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Bludso’s Bar & Que | West Hollywood, CA

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came here opening weekend. we have had bludso’s on our list (the compton location) but have never tried it. we obviously expected a long wait and huge crowds. we were sat in 45 minutes. not bad. the meat came out fast and piled on a tray. oh yeah, it’s amazing. we were not disappointed. they have some pretty dang good bbq here. we liked the ribs (especially with the spicy bbq sauce) and the mac and cheese.

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not fans of the corn bread and the brisket is definitely a hit or miss. some of the pieces were uber soft…others were very dry. our damage:

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  • pros: wait was long but food came out fast. we loved our waitress. great service – prompt, enthusiastic, great water service, and great recommendations.
  • cons: parking isnt the greatest. the bartender is extremely slow.

bbq is definitely good here. in my opinion, better than baby blue’s bbq and gus’. fall off the bone? No, not really. are you going to be mind blown? no. is your tummy going to be happy? we think yes.

Bludso’s Bar & Que
609 north la brea ave
los angeles, ca 90036

Bludso's Bar & Que on Urbanspoon

By | March 6th, 2013 | Food, Photography, Restaurants | 5 Comments

M.B. Post | Manhattan Beach, CA

oh mb post, i cannot tell you how long we have waited to try you. so here’s the deal. the restaurant is medium in size with a bar and dining room. there are only a few tables designated for reservations and the rest is mostly communal seating for walk-ins. knowing that we would be rolling 9 deep (which sadly later ended up being 6 deep), we made a reservation two months in advanced (overachievers much? yeah, probably) so here is what we ordered (keep in mind that the menu changes regularly):

  • bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits w/ maple butter
  • roasted brussel sprouts
  • farro, butternut squash, hen of the woods mushroom, parmesan, pepitas, sage
  • fontina and parmesan mac & cheese
  • spaghetti squash, yam puree, cider gastrique, pecans, apple chips
  • steamed mussels, green curry, chinese sausage, coriander rice
  • thai marinated shrimp ceviche, coconut, cucumber, pineapple, shrimp chips
  • vietnamese caramel pork jowl, green papaya salad, lime
  • white oak grilled skirt steak, grilled broccolini, red chimichurri
  • bbq moroccan lamb belly, harissa caramelized onions, japanese eggplant
  • pork baby back ribs, korean chili glaze, scallions, thai chili, lime
  • chicken pot pie
  • duck meatballs, marinated cucumber, hummus, garlic yogurt, mint
  • valrhona chocolate & salted caramel tart, vanilla whipped cream
  • keylime custard, vanilla soft serve, graham cracker, burnt meringue

MB Post | Manhattan Beach

everyone was right! cheddar biscuits were bomb. maple butter…we are believers. ceviche with shrimp chips. never ever thought of this combo but so wonderful! we loved everything about this dish.

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brussel sprouts, you impressed us. a definite must order when you visit. duck meatballs were ok in my opinion.

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mussels in curry were delicious! ribs were on the salty side.

MB Post

farro and spaghetti squash. general consensus was that both were just ok. i personally did not love this dish. it was on the bland side and on top of that…a little too mushy a texture.

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vietnamese caramel pork jowl (pig cheek) over a papaya salad. freaking awesome. we all loved this. great flavor combo.

MB Post | Manhattan Beach

despite having one person in our party who simply just doesnt do pot pies (we know. she’s pretty awesome despite it), everyone agreed that it was good but it was just a chicken pot pie. i personally really enjoyed it, especially the crust. this picture does not do it justice. its pretty gigantic.

MB Post | Manhattan Beach

we were a fan of the mac & cheese. dont expect to have your mind blown. its just creamy goodness that was a nice combo with everything else we ate.

MB Post | Manhattan Beach

lamb belly. no one liked this one. it was extremely salty.

MB Post | Manhattan Beach

this is the skirt steak with broccolini, topped with a red chimichurri. steak was very tender. the kicker is the chimichurri since its a little spicy. kyle loved this one.

