Baleen Kitchen

This restaurant is at the Portofino Hotel and Marina in Redondo Beach, California. I last dined there many years ago. It was Zohreh's birthday, and I thought it would be a nice place to take her. 

Our dinner reservation was for 4:15 p.m. We had a lovely table with a view of the Marina. Our server came to open the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon I brought. We glanced at the menu, but before deciding what to order, I inquired about the specials for the evening. Zohreh and I found her response to be odd. The specials won't be available until 5:00 p.m. The Chef and staff will have a meeting, and only then will we be informed of what they will be. That did not make sense because why open for dinner at 4:00 if you are unprepared? We were not about to hang around till 5:00 just to find out what they were, so we just went ahead and ordered. 

We both agreed to try the Truffle Fries with black garlic aioli sauce for appetizers. That was an excellent choice because it was truly delicious and super crispy! 

Zohreh ordered the Swordfish Vera Cruz, cracked olive and preserved lemon relish, wilted spinach, and crispy white potato. I had a bite of her swordfish, and it was indeed good. I did not order the Ribeye. Instead, I ordered the Miso-Glazed Black Cod with Wasabi mashed potatoes, ginger soy shitake mushrooms, baby bok-choy, and sesame seeds. I asked our server if the wasabi was really hot, and she assured me it wasn't. The cod was cooked to perfection, and the flavors of everything just came together beautifully. 

Our server presented Zohreh with a dessert: a brownie with ice cream. That was very good. The brownie was chewy, the way it should be.

The manager, Aaron, came by, and we told him how happy we were with everything, but I did have to mention our displeasure on not having the specials ready; plus to add insult to injury, the Chef and staff had their meeting near our table to discuss the specials. We were almost done eating at that time. I remember hearing about the Banana Forster, which I would have loved to try.

Other than that, Baleen is still an excellent place for dinner. Make sure you make your reservations after 5 p.m. so you can hear their specials.

Casa Modena

This restaurant has the best anything truffles! The only time I was at Casa Modena was when my brother Gary treated Sandi and me two years ago. Sandi and I talked about going back but somehow never found the time. Since they were part of the ongoing dineLA, I decided to go back. I was able to recruit Cindy and Zohreh to come along without difficulty. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself once we got seated. Galasi, the wife of Umberto, the owner, was very gracious. Later on, an Italian-looking fellow with tattoos came along and was talking to Galasi. I guessed it was Umberto. I called his name, and sure enough, it was him. I just wanted to tell him what I already told Galasi: his truffles and the rest of his food were not only delicious but "eccellente."

Cindy and I decided on the Crostini con Burrata e Tartufo, toasted bread with burrata cheese and freshly sliced truffle for our antipasti. We talked Zohreh into ordering the Truffle French Fries so we could both partake in it. She was game, and she did order the fries. I clapped my hands as soon as the crostini landed in front of me. They had a ton of truffles, unlike some places where they get too stingy and charge a ton for it. The fries were just as delicious. 

Ordering the Tagliatelle Al Tartufo was a no-brainer for our Primi. This dish is out of this world. There was so much truffle that every bite had some. I told Zohreh and Cindy that I decided this to be my last meal, not last night, but when the time came. Someone will have to bring me this dish when I'm in hospice. 

For our secondi, Cindy ordered the Scaloppine di Pollo al Limone, chicken with lemon sauce, served with mashed potatoes. Zohreh and I picked the Branzino Filet con Tartufo. Of course, more truffles on our Sea Bass and a mixed green salad, and by the way, I could hardly see the fish with the amount of truffles on top. I could eat fish every day if it was served this way.

We had a choice of Panna Cotta or Salamino Al Chioccolato. We all got the Panna Cotta; I have had it before and thought it was excellent.

It's unfortunate and sad that Casa Modena is far from where I live. Lucky Gary visits more often than I do since he works in Santa Monica. Casa Modena is located at 11701 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. 

Thank you, Galasi and Chef Umberto, for another memorable meal. Grazie Mille!

El Burrito Jr.

 I've only had their tacos many years ago and I remember enjoying them on Taco Tuesdays.

The other day, I was craving for a good Breakfast Burrito. I tired Carl's Jr.'s recently but was disappointed. So there I was at an El Burrito Jr. on Pacific Coast Hwy. waiting for it to open at 9:00 a.m. I don't know why places that offer anything breakfast opens late. I ordered a Chorizo Breakfast Burrito. It came with large chips and salsa. I couldn't wait to get home.

When I took it out the bag, it looked like a regular burrito, nothing special. 

I then cut it in half in case I could only eat half since there were plenty of chips and salsa. I fell in love with this burrito. It had lots of chorizo, chunks of potatoes, cheese, and of course eggs. It was enough for 2 breakfasts. I wouldn't mind having this for dinner as well, instead of coffee, I would pair it with some champagne!

I guess this would be my go-to breakfast till I find something better.

Chart House

Our friend, Sugar, invited us to dinner. yesterday. It was a beautiful, warm October afternoon. We got there early, so we were lucky as far as service was because the restaurant was full by the time we left. We loved the ambiance, as always.

I brought a bottle of red wine. When our server asked us about cocktails, Sugar and Zohreh got excited and ordered a martini. I was not planning to have a cocktail, but I didn't want to be a party pooper, so  I went ahead and ordered a filthy vodka martini. Zohreh and I had some bread so as not to have the martini on an empty stomach. 

We unanimously ordered the Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango Stack. We happily justified this pick as healthy, not that any of us cared, but it had a total of 440 calories, a lot less than Calamari.

Zohreh picked the Alaskan Black Cod with bok choy, shitake mushrooms in a coconut-ginger broth, and furikake for dinner. Sugar and I had a piece of her fish, and it was absolutely flaky and delicious. I would order that next time. 

Sugar and I opted for the Filet Mignon, which was cooked to perfection, along with some creamy mashed potatoes. Sugar also ordered the Sizzling Mushrooms to share. That is always a must, as it is just the best!

We shared the Key Lime pie for dessert. It was a nice finale to our most enjoyable meal.

Mother Nature treated us to a magnificent sunset by the time we finished. Thank you, Sugar, for a fun evening. 

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.