Jamaica Bay Inn's Beachhouse Restaurant-Smashingly Great By Pete Allman

Marina del Rey on Memorial Day is a sight to behold. Why, folks from all over Southern California enjoyed taking to the water, sailing and delighting in some great food choices.

The Beachouse, which is located inside the Jamaica Bay Inn has a scenic view of its beaches, with a nice warm summer breeze. On this occasion, my associate Alex Ayzin who is a business broker had a chance to talk to me about his buyers looking for businesses. Ah, but not without some cocktails and fabulous cuisine established by Exexcutive Chef Allyson Thurber.

First I would suggest Mothers Beach Mai-Tai. It's mixed with Rum, Peach Schnapps, Orange Juice, Cranberry and Pineapple. Alex Ayzin enjoyed the Beachside Margarita, prepared with Tequila, Triple Sec, Sweet and Sour and Lime Juice.. Wow, what a nice way to relax and take care of some business.

When it comes to food, my eyes are bigger then my stomach. I did however manage to devour all the goodies before the afternoon ended. The Sweet Potato Waffle Cut Fries were delicious and the Tempura Fish Tacos were excellent. You can always count on having a fresh selection of fish at the Beachside. Other selections included Bourbon BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Cheese Burger Sliders. The sliders consist of Truffle mayo, crispy bacon and white cheddar. The Ahi Tuna Tartare with marinated  sweet onion and wasabi tobiko with won ton chips were also just as delicious as the Cheese Burger Sliders.

With a little room for desert, there's always a nice selection of Key Lime of sorts. That's the way to end a business meeting and go for a stroll down to the beach.

The happy hour starts at 3:30pm until 7pm daily. Items on the Happy Hour menu are a mere $4.00 to $8.50, with well brand cocktails at $4.00 and specialty Cocktails at $6.00. House wines are $5.00 and the draft beers are $4.00.

The Beachside is located on 14160 Palawan Way in Marina del Rey. Stop by or call for your special event at [310] 439-3033. Tell them Pete Allman sent ya!

Casa Sanchez Mexican Restaurant-Elegant Cuisine and Fabulous Entertainment

By Pete Allman

Los Angeles probably has more Mexican restaurants than any city in the United States. However, Casa Sanchez is certainly the Gem if you will, of all the restaurants I’ve written about that specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine.

The success story of Casa Sanchez begins with its visionary Mr. Raul. Sanchez, who planned for years to provide a supper club with top Mariachi entertainment and a diverse selection of South of the Border cuisine. He did. just that, and used his family recipes which are handed down by generations. This establishment is a family operation, which is very passionate about their cuisine and entertainment.

Casa Sanchez has an elegant entrance, with wrought iron ornaments, beautiful reminant rugs and elegant appointed chairs and tables. The main dining room is complemented with original paintings throughout the dining area, some of which are well noted Mexican historical figures.

My guests for this evening were Tom Hallick, who formerly starred on The Young and Restless as Brad Garret and his wife Yin Jiang, a concert violinist with Andrea Bocelli.

Roberto Chavez, the general manager, a very congenial fellow, greeted us with various appetizers to begin our dining adventure. Scallop and shrimp Ceviche was the first to be served. It serves its purpose in wetting the palate with a citrus fruit base. An excellent choice.

The Sanchez Platter, our second appetizer, consisted of bacon wrapped shrimp, brochetas, calamari, breaded shrimp, quesadillas and chicken taquitos. There is also a vegetarian appetizer, the Quesadilla Vegetariana. All three were exceptional, prepared with roasted green bell pepper, corn, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro served in a tomato sauce. Ah, that was the start of a beautiful evening.

The main entrees served were the Chamorro de Puerco, which is prepared with a baked pork shank served in a bed of white rice. An excellent selection. However the signature dish everyone loves is the  Salmon al Tequila, prepared with grilled salmon with tequila, lime and sautéed shrimp, served with rice and vegetables. This dish has the salmon wrapped in a corn husk to retain the flavor.

Yin Jiang enjoyed the Sole Fish Fillet. The sole fish is stuffed with mushrooms, pico de gallo and cotija cheese in a bed of cilantro, habanero pesto sauce and  garnished with shrimp, complemented with rice and vegetables. Tom Hallick ordered the Rib Eye Steak Bone, which is prepared with a port wine and served with steamed vegetables and spicy chipotle mashed potatoes.

During our dining journey, their where three shows featuring Voces de Mexico. The quality of music here was superb, not to mention their lead singer, Melinda Salcido, who received a Grammy in January when she was performing with The Mariachi Divas.

This was a most enjoyable evening and as Tom Hallick states, "this is the best time I've had in years."  

