Chris Cognac

I wish I could figure a way to get the lemon and balsamic flavor into either a hard candy form....or put a lemon slice or wedge onto a stick for an after dinner treat...I will work on that one, I also might just coat a plate with the balsamic and arrange the roasted lemon slices in a circular pattern around the plate for finger food....so many ideas....brain hurting!

Maybe, but I have know idea what that is....So it was not intentional....what exactly is it?

That worked out really well, I cooked a london broil and then sliced it, put it in the tapas pan and covered it in blue cheese crumbles...then melted the cheese and drizzled the reduced balsamic over it...Came out great...I also made a pork loin pizza with feta, lemon slices and balsamic....came out good as well....last night was one of those nights when it all comes together in the kitchen..I made 10 dishes that all worked!....I have had many a night where they did not!

I was cooking a Tapa's menu for family and friends last night and was using reduced Balsamic with some beef and blue cheese....anyway I had some lemon slices that I roasted in the oven for sweet/tart flavor on another dish.....I grabbed a slice and wiped it in the sauce pan with the reduced Balsamic then sucked on it...Oh my god, the flavor was amazing, the combo of sweet and tart was refreshing and really woke up the taste buds!..My buddie Jeff tried it and agreed it was amazing. We now need to figure out how to make a sucker out of that flavor....I think I could sell a bundle, or at least serve em to friends. Has anyone else ever done this?....Maybe someone could try it and let me know what they think.

Really, grilled cheese?....It must be something special then....maybe all the cheese is from BHCS.

Well I guess if they keep it up they wont be around long enough to matter anyways! I love those places too...I have pretty much always had great food and service at Benihana's...but I guess "this ain't no Benihana"

You should not have any problem finding a place as there are tons right there at the marina..Since you are from out of town I might suggest driving to Venice which is just up Lincoln and walking around a bit on the strand, you will surely find a nice place to eat there....also if you like cheesesteaks, you must eat at the Great Western Steak and Hoagie with is at Lincoln and Superba in Venice...its a shack but great cheap cheesesteaks!

I know I always like a nice dinner at the Queen Mary and then strolling around the decks holding hands with my wife...its kinda touristy but really is a nice evening. Are the Avatar's still down? Can't seem to upload one

I think I have to disagree here somewhat. If I review my digests of the LA Times, they've got stuff from all over . . . or at least it seems that way to me. Sure there are plenty of westside fancy places but there are lots of others as well including SGV, SFV, inland empire, Pasadena and, yes, even south bay, Orange County and more. I stopped reading the Times due to the fact that it really seams to be centered in the Valley, westside area and the South Bay does seam do get neglected alot. L.A. is a huge place and its almost impossible for a publication to really "cover" all the area's. I think that is why its better to read a smaller publication such as the Daily Breeze, Long Beach Press Telegram for better "local" coverage. I might be biased on that though!

Its a close call between a double king burger at Fatburger, a good cheesesteak or a big order of bacon fried rice with an easy over egg and portugese sausage from Gardena Bowl!....

I agree and think that most publications (daily breeze excepted) are biased in favor of the west side. Look at the Auto Club magazine.....everything is west side or valley area...The South Bay and Long Beach hardly ever get mentioned....and the L.A. Times.....dont get me started!..I have offered to write columns for both and never received a reply, what a suprise!

We are going there (BHCS) tommorow with some out of town friends, she will want to go on the e gullet trip, but it depends if we can get the kids watched...so we will see...I will check on the tasting dates for november and we might just be able to go to that!

I was thinking yesterday...We should get a group to do a once a month kinda thing..or every other month then we could kinda clear our scheduales for it in advance. We could try a different cuisine each time!...You know, a dining club!

That is a good idea....Maybe I will go get one this weekend! If you are a burger fan there is a place called B and R in Hawthorne that makes a great 1lb royal burger... chili, cheese, egg, bacon, onions and the rest....best burger in the south bay hands down!..Its on Rosecrans just west of Crenshaw.....old ladies make the patties by hand!..If you have been to Mo betta meatty meat....its better!

I am up for it....There are several in the South Bay..Gardena has a bunch, I need a place to write about, Korean BBQ would do well as I have not done that type of food yet....when are you thinking...weekends and mondays are best...unless you want to do a lunch thing? PS I am still waiting to hear from the BH cheese store about the tasting.

