Andy Gavin's Blog, page 138
July 15, 2014
Eastern Promises – BBQ Joint
Restaurant: BBQ Joint
Location:216 East Dover Street, Suite 201.Easton, MD 21601.410-690-3641
Date: May 24, 2014
Cuisine:BBQ
Rating:Some of the best BBQ I’ve had
_
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is usually considered a seafood zone, being known for its awesome blue crab, but local residents don’t turn their nose at any Southern American favorites.
Located in quaint oldEaston.
The menu.
The house made sauces (mostly a choice of sweet or spicy).
Sawdust floors.
Some sides, like applesauce, mac & cheese, an...
July 11, 2014
Eastern Promises – Brightwell
Restaurant: Brightwell
Location:206 North Washington St. Easton Md. 410-819-3838
Date: May 23, 2014
Cuisine: American
Rating: TastyGastro-comfort, hint of Spanish
_
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is home to all sorts of great seafood, particularly the famous blue crab. And it’s a place that time seems to have left untouched… well almost.
There is an aura of gentrification and the infiltration of national trends, in this case the “brasserie” concept. Restaurants are all moving down the formality scale...
July 8, 2014
Eastern Promises – Holly’s
Restaurant: Holly’s
Location:108 Jackson Creek Rd Grasonville, MD 21638.(410) 827-8711
Date: May 23, 2014
Cuisine: American
Rating: Solid modern Gastro-comfort
_
My family has been stopping at Holly’s (a greasy spoon a few minutes east of the Bay Bridge) for almost 40 years.
This establishment is old school Americana at its best. Nothing has really changed here since the 70s, and probably for 20 or so years before that.
Classic decor. As a kid they even had one of those “Have a Coke and have a smile”...
July 6, 2014
Banana Split Redefined
Restaurant:Central by Michael Richard
Location:1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 (202) 626-0015
Date: May22, 2014
Cuisine:American
Rating:Solid modern Gastro-comfort
_
Michael Richard used to be an LA chef, and I went a couple of times to his Citrusyears ago, but quite some time ago he moved to my hometown of Washington DC. Central represents him following the national trend of “bistrofication” or the general movement of fancy restaurants down the formality curve.
The fancy Pennsylva...
July 4, 2014
Eight Legs at Il Grano
Restaurant: Il Grano[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Location:11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025.310.477.7886
Date: June16, 2014
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Modern Italian to die for
_
After my stellar birthday meal at Il Grano, and with the closing of Drago, Il Grano has become one of my favorite westside Italians. You can tell by the number of reviews (up to 8!) I also frequently bring out of town guests here, like tonight.
The sleek interior space.
We didn’t order off the menu but instead asked C...
July 1, 2014
Third Republique
Restaurant: Republique[1, 2, 3]
Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036.(310) 362-6115
Date: May13, 2014
Cuisine: Modern Bistro French
Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service
_
Republique is certainly one of LA’s most anticipated recent openings. Taking over the gorgeous old Campanile space, this replacement is helmed byWalter Manzke and Margarita Manzke (of Church & State and Milo & Olive). As you’ll see, while the core cuisine marries Brasserie with neo-tapas, this is...
June 29, 2014
Sea Harbor Dim Sum
Restaurant: Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant
Location: 3939 Rosemead Blvd. Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 288-3939
Date: June 11, 2014
Cuisine: Cantonese Dim Sum
Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian
_
Today my brother and I hit up Sea Harbor Dim Sum, the latest in our crusade to visit all the best Dim Sum joints in the San Gabriel Valley.
I think Sea Harbor has been around for a long time and is one of the mainstays.
The interior is pretty typical.
One of these nice color photo menus. The paper “checklist”...
June 25, 2014
Untimed, Unheard no More
Seventeenmonths in the making, the Untimedaudiobook is finally ready!
The complete unabridged book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes for MP3 download to your phone or ipod. It’s narrated by producer Steven Barnett.
A bit about the production
I started way back in January 2013, and like most Independent authors considering an audiobook edition, decided to use Amazon’s ACX service. This is a marketplace for connecting authors with voice and production talent as well as an automated mecha...
June 23, 2014
Lunasia Dim Sum
Location:500 West Main Street Suite A, Alhambra,CA91801.(626) 308-3222
Date: April29, 2014
Cuisine: CantoneseDim Sum
Rating: Excellent
_
My brother and I continue our epic quest to sample all the top San Gabriel Valley dim sum restaurants. I’ve actually been to Lunasia before, for a big Cantonese Banquet, but this is my first trip here for dim sum (which is really their specialty).
Pictures are helpful, even for a dim sum veteran.
Jumbo shrimp har gow. As good a version as I’...
June 21, 2014
More Awesome Dimsum – King Hua
Restaurant: King Hua
Location:2000 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801.(626) 282-8833
Date: April 14 and May 15, 2014
Cuisine: Cantonese Dimsum
Rating: Maybe the best yet in town
_
My brother and I continue our epic quest to find the best dimsum in Southern California. This week’s stop: King Hua!
The menu (with photos!)
BBQ pork. I like this kind with the sweet soy sauce.
Jelly fish. Crunchy texture and a bit of a kick. What isn’t to love. Check out the jiggle below.
Chicken salad bun. One might wonder what’...
