Bacon burger w/ onion rings from the Nickel Diner..
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Back to the Nickel!
LUNCH TIME!
According to my "BriteKite" account, I haven't checked in at The Nickel in some 22 days.. That statement is meant to ward off the eventual comment that will come.. "The Nickel? AGAIN??!!!" Yes, again.. and I'm guessing you haven't been if you're asking why.
pastries & donuts (maple bacon was out by lunch)
today's featured desserts.. (no wonder I'm just gaining & gaining!)
Unfortunately, shortly after they started serving dinner there, (maybe a couple days after my last review) there was a personnel issue (the dinner cook quit for some unknown reason) and they are left short-staffed. So no dinner. However, lunch is still available. Yay! I made it over there for lunch today.
We got there near 1pm I want to say, still busy from lunch but the wait wasn't long. We got seated next to a very chatty couple who (unfortunately for us) talked loud enough to make eating lunch uncomfortable. The tables are so close together you can't help but make out bits of conversation. Unfortunately for SeanYoda he heard all of it (lucky for me they were sitting on my 'bad side' and I missed most of it except for when they got into some heated exchange about fast food and multi-vitamins. Too Much information people!)
Ok.. so now that you got the set up..
SeanYoda's Bacon Cheeseburger with French fries.
this closeup is especially for Eureka City Poz :
Yes, they were crispy!!
The Smac N Cheese:
Smac N Cheese closeup.. under a a thin layer of toasty bread crumbs is piping hot cheesy macaroni goodness!
I finished mine all by myself and while my plate was getting cleared, Sean worked on that mountain of fries.. We discussed if we should get dessert to go. While we were eating a 2nd wave of lunch goers had come. Several groups came in to be seated as well. We knew we wanted dessert (but Sean had already had enough of the people sitting next to us and would have been ready to go if I had asked). We pondered and then finally the moment came..
Yes, we went ahead and ordered dessert! So which one which one??
The "S'mores" cake which I didn't order.. Kristin was saying they bring it to your table and light it up with a blowtorch right there.
We didn't order it though.
We got the Salt Peanut!!!
Total with tax was about $31.00 (not including tip).
Yes, next time I'll need to go farther afield and try one of their salads.. ;) Next time!
According to my "BriteKite" account, I haven't checked in at The Nickel in some 22 days.. That statement is meant to ward off the eventual comment that will come.. "The Nickel? AGAIN??!!!" Yes, again.. and I'm guessing you haven't been if you're asking why.
pastries & donuts (maple bacon was out by lunch)
today's featured desserts.. (no wonder I'm just gaining & gaining!)
Unfortunately, shortly after they started serving dinner there, (maybe a couple days after my last review) there was a personnel issue (the dinner cook quit for some unknown reason) and they are left short-staffed. So no dinner. However, lunch is still available. Yay! I made it over there for lunch today.
We got there near 1pm I want to say, still busy from lunch but the wait wasn't long. We got seated next to a very chatty couple who (unfortunately for us) talked loud enough to make eating lunch uncomfortable. The tables are so close together you can't help but make out bits of conversation. Unfortunately for SeanYoda he heard all of it (lucky for me they were sitting on my 'bad side' and I missed most of it except for when they got into some heated exchange about fast food and multi-vitamins. Too Much information people!)
Ok.. so now that you got the set up..
SeanYoda's Bacon Cheeseburger with French fries.
this closeup is especially for Eureka City Poz :
Yes, they were crispy!!
The Smac N Cheese:
Smac N Cheese closeup.. under a a thin layer of toasty bread crumbs is piping hot cheesy macaroni goodness!
I finished mine all by myself and while my plate was getting cleared, Sean worked on that mountain of fries.. We discussed if we should get dessert to go. While we were eating a 2nd wave of lunch goers had come. Several groups came in to be seated as well. We knew we wanted dessert (but Sean had already had enough of the people sitting next to us and would have been ready to go if I had asked). We pondered and then finally the moment came..
Yes, we went ahead and ordered dessert! So which one which one??
The "S'mores" cake which I didn't order.. Kristin was saying they bring it to your table and light it up with a blowtorch right there.
We didn't order it though.
We got the Salt Peanut!!!
Total with tax was about $31.00 (not including tip).
Yes, next time I'll need to go farther afield and try one of their salads.. ;) Next time!
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Urth Caffe
Thursday night after Kogi, we headed to Urth Caffe for coffee & dessert.
PROS: Pastry is good & they have wifi, & convenient if you are in the Arts District.
CONS: Pricepoint was a bit much, location wasn't that convenient, dining space was a little cramped, and there are no bike racks.
VERDICT: Nice but unless I have a reason to be here, I doubt I'll be coming back soon.
