Il Moro, West LA, CA

"Reasonably priced fine Italian dining."

Name: Il Moro
Type: Italian, High End
Good for: Moderately fine dining
Location: 11400 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA [Google it!]
PPP: $25-35
Overall vibe: Fancy and tasty, without the outlandish price
Anything bogus: Old people close the place early

The Location

Off the 405, north of the 10, we exited on Santa Monica Blvd and headed south on Sawtelle. We couldn't exit on Pico as the offramp was closed for construction. At least this way we were able to drive through Little Osaka and be reminded of some fantastic eateries there (Furaibo, Hurry Curry, Sawtelle Kitchen, Little Hong Kong Cafe, Crepe to Go!, etc). Once on Olympic, we made a left on Purdue. Highrises blocked out the night sky and made the street seem darker than it was. Almost an industrial sidestreet, one wouldn't think to find any eateries here, let alone fine Italian food. I spotted the valet in front of the restaurant on the right, and decided to park on the street instead. It was around 8pm on a Saturday night and there were many curbside spots for free. The restaurant's exterior appeared more like a hotel lobby than an eatery, as its on the ground floor of a high-rise, and there were no people outside.

The Atmosphere

As we walked in, there were no people to be seen. A hostess' booth stood several paces back, and we spotted a bar behind it, to the right. We walked in, not entirely sure where we were meeting our friends. The floor was dark and smooth, perhaps like polished concrete, and the walls were an orangish-cream color and the bar was lit up nicely, though there was no bartender. A light sneaked its way around the far wall, where our hostess emerged. We informed her of our meeting and were taken to our friends' table. We followed her back into the light, which indeed was the dining area. I was intrigued by the decor: hardwood floors with small square white-clothed tables, each with 4 wicker chairs. The tables seemed a bit small for 4 of us but we managed. The volume was comfortable and we were able to converse normally. There was a separate wine-tasting room behind a large glass partition which intrigued us.

The Food

My friend was already on his second drink, a Belgian number called Oerbier. I tried it and it was pretty good. Perhaps a bit tart for my liking, but apparently this beer is one of the highest rated Belgian beers and my friend and his wife certainly enjoyed it.

Our waiter brought us sourdough bread and tapenade, and it was consistent with other medium to high end restaurants--it reminded me of the spread I once had at Joe's in Venice. Our waiter then mentioned the chef's specials. Not feeling in an entirely adventurous mood, I opted for ordering off the menu.

Our table started with the Tartar di Tonno in Spuma di Avocado, an Ahi tuna tar tar mixed with finely copped black olives, sun-dried tomatoes and shallots, with a light lemon dressing and served with an avocado mousse and slices of crostini bread. The bread was perhaps a bit too crumbly, and I would've preferred they gave us a few more pieces as there was so much Ahi to go around. The tar tar itself was very flavorful while not overpowering. The avocado mousse worked well with the Ahi, though it wasn't entirely necessary.

I began with the Insalata di Spinaci e Caprino, a salad of baby spinach leaves with diced tomatoes, roasted pine nuts, and goat cheese with a mild lemon dressing. The goat cheese was chunky and fresh, and the spinach was crispy and a deep green. The lemon dressing was tart and very light, and drizzled consistently on the leaves.

For my main meal, I opted for the Linguine Mare Monti, a pasta dish with sauteed Porcini mushrooms and shrimp in a light spicy tomato sauce. The mushrooms were tender and not too potent (I'm not a very huge fan of mushrooms) and the shrimp were large and cooked properly, and there were a fair number of them in my pasta. The linguine was cooked perfectly, and had a rough texture that allowed the sauce to stick to it. It was not oily at all and was of an excellent serving size.

My girlfriend had the Lasagna alla Bolognese (only served on Wednesday and Saturday), which is a spinach-based pasta layered with Bechamel and Bolognese sauce, and topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. She loved it and I had a taste. I thought it was flavorful and it certainly seemed hearty.

My friend had the Costiccine d'Agnello Al Porto e Mandorie. This dish was insane: lamp chops grilled and served with porto wine reduction, lamb sauce and dusted with blanched sliced almonds, with artichoke hearts sauteed with Ligurian olive oil. I tried a bit of the lamb and it was succulent: very tender and melted in my mouth. I would probably come back and order it next time.

