MINETTA TAVERN, NEW YORK CITY

MY SISTER AND I ON OUR WAY TO MINETTA TAVERN FOR DINNER BEFORE GOING OUT ON THE TOWN!

      I basically just went to Minetta Tavern for their very famous "Black Label" burger. I have heard about this burger through word of mouth and have seen it featured on food shows on the Food & Travel Channel. Since I consider myself the "Burger Queen" lol (burgers are definitely my favorite food), I had to see what the hype was about this famous Black Label burger for $26. I didn't bother to order anything else, I came there for one reason only lol. Peep my Minetta Tavern burger review below!

 BLACK LABEL BURGER $26

Selection of Prime dry-aged beef cuts with caramelized onions & pommes frites

 

The meat itself was amazing. You could taste the quality in it. It was very juicy and cooked perfectly medium rare. Is it one of my favorite burgers? No. Even though the meat was very good, I think it would have been a way better burger with cheese. I love meat and cheese together and that's why I love burgers. If this burger had cheese on it and some kind of sauce, it would take this burger to a whole other level. There is another burger on the menu called the "Minetta burger", which has cheese on it. I would definitely try that next time just to compare. Even though the restaurant takes pride in the quality of their meat, and I admit the meat is the most important part of a burger, it was still missing some other elements that would have made it all come together better. The bun was just okay- I've had better. The fries were really good though. They also didn't have any other sauce besides ketchup, and I usually like my burgers with a special sauce like an aioli.

Minetta Tavern has a very classic, upscale, "old-fashioned" New York vibe to it. It's dim-lit, has classic celebrity portraits on the wall, and men in business suits at the bar- you definitely get a New York vibe right when you walk in . It's a cool place, try their famous burger and feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts!

MINETTA TAVERN

113 MacDougal St.

New York, NY 10012

212-475-3850

www.minettatavernny.com

TERRONI, LOS ANGELES

DINING AT TERRONI!

     Good times at Terroni in mid-city Los Angeles! I left dinner feeling like I just ate at a restaurant in Rome lol. People were speaking Italian, the food was authentic and delicious, and we overall had a great experience. The pastas were great, take a look below to see what we ordered!

 

  TAGLIATELLE AL RAGU'

Tagliatelle in a traditional Bolognese meat sauce & parmigiano

It was good, but wasn't amazing. The other two pastas you'll see below were better. But still a decent traditional Bolognese.

 AGNOLOTTI NE'

Handmade agnolotti filled with braised beef in a butter parmigiano and sage sauce

This was my favorite of the night. The sauce was so delicious. It was creamy, cheesy and buttery and just had overall great flavor. The pasta itself is handmade and it was tender and tasted fresh. The sauce is what made this dish. Definitely recommend it!

 BRANZINO

Light and flavorful. Sometimes with branzino it can taste bland, but this had a nice flavor.

 TONNARELLI WITH SAUSAGE & SHAVED BLACK TRUFFLES

This seems to be one of their most famous pastas. Our server recommended this pasta, and it was really good. The truffle flavor was strong (and I love truffle). I definitely recommend ordering this pasta if you like truffle, but I did enjoy the ravioli better actually.

Terroni had great service, (we had a great server), the food came out fast, and it all was really yummy. Great Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. Enjoy & ciao!

TERRONI

7605 Beverly Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 954-0300

www.terroni.com

SON OF A GUN, LOS ANGELES

     I have been hearing about Son of A Gun for so long, so I finally decided to cross it off my food bucket list. It is now one of my new favorite restaurants in LA. Everything that was ordered was not only good, it was amazing. The items on the menu are meant for sharing and are small "tapa" style dishes, so you can order more and try more things. Everything was cooked and prepared to perfection- the flavors in everything were incredible. See below!

KENNEBEC FRENCH FRIES

MALT VINEGAR AIOLI

These fries were out of this world. Everything about it- perfectly crispy, every french fry had tons of flavor, and I loved the aioli with it! It wasn't your ordinary "garlic aioli" (which I happen to love), but I liked how the aioli was a malt vinegar flavor. The seasoning to these fries though were amazing. Must order!

LOBSTER ROLL

CELERY, LEMON AIOLI

This bite size lobster roll could have been one of the best lobster rolls I've ever had. We actually had to order another one because it wasn't enough- it was so good. The bread was buttery and grilled to perfection. The lobster had great flavor mixed in with the lemon aioli and the crunchy chips on top added the perfect texture to the creaminess of the lobster. I think what made this so good was the bread though- you can even see the buttery golden goodness from the picture lol. Great flavor all together- this little thing was perfection! Must order!

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

 SPICY B&B PICKLE SLAW, ROOSTER AIOLI

SO yummy! The bread was buttery and soft, the fried chicken crispy, flavorful and cooked perfectly, and I loved the fresh jalapeno and the slaw. The aioli brought it all together to make the perfect sandwich. This sandwich is similar to the fried chicken sandwich at The Honor Bar in Beverly Hills. Both amazing!

