Aug/094
Gluten-Free Foodie Quest #1: Best Pasta Alternative
Written by Renee, Special Contributor
Schar, Renee's Pick for Best Pasta Alternative
I recently made an awful discovery…I’m gluten intolerant. Truth be told, I suspected it for a long while, I just didn’t want to give up all of that amazing gluten filled food, so I lived in denial. But then there’s nothing like horrible stomach pain and digestive “issues” to push someone out of denial. For a self-proclaimed “foodie” this was a devastating realization. I know that sounds dramatic, obviously there are many, many more horrendous things…but I’m sure those of you who are faced with the same issue are feeling my pain. No more bread, pasta, brownies, cookies, etc…unless I wish to consume one of the myriad of “gluten-free” alternatives out there. Yes, I’m grateful to be living in a time when there truly are a multitude of options, but so far my foray into those options has, with a few exceptions, been less than appetizing.
Being half Italian and growing up in a family where food (specifically pasta) was love, one of my first priorities was to find gluten-free pasta. I tried Trader Joe’s brown rice pasta with less than happy results. Simply put, it was gummy, regardless of my efforts not to overcook it. I then searched a few blogs and found that several recommended Tinkyada, which is another brown rice pasta. I purchased a bag of fusilli and I carefully followed the cooking instructions (as advised by the bloggers). Sadly, I wasn’t impressed. The texture was a little too soft and the taste was well, like brown rice (what a surprise).
Trader Joe's brand was too gummy
Tinkyada didn't make the grade
Still on the hunt, I ventured into the Simply Gluten Free Specialty Grocery (behind Roxy’s deli on TO Boulevard), and I asked for a recommendation. The woman told me that there was a brand that was virtually indistinguishable from the real deal. I was in, or at least willing to give it a go. I purchased two packages of Schar (made in Italy…and Europe’s #1 gluten-free pasta!). To my surprise and delight, it was actually very good. Not indistinguishable from the real thing, but good nonetheless. Two minor complaints. Number one, if I’m going to pay nearly 6 bucks for a package of pasta, please give me a full pound! The Schar packages are 12 ounces. Number two, the pasta fell apart a bit when I reheated it to eat as a leftover. All in all, I’m loving my Schar pasta and I’m bellyache free!
Stay tuned for quest #2…best gluten-free brownie!
Jul/09205
Riviera Restaurant and Lounge, Calabasas
Written by Cris, Special Contributor
Located in the Babies-R-Us shopping center in Calabasas, this casually elegant destination was just the place to celebrate a recent birthday. I found it as I was looking for the phone number of an all-time favorite, Tuscany il Ristorante, in Westlake Village. They are both owned by Tommaso Barletta, also owner of Rustico in Oak Park. With that kind of reputation preceding it, I was counting on my friend Elisa being in for a treat.
We were not disappointed as we sampled a number of dishes and stuffed ourselves silly. I couldn’t resist ordering the Frito Misto with a spicy tomato sauce for starters, it was just as crisp and delicious, with a squirt of lemon, as we’d had at Tuscany. This is probably the only fried dish any of us would ever order, and very few places make it as tasty and grease-free as they do (Galetto is a close second, but theirs is strictly calamari, which is not a bad thing).
We really wanted a glass of wine, but hesitated knowing a siesta was not in our near future. The waitress graciously offered to split a Chardonnay three ways, and right there we knew the service and staff would shine as they do at Tomasso’s other restaurants.
Deciding what to order presented a challenge, so many things sounded so good. After listening to their specials in detail twice, my friend Polly settled on the Nicoise Salad with Seared Yellowtail Tuna. I had to assume she liked it since she cleaned her plate leaving nothing behind. Elisa chose the Roasted Lamb, Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Bell Pepper sandwich, served with these skinny, super crispy fries. Lucky me, she shared it with me. I ordered the Cioppino of Fresh Seafood, knowing that my friends would love to taste it. I remembered having this at Rustico, a huge assortment of seafood so well seasoned and prepared I had had a hard time not eating it all despite the fact it easily serves two. It was, as were all the dishes, more than you’d expect for a lunch portion, and plenty to share between two, especially if ordering an appetizer, or if wanting room for dessert.
This we agreed to skip this time, realizing we had shamelessly enjoyed every bite of our meals. However the waitress surprised us with a lovely dish of rich vanilla ice cream surrounded by berries with a birthday candle on top. Not wanting to be rude, we managed to share it making it the perfect ending to a very nice luncheon with special friends.
Riviera Restaurant and Lounge
23683 Calabasas Rd
Calabasas, CA 91302
818-224-2163
Sunday-Thursday for 30% OFF on the
total check for Happy Hour in the Lounge from 4PM-7PM!!
