SOI 56 Bangkok - Hollywood, CA

This was one of those adventures that I embark on when I am able to on my trips that result in an amazing restaurant without knowing about it in advance. I had been driving on Sunset from the ocean side all the way past Mulholland Drive and into West Hollywood. Passing the Ivy, the Chateau Marmont, Avenue of Stars when I noticed a place called SOI56 close to the new W Residential building.

It was only about 5:30 so the place was quite empty but who cared, you should have seen the menu. It was Thai but a lot more traditional Bangkok street food and therefore a lot different than the average Thai restaurant you are used too. Highly recommended to go and visit their site and menu.

I ordered some green tea and some Fish Sauce Wings; marinated in fish sauce and garlic, deep fried served w/ plum chili sauce. These wings were juicy, spicy and crisp; a true treat. For the main course I ordered the Muslim Style Curry w/ stewed beef braised all day in a spicy peanut curry sauce served w/ rice and Thai roti. This curry reminded me of Massaman curry but different, a bit spicier and darker in flavors. Nonetheless it was also a bite of heaven.

I know that I say this for almost every restaurant I visit, perhaps I have been lucky in my pickings, but this place is a must visit spot with great food at affordable prices.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

1556 N. CAHUENGA BLVD
HOLLYWOOD 90028
http://soi56.com/

Frida Restaurant - Glendale, CA

I went to Frida's with a client as he recommended it and I tell you what, this place was fantastic. We sat out on the patio which is never wrong, especially in December when you can enjoy the SoCal weather in comparison to the sub zero weather in Chicago.

We couldn't have been more boring in our order as we both had Arnold Palmer's and Tacos de Cochinita Pibil; Slow cooked pork in an annatto seed (achiote) sauce, served with habanero relish on the side, but who cares because all i have to say is: WOW!!! The cochinita was amazing and succulent. The habanero relish was on fire but with a very mellow calm ending to it from its pickled sweetness.

I have been looking for amazing tacos in Cali and these were hands down at the top and I hope that I can make it back to Glendale for this treat soon. The good thing, beleive it or not, is that this restaurant is a chain. I know that chains usually can get a bad reputation but I am pleased to say that you can enjoy these fine tacos in Glendale, Beverly Hills, Brentwood and San Diego. Take your pick and visit Frida's.

Overall Rating: 5
Food: 5
Price $

750 Americana Way
Glendale, CA 91210
http://www.fridarestaurant.com/glendale/menu.html

Broadway Deli - Santa Monica, CA

Another client meeting but this time instead of finishing up with food we started with food, breakfast for that matter. A deli down the street from the bank was the choice and it looked grand as we walked in. I knew I was up for something good at this place and obviously did my client as he obviously is a repeat offender of this deli.

We ordered from a menu that was very nice, it did not have too much on it but enough for you not to feel helpless in case your taste buds were on a break. My client ordered the traditional 3 egg breakfast with home made chicken sausages, coffee and an orange juice. I ordered the #11, a croissant filled with scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese, coffee and orange juice. My breakfast croissant was just what I needed; the solid egg breakfast with the buttery, sweet almost dessertish croissant. The highlight of the breakfast was the orange juice as it was the freshest I have ever tasted with a sweetness that was unbelievable. But then again, shouldn't it have been for $6.50 a glass, I think so.

I highly recommended this deli for anyone in Santa Monica that is looking for a breakfast, lunch or dinner restaurant.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$

1457 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
http://www.broadwaydeli.com/

Hamasaku - Los Angeles, CA

I was just about to finish up a client meeting when we decided to end the meeting with lunch. My client recommended a sushi restaurant across the street that she used to take her clients to when she was working on the provider side as well.

It was nestled into what seemed to be a mini strip mall but upon entering the restaurant that whole feeling disappeared quickly. It was a very typical sushi joint decor, very serene and quiet and a perfect place to have the last part of our meeting take place.

We ordered some Green tea, Edamame, Sushi Moriawase, Gainor Sushi Pizza (the Gainor Family) and the Green Dragon (Christina Aguilera). The sort of funny but very cliché thing at this place is that all rolls are inspired by the "STAR" clientele and therefore usually carry the stars name along with the name of the roll. One thing that stood out to me at this place was the crunchy rice. I have never had crunchy rice and it was just fantastic as it added a nice texture contrast to the normally very soft texture of the roll.

The food was excellent but the price was just that, very over priced. The total bill for two with no alcoholic drinks was $90+. These lunches will be far and few between but then again, I do recommend the place and be aware of the small portions and the big prices.

Overall Rating: 3
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$$

11043 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
http://www.hamasakula.com/

Takashi Sushi - Salt Lake City, UT

I forgot my iPhone at the hotel this night so unfortunately no picture this time but that shouldn't stop you from visiting this restaurant as it is probably one of the best sushi places I have visited in my life.

