Jodi Jackson’s Hollywood

This place has it all figured out. A very inexpensive Italian Café in
the heart of the young hip Melrose shopping area but, don’t let the low
prices fool you. The food quality is the same as going to any upscale
Italian Cafe in Beverly Hills. Take desert for example, can you imagine
a cannoli for $3.50? In Beverly Hills an identical, perfect cannoli
would be $18.00. I am sold on the food, the fun, the ambiance, and this
terrific family.

This is truly a family affair; the two sisters Bianca and Stacey are
the muscle behind this fantastic pizza café. They are hard workers and
have to juggle their work with being full time college students. The
food is elegant and flavorful; at the first bite, you can tell that
they are using premium products. The result is a dinning experience
comparable to a any Brentwood Osteria, for a quarter of the price.

Upon meeting the mother Bianca, and the patriarch Abel, in an instant
you can look around and feel their handprint on everything…beautiful
and strong. Abel is the product buyer at three of LA’s top Italian
restaurants so you are being served very high end fare at very low
prices…get the picture now! His restaurants products are being served
up at Santa Margherita Café with prices even a student could afford. I
would run to Santa Margherita right now!

Here’s what I tried:

Pizza:
Santa Margherita with melted mozzarella cheese, original tomato sauce,
and topped with fresh basil.

Prosciutto Heaven with original tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese covered
with fine slices of Parma ham.

Just Enough Meat with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese covered with a
blanket of sliced pepperoni.

Mushroom-tastic with sautéed farmer-grown mushrooms and mozzarella
cheese over their original tomato sauce.

All the pizzas are fantastic, with very fresh ingredients, thanks to
Dad. You can order the pizza in two size pies, or get it by the slice.
Once again you could get this same pizza at a
high – end café in B.H. for triple the price!

Salads:

Shrimp Salad, with natural spring baby greens, sliced cherry tomatoes
and fresh mozzarella cheese. The shrimp is cooked to perfection, and
the greens are so fresh, with nice light vinaigrette dressing.

Calamari Salad, with organic arugula, sliced tomatoes, and sautéed
calamari. The calamari is tender; this salad is very light and pleasing.

Paninis:

Chicken and Prosciutto Panini, with grilled chicken breast, prosciutto,
sun dried tomatoes, and spinach. This one’s a keeper, the sautéed
spinach makes all the difference in the world, and the chicken is
flattened out and very tender.

Pastas:

Pomodoro with organic tomato sauce, basil and parmesan cheese. The
pasta is cooked perfectly; this dish is simple and terrific.

Pesto with basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. This is wonderful and
can stand up to any expensive pesto in Los Angeles. My favorite dish
here!

Extra Goodies;

Spicy Buffalo wings with buffalo dipping sauce. These wings are not too
greasy, with yummy flavor.

Dessert:

Cannolis, wow, so fantastic! While the food is superb, I always like to
pair it with wine, sadly Santa Margherita does not have a liquor
license yet, but they are applying for one. Truly though, it doesn’t
matter, the experience here is the quality and amazing prices. The
family will make you feel so at home; and you can’t forget Mama Bianca
or the girls.

When you are shopping on Melrose, or checking out the local music
scene, make sure you stop by Santa Margherita Pizza Café! Not only will
you be very excited about this great new restaurant, but also you will
be able to afford this one at least once a week!

Santa Margherita Pizza Café
www.santamargheritapizza.com
7261 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90046
323-937-5526

I met Robert Duarte at an event at the Walker and Zanger showroom a
while back. He catered this very fun affair, which was for Dwell
Design. His food was very elegant, and he called me Ma’am. Little did I
know that this meeting would forever change my lunch cravings in my own
hood.

