dinner at tuscany

Yes, that's at Tuscany, as in Tuscany il Ristorante in Westlake Village; not in Tuscany as in Italy. So while it doesn't have being in the most beautiful region of Italy to its credit, it is a great restaurant that was named an Open Table 2011 Diners Choice winner, and is a favorite of television legend Tom Selleck. I know this because my family has seen him here at least four different times. Alas, he did not show up for this family birthday dinner of mine though. Oh well... We still had a great time and had great food. I also (with the exception of my beverage) tried all new things I've never had here before in keeping with my 2013 "try new things" goal :)

Traditionally, when we come here, my mom and I have Cosmos. This year, my mom bailed on tradition and got wine instead. But I still got a pretty pink drink :)

Since this is a Tuscan restaurant, you should eat in courses like real Italians do, right? So for my "antipasti" I tried the Crispy Baby Artichokes a la "Romana," which were roasted baby artichokes served with a spicy arrabbiata tomato sauce and eggless roasted garlic aioli. I love me some artichokes and these were very good. But the bad thing about artichokes is they have pointy leaves, and when you make them crispy you're kind of accentuating that pointiness. They were still good and the arrabbiata sauce was to die for, but I still prefer my artichokes steamed or marinated.

For my "secondi" I was in the mood for pasta, so I had the Vermicelli with Strips of Filet Mignon and Pancetta, which consisted of large spaghetti with strips of filet mignon, roasted tomato, onion and pancetta. It arrived looking like spaghetti with a meat sauce, and I wasn't thinking about what I'd ordered when I took my first bite. So I was surprised by the filet mignon's lack of fall-apart-in-my-mouthness like a meatball would. But once I got over that and remembered what I'd ordered, all was right with the world again and I loved this dish. It was also extremely filling.

But that didn't mean I was too full for dessert... especially after my dad blabbed to the waitress that I was a "birthday girl." So I got a delish piece of the house tiramisu for free to celebrate, which I shared with the table. I'm not a big tiramisu person, but this one was good because a) there wasn't an overwhelming rum taste and b) there was a lot of chocolate and very spongy cake. And it had a candle on it :) 

random thoughts on the 2013 oscars

I've decided to save all my commentary for my blog vs tweeting this year. So here, for your reading pleasure, are all the things I thought as I watched this year's Oscars (don't call them the Academy Awards!)

-- My best dressed list is Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Garner, Amy Adams

-- Pretty stage design

-- Peter Brady, I mean Seth MacFarlane, looks good in a tux. And yay for saying the Academy screwed up in not nominating Ben Affleck

-- The re-enactment of Flight with sock puppets was pretty funny. Especially when they were "rolling" in the dryer.

-- The song and dance numbers with Seth + Channing Tatum, Charlize Theron, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe were actually surprisingly entertaining.

-- Best Supporting Actor is the biggest toss-up category, imho. I picked Robert DeNiro on my ballot, but can't be upset about Christoph Waltz winning. He was great in that icky, overly violent movie.

-- So pissed that Brave won over Wreck It Ralph. It was not a good movie.

-- The Avengers bit was awkward. Did Samuel L. Jackson just not want to go by the script or was that the script? And where the heck was Chris Helmsworth? (aka an actual Avenger vs Samuel L. Jackson)

-- Using the Jaws theme to play people off the stage is kinda hilarious.

-- The Bond 50th tribute was underwhelming. Thanks a lot for ruining the lineup of all the Bonds Pierce Brosnan.

-- Yay! Searching for Sugar Man won Best Documentary Feature! It's so so so good. Great, uplifting story.

-- Amour won for Best Foreign Film. Shocker.

-- Catherine Zeta Jones looked a little robotic in her All That Jazz number but sounded great thanks to lip synching. :p

-- Then Jennifer Hudson came out and blew her away live. (Note: She lost American Idol...just one of the reasons I don't watch that show)

-- The Les Miz cast sing-along was great...thank goodness. I was really scared when I heard Russell Crowe was going to be singing live.

