absolute CAVIAR

My brother gave me a gift card from absolute caviar last Christmas. Most of my friends do not eat caviar, but I learned that Zohreh and her husband Mike like caviar. So last Saturday, I had Zohreh accompany me to finally get some. I figured that if I was sharing it with them, she better do a little work and come with me. The place is what you would expect a caviar store to be; classy and decorated nicely with bright blue cabinets set on a white wall with a Sturgeon on the wall, no less. 

We met Mariya, the owner. Her husband Alex is in their other store in Sherman Oaks. Mariya was such a delight. She offered us caviar tasting, which was so interesting. We only know of Russian and Iranian caviar, and we were both not aware that Italy and China are also caviar producers. 

We first tried the Siberian Sturgeon Black Caviar, which was so creamy that Zohreh said it reminded her of avocado, and as soon as she said that, I had to agree. It melted in your mouth, and there was not much texture, almost mousse-like but delicious. The second one was the Kaluga which was also delicious. This was close to what you get from the Beluga Sturgeon, hence Kaluga. The Ossetra Black Caviar from Italy was our favorite because it had more of a texture. It was smokey and tasted like truffle. The last one we tasted was the Sevruga, the typical caviar that was very salty, which I also liked since I love salt!

I decided to get the Ossetra Black Caviar and the very creamy Siberian Sturgeon Caviar. We were so impressed with Mariya on how she educated us about caviar, and she had me and Zohreh pick a caviar teaspoon each to go with our caviar. Mariya packed our caviar in a cute bag with ice packs to keep them cold.

I served them with little crackers, boiled some baby potatoes, added crème fraîche, and topped them with caviar. Zohreh, her husband Mike, and I finished everything. We, of course, had to have good Champagne with it, so a bottle of Taittinger went very well with it. Zohreh didn't think that would fill us up, so she made some delicious Lasagna. 

The next time you want a little bit of luxury, treat yourself with some caviar from absolute caviar. They have two locations; one in Beverly Hills and one in Sherman Oaks, California. 

Thank you, Mariya, for everything. 

Nozomi Sushi

Yvonne and I are were at this restaurant in July 2018, almost 4 years ago! She wanted us to go back and have their Omakase again since it was delicious. 

We started with a bottle of beer each, thought we could and should have split one since this was a big bottle, needless to say, we didn't finish it. Our server Akemi was a delightful Japanese lady who explained and named all the different fish we were eating. Of course, I couldn't care less because I immediately forgot as soon as she pointed them out. Before the main dish, we were served warm miso soup and a refreshing salad

Everything was silky smooth and was pure heaven. I had forgotten that Yvonne didn't like uni, which was my favorite thing, so we traded; uni for the salmon roe. She was happy with the roe, and I was ecstatic with my uni!

Nozomi Sushi is located at a small strip mall in Torrance. Their address is 1757 W. Carson St. Suite L, Torrance, California. They are open every day for lunch and dinner.

Chart House

The last time I was at Chart House was in December last year when I was invited by my friend Sugar. I was so impressed with the food that I joined their "Landry's Select Club" where you pay $25 which you get back for use at any of their multiple restaurants from Morton's Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick's, Joe's Crab Shack, Del Frisco's Grill and a ton more restaurants and Hotels. They also send you a $25 reward on your birthday month!

I used my $25 for the corkage fee. I got a bottle of Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano, which was an excellent bottle I got at Total Wine. We had the special, offered only via email to members and was unavailable on their regular menu. Every Monday-Thursday for the month of March, they were offering this deal for $45. This is a 3-course Dinner featuring Soup or Salad, Seafood Trio, Lobster Tail, Scallop, Coco Shrimp, and Crème Brûlee.

Zohreh and I ordered the special. She opted for the Caesar Salad, and I had the Clam Chowder. I asked if there was any way they could substitute the Coconut Shrimp for something else since I dislike coconut. Our server Anastasia, a sweet young Ukrainian lady, immediately said she could offer me grilled Shrimp instead, which I happily agreed to. Zohreh shared some of her salad with me, and my clam chowder was delicious.

