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 first read about Sushi Beluga on one of my Yelp searches for new and noteworthy restaurants in the area. Since I had the day off, I decided to give them a try on MLK, Jr. Day.
I checked their opening time which was 11:00 a.m. and headed down to Playa. I arrived around 11:26 a.m. and saw the sign by the door that their soft open business hours were not as advertised, but they were set to open in 4 minutes so I decided to wait it out in my car until 11:30 a.m. and was the first customer through the door.
My server was absolutely lovely and welcoming. She explained that they had only been open only a month and a half and not all the items on the menu were available yet. She went page by page and identified those selections and mentioned that they expect to have the full menu available and be fully operational by the end of January or beginning of February.
I ordered the salmon sample which had 5 pieces of salmon for $15.95. For those doing the math, each piece cost $3.19. It was definitely not a cheap plate, but I was hopeful that the 5 star reviews on Yelp were on point.
I was sold on my first bite of the aburi miso salmon. It was tangy, complex with varying layers of flavors. The salmon tasted like it had hints of mirin, soy, sesame oil and citrus. It turned out to be my favorite on the plate.
That first bite set the stage for the rest. Next was the salmon with yuzu which had a smoky, citrus flavor. The third sample was the salmon truffle which was a bit oilier than the first two and had a slightly earthier aftertaste.
The next two samples were both king salmon as the restaurant was out of ocean trout. The texture of the king salmon was akin to the butteriness of the sashimi I had at Sushi Katsura which was located a couple hundred meters from the famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. King salmon #1 was Rey light, citrusy and quite refreshing while king salmon #2 had a bit of crunch and a slight tartness which tasted a bit like mango salsa on top contrasted by the salmon which had a more subdued flavor.
I didn’t believe I would ever taste quality even remotely close to what I indulged in during my visit to Tokyo in 2018 but at long last, I think I found a restaurant that is a much closer than Tokyo and likely a less expensive substitute.
Sushi Beluga is not your cheapest fare but the quality of the food they serve demands a slight upmarket price. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and having been spoiled with the freshness and exemplary cuts of fresh fish in Tokyo, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sushi Beluga as my new local go-to sashimi, sushi and nigiri spot in Playa Del Rey.
Sushi Beluga 207 Culver Blvd. Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 https://www.sushibelugaca.com
For my midweek lunch, I had a hankering for something different that was warm and comforting, savory and nurturing. It struck me that I hadn’t eaten Indian food in a while so I looked at my bookmarks on Yelp and saw that Cali Tandoor was in close proximity and they a lunch buffet!
I had driven by Cali Tandoor within the last week and realized it had replaced a long-standing Mexican restaurant.
It has a small parking lot adjacent to it. The entrance leads to a covered patio which opens into the main indoor dining room. The buffet station was towards the back of the restaurant.
I arrived a bit after 1 p.m. and the food surprisingly tasted fresh. most Indian buffers tend to look and taste dehydrated after sitting in room temperature for a few hours.
The rice was still light and fluffy, and the chicken was quite moist and tender. The quality of the food speaks to the freshness of the ingredients and the kitchen’s skill in preparing the food.
Two plates and two pieces of naan later I’m quite full and satisfied. I’m always happy to welcome a new and delicious restaurant to my hometown and will definitely be frequenting Cali Tandoor quite often in the very near future.
Cali Tandoor
9609 W. Venice Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
http://calitandoor.com
Many moons ago, the Manchester was the local Loyola Marymount haunt, the Fireside. It’s where fake ID’s were honored and where staggering drunkards whittled their time away. Since then, the location has been reinvented into a few other iterations, but it wasn’t until it morphed into The Manchester that I finally decided to return. Long gone are the dark, dank walls where I walked between for my 21st birthday and was nearly forced to drink a disgusting shot of Jagermeister. What emerged was a contemporary, dimly lit, very popular spot with the locals and millennials alike.
Fortunately, I was able to get a last minute dinner reservation on Resy on a Friday night. When we came in, the place was packed. We were a few minutes early so we had an opportunity to look around. The space is not that large, but it didn’t feel oppressive. It took a few minutes for our table to become available but once that freed up, we were taken care of the rest of the evening.
