Davy K.'s Profile

We went here with a  big group, and it was a disaster. Although we all ordered together, my food came out fully a half an hour after the rest of our group's lunch. I had smoked chicken and a hot link - the chicken was nicely flavored and tender, and the hot link was actually excellent. However, the portion was tiny and they didn't give me my side of mac'n'cheese. I asked about this and they told me the rest was coming out.

Naturally, it didn't. I know big groups are a hassle and hard to manage, but c'mon - at least get the orders out within ten minutes of each other, and complete eventually, ok? This is really inexcusably poor service, which is a shame because the food was perfectly adequate, the beer selection quite excellent, and it would otherwise be a great restaurant. Get it together, Lucille's - this experience SUCKED but you could do better.

I have to tell you, if you're ever in L.A. - you should really check out Roy Choi's "A-Frame". This food can literally exorcise demons. I do mean that literally - not "my brain literally exploded" but like, in the literal sense of the word "literal".

Little did I know I was there on the opening night of the Spring tasting menu. If A-Frame is Kogi, taken up to the next level - than this genius menu is A-Frame refined and perfected.

We had the good fortune to sit next to David Reiss himself. At first he seemed to be a little rude, peering over my friend Kate's shoulder to look at her menu. But when we said "hi" and offered him a menu, he turned out to be really friendly, and really interested in what we thought of the new items. That's when we figured out he wasn't just some guy - he was the owner of Alibi Room, The Brig, and of course, A-Frame.

So we shared what we had at our table, and Mr. Reiss shared bites of what he had, so we got to taste a lot of the stuff that looked scrumptious but was just too much for us to order for ourselves. We started with home-made kettlecorn, which was clearly popped right in a sauce pan, which gave it a more crunchy, chewy, buttery and fibrous taste than commercial popcorn.  We also had a plate of heirloom pickles that were a fucking revalation. Like, the skies open, and St. John revealed the return of the Kingdom of God kind of Revelation. There were Asian pears, cucumbers, tiny golden beets, endive and others, served with a little yoghurt dipping sauce. Together, it made a pickle party that was the opposite of every other pickle party I've attended - I really wanted it in my mouth.

I had the double-cheeseburger, and this burger deserves an entry of its own, it was that good. The meat had a brilliant, crusty char on the outside that tasted like happy summers, but was as tender as the preemie ward on the onside. Don't think about that too hard. It came with field greens that were just the right bit of snap, rather than crunch - and a sharp cheddar that added a welcome umami note. All with a bit of tomato confit that was cold, a little vinegary, and smooth like Barry White. It was on a brioche bun that was like Belgium in Europe - it's not flashy, but it serves a purpose that is subtle, important, and makes the whole thing go together.  Chef Choi happened to come out to say hi to Mr. Reiss at just this moment, and he leaned in and said, "I want you to get into that burger with two hands." I did, it was just that kind of burger - thinking on it now, I think it was the best burger I've ever had.

We had beer-can chicken that was perfectly crispy and herby on the outside, with a  tender, juicy inside. The real test wasn't the thigh, but the breast - and my friend Steve suggested we tear a chunk and put it to the test - and it was passed with flying, juicy colors. It was dense but still really moist - and all with a beautiful skin that was crisped to perfection. It came with a spicy mango salsa, and green salsa. It also had a "century egg" which was a funny pun; which came first? Chicken or egg? I'mna say chicken on this one. At least in my heart.

On the side we had asparagus with a fried egg, shaved parmesan and pancetta lardons. The egg was done just right so the yolk was runny and coated the asparagus. I'd never have thought of that, and probably lack the subtle skills to make the egg perfect like that, too - but together it was just dynamite. Mr. Reiss gave us a taste of incredible, juicy pork chops, some  more heirloom pickles, and a little polenta. The polenta was solid but tender, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you, that's not easy to pull off. We also had a little salad with strawberries and freshly cracked pepper that took traditional flavors and really made them pop.

Finally for dessert we had an ice cream sandwich made with salted chocolate cake-like cookies, and pepper ice cream. This was amazing. The pepper wasn't like cracked black pepper, it was floral and sweet. The salt on the chocolate didn't hit until just as all the flavors were finishing, and the resulting combination of familiar, comfortable treats with something new and really gratifying was like playing dodge-ball with your coworkers - you know it, you love it, but you've never done it like this and it lets some steam off.

