Cremé de la Crêpe Cafe

This Créperie has been around for ages. I used to go to the one in Redondo Beach, which was always very good until one day, it wasn't. They just opened a branch in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Mall. Many years have passed, so I decided to give it a try. Cora and I met for breakfast after attending mass at St. John Fisher. The restaurant was tastefully decorated with Halloween skeletons and pumpkins. 

It was not busy at 9:00 a.m. Cora and I decided to order the same thing; Brioche French Toast and a bowl of fresh fruit, which included banana, strawberry, and mango. The presentation was very pleasing to our eyes, and we got all excited because it looked good. It also came with a dish of cinnamon whipped cream, which we both loved.

We were very happy with our breakfast as it was delicious. They have weekly specials, no corkage on Wednesdays, all-you-can-eat Mussels with French fries on Tuesdays, 3-course prix-fixe on Thursdays, etc. I can't wait to try the all-you-can-eat Mussels, which are pricier than Meet in Paris in Culver City. Hopefully, it will be worth it.

Cremé de la Crêpe has several locations; Rolling Hills, Redondo Beach, and Long Beach, California. 

Black Angus

Sandi treated me to Black Angus the other day. We were both excited because we were always happy with the food and service in the past. Sadly, they no longer offer those specials they used to send via email or coupons. We arrived shortly before our reservation for 3:00 p.m. They said they would not be able to seat us till then, which was fine. I had forgotten how low the seats were, and I thought of asking for pillows though none were in sight. 

They did have a special on the menu that included one appetizer, a choice of steak, and a dessert for two people. We decided on the Fried Zucchini for our appetizer. Though very crispy, I thought the zucchini slices should have been thicker since there was more breading than zucchini. Other than that, it was okay. They still serve their famous Sweet Molasses Bread, which we enjoyed before the zucchini. We also had a choice of salad which was nice.

Sandi ordered the Filet Mignon with Baked Potato. She ordered it medium, but unfortunately, she soon discovered it was rare. It took a while for us to get someone's attention.  We got the attention of a lady walking by; she could have been a receptionist or manager. We told her the problem, and she apologized and disappeared. She returned with a little saucer and took just the little filet mignon. They would have taken the plate in a fine restaurant and given her a fresh steak!

In the meantime, I was enjoying my Ribeye with a fully loaded smaller than usual baked potato. My steak was fortunately cooked medium, and I was almost done eating before Sandi's steak was delivered. Her long-awaited steak finally arrived and was cooked medium, but it was no longer hot, so it must have sat there before our server discovered it had to be delivered. 

Dessert was a large slice of Carrot Cake which we took home and enjoyed the following day. 

The Campfire Special used to cost $48 (dinner for two), and now it costs about $68. I am aware prices have gone up everywhere but paying more and getting less with bad service is not conducive to the pleasure of dining.  It was not busy when we got there and for service to be very bad is not an excuse. I don't think we will be returning to Black Angus soon. 

Lodge Bread

I came across Lodge Bread while Sandi and I were at the Farmer's Market at Wilson Park in Torrance about a month ago. It's the type of bread I love but I've never had this one so I thought it would be good to try. My eyes popped out when I saw all the other items they had; from croisant pastries, scones, monkey bread, etc. They also had a wide variety of breads which I will have to try.

I had to restrain myself in just picking one kind of bread so it had to be the sourdough Country Bread. The Lemon Poppyseed Scone looked good so I got one of those.

As soon as we got home, I started slicing the very crusty loaf. We had it with some Irish butter and jam. The bread was airy inside, the crust was a bit bitter which we absolutely loved! This is the type of bread that would go well with some thick homemade soup or sandwich or just plain, by plain, I mean with butter! It cost $10 but every bite is worth it.

The Lemon Poppyseed Scone was good but a bit dry. We had it with some lemon curd which brought out the lemon flavor more. I will have to get the Monkey Bread the next time as it looked delicious.

Lodge Bread has several locations in Los Angeles but they are at the Farmer's Market on Wilson Park in Torrance every Saturday.

Doubting Thomas

I just can't get over these Tangerine Rolls. Rather than explain the whole shebang about these incredible rolls, feel free to click on the link to my previous blog:

https://solittlethyme.blogspot.com/2022/08/doubting-thomas.html

Laura informed us that she would be making another run to Doubting Thomas, so I asked her to pick up some Rolls for us; again, the maximum they would sell to a customer is three. So, that early morning I called and placed my order. She planned to buy 3 more, but sadly, they were sold out when she got there! 

She carefully set the bag on the front seat of her car and buckled it in for safety. 

As soon as she got to my house, we devoured them. You need not doubt whether these Tangerine Rolls are worthy of buying. Once you try one, even Thomas need not doubt.

Doubting Thomas is located at 2510 W. Temple St. in Los Angeles.

 

La Bocca Felice

I can't seem to stop blogging about this restaurant. Wayne and Tiffany were excited to experience the Italian cuisine of La Bocca Felice since they had never been there.

