Wednesday Dinner 3/24/10

Good Morning Dolls and Happy Thursday!!!!!! Whew this morning has been a little crazy but the day must go on! I am sooooooo EXCITED for this weekend, tomorrow I will be watching my boo Jay-Z perform and I can't wait!!!!! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was special, I had dinner with my Grandma and my Sister. I haven't had dinner with my Grandma since last year and dinner with Melissa wasn't that long ago. My Grandma put an APB out on me 2 weeks ago wanting to go to dinner because she had all these gift certificates she needs to use by the end of March. When I called her 2 weeks ago she mentioned she had gift certificates to my all time favorite place "PF Changs" http://www.pfchangs.com/, I didn't waste anytime asking her when she wanted to go. So we made arrangements to have dinner yesterday. On Tuesday my Grandma mentioned to me that she felt bad for not inviting Melissa and would I ask Melissa if she wanted to join us, of course Melissa was more than glad to join us. Melissa coming actually worked out in my favor, she was able to pick Grandma up since I work down the street from "PF Chnags" (Beverly Hills) it was so easy for me to leave work and head straight there. It was so funny that Melissa and I met in the parking lot at the same time (hahaha). When we arrived at PF Changs there was no wait and we were seated in no time, I was so hungry and I couldn't wait to order and eat. Anyone who knows me knows that "PF Changs" is my favorite, FAVORITE restaurant and I can never get enough of it. Melissa says that "PF Changs" never taste the same to her and my Grandma knew what she was ordering. Melissa suggested that I do the ordering and she would just eat (classic Melissa). It was time to start with an appetizer but before I tell you what we ordered let me tell you; "PF Changs" has happy hour 7 days a week from 3pm-6pm and its not just in the bar area but you can also eat in the dining room. Drinks and appetizers rang from $3-$6, you can't beat that. So to start, we ordered:


CRAB WONTONS -Crunchy wonton filled with rock crab meat and served with a side of spicy plum sauce

I was so hungry and didn't realize that I ate 4 out of the 6 crab wontons (WOW). We didn't order any drinks I don't know about my Grandma & Melissa but I wasn't really in the mood to drink, we had waters all around. Here is just a little tip when going out if you are going to order water; make sure you ask for lemon on the side. Lemon kills all the bacteria that might be in your water (you can thank me later). The crab wontons are one of my favorite appetizers; I always order them when I go to "PF Changs". After literally demolishing the wontons it was time to order dinner and here is what we had:

PEPPER STEAK-Quickly cooked steak with red and green bell peppers, yellow onion, garlic and black pepper


CHANG'S SPICY CHICKEN-Lightly dusted and stir-fried in a sweet Sichuan sauce. Our version of General Tso's and always a favorite


P.F. CHANG'S FRIED RICE-Wok-fried rice blended with egg, soy and sliced scallions. Choice of vegetable, beef, pork, chicken or shrimp


GARLIC NOODLES-Egg noodles tossed with garlic and chili peppers

When the food came out it was PIPING HOT and I love that!!! Yesterday was my first time trying the pepper steak and I will say I will definitely order it again it was delish. The changs spicy chicken is one of "PF Changs" signature items and it is so good, with just right amount of spiciness to it. The fried rice is a classic and I always get the combination (shrimp, chicken & beef) and the garlic noodles are my new favorite!!! In my opinion these are the best garlic noodles ever. I have never had a bad experience at "PF Changs" and I am glad! Let me re track that I haven't always had the best experience with the wait staff but I have never had one complaint about anything that I've ordered. Over dinner we talked about age, Easter and memories, I am so fortunate to have my Grandma around!!!! She will be 85 this year and she looks amazing! She is walking, talking and in her right state of mind, what more could I ask for and not to mention she is hilarious! Whenever she finds something that she likes she refers to it as "The BOMB". I love my Grandma. After dinner there was still a little room for dessert. My Grandma is the Queen of dessert; she has the biggest sweet tooth I think that’s where I get mine from because no matter what time of day it is she can always go for something sweet. After looking over the dessert menu we were ready to order again and here is what we had:

NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE-Served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce


FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE DOME-Served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce

OMG! Can I just say that after eating these desserts I now have another reason to LOVE "PF Changs". I was in love and in heaven while I was eating these desserts, of course we decided to share them and honestly I could've probably eaten both of those cakes by myself that’s how good they were. The cheesecake was HUGE, fluffy and creamy; it was served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce. It was probably one of the best cheesecakes I've had in a while next to Harriet’s. Up next was the chocolate dome, OMG this chocolate dessert was amazing and it’s not made with any flour and you can't even tell. It was rich, thick and sooooo chocolaty it melted in your mouth, also served with fresh berries it was DELISH! All in all dinner was amazing and anytime I can spend with my Grandma works for me. I love and her and thank her for dinner and all that she has done for me. Melissa too, love you boo! I am sure that many of you have been to "PF Changs" but if by chance you haven’t been you need to GO like right now or if you know someone who hasn't been take them like right now. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" cheer team drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "There's no time for celebration, there’s to much work to do". Until next week 1 love- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 3/17/10