For dessert, we all split the Chocolatissimo, a souffle which was warm, very very sweet, and satiating, if not slightly overpowering in its potency. It was served with a side of vanilla gelatto which helped offset the chocolate flavor.

The Service

The hostess was very nice and polite and though absent upon our entrance, she appeared quickly and showed us to our table in short order. Our waiter was very nice and polite, and checked in on us often. My iced tea was refilled regularly. We never felt rushed, even when we were the last people in the dining room.

Anything Bogus?

For some reason, most of the patrons in the dining room were elderly, while the younger, "hipster" crowd hung around out on the patio. Only after sitting for several minutes did I realize just how much we were missing out on the patio; it was truly stunning. There were abundant heat lamps, and the atmosphere seemed attractive and very romantic. I have to come back just to eat out there instead! Inside, it seemed that around 9:15pm or so, most of the diners inside were leaving; most likely to go to sleep, one would imagine. The patio remained lively until our departure around 10pm.

Summary

A very fine, moderately priced Italian restaurant that practically demands coming back for on a semi-regular basis. The price wasn't much of a turnoff at $75, considering how well we ate. The patio seems to be the place to dine, regardless of outdoor temperature.

Echigo, West LA, CA

"High end sushi that won't break the bank."

Name: Echigo
Type: High end sushi
Good for: Sushi only, no cooked food or rolls
Location: 12217 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA [Google it!]
PPP: $11 lunch special, $40+ for dinner
Overall vibe: Amazing sushi for diehards
Anything bogus: Stripmall location, no ambience

The Location

Making your way down Santa Monica Blvd, you have to be on the lookout not for a fancy restaurant or gaudy signage, but a sign that simply says SUSHI. This place is located on the 2nd floor of a stripmall. You would never think that this humble room houses one of the purest sushi bars in California and, according to some, the entire country. During lunchtime, parking in their tiny street-level lot is impossible if not illegal, with 20 minute parking spots overruling others. Parking out on the street is difficult but ill-advised on Fridays (citable for street cleaning). There's usually a decent amount of underground parking, though the spiral driveways and tiny corridors make it a bit confusing and difficult to navigate at times. I've seen a car wash down here, where a guy will wash your car while you're here. I've never done this but it seems convinient for those who are too busy to make a special trip.

The Atmosphere

After walking upstairs, or more bravely riding up the rickety elevator, you arrive on the second level of a fairly run-down area. Walking past an adult education school, hair dresser, and massage parlor with a sign instructing you to stay quiet, you arrive at the entrance. A small paper handwritten sign on the door states that the ever-increasing price of fish has forced Echigo to raise its prices for its lunch special from $10 to $11. Upon entering, another handwritten sign, this time on a dry-erase board, lets you know that you are entering an area for those In the Know*. Children are not allowed at the bar, and there are no cooked items whatsoever. You will not find miso soup, chicken teriyaki, or even dynamite rolls here. Bare in mind, if you have been doing your homework at all, you know not to come here and ask for any of these things to begin with. Echigo's decor, if you could call it that, is that of white-walled simplicity. It's as if they stripped out everything that didn't have to do with serving you sushi and threw it away. The air is filled with the scent of fish and vinegar. While this may not sound all that appealing, to those of you In the Know, it's a sweet scent; one that tells you that you are in for an experience not soon forgotten. I advise sitting by one of the large windows. The bar is only for those enjoying the chef's special.

The Food

Chef Toshi apprenticed under Chef Nobi at Sasabune, though anyone trying Sasabune these days would be surprised to find that Echigo is actually better. I may someday write a review on Sasabune as I have yet to eat at their newer, and some say more sterile, location.

