Yip on The Little Door

The Little Door * 8164 W 3rd St @ Crescent Heights * Los Angeles, CA 90048 * (323) 951-1210
Cuisine: French, Mediterranean

Put out by $100+ per person dinner? This isn't your place. Looking, yearning and dying for the SF dining experience you have been missed for exactly 6 months now ? ... This IS your place.

The Scene

When you ring to make a reservation, they drop in touches of French like "Bon jour" and "Merci" and it feels completely genuine. Unlike the rest of the restaurants here in LA that have yet to take advantage of information super-highway, the world wide web, you can actually make a reservation on OpenTable. Me likie.

When you arrive at the Little Door, you enter through a grand and rustic door, with (of course) no name posted. Like many trendy places in other cities, you have to be "in the club" to know it's there. Except in LA, every place has to have valet, so the name of the restaurant is on the valet sign. So really, it's hardly an exclusive club.

Once you crack open the door, the interior itself is absolutely breathtaking. They have 4 distinct rooms and they get progressively more romantic the further you enter the space. The garden rooms are covered and I believe they had heat lamps, so there should be no temperature issue. However, it is good to know before you ask to be seated in the front patio, that they allow smoking there. I have no idea how they get away with this, but it is what it is, so be aware. We ate just within the piano room (the 3rd room) on the edge of the Winter Garden (I loved the bamboo ceiling!). Any seat in the house is going to be a good one.

The Menu

The physical menu was a little funny. There were three lose leaf inserts to basically a one page menu, so they have no problem running a few flyers off in the back room. Yet, the dessert menu was written on a large chalk board that they insisted on bringing from table to table when it came to that time of the meal. In my opinion, the tables were a little to close together for that, and it really didn't seem to add to the experience, as if you were getting some additional service. But if this is the alternative to a "dessert cart" where they showcase what look like plastic pies assembled in the Easy Bake Oven, then I'll take the chalk board.

For the starters and main course choices, there were Many Many Many mouth-watering options. And as you know if you have dined with me on a City Eats experience in the past, I demand a taste of everything at the table. It's an occupational perk.

The Food

There were 3 of us dining, and we settled on two apps to share and a main course per person. So lucky me, I had lots to taste. For starters we had the "Little Door Mezze Royale," which consisted (per the menu) of assorted Mediterranean Appetizers with Tuna Tartar, Goat Cheese, Merguez Sausage and Grilled Scallop. Now that sounds like four things to me. Not 24 things. The plate was huge. We were not expecting another full meal. But in truth, while we could have used a little warning on the portion size, it was in it's entirety, really delicious. We also enjoyed a butternut squash ravioli app, in which I felt the delectable ravioli filling was unfortunately overpowered by the butter sauce. And really, who doesn't like butter??! If you say you don't like butter (kind of like you if you say you don't like Journey), you're just a liar. But as much as I like butter, I liked the taste of the filling more and wish I could have enjoyed it a bit more.

For mains, we each ordered something different. The Duo of Duck with Pomegranate and Candied Walnuts - absolutely superb. The Couscous "Royale" with Lamb Stew, Lamb Chops, Chicken and Merguez Sausage - delicious assortment. And finally, my meal, the Pistachio Crusted New Zealand Snapper with a Preserved Lemon Sauce, was nothing short of spectacular.

I just wish restaurants could realize that excessive portions aren't necessary. Charge me the same amount and give half of what you planned to bring me to the kitchen staff, bar staff, wait staff or dish washer. And don't forget the valet guy - he gets hungry too. I mean really, I certainly can't eat all of that, and if I did, I wouldn't be very LA, and certainly wouldn't be allowed to grace Hef's next bash in scantily clad "Lingerie or Less." And I'm not taking any kind of fish home with me for a late night snack.