When Chef Roi came out to say goodbye to Mr. Reiss, I told him that I felt his menu was really sincere - and I meant it. It was about taking things that are familiar and classic and putting them together with some twists that really came from the heart. Chef Choi's response was, "I'm really exorcising some demons with these flavors."

There was no sign of any kind of demon in sight - except, maybe one of gluttony, but how gluttonous can it be if you just want to share? Check out A-Frame - it'll blow your mind and exorcise your demons.

"Look, fools, as I blow your petty bourgeois minds with our outre and gothic pretension! From the moment you saw the pretty girl in a red dress entombed in a coffin made of *brief cases* you knew we were going to blow your money-grubbing wage-slave minds! Do you not realize? We will combine Nietzschean sex and death in an erotic and necrotic display that will challenge all your assumptions about the shallow world in which you live!"

Pfft. This was a gigantic sack of no-talent gothy folderol wrapped around a few really excellent acrobatic acts. The performers who weren't just writhing around and flapping their arms gothily were incredibly talented. I respect and admire anyone who can roll around in a giant steel hoop in an apparently anti-gravity act. The aerelists were not just graceful but pushed the boundaries of human strength, and the guys on the trampoline were not only impressive but also funny and charismatic. But everything else? It stunk of "Hey kids, let's put on a show! Only...gothy!"

Way over-priced for a largely amateurish and entirely pretentious act. it was White-wolf color text, brought to life. (If that means anything to you.)

As someone who is just learning leatherworking, Tandy Leather is a one-stop shop for supplies, materials, tools and advice. The manager is incredibly knowledgeable about everything to do with leathercrafting, and is very willing to provide advice and even demonstrations.

The folks that come to Tandy for their crafting supplies are likewise very friendly and welcoming, and happy to chat about what they're working on, or what you're working on. Ok, there's also the occasional coked-up porn-industry-people buying S&M supplies, but that just adds to the charm. Kind of. Well, the "you'll never guess what I saw today" factor, anyway.

I saw this video once on youtube of a kid on Christmas morning opening a present to find an Xbox-360.  The kid flips out with the sheer joy that you can only experience before you realize that the world is not full of magic - only to discover that the box is full of socks and underwear, and not a console. In that moment, you can see the kid's soul just die. His face collapses, first with grief and disappointment, then surly anger as he realizes he's been played, cruelly. This restaurant is like that kid's horrible Christmas experience.

The view, from the top of the Huntley Hotel, is astonishing. Even on a foggy evening like the night we went - the lights of Santa Monica gleam next to the rolling Pacific. The restaurant is turned out beautifully, too - elegant appointments and a careful eye for design. So that's why I give this place two stars rather than one. The other is for the excellent service.

The food, on the other hand, missed on nearly every front, despite charging for the best of the best. i will say that the charcuterie plate was superb - though non-traditional. There were two kinds of really delectable smoked ham, but no salami, no pate, none of that sort of thing. It was paired with a great selection of cheeses, and over all was by far the best part of the meal. I ordered the special, a Beef Wellington. It was done in, again, a non-traditional style, with the mushrooms and pastry done separately and combined at table-side. This seems like cheating, since getting the steak and the pastry both perfect is the real challenge of a Wellington - but if it works, I'd be all for it. However, the mushrooms were done in a Cabernet reduction that was far, far too sweet. With a nice piece of fatty, unctuous pate on a really great and tender steak, sweetness just isn't called for - and especially not with the heavy hand that was used here. It was jarring - the worst Wellington I've ever had, basically.

My fiancee had an assortment of starters and salad. Her steak tartare was far too salty, and heavily spiced with sage or some other aromatic that made it taste like undercooked breakfast sausage. She got shrimp sauteed on pan-fried polenta. The polenta was dead perfect, but the shrimp was drowned in butter - the butter flavor actually overwhelmed anything else. I know the secret to really delicious food is salt and fat, but c'mon, this is just lazy.

One odd note - there was a DJ spinning on the night we went, a Saturday night. This was the worst DJ I've ever seen, and I include a lot of bad wedding DJ's in that list. He was using two turntables and a Mac to do his "mix" which was, I think, supposed to be classics with some modern house or techno beats mixed in. However, the modern beats were so low as to be inaudible, so basically what we got was the music from my 10th grade dance; Van Halen, Sinatra, Aerosmith - basically nothing newer than 1986. What hell, dude? On the plus side, I heard the fresh beats on my way to the bathroom, and there is something majestic about a toilet stall with a window view of the mighty Pacific. A throne indeed!

