La Provence Patisserie: Pretty much "meh". I've been having a craving for waffles for weeks, but I haven't been able to work up the effort to go to a highly rated (and probably packed) restaurant for breakfast. So today I searched on Yelp for waffles nearby, sorted by highest rating and picked this place. I tried: Belgian waffle, chocolate covered brioche french toast, machiatto, apple/carrot/orange juice, croissant, red velvet cupcake, caramel macaroon, and raspberry macaroon. The waffle and french toast were pre-made and then toasted, a big letdown because they were missing that freshly made texture and cooled off quickly...in fact they were pretty forgettable, though the waffle was better than the french toast (flavorless except for the chocolate sauce...so like eating chocolate sauce on a slice of bread). The machiatto was ok, but not strong enough...it's not a european macchiato, but americanized so there was more foam than coffee. The apple/carrot/oj was too carroty and didn't have that fresh oj flavor (and oranges are so good around here right now). The croissant was made with real butter, but had an odd aftertaste. The caramel macaroon was super salty, super sweet, without enough toothiness for me (more just mushy with the slightest crust). The raspberry macaroon was better...same texture, and the flavor seemed just a bit artificial (but maybe that was just because I needed to wash the sugar salt out of my mouth first, but simpler. Finally, the red velvet cupcake had some pretty tasty cream cheese frosty over a very moist but relatively flavorless cupcake...maybe it tasted slightly like chocolate.
So, meh.
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sauce on Hampton, Inn of the Seventh Ray
Sauce on Hampton: We were looking for a special/romantic breakfast, but the first impression when we got there around 9am on a weekday was not good. The tables are small and close packed, and there was only one table occupied. They (the other couple) were outside, a choice necessitated by the music blaring inside the restaurant. We also chose to sit in the blinding sun with the rather poor view, so we could at least hear each other talk.
We took time trying to find the right things to order (no pancakes/waffles/crepes on the menu). We got the Mexican omelette with a side of bacon, the Traditional breakfast plate (eggs over-easy), a pomegranate lemonade, and a coffee. In order of experience:
1) The eggs came out sunny-side-up. Though well prepared, that's not what we ordered.
2) The omelette was the best part, delicate yet filling, cilantro adding flavor.
3) The bean salsa did not "go" with the omelette; it washed out the flavors and wasn't flavorful/spicy enough itself.
4) The salad that came with the omelette was drenched in way too much dressing.
5) The side of bacon that came with the omelette was very tasty and just-right crispy.
6) The bacon that came with the breakfast plate was soggy and only tasted ok...not so flavorful.
7) The potato chunks with the omelette were soggy and had no flavor.
8) The roast tomatoes were cold. I love roast tomatoes, and these were charred on the outside, but didn't have any flavor.
9) The toast (on both plates) was fine/serviceable.
10) The lemonade was very dramatic looking, though the flavor wasn't so impressive. It was too sugary though not too-too sugary...it didn't have that fresh taste.
11) The coffee was poor...diner-level coffee...too bitter and yet not strong enough. They had just brewed a fresh pot, so I feel sorry for people who arrived later after it'd been sitting longer.
12) The coffee cup had three bits of napkin stuck to the inside (hidden under the coffee). It had obviously not gotten clean in the dishwasher and wasn't visually examined before use.
13) The waitress was fine...not so experienced but friendly.
I will not go back. Zabies could show these people many things, and I'm not all that fired up about Zabies.
Inn of the Seventh Ray: We made a second attempt at a romantic meal for a weekday lunch. This time we chose from Yelp based on location and "romantic" in the reviews. We called ahead trying to get special seating, but were brusquely told that there's no hostess for lunch. When we got there the sign said to grab a menu and seat yourself, so we did. Then we were told we couldn't sit there. Apparently half the seating area was off limits...the quiet part that wasn't cramped seating next to big tables of loud people. So we sat down, and waited and waited and waited. Ten to fifteen minutes later we yelled out "I'd like some bread too!" And sure enough, a couple minutes later we had bread and a while after that we got our drinks. I'm sure it's hard for a single server to cover 24+ people spread amongst 8+ tables, but feeling neglected does not make for a romantic setting. Thankfully, a second person started bringing waters and bread. Unfortunately the bread was no-fat, no-flavor...though it did have plenty of seeds. Oddly enough it was served with a bitter olive oil (not high grade), and a strong/young balsamic vinegar. Not only did the bread not go with either, but the oil didn't go with the vinegar. If only they'd given us a bit of butter maybe it would've had a good taste. We also got a lemonade (fine, not great), and one of their special drinks (Around the World) which had a very interesting flavor but reminded me so much of Kombucha that I wasn't impressed in the end.