Fernando, one of the owners, had set us up with our cocktails before our table was ready, which arrived just as soon as we were being whisked to our table.
After reviewing the menu, we opted for the burger and fries to start and the chicken and salmon from the large entree menu. Our appetizer was quite savory.
The burger patty was slightly salty and the meat was fairly tender. The fries were crispy, per my request and the aioli dip hit the spot.
Our entrees also were quite good. The salmon was moist and flaky. The accompanying vegetables, the eggplant and baby bok choy, were lightly seasoned and perfectly cooked.
The chicken had a surprisingly crispy skin and moist, tender meat with a savory and a slightly crispy broccolini as its accompaniment.
We ended our meal with a very chocolatey pot de creme. It was quite creamy and could possibly cause one to stay up all night.
All in all, the food and service were quite good. Truth be told though, the prices were high for what we ordered. I’ve eaten at other restaurants like Prospect Gourmand on La Cienega or Lunetta All Day on Pico where comparable entrees are closer to the $18-$22 range so we felt the prices were a bit inflated. Other than that, the service, ambiance, vibe and the food were quite enjoyable. Though we would likely not return as there are better values for the experience, the Manchester would definitely be one to try.
The Manchester
8522 Lincoln Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
https://themanchester.la
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After a long work week, we were torn on whether to stay in on a Friday night and order delivery from one of our standbys, The Original Thai BBQ restaurant on Venice, or head out and experience a change of scenery. We opted for the latter but chose a place close by in downtown Culver City. A new restaurant opened fairly recently called Amacita. It sits where the former BacoShop had its two year residency. Over the last fifteen years, the space has had several other iterations including Santa Maria BBQ and coincidentally a different Thai BBQ restaurant.
When we arrived, the restaurant was full including its bar area. In the few times we ate at that location, we had never seen it at full capacity so that was a good omen. We ordered beer and wine and were served a basket of super crispy and addictive tortilla chips which was another point in the restaurant’s favor. Luckily, a table for two was leaving so we were seated inside fairly quickly.
We started with two crispy fried golden tacos with chicken which had the same crispy texture as the chips. It came with a huge dollop of crema, a pile of red cabbage and salsa. The chicken was perfectly moist and savory and each taco definitely had a generous helping of meat.
Next to arrive was the McGrath charcoal grilled baby corn with queso fresco and morita crema. The corn was smoky and the sauce added a layer of creaminess and tanginess. It was quite unique as they were petite baby corn and not the usual plate of corn kernels or an actual corn on the cob giving it a much more refined presentation.
Our last starter dish to arrive was a bowl of Weiser tiny russet potatoes with arbol chile cream, manchego, bacon and chives. That was the dish that made me do a double take and pay attention. All the flavors blended perfectly well and the texture of the potatoes weren’t too creamy but weren’t too roughly chopped either. It was somewhere in the middle so that you could taste the chunks of potato with the bites of bacon and chives subtly blending in.
Sadly, there was at least a 20 minute delay in between the starters and the main dishes so that was disappointing.
My husband ordered the mesquite grilled arbor shrimp in country Rhodes blistered tomatoes and tomatillo. It was delicious, savory, smoky and tender all at once with a subtle hint of tanginess.
I ordered the Peads & Barnett pork collar pibil with roasted pineapple and salsa verde. Sadly, it was inferior in comparison to the quality of the preceding dishes. The pork was dry and lacking in flavor. Unlike the three other dishes we ordered which had depth and complexity, the chunks of pork didn’t absorb any of the seasonings or the flavor of the sauces on top and around it. Somehow there was a strange delineation and separation which is indicative of the parts being cooked separately. Perhaps the pork should be marinaded in a lemon, lime or even grapefruit base to tenderize the meat and give it a bit more acidity in flavor. A bit of black pepper would also give it more depth.
Luckily, I mentioned my dissatisfaction to our busboy who must have said something to the manager as it was removed from our bill.
