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Location
Los Angeles, CA
Yelping SinceJune 2006
Things I Lovebhangra, train tracks, and coffee in a can
Find Me InThe Fairfax District or Santa Monica
My HometownFort Atkinson, Wisconsin
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I write, read, edit, and move people
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI have the enthusiasm of a newcomer and a taste for the high weird
Date
512 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 899-9279
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 899-9279
Thunderbolt Spiritual Books
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
7170 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-2999
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-2999
Wok Master No 2
Category: Chinese
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
This ranks among the best Chinese takeout I've ever had. Yes, we were hungry, so that might have swayed our first impression, but C., her mom, and I ordered in from the Wok Master nearby for dinner last night. We got the potstickers to start with. The order comes with six, they're well formed, and they're very lightly fried. They didn't fall apart, and they were delicious. Wonderful with dipping sauce.
We also got three entrees: cashew chicken, Mongolian beef, and sweet and sour chicken. The Cashew chicken was slightly better than the average but nothing special. A good standby. The Mongolian beef was wonderfully spicy -- a nice accent to the meal. And the sweet and sour? Here's the deal: They deliver it with the sauce on the side.
That is beautiful. I tend not to like sweet and sour. Depends on the sauce. How much sauce there is. What it's mixed with. This way, you can make your very own! You can use a little sauce. You can use a lot. The chicken comes breaded, which was a surprise, and there were green peppers and pineapple chunks. The pineapple was absolutely flavorless. They could get better pineapple, but this is a small complaint. I ate my sweet and sour without sauce, but C.'s mom used it and said it was good.
Cap the meal with fortune cookies, and you're good to go. We'll order from here again.
We also got three entrees: cashew chicken, Mongolian beef, and sweet and sour chicken. The Cashew chicken was slightly better than the average but nothing special. A good standby. The Mongolian beef was wonderfully spicy -- a nice accent to the meal. And the sweet and sour? Here's the deal: They deliver it with the sauce on the side.
That is beautiful. I tend not to like sweet and sour. Depends on the sauce. How much sauce there is. What it's mixed with. This way, you can make your very own! You can use a little sauce. You can use a lot. The chicken comes breaded, which was a surprise, and there were green peppers and pineapple chunks. The pineapple was absolutely flavorless. They could get better pineapple, but this is a small complaint. I ate my sweet and sour without sauce, but C.'s mom used it and said it was good.
Cap the meal with fortune cookies, and you're good to go. We'll order from here again.
1253 N Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 467-2000
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 467-2000
Crispy Crust
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Mid Wilshire
Oh, my goodness. C. and I ordered an extra-large pie -- pepperoni and mushroom -- from this place last night... our first time ordering from them... and the pizza was amazing. Thin crust, cheese, good toppings. We wolfed the whole thing down between the two of us. And we didn't feel like we'd overeaten! Either we were starving, or this pizza is really good.
One thing: With a name like Crispy Crust, you might expect their crust to be, well, crispy. It's not. But that's OK. We'll order from them again in a minute. That'll be the true test: whether this was an anomaly!
One thing: With a name like Crispy Crust, you might expect their crust to be, well, crispy. It's not. But that's OK. We'll order from them again in a minute. That'll be the true test: whether this was an anomaly!
Advantage is owned by Hertz, so you get the same cars, but not the service or -- most importantly -- the cost. Prices are hella better, and you get what you pay for. So bear with the skeleton crew staff, the lines, the spartan decor, etc., and focus on what car you're getting.
I rented a Chevy Cobalt for the last two weeks and liked it a lot. Now I've got a Mazda3 and don't like it as much. it's got this weird almost-manual gear that, if you accidentally shift into it, will freak you out with the revving.
For the last five years, I've been loyal to Budget, but Advantage costs a ton less, and the cars are just as good. You have to put up with a little more, but consider the savings, and you'll breathe a little easier.
I rented a Chevy Cobalt for the last two weeks and liked it a lot. Now I've got a Mazda3 and don't like it as much. it's got this weird almost-manual gear that, if you accidentally shift into it, will freak you out with the revving.
For the last five years, I've been loyal to Budget, but Advantage costs a ton less, and the cars are just as good. You have to put up with a little more, but consider the savings, and you'll breathe a little easier.
7661 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852-0008
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852-0008
8 Oz. Burger Bar
Category: Burgers
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
An excellent, excellent burger joint. C. got the Melrose with some sharp British cheese, and I got the 8 Oz. with white cheddar. The meat came medium rare, which was OK, but both of us like our burgers done a little more, so we'll remember to specify next time -- first time, take it as they serve it, especially if it's their specialty!
For a side, instead of plain old French fries, we got the potato skins, which were well-herbed and tasty as heck. Even better with ketchup, which they don't put on the table by default. So ask for it! You'll get a little cup, so if you need more, don't be shy.
