Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant

My niece Ann and her husband, OJ, invited me to have dinner at this restaurant. I had never had Ethiopian food before. They picked me up, and though it was just 12 miles away, it seemed a lot further since we went via the infamous 405 freeway. 

The restaurant was located in a little strip mall. Since I've never had this type of food, I left all the ordering to them since this was not their first time at this restaurant. OJ and I decided to order the Ginger beer to accompany our food. Ann opted for plain water.

They ordered two beef dishes and one chicken dish. Everything was served on a huge platter. They served a dish of rolls of something I'd never encountered. You are supposed to unroll them, break a piece, and then pick up the food with this. I learned that this kind of bread is called Injera. It is a spongy, sour flatbread, reminiscent of a crepe, except it is slightly thicker and yet very light. I really liked the Injera. It was okay picking up the meats with it, though it was a bit frustrating. It takes practice, like anything else. The meats had a lot of flavor.

We were all full even if we didn't finish everything. It was a lot of food. Our server was very nice; she kept coming back to our table to ask us how everything was. We assured her we were all happy.

My first introduction to Ethiopian food was quite pleasant. I wasn't sure what to expect. Thank you, Ann and OJ. 

Queen of Sheba is located at 630 N. La Brea Ave. #106 in Inglewood, California.

Tomato Butter Pasta in the Microwave

This recipe came from Anyday, the microwave bowls sold on Facebook. I bought the 2 large bowls. When you buy the product, they send you recipes online.  I was skeptical when it came to reading the recipe for the Tomato Butter Pasta, but I decided to try it and hope for the best. 

The part I was not happy about was breaking the linguine in half. This was a necessity since it would not have been able to fit in the deep bowl. But, since this was an experiment and I did not have any guests as guinea pigs, I was bold enough to go for it. 

It called for first breaking the pasta, then adding water to the bowl, then adding salt, diced onions, and lots of butter, then cooking it in the microwave for 14-15 minutes. When the pasta is slightly aldente, you're supposed to mix it vigorously, then add the crushed tomatoes (I added some chopped artichoke hearts), and heat it for another minute. 

One of their suggestions was to add ricotta or burrata on top. I chose burrata and garnished it with basil. 

I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Of course, I had to add my usual Parmesan cheese, but it was quite delicious and fresh-tasting! I can't wait to try their other quick and easy menus.

The Rex Seaside Steakhouse

Sandi and I treated Gary for his birthday just last night. Though his birthday was in June, this was his first night to celebrate another birthday dinner.

I brought a bottle of wine that was given to me by the Commelins' and we loved it. Sandi, who can't drink red wine, was talked into ordering a cocktail. The last time we were at this restaurant, she ordered the Lady Luck but didn't see it on the menu. Gary asked her what type of drink she enjoyed, and to my surprise, she said she used to drink bourbon. Our server, Jonathan, suggested the Milk Punch, which was bourbon-based with coconut, in which Gary and I just looked at each other and made faces. We both hate coconut, but Sandi loves it. So she did order the Milk Punch and ended up loving it.

We ordered the Garlic Fries and Caesar Salad to share. We wanted to ensure we did not eat too much to enjoy our steaks fully. 

The birthday boy ordered the Ribeye. Sandi and I went for the Filet Mignon. I remember that the last time we were there, we both enjoyed the Bone Marrow Sauce, so I ordered that to go with my Filet. Sandi decided on the Horseradish instead. For our side dish, it was a given that we have the Creamed Corn, which we absolutely loved. We all were very happy with how our steaks were cooked to perfection. It had a lot of flavor even before the sauce.

While we were enjoying our steaks, we asked for bread since Sandi saw the picture on the website. We've never had it, and it looked good, so the consensus was to order it. It was a sourdough bread toasted and served with butter. It went well, absorbing the bone marrow sauce from my plate. Sandi and I had nothing to take home. On the other hand, Gary could not finish his Ribeye and took it home.

I remember that two years ago, we were disappointed with their desserts. We had ordered two kinds, and both were not good. The dessert menu this time looked promising. They presented Gary with a Sundae, but this was not your boring everyday sundae; it was a soft serve with chocolate balls.. We also ordered the Pavlova to share. That was the best Pavlova we've ever had. Totally delicious and refreshing. 

Our server, Jonathan, was on the ball, refilling our wine and constantly making sure everything was good. In the end, we were offered a shot of Apricot liquor, which was a nice touch. Would I go back to Rex....a definite Yes!

Rex Seaside Steakhouse is located at 221 Ave. I, Suite 100, in Redondo Beach, California. They are open every day from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.