Spear Steak and Seafood - DTLA

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Spear Steak and Seafood - DTLA

You know, when I think about breakfast, I think about things that I grew up eating. I wasn't that kid that got cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. In fact, we didn't eat breakfast during the weekdays at all. Even now, my breakfast is a cup of black coffee and whatever is left of my opened bag of cookies. Being a hardcore carnivore eater growing up, I find solace when I see steak on the menu. I would say 99% of the time, I would order steak if it's on the menu. And that 1% is only when I feel pressured to get something new.

Spear Steak and Seafood House in DTLA not only serves the obvious steaks, but they also do Sunday Brunch. They have 2 items on the menu that I normally gravitate towards: Steak & Eggs and Crab Benedict. During Sunday Brunch, Spear's also have $10 bottomless mimosas. With $7 parking validation, that's pretty awesome. Although I don't recommend anyone driving under the influence of bottomless mimosas.

800 W 6th St, Ste 100

Los Angeles, CA 90017

First, we coffee.

Attentive staff that keeps your cup filled. I don't know how many cups I had, but I was wired for sure.

Crab Benedict

I love Eggs Benedict. The only reason why I don't order it is pretty obvious. Butter. But, when lumps of crab meat is involved, there really isn't any reason to say now. And boy, was this delicious.

The binding of the crab was extremely simple. A slight crunch of the crust with a nice flaky bite from the crab. For $16 and the amount of crab you get, this was definitely worth it and a must order. Served with crispy fingerling potatoes. Go ahead, dip your potatoes in that ooey gooey Hollandaise sauce.

Steak & Eggs

So I've been really into flat iron steaks. And if you haven't really tried a flat iron, I highly recommend you doing so. It's extremely delicious. It's much leaner than your Rib Eye or New York, but it has an incredible beef flavor. I would say... it feels like a Filet meets a New York. Served with fresh hash, sunny side eggs, ketchup & salsa verde.

Always medium rare. The steak was cooked perfectly as you can see. The salsa verde had a surprisingly spicy kick to it. I don't find salsa verde sauces to be really spicy, so this definitely caught me off guard when I dunked my first piece.

I will be back soon to taste their sushi menu. They have specialty cut rolls that I would love to try. This is a nice spot to hang out for brunch, or to follow dinner with tons of drinks. Because really, REALLY, who just has ONE drink?

 

 

 

 

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Umami Burger - Hollywood

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Umami Burger - Hollywood

If you don't think one burger is enough, then I recommend you try having eight. Ok maybe not literally 8 burgers, but go in a group of 4 to take on the Umami Burger challenge in Hollywood. 3 sides, 8 burgers, 9 pairings, 4 big stomachs to take this on. It's really not that bad... but of course I am lying. It's pretty f***ing intense. I thought I was prepared. Maybe if I didn't slug every drink pairings with my burger I would've made it out alive.

1520 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

The tasting is pretty intensive. For 4 people, it didn't seem like that much of a challenge until the burgers started to roll out 2 at a time.

3 sides appetizers:

Thin fries, tempura onion rings, sweet potato fries, all paired with real sugar Mountain Dew. These appetizers are served with their signature sauces such as truffle ketchup (my favorite) to others like chipotle mayonnaise. Everything was delightful. But beware, don't go all hard on onion rings and potatoes as you will soon realize there is so much more coming ahead.

With a group of 4, it's basically 2 burgers a person. These burgers are full sizes, so you will need to cut these in quarters so everyone can have a taste. If you are worried about timing, they do a great job with delivering the next 2 burgers without waiting too long.

My favorites were: Truffle, Manly, Ahi Tuna, and my all time had to be the Throwback. Why the simple Throwback? Because it tasted like a comfort burger we would eat growing up, but made with the best ingredients. Each burger were enjoyable. I remember taking a bite of the 7th burger and said out loud "I am really full!". The more I ate, the more I drank. The more I drank, the more I eat. I was putting the final nails on my coffin.

Some drinks:

These are 4 drinks out of the 9. Please see the menu above for more reference. My favorite cocktail from the tasting was their maple bacon old fashioned. It also became the drink choice for the rest of the night. Stay tuned for where we landed after Umami Burger. If you think this was a lot of food, well get ready because the night did not stop here.

