A homey little space in Santa Monica, Fritto Misto is a no frills spot for huge portions of satisfying Americanized Italian fare.
This is not “I’m feeling like I have cankles, must watch the calories” eats. This is “I think I can distend my stomach even more and eat 265266 calories for lunch” eats.
Filed under Fritto Misto, Reviews
Filed under Mendocino Farms, Reviews
In the old Drago space come Ushuaia, an Argentinean restaurant that from the looks of lunch might not be long for. There are approximately twenty-five tables. There is The Monster and ghosts having lunch.
The simple, unadorned space of wood floors, brick walls is done up in browns and beige. It’s going for simple yet comes off as spare and lonely.
The Monster is lucky enough to get invited to some wonderful food events. When word came that a new chocolate shop was opening on Montana and The Monster was invited to a preview tasting it took nanoseconds to respond in the affirmative.
Named after the two owners, the chocolate tasting at John Kelly Chocolates new store open in Santa Monica begins with champagne as the food cognoscenti (others, not The Monster of course) mingle.
Filed under John Kelly Chocolates, Miscellaneous
Celadon Thai is a pleasant little sliver of a restaurant in a mall on a stretch of Washington Boulevard better known for the Costco across the street than culinary finds.
The menu breaks no new ground. It’s Westside Thai for those who have never ventured to Thai Town. Dynamite Wings made with sweet tangy sauce that carries a kick, Thai steamed dumplings with minced chicken and vegetables with soy vinaigrette and chili and mint leaf chicken with bamboo shoots, red and green peppers and chili-garlic sauce served with a Thai egg roll is the call on this day.
Chicken and cold noodles with sesame and slippery shrimp is the call as The Monster visits Yang Chow. The valley is a blazing caldron of scorching heat and a cold drink is needed, stat.
They start you out with a complimentary pickled cabbage. There is one sliver of carrot underneath that mess. It looks lonely. The cabbage is slightly sweet and The Monster finds himself eating it despite himself.
Shrimp, Korean chicken, scallops and frog leg skewers. Fried chicken wings. Broiled fresh water eel. Spicy octopus with assorted vegetables. Korean hash browns. Kimchi. This is the roll call at Dan Sung Sa in Koreatown along with the complimentary soup to start and shoestring sweet potato chips drizzled in sugar.
As the Korean music blasts (which oddly sounds precisely like Neil Diamond at some turns, Bob Dylan at others and then Pebbles (!) no less but in the mother tongue) the regulars in the corner drink and smoke and The Monster contemplates what “spicy pork next bone soup with whole potato” tastes like? He’ll never find out.
Filed under Dan Sung Sa, Reviews
