Taco Llama

My friend Josephine introduced me to Taco Llama on Sherman Way in the valley a few weeks ago. It's a hole in the wall inside a strip mall that has been there for at least 30 years. They have to be doing something right if it still exists today.

We both ordered a plate with 3 Carnitas Tacos. The plate came with a salad, rice, beans and chips. I was blown away on how good they were. It is on the salty side and that is probably why I loved them.

On our way home from Bakersfield, yesterday, Sandi and I decided to stop by Taco Llama as long as we were passing through the valley. This time I wanted to try the other tacos to see if there was something better than the carnitas. I ordered one Carnitas, one Pollo, and an Asada. Though the pollo and asada were good, it didn't come close to the carnitas. Both Sandi and I agreed.

Taco Llama has a new owner and yesterday, I got to meet them. Juan, the son lof the owner and his cousin were busy holding up the fort while Juan's mom was on her way home. Taco Llama is located at 16858 Sherman Way in Van Nuys on the corner of Sherman Way and Balboa. They have multiple locations and different owners.

Early Dinner at Forma

Josephine and I left the valley early hoping to avoid the 405 rush hour so by the time we reached Santa Monica, we made the good decision to stop and have an early dinner. The restaurant we decided to go to was non-other than Forma. I told her about the best Crispy Artichoke Salad and that alone was enough to excite her.

We ordered one Crispy Artichoke Salad which consists of fried artichoke, fennel, artichoke, mache, snow peas and aged goat cheese. I was happy that Josephine loves octopus unlike my other friends (you know who you are), so we ordered the Char Grilled Spanish Octopus which sat on a bed of lentils and harissa. The octopus was tender and went very well with the lentils; the flavor was wonderful. Both appetizers are something I would never tire of.

We were almost full before our entrées arrived. Josephine had the Fettuccine Bolognese which she thought was delicious. I ordered the Chitarra Cacio e Pepe which never disappoints. Before they serve the plate, the pasta is tossed into a large cheese wheel and swirled around while they add more cheese. You really have to love cheese and pepper to enjoy this dish. Once served you have the option of asking for more cheese if you please.

Omar, our server who I had the pleasure of meeting on my last visit asked if we wanted to look at the dessert menu. Both of us being so full we could hardly move had to decline. Just then Mario, the owner, walked in and came over to our table. He asked about us ordering dessert and we told him we had to decline this time since we were too full. Before we knew it, Omar came with a dessert sent by Mario. It was a Vanilla Pot with Chia seeds and Blueberry jam on top. It was so good that we managed to finish the dessert. We didn't want Omar to think we were pigs so I told him we had to finish it so as not to hurt Mario's feelings! Aren't we considerate and courteous?

Forma is located at 1610 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica.

Sweet Lady Jane

The last time I went to Sweet Lady Jane with Sandi, we were disappointed in most of what we bought. We did like the Lemon Meringue which was a bit tart which was the way we like it. This time I was able to refrain from getting anything, though everything looked so beautiful.

My friend Josephine wanted to try the Blackout Espresso Fudge so she bought a slice. It cost her $9.50 for 1 slice.  It was very expensive but she pointed out that the slice was equivalent to 2 large servings.

When we got home, we had a sliver of the cake for each of us. We couldn't get over how pretty the cake looked, almost too good to eat. We had a bite and decided that the cake part was dry. We could not detect any espresso from the fudge. I hate to say this but the Chocolate  Fudge Cake from Ralph's Market is a lot better. The rich fudge is delicious and the cake is always very moist plus you would not have to pay a fortune and you are sure to enjoy the cake.

Most of Sweet Lady Jane's products are too sweet. Their Triple Berry Cake is one that's consistently good. They got that one right. Sweet Lady Jane has several locations; Santa Monica (where we went), Westwood and in Encino.

Krispy Kreme Lemon Glaze Donuts

For a limited time, Krispy Kreme is currently serving Lemon Glaze Donut. It started Monday, April 23rd and will be available until Sunday, April 29, 2018. I was excited to try the donuts, so right after our workout at the gym, four of us headed down to the Krispy Kreme in Gardena.

I was disappointed to find out that the lemon glaze donuts were not hot. They had the usual glazed donuts coming out from the conveyor belt. The lemon donuts were already made with the other donuts. I went ahead and bought a dozen, some to eat and the rest to freeze. While we stood there, the manager gave us all a lemon donut (free) to try. They haven't been giving out free donuts in a long time. I tried it and it was nothing special. I had to buy a warm glazed donut to go with my coffee. As soon as I got home, I popped one lemon donut in the microwave for 10 seconds. Then and only then did it become something special. It made all the difference in the world of donuts. It was good but it could have been better if it was a little more tart to cut down the sweetness.

