Library Ale House

Courtesy of Ben F. via Yelp

Library Ale House
2911 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Type: Ale House
Category: Lunch, Happy Hour, Dinner, Late-Night
Company: Beer nerds, food geeks

Review:
Pretty much a nook of my favorite things: hard-wood everything, books, a beer and wine list akin to Noah's arc, and a varieteful menu to match. Oh, and high table tops and outdoor patio seating. Swoon.

Luckily, Library Ale House knows how to handle what could quite possibly mount to several thousands of combinations of beers and foods and wine. Can't decide on just one pint? Try the customized beer sampler, and or the weekly happy hour offerings.

OTC Tip: Happy Hour is M-F from 3pm-6pm and includes $3 off wine by the glass and certain red-chalked beers. Snacks and plates (think fries, sliders, mac 'n cheese, etc) $2.5-$7.

Since nothing goes better with beer than a burger and crispy-salty-fried sides, whenever I've been to the Library Ale House I've opted for a hand-held. Every burger is worth each bite, and I'm particularly fond of adding a side of onion rings with extra aioli.

OTC Tip: Monday night you can take off $3 from any burger!

Also delicious to note is that the salads look particularly abundant and amazing - it's rare (ok never) that I'll order a salad when out, but these are quite captivating and head-turning. So, if that's your way then definitely do it here. Also - the fried pickle chips (frickles) can't be skipped.

OTC Tip: Top the night off with a beer-cupcake.

Cheers!

Superba

Chef Neroni. Let him feed you.

Superba Snack Bar 

Type: Restaurant
Category: Lunch, Brunch, Dinner
Company: Those who like to munch and moan
Cost: $8-$19

Review:
As I've said before, I'm pretty reliable for taking pictures of good food. Heck, I can usually stay on task in the midst of great food; the real issue is when it's outstanding.

As luck would have it, Superba is an exceptional exception. Self-announced as a "modern take on a Pastaria," the experience was best described by our counter-top server as "we get funky with it," which we did - and I have pictures to prove it. In sum, just go, as it's the best restaurant that I've been to in months.

OTC Tip: Sit at the bar. Seek chef Jason Neroni. Let him feed you.

At first glance, the menu looks typical in size and stature, variety and focus. Italian themed tapas, for ordering  to share (or hog), you'll probably even note how well-priced it all is considering the location (Rose, the hip younger sister to Abbot Kinney), the decor, and the hype (snacks/starters are $8, bigger dishes are all under $19). But the thing to do here is surrender, and like us let chef Neroni prescribe and pace your entire meal.

Here is the Must List:

PB&J: Pine Nut Butter. Lamb Tongue. Pickle.

Brussels. Poached Egg. Dashi.

FRIED CHICKEN.

S'mores!

As you close the bill and heave yourself off your stool, remember to grab a flyer for A Tale of Two Jason's, the first of many collaborative dinners thrown by Jason N. and Guest. Reservations required, $100/pp. Can't hold out? It's OK, you'll be back, or at least your dreams will take you to this 4-bite moment over and over again:

Izzy's Deli

Matzo Ball Soup - thanks to Bill via Yelp

Izzy's Deli
1433 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Menu

Type: Deli, Restaurant
Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Late-Night, To-Go
Company: Everyone loves Izzy's
Cost: $5-$15/pp
OTC Tip: Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Review:
Every hometown needs an Izzy's. If images of double-decker pastrami sandwiches, the smell of potato pancakes with sour cream and apple sauce, the steam of matzo ball soup, and the promise of a deeply-brined pickle make you stand and ask "Where is this??" then, you too probably grew up with a neighborhood jewish deli. Back in Berkeley ours was called Saul's, and it was at this narrow and bustling restaurant/deli that I experienced the beauty of the latke, the importance of mustard, the potential for rye, the crave for salami, and the savior that is the milkshake - and without which I would never have understood or appreciated Izzy's.

Naturally, Izzy's menu is huge, and since none of it is ever off-limits, I recommend that you go with a theme in mind. "Breakfast for dinner," "Stew," "Cheeseburger," are the most popular, but it's to note here that there are several things that will never stray you amiss:

1. Matzo Ball Soup: Chicken, carrots, noodles, baseball-sized matzo balls. Order the bowl and you'll receive   a helmet-sized vat big enough for two to share. For dinner.

