santa monica: bread & porridge

tommy tries the bread, but no porridge at bread & porridge in santa monica...


complimentary corn bread


mac 'n cheese


beef stew


shepherd's omelet: omelet with spinach, mild goat cheese, mushroom and onion. served with roasted red potatoes


blueberry tart with vanilly ice cream

tommy says: mac 'n cheese was pretty decent. beef stew was no good, super bland; the base basically tasted like thick peppery water. omelet was tolerable, but the ingredients weren't evenly dispersed so all the cheese was clumped in the middle and there was just too much spinach.

bread & porridge
2315 wilshire blvd
santa monica, ca 90403
(310) 453-4941
http://www.breadandporridge.com

marina del rey: aunt kizzy's back porch

tommy goes for some soul food at aunt kizzy's...


complimentary corn bread


cousin willie mae's smothered pork chops with a side of greens and mac and cheese


spicy hot links, red beans & rice with greens and mashed potatoes and gravy

tommy says: pork chops were dry, hot links were good. mac and cheese tasted like it was from a school cafeteria. greens were so-so.

aunt kizzy's
523 washington blvd
marina del rey, ca 90292

(310) 578-1005

http://auntkizzys.com/

culver city: cafe surfas

tommy grabs a quick bite at cafe surfas in culver city...


spanish herbed tuna panini: albo tuna with herbs, aged white cheddar, pea shoots dressed with avacado oil on country white bread


tomato soup


orzo salad


mac and cheese with nueske applewood smoked bacon bits

tommy says: so-so... tomato soup was watery and bland, mac and cheese was too heavy and bland, the panini was ok, but skimped on the tuna. orzo salad was good.

cafe surfas
8777 w washington blvd
culver city, ca 90232
(310) 558-1458
http://www.cafesurfas.com

west la: nook bistro

tommy finds a hidden lunch gem at nook bistro in wla...


chicken tortilla soup


three cheese mac with manchego, cheddar and gruyere


catfish burrito with lemon aioli, nappa cabbage slaw, charred green onions and oven-dried tomatoes


char-grilled flat iron steak sandwich with red onion jam, manchego cheese, salsa verde aioli and baby arugula

tommy says: the steak sandwich was fantastic! the meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare and everything just melded together beautifully. the catfish burrito was interesting and pretty light which made it taste more like a sandwich wrap instead of a hearty burrito. the filling in the burrito wasn't dispersed evenly so some bites were really tasty while others were a bit lacking. the mac 'n cheese was eh - not terrible, but not worth ordering again.

nook bistro

11628 santa monica blvd

los angeles, ca 90025

(310) 207-5160

http://www.nookbistro.com

los angeles - west hollywood: taste

tommy gets a taste of tastein weho...


bread and hummus


prosciutto, black mission fig jam, prosciutto, gorgonzola and scallions pizzetta


white truffle oil and mushroom mac & cheese


crispy parmesan chicken paillard: chicken breast, potato purée, white gravy, baby arugula salad, red onion jam


cumin spiced pork chop with mojo sauce and sugar snap peas, and a side of white truffle oil and mushroom mac & cheese

tommy says: the complimentary hummus was the best part of the meal. it had a great bright, fresh, and lemony flavor! the flavors on the pizzetta were good, but the crust wasn't that great. mac & cheese was so-so and disappointing. the chicken paillard was bland, but the mashed potatoes were quite good. the pork chop was pretty good as well.

taste

8454 melrose ave

west hollywood, ca 90069

(323) 852-6888

http://www.ilovetaste.com/

santa monica: monsieur marcel

tommy drops in at monsieur marcel at the promenade in santa monica...


croque monsieur


french onion soup


mac and cheese

tommy says: everything was bland and heavy. fries were the only thing worth eating. the panache (half beer, half lemonade) was quite tasty. come for a quick drink and maybe some fries.

monsieur marcel
1260 third street promenade

santa monica, ca 90407

(310) 587-1166

http://www.mrmarcel.com/

los angeles: 3rd stop

tommy drops by the 3rd stop...


mac & cheese


lamb meatballs with tzatziki


blue cheese and mushroom burger

tommy says: the burger hardly had any blue cheese on it and was just so-so; the meat lacked seasoning. meatballs and mac & cheese were ok. service was incredibly friendly and atmosphere was nice yet laid back! great place to hang out for drinks and maybe a couple of munchies, but maybe not a full meal.

3rd stop
8636 w 3rd st

los angeles, ca 90048

(310) 273-3605

santa monica: south

tommy unwinds at south in santa monica during happy hour...


mac 'n cheese


tex mex nachos


chicken 'n waffle sliders

tommy says: typical bar food menu and typical bar food quality... everything was edible (it was after all, consumed), but nothing was all that great. mac 'n cheese was just buttered noodles with cheese on the top, cheese wasn't mixed in with the noodles. the beans on the nachos were not refried, but baked beans like the kind that you get in pork 'n beans. the sliders sounded better than they were. the chicken tasted like frozen chicken you buy at costco and heat in the oven and the waffle was soggy. happy hour is from 3-8pm and they have $3 beers, $10 pitchers, and 1/2 off appetizers are wings, fries, chicken strips and nachos.

south
3001 wilshire blvd
santa monica, ca 90403
(310) 828-9988

http://www.southsantamonica.com

los angeles: chocolat

tommy experiences disappointment at chocolat...


jalapeno macaroni & cheese gratine: elbow macaroni and four cheeses


ovaline burrata: ovaline mozzarella, beefsteak tomato, basil and extra virgin olive oil


halibut steak with couscous


rack of lamb: roasted baby rack of lamb with a garlic butter sauce served with seasonal vegetables and potato au gratin





steak au bleu


chocolat fondue: fresh strawberries, banana & kiwi and hot chocolat


chocolat and grand marnier combo soufflee

tommy says: overall, the food was disappointing especially considering the price. mac & cheese and burrata were good. the lamb was tasty, but the halibut with couscous was dry, flavorless, and inedible. the soufflee was ok, but did not live up to the hype.

Chocolat
8155 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, CA, 90189

(323) 651-2111

http://www.chocolatrestaurant.com/