Szechwan Palace, Playa Del Rey

Szechwan Palace

431 Culver Blvd.

Playa del Rey 90293

I found my new go-to Chinese restaurant, only wish it was a little closer to me. But here’s why I would return to Szechwan Palace. Firstly, they had a wide variety of food on their menu, from appetizers, soups, chicken, beef, seafood, etc. Secondly, everything we had was delicious and actually better than expected. One of my childhood memories is going to have Chinese food with my dad, and we ALWAYS ordered Chicken Chop Suey, and by always, I mean we NEVER strayed from it.  Since I moved to California, I’ve been on the search for a really good Chicken Chop Suey, but they are rather hard to find.  The chicken chop suey here definitely lived up to my expectations, especially because I asked them to use brown sauce instead of what they normally use and this truly hit the spot. The third reason I would go back here is because, even with our alcoholic beverages, the whole meal came out to be really affordable! Another great aspect of this place is that its within walking distance to a couple of cool bars…but I recommend loading up on the $3 drinks at Szechwan Palace before heading out. Don’t worry, I got chuuu!

Hot and Sour Soup

Fried Rice

Orange Chicken

Chicken Chop Suey

Mongolian Beef

Cheers!

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Rosie’s BBQ, Northridge

Rosie’s BBQ

8930 Corbin Avenue

Northridge, CA

www.rosiesbbq.com

“Let everyone who enters as guests, leave as friends,” a quote that is not only written on the walls of Rosie’s BBQ, but something that they live by through and through. I have first hand experience with this as I truly felt like I left having met some awesome people who take so much pride in what they do. A true family owned and run business, if there ever was one. Where siblings manage the kitchen, dad and son greet the guests, and mom is in the back baking desserts on a daily basis.I was so impressed at how involved the entire family is in making Rosie’s BBQ what it is.

When I first arrived, I noticed the old fashioned country feel, with the horseshoe bench and hunting memorabilia on the wall.  Owners Richard and Richard Jr. gave us a run-down of their history and their vision for Rosie’s BBQ when they took over two years ago. Their idea is to serve BBQ from different regions based on who does it best in their opinion. For example, their pulled pork is done in a North Carolina fashion, while their tri-tip is done in a Texan style.

To start off, we were served freshly baked garlic rolls. And to drink, we ordered two of their specialty drinks, Hawaiian Breeze and Tradewind. I recommend the Hawaiian Breeze because of the splash of strawberry puree they throw in there. Makes all the difference in the world.

Garlic Rolls

From Left, Tradewind and Hawaiian Breeze

In order to try as much variety as possible, we ordered 2 combo plates, where each comes with two sides. The first Combo plate was baby back ribs, tri-tip, cole slaw and baked beans. Their baby back ribs and tri-tip are both slow cooked for 12 hours and then finished off on a mesquite wood grill to give it that nice smokey flavor.  The ribs…delicious, and the tri-tip, probably the best tri-tip I’ve ever had. The meat was so tender and easy to devour, especially with that amazing smokey flavor.  Ribs were smothered in their very own home-made BBQ sauce! Second combo plate was baby back ribs, beef ribs, cheesy garlic mashed potatoes, and cheesy mac and cheese (drool). Beef ribs, just as yummy as the baby back ribs, were juicy, tender, and meaty.  The mashed potatoes and especially the mac and cheese are divine! Even though they are both carbs, I would still order them again and again.

Tri-tip and baby back ribs combo

Baby back and beef ribs combo

Baby back and beef ribs combo

Dessert was a tough choice to make but we opted for the peach cobbler. I loved the texture of the dough, and loved how the dessert itself was not so sweet, because you got all the sweetness you need from the vanilla ice cream on top.  The combo of warm peach cobbler with cool creamy vanilla ice cream, you can’t go wrong with that.

Peach Cobbler

All in all, I had an amazing experience not only with the food but more importantly the hospitality we received. I know that I’m planning on going back to try their other menu items like their lamb shank.  If you’re ever in the mood for some BBQ, do yourself a favor and check out Rosie’s BBQ. Order their Tri-tip, which is beyond amazing, alongside their mac and cheese and you’ll be happy you did.

