Sundae in the Park

Its location as a stand in the Mercado la Paloma might lead you to believe that the food at Chichen Itza is casual or ordinary…until you notice the line (all afternoon, when I was there, and mostly of Spanish-speaking people) and the beautifully composed plates of colorful, book-cover-worthy food (not by accident – the owner wrote Sabores Yucatecos: A Culinary Tour of the Yucatán). The closest comparison restaurant I can think of is Los Agaves in Santa Barbara, for style of service and quality of food and presentation, though the menu at Chichen Itza is a much shorter list of curated Yucatecan specialties. You order at the stand and receive a # for your order, and the servers run the food out to you. They also bring silverware and drinks, and the tables/chairs are big and solid, nicer than most food-court operations. Based on many recommendations, we tried the cochinita pibil (prettily mounded, long shreds of incredibly tender, juicy pork, in a tangy sauce), fish tacos (crunchy, well-seasoned, and bright), plantains (nicely fried), and panuchos (basically a shredded turkey taco, with the tortilla fried – I thought it was dry but it was my husband’s favorite dish). Our friends got the tikin-xic (fish fillets in a citrus sauce over rice – I want to add this to our order next time), pork tacos, more plantains, and chips and salsa. Almost everything was sprinkled with the pickled red onions (which I ordinarily don’t like but in this case found delightful. Thank goodness.) Except for a few bites of the rather ordinary rice and beans, we polished off everything with gusto while proclaiming it delicious. Prices are so gentle you feel as if you’re getting away with something. The location is low key and families abound so fear not in bringing small children (though you might have a hard time finding a high chair). It’s less than a mile from USC and Exposition Park (home of the California Science Center, Rose Garden, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County), so pairs perfectly with a day of exploring. I might not walk the distance, due to on-ramps under the highway and slight sketchiness of the neighborhood, plus there is a parking lot at the Mercado and some street spaces available. Really can’t recommend this place enough - I can’t wait to go back!

I would be interested in this as well!! I don't know of a good forum like DR for travel-related discussion. When I research a trip, I come here , look at Eater's 38 lists, look for a Tom S. postcard in the WaPo, check Serious Eats for city-specific articles, and scan TripAdvisor, Yelp, and do internet searches for the "top" activities in a given area. The 36 Hours In XXXX column in the New York Times usually has some good ideas. Cross referencing these resources usually gets me to a list of things I'd like to do. Oh, and I'm usually working in whatever National Park Service site is in the area.

I’ve been to a few outposts of Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, a local-ish chain, which has 16 locations all over southern California and, oddly enough, one non-CA location in Springfield, VA. It’s a reliable and reliably nice place for more-than-decent BBQ, good salads, and solid service. I know that sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, but I’ve actually been quite a few times because it’s such a general people-pleaser. I like the tri tip in all its forms – entrée, sandwich, salad – it’s always tender with lots of beefy flavor (similar to Buckhorn Grill in northern CA). The peanut slaw, with its vinaigrette base, is a standout side. I’ve had the slaw at several catered and potluck lunches (they do a brisk takeout business) and it’s gobbled up for a reason. I’ve also tried the brisket, chicken, and pulled pork, and all are fine-good, but I prefer the tri-tip. The hot, buttered, garlic rolls are also worth eating, even if you’re limited carbs! The restaurant is decorated with warm wood and mostly (or all) booth seating, and the servers and hosts are well-trained and friendly (and younger and good-looking). I think I’ve been to 3 or 4 different locations and they all seem to be similar. They work well for meals with coworkers or picky groups, and I’ve even done an interview there! All in all, going to a Wood Ranch is very much like going to a branch of the Great American Restaurant group.