Ok.. so the following is the complete review if you'd like to read the details of our visit:
This was my most recent visit since Urth Cafe's ground breaking around this time last year (and the first time since they opened for business in December 2008).
My first impression was how incredibly small the seating area actually was given the actual size of the land used.
A photo I took on ground breaking day, you can see the sheer size of the space.. at several thousand sq ft.
This Urth Caffe houses offices and bakery, and only a small portion was actually used for a retail location.
The cafe is across the street from the Barker Block and was touted as a neighborhood friendly location, and indeed there are many folks who partake in a coffee at this location (I didn't run into anyone I knew this particular night.. oh well!)
The menu board is fairly easy to read and isn't near as pretentious as some of the other cafes Downtown. Still, I'm kind of spoiled with places like GroundWork Arts District which feels more like an old shoe than this food & drink location.
Yes, food & drink.. Urth Caffe serves sandwiches & salads as well as baked goods and coffee. So that could be a plus if you're looking for food.
We were just wanting coffee & a pastry.. and the staff at the counter were pretty friendly.
They have many pastries to choose from, and they all look pretty good. The price points might be a little surprising, however.
Louisiana Pecan Pie was about 6inches diameter. We of course split ours, but easily could have split it with a third person.
Coffee:
I ordered a Medium Cafe Au Lait and SeanYoda had a single French press. As you may be able to see, the pie was $6.25, so the total came to about $14.00.
After our purchase we got a number and then went to sit down. The immediate dining space to the right of the counter is a small, candle lit room with tables close together. Close enough for intimate dining, but a little too intimate in that your fellow diners are almost on top of you.
collage of images along the wall above the bakery/cashier area.
We didn't have our laptops with us, but I looked around to see how difficult it was to use an outlet if needed for the 'free wifi' and spotted one outlet on the wall and in another location high up on the wall, just as a review on BlogDowntown stated. I can't see anyone going out of their way to use that outlet unless they really had the need. Later before we left we finally spotted the "counter seating" to the left of the entry as you walk in. As far as where the outlets might be there, we never found them.
Eventually my cafe au lait was delivered, and a few minutes later SeanYoda's French Press arrived.
Cafe au lait from Urth Caffe. The (steamed milk is charged separate at 50cents)
SeanYoda's French Press arrived at the table already plunged.
There were a choice of about a dozen coffees to choose from and while SeanYoda can't recall which he chose, he said it was good.
NOTE:
While the coffee showed up pretty quick, we had to inquire a couple times about the pie. I would have thought it would take some time if we had chosen the option to have the pie heated, which we didn't.
So when Sean's coffee showed up and we still didn't have our pie, Sean inquired and we continued to wait. While we waited, we enjoyed our coffee, warming our hands on our coffee cups, and taking in our surroundings. It seemed some time had passed, and so finally I went up to the counter and inquired regarding the pie.
Being my first time, I was starting to wonder if we were supposed take the pie to our table when we sat down rather than wait for it to come out. I was advised that yes, the pie was to come out with one of the servers. So the fact that we'd been there about 20min and still had no pie, it seemed a little awkward.
PIE:
Once it got to the table though, we cut the pie in half an immediately dug in. The pecan pie was baked to perfection, firm and meaty. We were so glad to have our pie that I forgot to take photos once it got to the table. =) I would gladly try this pie again if I had opportunity in the future, despite the rather high-end price point.
The fact is though, I don't know when I would go to Urth Caffe anytime in the future. I don't get to the Arts District that often, and when I do at $14 for a couple cups of coffee and pie, I would rather go to GroundWork on Traction. It's a much more affordable 'every day' sort of location vs. Urth.
OVERALL:
I may want to try lunch here sometime but again, the price point puts me off a little. Also, I doubt I would use Urth as a wifi hotspot unless it was a convenient time, as the dining area didn't really lend itself to relaxation or a 'hangout' sort of spot. Perhaps a few more visits might change my point of view on that. I'll keep the option open.
I think it would be a good place to take friends for lunch or have a business meeting, though I can't imagine it being a good place to discuss any sort of sensitive information, rather a "closing" or "lunch break" sort of place.
Another downer,(and it's not something that is Urth Caffe's problem alone) is that there are no bike racks. It doesn't encourage such environmental commuting other than walking if you are in the area. If you are out of foot traffic range, it's a drive (with parking) or a walk from Hewitt & Traction. Then again, if you are stopping off at Hewitt & Traction, might as well stop at Ay Carumba! for lunch or GroundWork for your coffee and sandwich. The coffee is just as good (if not better at GroundWork) and the pricepoint at either location is more affordable.
