Hello Save Restaurants!

March 22, 2020March 22, 2020 by Jenn ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Seven million hard working restaurant workers across the country can’t make income at home or have the potential of losing their jobs forever. These are the folks who’ve taken care of all of us numerous times. They’ve helped us celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and many celebrations. They were there when we bonded with family and when we had date nights. Now is our chance to help them out in a small way via ordering takeout or delivery ❤️.

Below is a list of restaurants offering takeout or delivery in my hometown of Torrance, California but in several cities around the US there are hundreds of restaurants that need your support.

21 Square (Torrance Marriot) – (310)-543-6034
85C Bakery – (310)-320-8585
Aliotta’s Via Firenze – (310) 371-9555
Andre’s at the Double Tree – (310) 540-0500
Angara Indian Restaurant – (310) 320-9090
Bagel Factory – (310) 540-2077
Benihana – (310) 316-7777
Bettolino Kitchen – (310) 375-0500
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse – (310) 802-6440
Black Bear Diner – (310) 974-9002
Blaze Pizza (Rolling Hills Plaza) – (310) 997-2771
Blue Salt Fish Grill – (310) 424-383-1789
Bombay Tandoori – (310) 303-3185
Brazilian Plate House – (310) 370-9077
Buffalo Wild Wings – (310) 542-3400
Burger City Grill – (310) 819-8486
By Brazil – (310)-782-2828
Caps & Corks Liquor & Deli – (424) 257-8619
Carl’s Jr. – various locations
Chicken Dijon – (310) 540-1499
Chicken Maison (PCH) – (310) 465-1050
Chicken Maison (Crenshaw) – (310) 257-4959
Chick-Fil-A – various locations
Chipotle – various locations
Cho Dang Tofu – (310) 373-7055
Clutch & Coffee – (424) 532-5444
Cocohodo – (310) 530-3875
Coco’s Bakery Restaurant – (310) 371-4086
Cosmic Brewery – (424) 259-2337
Crest Bar & Grill – (310) 320-9347
Curryfornia – (310) 756-6409
Da Maat – (310) 534-5533
Del Taco – various locations
Denny’s – various locations
Din Tai Fung (curbside/delivery only) – (310) 214-1175
Einstein Bros Bagels- (310) 698-1117
El Burrito Jr. (Hawthorne Blvd) – (310) 944-9200
El Burrito Jr. (PCH in Walteria) – (310) 373-5405
El Pollo Inka – (310) 373-0062
El Pollo Loco – various locations
El Torito – (310) 378-0331
FishBonz Grill – (310) 325-2669
Foster’s Freeze – (310) 328-1375
Ginza Sushi – (310) 325-7979
Giuliano’s Deli – (310) 540-2500
Hof’s Hut – (310) 325-0470
Honda Japanese Restaurant – (310) 373-8272
Honey Dress Fried Chicken – (310) 373-3733
HopSaint Brewing Company – (310) 214-4677
Hugo’s Deli – (424) 247-7057
India Sweets & Grocery – (310) 378-9686
Jersey Mike’s – various locations
Joey’s Smokin Barbecue – (310) 257-1324
Kagura – (310) 787-0227
Kappo Irifune – (310) 782-7330
Khun 9 Thai Kitchen – (310) 328-4888
King Mediterrano – (310) 370-9438
King’s Hawaiian – (310) 530-0050
Ko Ryu Ramen – (310) 371-6638
La Bella Napoli – (310) 517-9952
Lamppost Pizza – (310) 325-4864
Lazy Dog – (310) 921-6080
LBJs Tacos – (310) 961-5296
Local Kitchen – (424) 337-1321
Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que – (310) 370-7427
Lucio’s Mexican Restaurant – (310) 328-9810
Madre – (310) 974-8005
Mashawi Grill – (310) 325-3545
McDonald’s – various locations
Mexican Riviera Restaurant – (310) 373-6600
Mezontle Mexican Grill – (310) 543-2737
Mimi’s Café – (310) 326-4477
Misto Caffe & Bakery – (310) 375-3608
New York Deli – (310) 891-1229
Norms (Hawthorne Blvd) – (310) 370-4469
Norms (PCH) – (310) 530-5516
Old Torrance Coffee & Tea – (424) 558-8050
Outback Steakhouse – (310) 750-0459
Panda Express – various locations
Panera Bread – (310) 517-0324
PF Chang’s – (310) 793-0590
Pho Hana – (310) 373-7560
Pinwheel Café Bakery – (310) 325-5055
Primo Italia – (310) 378-4288
Rascal’s – (310) 542-0022
Red Lobster – (310) 316-3133
Red Rock – (424) 329-3363
Rubio’s Coastal Grill – (310) 891-1811
Rudy’s – (310) 533-0752
Scholb Premium Ales – (424) 777-2964
Shrimp By You – (424) 347-7188
Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee – (424) 263-5091
Smog City Brewing – (310) 320-7664
Smog City West – (310) 791-1015
Snax Home of the Original Superburger – (310) 316-6631
Stacked – (619) 225-7900
Steve’s Burgers (Crenshaw) – (310) 618-8979
Steve’s CharBurger (Anza) – (310) 371-8729
Stonefire Grill – (424) 203-8800
Strand Brewing Co. – (310) 517-0900
Sub Society Incredible Sandwiches – (424) 263-5811
Subway – various locations
Taco Bell – various locations
Tender Greens – (424) 488-0639
The Dude’s Brewing Co. – (424) 271-2915
The Habit Burger Grill – (310) 406-3063
TNT Aloha Café – (310) 375-4553
Tom’s Tacos – (310) 371-0625
Top Tenders & Wings – (424) 257-8126
Torrance Bakery & Sandwich Shop – (310) 320-2722
Torrance Tavern – (310) 375-9158
Tortilla Cantina – (310) 533-9606
Truxton’s – (310) 373-8790
Ubon Thai Kitchen – (310) 326-1092
Urban Plates – (424) 999-2141
Veggie Grill – (310) 325-6689
Wadatsumi Torrance – (310) 782-7356
Wendy’s – various locations
Y Not Burger – (310) 375-4202
Yorkshire Square Brewery – (424) 376-5115

