Yamashiro, Hollywood

The views at Yamashiro are unquestionably some of the best in all of LA. Perched 250 feet above Hollywood Blvd, Yamashiro offers their guests a 360 degree view of Los Angeles. It is the perfect place to grab your sweet heart for a romantic night out.

What makes Yamashiro so special is that it was built in 1914 and has its fair share of historical architecture, like the 600 year old Pagoda brought in from Japan. It has also served as Hollywood elite's stomping ground. It's even been rumored that during the Roaring Twenties, starving actresses were available at Yamashiro to hire for the evening. Yamashiro has also made its mark in Hollywood by being used as filming location for productions such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Blind Date.

The drinks at Yamashiro, specifically the Koi bowls, are fun and notably a show stopper. I went with the Tokyo Tea. It was tasty and I loved the huge pieces of pineapple garnish in it.

Tokyo Tea Koi Bowl

Kyoto Berry

For starters I had the Salt & Pepper Fried Calamari. This is served with a ginger tomato sauce. I liked that it was quite different from the usual marinara sauce that normally comes with calamari. This is still a good appetizer to share for a group.

Salt & Pepper Fried Calimari

The BBQ Duck Confit Fried Spring Roll, this was light and crispy. 

BBQ Duck Confit Fried Spring Roll

As for their sushi, I do want to mention that I almost on every occasion will ask the waiter to bring me a side of sesame oil and jalapenos with my sushi. I did not have the desire to do that here because I was pretty pleased with the sushi I had. I'll tell you what I had...

Red Dragon: shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, spicy mayo, unagi sauce, and tempura. This was delicious. If you like knowing what you're gonna get, and want something you are familiar with, this is a safe bet.

Red Dragon

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice...This is my favorite sushi of anywhere I go. First off, it would be pretty difficult to mess this up. But they do it good at Yamashiro. The size of each piece was decent and better than some other places I've been to.

From their sashimi menu...

Scallop & Lychee Yuzu...lychee, wasabi tobiko, serrano pepper, micro green, truffle oil, yuzu and lychee vinaigrette. The presentation was quite beautiful. This was my first time having the combination of truffle with wasabi, and it surprisingly worked, but then again, what won't truffle work with? I could taste a hint of sweetness from the lychee, and a small little sting from the serrano pepper.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was a freshness coming from something. I would recommend this to a sashimi lover looking to try something new.

But seriously, on to my favorite non-entree of the night, and that is the Salmon Tataki & Sweet Miso...serrano pepper, green onion, black tobiko, sweet miso, and tosazu. Now, this is where I have to give kudos to Yamashiro because I am absolutely not a fan of salmon sushi or sashimi, unless of course if its cooked. Not that I won't eat it at all, but I'll never really go for it. This on the other hand was exceptional. Although I wasn't in the kitchen, I have a hunch that the salmon was cooked with a torch, to the point where the top had a nice charred flavor to it, and was buttery at the same time. That plus a hint of sweetness from the sweet miso, and texture from the black tobiko. Not to mention the cute little serrano pepper on top to give it a pop! This is definitely making me reconsider my raw salmon aversion.

Arugula salad...I know this is just salad, but I actually loved it. Loved the lemony dressing, decent size at a decent price. I would order this again.

For my entrée, I had the Shoyu Glazed Black Cod...sauteed mustard greens, maitake mushrooms, wasabi mashed potatoes, soy daikon sauce. Besides it being a tasty dish, I thought the portion was decent in size. The wasabi mushrooms will surprise you, they definitely have a kick to them.

The second entrée was none other than their signature dish, the Himalayan Salt Plate...American wagyu steak seared and served on a 400 degree slab of Himalayan salt. Yamashiro describes it as a "dense block of translucent pink salt handcut from ancient mineral deposits...allowing the steak to be cooked at the table imparting a full taste and a new level of flavor complexity."  Of course, it came sizzling to the table, which the waiter quickly took the meat off as to not cook it took much. This was 100% the show stopper. It comes with a hefty pricetag, but if you're looking to wow and impress someone, this will do the trick.

