The Bull Pen

The Bull Pen has been in operation since 1948, though not at its current location. They have been at 314 Ave. I in Redondo Beach since 1978. It seems unbelievable that I've never been there before. Some of my old friends have been there at least one time. This was known as a "pick up joint", in the past. I know they have a band and dancing on the weekends. They have been written up as one of the best restaurants for prime rib, though they only serve it from Thursday to Sunday.

Sugar invited Zohreh, Mike and me for dinner. I was excited to experience the food and the ambiance. It was dark, like what you expected from the old steak house restaurants. The place isn't very big. When you walk in, they have a bar on your left and straight ahead is a small area for the band and dancing. 

We got there at 5 p.m. Our server, Lisa, recommended some appetizers. We ordered Sauteed Mushrooms and Shrimp Cocktail. The mushrooms were so delicious and it came with some toast that I'm sure had lots of butter. I couldn't get over how good they were. The shrimp cocktail was nice an fresh.

Three of us decided on the Prime Rib and baked potato with everything. Zohreh opted for the Pan Seared Sea Bass. We also ordered Salad with bleu cheese dressing and an order of Mac & Cheese to share. The salad was outstanding. Sugar ordered her meat rare, and she got it rare. However, Mike and I ordered our meat medium but it was rare so they took it back. My meat was on the tough side. It also had s lot of fat. I spent a lot of time cutting into my meat. I noticed that Sugar's rare cut didn't have as much fat as mine or Mike's. The picture below is the rare prime rib.

Zohreh's Sea Bass was better though I thought it was such a small portion of fish. The baked potato made up for it. The baked potato was very good! I would order the salad, mushrooms and baked potato again and again!

Lisa was unable to persuade us to order any dessert. We were all full. I would give The Bull Pen another chance and perhaps order a burger? It might also be fun to go later on a weekend and wait for the band to play.......

Créme de la Crêpe

After tai-chi class, Zohreh and I decided to go to this restaurant. We planned it earlier, and she brought a bottle of wine since Wednesdays are "no corkage fee." nights. What better way to enjoy dinner. 

We wanted a leisurely meal, so we ordered the Cheese Plate as an appetizer. We loved the presentation, which looked so inviting, and the cheeses were well-picked to go with their French bread. 

Zohreh ordered the Chicken Dijon with potato gratin and beautiful vegetables. I had the Mussels. Lucien, our server, suggested I try his favorite, Mussels with brandy and lobster sauce. I love the one with mustard, but it was time to broaden my horizon. I was satisfied. It was genuinely delicious and came with a big mound of French fries. I knew I would end up dumping half the fries into the beautiful sauce, so I tried to work quickly, get all the meat off the mussel shells, and enjoy everything. 

Lucien came back to ask us if we wanted dessert. Zohreh said she was full. So was I, BUT I reminded her that desserts usually go to a reserved compartment in the stomach. We decided to split an order of Crêpe Suzette. This was the perfect end to a wonderful meal. 

So far, I haven't had anything "not good" at this restaurant. Créme de la Crêpe is located at 550 Deep Valley Dr. #145 in Rolling Hills Estates, California. They also have other locations in the beach area. 

Chicken with Honey Mustard Dressing

This recipe was so simple that I doubted it would be good, but I decided to try it anyway. Zohreh and Mike were up to being my guinea pigs.

The recipe called for just pouring the honey mustard dressing on a baking pan. You then lay the chicken that's been sprinkled with salt and pepper. The recipe called for chicken thighs, but I used skinless chicken breasts. Toward the end of baking, I added shredded mozzarella and a combination of Parmesan, fontina, and asiago cheese. The result was a very moist chicken with a lovely honey mustard sauce. I served this with fresh asparagus with my homemade sauce and some potatoes.

I thought I would channel my "inner Sandi" and bake a cake for dessert. Again, this was an experiment. Torta di Limone e Olio (lemon olive oil cake). It was impressive to look at as I even decorated it with some rosemary flowers. The cake was on the dry side but had potential. I will try it once more and add more lemon juice, rind, and oil.

I thank my guinea pigs for being such good sports. I checked up on them the following day and they are both o.k.

Taqueria El Otro Amigo

My niece and her husband have been raving about this little Taqueria. When they mentioned it to Sandi and me in the past, Sandi remembered that this was where we parked when I sold my vinyl records next door to the restaurant. We both remember smelling the food that made us hungry, but many people went in and out, so we thought we'd try it another day. We made a note to come at a different time but have yet to do so.

So when Ann and O.J. invited me for dinner last Sunday, I got very excited. They have the best-fried tortilla chips and salsa; greasy, crispy, and hot. (temperature). The salsa had the right amount of spiciness, though Ann commented that sometimes it could be very spicy. They asked me what I wanted, but I left the ordering to the experts. They ordered Tacos de Birria, Steak Quesadilla, and Fish Tacos. All were super delicious. 

We had to order another round of chips and salsa as they were really addicting. They do not serve wine but have a flavored seltzer with 5% alcohol. I had the lemonade, and Ann had the strawberry lemonade. O. J. had the Jarritos Tamarind, which I absolutely loved. 

Taqueria El Otro in located on Crenshaw Blvd. in Torrance, California. It's a tiny place, so it's best to pick up your order and have your choice of alcoholic beverage at home. They offer deliveries via Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates, and DoorDash. Muchas gracias,  Ann and O. J. for a great dinner! 

 

Dinner at Amy's

This is no restaurant. This was an impromptu dinner at Amy's house. Her daughter Lynn decided to cook a pork roast and asked if I would like to come over. The answer was a speedy yes!

The pork roast was baked with onions, garlic, and other ingredients, and her gravy was made with mushrooms. The potatoes were boiled and then cooked in butter and herbs. If your mouth isn't watering by now......I had 2 helpings of pork and potatoes, and that's how delicious they were.