I had a seat at the bar which was very entertaining as I got to watch every intrinsic sushi compilation be created. It is truly an art form and I could only whish to one day even make a decent Maki roll. The place was packed and had a great pulse to it.

I ordered the Miso Soup, the Chef's Choice Sashimi platter and a cold Budweiser and it all came together in a very eye and stomach pleasing manner.

This is definitely a place to visit when in Salt Lake city but make reservations if your party is more then "one" as it gets very crowded and the line outside only gets longer.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

18 W. Market St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
http://www.takashisushi.com/

Dr. Bell's BBQ - Dallas, TX

This visit in Dallas I decided to stay around the old Main St. District, a really nice part of Dallas that is really growing and coming back in terms of activity. Lots of restaurants and bars and actually some people on the streets in a normally very ghost town like Dallas. As I took my standard nightly walk to find a restaurant to dine at I stumbled across a sign that said "the doctor is in" and it did catch my attention. As soon as I noticed the establishment it was pointing to I understood what the sign meant. The Doctor of BBQ is back "in" and the doctor for this joint was Andrew Bell. Andrew is the owner of this newly opened BBQ shack and he was very passionate as we spoke about his past and future dreams. He has been a chef his whole life and love eating out so of course we perceeded to speak about our experiences at places like French Laundry, Alinea, Per Se, Tru etc. But we both agreed on that there is nothing like some uncomplicated home cooking food at its best, sort of what Andrew intents are with his restaurant. Andrew is a very involved and passionate person with a great vision for his restaurant and great hopes of succeeding.

The place had a very BBQ-ish decor with the checkered red and white table cloths, barn type metal sheet walls and a big roll of paper towel on the table to whipe of all of that BBQ sauce from your mouth and fingers. The place had a great smell to it coming from the smoker in the back. Beautiful wood burning scents that carried with me as I left, I even had to air out my clothes afterwards but it was all worth it.

I ordered the 1/2 lb meat plate with two sides and since Andrew was out of his famous ribs (he would vouch for these anytime and said they were the ultimate highlight of his menu) I elected to go for the Brisket and Sausage. I am a brisket fanatic and always choose brisket when I can. Andrew proceeded to tell me how it is cooked for 19 hours or soand you could taste the lenghty process both flavor wise and tender wise. My two sides became Dr. Bell's Collard Greens and Cucumber & Tomatoe Salad. I also chose a cup of the Main St. BBQ Brisket Chili on the side. My plate was filled up and it was time to sit down and enjoy the meal but not before a big glass of cold water and some of Andrew's home pickled jalapenos which were for the record unbelievable.

The plate of food I consumed that night was excellent; flavour, texture, smell....everything came together and of course the great price just rounds of the great experience. Side note: The collard greens were smoking and a must have side if you visit. Not to forget, everything in his restaurant is made from scratch including the best BBQ sauce I have had in a long time. Andrew makes it himself and according to his dreams there is a possibility that you will be able to find his sauce on the shelves in your nearby supermarket in the near future. I will buy it for sure because of two reasons; it has a great balance between spicy and sweet with a touch of vinegar making it very light and it is not thick and overwhelning. This is what we call Texas Barbeque sauce I guess....

All in all, I will come back to Dr. Bell's BBQ on every trip to Dallas and I whish the best for Andrew and his restaurant. This place is highly recommended even though I was unable to try his ribs which is what Andrew feels the strongest about but hopefully at my next visit as this is a place to go to.

2 Thumbs up and highly recommended!

Overall Rating: 5

Food Rating: 5

Cost: $

1404 Main St.

Dallas, TX 75202

http://drbellsbbq.com/index.php?id=2

Beijing Buffet - South San Francisco, CA

This is what you get when you stay at hotels near the airports, this instance Four Points by Sheraton, SFO. All I have to say is: What is it with Chinese buffets that make us go there and as soon as we enter and fill up that first plate we realize the big mistake we just made. So bad and probably so unhealthy, both on nutrients and hygiene.

This place could have seated about 500 people, it was huge but still only about 3 tables were occupied. A senior couple, a couple out on a date and a family with small children. I figured if the elderly couple and the small children would survive this I would too.

One last thing: How do these places stay in business????

Overall Rating: N/A
Food Rating: N/A
Cost: $$

Address: not provided but if you stay at the Four Points by Sheraton, SFO, just look across the main road and you won't miss it.

Colibri Mexican Bistro - San Francisco, CA

Another day, another lunch......I had planned on going to a place called Asia de Cuba at the Clifton Hotel but unfortunately they were setting up for some event and the restaurant was very loud and very empty. I started walking back to my hotel and saw this Mexican restaurant and the menu in the window looked intriguing; not the standard Mexican menu you are used to consuming. The only items that were "typical" were the Guacamole, Chicken Relleno, Quesadilla and Carne Asada. The staff was friendly and very calm even as the place was filling up.

