Waterloo & City - Culver City

After a summer day on the beach enjoying a few spliffs while listening to the sound of the crashing waves, it only seemed appropriate to indulge on some savory munchies and a lot of cold drinks at one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles: "Waterloo and City"

Waterloo and City is a gem in the heart of Mar Vista in an area where trendy restaurants are slowly taking over. There are so many choices for good food, even if you end up disliking "Waterloo & City" you'll find another great eatery to have exquisite drinks and inventive food.

One of the things I love about this place is that it's great for casual Happy Hours with friends at the end of a long day AND it's also a great location to bring somebody for a special date or to celebrate an event. The food at this gastro pub is to die for and the menu is constantly being updated with creative items that will make your head spin. One of the appetizers on the menu that night was "Bone marrow and sea urchin salad".

I walked in looking like a beach bum but we were still welcome with wide smiles from the friendly staff, and we sat down at one of the few remaining tables. We noticed that they now start their Happy Hours earlier on Sunday and you can now enjoy cheap drinks and succulent food form 3p-7p.

The menu had changed since the last time I had been there and it was even more mouthwatering. The first thing I wanted to order was the "Charcuterie plate" which is a French term that refers to a specific type of cured and fermented meat usually accompanied with bread, mustard and pickled cornichons. I browsed through the menu quickly and couldn't find my favorite appetizer but I did see an item called "Salumi plate" which I assumed was their new name for that awesome assortment of goodness but I wasn't quite sure. So....I asked our waitress: "Excuse me, What is a Salumi plate?" her response was: "It's Italian" ....errr....Thank you lady, I'm not sure I was asking for the origins of your new menu item, but I don't mind being educated even on Sundays so I restrained from making a wise ass comment and simply asked again: "What is it?". That's when I found out that my "Charcuterie plate" had just been renamed with its Italian version "Salumi plate". So I ordered it. We also ordered a wild mushrooms flatbread with truffle oil, some sweet corn Raviolis and a tuna tartare  I added a glass of their Happy Hour Wine on our order and sipped on my ice-cold water while waiting for our food to arrive.

The Salumi plate actually surprised me in a good way: It seemed like an upgrade from its previous version and "Charcuterie plate 2.0" was a great selection of cured meats. The raviolis were very sweet but it was an original recipe and we enjoyed every bite. The tuna tartare was fresh and well seasoned and the only mistake they made that night was the overcooked flatbread....I think it may have stayed in their oven a little too long. But after scraping off the cancerous parts of our mini pizza, we finished everything on the table. There are tons of other options that are both filling and indulging and I invite you to take a look at their website: http://www.waterlooandcity.com The presentation of all the dishes were outstanding and I would highly recommend that you try this place if you ever visit this neighborhood.

We left with a smile, a full stomach and a desire to go back there soon.

"Brick + Mortar" - Santa Monica

After last night's meat-and-beer orgy, we woke up somewhat early, brewed coffee, drank it, brewed some more, drank it, and rolled a giant morning after joint (the joint that is supposed to help you feel better during your hangover). Since the award winning movie "Boat Trip" was on the telly, we decided to watch it and laugh at the unfortunate series of events that led Cuba Gooding Jr to play in this movie and his character to end up on a gay cruise. After a few laughs and a few more cups of coffee, I finally headed to Santa Monica were a friend was celebrating her Birthday at the "Brick and Mortar" on main street. She decided to celebrate there since on sunday they offer a bottomless Mimosa from 11am to 3pm for 15$....and when I responded to the invitation, bottomless anything alcoholic sounded like a good idea.

It was my first time going there and after spending a few minutes going around the block to find parking I finally arrived at the restaurant where everyone was holding their precious glass of mimosa. My stomach was still hurting and the mere thought of having more champagne with orange juice was making me cringe. But there was a good surprise when I got there, they were also having a "bloody Mary Ultimate Bar" where you create your own bloody Mary with all kinds of delicious toppings such as shrimps, olives, asparagus, roasted vegetables, lemon, spices, various seasonings, and dozens of bottles of hot sauce. Since I would like to believe the urban legend that the bloody Mary is a great hangover cure, I went for it and ordered a large glass....Well, I ordered a glass and it just happened to be large.