Basically, the chef here is lazy. The dishes are uninspired, and use short-cuts to be flavorful - crappy short-cuts that overwhelm quality ingredients. The beautiful location and great service are completely undermined by insipid and vastly overpriced food. The Penthouse is an Xbox-360 box stuffed with socks and underwear; it looks like all your dreams come true, but is full of disappointment.

This is a family owned business that was originally Amedeo's family restaurant in King of Prussia. Amedeo is the owner, Lou's, middle name - and his whole family is deeply and passionately involved in their business. The food is scrupulously made from the best ingredients, and preparation is careful, clean, and authentically Italian.

I'm writing this based on my experience of the restaurant - which was such a perfect family-owned Italian restaurant that I can only imagine their catering would have the same warm, welcoming, family touch that they bring to everything they do.

I worked at the original Amedeo's restaurant in King of Prussia, way back in the 80's. That one has since evolved into a catering business - but the same family owns Amedeo's Too. They scrupulously insist on the very best ingredients for their cheesesteaks - fresh sirloin steak sliced and chopped from the whole steaks on the premises. I should know, I did enough of it! No chintzy frozen strips or steak-umms, this is the real thing.

As another reviewer mentioned, the buffalo chicken cheese-steak is out of this world, too. Altogether, this is the sine qua non of Philadelphia mom and pop (literally!) corner joints. Best of the best!

My group made reservations months in advance, that they had in writing for a largish area. We had a large group, over 60 people. When we arrived, they'd given away our reserved areas that we paid for to two other groups, leaving us with a tiny corner of the campgrounds.

Doing our best to make do, we found that the bathrooms appeared to be something from the Killing Fields of Cambodia. The unclean part. There were reports of giant spiders, though I don't believe them - tarantulas? No, I don't think so. The pool was closed very early. I'm fairly certain the other campsites were inhabited by some of the mutant hillbillies from "the Hills Have Eyes".

A must-miss in your tour of Southern California, with nothing to commend it, and much to recommend against.

These are the best carnitas in Los Angeles, and possibly the world. I mean, with every bite of pig perfection, these carnitas layer in impossibly succulent simmered pork with crispy cracklin' on top. It all comes together with a power and beauty like a Wagnerian opera in pork form. You can TASTE that the pig it's made out of went straight to Valhalla, where it hangs out with vikings and drinks sweet, sweet mead while being cradled by bosomy Valkyries. Because that pig deserves it, because these carnitas are just that good.

Everything else is superb, too. The Guacamole is crazy fresh, with sweet chunks of avocado and just the right seasoning. The chips and salsa are note-perfect and clearly made in-house from top notch and very fresh and flavorful ingredients. The ambience is traditional Mexican that is very mood-inspiring, so long as the mood you're looking for is "dimly lit" and "strange traditional paintings". But the rustic ceiling beams and rustic wall plaster is rustically rustic in a refreshingly rustic way.

But really, you won't notice anything other than the carnitas. And as you dreamily bite through the creamy pork and crunchy pig, you will have a vision of pigs in Valhalla - because YOU are being rewarded for that pig's noble sacrifice. And it was totally worth it.

"Kinesis" is Greek for "kills nerds". I think. Anyway, this gym is the only place in LA that has the whole Kinesis thing. Imagine a cable that runs behind a wall where it attaches to a weight-stack. During the class, you lift the weights while simultaneously doing a calisthenic exercise - so it engages your weight muscles, your core to keep balanced, and is crazy cardio intense. It's unbelievable. In half an hour you'll be totally wiped out.

Then you add on the gym itself, which has a great system - a key that you use that tells you which machines to go to, reminds you of your weights and seat settings, how many reps, etc. When you're done it stores your progress and tells you which machine to go to next. All the machines are in perfect repair and kept very clean. I've been there at peak hour many times and never once had to wait for a machine.

Then to top it off, there's the very approachable, very engaged and friendly staff. They're always there, and even if you're just using the computer-aided workouts, they look in on your results and adjust your plan for you. They'll spot check you if you need help, and always say hello (by name!) and check on how you're doing. Not just generic "How can I help you sir?" check-ins, either. But more like people who are really dedicated to seeing their clients get the most out of their experience.

Free parking, absolutely amazing and always-available equipment, genuinely friendly and caring stafff, and nerd-killing Kinesis. Best gym i've ever been a member of, and I look forward to going there. Plus the computer thing makes me feel like someone's going to notice if I slack off, so I never do. Keeps me honest!