Fia

My brother Gary and Ramon invited me and Sandi for dinner to celebrate our birthdays. My son happened to be home, so he, too was invited. Gary and Ramon have been to Fia numerous times and loved it.

We were seated outside and though Sandi and I usually don't like sitting outside, this was very nice. The whimsical garden had an enclosure and also had heaters which they didn't have to turn on last night.

It was decided to order family style which I love because if you order something that's not too exciting, you are not stuck with it. Ramon and Gary's suggestions sounded good plus whatever else we thought we'd enjoy. We started with two orders of the Spicy Salmon Tartare Cones with avocado mousse and salmon caviar. I think I could have eaten 6 of those. It was pure heaven! Sandi didn't want any, and I almost asked her to have a bite but decided against it as it was to precious to share.

The Salt & Pepper Calamari with aioli nero and blistered shishitos with lime was also super crunchy and delicious. The Burrata with panko-crusted asparagus was enjoyed by everyone. We also had the Grilled Spanish Octopus with salsa macha, and grilled avocado. Sandi was immediately turned off when she saw the tentacles and since she didn't intend to try it, we insisted she eat the rest of the avocado.

The Lobster Capellini "El Nero" with basil and tomatoes were cooked to perfection with chunks of tender lobster meat. The Braised Short Rib with truffle honey, rutabaga, beef eggroll and creamed spinach was excellent. The meat was so tender and juicy.

We had to have veggies, so Gary thought the Roasted Cauliflower with shallots, ginger, mint and chili would be a good addition. The cauliflower was good but it was nothing special. It was decided to order another item. Handmade Cavatelli with parmesan, brown butter, and freshly shaved black truffle was a great finale to the meal. It was rich but just divine.

They presented Sandi with a chocolate cupcake for her birthday. We ordered two desserts to share. One Amalfi Lemon Mousse Cake and the Cascading Tiramisu, with espresso-soaked lady fingers and mascarpone mousse and chocolate sorbet. The tiramisu had a very impressive presentation. Both desserts were excellent. I would have preferred the tiramisu to be a bit stronger in the coffee flavor, but that's just me.

We all enjoyed the meal and the company. Thank you, Gary and Ramon, for an unforgettable birthday celebration. 

Fia is located at 2454 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, California.

Lazy Dog

I haven't been to this restaurant since my son was little. Amy, Zohreh, Sandi, and I decided to try it since not too many restaurants were open yesterday since it was only 3:30 p.m. We had just come from seeing the movie Book Club. Zohreh has never been there, but she knew of it because her daughter would take her kids there. When I looked at the menu online, it looked promising since it had a wide variety of food.

It happened to be Sandi's birthday, so we tried hard to talk her into a cocktail or a glass of champagne, but she stuck to her usual water on the rocks. Zohreh ordered the Fish Tacos, and Amy wanted to try the Bibimbap. I was excited because I love Bibimbap and wanted to see if theirs would be good. 

Sandi and I split an order of Grilled Cheese with fries and the Thai Noodles with shrimp, chicken, tofu, peanuts, stir-fried egg, and bean sprouts, with a pad Thai sauce. We loved our choices. I cleaned out my plate, and Sandi left a bit as she worried she won't have room for dessert.

They presented her with a Chocolate Mousse, which she was kind enough to share. Lazy Dog was much better than expected. The Happy Hour prices on the wine were a big plus. You can't beat $4.00 for a glass of Merlot. It could be better, but it was pretty drinkable!

The Cottage

This darling place at the Cove in La Jolla had very good reviews. The little house was very busy, which is usually a good sign. 

The menu looked so good. The Lemon Ricotta Pancakes got our attention, as did the Morning Glory Sandwich, which had fried egg, bacon, smoked gouda, tomato, arugula, onion, and lemon aioli. This was served on sourdough bread and came with cottage potatoes.

The pancakes were a big disappointment. Both Sandi and I thought it didn't have enough lemon flavor or flavor, for that matter. We split both orders, and we did not finish our half portions. The sandwich, however, was a winner. That had lots of flavors, but how could it not with the gouda and bacon. The combination of tomato, arugula, onion, and lemon aioli made it delicious. 

Next door to the Cottage was another restaurant and bakery. We had planned to try it the following day, which was Mother's Day but later decided against it as we thought it would be wise to hit the road back to L.A. early in the morning. 

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

Sandi and I had our yearly free night at the Marriott, so we combined them to make a nice weekend staycation. We read up on restaurants and decided on Eddie V's by the Ocean. When I called to make a reservation, they only had seats at the bar. We accepted since we didn't make the reservations till we got to La Jolla. We were celebrating her birthday coming up and my past birthday. It also happened to be Mother's Day weekend. When making the reservation, I mentioned to the lady that we were celebrating two birthdays. 