*Availability subject to change

Below are some photos of some yummy dishes from some of the above places.

Dobash Cake from King’s Hawaiian

Rise and Shine Burrito from Caps N Cork

Grass Fed Steak From Urban Plates

LYB Tater Tots from 21 Square

During this difficult time; may we all be a little more compassionate to those in need.

#SaveRestaurants

Hello Eat Fantastic Cafe Torrance!

March 1, 2020March 14, 2020 by Jenn ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The origins of Eat Fantastic Cafe have a bit of a Greek touch. In 1979 a man passionate about food left Greece to pursue his dream of sharing fantastic food. He started the very first Fantastic Cafe. Years later his son who had the initials of “E.A.T” brought the first Fantastic Cafe to Los Angeles, California and Eat Fantastic Cafe was born! Now 41 years later; Eat Fantastic has a new location in Torrance, California offering what they’re well known for…fantastic food!

The very first food item that the cafe offered in 1979 were burgers. Shortly after they started introducing more other fantastic foods and some of what I would say are my favorite indulgence foods.

It was in 1981; that they introduced their first breakfast burrito. Breakfast burritos are definitely one of my favorite ways to start off. I just had to check out Eat Fantastic’s version.

I chose to get their Original Burrito that has eggs, choice of meat, hash browns, shredded cheese and salsa. My choice of meat was sausage but other options are bacon or sausage. You can even get all three meats via their Trio Burrito or if you really want to indulge; you could get their Fantastic Burrito which has the three meats and a grilled cheese tortilla.

Eat Fantastic’s Original Burrito was definitely very fulfilling. It’s pretty large and size and perfect fo sharing. I loved the warm tortilla, the oozing shredded cheese and chunks of sausage mixed in with scrambled eggs and hashbrown. It was definitely fantastic.

If breakfast burritos are my breakfast indulgence; my snack indulgence is zucchini sticks. Eat Fantastic has offered zucchini sticks since 1984.

The Zucchini Sticks is one of two of Eat Fantastic’s hand cut sides. The other being onion rings. They are battered and breaded daily. I chose to get mine with a side of ranch dressing but you can also choose to get it with their Fantastic sauce.

Overall the zucchini sticks were a great treat! They were nice, crisp and piping hot. They really went well with the ranch dipping sauce. It was so addictive and so fantastic!

It is so fantastic that Eat Fantastic has a new location in Torrance. This 2020; they’re also supposed to open in Long Beach and Downey. More fantastic food to come! I can’t wait to eat more (fantastic) food!

For more smiles; please my Yelp review on Eat Fantastic Torrance!

Hello Caps and Corks: C&C Grill!

February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 by Jenn ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Who knew that the best eateries in town could be found in liquor stores? Back in 2013; I shared my OMG moment and excitement when I found one of the best burgers in the South Bay at a liquor store in Redondo Beach. My blog post then was about the The Standing Room; an amazing little eatery inside a liquor store. Now it’s 2020 and I am once again in awe because of another great spot in ….you guessed it…. a liquor store!