Robert Duarte partnered with Dave Poupolo who is the owner of a great
new lunch spot in West Hollywood, Soda Pop’s. Dave Poupolo got the name
because he always loved Soda Pop, and his actual nickname is Pop’s.
Dave is from Boston, and he wanted to give his customers something you
can’t always get in LA. Dave says “In Boston you can get a solid
Sandwich at a gas station, that is not the case out here. When I first
moved to LA, right from the start I was on the hunt for my local
sandwich shop for me to frequent, it did not exist. I think what makes
Soda Pop’s so unique is that it is more than just a lunch spot. It is a
refuge of sorts, a safe haven from the hustle and bustle of LA.”
Having graduated from Newbury College in Boston Massachusetts with a
Culinary Degree, he knows good food. Then Robert created the catering
side of this establishment, S & P catering, which is growing bigger
with each passing month. I have walked by many times but never ventured
inside. Boy was I surprised, it looks from the outside like it’s a fast
convenience type store to get your favorite sodas. When you walk in you
are transported to another time. For me I can remember all of the
colorful labels, and the fantastic effervescence of each flavor. The
décor though has a modern feel, and is a real restaurant. There are
flat screen TV’s, so you can eat a burger and watch your favorite
baseball game. It kind of reminds you of a farm somewhere in America;
even the sandwiches are served in old metal baskets. So fun and lively,
the day I went there was a line to order at the lunch counter, this
place is a gold mine! So far the only way you would hear of this
3-year-old hot spot would be word of mouth. Chef Jay Schlanger really
brings it all together, with his special touches. The food is the real
jewel, everything from scratch, and made fresh the same day.

Here are the drinks I tried:

Sweet Tea, so thirst quenching, so Southern.
Ice Tea, this is a nice blended tea.
Pop Manhattan Special, Black Cherry, takes me right back to being a kid.
Americana, Honey Lime, Ginger Ale, very refreshing and clean tasting.

Here’s the food I tried:

Creamy Broccoli Soup with pureed Broccoli. This soup is very green,
with a drizzle of olive oil on the top. This is true comfort soup, very
delicious.

Pop’s Burger with house blend angus burger, apple wood smoked bacon,
Pop’s onion rings, sharp cheddar, cornichons, baby argula, A1 Ketchup,
and soft brioche roll. This is one of the best burgers ever. The meat
is so juicy, cooked medium rare, and the A1 Ketchup really adds a nice
kick. This will have to be one of my go to burgers forever.

Veggie Burger, with lots of wholesome additions, especially the alfalfa
sprouts. A great way to enjoy a burger without the meat.

Chicken Pesto with marinated grilled chicken breast, havarti, avocado,
tomato, greens, pesto aioli, ciabatta. This sandwich is very fresh with
great accompaniments.

Ginger Beer Pulled Pork with slow-cooked pork, cheddar, ginger beer,
bbq sauce, jicama-apple slaw, and soft brioche. This sandwich is so
good, you can tell the pork has been slow cooked, and the slaw marries
all the nice smokey flavors.

Classic Egg Salad with argula on Texas toast. This reminds me of my
childhood when my Dad used to get me an egg salad sandwich down the
street from his beauty salon on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. So good,
reminds me of childhood comfort food.

Santa Fe Wrap with blackened chicken breast, cheddar, pico de gallo,
avocado, romaine, tortilla strips, and chipotle vinaigrette mayo. This
is a great wrap, full of great fresh flavors, and very healthy.

The Sides:

Bean Salad, very crunchy with lots of different kinds of bean, corn,
green pepper and onions.

Hand made potato chips, two flavors; dill, salt and pepper. These
chips are very addicting, you will never by store bought chips after
tasting these little wonders.

My next event I would absolutely hire Robert for his catering genius,
and Soda Pop’s is a great find. Dave Poupolo really knows what was
needed in this neighborhood, as far as I am concerned he has hit a home
run. I can still taste the savory sandwiches and luscious burgers!

Next time you can’t figure out where to meet a friend for lunch in the
West Hollywood area, choose Soda Pop’s, you will be pleasantly
surprised.

Soda Pop’s
349 N. La Cienaga Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA. 90048
310-967-0119
Mon-Thurs 11am – 7pm
Fri & Sat 11am-9pm
Sunday 11am-6pm
www.sodapopsla.com

I was at a restaurant in Studio City and ran into my friend Rachel,
who was having lunch with her friend Katherine. Katherine mentioned
how proud she is of her daughter Veronique who owns all four of the
IL Tramezzino Restaurants in the Los Angeles area, and said it would
be great for me to do a tasting. I kindly took her advice and gave
Veronique a call, by far the best call I have made this year.

