Food: June 2007 Archives

Aaaah, Beverly Hills - Los Angeles' beacon of wealth and privilege. I don't think I've been there in over ten years. But on Tuesday I had an entire day to just wander the streets. Normally, I don't trust popular opinion. Maybe it's because I grew up in the 80s, when popular opinion gave us big shoulder pads, bigger hair, the Star-Wars defense system, Hall and Oats and Chubacca-like eyebrows. But that mistrust caused me...

Crash Mansion, a live-music venue and nightclub owned by the Bowery Restaurant Group and located at 199 Bowery in New York City , is opening their Los Angeles outpost tonight. They have transformed Myron's Ballroom downtown into a club. We read that is has a capacity for 1200 guests, 5 bars and two stages. Bands that have performed in the New York venue include: Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Norah Jones, Joss Stone, Usher, Gavin DeGraw, The Rapture, The Fray, Public Enemy, Wyclef Jean, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, and Le Tigre. If it's cool, you better get their quick before word spreads.

- Jonathan Gold's indispensible guide to L.A. restaurants has hit newsstands. This summer's edition has a great Google mashup to go with the guide. How many restaurants have you been to? Only question is...only six great places in the Valley??? Come on, fat man. Give us a break. - Oh yeah. The LA Times had their big restaurant issue last weekend too - which was also West's last stand. Hm. - The LAT also...

The Harry Potter marketing onslaught has begun in earnest – and the latest film in the franchise doesn’t even open for two more weeks. Right now, there are more products being plugged by the boy wizard on store shelves everywhere, thanks to Tinseltown’s magic marketing. And even this muggle bought into the hype. I paid $1.99 for 1.6 oz. of "Bertie Bott's Beans" in a box -- that works out to almost a nickel...

It was one of those lovely Sunday mornings down in the Valley: sunny and clear, not yet hot enough to send San Fernando-ists scurrying indoors towards the comfort of central air conditioning. We were looking for a casual and parent-friendly place along Ventura Boulevard to enjoy some lunch and a cold beer with our nearest and dearest. Mexicali Cocina Cantina seemed to fit the bill: reasonably priced, easy parking, and a wide array of...

While vermin living in the kitchen of a restaurant might make for an entertaining animated Disney flick, you wouldn’t be too amused if you found out that furry creatures were running wild in the kitchen of your favorite establishments. Unfortunately, however, they are. A list of these kitchens can be found on Los Angeles Department of Public Health website, which lists all establishments recently shut down for reasons ranging from "vermin infestation" to "gross contamination...

Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line.

Hot dogs and pizza. I may be the last of a dying breed of carnivores in Southern California, so whenever I get a chance to eat not just white, red, but pink kosher meat, I take it! Yep, at Costco you can get a Hebrew National hot dog AND drink for only $1.50. All that sweet goodness for only that much? It’s true and scrumptious.

This is the recipe for a perfect summer pie. Not only is it light and citrusy, but the oven only needs to be on for 20 minutes. For parties, I buy pre-made graham cracker tart crusts to make individual servings. I like to decorate the center of each tart with a single curled strip of lime zest. This recipe makes one pie, or about a dozen tarts. Key lime juice is sold in bottles...

Now that I've got your attention, I’ve got a problem with yogurt. My problem isn’t limited to Pinkberry. In fact, it’s more of a yogurt in the market problem. The problem is that when you buy yogurt, you mix in that stuff at the bottom and it’s just too sweet. I don’t want to pretend that my yogurt is some kind of fruit mousse. Somewhere about the time they decided that yogurt was good...

Cafe Boogaloo arrived on the scene in Hermosa Beach in 1995, around the same time I moved back to my hometown. It was the perfect place to meet up with old friends or to have a drink with first dates. The decor is upscale down-home and filled with one-of-a-kind folk art, somewhat similar to the House of Blues. Dim lighting, large westerly facing windows and lazily rotating ceiling fans keep the interior cool on...