Our eyes popped when our food arrived, and we couldn't believe what we got on our plates. The Lobster Tail was succulent. The Scallops were terrific with the toasted buttered bread underneath, and my Shrimp was cooked to perfection. The veggies were good as well, and they also served some potatoes on the side. Anastasia checked on us several times to make sure everything was good. 

I could not have dessert (my Lenten sacrifice), so I gave mine to Zohreh. She was just as full as I was, so she asked Anastasia to just put them in a container to take home. I never saw what it looked like, so I called Zohreh later to take a picture of it. It did look delicious!

The evening was just lovely, especially with the ocean view! Chart House is located at 231 Yacht Club Way in Redondo Beach, California. They are open every day from 4:00-9:00 PM.

Japonica

My son suggested we try this place that was highly rated at yelp. I told him that I had seen the business since it is near where I have my hair cut. They have tables inside and a few outside. Eating right by Pacific Coast Hwy. with all the traffic didn't excite me. So I opted to sit inside. We were early enough that we got a lovely table by the window. 

It was still "Happy Hour," so I got a deal on the draft beer. We started with some Edamame which was really good as we both thought you could eat the whole thing since they were really soft and tender.

My son ordered the Bumblebee Tuna Roll (spicy yellowtail tuna, cucumbers in a garlic ponzu sauce) and asked for a recommendation from our server for something else. She suggested their #1 Best Seller, the White Lightning (seared albacore, white tempura fish, tempura asparagus, garlic butter soy, chive). Though it was good, it was not nearly as tasty as the Bumblebee Roll.

We got a free order of Gyoza which I really liked. I ordered the Shrimp Uni Udon for my main meal, which was fantastic; not much uni, but it was still great. A definite "order again" in the future. 

We didn't order dessert only because I gave it up for Lent. I was afraid I would still be hungry, but I was wrong. The Udon, Edamame, Gyoya, and some of the Bumblebee and White Lightning were genuinely filling. 

Japonica is located at 1304 1/2 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. in Redondo Beach, California. They are open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on weekends.

Piccini Italian Takeout

This is not just another takeout place, this belongs to the Gaetano family. If you are not in the mood to go out and want something light, then this is the place to go for sandwiches salads, and the star of the show is the FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS!

When I looked at the menu and saw the artichoke hearts, I knew I was getting those delicious appetizers. They used to have that on the Gaetano's menu many years ago, and I couldn't understand why it was taken off the menu. I figured too many people were thinking "unhealthy" since it is fried, and I always considered it "healthy" since it's a vegetable! 

I ordered them, hoping they were as good as I remembered, but I had to order dinner for my son and me since I was there. I got a Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich and an order of Zucchini Cacio e Pepe. Vince happened to be there at the time and asked me if I had their Salted Caramel Tiramisu. I have had the Salted Caramel dessert at Bettolino, but not this Tiramisu. He wanted me to try it, so he gave me a container of it which is really good for two. I didn't have the nerve to tell him I had given up dessert for Lent. But, since I am a real trooper, I felt I owed it to him to have at least half of it, my son had the other half. It was delicious! It was worth the sin.... mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! 

As soon as I got to my car, I had to open the container of artichoke hearts so as not to get soggy. I dipped one in the dressing, then another, and while driving, I had yet another! I never eat in my car, but this was an exception. I could have it every day, and I wouldn't get tired of it.

When I got home, I continued to eat some more and left only 4 pieces for my son. The sandwich was perfect, and I would get it again in the future. 

Piccini Takeout is located at 4642 Del Amo Blvd. in Torrance, California.

Soowon Galbi Korean BBQ

Sugar invited me to her favorite Korean Restaurant in Koreatown last week. I haven't been to a Korean restaurant as far as I can remember, and I was just not familiar with much of the food; plus, I know I do not care for a restaurant wherein I have to do the cooking. I can cook at home!

