Andy Gavin's Blog, page 56
April 10, 2020
Penfolds Marino
Restaurant: Marino Ristorante [1, 2, 3, 4]
Location: 6001 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 466-8812
Date: February 25, 2020
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Superb
_Tonight I return to a favorite haunt for a special Penfolds dinner featuring one of Penfolds own, organized by my good friend John.
The amazing chef/owner Sal Marino cooks at his original family haunt, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to whip up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, hes...
April 8, 2020
Malubianbian Spicy Stick Pot
Restaurant: MaLu Bian Bian Hot Pot
Location: 18194 Colima Rd Ste A, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. (626) 820-9206
Date: February 23, 2020
Cuisine: Chengdu Szechuan Chinese Hot Pot
Rating: 12/10 for experience
_Ive been on a bit of a Szechuan style hot pot kick for the last year. For those of you know dont know, hot pot is the classic Chinese homestyle food which is super popular as a restaurant type in recent years. The most classic form is Mongolian like Hot Pot Hot Pot or Little Sheep. Then...
April 6, 2020
Dirty Dozen Prime
Restaurant: Lawrys The Prime Rib
Location: 100 La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (310) 652-2827
Date: February 20, 2020
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Rating: Surprisingly excellent great service too
_The blind tasting sub group of the hedonists, the Dirty Dozen, moves around. Tonights theme was Bordeaux 2000 and older and we chose:
Lawrys The Prime Rib. Look at this they dont make em like they used to dining room. I hadnt been to Lawrys in at least 20+ years. I think it might even have been...
April 3, 2020
Oc and Lau
Restaurant: Oc & Lau Restaurant [1, 2, 3]
Location: 10130 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843. (714) 636-2000 and 9892 Westminster Blvd Unit R, Garden Grove, CA 92844. (714) 583-8100
Date: July 31 & September 29, 2019 and February 19, 2020
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Rating: Great
_I had high expectations for Oc & Lau too, as it was purported to be in the league of Garlic and Chives. Ive visited 3 times now, twice during a various Oc Viet crawls, here and here. Then again for a pre-Birthday...
April 1, 2020
NC Peking Duck – Double Duck part 2
Restaurant: NC Peking Duck 老北方烤鸭店
Location: 17515 Colima Rd A, City of Industry, CA 91748. (626) 839-0000
Date: February 16, 2020
Cuisine: Northern / Beijing Chinese
Rating: Awesome duck and great flavors
_Tonight is Double Duck night and while we had a Peking Duck Appetizer at Happy Duck, afterward the main event was at:
NC Peking Duck which is a Northern and Beijing style place that is quite new and seemed a bit closer in style to real Beijing offerings.
In case you wondered if they...
March 30, 2020
Happy Duck – Double Duck part 1
Restaurant: Happy Duck House 金鼎轩
Location: 18210 Gale Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748. (626) 581-4747
Date: February 16, 2020
Cuisine: Beijing Chinese
Rating: Great duck and lobster
_On 2/16/20 we decided to try some new Peking Duck places in the Far East SGV (Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, City of Industry). We thought to put two of them together with a quick stop here at Happy Duck.
Typical strip mall for the area.
Slightly more modern than not decor. One of our fellow diners...
March 27, 2020
Tong Tak – Epic Cantonese
Restaurant: Tong Tak House Seafood Restaurant
Location: 1265 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 638-3388
Date: February 9, 2020
Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese
Rating: Really great execution
_Our friend Tony Lau organizes the best Cantonese banquets.
He always manages to find new places that surprise. Tong Tak isnt exactly new, but its new to most of us.
Classic palace interior. It was pretty empty too. Sure it was Academy Awards night, but hard to say.
After an initial foray into a...
March 25, 2020
Not a Cylon — Baltaire
Restaurant: Baltaire
Location: 11647 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (424) 273-1660
Date: February 8, 2020
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Rating: Things I had were very good
_My wife and I were looking for a fairly close place for dinner and we ended up trying out Brentwoods newish (a year or 2) steakhouse Baltaire.
Baltaire replaces the former Cheesecake factory, and good riddance as I loath chain restaurants.
Its a high end clubby American steakhouse, as you can tell right away from the...
March 23, 2020
Uni at the Borgese’s
Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgeses [1, 2, 3]
Location: Santa Monica
Date: February 6, 2020
Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking
Rating: Awesome
_Dinner at the Borgeses is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. Tonights theme is UNI!
The dynamic Borgese team. Rocco in the center, his lovely wife (and the main kitchen chef on the left), his daughter (helping out with service) on the right of her and our Somm on the far...
March 20, 2020
Jadot at Petrossian
Restaurant: Petrossian Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4]
Location: 321 Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048. (310) 271-6300
Date: February 4, 2020
Cuisine: Caviar +
Rating: Amazing night!
_Tonights dinner chronicles yet another masterly winemaker dinner hosted by Liz Lee of Sage Society. This time around it celebrates the diverse and excellent wines of Louis Jadot with winemaker Frédéric Barnier. This is actually at least the third time Ive dined with Frédéric, the first being years ago at ...