It works really well! This is one Chinese restaurant that really had its service down pat. The computerized ticket is placed on your table and servers tick off each item as they drop them off until your order is complete. The roving service team is also really great about refilling water, tea, etc. So, lots of news. The original location in the US, the Arcadia 1108 S. Baldwin location, is temporarily closed as of Monday (yesterday)! The annex at 1088 S. Baldwin is apparently closed for good. In the meanwhile, a huge, brand-new location is now open down the street at the Westfield Mall (400 S. Baldwin) and is apparently intended to serve as the new flagship location. The 1108 location will eventually reopen in a more limited capacity. Glad I got in there one more time last week (3 orders of XLB for 3 hungry people is not enough if you are all greedy!). They will also be opening a new location in Torrance in a few more months. I notice that the newer stores seem to be in nicer, higher-end spaces, such as in malls (Glendale, OC, this newest iteration, and the Torrance-to-be) versus strip malls. While that is good for logistical considerations like accessibility (oh man, the parking situation in the original location was brutal, and apparently a major contributor to the move) and customer flow (not that they had a problem with that before), it will be interesting to see if quality and prices can be maintained in these larger spaces with perhaps a less discriminating customer base. On the other hand, at my one meal at the OC mall location, I saw almost exclusively Asian faces in the crowd, so it might simply mean that the same customers will have a shorter wait for a table.

New favorite summer meal: somen noodles with red cabbage and carrot slaw, plus shredded, poached chicken and whole sugar snap peas, all lightly dressed in a peanut-sesame sauce.

The egg tarts are indeed good, both to scarf in the parking lot and to take as gifts (cute boxes!). The swiss cake roll slices sold in the refrigerated case (they have several other versions, roll or otherwise, that are not refrigerated) have an extra dollop of sour cream in addition to the cream, to punch up the richness. Yum!

I can't remember if this is true for other locations, but at the Baldwin Ave location in Arcadia, they give you a thin form/list to fill out and order your items, similar to ordering sushi. They also have regular-sized menus with pictures and descriptions, upon request. I don't think the larger menus have more items; they are just intended to give you a better idea of what you're ordering. The bean curd/seaweed salad dish is light on the seaweed and heavy on the curd, with some cellophane noodles thrown in. It has a bit of stinky tofu flavor and is a small, dim sum portion. Stir-fried rice cakes were fine but really greasy. XLB were perfect. It was nearly full with no wait for a two-top at 4:30 PM on a Sunday.

Dropped by the Glendale location today to pick up some snacks for a work week. It was still crazy bustling at 4:15 PM on a Sunday, with longs lines everywhere, including the 1-stall (!!??#$%^&*!!) ladies' room. I think the bakery line moves the quicker than the Cafe line even though it always looks longer, because fewer people are ordering sandwiches and there are SO many staff working the counters. It only took about 10 minutes to work through a a full line (not quite out the door, but with the entire line path filled). Be sure to grab a paper menu by the registers before you get in line! The staff are nice but really want you to have your order ready if at all possible, to keep the line moving. The chocolate croissant wasn't as good today - not quite as flaky-stretchy as usual. Everything else looks/tastes good so far; we'll see how long they last!

If in Sunnyvale and craving a quick, wonderful Middle Eastern lunch, get thee to Dish-n-Dash, which is basically my ideal of a fast-casual restaurant. They have a small but growing empire of quick-serve and sit down locations in the South and East Bay area; I only went to the fast-casual location in Sunnyvale (twice in two days). First you choose your base (starch or salad; we got fluffy rice and a generous pile of greens in the salad, but they also have wraps, rolls, pitas, and freekeh), which either comes with the edamame-corn salsa or more appropriate vegetables. Then add a protein or vegetarian main (We tried the beef, chicken, and lamb shawarma, plus the falafel, and all were excellent. The beef is the richest.), and add toppings for a small additional cost (the eggplant is fried or very oily grilled chunks!! delicious). Add sides if desired (you don't need them, as the main plates are generous and filling, but I tried and liked the babaghanouge, though the fava beans were boring). Finally, you can pick three sauces for any entree (the garlic yogurt is very mild, the chipotle tahini is a bit more assertive, and the mint walnut is mild but nice). Your choices can be customized to be gluten-free, vegan, or halal (all well-labeled on the menu). They have fresh juices and smoothies (mostly/all fruit, depending on what you pick, and tart and refreshing), and a few pastries available. There are a ton of people working the counter and kitchen and they move their considerable line as briskly as possible (though it helps to get there before noon to avoid the crowds!!). It's a simple place, but the food is fresh/bright/crunchy/rich/creamy as appropriate and that's really all one can ask. I'd probably eat here weekly if I lived nearby and never be sick of it. FWIW, this place is #100 of Yelp's top 100 of 2016 (we had no idea - found it though a work recommendation).

