Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
Ranch 45 Local Provisions

Ranch 45 Local Provisions

512 Via De La Valle, 92014, Solana Beach, United States

Cafés • American • Breakfast • North American


"Best dinner of the year! AND we eat out every night, so saying this was the best dinner this year... that's saying something. Came here last night for a date night. We have been a few times previously. My wife wanted the surf and turf for two. So, that's what we ordered. At $60 it seemed like a bargain. It featured ribeye steak, crab cake, cauliflower, green beans, rainbow carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. It was served with sides of remoulade, bearnaise and demiglaze. First off nothing was pedestrian about this plate of food. I have no idea what kind of green beans they were. They were long, flat and wide. Kind of like a Lima beans in its shell, but tender and sweet. There was cauliflower that had bright white tops but green stems. Never seen that before. Carrots were rainbow colors. The steak was seasoned perfectly, maybe had even been brined. Tender to the point I didn't need a knife. The star of the show was the demiglaze. Literally the best I have ever had. So good that I asked the chef if he made it himself. I was disappointed to find out the answer was yes. I was hoping it was something that I could procure from some specialty shop. But no. Only a chef with extreme pride in the craft would go to all the effort to make a demiglaze like that. That same pride echoed throughout the plate. The mashed potatoes as included. Not too rich or fat laddened, yet full of flavor and a perfect accompaniment to the veggies and the steak. We ended up having an apple crisp for dessert. It came straight from the oven with a big scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. It gilded the lily. Everything was amazing. And, I got a small amount of demiglaze to go. In the end, I found the specialty shop I was looking for. ?"

Hyde Sunset Kitchen Cocktails – Sbe

Hyde Sunset Kitchen Cocktails – Sbe

8117 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, United States

Wine • Full • Kitchen • American


"To the owners of this establishment, this kind of treatment happens all over Los Angeles, from Montecito to Big Bear. I've experienced it in grocery stores and auto shops, but I imagine it all starts in Hollywood clubs. Speaking as someone who moved to L.A. for the nightlife, I can tell you it should never cost more than $20 to get into any celebrity party—if it does, that's a red flag. It means the place is either empty or just another indoor version of Hollywood's generic pink wall. Don't take the door staff's word for it; they’re not the ones out partying. Here’s a life lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way: never pay door fees in cash, because if the place is terrible, you’ll want your money back—and trust me, it usually is. This venue operates as a business spot at best, and I have no interest in discussing business on a Saturday night. This sentiment seems to be shared by all of us who aren’t regulars here. It really could be so much better. You might wonder why I come here—it’s because it’s my local bar. For anyone who got turned away, I snuck in (you might want to practice climbing hedges), but I assure you, it’s not a party. About 90% of it is just a selfie spot, with 75% of the crowd there to be seen with their friends. I’d say there's about 1% who are actually dancing and another 2% genuinely having a good time. There’s no dancing from the waitstaff, and the crowd isn’t dancing either. Sure, they fill the place with attractive people (yawn), just like every other country club. But as always, the real answer is personality. The nightlife in Hollywood on weekends is dead, except for some spots off Santa Monica. It doesn’t improve in Hollywood; it just gets worse. In Chicago, there’s a well-known gym called the East Bank Club, which isn’t really a gym either, but people do flock there—not for workouts, despite the NBA players who train there. Unfortunately, L.A. isn’t solving this issue anytime soon. Eventually, I’ll find a club where the waitresses can dance because they’re treated well by management and the crowd. But the clientele here—sorry, mom and dad—is like a bunch of misbehaved children. If you’re looking for genuine fun, there are jam sessions in Antelope Valley, and the Ying Yang Twins have the whole place dancing in the foothills of Big Bear (which is the easiest of the four routes there). Also, if you’re a fan of the American Olympics, Phelps enjoys craft breweries in Thousand Oaks. And to the man who dressed and sounded like Common asking about this venue, I suggest checking out Elbow Room off Cahuenga or Moms in Culver City."

Avenue Cafe

Avenue Cafe

1501 Rhode Island Avenue NWDC 20005, Washington, D.C., United States

Full • Cafés • Italian • American


"I made a reservation for for Thanksgiving Dinner and in the notes I added that we need room for a stroller at the table. When we arrived at the hotel there was a long line to get into the restaurant. We went to the front and informed them of our reservation however either someone didn’t pay attention to the reservation system or staff didn’t communicate because they were not prepared to seat a party of We were told by the manager that another staff member sat a group at the table that was supposed to be for us but they would make something work. It took a minute but they got it together and reconfigured the tables to comfortably accommodate our party. Aside from the initial reservation snafu, everything else was good. The menu included all of the traditional Thanksgiving fixins... turkey (which was cooked to perfection), ham, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies etc. along with some non-tradition options such as salmon, shrimp cocktail, and tomato, mozzarella and basil. Overall it was quite a nice spread with something for everyone. The service was wonderful! Our waiter was very attentive often refilling our drinks before we even noticed and just overall pleasant. The rest of the staff, including the manager also checked on us at comfortable intervals that were appreciative and not annoying and intrusive. Lastly, the price was right. The cost was approx. for adults and for the amount and selection of food and on Thanksgiving Day I found the price reasonable. Overall, based on my experience I would recommend this restaurant to a friend but would encourage them to make a reservation and to speak up immediately if something is not right with that reservation."