Noisy chips ... Mark Peel's "The Point" ... best milkshakes in the Empire ... Soup that's probably too hot for humans (sane ones, anyway) ... Eat-LA-Off-Ramp Collaboration on Goat and Global Pizza ... Michael Cimarusti's "What I Learned on my Japanese Vacation."
Frito Lay introduces noisy chip bag to save environment
John Rabe was trying to work as his cubicle-neighbor, Nihar Patel, was digging into a bag of sun chips. The snack giant Frito Lay is marketing its packaging as "noisy with a cause."
Multiculti Socal mirrored in its pizza choices -- or, "For the world is flat and I have touched the mochi."
In the latest installment in the Eat-LA/Off-Ramp collaborative, Off-Ramp host John Rabe visits Strawberry Cones with Miles Clements to taste one of their weirdest pizzas. COME INSIDE for info on all the non-standard pizza joints Miles sampled for his LA Times Food section piece "Pizza Goes Global," and to find out why it's called "Strawberry Cones."
According to the menu:
'The "Strawberry" is a delicate fruit. It can easily spoil and bruise even with the softest touch. The heart shaped strawberry represents the heart of our delicate customers. The word "cones" sounds familiar to a Japanese word for fortune. Our delivery brings you fortune.'
Miles' list:
A. Partamian Bakery, 5410 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 937-2870
Bella Vista, 10826 Venice Blvd., Culver City, (310) 837-4299
Brami’s Kosher Pizza, 17736 1/2 Sherman Way, Reseda, (818) 342-0611 and 12909 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 985-0611
Dean’s Pizza, 929 Redondo Ave., Long Beach, (562) 987-3297
Forn Al Hara, 512 S. Brookhurst St., Suite 5, Anaheim, (714) 758-3777
Guelaguetza, 3337 1/2 W. Eighth St., Los Angeles, (213) 427-0601
Il Dolce Pizzeria, 1902 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, (949) 200-9107
Mercado Buenos Aires, 7540 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, (818) 786-0522
Mr. Pizza Factory, 3881 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 738-0077
Old Sasoon Bakery, 1132 N. Allen Ave., Pasadena, (626) 791-3280
Pavich's Brick Oven Pizzeria, 2311 S. Alma St., San Pedro, (310) 519-1200
Strawberry Cones, 227 W. Valley Blvd., Suite 118B, San Gabriel, (626) 293-1852
Campanile & Tar Pit owner Mark Peel opens ... a LUNCH COUNTER? (It's The Point, in Culver City.)
KPCC's John Rabe talks with famed LA restaurateur Mark Peel (owner of Campanile and Tar Pit) about his latest venture, The Point, a breakfast and lunch joint in Culver City. Mark and John bravely did the interview dozens of feet in the air, atop an Eric Owen Moss art tower next to The Point.
COME INSIDE for the movie.
(Credit: Tom Bonner)
Architect Eric Owen Moss designed the Gateway Art Tower, and notes on the company site:
"All the buildings in the immediate area are governed by a 56 foot height limit. The Art Tower height is an important exception to the local height rule. The project will be 72 feet high, measured from grade, and will include an open-air, excavated, concrete seating and staging space at its base that begins at minus 12 feet."
Here's Mark's guided tour of the view, from atop the tower:
Hot Soup Contest Pits Races in Ramen Race
Off-Ramp's Queena Kim goes to Little Tokyo's Orochon Ramen, home to what many consider the spiciest ramen in Los Angeles. Check below for some of Queena's video footage!
Orochon's most notorious dish is the Special No. 2, which restaurant unflinchingly advises customers to eat at their own risk. Our photo comes flickr user tommy.chang.
Dinner Party Download breaks the ice with Joke Show
The downloadable Dinner Party Download, with Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam, always features an "icebreaker," the joke that will help you on your way to becoming the life of the dinner party. The best part is that these are not just jokes, but the favorite jokes of people like The Watson Twins, Leslie Caron, Tom Jones, and Billy Bragg. These jokes have bona fides that guarantee your success, or at least an alibi. (Shrugging, nonchalantly, "Well, Tom Jones thought it was funny.") Now, for the first time, DPD collects these hilarititans together. Come inside to find out who is telling the jokes.
