Saturday, March 26, 2005

Pomodoro Italian Cuisine * */ +

Who? Andrew, Themo, Ravi, Rajay
Zagat: * * *, $19

Themos' Take: Decent quality for price Italian chain restaurants - I tried the $6.95 spaghetti and it was pretty good. Niam niam.

Andrew's Take: The quality is very average and the portions are a little on the lean side. The nice setting is not enough for me to recommend this place. Thumbs down.

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Hodori * * * / + + + +

Andrew's take: Located at Vermont and Olympic, this place caters a Korean set-meal "picture" menu. Lots of nice dishes at very affordable prices. The restaurant is open 24hrs a day... so you can get your Tofu Soup fix after a few Gin and Tonics... Nak Kwon, Hodori's neighbour is also open late and serves pretty much identical food. Thumbs up.

Themos's take: I love 24h restaurants, escpecially if they are open 365 days a year. It's good to know there is someone you can always rely on. The pricing is very good for the amount of food you get.

Who? Alex, Andrew, Steve

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Village Pizzeria * * * * / + + + $

Who? Alex, Andrew, Steve
Where? Somewhere between Ghetto and Hollywood
How much? $13
Zagat: 24, $13

Andrew's Take: This is a cute, little pizza and pasta place on N. Larchmont. The pizza is fantastic and all the food comes with that "authentic" NYC flavour. The ravioli was quite awesome. The only downside is that the menu is a touch on the pricy side. Thumbs up.

Themo's Take: This is definately one of the top 2-3 pizza places in LA I've tried so far. With the exception of Cheebo which makes fully organic pizzas (but not NY style), this is one of a kind find. The ingredients are fresh and tasty, the bread is awesome, and the pizzas are huge hence even the small one can satisfy two people. This results in ultra-cheap bills and full stomaches!

Monday, March 14, 2005

Fred 62 * */+ +

Who? Andrew, Themo, Rajay, Laura, Michelle, Steve, Shane
Zagat: * * *, $17

Located at Vermont and Franklin, this is a great 24hr place. "Mac and Cheese Balls" and other fine diner foods are amply available here. Great malt shakes but stay away from the Pho. Park on the streets behind the restaurant.

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market and Patio Cafe + + +

Don't let this shack on the side of the road deceive you! Great seafood dishes, excellent battered fish served with coleslaw, fries... Enjoy the Malibu sun on the patio while breathing the fresh Pacific breeze. Then go for a stroll on the beach...

Who? Adam, Shane, Wan, Steve, Andrew

Yard House + + + +

Who? Andrew, Themo, Xiong, Ravi, Steve
Zagat: * * *, $27

Here resides the largest selection of draft beer ever. The restaurant has a busy atmosphere and a loud sport's bar feel. The food is absolutely excellent... a great place to go with friends to throw one back.

The Original Pantry * */+ + + +

Who? Themo, Andrew and Steve used to a lot, Michelle, Ravi
Zagat: * *, $15

Themos' Take: Located near Staples Center in downtown LA, it's 24/7 crowded and noisy - this is what makes it so good. Great breakfast option.

Andrew's Take: Get to know the chefs over bottomless coffee, and prepare yourself for a coronary. The breakfast bacon, eggs and hotcakes are a lethal combo. Don't forget the sourdough bread - one of my personal favourites. Skip the line by jumping on the counter... all the hip kids are doing it. Thumbs up.

Marie Callender's * * */ + + +

Themo's Take: Initially well known for their pies and bakery stuff, however they have nice dishes to offer overall.

Andrew's Take: Mmm... pie.

Hurry Curry of Tokyo * * * */ + + +

Themos' Take: Excellent quantity for price restaurant - beef, chicken and pork along with mild curry and awesome rice. Did I mention the good looking customers that go there?

Andrew's Take: Excellent curries drench your tastebuds in a flavour explosion. Deceptively small pots of delicious goodness mixed with cutlets or fruits de mer. My only complaint is the severely undercooked rice they served us that one time. Thumbs up.

Who? Lots... Andrew, Themo, Ravi, Shane, Rajay, Darren, Yao, Chris... ... ...

Mama Voulas * * */ + + + +

Who? Andrew, Themo and Ravi
Zagat: * * *, $20

Themos' Take: Nice greek restaurant in Westwood - decent meats and relaxing enviroment. You can also say hi to mama voula herself.

Andrew's Take: I may not be a connaiseur of Greek food (like Themo) but this is about as good as I've had. It's got a cozy, warm feel. Great dishes. Thumbs up.

Houston's * * */ + + + $ $ $

Zagat: * * * *, $31

Themo's Take: American style restaurant - I like them , what can I do? Haven't seen it outside the US (unlike T.G.I. Friday's). They have the largest seletion of draft beer.

Andrew's Take: It's great food but it breaks the wallet! You're looking at $40+ with tax and tip. Order the rack o' ribs (not actually on the menu) and you won't be disappointed. I have a soft spot for Julienne fries. The spinach dip is excellent. Thumbs Up.

Cheesecake Factory * * * * / + + + +

Who? Themo, Andrew, Charlie, Felecia
Zagat: * * *, $24

Themos' Take: Well known chain of quality restaurants - not too expensive for what they offer.

Andrew's Take: Always a safe bet for a good meal... But be prepared to wait a long time for a table if it's a weekend evening. It also takes me at least two sittings to eat a piece of their cheescake - but it's good to the last drop. Thumbs up.

Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers * * * */ + + + + $

Who? Andrew, Themo and Ravi
Where? Brentwood
Zagat: * * * *, $13

Themos' Take: One of the best burger places around here - fresh meats, fresh ingredients, fresh bread. Really tasty. Wann eat a whole cow? Try the Big Barney Burger :-) Thumbs up for me.

Andrew's Take: Yes, absolutely... and the best part about this place is that the prices are very affordable. It's cozy, tasty and you have a million burgers to choose from! Also vegetarian friendly. The restaurant's on a busy road, so it may take a while to find parking. But thumbs way up for me too.

Parkside (the USC "restaurant") * * * * */ + + + + + $

Andrew's Take: Endless food that's not always that good. But it's an easy and convenient way to cover all the food groups for $5.50 a trip. I agree, 5 +'s for the hand that feeds us.

Themos' Take: This is not the idea of the blog... I'm taking this entry off. 5 Stars for the almost infinite food/money ratio.

Who? Andrew and Themo, and of course Steve, a lot

Buffet Land Seafood and BBQ + + +

Located at Olympic and Westlake, this is one of the greatest Japanese/Korean buffets around. Do-it-yourselfers who enjoy BBQ'ing their way through the night will love the copious amounts of fresh meats and sea creatures. A tremendous selection of appetizers, sushi, vegetables, fruits and desserts. The low rating is due to the expensive price of dinner (~$25) - try lunch instead. Thumbs up.

Who? Andrew + Steier Research Group