Latest 99 update…33 down

I’m updating this list as I just learned that some of these places are closed now…they still count towards my total! 

 

(updated 9.21.08: Now 39 down!  And 40 when I go to Tacos Baja Ensenada tonight!)

(updated 9.22.08: I went to El Hurache too!)

 

Abode (closed)

Alcazar

Angeli Caffe

Angelini Osteria

A.O.C.

Apple Pan

Attari (updated June 7, 2008)

A-Won

Babita

Bar Marmont

Beacon: An Asian Cafe

Bin 8945 (closed)

Blue Velvet

Border Grill

Bulgarini Gelato

Caioti Pizza Café (updated July 26, 2008)

Campanile

Canele

Casa Bianca

Chamea

Chichén Itzá

Chung King

Ciudad

Cora’s Coffee Shoppe

Cut

Daikokuya

Dino’s Burgers

Drago

El Huarache Azteca (updated September 22, 2008)

El Parian

Elite

Euro Pane Bakery

Father’s Office (updated June 6, 2008)

Fogo de Chao

Foundry

Fraîche (updated August 9, 2008)

Golden Deli

Golden Triangle

Grace  (updated September 14, 2008)

Green Village

The Grill on the Alley

Guelaguetza

Hatfield’s

The Hungry Cat (updated July 26, 2008)

Il Moro

Jar

JiRaffe

Kagaya

Kiriko

Koi

Krua Thai

Langer’s

La Casita Mexicana

La Terza

Literati II

The Lodge

Los Balcones del Peru (updated June 20, 2008)

Lou (updated June 17, 2008)

Lucques

M Café de Chaya

Macau Street

Marouch

Max

Meals by Genet

Mélisse

Metro Café (updated May 2008)

Michael’s

Mimosa (updated June 13, 2008)

Musso & Frank Grill

Noodle House

Nook

101 Noodle Express

Oinkster (updated June 16, 2008)

Opus

Orris

Ortolan

Patina

Philippe the Original

Phillips’ Barbecue

Pizzeria Mozza

Pollo a la Brasa

Providence

Rajdhani

Royale (closed)

Sapp Coffee Shop (updated May 2008)

750ml

Simon L.A.

Sona

Spago (updated September 2, 2008)

Square One

Tacos Baja Ensenada (updated September 22, 2008)

Tama

Urasawa

Uzbekistan (closed)

Valentino

Village Idiot

Vincenti

Water Grill

Woodlands

Where to take visitors in LA

Recently, I have been trying to come up with ideas of places in LA to take out of towners in.  I know there are some traditional spots to take people but these aren’t the places that I want to show them (I think Venice is kind of gross and definitely overrated).  I have decided that LA is a great place to live, but not necessarily visit, so my choices vary.  This is a work in progress but here are places that I want to highlight in Southern California.  Some traditional and some not so much.

Attractions:

• The Getty
• Disneyland
• MOCA
• BCAM
• Cinespia
• Zuma Beach
• Griffith Park
• Huntington Library
• Dockweiler Beach for bonfires and airplanes

Food:

• King Taco
• Langer’s
• Father’s Office
• Samnamlung Cafe
• Soot Bull Jeep
• T.O.T.
• Pink’s
• Homegirl Cafe
• Crepe in the Grip
• In-N-Out
• Cielto Lindo
• Earthen
• Ocean Star dim sum
• Paradise Cove
• Pinkberry (not sure about this one)
• any taco truck
• any hot dog cart

 

Drink:

• Tiki Ti
• The Edison (weeknights only people!)
• Redwood Bar
• Red Lion
• Star Shoes
• Library Bar
• Cosmos
• The Standard roof bar

More 99 down!

I went to 2 more this weekend!  Now 29 down, 70 to go!  This is getting expensive.

 

Abode

Alcazar

Angeli Caffe

Angelini Osteria

A.O.C.

