615671 Tue Apr 28 13:27:03 -0700 2009 39 2 Los Angeles Area 0 4636623 If you are stuck on the Promenade on a really hot day with the conservative parents of your good friend actually moules frites and a Kronenberg at Monsieur Marcel is really nice what with the ocean breeze and all. Tue Apr 28 13:27:03 -0700 2009 14404 Thi N. 1 4636629 (I have a friend, incidentally, who loves good meat, and lives within 3 blocks of the promenade, and ritually consumes a lamb burger here every week. Also, he once bought me a lamb burger and taught me to move pigeons around with his chi. Monsieur Marcel is, if you don't know, a patio in the middle of the promenade, where you're surrounded by tourists, pigeons, and ocean breeze.) Tue Apr 28 13:28:05 -0700 2009 4636623 14404 Thi N. 2 4636635 Got it!! Very creative! Tue Apr 28 13:29:52 -0700 2009 4636629 90755 Phurstluv 1 4636880 I enjoyed the Promenade during the early years, and figured out how to park in the Santa Monica Place lot at the south foot and then walk up and back. The place I miss the most by far is Benita's Frites, with their perfect crisp twice-fried french fries in cones, a hot, cheap delicious treat easily consumed while walking. There was a sports bar up further on the east side, a good place to watch a Laker game back at the end of the Magic years, and there were bookstores, including the marvelous architecture and art collection on the west side. Street performers, interesting tourists, not just a bunch of national chains and an expensive farmers' market. I miss those days, and I think the Promenade is the worse for it. Tue Apr 28 14:37:05 -0700 2009 4636623 10855 nosh 2 4636892 Please don't mention Benita's Frites anymore, it's just too much for me. (i'm shedding loads of tears). Tue Apr 28 14:39:10 -0700 2009 4636880 10866 kevin 3 4637282 me too, Kevin ...and by the way, down the hall from Benita;s resided the original Markie D.s cheesesteak joint which I helped open... Nosh,maybe you and I should open one on the P-Nade a la Big Mikes!! They sure could use one! Tue Apr 28 16:55:16 -0700 2009 4636892 280909 jrcheesesteak 3 4637369 Have you done frites at Oinkster? I never had the benita's of memory, but I kind of love oinkster's fries, bigtime. Tue Apr 28 17:26:02 -0700 2009 4636892 14404 Thi N. 4 4637391 alas no ocean view. Tue Apr 28 17:37:26 -0700 2009 4637369 10704 wilafur 5 4639157 alas, no benita's which had great frites and dipping sauces but no ocean view even if it's potatoes had eyes... Wed Apr 29 10:29:03 -0700 2009 4637391 108169 Servorg 6 4640437 Cute! Wed Apr 29 16:14:14 -0700 2009 4639157 90755 Phurstluv 4 4637394 ah, oinkster's just doesn't compare. the best and closest to benita's would be the hitching post fries in buelton. come to think of it, on a good day, the fries at wurstkuche are darn good, but not really belgian. if they it is touted as such on the menu. Tue Apr 28 17:37:51 -0700 2009 4637369 10866 kevin 5 4637412 It's all about Peruvian fries for me, man... Tue Apr 28 17:48:19 -0700 2009 4637394 14404 Thi N. 6 4638705 then you should try puro sabor in van nuys, they are the epitome of homemade peruvian fries. Wed Apr 29 08:32:24 -0700 2009 4637412 10866 kevin 7 4639068 Jah. We are in agreement on the Glory of Puro Sabor. Wed Apr 29 10:06:14 -0700 2009 4638705 14404 Thi N. 8 4639743 Or go to Super Pollo just down the street on VN Blvd. and get the chicken that perches on top of the fries and drips its juices down onto them... oy, vey, I'm salivating, and I just ate, too. Wed Apr 29 13:02:10 -0700 2009 4639068 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4640153 those wurstkuche fries are freaking amazing on a good day. Wed Apr 29 14:49:40 -0700 2009 4637394 12268 mollyomormon 6 4640205 Gotta agree with that! http://www.flickr.com/photos/dommichu/3254469102/ --Dommy! Wed Apr 29 15:03:01 -0700 2009 4640153 10659 Dommy 1 4638908 Monsieur Marcel is always a mad house tho'.... The only thing worth snacking on on the Promenade for me now is Joe's Pizza... --Dommy! Wed Apr 29 09:28:10 -0700 2009 4636623 10659 Dommy 2 4640001 In a slice my past a kid long ago eaten on the curb now I go with my kid what? no purple drink, yo Wed Apr 29 14:12:21 -0700 2009 4638908 10023 Professor Salt 3 4640061 what's with all the haiku? let's get back to what we do best, EATING AND DRINKING. HA. Wed Apr 29 14:29:36 -0700 2009 4640001 10866 kevin 4 4640081 There once was a poster named kevin Whose food recs were sent straight from heaven His haiku complaint Was invalid and quaint And the last line of his post didn't scan or rhyme at all. ;-) It feels good to get the recommendations out there in a non-prose form. That said, and on-topic, I can't picture Monsieur Marcel but if I recall aright there's a pretty decent crêperie on the south end of the Promenade, and Broadway Deli has good bread pudding. Wed Apr 29 14:36:31 -0700 2009 4640061 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4640117 