Caps and Corks recently opened up in Torrance, California. It’s not your ordinary liquor store because off to the left side of the store is a lovely surprise with C&C Grill; a grill offering breakfast burritos, sandwiches and burgers.

C&C’s claim to fame is their breakfast burritos which they say are the best in town. After trying their “Rise and Shine” burrito; I would have to agree.

C&C’s “Rise and Shine” burrito is definitely one of the best burritos I have ever had. The “Rise and Shine” burrito is packed with goodness. It has shredded jack and cheddar cheese, eggs, hash browns and salsa. You could even add up to three meats (bacon, ham, sausage) along with avocado and jalapeños. You can also choose to go healthy with subbing egg whites. Vegetarians can also partake in a veggie burrito with onion, bell pepper, tomato, mushroom, shredded jack and cheddar cheese, eggs, hash browns and salsa.

I got it with sausage and it was so hearty! It definitely was perfect for rising and shining.

The good eats doesn’t stop with the breakfast burrito however as they offer several delightful sandwiches as well. Their sandwich categories are: “Hot and Heavy Subs”, “Grilled and Cheesy,” “Cold Hearted Subs, ” “Basic “B*tch Cheeseburger” and “Sweet Nothings.”

The “Hot and Heavy Subs” consists of hot sandwiches with unique names such as “Not So Plain Jane (roast beef)” “Big John Stud (pastrami and turkey),” and “Phat Albert (pastrami).”

I chose to get the “Philthy Philly Cheesesteak.”

The “Philthy Philly” is indeed one messy err philthy sandwich. It’s oozing with juicy cheesesteak and melting provolone. One can also get it with cheese whiz. It is also loaded with mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers and drizzles of mayo. It was meaty and delightful. It’s definitely hot and heavy!

If you prefer cold over hot subs; then the “Cold Hearted Subs” are for you. They’ve got a variety from Turkey to A.L.T (avocado, lettuce, tomato). There’s also The Italian Job with genoa salami, pepperoni and cappy (spicy ham.)

The “Basic B*tch Cheeseburger” is a single or double cheese burger with American cheese, lettuce and tomato. Something tells me this isn’t no ordinary cheeseburger!

The “Grilled and Cheesy” Sandwiches are various grilled cheese sandwiches. You can get a grilled cheese sandwich in traditional grilled cheese way or with meats such as pastrami, bacon or ham. One can even added flaming hot cheetos! Oh my!

Lastly they’ve got “Sweet Nothings” via a PB&J Sandwich and Nutella and Banana Sandwich.

Sometimes the local liquor stores have the best surprises err best burritos/sandwiches in town. 😉

For more smiles; please see my Yelp review on Caps and Corks: C&C Grill!

Hello The Brews Hall!

November 18, 2019November 19, 2019 by Jenn ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The first ever multi-concept brewery and food hall in Torrance, California has opened up. The soft opening was held on November 2, 2019 and a ribbon cutting was held on November 13. Today; November 18, 2019; they had an official grand opening party!

The Brews Hall consists of two breweries, a full bar and four food concepts. It’s the brain child of famous South Bay restauranteur restaurateurs Michael and David Zislis and Dave Furano. These three restaurant gurus then partnered with Comedian George Lopez and sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd.

The two breweries inside are Buzzrock Brewing Co; a four-vessel, 20-bbl brewhouse with 17 fermenting vessels and 12 serving vessel custom designed by Michael Zislis and brewmaster Justinian Caire and George Lopez’s Ta Loco Brewing Co; a brewery offering Mexican-style beers.

This place is not just for beer lovers however as foodies will love all the food offerings that they have.

Foodies who love fried chicken will love Chicken T.W.I.LI (The Way I Like It). They’ve got sandwiches, tenders and wings; just the way you like it!

I tried their Fried T.W.I.LI and it instantly hit the top of my list of best sandwiches I’ve ever tried. It consisted of a huge crispy buttermilk fried chicken patty smothered with remoulade, topped with tomatoes and lettuce and sandwiched between two buttery buns. No need to go all the way to the South to have good fried chicken because you can find it right here in the South Bay!

Tacos aren’t just for Tuesdays because George Lopez’s Chingon Kitchen offering tasty tacos and other authentic Mexican cuisine every day at The Brew Hall! The menu is based off of George’s grandmother’s traditional recipes and one can enjoy fresh guacamole, tacos, burritos and even loaded Cabo stuffed potatoes.

I tried the Crispy Tacos with citrus marinated chicken. It was topped with lettuce, cheese, cream and salsa mexicana. It was was crispy, delightful and definitely something to “taco” about.