I ordered a water and the traditional Chicken Mole. I was tempted to order the guacamole but it was $10, very large and I did not feel like spending $30 in total on lunch. When my water arrived I was also served some mini tortillas, instead of the traditional chips, with three different salsas; spicy chile poblano, a mango and a tomatillo salsa. The mini tortillas were home made and excellent, both in taste and texture. The chicken mole was also very delicious, moist and juicy, served with succulent mole sauce and dirty rice. Overall a very well balanced and hearty meal focusing on the traditional central Mexican cuisine.

This is the place to go for the one who wants a different flair of Mexican food than what you normally would see. If traditional is not what you are looking for, there are plenty of tacquerias around the same neighborhood for you to enjoy.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$

438 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
http://colibrimexicanbistro.com/mylink.php?id=3669

Ike's Place - San Francisco, CA

Ike's Place....the second place I have now eaten at that has been showcased on Man vs. Food. Not the easiest place to get to if you are staying downtown San Francisco as it is located in Mission but a place that you need to go to at least once. I drove my rental but you can probably take a cab or even the train down Mission Ave.

By the way, from now on I will include a picture if possible with my posts.

I found a parking spot for my car a couple of blocks away and walked swiftly to the shop as I was both hungry and excited. As I approached the "hole in the wall" restaurant I noticed that the manager was standing outside with the whole cash register taking the orders and I quickly understood why since "the hole in the wall" was really a hole in the wall and consisted of the kitchen and the two fridges with sodas. There were two Ikea patio tables outside with seating for about 8 people, on a good day, next to 3 trash cans part of the recycling program; one can for garbage, one can for compostables and one for recyclables. Nice touch as every effort counts on this planet.

He asked me if this was my first time and proceeded to hand me the menu with 100+ sandwich combinations. The best way to approach your choice is to tell him what you feel like eating, construct your own or the way I approached it; What is the craziest you have on the menu? Of course his answer was; The craziest thing on the menu is not on the menu....it is what we call the Kryptonite. The Kryptonite consists of Ham, Turkey, Pastrami, Roast Beef, Salami, Bacon, Jalapeno Poppers, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks, Lettuce, Onions, Tomatoes, Dirty Sauce, Pickles, Peppers on a loaf of bread. The type of bread is usually decided upon after they see what they have in the perfect size. I believe I got french bread. It was enourmous but surprisingly tasty. Some bites where salty meat with some lettuce, another gave you a jalapeno popper, a third gave you some turkey, bacon, Mozza stick and dirty sauce. I gave it my all and left only with a couple of bites left to eat. It can easily be shared between two people.

They have happy hour between Mon-Thur 4PM-7PM which means free soda and chips.

Excellent place with great sandwiches, awesome quality ingridients, fresh vibe and in a cool neighborhood. Must try!

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost $$

3506 16th St
(between Prosper St & Sanchez St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
http://www.ilikeikesplace.com/meats.html

The Chill Cafe - San Francisco, CA

Once again it is funny how one comes about a place to eat at and then how you actually make the decision of entering and eating there. This place called The Chill Cafe is not eye popping when you walk by but it did have a nice plaque on the sidewalk showing one of its Vietnamese-style sandwiches. The picture looked very inviting and it was a streetfood I have always wanted to try. I just finished a client meeting and my trusted client is always up for something new, he loves sandwiches, so this place seemed like a lay-up. He had never heard of it which made it even more interesting because now I am taking a native of San Francisco somewhere they have never been, major pressure to deliver......

At first sight of the menu you only see coffee, smoothies, yoghurt and crepes but then in one spot on the chalkboard menu you see 4 sandwiches; Chicken w/ Lemongrass, Ham and pate, Tofu w/ Lemongrass and the new one; Roasted Pork. We both opted for the Roasted Pork and a glass of water. The sandwich came in a warm sourdough sub with a carrot/coleslaw, fresh sliced jalapenos, lettuce and a spicy dressing.

What a sandwich this was.....one of those moments that unless I knew it wasn't good for me I would order a second. It was warm, crispy, savory, moist, salty, spicy, sweet, sour........it was like a Thai beef salas served on a bun. I felt like I was eating my favorite Thai type flavors for lunch in a sandwich.

Absolutely a place to visit for a quick and cheap lunch that is not traditional fat and calorie packed like typical fast food. I didn't have any of the Frozen yoghurts but they looked really good and they speak highly of them as they do not only come in a ton of cretive variations with various toppings but also they are natural, non fat, and contain live and active cultures. They also have some tasty looking Crepes that i have to try next time.

Thumbs up all the way!

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $

125 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
http://thechillcafe.com/dessert/san-francisco/chill-menu-sf/