Sweetsalt Food Shop

I think its time to write about one of my favorite lunch places, Sweetsalt Food Shop in Talouca Lake, California.  I was introduced to this place by my friend Natalia and have been going there regularly ever since.  In the short time this little gem on Riverside has been open it has become quite popular.  What is so good about it? Why do people line up around the corner at lunchtime to get a sandwich, soup or a salad?  One reason... BECAUSE ITS GOOD!  I know that is a simple description but I don't know how else to describe it.

Sweetsalt is owned by Top Chef Season 5 contestant Alex Eusebio and his wife Sara.  Together they have made a menu where everything is delicious!!!  Let's start with the gourmet sandwiches... I have tried almost everything at this point, my favorites are; The Spicy Buffalo Chicken Ciabatta, The Shrimp Po Boy and The Lavender Duck Confit.  As far as salads go, I LOVE The Hearts Of Palm Salad!!!  Rounding out the menu are the soups which are unique and amazing.  Yesterday I had the Tomato Bisque, but I also tried the Ginger Broccoli which also had the most amazing taste.

Everything is made with the freshest ingredients and plated very nicely.  I really like how nothing is "the usual".  Each dish has a very interesting combination of ingredients that make you feel that you are having a culinary treat or eating something made on a Food Network show.  While I'm sure the dishes are more calories than you think, they are seemingly healthy because of how they are made.  Nothing that tastes so good can be low in calories...ha!

My one recommendation about this place is not about what to order... but to get there early.  Lunch is packed and there is very limited seating.  If my friends and I at the office decide we want to go to Sweetsalt we plan early in the day to go to an early lunch.  We usually leave around 11:30AM.  By 12:15 they are slammed!

I think crowds are a good thing if you are not in a rush.  The crowds prove my point that this place is REALLY GOOD and one of the best lunches int he Talouca Lake/Burbank studio  area!

check out their website at www.sweetsaltfood.com

10218 Riverside Drive
Toluca Lake, CA 91602-2502
(818) 509-7790

SOL Y LUNA - GREAT MEXICAN FOOD

I'm going to start my first review of a place I just went to for the first time, SOL Y LUNA in Tarzana, California.  I think I may have just found my new favorite Mexican restaurant in the LA Area.  I can't believe I never have ventured into this "casa de amazingness" before tonight.

Upon arrival the place was PACKED!  We waited about 25 minutes to get seated. To me that means people must love this place.  The ambiance was just the way I like a Mexican restaurant, it was dark, with very festive decorations like guys in Sombraros painted in a mural on a wall.  It reminded me of the Mexico Pavillion in the World Showcase at EPCOT center.  To top it all off, there were two guys going table to table with their guitars playing everything from marrichi to "It's A Small World"  This music just added to the atmosphere.

Now onto the food....

They started off by bringing tortilla chips and two different kinds of salsa.  A chunky pico de gallo looking one and a more saucy one.  I started off with the saucy one which had a nice smokey taste, then I dipped a chip in the chunky one which to my surprise was the spicy one! 

I've always been a fan of restaurants where they make your salad table side.  At SOL Y LUNA they make your Guacamole tableside.  We got the guac with everything in it. It was probably some of the best guacamole I've ever had.

For dinner 3 of us split the house specialty, Molcajete Sol Y Luna.  Basically, we ordered this because we saw it on the table next to us and it looked interesting.  It wasn't only interesting, it was delicious.  It's served in the huge bowl made of black lava rock.  The  sizzling bowl is overflowing with chicken, shrimp, steak, cactus leaf (which I didn't eat), full green onions and panela cheese.  This is all topped with a red sauce that is to die for.  The coolest part is when you start to pull the tender meat out of the pile the red sauce that has been heating up below erupts out of the hole you created like a volcano.  They also bring you rice, beans and hand-made tortilla's, which I had one of, but the meat was so good on it's own, who need the extra starch and calories (there are probably enough in the main dish)  The best part was the panela cheese. I didn't eat too much of it, but the heat from the lava rock pot makes it just soft enough without turning it to liquid. Its gooey and amazing. Overall, this was such a unique dish that I've never seen anywhere before.  I don't know if I would ever order anything else (even though there was a lot of great looking choices on the menu)

So from now on when people ask me for a good Mexican Restaurant, I'm going to send them to this place. 

Here is their website in case you want to check it out...

www.solylunarestaurant.com

Welcome To Smorgasblog

Welcome to my smorgasblog.  If I knew how to put the little two dot accent mark over the o I would. There are so many places to go out to eat now days.  Some places are amazing while some are just... well... I am not going to talk about those places here. At smorgasblog, I'm only going to tell you what I like. Why waste time being negative, right?

I created smogasblog as a result of a few things:

• I am always asked for restaurant recommendations and I'm told I usually give great suggestions.

•  I watch a lot of shows on The Food Network like THE BEST THING I EVER ATE and DINER'S DRIVE-IN'S & DIVES and want to jump into the TV and tell everyone some of the best things I have ever eaten.  I am not a celebrity nor have won Food Network Challenge so I can't spread the good word on TV.

• My boss tells me at least twice a week I should start a blog with my restaurant recommendations.

So here it is!  SMORGASBLOG!  Bon Appetit!