Donna G.'s Profile

I just came from The Armenian Food and Culture Festival at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.  Its a really large place, with a second floor as well.

Below they sold food, and had things for the kiddies. On the second floor was more food, vendors selling all sorts of things, clothes and jewelry, and a stage with an area for dancing.  And there was plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs with tables to eat your meal.

There was plenty of parking when I arrived in the afternoon. We were charged extra to park, in addition to the entry fee, but the parking was right there next to the entrance.

The Glendale Civic Auditorium is a great location for any group that would need a really large space.

I had a great time at The Greek Theatre last night.  Even though we were running a little late, we still managed to get good parking close to the entrance. We split the $15 between us, so we didn't feel the pinch of the parking so much.

I enjoyed the concert in the front area that took place before we went in for the actual concert. Everyone was hanging out and listening to the band before we went in. One of the vendors was giving away free ice cream samples - yummy.

I managed to get a hamburger, chips and a light beer for $13. That would not have been so bad except even though the burger was cooked, it was cold and the bun was cold.

I understand The Greek has to close at 10:30 because it is a residential area.
But it was a chilly night so I tried to get a glass of red wine. The guy said they had already stopped serving alcohol.
The person behind me jumped in "Do you have hot chocolate or coffee ?" I guess he was freezing too.
I jumped back to the front of the line happy that might be an option - only to hear the guy say that No they had no hot drinks available either.  So I went back to my seat to be cold. We still had over a half hour left of the concert.

We had good seats, the sound was good and we could see the screens. The parking people have their system worked out well and we go out of there pretty quickly.

My only comment is that they need to work on their food service.

It was my friends birthday. He planned a group here on Monday night at Benihana in celebration.

The Hostess would not let us sit at the table until everyone in our party arrived.  Then by the time the staff did the introductions we waited even longer. We were there nearly an hour and hadn't see any food yet.

There is a Happy Hour in the bar. And some in our group were taking advantage of the happy hour prices while we were waiting to eat .

Finally the food arrived, and the chef started to cook it in front of us at the table. He did alot of cute fun things showing off his cooking to make us laugh - but by this time all we want to do is eat.

We had a bland broth, then a small salad. And the chef started cooking.
First I got cooked onions and zucchini with rice. And he cooked other things for people. Then we got our Tuna and scallops,cooked to perfection and delicious.

The people who ordered steak were starving. They did not have their food. The chef said they would be next. That meant they got their food just as the fish and chicken people were finishing.

The chef then cooked up a large portion of mushrooms. But by then, I was done with my meal.  But the mushrooms were on my plate now. I love mushrooms, but I was done with my meal.

I thought the food was delicious. I do not like the way they cook it, and serve it. I want all my food served to me at the same time, like a meal is supposed to be.
We were there a ridiculously long amount of time just waiting for our food to be cooked in front us.

I loved the Delmonicos Sunday Brunch. There was such a variety - strawberry waffles, stuffed lobster, shrimp, mussels, crab - and the dessert  table !

Our waiter was wonderful and kept refilling our champagne drinks ! LOL ! That alone is worth 5 stars.

We got there at 11 am on Easter Sunday. Not a lot of people. Pretty empty. But the minute Church let out - the place was packed. Great people watching too.
I am glad we got there early so we could avoid the crowds. Delmonicos is a popular place. We had a fantastic time. And the food was amazing !

Wow ! That was a fantastic salmon burrito I had for lunch at Sharky's !  Healthy and delicious !
The manager was very helpful, showing me the menu and taking my order - and getting me extra napkins.

I sat a read a book while I had my delicious healthy burrito, and watched people. They have an interesting mix of cool hip customers.

I will be back to this Sharkeys. Nice location, nice employees, and I loved the salmon burrito !

I love the Nail Garden ! I usually go to the one on Ventura in Studio City. But I was out running errands one day and I found this Nail Garden tucked in a shopping mall on Pass Ave. I love it !

