Tuesday, August 11, 2009

not taipei/los angeles: i recommend Westside Tavern



Yum, yum, yum and yum.

I have been enjoying a lot of the new places that have cropped up since the last time I was in town earlier this year. I don't know if I would have found Westside Tavern eventually when watching a movie at the revamped Landmark theaters at Westside Pavilion, but we ended up there when a friend chose a place for dinner.

Westside Tavern has a menu full of appetizers, soups/salads, sandwiches and burgers, mains and desserts served with a modern California flair.

It was my first time eating burrata, which we mistakenly thought was a type of proscuitto for some reason when reading the menu. When the Gioia burrata and heirloom cherry tomatoes (US$14) came, we thought, where's the proscuitto? Oh.... it's cheese!



But a lovely cheese it was, like a softer, creamier buffalo mozzarella. If you like that sort of thing.

My friend got the lamb french dip and I got the Spit Roasted Chicken Cobb Salad (US$16)- which after falling in love with the yummier (and cheaper) Cobb salad at Tender Greens, the Westside Tavern's Cobb Salad just didn't compare.



We did however throughly enjoy the Lemon Meringue Pie, which was like a crown of baked egg whites on the perfectly tart and sweet lemon pie. Something nearly impossible to find in Taipei.



The second time I visited Westside Tavern was about a week later with a couple girlfriends I hadn't seen since middle school. Yes, MIDDLE SCHOOL! Craziness. Westside Tavern was the perfect place to catch up on our lives and split an appetizer and a few desserts.

The baby artichoke and smoked mozzarella flatbread with roasted tomatoes (US$14) was like a fancy pizza- baked to the right crispiness and topped with a dressed arugula.

We couldn't decide between the warm sticky toffee cake (US$8) or the hot fudge pudding cake (US$7) and we ended up with both. It's hard to tell from the photo, but we couldn't finish because one dessert could easily be shared between 3-5 people!



I'd stick with their signature warm sticky toffee cake only next time. The hot fudge pudding cake wasn't particularly decadent or memorable, while you just wanted to keep eating the gooey, moist toffee cake though you knew it was full of sugar.

So the next time you want to eat before a movie, skip the food court across the mall and make a reservation at Westside Tavern.

WESTSIDE TAVERN
10850 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064-2132
(310) 470-1539

westsidetavernla.com

10 comments:

Tom said...

This is a great reality check for those of us here in Taiwan. I appreciate the pictures so I know what I am missing and appreciate the prices so I know not to complain about prices here.

I always enjoy your blog and find myself hungry after reading. Thanks for continuing to share with the rest of us.

joanh said...

tom: hi! thanks for commenting.. i love hearing when people are enjoying the blog- i hope to be writing soon about taipei places, but i can't seem to focus on it when i'm eating in LA!

Jean said...

this looks so good! i haven't tried this place yet, but all my friends say it's good! these pix will def make me go!

Arthur said...

go try out fathers office. there is on in culver city and one in santa monica. both have great burgers and fries. the large beer selection doesnt hurt either.

go early. it is usually packed by 6

mina said...

all of this looks delicious!

Tom Carroll said...

The Friday, August 14th,Taipei Times notes that the Features staff lists hungryintaipei.blogspot.com as "their favorite foodie Web site or blog. Well-earned recognition.

keauxgeigh said...

looks so decadent! making me want to return to the US already. wow, taipei times mentioned you? another reason I'm working for the wrong newspaper.

Lisa Wang said...

I was SO happy when this restaurant opened. Finally somewhere great to eat close to The Landmark Theaters. I was even happier that the food was good (especially that Toffee Cake, yumm)

I've also recently discovered burrata and it is my favorite cheese to eat in salads now.

I had some AMAZING food in Portland. You'd be surprised what a foodie city it is.

foodbin said...

have not seen the meringue tart before.

Roger said...

My my! Really indulging huh!

My brother has been a long time follower of your blog ever since I gave him the link. Poor fella was so eager to use the info this summer during his trip to Taipei but he ends up with a major throat/nose infection so he can't taste anything! XD

Glad you're having a blast in LA

:)