Promenade creperie's crepes are flabby and indelicate, bloated like an old pancake. On the other hand, the perfectly tender thinness of the Sawtelle Crepe Nazi. Wed Apr 29 14:44:02 -0700 2009 4640081 14404 Thi N. 5 4640121 i knew i was gonna get shit for that. anyhow, to keep it chowish and prose-ish, monseiur marcel has been on the promenade, relatively recently the past couple years or so, i believe it's on the other side of the newstand, just a skip and a hop from the apple store. now i really miss benita's Wed Apr 29 14:44:42 -0700 2009 4640081 10866 kevin 5 4640136 Monsieur Marcel mussels are definitely better than crepes or deli. Sweet sweaty mussel and strong taste of wine in proper balance. Wed Apr 29 14:47:45 -0700 2009 4640081 14404 Thi N. 6 4640399 Silly food writer You're missing two syllables In your last haiku. Yet for some reason Sawtelle's Crêpe Nazi likes me He tends to smile more. It has been four years Since I braved the Promenade I'm sure some things changed. Flabby pink tourists Parents exploiting their kids A desert of food. Wed Apr 29 16:04:47 -0700 2009 4640136 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4640449 My husband loved that place, Cafe Crepes I think(?) - I think it's decent. Think Broadway's way overpriced, tho. Sorry, not doing the haiku, tho loved reading them, very creative! Wed Apr 29 16:16:59 -0700 2009 4640081 90755 Phurstluv 6 4644039 I think the crepes are generally passable, but the real thing to know about this place is that they serve ridiculously cheap drinks. Like $5 a drink cheap, which is damn near impossible to find anywhere else in the vicinity. If you can get a seat on the front patio on a warm night, it's pretty great people watching. Thu Apr 30 18:34:01 -0700 2009 4640449 12268 mollyomormon 1 4639135 Bask in the ocean breeze but don't breathe too deep or you will catch a whiff of a homeless guys bare feet Wed Apr 29 10:23:24 -0700 2009 4636623 212582 schrutefarms 2 4640127 In the air: homeless bare feet and distant scent of funnel cake. Want to hide? Try that nice seafood place on Pacific with the oyster happy hour. (They have a good selection.) Wed Apr 29 14:46:25 -0700 2009 4639135 14404 Thi N. 3 4640406 Oyster happy hour On Ocean, not Pacific Ocean Ave. Seafood Wed Apr 29 16:06:04 -0700 2009 4640127 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 4639202 "Moule frites," I say Bah! All of the best food is east of the 405! Wed Apr 29 10:39:45 -0700 2009 4636623 10134 David Kahn 2 4639752 Mariscos Chente Is west of the 405 Don't be a hater. Wed Apr 29 13:03:36 -0700 2009 4639202 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 4640452 Did U come around on MC, DU? I thought you had a so-so experience,no? Wed Apr 29 16:17:32 -0700 2009 4639752 11732 Ciao Bob 4 4641127 I've been several times. Still not had the PZ (too big for 2 + a toddler) though. I'm going to write about it soon. Wed Apr 29 20:20:00 -0700 2009 4640452 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4641186 Most that I've had there has been real good but, as you know, it is the PZ that elevates the meal from real good to real great. Most fish isn't going to fly well the next day but I think if you saved half of a 1 kilo for lunch the next day it would work, reheated with some tortillas. Wed Apr 29 20:55:51 -0700 2009 4641127 11732 Ciao Bob 5 4646886 your family must hardly eat at all. my hairdresser and i split a pz and were still hungry afterwards.....had to order more. when i go to MC with a large group i always order a PZ and a mojarra frita (sp?) "for the table." nothing is ever left over even with everyone ordering their own dish in addition. Fri May 01 16:26:46 -0700 2009 4641127 11935 westsidegal 6 4646944 The last time, we ordered a pescado a la plancha, an order of camarones borrachos, and I had a couple beers. It was plenty of food for two adults and a toddler. I can't imagine ordering a pz in addition. And as some of the CHs can tell you, I'm not a 90-lb. weakling, either. Fri May 01 16:53:21 -0700 2009 4646886 10811 Das Ubergeek 6 4646960 well, if you're ordering a raw shrimp dish with no butter sauce and no cream sauce, then yeah, that will be a lot easier on the stomach space. and then you can tackle some of that Pescados Zabrbabjlendo (sp?0 it's been a while since i've been there maybe i'm overdue, and i'll tackle a few beers and some chuladas. Fri May 01 17:02:13 -0700 2009 4646886 10866 kevin 6 4648409 If I went alone, I might have to skip it (might!) but just so I don't appear to be a bigger swine than I am. Any party even slightly bigger, say me and even a small pet, would be enough to get the cafeteria-tray-treatment. And a hairdresser, no less! Sat May 02 12:11:11 -0700 2009 4646886 11732 Ciao Bob 3 4640457 And the moules frites at Anisette is AWESOME! Yeah, no love for the haters!! Wed Apr 29 16:18:28 -0700 2009 4639752 90755 Phurstluv