Anyway, the setting was why we were there, right? Not the service or the food, apparently. Unfortunately, the setting was outdoors/rustic, plus a white ribbon around the wooden fence. The stream was nice enough, I suppose, but I've seen woods before. This one even had an old wooden chair just randomly sitting out there near the stream/crick. And the constant sound of traffic completely ruined the "nature" vibe. The wobbly chairs and smallish round "patio" tables didn't help...nor the way I had to lean forward so the waiter could pass by me to reach the table next to us.
When the appetizer arrived, things started looking up. We ordered a three beat appetizer and got a beet salad (with two types of beets that I could tell), that had very nicely done golden beets (and beautiful yellow with red swirled edges), overdone red beets, some salad, pecans, a touch of blue cheese, and a bit of salt and olive oil. The golden beets, touch of salt, and salad made things much happier, though the overdone beets were disappointing. The main courses were a steak sandwich and a flatbread with olives and chicken. The sandwich was ordered medium rare, came out well done. The best part of a steak sandwich is biting into a thick steak, with a bit of bread to keep it from getting your fingers messy. This had thinly sliced steak of pretty high quality, with a really thick ciabatta bun and some not-so-helpful toppings (I remember some fresh spinach and a flavorless tomato). Disappointing...I suppose it's my fault for ordering steak at an apparently "new age" restaurant. The sandwich came with uninspired potato salad...potato salad needs something in it other than potatoes...maybe some green onion? Finally, the flatbread was ok, way too salty. The chicken was prepared well, but didn't have that wonderful poultry flavor, and it was all pretty overwhelmed by the olives anyway.
I will not go back.
We took time trying to find the right things to order (no pancakes/waffles/crepes on the menu). We got the Mexican omelette with a side of bacon, the Traditional breakfast plate (eggs over-easy), a pomegranate lemonade, and a coffee. In order of experience:
1) The eggs came out sunny-side-up. Though well prepared, that's not what we ordered.
2) The omelette was the best part, delicate yet filling, cilantro adding flavor.
3) The bean salsa did not "go" with the omelette; it washed out the flavors and wasn't flavorful/spicy enough itself.
4) The salad that came with the omelette was drenched in way too much dressing.
5) The side of bacon that came with the omelette was very tasty and just-right crispy.
6) The bacon that came with the breakfast plate was soggy and only tasted ok...not so flavorful.
7) The potato chunks with the omelette were soggy and had no flavor.
8) The roast tomatoes were cold. I love roast tomatoes, and these were charred on the outside, but didn't have any flavor.
9) The toast (on both plates) was fine/serviceable.
10) The lemonade was very dramatic looking, though the flavor wasn't so impressive. It was too sugary though not too-too sugary...it didn't have that fresh taste.
11) The coffee was poor...diner-level coffee...too bitter and yet not strong enough. They had just brewed a fresh pot, so I feel sorry for people who arrived later after it'd been sitting longer.
12) The coffee cup had three bits of napkin stuck to the inside (hidden under the coffee). It had obviously not gotten clean in the dishwasher and wasn't visually examined before use.
13) The waitress was fine...not so experienced but friendly.
I will not go back. Zabies could show these people many things, and I'm not all that fired up about Zabies.
