I first read about the opening of Lustig from an Eater article. It was the replacement restaurant for La Dijonnaise in the Helms Bakery in Culver City. I actually had a reservation before the holiday break which was cancelled due to the restaurant opening being delayed so I rescheduled after the first of the year and set our dinner for the first Friday of January.
It had been a while since we had frequented the Helms Bakery. There were still plenty of free parking spaces on-site. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were immediately seated and our server came to greet us moments later. We had never dined at the former restaurant so we didn’t have a frame of reference what the interior looked like at the time, but Lustig’s contemporary décor was a refreshing change of scenery.
The red walls and tall ceilings set against floor to ceiling windows gave it a very airy vibe.
They also had a beautiful sparkly full bar.
There were four dining areas: an outdoor patio, the bar, the main dining area and a more private section further into the restaurant near the second restroom.
In both water closets, there was a taped poster above the doorway as a nod to Ted Lasso.
After a short chat with our server, we ordered our food, and the starters arrived a few minutes later.
The tuna cannoli was served in a crispy eggroll shell and tasted like an incredibly fresh tuna tartare with avocado but condensed and tightly wrapped.
The croque monsieur pizza was served broiling hot. It was cheesy, smoky, savory and just decadent. Though it was a bit oilier than I expected and the crust wasn’t crispy, the flavors were all there and hit all the right notes.
The chicken was moist and tender. It was served with beans which added a bit of earthiness to the dish. The asparagus which came with the dish was also perfectly cooked. In my haste to sample, I dropped an asparagus and without missing a beat, a hostess scooped it up from the floor. Some of the beans that came with the chicken were slightly undercooked and crispy but still good.
The broccolini was set in a soy, tomato base and was cooked al dente.
Fries were crispy and lightly salted.
The apple streudel was life altering. It was served warm, in a crispy crust, with cinnamon, tart apple with a creamy light sauce and cold ice cream. It was amazing!!
We would definitely return to our neighborhood’s newest gem. The service with the unique and delicious eats made for a winning combination!!
Here’s my secret for finding the new restaurant eats: I subscribe to Eater and Infatuation and I regularly receive emails of openings and reviews. However, and no offense to my fellow foodies, but I have a different standard, and I don’t always agree with their recos. On the Xuntos front, I’m 100% “aligned” which by the way is ad agency/marketing speak, now that I’m professionally back in that sphere.
Xuntos is located in Downtown Santa Monica which, in my teens and 20s, was one of my favorite hangouts. Now part of the area has been surrendered to and relegated to the homeless encampments while the oceanside still caters to the elite. Walking to Xuntos with my Lady Dior from the public parking garage on 4th made me reevaluate my luxury bag choice for the night. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, I was very pleasantly surprised at the upscale environment.
My husband was already seated as I dropped him off to locate parking.
When I arrived, my husband’s wine choice for me was promptly served. It was their driest white wine offering which had a bit of zest and grapefruit tartness.
The complimentary olive starter served with the drinks had a bit of kick with a peppercini flavor.
We started off with the ham and grilled cheese sandwich. The “bikini jamon” was phenomenal! Cheesy, gooey, slightly sweet, with shaved sweet slices of jamon in the center. We ended up ordering two because it was that good!
Next up was the gazpacho which was delicious, refreshing, creamy, tart, a bit sour with hints of the freshness of cucumber, truly unique and perfect for a hot summer day.
Our first main dish was the garlic shrimp which was beautifully presented, steaming hot with sliced baguette on the side. The shrimp had a bit of heat and the oil from the pan served as a nice dipping sauce for the bread. The shrimp was small but plump and tender.
Next up was the squid ink pasta which was creamy, tart from the lemon juice and tomato purée.
The patatas bravas were served piping hot, crispy with a drizzle of sour cream, chives and tomato purée.
The finale was the steak which was lightly salted, tender and juicy, with a bit of chimichurri herbs, caper sauce and rock salt on top.
All the menu items from start to finish were exceptional. It’s been a while since all the notes, from the service to the quality of the food, hit all the right marks. As my childhood piano teacher would say after an excellent performance, three gold stars to Xuntos!