And to drink, in addition to tap water, we got a root beer float, or Black Cow. The Black Cow does double duty. It's a beverage with your meal, and then it becomes dessert. Delish! They use canned A&W root beer, which isn't as good as draft, but it's better than Mug. So there you go.
Our waitress was friendly, funny, and engaging. Best server I've had in awhile in the personality department. We'll return the next time we've got a burger jones.
For a side, instead of plain old French fries, we got the potato skins, which were well-herbed and tasty as heck. Even better with ketchup, which they don't put on the table by default. So ask for it! You'll get a little cup, so if you need more, don't be shy.
And to drink, in addition to tap water, we got a root beer float, or Black Cow. The Black Cow does double duty. It's a beverage with your meal, and then it becomes dessert. Delish! They use canned A&W root beer, which isn't as good as draft, but it's better than Mug. So there you go.
Our waitress was friendly, funny, and engaging. Best server I've had in awhile in the personality department. We'll return the next time we've got a burger jones.
7912 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 938-7427
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 938-7427
Benito's Taco Shop
Category: Mexican
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
My wife and I ate here again just before a movie -- it's right across the street -- and we diverged from the taquitos to see how their soft tacos are. We each got two: hers were chicken and steak and mine were chicken and pork. Their soft tortillas are yellow corn and should probably be doubled up for easiest handling, but compared to the rolled tacos, the normal tacos are great. The meat was well flavored, and I appreciated the fresh pico de gallo. As an added bonus, the pork taco comes with guacamole. Better, with the pico de gallo.
Benito's is kind of a cross between a Taco Bell and an actual taqueria -- maybe even a step up from some of the Chinese taco shops I'd frequent in New York (not all, but some). And it's listed as a 24-hour joint in LA Express!
For the record, the president of Benito's contacted me after my previous review to touch base. There's nothing wrong with the staff or location -- but when seeking efficiencies in ingredients and food prep, don't get too efficient.
Next time, I'll have to try the quesadillas or burritos.
Benito's is kind of a cross between a Taco Bell and an actual taqueria -- maybe even a step up from some of the Chinese taco shops I'd frequent in New York (not all, but some). And it's listed as a 24-hour joint in LA Express!
For the record, the president of Benito's contacted me after my previous review to touch base. There's nothing wrong with the staff or location -- but when seeking efficiencies in ingredients and food prep, don't get too efficient.
Next time, I'll have to try the quesadillas or burritos.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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10/28/2009
C. and I went here for a quick dinner last night before a show at Cinefamily. We love tacos. And we love the average taco in LA so far. But I think we made a mistake ordering their specialty, the rolled taco. The taquitos -- for that's what they are -- were really overdone, dry, and mostly crunchy. Hard to bite in places and impossible to cut with a plastic knife. The beef was largely flavorless, and otherwise, there wasn't a heck of a lot going on. They drench it in guacamole and shredded cheddar, but even the guac was relatively flavorless. In general, I'm not a fan of taquitos, so mileage may vary, but I thought, being their specialty, they'd be special. Still, at three for $3.29 (five for $4.29), they're a steal.
The horchata is commercial grade, served out of branded and labeled dispensers, not your general, near home-made horchata. I find commercial horchata to be oversweet more often than not, and that was indeed the case.
Other people's orders looked better. We'll return to try the normal tacos and burritos. And the guy at the counter was super friendly and enthusiastic.
But the rolled tacos? Roll away, please.
640 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-2009
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-2009
Hedley's
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
After the community meeting last night, we wanted dinner. Ed's Coffee Shop, to the south on Robertson, closes at 3 p.m., but we didn't know until we got there. So we headed north. Passed Sur, passed Fat Fish, and was struck by the menu outside Hedley's, which promised inventive food at way reasonable prices -- like, $13 entrees.
C. got the crab cakes. You can get one for $7.95 and two for $10.95. Get two, they're tiny. And while they're not old-school Baltimore crab cakes, they're not too prissy or wee. Good crab cakes. An option for three might be welcome. I got the pulled beef grilled cheese sandwich; it was, after all, National Sandwich Day. Amazing. Wonderfully grilled bread, not much cheese, and pulled beef. Delicious. Recommended.
Our waiter, who might have been South African, was very friendly and chatty -- we were the only people in the entire restaurant. I asked why there weren't more people there -- "it's a good restaurant!" -- and he said that in the recession, Tuesday and Wednesday nights are dead. People don't go out to eat early in the week. The rest of the week, they're hopping.
Before we left, three more parties came in, so we didn't feel like we were leaving him alone. It'd be boring to hang out at an empty restaurant. Go there for dinner on a Tuesday or Wednesday night and help that waiter out.