In addition, to apologize for the long delay, we were given a beautifully refreshing dessert on the house. It was a berry granita with peaches and cream which was a delicious way to end our Tex-Mex experience.
All in all, aside from a few hiccups which management acknowledged and corrected, it was a great dinner at Ama-cita. The presentation and flavors were polished and the vibe of the restaurant is a fantastic addition to bustling downtown Culver City. We will be back!
Ama-cita
9552 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA
https://www.ama-cita.com
I had been eyeing the opening of this restaurant for the better part of the last three months. I first noticed it on one of my evening commutes from my new job which sent me down Motor Avenue. The restaurant is located one street east on the very busy and ethnically diverse Venice Boulevard. A friend had mentioned how much she loved the Jaffa on 3rd but being a Westsider, it takes a lot for me to summon up the energy to veer east of the 405 and north of the 10. I had read that the Palms location would be opening in 2019 so I just decided to bide my time.
We were seated in the covered patio where there was plenty of opportunity to people watch. As the sun set, the string of lights illuminated the patio evoking a romantic evening glow. With it being opening week, the restaurant had a full house with lots of patrons coming and going.
Our starters were the Kubaneh bread and the North African chickpea stew. The Yemenite hand pulled bread came with a mild grated tomato sauce and a slightly spiced green zhug sauce. The Kubaneh was beautiful to look at, almost too pretty to eat. However, that thought was quickly admonished after our first bite. It’s what one would imagine a warm hug would feel like if it could be encapsulated into dinner rolls. The bread was warm and enveloping with a light salty aftertaste. The stew had a hearty flavor with a complex layer of heat and tang from the spicy chilis, green beans and cilantro encompassing each bite. We dipped a few pieces of the bread in the stew which was likely what we would do if we were actually dining at a restaurant in Tel Aviv and that added another layer of flavor to both starters.
Our entrees came shortly thereafter. We ordered the spaghetti with Moroccan saffron butter and the roasted chicken with Moroccan spices set in a dried fruit and olive jus with a side of orzo rice pilaf. One could smell the saffron wafting from the homemade pasta. It had a slightly thicker consistency than other pastas we have tried which gave it a bit more bite than the traditional Italian version. Combined with the Swiss chard, pine nuts, herbs and date vinegar, it was different and interesting, denser and heartier than what we expected but still quite good. The roast chicken was a true delight. It was savory and moist, had a citrus aftertaste and its juices were soaked up by the light fluffy savory spiced rice making it a divine combo.
To end our feast, we were served the knafeh. I had seen a photo of it on Instagram but had never sampled one before. I have clearly wasted decades as this is a unique dessert not to be missed. Jaffa’s knafeh was like a nest of thin straw which were tightly wound phyllo dough with a bit of cheese in the middle drizzled with a subtly sweet syrup. The texture and the combination of the flavors was what made this dessert a winner.
Our first of many dinners at Jaffa was a true success. We will be back with friends and we’re looking forward to sampling the restaurant’s other offerings.
Jaffa Palms
10306 Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90232
http://www.jaffa.la/palms/index.php
We had the great fortune of joining our friends for a special birthday celebration at Slay in Manhattan Beach. It was previously the short-lived Darren’s where we had dined for my sister-in-law’s 40th birthday dinner which we deemed her Tiffany birthday, complete with the breakfast at Tiffany’s DVD, a Tiffany themed birthday cake and a necklace from Tiffany. The company was much better than the food and after our special occasion dinner, we did not return.
Tonight’s dinner experience was much improved. The space had been renovated and had a bit of a nautical old world scheme. The new owner and chef served us a dinner feast which was quite exceptional.
The meatballs we ordered were moist and had a subtle but well seasoned flavor.
Our Caesar salad had crispy romaine bites with a creamy but not overpowering dressing and sprinkles of crispy croutons to round out the texture.
My ahi was sitting on a bed of fries and was perfectly seared and seasoned, and my husband’s filet was tender, moist and flavorful. His pesto mashed potatoes were very unique and truthfully just brilliantly simple and delicious.
Our friends enjoyed their steak entrees as well and the desserts were also delightful.
