Lou Malnati’s, Chicago

Lou Malnati’s

Chicago, IL

www.loumalnatis.com

I’m not saying this is the best pizza ever, but I can tell it’s probably my favorite Chicago style pizza.  This was my first time trying it, and I ended up going to the one place that everyone recommended…the iconic Lou Malnati’s.  I’m actually quite happy I did so. Lou Malnati’s has been around since 1971, using the same recipe handed down for generations. Each pie, being made from scratch, is made with only the finest ingredients. We did wait quite a while for our pizza, but I knew its because they don’t just make pizza, they create an experience for their customers. Each and every single pie is special and made with extreme care.

We ordered the Malnati’s Chicago Classic, made with sausage, extra cheese, and their signature Buttercrust.  The crust had a combination of crunchy, flaky, and buttery deliciousness.  But surprisingly, I wasn’t overwhelmed by it. I’m not a fan of really thick pizza bread, but this actually had a perfect balance.

The sauce was fresh and perfectly seasoned.  Our waiter recommended we get extra sauce on top because we ordered pepperoni and pepperoni dries out the pizza…and of course I opted for more sauce because I always ask for extra sauce.  In addition, we ordered onions and hot giardiniera peppers to give it that extra kick. Now, the sausage totally took me by surprise.  Normally, I wouldn’t even order sausage because I’m not a fan of fennel seeds (which a lot of sausage have), but this one was totally different!  No fennel, just a really good tasting meat.  All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with Chicago deep dish pizza and I would totally order this again if I go back.

Malnati’s Chicago Classic

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Katana, West Hollywood

 Katana

West Hollywood, CA

katanarobata.com

I absolutely love coming here.  The ambiance is everything. Dimly lit, very romantic, but also great for a night out with friends. In short, it’s perfect for any occasion. My favorite part is the beautiful outdoor seating area that oversees Sunset Blvd. — cool lights, LA vibe and great for people watching and celebrity sightings.

They have some nice drink and sake options, and so far I’ve never been dissatisfied with the food. The white lotus is one of their popular orders and I can see why, it was delish! Overall their sushi was very tasty and fresh.  I also love their shishito peppers. This time, we ordered two desserts for the three of us, and they were instantly devoured, albeit they were not small. Not interested in eating? Its totally cool to just get drinks at the bar.

Best of all, its open late so its great for a last minute option. I’ve been there several times myself, both in small groups and once in a group of 20+. They do have private dining rooms if you’re ever looking to celebrate your birthday here.  If you’re an LA native and you’ve never been, it is absolutely worth trying!

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Taste of Chicago

Taste of Chicago!

What a way to start my personal food quest in Chicago by going to the 35th Annual Taste of Chicago, a food festival where popular restaurants from all over Chicago come together to showcase their goods.  Its a free festival, but you have to purchase tickets in order to get food.  It cost $8.50 for 12 tickets, and each sample of food required anywhere from 4 to 5 tickets.

I traveled from one end to the other in search of the best food and I honestly am so happy with my choices.

Homemade Popsicles

Fried Catfish

Pierogi’s at Kasia’s

But the BEST food in the entire festival has to go to La Bomba, a Puerto Rican Restaurant for their Pork Shish Kabobs.  I meannnnn…..Hello! This was hands down the tastiest thing in the entire festival. It was so good we ordered 3 of them. OH, and their secret ingredient is such an odd one, (I saw them add it to the boiling pot), but it makes all the sense in the world. Sorry, can’t divulge that. You’ll just have to try them out whenever you get a chance. This is somewhere I would definitely seek out the next time I’m ever in Chicago.

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Granville, Studio City

Granville

Studio City, CA

www.granvillecafe.com

I kept driving by this place, and was so intrigued by how busy it always was, and equally amazed by how stunning Granville looked from the outside.  I finally got a chance to see what all the hoopla was about.  Stopped in for dessert and got way more than I had expected.  They had a list of amazing desserts of which we really couldn’t decide which one to pick so we ordered the dessert sampler. I mean, literally everything was so so good. Brownie with glazed bananas, strawberry shortcake, and chocolate lava cake, all with their homemade whipped cream. This MUST be ordered with coffee or one of their exotic teas that come in the cutest miniature tea pots…totally hits the dessert spot!

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Xi’an, Beverly Hills

Xi’an

362 N Canon Dr.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 275-3345

www.xian90210.com

Today I’m bringing you today another very special place…Xi’an in Beverly Hills.  I’ve said it before, its very hard for me to find a good Chinese restaurant, one that is healthy and of good quality, but Xi’an is exactly what I was looking for.  I wanted to get the scoop on what exactly sets Xi’an apart from other Chinese restaurants, so I sat down with the owner, Vicky Mense and actor/producer/manager Cece Tsou.  I had a wonderful time getting to know them as well as learning what has made Xi’an so successful for the past 20 years, when so many other Chinese restaurants in the area have all went out of business.  The answer can really be summed up in one word…evolution.

