6627 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA

Amazing Mexican food is suppose to be a dime a dozen in the city of angels, but Loteria Grill, so far, is the most memorable I’ve had. With an appropriate loteria card design motif (Loteria, if your curious as I was is played much like bingo but in a far prettier package), dim flattering lighting, and a menu that makes one drool just to read it, the fairly recently opened restaurant is a pleasant spot in a neighborhood that boasts restaurants of the cheesier kind. Beginning as a beloved counter top at the Farmer’s Market, owner Jimmy Shaw’s now burgeoning empire includes the Hollywood location we ate at as well as a newer Studio City branch.

The meal began with a crazily addictive salsa which I would have loved to bring home a tub of, and progressed with incredible tacos, Jim and I ordered Papa con Rajas (Potatoes with Roasted Poblano Peppers Served with Finely Chopped Onion and Cilantro, Queso Fresco, and Salsa Verde), Nopalitos (Fresh Cactus Salad. Served with Salsa Verde and Queso Fresco), Pollo en Pipian Rojo (Chicken in a Spicy Pumpkin-Seed and Peanut Sauce Served with Finely Chopped Onion), and Carne deshebrada (Shredded Beef Served with Fresh Guacamole, Salsa Chipotle, and Finely Chopped Onion and Cilantro). All were exceptional, the last one was insane. I’ve heard they offer great margaritas but with jet lag and an early flight, I opted for a tasty aguas frescas.

We went late on a quite weeknight and had no problems getting a table, but it’s normally wise to book a table.

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16 West 29th Street

For such a chic scene, The Breslin at the Ace Hotel sure boasts a gut busting, fat making menu. From pork rinds to pork bellies, there was much to drool over for us piggies, and we wound up sharing the salt and vinegar crisps and pork scratchings (rinds) to start with. Next came a rich bone marrow and onion soup for me while Jim dug into their famed lamb burger and nicely crispy steak fries.

But even as the rich and wonderful food fills you, you’ll not want to skimp on dessert. We shared a sticky toffee pudding that came in a mammoth bowl (but was totally doable split among the four of us) and a Chocolate Stout Syllabub with bubbled caramel and crème fraiche. My goodness yum!

The philosophy of the menu is not vegetarian friendly, you’ll find all sorts of nose-to-tail cooking here from pigs feet to head cheese, nor is the place friendly to taking photos as it’s so dim (but who cares with all the food to focus on), nor is it friendly to big groups and planners. It’s immensely popular but takes no reservations – we had no problem getting a private (literally, it had a curtain with which we could block out the rest of the world) booth because our dear friend Laura was a guest. BTW, her room was also adorable and well put together in the same rugged, quirky and stylish theme.

394 Broadway, Brooklyn

More romance can be found among the trash-stuffed-pillars, fried chickenries and noisy dollar shops underneath the roaring JMZ track than one might ever expect at the cozy, Europeanesque Moto. It’s been ages since I headed down there for their impressive menu, jazz and hand cobbled together ambiance, and delicious desserts (years ago I praised their grilled donuts).

We ordered cappuccinos, despite a strong curiosity (particularly on my part) of the breakfast beer listed on the menu (Guinness plus espresso) which, unlike angry reports on Yelp, did not take forever to arrive at our table. Moto’s weekend brunch offers much to choose from and we were both very happy with our entrees: ham and cheese baked eggs for Jim and a fresh Turkish breakfast with olives, figs, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and soppressata for me.

The real highlight of our meal was the warm date cake with toffee sauce and whipped cream; it was absolutely heavenly and is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes (it’s even on the menu at all meal times). Order it!

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100 Mott St

The service at Shanghai Café was so hostilely brisk and gruff that I almost felt honored to be seated in our tough little lady’s section. The place isn’t much for ambiance either, unless you feel comforted by the fact that your Formica table is lined (and protected?) with duct tape, but really what does ambiance matter when the perfected delicacy of a soup dumpling is there for the eating? Joe’s Shanghai is probably the better known purveyor of the messy dumplings of deliciousness, but I’d really have to eat the two side by side to decide which is better. Both are crave worthy (read: I want them right now!).

We inhaled two orders of the soup dumpling both crab and crab-less – which had the table divided – I prefer the crab, but its flavor is very pronounced and others, who may not have a palette for the briny sea, liked the all-pork incarnation better. We also ordered won-tons in spicy schezuan sauce (peanuty and spicy), eggplant with garlic sauce, and bean curb schezuan style. Unlike some hole in the wall spots, all the dishes had a distinct flavor.

Pair it all with good friends and a couple of cold Tsingtaos and you get one of those meals that can make you so happy to live in a city that hides so much good food in its quiet corners.

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Buttery Ham, Anchovies, and Squid

We traveled to Barcelona primarily for the spectacular food and we were not disappointed. Our first night in town we went to Tapac 24, a bright and bustling tapas spot in the L’eixample, where we actually had the best meal of the entire trip. An menu filled with the letter ‘x’ only confused me and left me realizing that I really didn’t know Spanish at all, so we took suggestions from the moderately patient waiter and pointed to words that looked promising. We started with ink dyed fried calimari, it was delectably tender and crunchy, like fresh onion rings of the sea. Really incredible. Wonderful lightly salted and fried artichokes came next followed by flavorful chicken croquettes and a daringly ordered bull tail. The latter was a rich, meaty dish much like a fragrant oxtail. A nice bottle of cava accompanied our fully satisfying meal and I’d strongly recommend you make your way to this underground spot if you visit the city.

