dining out #3

My Dine Out experience ended with a solid finish at Bistro 45 in Pasadena. This place is classy without being uptight. Their Dine Out menu included suggestions for wine pairings and they have an extensive collection. My friend said they've changed their wine list quite a bit since the last time he'd been there and it's only been 1-2 years. There are two dining areas and a patio and they seem to get booked quite often for private parties.

For the first course, I had the house salad, made up of baby lettuce, roasted pearl onions, Paris mushrooms and shaved parmesan. It was a very full salad and I only finished about 1/2 of it, but only because I was too slow. My friends had already finished their soup du jour, which was wild mushroom. It looked good and was drizzled with a pretty mint sauce. For the main course, I ordered the Roasted Maple Leaf Duck Breast with lavender-scented butternut squash and caramelized ginger reduction. This was an adventurous choice for me since I normally don’t like duck, though I am a sucker for butternut squash. I think these French places are winning me over with their sauces. This one didn't completely cover up the gaminess of the duck, but complimented it. I was surprised at how much I could taste the butternut squash in the dark brown sauce, while my friend who got the same dish commented on the taste the lavender. I also tasted the Roulade of Alaskan Wild Salmon with truffled fricassee of leeks and Banyuls Provence vinegar reduction and I have to say it was the best salmon of the three Dine Out places I tried. Tonight I had the S. Pelligrino with my meal and actually liked it. Is my palate changing or am I just easier to please?

For dessert, the menu said "your choice from the dessert tray," but we got a variety of mini desserts--carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, a decadent chocolate layered cake, a lemon tart, and a dark chocolate truffle. Each one had a rich flavor in just the right amount. I would love high tea if they did dessert like this. Alas, they can’t all be Bistro 45.

dining out #2

For our second Dine Out Meal, my friends and I went to The Cellar, a French restaurant in Fullerton. I liked it from the moment I walked down the stairs into the underground restaurant. It is very romantic, though spacious with two dining areas and a full bar. Everything about the The Cellar said fine European dining, from the carpet with the old French pattern to the flowers to the waiters in bow-ties. It has been around since 1970 and was made from the basement of the old California Hotel. Though it is designed to look like a wine cellar, its actual wine cellar is above ground and, with special arrangements, is available for private dining.

True to its name, The Cellar has an extensive and award-winning wine list and there is an expectation that diners partake. We opted for the still water and this time it was Acqua Panna :). We started with herb bread and butter and our first course. We had a choice of French onion soup and Foie de Canard. Having tried both, I say you can’t go wrong with either. Presentation, taste, texture—they were all done well. The main courses came out hidden beneath silver covers and our servers simultaneously uncovered our dishes on the count of trois. We chose between Duck with blackberry sauce and wild rice and Poached Salmon in a Chardonnay sauce. This round went to the duck. The sauce had a wonderful flavor that covered up the gaminess of the duck that I dislike so much. I think it also helps that the duck was very thinly sliced, unlike the big chunks you find at Chinese restaurants. The salmon was soft, but lacked a strong flavor. It makes me want to try the salmon on their regular menu, which is prepared with a rich saffron cream sauce instead. Dessert was Grand Marnier or chocolate soufflé. I preferred the taste of the orange liqueur to the latter, which tasted very similar to a cup of hot chocolate.

I love French food and culture, so I was really looking forward to eating at the The Cellar. It only exceeded my expectations and was such a pleasant dining experience. The food was delicious, leaving me full but not overly stuffed, and staff was charming and attentive from the moment we entered to the time we left.



soupe a l'oignon gratinee au gruyere. french onion soup baked over with gruyere swiss cheese


terrine de foie de canard. duck liver and black truffle terrine served with french cornichons and toast points


salmon poached with a chardonnay cream sauce


preparing the grand marnier souffle, ooh la la!

dining out #1

San Pelligrino is having its 6th Annual Dine Out USA, where participating restaurants serve three-course meals at a fixed price of $25 for lunch and $35 for dinner (not including additional beverages, tax, and gratuity). For each Dine Out meal, Pelligrino donates $1 to Share Our Strength, which benefits starving children in America.

For our first Dine Out experience, my friend and I went to Vert, a Brasserie by Wolfgang Puck. This restaurant is located in the Hollywood & Highland Center and is described on its website as French and Italian. Besides the crème brulee and chocolate soufflé, there is nothing French about Vert. Our server didn’t even attempt to speak French and the menu was more Italian and American than anything else. We were given both the regular and the fixed menus and the prices were about the same, so the Dine Out Menu was not the great deal that we were expecting. Still, we stuck with the fixed menu since it was for a good cause. We both chose the flat water over the sparkling and they brought us each a half liter bottle of Evian. Hmm, what happened to Acqua Panna, as advertised? I hope the money still goes to charity.

