Triple Threat..."The Tripel" in Playa Del Rey!

Great new place to "lubricate" and fill up in Playa Del Rey...The Tripel

Gastropubs seem to be the rage right now. The term "Gastropub" refers to a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food. We were SUPER impressed with both during our first visit at The Tripel. Now for the title of this blog "Triple Threat"...not so sure what the third factor is but it sounded good.

Created by the same people behind Hudson House in Redondo Beach...this is a winner too!

Many "Yelpers" had suggested the cheesy tater tots...they were high on my "must order" list...until our bartender/waitress gave the REAL low-down. Although she agreed they were good...and popular...she had better things in mind for us.

Great beers on tap...awesome cocktails!

We started with the Bellegems Bruin with Flanders Ale and the Peche Mel Bellini...both fabulous.

When it came time to order our waitress recited a list of what we NEEDED to taste during our first visit. She was right about ALL of them.

Warm Vine Ripe Tomatoes

First up was the Warm Vine Ripe Tomatoes. Her enthusiasm won us over and the flavors did not disappoint. Everything was super fresh and tasty.

Not much of a photo...Baked Potato Dumplings...YUM!

The Baked Potato Dumplings came covered in this gooey, yummy, cheesy sauce that was to-die-for. I can't recall the mix of cheeses but it was insanely good.

The Tripel Burger!

Wow for The Tripel Burger. This thing is dangerously good. Made with duck confit, pork, and aged beef with truffle pecorino and apricot jam...watch out burger connoisseurs!

Rouge Et Blanc...with Lillet Blanc, Fresh strawberry puree, and Cava

No dessert that day but we DID order 2 more drinks for our bike ride home. Tommy had another great beer...I washed my lunch down with a nice Rouge Et Blanc. I loved both cocktails that day but preferred their Peche Mel Bellini.

Very cool decor!

Sumerian beer-making poem carved into the wall...love it.

Can't wait to come back...the next time we're feeling up for an 8 mile bike ride to get some food and drinks!

Not a bad ride home, huh?

Hitting it Out of the Park...The Strand House in Manhattan Beach

The Strand House in Manhattan Beach...Captain's Daughter cocktail

All hail Michael Zizlis! Between consulting chef Neal Fraser (known for BLD, RIX, and Grace, also winner of Iron Chef  in 2005), executive chef Travis Lorton (known for Gjelina in Venice Beach), and pastry chef Seth Caro (from "Top Chef: Just Desserts")...Mr. Zizlis has formed one heck of a team at The Strand House in Manhattan Beach. This new establishment is an obvious labor of love.

This past Sunday my husband and I walked in just 15 minutes after the doors opened for dinner. Since they are on a walk-in only basis until after Labor Day we figured it might be the only way to avoid the swarm of people that can only be expected from such an anticipated event. Within an hour we realized our assumption had been correct...as we looked around and the entire room was filled with excited patrons.

Best seat in the house!

We started off with an absolutely mind-blowing "Hamachi Crudo"--Garcia Farms avocado, tomato seed vinaigrette, red alaea salt, chives

Hamachi Crudo....MUST ORDER

The flavors in this hamachi plate came in multiple waves of deliciousness! The pickled onions aren't in the description on the menu but I can't imagine this dish without them. This whole experience from start to finish is just simplicity at it's finest.

Along with the Hamachi we started with the steamed mussels, which is a dish that my husband loves.

Steamed Mussels

Though I usually prefer clams to mussels I thought these were great. This version was different than most mussel dishes I've had and the broth was zesty and fresh.

Next up was the best heirloom tomato salad I've EVER had...with burrata that tasted like a stick of warm butter. Unbelievable.

Heirloom Tomato Salad--greens, balsamic onions, Burrata, avocado...MUST ORDER

This dish mixed with the ocean view...heaven

My husband's main dish was the Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin. One word for this...WOW. The Cider Sage Sauce is too good for words. The best pork dish I had ever tasted before this one was a pork chop at Mario Batali's Babbo in NY City. The Strand House pork loin dish is on the same level...could never choose between the two.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin--rustic mashed potatoes, escarole, cider sage sauce...MUST ORDER

My main dish was the House-Made Chicken Sausage Pizza. Holy cow this was a treat. Our waitress had suggested it and since I knew that pizzas were a big thing at Gjelina (Travis Lorton's past restaurant) I went for it.

