From LA to HI: A Month of Worthy Eats

Since the last time I wrote, I’ve eaten at a lot of restaurants in Los Angeles, Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii. I’ll just run down some of the highlights:

Fat Face Fenners (Hermosa Beach): I’m as shocked as you are that this Boston bar is on my list, but I had their spinach and artichoke dip last night and it is killer! It’s chunky, cheesey (I love feta) and massive — don’t even think about hogging this all to yourself. It’s only $8 and served in a toasted sourdough bread bowl. Their fried calamari ain’t so bad either. Love the horseradish in the dipping sauce it comes with.

Buns in the Sun (Kailua-Kona, Big Island): Known for their sandwiches and pastries, but for breakfast, I ordered their yogurt bowl. Low fat vanilla yogurt, served in half a papaya and topped with homemade granola. Fresh, healthy, light and delicious!

Kaka’ako Kitchen (Honolulu, Oahu): Don’t even ask me to pronounce this one. Affordable, fresh, Hawaiian gourmet food that’s a great lunch spot. I ate their seared ahi tuna sandwich served a taro bun (it’s purple!). As expected from the islands, the ahi was amazingly fresh but it was drenched in a soy-citrus sauce that made the bread really soggy. Don’t like that but you know a place is good when it’s all locals eating there. Whatever you order, have it to go and take it to nearby Ala Moana Park for a picnic. Go to Magic Island for a spectacular, tranquil view.

Petros (Manhattan Beach): Expensive Greek food but worth every fricken penny. Delicious dips served with pita bread include their Kafteri (four Greek cheeses blended with hot peppers — great if you dont’ mind strong cheeses), Melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon and walnuts) and Fava (puree of yellow split pea with EVO*, lemon, tomato and onion). Beware: they charge $1 for extra pita. I ordered a daily special that was rolls of cabbage stuffed with seasoned ground beef and rice, with two or three small slices of cheese on top (feta, I think). At first I thought it lacked flavor but the key was to eat it with the cheese. Yummy! Busy at night on the weekends so make a reservation.

Boa Steakhouse (West Hollywood and Santa Monica): For lunch, I had a kobe beef burger that was divine. They also have a smores dessert that comes in three parts that you mix together for chocolatey fun: a chocolate brownie topped with caramel ice cream, a toasted mound of marshmallow and a weird gourmet version of a graham cracker. They’re better off just serving it with store-bought graham crackers.

Ice Cream After Sex: A Satisfying Combo

Okay, it wasn’t ice cream, but “frozen yogurt after sex” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

I went to yet another frozen yogurt haven a la Pinkberry and Yogurberry last night after watching the much anticipated Sex and the City movie. This time, I went to Yogurtland on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and it was pretty good.

Like Yogurberry, it’s 16 flavors are all self-serve and weighed at the end. Here, it’s the toppings that set this place apart, noteably the cheesecake and cookie dough. MMM! I know not why similar places haven’t incorporated cookie dough as a topping yet being that it’s such a popular treat.

Other than that and the number of flavors though, to me, the differences stop there. Yogurtland is just like every other froyo with fresh toppings joints. It’s just as good as Yogurberry, not as good as Ce Fiore and scores better than Pinkberry. I really like Yogurtland’s Cookies & Cream flavor and I realized how much I’m not a fan of the tart sorbet-type froyo flavors, like its Green Apple. I prefer my froyo to be like ice cream.

I will say one thing about the movie Sex and the City though: As much as I loved the film, I left the theater thinking about how effed up my recent relationships have been, which was totally discombobulating. Needless to say, I really needed the drinks that were served to me before the movie… and the ice cream after. Amen!

Yogurtland
5541 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 461-0091