Food Babies!!

Honestly, that is the only way to describe how Jamie, Spark, Venk, and I were feeling after having Dinner at Manhattan Beach Post earlier this week!  We all left so satisfied and so full, I could barely walk to the car, and I think all of us felt like we had Food Babies for the next 24 hours because we tried over half of the menu!

When we got seated in the Dining room we started off with cocktails and each of us ordered something different, Venk got the Mezcal Tequila drink, while Spark got a Manhattan, and Jamie got a drink with Scotch and Apple in it, that was my favorite.  I ordered a Gin, Kiwi, and Elderflower drink because I'm currently on a Gin kick and that was so light and refreshing but for the rustic meal we were having I think the Scotch drink would have been more appropriate, for me anyway.  I think all of us were in agreement that it was our favorite!  We had the same waitress, Janet, from the last time Jamie and I had Brunch at Manhattan Beach Post and she's such a wonderful server, friendly, suggestive, attentive, and still gives you the space you need to finish an incredible meal :)

Dinner at Manhattan Beach Post

Then the food started and I don't think it ever ended!  I saw Cheddar Bacon Biscuits in my future and sure enough, there they were in all their glory served with that Maple Butter.  My only bit of sadness (and it was tiny) was that they weren't served hot.  We also got the Soft Pretzel that was served with a Horseradish Mustard and it was the best Soft Pretzel I have ever had and the Mustard had the perfect amount of kick and added a little flair to the delicious Pretzel!  After our Carb Course it was time for Meats, Mustards, and Cheeses.  There was this fresh Ricotta Cheese and all these Meats, Proscuitto, Salami, and three fresh Mustards: one was Stout, another was Red Wine, and the last was a Pink Peppercorn, and I really liked them with a little cheese, Meat, and bread.  Another favorite off the Charcuterie board was the Pickled Vegetables and Pickled Grapes which were an interesting and pleasant surprise!

Details of The Charcuterie...yum!

Cous Cous and Brussel Sprouts

We had planned that we would get three items in each section of the menu, so 3 appetizers, 3 vegetables, and 3 entrees.  By now, we were just getting started and then the Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans with Crispy Pork, and Cous Cous with Pomegranite were dropped at the table.  Freddy Smalls currently holds my heart with their preparation of Brussel Sprouts, fried and served with Goat Cheese and have an Apple Cider glaze.  They are the perfect savory but sweet treat!  And they are still my favorite after trying the Brussel Sprouts at MB Post but I like anything that can be made sweeter and these had a Cheese and more savory flavor than the ones at Freddy Smalls.  The Green Beans were incredible and I found myself polishing off those and the Cous Cous because I didn't want anything to go to waste!  The Cous Cous was probably my favorite of this section of the meal because it was so light; it came with Feta Cheese, Grapefruit, Yogurt, Mint, and the Pomegranite seeds and was light and tasty.  We also ordered the Shrimp Ceviche which had fresh Jalepeno and certainly had that great kick of flavor and was also served with home-made Shrimp Chips!

Pork Jowl

Fresh Shrimp Ceviche

By this point we were all so full we decided on one Fish entree and one Meat entree.  We ordered the Scallops and perhaps it was just that I was so full they weren't my favorite part of Dinner and I've been spoiled with the Raw Bar at Water Grill that those were one of the few things that didn't get finished.  We also ordered the Lamb Belly and I was nervous because I didn't want to be eating a Baby Lamb, poor Lamby, since I have a tough time thinking about it (similar to the way I feel about Veal) that I was worried about trying it.  I know, I know, I eat Steak, Chicken, Pork, etc and there's no need to get into things but it's a different thought process when I'm thinking about eating a little one.  Jamie assured me it was a full-grown Adult Lamb so I did try it, even though it looked like Duck meat when it came to the table, and that is also not my cup of tea.  We all agreed it was a little salty and for me, it just wasn't my thing but it doesn't mean I wouldn't try it again either.  Then the Chef dropped off a couple things for us and I don't know how we were even going to fit through the door on the way out after all we had eaten!  He brought the Pork Jowl and the Steak with a Chimichurri Sauce and Broccolini.  The Steak was awesome, it was tender, perfectly cooked, and I loved the Broccolini with it.  I also liked the Pork Jowl because it had a crispy edge but by this time I could barely fit anymore food in my belly so I had to stop.  I still think I out-ate everyone ;)

We dined for over 2 hours and were ready for a little break so we had some French Press Coffee to help our stomachs settle and of course, there was no passing up dessert with this crew!  We got the Elvis Dessert that was Chocolate Pudding, Peanut Butter, and a Bacon Brittle (which of course I made room for) and it was so amazing!  I was definitely happy to end the meal that way.  Plus, the French Press Coffee, which I drank Espresso style was the best cup of Coffee I have ever had!  I may turn into a Coffee Snob because of this!