Urth Caffe (arts district)
451 South Hewitt Street
Los Angles, CA. 90012
213.797.4534
located right across the street from the Barker Block
PROS: Pastry is good & they have wifi, & convenient if you are in the Arts District.
CONS: Pricepoint was a bit much, location wasn't that convenient, dining space was a little cramped, and there are no bike racks.
VERDICT: Nice but unless I have a reason to be here, I doubt I'll be coming back soon.
Ok.. so the following is the complete review if you'd like to read the details of our visit:
This was my most recent visit since Urth Cafe's ground breaking around this time last year (and the first time since they opened for business in December 2008).
My first impression was how incredibly small the seating area actually was given the actual size of the land used.
A photo I took on ground breaking day, you can see the sheer size of the space.. at several thousand sq ft.
This Urth Caffe houses offices and bakery, and only a small portion was actually used for a retail location.
The cafe is across the street from the Barker Block and was touted as a neighborhood friendly location, and indeed there are many folks who partake in a coffee at this location (I didn't run into anyone I knew this particular night.. oh well!)
The menu board is fairly easy to read and isn't near as pretentious as some of the other cafes Downtown. Still, I'm kind of spoiled with places like GroundWork Arts District which feels more like an old shoe than this food & drink location.
Yes, food & drink.. Urth Caffe serves sandwiches & salads as well as baked goods and coffee. So that could be a plus if you're looking for food.
We were just wanting coffee & a pastry.. and the staff at the counter were pretty friendly.
They have many pastries to choose from, and they all look pretty good. The price points might be a little surprising, however.
Louisiana Pecan Pie was about 6inches diameter. We of course split ours, but easily could have split it with a third person.
Coffee:
I ordered a Medium Cafe Au Lait and SeanYoda had a single French press. As you may be able to see, the pie was $6.25, so the total came to about $14.00.
After our purchase we got a number and then went to sit down. The immediate dining space to the right of the counter is a small, candle lit room with tables close together. Close enough for intimate dining, but a little too intimate in that your fellow diners are almost on top of you.
collage of images along the wall above the bakery/cashier area.
We didn't have our laptops with us, but I looked around to see how difficult it was to use an outlet if needed for the 'free wifi' and spotted one outlet on the wall and in another location high up on the wall, just as a review on BlogDowntown stated. I can't see anyone going out of their way to use that outlet unless they really had the need. Later before we left we finally spotted the "counter seating" to the left of the entry as you walk in. As far as where the outlets might be there, we never found them.
Eventually my cafe au lait was delivered, and a few minutes later SeanYoda's French Press arrived.
Cafe au lait from Urth Caffe. The (steamed milk is charged separate at 50cents)
SeanYoda's French Press arrived at the table already plunged.
There were a choice of about a dozen coffees to choose from and while SeanYoda can't recall which he chose, he said it was good.
NOTE:
While the coffee showed up pretty quick, we had to inquire a couple times about the pie. I would have thought it would take some time if we had chosen the option to have the pie heated, which we didn't.
So when Sean's coffee showed up and we still didn't have our pie, Sean inquired and we continued to wait. While we waited, we enjoyed our coffee, warming our hands on our coffee cups, and taking in our surroundings. It seemed some time had passed, and so finally I went up to the counter and inquired regarding the pie.
Being my first time, I was starting to wonder if we were supposed take the pie to our table when we sat down rather than wait for it to come out. I was advised that yes, the pie was to come out with one of the servers. So the fact that we'd been there about 20min and still had no pie, it seemed a little awkward.
PIE:
Once it got to the table though, we cut the pie in half an immediately dug in. The pecan pie was baked to perfection, firm and meaty. We were so glad to have our pie that I forgot to take photos once it got to the table. =) I would gladly try this pie again if I had opportunity in the future, despite the rather high-end price point.
The fact is though, I don't know when I would go to Urth Caffe anytime in the future. I don't get to the Arts District that often, and when I do at $14 for a couple cups of coffee and pie, I would rather go to GroundWork on Traction. It's a much more affordable 'every day' sort of location vs. Urth.
OVERALL:
I may want to try lunch here sometime but again, the price point puts me off a little. Also, I doubt I would use Urth as a wifi hotspot unless it was a convenient time, as the dining area didn't really lend itself to relaxation or a 'hangout' sort of spot. Perhaps a few more visits might change my point of view on that. I'll keep the option open.
I think it would be a good place to take friends for lunch or have a business meeting, though I can't imagine it being a good place to discuss any sort of sensitive information, rather a "closing" or "lunch break" sort of place.
