After many repeat visits to the original Sawtelle location, we finally ventured outside of our comfort zone and made a reservation for the Santa Monica location. The determining factor was our ability to make an actual reservation. At some point in the past, I was able to make a reservation on Resy for the Sawtelle branch but that’s not true anymore so Open Table was able to facilitate a movable reservation to the beachside location.
Despite the address being on Ocean Drive which is parallel to Pacific Ocean, the restaurant is actually located on Broadway behind Sushi Roku. In any case, it was still beachside with an exposed restaurant to the ocean breeze. We opted for a deuce on the patio right by the sidewalk so that we could people watch.
Our server, Brayden seemed super nice and was as helpful as he could be. Our orders came out incredibly quick but there were a few hiccups. My vodka martini up no vermouth with a lemon twist had a strong vermouth aftertaste so I sent that back. Our water glasses weren’t refilled. I had to get up and pour myself a glass.
Our baby back ribs and cole slaw appetizer was quite tangy and savory. The ribs were doused in BBQ sauce. They were definitely very rich and we both realized that we needed to refrain from indulging if we wanted to eat our main courses.
My husband’s patty melt came out nicely. Everything was just as he ordered. However, my dish had some challenges. I ordered a salmon BLT with only lettuce, crispy bacon, salmon and mustard. The salmon, mustard and fries came out but no bacon. I kept trying to beckon our server who was at the bar but to no avail. I tried 4 times. I finally asked the hostess and though the strips came out quickly, they were not crispy.
Our server finally came back to check on us and I returned the unacceptable bacon. Round 2 brought 2 strips which also weren’t crispy but clearly had just come off the pan or griddle. *Note to all cooks: Stop frying your bacon. They are greasy, soggy and not crispy. No need to fry a bacon when you just need to crisp them up in the microwave. For each strip of bacon, get a layer of paper towels on the bottom and the top of a paper plate to cover. For example, 2 strips of bacon = 2 layers of paper towels on the bottom and 2 layers on the top, to soak up the grease and crisp them up. Microwave them 1 minute longer than the number of strips on the paper plate so 2 strips = 3 minutes in the microwave, maybe 3 1/2. I learned that from my Food teacher high school in 1993 so not new news.
But I digress. Aside from that, our dining experience was fast, efficient and overall the food was delicious. Since Sawtelle and Santa Monica are equidistant to us, we both love being by the water and we’re able to make online reservations for Santa Monica, it will likely become our regular relatively inexpensive treat for a nice relaxing evening out.
Plan Check & Bar
1401 Ocean Blvd., #104
Santa Monica, CA 90401
When one hears about taco places, there’s the expectation that it should be cheap, inexpensive, fast food. Admittedly, I have the same mindset. Guerrilla Tacos does not fit that mold.
My husband and I weren’t originally planning to dine at Guerrilla Tacos. We made the trek from the Westside to the Arts District to try to head to a Food Bowl Event at Everson Royce but the line wrapped around the corner.
Famished, we decided to figure out what restaurant we had been wanting to try but were reluctant to drive to from our side of town. The first restaurant on Yelp’s list was Guerrilla Tacos. I’ve heard of Chef Wes Avila but had been reticent to make the pilgrimage. Since the restaurant was right across the street from Everson Royce, it seemed fortuitous that Memorial Day be the day to partake.
We came in and lined up to place our order with the cashier. Not having done any preliminary research, we looked up at the menu and the specials and tried to pinpoint what looked interesting. I asked what a scrambled egg was and the cashier mentioned that it’s scrambled eggs with chunks of meat similar to the consistency of a meatloaf ($16). Being a carnivore and lover of eggs, I ordered that to go with my husband’s order of a steak taco ($6), lobster quesadilla ($20) and shrimp & grits ($21). He also ordered a Belgian White ($8) on draft. The cashier suggested ordering my vodka martini with the bartender so after we paid, we grabbed our number and sat at a booth.
There was one bartender and much to my dismay it took 10 minutes before I almost lost it and asked him, after bypassing me for at least 4 other customers, if I could get a martini. He apologized and soon I had my Loft and Bear vodka martini in hand.
Luckily, the first dish arrived right after I paid for my martini. The steak taco seemed colorful but simple and regular size. I only had a bite of a sliver of steak which was juicy and lean. My husband seemed to really enjoy it and mentioned how there was not one bite with a grisly piece of beef and the taco was definitely of a higher quality than others.
Next to arrive was my scrambled eggs which almost looked like a large platter of salad with more than handful of greens nestled on top. I could see it had chunks of beef incorporated within a very thin crepe like consistency of scrambled eggs. I took a bite and the combination of the greens with the herbaceous eggs and the added bonus of the seasoned meat mixture was heavenly. The accompanying “homemade” warm, buttery flour tortillas had a slightly smoky aftertaste and rounded out the dish.
