Ally I.'s Profile

My friends and I went to BLD to partake in their dineLA special.  I had the prosciutto wrapped figs, braised beed short ribs and a slice of s'mores pie.  The prosciutto wrapped figs (w/ pt. reyes blue cheese) were sweet with the right amount of saltiness from the slightly charred (but not overcooked) prosciutto.  The braised short ribs had amazing flavor to it and was tender, and came with truffle leek puree, roasted baby vegetables, and red wine beef jus. And the s'mores pie (milk chocolate mousse, toasted meringue, toffee peanuts) had a graham cracker crust that tasted like brown sugar and butter.  Everything was just delicious and very generous portions!  The service was amazing, as well.  The staff was very attentive and polite.  I'll definitely go back again.  One downfall is parking, but they have valet for $5.50.  It's LA, after all.

Great bar low-key bar near the hustle of Hollywood.  It was very reminiscent of a New York bar, which I loved.  And the gravy fries were INSANELY good.  I can't wait to go back to try more of their food!!

Went there today during my lunch break since it's super close.  I got a mani and a pedi done within 45 minutes and they did an excellent job!  Well lit, clean and roomy.  The ladies are swift and lovely.  The only thing I wish they had were the dryers.  I know they're not good for the environment, so maybe a fan, because I don't have time to sit and wait for my nails to dry - literally.  But overall, descent color selection and I definitely recommend for anyone in the Hollywood area.

The macademia pancake with haupia syrup is THAT ono. They were light & fluffy, but the mac nuts that were cooked in it and that heavenly haupia syrup makes them the best pancakes I've ever had. My goodness.
I had the fried rice with eggs & a side of perfectly crisped bacon, which was delicious, too! Dad ordered the steak & eggs and the steak was a descent size & cooked to perfection!

To top it off, as most places in Hawaii, out service was top notch. The waiter was super sweet, attentive & helpful!! I can see why this is one of bro's favorite eats.  ;D

It was a delicious dinner, indeed.  Here is a list of the appetizers that we had:

Unagi & Ahi Roll: Tempura Unagi & Spicy Yellow Fin Ahi Handroll, Cucumber, Kabayaki Drizzle
Kalua Pork Spring Rolls
Crispy Risotto Cake (I can't remember verbatim what it was called)
Escargot Bourguignon: Sauteed Escargot, Garlic Butter, Mushroom Duxelle, Crostini

Everything was ono, but the unagi & ahi roll and crispy risotto cake were my favorites!  The tempura unagi in the roll was a nice addition, and the fish was super fresh.  And the crispy risotto cake - albeit I can't recall the name - was tasty!

And for dinner, I ate:
Angus Rib Eye: Hawaiian Salt Rubbed Angus Rib Eye, Truffled Potato Wedges, Sauteed Spinach, Crispy Onions

The meat was tasty and not tough at all (I had it cooked medium).  It comes on top of the wedge potatoes so they are coated with the sauce from the rib eye.  

And the service was top notch. Your water glass was always filled and our waiter was polite and courteous. It was overall a very pleasant experience.  Oh, and great ambiance, too!  Awesome food, customer service and ambiance - that meets my criteria for an excellent spot.

I was looking for a cake for my friend's 30th birthday celebration in Hawaii. (I live in LA)  And through Yelp, I looked at the options and contacted Paradise Pastries.  They were super responsive, helpful and so easy to work with while in LA.

And the cake...it was amazing!  I went with a 2-tiered hexagonal fondant-covered vanilla cake with haupia filling. The fresh flowers matched the image I had sent them and the vanilla cake was light and fluffy, and the haupia filling was so yum!

Everyone loved the cake, especially the birthday girl.  I would definitely order from them again! :D

I had a cheddar with truffle oil, I believe.  Sorry, I'm going off memory and it's been a while.   I opted for a wholegrain mustard dip, but I think I should have tried it with the herb goat cheese. The pretzel is so fresh and it was the right amount of truffle oil to give it a nice savory flavor.  I'm definitely going back for the sandwiches and maybe try a sweet pretzel.

Gorgeous interior.  Delicious drinks and delightful tapas.  Pleasant staff. I've yet to try the punch bowl, but I hope to go back to give it a whirl.  Icing on the cake: the receipt in the cigar box.

Still one of my favorite spots in New York.  It's this magical cottage-like feel in the UES.  They have amazing fries (and to my knowledge, it's only at this particular location) and the decor is so dreamy.  It really is as if you fell through the rabbit hole or stepped into Alice's home.  

I've always wanted to throw a party here as it seems great for girl's birthday, 30the birthday, baby showers and bridal showers.  The upstairs room is great.

I stumbled in last night looking for dessert after dinner & margaritas at Tortilla Flats. It was 10:30p & my friend and I were the 3rd table in the front portion.

It was the end of the night, but our waitress was attentive, nice & helpful. She suggested their signature cocktail, The Sweetiepie (champagne, st. germain, pomegranate), which tastes like the essence of Sweetiepie.  {Once you taste it, I think that will make sense.}  Then, she suggested the orange cake, which didn't taste like oranges but like the orange blossom. It did have a floral taste like she had mentioned and it's a mini two-tiered  cake with olive-colored frosting and white whipped cream piping on top of flavored syrup. It was soft, tasty and presentation was adorable!

We ordered the three ice cream (choc, strawberry, mocha) that were in these mini homemade flaky cones that sat in its own little holder filled w/rainbow sprinkles and topped with chocolate sprinkles. When I bit into my strawberry cone with the chocolate sprinkles, I felt like I took a bite into a candy store. {again, taste it and it will make sense, too}.      

Overall, I enjoyed my experience and plan on recommending it to all my friends. :)