Pastrami on Rye thanks to Robert K

2. Beef Stew: It's not always available but you should always ask. Get it with mashed potatoes, and brace yourself for the most comforting and satisfying meal you've had all day.

3. Breakfast: Any of the eggs+meat+toast+potatoes combinations will impress and turn you in to a glutton all at once. Whoever decided that every person should have a few plates of enough food to feed three stomachs is so wrong...yet absolutely right. Get the bacon extra crispy, and swap your toast for a bagel.

4. Burgers: Oh-so-good. The cheeseburger is the way to go, and it comes as you like it with a stack of fries.

5. Dessert: Don't skip. With an array of milkshakes, cakes, pies, floats, and whatever else you want to combine (try cake, warm, a la mode) you'd be a fool walk out before the deed is done.

Sure, it's not every day that you want to eat and then not eat for the 12 hours following, but sometimes, if you are feeding your body and nourishing your soul, then technically you are eating for two. So, dig in - and remember, if you can't decide, then pick something and get the other thing to-go!

Thai Vegan

Thai Vegan
2400 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.581.4255

Type: Restaurant
Category: Lunch, Dinner, Late-Night
Company: It's rare that I say this, but from the most vegetarian-vegans to the piggiest omnivores!
Cost: $3-$7/dish
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11am-10pm. Fri-Sun, 11am-10:30pm
A Quickie: It's what we all wonder when we drive/walk by....

So many questions. 

Review: Is it a restaurant? A massage parlor? Hard to tell. Having just moved two blocks away, though, I figured I should set the record straight and explain that Yes, it is a Vegan Thai restaurant and Yes, it's also a massage parlor. And yes...it probably used to sell teak furniture.

Bizzareness aside, the food is truly SO good that every night there is a cluster of people ordering or waiting or eating on the stump-benches next to the store front or inside on stools. And just HOW good, you might ask? Well, to start, it's certainly good enough to survive and thrive given the weird massage? food? conundrum and even better because it successfully surpassed my skepticism that usually gets stuck at anything related to vegan or vegetarian.

Back: Thai Spicy Wrap | Front: Paneang Curry

So back to vegan/vegetarian thai food. It's SUPER tasty, and instead of feeling sort of gross as I usually do after tucking in to beef pad thai or curry or fried-shrimp dumplings, Vegan Thai will feed you and leave you feeling quite pleased with yourself. Every item on the menu contains a hefty serving of veggies+, and the sauces/seasonings are spot-on thai.

OTC Tip: Miss the meat? You'll be tempted to order the "fake chicken/beef/shrimp" for +$2 but DON'T DO IT. It's kinda soggy and unnecessary and tastes like spongy tofu so..Just don't.

The Do's:
1. Order pad thai, curry, dumplings, and the spicy thai wrap
2. Dip everything in the peanut and teriyaki sauce
3. Order in advance for pick-up, the kitchen is slow and the place is popular
4. REVEL in the fact that the curry costs $5 and the pad thai costs $7

Did I forget to rave about the price?? Seriously, everything is $3-$7 which means you can FEAST for two for under $20. And for Thai? In Santa Monica? That's healthy, delicious, and for me, right next door? Yes, I'll probably be turning Thai very very soon as I stop in like once every-other day.

Pad Thai

The Dont's:
1. Order the fake meat. NO!!
2. Forget to check your order - it's occasionally misheard

For big portions and to fuel big appetites from vegan to everything-a-terian, go to Thai Vegan - and if you DO take one for the team and opt in to the menu in the back of the house, DO drop me a line and let me know how the massage is.

The Moth

M.O. Eggrolls feeding the crowd

The Moth
Various locations
SoCal: Zanzibar/Santa Monica. Busbys, El Cid/Los Angeles

Type: Indoors
Category: Entertainment
Company: Storytellers or listeners, 21+
Cost: $5-$8/ticket
Quickie: “Poetry slam meets bedtime story meets stand-up comedy” 


Review:
They say truth is better than fiction – which is the best and only way to explain the types of stories you'll hear at The Moth. Fittingly random and taking its name from the few that stole their way in to founder George Dawes Green’ screen porch during a story-telling gathering with friends, The Moth StorySLAM attracts players and audience from the local community for an eclectic and surprising mix of short stories that are better than you could ever make up.