Crackerjack Crispy Shrimp. Photo provided courtesy of Xi’an.

Xi’an puts tremendous value in their customers, and most importantly, to their loyal ones.  They love listening to the feedback of their customers to make any necessary changes. Which is why their menu has evolved over the years to keep up with changing times.  To keep up with the more health conscientious trend, they now offer gluten free, low carb, no oil, and no sugar options.  THIS IS HUGE for a Chinese restaurant.  Customers love this because it allows for eating Chinese food regularly without the guilt.

Xian Beef Tenderloin. Photo provided courtesy of Xi’an.

Of course, Vickey says that at the heart of her success is her dedicated team and staff.  It is amazing that there are people, including Cece Tsou, who have been by her side since the conception of the restaurant.  How is that even possible!?! Clearly Mense is doing something right because that kind of loyalty is almost unheard of, especially in a city like LA.

From Left, Tao Chang, Cece Tsou, and Vicky Mense. Photo provided courtesy of Xi’an.

Regardless of her fantastic team, Mense is extremely proactive with her business, tends to it every single day, and runs a tight ship.  What you can expect from Xi’an is a blend of authentic Chinese food with a few fusion dishes to appeal to their creative side. They often create new dishes simply to give their regular customers more variety. What I love most about Xi’an is that they really cater to the Californian diet with all the options to make you dish as healthy as you want it to be.  They also cater to vegetarians as well.  This is one place you definitely don’t wanna miss. Perfect for all occasions. I cannot wait to go back!

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Drago Centro, Los Angeles

Drago Centro

525 S Flower St. Ste 120

Los Angeles, CA 90071

(213) 228-8998

dragocentro.com

I’m excited to share this next place with you because I absolutely love their happy hour.  They have a really decent list of options, anywhere from pizza to oysters.  I went here for my bff’s birthday and we all had a really nice time, ordered up a storm of food and drinks.  The atmosphere is upscale, and decor modern. You can find ample seating at the bar, and comfy couches by the fire pit outside.  I think this place is great for many occasions, date night, out with friends, clients, celebrations, etc.  I hear amazing things about their food off the happy hour menu and I cannot WAIT to try it for myself.  They have free valet parking in the basement below from 5 pm to 3 am with validation, awesome for DTLA because we all know how hard it can be to find parking 

Sliders

Charcuterie

Oysters

Sugar balls

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Ayara Thai, Los Angeles

Ayara Thai

6245 W 87th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90045

(310) 410-8848

www.ayarathaicuisine.com

We stumbled upon this place when we were searching for a good Thai restaurant near the LAX airport, what we didn’t expect was that we were making the best decision of the week by selecting Ayara Thai. First off, this place was packed!!  There was a 45 minute wait just to get a table! So that was a good sign, they are obviously doing something right if people are willing to wait just to get Thai food, when there are so many other restaurants to choose from. What I noticed next were the countless awards given to Ayara Thai, one in particular for their peanut sauce, which I later tried and now see why it was awarded.

We started off with the Ayara’s Delight appetizer which is a combination of 4 of their appetizers.  This is a good one if you can’t decide on which appetizer to get.  Although, next time I come back, I will probably go with the Thai Beef Jerkey or the Muai Thai Chicken wings because they have more protein.  Next, we went with 2 orders of the chicken sate…really good, no complaints there.  Tom Yom soup is another favorite of mine that I always get when I go to Thai restaurants.  But notably of all the dishes was the jade curry and the ka pow pork belly.  The curry was delicious and fresh. And the pork belly was so flavorful and crispy.  Two excellent choices that I would highly recommend.

The service was a little slow but then again, they were so so busy! I’ll take slow service any day as long as I know I’m getting good food.  The ambiance is a little more family oriented.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this place for a romantic date night in the early stages of a relationship, but more so for couples who have been together for a while and are just looking for a good place to eat. Just make sure to make a reservation!

Ayara’s Delight

Chicken Sate

Tom Yom Soup

Jade Curry

Ka Pow Pork Belly

Pad Thai

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Mr. C, Los Angeles

The Restaurant at Mr. C

1224 Beverwil Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90035

(310) 277-2800

www.mrchotels.com

 Two words: People watching.  That’s all you’ll want to do at Mr. C Hotel because everyone that walks in looks like a supermodel.  And the food? Mamma Mia! We were first greeted with a taste of their delicious homemade Bellini.  I ordered the Tagliardi with Veal Ragu, quite simple, but the simplicity of it is what makes it so special.  All the flavors were so light and delicate so you could truly enjoy the craftsmanship in the pasta itself.  I’ll definitely have to go back, if not for the food, then to grab a drink at the lobby bar with a live band on Fridays and Saturdays which I’m told pulls in quite the crowd 

Tagliardi with Veal Ragu

Mr. C Pizza

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