e Pepe and the Tortellini. He asked our 2 aunts if they eat fish, and the answer was yes, so he ordered the Branzino w/ Julienne veggies. The other pasta he has had, which I haven't, was the Pappardelle with Veal and Mushroom Ragout. The pasta dishes were excellent, cooked aldente. The sea bass was equally delicious, flakey, light, and very fresh. 

One bottle of wine was not enough for us, so we ended up with two, which was perfect. We skipped dessert because Gary had ordered some, and we were going back to his place to have it. Maria had brought old pictures, and we were at Gary's mercy to identify the unidentifiable. He could not identify all of them, so he had to call our mother in the Philippines to help out. 

It was a fun evening. Wonderful food; thank you, Gary, and thank you, Forma, for the great pasta and good service. We missed you, Mario (the owner). Forma has 2 locations, one in Santa Monica and one in Venice, California.