Himalyan Pink Salt Plate

Dinner was followed by dessert, a humongous fortune cookie bigger than my head, which they make in house. Both ends were stuffed with their homemade milk and white chocolate mousse.

To wrap all of this up for you in a little bow, I'm going to tell you exactly what to order for a dinner for two. I would do the Koi bowl drink. One will probably last you all night. For appetizer, the musts would be the salmon tataki and the scallop & lychee yuzu. For one entrée, I would go with one of these: crispy duck leg confit citrus pea sprout, the wagyu burger. Why? Because the duck confit sounds different and unique, and the wagyu burger just sounds bomb.  For the second entrée, I would go with the Himalayan Salt Plate. For dessert, my first choice would be the molten chocolate cake or the strawberry filled doughnuts. The fortune cookie would be great for another wow factor, but don't count on coming close to finishing it.

There you have it! If you made it all the way to the end of this article, then don't forget to click on the little heart below.

XOXO!

High Horse Dinette, Burbank

This next article is more so about the man who created it all rather than just the place itself.  This story begins circa 1980...when Jon Stocking went to Europe for the opportunity to play basketball. At some point, however, that came to a halt when he broke his ankle. As luck would have it, being handicapped from playing basketball allowed him to take an opportunity he was given to work with a French chef, making this the pivotal point that launched his culinary career.

Jon then went on to start a very successful chocolate company. Yes, that's right. A chocolate company. But that quickly turned into a good deal gone bad once he decided to join forces with a partner. Nevertheless, with lessons learned, he pushed on.

Having a knack for baking pies, Jon put his French cooking skills into use and opened the famous Republic of Pie in North Hollywood. Another hit. With its selection of both sweet and savory pies, Jon was able to build a business and sell it off for the tune of....ok we didn't really get into specifics, but I can assume it was for a hefty price because, well, he retired after that.

But he wasn't done there, since, you know...retirement can only last so long before one might get bored and want to get back into the saddle again. Jon decided to come out of retirement to open High Horse Dinette.

High Horse Dinette serves breakfast, brunch and diner food. You can get your fair share of healthy and not so healthy but healthy cuz it's homemade delicious food. Case in point, what I ordered...

The healthy...Breakfast Bowl. This is easy to summarize...a bowl with mixed greens, egg whites, asparagus, sprinkled with sliced almonds. Really healthy. The lettuce didn't even have dressing on it. I would imagine its people like body builders or people really looking to be lean who would order this. Obviously not my style, but I have to say I was curious to see their breakfast bowl. I would only recommend this if you are a soul-less human being who does not care for enjoyment out of their meal. Just straight to the point, protein and vegetables.

The "homemade" healthy...The meat quiche. Ok maybe "healthy" isn't the right word, but what I'm trying to get at is that they bake it themselves from scratch, using whole ingredients, not canned or processed food. So once in a while, this ain't such a bad thing. In fact, making your stomach happy can be good for you, but that's just my opinion. And the quiche, made me very happy.

Of course I ordered the Mac and Cheese. I thought it was really nice and creamy, but like most mac and cheese, I did need to add salt. Not a big deal because I'd rather add it myself than have someone decide for me and put too much. Yes, you want this.

Now, I have to admit, I've very surprised this next one is my favorite thing I ate, mostly because mac and cheese is usually the fave, but the Palomino Burger takes the cake on this one. Its their most popular burger, and only when you order it will you know why. I really can't describe it. It's not like its got crazy ingredients, its just free range meat, smoked bacon, avocado, jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles...see, nothing out of the ordinary. BUT, it happened to be a pretty damn good burger. Juicy, tasty, I would go back for this, or recommend it for others if they're trying to decide which burger to go with. The picture does not do it justice!!

