TGIFriday's-West Covina, Friday April 9

Sadly, Mike and I had finally come upon our very last gift card(Not that, that could stop us from dining out).
At TGIF, we are almost always greeted by a rowdy restaurant, with people pouring out from the bar, and young busboys making cat calls to a group of overly dressed girls on their way out.
Nevertheless, we had a very cool server who got us our food and drinks on time, so we dealt with it.
One of our favorite appetizers, mozzarella sticks, at this restaurant are hot and cheesy and come in a very convenient dipping shape. We both enjoyed two large margaritas, I decided to try a low fat option, it very good(kung pao chicken pictured below)and Mike had his usual which he said was delicious.
Enjoy the pics.

Chili's-La Verne-April 4, saturday

Another weekend approaches, and after a long week of work, Mike and I are ready to eat out. We have exactly $135 dollars worth of gift cards left(thanks to Mikey's Discover points) to use in support of our eating/blogging endeavors.
We chose Chili's, but opted for a new location, La Verne.
Our overall experience here would have to be described as fair.
While our server was pleasant and our drinks came out in time, small mishaps and a general feeling of 'rather not be here' exuded from her actions.
I ordered the BBQ ribs, which I thoroughly enjoyed last time, but chose different sides for a change of pace.

My fries were on the cold side, and I was given pinto beans in a salsa mix instead of baked beans. Simple mistake, yes, but one that can throw off the entire meal.
One thing that was pleasing were our drinks. Mikey ordered a tasty Presidente margarita, that you self pour from a shaker, and I tried a new beer which hit the spot.
I had my eye on the dessert menu, but when our server dropped the check silently, mid-meal, I decided that I had had enough of an experience there, and that I would more likely enjoy a dessert elsewhere.
Goes to show, by neglecting simple issues that arise, one can really create a worse experience for the customer that he/she had intended.

El Conquistador-Silverlake-March 29th, sunday

Mike and I recently found ourselves in LA on a cool but comfortable Sunday night. We decided to visit Barragan's, after having had such a pleasant time there before. Sadly, they had just closed their doors for the night and there are not a lot of options at 9:30pm on a Sunday Night. So, with bellies rumbling and a severe hankering for some Mexican food, we coasted down Sunset Blvd on a mission.

Much to our delight, a large OPEN sign hung in the window of one of our favorite hangouts, El Conquistador in Silverlake! It has a reputation for its friendliness, festive settings and surprisingly strong margaritas.

They sat us right away in a soft-lit section decorated with a new theme for spring time. I was delighted to take photos of the walls and our romantic table. Our margaritas were served quickly, but our main server took a few moments to work his way over to us. At first it was frustrating, but then much less so once we noticed that he was having a friendly conversation with another table. Once the order was placed, everything that followed was delightful. We were quickly greeted with chips, salsa and soup.

The presentation of our food was festive (like the surroundings) and quite tasty. Our server came back to check on us several times, and assured us to not rush even though they were clearly closing up for the evening.

Mean margaritas and a full menu aside, what is most refreshing about dining at a place like this is the fact that the staff are like family and you get the sense that they truly enjoy being there. That makes for a perfect dining experience that is hard to replicate.

Applebees-West Covina-March 28,sat. nite

This outing was a short one; just a quick meal and drink to celebrate my completion of one week of work at my newest job. The food, presentation, service and taste were all up to par with our last experiences at Applebees, with the exception of one major area of neglect.
We stood at the door waiting to be greeted/sat for at least 4 minutes, until some employee in the back took notice and rushed to help us.
It seemed to me that since restaurants are not flourishing in these times that they staff a smaller amount of employees than normal.

Once we were sat, everything ran smoothly, but had it been earlier(more restaurants open), we would have walked right out and dined somewhere else.

Barragans-Echo Park-March 16 wed.

After our evening out in Silverlake (see last post) Mike and I realized how much we missed dining out near Los Angeles. There seems to be more variety when it comes to restaurants- less chains and more unique environments and ambiences.
So we met up with some friends in Echo Park at Barragans, a mexican restaurant on its Margarita night ($2.50 each!).

The food was delicious--filling, warm, and there was a lot of variety on the menu. Surprisingly, the margaritas were very tasty as well, small, but got the job done :) The ambiance was great too. Free fresh chips and salsa, large, comfortable booths, a bar, upstairs patio, and friendly service. There was even some dance music playing in the other room, so I think I will come back on an evening when I can have a few more drinks and partake in some dancing!
Mostly, it was great to catch up with some old friends in our old area. I am looking forward to having a place nearer to the city so that I may partake in that environment more often, and of course discover some more unique places to dine out!

Good Microbrew and Grill-Silverlake-St. Patty's Day

Mike and I visited one of our favorite restaurants in LA, Good Microbrew and Grill, on a temperate St. Patty's Day evening.
Mike loves the heated outdoor seating that is amidst the hip and trendy Sunset Junction in Silverlake. I love the menu variety, enormous beer list, and surprisingly delectable onion ring tower.
Good is always great. Servers are friendly, busboys are present to keep your drinks replenished, and the food is always more than you expect.

Tonight I had the meatloaf, cooked with mozzarella and spinach and some amazing mashed potatoes and seasoned veggies. Mike had his usual. He was pleased that he was able to have his burger cooked just as he likes it, medium rare. The presentation on both was mouthwatering.

Mike and I always enjoy our visit to this restaurant. We enjoy this area and so on a warm night, will sit outside and indulge in the sounds and sights of the area. We are looking for other great eats in the area, so if you have a recommendation, let us know!

Rainforest Cafe-Anaheim- March 11

Mike's mother, cousins and family drove down for a weekend at Disneyland and we took that opportunity to visit with them and enjoy a delicious dinner.
This was my second visit to the Rainforest Cafe and I would have to say I was much happier with it this second time.
Our waitress was a sweet, attractive girl who was always checking in on us and removing unnecessary items. Mikey's two young girl cousins were very ansy, but they were kept occupied with some crayons and coloring books and random "Thunderstorms"(The lights turn off and on, gorillas shake branches, and scary thunder sounds run through the restaurant). The girls were a little scared the first time around, but couldn't wait for it the second or third times.

Both Mikey's and my hamburgers were fantastic. His was plain and mine was a bacon BBQ burger. The presentation was very nice on each plate, and filling. I heard Mike's mom say that her salad was even a little too big to finish.
Everyone had a great time, the atmosphere was unique and the food tasty. Even the service was friendly and catered to the theme of the place.