-- Ick. One of my best friends' ex-husband just won another Oscar for Sound Editing.. Well half of one since he tied. Ick. Ick. Ick. His hair still looks like crap too.

-- Anne Hathaway's dress tonight had its own twitter account due to her pointy breastage area by the time the show started. Just one more thing about her to be snarky about.... Here's some more: Her speech was so rehearsed. She's just gotten more annoying as the awards season has gone on.

-- Adele. Amazing. But the sound mixing on her performance sucked. The orchestra and choir totally over powered her. 

-- Babs honoring Marvin Hamlisch with "The Way We Were." Classy.

-- Sound mixing on Norah Jones is terrible too. Maybe next year they should bring the orchestra back into the theater.  Just a thought.... 

-- Yay! Adele won Best Orignal Song. And she was so cute in her speech. Love her! And now she'shalfway to her EGOT.

-- Wait ... There was a screenplay for Beasts of the Southern Wild? Coulda fooled me.

-- Yay! Argo wins for Best Adapted Screenplay. It screwed me up in the Oscar pool but, combined with its Best Editing win, is hopefully a good sign for Best Picture.

-- Best Director was a total toss up since Ben Affleck wasn't nominated. I picked Spielberg in the
Oscar pool, but am happy Ang Lee won. Life of Pi was a beautiful film. 

-- Oh poor Jennifer Lawrence. Her gorgeous dress made her fall. But yay for Hugh Jackman rushing to help her. 

-- And Daniel Day Lewis makes history as a three-time Best Actor winner. Tom Hanks... Whatcha gonna do about that? 

-- The Oscars are going to be FOUR hours at this point. Wow. 

-- YES! YES! YES! Argo wins Best Picture!!!!  So happy for Ben and George. But mostly for Ben. He made an amazing movie that is the perfect mix of drama, comedy, action and suspense, with a great cast and a riveting STORY. And I loved his fast-talking, flustered, from-the-heart speech. Choking up when mentioning his kids.. Sniff. 

japanese fusion above hollywood

This is the week of birthday dinners for me. Yay! Starting on Saturday night (aka my actual birthday), three friends took me out to Yamashiro (aka "The Mountain Palace), which sits up on the Hollywood side of the hill, above The Magic Castle, off of Fountain. 

View of "The Mountain Palace" from across the driveway

I'd added Yamashiro to my list of places I want to eat in LA a year ago when I read about it in the food issue of Los Angeles Magazine, which mostly commented on its amazing view of LA. But I had no idea until we got there how big it was. It must seat 150+ people in the dining rooms that wrap around the outside of the building, and the inside garden, complete with koi pond and heat lamps. I also had no idea just how great the view was. It was like being at Runyon on a very clear, beautiful night (which isn't allowed since Runyon closes at sundown), with views east to Dodger Stadium, south downtown and west to Century City.

Hollywood at night, as seen from the Yamashiro driveway,
with the Downtown LA skyline way in the distance

But the size of the place and the view are only part of the experience. Overall, the food here, while pricey, is amaze-balls! A delicious series of surprises for your tastebuds, that -- best of all -- left me feeling satisfied but not stuffed/in a food coma, so I still had room for birthday cupcakes later that evening :) Here's what we ate, detailed photographically so you can drool along...

Drinkie-Drinks

 Only two of us had cocktails but they both got high marks. I LOVED this Basil Berry cocktail, which was sweet, but not too sweet and very refreshing thanks to the basil and soda. Also, I could barely taste the vodka, which can be good or bad, depending on how many you order ;) (I only had one. Seriously.)

Norman's Mai Tai
light rum, dark rum, passion fruit
and a secret ingredient

Basil Berry
vodka, muddled strawberry, basil,
lemon juice and soda

Appetizers

Pan Seared Crab Cakes (no photo -- we ate them too fast)

The crab cakes come two to a plate, but are big enough that you can cut them in half and share amongst four people. They were really good, served with a great cracked pepper aioli sauce and a pico de gallo-ish garnish of seasoned tomatoes and onions.

and 

Seafood Tempura (shrimp, scallops, cod, zucchini, onion)

The seafood tempura was also really good. It was a mix of seafood (shrimp, cod, scallops) and tempura battered veggies like zucchini and onion rings, that tasted great when dipped in the sake-ponzu sauce.

