Thai Patio

Tark took me to this spot in Thai Town and you will absolutely never order TG express again. The eggplant-basil with fried tofu (5.99) can feed you for 2-3 meals and is OMG. Laila ordered pad thai, which was good, but once she tried the eggplant/basil/tofu, she gave up any pretense of eating her own dish. Granted, Chan Dara is still probably the nicest interior of a thai restaurant in LA, but for the Wow-goodness of this place's food, plus the unbeatable prices, it's solid.
I wish they delivered this far....
Oh, located on Hollywood blvd, if you take the 101, go east at the exit, and it's a few blocks, so it'll be between Western and Normandie.

link to the citysearch for map and hours
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/44553034/hollywood_ca/thai_patio.html

South American dinner

So we just had probably one of our best menu's to date at a Moroccan Hound, and to commemorate it I am posting with the links to some of those recipes. I am always so amazed at how it comes together, as almost no one chooses what they'll make until the day of and I am stressing that we'll have 5 desserts and no main dish or something equally disproportionate. So the theme was a very general one, South American cuisine, and the menu:
Lily on the ceviche (ack, i do not have her recipe, but it had avocado and tilapia, yum)
Kate with a large chicken-chorizo empanada which was zomg delish.

I made fried macha bananas and chili-rubbed pork tenderloin (not really a south american recipe but i figure the chili powder made it count)

I didn't use a recipe, i just fried chunks of the bananas in butter and sprinkled cinnamon & brown sugar over them liberally.


I seared the pork on the stove first, as the recipe said, and then baked it (400 degrees, 16-18 minutes), perfect pinkness, perfect.
Tark, our brownie lady, made black bean brownies (only person to have ever made me eat black beans). Don't worry, there is no taste of bean-i-ness, it just adds to the texture.
and most importantly: Alex and Laila with mojitos
Also, Marzouk brought sugarcane and I have never had that before, really interesting.
All around, very delicious and all the recipes are worthwhile.