FWIW, Porto's Burbank was Yelp's #1 top 100 places to eat in the US in 2016.

Check, check, check, check, and check. My new favorite flavor at McConnell's is the double peanut butter, which also has chips. I really like chunky stuff in my ice cream, and I think their salty flavors shine the brightest (I tried a bunch of other flavors, but still ended up liking the salty peanut butter and caramel the best). The coffee flavors are particularly intense, and the new Earl Grey with butter biscuits has a robust tea flavor, which is nice if one likes Early Grey. We did La Super Rica and Los Agaves (Milpas in SB) back-to-back this time, to better compare the two, and found that they are different enough experiences to both be well worth the trip/calories/belly space. I prefer Los Agaves, with its more upscale preparations and wide-ranging (and changing) menu, and my husband prefers the simplicity and constancy of La Super Rica. At Los Agaves we got the Arrachera, which is "grilled 7oz Angus skirt steak with a grilled poblano chile stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and a pasilla chile. Served with rice and pinto beans," a side of guacamole, and a side of grilled vegetables. Everything is worth eating, especially the vegetables, rice (fluffy, with each distinct grain coated with flavor), and chile (not that the meat wasn't good, just that the side stuff is superb so it particularly noteworthy), and their red salsa from the bar is earthy without being too spicy (IMO, though I can take some heat). At La Super Rica we got the Super Rica Especial (roasted chile pasilla w/ marinated pork), lomito suizo (basically a pork quesadilla), a chorizo taco, and a pork tamal (special). The meat portions are quite generous and the chiles are roasted till dark and sweet. Red salsa is more interesting than the green, and you can eat as much pico as you can. Good stuff all, just a bit more rustic than Los Agaves. The folks at the counter are really nice and used to dealing with board-gazing tourists. Still cash-only, and their take-out packaging is expertly done (individual plates covered and labeled and all placed in a box). Right now La Super Rica is closed Tuesday and Wednesdays, and Los Agaves is pretty much open all day, every day. The Blue Owl (downtown SB) is now open for dinner!!! So it's available for lunch, dinner, and late night on the weekends, but still no service on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Same impressions as last time - awesome sandwiches, laid-back atmosphere, pricey, a little precious, but totally worth it. I tried the fried rice this time (in addition to the BLTA and bahn mi) and it was perfectly fried with lots crunchy sprouted legumes - doesn't fried rice always have these? - plus a poached egg (of course). Backyard Bowls is the natural SB evolution of Jamba Juice. I tried the berry acai bowl and it was cool, refreshing, and healthful-feeling, but wow! that's a lot of sugar in the morning! Albeit healthier sugars, but still, a large bowl is a ton of food and a lot of sweet stuff (it probably doesn't help that I'm normally a savory person in the morning). It's a great value for what you get, though. The acai mix is sort of like a sludgy smoothie mix, and they don't stint with the berries. I tried the Goleta location. Fast service and great for carry-out. Yankee Noodle (downtown SB) wasn't originally on my SB eating itinerary, but, with our family's preferences, we couldn't pass it up once we saw it. It's an Asian-American fusion spot in an old industrial space with huge communal wooden tables, soaring ceilings, and inside-outside seating. They look very hipster but have high chairs, and the soda machine stocks only fancy, cane-sugar sodas (if I were still soda-ing, I would have tried every one!). The classic ramen was good, great porky stock, springy noodles, and even the lowest spicy request was still quite hot. The Indian fry bread was less successful - ours was cool/cold by the time we got it, and even though the toppings are good (the pork > than the chicken) the bread was too thick. My Hawaiian BBQ plate was decent, with bigger portions of good-quality meats, smothered in the various sweet sauces. The mac salad that came with it was boring, but the cole slaw was good, not overly dressed. We wanted the kim chee tacos, but they were out. I'd say this place would be best for drinks (they had all sorts available that we didn't check out) and ramen. Cajun Kitchen Cafe is...fine. An absolutely fine place to grab breakfast at one of the many locations (I tried Goleta). I had a CA eggs benedict and, while the hollandaise wasn't special, it was worth eating some of it, and the eggs were pretty. The others in the dining rooms looked perfectly happy with their big plates of breakfast. I think I was mostly annoyed that my plate came out way after a bunch of people who were seated after me while I was in a hurry. Goodland Kitchen and Market (Goleta), however, is EXCELLENT. Can't recommend it enough if you're in the mood for fresh, salad-y food, even though the parking situation stinks (crowded street parking only). I went back for lunch the 2nd day after enjoying my mezze plate (their 3 daily salads, plus hummus and homemade pita chips) so much the first day. Over the two days I tried the Moroccan carrot salad, a grain and vegetable salad (needed salt), roasted carrots and beets, roasted carrots and cauliflower, a couple different pasta/veg salads, and the sesame noodle salad with chicken. All excellent, and all tasting quite different while maintaining a fresh, crunchy (as appropriate), green, flavorful vibe. I'm not generally a salad person (usually I would have gotten a sandwich or soup, which also looked nice), but the displays called out to me and they were as good as they looked! The prices are reasonable for the portions and the cookies are decent as well. If you're flying in/out of the Santa Barbara airport, this spot is right down the street and ready for your refreshment! I felt full and just good (healthful food choices, didn't eat too much, really tasty food) both times after eating there. I've been to Brophy Bros. in SB and a few times in Ventura and it really isn't my jam, since its always crowded, I don't eat shellfish, and the fish choices are limited and seem to stay the same. My husband and son ate All The Fried Things at the seafood shack on the end of Stearn's Wharf (probably SB Shellfish Co but they weren't paying attention. Twice.) plus the clam chowder over a couple days and loved it all. He also said that the ice cream on the pier is fine but not as good as McConnell's.