Take me out to the Ball Game and to The Herd. The Herd by Sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd brings to The Brews Hall some burgers, bets and brews! Here one can catch the latest games and scores in multi-screens that are the backdrop of the counter where folks will place their order.

Bases are loaded with the Bases Load Fries with fries, bacon, cheese, green onions and garlic aioli. It was definitely a home run with these tasty and savory fries!

Last but not least is Rock N’ Fish Grill! This place is seafood lovers paradise with various fresh fish offerings including fish n’ chips and cornmeal battered crispy fish sandwich. They also offer Rock N’ Fish’s famous New England Clam Chowder.

The Brews Hall offers something for everyone. Whether it be a group of friends who want to enjoy happy hour or a family of four who want to bond over burgers and fries; The Brews Hall is the place to be!

For more smiles; please see my Yelp Review on The Brews Hall.

Hello Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr!

November 2, 2019 by Jenn ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

There’s a new place in Torrance for some tasty tempura!

Located in Old Torrance is Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr! It’s a brand new tempura spot owned and operated by Carlos A Pinto of Hannosuke fame.

Carlos’ love for tempura begin at an early age when he went to Japan from Peru. It was there that he learned to love tempura and when he went to the United States; his passion for tempura was enhanced when he started working at “Nihonbashi Ten-don Kaneko Hannosuke;” a famous Japanese restaurant that opened up in Torrance.

This year Hannosuke will sadly be closing it’s Torrance shop but Carlos didn’t want the love of tempura in the South Bay to stop and he decided to open up his own restaurant and hence the opening of Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr!

Tempura love can definitely be seen in the cuisine offered here. Their tempura is deep fried in original Koromo batter that is made by precise gram of water and flour. They also only use 100% plant oil and combine it with Japanese sesame oil to fry their tempura. Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr. also has a special secret sauce called Tare/Tsuyu sauce.

Yesterday was their grand opening and I was one of the first lucky 100 that tried their Special Tempura bowl. It had white fish, 2 shrimps, kakiage, seaweed, shishito pepper and half boiled egg!

The freshness and overall quality of the tempura was the best. It felt like I was in Tokyo once again.

There is no need to fly all the way to Tokyo however to find tasty tempura because it can be found right here in Torrance! Today, November 2, 2019, Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr will have it’s first full regular day from 11am-9pm.

For more smiles; please see my Yelp Review on Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr.

Hello Shiok: Asian Street Food!

September 6, 2019September 20, 2019 by Jenn ♥ 1 Comment

Shiok: Asian Slang to express awesome, delicious, very tasty, cool, wow! It conveys a feeling of pleasure, happiness and pure satisfaction.

Shiok also happens to be the name of the new restaurant at Rolling Hills Plaza in Torrance, California. The new eatery is appropriately named as they bring to the South Bay some delightful and tasty eats!

Their menu is inspired by Asia’s legendary markets and among their offerings one can find bao, bahn mi and bowls.

I recently got a special sneak peak and was amazed with their bold and bright flavors.

Their baos are my new favorite!

I love the Cripsy Golden Bao.

The outside is a crisp golden brown bun and inside is steamed pork with egg. This is one tasty triple treat.

The Hot Fried Chicken Bao is another fabulous bao that I really enjoyed.

The Hot Fried Chicken Bao is a steamed bun filled with a gigantic piece of fried chicken smothered in sriracha. The fried chicken is topped with Asian slaw, cilantro and jalapeño. I loved the crisp chicken with a fiery kick. This was very fulfilling.

The Nightmarket Bao is another winner.

This savory bao has a large Kakuni-style braised pork belly topped with Taiwanese relish and roasted peanuts! I love how it has crisp roasted peanuts. It gives a nice, crunchy touch to the bao.

Aside from the baos; Shiok has other delights that are part of their “Cravables” menu.

The Veggie Crunch is a great starter that is perfect for vegetarians!

I have always been a fan of taro and this cravable has taro, yam, tofu, mushrooms in fried rice paper. It’s crunch and love at first bite.

Another good starter is their Shrimp Crisps.

Growing up in an Asian household; shrimp crisps were a favorite snack of mine to bring to school. Shiok’s Shrimp Crisps remind me of me of the delightful chips that were once part of my lunch bag. Shiok makes their own house fried shrimp chips and they are amazing!

All of Shiok’s cravables are great but make sure to save room for some of the entrees.

Shiok’s Signature Bahn Mi is a must try!

I tried the bahn mi with grilled lemongrass steak. The lemongrass steak combined with Bourbon pate, sriracha aioli, Asian slaw, cucumbers, pickled daikon, carrot, papaya and cilantro made for a tasty sandwich. This was paired with some Shrimp Crisps.

