Restaurants

Popular Restaurant in Santa Monica

I grew up in the Northeast, and spent many summer beach days munching on the lobster rolls, Blue Point oysters, fried clams, snapper, and other seafood ubiquitous to the East Coast. Moving to Southern California has its foodie benefits, but I’ve sorely missed the East Coast summertime crab shack atmosphere. If you’ve been to one, you know what I mean: The real deal has plastic tablecloths (if any), the morning’s catch of crabs, lobsters or clams, amazingly fresh fish, and almost no dress code. Makes sense; the best seafood joints are right by the beach after all. I hadn’t found a place in Southern California to quite fit this niche. When The Blue Plate Oysterette opened on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, I was quite hopeful. The food is really good at this restaurant, its popularity is by and large deserved.

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The surprising Creolina's, now in Davie

The first day one of my best friends found out I like to vacation in the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood area, she asked if I have ever eaten at Creolina’s.

The answer was no.

And, I’m sorry to say, even with the 10 trips I’ve made since she first brought it up, I never managed to look it up on Mapquest and drop in. I had lots of excuses: the spring breakers I was with didn’t want Creole food. I might get lost. Parking is a pain in downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

Pretty lame, huh? Especially now, after she and I were actually in Broward County together this week, and she personally drove me to Creolina’s Dixie Takeout new location in Davie for lunch. I have to admit, you could have knocked me over with a feather for the next hour.

I mean, seriously: This hole-in-the-wall strip center restaurant with an Old Western font sign too tiny to see from the frontage road is THE Creolina’s? The one the South Florida media goes nuts over? The place where the mayor eats and business people hang out? No. Way. Creolina’s is an elegant French bistro where you dress up for lunch and hope not to drop gravy on the white linen …  or so I imagined.

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Paradise Cafe's Rasta Vibe

A celebration of rasta culture and a cheeky sense of humor create an unforgettable atmosphere at the Paradise Cafe,( also called Bob Marley Cafe) on the quiet eastern coast of Cozumel.  Swaddled by the Caribbean Sea and adorned with thatched roofs and bright red, gold and green accents, the cafe offers freshly prepared food as well as stunning beach views.  Walking up to the restaurant, the first things that capture your attention are signs proclaiming:  “Rasta’s Freedom in Paradise Yeah- Man.”  The signs sum up the general feel of the cafe and the beach.  Freedom to lounge, eat, surf or sprawl in a hammock  sounds like a reasonable idea for paradise. Read More »

Best Burgers at Royal Exchange in San Francisco

Remember the movie Swingers, with a young and lanky Vince Vaughn? Remember how he used the phrase “you’re so money!”, whenever he complimented his friend Jon Favreau or just tried to boost his ego? In the 1990’s this phrase became the hippest way to tell your friend that they were cool or make them feel important.

Now think about the locations where you might find these guys hanging out. In downtown San Francisco, you would find them very likely at the Royal Exchange sitting in a booth after work smoking.

The Royal Exchange in the 1990s was  one of my favorite place for after work drinks. Lots of cute guys from the investment firms would start showing up at 2:00 after the stock market closed.  And though the prices are higher today, their happy hour is still a fun spot that I recommend to my single friends and to visitors staying at Le Méridien Hotel.

Though I am not in the area as often as I used to be, I still like to stop here for lunch whenever I can. Read More »

The Maltese city of Valletta hides many treasures.  It’s what, after all, it was designed to do when it was built by the Knights of St. John several hundred years ago.  Valletta could be called a city of secrets, of surprises.  It’s one of its charms.  In fact – I find something new there every time I visit.

But after you wander the labryinth-like streets searching out Napoleon’s headquarters, the Malta Experience and the famous Teatro, take some time to also find the Trabuxu Wine Bar.  Known as Malta’s first wine bar, it’s a place not to be ignored.

But first you have to find it.  Even if someone points it out to you on a map, you may still miss it.  It’s well known (in fact, the bar hosts some events for Valletta’s famous Notte Bianca festival) yet it still remains a place just waiting to be discovered.

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There are few of us that can resist the sweet siren’s call of the schnitzel.  It’s a simple enough dish.  Just a veal or pork cutlet (there are turkey and chicken varieties, too), breaded and deep-fried.  But as with most simple dishes, it’s hard to find restaurants that do it well.  Especially outside Germany.

But in the hamlet of Vine Grove, Kentucky, there is such a place.  The Schnitzel Barn (now known as Caroline’s Schnitzel Barn since it passed hands a few years back) is well-known to Soldiers stationed in nearby Fort Knox. The Soldiers may go there because they once spent some time in the Vaterland and crave a Bitburger and a brat.  They may go because of the waitresses in their tight, cleavage-inducing dirndls.  Or, most likely, they go for the Wednesday night, all-you-can-eat schnitzel buffet.

