Dinner at Planet Dailies

August 11, 2013

In the heart of Los Angeles lies an oasis called the Grove, where there’s an adult, Vegas type atmosphere minus the gambling. Planet Dailies sits in the middle of this oasis and has all its stars aligned which makes for a very entertaining and tasty meal.
The TV show EXTRA has really made the Grove and Planet Dailies a very famous hub. The host Mario Lopez has many menu items that he endorses, as well as taping his radio show in the back of this bustling eatery. Historically, chains can have marginal food, but Planet Dailies delivers good farm fresh food that will make anyone’s palate sing.

I met Chef Joshua Wilson at a party for Abercrombie & Fitch, where he was doing a delightful job of cooking small bites for their guests. I asked him about his job and he told me how much he enjoyed it. So he hooked me up with Larry Fink, who does corporate PR, and this is how my glorious tasting came about. Chef Joshua, who is somewhat of a celebrity, was featured on the Channel 4 morning news to showcase his Fathers day recipes. He did not disappoint, so much goodness in one meal!

Planet Dailies has had some fantastic events, a real who’s who of Hollywood have attended. Stars have come out in force to support all things Planet Dailies; Mario Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Menounos, George Lopez, Piers Morgan, James Caan, CeeLo Green, Charlie Sheen, Stacey Keibler, Brooke Burke-Charvet, Jenny Mc Carthay, Adam Levine, Joan Rivers, and Rod Stewart to name a few.
Their sister property Mixology also has many spectacular events. Inspired by Salvatore Calabrese, they offer great fun cocktails and casual appetizers.
Here’s what I tried:

Cocktails:
Dailies Margarita – Tequila, triple sec & limejuice, this one was the best cocktail I tried. It had all of the great margarita flavor and lime zest.
Summer Fling – Akvinta Vodka, pomegranate syrup, lemon juice & Prosecco. Served in a

Champaign glass this makes for a refreshing brunch accompaniment for a nice Sunday afternoon. And by the way Planet Dailies does have a fantastic brunch menu.
Blackberry Sour – Akvinta Vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice & fresh blackberries, what a wonderful cocktail, tangy and sweet with lots of great black berry flavor.
Vodka Martini – this was a nice version of the traditional martini with 2 olives.

Buffalo Wings, Chicken wings, buffalo sauce, served with celery and bleu cheese dressing. Very spicy, and the wings have a great tender yummy goodness.
Tempura Shrimp, Jumbo shrimp in a lemon peel tempura batter, served with ginger vinaigrette & lemon aioli. By far the biggest shrimp on the planet, with great crunchy flavor.
Pot stickers, loaded with meat, the outside is very tender as well.

Spinach Dip, very creamy with lots of extras makes this a must have dip item on the menu.
Asian Chicken, with grilled chicken breast, greens, cabbage mix, fresh oranges, green onions, wontons & almonds, served with ginger vinaigrette. I have had many Asian chicken salads; this one is right up there with the best.
Crab and Lobster Salad, with jumbo lump crab, lobster, greens, avocado, bleu cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes & green onions, served with tomato balsamic vinaigrette. Lots of lump meat crab, lobster, another one of my favorite dishes.

Spinach & Peaches Salad, with grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, fresh peaches, strawberries, candied walnuts, feta cheese, served with tomato balsamic vinaigrette. I liked this one, but I am not attached to it, would prefer the crab and lobster to this one.

Turkey Club, with house-roasted turkey breast, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato & mayonnaise, served on sourdough bread. Piled high, there is so much meat and cheese, but it needed more moisture, like basic mayonnaise.
Rachel Sandwich, with house-roasted turkey breast, coleslaw, Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing, served on rye bread. Just like a Rueben but with out the pastrami, my kind of sandwich, especially with the Thousand Island dressing.
Singapore Noodle, with pork, shrimp, rice stick noodles, egg, carrots, peppers, bean sprouts, curry & cilantro. These noodles have so much curry flavor, if only they took a little of that away they would be great. All the other ingredients are fantastic.

