Yummy.com

Summary
Good delivery service in any major city is always key. Everyone is always so busy and more importantly so lazy! With Super Bowl weekend approaching, I thought what better than to review two of my favorite delivery places in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood: Vito’s Pizza and Yummy.com. I know most people will be glued to their television with little motivation to leave their couch, so this should help make this weekend’s dining a little easier…

Location:

http://www.yummy.com/

Hours: 24 Hours a day

Serves only West Hollywood and Santa Monica

Food
Yummy.com is the perfect place for people that are extremely busy or extremely lazy. I think I qualify as both.  Yummy is a web grocer and deli that pretty much has anything you can find at your local grocery store, plus a deli that has some of the best vegetarian sandwiches in the city.  I order from Yummy about once a week because I’ll need detergent, milk, cereal, or some other basic items, plus I always get their egg salad sandwich.  I am going to steal the description on their website because they do an excellent job of explaining how good the sandwich is, “Hard boiled eggs sliced on top of a bed of greens, fresh tomatoes and red onions. Served with mayo, salt and pepper on toasted La Brea white bread.”  Trust me, order the sandwich and it will be a regular on your weekly meal options!

Delivery/Cost

Yummy takes around 30 minutes to deliver and the delivery charges vary on how much you order. If you order over $100 the delivery is free.  It is easy to reach $100 if you start ordering cleaning supplies, medicine, food and alcohol.  The prices on the site are pretty much the same prices as the grocery store without all of the coupons and club cards.  So if you are on a budget I wouldn’t grocery shop from here, but the convenience might outweigh the premium price. 

Overall Rating
Very convenient, fresh and reliable, perfect for a well to do single person!

9 Dishes out of 10 Dishes

Egg & Salad Sandwich $5.99

Vito’s Pizza

Locations:

Vitos Pizza
846 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone: (310) 652-6859

Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-12am

Food
Vito’s Pizza is one of the few LA pizzerias that tastes like a good ole New York pie. In New York I always get a regular cheese pizza because it lets you really taste the dough, sauce and cheese. A large cheese pie is the way to go, whether you are in NY or Los Angeles. Even though Vito’s Pizza in LA has all the toppings you can imagine, I would recommend keeping it simple. The slices are thin and are served piping hot which allows you to eat a few slices really fast.  A large pie is good for two fat people or three to four regular sized people. 

Delivery
The pizza can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to deliver but it is definitely worth the wait.  The delivery charge is free if you are within their delivery range, if you aren’t within the range I would suggest moving because it is very hard to find good pizza in this city.    

Cost
A large cheese pie is $16.50 and delivery is free within the area, all the pie’s are under $20 if you want to add some toppings.   

Overall Rating
The pizza is very good and considering your options in Los Angeles, this place is heaven!

10 Dishes out of 10 Dishes

Large Cheese Pie

 

Updates Coming!

I have been traveling the last couple weeks to NYC, Atlanta and I have a lot of great restaurants to discuss, and how you can’t get a good salad outside of California!

Do you ever wonder why you are fat?

There was a great article in the Los Angeles Times Health section a couple days ago stating that our enviornment is the biggest cause for why we are so fat.  They seem to be believe all of the marketing and the way food is presented to us makes it almost impossible to resist.  Pretty interesting read on!

http://www.latimes.com/la-he-weightloss14jan14,1,7093860.story?coll=la-utilities-health&ctrack=1&cset=true

Real Food Daily

Summary
Real Food Daily is Los Angeles’ best option for vegan/vegetarian food. It offers great alternatives to foods that meat eaters rave about.

Locations:
414 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
http://www.realfood.com/

514 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Parking      
Valet parking is $4.50 at the La Cienega location and is your best bet since street parking is hard to come by.

Reservations
The restaurant is similar to a café so there is high turnover on tables. Reservations are not necessary on a weekday and the walk-up wait on a busy weekend evening will not exceed 10-15 minutes.