The night starts like this: First-come, first-serve $8 (cash-only) tickets start selling at 7pm with the StorySLAM beginning at 7:30. People start lining up at 6pm – so go early, because by 6:45 the line will be ½ way down the block. 

Worth the wait!

OTC Tip: Bring a picnic dinner or indulge in the M.O. Eggroll truck that will be parked along the curb (or just opt to drink your third meal of the day from the bar inside).

As you chat, snack, and wait, someone from The Moth will hand you a piece of paper. This strip will contain the theme of the night (also pre-posted on the website) where you are welcome to share your own brief “mini-moth” on the topic. Once you get inside, you are invited to drop your anonymous anecdote in a bag on stage. This stash of distractions will be frequently visited throughout the night (most often in between slams and voting) from which the host will pull from and read aloud – on the last subject of Rebound, such tidbits as “In the kitchen: I took a ruined roast and made a delicious soup” and “After my boyfriend cheated on me I got his enemy’s letterman jacket and lost my virginity (underlined)” kept the down time alive and laughing.

Each evening contains ten stories. Storytellers who would like to participate drop their names in a hat, and play the chance to get picked for one of the ten slots. Stories are limited to five minutes each (you get two warnings via pig-shaped flute that you are at or over your allotted time) and are given three scores each by (what appears to be random) pre-selected couples in the audience. At the end of the evening scores are tallied, and a winner (invisibly) crowned.


While each story will be different – and therefore, each day, night, and neighbor as unpredictable as the last – there are three things that I can guarantee you about The Moth at Zanzibar: There will be a line longer than you’ve ever seen mid-week at 6 in Santa Monica, the peppered wonton chips and egg rolls will be hot and waiting from the M.O. Eggroll Truck, and your first Wednesdays of each month are forever spoken for.

Picca Peru

Picca Peru
9575 West Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Follow Pica Peru on Facebook

Type: Restaurant

Category: Dinner, Late Night

Company: Friends, Date

Cost: $5-$14 per plate, specials $mp
Quickie: Think a well-choreographed Peruvian circus. With probably 100 seats, over 50 menu items, an open kitchen and a full bar - this is where you want to be for food, drink, and entertainment all in one place, all at once. 

OTC Tip: Sit at the counter (it's where they treat friends and family)

Review: 

Picca sits in what appears to be a quietly converted house with its letters splashed across the raspberry facade in meyer-lemon yellow type. But don't be fooled - After climbing up the handful of stairs to the main entry that's belted in by two heavy double-doors, once you get a look in through what would be the living room windows see that you are about to step in to not only a restaurant but what reveals itself as a self-contained, culinary colony. There is a full bar. An open kitchen. A full counter. Dozens of tables down stairs, and a balcony up stairs that hosts another counter, more tables, and a whole back room hiding a country-style communal table. And with over 50 small plates spewing from the bar, the grill, the oven, and every other prep station for delivery to (probably 100) seats faster than I could take pictures - all I can say is eat and drink what sounds good, because once you are there it all is.

OTC Tip: You can't do Picca like you've gotten accustomed to doing places like Rustic Canyon or Animal. You don't get to pair or pace your menu, and even if you could there are so many options that your head might explode. Thankfully, the drinks go with the food so all you really have to do it point at whatever looks fabulous on the menu. Or (as I did) point and ask at other someone else's order, circle it on the menu, and hand it to the waiter.

