Takami and Mazzy

Last night we went out to celebrate Chad's birthday. We went to a very cool restaurant in downtown LA called Takami, which has to be one of LA's most attractive and unique venues. Located on the corner of Flower Street and Wilshire Boulevard, it is 21 floors above LA's financial district with amazing views of the city and beyond. We sat outside on the patio, which was perfect. I loved the rooftop atmosphere. Our server was from Maine and was so friendly, he definitely added to the enjoyment of the evening. He recommended a bottle of Kikusui sake, which I think is a common sake since I recognized the pretty blue bottle it came in. I am surely not a sake connoisseur, I actually cannot make any distinction between different cold sakes, but it was very light and refreshing.You can see the rooftop bar at "The Standard" in the background of the photo.

We had “Takami Edamame,” soybeans sautéed in garlic butter and soy sauce. These were very tasty.

Poki Martini, Spicy Tuna Poki with Finely Chopped Mild Red Onions Fresh Wasabi, garnished with Thinly Sliced Lemons & Cucumber on a seaweed salad. Somewhat bland, not spicy at all. I would say this wasn't anything spectacular.

Oysters on the Half Shell, Fresh Seasonal Oysters served on Ice. Big and juicy. Tasted great. Came with three sauces, which were fun to try, but I have to say horseradish, lemon, and cocktail sauce is still my favorite with oysters.

Soft Shell Crab, Fried Soft Shell Crab with Sweet & Spicy Soy Dressing. Spectacular!

Sashimi plate. Fresh and delicious with a nice assortment.

There were so many other things we wanted to try, so we will have to go back again! The manager, Andrew, came by to check on us, and he was also an east coaster from Annapolis and super friendly. Chad and him exchanged favorite hangouts there.

Afterwards we decided to venture out into the city of LA, which I don't think we've ever done, and checked out the Golden Gopher. On the outside it looks plain jane but then you walk in and you're like "wow, it's cool in here". The music is good, dark atmosphere, old school video game tables (Ms. Pacman, Centipede and Asteroids), urban cocktail lounge vibe. We recognized the bartender from a bar he used to work at in Pasadena. He made us good drinks. They have a photobooth in the bar, and yes, we used it. It also has a unique liquor "to go” counter on the way out, thanks to its still valid 1905 liquor license, issued when Teddy Roosevelt was Commander-in-Chief.

I had a great lesson on Mazzy this morning. She is really coming along. This week she got back shoes on for the first time and that seemed to help support her hind end. Her trot is relaxed and fluid, and her canter is feeling much more solid and controllable. We are working on getting her to step up underneath herself more instead of the strung out, legs going in every direction feeling. It is hard work for her due to her young age, undeveloped muscles and huge size (almost 17 hands at age three), but she is trying really hard to do what is asked of her. We are also working on getting her to travel straight without loosing her haunch to the outside. She is really fun to ride. I am so excited with all the progress she has made and grateful to have such a great trainer. It is such a fantastic feeling to get on her the day after a schooling session and feel a big difference. Makes you really appreciate the professionals!

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