Triplecreme

New Blog!

2010-09-16T10:47:00.001-07:00

I have started a new blog, this time with a wider scope. Please check it out!

Wedding Paella

2010-04-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy this last year, especially these last couple of weeks with my wedding celebrations! We were married in a chapel in Las Vegas, and followed it with a fantastic dinner in a private room at Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian. A couple shows and many decadent meals later, we returned to Los Angeles for reception #2.

We decided to go with Spanish food for this party, and went with a crowd-pleasing paella from Juan Pomares in San Diego. He is from Alicante, Spain, and specializes in paella. Really, really big ones, apparently. This one easily feed our crowd of 95, with leftovers. This was by far, the best paella I have ever had, and my Spanish in-laws approved. Loaded with chicken, chorizo and pork ribs, it was rich and savory. We had more the next night, along with our empanadas, Spanish meats and cheese, and wedding cake (from Sweet Lady Jane). I have one more bag of paella in the freezer, along with some cake, and I am looking forward to enjoying those final bites.

Paella Valenciana
858-672-2243

Sweet Lady Jane
8360 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 653-7145

The Good Pizza - Westchester

2009-07-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I recieved an e-mail from a site called Grub Street, with their top 10 list of the best Neopolitan style pizzerias in the area (Antica, Mozza, Ortica...). There was one called The Good Pizza in Westchester that cought my eye. Westchester? Yes. Nestled in a little strip mall right in the middle of a residential neighborhood, The Good Pizza is quite a pleasant surprise. One of the owners, Nando, is from Napoli, pizza capital of the world (not New York!). It is a small store front, primarily set up for take out, but the do have two small tables inside, and a couple out front, where we sat and enjoyed our pizza. All the pizzas are large 18 inchers - we decided to split one. Half pizza bianca, half meat lovers. They don't call it The Good Pizza for nothing. Just thin enough, just thick enough, with really good dough. We had to force ourselves to stop eating pizza when Nando brought out a slice of cheesecake for us to try. Owners Nando and Carlos chatted us up and made us feel very welcome and comfortable. We are so excited we made this discovery - it is almost our pizzeria version of Metro Cafe. Small, unassuming, great food and great company.

The Good Pizza
7929 Emerson Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
310-215-1883

Let's Hear it for Sepia

2009-07-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

In Logroño, Spain, there is a street, Calle Laurel, which is jam packed with tapas bars and people, which we slowly walked through sampling the fare at many bars each night of our stay. Some specialize in particular tapas, and this one specialized in sepia. I normally don't eat it, but I figured I ought to give it a fair try. Tender, not too chewy sepia, covered in a thin, garlicky alioli and a drizzle of parsley oil on bread. With a small glass of white Rioja it was a fantastic starter in a night full of wonderful little bites.

Chalet Edelweiss

2009-07-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

After several days of driving by Chalet Edelwiess, I finally stopped in. It is a cute (and a bit hokey) Swiss restaurant in Westchester, specializing in Swiss fare like raclette, Schnitzel, fondue, spaetzel, beer, etc. While browsing through the menu I was reminded of Waterfront Cafe in Venice, and rightly so - they share the same owners. Along with the traditional Swiss fare they also serve pizzas from their wood burning pizza oven, but while sitting in the covered patio in between a paper mache Matterhorn and a speaker blaring Swiss accordion music, you might as well skip the pizza and go full speed ahead for a Swiss experience.

I started of with 17oz of Erdinger, and we shared my first raclette ($15.95). Quite good, actually - potatoes, melted cheese, pickles and onions.

Then onto my main course of Rahmschnitzel with Spätzle, (spatzle and pork smothered in a mushroom cream sauce $17.95). Yes, it was filling, and good. You can't beat a bunch of cheese, cream and carbs can you?

Then we shared a "just OK" apple strudel. After the beer, bread, cheese, potatoes, spatzle I was so stuffed by this time, it was really hard to enjoy the strudel.

This place is really cute and funny with the all the corny Swiss nick-nacks and blaring music, but can be a lot of fun. Go after the sun sets, since there are no blinds and most of the tables come with a clear view of the sun. Just be sure to come hungry.

Chalet Edelweiss
8740 Sepulveda Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
310-645-8740

Terroni

2009-06-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

This place is so cool. They serve southern Italian fare, with an exotic, all-Italian wine list, and many so pizzas and pastas it took me forever to decide. Uber-cool decor, including an exaggerated giant chandelier hanging ominously above the bar, and an old Sophia Loren film projected on the wall. We shared fried zucchini blossoms, and I had a pizza with speck, pear, gorgonzola and walnuts ($15.95). Not too expensive, a ton of intersting wine and dishes to choose from, and a cool vibe (and way easy to get a last minute table then Mozza). Now I have more pizza ideas to try at home!

Terroni
7605 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA

La Cuchara de San Telmo - San Sebastian

2009-06-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

This tapas bar/restaurant was by far our favorite in San Sebastian. They offer several contempory style tapas, a great reprive when you think you may have overdosed on traditional pixtos bars. We had Foie gras, duck breast, scallops, sweetbreads, blood sausage...all my faves! And so cheap! Each dish was only a couple of Euros, a steal. Look how big that foie gras is! Every dish was very good, very rich, and beautiful. The only shame is you eat standing up at the bar, and I kept thinking that it would be so nice to sit down, relax and savor every bite. We went there twice on this trip, and if I return to San Sebastian I will go there first.

On egin!

Calle de 31 de Agosto
San Sebastian Spain

Sazon - Mar Vista

2009-06-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

After driving past this restaurant a million times, I finally checked it out last night with a friend who has eaten there a couple of times and enjoyed it very much. This is why: inexpensive, creative food, intimate neighborhood cafe vibe, and BYOB.

The owner/chef Claudia, calls her food Latin fusion. You will recognize flavors and dishes from various Hispanic countries, all with her twist on them. We started off with a variety of empanadas like spinach, potato and chicken. They were great and prepared the way I like them: fried. We also shared some tostones, fried plantain chips.

Mi Gaditano had coconut crusted fish with spinach mashed potatoes and ate it so fast I didn't have an opportunity to try a bite!

I had the spinach stuffed chicken breast with vegetables, rice and black beans. The chicken was very moist, especially for white meat. I enjoyed everything here, but I found myself sprinkling salt on everything, which I rarely do in a restaurant. The menu boasts their use of little or no salt, but the food needs it to really come alive. The entrees are very reasonably priced under $10, and the portions are good. Bring in your own wine, and it is even a better deal. To finish, we enjoyed her version of natillas, which was altered a bit to resemble a cake than pudding. I was too stuffed to eat much, but the sweet corn and chocolate combo was nice.

I am so excited I finally tried this place, it is so nice having a terrific neighborhood joint to walk to, linger over a good meal, feel welcomed by the staff, and not break the bank.

Sazon
12406 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90066
310-390-5061

Wurstkuche - Downtown Los Angeles

2009-06-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

I ventured downtown the other night to check out Wurstkuche, a Father's Office-esque grilled sausage bar. It is in the Arts District of downtown, with a nice view of what I like to call "the backside of downtown." You place your order at the counter, grab your drinks and your number, head down the hall and try to find a seat in the main dining room. Dark, with communal tables, bar and DJ station. They bring out your food pretty quickly, but if you decide to get more food, it is back to the first room and wait in line. The menu is just suasages, choice of a toppings, fries with many dipping sauces, and pleanty of exotic beer on tap. We both opted for the Bockwurst with grilled onlins and sweet peppers, large fries with pesto mayo and blue cheese walnut and bacon dip. We should have just gotten two of the blue cheese, it was so good. Two pints of Pabst Blue Ribbon (I know, not very exotic, but cheap) brought the tab to $22.78. A bargin. I was full but not stuffed. If you are hungry, go ahead and order two sausages. This place is pretty cool, with good food and comfortable atmoshere for lingering and enjoying the night.

Wurstkuche
800 E 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-687-4444

Tavern

2009-05-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Right down the street from (one of my) workplace on the Italian-heavy stretch of San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood is the newly opened Tavern, by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne of (my fave) Lucques. I strolled down there for lunch, and ordered the Americano sandwich from the lunch counter - cavalo nero, artichokes and burrata, along with a salad and buttermilk dressing. The burrata was so creamy it emulated mayonaisse on the sandwich, but much better!

The breakfast and lunch counter has coffee drinks, baked goods, cold salads and sandwiches, salad dressings, cheese and some pantry items available for take-out or dine-in at the long banquette.

I returned after work with my mom for some appetizers and drinks at the bar. We arrived at 5 PM, and sat near group of four drunk businessmen about 30 minutes away from wearing one of the lampshades on their heads (my mom overheard, "this was the longest lunch I've ever had!"), but thankfully they left soon thereafter and the wine and food provided a very good distraction.

Many items on Tavern's menu come right from the Lucques cookbook, the menu selection seems more American in style than Lucques, and certainly larger, even including a special kid's menu. The bar menu consists of small appetizers, along with burgers and fries. We ordered each a glass of rose, a perfect aperitivo. We shared the brochette of oyster and bacon dipped in batter and deep fried (I dare you to find any fault in that combination), along with fried gougeres and french radishes. Fried/cheese/bacon/wine/bread=good.

The soothing greys and blues, the cozy loveseats and chairs, the always wonderful food by Suzanne Goin, polite, professional service, a perfectly wonderful experience.

Tavern
11648 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
90049
310-806-6464

Back From Spain

2009-05-08T13:34:00.001-07:00

I just got back home from a wonderful trip to Spain. Madrid, Logrono, San Sebastian and Granada. Lots of food and fun in every city. Pictures and stories coming soon!

Bacaro LA - Downtown

2009-03-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

I discovered this downtown wine bar from a wine blog called Do Bianchi. After I picked up my Gaditano from Union Station the other night, we headed straight for this cozy and modern little wine bar. We landed the last available table by the front window, and sat in the banquette facing the chalk board filled with all the wines by the glass, and a nice rendering of Italy divided into its provinces (the wine list was pleasantly heavy on Italian wines, with many wines under $40).

Their menu consists of cichetti (small plates), very reasonably priced at $7 each or three for $19. At that price, I expected the serving to be skimpy, but they were not at all. We shared 3 crostini (the 3 for $7), our favorite being the mascarpone and sun-dried tomato tapenade. Then on to a create-your-own panino: we choose black forest ham, caramelized onions and gruyere a fail-safe combination.

The Bacaro burger was not your ordinary hamburger: open faced of thick toasted bread, beef patty, beefsteak tomato doused in a creamy steak-sauce. Not the best burger, but an enjoyable, creative surprise.

Also on the menu are cheeses, salame, bruschette, scallops, steak, chicken, nuts, olives, etc. I love the casual atmosphere, the tasty inexpensive food and out of the way locale in a quiet, not too dodgy area of downtown. I'll be back.

Bacaro LA
2308 Union St.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
213-748-7205

A-16 - San Francisco

2009-03-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

I picked up their new cookbook a couple weeks ago, after reading about it in Gourmet Magazine, and I love it. When our trip to San Francisco came up, I made sure we had a reservation here. The place was absolutely packed. We waited a few minutes for our table in the very crowded bar area, which gave up time to check out all the dishes that passed us by. We started with a plate of soft, salty, sweet, delicate Prociutto San Daniele.

We shared the spinach gnocchi with mushrooms and broth (one of the dishes we saw at the bar, but I mistook the broth for butter) which were fluffly and delicate, not too rich at all (but I do wish they were in a pool of butter instead of broth!).

My Gaditano had their version of pizza bianca, which I have made form their book. Mozzeralla, basil, and olives, it was great, even better than mine (I need a wood fired pizza oven..).

For my main course, I had the trippa alla Napoleatana, which was just like the trippa all Romana I had in Rome, except with bread crumbs.

We sipped a nice cerasuolo from Sicily and enjoyed our selves and the meal tremendously.

César - Berkeley

2009-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

In Berkeley, next door to Chez Panisse is César, a Spanish tapas restaurant. Basically it is good, but a bit expensive. We ordered the piquillo peppers stuffed with queso fresco, raisins and pine nuts, which I enjoyed the combination very much, but they were tiny, especially for $9.75. The cheese plate was skimpy and ugly, at $11.75.

They should add some accompaniments such as mebrillo paste or almonds. The highlight was certainly the croque señor bacadillos.

We should of just ordered two of these and forgotten the cheese and peppers. A toasted sandwich of manchego, jamon serrano and a creamy ailioli for $10.75. A glass of manzanilla and house-made lemon mint soda proved to be refreshing.

César
1515 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA
510-883-0222

Flour Girl Desserts

2009-03-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Minda Trotta, pastry chef and owner of Flour Girl Desserts offered to send me a sample of her rocky road to try, so, of course I accepted. I received this box filled with wonderful rocky road. It lasted mere minutes with my family. Rocky road typically is not my favorite, but this one was better than most, due to the rich dark chocolate and homemade marshmallows. I quickly forgot that I normally don't dig rocky road!

Flower Girl Desserts
818-876-1817
flourgirlm@yahoo.com

Citizen Cake - San Francisco

2009-03-06T17:09:00.001-08:00

On our way to see the seven painted ladies in San Francisco, we stooped at Citizen Cake for a little pick me up. A cappucino, an individual chocolate mousse cake, a brownie and an alfajore, and we were ready for the uphill trek to Alamo Square. The cupcakes and croissants were so tempting that we made a quick stop on our way out of town the next morning for one of each (and a bag of chocolate cookies). All were fantastic.

Citizen Cake
399 Grove Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel. (415) 861-2228

The Zuni Burger - San Francisco

2009-03-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

We had a nice late lunch on our first day in San Francisco at Zuni Cafe. I had dinner there a few years ago and the meal was exceptional. I had heard about their burger, and went in with high expectations. It was good, but not exceptional. It was served on a buttery focaccia bun, and for a couple dollars more with a skimpy slice of cheese. For an extra $6, we got a pile of super crisp shoestring fries. The patty was moist and tender, but overall slightly under-salted, especially considering they salt all their meat a day or two in advance. Had I not gone in with such high expectations, I think I would have been more pleased. Instead, it was just OK.

