BoHo Gastropub

Photo courtesy of www.bohorestaurant.com

6372 W. Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA

www.bohorestaurant.com

What it is:

A BOhemian HOllywood gastropub serving up delectable food with a great selection of rotating draughts

Why I like it:

A constantly changing menu (both of food and beers) keeps this restaurant experience fresh--you never know what is going to be on the menu!

**Happy Hour is Monday-Thursday, 4-7pm with all pizza and draught beers 50% off!

**Half Priced Tuesday Nights, 5pm-closing, with everything 50% off!

**Bottomless Cocktails (champagne, mimosa, bloody mary, screwdrivers and raspberry sunrise) with brunch, Sundays 11:30am-3pm

Recommendations

Asparagus Pizza

What it is:

Asparagus, leeks, mushrooms, goat cheese, truffle oil, and mozzarella, all on a thin, crispy crust.

Why I like it:

An appetizing gourmet pizza! Wonderful thin crust with a nice crisp, and none of the ingredients are overpowering. The goat cheese and asparagus make a great combo!

Baked Fennel Pizza

What it is:

Baked Fennel, applewood bacon, caramelized onion, and gruyere all on a thin, crispy crust.

Why I like it:

An appetizing gourmet pizza! Wonderful thin crust with a nice crisp, and none of the ingredients are overpowering. Plus, you can't go wrong with bacon!

Fried Oyster 'Po Boy' Sliders

What it is:

Fried Oyster ‘Po Boy’ Sliders, gougeres, tartar sauce, applewood bacon, arugula

Why I like it:

Bite sized and perfect for sharing, these 'po boy' sliders are true to the original, without being too greasy.

Roasted Corn, Pepper and Tomato Chowder

This was a refreshing meal, perfect for when you don't want something too heavy but you still want the food to be tasty and satisfying. I served it with lightly fried portobello mushroom strips, which complimented the sweetness of the soup perfectly! Next time I am going to try to add a little roasted garlic for a little extra zing.

• 3  red bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 2  ears shucked corn
• 1 1/2  pounds  tomatoes, halved, seeded, and peeled (about 4)
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 4  cups  chopped onion (about 2 medium)
• 3  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Arrange bell peppers, skin side down, and corn in a single layer on a grill rack; grill 5 minutes, turning corn occasionally. Add tomatoes; grill an additional 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly charred. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Coarsely chop tomatoes and bell peppers; place in a medium bowl. Cut kernels from ears of corn; add to tomato mixture. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high, and stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool 20 minutes.

Place one-third of tomato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Place pureed mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining tomato mixture. Pour the pureed mixture back into the pan. Place pan over medium heat; cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Ladle  soup into bowls; top each serving with 2 teaspoons crumbled bleu cheese and 1 teaspoon chives.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Bleu Cheese

This was a quick and easy meal to prepare--and it was both satisfying and delicious! I like mushrooms, but wouldn't consider myself a huge mushroom fan--but I loved this meal and can't wait to make it again! I served it with baked sweet potato fries (recipe to follow).

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
4 large fresh portobello mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces bleu cheese, thinly sliced
4 large whole wheat hamburger buns or large kaiser rolls
1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and dried, stems removed

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, and rosemary. Place the mushrooms in a large re-sealable plastic bag, or a baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Prepare the grill.

Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper, and place gill sides-down on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn. Arrange the cheese on the gills of each mushroom and continue to cook until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Open the rolls and lightly toast on the grill, insides down.

Place 1 grilled mushroom inside each bun and garnish each, to taste, with spinach. Enjoy!

Homemade Guacamole

4 large ripe avocados

1 lime

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 C diced tomatoes

1/2 C diced red onion

fresh cilantro, to taste

Slice the avocados half and with the tip of the spoon, scoop all the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocado with the back of a spoon or fork and combine it with the diced onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Remember to not over-blend; guacamole is meant to be chunky! 

Top the mixture with the diced tomatoes and serve with warm flour tortillas or corn tortilla chips.

