Sugarfish By Sushi Nozawa

Sugarfish By Sushi Nozawa
600 W 7th St
Ste 150
Los Angeles
213-627-3000

Sugarfish is a sushi restaurant that has been on my list of places to try for over a year. I finally decided to try it. Sugarfish is owned by Sushi Nozawa, a very popular Studio City sushi restaurant, that recently closed. I've heard some of the best quality sushi in LA can be found at Sugarfish.

I ordered the "Trust Me," $29, which included organic edamane, tuna sashimi, two pieces of; albacore, salmon, yellowtail, and halibut, a tora roll and blue crab roll.

To save time and typing all the sushi was the best I've ever had!!! The fish were so buttery, so fresh and just melted in your mouth. Maybe for the first time ever, I noticed the difference in quality of sushi. Just amazing!! The other big difference is that the rice they use is hot!! A very unique taste and flavor, that I love. Now, I read reviews that said Sugarfish drowns their sushi in ponzi sauce, but I didn't notice that at all. All I tasted was the freshness of the fish.

Tuna sashimi. I'm not a sashimi fan. I like the texture that sushi offers. But this tuna sashimi was just like the sushi I would have later; fresh, buttery and just melted in your mouth.

Albacore and salmon

Yellowtail and halibut.

Toro hand roll.

Tora is tuna belly, and while there wasn't a lot of tora in there, this was a very good roll. They just need to put more toro.

Blue crab hand roll. Nothing can ruin your crab dining experience than biting down on a shell. That happened to me and I wasn't happy. For a restaurant as good as Sugarfish that shouldn't happen. The roll was good and had a good among of blue crab.

I thought the "Trust Me" combo was well worth the price and I was stuffed!! It was a great meal, minus biting down on the crab shell.

Service: I have never been to a restaurant that charged a 16% service charge for TWO, as in TWO, people!! Then to top it off, they charged tax on the service charge!!! While service was good, it's in bad form to add the tip. This is America, not Europe.

If I go back to Sugarfish, I will since the fish is the best quality fish I have ever had, it will only be to go. Screw this 23% service charge.

Mr Sippee-Closed

Mr Sippee
1045 Blaine St
Los Angeles
213-748-2121

As readers of The New Diner know, I love broasted chicken. When I heard about a gas station that serves up broasted chicken, I figured I would check them out. If they are good, I have another option for food before a game at Staples Center.

Mr. Sippee, is the name of the store, inside the 76 gas station. They have everything from BBQ ribs, fried chicken, and sandwiches. They also had a B rating from the health department, the day I went.




I ordered two breast pieces, $4.81. Any broasted chicken restaurant, that is worth a damn, doesn't use heat lamps. They freshly cook their chicken and served hot. Well, I knew something was wrong when I saw the heat lamps. I was under the impression Mr. Sippee was broasted chicken, it is NOT broasted but fried. The way they fry their chicken is close the way Pollo Campero-LA, fries their chicken.

They only had one breast piece under the heat lamps, so they had fry one up, so I waited about 15 minutes. When the chicken was done, I got two pieces of chicken, one freshly fried, the other sitting under a heat lamp for who knows how long.

I tried the freshly fried chicken first, it was very hot, but the skin wasn't anywhere close to what broasted chicken is suppose to be. It was clearly fried. The inside was fairly moist and tender.

The chicken that had been sitting under heat lamps was Ok. Decent flavor, a decent crispy skin and moist inside. But I couldn't get over this was just a less tasty version of Pollo Campero.

Service was terrible. The guy working was nice but I noticed they served BBQ ribs, which are ribs steamed or cooked in an oven and then drowned in BBQ sauce. But I figured, why not, so I ordered just one rib. The ribs are priced at $2.99 on the menu. The receipt that prints up for the food, had the price at $2.99. But when the guy rang up the it was $3.29 plus tax. I questioned him on that. I told him the menu price was $2.99, the receipt price was $2.99 but it rang up at $3.61, which is $3.29 plus tax. I told him, honor the price or I won't take it.

I will never go back to Mr. Sippee again. If I wanted fried chicken that tasted like Pollo Campero, I would go there. I don't need the bad service, where they don't honor their prices.