She also made her famous Broccoli Salad with dried cranberries, almonds, and, best of all, bacon. 

The dessert was fresh strawberries dipped in sour cream with powdered sugar. It's the best way to consume fresh fruit.

Even Oliver was lucky enough to have a bit of pork mixed in with his regular dog food. 

It was a wonderful dinner, and it was very nice of her to send me home with a full dinner for another day. Thank you Lynn.

Elephante

This restaurant in Santa Monica is now one of my favorite restaurants. Gary wanted to meet with Sandi and me to exchange "pasalubongs" (small gifts from our travels). He had just come back from a European trip, and Sandi and I had just returned from Asia. Gary suggested this restaurant.

The entrance to the restaurant was impressive. We had to go through a corridor and take an elevator to the rooftop. It was a cold day, and even as we sat by a fireplace, we never took off our coats. The restaurant is on 2nd St. in Santa Monica, so you could see the ocean from our table.

Gary ordered the Burrata Pizza, which was delicious. Sandi had the Fusilli Pesto; arugula, pistachio, Parmigiano, and pistachio breadcrumbs. I had a taste of it, and it was delicious.

I absolutely loved my choice, which was Gemelli Pasta; squid ink pasta, Dungeness crab, tomato butter, and chili. Looking at it may not have been appetizing to some as it looked like black worms, but after the first bite, I was in 7th heaven. I can say that this was the BEST squid ink pasta I've ever had. The combination of the sauce with the chili and pieces of crab was magic! Even Sandi, who is not a fan of squid ink pasta, thought it to be delicious.

I can't wait to go back to Elephante. Thank you, Gary, for introducing us to this restaurant, and thank you, Sandi, for treating us. 

Primo Italia

I was invited to this restaurant that's been around for a while, located at the Hillside Village in Torrance. I never went, only because I heard it was not that good. This is from a couple who enjoys good food and has traveled worldwide, and I was excited to see it for myself.

 

Sugar insisted we order cocktails which took little persuasion. Three of them ordered a dirty martini, and I was happy to order the "filthy martini." It was decided that since we all eat octopus, the fried calamari would be a good appetizer. Our host also ordered a side dish of sauteed veggies which was good. The calamari could have been better, it was not crispy as it should have been, but we consumed it anyway.

Zohreh ordered the Branzino con Carciofi, whole sea bass with artichokes and escarole. Our friend decided to split a Porterhouse Steak with Mike. I tried the fish and thought it was tasteless, but the steak had a bit more flavor.

I decided on the Saltimbocca di Vitello; veal scaloppini with sliced prosciutto, fresh sage, and broccolini cooked in white wine sauce. This was served with polenta. I liked the polenta, but unfortunately, the veal failed to excite me. 

We did order the Tiramisu for dessert to share among the 4 of us, and we all enjoyed this dessert. If you ask me if I would return to this restaurant, the answer is no. For the price they charge, I would be much happier dining elsewhere.

Wild Honey Mandarin Gallery

This brunch was our last meal in Singapore. It surely did not disappoint. Even their paper napkins impressed me.

Grace and Sandi ordered the Delancey; sliced beef pastrami, poached eggs, tomato, grain mustard Hollandaise on a sesame bagel. Dino decided on the Spanish; poached eggs, diced pork chorizo, corned beef, bacon, red pepper, caramelized onions, Hollandaise sauce with their signature brioche. That sounded wonderful but I thought, too much meat.

I finally decided on the European; 2 perfectly poached eggs, sautéed mushrooms wrapped with Itlalian prosciutto, Hollandaise sauce on the wonderful brioche and a petite salad. I loved mine but also loved Dino's and Sandi's.

We were all so happy with our choices. I would definitely go back to this restaurant. This particular branch featured floor to ceiling windows and has a dramatic view of Singapore's famous Orchard Road, considered their "Times Square." 

Bettolino

It was Mary's birthday, and I decided to take her to one of her favorite restaurants and mine, Bettolino, in Redondo Beach. This night was special because they had a singer and what better way to have dinner than with live entertainment. We got there at 6:30 p.m., and the restaurant was packed. It was pretty noisy. I brought a bottle of wine to celebrate the occasion.

Our server, John, was the best! He was both entertaining and informative. He would open the wine bottle with the opener I never could master. I asked him to demonstrate, and I told him I did the same thing, but the lip would not line up with the bottle when I did it. So, he gave me step-by-step instructions and ended up giving me his personal wine opener! Mary and I were so impressed and shocked. No one's ever gone above and beyond to ensure I could do this next time.

We started with their excellent, addictive bread with olive oil, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. For an appetizer, the Crab Arancini was perfect; we had 2 each. Delicious crispy rice balls with crab and a creamy marinara sauce. 

I decided on my favorite Tortelloni Al Limone; spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta in a lemon cream sauce. Mary asked me if that was good. I told her how wonderful it is without exaggeration; o.k. I may have gotten too excited. While waiting for our tortelloni, we had more bread. When John came around to ask us if we wanted more bread, we both looked at each other and said" "Yes, please."

The Tortelloni arrived with much anticipation. We welcomed the fresh Parmesan cheese and added some chili flakes. We both enjoyed our dish very much. 

Mary got a Cannoli Cheesecake for her birthday. I ordered my favorite dessert, the Salted Caramel Semifredo, a semi-frozen salted caramel mousse layered with graham crackers and a chocolate sauce. 

One thing great about Mary is that she can eat like me. Even with all the bread we consumed, we managed to finish our appetizer and our entrees.

We could not enjoy the entertainment as the noise level was so high that we could barely hear any singing, which was a pity.