Wednesday Dinner 4/28/10

Good Morning Dolls and welcome to another ending of the week and yes we have made it. I hope that you all are feeling refreshed and moving in the right direction in your lives. This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was a funny one, I hooked up with my good friend Justin (What up boy!). Justin and I haven't been to dinner since July of last year (http://wednesdaydinnerwithash.blogspot.com/2009/07/wednesday-dinner-71509.html), although we talk often we haven't done a "Wednesday Dinner" in a while. Its always good seeing Justin because he keeps me entertained and what I mean by that is he really is a character with the things he says. When Justin and I had dinner last year it was at what I like to call a "hole in the wall" and yesterday we repeated that. I had been craving one of my favorite places and I just needed to get there by any means necessary. "Mario's Peruvian" on Melrose, "Mario's" doesn't have a website but they have a Yelp link (http://www.yelp.com/biz/marios-peruvian-and-seafood-los-angeles). "Mario's" is located on Melrose and Rossmore and is not a fancy place; with about 15 tables and 2 waitresses this place is always packed. You have to seat yourself and try your hardest to get the attention of your waitress. Justin arrived 5 minutes after I did which wasn't bad because everyone knows I hate waiting on people. Before you order at "Mario's" they bring out homemade bread and it is soooooo warm, soft and yummy, served with butter this is a good look. Since Justin hadn't been to "Mario's" before I took the task of ordering, I figured we could share because I was hungry but I wasn't HUNGRY. So here is what we had:

#34. Chicharron De Calamares- Deep fried squid, served with onion salsa and tartar sauce
#20. Saltado De Pollo- Chunks of chicken sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and french fried potatoes. Served with lightly seasoned rice

Here is a link for their menu (http://www.sporq.com/losangeles/mariosperuvianrestaurant/5786melroseave)



Before the food came out Justin and I were just shooting the shit about life and then we got on his love life (OOOOOHHHH BOY) and this is when the laughter started. Justin and I have a great friendship and we are always giving each other advice, let me rephrase that I am always giving Justin advice. Justin shared with me details of this girl he's been seeing for about a month and how things have kind of moved too fast, of course I gave my input and then that's when it started to get interesting. For Justin's sake this girl will remain nameless (HAHAHAHA) but I will say that men have a funny way at looking at situations. Justin expressed that in his world he would like to have one main chick and still be open to date other chicks. WOW that might work if both parties are on the same page, but in real life situations like that only complicate things. So now it was time to eat, when the food came out it was hot and I was ready to dig in!!! The Saltado De Pollo was DELISH!!! Chicken, tomatoes, onions, french fries, and rice it seems weird but it’s a perfect combination and taste soooooooooo GOOD! I was checking on Justin to make sure he liked the food and he did, then the Chicharron De Calamares was sooo good too! I love fried calamari its one of my favorite things and we were both pleased with what I picked. What I ordered was just enough for the both of us because I was FULL after. There wasn't any calamari left when we were done eating and there was just a little bit of the chicken left. So back to the conversation Justin and I were having, I explained to him how women are emotional and often times we can not separate sex from emotion and then we starting talking about my summer conversation group "Summer of the Sexes" (coming soon"). Justin gave me his feedback on my summer project and I want to thank him for that. All in all dinner was great; the total for everything was $26.07 which wasn't bad. Justin, thanks again for coming out, I had a good time!! If you would like to go on a "Wednesday Dinner" hike 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 "Be quick to listen and slow to speak", until next week xoxoxoxxox- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 4/21/10

Good Morning my loves!!!!!!!! Hope all is well; I am in a little bit of pain. My wisdom tooth is giving a lot of drama, so luckily today it is being pulled. But on a lighter note, yesterdays "Wednesday Dinner" was wonderful!!!!!!! Yesterday I met up with my sisters (Melissa and Shelby) at MILK http://www.themilkshop.com/, MILK is located on the corner of Beverly and Poinsettia in LA. It is your modern day Ice Cream Parlor and for me it was love at first sight. Ever since I can remember ice cream has been one of my favorite things, as a kid Blue Bubble Gum ice cream was my favorite. I remember having one of my birthdays in an ice cream parlor. I had been hearing about MILK for quite a while but never made my way down there so yesterday was my first time there. The weather yesterday was not your typical ice cream day but if you know me I will eat ice cream in any weather. Meeting with my sisters is always great and I really cherish the time that we spend together now more than ever because Shelby will be going off to college soon. As soon as I walked into MILK I fell in love with everything from cakes to cookies, ice cream to ice cream sandwiches, salads to soups what more could a girl ask for. Its very sheik and modern with great customer service, the only thing I didn't like was that a lot of the treats were open, as in just sitting out and no really covered but hey that’s just how I feel. I decided I would get something to eat and then go HAM on dessert and that was exactly what I did. Shelby and I decided we would share something to eat and here is what we ate:


Crispy Skin 1/2 Chicken- served with bacon, scallions, sour cream, mashed potatoes, string beans and dijon mustard sauce