Zuni Cafe
1658 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94102

The Real San Francisco Treat

2009-03-04T21:05:00.001-08:00

The real San francisco treat is an Irish coffee from the Buena Vista - not the salt-carb-bomb of Rice o' Roni. Without fail I have had breakfast here on every visit to San Francisco. Two Irish coffees (try to have just one) with San Francisco sourdough bread, and a view of the cable car and the bay. The drink is so popular here that the waiters don't even have to order it by name, they just tell the bartender "make one."

Buena Vista
2765 Hyde St
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-474-5044

Venice Beach Wines

2009-02-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

I heard about Venice Beach Wines several months ago, when it was just a little wine shop without it's tasting license yet. Well, they have it now, and have trasformed from a little wine shop to a really great neighborhood wine bar.

It is a tiny spot in a still funky stretch of Rose Ave, just west of Lincoln Blvd. The enclosed, heated patio is a cozy and intimate place to enjoy a glass or bottle from thier small but interesting wine selection (all available for take-home purchase), some charcuterie, cheese, panino or salad from their menu. Last night we had some big, beautiful green olives ($4) to nibble on with my 2006 Ca'Luca pinot grigio ($7), then we had some jamon serrano ($6.50) and robiola ($4.50) served with almonds, fruit compotes, mustard and crostini, along with my 2007 Vale de Torre from Portugal ($8).

Good food, good wine, fantastic intimate and relaxing atmosphere with not-to-loud electic music perfect for sippling wine and enjoying friends.

Venice Beach Wines
529 Rose Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
310-606-2529

Western Regional Barista Competition

2009-01-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

I dropped by Day One of the 2009 Western Regional Barista Competition yesterday (continuing today and tomorrow) held downtown. Hosted by intelligentsia Coffee, spectators could sip on free espresso, purchase gourmet Ding-Dong's from Monkey Bakery while watching some very serious espresso making.

Each contestant has 15 minutes to make an espresso, a cappuccino, and their own signature creation for each the four seated judges, who were vigoursly taking notes during the "performance" while 3 other judges hovered over them, checking their tamping technique, among other things. Each barista tells the judges about their choice of coffee and milk, describing the nuances much like a fine wine. The afternoon proved to be entertaining and informative.

Western Regional Barista Competition
453 S Spring St
Jan. 23 & 24, 10-5
Jan. 25, 10-3

Restaurant Week Press Conference, Year 2

2009-01-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

I attended a press conference for LA's second annual Dine LA Restaurant week. This year's conference was bigger and better than last year's. It was held at the new SLS Hotel, with a reception in Jose Andres' The Bazaar restaurant. go see the hotel and restuarant yourself - I cannot even begin to describe the cool, outlandish decor. There were several chef's present, all in their chef whites (and blacks) such as Mary Sue Milikin, Kerry Simon, Fred Eric, Evan Kleiman, Todd Barrie, Ben Ford, Celestino Drago, and Katzuto Matsusaka of Beacon, who approached my Gaditano boyfriend thinking he knew him (he must think all Spaniards look alike). I did use Luis to my advantage - he approached Jose Andres and chatted him up in Spanish and asked him to pose for this photo.

The food passed around was exquisite. We had crab with raspberry sauce,

traditional Spanish croquetas, pata negra that melted in your mouth, sangria,

Jose Andres' version of a Philly cheese steak, and El Bulli's famous "olives" that burst pure liquid olive into your mouth when you break the delicate skin holding it together.

Restaurant week is from January 25-30, and February 1-6. Prix fixe lunches and dinners, many of which are steals compared to their normal menus. Bigger and better than last year, I cannot wait for my Bazaar reservation to roll around.

Aebleskiver

2009-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

For breakfast, while in Solvang, one has to get some aebleskivers! Denmarks answer to a beignet - kind of like a pancake ball, and a little dense like a doughnut, and not very sweet on its own. Doused in raspberry jam and powdered sugar, three of these (and a side a bacon), we were ready for the drive home.

Solvang Restaurant
1672 Copenhagen Dr.
Solvang, CA, 93463

The Hitching Post

2009-01-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, on a chilly night in Buellton (30 degrees by the time we left the restaurant), my Gaditano and I trekked from our motel room to the Hitching Post. The place was packed, and we had no reservation, but we lucked out big time when we walked up to the bar right as two patrons were leaving. We ordered up a bottle of their Highliner Pinot Noir (the best wine we had on the trip), shared a grilled artichoke, then a steak, fries, salad and corn chowder. Very cozy and old fashioned, and very good. A perfect way to end the day.

The Hitching Post
406 E Highway 246
Buellton, CA
805-688-0676

Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe

2009-01-07T09:14:00.001-08:00

My Gaditano and I spent a nice, relaxing weekend in Santa Ynez wine country. We visited a couple wineries, walked through Los Olivos and Solvang, we even stayed in the Days Inn and had dinner at the nearby Hitching Post, a la Sideways. For lunch, we ate at the Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe, in super-cute Los Olivos. They started us off with some bread and a chimichurri like sauce, then we shared a caeser salad with pine nuts, and then a pizza with fontina, mushrooms and spinach. Very satisfying and enjoyable - a good base for wine tasting.

Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe
2879 Grand Ave.
Los Olivos, CA 93441
805-688-7265

The Curious Palate

2008-12-11T19:37:00.001-08:00

The Curious Palate opened a few days ago in Mar Vista - a welcome reprieve from all the taquerias in the area. It is a cozy little cafe/gourmet shop/take-out deli with a small seasonal menu including sandwiches (I had a prosciutto panini),

salads, soups, sides and daily hot plate specials like these braised short ribs with Isreali couscous.

They also have a deli case of meats olives cheese, etc., making it a convienient stop for Mar Visians for some gourmet snacks (and they serve my fave coffee, Intelligentsia).

The Curious Palate
12034 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Mosto Enoteca

2008-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

I had my second wonderful meal at Mosto Enoteca the other night. Located upstairs in a strip mall on Washington Blvd in Maria del Rey (next to the late Killer Shrimp), there is finally a good, non-chain restaurant worth going to in the Marina.

They start you off with a selection of breads and homemade grissini (breadsticks) to nibble on, served with a vegetable puree that changes daily. The first night we had zucchini, potato and truffle, the second night pumpkin and bacon. Much more interesting then your typical olive oil or butter.

On my first visit, I was with a group of ten and we shared everything family style. A selection of salumi, cheese and some crostini to start, then a few pastas (many of which are house-made), some fish, then a nice big veal chop, some side vegetables, followed by a couple desserts. On the second visit, we were more conservative - just a spinach pancetta and pine nut salad followed by strozzopretti and clams for me. Every single dish I have eaten here has been executed perfectly, with strong, clear flavors, appropriate servings, plated beautifully. Elegant yet simple.

Just one complaint: the wine list prices are out of proportion to the food prices. You are hard pressed to find a bottle under $50. The food is very reasonably priced, and is actually quite a deal for the quality. It would be more appropriate (and we would certainly have ordered more wine) if they offered more bottles under $35. Otherwise, Mosto is a cozy, comfortable yet sophisticated restaurant with excellent food I will happily return to.

Here are some shots a friend took. Unfortunately, he didn't get a shot of the Fred Flintsone sized veal chop or the eequally beautiful double cut pork chop.

Mosto Enoteca
517 Washington Blvd.
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
310-821-3035

The Wood

2008-11-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

I had a very disappointing breakfast this morning at The Wood, a brand new little cafe in Mar Vista where El Castillo used to be. They transformed the little castle into a cute cafe, with outdoor seating. It is a new venture between the owners of The Grind and Cafe Laurent. I was really hoping The Wood would be a fantastic little neighborhood gem, with decent breakfast and coffee, but unfortunately the best thing in the place is the cool Dave Lefner print on the wall.

You order at the counter and they bring your order to you. The service is quasi-self-serve. Want syrup for your pancakes, or sugar for your coffee, get up and get it. When the server brought me my meal, the flatware was rolled up in a paper napkin, on the plate with my food, sopping up the grease. Good thing I had already gotten a napkin myself when I got my coffee.

They offer many espresso drinks, but their drip coffee is served in ultra-tacky pump thermoses you serve yourself. My capuccino was brought out in a paper cup for my "for-here" order, and they quickly put it in a ceramic cup at my request. I ordered the 2x breakfast of two eggs, two sausages, two pieces of bacon and two pancakes, with potatoes. The potatoes were greasy and tasted like the oil they were fried in, the scrambled eggs were prepared the way I hate: not stirred before they hit the grill. So you end up with white bits and yellow bits. The pancakes had the fainted hint of rose water - a very perfumey, soapy taste. Intentional or not, I did not like them.

The space is loud - it was only me, a table of two and a couple of employees (and lots of traffic at the intersection). I really, really, wanted to like The Wood - it would be so great to have a great breakfast and lunch place within walking distance from my apartment, but the meal was so mediocre, and the coffee so unmemorable, I am afraid to go back and give it another try.

The Wood

12000 Washington Blvd.

310-915-9663

Riva - I Forgot My Camera

2008-11-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

I hate it when that happens. I met some friends for a fantastic meal at Riva the other night. Owned by the team that brought you Fraiche, Riva is another awesome creation. In the old Scarboni and Pentola spot in Santa Monica, I think this restaurant will be the first to last in that spot.

They have a nice, all Italian wine list organized by style and price, rather than region, making it easy to navigate for those unfamiliar with Italian regions and varietals (the informed sommelier can help you out too). We ordered from each section of the menu: crudo, appetizer, pizza, main courses, cheese and dessert.

Of the crudos we had seabass, tuna and cuttlefish, each one better than the last. Refreshing, light, and just enough for one bite per person, they were the perfect starter. Then we shared some house-made headcheese, which our sommelier paired brilliantly with a sparking rosado wine. We shared two pizzas (one, curtesy of chef Jason Travi), a bianca with spinach and ricotta, and one with potato, creme fraiche and rosemary. Cooked in a wood burning oven we each enjoyed these pizzas thoroughly. On my next visit, I would like to take a seat at the bar, and enjoy some crudo, pizza and wine and call it a night. But last night we couldn't stop there.

We shared the steak for two (yet big enough to split among the for of us) presented table side, served with lentils, cavalo nero, and bagna cauda, cooked a perfect medium rare. To kick off the end of the meal, we had a cheese plate with three (very small slices) cheeses, then three desserts: torta della nonna, chocolate cake and budino. All beautiful. We were stuffed. I loved the whole experience and cannot wait to return. I am sorry I forgot my camera, I hate blogging without photos. Thanks for reading all the way to the end! By the way, we had a celebrity sighting. At the table next to us was Tom Hanks and Martin Short.

Riva

312 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA

Enoteca San Marco

2008-10-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

On this last trip to Vega$, we stayed at the Venetian Hotel and Casino - which has become one of my favorite hotels in Vegas for food. We dined at Mario Batali's B&B, and his more casual Enoteca San Marco. It really offers the some of the best dishes of Italy, including two of my Roman faves: Cacio e Pepe, and fried zucchini blossoms. Nestled in "St. Mark's Square" (a cleaner, smaller, pigeon-free version), Enoteca San Marco is kind of like a bigger, casual version of both LA Mozzas (and without the ridiculous wait for a reservation).

We had pizza and pasta, but I insisted we have at least one non-fried vegetable: these asparagus with pecorino were wonderful.
One of the categories on the menu is devoted to fried food. On our second visit we choose this trio of cauliflower, zucchini blossoms and pizza dough.
Wine by the quartino, a view of Disneyland-esque Venezia, and these dishes. What better way to enjoy lunch in Vega$.

Bar Pinxto

2008-10-19T18:32:00.001-07:00

My favorite Spaniard was in town and, among many others, Pintxo was on my list of places to take him. I wanted him to try Spanish food in LA and give me his take on it. We started off with some canapes: Luis ordered his favorite Russian salad (served unlike any Russian salad he has had in Spain, with cheese on it), and I choose the jamon sofrito and fried leeks. These tapas were nice little starters, just enough to fire up the appetite. He liked his, but insisted it was not traditional Russian salad.

We had to try our two faves. Mine are the croquetas, and his the tortilla. We would order these two at every opportunity we had while in Spain. I really liked the croquetas and alioli. Fried a deep brown, they were creamy and crispy. These were ham and chicken, while in Spain the ones I had were either ham or chicken, not both together. I really liked the combo, although I prefer the traditional oblong shape over the round shape at Pintxo.

Luis was enjoyed his tortilla, and thought it was as good as any in Spain. It had cubes of potato which he likes, while I prefer slices instead.

The space is small, the stools uncomfortable, service is fast and friendly. Don't plan on lingering over a long, leisurely meal here. Is really a place for a quick drink and tapa. I really love the all Spanish wine list, with several offerings by the glass, casually served in little glass rather than stemware. Luis enjoyed his Alhambra beer - making his Granadino parents proud.

Bar Pintxo
109 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-458-2012

Whole Foods Wine Bar

2008-09-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

I checkout out the new Whole Foods on Lincoln Blvd in Venice. I love these newer Whole Foods markets. There is a lot of emphasis on prepared, ready to eat foods. Every time I have been to this one, it is a bit of a scene outside with diners enjoying a meal, or just some coffee. On this visit, my friend and I paid a visit to the tapas bar. Nestled in the wine section, they have a vinoteque loaded with wine to taste by the 2 oz. pour (they have a tasting license, so they may only serve 2oz pours rather than full glasses or whole bottles). We shared a red flight ($12.990 and a white flight ($11.99), along with the usual wine accompaniments of cheese meats and nuts ($6.99-9.99), all of which are available for purchase in their respective departments.

Not necessarily the cheapest wine deal in town, but it is fun to take a break during your shopping on a (somewhat) lazy Sunday afternoon, as we did, to sample and enjoy some interesting wines and meats.

