The Coronavirus Pandemic is in full swing, and while they have been trying to open everything back up, Los Angles has just had all of it's bars re-closed because after opening the bars there is such a big upswing in LA County.

We personally have not been going out at all. After open heart surgery, I just catch everything. Heck I managed to catch a cold a while back while socially distanced and only going out to walk the dogs with a mask on, so I am not going to go out to eat, and don't even like picking up food.

We have really moved to food delivery, which is bad for restaurants because the food delivery services take such a big cut, but I really don't want to go out and chance things. So we have done quite a bit of food delivery and then wiped everything down and washed our hands before eating.

And when we did go to one place to pickup as it didn't do any of the delivery services we were so disappointed. The food was not the same quality, like it had the sauce but wasn't cooked in it. Now I am not saying what restaurant it was, but with the food quality down why would I go back until they are open and back to normal?

The thing is there really should have been not only personal, but business rent forgiveness, they should have shut down the economy for the period of this lockdown, so that restaurants and property owners could just pause during this period of global panic, but instead businesses are expected to pay their rent when making so much less money.

And when things start to come back can restaurants survive if they can't have as many people in them? Some will survive, but not many, and how much worse is that going to be for the economy?

I don't have any answers, but I know I don't want to catch covid-19 so I am going to be cautious, and until their is a vaccine I just wish the federal government was doing more to help everyone besides the big companies that don't pay taxes anyway.

• FurnSaj Bakery
  11146 Balboa Blvd.
• Granada Hills CA 91344
  
  
  
  
  Sometimes you go to a place that you have seen for years and are just blown away, finding an absolute gem that you wish you had been to years ago. Well FurnSaj bakery is just such a place. When we went it was packed with many Lebanese peoe there too, which is always a good sign! And it is inexpensive with huge portions!
  
  
  I got a beef shawarma plate with humus and french fries , though I wanted rice. The portion as huge with big picckled turnips and a huge flat bread and the meat was just awesome!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My wife got a Kafta with cheese which meat onions and cheese, and it was phenomenal, not a pizza but so tasty of a tad greesy on top, but well worth it especially for $5.49!
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  And my mom got a lamb gyro wrap with huge pickles! Omg this was just fantastic. And she got 2 as they cut it in half, but each half was huge!
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  Might take a litte while, but so worth it! Just awesome!
  
  

Indigo Cafe
17200 Ventura Blvd Suite 223A
Los Angeles, CA 91316
(424) 342-8916
Open 11A-11PM




I have not been keeping up my restaurant reviews (as Yelp reviews get seen more), but for this place I had to post!

Was looking for an Ice Cream place on Ventura in Encino, and decided to try this when I saw they were Nitrogen Gelato! And I could not have been happier.

Not only do they do nitrogen gelato and sorbeto, they have regular ice cream, crepes, bobas, smoothies, milkshakes, and mani paninis!

And the have so many flavors! I so want to try the honeydew, lemon lime and date flavor, but I had to go for the pomegranate gelato, and my wife went for oreo cookies and cream. It is so much fun watching them use nitrogen to freshly make your gelato, and then the taste! This is so smooth and delicious from the nitrogen.

Honestly I had gelato all over Europe when we went on our cruise, and not one of them came close to this! THE GELATO IS AMAZING! A MUST TRY!!! I mean it, so damn good! I was blown away, not just by the flavor, but by the texture!

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND TRY THIS PLACE OUT!!!!

And they were very nice! The only problem is the name! It doesn't sound like a Nitrogen Ice Cream place!

Rosarito Fish Market
1534 San Fernando Road
San Fernando, CA 91340
818-361-7227

Umami Burger
49 East Colorado Blvd,
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 799-8625



So I have reviewed Umami Burger before and was just not blown away. A little too fru fru for my pallate, but I wanted to try the Impossible Burger. It is a completely plant based burger that bleeds and is supposed to taste just like a burger, so I had to try it.

So my mom and I went to try it and got 2 burgers, an order of fries, an order of onion rings and drinks and it was over $50 dollars, which is really pushing it for a burger.

Szechuan Place
9250 North Reseda Blvd, Ste 8
Northridge, CA 91324
818-280-5355





OMG! This place is fantastic! I saw an article on thrillist about the 23 essential Chinese Restaurants in Los Angeles and was blown away that a real Szechuan place had opened in the San Gabriel Valley, so we had to try it. And we were blown away! Now I know their has been a big Sichuan food renaissance in Los Angeles, and I love Sichuan food, but I still have to go to Yunchuan Garden in Monteray Park at least once a year because it is just so good (and it is still great).

It is in a corner shopping plaza with ample parking and has very nice decor and a very friendly staff.

Szechuan Place is great! So great I might not be driving out to Monteray Park for my Sichuan food anymore!

The food is spicy, but has the perpercorn numbing of Sichuan food, so it isn;t that bad. In fact the biggest problem is that we order so much food because it is all so good! I mean their Dan Dan Noodles are great, but so are so their Dan Dan Dumplings. And the Fish in Hot Oil (I forget what it is called on the menu) is amazing and just the flavor I love in Sichuan food! The chicken is great! Everything we have had is amazing! I love the cold dishes from the counter (especially the potato strips, but also the chicken gizzard and mushrooms, in fact I just love all the food!

And it is reasonably priced and you get so much food! The food is awesome!

And the best part if that they give you a big bottle of ice water! I need alot of water when I eat Sichuan food and used to just suffer in San Gabriel, but the locations means white people will go too, and I need ice water, and they provide it!