We started with three breads served with olive oil, goat cheese, and tampanade. All good. Then came our salads. Caesar with bruschetta and Butter Lettuce with braised artichokes. Both were good sized salads with just enough dressing. The flavor was not overpowering and we were both pretty full after the first course. For the main entrée, my friend had the roasted half chicken with gnocchi and spring vegetables in ratatouille sauce. Again, mild flavor and the texture was soft and tender. I had the Atlantic salmon. The crust was crispy and peppery and the inside was moist. I think they chose their go-to dishes for the Dine Out menu, which were safe and well done, but not fantastic. One of the diners at the next table ordered the Ahi tuna, which is what I would have ordered if I had gone with the regular menu, but they were all out. How disappointing. It wasn’t that late in the service. And that wasn’t the only thing. We had ordered our desserts in the beginning and I was really looking forward to my watermelon granita with gelato, but they were out of that too! Our server offered me the tiramisu instead, but I refused. My friend had already ordered it and neither one of us were that excited about it in the first place. So, I got the crème brulee instead. That was the biggest surprise of the night. I’m never that impressed with crème brulee, but this one was different. It had a thick top shell and was baked in a tart made of filo dough rather than a ramekin. All that and the berries baked inside made it the stand-out dish of the evening.

I’m glad I got to try Vert. The food was good, but I was pretty disappointed in general. Our server was nice enough before we ordered, but after we made our selections, she never stopped to check on us and was abrupt in her demeanor. When she dropped off the crème brulee, she said, “It’s better than the granita anyway.” We think it might have been because the servers automatically get an 18% gratuity with each Dine Out meal. Blah, my suspicions were confirmed. Wolfgang Puck is overrated.

trick-or-treating

I went down to San Diego this weekend to attend the Bridal Bazaar
with my friends who are getting married next year. It was a great place to see what is out there. They had a fashion show featuring wedding dresses, tuxedos, bridesmaid dresses, and flower girl dresses. I liked the dancers who were hired to show off their threads, rather than the angry-looking models who jutted their hips when they walked. That may work on the runway, but that’s not how a bride is going to walk down the aisle.

There was so much to see. Hundreds of vendors filled the convention center, from photographers, DJs, bakeries, invitation stores, wedding venues, travel agencies, to wedding limos, buses, and trollies. We skipped lunch, but I didn’t notice because we filled up on cake samples. Going from booth to booth, opening up our bags and collecting price lists and business cards, it was like trick-or-treating at the Bridal Expo.

Afterward, we went to happy hour at The Melting Pot. From 4-7pm, their salads, cheese, and chocolate fondue are all 50% off. It was very tasty. We started with the traditional Swiss cheese fondue and the spinach artichoke fondue. I found the wine flavor in the traditional fondue overpowering, but it got better after our server added more cheese. The spinach artichoke was excellent. Our salads were refreshing after a day of eating cakes and cheese, but we still couldn't pass up the raspberry dark chocolate fondue for dessert.


traditional swiss cheese fondue, which is a mixture of white wine, garlic, and gruyere and emmenthaler cheese


raspberry dark chocolate fondue with refillable toppings

pigging out and staring at the sky

Yesterday, I went to a birthday party where we feasted on a roasted pig (provided by our host), salad, noodles, rice, tamales, cake, and ice cream. After we were sufficiently stuffed, we drove a short distance to star gaze. The Perseid meteor shower peaks at this time of year and yesterday was a good night for viewing because there was no moon, making the evening sky extra dark. Lying on a blanket on the ground, I patiently waited and saw about 8-10 shooting stars, some of which were long and bright. One looked like the star at the end of those public service announcements that say “The more you know …” Very cool, though I forgot to make a wish.

celebrating island style! the roasted pig had crispy skin on the outside, tender, juicy meat on the inside

the post office

I went to the post office to mail a package.

Postal lady at the counter: Weren't you here yesterday?
Me: Yes
Lady: This morning?
Me: No, just yesterday. I have a post office box, so I have to check it all the time.
Lady: Oh, that makes sense. There is a guy who comes in here every morning and says, "GOOD MORNING, ELLEN!" ever since I processed his passport application
Me: Yeah, and some people are just obsessed with the post office

old town pasadena

My friends and I visited an oldie but a goodie ... Mi Piace in Pasadena, a place that holds many memories for us. It's always been a great place to hang out, sight celebrities, and enjoy good food. Last night was no different, though we did lounge in the swanky bar area before our table was ready. The restaurant was closed for some time while they renovated the bar and it looks better than ever. As usual, no one saved room for any of their gorgeous desserts.

pumpkin ravioli in a brown butter sauce with sage. so tasty! thin skins and a lot of pumpkin flavor.