Palomino

10877 Wilshire Blvd., #150
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-1960
http://www.palomino.com/

so for my dad’s birthday our family went to palomino, which according to the website, serves “european-inspired regional american cuisine.” it’s located within walking distance of the ucla campus. we had made reservations beforehand so seating was not a problem. so the first thing i noticed was that the interior decor and design was pretty interesting and nicely done. it’s classy and modern with a very open-air feel. i think its the recessed floors, snaking table booths, high barstools and low armchairs that give the place a fun, european-feeling terrain. i dunno if that makes any sense to people other than me.. and also the european artwork hanging on the walls were a nice touch. i was all happy wen i recognized one was a matisse painting and another i wasnt really sure but decided it was german.

so when i first walked in i thought this was a straight-up italian restaurant since thats wut my parents told me beforehand. and i didnt really put 2 and 2 together with all the non-italian artwork hanging on the walls at that point either.. so it was a pretty pleasant surprise opening up the menu and seeing some interesting combinations. for instance, some of the ones i was looking at: fettucine and rotisserie salmon, rotisserie pork chop with grilled chorizo, lake superior white fish with seafood salsa (which was what my mom got.) so then, what did i end up ordering..?

WHAT I ORDERED: Spaghetti and Kobe Meatball, and shared a Dungeness Crab & Artichoke Dip appetizer with family. for dessert, a free Chocolate Tiramisu for my dad’s bday and a Warm Pear Bread Pudding.

so first lets start with the appetizer. the dungeness crab n artichoke dip was just plain awesome. so they give u thin crispy pizza crust to use for the dip. and the crab and artichoke is definitely a good combination. i think my sister prefered to dip bread rather than the pizza crust, but i really liked the pizza crust. not much to say.. the dip was a winner.

on to the main course. now when i saw spaghetti and kobe meatball on the menu i was intrigued and couldnt resist trying it. a meatball made of kobe beef. is it really better than a regular meatball made of regular ground beef? i just had to know. and the answer? umm… no its not really better than a regular meatball. at all. it was actually kinda dry and tough. what a letdown. the spaghetti itself wasnt bad.. it wasnt anything special either. needless to say, i would not order this dish again. i also had a taste of my sister’s lobster ravioli. it was also kinda mediocre. aw too bad…

finally.. dessert! so the chocolate tiramisu was really good. you know i think that was the first time ive had a chocolate tiramisu… not sure if its uncommon but it sure is good. there were like chocolate crumbs on top and it was all crunchy and soggy at the same time. gotta love it. and then came the warm pear bread pudding. this really gooey thing with a scoop of ice cream on top. basically tasted like an apple cobbler to me. and of course the idea is contrasting warm gooey bread pudding and pear to the cold vanilla ice cream. it was also great. especially the ice cream. tho i did prefer the chocolate tiramisu over it, only cuz of the meal i just had. the bread pudding seems more like something i’d eat after a burger or pizza or something else totally unhealthy.. and all those gooey calories would be a great finisher for such a meal. but then the tiramisu is totally fitting for a nice italian meal or a light dinner.. it’s very light and cool flavored. and since i had the spaghetti and kobe meatball i naturally gravitate towards the tiramisu.

one final comment i should add. the service at palomino was great as well. everybody was really courteous and friendly. and at the end of our meal we got these cool little ‘thank you’ card thingies with quotes inside. mine says: “The world will always welcome lovers. – As Time Goes By.” overall palomino’s a pretty neat place. maybe it’d be cool to go there for happy hour specials sometime.

SUMMARY
Pros: Classy interior, airy and comfortable atmosphere, good service, good appetizers and desserts, unique menu.
Cons: Mediocre dinner main courses, kobe meatball disappointment.
Grade: 6.5/10