I would totally recommend this 9 course meal to anyone. It was extremely fun and challenging at the same time. The alcohol pairing made everything better of course. Make sure to have a designated driver, though it's almost impossible to get drunk with the amount of food being consumed.

Definitely a delightful experience. If you want to take this head on, you better finish your drinks!

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Bunker Hill Bar - DTLA - Blogger Mondays

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Bunker Hill Bar - DTLA - Blogger Mondays

It was a pleasure to meet a bunch of bloggers and Instagram influencers this week at Bunker Hill Bar in Downtown Los Angeles. One of my best friend lives a few blocks away and I swear I've never seen this place. It's a total gem in DTLA and also a great place to dine for locals in the area.

The Bunker Hill Bar & Grill

601 West 5th Street Suite R201
Los Angeles, California 90017

There were complimentary appetizers during the evening. Of course, the first thing I looked into were drinks. It didn't take long before the waiter took my order.

A good old fashioned. It has been my drink of choice. It's simple, straight to the point, gets the job done, with a fancy orange peel. I'll just take a few more of these please.

The food was simple, but pretty great. They have tons of TVs for any game day events you can imagine. There might be parking nearby, but street parking will always be my thing. I am definitely coming back for drinks and wings!

Also, they have Duck Fries... did you know duck fries is my middle name?

Just saying.

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BOA Steakhouse - Santa Monica

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BOA Steakhouse - Santa Monica

There are a few things that get me excited. Steak. I grew up eating steak a few times a week because my father was a butcher. Now, I eat it from time to time. I got the pleasure to dine with some great foodie friends hosted by the main man himself, Michael Cardenas. I've known Cardenas for a few years, but this was the first time we finally sat to have dinner. This man is always busy, but is extremely smart with tons of food adventures to share. If you want someone to be envious at, he's the man.

We dined at BOA Steakhouse in Santa Monica the other day. This location is great for sunsets, dates, drinks, and of course steak. Everything I had were delicious. I am still stuffed from this night. So without further delay, I'll be happy to share the fantastic last supper with y'all.

101 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

We all got to pick an appetizer, but we were still able to try a lot of them because we were all generous to share.

Old Fashioned

First things first, drinks. I've been drinking Old Fashioned 3 times this week already. Such an easy drink to sip through the night. They also have a few specialty cocktails available which I highly recommend. I've just been hungover since Saturday, and needed to just let it ride. Let it ride.

Amuse Bouche

This was a little amuse bouche from the chef. Foie Gras Agnolotti with white truffle, mushroom, and fried crispy sage. Simple and elegant. Everything a girl can ask for.

Prime Steak Tartar

Buttery steak tartar that will melt in your mouth. Served with a side of crostini, olives, and cornichons. This was served tableside. They also showed the ingredients before the items were mixed in.

Seared scallops

Served with sunchokes, chanterelle, baby leeks and shellfish froth.

Classic Caesar salad

Served table side, all the ingredients are mixed right in front of you. This Caesar was amazingly delicious. Spicy, salty from the Parmesan and anchovies, light garlic, and petite croutons.  I highly recommend this if you want to order a salad for the table.

Chilled saffron jumbo prawns

I am skeptical when restaurants serve jumbo prawns. Most of the time, they are liars. The prawns are never jumbo as it is stated. BOA Steakhouse? They will deliver on that. These bad boys were more than just jumbo, they were on steroids. Super meaty and deliciously sweet. Another item I would always order. I'll even be happy having this with the caesar.

Roasted Bone Marrow

With gremolata and toast.

1/2 dozen oysters.

Goat Cheese Baklava

Served with Pistachios and black truffle. Yup, you can imagine this was good and I don't even like goat cheese.

medium rare

Yeah, there were a few platters of this to make sure we all left with full bellies and cute to go containers.

Left to right: bone in ribeye, Lobster, center cut, and new york strip.

Served with roasted garlic and lemons. You can only imagine how much we were all salivating as we took photos.