MB Post | Manhattan Beach

because our dessert came after the sun set, i dont have a single picture of any of it! we all shared the chocolate tart and the keylime custard. i can only (personally) speak for the keylime custard since i dont eat chocolate. it was pretty extraordinary! definitely my top 10 desserts! please make sure you order this! from the rest of the group, the tart was pretty awesome too.

  • ambiance: love the space, theme (think urban postal). near the beach (not on the beach). nice kitchen that you can see through glass walls. ps. your menu comes in an envelope!
  • service: our res was at 5pm (sunsets 5:40pm). i’m pretty annoying with my giant camera at restaurants but everyone at mb post was amazing and tried their best to get as many dishes out to me by the time the sun fully set. awesome, huh? i thank you, mb post.
  • parking: we didnt have a hard time finding a metered spot.
  • conclusion: two hours later, $336 spent, uncomfortably expanded bellies…all worth it. we were pretty happy with our food adventure. mb post, i will be back. maybe next time, i will get 2 keylime custards for myself!

enjoy your weekend!

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Manhattan Beach Post
1142 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

M.B. Post on Urbanspoon

By | March 1st, 2013 | Food, Photography, Restaurants | 5 Comments

Our Adventures in Bangkok – Part I

i finally got around to sorting through photos of our time in bangkok! we were only there for two nights. we flew in from chiang mai in the morning and spent the day taking a boat ride down the chao phraya river, visiting the grand palace, wat phra kaeo (temple of the emerald buddha), wat pho (temple of the reclining buddha), wat arun (temple of dawn), and getting to know the skytrain (the most efficient, well-air conditioned transportation system, ever).

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we tried to get fresh coconut every where we went.

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seeing the reclining buddha was amazing but beware that it gets extremely crowded!

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the emperor’s palace. the palace was beautiful but keep in mind it is really strict inside and also at the entrance gate as well (understandably). i was yelled at since i was wearing tights, which apparently are not allowed so i had to buy a cover. then i got yelled at inside the wat phra kaeo for exiting the wrong door! it was definitely not my day…but it was still beautiful!

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the view from wat arun! this was definitely our favorite temple!

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By | February 18th, 2013 | Food, Restaurants, Thailand, Travel | 3 Comments

Tiger Bar | June Lake, CA

we always like to visit june lake when we spend time in mammoth. after a morning of sledding, we ended up at the tiger bar for lunch. pleasantly surprised and definitely hit the spot. picture cozy cabin, pool table, bar, and a jukebox.

we ordered:

  • tiger burger
  • tiger chili
  • club sandwich
  • the blt

Tiger Bar June Lakes

the club is huge. the plate pictured here is split (yep). delicious! you will love the crispy bacon. fries are battered and yum.

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bowl of chili was amazing. great kick and plenty of cheese. if i dreamed of a chili, it might be this one.

Tiger Bar | June Lake

the burger was okay (according to our friends) and the blt was a winner.

Tiger Bar | June Lake

service is great! overall, perfect lunch spot. wish we ordered some dessert!

Tiger Bar
2620 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

Tiger Bar & Cafe on Urbanspoon

By | February 18th, 2013 | Food, Mammoth, Restaurants, Travel | 0 Comments

Roberto’s Mexican Cafe | Mammoth Lakes, CA

kyle and his family have been going to mammoth ever since he was little (actually his dad has been going ever since he was a teenager). so when they go to mammoth, a favorite is roberto’s.

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something worth mentioning is their margarita (cadillac) pitcher! you gotta get this. word of caution, it is really, really strong! you know, if you’re into that kind of thing.

  • food: you arent going to think “oh man, this is the greatest mexican food i’ve ever had” (especially all us lucky folks down in southern california) but it is tasty. it’s great after a long day on the mountain or sledding! crunchy chips and salsa, hot burritos, fajitas, tacos, roberto’s has it all.
  • service: always friendly!
  • parking: ample

Roberto’s Mexican Cafe
271 Old Mammoth Rd
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Roberto's Mexican Cafe on Urbanspoon

By | February 16th, 2013 | Food, Mammoth, Restaurants, Travel | 0 Comments
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