Casa Modena

I was very fortunate to be included in Gary's "Despedida" (social event to mark a person's departure/going away) for Sandi. He picked Casa Modena, where he has dined previously, and raved about the food, particularly the truffles! Lucky for me, Sandi likes truffles!

We got there early so we could really appreciate the ambiance. The whimsical decor was fascinating; the tables were once used to make pasta. Handmade plates with various designs/restaurant names were hanging on the walls. Old pictures and posters of different Italian cities also were on the colorful wall. There was a bicycle hanging from the ceiling. They also had some truffles in a jar for sale. I particularly loved the sign on what they do not serve.

We left the ordering to Gary. He first ordered a nice bottle of Barolo. He forgot that Sandi does not drink; oh well...more for us two to drink.  He thought the the Black Truffle Menu would be best. This prix-fixe included a 4-course meal. Sandi ordered the Truffle French Fries which she promised to share, Gary and I had the Crostino con Burrata & Tartufo. These 2 appetizers had shaved black truffles. They were delicious. We all thought the fries could have used more salt but that was not a problem at all. Our server, William was happy to oblidge. 

All 3 of us ordered the Tagliolini al Tartufo for our pasta dish. This almost made me want to weep. It was heavenly! Gary and I did add some Parmesano which made us want to sing "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah". For our main dish, we all selected the Filetto al Tartufo con Puree di Patate. Excellent steak cooked to perfection with amazing mashed potatoes.

The Panna Cotta al Balsamico Tartufato was the best Panna Cotta I've had in my life, and I've had a few. I was disappointed that I didn't meet the man himself, Umberto. Gary had met him and apparently is a character. He was in Italy purchasing truffles which he supplies to various restaurants. We did meet his charming wife who came to say hello. William, our server was great; service was impeccable. 

I can't wait to return to Casa Modena. It's located at 11701 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. It's in the Brentwood Place Center on the second floor. They also have outdoor dining which looked inviting, especially at night. 

Villa Pierina

A Taste of Italy; dinner at Villa Pierina was a fabulous evening. This is no restaurant; it's the home of Piero and Inez. Sandi and I were invited, and though the renovations at their house were not done, they had to have us before Sandi's departure for Florida. 

The ambiance was genuinely Italian as we walked by their pool and took a tour around the house. We started with an excellent Antipasti; Formaggio, Sopressata, Uva. Piero served Aperol for cocktails; we both loved it as it was nice and refreshing. I will definitely try and make this at home. 

Inez made a very nice Caprese for our Insalata which was delicious.

For our Primo, she served Gnocchi Bolognese, which was Piero's grandmother's recipe. . They warned us not to force ourselves to finish it so we could enjoy our entrée. He also assured us that we could take the leftovers home. I had no problem consuming the gnocchi.

The Secondo came right after; Pesce al Limone, Risotto, Fagiolini. The fish was absolutely divine, and the risotto complimented the fish very well. The beans were not at all bland. It was packed with flavor. Just writing about it now is making me hungry all over again!

Dolce was Sandi's famous Apple Pie. We all enjoyed that. The apples were nice, firm, and a bit tart which was perfect. From our excitement, I forgot to take a picture of the pie. It did look and taste amazing.

It was an evening to remember. Thank you, Piero and Inez. You both outdid yourselves. It's just too bad people can't make reservations for Villa Pierina as it is by invitation only. We were so lucky to have been invited. 

Sweet Wheat

My friend Cindy called to inform me that Sweet Wheat in Redondo Beach finally opened. The following day, Sandi and I decided to go for breakfast. We arrived shortly before 9:00 a.m. My eyes popped out, looking at all the pastries and fresh bread.

We decided to split a Croque Monsieur and a Quiche. We also individually bought a bunch of pastries to sample and take home. The Croque Monsieur was good though it had already gone cold by the time I paid for the rest of my stuff. I asked the cashier if she could reheat it, and she happily obliged. The quiche was very light and fluffy. I loved it though Sandi thought the quiche I make was better. Can't argue there. 

I remember Cindy raving about their Cannalé. So I had to get one of those. I couldn't resist not sampling the Éclair Café, Mini Pain aux Raisins, Apple Tartlet, and the Chouquette. When I got home later, I first tried the Cannalé, which was the best I've ever had. It really was perfect in every way. This is the French version of a mochi-type dessert plus the alcohol. The Choquette was lovely, hollow inside light as a cotton ball, perfect for an afternoon snack with tea or coffee. The Pain aux Raisins was also delicious, and so was the Apple Tart. None of the pastries was too sweet, which I loved.