For lunch, they offer a fairly-fulfilling lunch special for $11, and includes albacore, tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and red snapper sushi, and finishes the meal off with a blue crab handroll. One quick note about the salmon: it comes with a slice of pickled something that I haven't ever liked and I usually end up picking it off (to those who view this as a sin: I'm sorry). This is a warm-rice bar, Japanese style from what I understand. The rice, in addition to being warm, is very tart with a hint of vinegar that takes some getting used to. It's so delicate that sometimes it falls apart as you try to pick it up. Everything is served separately on tiny circular dishes, forcing you to fully enjoy each type and giving your palette time to reset after tasting different fish. Their wasabi is some of the freshest I've had and has an appropriate fluidity and mixes into soy sauce very well. The ginger is crisp and not too spicy; properly pickled and not dyed like at knockoff places. I would suggest ordering one or two other items or you'll find yourself starving a few hours later. Lately one of the consistent items on the special menu on the dry-erase board by the bar is swordfish. I cannot praise this sushi enough. I have come here many times just to savor it's buttery consistency and flavorful excellence. They have a variety of other delectible fish here, and every one of them is amazing. The stuffed squid's tentacles are a bit much for me, and I usually let my buddy eat that portion, but the rest of it is very good. The kampache is excellent and the black snapper is very tasty. The only thing that has topped the swordfish is the barracuda, but it has not been seen for a while as its only in season in the spring, according to Toshi. (Another reason, though highly unlikely, is that barracuda have been linked to cases of ciguatera food poisoning in the past.)

Echigo takes on a slightly more refined air for dinner, though most people don't dress up to eat here. The quality of the fish easily rivals other high-end sushi places such as The Hump, but at 1/2 the price or less. I prefer the nigiri sushi and rice here over The Hump.

The Service

The waitresses here are, for the mostpart, nice and orderly. They announce which type of fish they're brining you and whether or not you should use soy sauce. Sometimes they could be more attentive. Sometimes you have to raise your hand in the bar to get their attention for a water refill, say.

Anything Bogus?

Other than this place not being very romantic, it's still a good date spot if your date appreciates fine sushi. It's not big on atmosphere, but what it lacks in elegance it more than makes up for with quality.

Summary

Echigo is not for everyone; heck...it's not for most. But for those who enjoy nigiri sushi, I have yet to find a place that can best it.

*In the Know: To me, this means that you know the difference between fresh pasty wasabi and more commonly-served chunky [stale] wasabi. You'd know the difference between nigiri and sashimi, and the difference between maguro and toro. You can taste the difference between yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Not to say that those who do not eat fish are not In the Know, but in this particular instance, if you do not eat fish, this is not the place for you. While perhaps a bit more humane than other high-end sushi bars such as The Hump (where fish are chopped up and are still breathing and twitching on your plate), Echigo is still on the deep end of what I would consider hardcore sushi bars. You won't find California rolls or rainbow rolls like at large chain restaurants such as Kabuki, or anything like what you'd buy at Trader Joe's. If that's all that you're used to, it's entirely possible that you won't like Echigo or other Japanese-style sushi bars. However, if you're adventurous, eating at places like Echigo will broaden your horizons and take you to the next level of being a true Foodie.

Interesting Factoids

• Echigo was a northeastern province of Japan, which was ruled by Kenshin during the Sengoku period
• The Sengoku, or "Warring States" period marked the introduction of currency in Japan for trade between states as well as trade with China. The war itself was known as the Onin war, which lasted almost 11 years
• There are nine species of tuna, including three species of bluefin tuna
• Tuna can swim 48 miles per hour
• There are 26 species of barracuda
  
• Barracuda can swim 27 miles per hour, but only in short attack bursts
  

Source: Wikipedia (Echigo Province, Sengoku Period,Tuna)

Neptune's Net, Malibu, CA

"Biker bar with excellent chowder and steamed seafood."

Name: Neptune's Net
Type: Biker Hangout, Steamed/Fried Seafood
Good for: Seafood, Clam Chowder, Creepy/Sketchy-People Watching
Location: 42505 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA [Google it!]
PPP: $18-25
Overall vibe: Biker bar with awesome steamed seafood
Anything bogus: Rough crowd, tough parking, bathrooms

The Location

I've mainly been out this way after a hike through Temescal Gateway Park or Circle X Ranch. Perhaps it's the old saying that everything tastes better after a hard hike, but I'll be damned if I can't find a better place to satiate myself with good food after all those calories lost to the dusty trails. Driving north on PCH, the drive seems endless, especially when you're convinced you've made it after the next turn, turn after turn. Past Zuma Beach, start looking east away from the ocean for a gathering of bikes after you pass Leo Carrillo Beach and the Mulholland Hwy. No matter how many times I've been here, it always seems to leap right out of nowhere and I find myself slamming on my brakes, much to the dismay of the tailgating SUVs behind me.

