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lunch

Wood Ranch - Burbank

June 12, 2016

I attended a media event for Wood Ranch the past week at their newest location in Burbank. If you are familiar with this area, it is where the old Elephant Bar used to be. Shocking to see that they closed, but having Wood Ranch in the area made more sense. The location will officially open for dinner at 4 p.m. on Monday, June 13 and for lunch on Wednesday, June 22. So get ready to mark your calendars.

110 N. 1st Street Burbank CA 91502

Here are a glimpse of the food items we had that evening:

You have your fresh guacamole, salsa and chips. Killer wings (both buffalo and fiery). Their famous shredded onions which you can literally put on everything. There's absolutely no way your hands will be clean after this round.

We had a few salads to try. From their sides, a mountain of original peanut coleslaw. Their Tuscan Kale Salad composed of watermelon radishes, chives, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, golden raisins, toasted pumpkin seeds, shaved Parmesan, and tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Natalie's Salad - mixed greens, candied pecans, avocado, Gorgonzola crumbles, cucumber, balsamic vinaigrette. And their BBQ chopped salad with your choice of chicken or tri tip - Mixed greens, corn, black beans, Tillamook® Monterey jack, tortilla strips, tomato, carrots, scallions, cilantro, ranch, and Original BBQ sauce. Which one would you get? I liked the chopped salad because I'm a meat salad type of girl.

St. Louis Ribs are sweet & spicy, dry-rubbed & smoked. Served with a side of Original or chipotle-cherry BBQ sauce. I loved these ribs the most. I'm a huge fan of dry rubs and these were definitely fall off the bone tender.

These were center cut and hand trimmed, served with the original BBQ sauce. Sweet and tangy. These were also fall off the bone. You can see it by the shreds.

Wood Ranch Tri Tip and Fire Roasted Chicken.

They had some premium sides like grilled asparagus. Also signature sides like sweet potato mash, and Mac & Cheese.

At the Burbank location, there are a few exclusive items you'll find here, and only here.

The Ultimate BBQ Sandwich. A stack of Carolina Pulled Pork w. Carolina Slaw, Double RRanch® Brisket topped with Tillamook Swiss®, wood-grilled premium kielbasa (spicy smoky sausage), charred jalapeño, Famous Shredded Onions on a freshly baked brioche bun. Choose any barbecue sauce on the side. Good luck taking a bite of this. I had no problem... but a warning in case your jaw gets stuck.

Premium, juicy chicken thigh, brined overnight in buttermilk and spices, then coated with their specially-seasoned mix.Fried to order and topped with their Peanut-Cilantro Slaw on a freshly baked brioche bun. A large sandwich. Crispy and delicious. Good luck headed towards the gym after.

Bar Area Special during Happy hour, Momday-Friday 3-6pm. These are their Smoked Pulled Pork Nachos. For $6, this is definitely a steal. Carolina Pulled Pork, Tillamook Monterey jack® and cheddar cheeses, black beans, chopped jalapeño, salsa, house-made guacamole and sour cream.

Save room for dessert:

Graham Cracker crust cheesecake with raspberry sauce and their Oreo Cookie crunch - Vanilla bean ice cream rolled by hand in ground.

Make sure you check them out!

110 N. 1st Street Burbank CA 91502

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Pizza Romana - Fairfax

June 1, 2016

“All of our dough is fermented for 24 hours in the traditional Roman style. We then hand-stretch and bake all our pizzas in authentic Italian wood-fired ovens. We use produce from the farmer’s market and our own downtown garden, organic and pesticide-free whenever possible; meats raised in a humane manner and without the use of antibiotics.”

— Pizza Romana

I just want to immediately say how amazingly delicious the food was at Pizza Romana. It doesn't get anymore authentic than this. Almost all the ingredients used in this restaurant is imported from Italy. We are talking from the tomato sauce to their water used to make their pizza and lasagna pasta sheets.

615 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

There's plenty of seating from indoors to outdoors. They also have wine tasting every Thursday night which you will definitely find me there pretty soon. Pizza Romana also carries an extensive wine list. I highly recommend you ask about their wines to pair perfectly with your tastes.

Pizza Bianca served with the Salumi & Fromaggi. Super thin and killer crust.

