The Corner Door – A great place to try in Culver City

On the west side of Culver City, right when you think ‘I’m not in Culver City anymore,’ you’ll find The Corner Door. Sleek with vintage inspired décor, this restaurant boasts a buzzing atmosphere with a well-thought out menu.

Littered with cozy booths and modern tables, this is a good place for dinner or drinks. You can tell a lot of time went into the menu; it’s rather short, but you can tell the chef has chosen carefully.

For starters, I have to highly recommend their Brussels sprouts. Fresh produce roasted to sweet perfection with feta cheese on top is just so tasty. I usually don’t find appetizers that wow me, but this one definitely does every time.

image 

Read more

Grub – A Hidden Gem in Hollywood!

Sometimes you just want to go to a low-key place that feels like home. Grub in Hollywood is the perfect place for that. When you walk up, you can either enjoy the open patio or head inside. Inside, you’ll encounter colorful wooden tables, vintage signs on the walls (that are HILARIOUS), a warm atmosphere, and a decently large menu with savory dishes. Here was my view at dinner:

image

Some places have a breadbasket for the table, but Grub has a basket of pretzels, cut slices of cucumbers, and cut carrots with a light dipping sauce. It was a refreshing twist for me. When it came time to order, it was a difficult decision. I ended up going with their Chicken Pasta dish.

Read more

Seasons 52 – Every dish under 475 calories, HOW?! — Century City

Tucked away in a corner of the Westfield Century City Mall, sits Seasons 52 where natural cooking techniques and fresh, seasonal ingredients inspire the menu. It changes with the season, so they have four main menus a year and fifty-two specials menus a year. Pretty awesome. Every dish on their menu is less than 475 calories and is a decent portion size. I don’t know how they do it.

image

Inside, you’ll find a warm and sophisticated charm awaiting you. There are too many options to choose from! We decided to get the artichoke and goat cheese flatbread for our appetizer. It was a much larger item than I expected, but greatly appreciated. It was light, incredibly flavorful, and perfect for sharing. It could be one person’s main dish. I may have to do that next time… I can’t stop thinking about it.

Read more

Lyfe Kitchen – Culver City’s New Addition

A shiny new restaurant whose philosophy is ‘love your food everyday’? Of course I need to try it! This place is all about fresh ingredients and being healthy. Not to mention, its white lights are SO bright, you can’t help but notice it in Downtown Culver City at night.

image

Walk into Lyfe Kitchen, and you might feel like you were in an upscale campus cafeteria, except for the exposed brick walls and fresh herb garden. I mean, it’s pretty cool.

image

I immediately stood in the order line, and to my left there was a stand with Lyfe’s menus: Lunch/Dinner, Gluten-Free, and Vegan. I really appreciated this aspect, as I know how tough it is for someone who is gluten-free or vegan to decode what they can eat on an establishment’s menu. They also serve wine and beer.

image

One of the other great things about the menu was that it listed each item’s calorie count and sodium count. There were a bunch of items on the Lunch/Dinner menu that looked good. As I was waiting, a waiter passed out samples of Hibiscus Iced Tea and Cucumber Mint Cooler. Both were refreshing. I was partial to the Cucumber Mint Cooler because of the stronger flavors.

I ended up ordering Tal’s Ancient Grain Bowl. It consisted of stir-fried vegetables, gardein (made from plant-based foods and has a similar texture to lean meat) “beef tips” all over quinoa with a sweet chile-ginger sauce.

image

It was good, but it wasn’t great. Maybe it’s because I’m a serious carnivore at heart, or I just wanted a little more from it. The flavors were diverse and fresh, but just not savory enough for me; I like my dinner to have a little more flavor to it. Perhaps if Tal’s Ancient Grain Bowl had a thicker and more robust sauce, I’d like the dish more.

Overall, I think this place might be better for lunch than dinner. I would go back to Lyfe and try some of their other dishes. Their quest for healthiness and freshness can’t be beat.  


By Jen Troy

Jen Troy is a Jill-Of-All-Trades.

Ugo: An Italian Cafe - Culver City

A wide selection of gelato—I’m there! Ugo: An Italian Cafe in downtown Culver City has classic Italian dishes and a variety of desserts. When you walk in, a classy and warm atmosphere greets you. Have a drink at the bar or grab a table for dinner. I’d suggest you go for dinner.