C. got the crab cakes. You can get one for $7.95 and two for $10.95. Get two, they're tiny. And while they're not old-school Baltimore crab cakes, they're not too prissy or wee. Good crab cakes. An option for three might be welcome. I got the pulled beef grilled cheese sandwich; it was, after all, National Sandwich Day. Amazing. Wonderfully grilled bread, not much cheese, and pulled beef. Delicious. Recommended.
Our waiter, who might have been South African, was very friendly and chatty -- we were the only people in the entire restaurant. I asked why there weren't more people there -- "it's a good restaurant!" -- and he said that in the recession, Tuesday and Wednesday nights are dead. People don't go out to eat early in the week. The rest of the week, they're hopping.
Before we left, three more parties came in, so we didn't feel like we were leaving him alone. It'd be boring to hang out at an empty restaurant. Go there for dinner on a Tuesday or Wednesday night and help that waiter out.
8687 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 657-0800
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 657-0800
Pacific Design Center
Categories: Museums, Art Galleries
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
C. and I took the bus here last night for a public transit community meeting about the plans for the Westside subway and the Hollywood extension that's one of the options being considered. So we only saw the exterior, the entrance lobby, and the conference center -- which would make an awesome venue for an event (and did).
The exterior is beautiful, sweeping, and innovatively lit. Inside, the part we didn't really see, houses entertainment companies, 120 design showrooms and 2,200 interior product lines, two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, the SilverScreen Theater, and a fitness center. I'm sure most of the interior design items are out of my price range, but it's still nice to look at.
The lobby houses some large-scale interior sculptures, so be sure to check those out, as well.
The exterior is beautiful, sweeping, and innovatively lit. Inside, the part we didn't really see, houses entertainment companies, 120 design showrooms and 2,200 interior product lines, two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, the SilverScreen Theater, and a fitness center. I'm sure most of the interior design items are out of my price range, but it's still nice to look at.
The lobby houses some large-scale interior sculptures, so be sure to check those out, as well.
6333 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-3113
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-3113
The French Crepe Company
Categories: Creperies, Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
C. and I took the long walk to the Farmers Market last night in the cool evening mist for dinner. Each time we go, we'll try somewhere new. Last night, we tried the French Crepe Company. I ordered the Bastille, which comes with either ham or turkey, cheese, and sliced tomato. I chose the ham, and the result was a wonderfully savory dinner crepe. They could have used a little less ham, and it would have been even better, but the real highlight is the tomato. There's not a lot in there, so when you do hit the slices of tomato, sheer deliciousness occurs.
My wife was not so lucky. She wanted something light for dinner and chose whichever crepe comes with spinach and mushroom. Unfortunately, that crepe also comes with a heavy cream sauce (heavy as in rich, not necessarily heavy cream). So it's totally creamy throughout. If you like creamed spinach, that's probably OK, but it was a disappointment given the expectation and the menu description. We won't have that crepe again.
If we come again, it'll mostly be for sweet crepes. Worth trying!
My wife was not so lucky. She wanted something light for dinner and chose whichever crepe comes with spinach and mushroom. Unfortunately, that crepe also comes with a heavy cream sauce (heavy as in rich, not necessarily heavy cream). So it's totally creamy throughout. If you like creamed spinach, that's probably OK, but it was a disappointment given the expectation and the menu description. We won't have that crepe again.
If we come again, it'll mostly be for sweet crepes. Worth trying!
Your basic CVS. Their stock seemed a little picked over on a Monday afternoon, at least in the sun care aisle, and the stationery aisle -- particularly notebooks -- was in a faint disarray, but otherwise, it is what it is.
Despite a long line -- six or seven deep -- there was just one person working the registers. And he was slooow. Eventually, they added a second person, and that helped make things go a little faster, but not much.
This is super close to where I work, but I'll need to figure out when their not-busy times are before I make this a place I pop out for a quick errand. Because it took way too long for what I needed to do this afternoon (buy a memo notebook and suntan lotion). Should've been in and out.
Despite a long line -- six or seven deep -- there was just one person working the registers. And he was slooow. Eventually, they added a second person, and that helped make things go a little faster, but not much.
This is super close to where I work, but I'll need to figure out when their not-busy times are before I make this a place I pop out for a quick errand. Because it took way too long for what I needed to do this afternoon (buy a memo notebook and suntan lotion). Should've been in and out.
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They're also a little more self-help and New Age than spiritual, with books downstairs by Wayne Dyer, Ken Wilber, and others, but it's all one system, so they relate. It's good to see books by Ram Dass shelved near those of Robert Anton Wilson. And some day I'll read Millman's "Peaceful Warrior" and Cooper's "Behold a Pale Horse."
The discount rack outside sports $5 items, hardcover and soft, books and audio cassettes (some might be missing tapes, but for $5, as is is as it should be).