Food: July 2009 Archives

Organic is not-so-secret code for expensive. (Even though LA organic is cheaper than other cities.) Expensive is code for not for Recession Obsession readers. That was until this author/adventurer stumbled upon Green Zone in San Gabriel.

          

Last Sunday Angeleno Magazine honored some of Los Angeles' best chefs and restauranteurs during the "Chef's Night Out" charity event. James Beard Award-winning critic Brad Johnson recently chose his top 50 restaurants for the July issue of Angeleno in a marathon of gastronomy that seems at times to have rivaled Le Grande Boeuf. Johnson's annual survey of local restaurants is broken down into a Top 50, Top 25 and Top 10.

Certainly everyone has their favorite gastropub, maybe because it's their neighborhood hang or because they like the burger a lot, let's say from Father's Office. But let's face it, sometimes these gastropubs are out of control busy, packed and with a line out the door. That's why we love York on York (Blvd.) in Highland Park. How can you beat a chillax environment with $5 Craftsman beers and some of the best skin-on fries in the city on a weekday night? Not to mention the popular cheddar/harissa burgers (or the grilled tofu sandwich for veggies).

          

Forget the whole food truck trend, and consider for a moment the idea of roving chefs and semi-rogue restaurants appearing within another food-space. Like a sort of culinary hobo with a spot on the guest list, Chef Ludovic Lefebvre works out of the tiny kitchen at Breadbar on 3rd Street, an invited squatter of sorts with a short tenure as the night-shift guy. Only it's his name that emblazons the temporary signage and the daily menu. It is LudoBites, the pop-up restaurant phenom that has tongues wagging, with a looming end-date on the horizon for their current residency.

    

A few weeks ago, food maven extraordinaire Jonathan Gold described this new restaurant, saying “There are ladies who lunch….and ladies who lunch in Chengdu.” Drawn by this description, I pulled together a posse of ladies and headed for Sugar Spice Café, in the mini-mall next to the Hilton on Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel.

Evan Kleiman is well known on the local foodie scene thanks to her tasty weekly KCRW show Good Food, and her involvement in many local food endeavors and events. Of course, Kleiman is also the owner of the fabulous Angeli Caffe, where local foods, including market-fresh veggies, are celebrated with an Italian flair. This is their colorful season antipasto plate, as captured recently by LAist's Lifestyle Editor Julie Wolfson, featuring asparagus with parmesan, crisp carrots, farro with beets, mozzarella and olives. Simple, fresh, and delicious.

So many cultures can tell their stories through their food, and for Los Angeles, the same can be said for a landmark like the Original Farmers Market. Not only does the historic meeting place for farmers, cooks, foodies, locals, visitors, and shoppers alike offer delicious fresh produce and tantalizing eats and sweets, it also is a vital part of our city's history.

Cosmos and Mojitos may come and go, but margaritas are forever. In celebration of national tequila day, we would like to share a few specialty margarita recipes with you The Herradura Habanero Margarita (pictured) 1.5 ounces Herradura Reposado 1 ounce of fresh lemon juice 1 ounce of Monin Habanero Lime syrup

          

Can you say - "Over 100 Beers." How about - "Bacon Crusted French Toast?" High School buddies from New York, Steve Lieberman and Keith O'Brien opened West 4th/Jane at the beginning of June on 4th Street in Santa Monica as a place where pretensions are left at the door. The guys are self described "blue collar" and say that West 4th/Jane caters to everyone. I agree. Want a Duvel? Done. A nice red wine? Done. How about a Beast red can? Also, done. Almost every bit of work (except electrical) put into the place was done by the guys, their gals, and friends. To put it bluntly, it's the kind of place you wish that you owned.

       

Among Angelenos, LA is famous for culinary hotspots in non-descript areas. Travel south of Downtown, and near USC (but not too close,) and you'll find one of them: La Mercado Paloma. This colorful food court features a variety of Latin American tastes and one obligatory Thai joint. You can eat well here for under $10 bucks a person. It’s definitely LAist’s latest Recession Obsession.

The Dining Room is the fine dining restaurant located within the The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa. Not only are they a great "special occasion" dinner destination, but they can boast something pretty unique: A one-star rating from the coveted Michelin Guide (it's the only hotel-run restaurant in Los Angeles with one). Now the restaurant is prepping for their new Chef de Cuisine's menu, which will debut on July 31st.

Tasty web show VendrTV recently chewed their way through Los Angeles. The first of these SoCal episodes stops in Venice so that host Daniel Delaney can get the skinny on Marked5 (they're on Twitter, of course) and their delicious-looking Japanese burgers.

"Close your eyes, give me your hands..." Okay, yes, that's the start of a Bangles' ballad, but it's a lot like how an evening of Dining in the Dark at Opaque starts, too. Stripping away one of your key senses just for one meal, diners who take the plunge into pitch black and pick up their forks experience what it's like to lean on the other four senses.