SHRIMP TOAST SANDWICH

HERBS, SRIRACHA MAYO

 Another tasty bite of perfection. This had a sweet, tangy, and salty kick to it- I loved the fried, crispy toast mixed in with the creamy shrimp, and the tangy/sweet brown glaze sauce. Like everything else, it all just worked together perfectly. A must order!

LINGUINE & CLAMS

UNI AGLIO-OLIO, CHILI, BREADCRUMBS 

I think this was my favorite of the night along with the lobster roll. This pasta was EVERYTHING. Spicy, creamy, saucy, and delicious. I've never really had clam linguine before- the saltiness of the clams went really well the the spicy sauce. I can't even explain this flavor in words- it had such a strong flavor in all the best ways possible. I love spicy food so this was heaven for me. I wish I can make sauce like this! My friend who I was with doesn't like his food too spicy, and he still loved this. Highly, highly recommended!

So, as you can see, I said everything is a "must order" because everything was amazing. If you are familiar with my blog, you know I am 100% honest in my opinions and tell the truth about how I really feel about the food- I don't sugar coat or lie. All of these dishes were unique and tasted incredible. The flavors were impeccable. I highly recommend this restaurant. Don't expect a fancy and upscale place though, it's very casual, almost "tavern" like. It's all about the food at Son of A Gun. Enjoy!

Son Of A Gun
8370 W 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782- 9033
www.sonofagunrestaurant.com

PACE, LOS ANGELES

*ON MY WAY TO PACE FOR A BIRTHDAY DINNER*

     Tucked away in the heart of Laurel Canyon is a cozy, romantic, Italian restaurant Pace. I love the vibe there- it's dim, cozy and very charming. I think it's perfect for any occasion. I went for a friend's birthday dinner and we had such a nice meal. Here are some of the things we ordered....

MY FRIEND BROUGHT THIS EXPENSIVE & RARE BOTTLE OF RED WINE. IT COMPLIMENTED OUR MEAL PERFECTLY.

GRASS-FED PRIME DRY-AGED RIBEYE
prime cut and seasoned with mediterranean sea salt
on a bed of arugola
I had a bite of this steak and it honestly was one of the most flavorful steaks. I have to go back and order this for myself because I remember it being very flavorful and cooked perfectly.

HERA'S PIE

 pesto, mushrooms, arugula, fresh tomato and fontina cheese

 PEACE PIE
fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, mozzarella and oregano
Both pizzas were good and baked fresh! Loved the crust. I recommend ordering a pizza and sharing it as an appetizer.

TAGLIATELLE CON PISELLI E PROSCUITTO

 homemade tagliatelle, english peas, prosciutto,
in a light white wine cream sauce

I loved this! I would order this again. It had the perfect amount of creaminess and very flavorful. The chunks of proscuitto added another great flavor to the cream sauce.

LASAGNA DELLA CASA
homemade lasagna made with homemade ragu, fresh mozzarella, parmigiano and bechamel sauce

Traditional lasagna. It was ordinary-it wasn't amazing or anything special, but if you love lasagna then you would like this.

Pace is a great Italian restaurant in LA. Love the unique ambiance and the food is definitely above average. Enjoy!

PACE

 2100 Laurel Canyon Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90046

(323) 654-8583

www.peaceinthecanyon.com

ABC KITCHEN, NEW YORK CITY

   ABC Kitchen in New York City is absolutely adorable and the food is great! It's pretty famous in New York and a little tough to get into, but it is a great restaurant choice if you are in the city. It's rustic decor makes it charming and cozy, and when I went it was a Friday night and it was buzzing and packed with people. Creator of the ABC Kitchen menu is the famous chef Jean-Georges, where he is passionately dedicated to creating each dish using only fresh organic and local ingredients. We had a very "cheesy" dinner lol...you'll know what I mean when you check out my food reviews below!

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH TOAST, FRESH RICOTTA & APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

They brought this as complimentary from the house, and after my first bite I knew I was going to have a good meal at ABC Kitchen. The salty and creamy ricotta cheese mixed with the flavors of the sweet squash on that fresh toasted bread was heaven. It was such a delightful combination of flavors, a little tart, sweet, salty, creamy, and crispy because of the toasted bread. Great little taste to start off the meal!

HOMEMADE RICOTTA, FIG COMPOTE & GRILLED BREAD

The creamy ricotta is just amazing! You can't go wrong with bread and cheese, and the fig compote added a sweetness that pairs very well with the saltiness of the ricotta. It reminded me of having green apples and brie cheese. The sweetness of fruit works very well with cheese. Great little starter to the meal as well.

CHEESE FONDUE

This was just cheesy goodness. Made with their homemade ricotta cheese mixed with other cheeses, it was  very rich in flavor. Once again, can't go wrong with cheese and bread...we were getting a little burnt out on cheese at this point though lol...

PIZZA WITH MUSHROOMS, PARMESAN, OREGANO & FARM EGG

MORE CHEESE! I've never had egg on a pizza before so it was quite the experience. I really enjoyed the "gooey" yolk soaked in with the cheese. I love mushrooms too, so this was a good pizza to me. It was different because of the egg and it didn't have your traditional tomato sauce. A lot of cheese and bread at this point, I was starting to get a full stomach lol.