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Major Dave’s Chicken, Pasadena

Major Dave’s Chicken

163 N Hill Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91106

Ever wish you could eat fried chicken and not feel the guilt? You’re probably thinking, “duhh, but we all know there’s no such thing”…or is there? I think I’ve found just the thing..ok maybe it’s not “go out of your way and do this on the daily” healthy, but its probably the closest you’re gonna get to guilt-less fried chicken.  I’m talking about a place where there are no GMOs, no hormones, no additives, no antibiotics, and no preservatives in the food. Just free range Mary’s Chicken, the same chicken sold at Whole Foods. Where everything is prepared with REAL and FRESH ingredients, and the chicken is made to order.

I’m talking about Major’s Dave’s Chicken, the newest and tastiest thing to happen to Pasadena.

I was honored to have the opportunity to interview the owner Dave Caldwell and his lovely wife Jill. I was initially greeted by Jill, who started us off with all of their side dishes to try.

…Alright, now what’s the first thing that comes to your mind as a side dish to fried chicken? Waffles, sure, but we’ll get to that…for me, I think of either french fries, mashed potatoes, or anything equally unhealthy.  Well, you won’t find that here, and if you do, it will probably come in the healthiest version possible. At Major Dave’s Chicken, their sides are literally things you could eat on a daily basis such as:

Creamy Cole Slaw

Bourbon Baked Beans – sweet and smokey

Bourbon Baked Beans

Fresh Fruit Salad

Toasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon – lightly salted brussels sprouts with bacon bits

Toasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

Kale Caesar Salad – Rich green kale with their homemade Caesar dressing. Definitely one of my favorite salads there because man, its so crisp & fresh, and they use the expensive kale too!

Kale Caesar Salad

Roasted Corn Salad with Tomatoes & Feta – you can’t go wrong with this one. The corn gives it a sweetness and the feta gives it that salty taste, mixed with the sliced cherry tomatoes, makes it a perfect combo.

Roasted Corn Salad With Tomatoes & Feta

Black Bean & Corn Salad – all fresh ingredients. The fact that they use cherry tomatoes in just about everything blows my mind away.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

All the sides pair perfectly well with the fried chicken, and help balance it out, but my two favorite sides were the Whipped Garlic Cauliflower and the Honest Mac & Cheese.

Honest Mac & Cheese

I love mac & cheese no matter what form, so that was kind of a no brainer.  It is seriously one of my top five favorite foods.  Usually if its on a menu, I’m gonna order it.  But theirs is made with REAL cheese, three to be exact.  Truly homemade and delicious!

Now, the whipped garlic cauliflower was something I was really looking forward to trying. At first bite, my fiance thought it was mashed potatoes and didn’t even know he was eating cauliflower! That’s when you know you’ve got something good.

Whipped Garlic Cauliflower

Ok, you’re like, “stop teasing me already.” So on to the good stuff…of course, the fried chicken.  If only I could put into words how good the chicken was.  First off, until now I have yet to come across actually “spicy” chicken. The ones I’ve had thus far were simply slightly peppered. But at Major Dave’s I was introduced to this new and trendy Nashville Spicy Chicken. We were totally blown away at how it was perfectly seasoned, and actually had a good kick to it. Crispy on the outside, but not too thick a layer of batter.  This was truly done well.

Spicy Chicken with Corn Bread Muffin

Best of all, their batter is homemade, not some mass produced, preservative laden batter.  Major Dave even did his research on the best oil to use when frying, so he opted to fry in a beef tallow. According to his research, this is not only a better oil to use, health wise, but it also helps the chicken stay crunchy even after refrigeration.

Can’t handle spicy? Not to worry, they’ve got non-spicy chicken for you too!

Fried Chicken with Corn Muffin

Remember I said I’d get to waffles, well, I’ll let you in on a little secret…they are currently working on adding waffles and sandwiches to the menu! And guess what, here’s a sneak peak!

Chicken Sandwich

How amazing does this look? Their chicken sandwich was topped with pickles, creamy cole slaw, and CHERRY tomatoes, drizzled with the most amazing homemade buttermilk chive sauce. Not to mention, their bbq and honey mustard sauces are homemade as well. Incredible!! You can just tell that they’ve taken their time to think about everything and deliver the best quality ingredients at every turn.