When we arrived at 4 p.m., we were surprised as she led us to a window table with a "Happy Birthday" card and some confetti. We looked at each other and were totally surprised. We were right on top of the ocean, and though it was a hazy afternoon, it was nice to see a bunch of people on their kayaks as seagulls and pelicans flew by.

I ordered a glass of sparkling wine, and Sandi had her favorite drink H20 on the rocks. We split an Iceberg Wedge BLT salad to start. The salad was cold and crisp and just delicious. They also served some nice warm bread. 

I wanted to order fish for a change, but when I saw they had a Filet Medallions Oscar Style with Jumbo Lump Crab with asparagus and Bearnaise sauce, I had a problem. Luckily Sandi had the same idea, so it was a no-brainer to order the Filet and the Sole, and we would split both.

It was unanimous that we order the Butter Poached Lobster Mashed Potato. That was sheer heaven!

The Filet came out first, so we started with that. It was incredibly tender and wonderful. We both couldn't get over how we were enjoying it. The fish arrived when we were almost done with the filet. It looked promising as the presentation was appealing. The fish was very crisp outside and flaky inside, but unfortunately, it didn't have enough flavor. Even Sandi, who is not a fan of salt, was salting her portion. We ate a bit of it but left the rest.

Our server Ramon asked if everything was good, and we both told him what we thought, namely, everything was excellent except for the fish. He had the manager come, and we relayed our thoughts. He apologized and asked if there was anything we wanted that he could get us, but it was too late. I just mentioned that we were going to order dessert. 

A few minutes later, Ramon brought a Bananas Foster Butter Cake, which was flambeed at our table. This came with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream. Sandi and I were totally impressed with this dessert. It blew our minds on how perfect the cake was; not too sweet and very moist. The bananas were perfect. As a rule, we have observed that very few restaurants have great food and desserts together. It's usually either or. 

When we were presented with the bill, they deducted the Sole, which we appreciated. I thanked the manager and reiterated that this was a sign of a good restaurant. They do care what people think and try to make things right, which makes the customers return in the future. 

Sandi's son, Stephen, had called Sandi earlier and told her he wanted to treat her for Mother's Day, so this was his treat. Lucky me for being Sandi's friend. Thank you, Stephen and Elena.

Kim's BBQ

Sandi and I finally made it to Kim's in Rolling Hills Estates. The restaurant has a welcoming feel, and each table has its own exhaust, which looks like part of the design intended.

We both wanted to try the Hot Stone Bi Bim Bop. We were lucky to have Kim, the owner, as our server. She was more than happy to educate us and mix our bi bim bop. The many bowls of radishes, kimchi, etc., went well between bites of the bi bim bop. One of the side dishes was an incredibly delicious macaroni salad.

We both loved this place. It would be fun to go as a group and order the different meats that are cooked on your table. I usually prefer to avoid this since I go out to be served and not to cook, but I am willing to try this next time. As we left, a couple seemed to be enjoying their food, which looked very appetizing. In fact, I commented and asked them, what if we sat next to them and started helping ourselves. They were such good sports and invited us to join them, and we graciously declined. 

I can't wait to go back to Kim's BBQ. They are located next to Bristol Farms in Rolling Hills Estates.

Ryla

My friends Sandro and Steph took me and Sandi out for my birthday early this month. Sadly they could not attend my party. I had never been to this restaurant before, and the lighting and overall design generated a welcoming ambiance.

I ordered the "You Only Live Twice" Vesper with Meyer lemon-infused vodka, gin, sake, Cocchi Americano, and Shiso Oil for cocktails. I liked it very much!

It was decided that we order several dishes to share. We started with the Hokkaido Scallop Sashimi with black truffle vinaigrette, Meyer lemon, satsuma mandarin, pickled celery, and bonito crème fraîche. They were fresh, smooth, and very tasty. We were excited when the Crispy Brussels Sprouts with white miso habanero dressing arrived. So excited that I forgot to take a picture. 

The Pork Belly Bao Buns were delicious and reminiscent of the Peking Duck. Everyone enjoyed those, followed by Korean Style Spare Ribs, Asian pear & cucumber kimchi, and crispy garlic. No kissing after this. The Steamed Manila Clams were different but delicious with their spicy tamarind broth, Chinese sausage, fried bread, pickled chili, and lime.

The New York Steak was cooked perfectly, and there were no complaints; simply delectable. The Black Truffle Fried Rice was outstanding, and it had Chinese sausage, egg, pickled ginger, and freshly shaved summer truffles. 

We had an array of desserts to conclude our wonderful meal. We ordered the Dark Chocolate Meringue, a scoop of their housemade ice cream, and a Blood Orange Tahini Tart. All of them were quickly consumed by the four of us. 

Thank you, Steph and Sandro, for a fun and lovely celebration. Sandi and I enjoyed the evening!