The Service

I hate to say this, but they had a couple of mishaps. Our waiter was very attentive, knowledgeable, and generous. However, he had a staff assisting him that could have used a little more training. Such As (it wouldn't be me if I didn't give numerous play-by-play examples):
1) We requested sparkling water and they brought still. The quickly swapped this out, but when we brought this to our waiter's attention, he unfortunately didn't realize that this was the first of a few issues he was going to have with his staff and our table.
2) When they brought the apps, they didn't remove excess plates and bread (even though we had more bread coming as an accompaniment to one of the dishes). The table got crowded very quickly with our "Royale" app that could have easily served a starving family of four for an entire meal.
3) They didn't sweep the crumbs from the table between courses. I just assumed maybe they didn't do that here (even though they clearly needed to because we were either very messy or the bread was crumbly, or both), but one of my dining companions noticed a crumb sweep on another table in the adjoining room. Is it just me, or at a restaurant with entrees in the $40+ range, a crumb sweep should be standard.
4) Our dessert showed up a bit late and we had to repeatedly ask for coffee refills. We also inquired (it was in fact and inquisition, rather than an accusation) whether the peach tart we ordered for dessert should have been served warm or chilled, as it was clear to all that it had been sitting on the counter for quite a few moments prior to arriving at the table, as the accompanying ice cream scoop was bordering on ice cream soup. And while they did not remove the dessert charge from the menu, the waiter did bring us each a complimentary glass of port that was quite delicious and a nice recovery from some other service difficulties they clearly been having through the night.

The Restroom

Why have I been calling this a bathroom for that last 55 entries?!?! There hasn't been a bath in a single restaurant I have EVER been to. I'll start from here on out referring to it by it's proper name. Thought LBH (Let's Be Honest), often you don't want to or chose to "rest" there, so that's probably not really an appropriate name, either.

Even though they are singles, ladies should not plan to use the men's room in a pinch. Apparently the door doesn't lock. I didn't have the unfortunately discovery of this personally, though another female diner did. Yipes! Actually within the restroom, there were a few cute kitsch decor pieces, and I also appreciated that there was a small window open for ventilation, but they had it masked by a plant so there was still privacy. Well thought out and executed. They get points for that.

************

In a spoonful, it has been my best fine dining experience in Los Angeles thus far. I don't know if it ranks in top 10 best meals of all time, but they definitely have potential and it is currently my best recommendation for out of towners that actually enjoy eating. Food (baring the half heated dessert) was nothing short of fabulous, even though the portions were a little over zealous. And the atmosphere and decor was nothing short of stunning.

Yip gives it 4.5 spoons.

Yip on Doughboys

8136 W Third St @ Crescent Heights * Los Angeles, CA 90048 * (323) 651-4202
1160 N Highland Ave @ Lexington Ave * Hollywood, CA 90038 * (323) 467-9117
Cuisine: Bakery, Breakfast

Doughboys is a bakery and local breakfast eatery (my favorite meal any time of the day!) with two close locations. Since a "Los Angeles" address means nothing (annoyingly this could be anywhere from Downtown to South of LAX to North of Wilshire), I'll clarify that this one is close to the Beverly Center and near West Hollywood. The Hollywood location is not but a few miles away, just east of the Los Angeles location. Both will be unbearably crowded for a weekend brunch, so take your pick. Neither has convenient parking or (shockingly!) valet, so squint to read the the permit parking residential signs or pray for a street meter spot. Since no one here actually knows how to parallel park, you can usually find something pretty close.

The Scene

1000 hungover hipsters hovering outside waiting to be seated, so prepare to wait regardless of whether you want to eat inside or out. They only have a few crowded sidewalk tables, but inside there are two dining rooms and a bakery counter to presumably order snacks to go. Lighting is a bit too dim for a daily eatery for my taste, and the decor is either non-existent or forgettable --I'm not sure which.

The Menu

This is one of those places where you should decide before you open the menu whether you want savory breakfast, a big salad, a sandy ... The menu is huge, and honestly it's a bit overwhelming. So many choices that all sound delish, but I was taken with the idea that their soups are made to order. This doesn't seem utterly efficient, but I appreciate the thought. And they have an extreme selection of chilis. A friend of mine in SF that also spent some considerable time in LA loves chili, and this would totally be his cup of tea. I also read on their menu that they have a picnic basket you can order to go for such fabulous events as those at the Hollywood Bowl (love it!). I'm pretty psyched about having that in my back pocket for all those romantic picnics I go on.

The Food

I finally settled on a salad and soup combination. I wasn't that hungry and that seemed like a manageable amount of food. Hold the phone - pure insanity arrived at the table. A vat of soup, probably the equivilent of 3 full cans of Progresso soup. Thankfully lentil is one of my favorites, but this was just completely unnecessary. And the salad could have safely fed at least two other people. If you know me, or have read my many rants on portion sizing, you know how much this irritates me. Americans are so fat because we refuse to get in line for portion control; Doughboys contributes to that problem. That aside, the food WAS delicious, and they reportedly have the best red velvet cake (when served at room temperature) in town. Unfortunately, I was too full and broken up about the amount of food that was wasted on my plate to even think about indulging in dessert. Also, the tap water has so much chlorine in it that it tastes like they emptied out the local YMCA pool. And now I'm rethinking the picnic basket because, while I really never go on romantic picnics, I certainly don't go on romantic picnics meant for two people with enough food to feed twelve.

