My Favorite Quiche

My favorite quiche recipe is from the old restaurant in Beverly Hills called L' Escoffier, which is no longer there. Whether or not it is the original recipe, all I can say is it never disappoints. 

I invited my niece Anne and her husband OJ for dinner last night. We started with a Mushroom Salad which they loved, and I did too. They were commenting that they'd never had raw mushrooms before. 

Dinner was a quiche that is not in any way healthy as it is made with bacon, heavy whipping cream, and Gruyere cheese. I neglected to tell them to bring some Lipitor if they had a cholesterol problem. My neighbor had given me a bunch of vegetables from their garden, so I cooked those for our side dish. 

Dessert was store-bought Blueberry Pie. It was not the best pie, but it wasn't bad. Sandi wasn't here to make one of her delicious pies! Oh well, it can't be all perfect.

Back to Meet in Paris

It was just last week that I was at this restaurant. I wanted to take advantage of the dineLA, so this time, Zohreh and Mike whose never been there, came along. We sat outside, and though it was a beautiful day, there was a cool breeze enough for us to have them turn on the heater. I must mention that our initial server tried really hard to get the nice heater with rocks next to us going but was unable to do so.  After some time, he concluded that it was broken, so he moved the big heater next to us. That's what I call genuine service.

We all ordered the excellent Crab Cakes. Both Zohreh and Mike had the Steak Frites. I was elated by the fact that they truly enjoyed it. Both steaks were cooked to perfection.

I decided to have their great Mussel.! I had forgotten how good they were.  Zohreh was kind enough to share her fries with me, which went well with the mussels. I had no problem emptying my bowl. We also ordered their freshly baked French bread, but we ingested it before I could take a picture.

When our server came back to ask about dessert, I took charge and ordered 2 of my favorites. The Tarte Tatin, and the Profiteroles. Again, before I could take a picture of the Tarte Tatin, Zohreh had already dissected the dessert. Both were devoured and enjoyed. Sebastian, the owner, came by our table and ensured everything was up to par. 

Meet in Paris is located at 9727 Culver Blvd. in Culver City, California. They are open every day for lunch and dinner and are also open for brunch on the weekends. They have "Happy Hour" and  Jazz night. 

Jame Enoteca dineLA

Sujata, Amy, and I took advantage of the dineLA for this restaurant in El Segundo. Though Sujata, Sandi, and I have been there numerous times, Amy never had the pleasure of dining here. 

They had the 3-course meal: one gets to pick an appetizer, an entrée, and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Sujata picked the Brussels Sprouts, which is one of the best I've had. Amy and I settled for Spicy Caesar Salad which indeed was spicy but tolerable. It was delicious. 

For our entrées, Amy tried the Paccheri Rigati, spicy pork sausage, sugo, fennel, sage, and pecorino. She loved her pasta. I tried it, and though it was perfectly cooked and the spiciness perfect, I did not care for the overpowering taste of the fennel. If you like fennel, you will love this dish.

Sujata and I were torn between the Capellini and the Spicy Rigatoni, so we agreed to order one of each to share. We both enjoyed them. The next time I think I would stick to the Spicy Rigatoni "alla vodka" since it had more flavor. One thing for sure, no matter what pasta you order, you can count on it as being aldente which is perfect for any Italian pasta dish. Both Sujata and Amy had leftovers. I had none to take home, but Sujata graciously insisted I take her leftovers. I did not argue. I have to mention, our server Brian was very attentive; service with a smile!

The Chocolate Chip Cookie was a perfect dessert. It was nice and warm, a bit gooey, and not too sweet. 

You can always count on a great deal for Jame Enoteca's dineLA menu. They are located at 241 Main St.in El Segundo, California. 

Meet in Paris

I have been to Meet in Paris multiple times, and almost every time I go, we get lost. But it is worth getting lost for. This restaurant is consistently good. My friends Wayne and Tiffany wanted to take me out for lunch and asked where I would like to go. I first asked them if they liked Mussels or Steak Frites and the answer was yes. Wayne drove, and Tiffany was the navigator with the help of her GPS. We got there without getting lost this time.

It was hot the afternoon they picked me up, but we loved the table they assigned us to. It was outside, but there was a canopy and a very nice breeze. It really was a perfect afternoon. 

Since Wayne and Tiffany have never been to this restaurant, I suggested we go for the dineLA menu. For appetizers, Wayne had the Lobster Bisque. Tiffany and I ordered the Crab Cakes. I've never had them before. We thought it to be delicious. Something I would order again.

For our entrée, Tiffany had the Mussels. Their mussels are the best. I used to love the Chorizo but they no longer have it. They narrowed it down to about 6 kinds. I might try the Lobster and Brandy Bisque or the Truffle and Mushroom -Crème Fraîche next time.

Wayne and I had the Steak Frites, which is always wonderful. Though Wayne finished his steak, he had a problem finishing his fries. I, on the other hand, cleaned out my plate! Surprising?

Meet in Paris is consistently good as far as food and service go and is always a delightful experience. Thank you, Wayne and Tiffany, for an enjoyable afternoon.

