DESERT DEALS - Sunday Brunch at Pieros Acqua Piazza

For Mother's Day we had reservations at Pieros Acqua Piazza at THE RIVER.  Our table on the shaded outdoor patio was underneath water misters to keep the temperature ideal.

They offer a New 3-Course Brunch for only $19.95 served from 11 am to 3 pm.  The first course has 8 items, such as the Wild Mushroom Soup with a touch of white truffle oil and chopped chives or the South of the Border Gazpacho with Shrimp, and a Tower of Avocado and Ahi Tuna Tartar. All are superb. Course 2 offers 16 different entree items. 

The Seafood Benedict (photo) had two poached eggs with lobster, crabmeat, and bay shrimps on top of English Muffins and topped with Hollandaise sauce. It was scrumptious. The Cobb omelet is filled with ham, chicken, tomatoes, bacon, avocado, and green onions. The Monte Cristo looked sweet and filling, as did the Curry Chicken salad. Course 3 is dessert and they have 5 in the selection.  The Green Tea sorbet was light and refreshing, while the Triple flourless chocolate cake was decadent.

Another great deal is for $4.95 one can have champagne or Mimosas with 2 refills. Whoopee!
Pieros Acqua Piazza - 71-800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA  (760) 862-9800.

A New Darling in the Desert -DINK'S

My father goes to the newest darling in the desert - DINK'S every Tuesday evening.  From 6pm to 7pm they offer complimentary ballroom dance classes before Ted Herman's Orchestra hits their first note for Tuesday's Tribute to the Big Bands.

When he suggested we dine at DINK'S last Saturday evening, I was game to try a new place.  Located in the north end of Palm Springs, this sexy supper club attracts all types of people, because of the friendly ambiance, innovative lounge food and live music. 

One must start with a basket of their Famous Garlic Cheese Bread.  It's made fresh to order and arrives hot and tasty.  My favorite item is their 1/3 lb. steak-knife burger served with handmade potato chips seasoned with Parmesan cheese (see photo).  I tried the veggie burger and my husband ordered the Ahi Tuna Steak.

The rainbow sushi roll was fresh and colorful. The five spice Hoisin ribs are cooked to perfection.  The meat just fell off the bones.   

Save room for dessert.  Elvis's Famous Red Velvet Chocolate cake is worthy of a king and the Hot Chocolate Lava cake is served with vanilla ice cream and Heath Bar Crunch (photo).

DINK'S - 2080 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
(760) 327-7676.

Billy's - Glendale's Best Deli

I won two gift certificates to Billy's Deli on Orange Ave. in Glendale.  Rick is not fond on deli's, yet was willing to go with me today to use the certificate before it expired.  From the outside it didn't "wow" us, but when our food arrived we were pleasantly pleased.

My husband, a meat-lover, ordered a Triple Decker of Roast Beef, Turkey and Swiss Cheese with Russian dressing.  It was huge and served with terrific cole slaw. (see photo)

I was curious to try the Vegetarian Reuben on grilled rye bread with avocado, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, tomato. It was fantastic.  The small bowl of deli pickles complimented our sandwiches.
The friendly waitress told  Katie that if she ate all her lunch, she would receive a cookie.  There was no way she could finish her grilled ham and cheese with steak fries, so we boxed it up and showed our waitress her clean plate. Kids receive a free chocolate cookie covered with sprinkles.  A perfect ending to a great deli meal.

The place has plenty of booths and an extensive menu.  From chopped liver to healthy and low cal plates. The prices are less than most deli's and on Tuesdays they offer Turkey Tuesdays with many dishes around $7.95.

So next time you crave a good breakfast, Pastrami sandwich, or tasty chicken dinner, try Billy's Deli and Cafe for great food at fair prices.

Billy’s Deli & Café - 216 N. Orange Street, Glendale, CA 91203, Phone: (818) 246-1689
Go to http://www.billydelis.com/ for their daily specials

DINING DEAL - ROY'S ALOHA HOUR in Pasadena

We arrived inside Roy's in Pasadena at 6:41 pm on a Friday night and the place was packed.  Especially in the bar area. WHY? The Laker's were playing on one TV and the Dodgers on another. Also, patrons were enjoying Roy's Aloha Hour. Monday thru Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, it's Roy's Aloha Hour where all items on the special menu are just $5.

My favorite Lobster California Roll - $5.  Roy's Original Hawaiian Martini of Maui pineapples infused with SKYY Vodka, Stoli Vanilla Vodka, and Malibu Coconut Rum, served with a fresh pineapple.  DELICIOUS and only $5.  Roy's Island Mai Tai and all of his fresh Hawaiian Specialty cocktails are only $5.