Zucca Ristorante-Closed

Zucca Ristorante
801 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles
213-614-7800

I went to Zucca in October of 2006. But I didn't have my camera at the time. I thought Zucca was overpriced and I didn't want to go back. In October 2006, I didn't know that Zucca is part of the overrated, overpriced Patina Group, that includes two restaurants that I have already reviewed; Pinot Grill, and Kendall's Brasserie. By 2007 I knew all about the overpriced, very average food of all Patina Group restaurants.

So with the help of a very nice Yelper, Edna T, who allowed me to use her photo, I am now doing a review of Zucca. In case you're wondering, no, I didn't go off of memory; I saved a review about the food and service, though I didn't write down the price of the food. Also, a note to assholes on Yelp, who steal pictures that are copyright, I asked Edna T., and she granted me permission to use the picture. I just didn't steal the picture and use them. You can learn from me, you assholes.

So here is my review of Zucca based on a visit in October of 2006.

Photo Courtesy of Edna T, a good Yelper.

I got the lasagna, I believe it was $17 in 2006, it was at least $15, for sure. The lasagna was very average, they say they use three kinds of cheese and ground beef and pork. The pasta was cooked to just right, the cheese was melted a golden brown, and the sauce was a bit sweet. The portion size is good, not huge but then again not small. The lasagna pictured is about the portion size I got.

Again this is something I could get for about half the price, at any local pizza place.

Service was good back in October of 2006. The servers were friendly and attentive. But I actually tried taking pictures at Zucca's before a game at Staples Center back in Feb. 2009. I walked into the restaurant and sat a the bar, but wasn't greeted at all. Nobody said anything to me. I would have bought a drink but nobody greeted me. Very rude service by the host and female bartender. I asked the servers if I could take a picture and they were nice but nobody ordered the damn lasagna.

There is no reason for me to go back to any Patina Group restaurants. When you hear Patina Group, you know it will be very average, overpriced food. Plus by not being greeted or even approached, why put up with terrible service.

Blue Star Diner

Blue Star Diner
2200 E 15th St
Los Angeles
213-627-2022

I only went to the Blue Star Diner because I had volunteered at the LA Regional Food Bank, earlier that day and was looking for something to eat. Located in a very industrial part of LA, Blue Star Diner doesn't look like much from the outside. Inside there are dogs, who belong to the owner, running around. Doesn't sound like a very clean place, but they did get an A rating from the health department the day I went.



I ordered the oven roasted turkey sandwich, toasted wheat bread, lettuce, tomato and mayo, $8.50, with a side of mac and cheese, $2 extra. The sandwich came out and while it was good, it wasn't outside. The wheat bread was lightly toasted, the veggies fresh, the turkey was a bit dry and they could have put more mayo on the sandwich.

The mac and cheese looked good but there was so much black pepper it just ruined the taste. They put coarse ground pepper in the mac and cheese and it just ruined it. The macaroni was nice and soft but the cheese barely there. I think from the picture it looks like a mac salad, not mac and cheese. Wasn't worth the $2 extra price.

Service was good considering the situation. I was part of a large group and there was only one server and she was overwhelmed. But she worked hard and did the best she could. Anybody who would expect super fast service in this situation is an idiot.

I would not go back to the Blue Star Dinner. The food is average and a bit on the pricey side. There are better ways to spend $17 for lunch.

Lawry's Carvery-Closed

Lawry's Carvery
1011 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles
213-222-2212

Lawry's Carvery is the casual version of Lawry's The Prime Rib, that has opened in the new entertainment center, LA Live. There are no spinning salads or silver carts serving up the prime rib, just place your order at the counter and find a table.

I got the original prime rib sandwich, $14.99, a 6oz portion of prime rib on a ciabatta bread, served with au jus and creamy horseradish. The sandwich was warm but the ciabatta wasn't toasted, just right out of the wrapper. The prime rib was piled high but a bit fatty. But it was tender, moist and flavorful.

Service is OK. The hostess taking my order was fine. But when I got my order, there wasn't any silverware on my table and the server who brought out my sandwich didn't provide any silverware. While I was up getting a refill on soda, I noticed the basket of silverware.

I wouldn't go back to Lawry's Carvery. $14.99 is expensive for a sandwich and I would rather use the money towards the real prime rib, at Lawry's The Prime Rib.

