3 Square Café

It's not called Foursquare, its named 3 Square Café.

That's interesting.  Because it's not rated four stars, it's worth three stars on Yelp.

I've dined at 3 Square Café a couple of times, hoping that the next experience will be tastier than the last.  I definitely like the food the parent company (Röckenwagner Bakery) puts out, but this restaurant doesn't seem to tweet my twitter or pace my facebook.  It just bugs my blog.

My culinary journey launched with the avocado fries with fire-roasted salsa.  It's one of those items thats sounds better than it actually is - a reconstruction of salsa and guacamole that charges you $7.00.  Nice to download once - silly to save it on your desktop.

Next was the pretzel burger with caramelized onions and swiss cheese ($9.50).  Pretzel burgers are hard to come by, so I had to take the opportunity to jump on it.  I wouldn't say the burger was bad, but in a town where you're competing with Umami, Steingarten, and countless other burger joints, a $10 burger better be good.  Unfortunately, I found this burger to be on the dry side and lacking sufficient flavor in the bun.  This is where an alert box would pop up on my computer to tell me something went wrong.

The main bit of the show was a flat iron steak with purple potatos and salad ($19.95).  This dish was actually pretty good, but is only offered ocassionally as a special.  It went well with the wine the waitress offered me, which is definitely a plus.  

Looking back on my experience at 3 Square Café, I would definitely give it another shot if they improved some of their dishes.  They have excellent presentation and creativity, but they need to work on the flavor.   3 Square Café has a great selection of beer and wines to compliment the German-Californian cuisine, and are located right along Abbot Kinney which makes for good people watching.  I don't want to wipe them from my hard drive just yet!  

I should mention, their sister restaurant Röckenwagner Santa Monica Bakery makes exceptional baked goods.  I would definitely recommend their souffle cakes!

Intelligentsia Coffee

#WHATSHOULDWECALLME : Trying to sleep after drinking too much coffee (click here)

Let's be honest.  You know you probably need to cut back on the coffee to avoid looking like this pup.  But, let's keep it real.  Coffee shops like Intelligencia make it too hard to do that.

For those of you who saw The Green Hornet (2011) starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou, you'll remember that Kato's coffee was more than a just a drink (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0ELX1UYKiQ).  It was an art form, speaking to the senses from all angles.  Similar to that are the espresso drinks at Intelligentsia. Think of it like the scene from The Green Hornet:

[Enter into Intelligentsia]

You smell the slightly toasted arabica beans right when you walk into the cafe.  (Its slightly sweet, with notes of brown sugar and chestnut.)  

Your ears start to buzz as the espresso machine is fired up, and the beans begin to grind.  

Once the milk is poured into the cup, you admire the barrista for their intriqate skill at latte art.  

After the drink is given to you, the heat from the cup transfers into hands signalling your brain that it's time to enjoy this marvelous cup of happiness.

[Exit with smile on face]

Intelligentsia has been voted #1 coffee shop in Los Angeles time and time again. Clearly, it's no surprise that you walk out of this place happier than you did walking in! The lines can build up quickly (especially with hipsters, hippies and the like), so chassé down to a location near you! http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/locations

Sunnin Lebanese Café

Patience is Beautiful
الصبر جميل

In Arabic, there is a proverb that says “patience is beautiful”. After years of digging for succulent chicken kebabs and tender strips of shawarma, I have alas found the perfect Middle Eastern restaurant in the Westside. Hidden down the street from Persian Square, Sunnin Café truly caters to the most aromatic of palates at an affordable price. Alas, you don’t need to travel as far as Beirut to get a taste of Lebanon.

Shish Tawook (Chicken Kebab)
Chicken breast marinated with garlic grilled on a skewer served with rice, salad, garlic sauce and pita bread ($15.00)

Combo Grill

One skewer of beef kebab, chicken kebab, and kefta Kebab served with hommos, rice, salad and pita bread ($18.00)

In comparison to other Middle Eastern restaurants in the neighborhood, I feel like Sunnin Lebanese Café makes me feel like I'm eating in someone's home. It's not as exquisite as Mezze or Cleo, but it sure is tasty! I usually forgo the rice and double up on the salad because of their excellent lemon mint vinaigrette. If it's your first time, I strongly suggest the combo grill for a taste of everything!
 

For more information, please visit their website at http://sunnin.com/?/home/  Parking is available on the street and in their parking lot.