Ambiance/Service
Young West Hollywood hipsters frequent Real Food Daily to appease their vegetarian cravings. The restaurant is set up like a diner or café so the service is generally fast. However, during busy hours you may find yourself waiting a bit since the restaurant seems to be a tad understaffed. Dining on the sidewalk patio gives a city-feel as it overlooks one of Lac Cienaga, one LA’s busiest streets. If you are looking for a quick bite you can eat at the bar, which seats a few. Real Food is also great for takeout and delivery if you are located nearby.

Appetizer/Cocktails
You would never believe me when I tell you that one of the best Nachos in Los Angeles is served at Real Food Daily. The nachos are served with vegan jalapeno cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and tofu sour cream. If you must have an appetizer the only thing I suggest is the Nachos. They have a beer and wine bar but keep in mind that all of the drinks are organic/vegan so the taste maybe different at first but will grow on you as you try the different drinks.

Main Course
My favorite thing about Real Food is trying dishes that I have seen my meat eating friends eat their whole life. For example, I am a huge fan of their Ruben and their Club sandwich, which mimics a roast beef sandwich, filled with Tofu, Tempeh Bacon, or Seitan. The sandwiches are extremely tasty and are served with your choice of potato salad or Caesar salad. I also recommend trying their Fajitas, Burritos and Tacos. They also have some excellent specials that are served on specific dates, which the menu details. I would check the website out for the latest menu changes http://www.realfood.com/ as they always have new dishes. If you really want to get the meat eating experience they have items such as Meat Loaf(TV Dinner) or even a similar dish to Spaghetti and Meat Balls(Viva la Pasta).

Desert
My favorite item on the desert menu is the chocolate cake a la mode, but on this particular evening I had an Apple Pie with Walnuts served with Vanilla Ice Cream. I was a little hesitant to try the vegan desserts but I think they load them up with sugar to make up for any ingredients they might have to omit.

Cost
Compared to your average café or diner experience, Real Food is a little pricier. Your average dish is $10-$15, and if you tack on drinks, appetizers and desert you are out $65-$80 for two people. No one said being healthy was cheap!

Overall Rating
Considering Real Food Daily is a 100% organic vegan cuisine this restaurant is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles.
9.5 Dishes out of 10 Dishes

Vegan Rueben Sandwich

Vegan Apple Pie a la Mode

New Pinkberry Flavor

I am personally not a big fan of Pinkberry, however I love the song  by Lady Tigra on their website, it is annoying as hell but very catchy, give it a listen, http://www.pinkberry.com.  I also heard on the radio today that they are launching a new flavor tomorrow, Coffee, so if you are a big fan, enjoy!

The Clay Pit

Summary
I was craving spicy food last night and ended up venturing to West LA to eat at Clay Pit, an Indian restaurant I have been going to for many years. The restaurant is located in the mix near Brentwood, off of Sunset and Barrington with a Starubucks and Pinkberry nearby. The only thing that makes me make a trip west of the 405 is a good restaurant.

Location
145 S Barrington Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90049-3310
Phone: (310) 476-4700

Parking
Valet parking is $5.50 and is in a lot right next restaurant. Meter parking is all around the restaurant and usually available and if you don’t find a meter there is huge parking lot next to the post office across the street.

Reservations
I have never made reservations for this place and don’t think you need to, just walk in and have the host sit you down.

Ambiance/Service
The dim lighting in the restaurant creates a dark, yet cozy environment. The host immediately seats you and your drink orders are taken right away, leaving impatient people like me satisfied. Typically, Indian restaurants have mediocre service but Clay Pit offers a friendly and helpful staff, which is important because Indian food it is still a novel cuisine for most.

Appetizer/Cocktails
I would stick with the traditional favorites, samosas and pakoras. They offer a variety of beer and wine, and on this particular night I had a glass of Santa Margherita wine, which actually went pretty well with the spicy food.