All in all, it was a 5 star understated and divine experience at Manhattan Beach’s newest additions.
SLAY Steak + Fish House
1141 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
https://www.slaysteakandfishhouse.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
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/
Our first introduction to Astro Doughnuts was at an outdoor movie screening of Top Gun last summer at Veterans Park in Culver City. It was one of the food trucks at the event. I was in line for another food truck with a friend so I sent my husband to get in line at their truck to get me fried chicken. Everybody in front of him was ordering the PB&J doughnut. Although he ordinarily wouldn’t eat a doughnut, he did enjoy an occasional PB&J sandwich so he ordered one of those. To say that on first bite, the obsession was born would be a severe understatement.
A former coworker was working at Deutsch and she posted a photo on Instagram that Satan had pulled up, showing the photo of the Astro Doughnuts food truck. I immediately tagged my husband on her post and mentioned that he had been craving those doughnuts and for him to head over before they left. My husband luckily made it over right before the end of the lunch rush and was lucky to get the last two PB&J doughnuts.
When I mentioned that a Santa Monica storefront was opening up, he kept checking their Instagram page for updates on opening day. They finally opened last Thursday but we were both busy with work so we made a plan to pick up dessert before our Saturday night dinner reservation. Sadly, the business hours on the site and even on the door were not accurate. We arrived at 7:18 p.m. and though my husband begged the guy in the store to let him in just so he could buy his PB&J doughnuts, his efforts were foiled because they had none left. He looked sad and dejected as he walked away empty handed.
On this beautiful sunny Sunday, I decided it time for a proper and successful do-over. This time I called the downtown Los Angeles location and asked for the Santa Monica phone number. The woman on the phone claimed to not have their number but she was told they would be closing at 3 p.m. today. At the time of the call, it was 1:45 p.m. so we immediately headed out.
I dropped my husband off at the corner and asked him to order me 2 fried chicken thighs and tater tots. I drove around the block and saw a guy in a Prius getting ready to leave on the same block as Astro. I immediately made a sharp U-turn and pulled into the spot. Thank you Parking Fairy.
When I walked into the shop, my husband had just ordered 8 pieces of chicken which was 6 more than I wanted though he correctly assumed I would want leftovers so points scored for him. He also ordered my tater tots extra crispy. For his lunch, the cashier offered him a make your own combo consisting of a fried chicken breast sandwich with a farm fresh egg in between a cheddar biscuit and for dessert/breakfast/snack for the week, he ordered 3 PB&J doughnuts and 3 coconut almond doughnuts. While we were waiting, we noticed a kid chomping down on the most popular offering which was the chocolate chip cookie dough. I decided to buy the second to the last one since clearly the day’s diet was blown.
The food arrived and boy it was a sight to see. Talk about abundance of happiness!! I immediately started munching on the tater tots which were perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The fried chicken was cooked simply. It had a light tight crispy batter with juicy moist meat underneath, lightly peppered but not overly seasoned. It was also surprisingly not greasy or oily like the fried chicken at other establishments.
The decadence and indulgence obviously came in the form of their doughnuts. The chocolate chip cookie dough had a dense chocolate cake for its main portion with a thick layer of iced sugar and chocolate chips on top with a scoop of actual cookie dough filling the hole in the middle. The key is to parse off a bite of the main doughnut and take a piece of the cookie dough and set it on top of the bite to get the full effect of this doughnut. The seasonal vegan coconut almond doughnut is much lighter, more subtle but definitely is still a contender. With that said, both pale in comparison to the PB&J doughnut. The combo of the peanut butter icing and chopped peanuts on top with the jelly oozing out of the middle is what foodies call a foodgasm. Hail to the king of all doughnuts!!
The true sign of a successful paring/merger of flavors is the ability of each layer to complement and yet be able to stand on its own. Astro Doughnuts is just beginning its winning streak and we cannot wait to enjoy their offerings over and over. We are customers for life! Thank you for coming to California and thank you for coming to the Westside!!
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
2309 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(424) 280-4414
Grace Gambin
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