Lunch Hours
Monday-Friday: 11:30 - 2:30
Dinner Hours
Monday-Thursday: 5:00 - 10:00
Friday-Saturday: 5:00 - 10:30
Sunday: 5:00 - 10:00
Jul/0929
a favorite chocolate treat
If Dan’s been particularly sweet to me, or if I’m just in a lovey mood, I’ll splurge and buy him a 5 Star Chocolate Bar by Lake Champlain Chocolates at Whole Foods. They’re not cheap — $3.49 for a 1.8 oz bar. But they are oh-so-good. They’re made by hand, and the Peanut one is the best — the peanut butter is smooth and creamy and has chunks of peanuts and crisp rice all coated in a very smooth milk chocolate. But don’t keep it in the fridge like I did last night. It’s way better at room temp.
Get one for your honey the next time you’re even remotely near Whole Foods. 
Jul/090
Galletto Bar and Grill, Westlake Village
This is one of our go-to restaurants, because it’s consistently good and we really crave their food. They know how to do chicken right, so if you love chicken, please go here and try the brazilian chicken. Yes, a little Brazilian-Italian restaurant right here in our neck of the woods, with lots of authentic South American dishes and a long list of pastas.
I always wonder how restaurants with huge menus are able to make each item delicious. Not all of them can pull it off (sorry, Jerry’s). Galletto’s does pull it off, though, with a ginormous menu and fantastic food! I have to admit, I get the same thing there every time (the brazilian chicken with rice, beans and plantains), but it’s why I go there! Fellow Galletto fans have ordered a variety of dishes from the menu, though, including our cousin (a very picky vegetarian) and she loved their pasta.
And they start you off right - toasty bread with a salty olive tapenade. And it’s one of those places where you just want a glass of wine - maybe it’s the ambiance or the lighting, maybe it’s the salty tapenade :).
I recommend Galletto’s to anyone, although I have a few suggestions. Be prepared on Friday and Saturday nights for live music. It’s a small and tight dining room, so you may be seated VERY near the speakers, and it’s loud. They do have outdoor seating, but it always seems to be full. And it’s kind of scene there on the weekend - which is great if you’re in the mood for people watching.
Galletto Bar and Grill
982 Westlake Boulevard
Westlake Village 91361
(805) 449-4300
Hours:
Monday - Thursday
11:30am - Midnight
Friday and Saturday
11:30am - 12:30am
Sunday
4:00pm - 10:30pm
Jul/090
Wolfgang Puck La Bistro, Westlake Village
Although this was our 3rd choice of restaurants that night after Galletto’s and Cisco’s (it was one of those nights where you restaurant hop hoping to find one with less than a 20 minute wait, only to realize later you should have stayed at the first place), but it turned out to be the best choice. It was our first time there, and we were pleasantly surprised by a number of things.
First, we were greeted in front of the restaurant with samples of the Margherita Pizza, and it was fantastic! The dough was perfectly thin and chewy, and the sauce was very flavorful. When we found out we could be seated right away, we were hooked. The outdoor seating was very nice - although there was a drunk girl right next to us harassing the server the whole time (she did say I was pretty, though!). But that didn’t taint our view of the restaurant - because the service was perfect and the food was delicious and well-priced.
The menu offers a great selection of salads, pastas, pizzas and main dishes (all are under $19), including the Tandoori Chicken which was just the right amount of spicy and complimented well with a cool mint raita. Dan ordered the warm pastrami sandwich (he’d never had pastrami before!) and loved it. Oh! And the fries were killer.
Although we didn’t take them up on it, they do offer the Wolfgang’s Dinner Duo, the Chef’s daily selection of Half Pasta or Half Pizza with Salad and your choice of any glass of wine for $15. That seems like a steal.
Wolfgang Puck La Bistro
30961 Agoura Rd
Westlake Village, CA 91361
(818) 597-1902
Jun/090
Leila’s, Oak Park
We have a love affair with Leila’s. It’s our favorite local place to eat, especially for occasions when we aren’t considering budget. When we go there, we know we’ll splurge on a bottle of wine, an appetizer, salads, main courses and dessert - because it’s all that good. The ambiance is perfect for an anniversary, valentine’s day or other special, romantic event. For all the hours I spend wearing sweats and a t-shirt with my baby, I LOVE getting dressed up to go to Leila’s. It isn’t that it’s a super fancy place, either, but it’s just one of those places that screams “date night”, at least to me, and that’s cause for putting on a necklace and a dress perhaps.
How to review this place… well… let me just tell you about a few of the items we love from their menu.