K-Town is getting its own food festival early next month and it looks like it could become a staple of LA's summer festival scene. How could grilled and smoked meats with magical flavors not be a hit? Details are slowly coming out for the event, set for August 8th, but here's what we know: Jonathan Gold and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are confirmed to be cook-off judges. Confirmed restaurants include Beverly Soon Tofu, Byul Dae Po (Star BBQ), Ham Ji Park, Mu Dae Po, Park's BBQ, Seoul Jung, So Hyang, Soowon Galbi. There will be a food eating contest

Tender Greens recently launched a line of house-made energy bars and they sent some our way for a little taste test. Since the eatery is focused on providing patrons with sustainable eats served in an eco-friendly and fast-casual environment, creating whole-food bars that people can grab on the go is a pretty natural move for them. The GoBars were created by TG's Chef Fermin Arias, and have an ingredient base of toasted nuts, organic rolled oats, puffed rice, dates, flax seeds and almond butter, boosted by the addition of bites and bits that make their three flavors: Blueberry & White Chocolate, Chocolate Espresso Bean, and Tropical Fruit.

The Fix Burger in Silver Lake is enjoying their first summer in business, after opening last fall to mostly rave reviews. They've got all sorts of specialty burgers on the menu, and can serve you up a patty made of beef, buffalo, turkey, or even ostrich. Yelpers hoot about their garlic or sweet potato fries, as well as their shakes, and just how well-cooked the burgers are--no matter what the meat.

Cowboys and Turbans is a fusion restaurant that doesn't wear too many hats. Just two. Fusing Mexican and Indian, this fast-enough food establishment has an impressive menu -- the likes of which I've not seen around our fare city. Tandoori quesadilla, masala fries, chicken or tofu naanwiches -- all of which sound delicious. Though I wouldn't know. Thanks to the wretched economy, I've only indulged in their happy hour tacos -- $1 each, mid-day to 6 p.m.

In what appears to be inspiration from the street (or a complete rip off) Baja Fresh is bringing new Kogi Korean BBQ menu items to its new concept test location in Irvine. Not only can you get alcohol and cilantro lime rice at the fast casual restaurant, you can get Korean BBQ inspired tacos and burritos that just happened to be partially named Kogi like the famous Kogi BBQ.

For many of us on the West Coast, we take our In-N-Out seriously. We know we love it, we know how to order off the (not-so-secret?) secret menu, we know our own favorite order. You don't have to have a reservation, or be a celeb to get the best of the best from them (although not too long ago actor Tom Hanks told the newly (re)arrived Conan O'Brien he thinks their catering truck beats the Batmobile). But--besides their sauce--what's their actual secret?

                            

Last night the Original Farmers Market hosted a sold-out event as part of their week-long celebration of their 75th anniversary feeding Angelenos and visitors from all over the globe at the corner of 3rd and Fairfax. The Taste of the Farmers Market event found dozens of the markets vendors offering up bites and pieces of menu items, and attendees were free to roam the always-popular aisles of stalls and stations to pick up samples to enjoy.

       

Tuesday is not exactly a day that screams "go to the Farmer's Market!" Yet everyday of the week, there is one somewhere in the Los Angeles region and on Tuesdays, Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks becomes one of those places. The weekly event is not purely a farmer's market (and probably why it's called the Woodman Avenue Market)--there are plenty of vendors selling clothes, solar power and sunglasses. The real meat, no pun intended, are the quality fresh farm stands. Our favorite pick is easily the South Central Farmers who offer a box (or three bags worth) of vegetables for $15 (you will be stir frying all week long, no joke).

Seventeen restaurants tomorrow will donate 10 percent of their gross profits for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner service to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Los Angeles County. “Breast cancer awareness and prevention education is a cause close to my heart,” said Chef Ben Ford, Proprietor and Executive Chef at Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City. “I admire the work the Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County Affiliate has done in making strides to find a cure for this all-too-common disease, and I am thrilled to be able to have my restaurant and craft contribute toward this.”

This recipe from Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa really takes advantage of the flavors of summer and is an easy dish to make early in the day to bring to any of the afternoon BBQs you've got on your calendar or put in a Hollywood Bowl picnic. Ingredients like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mint, and fresh parsley are what you'll find in abundance at your favorite farmers' market, or perhaps in your own backyard garden, and the main grain--bulgur wheat--is a bargain out of the bulk bins at your nearest Whole Foods or the like (we paid 91 cents for the one cup the recipe called for).

Word on the street was BOA Steakhouse's Truffled Cheese Fries were worth some real estate in my gut. A recent visit to BOA's Ocean-Adjacent location in Santa Monica proved that to be true. This extra-large "family style" side dish expanded my idea of what makes "cheese fries" (and my waistline.) These BOA Artery Constrictors are classy and crafted for discerning adults -- they're awash in Gruyere cheese and feature truffle oil.