A few resources if you're planning an LA food itinerary: LA Weekly's 2016 99 essential restaurants Jonathan Gold's 101 best restaurants If you poke around both of these, there are map interfaces that I find really help with pairing activities/landmarks with restaurants. Also, if you're in the mood for a Night Market, there's a bunch happening in LA and Orange County this year: 626 Night Market

Ah, I can see how, if you wanted it to emphasize your injury, the's last-paragraph insta-wrap up/mention would be less than satisfactory. I thought, however, it was a neat piece, if somewhat shorter than I'd imagined. There's lots of short detail bombs that just beg follow-up, instead of ending paragraphs, if this is to be character piece. On the other hand, it can't be infinitely long, so these details just make you more interesting. If I were a reader just being introduced to DonRockwell, I'd want to search out the site and find out what it is all about! I actually liked the "quasi-critic" line (though I'm glad it's not in the title of the online article); even if it's not an accurate quote from you, it's presenting you favorably compared with Yelp (which she does again earlier in the piece). Since that the food review site with which most readers would be immediately familiar, I think that's great! I hope it drives lots of traffic to the site!! I'm so sorry to hear about your pain, and hope an answer and solution is just around the corner. Especially considering, it's amazing how much you do for all of us!! Thank you!!!

Cod chowder. It's still nice and cool here!!

Same here. We were getting it pretty regularly for a while, such that we have a fairly large collection of the containers knocking around our cupboards. I thought it was getting slightly less "salted" with time, and sweeter overall. Maybe I'm not crazy? About this? Haven't bought it in a while…and yes, I've seen it pretty much at All Of The Stores, including the little campus market.

Surprise, surprise, tastes are individual! It's damn fine ice cream, just not my personal favorite of that particular flavor. It was interesting to find out, since I'd been reading about the salted caramel there for a long time and I generally lurrrrrrrve everything salted caramel. I liked the coffee the best of the flavors I tried - the intensity works very well there, plus it has crunchy stuff. Three Twins is also quite good and can be had in some grocery stores across CA (I live in SoCal and it's at Whole Foods). I'll have to keep an eye out for Humphrey Slocomb, thanks!

