los angeles - west hollywood: ronin izakaya bistro

tommy enjoys a tasty meal at ronin in weho...


beef tataki washu beef: seared washu beef, julienned asian pear, ronin ponzu sauce


taco shimi: seared ahi sashimi, avocado, shitake mushrooms, japanese relish, tortilla chips


duck with berry sauce


blue crab cake: blue crab, wasabi tartar sauce


grilled lamb chops: new zealand rack of lamb, oba jelly


yuzu custard: yuzu granita and fresh fruit

tommy says: all of the dishes were solid. the crabcake was probably the most disappointing. didn't look like they used jumbo lump crab meat, and there wasn't anything special about it. all of the meats were cooked perfectly, and the flavors were great. the salad with the washu beef made that dish, as did the jelly for the lamb. the custard was perfectly smooth and quite rich, and the perfect amount of sweet. the yuzu granita was interesting, but it didn't seem to go well with the custard. it would be great on its own though. all in all a very satifying meal! oh, and free parking lot in the back!

ronin izakaya bistro
359 n la cienega blvd
west hollywood, ca 90048 [map]
http://www.roninizakaya.com/

los angeles - little tokyo: honda ya izakaya

tommy has a late night dinner at honda ya in jtown...


agedashi tofu


chicken karaage


cream crab croquette


bacon wrapped asparagus





eggplant covered in bonito flakes


shishito peppers


garlic spinach


roasted corn





chicken balls


sweet potato with butter

tommy says: pretty decent izakaya joint. the star of the meal was the sweet potato with butter. no contest! the addition of the butter makes all the difference in the world!!! simply delicious. other notable dishes were chicken balls and shishito peppers. the cream crab croquette and garlic spinach were disappointing. for the most part everything else was ok.

honda ya izakaya
333 s alameda

los angeles, ca 90013 [map]

(213) 625-1184

los angeles - downtown: wokcano

tommy continues his downtown happy time at wokcano...




salmon sashimi, albacore tuna, spicy yellowtail roll

tommy says: so-so food, friendly service. the fish was ok, but the roll was weak. wine and beer specials $4-5, food specials $3-6.50.

wokcano
800 w 7th st
los angeles, ca 90017 [map]
http://www.wokcanocafe.com/

los angeles - downtown: library bar

tommy gets happy at library bar in downtown la...



apples $5, their summer special drink, library lemonade $6. tommy says: loved the atmosphere! washington apples were excellent! happy hour lasts until 8pm. stella $4, cosmos, margaritas, washingtonapparently, you can order food from wolfgang puck express next door and they bring it over. all in all, a great place to throw a few back and unwind!

library bar

630 W 6th st, ste 116-a

los angeles, ca 90017 [map]

(213) 614-0053
http://www.librarybarla.com

los angeles - west hollywood: basix cafe

tommy goes for soup and sandwhich at basix cafe in weho...


tuscan tomato bread soup with a parmesan cheese crisp


chipotle chicken panini: chicken breast, tomato, red onion, provolone, basil, & chipotle mayo

tommy says: the tomato soup was ok, but nothing special. the panini was a bit on the bland side which was disappointing since you would expect the chipotle mayo to give it a kick. so-so lunch... maybe the breakfast is better?

basix cafe
8333 santa monica blvd

west hollywood, ca 90069 [map]

(323) 848-246
http://www.basixcafe.com/

costa rica - golfo dulce: playa nicuesa rainforest lodge

tommy gets a glimpse of what they must serve in heaven at playa nicuesa rainforest lodge...


the most amazing gazpacho ever


plantain chips and heart of palm dip (phenomenal!)


mahi mahi


crepe with a cinnamon mango topping


omelette and sweet plantains


orgasmic empanadas!!!!!!!


spiced popcorn


a traditional costa rican fish soup


blackberry sorbet


amazingly sweet fresh fruit (papaya, pineapple, banana), avacado, tomato, and cheese


banana pancakes and the best bacon ever!!!!





guacamole


mahi mahi skewer


pineapple and banana cinnamon compote

tommy says: the kitchen staff at the lodge needs to move to los angeles and share their gift!!!! sadly not all of the food was photographed due to a dead camera battery, but ALL of it was AMAZING!!!! the lodge itself is amazing, the rainforest is beautiful, and all of the staff were fantastic! if ever in costa rica, be sure to stay here!!!!

playa nicuesa rainforest lodge
http://www.nicuesalodge.com/

costa rica - san jose: restaurante grano de oro

tommy gets his first taste of costa rica at the restaurante grano de oro...

lunch

pollo con semillas tropicales: chicken breast crusted in tropical seeds and toasted coffee beans in chicken jus with blueberry preserves


pernil de conejo: roasted rabbit breast wrapped in bacon and stuffed with rabbit pate in a dijon sauce


tres leches

breakfast

pancakes with roasted bananas and caramelized macadamia nuts


blini de maiz con salmon: poached eggs and smoked salmon with a goat cheese sauce on a fresh corn blini

tommy says: yummy food. the tres leches is a must try!! pancakes had a lil bit of a citrus kick to it. the goat cheese sauce on the blini was a bit on the bland side, but the saltiness of the salmon helped. not photographed, but also a must try is the guanabana juice!!

grano de oro
calle 30, avs 2 y 4
san jose, costa rica
http://www.hotelgranodeoro.com/dining.html

santa monica: ocean ave seafood

tommy checks out the happy hour at ocean ave seafood in santa monica...


ceviche


oysters on the half shell

tommy says: tasty but a lil on the pricey side. oysters were $1.75 each but were perfectly shucked, no gritty bits of shell and delicious! ceviche was yummy as well. drink offerings are limited. happy hour: monday through fri 4-6pm, 3-6pm saturdays and sundays.

ocean ave seafood

1401 ocean avenue

santa monica, ca 90401 [map]

(310) 394-566
http://www.oceanave.com/

ventura county - newbury park: ali baba

tommy fills up at ali baba in newbury park...


moutabal: roasted eggplant dip, also called baba ghanoush
tabbouleh salad: cracked wheat, chopped parsley, tomato, cucumber and mint


roast leg of lamb pita sandwhich

tommy says: the lamb was extremely tender, but could have used a lil more seasoning. everything was quite yummy. very friendly staff!

ali baba

2405 michael dr

newbury park, ca 91320 [map]

(805) 480-0324
http://www.alibabarestaurant.com/

culver city: tender greens

tommy goes green at tender greens in culver city...


baby spinach, goat cheese, hazelnuts, with cabernet vinaigrette


roasted tomato bread soup with basil

tommy says: salad was good and well dressed. hazelnuts were a nice touch and the crunch was a nice contrast to the smoothness of the goat cheese. the toasted bread was too crunchy to eat on its own, but went well with the soup. the soup was a bit bland. $5 for the salad and $4 for the soup, pretty cheap.

tender greens

9523 culver blvd

culver city, ca 90232 [map]

(310) 842-8300
http://www.tendergreensfood.com/

los angeles: yogurtland

tommy creates his own sweet treat at yogurtland...



tommy says: over a dozen rotating flavors (tart and non-tart), self-serve, and a variety of toppings as well. priced by weight, $0.38/oz. a tasty cool treat. a nice alternative to pinkberry when you want more flavor.

yogurtland

5541 sunset blvd

hollywood, ca 90028 [map]

(323) 461-0091

www.yogurt-land.com