Rivabella

Well time continues to past, and we continue to age. September 11th, I know, not the greatest day for our nation, but it is for to Moldo's, as it's Jordan's 22nd birthday. Everyone in the Moldo family, except the mother, loves Italian food, and when I say love, I mean I would do anything for risotto milanese. Rivabella, which sits at the intersection of Sunset blvd. and Doheny, is an Italian restaurant, owned by the Innovative Dining group, which owns other restaurants such as Chi-Lin and Boa Steakhouse. I began my dining experience with a traditional beef carpaccio, with shredded parmesan cheese on top. Beneath the steak, was an arugula salad. The beef was fresh and the combination of the meat and cheese is just wonderful. For my entrée, I ordered their seafood risotto with zucchini. I'm not the biggest fan of zucchini, so I kind've ate around it, and acted like it never existed. The shrimp was drenched with garlic and butter, and I loved it. The crab was fresh, but I ran into a little trouble getting it out of its shell. Risotto is always tasty, and I really do not need to describe it any further, because it is legendary. As everyone always says, dessert is a separate part of the stomach, and boy was I happy that it was, because I was so full after the rich risotto. For dessert, we shared a decadent chocolate mousse, with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. It was perfect to end the meal on a sweet note.

Conch Scale: 7.25/10

Westside Tavern (Westside Pavilion Mall)

Well the parents were out of the town for the weekend, you and I both know what that means, party!!! No, but seriously, Saturday night was a brotherly bonding night. The night tipped off with a lovely dining experience at the Westide Tavern and then a movie. Once again, I am writing about one of the best burgers in Los Angeles. Many of the burger restaurants which I have gone to, try to get fancy with their burger and I love it, but the Westside Tavern does not put anything fancy on it, nor do they lather it up with butter, rather is was just a good burger. Inside the mouthwatering burger is tillamook melted cheese, carmelized onions, arugula, garlic aioli, and for those who are are health fanatics, it's on a wheat bun. The combination of those sweet carmelized onions and the melted cheese is a taste that cannot be described in words. Arugula, I do not know why, always makes a burger taste better. By itself argula tastes like I just pulled a leaf from a tree and said "Eat it", but when it is cooked, the crunchiness makes the burger all the merrier. The restaurant was packed, and I mean packed, as I was sitting at my table, I'm pretty sure I felt two things touch me and it wasn't my brother. The burger is sold for a reasonable price of $12, and the service was quite satisfactory in all regards. After the quick dinner, we went to see the new Joseph Gordon-Levitt film, Don Jon, which was a great film for those of all ages. The movie was perfect for a night out with the big brother, and I learned many things about women that I did not know before...

Conch Rating: 7.8/10