The Atmosphere

As you pull in, you'll be hard-pressed to find a parking spot, unless you're on a motorcycle. I've always managed to find one fairly quickly, though I remember once or twice having to wait a few minutes for someone to leave. Some parking spaces will be filled with bikes and bikers, so be VERY careful pulling into a spot. Making my way in, I've had to maneuver past throngs of leather-clad ruffians and their babes, often getting clogged in the knees by a helmet or two as I head in to the steamed section first. If you come here with more than one person, I highly suggest having one person wait in the beverages/fried food/soup line, and another person wait in the steamed seafood/corn line at the same time. Ordering dungeness crab, giant shrimp, and king crab legs by the pound gets expensive; rarely can you get full with less than $15 in steamed offerings alone. I ordered the corn on the cobb as well. Further inside, a line of overly-tanned weekend warriors snakes its way around the back, along a corridor of coolers offering everything a 7-11 would have: beers, wine coolers, sodas, and water bottles. The aroma is a mixture of body odor, sunscreen, and deep-fried shrimp. I love it. A good idea, particularly on a very hot day, is two get two drinks: one for the line, and one for the meal. For those in the know, the combination of sun and alcohol work wonderously in situations where one feels a bit out of place. Everyone here has had too much of both. In any event, this line is for anything fried. It is simply impossible to order anything off the menu here and not gain weight or increase your cholesterol by at least 15 points, unless you just drink water. Mostly I am fine with the steamed offerings from the first line and just get beverages here, but once in a while I've been known to order one of their fried combination plates. More often than not, I'll order the clam chowder in this line as well.

To be fair, I've only ever been here on Sunday afternoons and it's not nearly as insane other days of the week from what I've heard. Bikers are fine people, with a time-honored history of arrogant roadside manner, uncomely fashion statements, the ability to grow and flaunt hair in areas where other people would normally attempt to remove it, and questionable taste in machinery and female accompaniment. They are as American a tradition as apple pie and frivolous lawsuits. They are loved by many.

The Food

My number got called out over the PA system from the steamed section first, as I usually try to time it. My plate of crab legs and corn came with little plastic cups of melted butter. Setting these down is a challenge in a place where tables are at a premium and you spend more time finding a seat than waiting for your food to be ready, or to even eat it once it is. This is where a third person comes in handy. While the first orders the steamed offerings and the second waits in line for beverages, fried seafood and chowder, the third could be scoping out a table and obtaining plasticware and paper towels. Many occasions I have been here with two other people, which has helped immensely. Let me just say that eating here alone is quite an ordeal during rush times.

In any event, their drinks are cold and refreshing, regardless of what you pick up. Basically everything gets sucked out of the coolers at a more or less constant rate, virtually guaranteeing that whatever you're drinking has not surpassed its expiration date (the people surrounding you are another matter entirely).

The clam chowder is some of the best I've had anywhere, holding its own against the similarly-named if not diametrically-opposed Neptune's Palace in San Francisco. The chowder is flavorful and thick, the clam strips are huge for a soup and it's very obvious that you're eating something fresh. The corn on the cob comes next in line, and with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of melted butter on top, it's nearly perfect and crunchy. And now for the steamed seafood.

The shrimp are by far my favorite, though you have to peel them. They were steamed to perfection and I used the melted butter for dipping; very tasty. The dungeness crab legs were okay if not a little offputting by the small amount of meat one gets in relation to how much effort it takes to retrieve it from the shell. This is somewhat ironic as I've recently read that 1/4th of a dungeness crab's weight is meat, making it one of the meatiest crabs available. That means you're paying 3/4ths of the price towards parts you will never eat, and in fact must fight your way around, to get to the quarter you want. I daresay the legs are significantly less than a 1/4th meat, and most people wouldn't eat what's inside the body. Nevertheless, it was tasty, but not as tasty as the king crab. The king crab legs were huge and definitely better-tasting and yielded far more meat than their dungeness cousins. After you're done eating, your table is a mess of paper towels, globs of melted butter and salt, and body parts of various crustaceans. It's actually kind of gross. But you're not really thinking about that; you're more focused on a belly full of good food and a dim recollection that you now have to somehow drive yourself an hour and a half back to LA.