I had been wanting to try out Granville and even made a reservation or two only to cancel and push to a later date. At long last, we finally made our way to the WeHo establishment one Friday evening. It took us about 25 minutes to drive to the establishment and another 2 minutes to locate the valet parking which was behind the restaurant.
In Granville’s former life, it housed the now defunct Jerry’s Deli. On my last visit, Jerry Seinfeld was sitting in a corner booth, cracking jokes loudly for all to hear. Today, Granville is an expansive beautiful elevated casual restaurant with a gorgeous bar in the section where Jerry was ensconced with several areas allocated for dining.
Upon checking in for our reservation, we were asked by the hostess to wait while two other parties were seated. It only took a few minutes before we were escorted to our table.
Our server promptly greeted us and asked for our drink orders. When it was time to place our dinner order, as we were torn between a few dishes, we asked for her recommendations.
The first reco was the cheese toast and when dipped into the accompanying tomato bisque, it reminded me of happy childhood dreams. Even though we had asked for no onions, the grilled cheese sandwich was served with them, but somehow we didn’t mind as it gave the toast a bit of a sweet aftertaste. The tomato bisque had little chunks of tomato and was very mildly seasoned.
The next starter was the Brussels sprouts which had a dense center and a silky layer with a smoky, bitter aftertaste, served with slivers of almonds which added a bit of nuttiness to the dish. There was also a hint of citrusy sweetness which softened the bite of the dish.
The next recommendation was the bacon cheeseburger. I opted for a lettuce wrap. The smoked mozzarella was melted onto the medium cooked beef patty which was incredibly juicy and flavorful. The bacon was thick and well done. A small brown bag of uber crispy chips was served alongside the burger and was one of the best iterations of homemade chips I’ve ever tasted at a restaurant.
The third recommendation, which was the best of the bunch, was the ahi tuna dish. It arrived beautifully presented. In the center of the dish were two thick tuna filets which were beautifully pink in the middle and seared on the outside which was evenly coated with sesame seeds. The noodles added a nice soy flavor to the dish as well as a bit of heat. It was a delicious savory dish.
Granville is an elevated casual eatery. As their menu states, “come as you are.” They welcome a very attractive upwardly mobile but understated clientele. If that suits your mood, then we would highly recommend a dining experience for you at Granville. It can’t be beat!!
Our first introduction to Wood & Vine came by way of friends who had a theatre subscription to the Pantages. They frequently ate dinner at the restaurant prior to the evening’s performance. My friend made a point of letting me know that their meal set-up was a great value and the food was actually quite good as well. I made a mental note to make reservations the next time we had theatre tickets.
The opportunity presented itself when the touring company for Miss Saigon announced it would have a short residency at the Pantages. As we had not seen the musical yet and I was offered presale tickets, it was an easy decision which was quickly followed by pre-theatre dinner booking at Wood & Vine though my Open Table app.
Last Saturday night we finally experienced both. Wood & Vine is conveniently located diagonally across the street from the Pantages. They had a few high tops and bar stools by the front, the upstairs dining room had a traditional dining set-up with several tables with quite a few more at the outdoor patio which had the added bonus of a large rectangular table set-up around a fire pit. We opted to sit inside right by the window adjacent to Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame.
Our first order of business was toasting the start of our evening and taking the obligatory photos of and with the Pantages sign.
Drinks were quickly followed by some very tasty appetizers which came in the form of Crispy Brussels Sprouts with a sherry dijon vinaigrette and Shells and Cheese with aged cheddar and a moderate topping of crumbled cheez-its.
The sprouts were savory and smoky all at once. It was a solid dish and a decent sized serving which seemed more plentiful than anticipated so we wisely asked for it to be packed up to take home with us after the show so that we could continue to enjoy what was yet to arrive.
We also opted to bring the mac & cheese home with us as it was quite filling and unique. It’s definitely a dish you want to try again on a different day to make sure that your taste buds weren’t misguided or possibly tainted by alcohol. The cheez-its added a layer of eclecticism to the dish and as strange as it might sound, the combination actually worked! It served as a nice crispy cheesy crust, much like breadcrumbs, on top of a smooth, silky, savory pasta but with a tangier and crunchier texture. It’s true ingenuity stemmed in childhood creature comforts.