The Pass Ave  Nail Garden is smaller. But it has not been crowded, and they can take me right away. The employees who have done my nails have been very nice, and they listen to my requests.

I have had both manicures and pedicures here. And I am very happy with the results.

It is my new favorite Nail Garden. I have driven from East Hollywood twice just to get my nails done here. Such a cute location on Pass Ave.

El Migueleno restaurant has great food. I stopped in with some friends on the way to a concert. I got the Chicken and rice. It was so much food ! A plate piled high with chicken pieces and yellow rice. Surrounded with cucumbers, carrots and radishes.  There were some bones in the chicken, though. But still very delicious.

My friends tried the pupusas, and they liked them. The woman who was taking the orders brought us a fruity pineapple drink to try. It was really good.

Really good inexpensive food. I recommend the chicken and rice dish.

I went to Gaucho Grill today with friends as we checked out the arts festival. Gaucho Grill was very understaffed. There was one waitress for the entire place. It took us forever to place our order.
When we would motion to the waitress, she would pretend she didn't see us and run away. It was pretty bad - the waitress was way over-worked.
Then two of my friends asked for items to be left off their order. Both of their orders were messed up. One friend got so frustrated she just sent everything back. My other friend waited for the new food to arrive.
We also had to ask three times for coffee - they would say yes, and then would never bring it.
I ordered the warm salmon salad - and it was delicious. The food was excellant. Once we got all the orders straightened out, everyone was actually very happy with their meals.
The salmon salad was a mix of chopped broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, salmon and feta cheese. Oh, it was so good.
When I counted the amount of money we all chipped in for our bill, it was a $6 tip. I said "Do you guys really want to give the waitress a $6 tip?" They said yes because she was working the entire restaurant by herself. When the waitress saw the tip - that was the first time she was friendly or even smiled at us.

I just hosted a large Happy Hour event at the Culver Hotel, and it was a wonderful time !  We had around 20 in our group, and we were in the upstairs lounge area which is absolutely beautiful.

Management was very friendly and helpful. Our waitress was great. The cocktails at Happy Hour prices were awesome ! I ordered a Mediterranean, which is strawberry puree, basil and rum - wonderful ! The Kobe burger and garlic fries were also amazing.

The Bar Manager also had some interesting ghost stories, and told us the history of the hotel. It really added to the atmosphere of the event.  They were also very helpful adding chairs that we needed. And they let everyone in our group have individual bills.  Overall, it was a great experience. And I recommend the Culver Hotel for anyone looking for a location for a large event.

The Happy Hour is one of the best. Elegant and delicious cocktails and appetizers. Everyone in my group had a lovely time.

Friday night dinner at Fraiche in Culver City. Culver Blvd is a such a trendy location, and Fraiche was very busy. Unfortunately they were very understaffed.

The waiters were running around like crazy. I ordered a Pinot Noir and Steak with mashed potatoes substituted for the French Fries.

The waiter brought me a Chardonnay. He had to take it back and bring me the correct wine.
Then my little tiny steak arrived. Yes, a very small portion of meat. The meat was delicious, but just a ridiculously small portion.  And a huge mound of french fries with a salad on the side.
I grabbed the waiter again. I said "I asked for mashed potatoes, not fries'.  He brought me a side of mashed potatoes and did not charge me, since they were supposed to be in place of the fries anyway.
The fries took up half the plate - and I gave them to my friends.

The best part of the meal was the Mango cheesecake, and Earl Grey tea that I ordered. The Mango Cheesecake came with a scoop of sorbet and strawberries. And the tea was served in a lovely individual teapot.

However, my friend sent back his chocolate dessert saying it was all dried out. He got a pudding instead which his still didn't like.

Our waiter was very apologetic about the mistakes. Then I heard him apologizing to the table behind us too. So I guess we weren't the only ones with the mistakes in our orders.

If Fraiche is going to be that busy on a Friday night, they need to hire more waiters.