Super simple, but having all cheeses and salumi imported from Italy just makes it that much more exquisite. These were so delicious to eat. I mean, there isn't any other way to really describe how tasty these were. We have Speck, Capicola, and Mortadella. Served with some dried cranberries, apricots, cashews, and 2 types of cheeses. The cheeses were mild, but complex. Nothing gamey about them which I can appreciate. I'm not a huge fan of stinky cheese as it takes over everything. Their pairings were spot on.

This is better than Mom's lasagna. This is quite frankly the best lasagna I've ever had in my life. The bolognese sauce is made with 3 meats: pork, beef & veal. Layered with bechamel and mozzarella, this rustic dish deserves to be put at a 5 star restaurant. Each bite was luscious with a beautiful bite from the elasticity of the handmade pasta sheet. For $8, there's definitely nothing to complain about. No sharing on this one.

Simple Margherita pizza with an amazing crust and chew. The pizzas are light and airy. The dough is also easy to digest. What really stood out from the pizza was the cheese. Amazing quality. With the delicious tomato sauce and fresh basil, I could sit by the beach and eat this while watching the sunset.

Buffalo Mozzarella with arugula and Prosciutto

There is absolutely nothing that tastes like this. Nothing. You have to get this. The prosciutto was amazing. The creamy Mozzarella was to die for. The pizza dough. Just everything is perfect about this. The saltiness of the prosciutto paired with the cheese and the lingering peppery arugula... this has changed my life.

When we think of Pistachio ice cream, we think of mont green. I grew up eating Thrifty's ice cream from Rite Aid, but never understood what tasted like pistachios in that ice cream. I loved it though and has always been one of my favorite go to. The gelato from Pizza Romana is actually imported from Sicily. How f'ing cool is that right? This tasted nothing like Pistachio made here. This is the real deal. Sweet and subtle. Has a faint flavor of roasted pistachios. An amazing treat to end our amazing meal.

I highly recommend you check this place out for many reasons. One big reason is how it made me felt like I was traveling. Each item on the menu has a story from where the ingredients were sourced. Ask about it. They have something great going on here. The other reason, and I really want to stress on this, is how affordable the items on the menu are. Even their bottle of wines are less than $40.

Map it now: 615 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Buon Appetito!

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The Counter Burger - Pasadena

June 1, 2016

I've been going to The Counter Burger for over 7 years now. I would also add that it was my first gourmet burger I've ever had. Now that I work up the street on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, The Counter is literally within my reach whenever I want it. It's crazy. And I've been on this burger diet last year where all I ate was mostly that. I'm not sure if it was a phase. But I think it's just all the people telling me how crazy I was to eat burgers constantly. Get this straight. There is no judge zones when it comes to eating. If I want a damn burger, I will get me a damn burger!

Their new menu no longer comes in a binder. It is now as you can see, a laminate menu printed on both sides. The build your own burger is still available, but they cut down on the ingredients that were available to make the building less complicated, and more realistic. Like really, do you really need 10 items on your burger? Might as well go down the street to Souplantation if you just want to fill your cup. Make it quick, make it simple.

The Counter Burger has other locations, please click "Here" to find one near you.

Tater Tots with Pimento Cheese and BACON

If you've never had Pimento Cheese, obviously you need to try it. But to have it served with tater tots becomes a whole new ball game. You definitely want to eat these with a fork to get the biggest bite possible. Portions are great to share.

The first bite is sweet, spicy, and tangy. The heat will slowly creep up. And next thing you know it, you are craving for the next one. It's not as spicy as you think they'll be, but they do pack a good punch of flavor in each bite. Don't worry about napkins. It's all finger licking and sucking at this point.

This item is also on their new menu. Monster lump crab meat, diced eggs, bacon over bacon, roasted red peppers, green onions and spring mix to make you feel better about yourself. Served with a honey mustard dressing, but of course you can always ask for something else. This was $18, but well worth it. I'll say it again, HUGE lumps of crab. I also loved the diced eggs and tomatoes. This was very fun to eat.