Veronique Delestang is a hoot, just one minute into the conversation
with her and I was sold that everything in life is fun fun fun, and
always a blessing. Her father was French, so she was raised in
France and her Mom, Katherine is Jewish. You can say she really
has the best of both worlds. Veronique’s twinkly blue eyes are
everywhere, she does not miss a beat, but never have I seen a boss
be so appreciative and kind to her employees. Her personality oozes
warmth, generosity, and above all fun, with a capital F. But don’t get
me wrong, she is the captain of a very tight ship; she just manages
her staff in by the old saying; “ Kill them with kindness” or “You get a
lot more with honey…”, both apply here! She calls her employees her
babies, and the enjoyable atmosphere reflects her unreserved
outlook.

She started her first restaurant in Beverly Hills on Canon Drive
twenty-one years ago. Veronique pioneered the out door café
experience in Beverly Hills. She had to jump through lots of hoops with
the City of Beverly Hills to make it happen. All of the other restaurants
have since followed suit and today the outdoor dining experience is
celebrated in Beverly Hills. Veronique also claims to be the inventor
of the Panini in Los Angeles. She is difinitely a woman of many firsts,
and she’s guaranteed to make you feel first and foremost when you
come to her establishment.

Here are the Wines that I tried at the Studio City location:

Mezzacorona, Pinot Grigio, Trentino, Italy. Pleasant bouquet,
delicate, fruity, dry and elegant.

Votre Santa, by Coppola, Chardonnay, California Peach, lemon and
pear flavors with hints of toasted vanilla. You could not ask for a
better wine to go with the Gorgonzola apple crunch salad, the wine
lend itself to the bold flavors of the apples in the salad. Yes it has it’s
own fruit flavors, but some how it added a great deal of flavor to this
crunchy creation. Perfect with the capreese and both chicken
sandwiches, not too over powering and just the right amount of
acidity.

Parducci, Pinot Noir, “Small Lots” Mendocino with
plum, cherry and strawberry flavors-plush texture. This wine paired
nicely with the penne pasta, just the right amount of light fruit flavors.

Lockwood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, Full-bodied, velvety-
flavors of blackberry, plum and clove. Great with the ravioli and the
desserts.

The food I tried at Studio City Location:

Potato Leek Soup with shaved leeks on top. This is a keeper, a soup
that needs to be cherished and celebrated. I am all about good soup,
and this is soup at it’s best.

Poached Salmon Salad with arugula, sliced roma tomato, red onion,
pine nuts, gorgonzola cheese and shaved parmesan tossed with red
wine vinaigrette and a touch of fresh lemon. For the fish lovers this is
so great. It is very lo-cal, and offers up some nice healthy protein, and
is cooked the right way.

Gorgonzola Apple Crunch with mixed baby greens, crisp granny
smith apples, cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds and Gorgonzola
cheese tossed in a sesame dressing. I could see this salad being
something you would have to order at least once a week, kind of
addicting, but very yummy.

Insalata Lorenzo with mixed baby greens, chopped romaine grilled
chicken breast, chopped roma tomatoes, avocado, garbanzo beans,
pine nuts and shaved parmesan tossed in their special red wine
balsamic vinaigrette. This salad is so fresh, like it just got picked from
the field. The chicken is tender and all of the other ingredients lend
themselves to this fine marriage of flavors.

Grille Sandwiches Panini Caprese with bufala mozzarella, roma
tomato and basil. Nicely appointed with all the nuances of what a
Caprese has to offer.

Grill Chicken breast with sun dried tomatoes, avocado, provolone
cheese and basil garlic sauce. This is their specialty; they serve 700
of these terrific sandwiches a day between all 4 locations. The bread
is the real deal, and the flavor of the grilled chicken breast coupled
with the basil garlic sauce is a real treat for your senses.

