Il Barrino

Il Barrino

Via Gioberti, Firenze

It was getting late and we were hungry, but we were searching for someplace cozy that would have a good meal from the kitchen. We weren't going to settle for any food, but we were open to exploring the places nearby and taking a chance. How can you go wrong in Florence? Well, actually, strike that. Il centro di Firenze may have Italian restaurants and might make the tourist think every so often that he is being treated as a king, but you may not always be getting quality Italian food there, or a good deal. A good trattoria is what we were looking for, all around, and I'd say we scored here with our pappardelle dish in particular. 

Of course, the three of us also shared a bottle of the house chianti, which was just fine. The importance of this experience is that we asked them what their best dish was - because that's what we wanted to have - and when the waitress told us the pappardelle and pesce we all knew what to go with and once it arrived I decided it was better than I had expected that night. It's wonderful when you find such a gem. 

Pappardelle alla cacciagione (with game ragout)

12€

Amazing. The pasta here is of course homemade, and you can tell. The flavors are rich, which you can sense from the egg pasta. The game was delicious; each bite falls apart in your mouth. Excellent dish and a good portion.

Pane: Schiacciata briosciata al rosmarino

I'm in love with this bread. It was infused with olive oil and rosemary, and had sprinkles of salt along the edges where the consistency is a crisp focaccia-like shell. The flavors in this were bold. Consider this Italy's cornbread. I have yet to find it anywhere else. It was rich in rosemary flavor and olive oil, and after having so much Tuscan bread  that lacks salt we found our mouths watering over this one. Of course, there is also a soft, thick loaf of Tuscan bread that feels ignored at the table, alongside this. 

This neighborhood is great. We just moved here and I've found there is so much to find with these few blocks: librerie, ristoranti, saldi, i caffe, gelaterie... molti negozi. Also, it's not as crowded as the city center. This is more of a residential community east of Piazza Beccaria. Come over for a visit. 

Cheers

Matchbox

Matchbox

Chinatown, Washington, D.C.

Dinner, November 2011

We climbed up to (what I thought was) the fourth story. It was a narrow, welcoming facade at one corner of Chinatown where we entered and began our experience. We found ourselves in a culinary venue that ran deep and tall. The interior was less Chinatown than it was a clean and contemporary interior with a warm color theme of browns (espresso wood), reds, firebrick orange, and black, which complement most of their good beer selections. 

In particular, I remember the Allagash Curieux. Mmmm. It is a tripel ale, best served lightly chilled; lighter-colored than the imperial stouts, which I tend to go with. This was perfect - a good match for both the sweet Beet Salad and the spicy Fire and Smoke pizza, in which the gouda was the bite.

Beet Salad

"Arugula, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and grilled ciabatta."

We devoured this so very quickly! So, yes... it was good.

Fire and Smoke Pizza [$13]

"Fire roasted red peppers, Spanish onions, chipotle pepper, tomato sauce, garlic puree, smoked gouda (whoa!), fresh basil (love)"

Big enough to split between two persons.

The description says, "Very spicy," next to the menu item. Cute that they try to warn us. 

It's not that spicy; it's not hott. I liked this. We finished it all and still lusted for more, so we ordered their famous gelato cookie. I have to say though, the Allagash gave us the spirit to keep going; it complemented everything here. Also, it's lower in alcohol than most red wines, so you maintain a good level of energy and spirit throughout the meal.

Gelato Cookie Sandwich [$8]
"Coffee gelato, chocolate ganache, creme anglaise"

 I did not taste, or sense, any hint of chocolate ganache or creme anglaise in this; though, the creme might have been in the shallow bit surrounding. Still, this cookie doesn't need much of a description. It is delightful and worthy of devouring entirely. The chocolate-chip cookies (sandwich parts) are semi-soft and warm, while the center gelato is chilled. Fantastic.

 You must dig-in with your hands - regarding the outer shell. For goodness' sake - it's a cookie! Bite into it. For the gelato, go ahead and use your spoon. It's delectable and chilled at the edges, though ours is clearly on the verge of melting. The drizzle around the outside is a rich dark chocolate serpentined atop the creme. Do dip the cookie in the creme, please.
Good choice for dessert. Mmm...


*Cheers*

Kitayama

Kitayama

Newport Beach, CA

Lunch, August 2011

Definitely more of a sophisticated experience with sashimi in Newport Beach. There are a few sushi bars I respect here in Southern Orange County. Those include Blue Fin, 242 Fusion (Laguna), and Kitayama; Abe was one also, but it's closed, sadly.