My Dinner 

Black Forbidden Rice Roll

(spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, tobiko, spicy mayo)

Everyone on Yelp was raving about this roll, so I made that my first choice off the menu. It was very good... slightly crunchy thanks to the cucumber and rice, and spicy thanks to the tuna and mayo sauce. I had one slice dipped in soy sauce, but then realized you don't need it at all. At first we also thought that there was caviar on top, but upon rechecking the menu realized it was tobiko (roe), likely died black with squid ink or something to make it no longer red/orange like normal smelt eggs. All in all, this was a good, very filling roll, but it is not the most amazing roll they have. (Keep reading....)

Spicy Lobster Roll 

(lobster, avocado, cucumber, bacon, basil-artichoke sauce)

This roll is quite possibly one of the most amazing things in the world. The roll itself is lobster, cucumber and avocado. But it's sitting on a really yummy basil-artichoke sauce. And on top of the roll is a lightly-cooked, thick sliver of smokey, amazingly delicious BACON! This goes in your mouth and you are automatically happy. Then, after a few seconds, you get a spicy after-kick to make it even better. I was going to let people try this off my plate, but they wisely chose to order their own plate of it. Yes, four of us ate 12 slices of this roll. And, quite honestly, if I could've, I would have traded in that Black Forbidden Rice roll I'd already eaten for more of this. 

It's SO GOOD!!!!

My Friends' Dinners

Asian BBQ Baby Back Ribs 

w/ mashed yams, sauteed kale, and asian five-spice cornbread

These were amazing! I only had a bite, but the meat was melt-in-your-mouth delish, with a sweet BBQ sauce. The people at the table who eat yams (ie: not me) said those were also great, as was the kale and cornbread. I might have to get this next time I go. (minus the yams ;)

Shoyu Glazed Black Cod 

w/ wasabi mashed potatoes, sauteed mustard greens and maitake mushrooms

I didn't try this, but my friend who ordered it was the first one to clean his plate, so it must've been good. The cod was grilled and the glaze smelled really good. 

Loch Duart Salmon 

w/ roasted asparagus, cured lemon smashed potatoes

This is another one I might have to try when I go again. I had a bite of the salmon, which was moist and well seasoned, with just a hint of crispiness on the edges. And you can't go wrong with asparagus and smashed potatoes.

adventures in my own backyard - the 2013 edition

A little over a year ago, I made a list of places in and around Los Angeles I wanted to visit/experience/eat at. I've made some progress on the list over the last year, so I figured it was time to review and update it, especially since -- as I was planning places to eat my numerous upcoming birthday dinners at -- I've realized that I actually don't want to eat at some of the places on my original list ;)

Read on and let me know if you have any suggestions for places to add in the comments!

Places to Eat

• Church and State -- Removing this. Don't like the menu right now
• Hungry Cat -- Removing this. Had no idea the menu included so much slimey, chewy seafood. Blech.
• Musso & Frank -- CHECK! Went here for my birthday last year. It was yummy!
• The Original Pantry -- CHECK. Went here after a hockey game. It did not live up to the hype.
• Osteria Mozza -- Still on the list... if I ever need to eat at 9:30pm on a Wednesday (which is the only time you can get a reservation), I will go here.
• Pizzeria Mozza -- See comment for Osteria Mozza
• Yamashiro -- Going here this weekend for my birthday!
• The Huntington for Tea: CHECK!
• NEW: The Huntington Gardens Tea Room -- Going at the end of March (if I'm still a lady of leisure... kinda hoping I have to reschedule...)
• NEW: Red O
• NEW: Angelini Osteria
• NEW: The Tasting Kitchen -- Probably for brunch
• NEW: Laurel Hardware
• NEW: El Coyote -- I LOVE Mexican food and this is an LA institution that I'm embarrassed to say I've never eaten at. Bad Kim!

