![\"Karen](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Utitled-e1520729922635.jpg\")
<\/a>Karen Salkin, enjoying her matzah ball soup from XO. (But she might need a bang trim to go with that!) Photo by Lisa Politz.<\/p><\/div>\n
Over fifty restaurants\/caterers\/food purveyors will be participating again; each one shares samples of a few of their most popular dishes, and there\u2019s something for everyone, even moi<\/em>, the most picky restaurant critic you\u2019ve ever met. The viewers of my former television show, Karen\u2019s Restaurant Revue<\/em>, used to get such a kick out of my\u2014how shall I put it?\u2014\u201climited\u201d taste buds.<\/p>\n So I\u2019m happy to report that even at this small-sampling-of-eateries preview, there were several dishes that featured foods on my minimal list of ones I eat! And devour those I did. With gusto!!!<\/p>\n XO’s “Pho-tza” Ball Soup, which I’m craving just looking at this picture!!! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n My favorite was a unique one–Vietnamese matzah ball soup!!! Who knew?! New-ish Beverly Boulevard Vietnamese eatery XO surprised me with it. When I asked what it was, (because it appeared<\/em> to be matzah ball soup, but I knew the place was Asian,) I thought the guy was saying \u201cfaux<\/em> matzah ball soup,\u201d so I was wondering just what it was made with. Was it fake chicken<\/em>??? But then I realized he was saying \u201cpho,\u201d the famous broth from Vietnam! Boy, was I relieved! And guess what? XO\u2019s matzah balls were almost as good as my little mother\u2019s! (Don\u2019t get alarmed, thinking that I withheld a skill of my little mo\u2019s from you all these years\u2014that was the only<\/em> thing she could cook! And, as I told Johnny Carson the first time I was on his show\u2014she passed that non<\/em>-knowledge down to me. Hence, I became a restaurant critic! Thanks, Mom!)<\/p>\n What could be better than a beautiful view of the Rose Bowl field while enjoying desserts from Porto’s? Photo by Lisa Politz.<\/p><\/div>\n I also enjoyed the very flavorful asparagus and crunchy quinoa atop burrata cheese from The Bellwether in the Valley, a place I always plan<\/em> to go for dinner, but never actually get there. So this was a treat.<\/p>\n I brought along my pal, Lisa, and she was a fan of Ayala Luk’s beef khao soi with curry noodles. She deemed it to be \u201ccreamy, a little spicy, oh so flavorful, and perfectly delicious!\u201d (I don\u2019t eat beef or curry, so I sat that one out.)<\/p>\n But we were both thrilled to finish-up with a dessert trio from what appears to be everyone\u2019s favorite Burbank bakery, Porto\u2019s. Their fare was so popular that they brought along to-go containers!!! (If only I had known about that, I would have been happy to bring some home to Mr. X. Shame.)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>