All this, “made by a real major, not a fake colonel,” in Major Dave’s own words. I already see myself substituting my usual fried chicken go-tos for Major Dave’s Chicken.  Its literally the “Chipotle of fried chicken.”  No matter where you are in LA, this place is definitely worth the trip.

Guess what! Dave is giving you the chance to come in and try his chicken sandwich. Buy one chicken sandwich, and get a second one free! Just add your email to his mailing list, and look out for the coupon.  Click on this link to get your free chicken sandwich today: Yes, I want my free chicken sandwich! and tell them Nellie from Foodecall sent you!

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Denica’s Real Food Kitchen, Livermore Ca

Denica’s Real Food Kitchen

Livermore, Ca

www.denicascafe.com

I went up to Pleasanton California for a wedding at the Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery. It was such a beautiful wedding at a beautiful venue.  Since we stayed at the Courtyard Marriot in Livermore, the next morning before heading out, we stopped at Denica’s Real Food Kitchen.  It was a great choice because the food was fresh, locally grown, organic, and portions were quite large.  They have a chips and salsa bar for the taking. The service is great, as all the servers will ask you how you’re doing when they walk by the tables. And the best part about Denica’s is that if you tell them it’s your first visit, you get one of their homemade cookies free!

Here are some pictures of hair, makeup and outfit details:

Pictures of Denica’s Real Food Kitchen:

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Shutters On The Beach, Santa Monica

Shutters On The Beach

Santa Monica, CA

www.shuttersonthebeach.com

Shutters On The Beach is a beeeeautiful hotel located in Santa Monica, and its kind of a no brainer to figure out where its at…on the beach (duh!). This place looks like it was plucked straight out of Cape Cod or the Hamptons, equipped with white linen, fresh flowers, and all the sunlight you’ll ever need.  With stunning views of the ocean and boardwalk, it makes for the perfect Sunday brunch place. They validate parking for $8, better than the local parking lot that goes for $12.  Prices are little higher than your average restaurant, but then again, when you go to Shutters you go for the location, not necessarily for the food. Although, I did really enjoy my turkey club sandwhich  Be sure to ask to sit outside on the patio!

The perfect spot for a Sunday Funday!

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Cabanna, Tijuana Mexico

Cabanna

Tijuana, Mexico

I must have traveled to Mexico at least 10 times so far this year. During each visit, I try to venture out to try different restaurants or taco stands.  On one visit, I tried Cabanna, a restaurant that everyone was raving about.  It was honestly so good that I have to share it with everyone.  I know that navigating Tijuana might be difficult, especially if you don’t know where to go or what to do there, but I highly recommend taking a day trip just to hang out by the beach and try something new. At night when you are looking for a nice place to eat, Cabanna is THE place to go.

Cabanna is not your traditional Mexican restaurant. It definitely had some Japanese influence with the sushi options, or rather their sushi had Mexican influence. Regardless, it was amazing.

Specifically, there were 3 dishes that were to die for. The first one was their Atun Azul, in other words blue tuna. It was basically their not so basic cubed tuna, marinated in their oriental sauce, atop a crispy wonton, topped with my favorite part of the dish…fried green onion.  Can we say YUM!?

My second favorite dish was the Kesitos Cabanna taco.  This was unlike any other taco I’ve ever had. First of all, the cheese they use is Chihuahua cheese, very common in Tijuana, and so delicious.  When melted, it becomes almost cream-like.  This was mixed with shrimp, and possibly egg to create this really creamy and delicious omelette type patty (although I can’t say with certainty that they used egg), topped with their homemade secret sauce. Ah! So good!

Last but not least was their Pirata…fresh shrimp sushi, marinated in their mango and jicama sauce. The shrimp…fresh as ever. But the best part was the mango jicama lime sauce, with chunks of real mango and jicama in every bite. Very tangy and fresh from the lime, with a subtle sweetness to it from the unripened mango. Absolutely Perfect in every way!

I swear, it is totally worth making the drive to Tijuana to hang out for the day, enjoy the beach at Rosarito and then swing by to Cabanna for a really classy dinner with amazing food. I can’t wait to go back!

Kesitos Cabanna

Atun Azul

Salmon & Jalapeno

Pirata

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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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