Tell us about the food as well! Did you eat Lechon Asado?...Oh man that stuff is good!

Well, its along story....Starting with the Gardena Bowling alley and ending with TnT cafe....Gardena Bowl is legend for the best Hawaiian food and portugese sausage around, its been around since the begining of time and is packed with second and third generation Japanese Americans and lots of Hawaiian's. It was run by a family for a long time and was the only place around, then some younger bruddah's opened up "the loft" in Gardena which served the basic hawaiian food....great Teri, plate lunches and Loco Moco...the owners got into a dispute and split off to open 3 different places.."The Loft", "Island Grinds" and "Back Home in Laheina". Those places have all done well....The original family that ran Gardena Bowl decided it was time to retire and sold the place to a guy named Hedeki that owns "Azuma", a very popular hole in the wall "ozakaya" place popular with Japanese executives from nearby Honda and Nissan HQ's. Well the original Gardena Bowl owners got bored in retirement and opened up TnT cafe in south Torrance....Same great Gardena Bowl food, much smaller place...really hard to find but good stuff...Great teri beef and spam plate lunch... Hope that helps..if not enough I wrote columns for Azuma and Gardena bowl for my paper...they are both on my web site if you want to check them out..there are maps to the places as well!

I ate there yesterday..had the chicken and beef combo platter....They were out of Kalua pork.... Its was ok....I would go back if it was nearby and I was hungry..I think places like the Loft and TnT cafe are better.....and lets not forget the Gardena Bowling alley for some of the best Hawaiian food around!

I love grey goose and will have to check this one out as soon as I can find some....Damn, its only 8 am and now I want a drink!...

So the question is...Should I try the L&L in Gardena that opened a while back?

With all due respects to your suggestions... uh... please, no. On any of them. The Stinking Rose is a chain and a pretty mediocre one with over-cooked meat, long waits, and unexceptional service. Their ONE redeeming quality is their Bagna Cauda appetizer. Trader Vic's -- well, maybe thirty years ago, but way past its prime. Chart House? Another chain. If you want a good steak, head towards Morton's, Ruths Chris, or Nick & Stef's -- all will give you a better cut of meat with more interesting sides. The Proud Bird is a dive hang-out for local pilots and people who want to spend too much money on mediocre Eggs Benedict on Sundays. The Ports of Call also is past its prime -- about ten years ago it was a lovely but has long since been considered a dive. Sorry. Consider FoodZealot's selection or search for recent discussion as there have been many (especially for Redondo, Torrance, & Gardena) for exceptional Japanese. Well excuse me!!! I guess I must not have any taste!...I also do not have a fortune to spend on dining out, my suggestions were all easy to get to with good atmosphese's and views... I did not know that Stinking Rose is a chain...I have only been to the one in Beverly Hills. the Chart House in Redondo has an awesome view with a great salad bar and pretty decent food...I have only had one bad meal at the Ports of call...But enjoyed many nice meals with my family there, eating a decent meal for a reasonable price.... I was also going to suggest the theme restaurant at LAX.....Its something different that you can talk about...Kinda Jetsons like.....but I guess that is not sophisticated for many.... Isnt there a food snob thread going around on the board right now? I need a drink....

Is the stinking rose any good? There is one in SF that I've never had any interest in visiting. It seems like a shithole tourist trap, but maybe I'm wrong. I liked it the few times I have eaten lunch there. Its got a neat atmosphere with little tents inside..Plus the 40 clove chicken and the pork chops are great....and a great slow roasted bulb of garlic with some great bad really hits the spot.

Have you tried the Stinking Rose on La Cienega in Beverly Hills...Great garlic themed place....Or you could check out Trader Vics....The Lobster at the Santa Monica Pier...or for a good steak with a view, the Chart House in Redondo Beach. the Proud Bird is kinda neat and you can watch the planes come into LAX..they have a great collection of vintage planes as well. The Ports of Call at the port is also nice with a great view of the ships as they leave.

Peach Tea....mmmmm

There are several things I want to eat in life....those are one of them..I looked at the web site and it looks so good. I just cant find one out here in L.A. I think I am going to ask my readers in my next column if they know of a place...I usually get good feedback from them (except the armenian food request). There used to be a place in San Jose called the "Australian restaurant" that was pretty tasty...I wonder if its still there...a short flight to San Jose would be alot cheaper than one to Australia! The pea sauce, is that the stuff made with the green dye?...