Whole Foods
225 Lincoln Blvd.
Venice, CA
310-566-9480

Rosenthal Estate Wine Tour

2008-09-16T03:59:00.000-07:00

I recently went on a special tour of the Rosenthal Estate winery in Malibu. The estate is not open to the public, but once a year Ian Blackburn of Learn About Wine puts together this special tour. Situated on 250 acres in Malibu off Kanan Dume Road, they have vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, to name a few.

We started the tour with a tasting of a couple of their (surprisingly good) wines, while eating a light lunch from Bay Cities Deli served outside on the patio of the horse stable-turned-tasting room.

We then set off on foot and trekked around some of the beautiful vineyards, as our tour guide told us about the growing and harvesting process, while sampling more wines grown on the premises.

Scattered nearby the house were a few pieces of art. Check out these 2 pieces of the Berlin Wall.

It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I just wanted to move into the house (13 lucky workers live on the premesis), go for a swim, and take a nap on the lawn. But I had to settle for a few more relaxing minutes on the patio, instead.

Los Angeles Barbeque Festival, Part 1

2008-08-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

I just received my VIP passes for the upcoming Los Angeles Barbeque Festival on September 13 and 14th on the Santa Monica Pier. The event promises plenty of BBQ from the likes of Mr. Cecils (my fave rib joint), and Baby Blues BBQ, among others. Also a beer garden and live music. I know I am not going to to miss Beatles cover band Ticket to Ride on Sunday afternoon, hopefully they are at least half as good as the king of all Beatles tribute bands, The Fab Four. The VIP pass will get you access to the express food lines, an event T shirt, and a Cosmo Deck. Check back after that weekend, and I will have a post festival round up with photos.

Los Angeles Barbeque Fastival
September 13 & 14
Santa Monica Pier
Noon-6PM

Tapas in Granada

2008-08-26T21:46:00.001-07:00

While in Granada, we were able to make a meal out of tapas. It was so nice to forget about making reservations, and eating at just about anytime we wished. One afternoon for lunch (around 2:00), we ventured to a bar called La Ballena Allegre near the bullring and ordered two glasses of tinto de verana, which would would come with a choice of sandwiches (we choose blood sausage and jamon serrano) for about 5 Euro a round. After two rounds, we were satiated and ready to tour the bullring.

I know these pictures are not food-related, but I have to share them. We took a private tour of the bullring (the first time my Gaditano had been in one - I had seen a bullfight 5 years ago in Madrid, once was enough) and here are some highlights. If the bullfighter gets hurts, they whisk him off to the examination room. I don't think any bullfighter wants to have reason to step into those stirrups.

If surgery is necessary, they have an ER set up (note the state-of-the-art-hand-cranked operating table). They do not waste anytime shuttling the bullfighter to a nearby hospital.

He may then rest and recover in the adjacent recovery room.

They family waits for him here,

and prays for him here.

OK, back to tapas. One warm summer night, we had drinks and tapas at Oliver, in Plaza Pescadeia. We sat outside, enjoyed some wine with tuna empanadas, and another round with fried stuffed mussels and croquetas. It was 10:30 or so, and everyone was out enjoying the beautiful, warm night.

Junk Food Hangover

2008-08-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

I think I have a junk food hangover. Beignets and coffee for breakfast, churro for mid-morning snack, corn dog and soda for lunch…yes, I was at Disneyland. Had it been the old Pre-Downtown Disney days, the rest of the day (meal-wise) would have continued to go downhill.

Perhaps fried chicken tenders or pizza in Tomorrowland, or a Monte Cristo sandwich at Blue Bayou. But ever since they added California Adventure and Downtown Disney, you are just a hand stamp away from a decent meal.

First, lets start off with California Adventure. They serve alcohol! We enjoyed a nice wine tasting in their wine bar/ restaurant (next to their own little vineyard), followed by a beer. That park needs the diversion of alcoholic beverage service, because there are really only two rides worth going on (Soaring Above California and Tower of Terror).

For a “real” meal, head straight to Downtown Disney. Several times on previous trips, I have enjoyed sandwiches as La Brea Bakery, and pizza at Naples, but this time we shared several appetizers at Uva Bar, a circular bar/resaurant in the middle of Downtown Disney. The only downside of dining in Downtown Disney, is the have new-age/Yanni/John Tesh-like musicians who set-up stands hawking CD’s and playing their music too loud. Aside from that, a good time and a nice rest is to be had. The menu at Uva is set up of small dishes, perfect to share. We started off with some fries, perfectly good and satisfying, served with ketchup and aioli. The highlight was the spicy tuna tartate, with avocado and friend wonton skins. The tuna was a nice, light, reprieve from the day’s fried carb extravaganza. The grilled steak with chimichurri sauce was tender and cooked just right.

The three sliders were straight out of a Popeye cartoon, and the calamari was great (when dipped into the aioli).

If we had this meal outside of Disneyland, this food would have been just OK, but after a morning of junk food, the protein and mental stimulation caused from using a knife and fork to eat (along with our cocktails) brought us all a well needed second wind.

LA Vegan

2008-08-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

In Mar Vista, right across the street from Casa Sanchez, in a neighborhood of taquerias, lawn mower shops, and bail bondsman, is this little gem called LA Vegan. It is in a small space, not particularly cute or comfortable to dine-in (read: takeout), but clean and staffed with capable and friendly servers. Similar to the other vegan cafes I have tried, California Vegan and The Vegan Joint, the menu is mostly Asian fare, with lots of ways to eat your tofu or fake meat. And they deliver!

On my first visit I ordered an appetizer of corn fritters ($6.95), which were five small corn pancakes, served with a sweet and sour syrup with cucumber. I nice sweet and savory combo. I like to call food like pancakes, french fries and sugar "vegan junk food." When I venture to the vegan cafes, I go because I want lots of vegetables, but I usually end up with at least one (or two) high-carb-fried-vegan-junk-food items, like these tasty spring rolls...

Cute little deep fried spring rolls ($4.95) with a (very sweet) sweet and sour sauce.

My next meal from LA Vegan was delivered to my home for free (well...free with a $12 minimum order) and this meal was healthy! I ordered one of their dinner specials: Lentil loaf with steamed vegetables and brown rice ($8.95). The lentil loaf tastes much better than it looks - it is savory and a bit sweet from the onions and bell peppers mixed in. It came with a vegan aioli which I dipped the vegetables in.

I couldn't resist ordering something fried (and I had to reach that $12 minimum), so I ordered some vegetable dumplings ($4.95). They were enjoyable and satisfied my ever-present meat/fat/salt cravings...along with a glass of Galician Albarino and the meal was perfect.

LA Vegan
4507 S Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310-574-9888

Balandro

2008-08-12T08:57:00.001-07:00

I wish this restaurant were in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, it is in Cadiz instead. Balandro sits right across the street from the ocean in the old town section of Cadiz. They have a dining room, but most everyone (including us) sits around the large bar for drinks and small plates. Balandro offers mostly contemporary food with Spanish influence. We enjoyed dishes like veal with caramelized onions and Pedro Ximenez sauce, mille-feuille stuffed with chicken, porcini-filled raviloi in a seafood sauce (and they were really cheap! All of the dishes pictured here were around 5-8 Euro!). We dined here three times on this trip.

Along with a small selection of Spanish wines, we also enjoyed the Spanish summer drink, tinto de verana, red wine with Sprite, which is the perfect warm afternoon beverage. A little sweet, a little alcohol, and very refreshing.

If you ever visit Cadiz, please make a visit to Balandro. It is very popular among the locals, so you may find yourself scoping out the diners, trying to figure out who will leave fist, and stake out a position next to them so the seat will be yours, but it is well worth the wait.

Balandro
Alameda Apodaca, 22
Cadiz 11004
956 220 992

Anisette Brasserie

2008-08-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

When a friend generously offered to take me to lunch, I quickly choose the new and highly anticipated Anisette Brasserie. Anisette Brasserie is really stunning restaurant. High, tin-tiled ceilings, tile floors, and a long bar with oysters and spirits on display, it is really beautiful, and enjoyable to look at. Having never been to Paris, it is what I imagine the best brasseries must look like. Overall, the food was mostly good, the service friendly, but very rushed and unorganized.

We started our lunch off with a selection of oysters. Always a perfect start to a meal - cold, bright, saltly and light. Just enough to stimulate the senses.

Then on to the beef tartare. I usually love my raw meats, but this one was doused in mustard, which was really all we could taste, which covered up the delicate beef flavor.

The roasted beet and goat cheese salad was a nice combination of flavors, but way too much cheese to be palatable. An entire round of a brie style goat cheese was just too much on the stomach.

My favorite dish of the meal was the French classic, croque monsieur. Fat, on fat. It is an open-faced sandwich with ham, cheese and bechamel, thrown under a broiler until nicely browned. You can't go wrong. Fat on fat, my fave. Well, actually, the servers did go wrong by bringing it to the table when we were still working on our appetizers of tartare and salad. I am always afraid of sending back food that has arrived too soon, for fear of it sitting under heat lamps in the kitchen, so we consolidated our plates, and gobbled down our appetizers to make room on the small table for the sandwich. We opted for frites with the sandwich, which were not the best ever. They tasted double-fried, just a bit to stale.

Brasserie Anisette was hopping. The place was packed for lunch, and reservations were a must. That afternoon we spotted chefs Josiah Citrin and Raphael Lunetta, as well as owner/chef Alain Girard making the rounds. I love the decor and some of the food. Next time I will just grab a seat a the bar, and have a drink and some apps. With the hurried, unorganized wait staff, forget about having a nice leisurely meal. Be sure to set the pace yourself: order your dishes one course at a time.

Anisette Brasserie
225 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-3200

Tortillita de Camarones

2008-08-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

In the south of Spain they serve this little delicacy called tortillita de camarones. They are thin, crispy fried pancakes with whole baby shrimp. I searched the web for recipes, some have flour, water, parsley, onions, paprika, teeny-tiny baby shrimp, and pleanty of olive oil to fry them in (some recipes call for chickpea flour, or a mixture of chickpea and regular flour). We had them twice on this trip: first in Cadiz, then at a well-known seafood restaurant in nearby El Puerto de Santa Maria called Romerijo. Look at those shrimp - they look as if they have been fossilized in amber! Ultra crisp, thin and pleasantly fishy, these are the favorite of my Gaditano and his family. Once I learn to speak Spanish, maybe his mother will share her recipe...

While you're at it, take a look at these fried chiperones (baby squid) from Romerijo...

Back From Spain

2008-08-03T16:45:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a wonderful vacation to Spain. My Gaditano and I ate and drank our way through Andalucia: San Fernando, Cadiz, Jerez and Granada. Tapas, wine, seafood, tinto de verano, sherry, flamenco, jamon, chorizo, coffee, Fanta...and much more. Lets start with the churros we had for breakfast in Granada. Look at these! A plate of light, crispy churros, with chocolate to dip them in. Much better then the ones at Disneyland!

Off to Spain

2008-07-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

I am off to Spain to meet up with my favorite Gaditano. I will be in Madrid, then we move on to the south to Cadiz and Granada. I will be back with lots of tapas shots! In the meantime, enjoy this one from the first time I was in Madrid about 5 years ago. Adios.

Let's Be Frank

2008-07-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

On the way home from downtown Los Angeles, where we saw this cool, yet mondo bizzaro performance troupe called Strange Fruit Swoon, we stopped for a quick lunch at the Let's Be Frank hotdog truck parked in the Helms Bakery complex, across from Father's Office (Note to Sang Yoon: in our 15 minutes at the hotdog stand, we saw about 15 people walk up to your doors, only to walk away disappointed because FO is closed for lunch. Now that they know the hours of operation, then can return for dinner, only to walk away disappointed again because they will not be able to get a table).

Let's Be Frank sells their own natural, grass feed beef dogs, free of antibiotics, hormones and chemicals. The owner is the former meat forager for Chez Panisse in Berkeley. My mom and I each had their regular dog ($5), mine with grilled onions, and a small bag of Hawaiian style chips. The dog was good, nice and peppery, and meaty tasting. Not as moist as your usual Dodger dog, but very good. The dog is bigger than the bun, which I don't like. I don't enjoy the frank without the bun (and neither does my mom), so we developed a way to have each bite with the bun, by moving the frank with each bite so there is only a slight overhang. Sounds like a lot of effort for something stupid. A guess it is.

The stand is cute, but the condiments were warming up under the direct sun. Other then the truck, you may buy the franks at Owens Market on Pico.

Let's Be Frank
415-601-1120

Starbucks Slush

2008-07-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Walking through the 3rd Street Promenade on Tuesday, I had a sample of Starbucks new fruit smoothie. It was banana-mango-something flavor. It was syrupy and slushie and not very good. It left a funny after taste. They should just stick to coffee. I remember the days when Starbucks was really good (and had only one location on Montana Ave). Now that they own Clover, they should put one in every store and get their quality back up. Oh well.

Rush Street

2008-07-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

As soon as the staff meeting broke, my friends and I were the first to take seats at the bar at the brand-spanking-new Rush Street in downtown CC (along with faithful Triplecreme readers Jessica and Andrew). They took over the old Westwood One buidling near the movie theater. They have brick walls, exposed beams, and even raised the roof to accommodate an upstairs lounge (complete with stripper pole) and patio. Any downtown CC regular will recognize two of the bartenders formerly of Ford's, and one of the bus boys formerly of Tender Greens and Meltdown. The large French doors open to the front patio, letting light and a nice breeze inside. I don't know if it was Eater LA announcing their opening, or just the regular CC crowd, but by 9 o'clock, the place was packed. After our dinner at the bar, we made our way upstairs to the patio, then left around 10:30, and it was so crowded it might as well have been a nightclub in West Hollywood. Just packed.

The only (minor) flaws of the evening: numerous misspelled dishes on the menu (Monchago, chiken, ravilolis..), undersalted dishes, and no hooks under the bar for your purse. Other than that, it was perfectly comfortable, festive, and we throughly enjoyed ourselves every minute.

