Springbok Bar & Grill, Van Nuys

Springbok Bar & Grill is a South African rugby and sports bar located in Van Nuys.  Greatttt place if you’re interested in catching a sports game because they’ve got tons of t.v. screens, especially for those of you who like to yell during the games.  They welcome that. If anything, just go for the cuisine if you have not had South African food before.

I tried the homemade potato chips.  The salsa was definitely a little spoiled, but the chips were ok. I also tried the chicken peri peri and the chicken sosaties.  Both are good choices to go with and mainly what they’re known for.

They also have a good selection of beer to try out.

The staff was nice and friendly.

The prices were reasonable.

Would I recommend going here?  If you’ve never had South African food, than definitely. I’d also recommend it if you’re in the area or just looking for a good place to catch a game, or two.  Say, if you’re with a group of people who are interested in watching different sports games all at once, you can do that here because they’ve got several different games going on at once.

Chicken Peri-Peri

Chicken Sosaties

Homemade chips

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Nellie’s 6th Annual Christmas Party!

I usually make this one a pajama party, but this year I felt like doing something a little bit more elegant and a lil less “comfy”.  I think the biggest hits of the night were my apple-cinnamon vodka drink and succulent beef roast.  Here are some pictures from the night.

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Cho Cho San, Tarzana

This next one is a sushi place called Cho Cho San, but is more commonly known as Revolving Sushi. Locations in Tarzana, Encino, Thousand Oaks, and Valencia.  Don’t worry about ordering the wrong thing because almost everything is good. I have not yet ordered something i did not like.  I wouldn’t say the prices are cheap, nor would I say it’s expensive, I’d say it is somewhere in between. But overall worth it.  The wait for a table, depending on how many people you go with can be an issue.  The atmosphere is just a regular sushi place, no special ambiance. It’s just a good place to go for sushi and sushi alone. Meaning…if you’re hungry do this, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for a date.

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Cici’s Cafe, Tarzana

Cici’s is an absolute MUST for breakfast or brunch.  Their menus are endless with the most unique items like their red velvet pancakes and chocolate french toast with a side of Nutella and bananas that melt in your mouth!  Just be prepared to wait about 45 min. for a table, but totally worth it!  I’m definitely going back because there’s still so much more that I want to try.

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The Cheesecake Factory is: The No Brainer

Seriously, who hasn’t been to the cheesecake factory….at least 10 times in their lifetime.  Ok maybe I’m exaggerating, but not among the people I know who live in the area.  I feel like this next one is the default place for people to go to when they want a nice restaurant with good food, that requires no research at all..you just go.  Especially because it is great for seating a lot of people and for celebrating birthdays. Not to mention, when people are craving different cuisines, this is the place to go because they have over 200 menu items to choose from!  There’s something for everyone.  Best of all, their portions are known for being generous and ideal for sharing or taking it to-go.

Of course, they are famous for their cheesecakes, which is how the cheesecake factory started many years back.  Its a quite charming American success story of how it all got started. Evelyn Overton started making cheesecakes in Detroit that grew in popularity in their community. She started a business which she eventually had to close down to raise her children.  Then when her children were all grown, her and her husband Oscar Overton moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams which turned out to be a great decision. In 1978, their son David started the Cheesecake factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, and has grown close to 150 locations. How amazing is that?  My pictures are just 5 entrees out of hundreds, but you get the idea.

But now for the real low-down. I’ve been going here…ummm…since 1997, I have NEVER ONCE experienced a hitch in my dining experience. Not with the food, the service, anything.  Plus they’ve got something for everyone. So in that regard…its GOOD.

HOWEVER, I’m so over it!  For like the past 8 years!  Every time someone suggests we go here i’m like whyyyy!?!?  Why not try something new and different?? Most of my friends are too chicken to drive a little further out to experience new restaurants, so they just stick to what they know.  I’ve seriously tried like almost everything on their menu. So be adventurous peopleeee!!! If  you’ve never been, then go! But don’t be chicken to venture out and try something different!!

Crispy Chicken Costoletta (my personal favorite)

Monterey Hamburger

Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos (Asian version)

Da Vinci Pasta

Seared Tuna Tataki Salad

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Chandragupta, Mumbai

For a nice and elegant meal, Chandragupta is the place to go.  With its chic décor, well-conceived menu and courteous staff, you’ll be happy you went.  And while I usually recommend a particular dish or two, everything is so great you can’t go wrong.  What you can do is order one dish from the fish, chicken and lamb category like I did. Either way, you won’t be disappointed!

Fried Fish

Lamb Masala

Garlic Nan

Palak Paneer

Chicken Masala

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Winter Pot Roast

A really good recipe to make during the cold winter months is a nice pot roast.  There are a lot of advantages to making pot roast: it’s easy to make, it can feed a lot of people and its delicious and hearty. It’s easy to impress people with this low-effort dish, especially when made in a crock pot. You just throw all the ingredients in and go!  If you don’t have a crock pot, follow this recipe below and the only thing you’ll have to worry about is making sure you bring your appetite.

Ingredients:

chuck roast (1/2 lb. per person)

2 cups red wine

1 cup water or beef broth

3 tbs. oil

10 cloves of garlic

1 large onion

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. rosemary

1 or 2 chili peppers (optional)

dash of salt and pepper

vegetables of your choice cut into pieces (I used potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, okra, and tomatoes.)

1. Wash meat and pat dry. Coat with flour.

2. Fry beef in oil on all sides until brown

3. After the beef is done browning, add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot in order to release all of the flavor.

4.  Add  the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for approximately 2 hours or until meat is to your desired texture, stirring occasionally.

5. Serve with bread.

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Tavaa, Mumbai

Another restaurant very local to me was this place called Tavaa.  The food was tasty, yes, but the overall quality was not exactly up to par. I order garlic prawns, noodles and a kabob plate that included lamb, chicken and chicken liver.  The garlic prawns were smothered in a delicious sauce, but the noodles were a little overcooked and lacked texture.  The chicken liver tasted good for chicken liver, but if you’re not used to it, it can be a little hard to swallow.  They also rushed us out of there because they had to close down at like 3 pm until their dinner hours began.  I was peeved.

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