Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 4/27/2011


Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn! My bad ya'll!! I've been gone way too long; I didn't realize I haven't blogged in a month. Ok I am making a promise now to keep my blog updated on all my "Wednesday Dinners". I hope you all are doing well and are staying COOL in this weather!!! Well it’s been to long so let the "Wednesday Dinner" begin. Ironically the last time I blogged I had dinner with Tiff, Pooh and Moe and in this blogged I had dinner with them again. All of them except for Moe, she stood us up. Pooh, Tiff and I decided to do a little happy hour, I suggested Gyu-Kaku (http://www.gyu-kaku.com/). I have been there before but as of late I had been hearing about how great their happy hour was, so I suggested we give it a try. So we all met and it was ON!!! Tiff and I were the first to arrive, Pooh came a little while after (she was stuck in traffic) and Moe's ass just didn't show up (I mean she called and said she was on her way but that was about it). Gyu-Kaku has quite a few locations in California and we decided to do the one in Torrance since it was kind of in the middle for everyone. We arrived at 5:30pm and as soon as our bottoms touched the seats it was time to order drinks!! This happy hour is INSANE with drinks and food starting at $3 that’s ridiculous, so it was only right that we indulge. I was soooo HUNGRY and so was Tiff, we started off with the:


Spicy Tuna Volcano
Calamari
Fired Cheese Wonton
Fried Chicken Karaage

It was been my mission to get Tiff to try sushi and that day was my lucky day because she tried it and she liked it!!!!! It didn't take long for the food to come out and when it did I was in heaven. I was thrown off by the Fried Chicken Karaage but come to find out it was just fried chicken thigh meat and it wasn't too bad. The only complaint I will make is that Gyu-Kaku doesn't have many dipping sauces, they serve the same spicy sauce with everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! When Pooh arrived she ordered a drink and she ordered the Fried Chicken Karaage as well. Over the food and drinks we all just mainly caught up with the events in each others lives, I have to give a shout out to Tiff on getting her 1st client!!! Tiff has been practicing doing hair and will be attending cosmetology school this summer. So CONGRATS on your 1st of many clients!!!!!!!!!! Talking with Pooh & Tiff is hilarious we all get each others sense of humor and that is so rare these days, they listen and they give the best advice!!!! On the 2nd go round of ordering I ordered:

Tuna Tartar
Philly Crunch

I totally forgot to mention that Gyu-Kaku has happy hour from 5pm-6:30pm and from 9pm-Last Call, crazy, right!!!!!!!!!! So we continued to eat, drink, talk and laugh. By the time I looked at my watch it was 8pm, then I checked it again and it was 10:45pm. WOAH, we had been there for a LONG time so long my ass was hurting from sitting (hahaha). I think that was the longest I had ever sat in a restaurant. All in all dinner with my girls was GREAT, even though we kicked Moe out the group (hahaha). If you are not familiar with Gyu-Kaku get familiar hands down a great spot!!! The food was great the thing I love about Gyu-Kaku is that their sushi is not your typical sushi and the food is very good. I totally enjoyed myself and will be going back, the total for dinner was about $52 which was about $17.33333 each which isn’t that bad. If you would like to make a "Wednesday Dinner" reservations 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 “The only thing you change about a good woman is her last name" until next week -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 6/15/2011

Hello and good morning, I hope you all are having a great day and preparing for an amazing summer. So Shameka and I are 2 for 2 with Wednesday dinner, however I think I might band Shameka from picking out food places because this choice did not impress me. Shameka had been trying to get to "Casablanca"(http://casablancarestaurant.net/). She was telling me how good the food was and we should go, so we did. "Casablanca" is tucked on a corner off of Lincoln in the Marina, its very old Mexican very Casablanca like the movie. So we arrived and it was pretty crowded, they placed us in a awkward table in the middle (epic fail) so as soon as a both became available we moved. It was Shameka, myself and Shameka's daughter Khaliah. We were served fresh, hot and home made flour tortillas accompanied by a green salsa. This salsa was DELISH it also had pieces of cheese in it, amazing. So it was time to order and we started with:

Shameka- Cadillac Margarita
Ashley- Mango Margarita
Shrimp Ceviche Tostada

The tostada was DELISH it was very fresh and had plenty of shrimp on it. The only bad thing is it makes the tostada shell soggy if you don't eat it fast enough. Next it was time to order dinner and we had:

Khaliah- Cheese Quesadilla
Shameka- Combination #10 (Two Enchilada Suizas (Chicken, Cheese, Onion, Green Sauce, and Sour Cream)
Ashley- Grande Burrito with Chicken (Stuffed with Beans, Lettuce, Onions, Tomatoes & Topped with Red Sauce and Melted Cheese)

It seems like it took almost forever for the food to come out and between the tortillas and the ceviche I was FULL!! Finally the food came out and mine appeared to look good but it really wasn't. The best thing on the plate was the rice and beans. The burrito was HUGE and I wanted to cry because I don't like wasting food. Anyway I didn't get a chance to taste Shameka's food or Khaliah's. I think all of us were FULL. Over dinner Shameka and I talked but Khaliah did most of the entertaining and talking. That little girl is too funny!! So since we all were full it was time to be out. The bill came out and I damn near passed out $88.00 HUH? For what?!?!? This place was NOT worth that. The food wasn't that great so I will NOT being going back. What I did like was the atmosphere and they had a live musician, it was very dim and romantic. And as we were leaving I smelled a aroma and it was amazing I think it was shirmp or fish but whatever it was I wish I would have ordered it! I would only recommended Casablanca if you want to over pay for Mexican food, and with that being said Shameka is on "Wednesday Dinner" probation. But anyway if you would like to take a "Wednesday Dinner" ride drop me a line wedenesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter, www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner . In closing I would like to leave you with this "Before you talk listen. Before you act think. Before you criticize wait. Before you pray forgive. Before you quit try" Until next week MUAH- Ashley

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 6/8/2011



WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know its been a minute and I know I've been slacking but I'm baaaaaacccck. So let me just get right on in to the "Wednesday Dinner". This week I went to dinner with my dear friend Shameka and maybe I shouldn't call it dinner, it was more like Happy Hour, well hell it was Happy Hour. Shameka had been urging me to try the Happy Hour at "The Cheesecake Factory" (http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/). Shameka knows I am NOT a huge fan of "The Cheesecake Factory" I prefer The Grand Lux. "The Cheesecake Factory" has like 100 menu pages and I personally think they are over priced. However I decided to give this Happy Hour a try......Shameka did most of the ordering. The bar area was not full at all considering we arrived right at 4pm when Happy Hour started, we were pressed for time so we had to order and eat fast, here is what we had:

Fried Calamari
Spinach & Cheese Dip
Buffalo Blast
House Salad

I was afraid to drink a alcoholic beverage because I had been coming off one of the worst hangovers I had in a while. So I was taking it easy, I ordered water. Shameka ordered J.W.'s Pink Lemonade, Coke and Water. It didn't take long for the food to come out, first up the fried calamari. Ok so you really can't go wrong with calamari, unless its burnt. Next the buffalo blast, its like buffalo chicken and cheese wrapped in something and then fried served with ranch. It wasn't to bad it was a little heavy on my stomach tho. Next the spinach and cheese dip, lets just say BOOOOORING! It was really bland and the chips were kind of hard!!! And lastly the house salad, I needed a salad to balance what I was eating because I was starting to feel sick, I mean you can't mess up a salad. All in all the food was good, the one thing I will say is there was enough food for 3 people. The Happy Hour pricing it pretty cheap with most appetizers at the $5/$6 range. Shameka and I chit chatted over the food but like I mentioned we were pressed for time. I'm still stuck on not really fooling with "The Cheesecake Factory" but maybe I'll visit Happy Hour again, MAYBE. Thanks Shameka for the date, hahahaha! If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" dating scene drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on twitter, www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I want to leave you with this "Don't murder someone who is already committing suicide". Until next week, muuuuuuaaaaah -Ashley.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011


Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn! My bad ya'll!! I've been gone way too long; I didn't realize I haven't blogged in a month. Ok I am making a promise now to keep my blog updated on all my "Wednesday Dinners". I hope you all are doing well and are staying COOL in this weather!!! Well it’s been to long so let the "Wednesday Dinner" begin. Ironically the last time I blogged I had dinner with Tiff, Pooh and Moe and in this blogged I had dinner with them again. All of them except for Moe, she stood us up. Pooh, Tiff and I decided to do a little happy hour, I suggested Gyu-Kaku (http://www.gyu-kaku.com/). I have been there before but as of late I had been hearing about how great their happy hour was, so I suggested we give it a try. So we all met and it was ON!!! Tiff and I were the first to arrive, Pooh came a little while after (she was stuck in traffic) and Moe's ass just didn't show up (I mean she called and said she was on her way but that was about it). Gyu-Kaku has quite a few locations in California and we decided to do the one in Torrance since it was kind of in the middle for everyone. We arrived at 5:30pm and as soon as our bottoms touched the seats it was time to order drinks!! This happy hour is INSANE with drinks and food starting at $3 that’s ridiculous, so it was only right that we indulge. I was soooo HUNGRY and so was Tiff, we started off with the:


Spicy Tuna Volcano
Calamari
Fired Cheese Wonton
Fried Chicken Karaage

It was been my mission to get Tiff to try sushi and that day was my lucky day because she tried it and she liked it!!!!! It didn't take long for the food to come out and when it did I was in heaven. I was thrown off by the Fried Chicken Karaage but come to find out it was just fried chicken thigh meat and it wasn't too bad. The only complaint I will make is that Gyu-Kaku doesn't have many dipping sauces, they serve the same spicy sauce with everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! When Pooh arrived she ordered a drink and she ordered the Fried Chicken Karaage as well. Over the food and drinks we all just mainly caught up with the events in each others lives, I have to give a shout out to Tiff on getting her 1st client!!! Tiff has been practicing doing hair and will be attending cosmetology school this summer. So CONGRATS on your 1st of many clients!!!!!!!!!! Talking with Pooh & Tiff is hilarious we all get each others sense of humor and that is so rare these days, they listen and they give the best advice!!!! On the 2nd go round of ordering I ordered:

Tuna Tartar
Philly Crunch


I totally forgot to mention that Gyu-Kaku has happy hour from 5pm-6:30pm and from 9pm-Last Call, crazy, right!!!!!!!!!! So we continued to eat, drink, talk and laugh. By the time I looked at my watch it was 8pm, then I checked it again and it was 10:45pm. WOAH, we had been there for a LONG time so long my ass was hurting from sitting (hahaha). I think that was the longest I had ever sat in a restaurant. All in all dinner with my girls was GREAT, even though we kicked Moe out the group (hahaha). If you are not familiar with Gyu-Kaku get familiar hands down a great spot!!! The food was great the thing I love about Gyu-Kaku is that their sushi is not your typical sushi and the food is very good. I totally enjoyed myself and will be going back, the total for dinner was about $52 which was about $17.33333 each which isn’t that bad. If you would like to make a "Wednesday Dinner" reservations 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 “The only thing you change about a good woman is her last name" until next week -Ashley

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 3/30/2011

Hi my name is Ashley and I'm a blogger (hahaha). Ok so I am up in this thang again and I little sad to tell you that there isn't much to report about last nights dinner. I had an emotional break down yesterday. I went to dinner with Tiff at Olive Garden (I know Booooring and I've been there with her before and blogged about it. Yea, yea). So there are no pics and there won't be a full blog. Just continue to support and I'll return next week. DUECES!