The steaks are served with creamed spinach with crispy shallots, mashed potatoes with smoked cheddar & bacon, and Mac n Cheese. These dishes scream John's name. And to be honest, who doesn't like classic steak side dishes?

There were desserts, but those got devoured quickly. I, of course, found the one that won my heart.
Grape cotton candy for the win. I mean, why not end the night with more food. I am the happiest I can be.

Drinks, friends, and great food. Take some time to spend with friends and family. Enjoy a few hours. Have a few drinks, or, a lot. Don't forget to cheers and make a few toasts. And most importantly, don't forget to thank the servers and people who clean up for you. One of the hugest pet peeve I have.

Many thanks Mike!

Warmly,

D

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Ixtaco Taqueria - El Monte

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Ixtaco Taqueria - El Monte

John and I went to the gym before finding Ixtaco Taqueria. We were hungry. Needed food, but it wasn't quite time for dinner yet. Don't you just hate that? What's a good post workout meal that is satisfying, fills up, but not too much, between 3-6? It's pretty hard. Because when I eat, I mentally get ready for it. I kick the protein shakes to the curb. Don't swing no snack bar in my face either. I want meat and greasy food that I can get my hands on. My hair was a mess, but I didn't care. No one complains when there's tacos. No one.

We stumbled upon Ixtaco when we were headed for a quick fix at Mitsuwa Marketplace. Luckily, John read my mind and rerouted to this joint a few miles down from where we were at the moment. Nothing a quick U-turn can't fix. Have you seen how I drive? There's no playing games when tacos are involved. I tell people this all the time when they get nervous, just close your eyes.

10021 Valley Blvd, El Monte, CA 91731

As you can see, they do have a decent selections of tacos to choose from. I would definitely need to be back to try out the other menu items.

Aguas Frescas

Aguas Frescas

This was their coconut and mango. Both refreshing on a hot-supposed-to-be-spring day. Handcrafted to suit natures best produce. My coconut drink was nice and subtle. The mango had a sweeter bolder kick which always pairs great with tacos.

I ordered 2 Asada and 1 Roasted Duck.

I was probably 9 the first time I had tacos from a truck. There was one where I used to live in Glassell Park called Gorditas Lupitas. The tortillas at Ixtaco reminds me of Lupitas. In other words, comforting. My mom and my dad used to stroll down the street. I would remember what a treat it was to eat tacos. The delicious chewy tortillas with the spicy salsas. These totally brings back memories.

Roast Duck

Roast Duck

Their roast duck taco was my favorite. If you are familiar with Chinese roast duck, this is exactly what it is in a taco.. with cilantro and onions.. and salsa verde. I am not complaining. It totally makes sense. If you think about how Chinese would use steamed buns or thin flour pancakes to wrap roast duck, this is no different. I'm not sure how consistent the duck is prepared here in a taco, but if it's served with tons of skin, I am happy with that. So much flavor and super moist. They also serve this in a burrito as an option as well as a quesadilla, torta, sope. I'm telling you, they have options.

Sope

Sope

I love sopes because it's fried. They make their own here like their tortillas. What I love about this is the slight crispy edges with the hot steamy chew you get. You won't find the same texture from store bought sope shells. It's just not the same as to when it's handmade. I would order this a little more extra crispy next time.

Grilled Elote

Grilled Elote

Yummy grilled elote. Corn that's been charred, buttered, slathered with mayonnaise, cheese, lime juice, and to what I believe was a chipotle style mayonnaise. It make look like a lot of mayonnaise, but trust me, that's the best part. Comes piping hot in a plastic container. Great to carry on in the car when you are on the go.

Langostinas

Langostinas

Langostinas burrito! Loaded up with rice, beans, and a layer of purple cabbage. Squeeze as much lime as possible then douse with some spicy salsa. Lick your fingers after. Napkins are only used at the end of the meal.

10021 Valley Blvd, El Monte, CA 91731

I know El Monte isn't very local to a lot of you folks, but it's always fun to explore. I love places like this, because it creates an experience I wouldn't expect to find. I don't always need to be in Los Angeles. Getting away, driving to a different city, and finding a totally random restaurant is the best part of being a true foodie. So go and explore.

Happy taco hunting.

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