Meet in Paris is located at 9727 Culver Blvd. in Culver City, California.

Sugarfish dineLA

I was excited to see Sugarfish as one of the restaurants participating in dineLA.  I mentioned it to my friend Yvonne who loves sushi and sashimi. We decided to go as soon as they opened to avoid crowds.

It was convenient to find the metered parking structure right next to the restaurant. 

We started with a beer as we both agreed that this was the perfect partner for any Japanese food. We first got a dish of Edamame. I would have loved for it to be warm as opposed to cold. I wonder if next time, I could ask them to pop it in the microwave?

Shortly after we finished our edamame, our server brought us a bowl of Salmon Sashimi which we loved. Then came 2 pieces of Albacore Sushi and w pieces of Salmon Sushi. We were both just making sounds which reminded me of Meg Ryan at a restaurant in the movie "When Sally Met Harry."

After that, we got a Toro Hand Roll which was nice and crisp outside and just yummy inside. 

Then came 2 more pieces of Japanese Yellowtail Sushi and 2 pieces of Hokkaido Sea Scallops Sushi. Yvonne isn't fond of scallops but was willing to try. To my disappointment, she ended up liking it. If she hadn't, I would have done her the favor of consuming them.

For the finale, we got a Blue and Dungeness Crab Hand Roll. That was super delicious. Though we were no longer hungry, I could have eaten maybe 2 more pieces of something. Everything was just so good that it got my mojo going in high gear!

Yvonne surprised me by getting the bill. She argued that this was a belated birthday treat. Thank you, my friend, for a wonderful lunch. 

Sugarfish has multiple locations, but we went to the one closest to us, which was in Manhattan Beach, California.

Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine

Bossa Nova Brazilian Restaurant has been around for at least 25 years. I have been to several of their locations, most of them in Los Angeles. When I discovered recently that they have one closer to home, I was able to talk Zohreh into coming with me for an early dinner. It was exciting to see they have a bakery section and an array of Brazilian goodies for sale. 

Looking at the menu was thrilling; too many choices, from bowls, salads, pizza, seafood, steaks, etc. Zohreh found her pick: Sea Bass Fillet with black beans, sweet potatoes, and roasted vegetables. The fish looked and tasted very good, and I had a bite to check it out. Zohreh particularly loved the roasted veggies as well as the sweet potatoes. 

I ordered the Camarao a Brasileira. Generous portions of succulent shrimp roasted with garlic. My plate came with black beans, salsa, mashed potatoes, and plantains. I loved the powdery stuff that was supposed to be mixed with the salsa and shrimp. I didn't know what it was till I asked our server David who helped explain what it was and how to consume it. It was yucca! I don't know what they did to it, but it was so good and really enhanced everything.

Bossa Nova is excellent, and I can't wait to go back and try the many other dishes on their menu. This branch is located at 4460 W. Rosecrans in Hawthorne, California.

Gaetano's Happy Hour

This is the second time in 2 weeks that Zohreh and I have taken advantage of the Happy Hour at Gaetano's. All appetizers are 1/2 off, and you get $3 off drinks. 

Their Calamari is good, and so is their Bruschetta, but this time, we ordered the Burrata Caprese and Stuffed Artichoke Hearts for our appetizers. We enjoyed both though the Fried Artichoke Hearts they used to serve took the cake. But you can still get those at Piccini's Italian takeout, which is part of the Gaetano family. 

I have to mention that their homemade bread with olive oil, herbs, and parmesan is outstanding!

 

We ended up ordering a bottle of wine which we also enjoyed. We didn't think the appetizers would fill us, so we ordered the Shrimp Mediterranean Penne, which we loved. I have had it before, and it was just as delicious. It is easy to overcook shrimp, but that is never the case here. 

Our server, Odalis, was a delight. She enjoyed her job and was not there just to make a living. That is sometimes the case, which takes away from the dining experience. 

The nice thing about the Happy Hour at Gaetano's is that they have it every day, Monday through Sunday, from 2pm to 5pm. Gaetano's is located at 2731 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Torrance, California.

Cremé de la Crêpe Cafe

This Créperie has been around for ages. I used to go to the one in Redondo Beach, which was always very good until one day, it wasn't. They just opened a branch in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Mall. Many years have passed, so I decided to give it a try. Cora and I met for breakfast after attending mass at St. John Fisher. The restaurant was tastefully decorated with Halloween skeletons and pumpkins. 

It was not busy at 9:00 a.m. Cora and I decided to order the same thing; Brioche French Toast and a bowl of fresh fruit, which included banana, strawberry, and mango. The presentation was very pleasing to our eyes, and we got all excited because it looked good. It also came with a dish of cinnamon whipped cream, which we both loved.

We were very happy with our breakfast as it was delicious. They have weekly specials, no corkage on Wednesdays, all-you-can-eat Mussels with French fries on Tuesdays, 3-course prix-fixe on Thursdays, etc. I can't wait to try the all-you-can-eat Mussels, which are pricier than Meet in Paris in Culver City. Hopefully, it will be worth it.

Cremé de la Crêpe has several locations; Rolling Hills, Redondo Beach, and Long Beach, California.