With that caveat (and now another) while drinking the first of the three cocktails (that even had I not been a tad tipsy) I still doubt I would be able to recall (note: while there is a wine list, there is no vodka or tequilla or gin so let the bartender recommend something based on your "usual" taste) we ordered:

Chicharron de pollo. marinated crispy chicken, salsa criolla, rocoto sauce
Ceviche crocante. halibut, leche de tigre, crispy calamari 
Causa albacore. garlic chip, ceviche sauce 
Bisteck a lo pobre. skirt steak, egg, pan fried banana, chickpeas tacu tacu
Chicharron de costillas. crispy pork ribs crostini, sweet potato puree, feta cheese sauce, salsa criolla
Anticucho beef filet. sea urchin butter, garlic chip 
Anticucho black cod. miso anticucho, crispy sweet potato (I think....it gets a bit fuzzy)
Tres leches cake

My favorite was the Bistek a lo pobre. Messy, eggy, savory and hearty, every bite is familiar (rice, steak, egg) but not typical (you'll also find chickpeas). The concept reminds me of the Brendade with soft egg, arugula, and grainy mustard at Son of a Gun, and the spice/heat make me think of the "who knows what's in here but it's mind blowing" bowls from Roy Choi's Chego.

No matter how many drinks you've had, you know you are in a great place when the staff sits down around closing to enjoy a spread of plates, the bartender's friends breeze in wearing heels and donning hugs, and the chef tells you that the cow pinata over the doorway is going to be cracked open by his staff on new years - and what will it contain, I asked? He smiled. Money, of course. Clearly, Picca's act isn't going anywhere.

Gaby's Mediterranean

You know the food is good when I forget to take pictures

Gaby's Mediterranean
Lebanese Food
Various Locations: Marina Del Ray, Culver City, West LA
Follow Gaby's on Facebook


Type: Cafe, Restaurant
Category: Lunch, Dinner, Late-Night, Take-Out
Company: Friends, Non-snotty Date, Visitors
Cost: $2.50-$15.50/plate (appetizers, mains, sides, desserts)

Quickie: Grab a casual bite in the classic "al fresco" atmosphere that won't be bothered if you traipse in some beach. Inexpensive, sub-massive portions of (possibly healthy?) Mediterranean/Lebanese food that will inevitably become your go-to when naming "restaurants that are so(bleeping)delicious."

OTC Tip: For the love of food, whatever you get make sure it includes the garlic sauce (aka TOUM, but Gaby's calls it garlic sauce so we all know what we are getting into), which is known to induce the "I'll have what she's having" neighboring-patron response.

Review:
Of the many things I'm teased for, there are certain occasions when they overlap - and eating at Gaby's is one of them. Since I don't have a reel, the written version looks something like this: "OMFG, GARLIC SAUCE" - which, deconstructed, is a) me talking loudly and b) me moaning and rolling my eyes. Yes, consider this a forewarned "Don't" - bring me, if blatant displays of gastronomic euphoria make you nauseous.

The Do's:
1. Tuck in to the complimentary pita and plate of "sesame/olive oil/tomato/herb - something" (called Zataar) Gaby's brings to your table before the meal. Get your money's worth!
2. Carpool if you are going to the Gaby's on Washington (just off the Venice pier). Parking sucks and/or costs $4 for a spot in the lot.
3.Get the chicken kabob plate - it never fails because the meat is always tender and tasty, and it comes with rice or fries, salad, and a spoonful of the divine garlic sauce.

The Don'ts
1. Forget to BYOB - if you do, there is a liquor store across the street.
2. Bitch about the service. At a place where you can wear board shorts and bring your own booze, don't act like you are here to do anything other than hang and eat.
3. Skip the garlic sauce. If you plan to, then go somewhere else.

While Gaby's could definitely be considered a bit of a dive (aesthetically), it will nonetheless be on your "as a local" list of recommendations for a quick great meal - and a big fat habit waiting to happen.

The Misfit Restaurant

The Misfit Restaurant
225 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
The Misfit Restaurant on Facebook 


Type: Restaurant, Bar
Category: Lunch, Tapas, Dinner
Company: Date, Friends, Visitors, Co-Workers
Cost: Plates $4-$27, Beer $6-$9, Spirits and Wine (menu price)

Quickie: The feel is as if the ballroom class of Bottega Louie had an affair with the wrought-iron grit of Gjelina - and the bastard child was raised by the circus from the movie Water for Elephants. This is the place for those days when you want to drink up at happy hour (3-7, M-F), then get lazy "and just stay" through a dinner/fourth meal of tasty, mismatched small plates.

OTC Tip: On your way out, there is a cookie jar positioned on a pedestal that hosts crumbly, salt-topped chocolate-chip cookies. They are so tasty that I took a handful (and I was sober).