As if that wasn't enough, Jon expanded to the empty shop next door and opened up Basecamp Coffee. What's cool about High Horse Dinette is that its all outdoor seating, but if you really do want to sit indoors, just hop on over to Basecamp, grab a table, and feel free to order off the High Horse menu, and they'll bring it right to you. No need to go anywhere either to get you coffee fix.

From High Horse Dinette to Basecamp Coffee...It took me a good 5 minutes just to decide which tea to go with because they were all so unique and gourmet-like. Their coffee machine is one of a kind, and all the wood fixtures at Basecamp and High Horse Dinette all come from the same tree that Jon used to create all the counters with.  And the flourless chocolate cake? So decadent, and all homemade! I really don't know how they find the time. Their floors, which I fell in love with, also done by Jon...real life true Macgyver. 

Check out this cute little video I made of my experience at Basecamp...

Cheesy, I know. Thanks for watching! If you made it to the end of this article, don't forget to give it a little "like". Xoxo

Myself and Jon Stocking

Grain Lab, Burbank

Grain Lab

1737 N Victory Pl

Burbank, CA 91502

It's not easy to start and run a business, let alone a restaurant. Being a previous restaurant owner, I can relate to the hardships, the ups, and the downs that it all brings. I can also admire the persistence to make it work, especially when it runs in your blood.

Grain Lab in Burbank is the true definition of a mom and pop, but interestingly enough, you would never guess it. Everything from their website, to their decor was so aesthetically pleasing, one can only assume it is backed by a larger corporation with multiple locations, and the capital to hire some serious interior designers.  That is why I was so shocked to learn that this is far from the case.

By some cosmic luck where the stars, the moon, and the sun were all aligned, Grain Lab came into fruition. This journey starts with Timothy Kang, when he helped his mom come up with a new concept for a restaurant after their previous franchise lease (Great Steak Potato Co.) was up. Remember I said it runs in their blood.  From there, they hired a design contractor, hired his roommate chef named Flavi, and voila! Grain Lab was born.

Soon after, the demands of the restaurant called for Timothy to quit his job to tend to the business, where he, on the daily, practices the art of maintaining food that we like, getting it local, trying to keep the prices as reasonable as possible, all while being sustainable at the same time. Undeniably a difficult challenge for anyone.

Alright, enough of the history. On to the foodstuff...

When I first examined the menu, I was so happy to see that I can get healthy food that I actually looked forward to eating. This time I made a conscious effort not to go for the cheesiest, and fattiest item on the menu. And I did so only with minimal regret. See, I'm finally growing up.

For my main dish, I ordered the Tony's Pork Belly Bowl.  This is made with kimchi that they make in-house, grilled vegetables, brown rice, garnished and topped with their red pepper paste.

Chicken Pesto sandwich with a side of baby mix greens with vinaigrette on ciabatta bread.

Tomato Basil soup. So light and refreshing. Tomato-ey with a hint of basil. Will be coming back for this, as I'm such a soup lover.

And probably my favorite dish out of all of them, the Asian Chicken Salad. Not your typical salad. Made with mixed greens. Mango. Jicama. Grilled Pineapple. Toasted Coconut. with a side of Lychee vinaigrette. Wow. I was never the kind of person who liked sweet with my savory dishes, but my palette is changing and now I look forward to it.  I feel like the fruit added so much freshness in every bite. And the lychee dressing, so delicious I could drink it. Another awesome point to mention is that they don't skimp on the chicken.

And to top it all off, Grain Lab's very own chocolate chip cookie. Hardly sweetened except for the apple sauce that they use in place of butter, and the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Truthfully, this is exactly how I like my desserts, more on the healthy side and not very sweet. So if you're the type that wants a super buttery, super sweet cookie, then this probably isn't the cookie for you. But to me, it was so good I devoured it all in one sitting.