Inn of the Seventh Ray: We made a second attempt at a romantic meal for a weekday lunch. This time we chose from Yelp based on location and "romantic" in the reviews. We called ahead trying to get special seating, but were brusquely told that there's no hostess for lunch. When we got there the sign said to grab a menu and seat yourself, so we did. Then we were told we couldn't sit there. Apparently half the seating area was off limits...the quiet part that wasn't cramped seating next to big tables of loud people. So we sat down, and waited and waited and waited. Ten to fifteen minutes later we yelled out "I'd like some bread too!" And sure enough, a couple minutes later we had bread and a while after that we got our drinks. I'm sure it's hard for a single server to cover 24+ people spread amongst 8+ tables, but feeling neglected does not make for a romantic setting. Thankfully, a second person started bringing waters and bread. Unfortunately the bread was no-fat, no-flavor...though it did have plenty of seeds. Oddly enough it was served with a bitter olive oil (not high grade), and a strong/young balsamic vinegar. Not only did the bread not go with either, but the oil didn't go with the vinegar. If only they'd given us a bit of butter maybe it would've had a good taste. We also got a lemonade (fine, not great), and one of their special drinks (Around the World) which had a very interesting flavor but reminded me so much of Kombucha that I wasn't impressed in the end.
Anyway, the setting was why we were there, right? Not the service or the food, apparently. Unfortunately, the setting was outdoors/rustic, plus a white ribbon around the wooden fence. The stream was nice enough, I suppose, but I've seen woods before. This one even had an old wooden chair just randomly sitting out there near the stream/crick. And the constant sound of traffic completely ruined the "nature" vibe. The wobbly chairs and smallish round "patio" tables didn't help...nor the way I had to lean forward so the waiter could pass by me to reach the table next to us.
When the appetizer arrived, things started looking up. We ordered a three beat appetizer and got a beet salad (with two types of beets that I could tell), that had very nicely done golden beets (and beautiful yellow with red swirled edges), overdone red beets, some salad, pecans, a touch of blue cheese, and a bit of salt and olive oil. The golden beets, touch of salt, and salad made things much happier, though the overdone beets were disappointing. The main courses were a steak sandwich and a flatbread with olives and chicken. The sandwich was ordered medium rare, came out well done. The best part of a steak sandwich is biting into a thick steak, with a bit of bread to keep it from getting your fingers messy. This had thinly sliced steak of pretty high quality, with a really thick ciabatta bun and some not-so-helpful toppings (I remember some fresh spinach and a flavorless tomato). Disappointing...I suppose it's my fault for ordering steak at an apparently "new age" restaurant. The sandwich came with uninspired potato salad...potato salad needs something in it other than potatoes...maybe some green onion? Finally, the flatbread was ok, way too salty. The chicken was prepared well, but didn't have that wonderful poultry flavor, and it was all pretty overwhelmed by the olives anyway.
I will not go back.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Georgian Hotel
Georgian Hotel: This morning was spent at the Santa Monica Pier, where I went with the simple approach to picking a place to eat of going with whatever looks most popular. The Georgian Hotel has a small veranda of something like ten 2 and 4-person tables that was popular enough that it had people waiting to sit on it throughout the time we had breakfast there. We ate inside since there wasn't any wait for the inside tables. The staff were rather busy, a bit hectic, but seemed to have everything almost under control. And the food was delicious. Fresh squeezed OJ...mmmm. A good espresso (definitely intense and hot). For some reason I ordered the French Toast souffle without realizing that it would be bread pudding. I like bread pudding, and this was probably the best bread pudding I've ever had, but I was still just a bit surprised to have it for breakfast. Not a bad idea for breakfast though. Just replace the rum sauce with strawberries and sliced almonds and add a side of syrup and dessert becomes breakfast.
Anyway, this bread pudding had the best texture I've experienced: tender bread (no dryness anywhere) with very smooth eggy bits (not rubbery at all) and some flavor. Three slices of bacon were crispy and flavorful, though not especially thick like the best bacon. A wedge of watermelon and a slice of orange were both liquid gold in my mouth. In all, a wonderful meal, even if it did cost more than I'd been planning to spend on breakfast before I laid eyes on the place.
Anyway, this bread pudding had the best texture I've experienced: tender bread (no dryness anywhere) with very smooth eggy bits (not rubbery at all) and some flavor. Three slices of bacon were crispy and flavorful, though not especially thick like the best bacon. A wedge of watermelon and a slice of orange were both liquid gold in my mouth. In all, a wonderful meal, even if it did cost more than I'd been planning to spend on breakfast before I laid eyes on the place.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Izzy's deli and Vienna pastry
Izzy's Deli in Santa Monica: This diner was recommended by a friend as the one place he knows in Santa Monica. Parking was hard...I'm starting to realize that it will be easier for me to assume parking will be hard and instead note when it's easy. There's a deli/bagel/pastry counter, and a diner seating area. I was there for breakfast, so it was too early to see any of their sandwiches. The pictures on the menu looked "mile-high" with meat, and their tagline said "If our sandwiches are too large, invite a friend."