Miss Sallie at Misfit

Review:
Don't be misled: despite the face of the name: you aren't going to find purple couscous or square menus at Misfit -  but aside from the misdemeanor of a misnomer -  you won't consider your time at Misft a mistake.

These days, it's truly impossible to re-invent the wheel in terms of taste and venue: we've done food trucks and canopied wine bars, bi-racial tacos and bacon - scented foams. So, how does one dare to open a new place on an off-branch of 3rd Street Promenade and manage to misstep the prominent shadows of similar-feathered neighbors (The Yard, Bar Chloe, Bodega Wine Bar)?

The answer is simple: 1) Pick a quirky name that reminds everyone of their innate potential for debauchery, and 2) feed them, until closing time.

So, as long you stay on par with the more-established surrounding options in respect to price, hours of operation, and general aesthetic - the crowd will take care of the rest. But enough of the clatter, let's chat about the menu.

The one thing to remember here is that when you order an item, that is exactly what you will get (plus or minus a pickled vegetable). The sandwiches do not come with sides, and if you are a group of relatively strong eaters, y'all will definitely need to order at least two plates per person (or just grab extra cookies upon your exit).

For lunch, our table of four ordered the Ahi Tuna Burger and the following:  

(2) Misfit Burger

French Onion Soup

Roasted Tomato/Basil Soup

Surf + Turf Sliders

Being snoops, we also secretly coveted the bowl of Mac and Cheese with Chorizo at the table next to us (and vowed to order it next time).

So, for a twist one of these nights, definitely corral your friends and give Misfit a whirl - as (perhaps) the point is just that: new, in of itself, is something innovative and different enough.

First Fridays

Dessert, next to the Grilled Cheese Truck

First Fridays
Abbot Kinney
Venice, CA 90291
Follow First Fridays on Facebook
 
Type: Food Truck Festival, Seasonal (Monthly) Category: Dinner, Late-Night  
Company: Date, Friends, Visitors, Family, anyone who likes to eat at places other than a table 

Cost: The right to roam Abbot Kinney is free. Food runs at general food-truck pricing - but I spent close to $30 getting a gyro, a drink, a few small desserts - (and a 4th meal at 11pm after hanging out for a while).

Quick-Rec: Bring cash and a high tolerance for delightfully awkward confrontation. 

OTC Tip: You will run in to people you know: The pals you haven't seen for a while, the randoms you hide from, and probably one or two more you can't even begin to intuit. When my friend and I went we ran in to a few friends from our college (years ago) lives, a guy she met (days prior) at a mixer, and our beach bootcamp trainer, Todd. 

Review:
Here's the thing: LA is wise to what draws a crowd. Take a narrow street notorious for being hipstamatic, open it to a drone of 50+ food trucks (ranging from those prodigy to famous restaurants such as Border Grill and Sprinkles to ones that don't own a store front like DumplingStation and Dogzillahotdogs), claim the start is right during rush hour, make parking stereotypical-LA, and there you have it - exclusivity, at it's most alluring.

In sum, First Fridays is the celebrated attempt by LA's gluttonous yuppies of all ages, shapes, and sizes to rival Berkeley's term "gourmet-ghetto" by putting it all on wheels and insisting with no other option that you eat locavorian items on paper plates while sitting on the curb and wiping your hands on your $300 pants.

As timing is everything, FF only happens once a month - on, as implied, the first Friday. In conjunction with the usual "open late" cast of restaurants and bars on Abbot Kinney, this is the one night the neighboring shops selling non-edibles keep the lights on until 10pm as well (not that anybody cares - people are at FF for the food, so such lit doorstops are used for truly nothing other than well-lit picnics) and, of utmost importance, provide enough light so that you don't have to strain your eyes to read the menus on the backs of the trains of parked food trucks.

My (first) First Friday was in April. After putting in the allotted hour to get there during peak traffic hours from Santa Monica, we snagged a parking spot about five minutes from Abbot Kinney (half the battle) and scuttled on over to see what it was all about. Starting at Abbot Kinney and S. Venice Blvd, we decided to walk down AK on one side of the street and back on the other, glance through the parking lot conglomerate, then decide what to eat.