Wednesday Dinner 3/23/2011

What up! I hope you all are doing well out there in La La Land. Let me get right to it, this weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was a special one because it was ladies night (heeeeey). I invited Tiff my friend Pooh and Monique over for dinner. I decided it would be nice to have a little dinner, drinks and conversation with as I call them my "Lady Loves". I decided I would cook something neutral that everyone would like......drums please...... I made spaghetti. Hell you can't go wrong with Spaghetti, made with ground turkey of course. I wasn't sure if "Ladies Night" was going to be a success because it was raining but my "Lady Loves" came through and it was about to go down. Pooh and Monique haven't been to my new house, of course you know Tiff is a regular. OH yea shout out to Pooh for bring a bottle of Moscato over! So once we were all there I poured everyone a glass of wine except Monique she doesn't drink so she had Red Kool Aid in a wine glass (haha). Over wine we had girl talk and I loved it. It’s so refreshing to sit and talk about things we have in common and find out things you didn't know, and there some jokes thrown in as well. We talked for about a good half hour and then it was time to eat. On the menu was spaghetti, caesar salad and garlic bread, classic meal and so easy a caveman could do it (haha). I set the table and Monique suggested we pray together as well, she said "Friends that pray together stay together" and I believe that! Pooh said grace and then it was time to eat. Disclaimer (I didn't get any pics of the plates of food. My bad, it might be time to get a "Wednesday Dinner" picture taking assistant. Just kidding). Anyway over dinner we talked about guys, work, family, etc and laughed some more. It was funny because as I look back after dinner we never got up from the table until it was time to say bye. We just sat and talked, my face started hurting from all the laughing. It was so much fun, it was time for a little dessert so I hipped Tiffany and Pooh to my version of a white russian, and I’m going to call it a brown american (haha). Its Bailey's and Strabucks Vanilla Frappuccino! It taste so good, its sweet, its grown and its sexy (HEY). Tiff and I had 2 glasses, Pooh only had one and Monique was still nursing that kool aid. Then it was time for the photo shoot, we took a few pics and then it was time to say adios. I had a BLAST!!! We decided we're going to have a gathering like this at least twice a month, and I am sooooo looking forward to it. All in all dinner was GREAT and shout out to my "Lady Loves" for coming out you guys ROCK!!!! If you want to rock with "Wednesday Dinner" 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 “In life we need someone to teach us, love us, hurt us and protect us" until next week smooches! Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 3/16/2011


Buenos Dias mi ca corazons! Let me get right to it! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was "Wednesday Dessert" and it was DELISH!!!! Anyone who knows me knows that dessert is my favorite meal of the day!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOOOOVE Ice cream!! It was so nice and sunny and I couldn't really figure out what to eat for dinner and on top of that my house was being painted so I didn't really feel like cooking. So I baked some brownies (not home made) but Duncan Hines, which in my opinion are just as good. Anyway to go with my brownies I had some GOOD OL Rite Aid ice cream, (mint & chip flavor) formally know as Thrifties! That is like theeeeee best ice cream, bump Baskin Robbins & ColdStones, Thrifties/Rite Aid are the Ice Cream OG's (haha). So basically I made a little brownie sundae, and it was YUMMIES!!! Chocolate brownie topped with the mint & chip ice cream. The moistness of the brownies mixed with the ice cream was just the best! I enjoyed my "Wednesday Dessert" on my couch watching Top Chef! If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" couch drop me a line http://wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter, www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Your life is a reflection of where your mind is" until next week, Ashley.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 3/9/2011

GOOD MORNING and happy Thursday!!! One more day and the weekend will be officially here!! Please remember to set your clocks forward Saturday night before you go to sleep, and when you wake up daylight savings time will be upon us and we all know what that means!!! Shorter days and longer nights, lets all enjoy!! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was with my BEST BESTEST BESTIE (insider) Tiffany L. Dawson. Of course if you've been following my blog then you know Tiff and I have been friends since we were 8 which is about 20 years and our friendship is getting stronger and better than ever. Love ya Tiff!! Anyway I decided I was going to make Tuna casserole for dinner, which is one of me & Tiff's favorite dishes. It’s not your typical Tuna casserole and it’s funny because I did NOT like tuna casserole growing up. Here is what I used:


1 1/2 Cup Macaroni Noodles
1 Can Tuna
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
1 Cup Fresh Broccoli
1 1/2 Cup Cheese
1/3 Cup of Milk
Seasoning Salt
Dinner Rolls

