journeys east @ tulalip casino

tulalip, wa

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derek's parents made reservations at journeys east for christmas dinner last year. an unusual choice, to be sure. food was delicious - a mix of different asian cuisines - derek's parents always know how to find good food. service had the right amount of christmas cheer. a nice spot for a fun family gathering. we even got to place a few bets at the roulette table on the way out.

brick + mortar

santa monica, ca

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a cool restaurant on main street in santa monica - more successful as a bar/nightclub in the late evenings than as a restaurant. although the chicken and waffles were pretty to look at, the chicken was overcooked and the waffles were bland and tasteless. derek, however, likes the atmosphere at brunch - loud music, fun & boisterous crowd. but the food is definitely lacking. for fried chicken and waffles in santa monica, go to bru's wiffle. for a pint on a saturday night? brick + mortar is a great option.

plaza inn @ disneyland

anaheim, ca

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visiting disneyland for derek's birthday - he elected not to wear the birthday pin, for fear that everyone saying "happy birthday" to him in an overly cheerful voice would get annoying. but he did elect to get fried chicken. we shared a plate (so as to save room for more disney snacks) - green beans were decent, the mashed potatoes were ridiculously buttery and delicious, and derek was very happy with the fried chicken - surprisingly moist and tender.

naples ristorante

anaheim, ca

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surprisingly good italian food in downtown disney, just outside of disneyland and california adventure. derek gets the chicken parm, i get the eggplant parm. thinly sliced eggplant, lightly breaded, topped with a very good red sauce and served with spaghetti cooked perfectly al dente. i recommend reservations if you want to dine here during dinner hours - it's a nice break from the craziness of the parks. or you can wait in line at the takeout option next door for an excellent neapolitan pizza, fresh from the oven.

aussie pie kitchen

santa monica, ca

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meat pies! ever since jenny and i went to pie minister in oxford, england, i've been trying to find a similar spot stateside. these meat pies are australian, but i can't tell the difference. it's hard to go wrong with meat wrapped in pastry. my favorite is the classic aussie - ground beef marinated in red wine, braised in mirepoix, herbs & spices. placed on top of mashed potatoes and covered with gravy. these pies are also great to take home - reheat in the oven until the buttery crust gets brown and flaky. so good.

ludobird @ staples center

los angeles, ca

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sports arenas have gotten fancy with their concessions. i was just excited to see jeremy lin play for the lakers at the staples center. (i was possibly the only person in the stands hoping that kobe would get out of the way so i could snap a photo of jeremy). i wasn't expecting to also be wowed by the food. wandering around the various concession stands, i noticed ludobird. could it possibly be related to celebrity chef ludo? i had no idea if his food was any good - i only knew him from anthony bourdain's show. turns out his fried chicken is damn good. seriously. crispy, herbal, juicy fried chicken will help you ignore how poorly the lakers are playing.

lawry's

beverly hills, ca

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girl's night out with cindy c, g, and L. L has a special "in" at lawry's because she got married there! brilliant. we had a great wisecracking waitress who had a lot of fun with us girls. smart wine recommendation, reasonably priced. dinner started with lawry's famous original spinning bowl salad. is it really necessary to start with salad? does the bowl really need to spin? who knows, but it's amazing. gives you a nice base in your stomach for the roasted prime rib. the meat is served off of a push cart - like meaty dim sum. for me, the redder the slice, the better. side of creamed corn. mashed potatoes. and yorkshire pudding which is like a deflated creamy popover. eat until it starts to hurt a little. waddle home. success!

morinoya

los angeles, ca

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i had no idea that this japanese restaurant was hidden away on the 2nd floor of the olympic collection at the corner of sawtelle and olympic until m directed me there for dinner after work. their specialty is inaniwa udon - i'm not quite sure what it's made of, but it looks like thinly sliced udon. the broth was flavorful and warm. it's a lot lighter than the ramen that you get elsewhere on sawtelle. but my favorite part of the meal was the warm plum wine drink that m ordered - extremely comforting after a long day.

r+d kitchen

santa monica, ca

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hillstone restaurants are generally reliable for good american food and excellent wine lists. r+d kitchen is no exception. on a lazy afternoon strolling along montana avenue, i sat by myself at the counter of r+d kitchen. lovely glass of crisp chardonnay. nice fresh chicken salad. solid.

b sweet

los angeles, ca

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this is my latest dessert addiction. bread pudding in all different flavors. pictured is my absolute favorite flavor - the bread pudding made from chocolate chip banana bread topped with gooey caramel. lightly sweet banana flavor pairs perfectly with rich bittersweet chocolate and super sweet caramel. derek's favorite flavor is glazed donut. yes, you read that correctly, they make bread pudding out of DONUTS. genius. derek gets it with a scoop of ice cream on top. it's such an intense dessert that i can usually only finish half in one sitting. but it freezes nicely and after a minute in the microwave, it tastes just as moist and amazing as a fresh serving.