Dominique's Kitchen

Our friend Sugar invited us to one of our favorite restaurants, Dominique's Kitchen. Seeing Liza and Dominique is always like seeing long-lost friends. I haven't been to the restaurant in a year, which is a sin! Zohreh, Sandi, and I were elated when Sugar chose Dominique's.

We ordered Garlic Fries to whet our appetites. That went fast. Sugar and Zohreh ordered Mushroom Soup, which was delicious. They both loved it. Since Sandi and I decided to split the Couscous with Burrata, I got too excited to take a picture of their soup. In addition, Sugar ordered an Organic Mesclun Salad, which looked promising.

Zohreh ordered the Salmon with Zucchini, some greens, and some sauce. Sandi and I ordered the Pan-Seared Sole with Spinach and Black Rice. I asked for mashed potatoes instead of healthy stuff. From the first bite, Sandi and I were in heaven. I hardly get excited over fish, but their sole is not just good but outstanding. They've always had this on their menu, and I hope it will always be on their menu! Sugar had the Beef Bourguignon in Burgundy wine, caramelized red onions, and delicious mashed potatoes. I have had that in the past and always enjoyed it.

We were all full, but since they no longer serve their infamous Bakes Alaska, I thought it would be good to share another favorite of mine; Floating Island.  We also had the Latte Panna Cotta. We were all delighted and satisfied.

Dominique's  Kitchen is still very good, and I always recommend it to people. It is at 522 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, California.

Adore Dessert Café

We already know that Adore has beautiful French desserts, and they are truly delicious. Kaity mentioned that they started Le Goûter Casual Tea the last time I was there. Goûter's translation is "snack."

Our friend Cindy finally got a day off work last Thursday. She asked if we would like to meet her for afternoon tea;  is the Pope Catholic? We were all excited as Kaity asked us many questions, like how we wanted our eggs, whether we ate seafood, whether we had any allergies, etc. She did not tell us precisely what we were to get, only that we would get three savory dishes and three desserts plus a choice of a variety of coffee or tea. The element of surprise made it very interesting.

We ordered our drink and anxiously waited for our surprise. I felt like a kid again on Christmas day, waiting to open presents. Even the drinks looked so good.

Kaity came with three trays, all a bit different. We all had an egg dish and two savory dishes. I absolutely loved my Salmon Rillette, a mixture of smoked and fresh salmon with lemon seasoned with capers, shallots, and fresh herbs with lemon juice. This was topped with thin slices of pickled radish. The other one was a Spanish Sobrasada, the best I've had. 

Cindy's and Sandi's savory dishes were different, but I didn't bother trying them since I was thrilled with mine. They, too, loved theirs. Desserts were all a variety of Tiramisu, Chouquettes filled with cream, another Chocolate Mousse, and a Raspberry dessert.

Kaity, who is always open to suggestions, asked what we thought, and we all thought everything was great at the time. We thought about it later and agreed that having four savory dishes and 2 desserts would be better. The three desserts were just too much. 

Adore has come a long way. They have a nice selection of sandwiches, which we are all eager to try. If you haven't had their quiches, you are missing something! 

Adore is located at 901 N. Catalina Ave. in Redondo Beach, California.

Forma

Forma is one of my favorite restaurants. No one can top their Fried Artichoke Salad, Caccio e pepe, or Tortellini. Sandi and I brought a friend, Carrie, who has never had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant. 

Of course, we started with the uncomparable Crispy Artichoke Salad. It was crispy because the artichokes were fried—fried because everything is better fried! They were mixed with arugula, fennel, snow peas, walnuts, and aged goat cheese. Feel free to ask for extra dressing.

Sandi and I already planned what we would order. We split the salad and had one to go for dinner. We both ordered our favorites, Cacio e Pepe and Totellini. For those not familiar with Cacio e Pepe, they prepare theirs with Chitarra pasta, black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil and finished in the pecorino romano cheese wheel. The Tortellini is prepared with mushrooms, light cream, and truffle oil and then finished in the bela lodi cheese wheel.

Carrie took our suggestion and ordered the Crispy Artichokes and the Cacio e Pepe. Before they brought it out, she was fortunate to watch the man dump the pasta into the cheese wheel while lightly scraping the inside. Oh, mamma!!!!

Our server, Tommaso, was excellent. Grazie per la bella esperienza! Mario, sorry to have missed you again.

Forma has 2 locations, Santa Monica and Venice, California.