Kitayama is the most traditional of them all, and though it's not entirely authentic (huge portions!) it's still a Japanese menu with tasty food. You sit in these little Japanese stalls, booths, with curtains. It feels like you have your own little private room - strange for me, but this dining experience doesn't happen often. It was nice when catching up with a good old friend. 

Assorted Sushi Platter with garden salad.

Garden Salad

Included with the assorted sushi. So good. I liked the Asian, ginger-infused dressing. It was light with an olive oil base.

What is this? I think it's a sushi lunch bowl. Unnamed on the website. Oh well. All sashimi, as it should be.

Albacore and salmon sashimi. Loved the albacore.

Assorted Tempura

"Shrimp, shitake mushroom, carrot, eggplant, yam potato with tempura sauce.

Served with rice, miso soup, and pickled veggies

So much food. This is a little more than you would receive in Japan; there, the portions are smaller but, truly, it's always enough food..

I enjoyed the tempura veggies the most. The zucchini and yam tempura were fantastic. The tempura breading is on the light side; tempura is not your typical fried food, so it's not as heavy as it looks. There were also zucchini flowers that I often go gaga over. One of the best tempura dishes I had in Japan included zucchini and lavender flowers. Who would have thought those would work? The flavors were lovely, mildly sweet with hints of butter in natural flavor; yes, this tempura stuff is dangerous.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Tempura

Yum yum. 

Stout Burgers and Beers

Stout: Burgers and Beers

Hollywood

Monday night, 19 December 2011

Quaint atmosphere and a covered patio; plus, it's heated, considering it is winter. The lighting is soft, mood-lit, and the acoustics are good. The tables have a deep, rich wood sheen with a little candle illuminating the surface of each one. The waitstaff knows what they are talking about; not to mention, they are friendly and cool. We had a great experience here, casual but yummy and friendly. We only spent an hour here, as it was before the Arclight showing. The crowd thinned around 9pm and we managed to have a relaxing evening. Ohh, let me get to the burgers and bevs now...

Setting aside the beverages for now, let's zoom-in on the meal:
the Six Weeker: Fig jam, brie, arugula, and caramelized onions,
 and the Island Burger: Arugula and roasted tomatoes,
 with a side of sweet potato fries


The burgers were mouth-watering, juicy, and delicious. My Island Burger was perfect, having lean, ground chicken with breadcrumbs and fennel. Whatever else was in this was amazing. I enjoyed the overall flavor of the patty alone, which seldom happens because usually the patty is dry by itself and you need something to spread on this - well, not this burger, for you can eat it alone. 


I liked the Lemon basil aioli for dipping the sweet potato fries in - so much flavor and zest, and I think the lemon acid is a great pairing with these fries. For my Island Burger, I ordered it skinny stout style, which is basically an open-face burger, no bun (or bun on the side), on a bed of arugula salad, which had a delicious, nice oil-based dressing. The salad wasn't filling; it was fresh, lightly-dressed, and tasty. 

With the Allagash Curieux tripel to pair (and a Shakespeare n' Old Rasputin for the boy), I can describe this state of experience as pure bliss.


Cheers
The burgers were $10 and filling. Sides were around $4. Nice! Of course, they get you on the beverages, but it's worth it at $6-9. Looking forward to coming back soon.

Inn of the Seventh Ray

Inn of the Seventh Ray

Calabasas, CA (near Malibu)

Dinner, 24 July 2011

A memorable, romantic, and enchanting experience 

on a warm night in Old Topanga Canyon. Upon first descent into the covered garden area, just above the Topanga Canyon creek, you find yourself in a spiritual place lit by delicate fairy lights that bedeck the many branches of lush trees overhead. It is charming, and vegan friendly!

This is perhaps one of the most romantic dining settings in the Los Angeles area. We were celebrating a special occasion tonight, so the setting was appropriate. The atmosphere was quiet with the backdrop of a light breeze through the tree leaves and the sound of trickling water along the smooth pebbles of the creek. I say you feel like you're in a spiritual place because you are surrounded by nature and along the path to the lower dining area, just above the creek, there are stone statues of Buddha figures lining the way. We sat near a fountain in the center courtyard area; the soft sound effects of trickling water were nice.

Beet Salad Appetizer

Everything here is organic and paid careful attention to. Take the beet salad, for example; there is a minute dusting of pistachio nut around the outside. Exquisite touch of flavor and texture. We enjoyed this. The beets were sliced thin yet they were full-bodied in consistency and flavor. Rich. They were served on mache lettuce, so right, with a bit of Danish blue cheese. True, the plate was small, but it was still a good appetizer to share because it is rich.

