West Hollywood: Return to Connie & Ted’s

April 8, 2014

chowder sampler

My friend and I were jonesing for a seafood fest so we headed to Connie & Ted’s. I had not been since they opened. I’m glad to see it’s still going strong.

We started out with the chowder sampler with the familiar red and white versions. I was excited by the third, the Rhode Island chowder which was a clear broth. Loved that all the chowders had plenty of juicy clams.

Italian Wedding

A great opening cocktail is the Italian Wedding. Done in a Manhattan style, the drink has two types of rum and one of my favorite amari, Amaro Braulio. It’s not at all bitter and I rather liked it with the oysters appetizer.

Italian Wedding – 5 year demerara rum, Lemonhart 151, Amaro Braulio, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth

Angels on Horseback

I didn’t get to try the Angels on Horseback the first time I was at Connie and Ted’s. We wanted oysters so this seemed like a natural order. If you like bacon-wrapped anything, the Angels are the way to go. Yes, I love raw oysters but sometimes I love them cooked just a bit more.

lobster roll

We couldn’t resist the lobster roll. It has plenty of lobster and plenty of fries. We shared but you probably should get your own.

Brussels sprouts

We also got the Brussels sprouts. Unfortunately these were a little mushy. I had visions of turning it into a soup for the next day.

Indian pudding

A couple of desserts stood out for us so we got two when I realized the rhubarb pie I loved last time wasn’t available. We tried the Indian pudding and wonderful blondie.

I wasn’t familiar with Indian pudding which uses molasses as its base. I recently did a molasses tasting and decided I like the “lightest” molasses. Having it as a pudding was just a bit too bitter-sweet for me. Eating it with the ice cream did help. I suspect it would have been better with coffee.

blondie

On the other hand, I loved the blondie which was more sweet than the Indian pudding. Drenched in caramel and also served a la mode, this would be the dessert to get.

I can’t wait to go back to try more seafood!

Connie & Ted’s

8171 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046 – (323) 848-2722