How was this recipe? Looks easy and very family-friendly.

A couple trips ago we tried to go to R&G but the wait was over an hour (early on a weeknight) and we had the kiddo with us so went elsewhere. Takeout/delivery sounds like the ticket!

Really like both KP and Z&Y. Make sure to go to KP during a busy time, well before close. On my last trip I hit both Delfina and Pizzeria Delfina (Burlingame location) and was pleased by both. Low-key place with thoughtfully prepared, beautiful food in warm rooms with lots of wood and calm lighting. Either could be your great but not big deal SF dinner. At Delfina I got a nettle pasta, the classic chicken, and a side of snap peas and loved every bite (and all went extraordinarily well together as a meal). My pizza had very good crust and sauce but the guanciale wasn't fully rendered and I don't like soft, fatty pork very much (YMMV, I'm pretty sure it wasn't cooked incorrectly, just not to my taste). Note that this didn't stop me from enjoying the pizza and I liked it better as leftovers. The beet/farro salad was bright and the textures contrasted nicely. I also went to Bi-Rite for the first time during this trip, and I while I think it was worth the wait (in SO much wind!!), both to finally try it and for the ice cream itself, it's actually not my favorite salted caramel. It's a pretty darkly caramelized flavor, very intense, and doesn't have any crunchy bits in it, so for salted caramel I favor McConnells in Santa Barbara or Salt & Straw up in Portland.I liked the malted vanilla and coffee flavors better, (both have bits! Peanut brittle and milk chocolate pieces in the former and alfieri almonds and chocolate chips in the latter), but both were also very intense flavors. Great ice cream texture, though, creamy with lots of "tooth." Went. Got the Pork. Loved it. Thanks for the rec! Well worth the $$! Rich without being fatty (see above about disliking soft, fatty meat) and lots of texture. This is dream pork for folks who like a hanger steak. The chile-honey sauce pairs very well with the meat. I also got the patatas bravas and the mushrooms, and both dishes were likewise excellent (the potatoes are adorable!). I had no trouble getting street parking or a seat around 1 PM on a weekday. I got takeout from Athena Grill in Santa Clara, and their gyro meat is wonderful - springy, juicy, flavorful, and I couldn't finish the huge portion. By the way, if your hotel people tell you that there is little/no parking at the Santa Clara Convention Center so you'd best take the hotel shuttle, they are WRONG. It is a little difficult to find because it's a structure shared with the Hyatt Regency and TechMart, but there are 1,500 FREE spaces!! So unless the center is packed to the gills, you can probably find parking quite easily. I've mentioned them before, but I've been back to La Petite Camille in Millbrae for a few pre-flight (SFO) meals recently and it's been consistently good for stir-fried noodles and crispy rolls. The room-temperature noodles have always been mushy (every time I accidentally order something with vermicelli I regret it and then remember), so avoid the fresh rolls and bun dishes. The simple stir-fried noodles, however, taste like Vietnamese pad thai (in a good way) and the noodles are always perfectly al dente. The Imperial rolls are served with lettuce, herbs, and pickles and are both refreshing and indulgent. From a practical standpoint, once you get turned around on El Camino Real back to the airport, there is a gas station on the right hand side on Millbrae Ave for topping off your rental car, and you can take the direct access ramp to the airport without really getting on the 101 (so no traffic stress). Plus leftovers travel easily and taste great warm/cold on the plane.