“Two deers” - The Watson Twins
“What is fate?” - MC Frontalot
“Descartes walks into a bar” - Abigail Chapin of The Chapin Sisters
“The butcher store” - Chad Brown aka The Lonesome Cowboy
“Two sausages” - Buck AE Down of The Mutaytor
“Huntin’ buddies” - Jere Cherryholmes of Cherryholmes
“The lifeguard & the hippie” - Christopher Owens of Girls
“How long have I got?” - Sam Amidon
“Cheeseburger, fries & a coke” - Music blogger Spencer Lee
“You can float around the building” - Aaron Britt
“You must be single” - Rich Fulcher
“Isle of Dogs” - Josie Long
“How many Freudians?” - Billy Bragg
“The vacuuming Buddhist” - Natasha Leggero
“A mainstream cloud” - Cass McCombs
“Fortunately there was a haystack” - Stewart Brand
“Funniest joke to Belgians” - MC Frontalot
“Frank Sinatra” - Black Francis of The Pixies
“The Churchgoing biker” - Jessica Hundley
“The Jewish mother” - Robert Zuckerman
“Big fat orange head” - Phil Hay
“I would never tell a joke” - Leslie Caron
No. 1 on Jonathan Gold list: Providence Restaurant's Michael Cimarusti's life-changing trip to Japan
UPDATE: The LA Times Jonathan Gold has once again named Providence the best restaurant in LA. "Cimarusti may be a supremely creative chef, but his restaurant has many of the classic virtues." A few years ago, the restaurant's owner, Michael Cimarusti, took a life-changing trip to Japan, and told us about it in this Off-Ramp exclusive.
Michael Cimarusti, owner/chef of Providence, the two-star Michelin restaurant, is a damn good chef. But he's a humble one, and came back from a fellowship to Japan with a new respect for the thousands of years behind Japan's cuisine. Come inside as he gives Off-Ramp an exclusive travelogue of his trip.
The backstory: Before Thanksgiving, I interviewed a series of LA chefs about the holiday. Michael was a little sad because he'd be out of the country -- specifically, he was taking a cook's tour of Japan. It was a fellowship designed to show him the breadth and depth of Japan's traditional cuisine. When he got back, he immediately agreed to sit down and tell us all about it. I knew it'd be something special, because he was so enthusiastic.
Above, you'll see the long version of our interview. That's for sitting back and immersing yourself as one of the world's best chefs tells you what he learned on a magical trip.
You'll also see the short version if you're in a hurry ... and here are Michael's own photos of the trip in an Off-Ramp slideshow:
And on YouTube if you're using an iPhone:
Please leave comments below and let us know what you think.
Eat-LA/Off-Ramp Collaboration - Goat
So far, the Eat-LA/Off-Ramp Collaboration has brought you pubs and pizza. Now, with the help of Eat-LA contributing writer Linda Burum, who also writes for the Times and LA Magazine, we check out the number one meat-on-the-hoof in the world - goat. COME INSIDE for more pics and a full list of goat restaurants and sources.
The short list on where to Get your Goat, compliments of the Eat-LA/Off-Ramp Collaboration and Linda Burum:
VIETNAMESE
(Connie Trang, daughter of the owner of Phong Dinh Restaurant, with Eat-LA's Linda Burum. Credit: John Rabe)
Phong Dinh, 2643 N, San Gabriel Blvd., Rosemead
626-307-8868 Serves goat prepared seven ways.
Binh Dan Restaurant
10040 McFadden Ave., Westminster, 92683
714-839-7050
Seven course goat dinners plus a la carte.goat items
MEXICAN REGIONAL
Birrierias Tlaquepaque, # 1 & # 2
1753 E. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, 90001
323-581-4327 and
1734 E. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, 90001
323-581-0800, 323-581-0800.