Another downer,(and it's not something that is Urth Caffe's problem alone) is that there are no bike racks. It doesn't encourage such environmental commuting other than walking if you are in the area. If you are out of foot traffic range, it's a drive (with parking) or a walk from Hewitt & Traction. Then again, if you are stopping off at Hewitt & Traction, might as well stop at Ay Carumba! for lunch or GroundWork for your coffee and sandwich. The coffee is just as good (if not better at GroundWork) and the pricepoint at either location is more affordable.
Urth Caffe (arts district)
451 South Hewitt Street
Los Angles, CA. 90012
213.797.4534
located right across the street from the Barker Block
Thursday, February 05, 2009
KOGI BBQ Taco Truck!
Tonight I want to do a double review.. first Kogi BBQ came to Little Tokyo's Japanese American National Museum (JANM)..
Here they are parked at First & Central, and the line as it extended out in front of the Museum.
They showed about 5pm and stayed til around 9pm, hopefully doing a pretty brisk business. Parking in this area is a little difficult before 6pm, so you'll do some walking regardless of whether you walk from home or park and walk.
Tacos come in four flavors and sometimes there are daily specials, but not this evening. That's ok. We have our favorites..
SeanYoda ordered one of each for himself (he likes them all!).. and I had 2 spicy pork tacos and a tofu taco. Here's mine:
The spicy pork tacos were rather zesty as opposed to spicy. Depending on your spice tolerance they may seem a little spicy or you may want to put some hot sauce on them. Be sure and try them without first though, because the taste is quite good alone. the meat is juicy and the sauce works really well. It's my favorite!
close-up of Kogi's tofu taco.. was rather sweet and you taste more of the flavor of the veggie fillings rather than the taco itself (in other words not a lot of flavor to tofu of course!)
We decided that we liked them all, but the tofu taco was perhaps the least of our favorites. SeanYoda likes the Korean beef shortrib taco best & as mentioned, spicy pork tacos are mine.
Big Thanks to the kindness of the folks at the Japanese American National Museum for allowing some of us Kogi fans to dine out of the rain. Here we were serenaded with some upbeat DJing and a movie on a big screen. The Museum Store was still open so we were able to check out the great selection there and as I mentioned on flickr, there was a book I was wanting that I was sure to pick up on our way out. Yay!
Ok..
Dinner total came to $14 (not including tip) and while your appetite might be different, at $2 a taco you can't beat that in these recession-filled days.
The Kogi folks are super nice and if you miss them on a particular night, no worries as they have a blog you can follow that gives updates about specials and planned locations.. They are on twitter as well, that fun mini blogging social networking site that allows you (either way) to inquire or give feedback to them.
KogiBBQ.com or "kogibbq" on Twitter.com. =)
Many of the places they go are Venice, Sunset Junction, UCLA, Little Tokyo and downtown in front of the Golden Gopher (where they recently started going every Wednesday!)
You can see all my KOGI BBQ pix I've taken so far on flickr HERE
After dinner we were pretty full but thought to get a hot cup of coffee at Urth Cafe (and maybe split some pie?) since it was a cool and rainy evening.. I haven't been there since GroundBreaking January last year.. so first time for both SeanYoda & myself.. that's coming up next I guess.. stay tuned!
Here they are parked at First & Central, and the line as it extended out in front of the Museum.
They showed about 5pm and stayed til around 9pm, hopefully doing a pretty brisk business. Parking in this area is a little difficult before 6pm, so you'll do some walking regardless of whether you walk from home or park and walk.
Tacos come in four flavors and sometimes there are daily specials, but not this evening. That's ok. We have our favorites..
SeanYoda ordered one of each for himself (he likes them all!).. and I had 2 spicy pork tacos and a tofu taco. Here's mine:
The spicy pork tacos were rather zesty as opposed to spicy. Depending on your spice tolerance they may seem a little spicy or you may want to put some hot sauce on them. Be sure and try them without first though, because the taste is quite good alone. the meat is juicy and the sauce works really well. It's my favorite!
close-up of Kogi's tofu taco.. was rather sweet and you taste more of the flavor of the veggie fillings rather than the taco itself (in other words not a lot of flavor to tofu of course!)
We decided that we liked them all, but the tofu taco was perhaps the least of our favorites. SeanYoda likes the Korean beef shortrib taco best & as mentioned, spicy pork tacos are mine.
Big Thanks to the kindness of the folks at the Japanese American National Museum for allowing some of us Kogi fans to dine out of the rain. Here we were serenaded with some upbeat DJing and a movie on a big screen. The Museum Store was still open so we were able to check out the great selection there and as I mentioned on flickr, there was a book I was wanting that I was sure to pick up on our way out. Yay!
Ok..
Dinner total came to $14 (not including tip) and while your appetite might be different, at $2 a taco you can't beat that in these recession-filled days.