I had no idea that I was really in for a treat. I allowed Sugar to order since she knew what was good. She ordered an appetizer called Soowon Galbi, like the restaurant's name. USDA Premium Black Angus bone-in short ribs marinated for 48 hours. My first question was, do we have to do our cooking? I was relieved to hear that the server cooks for you. Our server, Eddie, came with 10 cups of assorted side dishes, from seaweed noodles to asparagus, etc. He proceeded to throw 2 slabs of beef on the fire. The aroma was unbelievable. We couldn't wait to eat. I was too excited that I neglected to take another picture of the finished product, which he meticulously cut into strips. It was unbelievably, incredibly, super delicious. With all that food, they also served a big bowl of salad!

Sugar, whose stomach is the size of a bird, just ordered the Soon Tofu Stew, spicy silken tofu stew in a stone pot with a choice of beef or seafood. She had me try it, and it too was delicious. I opted for the Stone Pot Bibimbap, assorted vegetables, and beef with rice garnished with a fried egg on a hot stone pot with chili paste and sesame oil. It was wonderfully paired with the Soowon Galbi. Needless to say, I ate most of the Galbi. 

We both salute Eddie for being such a sport. He was a delightful server, and he seemed to know what we needed before we even asked. 

I thank Sugar for introducing me to Soowon Galbi. The only thing I don't like is the restaurant's distance from my house. Sugar didn't mind driving at all and offered to go anytime. Soowan Galbi is located at 856 Vermont Ave B in Los Angeles, California. They are open every day from 11:30 to 9:30 p.m.

 

Bettolino Kitchen

My friend Berenice came to visit from San Diego last week. She has never been to Bettolino, so it seemed an excellent place to take her. 

We ordered 2 salads to start. We both enjoyed the Beet Burrata and the Farrata Salad, which may be the only "healthy salad" that I love! This has farro, quinoa with pesto, pistachios, avocado, burrata in a basil-infused olive oil. They did not neglect to serve us their homemade bread, which is always addicting, and I did warn Berenice not to overeat bread since we still had our entées.

She had the Tortelloni Al Limone a favorite of mine, and I ordered their Lasagna Carciofi; shredded chicken, spinach, artichoke, ricotta topped with crispy spinach. I almost finished my lasagna, but Berenice only had 2 pieces of the Tortelloni because she just could not eat anymore due to the bread overdose!

Needless to say, we didn't entertain the idea of dessert. Our server, Chad, was so fun that Berenice invited him to visit her the next time he went surfing in San Diego. 

Bettolino Kitchen is located at 211 Palos Verdes Blvd. in Redondo Beach, California.

Gaetano's

Haven't been to Gaetano's in a while. After Sujata and I attended our Tai-chi Qui Gong class, we were ready for an early dinner, and I remembered that Gaetano's has a "Happy Hour" from 2–6 pm. We were done with our class at 2:15 pm, so that was perfect. At Happy Hour, all the appetizers are 1/2 off, and they deduct $3.00 from all their drinks. Instead of appetizers, we ordered the Pear Gorgonzola Salad to split. That was delicious though the pears were quite hard, which Sujata preferred. 

We had their delicious bread, which I warned Sujata not to overeat to make room for her entrée. She ordered the Shrimp Mediterranean, farfalle, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic in olive oil sauce. Though she loved it, she could only consume half of it and took the rest home. 

On the other hand, I ate all of my Tagliatelle & Chianti Short Ribs. The short ribs were tender, and the flavor was absolutely delicious, just as I remembered. 

I have to mention that or server Bridget was a true professional. The wine I ordered by the glass was not to my liking. This is something that can happen at any restaurant. Either the bottle has been sitting out a long time or exposed to heat; many reasons this could occur. She not only was apologetic, but she immediately took it away and gave me a sample of another red wine to see if it was o.k. before she gave me another glass. That took more time, but it showed how she was determined to please me, the customer. 

Dessert was not in the cards since I gave it up for Lent. Sujata either really didn't want dessert or felt sorry for me and sacrificed not having any. 

Gaetano's Restaurant is located at 2731 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Torrance, California. They are open every day from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.