GREAT EATS HAWAII

Monday, March 28, 2011

TONY P'S DOCKSIDE GRILL - MARINA DEL REY

TONY P'S DOCKSIDE GRILL

MARINA DEL REY, CALIFORNIA

We had a group of seven people looking for a meal on a Friday night in Los Angeles. It was around 7:00 pm and the wait at The Cheesecake Factory was 90 minutes. We called Tony P's Dockside Grill from our cell phone and they said they could accommodate us in around 20 minutes. Tony P's it is we said. We arrived to find the place pretty busy with the bar area filled to capacity. The bar area is pretty cool. It is set up kind of like a sports book in Las Vegas. Long tables in front with high tops in the back. All face the bar and a huge array of flat screen t.v.s playing sports. The restaurant area is separated nicely from the loud bar and has indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated quickly outside overlooking the marina. The patio was enclosed with space heaters heating the area. Our waiter was top notch and went out of his way to accommodate by Nephew Robbie who had his jaw wired shut. All his food needed to be blended so he could drink it through a straw. The waiter said "no probelm" and worked with the kitchen to pull off some great food drinks for Robbie. We started with a bunch of appetizers. Tony P's Famous Onion Rings ($7.50). This is a gigantic pile of paper thin sweet onions that are marinated, seasoned and fried. Wow....these were good and a bargain. The Seafood "Guac" Tail ($8.50) was a huge mixture of chopped Florida Rock Shrimp, Blue Crab Meat, Pico De Gallo, Chopped Avocado and Lime. Served with warm corn tortilla chips. Wow again. Another tasty bargain. The Fried Clams ($7.50) was another bargain but there were far more french fries on the plate and not too many clams. The Edamame ($5) was drenched in Sesame Oil which kind of ruined the natural flavor of the beans. The Ahi Sliders ($11) was another Wow dish. You get 8 crisp wonton skins topped with fresh Ahi Tuna and topped with spicy vegetables and wasabi aioli. This would be $20 in Hawaii. I absolutely loved the Ahi Sliders. DELICIOUS!!!! The Not Your Usual House Salad was around $5 for a half portion. The half portion was huge and also super good. We tried a full pound of Alaskan King Crab Legs ($39.95). They cut the crab in half so it is easy to eat. Sweet and delicious. The Crab is served with a Baked Potato and Vegetables. Another great deal. The Wedge Salad was good but not great. The House Smoked BBQ Chicken ($14.50) was a nice portion of chicken served with smoked beans with onions and jalapenos, cole slaw and fries. The Grilled Shrimp Platter ($16.95) was a large plate of grilled shrimp topped with a light citrus bur blanc sauce. There was also a large salad topped with chicken I think. I really liked Tony P's. The service was outstanding. The food was good. Really liked the appetizers and their affordable prices.

TONY P'S FAMOUS ONION RINGS

EDAMAME WITH SESAME OIL

FRIED CLAMS WITH FRIES

AHI SLIDERS - THESE ARE THE BOMB!

AHI SLIDER

SEAFOOD "GUAC" TAIL

NOT YOUR NORMAL HOUSE SALAD

ALASKAN KING CRAB DINNER

BBQ GRILLED CHICKEN

GRILLED SHRIMP

SALAD WITH CHICKEN FINGERS

WEDGE SALAD

TONY P'S SPORTS BAR

SWEET "D" WITH ROBBIE AND JOSH

Sunday, March 27, 2011

MICHAEL JACKSON HOME - HOLLYWOOD STAR TOURS

MICHAEL JACKON'S LAST HOME

HOLLYWOOD STAR HOME TOURS
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

My sister and family along with our Nephew Robbie took a totally Kookie Star Home Tour. I cannot admit to joining them in this adventure. They did send these pictures of Michael Jacksons home, the Playboy Mansion and Charlie Sheen's house. They boarded a van with a cut off roof and rode around the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills and Bel Air.
They said that the homes were very impressive and enjoyed the drive around town.

CHARLIE SHEEN - IN SEARCH OF TIGERS BLOOD

THE PLAYBOY MANSION

CRUMBS CUPCAKES - HOLLYWOOD, CA

CRUMBS

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

I do not eat cup cakes too often. When my sister wanted to try a Crumbs Cup Cake, I said sure. They serve ups some great and large cup cakes for around $3.75 each. I had a chocolate brownie one with a large glass of ice cold milk. The cup cake was filled with a thick dark chocolate, loaded with brownies and topped with more chocolate frosting. I had a few bites and was very content.

CRUMBS CUPCAKES IN HOLLYWOOD

REALLY HARD TO PICK JUST ONE

CHOCOLATE FOR ME OF COURSE

LOTERIA GRILL

LOTERIA GRILL REGIONAL MEXICAN KITCHEN

FARMERS MARKET

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

I was craving Mexican on a Friday during Lent. No meat for you my wife said. As we strolled through the Farmers Market I saw a small line forming at an outdoor Mexican grill. I had to try something so I ordered the Shrimp Tacos. The Tacos De Camaron ($7.95) was awesome. Two Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Morita Salsa served with slices of fresh avocado, crema Mexicana and chopped onion and cilantro. My sister tried a Shredded Beef Taco. It looked great and she agreed. Delicious! Also loved the chips and salsa. Great salsa with a bit of heat. This place has so many good items on the menu. Wish I could have tried lots more. They have a Probaditas Sampler Plate that is 12 of their tacos served on mini hand made tortillas for $12.50. This looked awesome.