Main Course
Indian restaurants are very easy for me to order from since I am Indian!  I ordered the Vegetarian Dinner which includes Salad or Raita (seasoned yogurt), Sag Paneer (spinach based curry dish with cheese cubes), Lentils, Gobi (cauliflower), Naan, and a bowl of rice.  I don’t particularly like cauliflower so I substituted the Gobi for Malai Kofta (vegetable balls made out of potatoes and mixed vegetables) and the portions of the dinner special were just enough fill me up. I also told the waiter to make my food spicy, which made the meal excellent.  I finished every drop of the three dishes and the Naan was served hot and fresh!  My dinner guest ordered the Tandoor Chicken wing (normally I wouldn’t comment on a meat dish) but she said it was the best chicken wing she had ever had, must be pretty damn good because she has eaten all over the world!

Desert
I am not a particular fan of Indian desserts, but if you must, I would try the Gulab Jamun, it is similar to a sweet donut hole dipped in syrup, pretty good.  

Cost
The vegetarian dinner I had was $23.00 and if you order individual dishes they range from $10-$15.  The dinner special is the way to go since you get a nice variety of food and decent portions.  They also have daily lunch buffets so if you are on a budget, lunch is the way to go.

Overall Rating
Good food, great location, and neighborhood friendly service makes this a great place to frequent.
9.5 Dishes out of 10 Dishes

 
Vegetarian Dinner

Lentils and Sag Paneer

  
My carnivore dinner guest claimed that this is “the best Tandoor Chicken Wing ever”, only one piece left!

Ambiance

The Foundry

Summary
On our way to Goa Saturday night, my good friend Brian Toll and I were looking for a place to eat in Hollywood but every decent place we walked into was packed and required reservations.  Finally we decided to wait at the next restaurant we could find because it was raining really hard.  I remembered reading rave reviews about The Foundry on Melrose in the Los Angeles Magazine and decided to give it a shot.   

Location
7465 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323)-651-0915
http://thefoundryonmelrose.com/

Parking
Valet parking available for $5.50 but there is a lot of street meter parking and after 6PM, it’s freeeeee.

Reservations
I would definitely recommend making reservations; however on the night we went we had appetizers in the lounge area till a table was available.  We only ended up waiting for 20 min while the host Eddie graciously got us a table as fast as he could.

Ambiance/Service
The restaurant is very chic and resembles a restaurant you’d find in New York’s Tribeca.  They even have some tables facing the kitchen so that you can watch them cook.  I would check out their website at http://thefoundryonmelrose.com/ to see more pictures and a live feed of the kitchen.  Despite not having reservations, we found the service was excellent even in the lounge area. Once we were moved to a regular table, we could still order from both regular and lounge menus which had different offerings.  The chef kept the whole experience fun and lively as he wandered  the restaurant sharing helpful information to diners about their meals, which I find rare in upscale restaurants.

Appetizer/Cocktails
I started off with their chopped salad from the lounge menu.  For a chopped salad, this one was very unique. I can’t remember much of the ingredients besides the fact that it had some pistachios, a very tasty dressing, and came in a cool square dish pictured below, it was really, weally good.   The Foundry also has a full bar with a host of their own versions of classic cocktails like mojitos and martinis.

Main Course
The vegetarian selection on the lounge menu was far friendlier than the regular menu.  I ordered the Grilled Cheese which was made with raisin bread, tallegio cheese, and apricot puree. This by far was one of the best f***in Grilled Cheese sandwiches I have ever had.  This is saying a lot from someone who has had thousands of grilled cheese sandwiches throughout the course of my 27 year life.  I imagine there are other items on the lounge and bar menu that would suit a vegetarian just as well, but that sandwich caught my eye and I look forward to having it again.  For the vegetarians I would suggest ordering from both menus so you have more variety to choose from.

Desert
The selection of desserts were non-traditional and everything was a unique concoction.  We ended up trying the Peanut Butter Cannoli which is served with vanilla ice cream and espresso flavored mousse.  I’ve never had that combo and it was a bit of a shock to my palette, but I still enjoyed the dish. The peanut butter gave the whole experience an interesting kick.

Cost
The meal was pretty inexpensive since I ordered off the lounge menu which was priced lower, however be prepared to spend around $150 for two if you decide to drink and order from the regular menu.

