Locanda del Lago

As a food enthusiast, I am always on the lookout for our city's newest and raved about restaurants. Undoubtedly it's a daunting task, especially when multiple hotspots seem to be appearing every week.  For every five new restaurants, however, there seems to one long-standing place that continues to mature in the same way you want your favorite wine to age.

Locanda del Lago has been serving Santa Monica since 1991.  Located in one of the busiest streets of Santa Monica (Third Street Promenade), it probably receives more foot traffic than any major bridge in the US.  And best of all, they support local farmers by showcasing fruit and product from the famous Santa Monica Farmer's Market.  A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to Lago for dineLA. After a meal that filled both my stomach and heart, I was left wondering why and how I had overlooked the Third Street establishment.

Inside, the lights are dim and the ambience is cozy and inviting.

I was also delighted to see that many, if not most, of the items on the dineLA menu were also listed on their regular dinner menu.

Complimentary frico and bread & butter.
J. Lohr is just one of the many wines on their extensive wine list.

Amuse bouche: Smoked trout spread with toasted bread

Vitello Tonnato -- Roasted & chilled veal carpaccio, Genoa tuna caper aioli, rainbow greens, shaved parm

Insalata di Barbabietole -- Weiser Farms red and gold cubed beets, navel orange wedges, tomato-caraway vinaigrette.

Raviolini de Pesce -- housemade halibut raviolini with tiger shrimp Maine lobster bisque (dineLA menu only)

Filetto de Bue w/ porcini -- all-natural Creekstone filet mignon, porcini mushroom sauce, sauteed broccolini.

Tiramisu -- lady fingers, espresso, marscarpone cream and cappuccino sauce.

Panna Cotta -- vanilla custard with strawberry sauce.

Semifreddo agli Amaretti -- housemade semi-frozen Italian meringue cake, amaretti cookies, apricot sauce.

Lighting the grolla to begin an unforgettable post-dinner experience 

The entire meal was delightful, but if I had to choose highlights, they are as follows: (1) the beet salad was the winning appetizer with hearty beets and a refreshing citrus flair; (2) filet mignon could be a disaster if overdone, but it was cooked to perfection with all of its flavorful juices retained; (3) oh, the desserts! I loved them all, but the standout (just by a (not literal) hair) was the semi-freddo meringue with amaretto -- light and strangely addicting.  Quite possibly the best part was the grand finale of the night -- the grolla which can be passed around the table for everyone to take a sip (or two... or three).  Grolla, aka - "friendship cup," is a wine goblet usually with four spouts.  Inside our grolla there was some coffee, grappa (wine), lemon zest, brandy, and sugar. A greatest of all night caps.

There is no doubt that Chef Gianfranco Minuz cares a great deal about the high quality of his food.  The service was prompt, attentive, and respectful and the experience (grolla!) was memorable.  Locanda del Lago is a great spot for your next night out with your loved one, a celebration with friends, a power lunch, or a quick break from retail therapy.  Thank you for your passion and dedication, Chef Gianfranco!  See you again soon.

cuisine: Italian with specific focus on cuisine of Bellagio, Lombardy Italy (Lake Como)
location: Santa Monica
websites: { facebook | yelp | twitter }
hours: M-Thu: 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 11:30am-11pm; Sun: 10:30am-10pm
parking: Nearby parking garages (1st 90 min. free)
attire: Casual
reservations: Yes
notes: All pasta is made in-house, daily.

Seasalt Fish Grill

Seasalt Grill, you are a lovely addition to Santa Monica!  Although I no longer live in SM and therefore, cannot readily benefit from such gems as this, I am still happy that the Westside can have access to fresh seafood at affordable prices.  Or as they say, "[t]he ocean's alternative to fast food."

Pink salt.

Their menu is full of great choices, 90% of which is seafood.  There are non-seafood items as well, but if you're not a fan of seafood, even when battered and fried in wonderful spices, this place is probably not going to be your favorite.

The salad options sound, look, and taste delicious!

Citrus Quinoa Kale -- citrus-infused kale with quinoa, roasted Brussel sprouts, tomatoes, granny smith apples, raspberries, homemade crotons, Cotija cheese, and honey dijon mustard -- $8.99; with salmon -- $11.99

Nice piece of grilled salmon, with a kick! 

The Louie Louis -- with grilled shrimp, hearts of palm, avocado relish, tomatoes, edamame, cucumber, roasted peppers, red onions, cilantro, Cotija cheese, and house dressing -- $8.99; with shrimp -- $10.99

The salad portions are big, prices are reasonable, ingredients are fresh, and the fish, yes, the fish is mmm, mmm, good.  So tasty!  Though I opted to be healthier this time, the fried shrimp po'boy is definitely going in my stomach next time.

