spoon

Latest Adventures

Zono Sushi, Burbank

Comments (0) | Friday, January 14, 2011

Went to lunch with a couple of work friends one day, and we ended up at Zono Sushi in Burbank. They have a great lunch menu, with choices ranging from edamame to Chilean sea bass. All for under $10.

Zono offers a 2-item lunch special that is served with miso soup, salad and rice. If you know that Chilean sea bass is my absolute favorite fish, then that selection was definitely a no-brainer. I also got a California roll as my second item. The Chilean sea bass was such a delectable piece of seafood, perfectly seasoned, good to the last bite. The California roll was also really good, exactly the way a good California roll should taste. The salad was also pretty tasty, although I thought there was too much mayonnaise in the dressing. Another added treat was the vegetable fritter, julienned carrot and zucchini in egg batter and fried to golden perfection.

We also ordered a Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, which was really good also, however, I must stay faithful to AOI's version as the best around.


  
We tried the Spider Roll, which is essentially a California roll, but includes a fried soft shell crab. It made me wish that I wasn't that full, or I would've definitely had more than half a piece. The soft shell crab was lightly battered and fried, and it had good seasoning - spicy salt and pepper.

This was a great lunch that ended up being a treat, and I would definitely come back.

Zono Sushi, 610 N. First Street, Burbank
http://www.zonosushi.com/


Read More......

Birthday Breakfast, Corner Bakery Cafe, Chino Hills

Comments (0) |

A little late (ok, one month late), but my birthday breakfast, courtesy of our local Corner Bakery.


Hubbs and I ordered the Baked French Toast and Eggs, cinnamon brioche baked in custard, served with scrambled eggs and two strips of applewood bacon.  The brioche ended up being a little too soggy, which was disappointing. Eggs, were okay, but the bacon was great. Paired up with a latté, this made my morning sweet!

Corner Bakery Cafe, 4517 Chino Hills Parkway, Chino Hills
http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/


Read More......

8 oz. Burger Bar, Hollywood

Comments (0) |

For my birthday meal, we went to 8 oz. Burger Bar in West Hollywood. Owned by famous celebrity chef Govind Armstrong, it sits on Melrose Avenue amidst busy boutiques and restaurants. 8 oz. Burger Bar features high quality burgers and other food fare.
Started off with Mini Kobe Corndogs served with purple mustard. The batter was crispy, hot dogs savory and delectable.


I chose the 8 oz. Burger, because, after all, it is called 8 oz. Burger Bar. It is usually served with iceberg lettuce, house made pickles, tomato, onion and special sauce. I customized it by nixing the tomato, pickle and onion, and by adding gruyere cheese, roasted mushrooms, a fried egg and some mayonnaise. Let me say, it was impossible to pick up and eat because it was so juicy, the bread sopped it up and became soggy. I did not mind one bit; the beef was seasoned well, each bite felt like being in burger heaven. Don't even get me started on the runny egg yolk...

Also ordered some sides, including Brussel Sprouts with Bacon... c'mon, y'all know I love the brussel sprout. I thought that the sprouts were cooked well, very tasty. However, (and I never thought I'd ever say this), there was too much bacon in the dish. Still great, though, as I ate the whole thing by myself.

We also got some Stout Battered Onion Rings and Kennebec Fries, standard burger accompaniments. I thought that these were just okay, seasoned well, although they were nothing to really write home about. Maybe an honorable mention?

The final side dish of choice was the Chorizo Mac and Cheese. It was pretty good; the mild cheese flavors were a good complement to the more robust flavors from the chorizo. Overall a solid dish.

As an added bonus, I ordered the Pumpkin Gingerbread Milkshake, which contained pumpkin puree and pieces of fresh gingerbread throughout. I really liked it at first, but the more I consumed, the less I liked it. I don't think I really appreciated the gingerbread chunks in the shake. Perhaps the purist in me demands a smooth milkshake.

Great place to get a good burger, however, you have to be willing to shell out a couple extra bucks. Hey, quality ain't cheap. Looking forward to trying it again.

8 oz. Burger Bar, 7661 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles
http://www.8ozburgerbarlosangeles.com/


Read More......

Spaghetti Eddie's, Glendora

Comments (0) | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

BFF had mentioned Spaghetti Eddie's in Glendora as a great neighborhood Italian restaurant, so when the opportunity presented itself, I went and tried it with Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent, along with some new friends.
Spaghetti Eddie is located in a strip mall at the corner of two of Glendora's busiest streets. The exterior is unassuming, while the interior is quaint and homey.

We ordered garlic puffs to start, which were essentially golden balls of dough bathed in garlicky olive oil, roasted garlic, spices and garnished with Italian parsley. Garlic bread lovers, rejoice! This takes garlic bread up another notch. The soft, chewy, freshly-baked bread, combined with the pungent garlic was just out of this world. 


Hubbs ordered the Linguine with Clam Sauce, al dente linguine tossed with baby clams, olive oil, white wine, herbs and garlic. I don't remember what it tasted like, but it is pictured below:


I ordered the special of the day, the Pork Osso Bucco, a huge pork shank served with pancetta and jus over gemelli pasta, accompanied by roasted vegetables. From what I remember, I loved the intense flavor of the jus - the pancetta added another layer of porky goodness. However, I felt that the pork shank should have been braised a little longer, some parts were a little tougher to eat.


Overall, a great experience, and I would go back to try more savory dishes off the extensive menu, or maybe I'll just get more garlic puffs.

Spaghetti Eddie's, 946 S. Grand Avenue, Glendora
http://www.spaghettieddies.com/


Read More......

Mix N' Munch, South Pasadena

Comments (0) |

A very good friend of mine, who is basically a younger brother to me, took me to Mix N' Munch, a cereal and grilled cheese cafe located in South Pasadena. He was quite secretive about it at first, refusing to dish out any hints other than, "it makes you feel like a kid again." So when I first saw the sign, I immediately felt giddy about grilled cheese sammies.

They have a gianormous menu, with over 25 cereal brands to choose from...and you can mix them up! Does that NOT make you feel like a kid?! They also serve custom made grilled cheese sandwiches, so as you can see, if you come in not knowing what you want, it can feel quite overwhelming. They have several types of bread, as well as many kinds of cheeses and add-ons, so the math nerd in me immediately thought of permutations and combinations...until I saw that they also serve...(drum roll, please)...tater tots!

Ultimately, I ordered the Mix n Munch Cristo, which comes with Gruyere cheese, turkey and ham on egg bread french toast. Each bite was cheesy and savory, the saltiness from the turkey and the ham was a great contrast to the slight sweetness from the custard. However, I think that the bread may have been a little too soggy.


I also ordered a cup of tomato soup, which was a great disappointment to me, because I love tomato soup. It tasted really bland - it wasn't seasoned well at all. However, the tater tots more than made up for the soup's inadequacies. The potatoes were crunchy, and seasoned well. It was the perfect potato bite.

The next visit definitely calls for a good ol' bowl of cereal and milk. I love this place - they serve comfort food that take you back to happy childhood memories. Did I mention that they also play cartoons? I would definitely recommend this cafe for kids and for the kid in you!

Mix N Munch, 1005 Mission Street, Unit A, South Pasadena, California
http://www.mixnmunch.com/


Read More......