At Grain Lab, they don't have any microwaves or freezers. They buy local when they can. They believe in clean, simple and honest food, exemplified in everything I ordered. Grain Lab can accommodate vegans, vegetarians, pescatarian, gluten intolerant, etc. This place has the potential for expansion but it needs our support of their mission, embodied in their slogan, "Be Concious, Support Local, Eat Grain Lab."

This is my first video I ever edited, so it's kinda special to me. "Likes" are greatly appreciated. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more videos!

Rico's Pizza, Burbank

332 S Glenoaks Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91502

Burbank, the entertainment headquarters is where I'll be taking a turn in my explorations. It is the hub for Studios such as Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and The Walt Disney Company.  I have come to truly enjoy my commute into and out of Burbank because it is a hotspot for one-off mom and pops.  There are so many cool restaurants spotted all over, I doubt I'll have a chance to visit them all.

While doing research for my next food review, I came across Rico's Pizzeria. One thing that sticks out about Rico's is their extensive menu. You can get pizza, pasta, salads, soup, sandwiches, fries, chicken wings, and dessert.  To taste, I figured I'd go with a few basics, and a couple wild cards too...

To start, I ordered a pizza with 3 toppings, this was made "Eric's style," upon recommendation of the owner. It's basically a pizza with a pile of French fries in the middle. Wow! The presentation was incredible, I have yet to see anything like it.  It's definitely not for the faint of heart. I would say this is a pretty cool thing to order say if you and a group of friends wanna watch a sports game and want something big and kinda epic to share. But if your favorite bite of the pizza is the the pointy part, well that's gone as they flip it back to form the center of the pizza. 

Eric's Special

The next thing I ordered were the chicken wings. I'm a huge fan of buffalo sauce so I went with that. Yum!!

The breakfast pizza, also known as an Ajarski, is basically a bread bowl filled with a layer of mozzerella cheese and eggs. I've been seeing this recently on social media and I've been wanting to try it for a while. You can get filled with vegetables and meat. I've been told this is the perfect hangover cure. I'm not a huge fan of having eggs any time other than breakfast, but so far this was my camera crew's favorite dish of the night.   

Ajarski aka Breakfast Pizza

Last but not least, and MY personal fave of the night was the Rico's Signature Yogurt Soup. This was a yogurt based soup with cilantro and barley.  I love yogurt based savory dishes, and I love soup, so it was no surprise that this made me really happy. This soup is very similar to a soup that my aunt makes and this is the first time I have ever seen it at a restaurant. This is one of those dishes that I would order every time I made a visit to Rico's.

Yogurt Soup

Couple things to take note is that this place has been around since the 1950s! They make their own dough. They are family owned. They serve alcohol. And they have specialty pizzas you won't find anywhere else. I'd love to hear what you thought about the video so please leave your comments below and give it a "like'! 

Ox & Son, Santa Monica

Ox & Son

1534 Montana Avenue

Santa Monica, CA 90403

Chef Miller has done it again.  I visited Ashland Hill, one of four establishments of Fork ‘n Awesome (FNA) Hospitality Group, headed by Executive Chef and Partner Brad Miller.  Today I bring to you the latest addition to the FNA family, Ox & Son in Santa Monica, also headed by Chef Miller.  Ox & Son is situated in the swanky part of town on Montana Avenue. I was initially impressed by the large windows and classic decor of olive green chesterfields, gilded frames, ornate silverware, and crystal cups. It actually happens to be the exact style of decor for my own home, need I say, “great minds think alike?” In fact, I came home after dinner and did a search for that type of flatware to add to my domain.  Bathroom, of course, had the beautiful carrara marble, and it was at that point that I decided my next home will have that same marble. I currently have the bianco rhino marble, which is equally as impressive, but I’ll go for the more traditional look next time around. Alright, enough about decor, on to the food stuff.

I couldn’t start the night off without trying some of their specialty drinks. They’ve got a great selection of beer and wine.