I started with a nice Albarino from Portugal ($8), my friend had a Manzaniila sherry ($7), and another friend had the biggest martini I have seen. The bartender estimated it was 7 ounces. Watch out. I like their selection of wines by the glass, especially the reds. They had wines from South Africa, Argentina, Spain...light on the familiar California reds. I like when a restaurant makes you try something new and doesn't just offer the stand-by California merlot or pinot. I enjoyed a very rich and smooth Montepulciano d'Abruzzo ($9). They also offer many 750 ml bottles of beer, along with a few on tap.

The entrees include burgers, steak frites, pork flat iron, ravioli, lamb chops...but most of the menu is appetizer/small plates, (think high-end bar food) of which we shared many. Right away my eye went to the roasted marrow bones with braised shortrib and onion marmalade ($11). Roasted marrow is always good, but the crostini they were served with were just dry and hard, and not nicely toasted.

My friend ordered the hummus crisp ($7), a thin flatbread spread with hummus with sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, olives and herbs. It tasted fine, but I thought the color of the hummus was unappealing.

The truffle asiago fries were nice skinny fries, how I liked them, but hardly had any truffle essence. Also absent, the pesto aioli the menu said they are served with.

The crispy parmesan calamari ($9) were nice, especially when dipped into the accompanying lemon aioli.

I rounded off my grazing with the pot 'o gold mac n' cheese. Doesn't it look like something you may find at the end of a rainbow? Or at least, at the end of your diet? Just a mound of crispy, cheesey, mushy carby-ness.

My friends ordered the burger ($12) and sliders ($8) and we enjoyed them very much.

The food is good, not outstanding, but certainly satisfying. Rush Street is great for meeting up with friends for drinks, food and conversation, and upstairs is perfect for meeting someone new. Imagine going to a place like Houston's or Gordon Beirsh, but better. Contemporary comfort food, lively atmosphere, and pleasant service. You can't go wrong.

Rush Street
9546 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA
310-837-9546

PS - At the end of your visit to Rush Street, and you find yourself unable to drive and don't want to wait an hour for a Culver City cab to pick you up...one of the owners told me they can get a heavily discounted room for you at the Culver Hotel across the way.

Sevilla

2008-07-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

When my friend, Heather, was attending grad school in Riverside, Sevilla was one of her favorite haunts. When I would visit her we always dined there, upstairs in the bar, loading up on tapas and wine, while listening to some Flamenco guitar. A fellow Riverside grad was in town, and itching for some of their alioli and sangria, so we went to Sevilla, but opted for the closer locale in Long Beach. They have 3 locations, and I usually prefer to steer clear of chains, but Sevilla is fun and festive, and the food is good enough. Besides, I thought it would be the perfect warm-up to my upcoming trip to the south Spain later this month (ole ole!).

They have a fairly large menu, but we opted for our usual: a few tapas to share. Most of their wines are Spanish, and you may select a flight of any three wines offered by the glass, and they have a couple choices of Sangria, depending how much you want to spend. The table near us, ordered this 3 foot tall tower of sangria with a tap, for easy access. No waiting around for refills! We were a bit more conservative, and stuck with the wine.

Everything we ordered was cheesy and fatty. I am not complaining. We started of with the queso fundido, bread with alioli (which you will wake up with on your breath the next morning...) and olives. We couldn't eat it fast enough.

On to the chicken croquetas, which were good (because they are fried, which 9 times out of 10=good), but I would have preferred ones like I have had in Spain, which consisted of bechamel sauce with little bits of pork, making a nicer, creamy interior. These had rather large shreds of chicken, which were just chewier and different.

On to the fried calamari, with lots of tentacles, Just how I like! Tentacles=more surface area of fried batter!

We also had some shrimp with garlic sauce, but by the end we were absolutely stuffed. They have lots of cheese, and, of course, paella, but it is very easy to make a meal out of a few tapas. Was it is good as the food I have had in Spain? Of course not. But, it is decent enough. They have live music every night (we caught a nice Flamenco guitar duo), and a festive ambiance. Joe Miller's Pixto might be more authentic, but Sevilla has more comfortable vibe meant for lingering all night.

Sevilla
140 Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-495-1117

Animal

2008-06-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

I had a great experience at the brand new Animal on Fairfax the other night. It is not called Animal for nothing - the menu is filled with pork belly, sweetbreads, quail, rabbit, chorizo, steak - and don't forget the chocolate crunch bar with bacon bits. It is noted on the menu that "changes and modifications are politely declined," followed by a contradictory "please notify us of any food allergies." Allergic to meat? Skip this and read my last three posts.

Chef-owners Vinny Dotolo and John Shook, along with sommelier Eric are in their twenties - still young enough to read the tiny font on the wine list without extra light and magnification. Now all you Boomers out there know what to bring.

The decor is bare bones modern. Stark while walls with bare light bulbs as sconces, and a small bar in the back. Check out the ladies restroom. It has tile walls, lots of mirrors, and is scented with flowers - totally out of line with the rest of the place. It is comfortable, but gets very loud when it fills up. Service was polite and attentive. They were there when you needed them, and not when you didn't. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed and cool, especially for such a new restaurant.

Of the eight appetizers, we chose the "burrata, beet and green olive caponata" ($10). Just about anything with burrata is terrific, and this was no exception.

The "country pork ribs, balsamic, giarderneria" ($15) was nice too. I liked the fatty, sweet-salty ribs, but not the pickled vegetables "giarderneria," which apparently is the same stuff you see arrainged in those giant decorative glass jars. I always thought those looked disgusting, but luckily these vegetables tasted better than they look.

The highlight of our appetizers was the "melted petite basque, garlic bread, fra 'mani chorizo" ($9). A bubbly queso fundido, of leeks, chorizo and cheese, this was devowered right away.

I had the best entree at our table. "Flat iron steak, bordelaise, potato, fava, sweetbreads ($23)" I only ordered it for the sweetbreads, which were a disappointingly small amout - 3 nuggets. But, once I started on the corn (didn't see any fava beans) and potatoes smothered in a rich bordelaise sauce, I forgot about my ever present desire for sweetbreads.

My friends dishes looked almost identical. Frank had the "quail fry, anson mills grits, long cooked chard, slab bacon ($23)" while Heather had the appetizer of "soft shell crab, pork belly chili soy ($18)." Both were a pile of deep fried, extra crispy meat on pork. I liked them, but my friends were a tad underwhelmed. They thought both dishes were undersalted and oversauced. I did request salt for my steak, then I gladly ate every single bit on my plate.

All the wines on the list are available by the glass, carafe, or bottle (except for the wines on the reserve list, which is yours for the asking), and they have a good "animal house wine" at only $20 a bottle. A casual, lively atmosphere, ambitious and creative menu, very reasonably priced meals and wines, Animal is worth checking out. Don't bring you vegetarian friends, or even the picky ones.

You cannot leave without (what I am sure will become) their signature dessert. "bacon chocolate crunch bar, s&p anglaise ($8)." It was three slices of what seemed to be (at this point, the place was so loud, and I had had a couple glasses of wine, I couldn't hear what Eric was telling me about the dessert) a gianduja chocolate terrine, with real bacon bits. I have always enjoyed savory-sweet combos: fries and ice cream, membrillo and blue cheese, etc. This is the ultimate.

Animal
435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-782-9225

Sushi, Roman Style

2008-06-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Over lunch one glorious Saturday afternoon in Rome, my friend Charlie (of Rome Review fame) and I were pondering the possibilities of non-Italian dining in Rome, that would make for an interesting podcast. We were thinking of North African, Chinese, Sengalese, but he had a jones for Sushi - so that is what we settled on. We went to a sushi restaurant called Sushisen, in Testaccio. The centerpiece of this sushi restaurant is the large oval bar, with a little conveyor belt filled with small plates of sushi and other Japanese treats.

The plates are color coded according to price. I can see how easy it would be to start of with the 3-5 Euro plates, then after a few Sake Bombs, reaching for the 9-10 Euro plates. I was a bit leery about the revolving plates - there was no way of telling how long they and been circulating. But, we quickly learned the advantage of sitting where we did, near the chefs. As soon as the fresh plates were put out, we grabbed them!

Remember folks, like our meal at Gianni's in Rome, we discuss the Shushisen on Charlie's podcast, Rome Review.

Sushisen is just like all the nice sushi joints here in LA, with just a couple of indicators that you are, in fact, having sushi in Rome. The menu is virtually all photos with very little text. It was funny to see some Italian words on the menu. My favorite was "sake freddo," cold sake. Also, the beer glasses are just like the wine glasses you find in almost every single other restaurant in Rome. And, you can catch the Japanese chefs speaking Italian to the wait staff. Other than those things, you feel like you are enjoying sushi in your own town.

Everything was good. Sake out of a box, no waiting for the food (if you dine from the conveyor belt), and a large menu (with plenty of traditional Japanese cooked fare).

Just one snafu of the night: we thought we were ordering a scallop dish, but what arrived was the Mystery Loaf. After some exploration, we found a bed California rolls under some fish, under a whole bunch of goopy sauce. Not good.

I enjoyed the oysters very much, and the sashimi, but some of the rolled sushi was a bit heavy on the rice. I prefer to fill up on fish rather than rice. Sushi in Rome is not cheap: my share was 50 Euro, more than I have ever paid in LA. I usually have a hard enough time making a $20 all you can eat special worth it. It was a nice reprieve from all the pasta and pizza, sort of a palate cleanser, getting you ready for more Italian food!

Sushisen
Via Giuseppe Giulietti, 21A
Roma 00154
06 57 56 945

The Vegan Joint

2008-06-17T14:26:00.001-07:00

While on the lookout for new (to me) interesting neighborhood joints, I came across this vegan one. Right across the street from giant karaoke dive Boardwalk 11 on National, The Vegan Joint is a small, cozy little cafe with a huge vegan menu. Heavy on the Asian fare, they offer many soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, noodles, curries, and fake meats. They use soy fish, soy meat, tofu, soy cheese, "egz" and soy bacon. When I eat vegan, I prefer to stick with vegetables nuts and grains, and pass on the phony meat. I eat meat, so I don't need a substitute.

Everything we ordered tasted good, was hearty for a carnivore like me, and inexpensive. We started of with the vegetable soup. The vegetables were pretty, but quite large for a soup, much bigger than bite size, which required you to try to cut them with your Chinese soup spoon. The broth was very delicious, though.

We shared a couple vegetable spring rolls, which were standard fare. It is difficult for something deep fried to be bad (bad tasting, not bad for you!). Everything was brought out piping hot, within a few minutes of ordering.

For my main, I had one of the curries, the shitake curry with coconut milk, eggplant, bamboo shoots, and tofu, with a side of brown rice. Not too spicy and very satisfying.

My meal made me forget that animal products were absent, it kept me satisfied the rest of the afternoon (or maybe that was the post lunch espresso macchiato we drank in our Rome-homesick-state). Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served all day, and they even deliver. While you are at the joint, go check out the cool time warp clothing store on the same street - you can load up on your ultra-hip 50's garb and pomade.

The Vegan Joint
10438 National Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-559-1357

Euphoria Loves Rawvolution

2008-06-10T15:22:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while I feel the need to eat lighter, perhaps detox a bit. So I will head to Leaf, a raw vegan cafe in my neighborhood. As much as I try, I usually enjoy the first couple of bites, then find myself struggling to enjoy the rest. Surprisingly, raw cuisine (other than your average salad) is quite filling. Also, there is some tangy, lip-puckering, underlying flavor that all the food there has, that I can only take in small doses. This time, I thought I would try a relatively new raw cafe in Santa Monica called Euphoria Loves Rawvolution. Much better than Leaf, and certainly with more character and charm. You walk in, see the shelves of herbal supplements, the cool, neo-hippies, and the crowded elixor bar - and you realize there is a whole raw eating community out there. All the patrons were thin, good looking and all seemed to know each other. You may almost call it a lifestyle boutique- they offer classes and private sessions with practitioners for things like meditation, psychic readings, energy therapy and much more.

The menu is fairly extensive. They offer many soups, salads, sides and juices. I choose the Detoxer's Delight ($12) salad, which came with their (surprisingly) delicious and refreshing Cleansing Green Juice, loaded with some kind of cleansing supplement. It tasted of cucumber, and was quite enjoyable. Our appetizer of veggie cakes ($7) was just the kind of raw food I don't enjoy. Some kind of dehydrated cake of unidentifiable ingredients, dry, firm and chewy. The mystery dipping sauce was quite good, and I took the rest home to use as a salad dressing. I find the problem with raw dishes like these dehydrated cakes is that they are extremely filling, tough to chew, and just not enjoyable.

My mom had the celery soup ($4), of which the celery flavor came through nice and strong. But after a few bites, she grew tired of it. She ordered the small portion, which was actually quite large. My salad was simple - baby greens with a very tangy dressing. It came with two enzyme pills and some spirulina. I took the pills, and was a bit unsure of what to do with the spirulina. I sprinkled some on my salad, but I couldn't stand the taste. I took the rest home, perhaps for a smoothie later.

The point of keeping the food raw is to keep the enzymes in the food "live." When these enzymes are live, they require less work of the body to digest. I have to admit, I felt good after the meal, and have maintained lots of energy since. Unlike eating (and enjoying imensly) a big ol' hamburger and fries.

The best, by far, was our dessert. They call it a chocolate chip ice cream cake, which it was, sort of. It was made with coconut, cashews, vanilla, agave and cacao. It was not unlike the "cheesecake" we had at Bloom cafe, but this was much better. The crust had cocoa and coconut, and was actually sweet enough. I don't dig all the raw food, just some of it, but I did enjoy my time here. Go for an interesting meal, and a nice, welcoming vibe, and good people-watching.

