Category

University Town Center, San Diego, CA 92122. (858) 552-0668

http://www.miamigrille.com/

Dave suggested that we try Miami Grille because he had heard good things from his friends. When I mentioned it to Dennis, he told me there was a location in Poway and he had some really good fries. And if Dennis says to go, then we must go…

I had been at UTC earlier in the morning and walked by just to check it out. It didn’t look too fancy, almost like an upscale fast food restaurant, but when I came back in the evening, it had a very different vibe… kind of trendy. Dave says it’s “cheap IKEA trendy.” (You may recognize a few things from IKEA.)

Canasta de Fritas - two crunchy treats: seasoned French fries and sweet potato fries with two kinds of dipping sauces ($5.45)

Dave says, “Either wolf them down quickly or don’t order them.”

They aren’t as good once they get cold. I liked the seasoned French fries. You should have seen my face when I tried the sweet potato fries… pure disgust! It was the first and probably the last time that I try sweet potato fries.

Shrimp Curry - simmered in a creamy coconut-curry sauce served over white rice with toasted coconut, salsa, green onions, and some kind of sweet apple sauce ($13.95)

Dave says, “They skimped on the shrimp. I liked the toasted coconut and the apple sauce in combination with the shrimp.”

Seoul Grill - marinated Korean style chicken on a bed of Cuban fried rice ($10.95)

Delicious! Tastes very much like teriyaki chicken… the good kind… especially with their sweet tangy sauce. The rice was also good.

This was the third Cuban/ Caribbean restaurant that I’ve been to and all have been excellent. Definitely a place to try and it’s not expensive.

Taste: 8.5/10
Presentation: 5/5
Service/Atmosphere: 4/5
Total: 17.5/20

656 N Virgil Ave, Silverlake, CA. (323) 664-7723

7953 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA. (323) 848-7700

http://www.theoriginalchachacha.com/

Ok, so… although I love the Cha Cha Cha in West Hollywood, it was not The Fast and the Furious Cha Cha Cha, so here we go again! Don’t worry though, this time we had brunch…

Mimosas ($5.50 each)

Jenn’s Mambo Passion ($6.25) - fresh seasonal fruit platter with passion fruit juice.

Lisa’s Huevos al Gusto ($6.50) with eggs sunnyside up, grilled chicken sausage, rice, salsa, beans, fruit, and plantains.

Linh’s Coke ($1.95) and Steak and Eggs ($12.25) - grilled New York steak and two fried eggs with salsa criolla, rice, beans, fruit, and plantains.

My Huevos Al Gusto ($6.50) with scrambled eggs, grilled chicken sausage, rice, salsa, beans, fruit, and plantains. The chicken sausage was excellent! It had a little bit of a spicy kick to it… Overall, it was a nice hearty meal and a great value, too!

Just like the other location, this restaurant was very colorful… from the tablecloths to the little banana lights on the wall to the red French doors.

And the staff is great. They were very helpful in explaining to me that the cabinet with the painted sun from the movie that I was looking for was… alas, no more. It broke and they got rid of it.

Anyway, take a chance on Cha Cha Cha and maybe you’ll get a chance to peel out of the parking lot like Mia =)

Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Total: 17/20

7953 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA. (323) 848-7700

656 N Virgil Ave, Silverlake, CA. (323) 664-7723

http://www.theoriginalchachacha.com/

When Jenn suggested that we have dinner at Cha Cha Cha, I was like “OMG! Are you effing kidding me?!?!? I’ve been dying to go there for years!” Do I need to remind you? This is where Brian Earl Spilner (aka Brian O’Conner) takes Mia Toretto on a date in The Fast and the Furious.

The decor is extremely lively and colorful (as you will see in some of the pictures).

Its contemporary Caribbean cuisine is something to try at least once. Although, I must warn you, it can be pretty expensive. The total bill with gratuity was about $160 for the four of us, but I guess we did order a ton of food…

Let’s start off with the drinks… Lisa1 and Jenn both ordered the Peach Martinis ($8 each). They must have been good because Jenn eventually ordered another one. Lisa2 had the Watermelon Martini ($8) and I had the Fruit Punch ($2.75), which was a little too sour for my tastes.

Next up… tapas! We tried the Banana Boats ($6.75), which are plantain boats filled with ground beef and vegetables served with pina salsa. I thought the pina salsa was fresh, fruity, and fabulous!

Lisa1 had the Caymen Paella ($18.95) - salmon, chicken, shrimp, mango, and pineapple over a tomato-coco rice. I tried some of this and it was pretty good. Lots of big chunks of salmon and chicken and jumbo shrimp. The coconut rice was interesting and tasty.

Instead of ordering an entree, Jenn went with a few more tapas… Guava Quesadilla ($5.25). I also tried this and didn’t like it. I believe it was a guava spread between the tortillas and it was topped with goat cheese. The taste was just too weird for me. She also had Yam Mashers ($2.75), which is basically a puree of yams. The last thing that she ordered was the Jardin Tropical ($5.75) - baby mixed greens tossed with plantain chips and a pineapple vinaigrette.

Lisa2 ate the Paella Valenciana ($18.50) - made with fresh shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and fish. It sure did smell good! And with the lemon, I’m sure it probably tasted good, too!

Ahh, now me! I ordered the Mango Chicken ($15.25). I had an enormous piece of boneless chicken breast served with Brazilian spices and fresh mango! It came with a side of rice and beans. Too many beans, if you ask me. I would have preferred more rice.

Everything came in enormous portions, so as if we had room for dessert! But, by some miracle… surprise, surprise… we made room! Not just for one… not just for two… but for three desserts! In our defense, we were sharing, so it’s not like each of us even had a whole dessert. So, here we go! Bread Pudding ($6) shouldn’t even be considered as a dessert, if you ask me. It’s not sweet enough. The Mango Cheesecake ($5.50) was pretty good. I could taste the mango flavor throughout the cheesecake. The Pina Colada Creme Brulee ($6) was ok. I liked the crunchy top. It did have little pieces of pineapple, but the rest of it was nothing extraordinary. The best creme brulee that I’ve ever had was at an Italian ristorante in Del Mar.

This restaurant is one of my new favorites! The atmosphere was perfect for having a great time with your friends! It’s not at all quiet or stuffy. It’s all about having FUN! And who knows… maybe you’ll even drive off with a better car! That’s right, we valet parked Lisa2’s car and the valet guy came back with a Lexus! He was looking at us and I said, “I think he thinks that Lexus is yours.” But, Lisa2 foolishly told him that it wasn’t her car. He asked what she was driving and she replied, “A long stretch Camry. Limited edition.” Well, it seemed funny at the time…

Maybe it would have been more fitting for her to tell him that she lives her life a quarter mile at a time…

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 3/5
Service/ Atmosphere: 5/5
Total: 16/20