We have already been twice, and I am thinking at least once a month I can get my Sichuan fix! WOOHOO! THIS PLACE IS JUST AWESOME!

CF FOOD KITCHEN
16205 Devonshire Blvd.
Granada Hills, CA 91344
(818) 363-5781



My wife and I had been meaning to try this place for a while, especially with all the great reviews and the fact that it is so close to us in the Valley, but were sorely disappointed in just how long it took. Now it was Valentines day and a special Price Fixe menu.

It is in a little strip mall with a very small parking lot, though we did get a spot easily.

My wife made our Valentines day reservation very early, in fact they said we were the first reservation that anyone had made, and we made it for 8 PM. On the night we went and got their by 7:45 to see a bunch of people outside and waiting, which was not a good sign. The place was nuts, and we waiting a little over an hour from when we got there until we were seated. We had thought that people were just not leaving, but it turns out that was not the issue.

Once we got seated the waiter was awesome, and the food was great, but it took so long! It was a special Price Fixe menu, though similar to their multi course menu, and they had either 4 or 5 items, 2 or 3 appetizers a main dish and dessert, with many choices for each 3 or 4 apps for each choice and about 5 dinners and 5 desserts. The problem is that getting the food just took so long!

We didn't get out of there until 11:30 and the table next to us had been seated when we got there and only left a little before us, not because of waiting, but because it took so long for the food to come! They obviously did not factor in the time it would take to cook in the reservations they took! And obviously the Chef needed more help for the amount of reservations that they had. The food just took so incredibly long!

The food was great! I had the crab cake with remoulade and fruit , and it was awesome (the remoulade was good, but with the fruit it was amazing), as was the Duck confit, which was perfect and the Beef Wellington was some of the best I have ever had. And the Key Lime Pie and Cheese Cake were both great.

The food was awesome! My only complaint about the food was that bread was only OK, and my wife liked her seafood pasta, but didn't love it like I loved the Beef Wellington. Still it was all very good, but the Chef took so long! I think they just took too many reservations for the time it took to cook all those meals. Maybe with the Price Fixe menu they should have had less choices so it would take less time?

And the waiter though incredibly busy was great! He had a great personality and did a great job! I had constant refills on my water (I do drink allot of water).

The wine was decent and not too expensive, and they had a good selection and some beers you can get as well, though we didn't.

Honestly I would like to try some of the more creole dishes some time, but after the wait for the food it left a sour taste in my mouth and I am just not sure if we will be returning.

Jumping Dak
7550 Orangethorpe Ave, Ste E100
Buena Park, CA 90621
(714) 739-1999



Kelly and I went to the Animaniacs Live Show in La Mirada, and needed a place to eat quick near there, and this Korean fast food place jumped out at me. Figured it would be fast and decent, but what a surprise, it was amazing!

REALLY AMAZING! Possibly the best fried chicken I have ever had! And inexpensive!

It is a fried chicken place with 3 sauces, so you can get plain, sweet, spicy and very spicy. I got spicy and Kelly got a small order of sweet with a side of delicious (not at all mayonnaise-ey) cole slaw!





The sweet is very tasty with nuts on it, and the chicken is crisp on the outside and moist inside.

I got the meal with fries and pickled radish, and the spicy has a kick but is easy to take.








It also comes with a biscuit though it was a bit dry, but the fries were great.

The chicken is fantastic, and inexpensive, and I was there was one of these right near me, but unfortunately thee is only the one!

SO GOOD!!!

Trejo's Tacos
1048 S. La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 938-TACO
M-Sun 11a - 9p
http://www.trejostacos.com


My wife and I love Tacos and, I have been a fan of Danny Trejo for a long time (I love the Bad Asses series!). So i have been waiting for Trejo's Tacos for some time.

Parking is a bear, but there is valet parking that costs $3, or you can download an app for your phone, and pay with Apple Pay for $3.30.

The place is small, with only about 4 tables inside and outdoor tables with benches and overhead heaters. And the line is outside and moves slowly as everyone chats when ordering, especially asking when Danny Trejo shows up. Which sounds to be often. They do hand out menus in line to make ordering easier. Tacos are $4-6 dollars.

We wanted to try allot, we got the guacamole with chips and street corn and pickled onions, jalapeños and carrots for appetizers, and got the tofu, steak asada, pulled beef brisket, slow roasted pork tacos, and a black iced tea which was very strong and flavorful. They also have a water station with cucumber and citrus infused water and pretty tasty, though not very hot red and green salsas.

The guacamole is good, with onions, jalapeño, lime and pistachios. It is thick and tasty, though could use a bit more lime, and cones with a decent amount of chips.



The Street Corn or elote is superb, the best thing we had! Fresh off the cob, roasted corn with spuces, chipotle cream and popcorn. This is delicious, i just wish it was a bigger portion! So good!

Shredded Tacos
10224 Balvoa Blvd
Granada Hills, CA 91344
(818) 435-6559



We saw this new Taco place near Raplh's and decided to try it. It is a stand, where you get food and eat outside, and just has tacos, salad and drinks.

They are crispy tacos in either beef or chicken, Quesadillas and salads.

We had beef tacos, which come in a box with chips. I had 5, and these are very good American style tacos, made great by Jean's Famous Salsa which is not hot, but incredibly tasty! It makes this. I would buy it in a store for sure.

 
 This is the box with chips
 
And my taco.

Quite delicious and we will certainly go again.

If only it wasn't closed on Sunday like all the rest of our favorite restaurants around here!


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UNFORTUNATELY SHREDDED TACOS HAS CLOSED ALREADY AND BEEN REPLACED. Haven't tried the new place yet.