Little Next Door, West Hollywod, CA

The "other" third street in LA is one of my favorite streets to find good eats. Between Fairfax and La Cienega, the choices run the gamut for people that like to try new little spots to hang out on. The other day, my girlfriends and I got around to trying The Little Next Door Cafe, the cutest little French Cafe. Located across the street from Toast, this unassuming yet darling cafe is a great lunch spot. Shielded from the 40 degree weather by a plastic tarp, my friends and I dined al fresco, so caught up in the adorable cafe and the Fantastic Four actor sitting about forty feet away from us that we (almost) forgot that we were freezing cold.

I had the "Little Best Combination," where patrons pick and choose 1 cup of soup, 1 order of salad, and a 1/2 sandwich. I chose the French Onion Soup, the Smoked Salmon on a brioche roll, and an artichoke and feta salad. The combination is supposed to be served with a macaroon as well, but for some reason, our waiter never brought our macaroons out-- which was probably better anyway because the girls and I shared a pot de creme-- perhaps one of the best desserts I had had in a very long time. It is also decently priced at (I think) about $13.00. The food was good for what it is. In other words, I was looking for a light cafe-style lunch, and that's exactly what I got. The soup was a tad bit salty, but otherwise, it was terrific! The lox sandwich was delicious, I believe they serve it up with tzatziki and dill. I liked the artichoke and feta salad a lot, it was nice and tart, a perfect combination with the smoked salmon sandwich.

Perhaps the best part of the lunch, however was the shared Pot de Creme we had for dessert. It was an amazing texture of silk, not too sweet but at the same time, delicious chocolatey goodness. They hand make the whipped cream, and I could have finished the entire dallop of whipped cream myself it was so good. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even like dessert all that much!!

But yes, I definitely want go back-- they seemed to have a decent selection of French wines and a good dinner menu! It is very romantic inside, I would love to have a nice candlit dinner over a bottle of French wine and pretend we are in Paris!

Little Next Door
8164 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 951-1210

BOA steakhouse, Santa Monica

Jessie and I like to celebrate our year's end by having a nice lunch on Ocean Avenue right before Christmas. Last year we treated ourselves to cocktails and sushi at Tengu (which consequently closed down), and this year we decided to have a nice lunch at BOA. I have read mixed reviews about BOA, as most people say the steaks suck, so I was a bit hesitant to try it out. However, their sandwiches looked invited, so I decided to give it a go.

I started my lunch with a glass of 2007 Orin Swift's "The Prisoner" Zinfandel/Cabernet, which was terrific. It was nice and dry, with a nice vanilla finish. It went perfectly with my American Kobe Beef Brisket (aka BBQ) sandwich.

Overall, the food was just aight. I wasn't blown away. I wasn't disappointed. But for a 30 dollar lunch (with cocktail in tow). The "J-1" (don't ask I had no idea what it meant either) sauce on the sandwich was a bit overwhelming, which made the sandwich messy and hard to eat, and it could have used more cole slaw, but the meat was tender, and I loved the french fries, so it was all in all an okay meal.

Next year: Fancy Pre-Christmas Lunch at the Ivy.

BOA Steak House
www.boasteak.com
101 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 899-4466

Father's Office, Culver City

Like every other westsider, I finally got an opportunity to check out the new Father's Office in Culver City to try their famous burger and sweet potato fries. I wasn't disappointed. The burger was amazing, the carmelized onions and guyere were simply delicious. I felt like I was eating a short rib sandwich, not a 15 dollar cheeseburger.





Father's Office
www.fathersoffice.com
3229 Helms Ave
Los Angeles, CA
310.736.2224