Never mind that it's awesome American cooking, we were in the company of two of our favorite people in the whole world, my oldest friend LLG and DL, her significant other. Before I begin
the review, just a side note about LLG and the phrase, "you can never go back again." I beg to differ. You can go back again. LLG and I have been friends over 5 decades. Now there were times when we didn't see each other much, but in this
great big brutal world, there was always a small thread that held us together, wherever our lives took us. We are still the four-year-old girls who shared a bag of Frito's, or held our noses and the now-defunct Jungle Compound. We even still call
each other by secret names like "Ray and E.A." Yes, my friends, to some things, you can always go back. So when we met for dinner last week after a year long hiatus, it was just like we'd seen each other yesterday. In the jazzy lounge of Bandera, I spied my
old friend and jumped for joy. My glass of Mer Soliel Silver ($15) in hand, we began, to catch up as we waited for our table. Once seated we ordered a truly delightful dinner. R enjoyed the huge French Dip Sandwich ($22) full of thinly sliced rare prime
rib au jus with fries and kale salad. Oh, did I say kale salad? We substituted mac and cheese that was out of this world cheesy and crunchy! I had the Wood- Fire Mary's Free Range Chicken & Beef Ribs ($28) with cornbread and mashed potatoes. Ribs were
tender, fall-off-the-bone delicious. Chicken was moist and flavorful. We also ordered Grilled Lamb Sirloin ($27) with mashed potatoes and broccoli and Grilled Scottish Salmon ($27) with with sauteed spinach. Both dishes were pronounced wonderful. For dessert
we shared the House-Made Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich with Dark Chocolate Sauce ($10). This was outstanding. I think we may have licked the plate clean! Our dinner was one we will all remember 'til the next time we meet. Bandera 11700 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles (310) 477-3524 Hours: Mon-Wed: 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Thur-Fri: 5:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Sat: 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Sun: 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Recommended Dishes: French Dip Sandwich, Scottish Salmon, Lamb, Roasted Chicken, Bef Ribs, Ice Cream Sandwich, Macaroni and Cheese.