If guys think picking up chicks is hard, you should try it as a chick. Where do you meet them? What do you say? How do you react when she freaks out and calls you a big lesbo weirdo? In honor of bringing interested women together, there’s going to be a party, this Saturday night, in Venice, for bi/curious/experienced ladies. All ages and orientations welcome. Men, I’m aferd, are not (and no spying either)....

I Just a block down from Ragin Cajun, New Orleans occupies a space that used to be a 50s cafe, and you can still see traces of that design. The interior is a long diner counter, with tables lining the wall. The restaurant is extremely dark inside, so it is a little unwelcoming at first. I have been there a few times, but never managed to actually sit down and eat before. My dining companions...

10:36 p.m., last night: Daily News publishes a story about 14628 Sylvan Street in Van Nuys -- the oldest house in Van Nuys built in 1911 by William Paul Whitsett (now you know where that street name came from). The article tells how this historic house is threatened by demolition for condos. Preservationists want to save the house. 8:23 a.m., this morning: LACityNerd posts and e-mail blasts the blogLAsphere about the article quoting City...

Hermosa Beach is one lucky town. Not only do they have the beautiful beach and the ocean breezes, but they have lucked out in the restaurant department. They are home to not one, but three New Orleans-inspired eateries: Ragin Cajun, New Orleans, and Café Boogaloo are all within two blocks of each other. This week, to gear up for the big Bayou Festival in Long Beach, I am going to cover all three restaurants....

Since you know LAist is crazy about bacon, how about this burger made of ground bacon? [Serious Eats] In the meat-eating corner: Ted Nugent! In the meat-free corner: Paul McCartney! Read what Nugent really thinks about the folks in the music biz he knows who have been "Fired for eating meat by an animal-rights maniac, hard-core vegan bass player." [Waco Tribune-Hearld] David Haskell of Bin 8945: Chowhounds can be so tasteless, bloggers mean business...

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and my father-in-law’s food choice was BBQ. He loves eating old school style: think the Smoke House, Pink’s, El Coyote – and to this day laments the closing of the Tips Restaurant on Lyons Avenue in Santa Clarita. So when he picked The Bear Pit, a 50-plus-year-old, Missouri-style BBQ restaurant in the Valley (on Sepulveda near the 118 freeway) the rest of us were only too happy to oblige. When...

We were delighted to find out that one of our favorite folks who talks about food was named this weekend as the recipient of the LA Press Club Award for Best Individual Blog. Congrats to Pat Saperstein and Eating LA! According to Saperstein, the judges summed up her site as follows: Writer does a great job of merging personality and topic, producing an engaging voice. Well-informed without coming across as elitist. Great showcasing of...

Two of my very good friends just returned from Spain and called me on Saturday night to hang out in LA. I asked if they had any special requests and they said that they simply wanted to go to a club, get drunk and dance their booties away. Luckily, I had been put on the list for the Shane West B-day party at newly opened Ritual restaurant and club, so I took my babes....

One of our deep-pocketed lawyer friends was in town this week, visiting from New York, where he actually manages to make payments on an apartment in the East Village - people are capable of that? How is that possible? Well, apparently it takes advanced degrees in mathematics and law, as well as a sixty-hour work week. We'll take our humble (but spacious!) apartment in North Hollywood anyday, thank you very much. Anyway, that was...

Before that dumbass vegan couple in Georgia starved their baby to death by feeding him soy milk and apple juice instead of breast milk (and all the subsequent outrage that caused), one woman was boldly going where few in the culinary world dare venture: making human cheese. More specifically, making Paneer from her own breast milk. I've often wondered what would happen if such an endeavor was viable on a mass scale. What kind...

Cory Kennedy got bounced from Teddy's at the Roosevelt Hotel, thanks to Lindsay Lohan. Your fake ID didn't work because the bouncer looked a little closer this time because of Lindsay Lohan. According to the New York Times, “the door people everywhere in Hollywood are being really strict with IDs now... It’s changed since the Lindsay incident:” The incident, in which the actress Lindsay Lohan, 20, crashed her car in Hollywood and was arrested at...