Ciudad-Closed

Ciudad
445 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles
213-486-5171

I'll get straight to the point, this was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had!! Terrible service and overpriced bad food. What a waste.

I had heard mostly positive comments about Ciudad. So I decided to give them a try. I had the fried buttermilk calamari,$10.50. On of the bottom was the calamari was a sweet and smokey chili sauce. But this was one of the saltiest items I have ever had. Very heavy handed on the salt there. The calamari was chewy, rubbery, and not fresh at all. The batter was pretty good but this wasn't hot. It was sitting under heating lamps and sitting there until somebody made a mistake and ordered this crap. But what got me is that they also fried some red and green jalapenos, so while the plate looks full of calamari, most of it is the damn jalapenos. What a rip off!!!

Then I got the gaucho steak, medium rare, $33, domestic kobe beef rib eye stuffed with caramelized jalapeños and roasted garlic, herb chimichurri,
bacon mashed potatoes, warm black bean, corn, and spinach salad. This was a waste of money. The steak had portions that were burnt on the outside and just a bit undercooked, a little longer on the grill and it would have been medium rare. It was also very fatty, with lots and lots of gristle, not that tender, and lacked flavor. I'm not big on presentation but this steak was put on top of the mashed potatoes and spinach salad, and looked terrible. They could either get a larger plate or put the steak on a different plate. What a waste of money!!!

Also lacking was the service. The host, who was OK when I walked in, never bothered to say "Thank you" when I walked out. But the server, plain and simple was a jerk. He gave the impression he didn't have time for my table. Everything after this jerk server took my drink order, was terrible. Within two minutes of taking my drink order, the drink still hadn't arrived, but WTF, why so quick, for the drink but so slow for everything else? He would only came to my table to bring the entree and the check. Nothing else, he never bothered asking how the food was or if I needed anything. He got a 26 cent tip. I don't believe in this BS, even with bad service you tip 10%. Servers are there to make my dining experience the best it can be. It is not asking much of the server to come to my table and ask how everything is. Even places like El Torito and Chili's the servers ask how the food is. Giving this terrible server a 26 cent tip is being too generous.

I would never go back to this terrible service, overpriced, terrible food, "restaurant" again.

Showbiz Ribs-Closed

Showbiz Ribs
520 W 6th St
Los Angeles
213-439-5700

Oven cooked ribs. Check. Baby back ribs. Check. Showbiz Ribs opened up in downtown LA and they are fooling people into thinking this is BBQ. This is NOT real BBQ. The ribs are not smoked at all. There is no smoke ring on the ribs.

I got the small order of baby backs, $10.95, with mac and cheese and cole slaw. They give you about a fourth of a rack of ribs, a good size for the price. The ribs are OK for what they are, over cooked cooked ribs. There is no smoke flavor in the meat at all. These ribs are no better than your local Chili's. They sauce they put on the ribs has a decent spice to it but it's nothing special.

One thing, their online menu says they have St. Louis style ribs. St. Louis style ribs are spare ribs. But when I got to the restaurant, they did not have St. Louis style ribs. http://www.showbizribs.com/menu.html

The mac and cheese was pretty good. Some nice flavor. The cole slaw was OK.

Service is very good. The lady and older man are very nice people and helpful.

I would not go back to Showbiz Ribs again. This isn't real BBQ. The ribs are no better than your local Chili's.

Fisherman's Outlet

Fisherman's Outlet
529 S Central Ave
Los Angeles
213-627-7231

Fisherman's Outlet is a seafood restaurant and market. On one side is the counter to order deep fried and charbroiled seafood delights. The other side has fresh seafod, ready for you to take home and grill.

I ordered the deep fried shrimp and scallops combo, $9.75. I shared a deep fried fish and shrimp combo, $9.75. Both combos come with fries. They do have a offer just fish and shrimp or scallops and shrimp, both with no fries for a $1 less. Unless you want average fries, I would stick with the seafod alone.

The shrimp and scallops combo, had nine, medium sized shrimp. The shrimp was very crunchy but there wasn't much shrimp inside. I much prefer the shrimp from England Fish and Chips, that I had earlier this week. The scallops were baby scallops, got about 15 or so. They were crunchy too but again not much scallops inside. Both the shrimp and scallops weren't that hot. They aren't cooked to order so mine were sitting under heat lamps for awhile.