The Voces de Mexico Mariachi are some of the best musicians I've heard.  The show in itself is production, featuring dancers and a full violin section, with a trumpet section and Spanish guitars.

Returning to our dining engagement, our farewell to the evening consisted with an after-dinner drink and some wonderful deserts. The Tres Leche cake, a very popular desert of Mexico is prepared with egg yokes, baking powder, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vaniila and sugar with maraschino cherries. The Flan is prepared with sugar, caramel, eggs, and some milk. Both these deserts are just right and not so rich like those heavy chocolate cakes. I must say however the Glazed churros were also very good.

During the evening of entertainment, I had the pleasure of introducing Voces de Mexico Mariachi, then having the audience show their appreciation for Melinda Salcido's superb performance of "At Last." As an added attraction, I introduced Tom Hallick, singing "My Way." It was a pleasant way to end our main dining experience.

Casa Sanchez is located on 4500 Centinela Avenue. Hours of operation are from 5-10 Monday-Wednesday, 5-midnight on Friday and Saturday and 4-11pm on Sunday. For anniversaries, or any particular occasion call 310-397-9999.

Celebrity Scene News awards 5 stars to Casa Sanchez for their authentic Mexican cuisine and a wonderful evening of entertainment. Tell them Pete Allman referred you.

How To Tell if A Restaurant Is Good By Pete Allman

Many restaurants appear to be hip and flashy. that however doesn't mean they have good cuisine or clean kitchens, not to mention the service. Most people read Yelp to see what the reviews are. Yelp is a good gauge to know if a restaurant is overpriced and what their cuisine is like.

Let's be specific here. By going on a web site, you can get a good idea about the caliber restaurant you want to visit. that doesn't mean the kitchen is clean, nor does it mean the chefs use the finest ingredients. The way to really tell what a true restaurant is, is by visiting the restaurant and checking out their bathrooms, ask to take a look at the kitchen and meet the chef to find out if he or she uses natural foods in the preperation of their cuisine.

Some of the best restaurants, as far as great tasting cuisine may be hole in the walls. The food however may be out of this world.

The essence of time dining, one must remember, is to look for excellent service, a friendly environment, cleanness and a chef who takes pride in serving top quality cuisine.

Spend the time to conduct your search for excellent restaurants and you'll thank yourself for a quality evening of delightful cuisine.

The Counter Adds Variety To Overpriced Burgers

Marina del Rey is noted for some excellent dining spots such as The Cast and Plow at the Ritz Carlton,  The Beachhouse at the Jamaica Bay Inn, The Del Rey and Killer Shrimp, to mention a few.

One place, The Counter, a chain of burger restaurants is also located in Marina del Rey at Ralph's Shopping Center.  It's always packed and they have a fairly nice happy hour. Unfortunately, their burgers are overpriced. When I looked at the menu, I noticed the prices were $17.00 for a half pound hamburger which was not Black Angus. I wanted something different so I ordered the Buffalo burger.

Sorry to say it was dry and certainly not worth $17.00.  Good golly, I could buy an entire meal for that price.

On the other hand, some people aren't concerned about paying too much for a hamburger. In this case there's other choices such as The Ahi Burger,Vegetarian, Turkey and the classic Hamburger.  Better yet, if you're inclined, I'm sure there are franchises available. For more information call 310-399-8383.

Celebrity Scene News awards The Counter 2 stars.

Fast Food Not Necessarily Bad

By Pete Allman

There's been a lot of talk about fast food not being healthy.

That's true in some cases, however here are some great ways to get a quick bite and stay healthy.

Del Taco for example prepares their pinto beans fresh everyday. You can order the beans with a wrap or a burrito.

Since there not refried, you don't have to worry about too much oil in the food or added ingredients. De l Taco also serves dollar menues which are pretty good. Turkey tacos for one are lower in fat content, along with their fish tacos.

Mac Donalds, I know they're the so called junk food of the century, just happens to have a dollar menu that can give you the protein you're looking for. Take the hamburger for instance, just eat the meat and discard the bread. This way you're not dealing with the carbs. The same goes for their fish sandwiches and so forth.

Hokido, another fast food chain has asian food that doesn't have any Msg. Try the vegetables with brown rice. Although there is some salt added to the food, you'll find this cuisine pretty healthy.

The Islands - American Food with A Healthy Twist

By Pete Allman

Tony DeGrazier, the founder of Islands knew his surfing experience and lifestyle in Hawaii would one day be brought into his visions of a fun place to have American food with a healthy twist. Today, there are 60 locations throughout California.

My guest, Tom Hallick formerly of the Young and Restless and Gangster Squad and his wife Jin Jiang, who is a violinist with Andre Bochelli joined me for dinner. We were greeted by Bradley Beery the General manager of the Marina Del Rey store and Mellisa Taniguchi, also a manager and an exceptional one at that.