Other favorites is the Crunchy Golden Lobster Potskickers served on top of a spicy tagarashi miso butter sauce.  Tempura Crusted Ahi Roll with a miso butter sauce, Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Wagyu Beef Sliders served with Chipotle Aioli and Garlic Truffle Sweet Potato Fries.   ALL $5.  Where can you get a premium cocktail and delicious meal for $10 a person on a Friday night?

Get to Roy's no later by 6:15 pm, because the computer switches off on the Happy Hour specials once the clock turns 6:30 pm.

Roy's Pasadena -  621 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA, (626) 356-4066.

Divino Brentwood is Delish

One of the best things about Divino in Brentwood, just South of Sunset Blvd. is Goran Milic.  This handsome chef/owner from Montenegro, warmly smiles and welcomes guests into this Italian cafe. 
Our lunch started with a complimentary cup of Toscan style Italian Wedding soup.  Wonderful Italian bread slowly cooked with fresh tomatoes and basil was warm and satisfying.

As we looked over the menu and listened to the specials I noticed the chef creates many calamari dishes.  The Pasta Fagiole del Mare has cut pasta, canellini beans with shrimp, clams and calamari. Insalata di Mare has shrimp, clams, calamari, roasted peppers tossed with extra-virgin oil, lemon and fresh greens.  Linguine al Frutti di Mare is served in a zesty tomato sauce with fresh clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp.

We decided to order a Fungi Pizza and house salad.  A simple, yet pleasing meal for two long time friends.


DIVINO is located at 11714 Barrington Court, Brentwood - (310) 472-0886.  Open for lunch, brunch and dinner.

Cafe Angelica is Heavenly

We recently attended the 18th Annual Taste of Solvang.  With our tasting map in hand, we strolled over to Cafe Angelica to sample their sauteed Marsala mushrooms.  Sauteed in garlic and a sweet Marsala wine, this was a taste of heaven.  We continued on our appetizing adventure sampling strudel, Italian sausage, and Danish meatballs with cabbage.  I enjoyed all of these tasty morsels, however I longed for another dish of the sweet mushrooms.

In the early evening we participated in the Vintner's Walk.  With a wine glass in hand, we walked into Mandolina, Wandering Dog wine bar, and Carivinta's for generous pours of reds and whites, plus listened to live bands, nibbled on cheese and crackers, and learned about different varieties of wines.
In need of a substantial dinner, we walked over to Cafe Angelica for a dish of their Chicken Marsala with mushrooms, Eggplant Parmigiana, Butternut Squash Raviloi and Filet Mignon stuffed with Bleu Cheese, wild mushrooms, topped with Sherry and Mascarpone Cheese sauce. 

Satisfied with our meal, we opted to forgo dessert this time, however we will return again on our next trip to Solvang. Cafe Angelica is a blissful dining experience.

Cafe Angelica 490 First Street, Solvang (805) 686-9970

DISH Bistro and Bar is a favorite

We were pleased there was a table available on a Saturday night at the newer DISH Bistro and Bar.  Sadly, we tried to grab a bite at the nearby POP the weekend before, only to be shooed away.  They were "booked solid" until 10:30 pm.  Must be nice with a recession going on to be so busy that you can turn away customers.

At DISH (different from the cozy family establishment in La Canada) the staff are happy to have patrons dine and experience their great food.  The appetizing menu is filled with French and Italian plates, some small and others larger.  Most are organic, wild, sustainable and free range ingredients.  They make their own delicious bread, roll their own pasta, make their own sausage, bacon and prosciutto. 

We started with the Grilled Oysters Deanna in the shell topped with artichoke hearts, grana padano (popular Italian cheese), fresh basil and white wine.  It was so heavenly that we soaked the fresh bread into the shells to savor every last bit of the delectable sauce.

Their wine list focus is on California, specifically the Sonoma region (one of my favorites).  We tried their house white wine and were pleased with its price and taste.

The roasted baby beet salad offered gold, red and Chioggia (Italian) beets with Creamery Boho Bell cheese.  Again the bread was a nice compliment to the salad, so we asked for another small loaf.  My favorite was the Bodega Bay Petrale Sole Fillet sauteed with baby leeks and a brown butter balsamic sauce. 

To satisfy my husband's sweet tooth, we ordered the chocolate pot de creme served with whipped cream and a chocolate lace crisp. It was a delightful ending to a new favorite haunt.

DISH Bisto and bar - 53 East Union Street, Pasadena, (626) 795-5546