The meal was almost Texas-sized. Delicate corned beef hash with a light flavor but quite addicting. Two eggs, scrambled, toothy but not springy and a consistent texture...very good though a plain flavor. Too bad the pepper was pre-ground, even if fragrant. I don't get what's up with that; pepper is always much better ground on-demand, so why isn't that the standard? I also got a bagel (perfectly toasted, not painful on the roof of my mouth) with truly excellent cream cheese, creamy but a bit sour, not as thick as usual cream cheese and with a smooth aftertaste. The coffee was solid diner coffee. I also tried some buttermilk pancakes: light, fluffy, and tasty. Unfortunately, they didn't have any fancy syrups, not even maple syrup.
On the way out I bought a slice of apple strudel (a bit soggy, flavored with cinnamon, raisins, corn flakes, and some spice I can't identify...tastes German...overall a bit heavy but not bad), and a slice of a custard (delicate...forgettable). Next time I think I'll try a slice of pie because they looked good.
A+ for the staff. They were very attentive. The seating area was only half full at 9:20 am on a Monday. All in all, an excellent experience.
Vienna Pastry in Santa Monica: Lots of pastries, some breads, and desserts. The plain croissant is quite good. Not quite the best flavor I've had in the past week or two, but there's definitely butter in there, and the texture's pretty good (flaky on the outside and a tiny bit chewy on the inside...not stale but not quite fresh). If I were walking by this patisserie, I wouldn't hesitate to stop in and grab a croissant, but if I were driving specifically in hunt of croissants I might pick another destination.
Also had some cheese curds (with garlic), purchased this past weekend at the cheese booth at the Farmer's Market. Great stuff. It's hard for me to describe. Heavy garlic flavor up front, but the finishing taste is like a mild cheddar or maybe provolone. The consistency is something like fresco queso and it comes in thumb-sized nuggets. Highly recommended. The lemon quark is also great, a very lemony soft cheese spread. We also got some cultured butter there, which has good flavor and a consistency slightly thicker than brie.
The meal was almost Texas-sized. Delicate corned beef hash with a light flavor but quite addicting. Two eggs, scrambled, toothy but not springy and a consistent texture...very good though a plain flavor. Too bad the pepper was pre-ground, even if fragrant. I don't get what's up with that; pepper is always much better ground on-demand, so why isn't that the standard? I also got a bagel (perfectly toasted, not painful on the roof of my mouth) with truly excellent cream cheese, creamy but a bit sour, not as thick as usual cream cheese and with a smooth aftertaste. The coffee was solid diner coffee. I also tried some buttermilk pancakes: light, fluffy, and tasty. Unfortunately, they didn't have any fancy syrups, not even maple syrup.
On the way out I bought a slice of apple strudel (a bit soggy, flavored with cinnamon, raisins, corn flakes, and some spice I can't identify...tastes German...overall a bit heavy but not bad), and a slice of a custard (delicate...forgettable). Next time I think I'll try a slice of pie because they looked good.
A+ for the staff. They were very attentive. The seating area was only half full at 9:20 am on a Monday. All in all, an excellent experience.
Vienna Pastry in Santa Monica: Lots of pastries, some breads, and desserts. The plain croissant is quite good. Not quite the best flavor I've had in the past week or two, but there's definitely butter in there, and the texture's pretty good (flaky on the outside and a tiny bit chewy on the inside...not stale but not quite fresh). If I were walking by this patisserie, I wouldn't hesitate to stop in and grab a croissant, but if I were driving specifically in hunt of croissants I might pick another destination.
Also had some cheese curds (with garlic), purchased this past weekend at the cheese booth at the Farmer's Market. Great stuff. It's hard for me to describe. Heavy garlic flavor up front, but the finishing taste is like a mild cheddar or maybe provolone. The consistency is something like fresco queso and it comes in thumb-sized nuggets. Highly recommended. The lemon quark is also great, a very lemony soft cheese spread. We also got some cultured butter there, which has good flavor and a consistency slightly thicker than brie.
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