Just got back from having dinner with my best friend. Since he works in downtown L.A. and I don’t live too far away from there, we thought we’d dine in Little Tokyo.
Little Tokyo is this area of the city where you can find pretty much every type of authentic Japanese food you can think of: pastries, sushi, shabu shabu, etc. So you can probably guess what kind of food we ended up eating: That’s right. Italian.
I know what you’re thinking: Why would anyone choose to have Italian food when they’re right in the middle of Little Tokyo? That’s a very good question. Let me get back to you on that one. Let’s just say, it seemed like a nice place and we were hungry.
So we walk into Capperi Ristorante on 2nd street, and it’s all done up Italian style, with the tile floor, white tablecloths and the big oil paintings on the walls. There’s even a couple sitting next to us, sharing a bottle of wine. Yeah, I know, pretty romantic. But once again, it seemed like a nice place and we were hungry.
Anyhow, the waiter comes up and asks us if we’d like something to drink while we’re deciding on what we’d like to order. My friend tells me I should get a beer or something. The waiter explains that they don’t have their beer & wine license yet, but that in the future we could bring our own wine, which is apparently what that couple next to us did. Strike One. We order a bottle of Pellegrino.
Finally, it’s time to order. I decide to have the grilled sea bass. My friend chooses to have the filet mignon. The waiter apologizes: they no longer have any filet mignon. Strike Two. My friend decides to have the veal.
So our meals arrive and suddenly we could understand why so many people were glad to bring in their own wine for their meals: The food was excellent. Nothing was overdone. Nice presentation. Perfectly seasoned.
Anyhow, we finish devouring our food and the check comes. My friend says the meal is on him. He takes out his American Express card and slips it into the bill holder. The waiter comes by to explain that they don’t accept American Express cards right now. They used to, but they changed companies. Strike Three. He pays with his Visa card.
So, that was that. Three strikes and you’re out. Well, normally that would be the case. But you have to look at the facts: Sure, they don’t have their beer and wine license yet. No, they don’t always have everything that’s on the menu. But there’s one thing that overrides all of those negative things. That’s right: the sea bass was excellent.
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