The Islands is a great setting with LCD screens throughout the restaurant, showcasing some great surf videos and a good selection of Craft Beers. Tom Hallick ordered a Hefeweizen and I ordered a Wild-berry Banana and Yin Jiang ordered a cool breeze, prepared with Coconut cream, banana and strawberries.

We then ordered the famous Tortilla Soup, consisting of chicken and fresh vegetables, topped with jack cheese, avocado and tortilla strips. The soup in itself is a meal, when you order the Endless Bowl, a mere $7.79 for all the soup you can eat.

Time to fill add a little more excitement with Buffalo Wings, served in Islands traditional spicy sauce, seved with carrots and celery with ranch dressing. This appetizer also can be ordered with teriyaki or bbq sauce. Just for the big eaters there's also the Spinach and Artichoke Dip, sever with chopped spinach and artichoke hearts mixed with sautéed onion and garlic in a creamy Alfredo sauce with fresh chips and salsa.

By now, one would think we would be stuffed. That's not the case. The most famous food item on the menu is the Hamburgers. We ordered the Point Break, consisting with Gruyere and bleu cheeses, caramelized bacon and onion relish, with lettuce, tomato and mayo, along with the Kilauea, consisting of Jalapeño and black pepper-crusted burger with black pepper jack cheese, with Island reds, chipolte silo, lettuce and tomato. Since I enjoy Turkey and Veggie Burgers, my choice was the Hula Burger, prepared with applesauce, seasonings, bell peppers, celery and scallions. Just marvelous. Why not, it's all cooked on an open grill with the very finest lean ground beef and lean Turkey.

Now if you're looking for a quick meal, let me also recommend the Beach Bowl. Wow, this dish is prepared with fresh grilled pineapple, red bell peppers, snow peas, water chestnuts, red onions, broccoli and diced scallions with hoisin sauce, served over brown rice. This is dish is also available with chicken or Mahi Mahi for only $12.95.

So, whether you're inclined to eat a lot of food like us, or something quick, Islands is your place in the sun for a fun evening. American food with a healthy twist. But, if you have a sweet tooth, then enjoy their Kona Pie with Mocha almond fudge ice cream and cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, roasted almonds and a cherry.

The Islands is located on 404 Washington Blvd. in Marina Del Rey. Call (310) 822-3939 for reservations.

Mack Shack Offers Fresh, Healthy, Fast Food

By Pete Allman

Imagine going to a restaurant that specializes in Fast food that is cooked fresh daily, using all the best ingredients. That's what The Mac Shack represents. Frank Masi and partner, J. Dapper, a real estate developer in Las Vegas are planning to open a chain of Mack Shacks around the country, which could be Franchised. Mack Shack is a fun place, specializing in Pastas, salads, and grilled cheese.

My guest on this culinary journey was Mark Richards. Mark has a radio show on KDWN 720AM on Saturdays at 7pm. His diversity in foods is excellent, making for a great afternoon of dining.

Our journey began with a bowl of sweet roasted corn chowder with onions. This dish was very tasty. All the cuisine at Mac Shack are prepared to order. Other soups prepared daily are Mushroom soup and Chicken Noodle soup. Our next dish was the Green Machine. It consists of Organic blend of greens, carrots, cucumber, broccoli and heirloom tomatoes tossed in a home-made watercress vinaigrette. There also several other selections with the Antipasto Salad being one of the favorite. The main entrees served were the Mac and Cheese sandwich, made with Wisconsin Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on white bread grilled golden brown, Pepperjack Mac, melted in pasata with Pepper Jack and Monterey Jack cheeses topped with fresh jalapenos, Shrimp Scampi, which is prepared with linguini pasta with tender shrimp sautéed with fresh tomatoes and parsley in a lemon and garlic sauce is also a tasty dish. There's the Veggie, which is prepared with Rigatoni pasta tossed with fresh spring vegetables sautéed in garlic and olive oil.

For those who prefer gluten free pasta, there is various dishes available also.

The sides, as they are referred to are Garlic Bread, Meatballs Gnocchi, with a choice of pesto, marinara or bacon-Alfredo sauce, Artichoke Gratin which are fresh artichokes sautéed in a lemon garlic sauce, topped with seasoned bread crumbs and Cauliflower Gratin, consisting of fresh cauliflower, topped with seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan mozzarella cheeses, baked golden brown. Mac Shack is located in Summerlin at 8975 West Charleston Blvd. suite 140 Las Vegas, Nevada 89107. Call for your next catering event or party at (702) 243-1722.

Celebrity Scene News rates Mack Shack three stars for an overall good experience.