Made in the US of A

Being the awesome wife that I am, I decided to accompany my husband to Golfsmith yesterday to pick out his new TaylorMade Golf Clubs. Yeah, I'm not that awesome, my friends, I'm really not. While he chatted up half the salespeople I discovered a whole new appreciation for women's golf clothing. I mean how cute is a Jamie Sadock Women's Chopstick Skort? I'd personally pair it with a cool Nike Dri-Fit V-Neck Sleeveless Top and some Foot Joy Golf Shoes. So that's what I did while he shopped...pick out golf clothes. No, I don't play, but if I did, I'd have really cute outfits. Anyway, after that we decided to hit up Nick's Manhattan Beach at the recommendation of my very cool friends Bryan and Miguel. I'm so glad we did as we hit the jack pot! Nevermind Nick's collection of vintage Poppytrail dishes; the food and the service are both outstanding! Located in the heart of Manhattan Beach, you can dine inside or out, but make a reservation because this place is packed. Start off with a wine by the glass. They have excellent selections. The Rombauer ($17) is a great Chardonnay while the Twomey ($19) is an fine merlot choice. But it's not really the drinks we came for; it's the all about the food. Try the Bacon Deviled Eggs. ($8) They are insane! The eggs are halved, the whites fried, then stuffed, and topped with none other than my favorite Nueske's crumbled bacon. You only get 4 halves so be sure to order enough! Asparagus Fries ($11) are also high up on the list! Chicken Tortilla Soup ($7) is fabulous, packed with tons of chicken, tortilla strips, avocado, and served with buttery cheese bread. Honestly, this was the best cheese bread I (oops I mean my husband) has ever eaten. For dinner I had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. ($18) It's served boneless with whipped mashed potatoes, a buttermilk cruchy biscuit, country gravy, and corn on the cob. It was fantastic! My husband enjoyed the the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich ($17) served seasoned and slow-roasted, thinly sliced with red wine au jus on a brioche bun. The thin cut fries were crisp and perfectly seasoned. For dessert, of course we had Butter Cake. Dipped in crunchy sugar, chewy and buttery; it would be my Last Supper dessert! If you find yourself in Manhattan Beach, don't miss Nick's. On second thought, make the drive, it's worth it! Nick's 451 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Manhattan Beach (310) 545-7373 Hours: Mon-Wed: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thu-Fri: 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Sat 8:am-12:a.m. Sun 8:a.m.-10 p.m.

Recommended Dishes: Deviled Eggs, Tortilla Soup, Buttermilk Chicken French Dip, Butter Cake.

I love my walks and Rose Avenue is one of my favorite routes. Just off Rose is a tiny cafe, Sauce on a little street called Hampton. The menu is simple and well-priced and Sauce is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The inside dining area is tiny, so you can grab a table on the sidewalk, if you like. My favorite dish is the Super Breakfast Sandwich ($12) which I think is up there in the top 10 of breakfast sandwiches! Two fried or scrambled eggs, Applewood Bacon, Cheddar, Swiss, and Mozzarella, Tomato, Red Onion, and aioli are stuffed inside ciabatta which is grilled to perfection. Be sure to order the Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes as your side! Other breakfast favorites are the Breakfast Burrito ($10) filled with scrambled eggs, brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, cheddar cheese, and your choice of turkey, pork, or chicken breast. Add on avocado, marinated beef tenderloin, or andouille sausage for a nominal charge. For oatmeal lovers Irish Steel-Cut Oatmeal ($8) is available three different ways. Don't just stop at breakfast though, Sauce serves lunch and dinner too. Custom wraps from Tempeh to Tenderloin, soups, burgers, and salmon are on the menu. I find the chef to be creative and confident...like "going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you." Sauce on Hampton 259 Hampton Drive (310) 399-5400 Venice Hours: 8:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Daily 

Recommended Dishes: Super Breakfast Sandwich, Yukon Potatoes, Breakfast Burrito, Steel-Cut Oatmeal.