For those who want to avoid crowds, order online.  For those feeling especially lazy or unable to leave the house, use Seamless.  If you're not feeling fishy, check out its next door neighbor, Seasalt Country Kitchen - "Home cooking while not at home." Gotta love options!



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cuisine: American, Seafood

location: Santa Monica

hours: Open 7 days a week. M-Th: 11am - 9pm; F: 11am - 10pm; Sat: noon - 10pm; Sun: noon - 9pm.

websites: { SG | yelp | facebook | twitter }

parking: Street meters, nearby lots (first 90 min. free).

attire: Casual

notes: Order at the register, take a number, and find your own seat.  Keep in mind that space is limited.

other reviews: { Joyous Living | LA Eater } 

Tar & Roses

My, my, it's been awhile!  It's taking far more effort than expected to dust off my blogging skills, which are meager to begin with.  Nonetheless, I'm back and ready to report on one of Santa Monica's relatively new and delightful restaurant, Tar & Roses.

This corner restaurant, located on Santa Monica Blvd. & 6th, is home to Chef Andrew Kirshner and a favorite dinner spot for many others.  I suspect they will become a happening place to lunch too, once they open during the day.

Two of my closest friends and I dined at Tar & Roses in celebration of my finishing law school back in May.  I haven't re-visited the restaurant yet, but that first meal was noteworthy enough to leave stick in my memory.  That's pretty impressive, considering what I was consuming -- and more significantly, what was consuming me -- this summer.  (I also really need to start making a habit of writing down my food thoughts in a Moleskine).

$14/glass; $56/ bottle

Tar & Roses is known for describing the aromas of Italy's famous Barolo wine. While I didn't sample T&R's Italian wine, which constitutes a lengthy list, the Emanuel Tres from the Tempranillo vines of Santa Barbara County did a splendid job of starting off the night down the right path.

One of the beauty's of T&R's menu is it offers snacks, small plates, and large plates, all of which can easily be shared.  So that's what we did.

3-item Chacuterie & Cheese Plate - $14

For our meats, we chose Prosciutto Americano and Finnochiona, a Tuscan salami made with fennel.  For our cheese, we opted for a slice of Idiazabal, a hard cheese made of sheep milk.  The nutty, buttery flavor of the cheese paired well with the quince marmalade and various nuts.

{ Snack } Crispy Pig Tail

The highlight was the kitchen's special for the evening: Fried Pig Tails.  The honeyed crispiness of the batter and the cilantro made for a delicious combo.  As imagined, there isn't that much meat found on a pig tail, but what was there was devoured.

{ Small Plate }  Lamb Belly w/ minted apple chutney - $11

The lamb belly was adorned with mint and apple chutney.  The melting fattiness, fleshiness, and sweetness of it all was more satisfying with each new bite.

{ Large Plate } Duck Breast with Plum Chutney & Hazelnuts - $24

The duck was cooked to perfection, retaining every rich flavor a duck dish should have.  The plum chutney was a nice touch, but not necessary.

Strawberry Ricotta Crostata w/ a side of honeycomb ice cream - $9

I found the ice cream tastier than the strawberry crostata, but of course that did not stop me from eating both until I reached glutton's door.

In sum, T & R is a place you need to check out!  The meal can end up being a bit pricey, but keep in mind, a lot of plates can be shared.  Enjoy.



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cuisine: American
location: Santa Monica
websites: { T & R | yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: street or valet
notes: Make reservations.

Stefan's at LA Farm

Before I share my two cents on LA Farm, I have some exciting news: 

Today marks my 2-year blogiversary!  

In the past two years, I've eaten well, drank plentifully, gained new friends -- You thought weight, didn't you? Well, I gained that, too -- learned a lot about blogging and food photography (still learning), and received more attention through this blog than I've ever expected!  All in all, it's been a fruitful two years. And I figure if I can maintain this blog through law school, I'll do a decent job of managing it for years to come.  Thanks for reading, enjoying, and best of all, supporting!

Now enough with the cheese & corn.  Let's see what Chef Stefan Richter and his crew are up to over at LA Farm...

First, I have to admit that I didn't watch Stefan on Bravo's "Top Chef."  In fact -- brace yourself -- I don't recall ever watching a single episode of "Top Chef," much less an entire season.  Now before you judge me, I will say it's been in my queue for awhile now.  I just don't know where to gain access to full episodes!  Please help me (be a normal, food-loving human being).  All this to say, you can dish out the Stefan gossip from that show, and it will all mean nothing to me.  I'm glad.  I care far more about food than celebrity dirt anyway.

Second, my last visit was my third time at the restaurant.  Two dinners and now, one lunch.  If I had to compare, dinner's better, but lunch is still pretty damn good, mainly because they know how to properly cook and serve their food.  No wonder they do so well.

