Bar Pintxo, Santa Monica

Recently, Jessica and I went on a nice day of shopping and perusing the promenade, and she told me that Bar Pintxo started a new happy hour deal, $6.00 for an assortment of 6 tapas and $3.00 for a glass of sangria. Never turning down a great happy hour, I excitedly agreed to check it out. Bar Pintxo sits on the corner of Ocean and Santa Monica, and is an adorable Spanish-inspired cafe that serves tapas, sushi style-- they are displayed in a glass case, and the chef will whip them up as you order them.

The menu was decent, they had the following optins: Fresh Tomato and Serrano Jamon on Grilled Bread, Radish, Jicama, Avocado, Cilantro and Lime, Endive Topped With Roquefort Cream, Anchovy and Walnuts, Fresh Tomato with Manchego Cheese, Jamon Sofrito with Fried Leeks, and Russian Salad with St. Loup.

I had a glass of the white sangria, a glass of the red sangria, the Fresh tomato and serrano jamon, radish jicama, avocado, fresh tomato with manchego, and the jamon sofrito. We also shared a croqueta, for the heck of it.

In short, the white sangria is better than the red sangria (rare, I know!), and I thought the menu was decent, but not mind blowing. I would have liked to have seen other options that were more savory or higher priced, but I suppose for $6.00, you can't really be too choosy.

The olives, however, are to die for.

What I'm Drinking Lately, AKA Wine Review

I'm not big on whites, but every once in awhile, the crispness of a good Chardonnay is really great. I received 2 fantastic bottles of Chardonnay recently, so I had to share the knowledge. First, because I'm a member of Groth's wine club, I received their 2007 Chardonnay as my quarterly shipment.

At first, I was disappointed because I was hoping for more reds, but I thought what the heck, why not bring it over to the Onoda's holiday dinner, especially since I know my little Fauxnoda, Angie, has a penchant for the whites. We chilled it for a bit before opening, and I have to say, I think this is my all time favorite Chardonnay that I've ever had. It is unusually full bodied for a white wine, slightly citrusy, hints of pear and my favorite ending: vanilla-y oak. So good! Their past Chards have done well (ranging scores: low 90's), so wouldn't be surprised to see this one ranked just as well.

Groth Vineyards

2007 Chardonnay

Oakville, California

Price Range: ~$20.00

Another bottle that I had been holding out for, is part of a set that one of my favorite people, Christin got for me as a Christmas gift. She is way too generous, and got me the "explorer" wine package from Williams Sonoma. One of the bottles I've been eyeing for awhile was the 2006 Hope Estate Chardonnay. My roommate and I decided to open it up over our salmon and spinach salad dinner last week, and we were definitely not disappointed.

This Australian-based Chardonnay is definitely much lighter than Groth's full bodied Chardonnay, but it certainly does not disappoint. It is slightly flowery and almost carbonated, because of the citrusy zest it gives off. It has a nice crispness to it, lending itself to taste more like a Pinot Grigio, but it is definitely a Chardonnay on the finish. I would buy another few bottles of this to serve with a strawberry-spinach salad, or a quiche lorraine. Delish!

Hope Estates

2007 Chardonnay

Hunter Valley, Australia

~$12.00-$15.00

Additionally, as a part of the "explorer" package that wonderful Christin gave me, there was a red that I had also been saving, the 2004 Mt. St. Helena's Cabernet. Angie and I decided to have a Pizza/Entourage night, and I thought it would be a nice bottle to share over Pizza.

I'm really glad I shared this with Angie, because she tends to like the lighter, less full bodied reds, and this was perfect for her. This cab was very bright and berry forward, without being too heavy on the tannins. It was very smooth, and went down easily. Definitely went will with the pizza, but on a more formal tip, I would serve it with Fraiche's short rib ravioli or braised ribs. A softer meat, with lots of texture.

Mout St. Helena Brand

2004 Cabernet

Napa Valley

~$23.00-$30.00

What I'm Drinking Lately, AKA Wine Review

One day I was meandering along the wine aisle, and my favorite pseudo-sommolier suggested I try Bogle's 2005 "Phantom," a blend of Petite Syrah, Old vine Zinfandel, and Mourvedre grapes. His eyes twinkling, he said, "I know what you like, and you're going to love this." I didn't bother opening it for awhile, because I laid it down in my mid-range shelf and forgot all about it. When I finally got around to opening it last week, I was blown away.

The first words that comes to mind when drinking this, are "lush" and "complex." When it first hits your lips, you are immediately introduced with big berry flavors, some star anise, and it finishes with a smooth, velvety vanilla and oak close. It is smooth and light on the tannins, without compromising any complexity.

I had a glass of the Phantom with grilled salmon and a spinach salad at home, and it was phenomenal. I want to buy a case of it.



Bogle Vineyards
2005 The Phantom
Red Blend
Lodi, CA
$15-20

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

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