House-Made Chicken Sausage Pizza--asparagus, Midnight Moon goat cheese, fennel...MUST ORDER

Just so you know, I don't usually have as many "MUST ORDER" captions...the food is just that good.

We decided to go all out that night...so in addition to the 5 dishes that we had we also targeted 2 sides. The Roasted Brussel Sprouts and the Potato Gratin. Deeeeelish!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts--brown butter, maple, caraway seed...guess what? MUST ORDER

Potato Gratin--caramelized onions, bacon, gruyére...and again...MUST ORDER

The cocktails are designed by the pastry chef Seth Caro. Very inventive list...can't wait to try more. The two that we had were the Captain's Daughter and the Tom Hudson.

Captain's Daughter--Snow Leopard vodka, Persian cucumber, thai basil, lime juice

Super refreshing Captain's Daughter...before the masses arrived

The Tom Hudson--Tanqueray gin, fresh young coconut water, lime juice,
aromatic bitters...cheers to our front row seats staring out at the MB pier!

As if I haven't been enthusiastic enough about this new haunt...there's more praise coming. Our waitress Alexis (who was extremely knowledgeable and basically ordered our entire meal for us) recommended one last thing. She referred to this as the pastry chef's "baby". I had been studying the dessert menu earlier and had my fingers crossed that this suggestion would be the intriguing "Butterscotch Donuts" item. Indeed it was.

Butterscotch Doughnuts with a hot, liquid butterscotch center, served with powdered bacon and toasted peach jelly...MUST MUST MUST ORDER!!!

This takes the top spot as THE BEST DESSERT EVER...for me at least. If I could insert a picture of the heavens opening up and shining upon this dish I would...I did the best job I could (above).
I have been dreaming of this plate of heaven every night since.

For an obvious summary...run don't walk. The Strand House has only been open for less than 2 weeks and they are already hitting it out of the park.

Our walk home...gorgeous!

MB Post...hand-delivering AWESOME food

Our first visit to this in demand Manhattan Beach establishment was...to say the very least...long-awaited. The minute that I heard about the opening of David LeFevre's first solo venture I was intrigued. Chef David comes from Water Grill which is Michelin starred...sort of a rarity in Los Angeles...at least in South bay. Aside from Darren's (one of my all-time fav restaurants here) this would be one of the only top chef endeavors in the neighborhood.

Needless to say...many others must have been equally intrigued...we couldn't get a reservation on a Saturday night without at least two weeks notice. On my fifth attempt I was able to predict my schedule only seven days in advance...so we went for dinner at 6:15pm (the ONLY opening). Wow...this better be good :)

Our entire experience did not disappoint. Not one bit.

The building that this hideaway is located in was once a post office...hence the name...and theme. Keeping with the whole post office idea we were handed a cute little envelope with my name on it...containing our menus which were folded in like letters...such a nice touch. Details details.

The cocktails are hand-crafted by a true artist. I opted for the "Old George" which is a salty dog with chopin, grapefruit, basil, and raspberry pepper jam. Phenomenal. Very fresh and perfect for summer!

"Old George" with typed and hand-written menu in the forefront

My husband broke tradition from his regular martini in a tumbler glass and went for a white wine...pinot grigio called Scarpetta. Fresh, light, and only $40 a bottle. Wonderful choice if you want to try several plates and never feel weighed-down. I joined him after my first cocktail.

Bottle of Scarpetta next to another nice touch...candles in mason jars on each table

It's fair to say that I do my research before hitting any new eatery. I check pictures, read reviews and blogs, see what "Yelpers" have to say...you name it. After finishing my studies on MB Post it was clear that you really cannot go wrong...on anything. There were however some stand-outs that seemed to be on the "Dean's List".

First...we just had to start with the ever-so-notable Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits with Maple Butter. They taste as wonderful as they sound...divine. Along with that first plate we devoured the Roasted Brussel Sprouts with emmental (a cheese from Switzerland), hazelnuts and sage. Again...superb.

   Bacon Cheddar Biscuits and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

 Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about everything on the menu. She informed us that all of the food is artisanal, seasonal, and local...sounds great to me! When I recited a short list of options that we were considering she suggested that we stick to our main three:
1) Steamed Mussels with green curry, vietnamese sausage, and coriander rice (the sausage combined with the mussels is mind-blowing!)

Tommy enjoying the steamed mussels in green curry

2) Softshell Blue Crab with singapore chili sauce and apple coriander puree. The blend of flavors here was so unique...and perfect

Beauty of a crab!