The Service

As there is no table service, you have to stop by one of several stations for paper towels, salt, plasticware, ketchup, and other condiments. Many of the indoor tables feature paper towel dispensers, which are lifesavers considering what a horrible mess you're making of yourself while pouring salty melted butter over dead sea bugs. The guys who run the steamed section have been very friendly to me, and often make suggestions as to what is most fresh that day. The fried section is the busiest, and the staff take your order in a necessarily impatient manner. You usually have to clean your own table before sitting down, and there are places to set your trays near the garbage cans, which means you're also expected to clean your own table once you're done.

Anything Bogus?

The fried food has been overcooked on more than one occasion and the bathrooms tend to be gross (don't sit down if you can help it). Parking is often extremely difficult and you have to drive an hour and a half out here from LA. If that weren't bad enough, the Sunday afternoons that I've come here, I've had to wait in PCH traffic for well over two hours on the way back. This wouldn't be so bad as the fact that no matter how much soap and water I've used to wash my hands, the car still manages to reek of shrimp and butter for the next day or two.

Summary

As long as you don't mind associating with people you would normally chase off your back porch with a shotgun, or getting melted butter all over yourself, you'll have a blast with the steamed seafood and chowder. Be prepared to blow $45 or more for two people though. It's a crab shack biker bar, but it's also Malibu.

Interesting Factoids

• October and January are the most popular months for catching king crab.
• There are four types of king crab: red, blue, gold, and scarlet
• The most desirable species of king crab is the red king crab, which is only in season for 4 days out of the year.
• During the 2005-2006 winter fishing season, 250 boats caught 14 million pounds of red king crab in 4 days.
• The relatively cheaper blue king crab is often sold in restaurants as red king crab, as they are similar in color when cooked.
• Scarlet king crabs are not commercially fished, due to their diminutive size and relative low population.
• The first motorcycle was invented in Germany in 1885, called the Reightwagen or "riding car"
• A person riding a motorcycle is 34 times more likely to die in an accident than riding in a car
• The journalist Hunter S. Thompson (of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" fame) was an avid biker and rode with the Hells Angels for the sake of writing a story about them. Upon their discovery of Thompson potentially making alot of money from his dealings with the gang, the Hells Angels stomped Thompson within inches of his life and he spent months recovering in hospital. The resulting book was aptly named "Hells Angels: The Strange and Terrble Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang"
  

Source: Wikipedia (articles on Dungeness crab, king crab, Alaskan king crab fishing, Motorcycle, Hunter Thompson)

Pizza Factory, Phelan, CA

"Small town pizzeria delivers!"

Name: Pizza Factory
Type: Restaurant, Low End (wooden picnic tables, paper plates/plasticware)
Good for: Pizza
Location: 3936 Phelan Rd, Phelan, CA [Google it!]
PPP: $5-10
Overall vibe: Amazing Pizza
Anything bogus: It's in the High Desert...

The Location

Phelan is a dusty small High Desert community on the north end of the San Gabriel mountains, between Wrightwood and Victorville. Not particularly close to the 14 or the 15 freeways, the only reason to come through here is if the Cajon Pass is closed and you need to detour around via the 138 highway, or in my case, visit one or two sets of parents. Phelan offers little in the way of decent eateries, and even some outlandishly bad ones, but stopping here for a quick bite after meeting up with my mother to sign some paperwork, I came up with a few interesting ideas, including one to start this site.

