Chez Nous - $$

Sushi Sho was closed, so we headed up the street to Chez Nous, a French bistro. What's a bistro? I think it's just a cafe, right? But, it's a cafe that sells croissants?

When we said that Italian Fisherman was the best on the street so far, that was BEFORE we crossed over to where the other half eats. And, lemme tell ya, I felt a little out of place, but it felt good. Maybe it's because I'm secretly a big fan of stands and burrito joints. Maybe it's because I haven't seen true table service in a long time. Gotta get out more. But, this place was really great.

Service: 5 forks!! 2 people asked for our drink orders. Our waters were never more than half empty. Very attentive.

Ambience: upscale coffee shop. Inside, there's a piano with tables along the wall, and an interesting sunken section with more tables. They have live music on weekend evenings. OR you can sit in a bakery section that's bright and sunny with a big fat pastry counter...just a warning. ALL of their handcrafted pastries looked almost too pretty to eat. Almost. But, nothing's too pretty to eat.

This might be a neighborhood French bistro, but you still can't get away from the Hollywood power lunch. We spotted a guy in a suit looking too cool for school on a Sat. afternoon talking very animatedly with another suit. I can spot a pitch anywhere. At least, I don't think he was talking about his date the night before.

Food: We thought we'd try new dishes. Cobb salad is so blase in a place like this. And onion soup would be too obvious. Laurie had a salmon sandwich. They hollowed out a homemade french roll and stuffed it with spinach, onion and salmon. Then, put the top back on and held it in place with a slice of melted cheese. It was a little tricky to eat, but she handled herself well. If there's a way to eat, we'll find it. She had a salad with their house dill dressing - "scrumptious." 4 forks.

I had the mango chutney chicken salad in cantaloupe. The chicken salad had raisins, apples, cashews and kick. It was sitting in a sculpted melon. Eating a bite of melon was refreshing against the spicy chicken salad. Perfect combo. Oh, and it came with a warm, fresh outta the oven croissant. It was buttery, flaky, and the spawn of Satan. 5 forks.

Bathroom: Red tile from top to bottom, and TWO sinks! Clean, with soft, forgiving lighting. 5 forks.

Overall rating: 5 forks. It would have been 6, but if they win, Laurie can't get 6 forks glued on a paper plate.

Another friend of mine said she'd had bad food experiences here, and now, only goes for the bread. We had a great time with attentive service and tasty, creative cuisine. Another friend had been to the Italian Fisherman before and had a bad experience. Weird. We don't know what to say, but Riverside's been good to us. So far, so yummy. Knock on wood.

Next up: We gotta backtrack to Sushi Sho. They have 1/2 price happy hour sushi. Yahoo!!

General invite

Often, we don't know when we're going to eat somewhere. Either I'll call Laurie or she'll call me and we'll decide spur of the moment. Even then, the date/time might change based on our mood or the seasons. Who knows. But, I figured that if it feels pretty set, then I'll post it on the blog as a general invite and see if people want to join us.

Since Riverside looks like it'll be a pricier street, we have 2 options - eat out for dinner, but less often, or eat at lunch for the specials. We are all about eating more often than less, so we're opting for the 2nd choice.

We're going to Sushi Sho in Toluca Lake on Sat., Aug. 19 at noon. If you're free, come on by. Be our guest Dinette and I'll put it on the blog. The address is 10658 Riverside. Nearest cross street is Cahuenga. It's in a strip mall. Ya gotta eat, so why not there? And why not with us? I mean, I bathe or at least promise to.

See you there. If not, read about it and wish you were.

Italian Fisherman - $

We've finally made it to Toluca Lake, aka the Promised Land. I thought we'd never get here. This is going to be a fun ride, albeit expensive, but fun.

I've driven by the Italian Fisherman many times and have wondered what it's like inside. I guess part of the reason I haven't gone in is because I've secretly waited for it to go out of business like others in that space before it. But, this one seems to be standing the test of time. They must be doing something right.

Ambience: coffee shop comfy meets fast food friendly. There are booths with pendant lighting. Warm, deep beiges along the walls and seats. A counter stretches the length of the dining room. When we walked up to it, we were greeted by a very buxom, motherly Italian woman. She was my long lost Italian mom. I think everyone needs a large Italian mom to call you, "Honey" at the end of a long day while ordering fish. You think I'm kidding? I'm so not. 4 forks.

Bathrooms: Clean, and not being used for storage, which is always a welcome relief. 4 forks.

Food: They say their fish is broiled "to perfection." So, we gave it the Dinette test. They have different types of fish, and you get to choose your sauce - teriyaki, garlic butter, or cajun seasoning. Laurie ordered the ahi tuna steak with teriyaki glaze, their "famous garlic and onion potatoes" and a cup of homemade clam chowder for only an extra $1.50. Her soup was a great start to a really outstanding meal. They didn't tell us it was homemade, but when there's a big fat bay leaf floating around in the styrofoam cup, it's pretty obvious. It had generous portions of red potatoes. Every meal comes with their homemade sourdough bread and garlic butter. How can something so soft, delicate and tasty be artery clogging? I don't believe it! But, then again, Satan can come dressed in sheep's clothing. 4 forks.

Laurie brought her dog, so we ate on the patio. The owner offered water to the dog. Any place that offers to take care of the dog is top notch in Laurie's book.

I almost ordered the baked eggplant parmesan. But, when eating at the Italian FISHERMAN, it might be a good idea to try the fish. I ordered the trout "broiled to perfection" with cajun seasoning and steamed veggies. Lemme tell ya. They ain't kidding. I'm not that good with cooking fish because it's so hard to tell when it's done. But, this really was broiled to perfection! It was light, flaky and melted in my mouth. The cajun seasoning wasn't spicy, just flavorful. I mean, fuggedaboutit. Trout doesn't have a whole lot of meat on it, so if you've got a small appetite, this is a good dish for you. But, if you're me, you order a slice of cheese pizza. My Italian momma heated up the thin crust in the oven. She took care of me! I folded it in half and ate it like a New Yorker, or at least, like an angeleno who's been to NYC a coupla times. It was lightly sweet. 4.5 forks.

Laurie: "This place is close to being the Best on the Street." We both agreed that we have to come here more often.

Dessert: When the menu says, "Ask about our dessert selections," consider it a bit of a warning. I mean, if a restaurant isn't advertising dessert on the menu, and is making you work for it, then maybe it's best to leave it alone. I got a piece of cheesecake to split. We put our forks in and hit the hard, still frozen middle. Hmm...well, if you ignore dessert, this place is still tops. Or, if you get dessert, get it to go, so it'll be defrosted by the time you get home.

At the Italian Fisherman they make a great deal of their menu from scratch including the tomato sauce and dough. Many of their ingredients are organic with no preservatives. So, if a health conscious meal for under $10 is what you're craving, this is your place. Welcome to your new hangout. Say hi to momma for me.

Overall rating: 4.5 forks.

Next up on the Riverside whistle stop tour: Sushi Sho Japanese Restaurant.