Super Mario's

Brother Monkey lives just a stone's throw away from Mario's Peruvian & Seafood Restaurant (5786 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles). Lucky guy.

This strip mall restaurant is so busy that there is often no space in the parking lot. Mario's attracts everyone. It's like the United Nations in here.

And you know, when that happens, the food can't be bad.

Saltado de camarones -- shrimp sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and french fries served with rice ($11.00).

BroMo said that this is his usual order to go. While most customers opt for the lomo saltado, we enjoyed these shrimp prepared in the same manner. Good choice, BroMo.

Pescado a la chorrillana -- fried fillet of Pacific red snapper with sauteed onions and tomatoes, rice, boiled fried potatoes, and fried bread ($10.25).

I wish the fish had been fried longer to a more golden state, but still yummy yummy.

Bistec a la chorrillana -- pan-fried steak with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and rice ($9.75).

Very flavorful, though the steak could've been more tender. Quite good nevertheless.

Mario's is solid. Everything is well-seasoned, and portions are rather generous. This time, the masses aren't asses. They're right.

Caribbean Comfort

I've blogged about Prado Restaurant before, but that was with an iPhone. This place definitely deserves better than an iPhone post.

The interior of Prado is bright, colorful, and filled with eclectic elements, not unlike its food.

Prado sampler ($13.75).

This dish includes a Jamaican tamale, shrimp in black pepper sauce, crab cake, and chile relleno. Everything is excellent -- great way to taste a bunch of things on one plate.

Cold poached salmon ($15.75).

If you're watching what you eat, you'll appreciate this salmon poached in Chardonnay served with tomatillo salsa and dill sauce and a side of barbecue salad. The salmon is moist and lovely, and the barbecue salad is very tasty.

Caribbean cobb salad with grilled chicken ($13.75).

My heart belongs, however, to this freakishly delicious salad. Yes, a salad! Mixed greens tossed in a light vinaigrette with brie, apples, grains, nuts, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, plus a number of other vegetables (according to the menu, there are 20 ingredients) equals ecstasy. This is one of my favorite salads of all time. I always order it.

You should, too.

Dinner and a Show

Mr. Monkey's birthday was a month ago, but Friday night was a celebration of sorts.

Part One of our celebration was at Patina, the beautiful restaurant inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I loved the ripples all over the room.

Adored the orange spotted water glass.


The olive bread wasn't bad either.

We arrived at the restaurant really early, so we could enjoy the tasting menu ($100).

Amuse bouche of chestnut soup with crème fraîche foam and crostini.

Do you like chestnuts? I do. I savored every smooth spoonful of this. So good.

Marinated hamachi, geoduck, cucumber vinegar, avocado, crostini, green apple mustard.

As luscious as it was pretty! The yellowtail was so fresh and delicate and punctuated by happy chewy little slices of geoduck. And the Froot Loop-looking rings? Fabulous tangy and crunchy accompaniments.

Fall glazed vegetable mosaic, "jus de cuisson," navet oil.

What a work of art! Too bad they were just vegetables. Don't get me wrong. They were good vegetables. Maybe even great. But, really, they were still vegetables.

Butter-poached Maine lobster, salsify, butternut squash, mango, "jus de la presse."

This was lightly cooked, so that the the texture was denser and meatier than that of fully cooked lobster. With just the butter, the lobster's flavor really shone, and the sweet and starchy sides worked well.

Medallions of Millbrook venison, Lady apple, celeriac, sweet potato, "sauce poivrade."

Not the best venison we've ever had, but still very meaty and tender and not at all gamy. Don't hold all the jus against Patina -- when asked if I wanted extra jus, I said yes before I realized that it would make my plate a mess.

White truffled brie de meaux.

Creamy soft cheese with white truffles? Yes, please. Frisée was the perfect thing to cut the richness of the white truffled brie.

Although we did not partake, we admired the cheese cart.

We smelled it before we saw it.

Mr. Monkey loves French pressed coffee.

This Ethiopian blend was strong. Eight dollars' worth of strong.

Chocolate Lover's Contrast.

This delighted Mr. Monkey. I mean, just look at it.

Contemporary apple tatin with Granny Smith sorbet.

Because I'm allergic to chocolate, I substituted a different dessert. The baked apples were lovely, and the sorbet was mouth-puckeringly awesome.

Petit fours.

Mini chocolate macaron, marshmallow, fruit gelée, tiny blueberry muffin, and cashew crisp. Tiny bites of yay!

The bill was discounted because Mr. Monkey belongs to Simply Patina.

$30 off your meal within 60 days of your birthday! It should be noted that our server, James H., was fantastic -- knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. Impeccable service from start to finish.

Part Two of our celebration involved these.

The Airborne Toxic Event! Third row! Neither of us had ever sat so close at a concert!

Before we went inside, I snapped these shots.

I love this hall so much. Thank you, Frank Gehry.

No photography is allowed inside Walt Disney Concert Hall. At all. Not before the artists take the stage. Not in the foyer. Not during intermission. Not even with an iPhone.


But I have my ways.

Gorgeous food. Incredible band with a quartet, marching band, children's choir, and folklórico dancers. Super close seats. And we sat the entire night because it's the effing Walt Disney Concert Hall! Nobody stood up until this last song! Yes!

Amazing.