We lucked out tonight. Got there at 730 and it was empty. But yesterday I drove past and like ten and it was slammed. If I’m ever meeting pals, I go real early. Otherwise, I just resign myself to standing at those standing tables!
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I had no idea this existed – thanks for the rec.
Been once and liked it! They had a cabbage and white bean thing that I replicate at my house. The wait’s always a little intense for me.
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Love that dish. I’ve spent the whole spring/summer copying their snap-pea dish but never thought to copy the cabbage and white bean thing!
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wellll— I DID have jury duty, but thankfully was let out early, right around lunch time. I decided to get out of DTLA and head back to Ktown and along the way I picked up a sandwich from the new location of All’Antico Vinaio (6th/Western).
Small storefront for to-go orders, but a really fast and efficient system. It looked like they were training people, and they were still really fast— I ordered at the front of the counter, walked to the back of the counter to pay and by the time my transaction was processed, they handed me my sandwich. I got the LA Summer (prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, basil) and I thought it was very tasty— good quality prosciutto, mozza and the basil was a tasty, curly basil that looked more like arugula. Large sandwich-- I could only eat half. Nice folks working there and I’m looking forward to trying some of the other sandwiches in the future. Good addition to the hood and that block is blowing up again (still miss Beer Belly).
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@LAgirl have you had the sandwiches at Open Market?
I haven’t— I keep trying to get over there but haven’t had the chance yet. The sandwiches sound really interesting, and I’m always up for a good b’fast sandwich too. I also want to check out the wines. Hopefully soon
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Dada is a new Echo Park restaurant connected to the Dada market and Little Fish. (Enter through the alley.) If you’ve been to Little Fish, then Dada will probably be what you expect a dinner version to be. Quality food, good neighborhood restaurant. Ballpark comparisons are Elf and Botanica.
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Ai Pono Costa Mesa catered lunch at the office. Some of the best plate lunch Hawaiian food in the OC. The shrimp and chicken were the best proteins. The fry on the shrimp was very good and held up well even after transport. Mac salad is kicked up a notch and more flavorful than the standard. Good sauce on the spam musubi but out of proportion bc too much rice.
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That place has been on my radar for awhile but its hard to get to.
Glad to hear good things. Might have to make a detour at some point.
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I’ve eaten at the store once and had a good meal. Bonus points for being close to Sidecar, Stella Jean ice cream and Hi Times.
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Peony: thank you for the Pa Ord catfish recommendation. Warrior saw it and ordered it for our dinner. I liked it very much.
Just to spite burgerlords $25 cheeseburger and fries* I got the 10oz dry-aged DH burger from Amboy+fries for $24
My first dry-aged meat… it was good but I split it with my partner, that is one big patty
*I want to support small businesses and support them maintaining their own sustainability, but this feels weird, like a cash grab idk
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glad you liked it! I think nearby Boran Thai also has a spicy fried catfish but I haven’t tried it yet. I don’t see it too often on menus so
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Have you had Maitiki in Anaheim?
Not yet but I know Maitiki is well received on the board. My flawed logic is that when I go towards Anaheim I’d rather eat great Lebanese, Korean, Vietnamese or Mexican. But in Costa Mesa Ai Pono is a pretty good option. My brain works in weird ways.
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Kansha creamery- ice cream was a little too sweet for my taste. Had the strawberry passion fruit and white sesame. Will be back to try their og flavors
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Fondry. Highland Park bakery with croissants and croissant-like items. A 35-minute line. They were out of plain butter croissants when I ordered. The kouign amann was above average but not special for me. I didn’t taste the rich butter flavor I was craving, and I would have liked more caramelization. I didn’t find the pressed croissant appealing. My negative tone is definitely impacted by the line and hype. If this were a little unknown shop with no line, I’d be presenting it in a more positive light.
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Pailin also has it. Used to love this dish at Ganda RIP.
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