Canele

I revisited this quiant restaurant in Atwater Village... this little area bridges LA to Glendale or vice-versa. Not remembering how horrible the wait is, we decided to take our chances. It is highly recommended you call ahead or if you don't mind the wait, which on the weekend is roughly 45 minutes, there are trendy shops along the street and Kaldi coffee house just the next block over. Due to the long wait, we were given complimentary drinks! :) The menu: an array of mouth watering items mixed with just the right amount of comfort to sweeten the rest of the evening. Not having been there in a long, very long while, I ordered the dishes that made me go back--avocado citrus salad with grapefruit and lime as a starter and boeuf bourguignon with buttered noodles for my entree. My counterpart ordered bistro steak with sauce bordelaise, pommes anna and creamed spinach. Salad was excellent! I love the combination of fruit and veggies! I am sad to report the boeuf bourguignon was a disappointment. The dish should not have been as soupy as it was; it should have been reduced more. The beef broth in the dish was tasteless and although the boeuf was tasty, the overall presentation and flavor of the dish wasn't edible. On the other hand, the bistro steak was good. Let me say this again, the bistro steak was good! It was cooked medium rare and the sauce bordelaise with pommes anna was delicious. The texture of the meat was right on. The creamed spinach was a bit bland. Service was excellent and as expected in this very busy restaurant. I chose to end the dinner with their flourless chocolate cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was every chocolate lovers high! This restaurant is perfect for a cozy dinner for two.


www.canele-la.com

3219 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
323.666.7133

Lamppost Pizza

This is one of the best pizzas I've had! My usual order consists of a Medium or Large Pizza, half pepperoni and onions (they don't have red onions though) and half pepperoni with pineapple or jalapenos and a side order of mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks are not greasy and the batter they use is tasty. It may seem plain and simple and some of you might be wondering, "Every pizza place has that," but the flavor is totally different. Lets just say, when visiting this part of town, the selection isn't as bright as LA, but, when you find something good, you have to try it over and over! FYI: If ordering for delivery, you need to mention you need plates, napkins, pepper flakes and parmesan cheese or else they just won't bring it.


http://www.lamppost-backstreet.com/