Sam "is my nickname  !" N.'s Profile

Garlic Chicken + Black Beans + Rice + Fried Bananas  = Paradise!!

We don't have a whole lot of Cuban restaurants in the area, but this place is great. It does get pretty crowded so come early and bring your friends and family. I love all the food here and the desserts are quite tasty. I love their leche milk cake, Yummy so good. The only problem I have is Cubans love Guava's so much, its almost as if its their 5th food group! They have guava juice, shakes, cakes, pastries! Enough with the guavas!

Versaille is a great place to get good cuban food, but you may swear off eating guava's until 2010!

This is a great Nordstrom Rack. The selection is quite good, the prices are cheap and please don't tell everyone you know about this hidden gem. Heaven forbid everyone leaves the Grove and the Beverly Center to shop here and take away all the good deals in the Great Recession of 2009!

J. Crew is my favorite store to shop at and this store location is very nice. Its two stories with a very large selection for both men and women. My only gripe is that the sales rack has higher prices than other locations and all the good stuff goes away so fast. Still, this is a great J. Crew to shop at.

Also, their fitting rooms are very large and the staff is friendly. A Ok.

This store has gone down hill big time. The fabrics are weird, the cuts are tacky and anyone who doesnt want a size  XS or XXS should not shop here. I know there is a big east Asian clientele who shop here, but not all men who are Extra Large have a 32 inch waist, some of us like me are 36. My problem is that my chest is really wide, almost 50 inches since I lift a lot and I cant fit into anything here. While they do have great accessories, if you aren't "Mini Me" From Austin Powers, finding a comfortable size here will be quite the challenge. Banana Republic and J. Crew here I come....

My family only eats Kosher/Halal meat in the house so I have been to every Arabic and Jewish deli west of the Mississippi river you can think of.

I found Elat Market recently and I had a unique experience. They sell some great pastries in the middle of the store, mostly baklava, eclairs and some cookies. My problem is that most of their flakey and sweet pastries with fillo dough, baklava and noumura are Persian style and they use a lot of rose water. Everything has rose water (Maybe its because Beverly hills is like 50% Iranian Jewish and as my friends say, they loooove rose water pastries!)  Personally, I am not one for rose water and prefer walnuts/honey or cane sugar turkish style in my baklava.

They also have a great ready to go deli with savory eggplant stew, spicy hummus and stuffed grape leaves. The deli is great, service is quick and they have great stuff you can heat up in the microwave.

I have to knock it down a star since I bought milk from here and it has gone bad 1 week before the expiration date (This is the second time this has happend from here) and it was "Alta Dena "brand.

Also, while they have great kosher meat, the meat is a bit pricey. Around $2.75 for ground beef per pound and $4.00 for chicken breast per pound. OUCH! I can get ground beef for $1.99 a pound and Chicken breast for $2.75 a pound at some other local places in the Anaheim area.

I think the high prices in the meat section are partially due to the fact that its in the Beverly Hills area, near Cedars Sinai & the Beverly Center.

Their produce is cheap and quite good, especially their oranges, I haven't bought oranges this juicy in a while.

The Bottom Line: This place is A Ok, but unless you have deep pockets, be prepared to spend a bit on the meats and watch out for the milk that goes bad before the expiration date!

I havent written a 1 star review in a long time,but this place deserves it. I had an order to get some business cards made, but the lady helping me didn't even know how to use the machine. It kept erasing my document several times. When I paid, they said they took debit (NOT CREDIT) and I swiped my card several times and it never went through. THey said "Sorry we dont take debit" Well you fucking morons why does it say so on your display and in all your advertisements? I ended up leaving, going to the atm and then getting my cash to pay for my business cards.

This place sucks big balls and I dont recommend anyone come here...EVER! Stick to Staples

One of the most under rated eateries in all of SIlverlake. Of course, natives know how great it is, but sadly, the word has not spread to others in the southland area.

Their ostrich burger is really quite tasty. So very lean, tender and juicy. I love the melted white cheese and sauteed mushrooms they put on top as well.

I highly recommend the sweet potato fries are very tasty. A great burger joint in Silverlake!

Like other reviewers have said this place is like a mini Shakeys, the pizza isnt bad but not the best. Its pretty decent. Worth the trip if you have a coupon. However, sadly, unlike shakeys..no mojo potatoes :(

La Strada is probably your best bet for Italian cuisine on 2nd street in Long Beach. While its not the best of the best, it is very good.

They have an amazing pesto sandwhich with lots of pesto, chicken, tomatoes, and its soo good. Its soft and not too heavy.

Their wine list is pretty extensive, and they have the best complimentary bread. Its soft, crispy, warm and and just melts in your mouth. I will come back here just for some more of their great bread.

For an appetizer I highly recommend their sauteed mushrooms, they are very garlicky, buttery and tasty. Like others have mentioned, their tomato basil caprese appetizer is very good, too.

Out of all the Italian places in 2nd street, La Strada probably has the best quality of food and they have a very reasonable lunch menu with lower prices. I like this place a lot more than Buono Gente. A nice Italian spot in Long Beach.

This weekend it was my birthday, and I celebrated the Big 3-0! Yes, I am officially no longer in my 20s. I came to this park, wrote some poems, did some soul searching and I was surprised. This place is gorgeous, clean and the air is so crisp.

It doesn't get too crowded, and this beach is a treasure in touristy mailbu. If you ever get the chance to visit, bring your camera!
And bring your paper pad in case you have the urge to write poems like me :) !

-------------------

A Private Person
....

There are few private people in this world
I don't think I have ever met one
You seem different from the rest
You are an exceptionally private person.

You are your own social circle
No one can tell you what to do or what to say
You don't need other people's attention
To get through each and every day

In other peoples eyes,
You always act the same
You don't have to explain yourself,
But let me explain

I know your most painful moments,  
Every day feels like a year
Not letting anyone near you
Worried about all of your fears

You hate others asking how you are doing,
You keep to yourself, and no one knows  you are Alone
You pray no one knows how you are feeling
And that God will keep you being unknown.

You pretend you don't need anyone else,
You think no one understands, but maybe they do
I know you all too well, and you are not alone
because I am a private person, too