Citrus at Social Hollywood

Commit this word to your memory: gougers. Gougers are French cheese puffs. They are like delicious bite-size popovers stuffed with a mild cheese and they are heavenly. Just one of the many heavenly creations at Chef Michel Richard's Citrus restaurant at Social Hollywood. Chef Richard won a James Beard award, so the bar was set high. And he met our expectations. The menu is inspired california-french flair, well-prepared, well-plated and oh so tasty. The crab toast was sumptuous, to die for. The onion tart's texture was a bit too mushy for our liking. And for dinner, the table ordered the 72-hour braised short rib, the lamb, a gorgeous poached lobster, and lobster burger served with giant french fries fried in clarified butter. Sinful.

Of course, my personal highlight was the dessert. In addition to the gourmet kit-kat bar, we also ordered the orange souffle. Now I know me some souffles. This souffle was the most technically successful I've ever had. Foamy, rich, luscious texture in the middle with just the slightest crispy top. Cutting it with my spoon was like cutting through air. Very flavorful. It was a party in my mouth.

Yes the scene is very Hollywood, the music at the club next door is unbelievably loud, the waiters are probably better actors than they are waiters, but all is forgiven when the food is this good.

Good Steak at Bistro Laurent Tourondel

I dream of them. Popovers! Those flaky puffy hollow bread rolls common in the East Coast are made to perfection at BLT Steakhouse. It is step one in this overall sensational steakhouse experience. We started with giant popovers, a nice blend of textures, crunchy on the outside and chewy, warm and buttery on the inside. Next came a roasted beet salad, not amazing, but satisfactory.

Then we chose the jumbo lump crab appetizers served with house-made cocktail sauce from their raw bar. Then came the centerpiece. The Rib Eye, seared to heavenly perfection in buttery sage goodness, served with a whole roasted garlic and marrow and bone (if you're courageous). We had asparagus and green beans for our sides, both prepared perfectly. Crunchy buttery hot flavorful veges to support and enrich the steak-eating experience.

The service was excellent, the food was robust in flavor, plentiful in portion and gorgeous to look at it. One of the better steakhouses in Los Angeles. Highly recommend. If not, just for those popovers alone!

CRAFT not so crafty

I was so excited to visit Tom Colicchio's restaurant Craft. I've been a fan of his since watching Top Chef. I figure he knows what the hell he's talking about. It took me $213 to learn that celebrity chefing is all hype. Our meal was boring. Ron's NY Strip steak was decent at best. Although the cut of my braised beef short rib was good (all meat, no fat), the marinade was ho hum. It tasted like a mediocre bourginion at best, without any subtle flavor of anything. We also had for appetizers quail in a wild blueberry jus which was fine. And our spinach salad was saved by the thick slices of bacon in it. The food was prepared well in a classical sense. But there was nothing special or memorable about the flavors. The price we paid for this meal was not worth the bland dining experience.

And the music they played- we were going to slit our wrists with our steak knives. Dreary slow songs from unrecognizable musicians who all sounded like James Taylor knock-offs.

To be fair, there was one dish that was a home run. We ordered the donuts for dessert. They did manage to perfect a donut. Crispy on the outside, gooey and chewy on the inside. Served with a chocolate mousse, vanilla bean creme fraiche and an apricot lemon jelly. We were so pleased to be having donuts for dessert. But as for the meal, there are better steak houses in Los Angeles for less strain on your wallet. Not recommending!

Boucheron in Napa Valley

This local French restaurant is packed every day. The crowded restaurant has an authentic French bistro feel. Fresh seafood menu everyday and French brunch staples.

Next door is the Boucheron bakery where I went to town on my favorite cookies, french macaroons. The fifteen minute wait was worth it. I had chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch and pistachio macaroons. And they were all delicious. They also have fresh bread and cookies and sandwiches.

Julia's Kitchen Napa Valley

Ode to Julia Childs - the British chef who made chefography into a celebrity culture in America. Julia's Kitchen in Napa Valley honors the spirit and recipes of the late Julia Childs. The menu carries a few of her timeless recipes. My meal here was memorable. To start with, before you even dine at the modern restaurant, you take a walk around the 3 acre garden in front of the restaurant. A stroll among fruit trees and vegetables reinforces the mission behind Julias- to celebrate and utilize the freshest of ingredients. The restaurant and garden are on the grounds of the COPIA institute, an education facility focusing on the study and history of food and wine.

Once inside, we started with berry martinis, dined on succulent lobster salad, Julia's recipe for duck with cherry jus on forbidden Chinese black rice, and pan seared rib eye. We finished with flavorful espresso drinks and a strawberry shortcake. The meal was divine.

Comida de Puerto Rico

I ate my way through Puerto Rico. Que delicioso! Highlights:

Ceviche House: Puerto Rican/Peruvian restaurant. We had delicious warm crispy empanadas, octopus ceviche and skirt steak. Our favorite of the house was the mussel appetizer. Green mussels topped with cool chopped onions, tomatoes, herbs, sea salt. So simple and so good.

Horned Dorset Hotel for lunch located in the city of Rincon: We tried a Puerto Rican staple called Mofongo which is mashed plantains under a stew of some sort.

Deli de Espana: A local Spanish deli/bar/bakery with delicous meat pies, sandwiches and pastries.

Profiteroles at Chaya Venice

Is your favorite dessert profiteroles? With a chocolate sauce and fresh whipped cream? Well here you go!