How come when I used to work in Culver City there was nothing there, and I mean nothing but liquor stores, and that old Sagebrush Cantina? Culver City has become home to many-a-fine restaurant and last night we found one that's at the top of my new favorites list. The Wallace, a true California eatery, located in downtown on Main Street serves sustainable fare by chef Joel David Miller.(Follow Your Heart) Food is seasonally inspired, thoughtfully executed, and mouth-wateringly delicious! But it doesn't come cheap. Tapas are the headliners on the menu, and they are plentiful. Start off with anything at the bar run by Greg Bryson. Order a glass of Lunatic white blend ($9), a bottle of Talbott Chardonnay ($47), a Dream Catcher ($12) with vodka, ginger, yellow chartreuse, and lime, or any of the beers on tap, ($8) then get ready to make some serious decisions! From the Jarred section we started off with Smoked Trout. ($11) Cucumbers, radishes, celery, yogurt, and chunks of trout are served in a jar alongside crispy toast. Sadly, I had to share this, but could have eaten two of these! The dish to die for was the Gruyere and Black Pepper Popover! ($6) Two of the world's best popovers are rolled in tons of parmesan and black pepper and served with addicting chive butter. Yes I asked for more butter. Are you kidding? Oh, and here's the funny part. I don't even like popovers! These were game changers! Next we enjoyed the Shrimp and Chickpea Pancake ($15). It's like a latke, but not kosher. Really not kosher! The two different textures crunchy and crispy melded very well together and took on a whole new meaning when dipped in homemeade hummus. I was pressured into ordering a vegetable instead of the Pee Wee Potatoes so Sprouting Broccoli ($13) with tahini, marinated feta and dukkah (Egyptian spices) was what we got. Note to self: You need a food dictionary for many things on this menu!  From the Sea we ordered the Roasted Scallops ($17) served with butternut squash, radicchio, balsalmic, and prosciutto. Scallops were plump and tender. On the Land side we enjoyed the Fried Mary's Chicken ($16) served with a fluffy Parker House roll. Chicken was moist and tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. With the chicken came a side of Chowchow. Again, friends, for those of you who don't know, Chowchow is a sweet southern vegetable relish consisting of cabbage, onions, and bell pepper plus sugar, vinegar, and spices). You can put it on my plate, but you can't make me eat it!  And as if that wasn't enough, one of us (me) had to go and order the Short Rib Ravioli.($16) This dish was outstanding but was such a small portion, that it left me wanting more; a lot more. Braised greens parmesan butter, and vincotto combine into a perfect sauce over about (no joke) six perfect short rib-stuffed ravioli. Dinner was absolutely delicious and a perfect 5 stars for me. Do yourself a favor after dinner and take a walk over to the Culver Hotel Bar to enjoy some live music and old movie aesthetics! The Wallace 3833 Main Street, Culver City. (310) 202-6400. Hours: Lunch M-F 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Brunch: Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Dinner M-Th-5:30-10:00 p.m. Fri-Sat: 5:30-11:00 p.m.

Recommended Dishes: Smoked Trout, Gruyere and Black Pepper Popovers, Sprouting Broccoli, Roasted Scallops, Shrimp and Chickpea Pancakes, Fried Mary's Chicken, Short Rib Ravioli.

Though my husband wanted to kill me when we walked into Fork in the Road Saturday night; after dinner he was in a happy mood! First off the place is noisy as hell, but what do you expect on Valentine's Day when it falls on Saturday night? I mean we could have stayed home and eaten Pollo Loco said no one ever, but instead we elected to join the Main Street crowd and sit at a communal table. (This was with a reservation 3 weeks in advance!) At least everyone was in love. The place is tiny with about ten squishy two-tops, so for my money, the communal table was just fine. I started with a nice glass of La Playa Chardonnay "un-oaked" ($9) from Chili. It was cool and crisp and so good that I may or may not have had a second glass. While my new found neighbors sipped Mid Summer Night Dreams ($11) with Vodka, Thai Basil, grapes, ginger and bubbles and Craft Drafts ($6-$9) my husband enjoyed a superb margarita. What to order was a big decision for me. I decided on the lovely mushroom flatbread. ($16). Everything here is farm to table and the flatbread arrived bubbling and perfectly accompanied by oregano, freshly grated reggiano parmeasan, and juicy black truffle mushrooms covered with manchego cheese. For dinner we both had the 12 oz grass-fed cross cut steak. Cooked to perfection, tender and pink, the sliced steak came with French Onion Fondue Risotto ($34). I must say that the risotto is one of the most delicious, creative dishes that I have eaten. It has all of the intense flavors of onion soup, but the texture of a perfect risotto. You can order risotto as a small plate as well ($13). Our new friends raved about the Braised Short Rib Ravioli ($28( with wood oven fired tomatoes, pecorino cheese and extra virgin olive oil from Adams Olive Ranch. Dessert was none other than Sticky Toffee Caramel Frozen Custard ($13). Don't even ask! Fork in the Road 2424 Main Street, Santa Monica. Hours: Dinner: Tues-Wed: 5pm-10pm, Thurs-Sat: 5pm-12pm, Sun 5pm-10pm Brunch: Sun: 11am-3pm "Hippie Hour"  Tues-Sun 5pm-7pm  Thurs-Sat 10pm-2 am Late Night Bites: Tues-Sun: 10pm-2am.