We both got the Parisien Sandwich for dinner. After heating this in the toaster oven, everything came alive. The Jamon de Paris, Emmenthal cheese, and salted butter went well with their fresh-baked French bread. Next time I would like to try the Caprese, Brie and Iberico sandwiches. 

The Olive Sourdough Loaf was unusually light. I had a quarter of the loaf the following day. I heated it up a bit (not toasted) and had it with just salted butter (no jam) to get the taste of the bread. I am not one to just butter the bread and let it melt. You have to take a piece of butter, preferably a thick chunk, and slap it on the bread. I totally enjoyed and loved this bread.

I think this bakery needs to work on getting more organized. The person helping me and Sandi was doing everything. Cooking our sandwich, getting the pastries we ordered, so by the time I had to pay, the breakfast was already cold. Someone else should handle all the cooking for efficiency. I asked for my receipt instead of an email but never got it. Later, Sandi discovered that she never got the French bread she paid for. 

Sweet Wheat is located at 1430 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. in Redondo Beach, California. They are open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Petrova Chocolates

I attended a small Catholic wedding in Boston last weekend. The bride and groom handed out party favors after the ceremony. There was a box of chocolates that caught my eye. I was told that the owner, maker of these fabulous chocolates, used to work for a Michelin star restaurant, and when Covid hit and restaurants closed, she thought of doing something else, hence the making of bonbons.

I was guided by the groom in which order to consume the 4 flavors in the box. I first had the Two to Mango which was incredible, a burst of wonderful mango liquid inside, then I had the Hazelnut latte, which I had misgivings since I do not like hazelnuts. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. The third was the Yuzu which is hard to describe particularly but was just plain delicious. Last but not least was the Passionfruit which was my favorite since it had a bit of tartness. 

As soon as I got home, I explored Betty Petrova's website.  I felt like a dog outside looking through a window of a store!

Petrova Chocolates is located at 190 North St. in Boston, Ma. But if you can't make it all the way to Boston, you can always order online. 

Waku Waku Ramen

A bunch of us wanted to try this restaurant in Chinatown in Boston. None of us have ever been, so it was an adventure. 

I had a taste of someone's Okayu 5, which is Congee with a poached egg. I loved it. It tasted very much like the Filipino Arroz Caldo but better. Another appetizer I got to taste was the Takoyaki; squid balls with okonomi sauce. That too was very good.

The appetizer that took the cake was the Karifurawa; spicy cauliflower. It's incredible what they can do with an ordinarily bland cauliflower and turn it into something exciting!

I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen, which I loved, except it needed to be a bit saltier. I enjoyed the housemade noodles so much and the excellent pork that I didn't want to take a break and ask for soy sauce. I later found out that the rest of the gang felt the same way, yet none of them asked for soy sauce.

I found a Waku Waku in Los Angeles, but I do not know if they are related to Boston. They are closed on the weekends so I couldn't confirm. I will try to find out. I hope it is so I wouldn't have to travel to Boston to enjoy the food. 

Clear Flour Bread

If you ever get to Boston, you must visit Clear Flour Bread. We were not sure if we would be able to get to this bakery because the Boston Marathon was going on and we weren't sure if there would be road closures on the way. 

There were only 3 people ahead of us in the line outside. I guess everyone else was watching the marathon. The Gods were on our side this morning. As usual, I got too excited as soon as I was inside. Numerous loaves of bread and pastries were on display. 

I had to sample a variety of them so we ordered a loaf of crusty bread. For breakfast, we thought we should try the Spinach, Egg, & Cheese Croissant which was splayed out rather than your typical croissant sandwich. That was absolutely delicious.

The Parmesan & Black Pepper Scone sounded interesting so I got one to sample. That was no ordinary dry scone. This was packed with what tasted like equal amounts of parmesan and pepper. We divided that later into four and we all thought it was very good. The Gruyere Cheese Croissant sounded amazing. You can't really tell by the looks of it since you are unable to see inside but once I tried to pull the flakey croissant apart, the Gruyere cheese was highly visible and you couldn't help but start cheering!! 

We were all too full sharing everything till I discovered there were two more pastries in the bag. The Morning Bun with Walnuts was flakey, buttery, and loaded with walnuts outside as well as inside. I usually do not like nuts but I ate every nut in sight. It was not too sweet, it was just perfect.

The Pain Aux Raisins was equally as delicious as the Morning Bun full of raisins. All I can think of is the terrible thought that I will not be able to go back to this bakery since I do not live in Boston. The next best thing is to befriend or renew your friendship with a Bostonian so the next time they visit you, you can put your order in. 

Clear Flour Bread is located at 178 Thorndike St., in Brookline, MA.