venice: primitivo wine bistro

tommy tries the tapas at primitivo wine bistro in venice...


ceviche


baby octopus salad


bacon wrapped medjool dates with candied walnuts


paella with chicken, tiger shrimp, mussels and chorizo


beet salad


lamb chops with tabouli/israeli couscous salad

tommy says: nice ambiance and good food. lamb was cooked just right. bacon wrapped dates were delicious, though on the sweet side - could've used a nice salty cheese to go with it. the ceviche was also quite tasty. the paella was not so great as it was too mushy. portions are big for tapas.

primitivo wine bistro
1025 abbot kinney blvd
venice, ca 90291
(310) 396-5353
http://www.primitivowinebistro.com/

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/

chicago: gale street inn

tommy gets messy eating ribs at gale street inn, his last meal in chi-town...


ceviche, spicy crabcake over portobello mushroom


chicken tomatillo soup


full rack bbq ribs and garlic mashed potatoes

tommy says: the ceviche wasn't bad, i wasn't fond of the crabcake though. not much crab, mostly breading and i wasn't feeling the portabello with it. the soup was excellent with a nice kick. ribs were finger-lickin good and mashed potatoes were good too. yuuummmmm...

gale street inn

4914 n milwaukee avenue

chicago, il 60630 [map]

(773) 725-1300
http://www.galestreet.com/

chicago: keefer's restaurant

tommy indulges at keefer's restaurant in chicago...


ceviche


rib eye - delmonico steak


warm chocolate cake

tommy says: started out with the ceviche, which was fantastic - super fresh and great flavor! the rib eye was huge and tasty - gotta love the melted butter on top of an already fatty steak! yummmm... the warm chocolate cake, wasn't warm, which was a bit of a bummer, but overall the meal was great!

keefer's restaurant
20 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60610 [map]
(312) 467-9525
http://keefersrestaurant.com/

santa monica: la playita (guillen mariscos)

tommy develops a new addiction at la playita in santa monica...



la playita (aka guillan mariscos) in all its glory


ceviche

tommy says: the ceviche is laced with crack... that is the only explanation for the frequent visits of late... another gem on the menu is the mixed seafood cocktail. carnitas were so-so, shrimp burrito was ok, horchata is good. seriously though, the ceviche is addicting...

la playita

3306 lincoln blvd

santa monica, ca 90405

(310) 452-0090