The Kogi folks are super nice and if you miss them on a particular night, no worries as they have a blog you can follow that gives updates about specials and planned locations.. They are on twitter as well, that fun mini blogging social networking site that allows you (either way) to inquire or give feedback to them.
KogiBBQ.com or "kogibbq" on Twitter.com. =)
Many of the places they go are Venice, Sunset Junction, UCLA, Little Tokyo and downtown in front of the Golden Gopher (where they recently started going every Wednesday!)
You can see all my KOGI BBQ pix I've taken so far on flickr HERE
After dinner we were pretty full but thought to get a hot cup of coffee at Urth Cafe (and maybe split some pie?) since it was a cool and rainy evening.. I haven't been there since GroundBreaking January last year.. so first time for both SeanYoda & myself.. that's coming up next I guess.. stay tuned!
Hail El Chavo!
Yesterday we were off Main St for an appointment at the Glendale Galleria Apple Store. SeanYoda's macbook hard drive had crashed last week and after visiting the Apple Store at the Grove it was implied that a possible hard drive replacement was needed. So after backing up his hard drive he made an appointment for Glendale (based on my previous positive experience) and off we went.
Rather than give you the review of the underwhelming experience (maybe later) that we had, I wanted to share the happiness I had at Target while we were waiting.. I'm a BIG Target fan and I've never seen these here despite many trips to various Targets..
It's El Chavo!!!
The endcap included easy 300piece puzzles, chunky chalk, dominoes and plush dolls.
I've not seen the El Chavo animated series but know that is who the blogger, El Chavo gets his name from..
Wondering.. is the cartoon El Chavo a vegetarian too?? ;)
Rather than give you the review of the underwhelming experience (maybe later) that we had, I wanted to share the happiness I had at Target while we were waiting.. I'm a BIG Target fan and I've never seen these here despite many trips to various Targets..
It's El Chavo!!!
The endcap included easy 300piece puzzles, chunky chalk, dominoes and plush dolls.
I've not seen the El Chavo animated series but know that is who the blogger, El Chavo gets his name from..
Wondering.. is the cartoon El Chavo a vegetarian too?? ;)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lawry's Carvery @ LA Live
Lawry's Carvery at LA Live opened late December 2008.
After waiting our turn, you place your order of meat.. and it's cut right in front of you, as well you are served your choice of sides, then you take the plate to your table.
SeanYoda opted for the Prime Rib plate w/2 sides (his choice was the horseradish mashed potatoes & asparagus). approx $20
Meeko opted for the "Beef brisket w/ BBQ sauce" and 2 sides.. baked mac n cheese and asparagus. The baked mac n cheese was made from penne pasta and pretty good! approx $15
Once we sat down, a server came to our table and took our drink orders. He was very attentive and even offered me a refill to go which was a nice touch. Also offered extra aujus and bbq sauce if we wanted for our meat.
The menu also offered sandwiches and salads, but the plates were really good, and satisfying.
The total came to $43 (not including tip).
Sean filled out the customer comment card and one of the things we wondered is why they didn't have something between "good" and "wow!" As it was, I think Sean checked the empty space between the two. It was very good but I couldn't honestly go "WOW!" I haven't done that since we had meat-focused dinner at the Emeril's Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Hotel Orlando several years back. Now that was WOW! (meat candy!)
I would definitely go back to the Lawry's Carvery. "Very Good" is very doable, and if I happen to be in South Park (which isn't too often these days) I would take a side trip there and try one of the sandwiches or the really good sides.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Nickel Diner Now Serving DINNER!
As one may have already read from NewDowntown (yahoo group), BlogDowntown or other blogs, the Nickel opened for it's first official Dinner hours tonight, the 23rd. Before the Nickel experimented with dinner hours on the monthly art walk nights.
Nickel Diner opens for dinner from Tues through Saturday from 6-11pm.
Checking in at The Nickel shortly after 6pm, there were already a couple tables seated for dinner. Apon sitting, ordering a couple glasses of water and perusing the menu.. we saw that there are many items one will see on the regular lunch menu. However, a list of dinner entrees are now offered including: a double stuffed chicken, a salmon dish, catfish dish, flatiron steak with arugula & tomato salad, and a couple veggie leaning options.
Lunch regulars will see they have the pulled pork sandwich, the Nickel Burger, and Lowrider among many other favorites. (Smac and Cheese anyone??). Knowing I could get one of my favorite lunch items.. during lunch, I made sure to try one of the new dinner options.
"Eat Your Vegetables" hashed bacon Brussel sprouts with green beans, sauteed spinach, and roasted parsnips and carrots over a bed of buttermilk mashed potatoes. OMG! This was sooo incredibly delicious.