The fish is white cod and was pretty good. The fish and shrimp combo comes with three pieces of fish. Again crunchy and some nice pieces of cod. But after having a huge piece of cod from England Fish and Chips, this combo about $3 more, doesn't compare.

Service is pretty good but it's loud and fast in line. Look at the menu and decide what you want before getting in line. There are tables outside to eat your meal. But it is very crowded and you maybe waiting awhile before getting a table. They have free parking in a lot behind the restaurant and plenty of street parking.

If I didn't make a visit to England Fish and Chips, I would say Fisherman's Outlet is very good. But it's average. At least their deep fried seafood. I would go back and try some of their charbroiled seafood.

Cole's

Cole's
118 E 6th St
Los Angeles
213-622-4090

I know already reviewed Coles, but shortly after I reviewed them in 2006 they closed for renovations for about a year. Recently Cole's reopened under new management. So I decided to do a new review.

Coles invented the French Dip sandwich. That other copy cat place can make the claim but they are liars. Coles invented and has the best French Dip sandwich in LA.

I got the beef dip and pork dip, $8 each. Also on the menu is Au Jus for a $1. Now I had to get the Au jus but I think either the server thought I asked for extra au jus or he just didn't charge me for au jus.

The beef dip is the way to go here. Thick hand sliced beef, piled high on a crusty hard french bread. Perfect for dipping into the au jus. So wonder, so tender, so the very best French dip in LA.

The pork dip is awesome too. Nice tender pieces of pork, hand sliced, and piled high. Again the bread was hard, making it perfect for dipping.

Service was good though after I ordered the pork dip, the entire wait staff was called into the back by the manager. I saw the pork dip on the counter and I didn't want to wait anymore so I got up and asked the chef who made the sandwich if that was the pork dip. Just as he answered the server came and he took the plate to my table. He came around to refill drinks and was nice.

Coles beats the Copy Cat by a mile. The beef is a better quality meat, cut thicker, cut by hand, and the bread is harder which make it better to dip into the au jus. The Copy Cat's bread gets way too soggy even with a single dip.

OK the area around Coles isn't the best but I've never had a problem. I went at 6pm and it was dark but well lit and I had no problems.

I would go to Coles any time. I'm so glad they reopened and I got a chance to try their great French Dip, the French Dip they invented.

McCormick and Schmick's- LA-Closed

McCormick and Schmick's- LA
633 W 5th St
Los Angeles
213-629-1929

I've been to the McCormick and Schmick's in Pasadena, but I figured I would try the happy hour at their downtown LA location.

McCormick and Schmick's is known for their great happy hour food prices. A $1.95 cheeseburger with fries!!! Where else can you get that. I decide to get an order of buffalo wings, also for $1.95. You need to order at least $2.75 in drinks to get these happy hour food deals. Have a couple drinks, $5 and up, and you're covered. The burger is cooked medium well and is good but a bit dry. There is just lettuce, tomatoes, and onions on the burger. They could put mayo or ketchup to make it a little more moist but overall a good quality burger. But the burger was warm, not hot.

The buffalo wings were great. There were a lot of meat on those wings. But the skin wasn't crispy, it seemed as though they baked instead of fried. But the sauce was very spicy, among the spiciest, I've had. I got about six wing for that $1.95 price and what a steal.

Service was good, much better than the service in Pasadena. The server was friendly and the food came out quickly.

McCormick and Schmick's is a great value for happy hour. I enjoy them. I liked the downtown LA location because there were real people, not the arrogant jerk you might expect. Or maybe I was there on a good day. I would go back to McCormick and Schmick's for happy hour anytime. I've seen their dinner menu and I think their prices are high and I've heard the food isn't worth the price. So I may do a dinner review but don't expect one soon.

Kendall's Brasserie

Kendall's Brasserie
135 N Grand Avenue
Los Angeles
213-972-7322

Kendall's Brasserie is a part of the Patina restaurant group. That sentence, should give you enough information about how overprice and average their food is.

One reason Kendall's gets such a good crowd is that after performances there isn't another place to eat or get a drink. So they have you trapped and they take advantage of it.

The first time I went to Kendall's Brasserie, was after a performance at the Music Center. But I didn't bring a camera so I couldn't do a review. But I went back to Kendall's and it happened to be a special event for locals. A way to network and brag about who makes more money or owns a better car.

