Restaurant Review World

If you end up going to Solvang once in your life (which you should - once) and stay the night (why not?), then you definitely need to have breakfast at Paula’s Pancake House.  Exquisitely Danish, this restaurant serves up both locals and tourists alike.  The waitresses, donning Heidi-esq uniforms, are warm and friendly.  And, while it’s not lavishly decorated, it has a cozy feel.

But really, you are only going for one reason: the Danish pancakes.

Sure, you may love the thatched roof:

Or, even the quaint menu:

But, neither are as delicious as their Danish Pancakes.  You can order them on their own, or for about $1.50 more, you can get eggs and sausage or bacon to go with.  If you go with sausage, you will have the choice of American or Danish.  When the husband and I went, he chose American, so I chose Danish.  To be honest, I prefer the American.  But really, next time I would just order the pancakes and skip the rest.  The eggs are nothing to write home about, and American sausage is American sausage.  The pancakes are the real winner.

As you can see from the picture, they are huge!  The size of a relatively big plate.  But, don’t be nervous.  They are also very thin - just a bit thicker than a crepe.  They are only cooked on one side.  Served up with butter, real maple syrup, and a sifting of powdered sugar, these pancakes are delicious.  I would definitely prefer these over the thick, stacked, American version, any morning of the week.

Note: you can also top yours off with fruit (strawberries, apples…) and whipped cream.  Although that sounds amazing, it’s a bit too much for me.  Still, something to think about if you happen to be in the area.

Paula’s also has Beligum waffles, which I was tempted to try.  But, then I decided Solvang is a Danish town, not a Belgium one.  So, again, when in Rome….

Paula’s Pancakes is located in the heart of Solvang at 1531 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA  93463
Phone: (805) 688-2867

The Reviews

The husband and I just got back from a whirlwind trip up California - we stopped in Solvang, San Francisco, and Sonoma.  We ate tons of good food, and had a couple of disappointments, food-wise, as well.  Mostly, it was all good.  One of our favorite bites was also our first: a cream cheese Danish at Mortensen’s Danish Bakery.

If you haven’t been to Solvang, you should definitely try to go at least once.  It’s a Danish town, complete with cobblestone paths and bakeries galore.  You could definitely eat your weight’s worth of baked goodies.  It’s also a very romantic town, with a fairy tale appeal.  Due to the influences of Hans Christian Andersen, there are a lot of Disney references.  In fact, the whole place feels like Fantasyland in Disneyland.

As my husband and I strolled through town (the whole thing can be done on foot), we passed Mortensen’s Danish Bakery.  Before we even saw the building, we smelled the most lucious of all smells.  We headed right inside and took a peak.  It’s both a bakery and a cafe, serving all kinds of Danish goodies from Danish itself to Kringle to cupcakes.  However, since it was the first bakery we came across, we decided to keep walking and see if anything else smelled nearly as good.

After about 30 minutes of wandering, and checking out countless bakeries, we were certain that Mortensen’s would be the best.  No other bakery had that great smell pumping out into the street.  So, on our way back to the hotel, we made sure to stop in and get a treat.

The glass counter was filled with an endless supply of goodies, but we decided on the Cream Cheese Danish - hey, when in Rome, right?  We also got a glass of their whole milk, which was an excellent choice.

We sat down at one of their tables, and dug in to one of the best pastries we have ever had.  It was tender and flakey.  The cream cheese was sweet and tangy.  The milk was cold and refreshing.  For something so simple, it really was a spectacular treat.

If you ever get a chance to pass through Solvang, or even stay overnight, definitely make sure to get a pastry of some sort at Mortensen’s.  It’s worth every calorie.

Mortensen’s is located at 1588 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
Phone: (805) 688-8373

The Reviews

It wasn’t too long ago that I was posting about a great new fusion sushi restaurant called Zu Robata.  However, as time went by, Zu Robata wasn’t garnering much of a client base.  The husband and I often found this overlooked space empty at key hours, and that was before the recession.  The restaurant tried changing their menu a few times, but unfortunately, it lost a lot of what made it so good in the first place.  And, it wasn’t too long until I found myself saying that I was not going back again.

Three weeks after I made that declaration, the Husband and I happened to be driving past the location on our way home from dinner, to find that there was a new sign out front: Bar Food.  Of course, we couldn’t resist, popped a u-turn, and made our way in to check it out.