When the bartender handed me the glass he told me to try the deviled eggs that he had made himself that morning, and you usually don't have to beg me to try food. I started gazing at the choices for my first customized bloody Mary. I started digging in and picked up a few olives and put some salt and pepper, a little bit of seasoning, some fresh garlic, some steak sauce and then I grabbed a bottle of hot sauce because I love my bloody Mary to be spicy. I opened the cap and poured what seemed to be a reasonable amount in my giant glass. Happy with what seemed to be a good looking drink, I headed out to the patio to meet up with everybody. As I made my way out, I stirred the drink and tried a sip of my delicious concoction. I first tasted the delicious tomato juice that seemed to be partly freshly made, but I soon forgot about that when the spicy hot sauce hit the back of my throat and the first drops of sweat appeared on my forehead. I had made one big mistake.

I looked for my friends while pretending to enjoy what seemed to be a challenge in "Man Vs. Food" but I had a hard time finding them and I wasn't quite ready to take on that challenge. After visiting the restaurant and realizing everyone was outside smoking (Yes, most of them were French), I introduced myself to a few people out on the patio while wiping my sweaty forehead. 

I don't know if it was during the seventh or eighth sip that I realized that there was no way I was going to enjoy that drink or for that matter be able to even drink it, but I decided to go back to the bar and apologize for my lack of good judgment and they kindly gave me a new glass of vodka and tomato juice after I promised not to open any hot sauce again. I picked all of the same ingredients again and ran away from the long line of hot sauce bottles and had a great time afterwards. The staff was amazingly kind and the bottomless glasses of mimosa were never empty. I can't wait to go again and try their enticing menu.

http://brickandmortarla.com/

@BrickMortarLA

"Enterprise Fish Company" Happy Hour - Santa Monica

Every time I leave this place, I get confused. Not because of the Pinot Noir that was served in big glasses, but because of how much the bills ends up being at the end of this so called "Happy Hour". However I do tend to come out very happy and It's always a feast of small appetizers that are original and include fresh seafood such as the steamed mussels and oysters. We did order six oysters and they fresh and easy to pull out of the shelf. It came with a garlic marinara dip and a butter sauce.

We also shared their famous traditional Ahi Poki. It's a salad made of cubes of raw tuna, onions, lettuce and roasted bell peppers. It's always a crowd pleaser and a great item to share. We stayed at the happy hour from 4pm to about 10pm (actually the happy hour on saturday goes from 4pm to 7pm and then starts again at 9pm to 11pm. The bartender refilled our glasses at a good pace and the waitresses were all adorable. The food came quickly and it was perfectly cooked.

A lady sitting next to me at the counter spilled her glass of red wine all over my crotch and my brand new favorite wool jacket, so I can't say it was the perfect experience but I was sharing these drinks with one of my best friends who was visiting from France, and catching up and sharing stories while drinking a full-bodied wine and eating Kobe beef sliders made me forget my pants looked like I played paintball again.

"Bigfoot West", Culver City

I think I found my new favorite cocktails. Bigfoot has some specialty drinks that are unique and full of flavor served in mason jars. I tried the "Thirsty Crow", it's a mix of Rye whiskey, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, and ginger beer. It was a fabulous drink that was strong enough to give most people a nice enjoyable buzz, and the ginger beer gave it a nice kick. The "Bourberry" is another cocktail we tried, It had real strawberries, mint, lime, ginger beer and Buffalo Trace bourbon. This would be the girlie version of my drink but since I do love girlie drinks, I enjoyed this one as well. They even have a homemade "performance enhancing" herbal liquor if your stash of Viagra is running low. It is called the "Horny Goat Elixir", it is supposed to improve endurance, libido and mood and costs 25$ I have to admit that I did not try it but they say it is suitable for both men and women. Of course they also offer all the drinks that most reputable bars offer with a good selection of draft beers.

The interior design of the bar is also a must-see. It looks like you're having a drink in a cabin in the mountain far away from Los Angeles and the crowd is laid back. The music also tends to be eclectic. It goes from lounge music with a fast tempo to old french classics on weeknights but it is always great music. You can smoke on their outside patio where alochol is allowed.

Not only do I highly recommend this bar for any nights of drinking on the Westside, but I can't wait to try their other drinks. AND I can walk there from my apartment so there is nothing to worry about if I enjoy too many of their cocktails.