I also got to try some of their bowls. First up was the Asian Street Bowl.

For the Asian Street Bowl one can choose their protein. Among the choices are lemongrass steak, spicy satay chicken or soy ginger chicken. The protein then comes with peanut sauce, shallot ginger rice, baby lettuce, street side corn, Asian slaw, cucumbers, pickled daikon, carrot, papaya, cilantro and fried shallots. It’s an explosion of flavors in one healthy bowl.

The second bowl I tried here was the Zen Bowl.

The Zen bowl is a vegetarian delight consisting of bbq pulled jackfruit, coconut ginger chickpeas, shallot ginger rice, streetside corn, Asian slaw, pickled daikon-carrot-papaya, cucumbers, fresh shallots and cilantro. I love how the jackfruit is tender just like shredded chicken. The bowl is wonderfully healthy and truly does bring some zen ;).

Equal in deliciousness to the bowls is their drinks. They’ve got freshly made teas with fruits and boba. For the special private event; they had the Blue Lagoon and Boba Milk Tea.

I loved how colorful the Blue Lagoon was. It made me feel like I was in an Asian tropical island. The colorful blue and green floral tea was pure paradise. It has a refreshing and exquisite flavor.

The boba milk tea was a classic drink with soft honey boba pearls.

Shiok! I truly was saying Shiok by the end of my meal here.

Shiok: Asian Street Food will have it’s soft opening starting September 7, 2018 and they will have their grand opening on September 28, 2018.

For more smiles; please see my Yelp review on Shiok: Asian Street Food!

Hello Urban Plates Torrance!

August 11, 2019 by Jenn ♥ 3 Comments

This August 12, 2019; Torrance will have the grand opening of Urban Plates; a restaurant that specializes in real food made from scratch. The location is perfectly situated at the newly revamped Del Amo Crossing; that is also home to newest 24 Hour Fitness in the South Bay.

There are various Urban Plates locations in California and Washington DC and with each grand opening they pair with a charitable institution that supports the local community. Urban Plates Torrance paired up with The Volunteer Center; a local South Bay center that has core programs such as Food for Kids. Food for Kids by The Volunteer Center helps provides low income families in the South Bay with healthy meals over the weekend; helping kids be energized and ready for school on the weekday.

I was so fortunate to be a part of a pre-grand opening celebration this weekend courtesy of Urban Plates Torrance and The Volunteer Center. Not only was this event for a good cause; it truly showcased Urban Plates wonderful scratch made meals. Each dish is made out of some of the best ingredients such as grass-fed beef, sustainably sourced seafood, free-range chicken, and fresh produce.

The first items I got to try during this sneak peak were some of their seasonal soups. First up was the Green Lentil. The Green Lentil has a nice variety of vegetables and spices. There are carrots, bay leaves, garlic, thyme and paprika. All of the ingredients come together for a nice, flavorful broth. I also tried their Tomato Basil. Here at Urban Plates; I loved that they added some coconut milk along with some pesto to make their tomato soup.

The next dish I tried was from their Greens section. The Greens section of their menu consists of hand tossed salads served with scratch made dressing. My choice of salad was their Asian Chicken Salad. This salad was quite a treat. It had lettuce, arugula, organic carrots, green onions, spicy peanuts, large orange slices, red bell peppers, cilantro, crispy wontons and grilled cage free chicken. The dressing was a spicy peanut dressing. This salad definitely had a unique spicy kick to it. It also had a nice crunchy texture thanks to the crisp lettuce, peanuts and wontons.

For our main dish; we went with one of their hand carved sandwiches. Each of their sandwiches are served on grilled rustic bread and comes with kettle chips. We got to try the Grilled Grass Fed Steak. This was truly one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. It was so meaty and the steak was wonderfully tender. There was a delicious chimichurri aioli smothered on the bread and the meat was topped off with slow roasted tomatoes. Urban Plates definitely knows how to make a good sandwich!

Last but not least, I had the Urban Cowgirl Cookie for dessert. This cookie is Urban Plates version of a trail mix cookie and had sunflower seeds, oats, dried cranberries, shredded coconut and a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon. It was one yummy cookie that was a perfect ending to one yummy meal!

I am definitely looking forward to trying out Urban Plates again in the near future. I was impressed with their scratch made meals and I could really taste the freshness. I also was an instant fan because they chose to celebrate their opening with helping out the community via The Volunteer Center. Urban Plates Torrance is a true winner.

For more smiles, please see my Yelp review on Urban Plates Torrance.

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