Apple Pan

Attari (updated June 7, 2008)

A-Won

Babita

Bar Marmont

Beacon: An Asian Cafe

Bin 8945

Blue Velvet

Border Grill

Bulgarini Gelato

Caioti Pizza Café

Campanile

Canele

Casa Bianca

Chamea

Chichén Itzá

Chung King

Ciudad

Cora’s Coffee Shoppe

Cut

Daikokuya

Dino’s Burgers

Drago

El Huarache Azteca

El Parian

Elite

Euro Pane Bakery

Father’s Office (updated June 6, 2008)

Fogo de Chao

Foundry

Fraîche

Golden Deli

Golden Triangle

Grace

Green Village

The Grill on the Alley

Guelaguetza

Hatfield’s

The Hungry Cat

Il Moro

Jar

JiRaffe

Kagaya

Kiriko

Koi

Krua Thai

Langer’s

La Casita Mexicana

La Terza

Literati II

The Lodge

Los Balcones del Peru (updated June 20, 2008)

Lou (updated June 17, 2008)

Lucques

M Café de Chaya

Macau Street

Marouch

Max

Meals by Genet

Mélisse

Metro Café (updated May 2008)

Michael’s

Mimosa (updated June 13, 2008)

Musso & Frank Grill

Noodle House

Nook

101 Noodle Express

Oinkster (updated June 16, 2008)

Opus

Orris

Ortolan

Patina

Philippe the Original

Phillips’ Barbecue

Pizzeria Mozza

Pollo a la Brasa

Providence

Rajdhani

Royale

Sapp Coffee Shop (updated May 2008)

750ml

Simon L.A.

Sona

Spago

Square One

Tacos Baja Ensenada

Tama

Urasawa

Uzbekistan

Valentino

Village Idiot

Vincenti

Water Grill

Woodlands

 

[updated June 20, 2008...2 more this week!  Lou and Los Balcones del Peru.  Now 31 down.]

Food weekend

I had a pretty food filled few days…7 meals out from Wednesday night to Sunday morning.  Managed to hit some ”99″ places as well.  Also went to the Getty.  It’s been at least 8 years since I went last.  It wows.

 

Father’s Office – definitely lives up to the hype, which is rare.  The burgers are more like steak sandwiches.  Really incredible.  the only think I would have like more would be if there was more blue cheese.  I love blue cheese!  I was concerned about the sweet potato fries as I don’t like my food to be sweet but they were perfectly cooked and delicious.  Can’t want to go back and will recommend to everyone I know.

 

Attari – was pretty good.  The guy at the counter (I assume owner) was so nice and offered us free soup because we were first timers.  Everything was good but I wasn’t wowed but anything.  I may try it again.

 

Tried to go to Royale but it was closed on a Saturday at 7:30pm?  What’s up with that?  Also realized that I’ve been to Guelaguetza before and that we went to Metro Café before I left for the trip so I’ve updated the list.  27 down.

 

Abode

Alcazar

Angeli Caffe

Angelini Osteria

A.O.C.

Apple Pan

Attari (updated June 7, 2008)

A-Won

Babita

Bar Marmont

Beacon: An Asian Cafe

Bin 8945

Blue Velvet

Border Grill

Bulgarini Gelato

Caioti Pizza Café

Campanile

Canele

Casa Bianca

Chamea

Chichén Itzá

Chung King

Ciudad

Cora’s Coffee Shoppe

Cut

Daikokuya

Dino’s Burgers

Drago

El Huarache Azteca

El Parian

Elite

Euro Pane Bakery

Father’s Office (updated June 6, 2008)

Fogo de Chao

Foundry

Fraîche

Golden Deli

Golden Triangle

Grace

Green Village

The Grill on the Alley

Guelaguetza

Hatfield’s

The Hungry Cat

Il Moro

Jar

JiRaffe

Kagaya

Kiriko

Koi

Krua Thai

Langer’s

La Casita Mexicana

La Terza

Literati II

The Lodge

Los Balcones del Peru

Lou

Lucques

M Café de Chaya

Macau Street

Marouch

Max

Meals by Genet

Mélisse

Metro Café (updated May 2008)

Michael’s

Mimosa

Musso & Frank Grill

Noodle House

Nook

101 Noodle Express

Oinkster

Opus

Orris

Ortolan

Patina

Philippe the Original

Phillips’ Barbecue

Pizzeria Mozza

Pollo a la Brasa

Providence

Rajdhani

Royale

Sapp Coffee Shop (updated May 2008)

750ml

Simon L.A.