Appetizer: Crispy Lobster Tempura. I can’t not get this. I crave it. The sauce, a dynamite aioli, is spicy and tangy and goes amazingly well with the lobster and the grape tomatoes. It’s all garnished with delicious caviar which adds just the right amount of salty texture. Oh the deliciousness.
Salads: We’ve tried just about all they have to offer, and they’re all great. Dan loves a caesar, and he gets the hearts of romaine often. He loves the crispy rice they put on it, to add a good crunch. I love the roasted beet salad, but I love beets.
Main: The GRILLED FILET MIGNON is to die for. It comes with potato batons, grilled asparagus, and green peppercorn “au poivre” sauce. You can tell that it’s fatty and that’s why it tastes so damn good. Don’t think about it, just get it. They always recommend other items to us, and we’ve tried and loved many of the other seasonal dishes. You really can’t go wrong, I’m sure of it.
Leila’s
752 Lindero Canyon Road
Oak Park, CA 91377
818-707-6939
Open Tuesday - Sunday from 5:00pm, closed on Monday.
May/090
Oak Park Farmer’s Market - Opening Day
While in theory I’d like to, I just don’t end up buying all of my produce at the farmer’s market every week. I love the freshness and the opportunity to support local farmers. I like the communal feel to a good outdoor market. I love that people bring their dogs, their kids, and it feels like a little party. But I’m a seasonal farmer’s market shopper. I go when the weather (or a good friend) pulls me there. So when I read the Oak Park Farmer’s Market was opening today, amid a week of 90+ degree heat, I thought - get there when it opens at 9am, and stay only as long as you need to.
Cris and Ryan joined me on the trip, which made for a lovely outing. Cris chased Ryan around and allowed me to browse more than I would have been able to without her. I had a list with me - ingredients for mother’s day brunch the next day: four kinds of berries, a brioche loaf, eggs, pecans, white peaches, russets and thyme. (Yes, it’s going to be yummy.) Most of which I expect to find at a local outdoor market here. Eggs are not always available, though how awesome when they are. I grew up with chickens and feel particularly nostalgic about fresh eggs.
Unfortunately, the market did not deliver for me. At least not for my list. I was able to get strawberries of course, and white peaches. But that’s it! I wasn’t disappointed, though. I know it’s a new market and getting a good variety of vendors is going to take a while I imagine. I was pleasantly surprised to find a few new items, and that to me marks a good market. That and kettle corn. Oh the smell of kettle corn!
I’m glad Oak Park got a market. I wish every community had one - they’re great for socializing and for promoting buying local and organic. They’re not intended to be full-service grocery stores, or to be your one-stop shop for everything on your list. If you’re lucky you’ll sample some delicious fruit, listen to a little live music and enjoy wonderful weather with friends. And on that it definitely did deliver.
May/090
Bellavino Wine Bar and Restaurant, Westlake Village
Between the two of us, Dan and I have been to Bellavino at least 8 times. We had such a lovely experience there in April 2008 that we decided to take the whole family back for Mother’s Day that year. During our last visit a week ago, we ordered and ordered - a bottle of wine, cheese, entrees and a dessert. It’s time to review the place.
I personally love the wine and cheese service. Some say it’s overpriced, but for me having chunks of rich delicious cheese, crackers, honey and fruit set before me is a luxury and a few extra bucks isn’t going to sway my opinion of it. I love it. The cheese selection is exciting and the ecroutements are perfect - I especially love the honey/fruit/cheese combo myself. The wine selection is ginormous, if not entirely overwhelming. The staff seems to be able to help with this, and we’ve been directed to a number of well-matched pairings.
Another plus is the outside ambiance. The built-in outdoor fireplace is rustic and romantic and provides the perfect amount of heat for the small patio space. Given the choice and if the weather is nice, I’ll always sit outside.
The staff has also always been warm and friendly. This goes a long way as we all know and hubby and I certainly appreciate being treated well while out to dinner.
Although we’ve never been to Bellavino’s special events or wine tastings, we hear very good things about them. Most we’ve spoken with believe the value is extraordinary and worth a trip to check them out. During our last visit, they were promoting an event celebrating the anniversary of Woodstock complete with live music.
So if you’re looking for an upscale place to go for drinks with friends, to meet with potential clients or for a romantic way to start an evening, go to Bellavino for the wine and cheese and sit outside. Chat up your server. But my suggestion would be to go somewhere else for the main course.
Bellavino Wine Bar
3707 East Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Westlake Village, CA 91362
805-557-0202
Hours: Tue-Wed 5-11 pm Thur-Sat 5pm-1am