I brought a bottle of Champagne to share among us as the corkage is still free. Nima, the owner, came to our table and popped the bottle himself as he brought us Champagne glasses. He informed us of their specials that evening. The lobster was one of them, and though I was set on ordering the Vitello Marsala, as soon as I heard Wayne wanting to order the lobster, I immediately changed my mind. I did not want to be drooling over his lobster, so that decision was a no-brainer. I also have had that in the past, and it was outstanding.

For appetizers, we decided to share an order of the Capesante, jumbo scallops seared with dried cranberries and pine nuts cooked in Marsala wine topped with shaved Parmesan, and also ordered Fried Calamari. Everyone enjoyed these appetizers. 

Tiffany ordered what we suggested, which was the Pappardelle Short Rib Ragu. She loved the pasta! Sandi decided on the Vitello Marsala this time and asked for a side of pasta. They were very generous with the pasta. She, too, loved her dish. 

We did not order any dessert because Sandi had made a Peach Crisp the day before, and we thought of having some with a scoop of ice cream when we got home which we all enjoyed. 

La Bocca Felice is still a favorite. They have great food and service. They are located at 301 W. 6th Street in San Pedro, California.

Tatel

Ramon and John have never been to Tatel and when they mentioned they wanted to try it, Sandi and I volunteered to accompany them. They were in for a treat at this wonderful Spanish restaurant. I told them about the prix-fixe they have which is very reasonable and it includes their famous cheescake.

The reservation was made by Ramon and as soon as we walked in there was my favorite server, Yago who immediately called my name like we were long-lost friends. It's nice that I don't have to be an Angelina Jolie to be recognized. We sat at our usual table outside which is not totally outside since it is still under the roof. 

Yago brought us their regular menu so I asked for their prix-fixe menu and he informed us that they only have that on weekdays and this being a Saturday, it was not available. That was a disappointment so I just willingly suggested to the 2 men what I thought they should try. They happily considered my suggestion. John ordered my favorite Potato Salad with tuna. For his entrée, he went with the Prime Beef Tenderloin which looked good. Ramon ordered Green Bean Salad w/ Miso dressing. He also decided to try their famous Iberico Pork Loin. For sides, they both decided to share some Sautéed Spinach and some Brussels Sprouts. They enjoyed their selection of dishes. Before we even got started, we were served a delicious cold and refreshing Tomato Soup.

Sandi and I split their delicious Roasted Beet Salad with oranges, avocado, hazelnut with a light coconut dressing. For our entrée, I asked Sandi if she was game in ordering the Spanish Wild Sea Bass in Salt Crust for two. The server came to show us the fish in the salt crust and moved to a corner and proceeded to crack the crust and fillet the fish. I would have preferred for him to do it table-side as this is part of the presentation/entertainment. This is how they served it in Sorrento, Italy when I first had it 20 years ago. He placed a linen napkin on top of the fish and tapped it with the back of a spoon. He then came with the finished product, served with roasted tomatoes and lemon. The roasted garlic was just as delicious when eaten with the fish. The tomatoes were so sweet. I could definitely order this again. 

For the finale, we had to have their most famous Cheescake. I have said this several times that even if you are not a cheesecake fan, this will be the exception since there is nothing like it.

Unless you live in Ibiza or Madrid in Spain, you will not be able to experience the wonderful Spanish cuisine at Tatel except for the one in Beverly Hills, California.

Truxton's American Bistro

After seeing the movie Mack & Rita with Diane Keaton last week, which was a terrible movie, Zohreh, Sandi, and I ended up at Truxton's American Bistro. Zohreh has never been there, so it was a perfect place to go.

Sandi and I have been there numerous times and knew what was very good. We started with the Buffalo Cauliflower, spicy buffalo sauce with bleu cheese crumbles, and green onion served with a ranch dressing. We all enjoyed that.

 I love their Sweet and Spicy Shrimp tacos in corn tortillas with melted pepper jack cheese, spicy cabbage slaw, with your choice of sides. We opted for the French garlic fries. Zohreh and I split the tacos. Zohreh wanted to order the Seafood Pasta, and I hadn't had that before but was craving pasta after we saw Diane Keaton eating pasta in the movie, which was the movie's highlight. So we split that too. I must say, it was pretty good with the delicious succulent shrimp.

Sandi ordered the Fish & Chips; cod cooked in beer batter served with tartar sauce, chipotle, and ketchup. This came with garlic fries. She seemed to enjoy it.

Our server Ben, a young lad, was amusing. When we asked him to take our picture from far away so as not to make anyone fatter than they are, he got on the chair across our table to take a picture from higher ground. He went above and beyond to make us really enjoy ourselves.

You can always rely on good food at this restaurant. Truxton's American Bistro is located at 24530 Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance, California. There are two other locations; one in Westchester and the other in Santa Monica.