On our way to the Krispy Kreme, I made an announcement to my 3 gym buddies that this should be our last trip to Krispy Kreme for the year of 2018, especially because I just went for a Krispy Kreme run last week and delivered some to them. When we got to the parking spot in front of Krispy Kreme, there was a poster that showed Chocolate Glaze Donuts available the first Wednesday of each month! We have had those last year in August when they first decided to make them in honor of the solar eclipse. They were very good; like the lemon, they are good when eaten warm.  I asked the manager if the chocolate donuts will be available "hot" and he said "NO" which was disappointing to hear. They are still worth buying as long as you own a microwave! If you can't eat these donuts warm, don't bother buying them because they are nothing special.

Inka Wasi

Inka Wasi is a small version of Pollo Inka. I have been to the one in Rolling Hills several times. The food is good and you don't have to wait too long for your food. You line up, place your order and the food is delivered to your table. The hardest part is trying to figure out what to order.

I finally figured out what's what. You can order Chaufa, Saltados, Tallarines, Picantes. Chaufa is essentially fried rice and you have a choice of beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, calamari, tofu or vegetables mixed with your fried rice. Saltado is made with sautéed onions, tomatoes, cilantro, French fries, served with garlic rice. You can pick beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, tofu or vegetables to go with all of the above.  Tallarines is spaghetti sautéed with onions, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cilantro with the choice of beef, chicken, shrimp, fish, calamari, or vegetables to go with the spaghetti.

There are a few more items on the menu. Before our entrées were served, they brought out a cup of their delicious Aguadito Soup which is a chicken cilantro and rice soup. The soup is included with our entrées.

I ordered the Bisteck Montado which is steak topped with a fried egg served with plantains and rice. I have had this numerous times and have always been very pleased. Since there were several of us, I got to try the Chicken Chaufa which was delicious. I thought it would be boring since it was just fried rice. I was pleasantly surprised by the goodness of it. I also had a bite of the Chicken Saltado and decided that I will have to order this next time. It was full of wonderful flavors; the onions, cilantro, and fries together with the chicken was such a delight.

If ambiance is important to you then I suggest you go to Pollo Inka. But if you want good food that's fast, then head over to the nearest Inka Wasi.

Casa Barilla

Casa Barilla just opened at South Coast Plaza. We were able to have a late lunch there yesterday. The restaurant is inviting, with displays of various dry pasta stored in bins. They have cute little recipe books shaped like pasta, salad, and chocolate. We were hungry and excited.

You have to line up and place your order and someone delivers your pasta as soon as it is cooked. Our party ordered the special, Carbonara, which we were to share. Everyone else ordered their own pasta. One had the Tagliatelle Bolognese, traditional slow-cooked meat sauce, someone ordered Linguine Vesuvio, sauteed calamari, and shrimp with capers, tomatoes, olives and spicy tomato sauce. I wanted to try the Spaghetti al Pomodoro, traditional crushed tomato sauce and fresh basil. Someone else had the Orecchiette Pugliesi, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, cherry tomatoes, chili, roasted garlic and Pecorino cheese.

The best ones were the Carbonara and the Pomodoro. It is hard to get a very good Pomodoro; it's the simplest of all yet most places manage to screw it up. The tomatoes were fresh and had a wonderful flavor and so did the fresh basil. The pasta was aldente. The carbonara was perfect, not too creamy and just delicious. The Bolognese and the Vesuvio were also good but I'm afraid to say that the Orecchiette Pugliesi was not at all good. It was tasteless. None of us liked it and if I may be so bold to say, I think this should be taken off their menu.

I have always loved Barilla pasta. It's the only pasta I use when I cook any noodles. It's just too bad that Casa Barilla is not near my casa because there would be no need to buy any pasta with Casa Barilla around to cook my pasta for me.

There are a few Casa Barilla Restaurants around. You can check their website to see if there is one near you.

Little Company of Mary Hospital Cafeteria

The cafeteria of Little Company of Mary has always had very good food. I have blogged about them previously. Two weeks ago, a friend and I went to Sunday mass at their chapel. After mass we quickly checked out their gift shop and admired the many interesting and unique items.

We then slowly walked in the cafeteria and began checking out the entrées. Aside from the entrées, they had a grill section where one could order sandwiches. A salad bar and soup station was one of the other choices. My friend and I ordered the Barbecue Beef with an orange sauce with roasted potatoes and string beans.  We also got a side of beets. Everything was delicious.

I was very happy since my previous blogs in 2012, the quality of food has not changed. I have had cafeteria food at Torrance Memorial Hospital and Harbor General Hospital and none of them come close as far as variety and quality of food at Little Company of Mary Hospital.  If you have to be hospitalized and you have a choice, and if good food is important to you like it is to me, this is the place to go. But if you really have the choice, it is best not having to pick a hospital at all; instead just make a reservation at your favorite restaurant.

Little Company of Mary Hospital is at 4101 Torrance Blvd. in Torrance, California.