Is the 2nd to last photo the housemade capellini?
It was the tagliarini bolognese
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Gjusta
Not pictured smoked hamachi bialy with the works
Salt and Straw
Blue Star
Maple Block
Done for the week. Kale smoothies for the next 5 days.
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Wow does that Gjusta’s Turkey Sandwich look to die for…
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Looks so good.
A savory stuffed donut??? Is that some salmon I see there in the middle? Looks terrific.
It’s a poached egg, Benton’s ham, and basil hollandaise sauce stuffed donut. And it was delicious.
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I had Sidecar this AM too. Well executed goods. Some of flavors can be imperceptible or different than what is stated, but they all were very good just the same. That ham and cheese donut knocked it out of the park - excellent.
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I thought they were good. My favorite was definitely the smoked fish bialy. Turkey butcher was simple but a bit smallish and salty. The jus made it better for sure. Porchetta melt I could live without. Got a bunch of smoked fish and bialys to go for the football game tomorrow morning.
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@bulavinaka @PorkyBelly @A5KOBE, so I’m guessing Blue Star is definitely to avoid, and Sidecar is worth a visit? Thanks.
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Nice A5! 
I need to go back and pick up some more smoked fish.
I haven’t been to Blue Star yet, but I would recommend Sidecar and that damn egg.
That is my opinion. A5KOBE posted on the Blue Star thread that he had a similar experience with his Blue Star donuts like mine. That Venice shop has had about three months to work out the issues - still slinging grease sponges.
This AM was my first time at Sidecar and they seem to have their act together with execution. The flavors can be on the money (guava glazed donut; Bananas Foster crazy good) or different from the stated flavor (persimmon is nonexistent - ginger is the predominant flavor; Huckleberry tastes like almond paste). The ham & egg donut is perfect.
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I can live with Primos and Stans. Pass on Sidecar for me too. So many disappointments at both.
You weren’t asking me, but I like to give my opinion anyway. 
Haven’t been to Blue Star or to a stalwart like Primo’s, but I thought Sidecar was terrific (based on the one thing I had at a single visit – chocolate donut).
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The customer in front of me mentioned she has been going more days than not since Sidecar opened. Her two favorites are the ham & egg and the chocolate. These donuts must be diet food because she was as slender as a runway model.
Made a trip to Spencer’s Bistro in Buena Park after seeing a review.
Peppered Calamari Fritti - Szechuan peppercorn, black pepper, negi, toum, cilantro chimicurri
Chicken Confit Poutine - chicken pan sauce, house made cheese curds, house made pepperoncini
Chicken and Mushroom Risotto - chicken, honsonimeji, button mushroom, garlic risotto
Kid’s Fried Chicken - chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn
Kid’s Pan Seared Salmon - sushi-grade salmon, couscous “fried rice”
S’mores - house made graham cracker, house made marshmallow, chocolate ice cream
The calamari was quite good because the chimicurri was so good and the calamari was perfectly cooked (not greasy) and at $5, it’s a steal. The poutine was not as rich and decadent as I would have liked. The risotto was good, but a bit one note…not rich and satisfying…and I would have liked an acidic element to brighten things up, but it was $11 so maybe I shouldn’t expect that much. The kid’s meals were $6 and $9, and a terrific value for what we got. The s’mores dessert was a nice touch…I don’t like chocolate and I thought the ice cream was the perfect amount of rich and satisfying chocolate. We ordered a couple of other things, but I forgot to take pictures of them. The chef prides himself on making all the pastas, dressings, and sauces in house. While the food is a bit elevated, the prices are super reasonable. Dinner for 5 with 3 soft drinks and the dessert set me back $60. The restaurant is set up in a way where you bus your own tables to help keep costs down.
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You should definitely try it. I do like their malasada when they have it.
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