Quick Bites: The Great Room (Redondo Beach, CA)

On a rare Wednesday off, my favorite taco spot on the corner had a line out the door and a lack of parking and seating room to match. So instead of waiting in that line only to end up eating my tacos standing up, I decided to get adventurous, head down the street, and check out the newly opened and locally owned The Great Room (2810 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278), just walking distance from the South Bay Galleria.

Walking into the restaurant, I was very pleasantly surprised by the open space and welcoming atmosphere of the building. The staff was very friendly, greeted me promptly, and were more than happy to share their recommendations on the menu to this first-timer.

Other perks? There are several big screen TVs in the restaurant, strategically placed near groups of sofas and chairs or within easy view of a booth or table. Also, their wi-fi access is super fast and easy to connect to, making this a great place to sit down and work on your computer (which is actually what I'm doing right now).

This looks like I just stepped into someone's house. I'm good with that!

This is a breakfast (until 11AM), lunch, and dinner kind of place. The menu varies from pizzas to burgers to salads and pastas. The menu has a little something for everyone. For today, I decided to try the pesto shrimp cream spaghetti. For a $10 dish, there's a whole lot of tasty food here. The shrimp was very tender and the cream sauce was quite light and blended well with the spaghetti. It actually reminded me of a similar dish from Noodles and Company without the chain restaurant feel.

Yes, that is freshly shredded parmesan cheese on top of that. My only request would've been a small piece of garlic bread to scoop up the remainder of that very delicious pesto cream sauce!

For drink selections, their coffee is powered by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf so you know you're getting good brew (my iced coffee is to spec). The Great Room also offers other bottled drinks, iced/hot teas, and several selections of wine and beer on tap.

For a nominal fee, there is access to a "toddler room" and a "game room" to pass the time or to get the kids out of your hair while you sit down with your friends and enjoy that very needed coffee. If you really want a private space for you and up to 40 people, there's a rentable party room with a projector. On the other hand, the common areas are a great meeting spot for friends who want a semi-private corner space to chill, a motorcycle group planning session, a first date that's inexpensive and great for conversation, or your casual business lunch that just needs a table and good food to nosh on.

I want to come back here to try breakfast (they have a burrito!) and a few more of their lunch/dinner selections, such as their burgers and pizza.

From my first impressions, The Great Room definitely lives up to its name in both vibe and in comfort food. For more information about this up and coming local delight, please visit http://www.thegreatroom.us/.

Quick Bites: Hash House A Go Go (San Diego, CA)

On my last trip to San Diego a few months ago, I ended my culinary journey there on a high note (after a bit of a long wait) at Hash House a Go Go (3628 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92103). When I arrived there with my boyfriend, Evan, the parking was a bit of a challenge and the line at the restaurant was out the door. Faced with about an hour wait, we perused several stores a few blocks away until I received a text message on my phone that our table was ready.

When we got there and put in our orders, we were not ready for the food experience we were about to embark on...

I ordered Andy's Sage Fried Chicken & Bacon Waffle Tower, a visual masterpiece of fried chicken waffles drizzled in a maple syrup reduction & fried leeks. This dish was full of flavor, all the way down to the sprig of sage stabbed right into the middle of the presentation. If you want the perfect blend of salty and sweet goodness and maple syrup everywhere, this dish is an absolute stomach-stuffing delight.

Evan's entree was the House Smoked Fresh Salmon hash with cream cheese and scallions served with home fries and a giant biscuit. Once again, the presentation was just icing on the cake as every bite was delectable and the individual ingredients very easy to tell apart.

This place definitely deserves a revisit and a couple more entrees to try. Hash House A Go Go has several locations in multiple states, but it all started here at this location in San Diego, CA. For more information about this restaurant, visit http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/.