For drinks, we ordered the Lavender Blanc and Old Habits.  Lavender Blanc – Lillet blanc, dolin blanc vermouth, lavender bitters, and dandelion tonic water. Old Habits – dolin blanc, vermouth thatchers, elderflower, pineapple, homemade grenadine, ginger ale. Both were refreshing and not too sweet, just the way I like it.

Of course, I did my research ahead of time so I knew exactly what I wanted to get.  For appetizers, we started off with the Prime Beef Tartare and Benton’s Ham & Corn Griddle Cake. Everywhere I go, if there is some kind of tartare on the menu, I’m getting it. Their beef is seasoned with soy, sesame seeds, green onions, and had the tiniest little pieces of green apple to give it a hint of sweetness and crunch. When I say tiny, I mean really tiny. I don’t know how they find the patience to sit there and cut up all that apple, but it makes me appreciate the dish that much more because I can only imagine how time consuming and difficult that must be. But that’s not even the best part! The best part was the lime aioli, the cute little edible garlic flowers, and …dun dun dun….TRUFFLE EGG! Yes, little dollops of truffle infused egg yolk! Truffle makes everything better. Paired with brioche toast to spread on.  Just fantastic.

The griddle cake was doused in this rich maple butter, both of which you could really taste. The texture was that of a pancake, with a hint of corn bread peeking through. It was topped with thin slices of a cured ham, and tiny little pickled onions that added just another layer to the dish. But the most surprising element were the little purple garlic flowers. I made sure to incorporate a little bit of everything into one bite. The flavors individually are so familiar, yet put together like that made it so rich and decadent! To this day we still can’t stop talking about it. This is hands down a MUST ORDER.

Benton's Ham and Corn Griddle Cake

Benton's Ham and Corn Griddle Cake

Entrèe numero uno was the Chicken Fried Duck Confit: shaved pickled vegetables, house kimchi slaw, red chili, and local honey sauce.   It was very difficult, trying to narrow down two choices for the entrèe. I was torn between the Mushroom Parmesean Cavatelli, and the Steak, but ultimately chose this because it seemed like a unique pick.  The duck was tender and had the right amount of crust.  The kimchi slaw and and pickled vegetables added an extra element to the dish to give it that freshness to the fried duck.

Chicken Fried Duck Confit

The second entrèe we ordered was the Sticky Pig Cheeks & Black Rice: black vinegar glaze, roasted turnip, coconut black rice, and charred leak. I went with this dish because I’ve never had pig cheeks before. Truthfully, I actually thought it was the butt cheeks, later did I find out that this meat comes from the hollow part of the cheek, right below the eyes. I was surprised by how lean and tender the meat was, literally melting at the slightest prick from my fork. It was coated in a slightly sweet glaze,  on top a bed of black rice that paired very well with the cheeks. Hands down the best cheeks I’ve ever had

As an accompaniment, I ordered the Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes. I felt like the potatoes were a little out of place with what I ordered, but at the same time, I love and need to have carbs with my protein. So in that sense, it was the perfect finishing touch that I crave. The good thing about the potatoes is that they really do complement the other dishes because there is already so much going on with each of the entrèes. You don’t want an equally eccentric appetizer otherwise you may not appreciate the dish for what it is.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

On to the best part of the evening…dessert. I ordered the Coffeecake & Butterscotch: shattered meringue, brown butter, smoked salt, and burnt cinnamon ice cream.  Just hearing what it entails tells me that there’s so much time and effort that goes into making something like this. There are so many moving parts, the cake, the meringue, sauces, and ice cream, each involving their own recipes. When it came to my table, I tried each element on its own and then again with every little bit in one bite. Simply Divine. A MUST ORDER for the desserts.