Breakfast brought more adventure and deliciousness with Mantequeria Ravell, a bodega store front which hides a secret breakfast dining room that you access by walking through the kitchen and then up a flight of stairs. It feels like a well kept secret (even though we found it in a tour guide) and the complete lack of English spoken only adds to the exotic experience. And exotic it is, for where else have I been faced with a menu containing a foie gras and eggs dish? Oh, this is decadent living, friends and I savored every bite, except for the ones I gave over to Jim in order to make it through the day without going into a foie gras induced nap. Fresh squeezed orange juice and a large window overlooking apartment gardens were lovely accompaniments.

After a day of uphill walking we deserved to indulge again and did so at one of the city’s most popular tapas and cerveza meccas, Ciudad Condal. You can expect a long line of locals and tourists, but it moves quickly and is worth waiting in. Here we had what seemed to my American sensibility like the most typical tapas: the Iberian ham was like butter and came with the traditional bread with a slight smattering of tomatoes. My boss highly recommended I take the opportunity to eat fried small peppers, and here they were excellent. Creamy manchego, fried anchovies, crisp asparagus, and tuna stuffed red peppers (all great) rounded out the mini feast and cold cervezas washed it all down…

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462 2nd Ave

Totonno’s is one of those weird New York restaurants in a weird New York block that makes you feel like you could be almost anywhere in the United States – it’s generic, but kind of comforting too. The table cloths are checkered and a wee bit worn, the TVs are glowing (oddly with ads for their own restaurant), and the Bud Light is flowing.

The pizza, a large margarita, was simple and yummy. While pizza has had somewhat of another renaissance with more sophisticated pies in the past few years, Totonno’s still has a place in the list of ones to try with its crunchy crust and chewy, minimal middle. Now you can enjoy the fresh mozzarella and cheesy goodness in the glow of Christmas and Hanukkah lights that adorn the walls.

37 St Mark’s Place (between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)

While sitting down to write an essay about my favorite sandwich has me feeling a smidge like Liz Lemon, banh mi (a French/Vietnamese sandwich served on a baguette stuffed with pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, chile peppers, pate, mayonnaise and more) is something I love so much that I honestly don’t care if I’m betraying a deal-breaking character quality (I’ve already written about Phish – twice this week…).

I’ve long been a fan of Vietnam Banh Mi So 1 on Broome Street and Nicky’s on 2nd Avenue, so when Silent H opened its doors on Berry Street and banh mi became available locally, I was totally psyched. Sadly, the price, service and hours they chose to serve sandwiches during (weekdays noon to 4), made me less than happy…

Recently, An Nhau’s banh mi shop on Bedford and North 7th has changed my life (I must eat at least one meatball sandwich a week). The sandwiches are cheap, delicious and prepared in about three minutes, but when Brittany and I were out in the EV a few nights ago, we grabbed dinner at Baoguette Cafe.

I automatically ordered the classic #1 banh mi sandwich (pork terine, pate, pulled pork, fresh herbs) and it was amazing – but totally heavy duty, I was actually having a hard time finishing (the pulled pork is no joke) – and Brittany totally scored with beef vermicelli noodles (the waitress recommended the beef over the chicken bun dish).

We got to the restaurant at around 6:45 and it was gloriously devoid of any other diners, but by 7:15 dudes were beginning to pack the tiny interior – so go early!

47 Bond Street

Il Buco would be worth the price of admission just for the cozy and romantic décor. We were tucked away in the much quieter cellar (upstairs is vibrant and noisy) next to racks of wine, dried wildflowers, copper and brick. It was so dark that it was next to impossible to capture many photos, but I grabbed a few from their site to give you a better idea.

Fortunately, the food rivals the atmosphere. No wonder this family run hot spot is perpetually packed and has remained a local favorite and staple for romantic meals for over a decade.

While I’m sure you can hardly go wrong with the menu, we made excellent selections by sharing the beef carpaccio, the octopus with potatoes, and the beets. We also shared a tasty wide pasta and mushroom special entree. Caramel gelato and pineapple sorbet finished the meal perfectly.

The staff is friendly and accommodating, making us feel especially taken care of. And our bus boy was excited to inform me that they are now open for lunch with great paninis. Can’t wait to try them.

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This is a truly heartbreaking story. Once, not too long ago, a miraculous thing happened – an ugly menu for a pizza joint called Vinnie Vella's (adorned with an illustration that practically begged for low expectations) arrived on our doorstep and, surprisingly enough, their 'Grandma's Pie' (fresh ingredients atop a perfectly thin/thick crust) turned out to be absolutely delicious. Furthermore, VV's actually delivered to our neighborhood (I'll never forgive you for forsaking Greenpoint, Fornino).

Then one day we called up (the number was actually in Jim's phone – no longer) and ordered the usual. The place had a different name, but they assured us the menu was the same; we had no idea to what degree our lives were about the change for the worse. The delivery was late, we were starving, but what was in the box – ugh – we couldn't even bring ourselves to try more than half a slice each.

Nice job La Bella Mariella II, you ruined a beautiful thing with your gloppy cheap cheese and overly sweet canned tomato sauce you try to pass off as belonging on a pizza (PS: the photos on their site are totally inaccurate). I'm truly ashamed to admit it, but we actually threw away almost an entire pizza.

You will never be forgiven and I hope you perish the way of Better Fellas (the short lived shop that set up in the same location between Vinnie Vella's and Bella Mariella II).

Souen is really lucky, by the way, that I was so crushed by this pizza shop debacle and spared them the wrath of a lengthy tirade because their vegan dirt food made me sad while I was eating it and mad to be paying obscene amounts for it.