LOTERIA GRILL

LOTERIA GRILL IN FARMERS MARKET IS A GREAT PLACE TO ENJOY MEXICAN FOOD

OUTDOOR AND COVERED SEATING AT LOTERIA GRILL

GREAT CHIPS N' SALSA

SHRIMP TACOS WERE GREAT!

SHREDDED BEEF TACO

THE GUMBO POT - LOS ANGELES, CA

THE GUMBO POT

FARMERS MARKET

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

I enjoyed a day with my sister and her son Robbie and his friends. We ended up in Hollywood and had lunch at the Farmers Market. This is a food court type of place with dozens of shops and restaurants. Since it is Lent, I was not eating meat on this day. We tried a Shrimp and Oyster Po Boy at the Gumbo Pot. Hands down one of the worst sandwiches of my life. There was very little under the bun. A few breaded shrimp and a few breaded oysters. The bread was soaked in mayonnaise. I could not eat this piece of crap. For $10 it was a total rip off. The owner should be embarrassed to serve this. The Seafood Gumbo was just as bad.

THE GUMBO POT - WORST SANDWICH OF THE BLOG

THE GUMBO POT MENU BOARD

LOTS TO CHOSE FROM AT THE GUMBO POT

CHEESECAKE FACTORY - MARINA DEL REY

CHEESECAKE FACTORY

MARINA DEL REY, CALIFORNIA

Spending the day with my Nephew Kyle at Loyola Marymount included a lunch off campus. This was a treat for Kyle who needed a break away from dorm food or the lack there of. We drove just a few minutes from his dorm to the Cheesecake Factory on the bay in Marina Del Rey. We sat on the outside patio and enjoyed a great lunch. With all the things on the menu, Kyle wanted a cheeseburger and fries. The burger was huge and he downed about half before throwing in the towel. Looks like he will have cheeseburger for dinner tonight too. I enjoyed the Mini Slider Burgers. These were the best Sliders I have ever had. Great bun and beef that melted in my mouth. Served with nice pickles and Ketchup. My girls shared a pasta with shrimp dish that was delicious and a Wedge Salad. Both were huge portions that could not be finished. Once again the Cheesecake Factory delivered great food. We had a great waiter here. A kid from Boston that really understands his job. He made us feel welcome, entertained us with stories and provided the highest level of service. Great to spend time with Kyle and send him back to the dorm with lots of leftovers.

Cheesecake Factory

GREAT VIEWS OF THE MARINA AT THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY MARINA DEL REY

SLIDER BURGERS ARE FANTASTIC!

PASTA WITH SHRIMP

THE HUGE CHEESEBURGER

WEDGE SALAD

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY - LOS ANGELES

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Last year we were able to visit my Nephew Robbie who attends UCSB in Santa Barbara. This trip we visited the younger Kyle during his Freshman year at Loyola Marymount University. Wow....how proud I am of my Sister and her Husband for sending both boys to college. And really good colleges at that. Loyola sits on a mound overlooking Los Angeles. It is right between the Los Angeles Airport and Marina Del Rey. A really great and central location with the surf just minutes away. Kyle is housed in a very nice dorm room that comes complete with a pizza parlor that is open until 2:00 am. The school is modern, clean and very safe. I was very impressed with the campus.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

LIFE IN THE DORM AT AGE 19

VIEW OF LOS ANGELES JUST OUTSIDE KYLE'S DORM

JERRY'S RESTAURANT AND DELI - MARINA DEL REY

JERRY'S RESTAURANT AND DELI

MARINA DEL REY, CALIFORNIA

My Dad's wife Heide showed us a menu from Jerry's and I just had to make a visit. I looked over the huge menu that has everything you can imagine served up 24 hours a day. I wanted to go for breakfast, for lunch and even dinner. We had to squeeze our visit in and it turned out to be for breakfast. Oh how I wish it could have been lunch. The sandwiches on Jerry's menu are like the ones you get at Carnegie or Stage Deli in New York. This is the real deal New York type Deli. Huge sandwiches, soups, bagels, salads, burgers, fish and even Mexican food. Jerry's has something for everyone. The menu is awesome. I tried the Machaca Burrito ($12) and split it with my wife. The burrito was filled with shredded beef, eggs, potato, pepper and topped with pico de gallo and served with rice, beans, guacamole and salsa. This was great! Filled up two people with not problem. Heide had the Cheese Blintzes ($11). Three huge cheesed filled crepe type things served with a large bowl of fresh fruit. Dad enjoyed a huge plate of thickly sliced ham, eggs and potatoes. He did not put a dent in the plate and had enough to take home for the neighbors. Keli had the dollar size pancakes and sausage.

I really liked Jerry's and hope to return again and again.