All posts filed under: Travels

THE SPOTTED PIG, NEW YORK CITY

Published by Nicole Isaacs

The Spotted Pig, co-owned by Jay Z, Bono & Mario Batali, is a restaurant hotspot in the heart of Meatpacking district in New York City. With waits that can be long as two to three hours for a table and a very unique menu,  I assumed my experience there was going to be very positive. And if Jay- Z co-owns it, then DUH!, it has to be amazing right?! lol. The place is definitely super eclectic with “quirky” decor, and has a very cozy feeling, but the food was not out of this world by any means.  The Spotted Pig is famous for their burger which I’ve heard so much about, but I actually did not like it. Read my reviews on what we ordered below: THE SPOTTED PIG DECOR DEVILED EGGS Not a huge deviled eggs fan myself, but these were the best I’ve ever had. Great flavor, and the filling was fluffy and light. I recommend this. CHICKEN LIVER TOAST I liked this too! Very rich flavor, and the liver was super creamy …

YAMASHIRO, HOLLYWOOD

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Yamashiro in Hollywood is perched up in the Hollywood Hills and has the best view of the entire city of Los Angeles. This Japanese restaurant looks like a palace straight out of Japan. It’s breathtaking. This week I went to dinner there with some friends, but I’ve been to Yamashiro a couple times and not only is it beautiful but the food is great too. YAMASHIRO COURTYARD W/ KOI PONDS  Photo credit: Yamashiro BELOW ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I’VE ORDERED FROM YAMASHIRO:  ASIAN BBQ BABY BACK RIBS Mashed Yams, house made spicy BBQ sauce SPICY SEAFOOD HOT POT Shrimp, scallop, New Zealand mussel, shitake mushrooms, snow peas, glass noodles Spicy! It was good and soothing-I love spicy hot soup, but I wouldn’t order again. TRUFFLE HAMACHI White truffle infused ponzu, teardrop tomatogarlic confit, micro arugula I loved this. I love anything with truffle and the raw fish tasted fresh and tender. Such a light and flavorful dish. I recommend! LOCH DUART SALMON Roasted asparagus, preserved-lemon smashed potatoes, fried capers, miso cream This honestly …

P.J. CLARKE’S, LAS VEGAS

Published by Nicole Isaacs

In Vegas, I stumbled across P.J. Clarke’s in the Ceasers Palace Hotel. Hungover and craving good substance and a burger, I decided to stop there. I’ve actually read about P.J. Clarke’s online. It’s a classic bar/restaurant established in 1884, and has original locations in New York City and along the Hudson River, but has also opened in Washington DC, Vegas and Brazil. This place is an old-time classic restaurant known for good pub food and especially famous for it’s burger, so I tried it. “THE CADILLAC” Smoked Country Bacon & American Cheese I really enjoyed the burger. I don’t know if I was just desperately hungry and anything could have tasted good in my state lol, but it was pretty good to me. Definitely not anywhere near the best, but it was solid- I had no complaints. I ordered the “Cadillac Burger” for $13.75, which is their special and most popular burger. It comes with American cheese and bacon. It’s a simple burger, nothing special on it besides bacon, but the meat was cooked perfectly. …

QUALITY, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

     Quality is on 3rd Street in Los Angeles. Located right down the street from TOAST on 3rd, and a lot of other LA brunch “hotspots”, Quality is more low-key and a guarantee quick wait, if any. The food is comparable to places such as Toast (which I’ve blogged about), but it’s less of a scene, and a much less of a wait for a table. It’s a hole in the wall, but I enjoyed the food. If you want to skip the hassle going to a packed brunch/breakfast on the weekends with a wait in LA, Quality is a good option. AVOCADO BENEDICT- ADDED BACON Buttermilk biscuits topped with avocado, poached eggs with hollandaise sauce Shared this with one of my girlfriends and it was delicious. I loved how it wasn’t on an english muffin, but a fresh baked biscuit. It added a buttery flavor which I loved, and a more flakey/crispy texture, and obviously adding bacon makes everything better 🙂 They’re known for their biscuits, so I recommend getting a dish there that serves one. CHALLAH …