Okay so we all know of my love for Bharat Bazaar right? Well my love just got a little deeper and I thought y'all should know about it. A few days ago I went to Bharat for lunch and got three dishes I knew I loved: lentils, chickpeas and vegetable balls (like meatballs but not). But I noticed everyone in front of me was ordering something called “jackfruit.” Jack what? Fruit? Is it sweet?...

The diversity of MacArthur Park couldn't be more dramatic than the 1940's style old school deli known for its pastrami as Langer's Deli, firmly entrenched on Alvarado, and surrounded by Central- and South American cuisine and shops. Langer's keeps it so real that they close at 4pm and take Sundays off. They have cozy, leather booths, a big menu, and bigger servings. LA Observed reminds us that Langer's celebrates their 60th birthday with a...

Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. Chinese restaurants can generally be categorized into three different buckets: upscale “fusion” dining (aka tamed-down dishes with an "exotic" twist so that non-Chinese will eat them, but served on a pretty square plate so PF Chang’s can get away with charging $20 a dish);...

Remember the good old days, when Italian restaurants had opera-singing waiters? Mario and Larry Lalli grew up in the good old days, in one such restaurant. Mario and Larry’s family has been in the restaurant business for over 50 years. The two cousins have continued the tradition begun by their fathers, previously with a pizzeria in Palm Springs, and now with Café 322 in Sierra Madre. Larry tears it up in the kitchen while...

Eagle Rock has a new soul food restaurant housed in a cozy Craftsman called Larkin’s Joint. With Chef Larkin Mackey at the helm, this delightful eatery has already received much acclaim after a series of tastings available to those on their mailing list. It’s an endearing experience eating at this place, you feel like you’re over at a Southern auntie’s for Sunday supper. Mackey calls his cuisine “contemporary soul food” and it’s an updated,...

With last night's (much anticipated) premiere of the third season of Top Chef on Bravo, there now exists a triptych of "reality" television programs each devoted to making one lucky chef a star (and the other contestants infamous). Over on the Food Network we've got The Next Food Network Star, which blends cooking and "star" quality, and on Fox we're two episodes into the blazing fires of the third season of Hell's Kitchen. And...

Last Friday I was graciously invited to check out Ford's Filling Station's kick-off of their new "Ford's Play" snacktime menu. Billed as being "not quite lunch, not quite dinner" the comfy Culver City eatery has introduced a late afternoon menu boasting small bites and discount drinks. This Happy Hour-esque array of tasty offerings is available from 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and certainly does take the edge off those late-in-the-daytime munchies with...

I’m a little hesitant to tell you guys about Bloom Café. Brunching is not a leisure activity in this town. The idea of brunch is always calm, meeting up on a weekend, yummy breakfast, savory lunch foods. Coffee, laughter, companionship. But the reality is lines and waiting, grumpy stomachs, languishing hangovers. It’s not pretty out there. At the Bloom Café, you can remember what brunch is really about. The clientele at this Picfair location...

Dear LAist, I could've sworn when I randomly popped into the Library Bar last night I saw you carousing with a bunch of people who all had name tags and were drinking free beer. What's up with that? How do I get in on the free beer action? And who was that dude with the bandana?! Love, Little Jimmy From Pasadena Good eye, Little Jimmy! You did indeed spot us at the Library Bar last...

- According to Pat Saperstein of Eating LA, the LA Times is starting a food blog…ooooh, how 2005 of them! - Jonathan Gold checks out ChiliMySoul. Damn him. Now we've got to go to Encino. - EaterLA finally gives a shout-out to LAist's fabulous food reporting, and mentions Callie Miller's excellent expose of bakery Sweet Lady Jane (more like Pissy Lady Jane). - There's beer in Santa Barbara??? No! You'll never make us believe...

