Telèferic Barcelona

 I could not wait to go back to this restaurant in Brentwood. Yvonne and Sandi were game to try it, and they were adventurous enough to leave the ordering to me.

We started with the Telèferic Sangria, which they both enjoyed. I ordered the Paella Negra since it takes about 20 minutes to prepare. I wasn't sure if we had the medium or large Paella before, and I wanted to be safe, so I ordered the large.

When I was here last, on Easter Sunday, Gary and Ramon did the ordering, and I loved everything and wanted to replicate that experience. We started with the Ham Croquetas with Iberico ham and aioli. There were 4 of these very crispy balls and flavorful and creamy filling. There was an extra croqueta; Yvonne and Sandi were too shy to eat it and insisted I take it. Well, at this point, I had to graciously indulge in their request. The following food that arrived was the Crispy Artichoke Hearts with a light pistachio foam and red curry. If only all vegetables could come close to that deliciousness.

Then came the Pulpo Telèferic, Galician octopus served with truffle oil and pimentón potato purée. I knew this would mostly be enjoyed by Yvonne and me. Sandi was pressured into trying it and politely agreed it was delicious. Then came the Gambas Al Ajillo; Gulf shrimp, lemon zest, and crispy garlic. This came with 2 pieces of toast. We asked for more toast because that sauce was too good. The bread soaked up all that wonderful sauce!

For the finale, we enjoyed the Paella Negra. This came with 6 large Shrimp. I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful this was. We had some leftovers, which I was so excited about prolonging this euphoric feeling. Our server, Laura, was amiable, and we enjoyed her input. She really did take good care of us. 

Both Yvonne and Sandi were pleased and impressed with the food. We skipped dessert. Telèferic Barcelona is located at 1930 San Vicente Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Bites and Bashes Catering

This place has been at its current location for several years. I pass it when I hear mass at St. Margaret Mary. It's a catering place, though they have a few tables inside and outside. I have read good things about the food but just never got to it. We bumped into our friend Carrie, and she happened to mention that she and a friend had their Korean Glass Noodles and some salad. She also mentioned that their Lavander Lemonade was very good. 

Sandi and I went for breakfast last weekend. We ordered the Lavander Lemonade, which was indeed very good and refreshing. Since the owner is Korean, a mother-daughter team, we had to have the Korean Breakfast. Beef Bulgogi, 2 eggs, onion, bell pepper on steamed rice. The presentation was beautiful. It looked inviting and delicious, especially since it was served on a hot skillet, which meant the food stayed hot while eating. We both LOVED the breakfast, which could easily have been dinner. 

I can't wait to try their Crack Fries, French fries seasoned with aioli and parmesan, supposedly their best seller. The Braised Short Rib with smashed potatoes and seasoned vegetables is listed as "Dad's favorite".

The only bad thing bad about Bites and Bashes is their hours. They are open Tuesday to Saturday at 8 AM but close at 3 PM, except Saturday when they close at 2 PM. So normal people that eat their dinner at a regular time will miss out. BUT, for seniors like myself who always like to eat early, getting there at 2:30 PM or close to 3 PM is perfect for an early dinner. 

Bites and Bashes is located at 25600 Narbonne Ave. in Lomita, California.

Créme de la Crêpe

This is where I celebrated my 70th birthday, so Sandi decided to also celebrate her belated birthday.  We went for breakfast. The usual suspects, Amy, Zohreh, Cindy, and Sujata, partook in this celebration.

 

We had a variety of food this time. Amy and Sujata ordered the Oh la la Waffle with strawberries, banana, mango, and Nutella, but both opted for no Nutella. I thought Sandi and I were the only ones that don't like Nutella. Sandi had the Chicken Hash; tender chicken with potatoes, grilled onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomato, avocado, and sunny side eggs. Zohreh had the Salmon Hash, which was the same as Sandi's, except for the smoked Salmon.

Cindy decided on the Omelet de Valmy with bacon, Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and mushrooms. The omelet came with potatoes, French bread with jam, and a salad. I ordered the Crab Benedict. That came with French bread and jam, potatoes and a salad as well. 

Everyone was happy with their choices. We were all pleasantly full till our server, informed us that the birthday girl gets a dessert Crêpe of her choice. She picked the Claire Crêpe, which is just sugar and lemon juice. Fortunately, Sandi was generous enough to share. We all loved it. Next time, I will have to order that for MY dessert, and I may not be so generous!