Sona

Spago

Square One

Tacos Baja Ensenada

Tama

Urasawa

Uzbekistan

Valentino

Village Idiot

Vincenti

Water Grill

Woodlands

Jonathan Gold’s 99 Essential Restaurants

Jonathan Gold, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer of the LA Weekly food section, does an annual list of 99 Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles.  #81 of my 101 in 1001 list is to eat all all of them.  I have a long way to go…

Abode

Alcazar

Angeli Caffe

Angelini Osteria

A.O.C.

Apple Pan

Attari (updated June 7, 2008)

A-Won

Babita

Bar Marmont

Beacon: An Asian Cafe

Bin 8945

Blue Velvet

Border Grill

Bulgarini Gelato

Caioti Pizza Café

Campanile

Canele

Casa Bianca

Chamea

Chichén Itzá

Chung King

Ciudad

Cora’s Coffee Shoppe

Cut

Daikokuya

Dino’s Burgers

Drago

El Huarache Azteca

El Parian

Elite

Euro Pane Bakery

Father’s Office (updated June 6, 2008)

Fogo de Chao

Foundry

Fraîche

Golden Deli

Golden Triangle

Grace

Green Village

The Grill on the Alley

Guelaguetza

Hatfield’s

The Hungry Cat

Il Moro

Jar

JiRaffe

Kagaya

Kiriko

Koi

Krua Thai

Langer’s

La Casita Mexicana

La Terza

Literati II

The Lodge

Los Balcones del Peru

Lou

Lucques

M Café de Chaya

Macau Street

Marouch

Max

Meals by Genet

Mélisse

Metro Café (updated May 2008)

Michael’s

Mimosa

Musso & Frank Grill

Noodle House

Nook

101 Noodle Express

Oinkster

Opus

Orris

Ortolan

Patina

Philippe the Original

Phillips’ Barbecue

Pizzeria Mozza

Pollo a la Brasa

Providence

Rajdhani

Royale

Sapp Coffee Shop (updated May 2008)

750ml

Simon L.A.

Sona

Spago

Square One

Tacos Baja Ensenada

Tama

Urasawa

Uzbekistan

Valentino

Village Idiot

Vincenti

Water Grill

Woodlands

 

22 of 99.  Looks like I am flunking this one so far.

Poppies

A and I went to see the poppies at the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve this past weekend.  It. Was. Amazing.  If you are in Southern California, try to make time to see them this weekend!  They are at their peak right now and it’s supposed to decline pretty quickly.  A few years ago and they were okay but were told if we had come 2 weeks prior, we would have seen them at their peak.

Here are some of my photos:

If you are looking for a place to eat around Lancaster, I highly recommend Tacos Si Senor!  We come here every couple years when we go to see the poppies at the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve.  We ate here twice in the same day 2 years ago.  It’s off the same exit from the 5 if you are coming from Los Angeles, but on the east side of the freeway (you turn west for the Poppy Preserve) about 1-2 miles down the road.  It’s on your left hand side.

It’s a colorful Mexican restaurant in a strip-mall (the grocery store that was there a couple years ago is now gone), serving tacos and more.   The menu is overwhelming.  There are photos of about 58 items and there are plenty more items that aren’t photographed.  Everything we have tried there is great as as we remembered!  They are known for their seafood (they even have fresh oysters).  This weekend we had the fried tilapia, shrimp ceviche, and the 3 taco plate (we had chicken, carnitas, and carne asada).  All were basically perfectly prepared comfort food (the tilapia was a tiny bit salty but I like salty).  Nothing fancy just really good.  Portions are generous.  We were stuffed and had to take a full box home. There is a salsa bar and some marinated vegetables that we could eat all day.  No free refills on drinks so I was limited to one Mr. Pibb but that was okay.  They kept the water coming.  It’s a local place, the service is friendly and fast.  They have futbol games on.  Some of the drinks come in traditional bottles.  We came on a whim, looking for some unpretentious Mexican food, and Tacos Si Senor delivers.  Plus, I love the name. 

Based on memory, I think the prices were around: Fried Tilapia $7, Shrimp Ceviche $3.50, and the 3 Taco plate $5.50.  They serve alcohol and take credit cards.

Tacos Si Senor, 1137 W Avenue I, Lancaster, CA 93534