Cobras & Matadors

7615 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 932-6178
Website

Haven't had tapas in a looong time.









The dish on the left, lomo embuchado (dry-cured pork loin) & cheese on raisin toast, asparagus cloaked in a walnut vinaigrette with shavings of aged Manchego, a Spanish sheep's milk cheese and socca (chickpea pancake). We also had the roasted beet salad. The embuchado was excellent -- the combo of saltiness, cheesiness and sweet from the raisin toast along with the salsa was perfect. Bill came out to $30 for 4 dishes which is average fare for tapas.

Details:

Cuisine--Spanish
Rating-- Two Stars
Ambience--Engaging storefront restaurant with a handful of sidewalk tables, banquettes and a wood-burning oven at the back.
Best dishes--Asparagus and Manchego, embuchado, cockles with sidra, albóndigas (meatballs), green lentils and jamón, wood-oven roasted mushrooms, roast game hen, grilled skirt steak.
Prices--Tapas, $3-$7. Entradas, $9-$13.
Service--Pleasantly casual.

Le Pain Quotidien

8607 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 854-3700

Daily 7:30am-7pm

Light and airy as a farmhouse, the restaurant's simple decor and pine furnishings radiate rustic ambience. Sophisticates gather at a long communal table, while couples sneak away to private seats in the back. The menu features salads, soups and house-specialty tartines (open-face sandwiches) with fillings like imported French ham, duck pâté, Gruyere cheese and Scottish smoked salmon. There are also colorful fruit tarts that pair well with a two-fisted mug of coffee.

--Citysearch

I had lunch here with my hairdresser one day. I thought the sandwiches looked like those little tea sandwiches. They were also presented on a flat plate, that didn't hold any of the stuff that kept falling off the sides.

I remember distinctly how much the waiter was emphasizing how fresh squeezed their lemonade was; too bad it wasn't that good. My sandwich was pretty good, but really skrimping on the meat (and everything else that should comprise an actual sandwich). My motto: a sandwich should always be at least 2 inches thick, compacted enough to fit into a mouth, but messy enough to look oh-so-delicious. This one didn't pass the test....

And my salad had no dressing on it. Bummer.

I'm starting to see branches of this chain sprouting everywhere, or maybe it's just because I'm noticing the name around now. Either way I'd probably go back, and try the soup my hairdresser really liked...

Children's Books

I decided to compile a list of the books I remember reading as a kid with the hope that someday I'll remember these well enough to read them to my kid (long time from now btw). Most of these are classics, but stars are next to my favorites (or at least the ones I remember liking back then). Teehee.

Corduroy*
The Giver
Ruby the Copycat
Goodnight Moon
Blueberries for Sal*
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Stone Soup
Where the Wild Things Are
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
The Indian in the Cupboard*
Charlotte's Web
James and The Giant Peach
Stuart Little*
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*
The Witches*
Number the Stars
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe*
Meet Samantha
Goosebumps series
Bernstein Bears
Miss Piggle Wiggle
Pippi Longstocking*
Robinson Crusoe*
Mary Poppins
Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Mitten*
The Very Busy Spider
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs*
Tikki Tikki Tembo*
The True Story of the Three Little Kids
Jumanji
The Secret Garden*
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
The BFG
The Rainbow Fish
The Wizard of Oz*
Strega Nona
The Napping House
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Light in the Attic
In the Night Kitchen

....to be continued.

...all I can remember right now, but I know there's more.

So I decided to sign up for a new credit card. After doing my research I decided on a Citibank card. I filled out the boring long on-line credit card application thoroughly and pressed submit and voila, “Page cannot be displayed.” I hit the back button, “You must refresh this page”. I filled out the app over again 3 times and the same thing happened 3 times. Mother f-----!

This may be a sign

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Champagne French Bakery & Café

200 South Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310-271-4556

This is a very small cafe with tiny little intimate tables. The menu boards hang down from the ceiling with braided rope, and there are several white fans additionally. You may also wish to sit outside and watch the cars zoom by or observe the passers-by, however Beverly Drive is a very busy street, so that should be a consideration.

I was dying for brunch so decided to take a chance on this little café I’ve been hearing about. I decided on the Parisian combo which consisted of half a brie/pear sandwich, a salad (Caesar), and choice of soup (french onion). My meal counting a fountain drink was $7.50.

The food was absolutely delicious for brunch, but I'm sure it would be equally enjoyable for lunch or early dinner. I was quite pleased at the food, presentation, the caring service. This will definitely attract the trendy crowd, and perhaps families for brunch. During lunch hours this would be a great little cafe to go to on your break, or perhaps an early dinner before a movie or theatre. If you wish you can just pop over and grab a cup of gourmet coffee and croissant or other scrumptuous pastry.

Tip: Park in the free 2 hour parking lot on the same side block as the café.