Making this tuna casserole is so easy a caveman can do it (hahaha), no but it’s really easy! First I boiled the cream of mushroom with some milk and added seasoning salt to taste. Then I had the water boiling for the noodles and then I sautéed the broccoli with butter and seasoning salt to taste. Once the broccoli was done I added the can of tuna(drained) and some cream of mushroom, waited for the noodles to be done and then added them to the tuna, broccoli & mushroom mix. Mixed everything together and then added the cheese, once that was done then I placed the mixture in my casserole dish and added more cheese to the top and baked for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I added my dinner rolls in the oven; I melted some butter and brushed the rolls before baking them. Those dinner rolls took about a good 30 minutes to bake but it was worth the wait. Once everything was done it was time to plate the food and enjoy, dinner was accompanied by a glass of Moscato. Over dinner Tiff and I talked about so much but mainly our journey of 20 years of being friends and BOY OH BOY was it HILARIOUS! We've been through so much and no matter what we've always been there for each other! Love ya sweets!! Tiff complimented me on my casserole and I enjoyed it as well. I must apologize because I only have pictures of the final product, while I was cooking I totally forgot that it Wednesday (sad face). Next week I'll be on my A game, if you would like to join the "Wednesday Dinner" team 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 "When the questions wrong, God says no. When the timings wrong, God says slow. When you’re not right, God say grow". Until next week be you- Ashley

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 3/2/2011

Hello, good morning (in my Diddy voice). Hope you all are well and making things happen out there in the world. My apologies in the laps in my blogging, there was a death in my family last week so I didn't blog. The funeral was on Wednesday so I took time to handle what was most important, FAMILY. Anyway I am back and everyone is doing better so let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. This week I had dinner with my dear friend Erica again, however this time Erica cooked and we ate at her house. Last year Erica purchased a condo (WooooooooHoooooo) and for the longest time I was suppose to stop by and check out her place, so yesterday was the day. Although it was raining cats and dogs last night, I still made it out to Erica’s. Of course in true Ashley fashion I got lost trying to find her place but after about 5 minutes on the phone and 4 u turns I arrived. Erica’s condo is so cute and it’s just the right size for her and her daughter. I loved her COUCH, so modern and cute! When I arrived dinner was already cooked (Erica knows how to treat a lady hahahaha). She made chicken enchiladas, rice and beans. I fixed my plate sat down and it was time to begin our "girl talk". Talking to Erica is always hilarious because we are so much alike, of course I am not going to spill all of what we talked about however I will say we're both in search of love (hahaha). Dinner was good, Erica’s daughter Jaylynn was there in her room. I must say Jaylynn is too cute and funny. She stayed in her room on her Ipad (yea I know a kid with an Ipad) and whatever she was doing she just kept laughing and she has the cutest little laugh! Anyway all and all dinner was good and I enjoyed myself, I invited Erica and Jaylynn over next week for dinner. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" house call 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 "What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say". Until next week, love peace and soul -Ashley

Friday, February 18, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 2/16/2011

Ayyyyyooooooooooooo! I hope all is well out there in Lala land and everyone had a memorable "Valentine's Day" this weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was in honor of "Valentine's Day" ok maybe or maybe not. A few years a go Stephanie, Shameka & I went to dinner on "Valentine's Day" clearly we were all single at the same time. We went to Captain Jacks in Seal Beach at the time Stephanie and I paid for Shameka's dinner. So after much thought and consideration we decided Shameka owed us a "Valentine's Day" dinner, well that’s what I thought. Stephanie thought it was a meeting to discuss her birthday extravaganza next month. So after what seemed like two days of trying to figure out where to eat we finally decided to meet at "Wood Ranch" (http://www.woodranch.com/loc_la.html) in the Grove. Shameka and I had never been there but Stephanie has, I really don't care for restaurant bbq what the hell I gave it a try. To my surprise Shameka was on time (haha), I arrived second and then Stephanie arrived last. "Wood Ranch" offers these amazing garlic butter rolls that are good but taste even better with extra butter. It was felt so good being with "The Girls" again it was like old times sake. There was a point and time where Shameka, Stephanie and I were always together eating and drinking somewhere. For the record I kind of miss that. So after reviewing the menu it was time to order, this is what we ate:


Stephanie- BBQ Half Chicken with corn and baked beans
Ashley- WR BBQ Combo- BBQ Half Chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and mac & cheese
Shameka- BBQ Half Chicken with mac & cheese and baked beans


It didn't take long for the food to come out and I must say when the food came out it looked and smelled good however I was a little shocked that with all the meat we all got that the sides where not proportion right. We all agreed that we weren't impressed with the food at all. My ribs were ok, the sweet mashed potatoes were ok as well as the mac & cheese but I definitely won't be going back to the "Wood Ranch". During dinner we did our usual girl talk and we all got up to date with what’s been going on in each others lives. Stephanie found a way to mention her birthday plans to us so stay tuned to see how that goes (haha). So after dinner Stephanie had this bright idea to go to CPK (http://www.cpk.com/) for dessert so I could try this "Butter Cake" she had been bragging about. Shameka was a party pooper and didn't come. So we arrived at CPK and Stephanie ordered this "Butter Cake" and it was good however I'm sure if it’s fresh. When all was said and done I was beyond full and I enjoyed myself. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" friendship train drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "The hardest part of being friends sometimes, is loving them too much". Until next week Smooooches -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 2/9/2011




What's coolin? My apologies on the delay but I have been having the worst case of writers block! Anyway, I hope all is well in your world and with that being said let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. This week I had dinner with my good buddy Maurice! As mentioned before Maurice and I went to high school together and over the last year we've become real good friends. Maurice was supposed to pick a place for us to go eat at but I am guessing he couldn't come up with anything. He did mention that he wanted some good Italian food so I suggested "Louise's" (http://www.louises.com/) "Louise's" has 7 locations in California and we decided to go to the one on Pico by the Westside Pavilion. Of course I was running late and I felt so bad, I don't know where my head was that day. So after making Maurice wait about 15 minutes I finally arrived. I had been to "Louise's" before but the one in Larchmont Village and I must say the one on Pico is a lot nicer. So we got a table and reviewed the menu and decided to start with an appetizer, here is what we ordered:

Fritto Misto (Fresh zucchini, rock shrimp and calamari, breaded with Louise’s seasonings. Served with arrabiatta and tartar sauces)

When the Fritto Misto came out it was piping hot and smelled so good, I also ordered a glass of Riesling (which was YUMMY by the way). Maurice loved the Fitto Misto he was on the shrimp and the calamari! I loved it too! It was very crispy and not overly seasoned. Also with the appetizer we received the complimentary Famous Focaccia bread!!! OMG this bread is to DIE for it’s served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This bread is so bomb.com I think I ate 3 out of the 4 pieces that were in the basket and I asked for another basket (SHAME). While reviewing the menu Maurice and I had a chance to do some more catching up and I just have to say that Maurice tells the funniest stories. So after catching up it was time to order, I decided to order from the "Prix Fixe Menu" so for $14.95 I was able to get a salad and pasta entree and a dessert, Maurice wasn't to interested in that so he ordered of the regular menu and here is what we had:


Ashley- House Salad, Pappardelle with Italian Sausage (Pappardelle pasta with spicy Italian sausage and plum tomatoes tossed with garlic, herbs and red pepper flakes. Served in a trio of Bolognese, tomato, and cream sauce


Maurice- Blackened Salmon (Cajun-rubbed fresh Atlantic salmon fillet pan-seared and blackened to perfection. Topped with a balsamic reduction and served with fire-grilled vegetables


While waiting for the food Maurice and I talked more and he was filling me in on his plans for Valentine's Day. When Maurice talks about the women he's involved with its hilarious. So the food came out and for some reason at that very moment I wasn't to sure about what I ordered. Over the last couple of months I have become fond of Italian sausage but this wasn't what I was hoping for. Maurice's plate on the other hand looked, smelled and tasted good. Mine was ok it was a little to sausage-gy and the pappardelle noodles were absolutely too thick however the sauce and the tomatoes were DELISH. I got mine smothered with fresh parmesan cheese and that helped but after 6 bites I was done. I guess all that bread and the appetizer really got to me. I was a little jealous that Maurice ordered something better than me (hahaha just kidding). I tasted Maurices salmon and it was DELISH, its something I would order the next time I go back to “Louise’s”. So after dinner it was time for my dessert, which was:

Tiramisu-A Louise’s classic made fresh daily. Lady fingers dipped in espresso layered in mascarpone cheese and cream.