The Atmosphere

Phelan is all about strip malls. More often than not, you can spot a chain of businesses that seem to stay in existence far longer than any economist could predict. Little changes here over the years, and other than the kids behind the counter, Pizza Factory looks the same as it did when I was in high school, eating here with my family and on a couple of bad dates. There are several massive tables, more like the kind you'd see in a 1950s small-town outdoor park than a restaurant. The kind that you could easily seat 16-20 people, with large pitchers of soda and beer between rows upon rows of paper plates, metal pizza trays, and children running between the tables with various newly-acquired toys from a birthday party and the game on the bigscreen TV in the corner invariably blaring out commercials and the latest stats on football players I'd never heard of over the din of a typical Saturday night. But not today. Today, it was quiet. Only an elderly couple in the far back corner, near a row of arcade game machines, quietly munching away on a holiday shopping weekend afternoon. The kid who took my order seemed no more than 16, but was friendly. We ordered a medium pizza with Canadian bacon and American bacon. Hopefully, the bacon could strike some sort of trade agreement where tariffs weren't too steep and the exchange rate was fair between the two countries. I also ordered a medium drink as they have refillable sodas. We were told the wait time would be about 10 to 12 minutes. We got some iced tea and sat under the bigscreen tv, which was fortunately turned off. It was quiet and we were able to have a comfortable conversation. Not all their tables are massive, but even the one we sat at could accommodate 6 at least. We sat next to each other and gazed out on the empty vastness of the dining hall. The manager here is the same lady I remember from my childhood.

The Food

The first order was the breadsticks. The dough and cheese are there and nice and greasy, but really only serve the purpose of transmitting the pizza sauce into your mouth.



After having waited about eight minutes and guzzled three cups of iced tea, our pizza was brought out. The girl apologized for the wait, though I told her we weren't waiting long.



I'd honestly forgotten how good the pizza was here. It's their sauce--it's simply amazing. It was so good that I went back to the counter and asked for some additional sauce for dipping the crusts in. I'm not sure why, but the girl apologized again when she brought out the cup. Again, I told her everything was okay. The pizza itself is moderately thin, typical of a hand-tossed pie, with thick layers of cheese and their Canadian bacon had apple-cured overtones. The bacon was not so much sprinkled as flurried on top, with large piles of drift from one section to the next. It was extraordinary. It was not greasy at all, and the toppings managed to stay in one place from the tray to our paper plates. The sauce was used very conservatively, almost begging you to put a tiny bit more on, but it added to the allure of knowing you could drown your crust in a side order of the stuff if you like. Don't misunderstand; these people know what they're doing with their pizza and their sauce is perfectly apportioned. I'm just so nuts about it I believe more is better. I have to also mention the reheatability factor is almost unparalleled. We ate the rest of our medium for dinner and it was almost exactly as we had it for lunch earlier.

The Service

The guy who took our order and tossed the pie was a nice kid. He was professional and made one heck of a pizza, flinging it high into the air. I'm not entirely sure if he was doing it because we were watching or because that's what you're supposed to do with the dough, but it certainly didn't hurt the flavor or consistency. The girl was timid and quick to apologize, though we had an excellent dining experience.

Anything Bogus?

Phelan is not for the snobbish. I wouldn't recommend pulling up to the strip mall in your Bently or waltzing in with your Louis Vuitton heels. Dented pickup trucks and well-worn work boots are the order of the day. Pizza Factory can get extremely crowded, with your only option being take-out, and wait times can soar past an hour and a half. A big hint: don't go anywhere near this place during a major sports night, or anything happening at one of the local schools.

Summary

This is the best pizza in the High Desert, and certainly on my Top 10 List of best pizza places I've ever eaten at. If you happen to find yourself out in the area, I highly suggest stopping by during non-peak times.

Interesting Factoids

• Phelan has a population of about 10,000
• Phelan is known as the "Land of Champagne Climate" according to local license plate frames
• There is a Canadian fitness model named Lisa Phelan
  
• Pizza may have come from the Latin word pissa, meaning "flat bread"
• In Italian, a person who excels at making pizza is called a "pizzaiolo"
• There is a bill currently before Italy's Parliament that mandates and safeguards the ingredients used to make a pizza. There is also pressure on the EU to adopt similar measures to ensure consistency and authenticity in pizzas throughout Europe
• In Japan, squid ink or mayonnaise is sometimes used instead of tomato sauce, and the crust is sometimes made of baked rice instead of dough
• In some Middle Eastern countries, pizza is eaten with ketchup

Source: Wikipedia (Phelan,Pizza)