west la: blue marlin

tommy spices up his life at blue marlin in wla...


salad


fried chicken wings with spicy miso sauce


beef curry


seafood gratin with macaroni


caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream

tommy says: blue marlin is the only place in the area that makes their curry spicy when you ask for spicy. when you ask for spicy at curry house or hurry curry, it is still pretty mild. the wings weren't bad, and the sauce was good, but the seafood gratin was thin and lacking in flavor. the dessert was ok, but nothing special.

blue marlin
2121 sawtelle blvd
los angeles 90025
(310) 445-2522

santa monica: fritto misto

tommy gets his pasta on at fritto misto in santa monica...


fried calamari


atomic pasta: two cajun seared chicken breasts, sliced on a bed of new mexican chili linguini, tossed with red, green, and yellow bell peppers and red onions in a chipotle cream sauce


pasta pancetta: pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and tomato fettuccini tossed in garlic cream sauce


tiramisu

tommy says: everything was a bit on the heavy side but still flavorful. most of the sauces offered are cream-based. the noodles in the atomic pasta were cooked properly, but the noodles in the pasta pancetta were not and were stuck together. the tiramisu was good. ok italian, but nothing special.

fritto misto
601 colorado ave
santa monica 90401
(310) 458-2829

los angeles - west hollywood: gardens of taxco

tommy feasts at gardens of taxco in weho...


cheese quesadilla with guacamole


albondigas (meatball soup)


cheese enchilada
beef taco


garlic shrimp


beans, rice, guacamole


chicken in cilantro cream sauce with beans and rice


bananas and cream
cream sherry

tommy says: no written menu, the waiter just tells you what the dishes are (very entertaining, especially when he gets to the chicken that tastes like it was borrrrrrrrrrn in the sauce!). choose an entree, the other courses will just magically appear. all the food was fantastically amazing, even the unassuming cheese quesadilla tasted really good. favorites were the shrimp and beef taco. come hungry (its a lot of food) and come often (its muy deliciosa y sabrosa).

gardens of taxco
1113 n harper ave

west hollywood, ca 90046

(323) 654-1746

santa monica: victorian

tommy has a relaxing brunch at the victorian in santa monica...


omelette with potatoes


blueberry banana pancake

tommy says: these are the same folks who serve up the omelettes and pancakes at the sunday farmers market (on ocean park & main, basically the right in front of the victorian itself). the omelettes are better on sundays, but the pancakes are better and bigger onsite. and of course, gotta love those potatoes!

the victorian

2640 main st

santa monica, ca 90405

(310) 392-4956
http://www.thevictorian.com

los angeles - west hollywood: milk

tommy satisfies his sweet tooth at milk...


buttercrunch cone
berry, mint, and coffee bon bons

tommy says: ice creams are homemade! the buttercrunch cone had a generous amount of crushed butterfingers encrusting the ice cream. and who doesn't love bon bons? creative and yummy sweet treats!

milk
7290 beverly blvd

los angeles, ca 90046

(323) 939-6455

http://www.themilkshop.com

santa monica: 17th street cafe

tommy finds some good grub at 17th street cafe in santa monica...


chinese chicken salad: mixed lettuce, shredded chicken, wonton strips, mandarin oranges, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds in sesame dressing


cafe burger: burger with feta cheese, arugula, tomatoes and balsamic grilled onions on whole wheat pizza bread

tommy says: surprisingly good. the salad was tasty with a generous amount of mandarin oranges. the cafe burger was good too... not as good as father's office (but honestly, what is?), but much better than the counter.

17th street cafe

1610 montana ave

santa monica, ca 90403

(310) 453-2771

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/

west la: pho 99

tommy dives into a bowl of pho and bun at pho 99 in wla...


pho


bun with grilled chicken, shrimp, and bean curd

tommy says: the pho broth was quite tasty, especially after adjusting the flavor with lime and sriracha, and all of the goodies that came with the bun were really good too! a nice vietnamese option for the westside, and a million times better than pho 4000 in ktown.

pho 99
11819 wilshire blvd

los angeles, ca 90025

(310) 312-7881

west la: yashima

tommy lunches at yashima in wla...


tofu salad: tomato, cucumber, seaweed, lettuce, bonito flakes, and tofu in a creamy dressing


tanin don (beef and egg over rice) combo with cold soba


eel combo with cold soba

tommy says: the tofu salad is fantatstic! the flavors in the tanin don and eel were respectable, and the combo meals are a good value. you get your choice of cold or hot soba or udon for the combos. all-in-all a decent meal, and the tofu salad is definitely a highlight!

yahima

11301 w olympic blvd, ste 210

los angeles, ca 90064

(310) 473-5297

venice: joe's

tommy enjoys an amazing meal at joe's in venice...


farmers' market tomatoes and burrata with balsamic vinaigrette and fresh basil


grilled santa barbara white sea bass with calamari, black gnocchi, cippolinni onion, roasted corn, dried tomato, and xo sauce


veal and short ribs


white wine poached nectarines, thyme-infused panna cotta, vanilla-wine reduction, white peach sorbet, nectarine peach salad


blueberry corn bread, caramel corn ice cream, blueberry gelee, honey rosemary glaze, blueberry compote

tommy says: the freshest of ingredients + tasty and interesting flavor combinations + perfect preparations = a delicious meal at joe's. great service to boot!

joe's restaurant

1023 abbot kinney blvd

venice, ca 90291

(310) 399-5811
http://www.joesrestaurant.com

west la: feast from the east

tommy gets his greens at feast from the east in wla...


chinese chicken salad

tommy says: a simple and tasty chinese chicken salad. the dressing is light and slightly sweet, and the shredded chicken soaks it up. yummmmm...

feast from the east

1949 westwood blvd

los angeles, ca 90025

(310) 475-0400

http://www.ffte.com/