Due to the lines, the large numbers of people on dates, parents with kids, gaggles of friends and hoards of teenagers, the walk that normally would have taken us twenty minutes took close to 45. While FF is definitely not a "quick-eat" and a poor place to go if you are already starving, I promise you will be blindingly drooling after a few minutes of breathing in grease-saturated air and checking out everyone else eating kabob, tacos, potato tornadoes, mini cupcakes, ice cream sandwiches, and every other type of food fusion that fits in the palm of your hand or can be carried on a stick.

The great thing is that everyone is nice. People don't cut in line, take your food, or bitch at you as you try to jostle by. I think if you go to FF you know what you are getting in to, and if you put in the commitment to a) get there and b) find parking, a short wait or constantly wading through crowds for food is a mere side-conversation to...

...What should you eat? Be careful - after a while, every menu starts to look like a list of x-y-z food stuffed/wrapped/fried in or in to the shape of a taco, burrito, quesadilla, or gyro. No complaints, but if you want to a clear winner I recommend eating from the Vizzi Truck (Wagyu Beef Sliders with Truffled Popcorn) since every other person has already told you about the Kogi Truck and the Grilled Cheese truck and I don't want to tread on redundancy.

Yep, they still remember me at Diddy Riese...

Being the sugar fiend and a devout lover of everything cookies and ice cream, when I saw Coolhaus (ice cream sandwich truck) my feet stopped. Also having an unparalleled love for bacon, I went for the special of salty-and-sweet and got the Candied Bacon ice cream between Maple Waffle cookies. Much to the devastation of such adult fantasies, bacon does not make everything better - and I was aptly punished. Sadly, the ice cream was a bit flabby and the cookies a margin too thin.

Then again, Coolhaus MAY just be in an up-hill battle: to this day I'm unconvinced that any sandwich will ever be a fair rival to my college love, Diddy Riese.

Now, I'd be lying if I told you that FF is all PG-13. Most people "of age" grab a bite, linger at a bar on AK (or down by the beach at such establishments as James' Beach) which are but a $5 cab ride away. Here's the key: Make sure to get back to AK around midnight, right before the last of the late-coming food trucks are about to leave (but aren't really, because they are making a killing feeding the post-bar feeding frenzies) and grab a "snack" (I had a Korean bbq quesadilla).

If at this point you are pouting because you live too far away or work too late to make a First Friday, don't cry - you can always find one of the prized food trucks by following your choice on twitter - most tweet their daily locations so you can have your very own foodfest from wheels any day, time, and place of the week.

Everyone else, you are in luck: First Fridays (May) is this Friday (5/6)! See you there.

Sweet Lady Jane

"I'll take this slice, thanks"

Sweet Lady Jane
1631 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Follow SLJ on Facebook


Type: Cafe, Late Night
Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert
Company: Date, Friends, Family, Visitors
Cost: $7.50+/slice

Quick-Rec: Cake for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Yes, please. SLJ is open Sunday-Wed, 6:30am to 10:00pm and Thurs-Sat, 6:30am to 11pm, which means you can eat dessert first at pretty much any hour of the day.

OTC Tip: If you want anything (i.e. your slice of pie) a la mode, you will have to BYO - Jane offers pretty much everything except for ice cream, and that's not going to change.

Review:
"Why are you taking pictures of my cakes?" a cheery gentleman inquires boisterously as I aim my camera at his cake case.
"Because...I love them" I gush. He nods. Good answer, I note, and thankfully - apparently, I had just met Paul, the GM of SLJ on Montana (the original location is in WeHo).

I've been a SLJ customer for years. Taking a hiatus here and there due to my varying schedule and the less-than desirable commute from West LA to WeHo during the collision of evening traffic and prime dessert time, despite everything SLJ has maintained its spot in my heart as THE cakery for four reasons:

1. Slices of high-end cake, deli-style: along with availability of the typical bakery fare (think: whole cakes, cookies, breads, tarts, muffins) at all hours, SLJ notoriously sells slices of boutique-quality cake, pie, trifle, etc. Sure, you say, aren't there other places (like Susie Cakes) that does the same thing..?