Ox & Son is truly a unique gem with so much to offer from the moment you walk in till the time you leave. I can’t wait to go back to try the entrèes I couldn’t try this time around. If you do happen to make a visit, I’d love to hear about your experience and what you ordered

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The Poké Shack, Los Angeles

The Poké Shack

7257 Melrose Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90046

www.thepokeshack.com | @thepokeshack

Last night I attended the red carpet event for the grand opening of The Poké Shack on Melrose, one of two locations.  I love the area its in. Its right in center of all the clothing stores, so you can easily pop in in between shopping. Tons of nightlife activity as well.  Clean environment. Hip ambiance. Great Hospitality. Delicious food. So, about that….

Of course I went with the big daddy bowl with raw Tuna, only because I’m not a big salmon person, but they do have that option, as well as shrimp and tofu. Tuna cut into perfect cubes.  Then you get to choose what to mix into it. I love the toppings. I went with the watermelon radish, duhh. That makes everything better. Also did the seaweed, edamame, kale, green onions, sesame seeds, all mixed with their garlic sauce, atop brown rice.  I loved it. Its so fresh and light, and you feel really good about eating clean and raw.  It comes in a nifty little container that’s great for when you’re on-the-go.

Big Daddy Bowls, alongside Juice Served Here and Waiakea alkaline Water. For dessert: Mike’s Cupcakes

My shirt really matches my angel wings

Guess what! To promote their poké bowls, They’re giving out $1 poke bowls all day long, this Sunday June 12th from 11 am to 11 pm. Don’t miss this opportunity! Wherever you’re driving from, I think its definitely worth it.  Don’t forget to try their smoothies and acai bowls.

What can I say, I like my Foodecall Raw

Their second location is right on the Venice Blvd. Another awesome spot to just chill, have some poké and people watch. Because of their location, it won’t be hard at all to pay a visit to either of these locations because its perfectly centered in all the hubbub of that area.

Big Daddy’s Poké in Venice

Uhhhhhmazing!

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Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill, Tarzana

Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill

5511 Reseda Blvd.

Tarzana, Ca 91356

For some time my good friend Cameron Hashemi, Franchisee of 4 store locations, would tell me to come to his family-operated Sharky’s franchised locations, and I finally did. I was asked to come in to show people a side of Sharky’s they might not have expected, like how it’s actually healthy and great for gym buffs looking for a quick protein-heavy low-carb meal.  My only regret is, WHY DIDN’T I COME IN SOONER!? This place is amazing! It is fast like Chipotle, but wayyyy better. Sharky’s is a fast-casual chain where you place your order at the cashier line, then grab a variety of complimentary salsa while waiting for your food to be delivered to your table. Although it is a chain, they are unlike what chain restaurants represent. First off, they use ORGANIC, LOCAL, and ALL-NATURAL ingredients. I must summarize the benefits, because this is important:

– All Natural Chicken Breast. No added preservatives, hormones, or phosphates.

– All Natural Angus Steak. Antibiotic free with no added hormones.

– WILD Caught Fish (holy moly!). Wild Caught MSC Certified Alaskan Salmon and more depending on store location.

– GMO-free Corn.

– Organic Tofu. Non-GMO Project Verified & U.S. grown.

– Organic Ingredients: Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Quinoa, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Long Grain White Rice, Salad Greens, & Yams.

– rBHG-free (Growth hormone free) Cheese & Sour Cream.

– Salsas and Guacamole Handcrafted Daily.

– Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free options.

It is clear that they truly are dedicated to providing the BEST ingredients every chance they get, which is awesome for a restaurant with 24 branches! Now, on to what I ate…

I ordered something off their Naked Menu: Lower Fat & Lower Calories items just to see if I would like it (because after all, I’m not really that girl).  I went with the Wild Salmon “Lite” Burrito. Now, here’s what is in it: Grilled WILD salmon, nori seaweed, organic poblano brown rice, avocado, cucumber, cabbage, chili sesame aioli, wrapped in a low-fat whole wheat tortilla. It is loaded with 41 grams of protein!  First off, I was very impressed that they use WILD caught fish. Even that can be a challenge to find to buy for home use, let alone finding it on a restaurant menu. Secondly, I went with this burrito because besides the restaurant that my own family owned, I have yet to see very many salmon wraps/burritos. Third, the ingredients were different and I wanted to try something new.  All in all, it was a great combination. Especially topped with Fire Roasted salsa (dark colored)….mmmm mmmm!