Euphoria Loves Rawvolution
2301 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-392-3501

Happy Hour in Rome

2008-06-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, actually, every hour while in Rome is happy. But there are certain hours that are even happier. In the early evenings, many bars in Rome offer fantastic buffets included in the price of your drink. Many nights we would order a glass of wine (or two) then step right up to the bar and graze on the pastas, frittatas, salads and savory pastries. After all this I didin't really need dinner, but that didn't stop me.

Gianni's with Charlie Q & Southern Bella

2008-05-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Before reading any further: go to itunes and download a podcast called Rome Review.

Two years ago, during my first trip to Rome, we ate at this charming "restaurant" in Trastevere. Prior to that trip I had read about it New York magazine, which did not give the address, and, believe it or not, it was on our street in Rome (of all the streets in Rome!). I use the term restaurant loosely, because it is, in fact, operated out of the chef and proprietor's (Gianni) apartment. There are tables in the kitchen and in the street, and, it has become popular enough to require a reservation for a table.

After that first trip to Rome, I found Charlie Q's podcast and website called Rome Review (imagine a Zagat guide for Rome, plus more). I wrote him an e-mail, asking if he had heard about this restaurant, and if there is an underground restaurant scene in Rome. He is an authority on all this Roman, except for this topic. He had never heard of it, or anything like it. Well, flash forward two years, I am back in Rome, and lucky enough to meet Charlie Q and his girlfriend, Rome Review podcast's very own Southern Bella, in person. Two of the nicest people in the world, they generously hosted me around town: lunch, gelato, nighclub, drinks, sushi, more drinks...and I showed them Gianni's.

Surprisingly, the menu hadn't changed much since my last visit. We were started off with the same appetizers: squash puree, bruschetta and beans. Then we had a couple of options for pasta, I choose the carbonara, but I should have ordered the cacio e pepe instead.

For the main course we had the option of squid or chicken, and we all got the chicken. Juicy, tender chicken with rosemary, olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a bed of greens.

For dessert (the same as before) macerated strawberries and limoncello. The price fixed at 25 Euro, worth it if you take advantage of the limoncello bottle left at your table.

Not the cheapest meal in town, but certainly unique. Now, everyone go to itunes and download the latest Rome Review podcast: I recorded a segment with Charlie Q about our experience at Gianni's. Also, coming soon, our podcast segment about sushi in Rome.

Vinoteque: Parte Due

2008-05-28T18:40:00.001-07:00

There were a couple of openings in Culver City I eagerly awaited – and they all opened while I was out of town! Father’s Office, M Café de Chaya, and Vinoteque. I have been to new M Café several times, and it is just as good as the original location. We tried to go to Father’s Office, but at 7:00 on a Tuesday night the place was full, and no one was budging. On to Vinoteque.

In the former Synergy Café space on Sepulveda, an unlikely locale (which is good because there is lots of available street parking), Vinoteque is a wine bar/restaurant with live music nightly. We arrived on a weeknight around 6:00, and by 7:30 or so the place was full. They have seating out front, and two dining rooms. One by the bar with high seats and tables, away from the music, and the other larger room with low slung couches and tables, with the stage in the rear. Cool modern design, with empty wine bottles nestled in the ceiling – the only drawback is that couches have low backs, which mean you either sit up straight, are sit way, way back.

The menu consists of small plates to enjoy with their eclectic wine selection. Each menu item lists a suggested wine pairing. If you order the accompanying wine, you get a bit of a price break. My friend and I wanted the wine pairing, but we wanted to share the glass, so they split the serving and we each had our own flight. They seem to be game when it comes to playing with the menu and creating options. I love it when the staff encourages this.

We chatted up with one of the proprietors, Adam, whom I know from his days at Bottlerock, and he generously gave us some Nero d’ Avola and a sherry to finish. Ok, on to the food.

We started with their bar nuts, a sticky, sweet, salty blend of nuts laced with rosemary. Definitely share these. Then, on to the bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates, another rich, sweet-salty combo.

Then they grilled halloumi cheese, with roasted pepper and olive salad. The salad added a refreshing, light touch to the cheese.

All paired beautifully with a Rose, Muscadet and Chardonnay. Definitely pick the wine they suggest. It creates what my friend DJ calls, “a home run in your mouth.” When we moved on to the red wine we shared the lamb kefta – two ground lamb sausages on housemade pita. Nice, fatty, juicy lamb with the pita to soak it all up.

The jazz band that played that night was perfect for sipping wine by. No avant garde weirdness, just nice, classic jazz. My favorite.

Vinoteque
4437 Sepulveda Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
310-482-3490

Lardo

2008-05-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Lardo. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. I saw it many places in Florence. Check out those blocks, with salt and rosemary, waiting to be sliced. It is very rich, and very good. It just melts in your mouth.

M Cafe de Chaya Culver City

2008-05-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Now open. Same great menu, just a little bigger (and better parking) than the Melrose Original.

M Cafe de Chaya
9343 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-838-4300

Missing Rome

2008-05-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

I just got in to LA last night, after 5 long, wonderful, weeks in Rome (and a few days in Florence). There is a lot to miss about Rome, and I will name 3 of them here. The coffee. There are coffee bars on every street. A couple times a day I would pop into one and order my favorite, caffe macchiato for about 70 cents.

The water fountains. All over there are these water fountains, with fresh, clean, cool water. Combined with the coffee and wine, one will never go thirsty in Rome.

The gelato. Some places are better than others, but Della Palma near the Pantheon takes the cake. A ton of flavors, including several mousses (also known as semi freddo, basically a frozen whipped cream). Soft and billowy, pick any flavor and you can never go wrong.

Father's Office is Open!

2008-04-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

The second location for Father's Office officially opened Monday, April 21. They have the same menu as the first location, but they have a liquor license now so you can also get the hard stuff. The wine list was rather lacking. They only have about 6 Californian wines. Hopefully, they will add more, but they have a tremendous amount of beer on tap. This location is bigger and hipper than the Montana place and I think I even got a smile and a slight giggle out of the bar tender, while at the other location you're lucky if they make eye contact. They open at 5pm and when we left at 7:30 there was a line of people outside being let in slowly by a host on a Tuesday night. I recommend getting there early. (Senorita W posting for Triplecreme)

Beet salad with blue cheese and walnuts

The famous Office Burger

3229 Helms Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310- 815-9820

Vinoteque

2008-04-20T15:47:00.001-07:00

While Triplecreme is in Rome, she asked a few of her friends to be guest bloggers as many new places are opening while she is gone. Last weekend a few of us checked out the new wine bar called Vinotéque. One of the owners is from Bottle Rock in Culver City so we knew the wine selection was going to be good. The décor was comfy with short sofas and a piano on one side of the bar. There was a pianist playing covers and it was fun to see who could figure out what song he was playing in the fewest cords. Well, I am sure that you want the low-down on the food and wine. It was a warm evening and the red wine was chilled to the perfect temperature—room temp would have been way too warm. We tried four or five different ones and they were all excellent. The food was made up of small plates and generally good, but small things were off like we ordered the spring onion appetizer with romesco sauce that sounded a lot like the Catalan dish Calçot, but they prepared it with what looked more like leeks rather than spring onions. It was still tasty just not what we were expecting. The blue cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates were mouth watering. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience and we will go back again when Bree gets back into town. Thanks for reading! Senorita W

http://hablemos-espanol.blogspot.com/

Their deliciously savory/sweet beer nuts with Marcona almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts.

4437 Sepulveda Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
310-482-3490

Off to Rome

2008-04-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am jetting off to The Eternal City for 5 long weeks of La Dolce Vita! The next month will be full of language classes, Caravaggio, Bernini, vino, gelato, espresso, mozzarella, prociutto, grappa, Vespas, cute Italian men and cacio e pepe!

Skratch

2008-03-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

I heard that a friend of mine had been getting sandwiches from a new cafe in downtown Culver City called Skratch. As a seasoned food blogger, I pride myself in knowing about all the new eateries around town, especially in my jurisdiction of Mar Vista/Culver City. I stopped by this morning and found out they have already been open for 5 months! How could I have missed a new restaurant in CC for 5 months! Apparently, they only just recently put up the sign. Hhmph.

Skratch is somewhat like a mini Tender Greens. They offer, fast, fresh food with a gourmet twist on the conventional. Their menu is small and to the point. Consisting primarily of salads and sandwiches ($6.95), and each menu item can be made into either one. We ate in, and I was initially disappointed our food was presented in take-out containers. I would have preferred a plate, but they are essentially a take-out business with some on-site tables.

I had the braised pulled-pork sandwich, with a very sweet fig and grape compote, green apples, goat cheese, truffle essence and lots of greens. I really liked the pork, and I think next time will order it as a salad in order to savor the flavor better. I enjoyed this combo, especially the hint of truffle. It is a bit light on the meat (as was my friend's salad), but it is inexpensive and worth what you pay for. My friend had a chicken salad with a nice sun-dried tomato pistou. They also offer a few soups, house-made cookies, and Kettle Chips. I am really loving the emergence of healthy, fast food outlets, and Skratch is no exception.

Skratch
3867 Hughes Avenue
Culver City, CA 90232
310-558-3400

Tiara Cafe

2008-03-25T17:53:00.001-07:00

After spending the afternoon haggling with carpet salesmen downtown (funny how a $300 rug can drop to $100 by the time you get one foot out the door), we worked up an appetite and headed straight for Tiara Cafe. Owned by chef Fred Eric of Fred 62, Tiara Cafe is a contemporary, whimsical cafe filled with Project Runway wannabes from the fashion design school across the street. You realize the Fashion District influence is in full effect when you see on the menu the mention of the designer of the server's uniform for the season.

We were started off with cucumber water, then moved on to a most excellent strawberry lemonade. The menu offers many sandwiches, soups, pizzas, and some more interesting dishes like our starter of chickpea fries. Deep fried chickpea batter cut into the shape of fries, served with a harissa aioli. Imagine deep fried polenta, but creamier and with a nice nutty flavor. They were so good I ordered another. For my entree, I had a pizza from their seasonal menu. It was an interesting Mid-East/North African combo of labneh, roasted squash, eggplant and mirco greens. It was great. An interesting combo of flavors on a very thin crust.

My mom ordered on of their "fresh'wiches", which are not to be confused with a proper sandwich. Order these if you have a light appetite: they are essentially spring rolls. This one is grilled ahi tuna with cucumber, avacado, daikon and carrots. The tuna was almost non existent, as was the avocado. It was really just a disappointing roll of lettuce.

If you have a proper appetite, stick with one of their pizzas, panini, or salads. They also have a deli case of take out items, and a chocolate fountain with marshmallows to dip on your way out.

Tiara Cafe is a pleasant hide-out from the bustling downtown LA scene. Stick with the specials, avoid the "fresh'wiches" and you will enjoy it very much.

Tiara Cafe
127 E 9th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-623-3663

The Waffle

2008-03-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

After a nice little 5K race in Griffith Park this last Sunday, my friend and I thought we would round out the morning with a stroll through the Hollywood Farmer's Market and a Carbo-Re-Load breakfast at the newly opened Waffle on Sunset. It is situated in the bottom of an office building, and that is what is feels like inside. The large tinted windows cast a dimness to the interior, as opposed to a bright, sunny, cozy feel I prefer while eating breakfast. We sat at the counter. Filled with families, The Waffle seems to have caught on as the local nouveau diner. I saw nouveau because they offer all your standard breakfast fare, plus healthy allergen-friendly items like dairy-free shakes and espresso drinks, and whole grain waffles. My eye immediately went to the bacon waffle. A crisp waffle with bits of bacon baked into it, topped with bacon pieces ($8). The bits inside didn't offer much flavor, but the pieces on top made up for it. Nothing like the classic combination of sweet/salty/fatty. Salty, savory bacon with sweet maple syrup and butter. We also ordered the 3 egg breakfast with hash browns and sausage patties ($8). The patties were very dense and tough, but the potatoes were crisp on the outside while creamy and soft inside.

Decent cappucino and tea service ($3.25 each). One disappointment: Our egg breakfast was to come with toast, which was never served. By the end of the meal when we realized this (and altered our server), we were too full to eat it. The waitress did not offer to discount the bill for the absent toast, so I opted to take home the toast. The whole experience was pleasant enough, but nothing spectacular. If I lived in the area I would return, but I don't, so I probably won't.

The Waffle
6255 W Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Sunday Supper at Lucques

2008-03-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Aahhh...Sunday supper at Lucques. No reservations were available, so we snagged some seats at the bar. They always start you off with almonds, Lucques olives, house-baked bread, Plugra butter and fleur de sel. This and a glass (or 2) of wine is really all I need. For a mere $40, on Sunday they serve a 3 course meal. Our dinner began with a salad of miner's lettuce, beets and labneh - absolutely heavenly, then a choice of braised lamb shank or blue nose sea bass - I selected the fish. Served with greens, salsisfy, black trumpet mushrooms and a wonderful slightly creamy sauce. Perfect. My friends and I always use up half the conversation trying to deconstruct the meals, so we may attempt to re-create them at home. For dessert we enjoyed a beautiful date bar with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Lucques has been my favorite restaurant for a couple of years now. My friend DJ and I have instituted the Lucques Litmus Test. Whenever we dine elsewhere, we ask these questions: Is the meal as creative as Lucques? Is it something we can prepare just as well? Do we feel good about handing over our credit card because the money was well spent? If the answers are yes, no, yes, then they have passed the LLT. If we we ever think to ourselves (or out loud), "we should have gone to Lucques," then they fail.

Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
323-655-6277

Big Sugar Bakeshop

2008-03-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

What a promising name for a bakery! As of late, I have been making weekly visits to the valley to see my chiropractor in order to move my head to the side again...so I decided to make the best of it and explore some places in that neck of the woods. Last week I tried Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City. After reading a nice article in the latest Food & Wine magazine, I had high hopes. the pastries were beautiful, but, unfortunately, low on flavor. The red velvet is topped with a plain vanilla buttercream, rather the traditional cream cheese frosting, which made a big difference.

