comida, sealed with a beso

I've been eating out a lot lately... probably because that's the only way I see anyone anymore thanks to my current sabbatical from being stressed out and ticked off all the time (aka working). Last week, I reunited with three-fifths of the amazingly awesome Soapnet.com team, circa 2005, to catch up and chow down at a restaurant one of us has always wanted to try, Beso Hollywood. 

Owned by former Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria and celeb chef Todd English, the restaurant is located in the heart of Hollywood on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Ivar. The menu is described as a fusion of classic steakhouse and authentic Latin dishes. And its decor is dark ... with dark wood and leather furniture, candles and gorgeous chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. It would've been very romantic had I been there with a guy instead of two gal pals. ;) But we still had a great time exploring the menu and left in a very happy food coma. It is on the pricey side though, so be warned. Luckily, the friend who wanted to eat here had also purchased a Living Social deal for $60 of food for $30, so we saved a bit there. 

Here's the pictorial of my menu for the evening:

The menu, and the candle I needed to read it (I said it was dark!)

For my cocktail, I ordered the "Pretty Girl" because it had vodka and strawberries -- two of my most favorite things -- in it (plus basil, lemon and sparkling wine).

I was hoping it would be as awesome as the Basil Berry cocktail I had at Yamashiro recently. But apparently, changing lemon juice to lemon and soda to sparkling wine totally changes the drink from sweet (the Basil Berry at Yamashiro) to kinda sour (the Pretty Girl at Beso).

It was okay, but wasn't what my palate was in the mood for that night.

For our appetizer, we were torn between Eva's Guacamole and the Beso Guacamole (which I will assume means it's Todd's?). We went with the Beso Guac because it sounded less salsa-esque and had corn in it, which sounded like an interesting twist. It came served in the avocado shells and was good, but not the best guac I've ever had by any means. What WAS really great, was the complimentary flatbread they brought us with it (sort of in the top of the photo). Next time, I'll save $9 and just eat that :)

For my entree' I ordered the Chili-Rubbed Skirt Steak. (Note: This photo sucks, so please don't judge the food by it.) Served on a wooden cutting board, the medium-cooked meat was spicy, but not too spicy and very tender with a great sauce. But what I liked best about the dish was the side -- Tortilla Fattoush. I had no clue what that was when I ordered, but was very pleasantly surprised. It was a corn/salsa salad with fried tortilla strips in it. Its crispy freshness totally complemented the steak.

Ohhh, and we also ordered a side to share -- truffled mac and cheese -- and it was one of the most heavenly yummy things I've had in a long time! Highly recommend that... even though I have no idea how mac and cheese qualifies as steakhouse or Latin fare.