FoodZealot

I happened to be nearby with time to kill, so I stopped by O'Groats yesterday (Sunday) and had the aforementioned Creole Eggs. They were actually out of the lamb patties, but the pork sausage was a fine substitute. Very enjoyable. I got seated right away - people were waiting about 40 minutes for tables. I think it's possible to call ahead. JF, I've only been to B&P once, for lunch. I enjoyed it a lot. FWIW, the menu reminds me of Quality Food on 3rd (semi-retro California cafe-ish), but the room is brighter and the vibe is more cheery.

Langer's is genius, but Johnny's makes an enjoyable sandwich, too - more like drive-in style. Bay Cities Italian Deli makes a good pastrami also, Boar's Head meat, I believe, on their filone rolls - not traditional deli, but good eating.

Great pic. I'm also glad to see I'm not the only one who takes a few extra Horsey sauce packets.

Thanks for the pix, Varmint. Brought back good food memories of my visit there.

Thanks for the tip - I'll have to brave the crowds sometime soon.

Andrea, welcome to eGullet. I've been to your site before and it's full of great info. Thank you. I'm new to pho. Here's one I had last week at the shop next to 99 Ranch Market in Van Nuys. I have no idea what you all would think of it, but I thought it was rather good. Especially for $4.75. It's described as the "Special combo with rare slices of steak, well-done brisket, flank, tendon & tripe." It's hard to make out, but there was some ngo gai (sawtooth) on the garnish plate along with the purple basil. ~Tad

If I'm understanding his original point, DonRocks is saying there are other considerations to food being "good" that just tasting good. That's quite reasonable in the abstract, but I don't agree with how it's been applied in the examples given thus far. Some may find this somewhat related thread about taste to be worth reading.

Thanks for the correction!

In Hawaii and California, soda.

I have duck on the brain lately - duck larb sounds like it might work. Or lamb larb?

No, even with a lot of sharing and sampling, there was a nice take home portion. At least at the BH location, it cost $39.95 which is about the same price as my bone-in rib eye - both ala carte.

Jason, if you're calling me a food pornographer, I can live with that. Let me know when it gets to be too much for y'all. [grin] tissue, I'd say the meat is a bit better at Mastro's, but the preparation of the meat and sides are more to my liking at Lawry's. My friend who got it did think it was one of the best things she's ever eaten. If you're a prime rib person, it's worth trying, but IMHO the steaks are their stronger suit at Mastro's.

There are actually quite a few reasons why not [i kid! I kid the Stockton!]. I haven't been there in a few years (I also went to college there), but here are a few things: Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ - still the best Mongolian BBQ that I've found, as discussed in your Hidden Pleasures thread. Podesto's - quality groceries and a good deli Manny's - decent burgers and whatnot, but they usually have steamed artichokes available Al the Wop's (sorry, but this is the common name of the place)- about 40 min away in China Camp, not great food, but pretty interesting atmosphere nonetheless. Steak and spaghetti. I didn't get out much back then, plus many places have closed down or changed hands. Russ, by chance are you going for the Asparagus Festival? ~Tad

I don't know how accurate it is, but this seems to be a plausible story about the original Oysters Rockefeller recipe.

Some friends and I had been wanting to go to Mastro's for quite a while to check it out. Coincidentally, it was being discussed in the Best Steakhouse in CA thread, so here's a link back to that for convenience. They're in the location which had been the second incarnation of Chasen's. The downstairs is quieter and calmer. The upstairs room has a pianist and the larger bar, which contribute to a higher noise level and more "action". The butter and assorted breads brought to the table are very good - especially the pretzel bread and the ciabata style roll. To start, I ordered the Oysters Rockefeller appetizer. That's mozzarella cheese melted over the top of it, above some spinach (possibly the creamed spinach side dish). IMHO, the cheese was not a good choice because it was chewy and didn't add much flavor, but the oysters seemed fresh and they were cooked just right. This is my steak - Bone-in Rib eye - which I ordered charred medium rare. It could be that I got somebody else's steak, but mine was a touch past medium, rather than medium rare. Nevertheless, it definitely had the dry aged taste (especially in the fatty portions). The rub that is put on the steaks is fairly neutral - garlic, paprika, and salt and pepper - I didn't mind it at all. This is the 22 oz cut. There's also a 33 oz Chef's Cut, which I will probably get next time. Overall, I'd say it's one of the better steaks I've ever had, but not in the top five. Top ten, maybe. My friend got the prime rib. It's a monster cut of meat, even though the bone is left in. The menu states that it's 28 oz, but I think hers was even heftier than that. It's hard to tell scale by this photo, but it was over 2" thick. By how pink it is near the edge, it appears that they slow roast it all the way. I had a taste of this and it seemed a bit toothy - not as tender as you might expect (at least this time). Horseradish sauce and au jus were excellent. For sides, we ordered creamed spinach, steamed asparagus w/ hollandaise, potatoes au gratin, sautéed onions and sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were really damn good - the clear winner of all the sides. They have a crispy but not greasy coating, and the sweet potato is fluffy inside, not almost burnt like unbreaded sweet potato fries. As for the rest, IMHO the spinach was more cream than spinach, the asparagus was al dente but the hollandaise was flat, the potatoes au gratin were more like cottage fries with cheese melted over (no cream), and the sautéed onions were okay, but seemed notably pricey at the same price as the other sides. Also ordered at the table was salmon, cooked precisely to medium rare. Simple but excellent. A crab cake entrée was a special of the day. It was all crab, very little to bind it, and a healthy sized portion. I'd say that was excellent, also. Yes, I tasted almost everything on the table. [grin] The highlight of the desserts was also a special of the day - banana creme brulee. Intense banana flavor which was probably pumped up, but didn't taste artificial. The other desserts were pecan pie, chocolate espresso torte, and vanilla creme brulee. On the whole, the desserts were good, but not particularly fantastic. We saw a carrot cake ordered by another table which was enormous. Next time, I might just have dessert wine or maybe consider finding dessert elsewhere. Service was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient, aside from one cocktail taking too long to arrive. All the entrées arrived within two or three minutes of each other (for a party of 11). Overall, while not cheap, I felt that it was a good value for the meal we had. Aside from any quibbles I may have mentioned, it's a well run restaurant, the quality of the ingredients is very high and I would definitely recommend it. I look forward to going back. Mastro's Steakhouse 246 N. Canon Drive Beverly Hills, CA 310-888-8782 *Parties larger than 12 have additional requirements

Welcome, lym. Hilo no ka oi.