The Service

Not too much to report. Well, that's not true. They got the order right. My glass of diet coke (free refills) never went empty. She asked if I wanted onions on my salad (kind of like how they ask you at In-N-Out if you want onions on your burger). They hover a little bit like they are trying to get you to move a little faster, which I suppose is understandable given the crowd outside, but I still don't like it.

The Bathroom

My friend mentioned when we sat down that this was one of those places where you'd rather not go to the bathroom since you have to go through the kitchen (a la San Francisco's Mama's and Victor's Pizza). Low and behold, they decided (or the local health code authorities decided) that this was unacceptable. They didn't want patrons schlepping through the kitchen to tinkle. So what do they do? They post a sign that reads "No public restroom." I'm sorry, I just hallucinated... WHAT?!!? This isn't a to-go coffee stand. This is a full fledged restaurant. How is it possible that they have no public restroom. The local health code authorities somehow allow this place can remain in business without a public restroom?!!? I am literally speechless. And that rarely happens.

************

In a spoonful, they have "Portions for three." Go here with two of your friends and order one dish, but don't drink a drop because who knows where you'll be able to relieve yourself. I really cannot believe they have NO restroom - I went from speechless to appalled and then based on principle, unable to return to this establishment. If you feel the need to over-indulge in portions and try the red velvet cake, do so "To Go" or hit the Highland location in Hollywood. Maybe it has been upgraded to include a restroom.

Yip gives it 2 spoons.

The Expansion

My faithful followers know that I recently (well, not that recently) relocated from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I was anticipating my depression around the lack of delicious food available and the desire to actually eat it. And even though many asked, I decided I would give up the blog with my departure from SF. And for many a good reasons, which in my power point, corporate speak, I will list here:
1) Always a pillar of efficiency, I had trouble seeing how the sprawling acreage of Los Angeles would translate to a sampling that people could actually find helpful when deciding where to dine for the evening.
2) How could I be whitty and interesting when theoretically all I could write about was authentic Mexican cuisinse, natural frozen yogurt and 750 different kinds of salads?
3) And then there's always the age old anorexia issue in Hollywood - people here don't eat. I think when you arrive at LAX there is a sign that says "Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels" (or at least there should be). I knew I would soon feel obligated to revert to the daily diet of 3 sprays of Binaca for breakfast, an afternoon snack of 2 tic tacs, and a late night cocktail of Listerine. Not to mention that I would be interspersing my soon to be 10 gallon a day habit of pounding green tea.

The green tea prohibits the absorption of calories for those that have no idea what I am talking about. And why should you? You live in a normal city and have normal eating habits that consist of actual nutrients and/or major food groups. I will soon be living life in a constant state of fresh breath, even though I'll never arrive anywhere on time between the LA traffic and the number of stops I'll have to make every 20 minutes from my liquid diet.

But the more I thought about it, I decided that while YOU may not have to live here, I do. And surely business (and visits to your friendly neighborhood Yip) may bring you to Los Angeles. And then how will you know where to eat? Someone is going to have to make the sacrifice to help navigate through all the bad, over-priced, celebrity hype eateries you will tempted to visit on your company's expense account.

And, this was really the clincher, when someone gave me an Los Angeles Zagat guide for my recent birthday, in the "LA's Most Popular" section (brace yourself, I am not kidding), the Cheesecake Factory was #1. I nearly simultanteously vomited and fell out of my chair. Clearly these people NEED me.

Well, that and I know my adoring fans get a kick out of my rants and raves, and they just can't find that same kind of entertainment elsewhere. So, back by popular demand, and in it's new expanded form ...

City Eats, Los Angeles

Yip on Victor's Pizzeria

Victor's Pizzeria * 1411 Polk St @ Pine * San Francisco, CA 94109 * (415)885-1660
Cuisine: Italian
Neighborhood: Nob Hill

A lot of hype proceeded my visit to this small scale, authentic Italian haven. My friend claims the pizza gives him "Homer Simpson drool." Now this I had to experience...