As we were enjoying our first two orders, the server brought the lobster quesadilla. It was not like the traditional quesadilla as it was open faced. Interestingly, the paper thin tortilla was slightly crisp and sitting atop it were chunks and chunks of lobster mixed with a soft sunny side up egg which oozed into the amazing sauce melding all the simple but tangy flavors and textures together.
The shrimp and grits were the last to arrive. They were the most expensive of the items we ordered and the quality and texture of the grits were spectacular, totally worth every penny. Yes, there were chunks of shrimp but the grits, the flavor combination and the creamy consistency were unlike anything we had ever sampled.
Guerrilla Tacos is not your fast food hole-in-the-wall taco place. This is Mexican cuisine which borders on fine dining but in a casual atmosphere and location. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for and Guerrilla Tacos is worth every penny.
Guerrilla Tacos
2000 E. 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
http://www.guerrillatacos.com
Stark’s is the beautiful replacement to the drab Jerry’s Deli which was a mainstay in the area for many moons. It was a surprise when it finally left but it had served its purpose, the area had evolved significantly and change was long overdue.
The entrance was moved from the right side to the center of the property facing the main parking lot. Walking in, it looks and feels like some of the more upscale restaurants in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach. The inside of the restaurant looks completely different from its former inhabitant and the clientele looks to be more upwardly mobile. All were great signs from the onset.
Our server “Tweety” and his assistant were really on their game. What happened next was not at all their responsibility. We sat down and ordered drinks which we received fairly promptly. The table to my left ordered a dirty martini and got a very clean but full to the brim martini. The drink was sent back. Our neighbors to my right had not received their meal for some time and when they finally received their salads, one was supposed to not have dressing on it so that was sent back.
Our orders of Margarita flatbread and Caesar salad with chicken had not arrived 25 minutes after our order. What did arrive were our prime steak and pork chop entrees. Two minutes afterwards the starters arrived.
I took one bite of my steak and decided to stop eating it right then and there. I had recently bought prime steak from Costco just down the street and my home cooked steak was much more tender and flavorful than the hockey puck I had just consumed.
I tried the flatbread which had a crispy crust but soggy middle.
The Caesar salad was missing the chicken breast we ordered and my husband’s pork chop was a bit too pink in the middle.
I got up and looked for our server who I brought back to our table. I explained our issues and he asked what I wanted to do. I asked for the fish dish which could be cooked the fastest.
It took about another 20 minutes for the salmon, mashed potatoes and asparagus to arrive. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the salmon was moist, unlike the steak, but it lacked any seasoning. The asparagus was pretty good, a bit charred and smoky. I mentioned that the salmon was lacking in flavor but the texture was far improved.
To our server’s and the manager’s credit, my meals were comped. Before leaving, we spoke with an older couple sitting in the corner booth and asked how her steak was. She said it was good and much better than her husband’s chicken. We asked the couple to my left how their steak was and she had ordered it medium rare and cut it with a butter knife because they forgot to give her a steak knife but she thoroughly enjoyed it and was taking her leftovers home.
All in all, for the first week, there is much to be desired from the kitchen staff primarily. The meals took too long to be served and the food was inconsistent. The servers may be great but a restaurant cannot survive on service alone on the very competitive Westside. There needs to be a major reevaluation and reassessment of the kitchen crew before I would return to Stark’s.
At this point, I cannot recommend Stark’s for anything other than a casual drink at the beautiful bar. Yard House just down the street would be a better bet for those wanting a reliable reasonably priced dining experience and for those looking for a more upscale dining experience, Ruth’s Chris is far superior in quality with exemplary service.
Stark’s
13181 Mindanao Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
For those in the know, this is not a write-up about a spinoff of the fantastically hilariously funny and witty Amazon series though just like the series it has a throwback, classic feel where you feel the lead character would fit right in with her chic outfits and witty charm. Rather, it is a celebration of a beautiful vibrant restaurant on the outskirts of downtown Culver City which manages to capture the mood and the vibe of the hippest, most popular restaurants and bars of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood with its retro vibe and its 180 view of the city’s skyline.
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’m in what can only be described as a happiness food coma from our sensational dinner experience at Dear John’s which was recently reopened this last week as a passion project by the renowned Hans Rockenwagner, Patti Rockenwagener and Josiah Citrin. To say that I am in love and enamored with the food and the vibe at the restaurant would be an understatement. It’s been quite some time where I’ve been personally transformed and moved by the food, the service and the ambiance.
I had been to Dear John’s a few times before in its original incarnation. We came for New Year’s Eve dinner several years ago and the patrons clearly had been loyal to the staff and the food for quite some time. The food was okay, moderately priced, the pianist and singer were entertaining and it was a solid, respectable night.
Tonight’s dinner extravaganza was not even the same conversation or the same crowd. The clientele seemed more established, more polished but not uptight. This reincarnation did not have live entertainment but they had lively music playing in the background. The restaurant looked like a more tightened version of the original with a nod to its history.