Hippie Hour Menu: Wood Fried Corn Nuts ($5) Farm Market Pickles ($5), Caesar Salad ($7), Salamon Tartare Jar ($9) Flatbreads ($11-$12) Drinks $6-$12. Plus more!

Brunch: Daily Bread ($12), Jars-Salmon ($16), Hummus ($9), herring ($13), Greens-Market Lettuces ($9), Eggs-Benedict ($17), Beef Brisket & Poached Eggs ($18), French Toast Cinnamon Rolls served with Sugar in the Raw butter and Michigan Maple Syrup.

Recommended Dishes: Flatbreads, Steak, Sticky Toffee Custard.

Johnny Come Lately, there's a new kid in town...wait that's an Eagles lyric. But hold on, there really is a new kid in town and I've already been there twice this week, even though I now reside in the Marina! Once for dinner, once for lunch, and I'm hooked! You will be too. Natural barnwood siding makes this luxurious, yet comfortable Calabasas farmhouse-like space warm and inviting. Executive chef Rovert van Houten, a recipient of the "Best Chefs in Los Angeles" award and former executive chef of The Friars Club of Beverly Hills uses fresh regional ingredients  susch as sustainable produce, humanely raised meats, and responsibly sourced seafood to provide guests with a fine dining experience. For dinner we had the New England Clam Chowder ($8) with garlic croutons. The soup is thick and hearty and can give any New Englander a run for its money. Also for $4 do yourself a favor and order the homemade bread. It comes piping hot from the oven and is so delicious and crusty that you'll definitely want more. Control yourself though and save room for a dish that comes with French fries. You have to. We had the Grass Fed Beef Burger ($12 plus $2 for cheese and $2 for applewood smoked bacon). The burger comes on a soft artisan bun with red onion, butter lettuce, Kirby pickle slices (super crunchy and mild in flavor), and those fries! The burger is huge and perfectly cooked to your liking. But it's those fries. They are to.die.for. Fresh cut potato fries are sprinkled with fines herbs. They are cruncy on the outside and soft and light on the inside. Dip them into some Sir Kennsington's Organic Ketchup and you'll be in heaven. The Fish and Chips ($20) changes daily but on the night we visited was halibut. Fish was battered then fried and served with those yummy fries. Portions are big and hearty. Other entrees such as lambchops ($38), NY Steak ($25), King Salmon ($21), Carribean Fish Stew ($25) plus salads and pastas round out the dinner menu. Oh, and don't forget the wine list! There are about 20 wines by the glass including favorites such as Jermann ($15), Davis Bynum ($13), and Michael David Syrah ($12).

Lunch was fantastic as well. My friend Amy and I enjoyed the yummy bread, hot from the oven. She had the Tuna Nicoise ($15), a house specialty and I enjoyed the Cesar Salad with Chicken ($15) We deemed both "out of this world!"

Service is quick, friendly and efficient. I would like to personally welcome Calabasas Farms to the neighborhood. Calabasas Farms 26791 Agoura Road Calabasas (818) 880-4360 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: Lunch 11:30-9:00 Saturday: 11:30-3:00 Dinner 5:00-10:00 p.m.

Recommended Dishes: Hamburger, Clam Chowder, Fish and Chips, French Fries, Homemade Bread, Caesar Salad, Salad Nicoise.