Bar area

"Outdoor" atrium dining area

Lunch menu, 5/22/2012

Lunch menu, 5/22/2012

Complimentary bread and sesame and poppy seed grissini with butter

While I waited for my party to arrive, I dug into the bread bowl.  Nothing innovative or special here, other than the typical noshing of a carb-loving gal.

After we killed the bread, we ordered the Crab & Artichoke Risotto, Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich, and the Local Halibut. Now, in order of preference:

Local Halibut - $25

If there's one thing LA Farm does perfectly, it's cook their fish.  This halibut fillet sits upon sliced radishes chilling in a champagne vinaigrette with sliced fingerling potatoes and topped with cucumber, pickled carrot, frisee.  While I thought the overall combination was on the saltier side, I was impressed by the flakiness of the fresh, cooked fish.  Bravo!

Crab & Artichoke Risotto - $24

Risotto is surprisingly tough to master.  At LA Farm, it's not too al dente and not too mushy.  In other words, it's cooked just as it should be - chewy with a slight bite.  The lump crab and baby artichokes compliment each other well.  And though the foam made the dish seem pretentious, and quite frankly, tasteless, I'm still a fan of the whole dish.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich - $15

There is something so simple, but wonderful about the combo of brie and apples.  The Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich takes the delicious duo and mixes it with celery, walnut, and a light mayo that doesn't turn me off.  Grilled panini-style, one bite of this sandwich will have all the ingredients spilling out, but rest assured, nothing gets left behind.

What I love most about LA Farm is that they know how to take the best, even fancy, obscure-sounding ingredients and create a dish that is simple and memorable.  That is what we like, right?

Chef Stefan, thanks for the laughs and some comments that would be inappropriate to post here.  And I'm glad you like my business cards.  I like them, too.  Until next time!

Getting cozy with the chef/ owner

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cuisine: American
location: Santa Monica
websites: { LA Farm | yelp }
cost: $15-30
attire: Casual
parking: valet lot
notes: They're debuting their front patio soon.  Go check it out!

Milo & Olive

I have been wanting to check out Milo & Olive, the new-ish restaurant in my 'hood, ever since I returned from London.  That was five months ago.  What have I been doing?  Oh yeah, trying to complete that pesky little thing called law school.  What a bore.  But now that I'm DONE (Can I get a what-what?) and I've regained a bit of my so-called life (Who watched that show?), it's fitting that I ended up at M & O after taking my last final exam ever (ever).

Photo by DarinDines

Milo & Olive is a tiny hole-in-the-wall bakery/ restaurant with a couple of communal tables and bar seating.  The bakery bleeds into the open restaurant, creating a vibe very much like Huckleberry.  Oh wait, what?  They're owned by the same restauranteurs?  Yup, Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan expanded their already-successful family of Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, and Sweet Rose Creamery to add this hip pizzeria named after their one-year old son, Milo.  So how does it hold up?

Chef Walter Manzke (left) giving guidance.

I only tried two things, three including the alcohol so I'm not in the best position to judge.  But with what I tried, I can at least say I'll be back again (for bfast).  Will I ever crave it?  Probably not.

Le Menu (click to enlarge)

Flat water (complimentary)

Free Range Chicken Meatballs - $13

Roasted tomatoes, arugula, red onion

This chicken meatballs are steeply priced at a little over $3 each, but the sauce is simply divine.  Spicy, but only in a subtle way, the tomato sauce resembles a hearty and comforting bolognese sauce.  Needless to say, I did not let even a lick go to waste.

Housemade Pork Belly Sausage Pizza w/ braised greens, tomato, and fresh mozzarella - $17

There were many pizzas to choose from, but we opted for this because of two words: pork belly.  Mmm.  Fatty, succulent pieces of pork belly paired surprisingly well with the greens and the cheese.  In some ways, it reminded me of a Mozza pizza, which of course, is a very good thing.

2011 Dom Sainte Lucie "MIP" - $12/ glass

For my celebratory beverage, I went with a French Rosé from Cotes de Provence.  The French sure know what they're doing with their wine.  This particular white was light, crisp, and surprisingly, not pink!  Still scrumptious.

Overall, the food and service was great.  Because we arrived early for dinner (around 5), there was no wait, but a line was growing around 6.  There's nothing bad to say about my small meal, but there's nothing to write home about either.  I'll re-visit my thoughts after I try their breakfast items.  'Til then, happy noshing.



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cuisine: Pizza
location: Santa Monica
hours: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM, daily
websites: { M&O | yelp | twitter }
prices: $10-20
parking: Street
attire: Casual
other reviews: { gastronomy | Food GPS | Eater LA }