As our friends previously mentioned, the dinner entrees were truly a great value. They had quite a few options but we opted for The New Standard which was a shareable platter with 2 short rib, brisket and chuck cheeseburgers and a side of delicious crispy fries. I opted for animal style and was quite happy with how simply it was prepared.
Having consumed a very filling meal, to stay awake during the performance, we ordered a French press coffee which was followed by two very decadent desserts.
We started with the butterscotch which was light and rich at the same time. The maple ice cream with the sprinkles of sweet thyme crumble gave it that a bit of crunch and savoriness.
We also had the dark chocolate cake which looked like a chocolate comet flying off the plate. It came with coffee ice cream and caramel tuile to give us the added boost of caffeine and sugar to keep us alert for the theatre experience.
We were so impressed with the quality and creativity of Wood & Vine’s offering as well as the impeccable service that we booked our next pre-theatre dinner after completing our meal. Our gracious hostess/server/manager, Adriana was kind enough to let us know that Pantages would not allow us to bring our leftovers so she offered to store our sprouts and pasta until after the show. That solidified our loyalty to her and the restaurant.
Once the performance was over, we returned and decided to have a nightcap outside on the patio. It was a very comfortable evening and we could feel a bit of a breeze as we sat and enjoyed our drinks underneath the night sky, listening to the laughter of the large group sitting close around the fire pit. Under the canopy of lights strung between the trees, the patio had quite a romantic glow and was a beautiful and peaceful way to end our evening.
We look forward to many delicious experiences at Wood & Vine in the very near future. It’s a fantastic pre and post-theatre choice as the prices are quite reasonable compared with its neighbors, APL and Katsuya.
Wood & Vine is a neighborhood find in the heart of eclectic and bustling Hollywood and Vine.
Wood & Vine
The Taft Building
6280 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
https://www.woodandvine.com
We had originally planned on having a casual dinner at a newly opened ramen place in the area but on my drive home from work, I had an overwhelming hankering for baby back ribs. The only option was either Houstons’s in El Segundo or Hillstone in Santa Monica. To my chagrin, the Houston’s in the South Bay had no reservations available. The Santa Monica location appeared to have a 9:30 availability. However, when I arrived home, a unicorn reservation for 8 p.m. appeared on Resy which I immediately accepted. We arrived exactly on time and from entrance to exit, the entire dinner experience took 40 minutes.
Having frequented the establishment many times over in the past decade or so, we had our regular dishes in mind. We ordered our Titos martini and Titos Moscow mule to start. For our appetizer, we ordered the savory, crispy, cheese toasts which were absolutely divine.
Then we had the Thai jungle salad with filet mignon. The noodles were al dente, the chunks of filet were tender and juicy. The portion size could have easily been an option for a main entree.
However, we had other plans for our actual meals. My husband ordered the half chicken with black rice and beans. It looked to be moist and perfectly prepared, juicy, not greasy, with the perfect concoction of seasonings and spices.
The reason for our trip was my entree: the full rack of baby back ribs. I omitted the cole slaw in favor of a double order of fries. The ribs were so moist, juicy, flavorful that I nearly ate the entire rack. Realizing my gluttony, I stopped short with two ribs left to go.
Houstons/Hillstone has been a love of mine for nearly two decades. Their recipes at every location has remained tried and true and consistent throughout. That cannot be said of even some of the more famous steakhouses like Mastros or Del Frisco’s. I could easily recommend this chain and not fear any inconsistency in service of quality.
Hillstone
202 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
https://hillstonerestaurant.com/locations/santamonica/
Del Frisco’s Grille is a lively, contemporary, hip yet understated restaurant which has replaced the longtime resident, Il Fornaio, on the famed Ocean Avenue across the landmark Santa Monica Pier. It has a very different vibe and offering than its predecessor. It’s casual but refined and yet not stuffy. Perhaps it’s because of its close proximity to the beach and pier or because it’s in the heart of Santa Monica’s tourist area which attracts locals and visitors alike so it behooves them to welcome all to their establishment.