Firenza with smoked turkey breast, avocado, arugula, roma
tomatoes, bufala mozzarella and their special chili mayo sauce
served on grilled ciabatta bread. By far my favorite sandwich, the chili
mayo is such a nice blend of smoky and savory. It does not pack too
much heat, but is chalk full of glorious flavor.

Penne Lorenzo with grilled chicken breast, goat cheese, sun dried
tomato and fresh basil in a lite marinara sauce. For a nice pasta with
some protein this is the way to go.

Three Cheese Ravioli with pink sauce. These raviolis are gigantic,
they are heaven sent, and the sauce is perfection as well.

Desserts:

Tiramisu imported from Milan, so rich and creamy, only the Italians
could make it this good.

Mixed Berry Tart imported from Milan, a wonderful sweet and sour
delight.

Italian Sorbet peach imported from Milan served in their natural shell;
this is so refreshing and wonderful.

Croissant Nutella with banana and strawberry, this desert is so
extraordinary, with all of fresh fruit goodness, just save room for this
one!

Here’s what I tried at The Tarzana Location; with great Chef Mauricio
at the helm:

Salmon Piccata with fettuccine and fresh vegetables. The salmon is
cooked with lots of butter, lemon slices, and capers. It is prepared
very delicately, and offers just the right amount of salmon integrity.

Chicken parmesan with fettuccine, one of my all time favorite dishes
and Il Tramezzino does this one justice.

Chicken Marsala with fettuccine and mushrooms, very rich and filled
with Marsala wine. The chicken is very flavorful and tender.

White Fish, this was also terrific, the fish was so tender and fresh.
This is their weekly special; it was served with lovely sautéed
spinach, and vegetables.

Salmon with Argula. This is one is kind of a salad; it is served with a
creamy sauce and dried mangos, with shaved parmesan cheese all
on a bed of arugula. This salad is so unique; and so diverse. It is truly
fantastic, and a departure from ordinary salmon.

Filo Dough Pizza’s, I tried quite a few and all were outstanding, what
an interesting concept using filo dough instead of regular pizza
dough. Filo dough is paper thin sheets of
unleavened flour dough normally used for making pastries in the
Middle Eastern. You can’t find this anywhere; I would make this pizza
a weekly staple.

Herb Crusted Garlic Chibatta Bread, what a great accompaniment to
all of my incredible fare. This bread is sure to keep you coming back
for more, so exceptionally good!

The Desserts that I tried:

Cannoli Chocolate and Classic Cannoli with ricotta cheese. There
were 2 different cannoli’s served, the chocolate is shipped from Milan,
and the ricotta is made locally. Both cannolis were delicious; it was
very hard to save room.

The wine:

Votre Santa, by Coppola, Chardonnay, California Peach, lemon and
pear flavors with hints of toasted vanilla, this one I tried in Studio City,
and it went great with all of my menu items in Tarzana. It is a very
drinkable wine!

I am not one to drop names, but the day I was at Il Tramizzino they
were shooting a reality show for the Style Network “Tia and Tamika”.
I have to say I am sure customers are very excited to be a part of TV
in the making. The night before I came I was catching up on my guilty
pleasure “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”, and happened upon
the episode where Kim and Kourtney were having a quick lunch at Il
Tramezzino in Studio City. You can’t buy this kind of publicity and
from what Veronique tells me many different shows have filmed here.
Wow, so little time so much fame…That’s what I’m talking about! The
young, rich reality culture are filming and enjoying this oh so fresh
cuisine, how fun!!

Each location offers a different dining experience, UCLA has great to
– go fare of course for their students, while Beverly Hills has an
international feel. Studio City offers an industry experience, and
Tarzana offers more dinner options including fresh fish entries.
Although I did not get to eat at The Beverly Hills Location or the
UCLA location what I did try at both the Studio City and Tarzana
restaurants were both uniquely different. Studio City offers more of a
café flavor, and Tarzana more of a restaurant vibe. Both location had
some stand out menu items, and both locations have my seal of an
approval. When you’re in any one of these four SOCAL areas, stop in
and smell the paninis, and try all the other bounty that Il Tramizzino
has to offer.