The hashed bacon brought a gently salted savoriness to the Brussel sprouts. The parsnips & carrots worked well together.. the parsnips providing a meaty texture and the carrots a sweetness. I was happy with the green beans and the spinach. Perfect!
SeanYoda ate with me of course (he's been wishing The Nickel opened for dinner only slightly more than myself, and probably was more vocal about it though). He chose the beef stew. I tried his and having been slices of beef with vegetables on buttermilk mashed potatoes, it reminded me ever so slightly of Shepherd's Pie (which Sean says 'no it's beef stew!!') so yeah, it's got a hearty thickness that I imagine would be very filling and hearty.
Ok.. getting over the "It's stew!" "It's Shepherd's Pie" argument.. let's move on to everyone's favorite.. dessert! Yes, we had dessert.
Tonight's options included the Red Velvet cake, tres leche cake, tapioca pudding, cheesecake, lemon pie (with the entire lemon!), and the salt peanut cake.
"Salt Peanut Cake" chocolate cake layered with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting & potato chips. YES! Potato Chips.. omg crunchy sweet, salty, chocolatey.. **Please note the above photo is 1/2 a slice (we split the serving down the middle).
With a Diet Coke & Cherry Soda, the entire dinner came to about $34 (not including tip).
The Nickel has been doing fantastic since day one, and if our dinner was any sampling of what will come from the future dinner service schedule, all is well at 5th & Main. There's no question I'll be coming back for dinner again.. and again.. and.. well, you get the idea!
The Nickel Diner
524 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Open:
Breakfast/ Lunch: Tues through Sunday 730-330pm
Dinner (currently): Tues through Saturday 6pm-11pm
Nickel Diner opens for dinner from Tues through Saturday from 6-11pm.
Checking in at The Nickel shortly after 6pm, there were already a couple tables seated for dinner. Apon sitting, ordering a couple glasses of water and perusing the menu.. we saw that there are many items one will see on the regular lunch menu. However, a list of dinner entrees are now offered including: a double stuffed chicken, a salmon dish, catfish dish, flatiron steak with arugula & tomato salad, and a couple veggie leaning options.
Lunch regulars will see they have the pulled pork sandwich, the Nickel Burger, and Lowrider among many other favorites. (Smac and Cheese anyone??). Knowing I could get one of my favorite lunch items.. during lunch, I made sure to try one of the new dinner options.
"Eat Your Vegetables" hashed bacon Brussel sprouts with green beans, sauteed spinach, and roasted parsnips and carrots over a bed of buttermilk mashed potatoes. OMG! This was sooo incredibly delicious.
The hashed bacon brought a gently salted savoriness to the Brussel sprouts. The parsnips & carrots worked well together.. the parsnips providing a meaty texture and the carrots a sweetness. I was happy with the green beans and the spinach. Perfect!
SeanYoda ate with me of course (he's been wishing The Nickel opened for dinner only slightly more than myself, and probably was more vocal about it though). He chose the beef stew. I tried his and having been slices of beef with vegetables on buttermilk mashed potatoes, it reminded me ever so slightly of Shepherd's Pie (which Sean says 'no it's beef stew!!') so yeah, it's got a hearty thickness that I imagine would be very filling and hearty.
Ok.. getting over the "It's stew!" "It's Shepherd's Pie" argument.. let's move on to everyone's favorite.. dessert! Yes, we had dessert.
Tonight's options included the Red Velvet cake, tres leche cake, tapioca pudding, cheesecake, lemon pie (with the entire lemon!), and the salt peanut cake.
"Salt Peanut Cake" chocolate cake layered with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting & potato chips. YES! Potato Chips.. omg crunchy sweet, salty, chocolatey.. **Please note the above photo is 1/2 a slice (we split the serving down the middle).
With a Diet Coke & Cherry Soda, the entire dinner came to about $34 (not including tip).
The Nickel has been doing fantastic since day one, and if our dinner was any sampling of what will come from the future dinner service schedule, all is well at 5th & Main. There's no question I'll be coming back for dinner again.. and again.. and.. well, you get the idea!
The Nickel Diner
524 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Open:
Breakfast/ Lunch: Tues through Sunday 730-330pm
Dinner (currently): Tues through Saturday 6pm-11pm
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Dinner @ Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant
When the weather starts to turn, there's nothing better than a hot, steamy bowl of Pho. When it's not that cold or wet (although it did rain intermittently today) my other favorite is to get the cold vermicelli with eggrolls. Luckily Blossom is only a short walk away in the Old Bank District at the corner of Main Street & Winston (between 4th & 5th Streets). I want to say I eat here at least once a month.