Good Morning honey bunches of sunshine, and so it is; another week and we have been given chances to make progress, I hope you did! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was for all my L.A. folks. This week I met up with my best friend Tiffany again at one of my favorite places, "Arts Wings & Things". If you've ever driven down Crenshaw Blvd then you've seen "Arts Wings & Things", its located between Mavericks Flat and the Liquor Bank and it can't be missed. "Arts" specializes in wings and tempura style fried vegetables, they also serve other things such as tacos and burgers but I only mess with the wings. I have been going to "Art's" for over 10 years, I remember in high school I would go everyday and get the lunch special, I remember it was; 10 wings. 5 piece veggies or fries, and a drink for $5.50. Boy has times changed they still offer the lunch special but I think it’s around $8.00 now. In my opinion "Arts" is the number one wing spot in Los Angeles; I prefer it over "Wing Stop" and any other wing place. So here is what Tiff and I ordered:


20 Piece (Mombo BBQ)
5 Piece Fried Broccoli
12 Piece Mixed Fried Veggies
1 order of Fries
2 Hawaiian Punches

Tiff and I decided to eat our food there, and I swear every time I sit in "Art's" to eat my food I get nervous. I feel like they could get robbed at anytime, I just get that feeling when I am in there. With a strict operation they don't play no games in "Arts", there is no public restroom, and asking for anything extra is kind of on the "you better not” side. I have formed some kind of relationship with the lady who owns the place, so it’s kind of cool if I need to ask for something extra (hahahaha). Waiting for the food can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes if you don't call your order in, we waited about a good 15 minutes which wasn't bad because the food was hot and fresh. So now it was time to eat and boy did we, the Mombo flavored wings are the best and my favorite. They have this sweet bbq taste but nothing like any other bbq flavor I've had before. The fries are skinny, crispy and lightly seasoned with seasoning salt. The fried veggies are to die for too, the mixed veggies include fried broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and mushrooms and those are delish too. Accompanied by their ranch dressing this was like the perfect "Wednesday Dinner" for yesterday. Over dinner Tiff and I were just chit chatting, catching up on this week. Dinner was very short, one thing about "Art's" is that you don't want to stay in there too long because you might see something crazy or continue to feel like your going to get robbed. All in all "Art's" is the #1 wing spot in L.A. and all my L.A. folk know what I'm talking about, we were so full that we had enough food to take home for left overs. Unfortunately "Art's" doesn't have a website but drive down Crenshaw and you'll see it, they all acceot EBT cards so you already know! Hahaha!. If you would like to ride in the "Wednesday Dinner" car drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twittter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional". Until next week 2 fingas- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 3/10/10

Good Morning my loves and happy Thursday!!!!!!!! So glad that we have all made it through another week and we all got a chance to witness life and be a part of life. This week has been great for me, I've learned something’s about myself and I am realizing that it’s not that heavy and life does go on so move on! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was simple as far as the food choice but awesome as far as my guest choice! Yesterday I had dinner with my BEST friend in the whole world Tiffany Dawson, Tiffany and I haven't done a "Wednesday Dinner" since the summer. I mean we hang out a lot but we just haven't done a "Wednesday Dinner". Tiffany had been hounding me about going to the Olive Garden for about 3 months now so yesterday I was like what the hell, let’s just go. So off to the Olive Garden http://www.olivegarden.com/ we went. The fun and laughter started as soon as we got in the car together, Tiffany and I have this awesome friendship where we get each other and I mean we really get each other. We both have the same sense of humor and we are both going through a lot of the same things as far as dating and just being women so Tiff this one is for you (LOVE YOU DOLL). We got to Olive Garden pretty early since we went straight from when I got off work; I think we got there at 5pm which was great for me because I really don't like eating late anymore. Anyway Olive Garden was pretty packed for a week night and an early week night for that matter, we waited about 5 minutes and then we were seated. Our waitress was so BOMB she was friendly, polite and on point (Thanks Bree)! I will be calling today and speak to her manager to compliment her. After looking over the menu for all of 5 minutes Tiff and I were ready to order and here is what we started with:


2 Glasses of Castello Del Poggio Moscato (Sparkling Moscato)
Bread Sticks
Olive Gardens Famous Salad
Caprese Flatbread

Tiff and I both LOVE, LOVE the sparkling moscato and when we took our 1st sip we both looked at each other like "We soooo needed this". The wine is so sweet and refreshing it’s my personal favorite. Over our appetizers we talked, laughed and reminisced about all of our craziness over the years. Tiff and I have been friends since the 3rd grade so if you do the math it’s been 21 years we've known each other (DAMN GINA) that’s along time but I wouldn't trade it for anything. After we finished our appetizers it was time to order dinner and here is what we got:

Four Cheese Stuffed Pansotti with Chicken

Ordering was hilarious, Tiff is very simple with what she likes once she likes something she LIKES IT, I am the opposite I'll try something new. Tiff was originally going to get her usual (Chicken Alfredo) but she decided to try something different which was I got and she was very pleased. Over dinner the laughs just kept coming we had such a good time so good that we almost drank a whole bottle of wine. All of the food was DELISH, especially the Four Cheese Stuffed Pansotti with Chicken it was nice and hot and cheesy, saucy and just all around DELISH. I also enjoyed the Caprese Flatbread and the salad. I love fresh salad and hot food which is exactly what Olive Garden had to offer last night. I have never had a bad word to say about the Olive Garden I was especially pleased with the service and with the food. The only thing I don't like is that what we ordered is only there for a limited time other than that everything this was GREAT. Tiff and I went balls to the walls last night for dinner because we also ordered dessert and here is what we had:

Torta di Chocolate

In laymen terms it’s similar to a chocolate lava cake but this cake has no sugar added (WHAT) and we couldn't even tell it was amazing. It was warm, gooey it was DELISH. Served with vanilla custard and fresh strawberries this dessert hit the spot even though it was good I would have preferred to have it served with vanilla ice cream but it was still an amazing dessert. After dinner Tiff and I were beyond FULL, she was ready to go home and go to sleep and so was I. I want to thank Tiff for coming out and having dinner, love you mucho. Dinner came up to a grand total of $78.58 which wasn't bad because we had a ball!!!! If you would like to participate in the "Wednesday Dinner" festivities drop me a line
wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Give a person enough rope to pull you close or hang themselves". Until next week be breezy -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 3/3/10

Good Morning my loves, and so it is Thursday and we have made it to yet another day and we are all looking forward to the weekend. With rain in the forecast, I want everyone to be safe, have fun but take it easy out there on the streets. This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was very special to me, this week I met up with my cousin Chanel. Chanel and I haven't had dinner since last year, so yesterday it was all about Chanel and I. Chanel and I met at "Father's Office (http://www.fathersoffice.com/), "Father's Office has two locations one in Culver City and the other one is in Santa Monica. Chanel and I met at the Culver City location which is off of Venice and Helms. "Father's Office" is very sheik, modern, and kind of exclusive in a sense, I say exclusive because their menu is not posted, you must be 21 to dine there, no taking photo's of food is allowed, they don't serve ketchup and its not your average restaurant. When I arrived I noticed the outside has a club appeal to it, with red carpet, ropes and someone standing to check your id, I was really interested to see what this place was all about. I heard about "Father's Office" from my cousin, but I am not sure if she has been there. The seating there is 1st come, 1st serve and they do not take reservations, but do have seating inside and outside. Ordering food is something else that was a lot different then what I am use to, all orders are taken at the bar at which time you can view the menu and daily specials. Looking at the menu you realize that this would be a new experience for you with items from mussels, to beet and goat cheese something or another to a good old fashion cheeseburger. However this is not your usual cheeseburger, with being warned by the waitress "All of our items come as they are, you can not make any changes". So my gut along with Chanel's decided to go for what we knew and we ordered:


Office Burger and Frites ( aka Fries)

Chanel was going to be kind enough to pick up my tab for dinner but I am not sure the waitress heard her, so I will be taking Chanel up on that offer next time. Chanel had a glass of wine and I ordered a ginger ale, my total came up to $17.50 which included my burger, fries and drink. After we got done ordering we went back to our seats and waited for the food to arrive, within 10 minutes Chanel's food came out and my followed shortly after. This was not your usual cheeseburger!!!!!!! Served on a french roll with gruyere cheese, arugula lettuce and caramelized onions this was a taste I would definitely fall in love with. The frites aka fries were sprinkled lightly with parsley and served with a garlic aioli sauce for dipping, these fries were just right it was the perfect off setting to accompany the cheeseburger. Over dinner Chanel and I talked about so much: of course Taelor (her daughter) and her prom date and her college choices, we talked about relationships, family and most importantly my new hair cut!!!!!!! As many or most of you know Chanel has been doing my hair for almost 20 years (damn I am getting OLD, hahaha). I have decided its time for something new so I will be cutting my hair soon! As I was talking to Chanel over dinner I noticed a different type of dynamic in our relationship now, it’s not like big cousin and little cousin its more like woman to woman. I am not sure if she noticed it but I am feeling more mature these days in my speech and in the way I carry myself (tooting my own horn for a minute, hahaha). After dinner we were both kind of jonesing for dessert, however "Father's Office" couldn't help us with that because they don't offer any dessert. I kind of had a sweet tooth but that burger did the trick for me, I was FULL. As we were leaving "Father's Office" really started to pick up and when I looked up the place was PACKED, I guess the recession is OVER. Anytime Chanel and I get together it is always awesome (Thanks for dinner, I had a great time). I will definitely be going back to "Father's Office" for the office burger and frites; I strongly suggest you try the same thing if you like burgers. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" Roster drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this “Love the life you live and live the life you love". Until next week, ONE Ashley