Red Velvet cake doesn't have much flavor anyway, so it really needs the bite from the cream cheese to perk it up. I also tried a cream filled chocolate cupcake, much like a Hostess cupcake. It was good, but they store it in a refrigerated case, so be sure to let it come up to room temperature first (if you can wait that long) since the chill dulls the flavor and ruins the texture. The bars were gorgeous, I just wasn't that thrilled with them. Oh well, I should be thankful that I have not added even more baked goods to fantasize about.

Big Sugar Bakeshop
12182 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
818-508-5855

Sunday Nights at Silver Lake Wine

2008-03-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Apparently, someone did not explain to this "gentleman" that the grapes had already been crushed.

Last night I attended a tasting at Silver Lake Wine. Every Sunday they offer a tasting of four wines (plus a welcome aperitif of sparkling wine to stir up the appetite while waiting for the tasting to commence) skillfully paired with complementing hors d'oeuvres for a mere $20. Here is the format: they pass out glasses (half full) of the first wine, then shop owner and wine expert George Cossette gives a brief description and tutorial, then you rush the table for the accompanying hors d' oeuvres, sip and chit chat for several minutes, then repeat 3 more times. It is the perfect combination of education and socializing. We tasted 2 whites and 2 reds from the Loire Valley, including one bio-dynamic wine. My good friend and chef DJ Olsen of Lou prepared the food out of the store's "kitchen." Certainly the best food ever to come out of toaster ovens and hot plates. Here are some highlights: smoked trout salad, duck ham crostini, and polenta cakes topped with braised beef shortribs, gremolata and creme fraiche.

I would have taken seconds of everything, but we had a Sunday night supper waiting for us at Lucques.

Bloom Cafe

2008-03-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of dining at Bloom Cafe not once, but twice. Bloom Cafe is a charming cafe on a funky stretch of Pico Blvd near Hauser. One side of the cafe has a take-out counter, where you may get coffee, juices and pastries for breakfast, and the other side is their main dining room. They have a patio seating out back, and sidewalk seating out front as well. We had our lunch inside, which is bright and airy and a little loud with the music and chatter.

Their menu is an interesting blend of traditional dishes with a contemporary spin, including plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as some raw dishes as well. I was ravenous, so I skipped the salads chock full of organic produce, whole grains and sprouted sunflower seeds, and went straight for the hamburger and fries! Made with all natural beef on a whole grain bun, it came with green aioli, which made a great dipping sauce for the fries.

My mom kept it light with a cup of vegan spinach soup and mixed green salad. Both were tasty and satisfying, but both were also undersalted. We washed it down with their tap water, which is infused with cucumber - which must be the new lemon, because they very next restaurant I dined in served cucumber-infused water as well.

Because it sounded exotic, for dessert we tried a raw vegan "cheesecake" made with almond milk. It was pretty, and certainly interesting, but not very sweet and nothing like a proper cheesecake. It was really a frozen almond milk pie, with a layer flavored with blueberries. Luckily, I am not a vegan, so I got to enjoy the chocolate coconut cupcake we ordered as well.

After chatting up our server, we learned that they do not have a beer and wine license, so you may bring in your own wine with no corkage! I quickly made plans to return! The evening was more pleasant than I anticipated. During the day it is loyd, bright and bustling, but at night it is dim, cozy and serene. As well as the salads, sandwiches and regular entrees, after 5:00 PM they serve pizzas. We went for the most unusual: fresh mozzarella, butternut squash, sage and blue cheese. Baked on a nice, thin crust, it didn't last long once it hit the table. For my main course, I had the chicken mac n cheese. It came absolutely piping hot (a clear sign of microwave heating), made with whole wheat pasta and thin strips of chicken, it was rich and comforting, although a bit undersalted like everything else.

The lemon tart we shared for dessert was quite nice. The trick to making a good lemon tart, is making sure it is not too sweet. This one was sweet enough, and tart enough - just right. What a deal: 2 pizzas, 4 entrees, 1 dessert and no corkage, with tip came to an even $100. I will happily go back for any meal of the day to this quaint neighborhood spot.

Bloom Cafe
5544 W Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
323-934-6900

M Cafe de Chaya

2008-02-27T18:45:00.001-08:00

I have been hearing of M Cafe de Chaya for a couple years now, and finally made it out there for lunch last week. I loved it. A part of the Chaya Venice/Brasserie group, this is their macrobiotic outpost. Macrobiotics is a diet consisting of whole, natural, seasonal foods. No refined sugar, dairy or meat. Seafood is the only animal protein in the diet.

At the cafe, you may dine in, or take out. They have some covered outdoor seating, and a few tables inside, including a communal table. They have a large deli case filled with various salads, sushi (made with brown rice) and pastries (made with natural grain sweeteners). I ordered their fantastic grilled tuna burger ($14.25) with a side of soba noodle salad. The tuna was seared rare, topped with avocado, pickled red onions, daikon sprouts, yuzu mayo and served on a toasted whole wheat bun. Please don't let the sprouts and whole wheat scare you away, it was really the best health food I have ever had. It was so good, that on my second visit, I couldn't help but order it again, this time with a side of kale in peanut sauce. Paired with a carafe of mint green tea ($2.50), it is not the cheapest lunch, but it is well worth it. I also ordered (for take-out) one of their rice bowls for the next day's lunch. A scoop of brown rice, topped with teriyaki salmon and sauteed vegetables ($15.45). Like the tuna burger, it was very satisfying and left you with energy, unlike how most regular, carbo-loading lunches can leave you wanting either coffee or a nap.

They also serve breakfast: teas, organic coffee, soy lattes, pancakes, tofu scramble, smoked salmon benedict, to name a few. Here is the best part for us Westsiders: they are opening a second location in good ol' downtown Culver City, on Culver Blvd. next to Pacifico's this April. I cannot wait.

M Cafe de Chaya
7119 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-525-0588

La Provence Patisserie and Cafe

2008-02-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

La Provence is a little French cafe in a shopping mall on the outskirts of Beverly Hills. The large lunch crowd intrigued my mom and I, as we were patronizing another business in the mall, so we stopped in for lunch. The portions are large, and the pastries beautiful. Look at all those pretty macaroons! The chocolate one I have was as good as any in town. My red velvet was the moistest I have every had.

The entrees were a mixed bag. My prociutto and brie sandwich had pre-packaged prociutto (rather then freshly sliced on the premises) and, dare I say it, too much brie!

My mom's spinach quiche had all the rich, buttery, eggy goodness you should expect, it was just gigantic! They are working on a second location in Brentwood on San Vicente in the mall with CPK.

La Provence
8950 W Olympic Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
310-888-8833

Afternoon Snack at Akasha

2008-02-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

I dropped in the bakery section of Akasha today for a little pick-me-up. Their pastries looked fabulous, and many of them were vegan. I enjoyed a vegan chocolate cupcake with ganache icing ($3.50). It was like a really good Ding-Dong. I also tried a lavendar shortbread cookie, which was buttery, flaky, with just a hint of lavendar ($1). They were all out of any kind of black tea, so I had a mint tea ($2.75). Service was friendly, but I did indicate my order was "for-here," and my tea came in a paper cup, my cookie in a bag, and my cupcake on a plate. Oh well. The bakery is open from 7AM to PM, serving organic coffee and espresso drinks, tea and a house-made Chai that is not available yet. There are a few tables outside, but that is the only indication that they are open. The windows are tinted so you cannot see any activity inside. Perhaps if they had some kind of sign outside it would increase traffic. There is plenty of comfortable seating inside, but beware it seems to double as the staff office.

Akasha - Now Open

2008-02-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

Akasha in downtown Culver City opened last night and my friends and I checked it out. The space is huge. Akasha took over the old San Gennaro spot, on the corner of Watseka and Culver Blvd. On the Watseka side, they have a bakery and coffee counter with a large communal bench and old panoramic photos of downtown Culver City. On the Culver Boulevard side is the large dining room and bar. It is a modern, sleek space, while maintaining a comfortable warmth. I particularly liked the glow from the mobiles dangling overhead. We sat at the bar, right in front of the chalkboard wine and cocktail lists.

They have a few house cocktails, made with fresh juices and organic liquors. I tasted the Red Velvet Margarita, made with 4 Copas organic tequila, lime juice, blood orange juice and agave nectar. It was very refreshing and the blood orange juice made for a beautiful appearance. My friend had The Akasha, made with kiwifruit vodka, cucumber juice and Thai basil elixir. It was good - not too sweet, but the foggy mossy color was most unappealing.

For their first night, service was pretty good and the food was well executed. Wait times were appropriate, and employee nerves seemed calm. We enjoyed all the wines we sampled and ordered. Minor quibbles: The bar stools weigh a ton. Forget about dismounting gracefully in front of your date. Service was swift, but the bartender tried to remove our unfinished plate, which I was able to stop her in time, but the other bartender whisked it away when I wasn't looking. If there is still food on the plate, please ask before you take.

We tried some appetizers and sides. My favorite was the wild mushroom and goat cheese tarte with arugula on the side. The crust was thick and flaky. It must have been made with whole wheat flour, which gave it a nice nutty flavor and pleasantly chewy texture.

The onions rings were battered in rice flour, which fries up to a sharp crisp. The highlight was the smoked paprika dipping sauce (which we were trying to deconstruct. Our guess: mayo, mustard, lemon and smoked paprika), which we also requested with our fries. The rings weren't cheap: $7 for six.

Portions were small, which is nice when you want to try many dishes, like we do. They offer a selection of pizzas, and ours was our least favorite item of the night. It had a crisp, thin crust, that was just a bit too hard. It was topped with "Orgonzola" cheese, Quercia prociutto, fig caramelized onions and wild arugula($15). I love all those flavors, but just didn't dig the crust. We still ate it, of course.

The menu boasts their use of local, organic, handcrafted ingredients. It is divided into "small plates" (examples include: mushroom tart, hummus, albacore lettuce wraps) "pizza" (Margherita, slow cooked broccoli, chicken sausage and shiitake with eggplant and squash), "bowls" ( Punjabi mung beans with rice, and red quinoa and edamame), "big plates" (Asian style braised shortribs, South Indian style salmon, organic turkey burger and Heritage pork chop) and "sides" (onion rings, French fries, mac and cheese and roasted curried cauliflower). There were several items on the menu that my pescatarian, dairy-free friend could enjoy and plenty of meat and cheese for the rest of us.

We really enjoyed ourselves last night and I look forward to returning and sampling more of the menu. I am still so excited over downtown Culver City's thriving restaurant scene. We now have such a dense concentration of fine dining establishments all within walking distance of each other. Now, let's get the City to work on the conspicuous lack of taxis...

Akasha
9543 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-845-1700

Restaurant Week at Chinois on Main

2008-02-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely, leisurely lunch today at Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. This place has been here since 1983, and today was my first visit (a testament to the success of Restaurant Week). The Barbara Lazaroff decor is a bit dated, yet very lively and festive. The other tell tale sign this restaurant was built in the 80's: a pay phone next to the bathroom. For starters, my friend and I shared the Chinios chicken and fried calamari and rock shrimp salads. Both were nice. Slightly spicy fried eggplant joined the shrimp and calamari in a wonton cup, and the chicken salad was light and refeshing, without being too sweet like most Chinese chicken salads.

For the main course, we shared the duck pancakes and stir-fried egg noodles with shiitake mushrooms and beef. The duck pancakes (actually crepes) were good with their rich demi-glace sauce. The noodles were a bit overdressed and over salted, but we finished them anyway.

For dessert I had a nice little chocolate cake, and my friend had the apple spring rolls, which I thought were a bit bland and not sweet enough.

Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable of the wine list and menu. The pace was nice and slow, and the ambiance lively and loud. With thier regular lunch appetizers in the teens, and entrees in the 20's, our Restuarant Week lunch for $22 a piece was quite the bargain. If you are sqweamish and don't like hair in your food and the like, don't look at this next picture of silverfish in the lights.

Chinois on Main

All the Syrah You Can Stand

2008-01-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

I attended a Syrah tasting at held inside HD Buttercup in the Helms Bakery complex in downtown Culver City (and Father's Office still looked far from completion). It was organized by Learn About Wine. Once they opened the doors, were handed a wine glass started off with some rose, and then began strolling through the massive store, stopping at the tables to taste the wines and chat with the distributors/wine makers/sales reps. There was also some food available to snack on, courtesy of The Cheese Store and Heirloom Catering.

There were about 40 different Syrahs available to taste, which is really quite overwhelming. I have to say, I was Syrah-ed out by the end of the evening. We rounded off the night with some pizza at Ford's Filling Station followed by a one hour wait for our taxi. Apparently, there is only one taxi company allowed to pick up in Culver City, and they take their sweet time doing so. This needs to change, especially with the thriving restaurant scene. One should be able to walk out of Fraiche, Ford's or Bottle Rock to find a couple of cabs waiting and ready for a fare. By the time our cab showed up we were sober.

Grist for LA Mill

2008-01-22T19:47:00.001-08:00

Walk into Silver Lake's new LA Mill cafe and you know you are in for something different. Where do I start: the somewhat- bizarre-uber-cool-Kelly Wearstler-Regency-style-borderline ugly-yet hip decor, the formal format, the over-extracted espresso and unremarkable pastries, or the high prices... We just wanted some coffee and a pastry, and a table to enjoy it on. It is not like your usual coffee house format where you order at the counter then take your coffee to an available table. We were seated by the host, ordered our coffee through the server, and were presented it on little wooden trays, with little cut-outs for the saucer to fit. There is something very uncomfortable about this place. I felt like I was in an ultra chic and overpriced hotel restaurant. Absolutely not comfortable for lingering over the newspaper and coffee. They are clearly reaching for new heights, sort of the French Laundry of coffee. Just as I was getting used to restaurant menus listing the farm from which their dendelion greens came from, now we have a coffee store listing thier milk source (Strauss Organic). Anyone heard of textured milk? Well, now I have! Here is a sample from their menu: "Vanilla Latte - Espresso poured directly over house made vanilla bean-infused syrup, mixed with textured milk and topped with foam 4/5" and, "Espresso/ in porcelain cup - coffee brewed under approximately 9ATM of pressure, created strong and rich 1.5-2oz. beverage topped with traditional foam known as crema 2.5" What is an ATM? Be sure you hit one up before you come here! Over-wrought, pretentious, uncomfortable, overstaffed, highly stylized. I don't like trashing establishments on my bIog, so let me clarify that these critisims are based on the fact that they are trying to do something different, and I just do not want something different. I can appreciate that they make their own vanilla syrup and chocolate sauce, and take coffee seriously (they even have a couple Clover machines). I was just expecting a more comfortable, relaxed environment for early morning coffee. They offer lunch (with a menu by Michael Cimarusti, who was in the kitchen that morning) which looks promising. But for your regular AM coffee, I think I will stick to nearby Intelligentsia.