Strangely, it was exactly the same.  Same soujou containers, same silverware and glasses, even the old lighted Zu Robata sign was up.  But there was a new owner who had completely changed the menu to upscale, minimalist American food.  Also, there were a few tvs tuned to sports channels for good measure, and a couple of diners at the bar.  This was defintely a new restaurant.

That night, we had a delicious desert, and made a date to return for dinner.

When we did return, we still found the place to be pretty dead.  However, we were excited to see if the entrees would turn out as well as the desserts (which, by the way are made by a pastry chef on site - including the amazing ice cream).

First, I have to mention one thing.  It felt as though the owner wanted to put as little money into this place as possible.  Not only was the space exactly the same as Zu Robata, as I already mentioned, but the menu is just a piece of paper printed from the computer and put in a protective sleeve:

Despite that, though, there is no skimping in the food and the service departments - both are excellent.  Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, and the owner came around to introduce himself to us.  This is also a great restaurant for beers on tap - they only serve their beer on tap, and had 12 on tap when we were there, with plans to add more.  The husband ordered a black and tan, which he found to be perfect, and I ordered their house merlot, which was very smooth and easy to drink. 

As an appetizer, the Husband and I chose to split the arugula salad:

This salad was amazing.  The Husband is not into what he likes to call “rabbit food” salads,  but this is nothing like that.  The arugula’s peppery flavor was balanced perfectly with the slightly sweet and tangy vinegarette, creamy blue cheese, and sweet, crisp pears.  The Husband proclaimed: “It tastes like steak!”  That’s as good of an endorsement from a man eating a salad that you can get.

Next up, the entrees.  The Husband opted for the Thai Bangers & Mash:

Nice presentation, right?  Anyway, what makes this dish unique is that the sausages had a thai flavor - perhaps lemon grass and cilantro?  And that green blob is cilantro mashed potatoes.  The sausages were savroy and perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were flavorful and smooth.  Overall, this was a very interesting and delicous entree.

But, by far the clear winner on the menu is the cheese burger:

Ummmmmmm…..just look at all of that cheese burgery goodness.  It is the perfect ratio of juicy meat to cheese, bun, sauteed onions, and arugula.  I would say this is by far the best burger I have had in LA, and it’s only $9!  A similar burger at most restuarants would go for between $16 and $25 (but you already knew that from watching Carl’s Jr commercials).  Honestly, though - this burger is amazing.  The ouside is crusty, and the inside is juicy.  The cheese is melted to perfection, and yet not too gooey as to make a mess.  The onions are sweet and tender.  Okay, enough.  I am drooling as I relive it.

To round out the meal, we shared an order of the sweet frites - sweet potato fries:

These were definitely very good: they came out fresh and hot, and were served with a tangy, spicy mayo for dipping.  Since then, we have also had the regular fries, which are also very good.  It really just depends on your mood.

Finally, to top off our dinner, we had to have more of that fabulous dessert that had brought us back.  There are a few items to choose from on the menu, but everyone who works there (and I happen to agree) says that the apple tart is the best dessert item, so that is what we ordered:

The tart itself is a very thin pastery filled with thinly sliced apples and spiked with cinnamon.  It’s drizzled with caramel and a creamy vanilla sauce, and topped with their house made caramel ice cream.  This is heaven.  We shared, but we fought over every last bite.  You might want to get two.

While I was sad to see Zu Robata fade and finally disappear, I can’t complain that Bar Food has taken it’s place.  I know the Husband and I will be back to visit this neighboorhood spot again and again, and I hope that it is able to survive in the turbulent restaurant world. 

Bar Food is located at 12217 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (310) 820-3274

The Reviews

It took over a year, but the rumor that the Pinkberry at Barrington Court would close turned out to be true.  And I have the picture to prove it:

Yes that is where the late Pinkberry once stood.  Is it another casualty of the economy?  Simply a case of over doing a fadmach zehnder modulator that was destined to die?  Or a combination of both?

I have but one question.  If Subway sells five-dollar footlongs, why was my six-inch veggie delight $3.99?  Shouldn’t it be $2.50?  Half the sandwich, half the price, right?  I don’t get it.  I guess I am being punished for knowing that a human should only eat six inches of hoagie in one sitting.  And they wonder why the U.S. has a weight problem.  Whatever.