I am not a huge fan of Tiramisu however this one wasn't to bad. Maurice ordered the:

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake-Dark chocolate layer cake with European chocolate butter cream
to go which was no fun because I didn't get a chance to taste it (sad face). He did say that it was good. Anytime Maurice and I hang out it’s a good time he's a great friend. We continued talking about our "love/dating" lives and I think we would both agree that Maurice's is more exciting than mine (haha). I will say that he did give me some great advice and I appreciate him for being a listening ear (THANK YOU). All in all dinner was AMAZE and I will definitely be doing dinner with Maurice again. I won't count "Louise's" out its still a really good place so get familiar. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" bus drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "No one can do you like you" until next week love always -Ashley

Friday, February 4, 2011

Wednesday Dinner 2/2/2011

AS I AM TRYING TO UPLOAD THE PICTURES, THEY ARE DELETED FROM MY CAMERA (SAD FACE).

This week I had dinner with my good friend Erica Flowers and her daughter Jaylnn. Erica and I haven't had dinner together in a while so we were long over do. It was time for us to catch up and that we did. We met up on at one of my favorite places "Buddha Belly" (http://www.bbfood.com/) "Buddha Belly" has two locations in California. We met up at the one on Beverly in Los Angeles, which is the one that I been to numerous times. I was surprised to find out "Buddha Belly" has Happy Hour (wooooohooooo). The Happy Hour selection wasn't that great but I had some time to kill because Erica was running late so I ordered:


Mojito
Chicken Potstickers

When Erica arrived her and her daughter ordered

Egg Rolls
Lemon Drop (for Erica of course)


I enjoyed my potstickers and my mojito was (DELISH) the best $4.00 I've spent in a while. Erica and I did are usual girl talk and as always it was fun. Now it was time to order dinner and here is what we ate:

Ashley- Ahi Tuna Burger with Sweet Potato Fries (medium-rare ground sushi-grade ahi tuna patty, sweet hawaiian bun, lettuce, tomato, avocado, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, sweet potato fries)


Erica-Korean Steak (teppan-grilled sirloin steak and vegetables, sake marinade, garlic, ginger, side of rice)


Jaylnn- Kids’ Chicken Fried Rice (chicken breast, corn, carrots, edamame)


I have to say that I absolutely enjoyed my burger and fries!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was such a great combination. Erica and Jalynn enjoyed their food as well. Over dinner we did more catching up and it is great as a friend to see my friends doing so well. So SHOUT OUT to Erica for doing her damn thing. All in all dinner was great!!! If you’re not familiar with "Buddha Belly" get familiar. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" list drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I want to leave you with this "Knowledge talks and wisdom listens". Until next time besos! -Ashley




















Wednesday Dinner 1/26/2011

The BIRTHDAY edition!!! So today is the birthday of 2 very special people in my life. 1st my best friend of 20 years Tiffany L. Dawson and my God Son Amarion!! The fact that they share their birthdays is beyond sweet! Tiff turned 29 and Amarion aka A.J. turned 7 and I got to spend time with both of them. After work I met Tiff and her family at "Natalee Thai" (http://www.nataleethai.com/) which is one of Tiff's favorite places. Not really mine since I had a bad experience when I was there the last time (http://wednesdaydinnerwithash.blogspot.com/2009/10/wednesday-dinner-102109.html) but hey it wasn't my birthday. I decided I wouldn't order anything I would let Tiff order and I'd share with her. She ordered:

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Chicken Chow Mein

I was cool with that because I knew I would be eating again later when I saw A.J. but who was a foolin. I waited so long to eat that when I left "Natalee Thai" I was beyond FULL! Tiff's mom, grandma, sister and daughter were at lunch also. It’s always good seeing them since we are like family. Over lunch Tiff and I did our usual joking session and enjoyed ourselves. Tiff's grandma was kind enough to pick up the bill (Thanks Grammy)! After that it was time to make my way home and party with A.J.. A.J. is a little man; he is so funny and grown. He says some of the funniest things. At his party he was having sandwiches & salad from Togo's, wings from Wing Stop and cake from Albertsons. All some of my favorite things. I felt like a fat cow because I had the nerve to eat at A.J.'s party right after I got done having a late lunch with Tiff, just call me McGreedo! Sheesh by the end of the night I was soooooo FULL. I couldn't sleep comfortably. A.J. came up at his party; he got cash, gift cards, a cell phone and a lap top. I know right totally different gifts from what I remember getting at 7 but I guess this is a sign of times changing. Anyway I want to give special SHOUT OUT to Tiff: I am so lucky to have you as a friend! I couldn't imagine going through this journey of life with out you. You have taught me a lot and although I don't say it often THANKS!! For being a listening ear, a firm shoulder and a warm hand for me to hold when I need it. Your the BEST, BESTIE of the BESTEST. Hahaha Love you boobie! and to my little man A.J. God mommy loves you and we will be going on our date soon (just me & you) xoxox. If you would like some "Wednesday Dinner" birthday love 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 "Sometimes you have to forget how you feel to remember what you deserve" until next week -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 1/19/2011

L.A. has a new basketball team (hahaha). There has been a huge fuss over Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers since they are now getting as much shine as the Lakers. Who would have ever thought that?! Anyway I stumbled across some tickets to the game, actually 17 tickets to the game. So I extended the invitation to everyone ok well not everyone, the people I talk to daily so I invited:

Shelby & Caleb
Melissa & Doug
Stephanie, Her Mom, Her Son & Her Daughter
Dominick, His girlfriend & Skye
Marc and his 2 friends
Myself and I took A.J. & Calvin

OMG traveling with this many people is a chore in itself, there were so many of us! So the Clippers were playing the Timberwolves and honestly I wasn't really into the game. I mainly wanted the kids to have a good time and that they did. All the kids enjoyed themselves and they all got along GREAT!! During the game the kids ate nachos, popcorn and soda and they were all hyper active. Since I was traveling with kids I decided it was time for us to go so we left about 5 minutes before the game was over and my group of kids were ready to go and they were getting hungry. So we left and hit up Chipotle, it was already late so dinner was quick and then I had to drop the kids off. All in all everyone who went had a good time, which made me happy! If you would like to join the "Wednesday Dinner" family tree drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "There’s a difference between giving up and knowing when you've had enough". Until next time MUAH! -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 1/12/2011

Ok so I'm catching up on my blog, on this Wednesday I went to "Jersey Mikes" http://www.jerseymikes.com//. I went to the closet one to my house which is the one in Manhattan Beach. I had been wanting to try "Jersey Mikes" for a while and I was having an insane craving for a turkey sandwich. I was impressed to see that once you order they carve the meat and cheese right there for you! The shop was really clean and crisp and not really crowded, so now it was my turn to order and here is what I got:


Small- Turkey & Swiss everything on it (Mike's Way) with extra Mayo

Their sandwiches come in 3 different sizes (mini, regular and giant) I got my sandwich in a size small, thinking back on it I should have gotten a mini. My sandwich had lettuce, tomato, mayo, spicy mustard, pickles, pepper relish, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. I also ordered a bag of plain chips to go with my sandwich. I decided to take my sandwich home and eat it there because I so tired from work. But once I got home it was ON! I took half of my sandwich and half of the chips along with a tall glass of Raspberry Lemonade and it was ON from there. The sandwich was SOOOOO YUMMY!!!! I could taste every little flavor. The total for my sandwich and chips was $8.00 and some change which wasn't bad. After eating just half of the sandwich and chips I was beyond FULL! "Jersey Mikes" is definetly one of my favorite sandwich places and you to should get familiar. All in all dinner was good, I actually enjoy dining alone! If you would like to co sign with "Wednesday Dinner" drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter, www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "A reputation take a lifetime to build but only seconds to destroy". Until next time xoxoxoxox -Ashley