Vino, Encino, CA

Jessie and I decided to hang out last Sunday and on a whim, we decided to go for a lovely drive through the Sepulveda Pass and explore the infamous Ventura Blvd. in the Valley. As we perused the myriad options of chain restaurants, we began to wonder if coming to the Valley was such a good idea after all. And as we entered Tarzana, we quickly turned around, and decided to make a run back into the safe haven of the 310.

However, our snobbery was quashed when we stumbled across a cute little restaurant called "Vino," which featured a Sunday brunch with all you can drink Mimosas, champagne, or sangria, and included a three course tapas meal, AND an all you can eat cheese spread. All of this for... *gasp* $18.95. We were seriously in shock at our luck.

Jess sipped on her mimosa, and I on my sangria. Between the two of us, we ordered the Tortilla Espanola, the spinach and mushroom omelette, the Paella, and the Shrimp and chorizo angel hair pasta.

The service here is great, a cute little Persian couple runs the joint, and they were extraordinarily nice to us. An older gentleman (presumably the owner) brought us fresh shrimps which were sauteed in olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes as an amuse bouche. The peel and eat shrimp were not bad, they were pretty fresh.

As for the rest of the food, I would have to say it was mediocre at best. The "paella" tasted like rice-a-roni with one piece of breakfast sausage in it. Jessica and I figured out well into the meal that the chef did not use spanish rice, but rather Persian rice. Additionally, the fact that there was no seafood in the paella (or chorizo for that matter) made it even more offensive. The omelette was just okay, nothing too exciting. The tortilla espanola is much better at Primitivo, it was lacking in flavor. And the angel hair pasta really needed some flavor. I wanted to douse it with salt, just so I could actually taste something. We were also served a dessert, tiramisu paired with chocolate cake, which was actually not bad-- but then again, I'm not exactly a dessert connosieur.

The best part of meal, I'd have to say was the cheap drinks and extensive cheese spread. On the side of the bar lays a HUGE cheese board with cambozola, brie, fresh mozzerella, manchego, and Gouda. It is a self-serve station, where they also have fresh hot baguettes to spread the cheeses on. We gorged on a ton of cheese, hot crusty bread and our drinks, and honestly, that alone is worth $18.95.

I would certainly come back here for a Sunday brunch, even though it is kind of out of the way. The food may be medocre, but the place makes up for it in service and price!



Vino: Wine and Tapas Room
18046 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
(818) 343-2525
http://www.vinowineroom.com/menu.htm

The Cafe, Las Vegas

So over the weekend, I got the chance to spend Hoe-lloween in Vegas, as one of my friends was getting hitched on the strip! It was my first Vegas wedding, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but in the end, it ended up being a fun time, and we all had a blast, dancing, drinking and of course, EATING.

The majority of the food I had in Vegas, however, was a travesty. We went to "Red White and Blue" on Friday night (first night there). Red White and Blue is an All American eatery in the Mandalay Bay, and I had the Chicken Pot Pie which was sorely disappointing. We then proceeded to go to Blush @ the Wynn, thanks to my buddy Chris who helped us get in and hooked us up with free drinks! We then visited Tryst, mostly because we could, but our feet hurt so badly that we had to call it a night. Before doing so, however, we stopped at some bad Vietnamese restaurant at the Wynn (I think), for overpriced yet under-flavored pho.

The next day, I woke up craving some carbs and for some reason, had fond memories of spaghetti and meatballs at the coffeeshop at the Bellagio. The last time I had their spaghetti was at Binder's bachelorette party in 2005, and in some odd sentimental moment, that's ALL I was craving. I dragged the Onoda sisters over, and triumphantly ordered their pasketti. It was not what I remembered at all. At first glance it appeared to be good, slightly al dente, topped with a big dallop of marscapone.

The garlic bread and the marscapone were the best part of the meal. The sauce was WATERY, and when I got to the bottom of my bowl, I was faced with a giant puddle of water. The sauce was flavorless, in spite of me dousing it with salt and crushed red peppers. And perhaps the saddest part about it was that it was supposed to be a "hearty," bolognese, but it had maybe 5 pieces of ground beef in the sauce, but there were lots of carrots. Blech.