Mongolian Beef, Beef wok seared in a spicy soy glaze, onions, peppers, & red chilies. Served with your choice of white or brown rice, this one was of my favorite dishes here. The flavor is so full bodied and the meat is very moist and tender.
Kobe 10 oz., hand-formed Kobe beef burger. Talk about a joyous experience, what a burger! The meat is so succulent; there is a lot of poundage in this burger.

BBQ Ribs, St. Louis-style pork ribs, BBQ sauce, French fries & coleslaw. OK hands down the best ribs I have had in a long time, and the sauce was a great accomplishment.
Black and Bleu New York, Blackened NY strip steak, bleu cheese, baked potato & the vegetable of the day. With it’s in your face blue cheese flavor, this steak rocked my world, I highly recommend.

Turkey Bolognese, Ground turkey with ricotta cheese, herbs and seasonings, marinara & spaghetti. Kind of got a theme going here, just over kill on the Italian seasoning, probably the rosemary. If they took some of that oregano, rosemary, etc. it could be a winner.

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, Lightly breaded chicken breast on top of spaghetti with creamy pesto sauce topped with a traditional bruschetta mix, finished with a balsamic drizzle. This pasta is a great achievement; it won my attention. It has 4 different flavors going on in one bowl; Pesto, Fried Chicken, Bruschetta and balsamic vinegar. No really I would order this dish every time.
Sautéed Spinach, just plain old healthy spinach, no frills of twist.
French Fries, these fries are really crispy and tasty, up there with really great fries.
Potato Chips, wow these are great, large crispy chips with good flavor.
Sweet Potato Fries, nice long thin strips, good sweet potato flavor.

Dessert:

Chocolate Cake, triple layer dark chocolate cake with a rich chocolate icing, served with homemade whipped cream, with lots of great deep chocolate flavors. Done like a mini Bundt cake, truly a fabulous ending to a great dinner.
Wines I Tried:
Lincourt Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast, California, this wine was really the bomb; it has some very neutral flavors. It paired well with pot stickers, and the shrimp tempura. The mild taste of this wine added to the Asian flavors of these two dishes.
St. Francis Chardonnay, Sonoma California, I would highly recommend this wine with The Crab and Lobster salad. A good Chardonnay with shellfish always works great; this combination was a winner.
Hess Allomi Cabernet, Napa California, perfect with the BBQ Ribs, St. Louis-style and the Kobe Burger. It has lots of smokey tobacco flavors that enhanced the nuances of both the ribs, and the meaty burger.
Kenwood Zinfandel, Sonoma California, this wine paired nicely with the Black and Bleu New York, Blackened NY strip steak. The blue cheese is just the right balance, the cheese is sharp and the wine is mellow.
My server Cherish was so sweet; she made sure that every detail was taken care of. Along with her, a real gem in this place is Mario Roque who will flash his big warm smile, and charm you with his Argentinian accent. He may even teach you a thing or two about his culture. Mario is soft-spoken and so down to earth, making your dining experience at Planet Dailies very memorable.
The décor is very fun and eclectic, with lots and lots of large flat screens with every different sports channel on at the same time. It is a very comfortable atmosphere and really makes you want to sit back, enjoy your meal and take a much-needed breather from the outside world.

Planet Dailies is part of the successful Planet Hollywood chain, which is a world-renowned trademark established in 1991. It continues to expand its brand into a wide array of dynamic ventures such as the new Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Founder, Robert Earl, along with original partners and stockholders Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, continue to steer Planet Hollywood toward exciting new endeavors, while enlisting the star power of Hollywood’s brightest celebrities.

Another venture is The Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino which offers world-class gaming, live entertainment, distinctive dining and massive shopping. Both Planet Dailies and Planet Hollywood are all part of the Planet Hollywood International, Inc. umbrella.

So next time your craving good food, and you are at The Grove, skip the regular places and give something new a shot. Planet Dailies offers up so many choices, you will be amazed that you haven’t tried it before!
Planet Dailies

6333 West 3rd Street, Suite O20
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 323.370.6560
http://www.planetdailies.com/LosAngeles.aspx

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