Bread Basket: whole wheat spelt with sunflower seeds. Room temp.

This bread was dense and rich in spelt flavor (spelt is an ancient grain, mildly nutty). We dipped it in the olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar - smart. It was a good, soft bread, but not very moist. The oil and vinegar definitely helped. In other words, this was a "healthy" bread, but I liked the richness packed in.

For wine, we had the Ridge Chardonnay from Santa Cruz Valley, which was great with the poultry entree I had. I'm a wino, and I did not recognize quite a few of the wines on the list. They are from boutique wineries or they are from vines off the beaten path. The list was pretty "out there," but we managed to score with it. I don't think you can go wrong, especially with the advice of the sommelier and waiters. We enjoyed this white. Our waiter knew it would pair well. Speaking of the service, we had an excellent experience. The waitstaff was prompt, direct, and listened intently. I was impressed when our waiter said, "don't go with this - it's not tasting good tonight - go with that instead." How many waiters are that honest about the food coming out? To admit that a dish is not good, right off the bat, is important for diners to know. 

I opted for the Chicken Breast with Achiote Essence  - good choice.

"Soft Polenta Crème Fraîche, Spring Pea tendrils, Turnips, Roast Beets, Ramps, Pimento Granulate and Himalayan Rock Salt"

The chicken was served in small medallions and the meat was soooo tender and juicy. Yum. It was served with this cre'me frai'che polenta, which I greatly delighted in. The meal was light, not heavy as I imagined it might be. I ate practically all of this, it was so good. Wish I had a photo; it was too dark to take one by that point. The presentation was lovely, colorful.

My partner in crime had the Crispy Vegan Duck, another good dish. He ate it all and I had a few bites. (And it wasn't even real duck!)

Herbed Soba Noodles, Baby Bok Choy, Organic Carrots 
and Ginger Apple Cider Emulsion

I think we just had coffee after dinner. We were quite full. Night fell upon us quick, but I liked that fact because the fairy lights made it seem as thought the stars were right above us. I'll remember this experience. We had a wonderful night.

Makana Terrace

Makana Terrace

St. Regis Resort, Princeville, Kauai

July 6, 2011

On the way to Hanalei Bay, we stopped at the St. Regis for some drinks at the terrace. It was perhaps one of the most unexpected, memorable experiences we had in Kauai. The view of the ocean harbor was spectacular and beautiful, and between the seating, service, and food, it was a luxury experience. The view was like that along Lake Como. Service was professional with a good sense of humor and grace. 

Hawaiian Style Poke

Sashimi grade ahi, avocado, ahi roe, chile, nori tempura, Hanalei taro chip, macadamia nut

Mmm. Scrumptious. A bit of roe and avocado are hidden in this. Beautiful presentation. Well worth the price of $20 (!). On the side, the Ciabatta and Wheat bread were delicious.

We had drinks here too. Mine was a sort of sangria blanc that was delightful. It was large, so it lasted a while, but the flavor was unlike any white sangria I've had before. I'm sure there was a bit a lilikoi or exotic fruit mixed in.

We wanted to take a break and enjoy the atmosphere of the harbor. This is the best place to stop for an afternoon snack and drink; valet parking is complementary for a visit.

Lobby interior.

Dusty's Bistro

Dusty's Bistro

Silverlake, LA

Brunch, 23 July 2011

We sat outside today for brunch with some good friends. I love Dusty's. Their omelets are superb, and I quite enjoy their bread basket - so many options. Today I wasn't that hungry so I ordered a salad. I should have ordered another omelet or yogurt, but oh well. The service is aways friendly and informative, the (popular) food items are good, and it's an intimate, inviting atmosphere with an eclectic diner personality. For a consistently colorful and good breakfast, we know to come here. 

Frisee aux Lardons

(Poached Egg Salad)

with diced ham and red wine vinaigrette

I wasn't impressed with the salad itself. It was just frise'e, mostly, which was unexciting, and it was over-salted. The pancetta was mostly diced fat, not the leaner pancetta meat. The mimosas with peach served as good recovery. I wouldn't order this again. Next time, I'll stick with the omelets. I've had the Florentine omelet before, which I enjoyed. 

The crepes looked delicious. I saw a spinach and feta filled crepe, which was practically sheet-thin. It looked fantastic. Next time!