The Scene

You would hardly know there was seating to eat in if you didn't look close, since from the street and even when you first walk in it seems like a by-the-slice and take-away business. Once you get to the back dining room, they have a cute and nostalgic decor. It reminded me of a pizza place I used to go to with my family when I was little. They had exposed rafters with fake plastic grapes hanging all over the ceiling, draped in Christmas lights. While this is a little tacky, I kind of like it. It's sort of like (but not quite) the toys hanging from the ceiling in NYC's 21 club. There are also some oil paintings of Chianti bottles on the walls in old wooden frames and other old photographs of Italian seaside. Also, above the exposed rafters, they had two additional paintings on the wall, sort of hidden. I think they were painting of San Francisco, but I don't know what that was about. Kind of weird.

There was definately a solid authentic Italian feel. I half expected some Mafiosos to be traipsing through to the back room, but I guess they stay in North Beach...

The Menu

They are one of the few, the proud, the wonderful that actually offer you made-to-order slices. By this I mean, they have pre-made cheese slices that they will zap in the oven with almost any topping you ever wanted. I like this flexibility in a slices business, since my fav is cheese with tomatoes and mushrooms, and you can bet this combination is never available in the window counter of slices at any pizza joint. So they are already in the win column with me.

They also have an extensive menu of pizzas, calzones, salads and get this - homemade pasta with homemade sauce. I never expect any place to have homemade pasta anymore. I didn't actually try it since I was visiting this historic establishment for lunch (no late afternoon food coma for me, I say!), but when I looked around quite a few lunch patrons were enjoying the pasta. Can't forget to say the menu also had meatball subs, lasagna, and carrot cake (another fav!) for dessert.

One thing they were missing was some kind of lunch special like an eat-in salad/slice/soda special like Pizza Orgasmica has. But I don't want to forget to mention that they do have half orders of pasta, which would be perfect for lunch.

The Food

I don't know about "Homer Simpson drool" but it was pretty darn good. Pizza was yippity yummy. Sauce and cheese were perfectly portioned. Toppings were fresh. But salad had WAY too much dressing ... drowning couldn't describe. To their credit, I forgot to ask for it on the side or lightly applied, but still. We also received bread which was hot and fresh out of the oven. More homemade, more delish.

The Service

You have to track them down which is kind of disappointing since it was lunch time but not that busy. Clearly you are not going to a place like this for service, but we had to wait quite a bit to order and quite a bit more to collect our check after our meal was clearly completed.

The Bathroom

Well, kind of like Nick's Tacos and Mama's, I hope you don't have to use it. You have to walk through the kitchen and the dish washing area to use what is really the employee bathroom. It's not clean and well, that's all I have to say about that.

*************

In a spoonful, this place is super close to the Polk Street bars and would be a great grab-a-midnight-slice (made to your own specifications). It seems like it would be worth a trip to try to pasta, and if you're anywhere in the neighborhood, it would make a good "I don't want to cook tonight, but want a home cooked meal" take out option. Avoid the bathroom, and don't expect your server to have traditional Italian charm.

Yip gives it 3 spoons.

Yip on Frisson

Frisson * 244 Jackson St @ Battery * San Francisco, CA 94111 * (415) 956-3004
Cuisine: American / French
Neighborhood: Financial District

The Scene

The main dining room feels like something out of a 1960s movie. Think tweed, orange and funky lighting. It’s almost like there shouldn’t be tables, just floor pillows and a mattress floor like in the Playboy mansion. Only it feels cool and hip, not sleazy and full of Viagra. There's an outdoor heated garden patio, dim downstairs lounge, and three private rooms with a chef's table, a garden view or cinema setup.

The Menu

We went for Dine About Town and all three of us had choices from the special menu. I have been here a few times before (they often have a price fix menu) and felt confident not ordering off the main menu. We started with different apps: crab and lobster bisque and a mushroom and eggplant tart. We all had sole with sautéed spinach and fingerling potatoes. And dessert was a chocolate mouse all around. I was also excited because I had recently won a bottle of Cakebread Zinfandel at a wine party and brought it along for corkage with our meal, even though they have a great wine list and are really know for all of their specialty cocktails.