Wild Salmon Lite Burrito

Next, I tried their tacos…Original Chicken, Original Steak, and their Tempura Battered Cod Fish. The original style tacos have onion, cilantro, and salsa verde. All seafood tacos have cabbage, pico de gallo, sauce, and cheese. As listed above, each restaurant has their own supply of fish which varies store to store, so not all fish selections are available. The fish tacos were bomb!!!!!!!

All three tacos

Steak Taco

Fish Taco

Next, I went with the Sharky’s Quinoa salad, a vegan dish.  It had organic red and white quinoa, organic baby spinach, cabbage, jicama, cucumber, sweet peppers, green onions, cilantro, avocado vinaigrette topped with avocado slices and a sprinkle of toasted flax and chia seeds. Besides the fact that the salad was tasty, and the ingredients are top-notch, the portion was pretty big. A salad like this is big enough if that’s all you want to eat for lunch (although, I could never), but PERFECT to split it four ways as a side dish.

Quinoa Salad

To drink, we tried two of their daily handcrafted lemonades and teas. These drinks also vary in other Sharky’s. The Tarzana location I visited currently has these flavored lemonades: Strawberry Cilantro, Watermelon Basil, and Strawberry Lime. The ones we tried were the Hibiscus Ginger Green Tea, and their Watermelon Lemonade. Both were delicious!! You can’t go wrong with either one.

Handcrafted Drinks Menu

Last but not least, my favorite thing I ate was the Spicy 4 Cheese STONE FIRED PIZZA! Tomatillo cheese sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, sour cream, chicken (add-on), served on a jalapeno-cilantro tortilla crust. This was awesome! The only other Mexican pizza I’ve ever had is from Taco Bell, and no offence to Taco Bell, but you can’t even compare the two.  Not only does this pizza have better quality ingredients, but it was just done REALLY well.  This is hands down my MUST ORDER if you are not about counting calories.  Again, something you could easily split.

Stone Fired Pizza

My advice is to order a Power Plate which is basically their meats/fish/poultry with sides, the 4 cheese pizza, a salad, and share with your friends. If you are a body builder and in a bind, you can stop in, get your meat and side of brown rice and/or yams.  If you’ve never been to Sharky’s before, than I’d say, for once, just skip Chipotle and Baja Fresh, and try it!! Their menu is very eclectic so you have tons of options to choose from. Their menu will satisfy the health-conscious or those just seeking a craving for flavorful Mexican food.

Most importantly I’d like to thank my good friend Cameron and proud franchisee of 4 locations. His passion for what he does has been an exciting thing to watch and finally experience first hand with the amazing customer service. Even though he’s the head honcho, he was out there wiping down tables, greeting guests, and making sure they had a five star experience. Thank you for giving me a true Sharky’s experience!

Cameron Hashemi

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Ashland Hill, Santa Monica

Ashland Hill

2807 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90405

www.ashlandhill.com

If you are ever on Main Street, few blocks away from Venice Beach, there is no way you can miss Ashland Hill. A bustling beer and wine garten slash gastropub, adorned with tea lights, its the perfect brunch and/or date night venue.  I went here a few weekends ago with the fiance, and we left with happy little tummies. The menu was very eclectic and unexpected. I was expecting more of an American food type menu, but was surprised to see items like shawarma and curry rice bowl. So, lets dive right in.

First, we tried a flight of 4 locally brewed beers, one of which was the Belching Beaver, a peanut butter milk stout.  I love to try the craziest or most unique item on the menu, and this seemed to fit the bill. Its just fun to get a beer and try to use your senses to get the hint of the flavor they are trying to achieve.