It took all of 10 minutes for the food to come out and when it came out it was piping hot and it looked sooooooo good! Shelby and I split the meal right down the middle and it was just enough for the both of us. The chicken was juicy, a little crispy and well seasoned, the mashed potatoes where great and the green beans where on point as well. It was the perfect combination and really hit the spot, Shelby was pleased as well. I ordered an Arnold Palmer to drink and I have to say that was one of the best Arnold Palmers I've had in a long time. My sisters are hilarious!! I love spending time with them. Over dinner we just joked and it really makes me appreciate the relationship my sisters and I have. After we ate of course there was plenty of room for dessert, here is what we ordered:

Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes
Coffee Toffee Crunch Shake- coffee ice cream with toffee crunch and espresso
The Blondie- A white chocolate blondie with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch and a pecan praline
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar


Ok so I was already in love with MILK but after ordering these desserts I was deeply in love! The mini red velvet cupcakes were good (Melissa makes way better ones tho). Now it was time for The Blondie, OMG this sundae was big enough for all 3 of us, the blondie was at the bottom and topped with vanilla ice cream, whip cream, pralines, carmel sauce and and 2 cherries. All 3 of use finished that sundae and it was DELISH. Shelby got the Coffee Toffee Crunch Shake, I didn't taste it Melissa did and I think Melissa liked it. Then I ordered the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar to go (I ate it when I got home and it was DELISH). I love MILK because the make all of their own ice cream treats (ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, bon bons, cupcakes, cakes, etc.). This is my new favorite dessert place, I will definetly be going back. The grand total for everything was $36.07 which in my opinion was not bad because I wasn't disappointed I was extremely happy and satisfied! If you haven’t been to MILK get there and get familiar!!!! If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" playlist 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 "Judge me and you'll have no room left to love me". Until next week it’s all love- Ashley M.

Wednesday Dinner 4/14/10

 Good Morning and Happy Thursday!!!!! Be thankful that we are here and have made it to see yet another day and another weekend. This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was HORRIBLE! So let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. This week I changed my plans around (for what I don't know); I should have followed my first mind. Earlier this week my cousin Chanel mentioned to me that I should try the "Gumbo Grill" formally known as the "Gumbo Shack". The "Gumbo Shack" was located on Market Street in Inglewood and in my opinion was one of Inglewood’s best kept secret. The "Gumbo Shack" had this amazing Shrimp Po Boy sandwich and delicious Red Kool Aid! It was low-key the kind of place you could go and eat with your significant other, meet with the girls, have a family dinner or order take out. From what I heard the "Gumbo Grill" bought the "Gumbo Shack" and made some major changes. I met Stephanie there for dinner last night and I was highly disappointed. The "Gumbo Grill" is located on Prairie still in Inglewood, however the parking lot is small and the decor in the "Gumbo Grill" is not what I expected. Bar stools all around and then a small table right under the stair way (HUH???). The cashier appeared to be all over the place and didn't really know what was what. The place was EMPTY! It was just Stephanie and I for dinner in there. The menu was pretty much the same from what I remember the "Gumbo Shack" serving; however I noticed a few things that had been added. My fist thought was to order a Shrimp Po Boy (stick to what you know Ash) but then I remembered Chanel telling me to try the Tacos (why did I listen to her!). Stephanie and I really couldn't decided, Stephanie asked to sample the Gumbo. I stay away from anyone’s Gumbo except for my Grandfathers (he make THEE BEST GUMBO EVER). So after about 5-10 minutes of looking at the menu here is what we ordered:


Ashley- 1 Turkey Taco, 1 Fried Shrimp Taco, French Fries & Red Kool Aid
Stephanie- 1 Turkey Taco, 1 Grilled Shrimp Taco, French Fries & Red Kool Aid

It took about 10-15 minutes for our food to come out and when it did it looked very appetizing but it wasn't, all the food had a funny and gross after taste to it. It took another 10 minutes for the french fries to come out, which was all bad because I was already done with one of my taco's buy then. I was already irritated because my kool aid was cold and we had to ask for more ice. The concept of these tacos is great however the taste not so much. The turkey was season very well but it was a turkey burger patty??? That’s a FAIL! Ground the damn turkey and put it in my taco don’t cut a burger patty in half and serve it to me in a taco! The shrimp was also seasoned great but cocktail sauce and cheese on a taco is just WRONG! Stephanie got her shrimp grilled and no cheese on her taco and didn't like the cocktail sauce either. The food isn't that expensive, for both of us the total was about $18.00 which isn't bad but the food wasn't good! Over dinner Stephanie & I talked about our foolishness that we will be creating this summer. The owner of the "Gumbo Grill" was shamelessly trying to hit on Stephanie by offering her a job (OH WOW). All in all the food was horrible and I will NOT be going back there again! I seriously need to find out why the "Gumbo Shack" sold their business. If you would like to get in the "Wednesday Dinner" both 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 -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 4/7/10