Places to Visit in LA

• Angel's Flight
• Art Deco Tour of LA
• Daryl's Tour of LA 
• Forest Lawn Museum -- To see the art, not dead people
• Getty Villa in Malibu -- CHECK!
• Gold Coast iPic Theater in Pasadena -- A movie theater with reclining chairs and waitress service.
• Griffith Observatory -- To actually look at the stars, not just the view
• Lake Hollywood -- CHECK! 
• LA Library - Ansel Adams Exhibit -- Removing. Missed it.
• Queen Mary - CHECK!
• NEW: The Last Bookstore
• NEW: Bradbury Building. My friend works here... we're lunching next week ;) 
• NEW: Venice Canals -- Yes, I've never seen them. Although I've seen the canals in Venice, Italy, so these are gonna have a lot to live up to. 
• NEW: California Science Center -- To see the Space Shuttle

Then there are the two sad lists of things outside of LA I made zero progress on in a year. But hey, like I just said, I went to ITALY. So I really couldn't care less about Carmel and the Grand Canyon. ;P

Places to Visit in CA

• Big Bear
• Carmel
• Hearst Castle
• Lake Arrowhead
• Lake Tahoe
• Ojai
• Palm Springs
• Paso Robles

Places to Visit Near CA

• Grand Canyon
• Yosemite

a day at the getty villa

In honor of today being a gorgeous day outside in Los Angeles, I've decided it's time I finally get around to posting photos from a gorgeous Malibu day back in September when two friends and I visited The Getty Villa.




The date was September 21st. I remember that because it was the day of the Space Shuttle Endeavor's final flight throughout the Los Angeles skies. We arrived in Malibu just in time to park and go up to the terrace to see the shuttle come flying in over the ocean on its way to Hollywood, strapped on top of an NASA airliner. Sadly, it didn't get very close to shore, thus its tiny appearance in this big blue sky...




But the photos I took at the Villa, were much better. The design of the main building/musuem was inspired by ancient Roman architecture, recreated in incredible detail, and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. It houses a massive collection of Roman and Greek antiquities, as well as borrowed collections/visiting exhibitions. When we were there, an exhibition on The Last Days of Pompei was on the second floor of the museum, complete with mummified remains found under the ashes.

The artifacts were all interesting, but I loved the garden, complete with koi ponds, lilies, olive trees and herbs that the Romans used for medicine and cooking. We were also highly amused/slightly creeped out by the fact that many of the statues in the garden and surrounding the reflecting pool had black pupils painted on their white eyeballs. Why, I do not know. And I'm still a bit too creeped out to research it and find out. So instead, let's enjoy pretty pictures :)

One of the fountains in the garden

Close-up on pretty lily pads

And even closer. Note it's purple :) 

A view of the villa from the end of the reflecting pool

A view of the reflecting pool and gardens from the steps of the villa

Close up on the carved ceiling tiles decorating the patio walkways surrounding the garden

And the full view of one section of the walkway ceiling

random thoughts on the 2013 grammys

So the Grammy Awards were on last night. I usually don't watch music award shows because...
a) unless U2 or Adele has a new album out, the artists I listen to hardly ever get nominated for anything, much less win
b) award shows are usually too long and too boring
c) there's only so much Taylor Swift and/or Beyonce a person can take in 3 hours.

However, the Grammy Awards of late have been different. They have morphed into more of an amazing all-star concert than a boring awards show. I watch by letting my Tivo get a good 45-60 minute head start on the show, and then I sit back and zoom from performance to performance.

I did just that last night and tweeted my random thoughts. But since very few eyeballs are allowed on my twitter feed (it's also where I vent a bit ;), I thought I'd pull them -- plus a few more things I've thought of since -- into a blog post because...
a) this blog is supposed to be full of "random thoughts, observations and things that entertain me"
b) I haven't blogged much lately and this is easy content :P

So if you have the show sitting on your DVR and need some commentary, read on!