The food, however, was a complete 180. Everything we ordered just topped our expectations which is a sensational sign for the success of this “do-over” that our city, Culver City, is so incredibly lucky to have for the next two years. We started with the tableside Caesar salad which was a show in and of itself. It was creamy and delicious, perfectly and evenly mixed with the dressing.
Our friends ordered the garlic bread, avocado crab Louie, shrimp cocktail and wedge salad to start, which all looked beautiful. The garlic bread was the only one I sampled of the four and though I try to limit my carbs, that toasted, garlic, buttery goodness was definitely worth the splurge. Each order came with two delicious breadsticks.
My husband and I ordered the filet with cafe de Paris butter, chicken Parmesan and broccolini.
Our friends ordered the ribeye, lobster Thermidor, creamed corn and fries. We got a bonus treat of the spaghetti and clams from Hans and Patti.
There are no words for how amazing everything tasted. For me, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten at a top quality restaurant where everything tasted like they should and all the accompaniments fit together. Everything seemed like it was prepared and cooked by an Iron Chef but understated, and that is a huge accomplishment in a town that has so much competition.
To top off this magical evening was the mind boggling chocolate peanut butter wafer dessert. It took 2 hands to cut through the dense deliciousness. I’m not a dessert person, but I somehow accidentally yet deliberately ate 3 very large teaspoons of the ice cream and the cake combo. If I had a dessert of choice, that would embody my ideal. It was moist, yet dense but not sweet. Each flavor came through with each bite.
We had met Josiah through our lovely dinner companions in the past but tonight was our first time meeting Hans and Patti who are just sensational people, committed to the restaurant and were there to meet guests, making sure their dinner experience was everything it should be.
Dear John’s Bar is where people should go for the next two years to treat themselves to an amazing dinner experience and savor in the joys of eating.
We will be back again and will bring our friends. Many thanks to Josiah, Hans and Patti for an amazing delectable dinner experience!
Dear John’s Bar
11208 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
https://www.dearjohnsbar.com
When we decide to dine out for dinner, we want to experience a different environment, people watch and/or treat ourselves for enduring and surviving yet another busy, arduous workweek. I judge a restaurant not just by the quality of the food but also equally on its service. Tonight’s food was delicious and very reasonably priced so that is what this review will focus on because of the manager, Jose, who intervened after I had come barreling into the kitchen screaming, agitated, asking for our food, because it took 25 minutes to get our drink orders, 10 minutes to get the lid to our coconut shrimp sauce which we were taking home with our leftover shrimp and 30 minutes after ordering to receive our salad and 2 entrees.
What we chose to remember from our evening was the part that was enjoyable and memorable and the reason we made the trek to the beach. Santa Monica and the Pier, to be exact, have had a special place in my heart since I was a kid. My dad had a job in Santa Monica so on weekends, he would make the trek from West Covina to Santa Monica to show me some of the places he discovered. The pier was one of those places that was magical for me then and now. Despite the mass crowds, especially over the summer, it’s a happy place, where one can feel like a child, feel like you’re on vacation and be whisked away from all your grown-up worries.
I somehow came upon Seaside on the Pier on the Santa Monica website. I looked at their menu which was very reasonably priced and decided to book a table on Open Table. I knew we were going to run a few minutes late so we tried to call on the road but nobody answered. In the midst of the crazy traffic on Ocean Avenue, I let my husband out so we wouldn’t be late for our 7:30 reservation and I went on the hunt for parking. After I found a lot, I walked with the crowd of tourists from Germany, Russia and other countless visitors from other countries venturing to the famous pier.
Luckily, the restaurant wasn’t too far from the entrance and I headed up the stairs to the restaurant where my husband was seated on the second floor, in the outside patio by a heat lamp. It was great seeing people on the pier, from all walks of life, seeing kids, dogs, teens wearing shorts, sweatshirts and flip flops, everybody on their own journey and different paths.
The first to arrive were the coconut shrimp. They were piping hot and needed a few minutes to cool off so they could be eaten. The batter was tight and stuck to the shrimp. They were perfectly crisp on the outside and the shrimp was meaty. It’s sweet and sour sauce was a nice accompaniment.
The next batch of food was the chicken Caesar, the seafood pasta and the grilled salmon. The winner of the evening was the pasta dish. There were lots of chunks of seafood and the Alfredo sauce had a bit of heat to it. The salmon was also quite good, perfectly grilled and lightly seasoned with a side of tasty cilantro rice and mixed green beans. The chicken Caesar salad with chicken was good but of all the dishes, could probably be skipped on our next venture.
Jose took us on the rooftop which has a fantastic view of the Ferris wheel, the pier and the ocean. I think once the kitchen staff, the servers and the host tighten up, this place will be a force to be reckoned with as the view is sensational. Yes, it’s located in a very touristy area but it doesn’t have offensive tourist trap prices and the food is actually quite good. Seaside on the Pier is on my Must Watch list.
Seaside on the Pier
250 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Grace Gambin
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