Good Morning dolls and happy Thursday!!! And so here it is, we have made it through another week of life and we have another story to tell. Today I woke up feeling like crap! I have a headache this size of Precious! But the show must go on. I had been craving a particular something; I'd say for the past 2 weeks or so and had been trying to get there. My original plan was to go somewhere else but I changed my mind. Yesterday it was such a beautiful day in LA, and so it was only right that I ate what I had been craving. I heard a couple of my friend’s mention this place also, so I took that as a sign and my mind was made up. I invited my sister Melissa to come with because she had never been to where I was going and she agreed. So no let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin; I had been craving "Earlez Grille" http://www.earlezgrille.net/eg/The_Official_Earlez_Grille_Website.html and so that’s where we went. "Earlez Grille" is an LA classic and if you know like I know they are famous for their chili and hot dogs. About 2 years ago "Earlez Grille" moved from Crenshaw and 42nd and now they have moved to Crenshaw right before exposition. I noticed that there are all types of people that eat at "Earlez" from white, black and asian and last night that is just what I saw again. It wasn't crowded last night but it wasn't empty either, there were a few different type of interesting groups there; men playing dominos, a group of co-workers, a family having dinner and a boyfriend and girlfriend. There was a group of girls ordering before Melissa and I and the whole time they were ordering I could feel one of looking at me. Grrrrr, I don't like people who just stare for no reason! So now it was time for Melissa and I told order and here is what we had:


Ashley- Turkey hot dog with chili
Melissa- Pastrami and Fries

I always get the same thing when I go to "Earlez Grille" it was Melissas first time, Melissa doesn't really care for hot dogs she’s is more a sandwich and burger type of girl. Along with our food we both got something to drink, I got lemonade (soooooo good and sweet) and Melissa got a Sprite. My grand total for everything was $15.91 which wasn't bad. So now it was time to eat and we did! My hot dog was DELISH as usual topped with chilli, cheese, onions, relish, mustard and ketchup it really hit the spot. Melissa's pastrami was good but it wasn't anything close to Johnny's Pastrami. The french fries where big steak like fries and I personally don't care for those kind of fries, I like skinny fries. These fries were way to HOT and I burned my tongue trying to eat them. Over dinner Melissa and I talked about her new job, yes that’s right MELISSA GOT A JOB!!!!!!! WOOOHOO! and then it was time to leave. We were both full and satisfied. "Earlez" is one of my favorite spots and I will definitely be going back, now if you haven't been, get there. Just so you know "Earlez" is known for their chili, hot dogs and playas punch. If you would like to swim in the "Wednesday Dinner" pool 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; "Don't go through life, grow through life". Until next week, blessings- Ashley.

Wednesday Dinner 3/31/10

Good Morning my loves and Happy Thursday!!!!!! Oh yeah and Happy April Fool's Day!!! And so we have made it through another week and it’s the end of the 1st quarter of 2010. Hopefully you all are on track with your 2010 goals and are moving forward in your lives. This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was a solo mission; it was a table for 1. I came across this coupon book at work and was surfing through it and came across quite a few restaurants and thought I should try some of these out. I had coupons for "Dukes" http://www.dukeswesthollywood.com/, so I decided to go there. This worked out perfectly, since it was just me I didn't have to wait for anyone and I could just go straight from work. I didn't realize how close "Dukes" was to my job, it took me all of 5 minutes to get there. I was super excited to try somewhere I haven't been and I haven't heard much about. "Dukes" is located on Sunset right in the heart of Weho, Weho is a place I don't frequent do to the over crowding of weirdo's. Parking is located directly behind "Dukes" but it’s a little strange because it seemed like everyone was double parked and there was no parking attendant there. Walking in I felt kind a strange since this would be my 1st time having dinner alone, but after I noticed that there was another person sitting alone I felt better. "Dukes" is a nice size and could fit 40 people in there easily; it has the feel of a diner. With the colors brown and orange I kind of felt like I was at Hooters, it wasn't very crowded but while I was there a few more people arrived. I ordered lemonade to drink because I don't really drink soda and then it was time for me to review the menu. With breakfast being served all day and so many choices, I was a little torn. I felt like a burger, then I felt like a sandwich, and then I felt like getting a hot entree. So I finally I decided to order and here is what I had:


Burger Patty Melt- 1/2 lb. burger, grilled onions, mushrooms, swiss cheese, thousand island dressing

I noticed I have been eating a lot of beef lately so I decided to switch it up and get a turkey patty instead. The patty melt was served on sourdough bread, accompanied by french fries. When my food was brought out it was super PIPING hot, it was actually to hot. By the time the sandwich cooled down I was full and almost finished. The french fries were average with no seasoning. The patty melt was good the only issue I had was that the sourdough bread was a little to hard, but the combination of mushrooms, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing was good. If the bread would have been a little softer and if it wasn't so hard it would have been the perfect patty melt. All in all dinner was good, but for some reason I think "Dukes" is probably known for their breakfast. I was unable to use my coupon because I didn't read the small print, my coupon was only valid from 6pm-2am, but I wasn't tripping my meal was only $12.29. Even though I am not a believer in tips I tipped the waiter $3.00 which brought my total to $15.29, the service wasn't bad and it wasn't exceptionally good it was average. I will go back to "Dukes" and I will definitely try breakfast. If you would like to ride the "Wednesday Dinner" rollercoaster 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 "One day your life will flash before your eyes...make sure its worth watching". Until next week, keep it pimpin. Ashley.

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