LA Mill
1636 Silver Lake Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Restaurant Week

2008-01-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

I attended a press conference this morning for the launch of Los Angeles' first Dine LA Restaurant Week. From January 27- February 1 and February 3-8, over 140 participating restaurants will be offering special prix fixe lunches and dinners ranging from $15-$34. The idea is to promote and showcase Los Angeles area restaurants by attracting new customers and thanking existing ones with their specially priced meals during a typically slow time of the year for the restaurant industry. This will be a huge promotional event for Los Angeles restaurants, much like it has been for cities like New York and San Francisco.

The press conference was held at Neal Fraser's Grace restaurant on Beverly Boulevard. After checking in, we helped ourselves to complimentary pastries and coffee, mingled with a fellow food blogger, and took a seat behind the television crews facing the stage.

The highlight was the presence of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. All eyes were on him when he made his grand entrance followed by his bodyguards and handlers. He posed for some photos with the chefs including Mary Sue Miliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill. It was great to see a politician in action. He was gregarious and affable, working the room, and gamely wore the chef's coat presented to him by Miliken and Feniger. The mayor spoke, along with The Border Girls, Neal Fraser and Mark Liberman, head of LA Inc. about how excited they are about LA's first restaurant week, what a great diverse food community we have, how LA is the greatest city.. blah, blah, blah. After the conference, our mayor (during which he took a moment to address the Spanish language TV crews in Spanish), played the role of rookie restaurant employee in his new chef's whites starting from the bottom up: he cleaned up a broken champagne glass, then began handing out hors d'oeuvres. Photo-ops galore!

We nibbled on lamb chops (served to me by Mayor V himself) and tuna tartare, while sipping on Veuve Clicqout champagne. I love these promotional events. They offer participants a lovely combination of insider news and free stuff. Today’s swag: a half pound box of See's Candy.

Marrow at Mozza

2008-01-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

My friend and I were lucky enough to snag two seats at the bar last Saturday after only a 10 minute wait. Immediately, my eye went to this on the menu "marrow al forno." Aahh...roasted bone marrow, served with toasted bread, roasted garlic and flaky salt. I took my little fork and broke through the thin crisp top of the marrow and scooped out some of the fatty, gelatinous interior, much like a creme brulee. A little smeer on the toast, a piece of garlic, a pinch of salt...I was the envy of the room. My marrow-hater friend wanted some of my toast. "No", I told her, "you can only have it with bone marrow spread on top." Good thing the kitchen is more accommodating then me.

What I Go Through

2008-01-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot of me rounding the final corner in the 1st Annual Miracle Mile 5K at The Grove. This is my 3rd 5K in 3 months, and I beat my last time by one minute! The life of a food blogger, unfortunately, isn't just fried avocadoes and cupcakes. But it does include a post-race-cholesterol-bomb-breakfast at Du-Par's!

Deep Fried Fat Should Taste Better Than This

2008-01-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

Avocado fries at 3 Square. Breaded, deep-fried slices of avocado had me so intrigued and excited. There is nothing I like better than fat with fat. The problem is, fat needs a fair amount of salt, especially avocados. They really do not taste like anything when they are unsalted. To achieve the proper seasoning, you must sprinkle the salt directly on the avocado as you eat it. Salting the crisp exterior just isn't enough. I was a bit disappointed, they certainly did not meet my high expectations. All the better - I don't think I need another fatty dish to crave. I will just stick with my current craving repitiore...The Office Burger, pork belly, fried sweetbreads, seared foie gras, triplecreme cheese, roasted bone marrow, onion rings, pizza....

Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

2007-12-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Free Stuff: The PR rep for an Australian company that sells hibiscus flowers in syrup, that you put into drinks, offered to send me a sample and I gratefully accepted. They are just as the name suggests: a jar of Australian hibiscus flowers in simple syrup. They are meant to be placed in your glass, then pour in the alcohol.

Tasting: I brought them to my wine group meeting - we were tasting champagne that day, so I thought we could give them a while with the worst tasting bottle in the bunch (you never want to add mix-ins with good alcohol). They are very pretty and festive, but do not really offer much in the way of flavor, alone. When we poured in some of the syrup, we ended up with a sweet and tasty cocktail, that certainly helped our bottle of slightly corked champagne. I think these flowers will work best in a vodka martini - it is a good way to turn a strong drink into a user-friendly cocktail (as my friend calls, "a cocktail with training wheels).

Final Consensus: My friend didn't like the jar. He felt it was unrepresentative of what was inside. He suggest they package it in a tall, skinny jar, with the flowers stacked on top of each other to create a nicer presentation. I agree. I think these would be cute and festive at a party, but are not my bag.

Top Reasons Why a Dyed-in-the-Wool Westsider Sometimes Wishes She Lived East of the 405

2007-12-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

An editor from the site Laist.com contacted me to create a list, like a top ten, to post among others for their year-end round-up. Here is the list I came up with, followed by the link to Laist. I hope you enjoy.

Top Reasons Why a Dyed-in-the-Wool Westsider Sometimes Wishes She Lived East of the 405

1. Intelligentsia Coffee – simply the best coffee out there right now, made to perfection. Hard-core, no blenders!

2. Lou – Exotic wine list, best bar food around, and great Monday night suppers.

3. Pizzeria Mozza – The best pizza dough, and even better toppings. Short, excellent, all-Italian wine list. Lardo!

4. K&L Wine – Big, but not too big. Great weekly tasting, knowledgable staff, good prices.

5. Silverlake Wine – Their tastings are educational and social, small, yet carefully selected wine selection.

6. 750 ml – Cozy, intimate atmosphere, easy to navigate wine list, excellent, short menu., well-priced.

Laist.com

Akasha Opening Party - I Was Not Invited

2007-12-09T22:16:00.001-08:00

Last night, on our way to a late night dinner at Fraiche, I noticed Akasha was holding it's opening party. They had a tent in the back for the cooks, tables of swag bags, and heavy security. It is in the old San Gennaro location on the corner of Culver and Watseka in downtown CC. It is huge. It is separated into two sections. The larger area has a nice large bar and seating, and around the corner on the Watseka side, it looks more like a take-out counter - possibly the area for the bakery. The interior is warm and modern - it reminded me of The Other Room on Abbot Kinney. On the Culver Blvd side there is a fairly large patio area. It still looks unfinished. Apparently it will not open for a couple more weeks. After our dinner, when we walked by, the party was breaking up, and the security guards had left thier posts, so we went in and snapped some shots.

Akasha
9543 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

On the Wine Trail in Hollywood

2007-12-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

Every Saturday afternoon K&L Wines in Hollywood holds a tasting. For their last one of the year, they poured champagne. For $20 we sampled 10 champagnes, ranging in price from $24.99-$114.99, and nibbled on some excellent cheese and crackers. And yes, the more expensive ones were better.

K&L Wines
1400 Vine St
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-464-9463

The World's Most Award-Winning Coffee

2007-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Intelligentsia Coffee recently hosted a tasting event at their Silver Lake store, giving guests samples of a coffee called Geisha, from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. Apparently this coffee is "the world's most award winning coffee," winning every competition it was entered in. It may also be the world's most expensive coffee, retailing for $99 per half pound. Unfortunately, my critical coffee tasting abilities were not quite advanced enough to fully appreciate all the complexities and nuances this coffee has to offer. It was very good, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I also really like their Los Delirios coffee from Nicaragua I bought that night for a relatively modest $15/lb. They got a good turn out. Coffee buyer Geoff Watts gave a presentation outside on the patio while my friend and I mingled inside, snacking on cheese and wine, watching the Clover machine in action. I also had the pleasure of meeting Doug Zell, the founder of Intelligentsia (who, by the way, said he read my previous Intelligentsia post). Doug, if you catch this post, may I put in a request? Open your next LA location on the west side. Preferably Mar Vista. Thanks.

On the Wine Trail in Long Beach

2007-11-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

The Wine Country is a wine shop in Signal Hill. It is nestled in a warehouse district, not far from the airport. They offer a decent selection of wine: the store is big, but not too big, so it is easy to navigate and all the employees can give advice and guide your choices. I dropped in on a recent Saturday afternoon to check out their regular Saturday afternoon wine tasting. Ten tastes for $20, this afternoon they were pouring a variety of Meritages. Meritage is any blend of grapes, which meant these were all very different in taste, structure, price point, and from all over the world. They had a table with some cheese and crackers to snack on in between tastes. The folks pouring the wine gave all the bottles a nice introduction, but I think the majority of the friendly crowd were more interested in socializing. At any rate, I felt it was a good value for the price, and it is always nice to taste wines I may not normally pick out on my own.

The Wine Country
2301 Redondo Ave
signal Hill, CA 90755
1-800-505-5564

The Great Gatsby of Beverly Park

2007-11-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

A couple Sunday's ago, my dad's friend invited us to a charity event raising money to help children with eye disease. It was held at the Beverly Park mansion of Paulette and Larry Cohen. The theme was "Gatsby in the Garden", complete with Gatsbyesque cars in the driveway. The party was held on the huge backyard lawn with a gaming tables, full open bars, passed hors d'oeurves, and high tea buffet. After the valet took our car away, we walked through the formal, carefully decorated living room to the garden, where we were greeted with a server holding a tray of rose champagne. Just right for a perfectly clear Sunday afternoon.

After several hors d'oeurves, including coconut shrimp, lobster spring rolls, and seared scallops, we strolled through the guest cottage - a quaint little one room "cottage" with a small kitchen, overstuffed chairs and daybead, and some nice reading material.

They had tables set up with fruit and cheese, and another area with tea, scones, tea sandwiches, and triffle (the caterer was British). Al Pacino was the celebrity guest, looking cool in all black and dark sunglasses.

The highlight of the house, for me, was the outdoor dining area, placed right in front of the vineyard. A copper kitchen - grill, range, oven and sink - surrounded by a granite bar. I can just imagine the host telling his friends, "just a casual dinner outside..."

After lunch we hit the roulette table. Just like Vegas - first I am up $150, then I loose it all. Good thing it was not real money. I had better luck at the blackjack table. After losing all of our fake money, the valet brought around our car and we drove back to Mar Vista.

Epicure Imports

2007-11-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

Epicure Imports is an importer of gourmet food items, mostly French, with a warehouse in North Hollywood. They are open to the public a couple days out of the year, and last Saturday was one of them. We strolled though the aisles picking out French vinegars, wines, chocolates, olives oils, truffle oil, nuts, dried fruit, spices, and some middle eastern items like couscous and harissa. My favorite section is thier walk-in cheese refrigerator. They have many French and Italian cheeses you have seen in Whole Foods and Surfas, including Sottocenere al Tartufo, the Italian cheese with black truffle. They have all the D'Artagnon products like foie gras, and duck fat, and some Italian meats as well. Check their website for sale dates, and be prepared for a very slow check out, even when there is no one in front of you!

Epicure Imports
6900 Beck Ave
North Hollywood, CA 91604
818-985-9800

On the Wine Trail in Silver Lake

2007-11-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

I went to a Thursday night tasting the the newly remodeled Silver Lake Wine. What a great, neighborhood (unfortunately, not in mine) wine shop. Same simple, modern interior, a longer tasting bar, and more space overall. They were pouring two flights: 3 Beaujolais and 3 Sauvignon Blanc. For $12, we each started with the sauv. blanc fight. We tried 3 very different wines, from Australia, California and France. This is the beauty of a focused tasting like this: comparing and contrasting the same varietal from different areas. For my fellow budding wine expert friend, this was as educational as it was fun. They served some bread and Presidente butter to snack on in between tastes (these are generous pours - my only suggestion would be to add a spit bucket). We moved onto the Beaujolais tasting, which we shared, and we still given good size pours. All wine featured in the night's tasting were 10% off, and were very reasonably priced. After driving for 1 hour in traffic, it was so nice to relax, sip some good wine, and learn a little something.

Silver Lake Wine
2395 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-662-9024

Michelin Guide Release Party

2007-11-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the Michelin Guide release party at Les Deux in Hollywood. This is the first time Michelin has published a guide for Los Angeles, so it is a bit of a big deal for the Los Angeles food scene. The courtyard was filled with chefs and bloggers, including Eddie Lin from Deep End Dining! Eddie has lived out two blogger fantasties of mine: appearing on both Good Food and Visiting with Huell Howser!

I also had the pleasure meeting Jonah from LA Foodblogging and Digesty. We talked food and restaurants (of course), ate (not so good) hors d'oeuvres such as sliders, mac n' cheese, barbequed shrimp, and rubbed shoulders with Wolfie, Josiah, Joachim, Michael, to name a few. They handed out advance copies of the book, which comes out tomorrow. On the way out, we were given this bag of swag!