IHOP

I haven't been to the International House of Pancakes in ages. Sandi and I ran out of breakfast food one-day last week; after our morning walk, we decided to go to IHOP for a change.

 

I was looking forward to ordering one of my favorites; Swedish pancakes, which were really crêpes served with a Lingonberry sauce. When we arrived, the server handed us what looked like new menus. The Swedish pancakes were gone. I used to like their Cheese Blinz, but that has been long gone. 

We studied the menu, which looked promising. There were several new items. We both ended up ordering 2 items to share: the Breakfast Crêpe and a Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Crêpe. Both were delicious. Now, I can't wait to return to IHOP. I probably should not wait too long before they decide to get rid of these new items. 

Créme de la Crêpe

 I have blogged about this restaurant multiple times because I love their food. Wednesday is free corkage day, so we took advantage of that. Zohreh, Sandi, and I went for a late lunch and early dinner. We started with their Cheese Plate, which is always a good choice. It comes with just a few slices of toasted French bread, so we always ask for more slices of their excellent bread.

Their Chicken Dijon entrée is one of the best chicken dishes you can order. I hardly ever order chicken since I cook it quite often, so I like to order something else when I dine out. The chicken is delicious as it is always so tender and juicy. The Dijon sauce elevates the chicken to the highest level! It comes with a nice salad and a large slice of scalloped potatoes that is equally wonderful. It is seldom that all 3 of us order the same thing, but in this case, we did as we all love it. This is quality and quantity since the portions are generous. 

Créme de la Crêpe is located at 550 Deep Valley Dr. #145 at the Promenade in Rolling Hills Estates, CA.

Truxton's American Bistro

Memorial Day is when almost everyone has something going on; barbeques, picnics, etc. Sandi and I didn't have any plans, and Zohreh and her husband didn't plan on anything. We decided to go to Truxton's for Happy Hour. We have been there numerous times and haven't been disappointed yet. 

We decided to order a few appetizers. We started with the Spinach-Artichoke Dip; artichoke hearts with a blend of 4 cheeses with Parmesan cheese ad roasted tomatoes served with chips. This was followed by the Ancho Honey Glazed Shrimp tossed in a sweet honey acho glaze with spicy wonton pepita slaw. They both had a nice kick to them. 

We have had the Buffalo Cauliflower before and loved it, so we had to have it again. This, too, was spicy, and the combination of the bleu cheese crumbles and the cool ranch dressing balanced everything. We had to have some good old carbohydrates, so we ordered the House Chili Cheese Fries with cheddar cheese and onions drizzled with chipotle aioli sauce and parsley.

We, fortunately, had room for dessert, so we had Sandi order what she wanted since it was still her birthday month. She ordered the Carrot Cake with caramel sauce and a side of whipped cream. Zohreh and I had to help her till there was not a crumb on the plate. 

Truxton's American Bistro is a good place to get "happy." They have a few locations; one is at the Hillside Village in Torrance, California. 

Misto Caffé & Bakery

I occasionally get coupons in the mail; lo and behold, there was one for Misto Caffé and Bakery. Zohreh, Sandi, and I went for late lunch or early dinner two weeks ago. If you order an entrée, you get the second for less with a minimum of 2 drinks. It was perfect since Sandi doesn't drink red wine, so she ordered a Diet Coke, and the corkage fee counted for the second drink. We were all happy with what we had ordered, so we decided to do a return visit.

We ordered the Crispy Calamari, which was indeed very crispy with its secret sauce. It's one of the best I have had. Zohreh and Sandi ordered the Almond Crusted Sea Bass with sweet Marsala wine sauce served with mashed potatoes and spinach. The fish had a lot of flavor, and I had a bite, and it was crispy and delicious. Both Zohreh and Sandi were happy.

I opted for Misto's Mixed Grill. It had 2 large prawns, 2 pieces of crabcakes, 2 pieces of sea bass with mashed potatoes, and a Caesar Salad. I was impressed with the amount of food. It had everything; this was not just quantity but quality. I cleaned out my plate! Though I almost always had room for dessert, this time, I had to pass. 

Our server, Gabriel, is getting to know us as he sometimes joins us in conversation. We all plan to return and have Gabriel or Raul, who has also been our server for a long time. 

Misto is located at 24558 Hawthorne Blvd. at the Hillside Village in Torrance, California.