Last March, one of my favorite Los Feliz restaurants, il Capriccio, opened up a pizzeria. It’s located at the Sunset Junction, on Hollywood Boulevard next to the U-Haul, or a block up from the strip joint, depending on your frame of reference. When people talk about California pizza, they usually mean gourmet toppings, a la Wolfgang Puck, with a sweet, bready crust like California Pizza Kitchen's. While I am a fan of adventurous toppings,...

I feel true joy when I’m able to experience the simple pleasures in life. These include loling, warm nights, people thanking me after I’ve let them into my car lane, and chill bars. I get downright giddy when said chill bars include passwords for entrance and a jukebox that plays Elton John, the Violent Femmes AND Smashing Pumpkins.

Throw-The-Kitchen-Sink-In-It Pizza: with Vodka Sauce, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Garlic, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Basil, Parmesan, Caramelized Onions, and Olives We've gotta admit, Mozza was great, but Lord knows we can't eat like red-headed Italian kings every day. In fact, even ordering pizza every night tends to add up: $20 per pizza per day for two people over one week? That's over $140, even if you eat the leftovers for breakfast! It's enough to make us want to...I...

Last month, I sent a question to all the other writers about late-night dining options in Downtown. There was a lot to be said about The Pantry last week, but today we continue with other options. The following is taken from a casual conversation from the LAist back channels.

Our wedding is three months away. Yes, we should have figured out the cake bit sooner, but we’re having our wedding on a warehouse rooftop downtown, so we’re not exactly doing the traditional do. Our wedding is so offbeat that we recently decided we should probably do something that will give the family a sense of structure, of formality, of “weddingness” just so they don’t lose their way among the techno jazz, shredded chiffon dress (mine) and crazy striped suit (his). In short, give them cake so they feel like it is a wedding after all. And who doesn’t love cake?

I've lived in the U.S.A. for more than half my life now, but I still grapple with the issue of cultural identity and a sense of national heritage. This is further complicated by the fact that my people and my motherland suffer from what I see as a lack of culture beyond a handful of longstanding stereotypes that I feel oftentimes at a loss to counter or defend, unless I am taking exception to...

Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. I’ll just say it simply: LA rocks Mexican food. With the largest population of Mexicans outside of Mexico City based in the City of Angels, we are blessed with a preponderance of high-quality, authentic grub (at least based on my uneducated Chinese taste buds)....

Leave it to the Atwater Village Newbie (at what point are you no longer "new"?) to fill us in on something that we had no clue about. Not only is our favorite neighborhood on Glendale Blvd. hosting their Street Festival this Sunday, but there's also going to be a freakin HOMEMADE COOKIE CONTEST! According to the rules (.pdf), if you think you've got what it takes, and baby we know you do, bring your...

Last Sunday night, whilst many Angelenos were trying to make complete sentences out of what was left between all the bleeps heard during the MTV Movie Awards, I was down by the beach at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica, checking out an event called "Dessert Decadence." Billed as a sunset poolside minglefest, the event featured neither a sunset (too overcast and ran from 5-8, just a bit too early) nor a poolside (we...

It's Wednesday. The 14-inch Philly cheesesteak we took down at lunch is starting to sit heavy. Be a glutton like us and check out these links to all the food news that matters this week. - The LA Times explores the cuisine of Shanghai: and where to find it in the Southland. - Awww, those crappy cheap wines grow up SO FAST! Buy a bottle of two-dollar merlot and drink it all tonight in...

After flirting with local hipsters Aroma and Alcove, I thought maybe what I needed was someone older, more distinguished. A real gentleman. Someone who would pay for my valet parking and make sure my glass was never empty. Someone who would ply me with wine and sing to me. I wouldn’t have far to look since Vitello's was right there, waiting across the street for me to wise up.

Around 6pm yesterday I found myself craving a post-work beer, but there was a problem…I was on the Westside, far from my normal Silver Lake stomping ground. Fortunately, fate was looking out for me. While walking toward the Landmark to catch a film, I happened upon the Bourbon Street Shrimp Company. To be honest, I’ve never heard of it, but with patio doors facing the street I could hear diners digging into their Cajun inspired food. The sign advertising “3 dollar drafts until 8” was all the convincing I needed to step inside.