So, never mind that SeanYoda brought me an order home a couple nights back.. I was still craving the noodles. Ever one to humor me (and maybe he was craving some noodles too?) we went over and had some dinner.
Blossom had been closed the last couple weeks of the holidays (December) for renovations. Re-opening the Monday after new year's, we got over there and the food is just as yummy as before.. but now they have some small architectural changes..
the main noticeable difference is the back wall with door.. I honestly don't recall what it looked like before (honestly don't pay attention to that sort of thing as I'm too busy eating!). However, it's nice, either way.
I ordered some green tea and SeanYoda had the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. His coffee looked dark and rich, and after stirring the condensed milk (which was at the bottom of the cup) it still looked rather rich and creamy. The iced green tea was very cool & refreshing.
SeanYoda's "Shaking Beef" which is described as "wok tossed filet mignon, sauteed onions served with rice, salt, pepper & side of salad vinaigrette" $10
Sean's meal looked super yummy (my photo doesn't do it justice) I *almost* wanted to swap dinners but didn't.. The "Shaking Beef" is one of Sean's favorite meals at Blossom, so maybe it's good I didn't try to snag it from him. ;P
As for me..
This is my favorite meal.. cold vermicelli rice noodles w/ eggrolls. $7
Very filling and as you might see is cold vermicelli rice noodles served on a bed of lettuce, basil, sprouts, cucumber, and a side of fish sauce (it's called fish sauce but it doesn't fish in it). Also there are chopped nuts.. it's not mentioned on the menu but you can see it there on the dish. VERY good & I love ordering it..
Very happy and satisfied with our meal. The total for the dishes and drinks came to about $25 not including tip.
Blossom Restaurant
426 South Main Street
(Main St & Winston)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213)623-1973
**they also do take out!!!! so if you want to take your Pho home.. (and I think you can call your order ahead too, as Eureka Poz would do when he lived in the OBD)**
So, never mind that SeanYoda brought me an order home a couple nights back.. I was still craving the noodles. Ever one to humor me (and maybe he was craving some noodles too?) we went over and had some dinner.
Blossom had been closed the last couple weeks of the holidays (December) for renovations. Re-opening the Monday after new year's, we got over there and the food is just as yummy as before.. but now they have some small architectural changes..
the main noticeable difference is the back wall with door.. I honestly don't recall what it looked like before (honestly don't pay attention to that sort of thing as I'm too busy eating!). However, it's nice, either way.
I ordered some green tea and SeanYoda had the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. His coffee looked dark and rich, and after stirring the condensed milk (which was at the bottom of the cup) it still looked rather rich and creamy. The iced green tea was very cool & refreshing.
SeanYoda's "Shaking Beef" which is described as "wok tossed filet mignon, sauteed onions served with rice, salt, pepper & side of salad vinaigrette" $10
Sean's meal looked super yummy (my photo doesn't do it justice) I *almost* wanted to swap dinners but didn't.. The "Shaking Beef" is one of Sean's favorite meals at Blossom, so maybe it's good I didn't try to snag it from him. ;P
As for me..
This is my favorite meal.. cold vermicelli rice noodles w/ eggrolls. $7
Very filling and as you might see is cold vermicelli rice noodles served on a bed of lettuce, basil, sprouts, cucumber, and a side of fish sauce (it's called fish sauce but it doesn't fish in it). Also there are chopped nuts.. it's not mentioned on the menu but you can see it there on the dish. VERY good & I love ordering it..
Very happy and satisfied with our meal. The total for the dishes and drinks came to about $25 not including tip.
Blossom Restaurant
426 South Main Street
(Main St & Winston)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213)623-1973
**they also do take out!!!! so if you want to take your Pho home.. (and I think you can call your order ahead too, as Eureka Poz would do when he lived in the OBD)**
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Breaking Some Resolutions (and breaking a sweat)
Is it 9am/12noon Eastern yet?? soon...
I am aware of my Resolutions for this year, and already have done my share of breaking them. I have attempted to keep weighing in, and I also gave a couple days trial on the wii fit (yoga training). I've found I am a bit too heavy for many of the poses, and the cat sharpened his claws on the exercise mat before I got to do more than the breathing exercises.
I haven't lost any weight though.. not enough walking or getting out to be social..
Although I did attend the closing of Qathryn Brehm's show at ArtShare last Friday.. I practiced with the new camera (Nikon D60) and I realized I have a lot of work to do before I learn this camera. Qatheryn is very kind to use one of my shots as her Facebook icon, though. How cool is that? =)
Sunday the 18th I showed up for the LA Bike Meander.. there were 6 of us, and we rode all the way to the Atwater Village bike bridge and back.. I was so sore it took me a good chunk of Monday to recover.. (who's kidding? I'm still sore!)