       

You know when you watch a cooking show on TV and you wish you could eat what they are making? Earlier this summer LAist had the opportunity to attend the first of RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen’s “Flavors of Southeast Asia” cooking class series with Executive Chef Mohan Ismail. Titled “Visit to Vietnam,” the class featured a mouth-watering tour of cuisine from the Southeast Asian country as Mohan taught techniques and discussed ingredients for an enticing selection of dishes. Upcoming classes include “Singapore Street Foods” (July 25), India (Oct. 24) and Thailand (Feb. 27).

Here in the Golden State we perfected the art of the fast food burger, but at the eatery The Golden State they may have perfected the art of the Lamb burger. LAist's Lifestyle Editor Julie Wolfson happened to hit up the restaurant on a day when their special was the Lamb Burger and a Greek Salad. Before she could dig in she paused to take this Eye Nosh snap of the plate, and when she was done, there wasn't much to say except "It rocks!" (She also stopped by recently to chat with Golden State's owners; read her delicious interview to learn more about the duo behind the burgers and beer.)

“Gringo Domingo” kicks off tomorrow afternoon on “El Patio of El Chavo.” (which I believe, loosely translates to “The patio of the chavo.”) Starting at 1pm, you can indulge in a variety of drink specials, including $4 sangria and $3 Dos Equis. That means you can have Seis Equis for less than ten bucks! Plus, all you can eat carnitas, chicken and carne asada tacos are only $7. If this isn’t enticing enough for you, DJ Senor Amor will be “spinning soothing Sunday Summer Sounds.” Sounds super sweet. If you’re a fan of music, food, drinks or alliteration, this is the fiesta for you.

Sunday from noon until 3pm, the San Antonio Winery will present the next class in its series, "Wines from Down Under", featuring wines from Australia and New Zealand. The price per person is $68.00 per person - including lunch.

       

Papoo's Hot Dog Show is often overshadowed by the popular and iconic Bob's Big Boy across the street in Toluca Lake. And to be honest, well, Hot Dog Show is kind of weird. Decorated like an old-fashioned ice cream parlour and populated with bar flies, the restaurant has a strange air of desperation. The servers are friendly, but somehow you get the feeling that everyone has kind of given up.

Korean Fried Chicken results in tastebud confusion. Through delicious overload and a rarely-paralleled flavor density, KFC is a unique treat. (LAist has been a fan.) I’d say “move over Colonel, there’s a new feaux-military chicken-slinging hero in town,” but that’s just not the case. It’d be like alerting Italy to the mounting non-threat that is California Pizza Kitchen ("CPK," if you dine there on the regular.)

Brentwood chocolate boutique Compartes sells some amazing cocoa confections, and now they're adding coffee to the works. They tell us that they will "will serve coffee daily along with our handcrafted aritsan chocolates (specials for summer include passionfruit, wild strawberry, lychee and more), handmade sorbets and gelatos and a brand new thick european-stlye hot chocolate drink with a kick (that is served in shot glasses)."

                     

Inspired by a panel we caught at the recent Dwell on Design conference, and some time spent ogling recipes in three beloved cookbooks (The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook, and Fresh From the Farmers' Market) last Thursday we headed over to Glendale to check out their weekly market. Occupying a stretch of Brand Boulevard, the market was focused mostly on multiple tables of fresh locally-sourced produce, and enriched by the presence of folks with breads, nuts, and fresh juices. It's a modest market, but we were able to work our way from one end to the other efficiently, sample some of the best items the growers had to offer, and fill our bag with what wound up being a week's worth of fresh produce (and bread) for less than $20.

Ben Ford, head chef and owner of Culver City’s Ford’s Filling Station speaks of the farmer’s market and its farmers with great reverence. Chef Ford grew up with his hands in the soil, gardening from a very young age so his respect for the food grown by the farmers comes naturally.

       

Last Sunday we urged you to Get Out and get yourself some free burgers, fries, and shakes from Ruby's Shake Shack at their Grand Opening party. Ruby's Shake Shack is indeed part of the Ruby's chain, but it's a chain with a lot of local history (the first one opened on the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach in 1982, styled like a classic 40s diner and named for the owner's mom).

Local foodie Aarti Paarti's latest webisode tempts us to make Indian lassi's with a twist this weekend. How can you go wrong with mango, chile, lime and cayenne? Or rosewater, pistachios and cardamon? But first, we're off to the farmer's market this weekend to accomplish the strawberry, basil and black pepper lassi. Aarti's videos are accompanied by the recipes written down on her blog.

NYC transplants decry LA's apparent lack of hardcore Italian delis. That is, until a clued-up Angeleno points that Negative Nancy to Bay Cities Deli and Bakery. If New York were a sovereign nation (it's not,) its local embassy would be this Santa Monica hotspot.

           

Nestled between Turntable Lab and some kosher groceries stores on Fairfax, The Golden State serves delicious burgers, Let's Be Frank hot dogs, and Scoops Ice Cream all under one roof. The beer list features a small but mighty selection of local brews and a few from around the world.