Alligators on a Party Barge

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza, Starland Cafe, and Roy Rogers(?)

Weekend selections from the Summer or Restauranting included those mentioned in the title.

After hitting up La Tasca in Chinatown for Friday night drinks with friends, a group set out to find a restaurant that I had never tried. Yes, I did feel high maintenance, thanks for asking. And the idea was met with some grumbling, some confusion, but the alligators are quite used to not being understood. After restaurant hopping, we traipsed through the door of Ella's Wood Fired Pizza. Most everyone in attendance has eaten at Matchbox, and this was more of an experience to compare. My chosen pizza had buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and arugula and was actually pretty tasty. It was a mixed bag for the group, and many considered Matchbox to be superior. Also, our server? Bad.
Rating: Food: 2.5 teeth; Decor: 4 teeth; Service: 1 tooth

Starland Cafe on MacArthur Blvd. also boasted a bad server, but the food was really good: salmon appetizer on soba noodles(excellent!), side salad (the typical) and side of summer squash (interesting?). Great wine from Austria and it was such an amazing night to sit outside. I haven't spent any time in Palisades, but I saw many other eating spots that are must tries. Stay tuned!
Rating: Food: 3 teeth; Decor: 2.75 teeth; Service: 1 tooth

Finally: As I have never dined at a Roy Rogers, I think it merits a review, especially since as a girl raised eating Arby's and Rax regularly, Roy's roast beef sandwich, adorned with steak sauce, was quite a surprise by comparison. The meat was perfectly cooked, but the bun needed a little more toasting, as it got quite soggy near the end. As my side—there are quite a few diverse sides to choose from—I picked the fruit cup containing cantalope, honeydew and grapes. It tasted okay, but was likely not freshly harvested, and maybe not even picked this year. So that's a bit disturbing. Why couldn't I have choosen the fries?!

The Roy Rogers decor needs a little polish, however, while the condiments bar could contribute to some ill-planned seasonings. Consider if I had tried putting tartar sauce on my roast beef. That may have ruined the experience entirely.
Rating: Food: 3 teeth; Decor: 1 tooth; Service: 1 tooth

posted by Veronica @ Tuesday, July 11, 2006