Mapped out on Google coming from 4th & Main to the Toy Factory Lofts on Industrial (via 2nd & Main to 6th & Alameda) is about 1.8miles. Then we rode through Lincoln Hts. to the LA River Bike Path.. and then back. Depending on where you start that was about 20miles. Not a long ride but long enough for me!
Canadian geese, ducks, and even an egret were among the wildlife we saw along the bike path.
Atwater Village Bike Bridge.. where we turned around and headed back.
Oh! I'm so out of shape.. I was dying by the time we got back to Toy Lofts. I needed a break before riding back to Main Street. Still, I'm glad I went. More Sundays. Less pain. ;P
More of Sunday's Meander flickr pix
I am aware of my Resolutions for this year, and already have done my share of breaking them. I have attempted to keep weighing in, and I also gave a couple days trial on the wii fit (yoga training). I've found I am a bit too heavy for many of the poses, and the cat sharpened his claws on the exercise mat before I got to do more than the breathing exercises.
I haven't lost any weight though.. not enough walking or getting out to be social..
Although I did attend the closing of Qathryn Brehm's show at ArtShare last Friday.. I practiced with the new camera (Nikon D60) and I realized I have a lot of work to do before I learn this camera. Qatheryn is very kind to use one of my shots as her Facebook icon, though. How cool is that? =)
Sunday the 18th I showed up for the LA Bike Meander.. there were 6 of us, and we rode all the way to the Atwater Village bike bridge and back.. I was so sore it took me a good chunk of Monday to recover.. (who's kidding? I'm still sore!)
Mapped out on Google coming from 4th & Main to the Toy Factory Lofts on Industrial (via 2nd & Main to 6th & Alameda) is about 1.8miles. Then we rode through Lincoln Hts. to the LA River Bike Path.. and then back. Depending on where you start that was about 20miles. Not a long ride but long enough for me!
Canadian geese, ducks, and even an egret were among the wildlife we saw along the bike path.
Atwater Village Bike Bridge.. where we turned around and headed back.
Oh! I'm so out of shape.. I was dying by the time we got back to Toy Lofts. I needed a break before riding back to Main Street. Still, I'm glad I went. More Sundays. Less pain. ;P
More of Sunday's Meander flickr pix
Saturday, January 10, 2009
LA History: Cross Roads of the World
LAist has a history expose on architectural original "Cross Roads of the World" (one of the first LA shopping malls). This Art Deco Icon still stands in Hollywood, one of few originals to LA that hasn't been torn down or remodeled into condos.
What I found interesting is how,(as reported by Lindsay Williams-Ross of LAist), the Cross Roads came into being from a murderous past:
"While the Cross Roads was a spectacular shopping complex and tourist attraction, how it came to be is very curious. Mrs. Crawford was the widow of an infamous man named Charles Crawford, known as anything from a prominent West Coast brothel and casino operator nicknamed "Goodtime Charlie", to "the Gray Wolf of Spring Street," to a prominent local politician, to an organized crime boss, or as the "model for some of Raymond Chandler's juicier villains" (Rasmussen). According to a detailed articled about Crawford by Cecilia Rasmussen published in 1999 in the LA Times, "[Charles Crawford's] notorious viciousness and cunning helped take public corruption to a new level in Los Angeles city government in the 1920s." Crawford, however, became most well known in 1931 as a corpse; he and newspaper man Herbert Spencer were shot and killed by former Deputy District Attorney David Clark. The incident took place in Crawford's real estate office, which just happened to be located at 6665 Sunset Boulevard."
READ THE WHOLE LAist ARTICLE
What I found interesting is how,(as reported by Lindsay Williams-Ross of LAist), the Cross Roads came into being from a murderous past:
"While the Cross Roads was a spectacular shopping complex and tourist attraction, how it came to be is very curious. Mrs. Crawford was the widow of an infamous man named Charles Crawford, known as anything from a prominent West Coast brothel and casino operator nicknamed "Goodtime Charlie", to "the Gray Wolf of Spring Street," to a prominent local politician, to an organized crime boss, or as the "model for some of Raymond Chandler's juicier villains" (Rasmussen). According to a detailed articled about Crawford by Cecilia Rasmussen published in 1999 in the LA Times, "[Charles Crawford's] notorious viciousness and cunning helped take public corruption to a new level in Los Angeles city government in the 1920s." Crawford, however, became most well known in 1931 as a corpse; he and newspaper man Herbert Spencer were shot and killed by former Deputy District Attorney David Clark. The incident took place in Crawford's real estate office, which just happened to be located at 6665 Sunset Boulevard."
READ THE WHOLE LAist ARTICLE
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