Overall Rating
My first experience at The Foundry was incredible because of its gracious host, excellent service, and a fresh perspective on traditional foods. 
9 Dishes out of 10 Dishes

Grilled Cheese

Chopped Salad

Peanut Butter Cannoli

The Bagel Factory

Summary
This past Saturday my brother and I headed out to Irvine to hang out with our friend Spiro Pettas from Athletes First and his new NFL recruits at the Fox Sports Grill. On Our way we realized that the Fox Sports Grill probably doesn’t a have a big vegetarian menu so we better stop on our way to the 10 freeway and get some breakfast, which lead us to The Bagel Factory.   

Location
The Bagel Factory
2320 S Robertson Blvd Ste BI
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 836-9865

Parking
A free small parking lot usually has spots available, if not meter parking on Robertson available.   

Ambiance/Service
The Bagel Factory is like the Baja Fresh of bagel shops, the food is fresh, tasty, inexpensive and quick. 

Food
The menu has a wide variety of bagels, pastries, sandwiches and hearty soups.  They claim to be famous for their Bialy bagels, but my personal favorite is an everything bagel scooped out with low fat cream cheese and a tomato.  For those of you that don’t know what scooped out is, scooped out means taking out a portion of the inside of the bagel so its less doughy and more importantly lower in carbs without losing the flavor!!!  If you are a big bagel eater scooped out is the way to go, too many calories otherwise.

Cost
The cost for the bagel I ordered was just a little over $3, the costs varies per bagel between $2-$5 depending what you want on your bagel.

Overall Rating
The Bagel Factory is one of a handful great bagel joints in Los Angeles that compare to New York City.  The next time you are heading South on Robertson on your way to the 10 Freeway make sure you stop by The Bagel Factory.

8.5 Dishes out of 10 Dishes 

Everything Bagel Scooped w/ Low Fat Cream Cheese and a Tomato

My First Post/La Scala Beverly Hills

Location
La Scala
434 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 275-0579

Parking
Valet parking available about 100 Feet south of the restaurant or  parking structure across the street which is only $2 after 6 PM and if you are lucky there are some parking meters in front of the restaurant.

Reservations
The beauty of La Scala is that if you tend to eat on the later side you can just walk in and get a table even though the restaurant is fairly crowded.  There is also a big lunch crowd with all the local agencies but you usually can just walk in.

Ambiance/Service
La Scala’s environment is more formal than casual but the friendly host and waiters give you that neighborhood eatery feeling despite its Beverly Hills location.  The older people tend to dress up a little, however the younger crowd is usually pretty casual.  The restaurant is a great place for families and special occasions!  I always enjoy the atmosphere of La Scala since it is reminiscent of old school Beverly Hills. 

Appetizer/Cocktails
If you only get one dish at La Scala, you have to get their famous chopped salad. Since I am a vegetarian I order it without the salami but their original dressing is so amazing that you won’t leave a single piece of lettuce!  The restaurant also serves a full bar and a great wine list.  I eat so much that I usually stick to bottled water, and they have an excellent Italian brand call San Benedetto that you don’t find in many restaurants. 

 Main Course
I have been eating at La Scala for several years now and to this day I eat the same dish every single time since it is so damn good.  They serve the best and most uniquely flavored Penne ala Vodka in Los Angeles.  Their menu offers a wide variety of pasta’s but if you plan to only go their once I would definitely get the Penne ala Vodka.

 Desert
They have a nice selection of cheesecake, chocolate cake, tiramisu, berries but my favorite is their gelato.  The gelato is served with three scoops with your choice of Chocolate, Vanilla or Cinnamon, last night I got all three, yummm!

 Cost
A meal for two which includes appetizers, main course, desert and a glass of wine is usually around or under a $100, the alcohol usually dictates the price like many restaurants.

Overall Rating
If you want an everyday restaurant that serves classic Italian dishes with consistently friendly and good service La Scala is your place!

9 Dishes out of 10 Dishes 

World Famous Chopped Salad

Bottle of San Benedetto Water

Penne ala Vodka

Chocolate, Vanilla and Cinnamon Gelato

Ambiance