Ugo’s menu isn’t neither monstrous nor too specialized. It’s truly balanced. It has classic Italian dishes and some great takes on others. I decided to get their Rigatoni Bolognese. This dish is a staple to me. When I think about coming to Ugo, I am usually already thinking about the meat sauce.

 image

 

You know how leftover pasta dishes can sometimes be better than fresh? This is not the case with this dish. It’s great from the first bite to the last—you won’t have any leftovers. They use just the right amount of garnish. The sauce is what really makes this dish; it’s creamy and savory at the same time. The pasta soaks up just the right amount of it to really communicate all of the flavors.

Now on to the desserts! They have a few cases that display what they have to offer. Ugo has various cakes and tarts, but the dessert I must recommend is the gelato. They have so many different flavors to choose from. You can go either classic, creamy gelato or you can decide to do more of a lighter, fruit-based gelato. I find them all to be amazing and fresh, but I have to admit that the fruit flavors are my favorite. You just don’t see these everywhere. 

image

image

Ugo is a great place to go for dinner in downtown Culver City. Parking is pretty easy with a number of nearby parking structures and street parking. Also, they have a wine bar next door. I’ll have to check it out!

By Jen Troy

Jen Troy is a Jill-Of-All-Trades.

Best Fish Taco in Ensenada - Los Feliz

A few blocks east of Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz you can find truly the best fish tacos around! They’ve appropriately named their establishment. Best Fish Taco in Ensenada has some of the best fish tacos I have eaten in Los Angeles.

 image

When you walk in, you’ll be greeted with bright colors and murals on every wall. You’re immediately put at ease. It’s a neighborhood joint that you just can’t help but come back to.

Read more

Rounds Premium Burgers - West Hollywood

Do you ever have those nights when you just want a good burger? Man, I do. Rounds Premium Burgers in West Hollywood have those burgers and they invited us to come check them out. Their burgers are easily customizable and are just the right amount of everything you’d want in a good burger. It’s a balanced burger… pending your choice of additional toppings.

image

When you walk up, there’s a great patio outside with bar-height tables and chairs. They have a similar bar inside and tables as well, giving a casual vibe to the place. When you walk in you’re greeted by an organized ordering system. Other establishments are a little tougher to figure out so this was very intuitive.

I appreciate a place that actually wants me to understand what I’m ordering. The ordering sheets are a step by step guide to the burger ordering process itself. Also, there are just the right amount of options so I don’t have to ask, “So what’s actually in this sauce?”

Read more

Wurstküche in Venice - sweet!

A huge selection of unique sausages and a hip, chill vibe? Sign me up! Wurstküche, the Venice location, is just that. At prime meal times, there may be a line as you walk up to the front door, but don’t be discouraged, it moves really fast. Line, what line?

image
 
Once in line, you’re handed a menu with all kinds of sausages on it. There are even vegetarian options. After you read through them, you’ll realize you’re going to need to come back again. I’ve enjoyed the Sun Dried Tomato & Mozzarella and Filipino Maharlika. I’ve heard the Austin Blues is great if you like a little spice in your sausage. Each taste exactly like their description and honestly, you don’t feel like you’re clogging an artery while you’re eating. Ok… maybe a little.
 
image

Read more

MY FAVORITE PLACE IN… SILVER LAKE - Gingergrass

BEN’S NOTE: When our new correspondent Jen sent in this article, it reminded me that when a place is one of your favorites, you become an expert on their whole menu. So please enjoy our new series “My Favorite Place In…” where our correspondents tell you everything they’ve learned about their favorite hangouts!

Silver Lake - Gingergrass - Wok-Tossed Noodles

Gingergrass is a Vietnamese food haven on the eastside. With exposed beams, lantern style lights and what-I-can-only-imagine-is reclaimed wood tables, you instantly feel the laid-back and refreshing vibe when you enter. Once seated, they serve you Shrimp Chips and a dipping sauce. The chips aren’t actually made from shrimp. They’re basically big white chips that are so lightly baked they’re basically like eating air. Delicious, lightly flavored air.
 

Read more