Brunello Trattoria

2007-11-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

Brunello Trattoria on Washington Blvd near La Cienega just opend last month, and I tried it for the first time last night. It is a comfortable, neighborhood trattoria with pastas, pizzas, panini, salads and secondi. They have several daily specials in each category, and beer and wine. First off they gave us bread, which is thier pizza dough, with a some olive oil. Very nice bread, warmed in the oven with a thin crisp crust and chewy interior. We started off with the pizza daniele: prociutto, mozzarella, ricotta, & parmesan. Very nice with a thin crust - definately the highlight of the meal. Next time, I will get one all to myself. The salads were disappointing. I ordered an out of season panzanella: tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and bread. I should have known better than to order tomatoes in the winter. They were flavorless.

My friends Caesar was overdressed. She blames us, her foodie friends. Had her palate not developed by hanging out with us, she would have enjoyed her salad, she claimed. The mains were better. Two of my friends had one of the pasta specials, linguine with lobster, which they loved. My friend who started with the Caesar had the meat lasagna, and was disappointed yet agian. Our fault again, apparently. My carpaccio was nice. Thinly sliced and pounded meat with arugula, artichokes and parmesan. It was very light and refreshing, with a nice zing from the lemon.

We shared a great bottle of Rosso di Montalcino for $45 which was dry and easy going. They only offer about 5-6 wines by the glass. Most of the wine is in the $40-50 dollar range, but you can find a couple of bottles for under $35. Service was friendly and unobtrusive. The only flaw was we waited a bit too long for the bill, but that is much preferred over being rushed throughout the meal. They let you linger and enjoy the evening. Brunello Trattoria is a great little neighborhood restaurant. Well-priced, great pizza (and they deliver), and good wine. The decor and layout leave a bit to be desired - it looks like it was done on the cheap. My friend was convinced our waiter was also the carpenter. But that's ok. It is part of their charm.

Brunello Trattoria
6001 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
310-280-3856

Casa Sanchez

2007-10-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was invited by Senor Sanchez to dine at his new Casa Sanchez restaurant in Mar Vista, in the old Marina Mago spot, just up the street from his taqueria. She brought me along to check it out (we ate for free). This place is a trip. It has a grand entryway with high ceilings and a large portrait of Zapata. There is a bar/lounge area, that overlooks the main dining room. At the end of the dining room is a stage where the 10 piece mariachi band plays (forget about being able to hear your conversation while they are playing - it is more like dinner theater than backround music). Very fancy, indeed. The places are set with salad forks and wine glasses, the windows are draped in fancy window treatments, McMansion style. Very festive. You do feel like you are not in Mar Vista anymore - my friend thought she was somewhere in Mexico, I was thinking more like Riverside.

He is trying to create an upscale dining experience, with traditional Mexican fare but with more focus on contemporary dishes with Mexican flare. They have the regular Mexican dishes like tamales, taquitos and fajitas, but the emphasis is on the chops and fish. These dishes are large - think about skipping the apps or taking it easy on the chips (which comes with a a dish of guacamole topped with salsa).

I had the steak smothered in a sweet wine mushroom sauce, that was much better with a little sprinkle of salt. My friend had the veal, also in a mushroom sauce which she enjoyed. The entrees are about $25, we had two drinks apiece, and 1 appetizer. The bill would have been about $100 - had I paid for it myself, I probably would have ordered less expensive dishes. The food is OK. If I am going to spend $25 for an entree, I would much rather go to Joe's or Lucques. I will go back to Casa Sanchez, though. I will sit in the lounge area, enjoy the margaritas and traditional appetizers, and the distance from the loud (but fantastic) Mariachi band. This is a great place to take the friends and family visiting from out-of-town for a festive meal out, that is not too exotic.

Casa Sanchez
4500 S. Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310-397-9999

Vin Italy

2007-10-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Vin Italy is a massive wine tasting event in Italy held ever year. The Wine House hosted its own version Thursday night at the Skirball Cultural Center. The room was filled with distributors pouring samples of their wines. There were a couple of tables with snacks like cheese and bread, and wall to wall Italians. How can you tell one is Italian? They are good looking, well dressed, and wear sneakers with suits.

Mozzarella Bar at Osteria Mozza

2007-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Osteria Mozza shortly after 5:00 last Saturday and we were the first in line, waiting to rush the mozzarella bar (with Nancy Silverton at the helm) at their 5:30 opening. This is what you have to resort to if you do not have a reservation. If you have one, it means you made it one month in advance for a 9:30 Tuesday night slot (like we did), with no chance of being seating early (like we found out at 8:30). No reservations is the way to go. When the doors opened, I made a beeline straight for the mozzarella bar, only to find the hostess very expertly take a side step to her left and block my path with a perky, "2 for the mozzarella bar?" Yes. She seating us at the bar, and the fun began.

A couple months ago when I dined at a table, the waiter insisted we place our order for all the courses at once, so he can set the pace (which we hate to do - we like to set the pace; nice and slow). At the bar the service was much looser. We ordered one dish at a time, at our own pace. When I asked the difference between two kinds of wine, the server replied with the best answer, " let's try them!" Yes, lets. Served in my favorite size portion; the quartino. We were given an amuse bouche of a mozzarella spiral with olives, pesto and tomatoes. A perfect little fatty and salty treat to stir up one's appetite. Our first dish was the crostini with burracotta cheese, mint pesto, artichoke hearts, topped with pine nuts and currants (I believe you may find the recipe in Nancy's sandwich book). This was my favorite dish. Not too big, just the right combination of sweet and savory.

We moved on to the burrata from Basilicata. This burrata arrives from Italy every Thursday, and our waiter said they serve it through Saturday. It had just the slightest hint of sourness that burrata has after a few days, but it was still enjoyable. She served it with some leeks, and a couple of slices of thick bread, toasted and drenched in olive oil.

Remember: when I say things like "fatty, salty, drenched in olive oil," these are all words of praise. At this point we were a bit cheesed-out, so we moved on to grilled figs wrapped in procuitto. Once again, another fantastic combination of the good ol' sweet and salty. We looked at the dessert menu just for fun, but had to pass after all this cheese and bread. This is the way to dine at the Mozza's: arrive early, grab a seat at the bar, and enjoy.

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
323-297-0100

Ugo - An Italian Bar

2007-10-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have been eagerly awaitng the opening of Ugo's bar right next door to his cafe in downtown Culver City. It is like the bars that are all over Italy - serving espresso, gelato, panino, pastries, liquor and more. They have all the bases covered: you can pop in for a quick morning espresso and pastry, or enjoy lunch from their menu of panini, antipasti, salad, and small plates out on the patio, or drop in for an aperitivo before dinner (or digestivo after dinner). Today I had an after lunch snack of torrone gelato and an espresso con panna. My fellow Italophiles will love this place. We can even attempt to practice our Italian with one of the Italian employees, who come from Sicily and and Naples.

Ugo - An Italian Bar
9501 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-204-1222

Taste at The Wine House

2007-09-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Wine House on Cotner in west LA has opened a little tasting room (called Taste) in the store, just off of the Italian wine section. They have 4 Enomatics filled with wine available for purchase in the store. You buy a card (at the order counter in the rear of the store, not at the cash register up front), grab a glass, put the card into the machine and press the button for the wine you would like to try. Exactly like at Vinum Populi. I like being able to taste a wine before I purchase it. As a matter of fact, I did not like any of the wines I tried, and was glad I did not waste my money on a whole bottle!

The Wine House
2311 Cotner Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca 90034

Gaby's Express

2007-09-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

I checked out the brand new Gaby's Express for lunch the other day in the old Spin location on Washington Blvd just west of Lincoln. My friends and I used to have dinner at Gaby's on Venice Blvd quite a bit. The atmosphere was lively, the food was pretty good, and you could bring in a couple bottles of wine and they usually would only charge us corkage for one. We would feast on middle eastern savory pastires, pita, baba ganoush, hummus, meats, ect. for under $20 a person. Gaby's Express, as you can guess, is a take-out version of the original. I ordered a perfectly good 1/4 rotisserie chicken with a side of steamed vegetables (I know, so healthy. This is what it has come too, after one too may cupcakes). It came with a Zankou-esque mystery garlic sauce. What is in that stuff? It is minced garlic, but held together by what? Gaby's version was good, but, or course, not as good as Zankou. But Zankou does not have a drive through. The rest of their menu had all the usual Mediterranean fare, at reasonable prices. I will go back, for sure.

Gaby's Express
3216 Washington Blvd.
Marina Dal Rey, CA 90292
310-823-7299

The Birth of a Blog

2007-09-16T16:46:00.001-07:00

Over a year ago I was searching for the website of one of my favorite haunts, The Metro Cafe. I stumbled upon Ellen Bloom's blog on a post she wrote about her experience at The Metro. In one of the photos, I recognized two of my friends at the next table! As a matter of fact, I was there with them, out of the frame. I posted a comment on her blog, and perused the Blogspot site. I quickly realized how easy they make it to create a blog, and Ellen seemed to have so much fun creating hers, so I set up my account. Ellen and I (and a few others) became Blogger-Pen-Pals. Last night I went to an art galley in downtown CC for a showing of an artist I collect, Shag. Guess who I ran into? I should have known Ellen would be there. If there is any cool, modern, tiki, knitting, architectual, wacky, fun event in LA to attend, she is there. Thanks for the inspiration, Ellen.

Intelligentsia

2007-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea just opened their first (and hopefully not their last) west coast store. It is in super-cool Silver Lake, right next to The Cheese Store of Silver Lake and Flea's music school. I got turned on to their coffee a few months ago by a friend who works for the company. The store is great. Spare, open design, outdoor seating, counter seating inside with a beautiful blue and white Nicaraguan tile floor. Small drink menu, just your standard espresso drinks, drip coffee brewed by the cup and no Sugar-Bomb-Blended-Coffee-for-Beginners drinks. I got a macchiato, which was perfect. I hope their will make it out to the west side soon, but in the meantime I will have to "settle" for Caffe Luxxe.

Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea
3922 W Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029

The Joy of Food Blogging - Free Dogs

2007-09-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by a rep for Hoffy Extra Lean Beef Franks and was asked to sample some. You want to send me free stuff? OK! They sent me a box of franks, small and large, to sample. These Lean Beef Franks are a new to Hoffy, who has apparently supplied dogs to Pink's. I never cook hot dogs for myself at home, I usually just enjoy them at sporting events. I rounded up a group of friends, who were initially doubtful about lean hotdogs (and, who are usually doubtful about lean anything!). What better way to remove that doubt than to wrap them up in bacon!

We had lean dogs in bacon, regular dogs in bacon, lean plain, and regular ones which came pre-wrapped in bacon (from our favorite cheap-meat-emporium, Top Valu).

We cooked them up on a cast iron grill pan, creating lots of smoke (luckily, the homeowners already disabled the smoke alarm). I was very surprised during the tasting. First of all, wrapping bacon around a hot dog does not add anything to it, flavor-wise.

That was a disapointment (actually, it is probably for the best that one does not aquire a new super-high-in-fat food item to crave). The Hoffy Lean's were pretty good. They were juicy, flavorful, and really didn't taste much different than the regular dogs.

The Alibi Room - Now Open

2007-09-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Checked out the brand-spanking-new Alibi Room on Washington Blvd. in Culver City (the part of CC in the middle of Mar Vista). It was very cool - they must have the same designer as Beechwood. Modern, yet warm and comfortable. And the best part is - it is walking distance from my apartment!! They offer a small bar menu, heavy on the fried food: fried zucchini with dill sauce,

the Canadian (Quebec) national dish: Poutine fries with mozzarella cheese curds and gravy (our favorite of the night at $6),

and, my favorite chicken part: buttermilk fried chicken oysters with honey mustard sauce ($7). The oyster is the little nub of dark meat in between the thigh and backbone of the chicken.

All of these dishes were good, just a tad undersalted. My friend got the burger, with just lettuce tomato, American cheese and shallot butter ($9).

She ordered it rare, and it came out medium rare, and she loved it. Just a straight forward, American style burger. No blue cheese or bacon here, just classic flavors. The menu also includes crudite ($4), fried mozzarella ($6), curly fries ($4), and a philly cheese steak ($9), with your choice of cheese whiz or American.

Luckily, my friend opted for American. The thought of eating Cheeze Whiz just makes my stomach turn. I am very excited that we Mar Vistaites finally have a very cool bar to walk to. All the food was served in sleek cardboard containers, making for easy clean up. The bar is trianglular, with a lounge area and a small outdoor smoking patio. Full bar, good wine, interesting beers (Boddington's, Red Stripe, Dead Man, and a couple Japanese beers, and a Czech beer on tap) and friendly service. Can't wait to go back.

Straight from the Horse's Mouth

2007-09-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

I stand corrected: The owner of The Brig, Beechwood & The Del did not purchase The Cozy and Culver Carburetor. Bummer. I bet he could make them really cool.

Lunch at Pizzeria Mozza

2007-09-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

I was in the Hollywood area today and thought I would try my luck at getting a seat at Pizzeria Mozza for lunch. I arrived right before noon, to be greeted by about 10 other poeple without reservations waiting for the doors to open. It was just like at Father's Office - I used to arrive about 10 minutes before opening (as well as 15 other people), and snag a table as soon as the doors opened, just about the only way to guarantee a seat for the night. The last time I had lunch at Pizzeria Mozza we were only able to get a reservation for the prime lunch time of 2:30. Never again. Just arrive early, and grab a seat at the counter. I read, and re-read, and re-read the menu trying to narrow down my options. I ended up with the goat cheese, leek, scallion, roasted garlic and bacon pizza. I almost ordered the pizza bianco with truffle cheese, but it did not come with a cured pork product, so I choose the other one instead. Of course, it was wonderful. They brush the crust with olive oil, and give it a sprinkling of salt before baking, which gives it a nice, crispy texture, and georgeous color. A nice way to recover for a long holiday weekend!

Word on the Street - The Alibi Room

2007-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

On Thursday my friend strolled by the newly remodeled Alibi Room on Washington Blvd near Grand View, poked his head in , and asked when they will be open for business. The owner told him they are waiting for one more inspection, and it will either by today, or Tuesday after the holiday. They will also offer some food. Also...another friend told me the same man bought The Cozy and Culver Carburetor on Washington Place.