You will feel at home at any of the four locations and are treated like
royalty. The staff is right there, being attentive to your every need
while still maintaining a warm and relaxed atmosphere. During my
two visits it seemed like anyone that walked in was instant family.
This kind of treatment you can’t put a price on. At Il Tramezzino you
feel completely comfortable and get to eat extraordinary food at the
same time, what could be better…such a deal!!

www.iltram.net
Studio City:
3031 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA
818-784-2244
Beverly Hills:
454 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA.
310-273-0501
UCLA:
Located in Mullin Management Commons, 1st Level.
Tarzana:
18636 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA.
818-996-8726

Lunch at Ocho Mexican Grill – June 6, 2012

Set amidst the urban landscape of downtown Los Angeles, lays a hidden gem. This is Mexican food at its best: fresh, wholesome and nutritious. Ocho Grill is named after its signature secret eight – spice combination for all of the meat served here. Despite being in the shadows of a bigger Mexican restaurant chain, the Ocho Grill trumps any competitor. For one thing, it is not a chain, and the food is made on location and guaranteed fresh everyday. This cool little restaurant is a prime location for a quick lunch grab.
Here’s what I tried:
Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla, served with guacamole and Southwest sauce. This is a wonderful quesadilla, the chicken is very tasty, and the Southwest sauce really makes this dish.
Potato Salad, better then your average picnic type potato salad, this one is terrific!
Guacamole, chips and salsa. Regular tortilla chips and great flaky, crispy wheat tortilla chips. The wheat chips are like no other, really addicting.
Salsas:
Fresh Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Diced Yellow, exotic yellow tomatoes and avocado. This salsa is very fresh and spicy. Green mild, highlights grilled fresh tomatillos. A great addition to their menu items. Chipotle Medium, smokey, sweet, with a touch of heat. Red Hot, blend of tomatoes, peppers and spices. Fiery Habanera, this one has extreme heat, with great flavors.
Sauces; Agave Vinaigrette, Cilantro Line, Buttermilk Ranchero, Southwest, Three Cheese. My two favorites are the Southwest and the Agave Vinaigrette.
Burrito with fresh caught wild Mahi Mahi and shrimp filled in a flour tortilla, with their signature organic brown rice. This burrito mixes all the right ingredients together in one happy bundle, guaranteed to make your taste buds sing, and fill you up with satisfaction.
Salad with chicken with organic mixed greens and tortilla strips. I loved this salad, so much fresh goodness, and the Southwest dressing adds the perfect touch of Mexican flavors.
Shredded beef hard tacos. The perfect old school taco, crisp and flaky, the meat melts in your mouth like butter.
Vegetarian soft tacos with vegan tofu with crisp veggies topping off fire roasted corn, and grilled squash. This one has such an amazing flavor you wouldn’t be able to tell it is a vegan dish!
Carnitas, pork slowly braised and caramelized soft taco with Hica-Mango topping. Another wonderful blending of great flavors makes this a must have menu item.
Grilled steak top sirloin Angus, with eight spices soft taco. The eight spices compliment the meat so perfectly; you can tell a lot of work was put into these spices.
Shrimp Cerviches with tiger prawns, this cerviches is simple and delicious, and a fine way to tantalize your taste buds.
The location is so perfect! I went to the one in Bunker Hill, and there is also another location in the Financial District. I took the subway to Pershing Square and walked up Hill Street to the historic Angles Flight funicular. This is a great way to see what this part of downtown has to offer. (I also stopped in at Grand Central market; look for some other posts about that on my blog later on.) Ocho Grill is across from the Water Towers, which hosts a series of summer concert, I highly recommend bypassing the food court, and walking directly across the street to experience gourmet Mexican at its best. So next time your downtown have a culinary adventure and go for this gusto! Ocho Grill’s slogan is “OMG so fresh, so tasty, “ I totally agree.

Ocho Grill
Bunker Hill
3rd & Grand
255 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
1-888-988-OCHO x102

Financial District
6th & Hope
630 W. Sixth Street
Los Angeles, CA. 90017
1-888-988-OCHO x101
www.eatocho.com