Beer Flight

MMMMM…….

The first appetizer up was the avocado and roasted tomato toast. A plate of 4 little pieces of toast, topped with a creamy avocado sauce, goat cheese, lime, Thai chili, pickled pearl onion, and smoked salt. Cute and probably the fanciest toast I’ve ever had.

Avocado & Roasted Tomato Toast

Avocado & Roasted Tomato Toast

Next, we tried the crispy cauliflower – salmoriglio, parmesan, saffron aioli, pickled vegetables espelette. Damn, I had to Wikipedia what salmoriglio and espelette mean.  Apparently one form of salmariglio can come as a butter, slightly soft and whipped, containing Dijon mustard, lemon, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Espelette is a crushed red pepper. I LOVE when I can’t recognize ingredients on a menu.  The saffron aioli really made the dish come together. Because of the decent size and little pieces of cauliflower, I think this is a good appetizer to order if you are looking to share.

Crispy Cauliflower

Crispy Cauliflower

The third appetizer we tried was the Leo’s Loco Moco, a Hawaiian dish that comes in many variations. This one in particular was the gastro-pubby version of a Loco Moco in that the rice was flavored in a way that had me taking bite after bite, trying to dissect each and every single flavor with my tongue.  I realized I could just look at the menu to figure out that Leo’s Loco Moco is made with lemongrass pork sausage, kimchi rice, sunny-side up egg, and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). But where’s the fun in that?

Leo’s Loco Moco

Leo’s Loco Moco

I had to save the best appetizer for last. Of course, that would be my favorite food, mac & cheese. But this one in particular is the charred shishito mac & cheese – charred shishito peppers, pickled cherry peppers, white cheddar, and an herb crust. I mean, just look at this beauty, another must-order on their menu.

Charred Shishito Mac & Cheese

Charred Shishito Mac & Cheese

Charred Shishito Mac & Cheese

Our first entree was the coconut curry rice bowl – chickpeas, brussel sprouts, pickled vegetables, kimchi, sesame, nori and basil.  I chose this because I wanted to see how they would bring their creativity to curry.  I’m glad I did because this was not your typical curry bowl.  Again, there were many unfamiliar flavors that had me savoring every bite. Got a health conscientious person in the group? This would be perfect for them.

Coconut Curry Rice Bowl

Coconut Curry Rice Bowl

For the second entree, I went with their most popular dish, the Ashland Hill burger – red onion bacon jam, sharp white cheddar, paprika, aioli, watercress with a side of herb parmesan fries. It was everything they promised and more. The pattie was so juicy, tender, and you could really taste the paprika. It tasted more like smoked paprika to me.  The red onion bacon jam is what makes this burger unduplicatable, and the watercress was a nice variation from typical lettuce. You can tell a lot of effort went into the making of this burger to come up with the perfect complements. I definitely recommend this for any first-timers at Ashland Hill, but after one bite, I’m afraid you will only want to order this on future visits. This burger alone is enough of a reason to make your way over there. Its that good.

Ashland Hill Burger

Herb parmesan fries

Can you tell I’m enjoying myself?

For dessert, I went with the market blueberry crumble – oat crumble, whipped white chocolate, and ginger ice cream. I was soooo happy with this because the blueberries were real, whole berries baked underneath a crispy oat crumble, topped with a nice scoop of ice cream.  If you are having difficulty deciding and only want to get one dessert, trust me I know food, and this is the one you want to go with.

Market Blueberry Crumble

Market Blueberry Crumble

Ashland Hill is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a more upscale restaurant than the regular casual places surrounding the venice boardwalk. This place will offer you a foodie experience, with great ambiance, and unique menu options. There is plenty to do and see in the surrounding area, and I would recommend visiting the shops nearby, and ending the day at Ashland Hill for a nice dinner for two and a cold beer to go with it.

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