There is a song in the early summer evening air and it’s a song of hipsters, small yummy tacos, and very, very strong drinks. I live a considerable distance from Malo, but it’s always a great place to meet up with people before going to the Greek. Malo is on Sunset Boulevard, the décor is dark, iron is very much in evidence, there are lots of curtains. Outside, the décor is minimal, with a...

So I'm at the Cheesecake Factory in the Sherman Oaks Galleria one night - you know how that goes - and my dinner companion and I decide to order some appetizers, even though the Cheesecake Factory practices the most horrible crimes of unhealthily-large-portion-sizes ever committed upon humanity. I want something light to start, so I tell the waiter: "I'll have the bruschetta, please." "One order of the bru-SHET-a?" "Um, yes. And I want the...

“Whassup Haterz I’m At The Mandrake” reads the tee-shirt above the cocktail menu at Culver City’s most darling art-bar located on a once desolate stretch of La Cienega just north of Washington Blvd. The Mandrake, decorated in one part rustic, one part modern and two parts sauna is host to rotating exhibits, DJ events, film & TV screenings and of course, thirsty locals. Nearby gallery owners and creative purveyors in the areas of fashion design,...

Within the lines of Culver City lie two Indian markets that also serve up vegetarian dishes on the cheap. For years I have driven by India Sweets and Spices (on Venice and Bagley) and Bharat Bazaar—aka Samosa House, don’t ask why it has two names-- on Washington and Berryman. I had heard both were specialty markets offering imports from India and Britain, and I had also heard they both had counter service where they...

We like it when our parents come to the Big City to visit. We like our parents generally, but when they decide to fight traffic down the 101 on a Saturday, they do it cause they're coming for something special - and not just the immeasurable pleasure of their darling offspring. A meal someplace like Mozza is the perfect thing to tempt our suburbanite folks away from their golf-course-view-jacuzzied backyard out to the urban...

Last month, I sent a question to all the other writers about late-night dining options in Downtown. There was a lot to be said about The Pantry. Tony: id say The Pantry, but im a man who could eat meat and potatoes for breakfast lunch and dinner. oh wait i already do. Ashleigh: Am I the only person in LA who thinks the pantry is kinda gross? well...their sourdough is good but i've never left...

Feeling a little lazy. Maybe a little experimental. We ordered in. We refused the nice bike ride to the grocery store. We said no to the nice farmers at the market. We skipped going out for dinner. Instead, we went online and pressed "yes" to delivered organic fruits and veggies. To live in a city with farmer's markets everywhere, it just feels so lazy to do this. But when we opened that box, we...

A rub is simply a mixture of herbs and spices that can be rubbed into the meat before grilling or smoking. The longer the rub is on, the more the flavors will permeate the meat. But it can also be put on at the very last minute. If you are cooking a large cut of meat for a long time, you may also want to baste the meat every hour or so. For a...

I really love the Silver Lake Trader Joe's. Grocery shopping has never been so entertaining. There are always a couple of characters in there that inevitably knock me off my feet and remind me of how I live in an especially diverse community. While standing in the check out line, even though the crazy hippy that hasn't showered in 3 weeks totally grosses me out, I know that we share in our affection for...

We came across this interesting and yummy tidbit of information and had to share, it's National Doughtnut Day! What that means is you can through out all of your being good preparing for summer and kick off June right!

Nikki's, Pussycat Beach, Venice Beach, food

Every year for the past decade or so, my Dad and I have gone on a short trip to see a different baseball park around this great nation. It's a great father-son bonding thing, and you get to notice the differences between parks. Our beloved Dodger Stadium stands as one of the better parks in the land, but I've noticed it's missing one crucial element. One element that has driven me insane since my youth. The issue is not so much about my personal gripes as it is about our sweet, beloved freedom.