Zoku

Zoku is part of the new restaurant Torikizoku, but I haven't been there yet. Cindy and I tried Zoku last week. We had reservations at 4 p.m. when they opened. The furniture is crafted in Japan. They specialize in Yakitori, and it is interesting to know that the Chefs are trained in Hinai Jidori, a prestigious level of yakitori training. They use Binchotan Charcoal, an all-natural high-grade hardwood charcoal used for Yakitori.

We were excited to see the menu, which our delightful and sweet server, Yui, explained to us. We ordered the Waguu Beef with apple steak sauce skewer, which was reasonable at $9.80. We also ordered a skewer of Scallops to try. Both were delicious.

We couldn't stop raving about the Spicy Karaage, Japanese fried chicken with bamboo charcoal sauce, red arako, and cilantro. This was genuinely spicy. It really didn't go with wine. Cindy had it right; she ordered a beer. This is a must order!

The special for the day was a Salmon Carpaccio, which I loved. Cindy even tried it, and lo and behold, she ate half. The Buffalo Cauliflower with Japanese spicy sauce was a disappointment. It had a bit of sauce drizzled on top, which didn't work for me. If you want good Buffalo Cauliflower, try the one from CPK. 

Yui brought us the dessert menu. Cindy had the Macha Brûlée, and I opted for the Hojicha Panna Cotta, which was salty, sweet, light, and delightful. Surprisingly, Yui is the lead server and Pastry Chef! 

Zoku is located at 261 Avenida del Norte in Redondo Beach, California. I am ready anytime to go back and explore the rest of the menu.

Nick + Stef's Steakhouse

I never tried Nick + Stef's Steakhouse until yesterday after seeing the play Old Friends at the Ahmanson Theater. Carrie and I walked over there, and we were lucky to get in when they opened at 4 p.m. The restaurant is part of the Patina Group, and the names Nick and Steph are from Joachim Splichal's sons.

We sat in the more informal and sunny part of the restaurant. I peeked inside to see the typical steakhouse ambiance, an extensive wine selection, and meats on display.

After we ordered our wine, a plate with two warm popovers arrived. I was going to ask for butter, but Carrie mentioned it probably already had lots of butter. I broke a piece off and tried it; it did not need anything. It was delicious. It was nice and airy and guaranteed to have a lot fewer calories because of the air inside. 

We decided to split a delightful Caesar Salad. Carrie wanted us to split a fully loaded Baked Potato, which I would have loved until I saw the N+S Mac+Cheese prepared with Gruyere cheese. A server came and asked if we would like more bread, and the answer was a unanimous yes!

For our main entrée, we decided to have the Filet Mignon, which was perfectly cooked. We both consumed everything. I was proud of Carrie, who eats a lot less than me and almost always has to take a doggy bag home. I sure wish I had a doggie bag to take home.

We had not considered dessert until our server, Kyle, handed us the dessert menu and asked us to pick one, compliments of the assistant manager, Jimmy. We chose the Lemon Meringue, which we loved because it was tangy and the perfect finale to this wonderful meal. Thank you, Jimmy. It was kind of you to offer us dessert. 

Nick+Stef's Steakhouse is located at 330 S. Hope St. in downtown Los Angeles.

The Crepery Cafe

After the First Friday mass at St. John Fisher, Fr. Al, Cora, Jo-ann, and I went for breakfast. Fr. Al had the honor of picking the place. He liked The Crepery Cafe, so we went there. Sandi and I may have been there once before, but it was nothing special. 

The menu looked good. I had no problem deciding what to have. I like my French Toast made with French bread, which is how they prepared theirs. I settled for the Banana Foster French Toast. Fr. Al had the regular French Toast served with fresh fruit and whipped cream. 

Cora ordered French Toast with bacon and eggs, and Jo-ann had the Breakfast Burrito served with salsa and sour cream. I would order that next time, as it looked like my kind of burrito.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much we all enjoyed our food. I will definitely go back there. The nice thing is that it opens at 8 a.m., which is perfect. I can even stop by if I work out a bit longer at the nearby gym. This way, there won't be any guilt.

The Crepery Cafe is located at 810 Silver Spur Rd. in Rolling Hills Estates, California.

Il Fornaio

 I last visited the Il Fornaio in Beverly Hills at least 30 years ago. The one in Manhattan Beach is much closer, so Cindy invited me to lunch yesterday for dineLA. The menu looked good. We chose a salad instead of soup and an entrée. 

Our server gave us the regular menu plus the wine and cocktail list. We looked at the regular menu to see if the dineLA menu was listed somewhere. I had to get his attention and ask for that menu. He then handed it to us. That ticked me off because, in all my dining experiences with DineLa, they always gave us the menu at the same time and mentioned it to us in case we were unfamiliar with it. Right away, I was thinking of more expensive items and more tips.

