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We were duped into dining at Bouchon by rave reviews we read on other websites. What a disappointment!

There is nothing special about Bouchon’s location, decor, service, or food.

Bouchon is an ordinary retail space and very little effort or expense went into improvements. There are no booths, only uncomfortable wooden chairs for seating. Inexpensively framed poster-art hangs on the peach colored walls.

Service was slow. Well over an hour for our entrees to arrive, even though we were there on a quiet Tuesday night.

My NY steak was so tough, I had trouble cutting it even with a steak knife. My sister had to reject the salmon — twice! She ended up not eating at all that night. My brother said the lamb left a bad taste in his mouth that lasted for hours.

We were completely disappointed with Bouchon on every level. I would not recommend it to anyone.

I was impressed with Wine Cask from the moment I stepped in the door. The high, coffered ceiling, authentic 19th century oil paintings on the walls, giant vases with fresh flowers, and huge fireplace all gave it that “Wow” factor.

Service was impeccible.

We were there for lunch, and my only complaint is that I don’t live closer so I could try everything on the menu! I’m told the dinner menu is even better.

I can’t wait to return to Wine Cask. I will definitely dine there every time I visit Santa Barbara.

I was planning to visit MOCA around lunch time, so I thought I’d find a nice place for a relaxing lunch. A variety of items I read online led me to conclude that Patinette Cafe at MOCA would be the perfect choice. Wow, was I wrong!

I read that Patinette Cafe is the smaller, less expensive offspring of the upscale Patina restaurant located at the Disney Concert Hall. And, it was located right on the museum property. Sounded like a perfect place for lunch.

Reality check: Patinette Cafe is a tiny space located under the stairs that lead to the main entrance of MOCA. It’s a glass display case with some pastas and pre-made sandwiches. The top of the display case is cluttered with small baskets of cookies, potato chips, candy bars. Behind the cash resister is a glass front refrigerator with canned and bottled beverages. The “cafe” is barely more than a snack bar!

I was running late that day, so I got a sandwich (very ordinary) and a Snapple for about $13.00. Later, when I was leaving the museum, I noticed a Koo Koo Roo right across the street — I wish I would have noticed it earlier!

I can say a lot of good things about Pink Taco in Century City. Unfortunately, all of those good points are undermined by a fundamental flaw in the restaurant’s concept.

The good: Location, layout (including an outdoor patio), decor, service, and food are all amazing. I’ve had the lobster enchiladas twice. Excellent. Refreshing, new & unique versions of the standard Mexican food and decor you’ll find anywhere else.

The bad: The NOISE. “Alternative rock” music plays at dance club volume. The experience is like having dinner in the middle of a dance floor. We had to literally shout our orders to our server and he had to shout them back at us to confirm he got them right. One-on-one conversation is very difficult — unless you can read lips. Group conversation would be impossible without lots of shouting.

Pink Taco should decide if it wants to be a restaurant or a dance club — it’s ridiculous to try to be both at the same time. If the music volume were maybe 1/10th of the current level, Pink Taco would be a real winner.

While dining at the Daily Grill at LAX recently, I was reminded of the famous Bette Davis movie line, “What a dump!”

I’ve had many enjoyable meals at five other Daily Grill locations. I’ve had lunch and/or dinner at the Brentwood location at least 100 times over the years. I know what to expect from the Daily Grill. Unfortunately, this LAX version is far below their usual standards. Far, far below!

The faux leather seating of my booth had a huge tear in it — at least two feet long. It looked as if it had been torn gradually over time and never repaired. As I looked around, I could see that the entire place was in dire need of a major make-over, with obvious signs of wear and tear everywhere.

I’m convinced our waiter doesn’t speak English. He told us that they had no tomatoes, and when I asked why, he stated that they had no tomatoes. I repeated my question, and he blankly repeated that they didn’t have any tomatoes. He appeared noticeably uncomfortable that I actually asked him a question. I got the impression that he was hoping I would wordlessly point to the items on the menu that I wanted to order.

I tried to play it safe by ordering a cheeseburger ($14). This was by far the worst cheeseburger I’ve ever had. The meat was completely tasteless (and looked pre-formed, like the meat patties at Carl’s Jr., but without the “charbroiled” flavor), the bun was stale — and, of course, no tomato. They also forgot the onion rings that are supposed to be on the burger.

I’m normally a big fan of the Daily Grill — but, definitely NOT this LAX version! It is a sub-par imitation of a real Daily Grill. Eat just about anywhere else instead.

Yamashiro is a rarity in L.A., because it’s a pre-1950’s building that has actually been appreciated and preserved — not torn down and rebuilt like the rest of the city. The unique, Japanese-style structure has quite a history (read about it on the Yamashiro restaurant website, and take a very cool virtual tour); originally a private mansion, then an exclusive club for the Hollywood elite, and a military academy before becoming the beautiful restaurant it is today.

The Hollywood hilltop views are amazing, and (unlike most “view” restaurants) the food is great, too! Every time I’ve been there, I’ve had nothing less than excellent service.

Despite the Japanese name and architecture, the menu is currently Cal-Asian. I prefer this menu to the all-Japanese menu they had years ago. I like to start out with the crab cakes and tempura shrimp & vegetable appetizers, followed by the filet mignon & lobster. Wonderful!

For all of the above reasons, Yamashiro is my first choice for treating my out-of-town guests to a one-of-a-kind, memorable dining experience. So far, everyone I’ve taken there has loved it.

I was not impressed with anything at Il Tramezzino in Studio City. Service, food, and atmosphere were sub-par.

My waiter answered my questions with either one word answers, or a grunt. I told him I had never been there before, yet he made no menu suggestions, he just gave me a blank stare. When I asked about the chicken breast sandwich, he simply said, “Good”. He never checked back with me after dropping off my sandwich. After eating, I waited for at least 20 minutes for my bill — which only came after I flagged down the waiter and asked for it. He finally delivered my bill, without a word — not even a “Thank you” — and without slowing down, as he rushed to another table.

The chicken breast sandwich was mostly hard, dry, tasteless bread with very little chicken or anything else inside. It comes with no sides, just the sandwich for $10.95.

Both inside and outside, customers are forced to listen to the radio station playing over Il Tramezzino’s loudspeakers. It’s pretty annoying to have to hear all the commercials, news broadcasts, stupid DJ comments, and traffic alerts when you’re trying to enjoy a peaceful meal. Can’t they afford satellite music service, like most restaurants? Or, even pleasant music from an IPod?

Il Tramezzino also allows cigarette smoking at the outdoor tables. Someone lit up near me, and forced me to move inside halfway through my meal. I’m sorry, but smoking at a restaurant (even outdoors) is just plain rude.