Needless to say, I was quite disappointed and realized that I actually had the delicious spaghetti at the cafe at Caesar's Palace, not the cafe Bellagio. This is what 3 years and alcohol will do to your memory: erosion at its worst.

Since I had horrible spaghetti, I was quite happy to have lunch part two at The Cafe with Jessica. Located in The Hotel, this place is definitely my speed. Very dim lighting, very quiet and relaxed, and the pricing was not bad. They had a lot of delicious looking options, such as the black cod and lamb. However, because I had JUST had lunch, I had to have something much lighter, which is why I opted for the "stack of tomatoes and mozzerella" (I was assuming it would be like a caprese salad. It actually blew me away, because it was ten times better than a caprese salad. It was a milieu of tomatos, fresh mozzarella, pickled red peppers and olives, all served with a well seasoned vinagarette. It was a phenomenal and light lunch fare.

Even better was Jessie's "moco loco," a chef special that day. Moco Locos are one of my favorite guilty pleasures when I go have Hawaiian food. Usually, it is rice, covered with a hamburger patty, topped with a sunny side up egg, then covered in gravy. I know, it sounds horrible, but it is actually delicious. Jessica's Moco Loco was SO GOOD. They put the local twist on it by serving it with shrimp fried rice, and a sirloin burger patty. It was perfectly cooked, and the rice was the perfect texture to complement the patty and egg. YUM.

The last meal I had in Vegas was the dinner at the Paris Buffet, which was okay. They had a random dish that I pigged out on, which consisted of Saurkraut and German Sausages. Next time I'm in Vegas, I will opt for Michael Mina! (yeah right =P)

Wine Review, aka What I'm Drinking Lately

I LOVE finding phenomenal wines under twenty bucks. Lately I've been on a kick to try as many reds under 20 that I can. I've found quite a few that are very very good.

One particular favorite of mine to pick up while at Trader Joe's is Robert Hall's 2005 Cab from Paso Robles. It was released in June 2007, and each time I open it up, it tastes better than what I remember. Immediately, your tongue is introduced to black currant, cocoa and an almost honey-like aroma. I like it because it is also chocoatey and smooth. Because Robert and Margaret Hall fell in love with Southern French wines, this one is quite reminiscent of a softer blend from the Rhone Valley. I opened up this bottle over some Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Saag, and believe it or not, it was quite nice. However, I think this wine would go much better with any rich pasta dish or lighter meats. So good, so cheap...

Robert Hall
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Robles
Price: ~$11-19

If you haven't tried it already,Concha y Toro's Casillero Del Diablo Chilean Cab from (shockingly)
2007 is also an excellent buy at about 8 dollars a pop. In a true Cabernet sense, it is well rounded and balanced with a lot of pop. It is definitely woody and heavy on the berries. It also has slight chocolate undertones and ends with a nice dry and crisp finish. This wine tastes much more than $8.00, and it is surprising that it is so full bodied and well balanced for being so young. Definitely serve this wine with short ribs or steak.

Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Chile
7.99 at Trader Joe's

Another fantastic buy for about $12.00 is Rosenblum's Vintners Cuvee XXX Zinfandel. I love Rosenblum's cellars because they are an unassuming and unpretentious cellar located in Alameda, California (located very close to Oakland). Upon entering the cellar, you are greeted with friendly folks who encourage you to do their tastings, and will let you try all sorts of other varietals. They are pretty well known for their Zins, as well as their dessert wines. They have this phenomenal dessert wine called "Desiree," which literally tastes like melting chocolate over your tongue. I get their quarterly shipments and have been pretty satisfied with their selection.

This particular one is one of my favorites for many reasons. It is a blend of 2000 and 2001 vintage Mourvedre and Zinfandels. For the price, it drinks much more expensiver, as it is pretty complex, berry-forward, Oak-y and definitely (my favorite) Vanilla! I have also tried the XXIV, which is also excellent for its price.

Rosenblum Cellars
Vinter's Cuvee XXX
Zinfandel
Napa Valley, Alameda
~12.00