We placed our order, and both of us chose the Insalata Cesarina. For our entée, we had the Tagliatelle Bolognese. The Caesar salad lacked flavor. It was edible. We enjoyed the warm bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and parmesan cheese. The Bolognese was much better. 

It might be unfair to judge our meal since we both had the same thing. Other items might have been more exciting. I expected more from this restaurant since they have been around for a long time. 

Lawry's Prime Rib

We took advantage of dineLa this week. I asked Zohreh and Sugar if they were interested in participating, and they were both game.  Despite the traffic, we arrived shortly before 5 p.m.; of course, we allowed an hour and a half for the drive.

We tried their Seafood Tower. I was so excited to see this beautiful tower and ecstatic when I saw the oysters I had been craving. Sugar remarked that everything tasted so fresh like it had just been harvested. Lucky for Sugar and me, Zohreh does not care for oysters, so we did double duty in consuming her portion. Before it arrived, we enjoyed the warm bread and butter.

We all had the Spinning Salad, which is always refreshing. I once tried to replicate making it complete with the stainless steel bowl, their dressing, and a chilled fork, but it was not the same. I didn't have the flair the employees have. 

I ordered the California-cut Prime Rib with the most delicious Creamed Corn. Sugar opted for the Ribeye. The Yorkshire Pudding did a terrific job of absorbing the au jus! Zohreh had the Salmon, as she is not as carnivorous as Sugar and me. The Lobster Tail included was succulent as ever!

Our server, Clara, was very attentive and came to see how everything was, including Mr. Aniel Chopra, the general manager who has worked there ever since I can remember. He is one of those who indeed ensures service and food quality are up to par.

We have not had the See's Candies Sundae before. We shared the vanilla soft-serve ice cream with the famous C.C. Brown's hot fudge. The best part was the addition of choices of toppings: See's Candies toffee-ettes, peanut brittle, milk chocolate molasses chips.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention their house wine, Cabernet, which is reasonably priced from Rutherford. Hence, we had two bottles!

Lawry's is such an experience. I love the elegance, the food, and the top-notch service. This is something you hardly get anymore.

Lawry's is located at 100 N. La Cienega in Beverly Hills, California.

Back to Giorgio's

After Zohreh and I attended a wine tasting at Church after mass, we headed over to Giorgio's. Their only slot was 7 p.m., which is late for us seniors. Nevertheless, we sacrificed as we knew we would be enjoying our meal. 

We've always enjoyed their bread with delicious tomatoes with herbs. We remembered how we loved their Caesar Salad with anchovies!

Zohreh ordered the Halibut, which was reasonably priced. It came with mushrooms galore, a variety of vegetables, and a tiny potato. 

I had the Veal Piccata, sautéed sliced tender veal with capers, mushrooms, and lemon slices in a sherry wine sauce. They definitely do not skimp on mushrooms. 

Our server, Scott, was engaging. When he asked how everything was, we both said great, and Zohreh mentioned that they could add a potato or two next time. He smiled, and he brought us a small bowl of potatoes in a couple of minutes. That is what I call service with a smile.

Scott later asked if we had room for dessert. We were both so full that we didn't want to see the menu. We had some appetizers at the wine tasting before our dinner, so we didn't feel deprived of desserts. 

Giorgio's is located at 777 Deep Valley Dr., Rolling Hills Estates, California.

Sugo Social

This newly opened restaurant in the Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates is a welcome treat. It used to be Luna Rossa, situated across from the Regal Theater.

On New Year's Day, Zohreh and I, wearing our polka-dots (for prosperity), decided to have an early dinner.  The place is spacious and inviting. We arrived at 3 p.m., the perfect time, after lunch and before dinner.  We looked at the menu. It was a mix of Italian and Korean.  I am skeptical of restaurants that try to mix cuisines since the last restaurant that did that, which we tried, was a disaster. 

The manager, Frankie, came by and explained the meaning of Sugo. In Korean, it means "You're doing a great job," and in Italian, it means sauce. He further explained the different items on the menu and answered our questions.

He had us try the Pão de Queijo on the house. We were delighted to have these delicious Brazilian Popovers served with tangy lime aioli. We ordered a Modena Salad to share. Butter Lettuce, candied walnuts, goat cheese, shallots, and parsley in a Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. All these to whet our appetites.

Zohreh ordered the Shrimp Miso Pasta, spaghetti with large prawns, Korean fermented soybean pasta, garlic, and mushrooms. She skipped the bacon. She was happy with her selection. I tried it, and it was delicious. 

I had the Truffle Pasta. Spaghetti with wild mushrooms and pickled egg yolk, bacon, garlic, truffle pasta with truffle shavings. Yummmmm. 

Our server, Chris, was attentive and checked in on us several times. 

We were pleasantly full, but I immediately asked to look at the menu when Chris asked if we wanted dessert. We decided on the Lemon Meringue. It was a good size to split into three, but we finished it. 

I am so excited about Sugo. I can't wait to try the other interesting items on their menu.