(PS: Here's a link to TVLine's rating of all the performances, which I totally do NOT agree with -- Taylor Swift better than JT and Elton John? Uh, no -- but it has photos from each and the set list)

-- So I take it all of fun.'s instruments are waterproof, yes? And who knew they had a chick playing guitar? #tivoondelayistheonlyway

-- Aww. Miranda Lambert is singing the song about Blake Shelton's brother dying that the chick who won The Voice this year sang much better than Miranda. (Sorry. True. At least I'm keeping my comment about her dress to myself.)

 --All those peoples at The Palladium right now are so lucky. I heart JT. #sexyisback (I'm gonna have to start hanging out at Maureen's more often ;)

-- Kelly Rowland did not get the memo.

-- Neither did Alicia Keys. (But who would even notice with Adam Levine on stage next to her?)

-- How can Bruce Springsteen not be at the Grammys to not win an award when there was just a huge tribute to him Saturday night across the street? #kindarudeboss

-- The Black Keys are rocking out with the NOLA Preservation Hall Band. Very cool. I need to go back to NOLA.

-- Ok, we get it. Taylor Swift is at the Grammys and knows the words to every song being performed. Please stop cutting to her now. Kthxbai.

-- First JT, then Adam, and now Mr. Gordon Sumner. It's sexy singer night at the Grammys.

-- Rihanna has a tattoo of some bird thing under her boobs. (Things I wouldn't know had she read the memo.)

-- Wow. I actually like Jack White music and didn't realize it till now. I guess that's what happens when KROQ plays the same songs over and over and over again.

-- Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood can SING. #oldidolsweregoodidols

-- Is Prince wearing a hoodie because he's going bald in back? #thisishowrumorsstart

-- It takes quite a singer to make Elton John look like a backup piano player. #whoismablestaples

fancy french food

Last week was the final week of the winter version of dineLA Restaurant Week, an annual foodie's dream-come-true when some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles offer special prix fix lunch and dinner menus that showcase some of the yummiest and/or prettiest plates of food their chefs can conjure up.

This year, I had a dineLA dinner at Firenze Osteria in North Hollywood during Week 1, but was too busy catching up with friends I hadn't seen in forever to really pay much attention to the food. It was fine, as most meals at Firenze Osteria are... nothing to write home (or here) about.

But last week, a fellow-foodie-friend (Hi Mari!) wanted to go somewhere fancy to take advantage of the prix fix menu during our catch-up lunch. So we braved the evil 405 and headed to Beverly Hills for a fancy lunch at Bouchon, a great french bistro I've never been too. (So bonus -- this also counts as something new for 2013!)

As Mari and I are both ladies of leisure these days, and since last Thursday was a beautifully unseasonal 75 degrees, we sat out on Bouchon's terrace and enjoyed a leisurely 2-hour lunch, savoring the delicious three-courses for a mere $25 dollars.



Here are photos of what I ate for you to drool over :)

First Course/Appetizer: Tartare de Saumon -- I've never been a big salmon tartare eater. In fact, this might have been the first time I had it. Overall, I give it two thumbs up. It was pretty huge for an appetizer. In addition to the plate above, there was a plate of crispy bread chips that have an official name I can't remember for you to spread your salmon, egg, capers, scallions and red onions (not pictured because this was Mari's plate and she doesn't like onion) on. The capers and onion added a bit of a kick to the bland egg and salmon, creating an overall pleasing and very filling appetizer.

Second Course/Entree': Quiche Florentine -- Over the last few years, I've come to love the combination of egg, spinach and cheese. Add a crispy crust and you've sold me. This was delish, and it actually had a cream filling holding everything together, not egg, which was new and interesting. The only odd thing about the plate was the large amount of sea salt sprinkled on the mixed greens... it was a bit too salty for moi. 

Third Course/Dessert: Creme' Caramel -- I was hoping this would turn out to be something like a creme' brulee (aka my favorite dessert). Alas, it was more like flan, but it was a really-smooth-and-creamy-but-not-too-sweet flan. So it also gets two thumbs up. It also photographs in a really cool shiny way ;)