While my friend Jayme was in town, I decided to have us check out a bunch of new restaurants I have never been to. After a long day at the beach, nothing sounds better than a margarita on the rocks. On our way home, Jayme made a comment about a restaurant with an ironic name called Gilbert’s El Indio, but it was obviously a Mexican restaurant. From some Googling, the restaurant actually contained some of the best Yelp reviews on the Internet for nearby Mexican restaurants. Nestled on bustling Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, Gilbert’s stood out among commercial buildings. Once seated, you are immediately greeted with homemade chips and spicy salsa. This is one of my requirements for a good Mexican restaurant. While I understand not all places will shell out free chips, salsa, flour tortillas and a sopapilla like Oklahoma restaurants, free chips and salsa is a must. Next we ordered a pitcher of margaritas on the rocks. Departing from traditional margaritas, Gilbert’s margs contained a hint of orange that is always a welcome complement to the traditional lime. I selected the “Extra Super Mule” burrito. Yes, it was as gigantic as it sounds. Filled with shredded chicken, beans, avocado and lettuce topped with cheese, roasted jalapeños and a savory verde sauce. The burrito ended up being way to big for one meal, and I gladly took my extras home for leftovers. One thing to remember if you are planning on eating at Gilberts, bring cash because they don’t take debit or credit cards.
By the next morning, we had thankfully recovered from our Mexican food coma and were ready for brunch at Urth Café. There are a couple Urth Cafes around the Los Angeles area, but I wanted Jayme to get the true experience and took her to the most popular location on Melrose in West Hollywood. My dilemma for brunch is always the same, sweet or savory. As we rounded the counter, I finally settled on the bread pudding with bruléed bananas. When I ordered, I got an extra surprise choice between regular bread pudding or cinnamon raisin. I went with the cinnamon raisin to pair with my Spanish latte served Urth Italia or in other words strong and heavy. We snagged a prime table outside with just the right amount of shade and sun. Our lattes arrived first with an organic design crafted out of foam. Saying I am an avid coffee drinker is an understatement. I start almost every day with either a shot of espresso or a steaming cup of black coffee. Therefore when I say this is the best latte I have ever had, you know I am being serious. The latte highlighted the slightly sweet coffee rather than attempting to mask the coffee flavor under too sweet flavoring. When our dishes arrived, I was equally impressed. The caramel from the bananas dripped down into the moist bread pudding. With notes of cinnamon, the pudding tasted like home during the holidays. Jayme’s sausage and potato omelet was also delicious. Instead of the ingredients hiding inside the omelet, the heirloom potatoes, spicy chicken sausage and bell peppers were mixed directly into the eggs, more like a frittata. The sausage and potatoes contrasted textures but the flavors paired perfectly together. All in all the food was very good, but the coffee was absolutely outstanding!
Our brunch was able to sustain us until our dinner reservations at 7 pm. I was excited to try out Dominick’s in West Hollywood. With a sister location in trendy Los Feliz, Dominick’s is very popular among locals. Every Sunday, Dominick’s offers a “Sunday Supper.” For $15, you receive a 3-course meal. I was a little nervous about this week’s special, but I really wanted to take Jayme here. I’m glad the trout special didn’t scare me off. While I ended up ordering the special, Jayme settled on the gnocchi. We ordered a bottle of the house wine to kick off our dinner. I don’t normally order bottles of wine at restaurants because it is out of my price range, but Dominick’s sells a special wine called Dago for only $12. Seriously. Dago is an Italian tradition. Back in the day, wineries would give its excess vintage to many of the vineyard’s workers. It was aged in small batches so none are identical, but all equally robust with a semi-sweet finish. My first course was comprised of roasted, lemon asparagus on a bed of peppery arugula. Since this is a three-course meal for relatively inexpensive, I was expecting my entrée portion to be on the small size. I was delightfully surprised when my plate came out with two trout filets served almondine style. Slivered almonds encrusted the thin trout filets with a light cream sauce. My trout was paired with roasted potatoes in a spicy, cayenne rub. The citrus from the first course carried on into the trout and finished off in the dessert. Served up in a shiny silver dish, two scoops of Meyer lemon sorbet melted the second it hit my tongue. Not the least bit icy, the sorbet was smooth and tart. Jayme’s gnocchi was served in a traditional tomato-basil sauce, but what really made the dish stand out was the gnocchi. Mixed with soft ricotta cheese, the potato pasta was transformed into little pillows. Sharp pecorino cheese on top added the perfect contrast to the sweet sauce. Until next time, I hope I inspired you to get out of your food routine and try something new!
MMMM.... delicious!
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