The Food

We all agreed out apps were very good. And the potatoes and spinach with the fish were some of the most delicious vegetables we have ever had. But the fish, well … it’s not ok for the main course to fall flat. It was not presented nicely on the plate and was basically tasteless. A girl from LA likes nothing less (except maybe bad plastic surgery – thank you Tara Reid for getting that under control) than consuming calories that aren’t worth every delicious bite. Dessert was acceptable but our waitress never came back to ask if we wanted coffee or after dinner drinks. More to come on her participation or lack there of in our overall experience …

The Service

Things started off great. They tried to give us a table that I found to be less than desirable, and the hostess picked up on it right away even before we sat down and asked if we wanted a different table. Love it. Anticipate and handle critical situations – a skill all waitstaff need a lesson in. Unfortunately, the waitress didn’t get this training. When we all ordered from the fixed price menu, the dinning torture began. I felt a little like we were being treated like we were paying with a coupon. She insisted we order our dessert choices upfront – like it wasn’t going to be ok if post main course I decided I wanted the cheese instead of the chocolate cake. And along with that, she never came back to see if we wanted coffee when the dessert arrived. They have runners that bring the food to the table, so I don’t honestly remember seeing much of her for the rest of the night. We were constantly filling our own wine glasses and waiting a considerable amount of time between courses. Service really needs some help here. At the end of the night I was looking for the manager to give him a piece of my mind and he was nowhere to be found either. I guess that says it all.

The Bathroom

Now, this is actually the fun part of this place. It’s hidden downstairs and is surprisingly co-ed. There is a long shared trough sink in the center of the room, and stalls along the outside walls. One huge mirror on the back wall for your makeup reapplication, though the light is pretty dim so don’t pull a Bridget Jones and get your eye shadow on your cheeks by mistake. An insider’s tip is that when a stall is occupied, a red light turns on atop the stall. Be careful of the sinks because for some reason the water seems to go everywhere.

*************

In a spoonful, you should plan to come just for the exquisite and exotically flavored cocktails. But even their apps at the bar fall flat to expectations for after work happy hour or a late night nosh (the bar stays open until 2am). The scene is totally hip and cool and the bathroom is worth a visit. I’d suggest stopping here for a drink to soak up the scene and the beautiful people, and then head next door to Kokkari for dinner you can expect to please you every time.

Yip gives it 2 spoons.

Yip on Palomino

Palomino * 345 Spear St @ Folsom * San Francisco, CA 94105 * (415) 512-7400
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Neighborhood: Financial District

This place is like an extension of the Gap-eteria, since it is located directly between two huge buildings housing Gap Inc employees and right across the lobby from a third. It is a great location for a business lunch or a happy hour. And you’re sure to see a lot of fashionistas at both times of day.

The Scene

The big driver here is the expansive outdoor patio overlooking the Bay Bridge. Unfortunately, this calling card is in jeopardy because there is some mysterious construction across the street that could potentially ruin their view. The interior décor fits the formula for generic upscale chain in terms of fabric and furniture, and they have a huge bar and bar area. One thing I noticed which I was impressed by was their hand blown glass lighting. Shocker, I noticed the lighting … Their chairs also have high backs and are very comfortable. And they make you feel tall while you are sitting, which is always a plus for those of us that are vertically challenged without our 4”stilletos. Also, beware of what appears to be a normal restaurant napkin that sheds like the family dog. I was desperate for one of those roller lint removers when I got up from the table. Eww.

The Menu

They have a very extensive menu. In fact, it’s almost too much to read. Find something that appeals to you and stop. Just pick that. They have a great pick-two soup, salad, pasta and sandwich deal for lunch which I highly recommend. They also have an extensive apps menu, which would serve your happy hour needs. Their pizzas are the super skinny almost flatbread type. I would suggest that they relook at their soup assortment: if you have two soups on the menu, both shouldn’t be cream based. All a bit pricey for what it is, so beware you are not in store for a value meal.

The Food

We started with the cheese fries. And, I know what you are thinking. But these are not the usual pub fare, bar food, sometimes chili soaked, cheese fries. These have gorgonzola chunks and some kind of delicious white cheesy sauce. And then the fries are those superbly spiceful waffle-cuts. I highly recommend. They also start you with bread and a spicy chunky tomato and garlic sauce, if you can get them to remember to bring it to the table.

For my meal, I had the half mozzarella, tomato, basil Panini with a salad. Be sure to ask for no mayo or whatever weird sauce they put on the paninis. And make sure that they deliver to your table that way. There is plenty of butter to make the sandy mighty tasty that you don’t need mayo and an additional 10 grams of fat. As for the salad, I got the “chop chop” (which you have to pay $0.50 more for, but is totally worth it). I was forewarned that they are no good at putting an acceptable amount of salad dressing on the salad, so be sure to ask for it on the side.

The Service

Overall, I’d have to say it was absentee and not well organized. For some reason every item that came to the table from drinks to meals, the waitress had to recount who had what. “Who had the diet coke? Who had the iced tea?” Maybe it's just me (but afterall this blog is all about me), but that is totally annoying. I have worked in food service and while it can be challenging to deal with needy, hungry people, it is not that challenging to take orders in a systematic way so that you can deliver the items to the table without interrupting the patron’s enjoyment of each other’s company.