Del Frisco was on my new and noteworthy list on Yelp for quite some time but life happened so we ended taking our time to make our first visit and didn’t head over until the last Friday of April. We luckily arrived early and parked in the Santa Monica mall parking lot, saving us the ridiculous valet prices. The Colorado and 2nd Street parking lot is one block away from the restaurant.
When we arrived and checked in with the hostess, we were immediately seated. That was the beginning of our amazing service by the staff throughout the night. We had a server and she had an assistant. They were so on top of things, we wanted for nothing.
We started our evening toasting to the end of the work week with a Chopin martini and a Chopin Moscow mule. Decent sizes and portions and obviously stellar drinks.
For our starter, we ordered the Cheesesteak Eggrolls which were recommended as one of their most popular items. Truth be told, this is one of those dishes that in theory could be interesting but in execution did not work at all. You could taste the crispy eggroll wrapper, along with the meat and the cheese and drizzled on the plate was the sweet and sour sauce but being Asian and having gone to Asia, the flavor combination is not one which would be applauded in any part of that continent. It was trying too hard to be fusion and it was a flop.
The next dish was the iceberg lettuce wedge salad. The lettuce was quite crisp but the bacon wasn’t crispy enough to give it that counter crunch. The dressing was good but overall, it was a forgettable experience. Nothing about it stood out.
I ordered the baby back ribs for dinner. The ribs were tender but sadly I have to compare it to Hillstone/Houstons fork tender ribs and these didn’t surpass the former. They were good but not the best. My initial order of Parmesan fries were a dud. There was no seasoning at all on the fries. They weren’t crispy and the Parmesan cheese were just sitting on top. One of the managers came by and I expressed my disappointment so she went into the kitchen and ordered me a fresh batch with a side of truffle oil and the do-over was 10 times better.
My husband ordered the filet trio from the Spring menu. The steak was quite tender.
He ordered the truffle macaroni and cheese as his side dish which was decadent and exemplary. The cheese and truffle soaked through the pasta and the entirety of that dish which made it incredibly rich.
To top off the evening, we ordered the peanut butter chocolate pie which was perfection. It was not sweet but had the gooey texture that only a peanut butter, chocolate combo could create.
Of everything we ate, we would definitely order the truffle mac & cheese again as well as the dessert. Next time, we would likely scale back and try some of the burgers which are a little less expensive and more popular option on their menu.
Our dinner set us back $97 each with tax and tip but truthfully, the quality of the food tasted like it should have cost $65 though admittedly the service was top notch. We will keep all in mind going forward and order accordingly.
Del Frisco’s Grille
1551 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
I came upon Rasselbock on Yelp as a New & Noteworthy restaurant in close proximity to our neighborhood. I waited a bit until we were in the right mood for the German treats that it had to offer. I made the reservation through Yelp and lucky for us that we did, because on arrival for our 8 pm Friday night dinner reservation, we overheard that there was an hour wait.
Our server came over to take our drink order shortly after we were seated. We quickly ordered our dinner entrees after our drinks arrived at approximately around 8:15. We didn’t get our food until around 30-35 minutes later which seemed excessive for what we ordered except the other tables around us had also not been served their dinners so I would recommend more kitchen staff for weekend evenings, space permitting.
The food was actually quite delicious. I ordered the Jager schnitzel with Brussels sprouts and spicy green beans. The fried chicken breast was perfectly crispy and breaded on the outside and was quite juicy and tender on the inside. The mushroom sauce coating the top was really quite exquisite, giving it just a bit of umph to take it to the next level. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly cooked and dense, very subtly seasoned. The spicy green beans had a bit of kick but even I could tolerate it with my sensitive tummy. My husband ordered the Rasselbock burger with perfectly crispy seasoned fries. He said it was a solid burger.
All in all for a total of $76 with tax and tip, it was a very reasonable Friday dinner out. The clientele was ethnically diverse but not overly eclectic. It was a very lively scene with a few TV’s up for the sports enthusiasts. Even though the kitchen took a while, we would definitely be back to just chill out, take in the scenery and eat some really solid relatively inexpensive German specialties.
Rasselbock
3817 Grand View Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
https://www.rasselbocklb.com/
Grace Gambin
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