Attari Sandwich Shop is one of my favorite places to eat in the city, before/after the airport (except Mondays when it is closed), for takeout (bring some to the Getty and have a picnic! It still tastes great at home!), to take visitors...The meat is good quality so the kabobs (which are well-marinated and tender) are nice, but the bread (both the French bread used for sandwiches and the flatbread that you can request for the kabobs) is excellent, so I often go with the sandwiches. The Kashk-e Bademjan eggplant appetizer is the epitome of eggplant spreads and I usually get an extra order to take home (though I don't like the thin, floppy flatbread they serve with it - I bypass that and spoon it onto my rice or use the fluffy flatbread to sop it up). They have some interesting cuts of meat/sandwich stuffings, including mortadella, sosees (hot-dog/sausage-ish), brain, and kuku (herbed egg cooked like a frittata), though I've stuck with the tamer meats. On Fridays they serve ab-goosht, a lamb/chickpea stew about which Jonathan Gold raves (#60 on the list; the restaurant is also featured in the City of Gold documentary about him). As mentioned above, it can be difficult to find parking, but it's worth it! It's crowded inside and the tiny outdoor courtyard is spare but charming; if you sit a while you can clearly see that it's a local gathering place. They have baklava and other pastries but my husband adores the zoolbia above all.

Agreed on Mak's noodle (Victoria peak location) - quite decent and looks a lot better than anything else up there. It's been a few years and I mostly remember that we grabbed street food here and there and at markets. The fruit is wonderful and wonderfully cheap, and you can get mangosteens!!!! The 10,000 Buddhas Monastery is an interesting long walk up a big hill between rows of shiny statues (no meal food at the top, as they are not actually a working monastery). The Night Market is a good place to grab a variety of street food but the shopping is mainly for trinket and knockoff stuff (if you do buy, bargain briskly!! It's expected!). If you have time, pop over to Macau for another stamp on your passport and a little piece of European Asia. The egg tarts alone make the trip worth it!! We also liked the view from the Tower - my husband still regrets not taking the bungee plunge there.

I find I only go to the Annex these days, since I just want to get the tsukemen (the noodles are always so perfectly springy, with just the right amount of chew), but the other dishes at the original location really were great as well. The lines on both sides of the street can't be wrong! It's been years and years and quality and corresponding wait (unless you time it just right) don't seem to have changed a bit. Note that the tsukemen soup is very salty if you drink it straight (a friend's complaint) - that's because you're supposed to dip the noodles in the broth to get the flavor, and ask for diluting hot water when/if you're ready to drink the broth.

Koi Palace Express is up and running at the United Terminal (gates 70-90)! They carry a bunch of steam table foods (in steam tray? bowls that look fancier, but still trays) and dim sum ready made, and will supposedly make XLB on order. I tried to ask for them at 7:15 on a weeknight evening and was told that they were out. Also, they just stared at me when I asked about the difference between the two different types of XLB and said, "they're different." Gee, thanks! Yup, definitely a Koi Palace product. The terminal wing with gates 60-69 is so nice! A yoga room and a nursing room, plus a zillion eating spaces with individual electrical outlets, and lots of cozy chairs and soft places to sit/lay, as well as some funky art. Check it out! SFO

Uh no, sorry. Only ever had overwhelmingly fishy fish sauce. I can get Red Boat at my Trader Joe's now! At some point I'll open it up and do a smackdown between it and our usual Three Crabs.

DTF in Costa Mesa (Orange County) is pretty good. The restaurant is huge, located in the a corner of the Costa Mesa Mall, and constantly has a line (so I've read). They even have a special text-ahead line! We managed to snag the last couple seats at the full-service bar and bypassed the ~15-minute 6 PM weekday wait. XLB are great per usual (thin, stretchy skins, full of soup, didn't break, good porky flavor), and it was fun to watch the crew making them in the window. The stir-fried rice cakes and green beans were also good, albeit both a touch greasier than desired. The pork and rice dumplings are very starchy (by their nature) and kind of bland. The chicken fried rice is expertly fried and very prettily mounded on the plate, but also quite bland. The steamed pork bun is great, but quite expensive for what you get ($3! And not for a giant bun, just a normal-sized bun). In other words, this location reflects previous experiences at other DTFs - stick with the XLBs and noodles. I can't quite remember but the prices in this location seem to be a touch higher than in Arcadia. Portions are adequate but not huge, particularly at this price point (though worth it for XLB). Team service is a bit rushed but effective.