They put the chicken in a buttermilk brine. Served with jalapeno jack, tomatoes, sliced Jalapenos, coleslaw, honey dijon all sandwiched between a brioche bun. Jalapenos are frightening. There are days where it wouldn't do much, but there are days it will totally destroy my stomach and bottom after a few hours. This was spicy when I had it, just the way I like it. If you want to give it a spicier punch, ask them for buffalo sauce or something instead of honey mustard. A bleu cheese dressing sounds delicious too.

Last but not least, 2 milkshakes to put out the butt fire. Strawberry Banana and Nutella. YUM. I love milkshakes. They really do make me feel like a kid because we didn't grow up drinking these. So to have it was definitely a treat.

There are also a few new items on their menu. Feel free to ask the staff about them.

Pasadena:

140 Shoppers Lane, Pasadena CA 91101

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Spread Mediterranean Kitchen - DTLA

May 17, 2016

Spread is a new restaurant opened in DTLA that serves a fresh idea on Mediterranean food. A group of foodies and I got to sample some of their menu items along with a few cocktails to highlight the concept of this restaurant. Parking was pretty forgiving if you come early enough to get lucky with meters. There are also local lots you can pay for a flat rate that averages $8.

Spread offers lunch that's no more than $11, but also serves dinner that is both casual and sophisticated at the same time. Cocktails you will find at Spread would be no more than $9. They want to make grabbing lunch a necessity and not so much of a burden. It takes them hours to prep the food before it takes just a few minutes to fulfill after your order. But what you have purchased is quality. They want to make the ease of grabbing lunch a less burdensome part of your day, but also a great place to hang out for happy hour and dinners.

Here are just a few items you will find available. As you can see, they have casual items such as a Harissa beef braised wrapped in a freshly made flatbread to a more sophisticated Falafel Hash that I like to it a Falafel "Crab Cake". They have bright dishes such as a watermelon feta salad with a yogurt mint dressing to a Za'atar fried chicken that won't make you fall asleep.

Dinner is proposed to smaller dishes which makes snacking and drinking at the same time that much more fun. Come with a few friends and try a few dishes with cocktails, wine, and beer. Yes, you should have it all.

334 S MAIN STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90013

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Sushi Roku - Pasadena

May 15, 2016

I've been dining at Sushi Roku for over 6 years now. Sushi Roku is not just a place for food, but also a great place to have parties, celebrations, dinners, brunch, or whatever you want to call it. I've sat at this place for hours. With drinks. And friends. I'm not a weirdo, I swear.

I went to Sushi Roku last week to try a new item on their menu. Well, it's not really a new item, but something that is enhanced for the true connoisseur. Their executive chirashi. This was made, because not everyone wants the regular plain oh chirashi bowl. Don't get me wrong. It's still good. But if I can get a larger variety of premium fishes for lunch prices, I would jump all over this like you know, fat kid love cake kind of deal.

First things first, wine, DUH. I want all of you to know that I am a red wine drinker. I just had a bad night of white wine and it just kind of ruined it for me. Kind of like Grey Goose. Drank that thing back in the day with warm Sunny D that ended up NOT a great night to remember.

Turning a healthy snack into a not so healthy snack. I chuckled a little with that line.

I like to think of the executive chirashi as a mashup of whatever fresh fishes the chef wants to present. Doesn't that look stunning? I got more heads turned looking at this thing than me. I mean I get it. There's no way I can compete, but the wine does help me feel better about myself.

Some of the fishes features were Amaebi (sweet shrimp with fried head), Hon Hon Maguro, Kanpachi, toro, Uni, tai, hirame, & Kinmedai. Of course fish varies from time to time, so don't expect the same. I wouldn't expect the same executive chirashi everytime. This was well worth the $36. The quality was great, presentation was exquisite (of course the gold flakes helped), and it was just an overall really tasty dish.

Sushi Roku is located in Miller Alley. The restaurant is next to Crate and Barrel if you are really lost. If you are really lost, find a security that are floating all over Old Town Pasadena. They are in the yellow polos. And if you can't find them, just go home and cry because you failed in life.

33 Miller Alley, Pasadena, CA 91103, United States

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Wine & Dine

Wood Ranch - Burbank

Pizza Romana - Fairfax

The Counter Burger - Pasadena

Spread Mediterranean Kitchen - DTLA

Sushi Roku - Pasadena