The Bathrooms

Well lit. Clean. And marble everywhere, but not in the Caesar’s Palace kind of way. Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle of my lipstick reapplication, the light bulb started flickering like mad, a la disco strobe light. I mentioned this to the hostess on my way out and nothing was done about it during my hour meal, as I visited the ladies again prior to departure. I also get kind of annoyed when you let them know something is wrong and they don’t take care of it. Just take the damn flicker bulb out – it’s not like it was going to be pitch black with one less bulb.

**************

In a spoonful, totally acceptable for a nice, downtown business lunch, but it is overpriced for what it is. Choose another place if you are looking for dinner, but celebrate a happy hour here while you can still enjoy the view. And for those post-work cocktailing bachelors out there, you might even score a few numbers.

Yip gives it 2 spoons

Yip on Fresca

Fresca * 2114 Fillmore St @ California * San Francisco, CA 94115 * (415) 447-2668
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
3945 24th St @ Noe * San Francisco, CA 94114 * (415) 695-0549
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
Cuisine: Peruvian

A Peruvian delight with locations in both Noe Valley and Pacific Heights. I have been to the one in Pacific Heights numerous times but decided to branch out and hit the Noe Valley location last night. Reservations can be a bit tough and walk in is nearly impossible at the Fillmore location, but the Noe location has a bar, so you might be safe with a walk in. I’d be skeptical about taking your chances though on a prime Friday or Saturday night. Stick with a resy on those nights or go a different time.

The Scene

In the Noe location, the restaurant is about 2x the size of the Fillmore location, but the décor and feeling are pretty much the same. They have awesome mosaic tiles on the floor and great art and lighting.

The Menu

Fresca is a Peruvian restaurant with a solid offering in the ceviche sector. They have like 15 different ceviches. They have a great selection of fish (this is what you SHOULD order from here), as well as meat dishes. We ordered one of each and to my surprise the pork dish was *almost* as good as the fish. It was deliciously NOT greasy and very flavorful.

The Food

Portions are HUGE! You can definitely family style it up, which they suggest sometimes but not always. If you dining with just one other person, I’d suggest ceviche starter, an app, and one entrée. We started with the halibut ceviche which was tangy, tasty, fresh and to die for. Love it. I could have just eaten mounds of that. We also ordered to entrées to share for main meal. Though we finished most, it was a lot of food. We could have gotten by with one, like I said. I was stuffed even before dessert – which of course we had to have the chocolate cake. I was wishing it was that delish molten choc cake, which maybe it would have been if they took it out of the oven a bit sooner. It wasn’t exactly overdone, but it could have had a little more moistness. The ice cream on the side was the perfect accompaniment.

The Service

They did a good job of suggesting a wine pairing from a Chilean winery, which I was totally psyched about. The wait staff was also very available but didn’t intrude on our conversations. In fact, they were so smooth, that they brought the bill and my friend treated me by paying literally right under my nose. He even played a trick on me, suggested we should dine and dash (in fact, he practically insisted!). Finally I let him convince me to walk out, when in the back of my mind I was praying that he already paid. They had my opentable.com information so they were going to get paid one way or another. I just hoped it would be because they came running out the door after us. My friend even had the table next to us in on the joke. Jerk.

I would be remiss if I did not mention one flaw, and accidents happen so you can determine for yourself if it is excusable. The tables are quite close together and as they were clearing out plates, the flatware fell of one of our plates directly onto the middle of the table next to us. It was loud, clanky and downright shocking, as it happened so fast that no one saw it coming. I thought the restaurant should have offered them free cocktails or something, and for all I know with my power of perception that night, maybe they did.

The Bathroom

As I walked down the long hall to the bathroom, I was thrilled by all the art on the hallway walls. When I got to the bathroom, I was even more thrilled: it was clean, appropriately decorated and the paper towels and trash were close to the door for those germaphobes like me that don’t want to touch a thing after they wash their hands. The only hitch … it was like a meat locker in there!!! It must have been sub 50 degrees. Yipes. OMG – arctic.

*************

In a spoonful, ceviche is excellent, fish is excellent, pork is excellent. Skip dessert but not the wine. And make a reservation. Oh, and bring a scarf and your warmest jacket with you to the restroom.

Yip gives it 3.5 spoons.