HOUSEMADE RICOTTA RAVIOLI, HERBS & TOMATO SAUCE

Cheese overload lol, but a great pasta nontheless. The ravioli pasta was silky and melted in your mouth. The tomato sauce had great flavor, and their homemade ricotta cheese is a must try! Simple and great ravioli dish.

RED SNAPPER WITH CHILIES & HERBS, BABY MARKET POTATOES, & SPINACH

This was recomended by our server. At this point I was just glad to see something in front of me not made with cheese lol! A light dish- I wouldn't order it again but if you are a healthy eater that likes fish then you would most likely enjoy this dish.

APPLE PIE WITH CINNAMON ICE CREAM 

OMG. The crust on this thing....it was perfection. Flakey and buttery, and I loved the cinnamon ice cream with it! A great apple pie.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MALTED CHOCOLATE GANACHE & TOASTED MARSHMELLOW ICING

Not a chocolate fan like this, way too rich for me. I had a little bite and couldn't do more than that. Not my thing, but I did like the marshmellow icing. It made this chocolate cake unique.

BLOOD ORANGE SORBET

This was the perfect end to a great meal. It was so refreshing to end on this. I love sorbet!

MY ABC KITCHEN DINNER OUTFIT :)

ABC KITCHEN

35 east 18th street
New York, NY 10003
 (212) 475-5829 

www.abckitchennyc.com

DAN TANA'S, HOLLYWOOD

ON MY WAY TO DAN TANA'S!!!

     I went to the famous Dan Tana's last night for dinner. Dan Tana's is an old Italian restaurant that has been a Hollywood classic for many years now. Many Hollywood celebrities are regulars at this authentic Italian spot. The food pricey but good. This is what we ordered....

ESCARGOT A LA SHIRLEY

I love escargot. I love the garlic flavor. This was good, but lacking flavor a little. Looked a little better than it tasted...I've had better.

 CHICKEN PARMIGIANA, TED DEMME

This was out of this world. Probably the best chicken parmesan I've had. It was cheesy, saucy, crispy- all consistencies in one dish lol. The chicken was nice and crispy on the bottom and the sauce had great flavor. I love the very generous amount of cheese too lol. Nothing can never be too cheesy! Highly recommended. I would come back just for this dish. It's the perfect chicken parmesan...

WHITEFISH WITH WHITE WINE LEMON SAUCE

Another great dish. Sometimes with fish it's hard to make it flavorful, but this had so much flavor. The lemon & white wine sauce was rich, and every bite had flavor. The fish melted in your mouth. If you like fish, this is a great fish dish. I really enjoyed it.

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

The meat sauce was flavorful. I took a couple bites and was satisfied though. It was a little too dry for me- I think it could have used a little more sauce, but it still had nice flavor.

My Dan Tana's experience was a great one. I would definitely go back again and try their famous steak and ceasar salad that was recommended as well. It's an authentic, cozy Italian restaurant in the middle of Hollywood, and if you're lucky you may spot your favorite celebrity dining there!

DAN TANA'S

9071 Santa Monica Blvd  

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(310) 275-9444

www.dantanasrestaurant.com

NANCY LEE'S PIG HEAVEN, NEW YORK CITY

My sister, some friends & I went to Nancy Lee's Pig Heaven in New York City for Christmas day dinner. This chinese restaurant was the perfect place for Jews on Christmas, it was packed with them lol! I've heard about their famous pork ribs on the Travel Channel, and it's been on my food bucket list ever since. So being Jewish, I thought Christmas was the perfect night to try it and it was! This quirky little Chinese restaurant has great food, and I will definitely be back again!

RESTAURANT DECORATIONS LOL. LOTS OF PIGS!

THE FAMOUS BBQ SPARE RIBS

Great ribs! Flavorful, tender and I loved the sauce. I remember wishing we ordered more! This was one of my favorite things ordered. It's what Pig Heaven is famous for so this is a must try!

STEAMED PORK DUMPLINGS

As you can see things got messy after the ribs lol. I am not a big dumpling fan, but was overuled by the rest so we ordered them. I wouldn't order again, I just don't like dumplings that much, but if you do like dumplings these were still good....

ME WITH A DUMPLING LOL

CHICKEN LO MEIN

Can't go to a Chinese restaurant and not order lo mein! This was delicious. It was saucy and moist which is how I like my noodles. I hate lo mein that is dry. This one was a good one with great flavor!

SPICY PORK GREEN BEANS
This is also one of my favorite dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant. I love spicy green beans! The pork bits add a lot of flavor and I love how it has a spicy kick to it. Great vegetable dish to order...highly recommend!

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

Basically the same thing as orange chicken. Not my favorite, probably would order the Sesame Chicken next time. It wasn't bad at all, just nothing special.

Nancy Lee's Pig Heaven is a great Chinese spot in NYC. Everything we ordered was good, and I will definitely be back again for those ribs!

NANCY LEE'S PIG HEAVEN

1540 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10028

www.pigheavennyc.com