Thank goodness we didn't take an after picture because I'm not sure we would have been recognizable after all that food but what an incredible and exciting meal!  It's not something I could do even on a regular basis because I do like the simplicity of things but it was a very different style of food and I love experimenting because I've found some new favorites that I'll be drooling about until I get to try even more!

Lunch at Franco and "The Hunger Games"

I bought a Bloomspot Gift for Lunch at Franco on Melrose and it was expiring this week so I made a stop on Saturday to check it out and have my 3-course Lunch.  I love getting all these Daily Deals in my e-mail and have tried a bunch of new restaurants this way as well as bought gifts for people because there's such a variety of things to buy!

The Caprese Salad at Franco on Melrose

From the outside, Franco didn't look all that spectacular but when you walk inside, the Kitchen is at the front of the restaurant and as you walk into the Dining Area at the back of the resturant my breath was taken away by how beautiful it was.  It was quaint with pretty lighting, heat lamps, decorations, and beautifully set tables; it would be perfect for a small party or reception!  I started off with my favorite, a Caprese Salad, which was good.  It needed more of a balsamic reduction and the tomatoes were just plain tomatoes so this was something I could easily create at home and charging $12 for it seemed a little steep.  The mozzarella was amazing and there was a small roasted pepper salad in the middle that was good too.  My entree was the Chicken Ravioli in a Mushroom Cream sauce and while the cream sauce and vegetables were amazing, the Ravioli was rustic and tasted like chicken.  Yes, I know, I ordered Chicken Ravioli but I guess I was expecting something more.  Obviously they make everything in house to be fresh but perhaps I should have gone with my gut and ordered the Corn Ravioli with Truffle Oil, but did the Chicken Ravioli on the Waiter's suggestion.  Lastly, there were only a couple choices for dessert so my only choice was Tiramisu which I normally find just ok.  This was by far the best Tiramisu I have ever had; it was light and fluffy, not too sweet, had the perfect amount of espresso and cream.  It definitely made me re-think my average idea of Tiramisu!

Overall, the meal was ok, while the ambience was pretty, and the service was good, I wasn't all that impressed by the food.  I will definitely go back and give it another chance and order something that I think looks good and hopefully can come back with a better overall impression.

Last night, I had Neighbor Night with Sean and Julie from Karaoke who live just down the street from me, to watch "The Hunger Games" on Blu-Ray.  As I had left a very long day at the Irish Times around 8:30 I had called my Mom to let her know how my day was and told her I was going to watch "The Hunger Games" with my neighbors and she said it was a really good movie and she liked it a lot.  I'm thinking, what?  You watched "The Hunger Games?"  She said yes, she saw it at the rental place, thought it looked good, rented it, and said she actually stayed awake for the whole thing and really liked it, even with the story-line that they're killing children.  Impressive, Mom :)

I've read the first two books in the series and have been waiting to rent the third book from the library but it's been taken out for the past 6 months so I haven't been able to finish the series yet.  That was the one thing I was missing from the movie; clearly a movie can't go as in-depth as a book can but I felt like there were pieces missing from the movie and that there were holes.  It almost needed to be 2 parts like the 'Twilight' series.  The first part explaining Katniss and Gale's relationship, the Reaping, backstory for everyone, and then training for the games.  Part two would be the actual games and everything that happens during that.  The best parts of the movie were Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson's performances, very strong, and Woody was hilarious and perfect for the role of Haymitch.  I kept going back and forth on Jennifer Lawrence; I've seen some of her more indie movies and really liked her but there was something that made me dislike her in this role even though I thought it was great that they cast an athletic and pretty girl, and not some rail-thin stunning actress, because that wouldn't make sense.  Casting did a good job for Elizabeth Banks as well and the world of the districts was incredible to see with all the colors, costumes and make-up applied to so many extras.  It's crazy to think of how many people had to be cast in this movie to fill it out!

Overall, I liked the movie and am looking forward to the second one and I'm hoping there will be more of a story and that it won't feel so rushed.  I don't mind watching a long movie and having an additional hour for this first movie would have given the actors and crew involved a better chance to tell more of a story and give the viewer a better understanding of "The Hunger Games."