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I’m probably dating myself here, but the first time I was in London, I considered a visit to Hard Rock Cafe on par with the other tourist attractions like the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace or climbing to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

A legendary burger

The story of how two homesick American boys opened a restaurant devoted to the cheeseburgers they craved and wound up with Eric Clapton’s Red Fender Lead II guitar and the international limelight fascinates me as much as the stories of beheadings at The Tower.

Unfortunately, my husband’s business meetings in Basingstoke ran over the night we’d planned dinner at at this American icon in London, so I hung out in Picadilly Circus for hours, torturing myself with thoughts of eating at nearly every restaurant I saw. But the aura of the original Hard Rock was strong enough I hung in there until my other half rolled in on his train and we could fly over to Park Lane on the Tube. The restaurant was nearing closing time, and we had a fabulous burger, fries and chocolate shake in the corner of a nearly deserted dining room, all on the company tab.

Big thumbs up for the experience — and the bear I collected from the gift shop.

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Grilled bread for the table and a crisp rose wine!

Pasta Pomodoro in one sentence: Sure, it’s part of a chain of Italian restaurants, but in the consistent, reliable sort of way, with a tasty menu, good sized portions and healthy options.

Who you’ll see there: Singles who don’t feel like cooking after work, couples who don’t feel like cooking after work, families who don’t feel like cooking after soccer practice and work…you get the idea. The cafe in Laurel Village is a well-known “child-friendly” spot, so it’s a big spot for the local nannies at lunch.

Make sure to try: The butternut squash ravioli, the chicken marsala, the broccoli sauteed with garlic and chile flakes, and the “mista” mixed green side salad, which has a wonderful mix of fresh vegetables and a light but tasty dressing. Also, the wine list is surprisingly extensive.

It’s okay to skip: The bruschetta. They bring you grilled bread and a garlickly dipping sauce for the table.

Best dessert: Simple but delicious affogato: espresso poured over vanilla gelato.

Seriously, isn't that a nice looking salad?

Service: It’s perfectly fine. They get your meal on the table without dropping it in your lap. There’s not a lot of variety on the menu for them to explain, but they’re nice kids, you know? Leave a nice tip, they try hard.

Average meal price: Pretty affordable and recession-friendly. The most expensive thing on the menu is the $16 steak. The Laurel Village cafe offers week night specials, half-price bottles of wine, and the servings are always big enough to bring home for left-overs.

Pasta Pomodoro Logistics:

• You can usually walk right in and get a seat
• Credit cards, yes
• It’s kid-friendly, which means there’s a good chance there will be a screaming child one or two tables over. There aren’t any fancy table cloths to absorb the sound. It can get loud. Be ready to roll with it, or get your order to go.
• Heated patio

Parking:

Officially street parking, but everyone parks in the Laurel Village parking lot.

Location:

Laurel Village
3611 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-831-0900

Photos: Cat Lincoln

Jasmine Porch Lobby

To be honest, I rarely take the opportunity to eat at what I would call five-star restaurants. It’s not because I don’t want to, but I usually know what I want and don’t usually take the time to go out of my way to eat at a more upscale restaurant. However, there are those few restaurants that come along that give you more than enough reasons to drive across town. The Jasmine Porch on Kiawah Island is just one of those restaurants that is worth the drive if you’re not already staying at the Kiawah Island Resort.

If you call ahead to the Jasmine Porch Restaurant, which is a half-hour from Charleston, you’ll probably hear that reservations are suggested, but I highly recommend calling for a reservation. We ate dinner at 7 p.m. and there wasn’t an empty table before or after dinner. If possible, ask for the outside seating which overlooks the pool and the ocean. The restaurant recommends resort casual dress, but I would dress up just a little more than this. Read More »

Cody's Original Roadhouse

I am grateful I’m not a shy traveler. Unlike a lot of folks in my family, if I’m on the road and need a break, or hanging out at the hotel and hungry for a meal, I’m not relegated to drive-thrus at burger joints. I’ll walk up to the hostess at any sit-down casual dining restaurant and ask for a table for one. No book tucked under my arm, no pad of paper to look busy.

Which is how I wound up having dinner at Cody’s Original Roadhouse in Ocala, Florida. I was prowling around looking for a meal in the middle of the afternoon — hanging out at La Quinta Inn and Suites would mean working — and passed this unusual building with an old Chevy truck in front. I figured it for a regional chain right away, but it’s not a chain we have, so it was instantly cravable.

It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out they really like the word “original” to describe themselves, even though both Logan’s and Texas Roadhouse share the Roadhouse label in their names. According to their website, original in this case means “an era gone by, when things were simpler, more casual and definitely relaxed.”

Route 66 pattern

Which explains why I walked in and saw that their booth fabric is the same cloth someone used for a Route 66 purse, carry-on luggage and vest I own. That pretty much sums up casual for me. And lucky me strolled in during happy hour, when I could get a chopped sirloin steak, baked potato, rolls, and a salad to look at for $8.98. Oh, and don’t forget the all-you-can-eat peanuts at the table.

Like I said, they share a lot in common with other national chains we know.

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