The menu for both dinner and late night supper is very limited. Not many entrees and what's on the menu is so overpriced. The two times I went to Kendall's I've ordered the shrimp cocktail, $16. Six medium sized shrimp arrive and I'm not impressed. The shrimp aren't fresh, not even chilled. They were tough and chewy because they had been overcooked. The cocktail sauce is basically ketchup, they don't even put any horseradish in there. For $16 I expect a lot more. It got huge shrimp that were fresh and tasty for $2.50 each at Morton's.

Service was good both times I went. The first time we sat down and ate. The next time I was in the bar area. I have no complaints about the service at Kendall's unlike that Pinot Grill, where I had some of the worst service ever.

Both times I've gone to Kendall's it was filled with pretenious, arrogant, jerk people. I seriously wanted to just go to Kendall's take a picture of the shrimp cocktail and then leave. But I couldn't stand being around pretenious, arrogant, jerk people any longer, so I just ordered the shrimp cocktail and within 15 minutes or so, I was out of there.

I realize judging a restaurant based on appetizers isn't ideal but if the appetizers aren't good and/or overpriced, why would I want to go back for an entree?

I would not go back to Kendall's again. Overpriced, average food and being around pretenious, arrogant, jerk people isn't my idea of a good meal. I only went back this time to take pictures so I can write a review.

Maddalena Restaurant at San Antonio Winery

Maddalena Restaurant at San Antonio Winery
737 Lamar St
LA
323-223-1401

Maddalena Restaurant at San Antonio Winery is actually a fair priced restaurant. At most wineries, the restaurant is overpriced. The best part of Maddalena is that they really don't have a menu, they have each dish covered with plastic wrap and put on a table for people to view.

I ordered the rib eye sandwich, $9.69, which had sun dried tomato spread, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese on french bread. The rib eye was good sized but thin and it lacked flavor and had alot of fat. The french bread was toasted, soft and chewy. Very good. Overall the sandwich was average. Some good things, price, freshness, but some bad things, too much fat, no flavor. I didn't touch the potatoes.

This is basically self service. After looking at their menu, you place your order and the lady will put a sign with your item. Then you go further down the line to get drinks and the cashier. Depending on how busy it maybe, you will either be seated by a host or you can find a seat yourself. When I went, it was very busy and the host are right in your face or they come back behind you. I was in line still paying and the host comes up behind me and ask how many people in your party? I'm like back off man, don't come up behind me. He wasn't rude but he shouldn't come up behind people. After I finished eating, I didn't see any trash cans, so I just left my dish there.

I then asked the front office about hosting a wine tasting event. We went back into the restaurant to see one of the private rooms and my dishes were still on the table. Not sure why they couldn't clear the table, sooner. Oh well, not really my problem.

I wouldn't rush to go back to Maddalena Restaurant but I wouldn't mind going back and trying other sanwiches or salads.

Rocco's Pizza-Closed

Rocco's Pizza
812-814 N Vermont Ave
LA
323-644-0003

What took me so long? That's a very good question, one I've asked myself a few times after goingt Rocco's Pizza. I first had Rocco's at the Feast of San Genaro back in Sept or Oct of 2007. I got a card from Rocco's and wanted to go there but didn't go back until now.

Rocco's is great pizza. Pictured is an x-large pizza with meatballs and pepperoni, $13.21. When I first opened up the box, the wonderful smell was overwhelming, I just had to eat the pizza right away. The gooey cheese, thin, crispy crust was just awesome. The pepperoni is spicy and wonderful. I found the meatball to be very interesting. First they were not shaped like a ball but sliced. If I'm not mistaken it's a combination of beef and pork. It was fine but I wouldn't order meatballs on Rocco's pizza again. I would just stick to the basics like pepperoni and sausage.

Of course the biggest question is, How does this compare to
Village Pizzeria? It compares very well. I still think Village Pizzeria is better but Rocco's comes in a close second.

Service is OK. The guy isn't exactly friendly but he's not rude either. He's just going through the motions. This location is across the street from LA City College and parking can be very tough. I actually parked at the Jack in the Box just north of Rocco's. There is some street parking but that's was taken. But the pizza is worth the hassle.

I would go back to Rocco's anytime.