3) Crispy Potato Gnocchi with lamb neck, summer squash,  and bianco sardo (a hard, Italian cheese). I've never tasted lamb neck before...I'm not even a huge fan of lamb...but this dish is phenomenal. Chef David really knows what he's doing with this crispy gnocchi deal.

Crispy Gnocchi with large slices of bianco sardo...thank you David LeFevre!!

Though I want to return (very soon) and re-order this entire list...I won't allow myself. Return? A resounding "YES"!...repeat dishes? No way...well...maybe a FEW dishes. We'll be adventurous until we've tried it all...and I know that we won't regret it.

Sadly we only had room for these ambrosial plates...no dessert. We will be back with friends though...and will conquer much more of this delightful carte du jour! To be continued...

A final toast...rather a swirl...to the chef :)

Right outside the MB Post front door...our walk home

A San Francisco Treat

A fun little fact that I learned during the short time that I lived in San Fran last year...the people there LOVE egg whites in their cocktails. They also enjoy things like absinthe, bitters, french vermouth, and even egg yolks (really?) in their concoctions. There's no better place to explore this oddly intriguing kind of libation than at 15 Romolo in North Beach.

Walking through North Beach/Telegraph Hill

While living in that gluttonous city I discovered all kinds of fascinating restaurants and bars...but I was missing something...someone to enjoy it with...my partner in crime. My husband (who was my fiance at the time) was back at home while I was walking every inch of SF and taking copious amounts of notes in my spare time. The notes were of all of the places we would visit together when he was able to fly over. After all...how great can an experience really be without the one that you love?

My love has arrived...finally!

By the time he came to visit I had a long list of pizza joints, watering holes, and little hideaways for us to hit...one of the top places on my list was 15 Romolo.

Usually referred to as a "modern speakeasy", they specialize in artisanal cocktails. There is nothing but solid execution going on here. The "Track 42" AKA "The Frothy One with the Leaf on Top"- (manuka honey vodka, apple juice, lemon topped with egg white and a basil leaf) is something I only wish I had the skills to recreate.

The food that they dish up is just as appealing...maybe even better. Between the tempura fried avocados, the peanut butter and bacon burger, and the Nutella pancake ballz with brown butter ice cream and snookie dust...you just cannot go wrong. Ever. This place is an experience that's unique, inventive, decadent and entertaining.

When the day arrived that we would be sightseers and explore all that San Francisco had to offer, we walked the entire city...well, at least it felt like it. We started in Union Square and walked to Nob Hill (where my house was located) and covered Lombard Street, Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, Coit Tower and then headed through North Beach to ultimately find 15 Romolo...the final reward.

Quick stop to Nob Hill for a drink on my rooftop. Wearing my "Love SF" shirt in SF...what a shameless tourist :)

We were the perfect tourists during our mission...well at least I was...snapping photos of every landmark, statue, and graffiti-covered building that we passed during our journey. It was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time.

One of my favorite things about walking SF...gorgeous graffiti everywhere

Only one trolley ride was taken the whole day...and we were parched. I mean REALLY thirsty.  Visions of basil leaves floating atop apple juice and vodka were dancing through my head. Of course we planned to hydrate with water first...and wouldn't think of skipping lunch or dessert.

As we walked through town and approached The Basque Hotel on Romolo St. I began to feel a fever of excitement. Not because of the strip club located at the front of the building...though I have to admit the man at the door did make quite a case for us to come and see the beauties that they were showcasing in the middle of the afternoon. As enticing as that may sound...that's not what the flutter was about. It was all for this little gem located down the alley in the back of the building.

I made Tommy pose in front of this sign...even though he felt like a pervert

Further up the alley...are we there yet?

We snapped a few pictures of the alley walls as we walked up a 179 degree grade hill to find the front door. The excitement was building with every step. We're getting closer and closer...wait...let me catch my breath...we're almost there....yes! we made it!...and the sign says..."Closed". What? This can't be!

But it was. Sadly, we had arrived around 4pm and the bar didn't open until five. With nowhere to go to waste that hour we walked back to where we started...good old Union Square...and grabbed something that was undoubtedly awesome (as I believe every dish might be in SF)...although I can't recall what.

We find solace in the fact that we will be back to that great city...and when we do return...we will hit the ground running for Romolo. They've been there since 1998 so I'm pretty sure they're here to stay.

They do say it's about the journey...not the destination...right?

Our very short trolley ride