Across the street from one another.
#1 Is a closet size spot with a counter, an ordering window. and a few stools.
#2 is larger with plenty of seating and a hand cranked machine that spews out homemade tortillas.
Birrieria Apatzingan
10040 Laurel Canyon Bl., Pacoima, 91331
818-890-6265.
Recommended by blogger Bill Esparza AKA Streetgourmet who says: the house birria en caldo is “Exceptional” ... from “a very specific pueblo, in this instance, Nochistlan de Mejia in Zacatecas.”
El Parian Birrieria
1528 W Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90015
(213) 386-7361. Another classic Jaliscan birria joint.
Monte Alban
11929 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025
310-444-7736
Oaxacan style goat barbacoa and huge tacos on handmade tortillas.
INDIAN, PAKISTANI AND HIMALAYAN
Ambala Dhaba,
18413 Pioneer Blvd., Artesia, 90701, (562) 402-7990.
1781 Westwood Blvd., Westwood, 90024.
310-966-1772.
Fabulous Indian goat -- kid, actually -- served five ways.
Al Watan,
13619 Inglewood Avenue, Hawthorne, 90250.
310-644-6395
Twenty five years in business, with unbeatable goat tandoori, saucy goat karahi, korma, and biryani.
Al Noor Pakistani restaurant,
15112 Inglewood Blvd, Lawndale,
(310) 675-4700
Goat hoof with spicy sauce and goat biryani.
Tibet Nepal House
36 E Holly St. Pasadena, 91103
Phone / Fax: 626 585 0955
Gamule Khasi fresh goat cooked with tomato, onion ginger and other seasonings.
KOREAN
These Korean goat specialists are known for Yeomso Tang (Goat Stew) and other cook-at-the-table goat dishes. Don’t miss the fried rice seasoned with the broth that’s served at the end of the meal.
Chin Go Gae
3063 W 8th St., Los Angeles, 90005
(213) 480-8071
Bulrocho
955 S Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, 90006,
213- 383-0080
Han Mi Jung
4100 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 9001,
(323) 735-9200
JAMAICAN AND CARIBBEAN AFRICAN
Veronica’s Kitchen
528 West Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, 90301-1628
(310) 673-4890 and
15355 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, 91406-4200
(818) 781-3015?
Bold and very spicy goat stews Nigerian style.
Port Royal
1412 Broadway, Santa Monica
(310) 458-4147
Curry goat
Derrick’s Jamaican Cuisine
6806 La Tijera Blvd. Los Angeles, 90045
Phone: (310) 641-7572
FAX: (310) 641-7509
Curry Goat
Natraliart Market & Restaurant
3426 West Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, 90018
(323) 737-9277
Curry goat.
Mama Fina’s Dominican Restaurant
17625 Bellflower Blvd., Bellflower, 90712
(562) 867-8128. Tomato-cuminn seasoned goat stew
Restaurant Ecuatoriano El Caserio
309 North Virgil Ave.
Los Angeles, 90004
(323) 664-9266
Braised-in-lager seco de chivo, an Andean dish now served throughout Ecuador. "Friends introduce other friends and they love it," says owner William Velasco.
WHERE TO BUY
Claro’s Italian Market
1003 East Valley Boulevard
San Gabriel, 91776
(626) 288-2026 and six other locations
Al Watan Market
Mr. Saleem Ahmed
13649 Inglewood Ave., Hawthorne,. 90250
(310) 978-1927
The shop carries fresh locally slaughtered Halal goat which they will cut to your liking. They also carry very good frozen goat legs from Australia and will cut them to order.
Best Milkshake in the Empire is at ...
As Queena Kim and writer Jeff Girod report, the answer might surprise you, click through to find out.
Queena Kim and Jeff Girod head to Carl's Jr, of all places. Girod's an unashamed fan of the fast food chain's "hand scooped" chocolate shake. Image by flickr user Abogina.