TBA
Fooding
I don't particularly get the smash burger hype train, but I can appreciate the execution at The Window at American Beauty. It's a large-- not quite massive, but large-- outdoor gravel patio with some shade and tables, a reasonably quick kitchen, and a very acceptable smash burger and fresh fries. I usually skip cheese on burgers but a smash burger without cheese seems odd, and the end product is solid. The kale salad's contrast with the golden raisins was also a bit unexpected; tasty enough but not something I would order otherwise.
Jeni's Ice Creams across the street is a typical Jeni's Ice Creams location. Quite a few of the ones sampled weren't all that sweet, a surprise for American desserts. Went with the powdered jelly donut, which had just the right amount of sweetness and a bit of fruit flavor. To top off the lunch hanging out in Venice, The Little Anchor lobster truck drove by as I was leaving. Sadly did not have the stomach space to track them them to their next stop. ;_;
Passed by Billingsley's, now Burger Bitch, on the way to dinner a few hours later. Lala Rice Thai Eatery has tons of promise, but the execution was just okay. Can't complain about the som thum (papaya salad), might need to try it with dried shrimp the next time. The crab fried rice's flavors were just a bit too mild. It's tough to get right as crab is a mild flavor to start with, and fortunately or unfortunately a miss here was not surprising. Too strong the other flavors and you can't appreciate the crab, too mild and your dish isn't very interesting.