2....Oh, but all those bakeries aren't open until 10pm during the week and 11pm during the weekend. Yep, so just when are finishing a late dinner or getting home from that post-work run, SLJ isn't just closing on you - in fact, they are staying open late just for you.

3. The staff. During my just-post-collegiate days when I could put down a slice and a half or so of cake in one sitting, the servers at SLJ WeHo would give us the "end piece" just so they could witness the sugared gluttony, and sometimes even plunk themselves down and join us with a cup of tea and sugar-centered banter. The smiling faces at SLJ on Montana are no different.

4. And now: SO CLOSE TO HOME. With the opening of SLJ on Montana in Santa Monica, I can now fuel my stamina for everything sweet for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert - all within ten minutes of my abode. I'm so happy it fits in to my schedule again - which will be about the only thing I fit in to within a month's time, guaranteed.

Back to Paul, the GM of SLJ on Montana. Not only was he an absolute delight to ensnare in the "What's your favorite...Have you had the Trifle? The Almond Roca?" frequent-customer game, but despite refusing to join me for a picture, he indulged my "Will you take a picture of me with my cake.." plea and even knocked it up a notch by handing me the cake from which it came (Chocolate Strawberry) to truly bring out the rose in my cheeks.

Luckily, I didn't drop anything, so our (I'm sure, brief) parting was not only amicable, but so fabulous that I pledged to tell every single person I came in to contact with there after (this morning) to go to Sweet Lady Jane. No excuses, it's open late! And tell Paul I say "Hi, XOXOXO."

Chego!

Chego
Let's Go Bowling. With Rice...
3300 Overland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Follow Chego on Facebook


Type: Restaurant, Cafe
Category: Dinner, Late-Night
Company: Chill Date, Friends, Visitors, Co-Workers, EVERYONE
Cost: $4-$9
Quick-Rec: Go hungry and go often. Doesn't sell beer or liquor and it is "highly frowned upon" to bring a flask, "water bottle," or any other carry-in beverage container (to list a few hints).

OTC Tip: Introduce yourself to everyone. Make friends. Seek out Micko, the GM. Fall in love.

Review:
Who knew the gateway to gastronomical heaven was in the back corner of a tiny strip mall on Overland and Motor? Well, now you do.

Chego is the first restaurant of the notorious Roy Choi, self-described as "THE BEST! NUMBA JUAN! So friggin good you're too happy eating it to describe how delicious it is" - sound like the definition for euphoria? You bet.

So, what is it? Well, basically an assorted menu of delicious tasty-tasty-drool items that you end up mixing all together anyways to make a textured mash of charred-tenders meats, indiscernible veggies, spice, and rice. Basically, the bomb.com. Squared. To the millionth power of infinity. But enough talk..Drool on...

3PM Meatballs: Korean-fried, shaved green onions, sesame, polenta patty 

Chubby Pork Belly: Kochujang-lacquered kurobuta, w/fried egg, pickled watermelon radishes, water spinach, cilantro, cotija, peanuts

Side of Sour Cream Sambal: Usually comes with the Sour Cream Hen House...but I like creamy sauces so...yea. I got a side. WHAT? 

Steak-In-The-Heart Sandwich: Prime rib sandwich on grilled ciabatta, wok-seared onions, roasted garlic Irish butter, cheese, green sauce

Rock Yer Road: Chocolate ice cream, smoked almonds, caramel, brownies, melting marshmallow fluff, Luxardo cherry

As we were finishing our meal, Micko stopped by our table to check in. Now, even though I'm not really known for being shy about my opinions, in even an epic display for myself I stood up, spread my arms like a boned chicken, and proclaimed "I.LOVE.YOU."

Aggressive? Maybe. Perhaps it's just that my stomach is shameless. It's cool, we're all friends on Facebook now -NBD.

Now, for details about the above: all I really have are three pieces of advice - either 1) Go and order everything and/or 2) Go everyday until you have, collectively, ordered everything...


Breathe.


3) Repeat.

...I plan on going back next week (and moving in the week following that) so if you see me there (probably a plus-15 pounds version), pull up a seat and let's "share."

Mini Rhubarb Pie: Rhubarb, meyer lemon, brown sugar crumble, all-butter crust served warm with homemade vanilla bean icecream.