Your chowpups are gangsta. I also don’t enjoy breast parm. And the vodka sauce is my favorite there, too!
Nice to know secondi is as solid as the pastas. Salad, copious amounts of garlic bread and pasta just about do me in there. Never thought to venture out to the meat courses.
What’s crazy is there was a time not too long ago when a plate of house made pasta would run you about $14 before tax and tip. Time and the market have adjusted since.
So glad you had a great family evening without schleping into the city.
Great dinner at Mother Wolf last night. Feels like the initial mad rush has calmed a little into just an extremely busy, buzzy restaurant. Packed on a Sunday night but still possible to walk in and get a two-top in the bar area without a reservation. Rigatoni with oxtail ragu was a stunner, along with my favorite cocktail there, the Vesuvio–perfect Sunday dinner. More and more I’m coming around to the view that the best way to enjoy these new places is to give them a few months to get their feet under them rather than rushing in day 1.
That Emmy Squared one was the one with vodka sauce and pesto. In general I like Emmy Squared but once Bootleg reopens it’s head and shoulders above Emmy as far as westside Detroit style places. Also a weirdly huge menu; they’ve got burgers and chicken sandwiches too but we haven’t tried those yet.
Noree was wonderful. I thought the jade noodles were a step below the khao soi and the kaeng kua but it’s all just so much better than anything we have on the westside, including Emporium. I didn’t perceive much difference from Luv2Eat. The only issue was nobody else came with us so we only had three dishes
The crunch on the focaccia was certainly there but the flavor was pretty bland, which is surprising because Colapasta usually knocks flavors out of the park (and did with all of the pastas we ordered…basically did OOE but only took pictures of those two).
Bun and Mi, new Vietnamese place in the stroller capital of the city, Montana Ave Santa Monica. I thought the bread was really good, crackly outside and soft inside. Wanted more of the pickled daikon/carrot; thought the flavor of the filling in general was muted compared to Westminster spots. Veggie + mushroom spring roll was fine; I admittedly don’t have strong spring roll feelings. Peanut dipping sauce was fine. Will be back and hope they do well!
I am also personally not a huge spring roll person, but partner likes them. If this place has the bread right, I honestly think that’s more than half of the battle won right there…
Went to the first night of the Isla pop up last night. Plenty of issues that you’d expect during night one (service, timing, etc) but I’ll leave that alone for now. Food wise we were impressed enough that we’ll go back again if they’re able to secure a brick and mortar space. Here’s what we ate:
The Good:
Rice - great with and without the duck katsoubushi
Dungeness Crab - it was a skewer and Sergio nailed the cooking
Chicken sausage - kids devoured it so I didn’t get a chance to try
Roasted cauliflower
Stuffed kampachi - impressive deboning of the whole fish. easily enough for 3 people and possibly 4
Budino - very good but it ain’t Nancy’s
The Meh:
Smoked mussels - didn’t blow me away but the two year old liked dipping bread in the sauce
Trumpet Mushroom - skewered and not on the Bavel/Matu level
Purple Haze Carrot - cooked perfectly but flavor wise I was underwhelmed
Duck breast - skewered and cooked nicely but flavor wise I wasn’t inspired.
Cookie - nothing wrong with this cookie but I make damn good cookies at home so you’re really gonna have to whip up something special to blow me away at a nice restaurant.
It certainly doesn’t look as well-made as Chef Slowik’s and I have no idea if it tastes like Chef Slowik’s. But! It was indeed just a well-made cheeseburger with all the elements of the infamous movie burger - two patties smashed on the griddle, crispy edges, onions griddled underneath one patty, lotsa melted american cheese, pickles + Irv’s sauce on a toasted sesame bun. We loved it. The crinkle cut fries were under-cooked and not well-made.
Irv’s is so my husband’s kinda joint. I can now see him sneaking off to cheat with a double cheeseburger (maybe some chili) while listening to punk & new wave sitting underneath a picture of his punk heroes.
But! It was indeed just a well-made cheeseburger with all the elements of the infamous movie burger - two patties smashed on the griddle, crispy edges, onions griddled underneath one patty, lotsa melted american cheese, pickles + Irv’s sauce on a toasted sesame bun. We loved it. 
The crinkle cut fries were under-cooked and not well-made.
(tagging