I haven't been to any of these, but I'm interested, should anyone want to venture out to the 818 or 626...

I don't know how it came to be popular, but boiled peanuts are a favorite snack in Hawaii, too. My grandfather grew his own peanuts, and we sometimes threw a few star anise into the pot as well. I've seen them in a few Asian markets in LA, but it's not very common.

FatTony, welcome to eGullet. Personally, I'm a Weber guy, despite having dreams of owning one type of smoker/cooker/grill for each style of outdoor cooking, including the Kamado, the Chinese box, a trailer-mounted Klose, a Santa Maria-style grill, a built in brick pit and anything else. Sorry, I digress. IMHO, the lack of height adjustment on a Weber isn't much of a hinderance. I usually build a two or three level fire as suggested by Chris Schlesinger. Ultimately, though, I believe in the old bbq truism - "It ain't the pit, it's the pitmaster." ~Tad

SK, If it is all the same chain and not just the sharing the name somehow, it's edible but not noteworthy, IMHO. If I have their history correct, the founders of California Wok also own Chung King in West LA which gets props from people, but is no great revelation either, IMHO.

A well earned LA Times review.

Like you, I'm a sucker for every sampler platter, combo plate and mixed dozen. Nice work! BTW, I think that jam thing is not for style, but just a baker's trick for keeping things from slipping off of their base while being iced, moved, etc. Making things soggy can't be worth it, though. Anxiously awaiting pix.

Chris, a mile sounds about right, but I find distances in Vegas to be deceiving, somehow. mongo, you may not be surprised find out that your nemesis Jonathan Gold is the origin of that statement (unless I am mistaken). IMHO, LOS is of similar quality as the best in Thai Town, but the "buzz" is on their Northern dishes, so it's not quite a straight across comparison. I believe Jitlada has some, so I'll have to try to find comparable dishes.

I convinced my Vegas companions to go to Lotus of Siam with me on Saturday night. It happened to be Valentine's Day and they were full, but we called ahead and they took a reservation. In the entry area, I was surprised to see reviews posted of Renu Nakorn in Norwalk (near Los Angeles). The waiter informed me that the owners are the original founders of Renu Nakorn, and they sold the business and opened up Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. I guess I missed this bit of history in the reviews I've read, but it explains a lot. Disclaimers: I didn't get to order everything I had planned to. I had a cold, and wasn't tasting or smelling at full capacity. We did not order wine. LOS is located at 953 E Sahara Avenue, sorta between the North end of the Strip and Downtown. The layout of the mall is a bit weird, because the storefronts face an interior parking lot, rather than the main street. It's called the Commercial Center or Plaza or something like that. There are several other promising looking ethnic restaurants in the mall. Nam Kao Tod - Chiang Mai sausage, puffed rice, toasted peanuts. We all liked this a lot, and in my case, in spite of the texture issues I have with puffed rice that is stale or moistened. Nua Dad Deaw - Issan style spiced, dried beef. This was good too. The sauce looks like it would be dangerously spicy, but it was sorta watery and bland. I got a piece of jerky with fat in it, and it had a little of that dry aged steak taste to it. The lean pieces weren't so interesting, IMHO. Unfortunately, I ordered this dish by mistake, thinking it was the the whole fried catfish. Still, very good. Broiled catfish filets with tangy spicy dressing. Also ordered, but not pictured. House special fried rice (excellent), pad thai (a bit moist for my tastes), and somtom salad (not spicy enough, but very good taste and balance). Coconut milk ice cream, sticky rice, and banana fritters. Excellent! It was a very enjoyable meal, and I'll definitely go back. One reason I HAVE to go back is that our waiter didn't ask us how spicy to make the dishes and I didn't specify either, and all the dishes were all very mild. I was disappointed that they didn't ask, that they came out at gringo heat, and that I didn't specify (although, I do see it as a test - if you don't specify, how hot do they prepare it?) Some have said that it is hands down the best Thai restaurant in America. I'm not saying that it isn't, but I still need to be convinced. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

Cole's Chop House is now on my list to check out. Thanks, melkor. It seems we're talking about two different segments of the market - dry aged, prime beef, and everything else (which might still be a delicious and satisfying steak). Carolyn, I agree with you that it's possible to make a damn fine steak at home. And I would say that a $15/lb grass-fed steak will probably be delicious, but it's not quite the same thing as dry aged, prime. IMHO, when talking about prime grade, dry aged meat, for one or two people, it's a wash. Just getting the meat at retail, you're probably looking at $40-45/lb, then you still have to prepare all the sides and clean up [feh]. It might be worth doing for a special reason, but not to save money. DIY looks a little more cost effective when you compare 10 people at home v. 10 people at a steakhouse, plus wine, etc. But it will certainly be challenging to get 10 steaks exactly right, and serve them at the same time. Then again, this is sometimes a pretty big problem in a restaurant, too. Just depends on the situation and occasion, I guess...