Tequila-Infused Steak Fajitas

This is a great way to "spice" up your weekly dinner routine! I marinated the steaks for 24 hours, which significantly reduced the amount of time I spent cooking and increased the amount of time I spent enjoying!

1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/4 C tequila
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbs roughly chopped cilantro leaves
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 pounds flank steak, fat trimmed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
6 large yellow corn tortillas
2 large green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic

In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, tequila, garlic, cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, and cumin. Pour into a large zip-lock bag, add the steak, and seal. Place in a baking dish and refrigerate for at least 12 and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove the meat from the bag and pat dry. Season on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.

Preheat the grill to high, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes to warm and soften. Remove from the oven and keep warm in the aluminum foil. You can also heat the tortillas in a skillet on top of the stove, if you prefer. 

Cook the steak over the grill to preferred temperature, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. I used a George Foreman grill, which also worked just fine. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions, and cook, stirring, until soft and slightly caramelized, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, remaining teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Divide among the warmed tortillas and top with the vegetables. Squeeze with lime juice and serve with a side of guacamole and sour cream.

Chicken Schnitzel

This is a quick and easy meal that is DELICIOUS! It hits the spot every time. 

Wiener Schnitzel is a popular Austrian dish, which is basically a boneless cutlet. It is typically either a thin cutlet of either veal of pork, coated in bread crumbs and fried. I personally like the chicken version, as it is easier to find and tastes just as good!

1 pound chicken breast filets (try to find the thinnest cuts available)

1-2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 egg

2 C all-purpose flour

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.

If you were unable to purchase thin chicken breast filets, you can also pound the filets until they have thinned out a bit of you can cut them in half, width-wise. The thinner the filets, the better the schnitzel will taste!

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, take one of the chicken filets and dip it in the egg, then coat in the flour mixture (Hint: to avoid "flour fingers", use a fork or tongs to transfer the filet from egg to flour). Repeat until all the filets have been coated in the egg and flour mixture. 

Once the oil has heated up, place filets in the skillet and cook 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. (Note: cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the filets). 

Once cooked through, remove from pan and place on a paper towel-covered plate (this will soak up the extra grease). Repeat until all filets are cooked.

Enjoy with a mixed spring salad tossed in olive oil and vinegar, or other light dressing. You can also try it with whole wheat pasta with pesto or olive oil. 

The great thing about this dish is you can vary the seasonings in the flour mixture. I personally like to add Old Bay seasoning, fresh rosemary, red pepper, or lemon zest depending on my mood. 

Mäni’s Bakery

*Photo courtesy of Eater LA

519 S. Fairfax

Los Angeles, CA

www.manisbakery.com

What it is:

A cute bakery and restaurant in the Fairfax district that serves up delicious, healthy food

Why I like it:

Good prices for an enjoyable dining experience. Plus, their entire menu has an index for foods which are vegetarian, vegan (or can be made vegetarian or vegan), gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, and egg free. They try to use less fat and more protein in classic American meals, three meals a day, seven days a week.

**Mondays-Fridays before 11am all breakfast entrees are $9.98

**Sundays-Fridays after 5pm you can get a burger, fries and a refillable drink for $9.98

Recommendations:

Eggs Benedict

What it is:

"We start with a freshly baked English muffin and two poached eggs. Between them goes your choice of turkey ham or spinach. Our house-made Hollandaise tops it off, and voila! A classic!"

Why I like it:

It's a healthy take on the classic brunch dish that fills you up without weighing you down. Well done!

Veggie Scramble

What it is:

"This colorful scramble is a combo of bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, green onions and feta cheese."

Why I like it:

It is a perfect balance of veggies and cheese, leaving me perfectly satisfied. I tried it with goat cheese, which was a tasty variation!

Huevos with Blackstones

What it is:

"Though they might sound heavy, our “blackstones” are healthy lightweights. Black Bean-Quinoa cakes between two poached egg whites and a bed of steamed spinach. Our homemade Ranchero Sauce seals the deal."

Why I like it:

It is a spice-tastic breakfast that is sure to wake you up! We have ordered it the past two times we've eaten at Mani's; it's that good!