Le Relais L'Entrecote

We arrived in Paris a hungry and a little groggy. After getting our bearings, we set out to do a little exploring and find some dinner.


We wanted to kick off our trip with some traditional steak frites, and the institution that is Le Relais L'Entrecote didn't disappoint. Not only did we love the food, but the charming way in which it's served.


They don't take reservations, so don't be surprised if there's a long line outside.

The waitresses look adorable in their black-and-white uniforms. Once you're seated, they'll simply ask you, "Rare, medium, or well?" and then jot it down on your tablecloth.  

A few moments later, bread and a lightly dressed salad appears...a meal in and of itself.

Then comes the piece de resistance...a heaping platter of steak covered in a buttery mustard sauce, accompanied by a mountain of the best fries ever.

Once you've finished your plate, you'll be stuffed...but it's not over yet. Because the other half of your steak, swimming in that savory sauce, has been keeping warm over some tealights at a nearby station.

Your waitress will promptly return with hot seconds of meat and another batch of fries fresh from the kitchen. You'll wonder how you could possibly finish it all...and yet it somehow disappears.

Go Burger

We are fans of BLT Steak, so we were really excited when a Go Burger opened in Los Angeles.


The fried pickles and milkshake looked delicious but weren't too memorable. The sliders and fried chicken sandwich were a waste of calories. And, the signature Ultimelt burger -- sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches -- tasted surprisingly one-dimensional. 

In the end, it was a no-go. But we'll still give BLT Steak another try day!

Going BIG in San Diego, Part II

After a BIG burger pit stop, we finally got to our destination — Coronado.

We can't confirm whether the Del is haunted, but it's definitely creeeeepy.

When this is right outside your doorstep, though, how bad could it possibly be?

Then again, we did have a mystery visitor in the night...but we think it was friendly.

BIG Brunch
Our mornings started with an overwhelming brunch buffet.

This isn't even half of the selection

There was so much going on that we mostly just grabbed an omelet and then called it quits...except when we felt like taking a BIG risk. Here, we present to you the prime rib breakfast taco.

Was it good or was it bad? You'll just have to try it to find out.

BIG Fish
Lunch was back in Ocean Beach, where the fish tacos at South Beach were ENORMOUS, as were the shrimp.

BIG Birthday
We celebrated two birthdays at Saturday's dinner, so Island Prime was more than appropriate with their huge double-cut pork chop and baseball cut steak.

Go BIG and Go Home
On Sunday, we concluded our visit with a San Diego must — carne asada fries from Lolita's.

This plate of fries topped with two cheese, guac sour cream and meat could've easily fed four, and yet, somehow, it was almost finished by two. Yikes! BIG mistake!

BIG Laughs
Not only was the food supersized — so was the fun.

 Giant Jenga

Thanks, SD and friends, for a BIG, beautiful weekend!

Going BIG in San Diego, Part I

We had a BIG weekend with lots of things to celebrate — a friend's birthday, a reunion of college buddies and 7 years of E+J — and there was no better way to spend it than in San Diego under a BIG blue sky with some great friends.

We started our adventure in Ocean Beach. Not much has changed since we were last there about 5 years ago — it's still the same laid-back, slightly crunchy beach town.

BIG Burgers
We were in OB for a late lunch at Hodad's, where both the burgers and the lines are huge.

A typical wait — luckily, we had somehow missed the lines that day

The funky surfer beach shack interior and San Diego's version of Sriracha

We started with a mountain of hot and crispy Frings, a mix of fries and onion rings.

They don't kid around with their burgers. They were piled high with a generous patty, tons of sweet, mild onions, crunchy pickle slices, thick slices of tomato and a handful of lettuce.

BIG Bacon

There is major bacon craziness here. Not just a couple of slices, but a giant disc that was pretty much its own patty.

It's no coincidence that Hodad's is on Newport and Bacon

BIG Shake

We ended the meal by splitting a ginormous vanilla shake crowned with a huge hunk of ice cream. They probably don't use any milk in this thing — just lots of hand-scooped, old-school Thrifty ice cream.

Like sleepy beach towns, no-frills milkshakes and dating anniversaries, some traditions are definitely worth keeping!

Read more about our BIG weekend...

The BIG MACro

What's almost as good as a hamburger you can cherish for six months? The Big Macro at M Cafe.

Fully loaded = with avocado & tempeh bacon

The Big Macro combo comes with your choice of regular or sweet potato fries, and mint green tea or lemonade. SO MACROBIOTICALLY DELICIOUS!