The Foodie Traveler: Pithy Comments from a Cynical but Passionate Foodie and Wine Lover

Crudo Bar and Restorante in Weho. "Eh"

2008-07-04T16:00:27Z

Soft opening this week; only open for lunch. Three of us decided to check it out, as we love Crudo. Sadly, it is a shame they did not actually have any on the menu. They did have about 4 carpaccio items but were unfortunately out of one of them (the beef tartare.) Honestly, if we did just not drive across town along with our dining companion who did the same thing, I may have just walked. But we decided to go for it and ordered the tuna and salmon carpaccio. The salmon had so much citrus on it is was much more memorable of a ceviche than a crudo. A shame; it was nice fatty salmon from the belly and should have been good. The tuna was fine but not memorable. We shared a a dreadful mushroom truffle salad. There were a few truffles shaved over the top that had no taste at all; and the dressing was missing. THe pecorino cheese was the only source of flavor. I ordered a shellfish soup that came with a few shrimp, clams, and green lip mussels. THe soup lacked seasoning but was nice. THe shellfish was prepared ok. It is good that I liked the shellfish as the exact same items showed up in the shellfish risotto I got as a main. Clearly they precook these items identically and add them to their shellfish menu items to order. My companions ordered a fettucini scaligere (chick peas and pancetta) and a pretty ordinary ciabatta panini. We each had 2 glasses of wine by the glass (VERY limited wine options) and shared two scoops of gelato. Before tip, total came to $136 for three. Not worth it.

Maybe they will get better. I think they they just messed up some of the items we got as far as over and under seasoning them. While we dined al fresco on the beautiful patio, we saw they were in process of setting up a beautiful "crudo bar" inside of the restaurant. I would love to have actually tried some.

Crudo Bar Ristorante

maps.google.com

8570 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 289-1131

Red Fort - Serious Indian in Torrance

2008-07-05T14:12:50Z

I think the best way of explaining Red Fort is to explain what it is not. It does not resemble Addis Tandoor (probably their stiffest competition in the area) in any way. To my palette, Addi's flavors are flat. I found the items under-seasoned (no, I do not mean not spicy enough) and "Americanized." Kinda like going to HurryCurry for asian curry, or perhaps Fusion Sushi for sushi. Or Gyu Kaku for Korean BBQ. Or PF Chang's for Chinese. Or Macaroni Grill for Italian. Get the idea? None of these places are particularly bad (ok maybe PF Changs being a notable exception) but they are certainly americanized and not authentic.

Kuldip Singh is the Sikh owner/manager. He goes out of his way to make the restaurant a friendly/welcoming place, and is extremely interested in honest feedback. He loves to chat and is a joy to talk to. We have been there a few times since he reopened, and it keeps getting better and better. The food has a genuine authenticity in the flavor and presentation. They offer many unique options not typically found on indian menus in LA. That said, the old standbys are also great. He has a great made-to-order herb and veggie naan that is not on the menu. A Tandoori king prawn entree was succulent and moist. Chicken Saag had huge, juicy pieces of both white and dark meat chicken in a thick, chunky spinach sauce that was not all cream and butter like what I usually get. Chicken Korma is classic - and they actually made it a bit spicy for us.

My prediction is that this place will soon have a cult following. Actually, after observing the plethora of great reviews for this place on Yelp, they might already have achieved this goal.

Stop by, bring a nice syrah or order one of the Indian beers. You won't regret it. However, I will say you should skip the buffet, at least for now.

Red Fort Indian Culture Cuisine

22231 Palos Verdes Blvd
Torrance, CA 90505

(310) 316-8500

www.redfortcuisine.com

Redondo Sushi vs Pacfic Fish - Lobster Sashimi and a View

2008-07-04T22:05:29Z

I am really torn on how to handle this review. Lots of extremely positive things, and but also many negative. I will just put it out there and let you judge for yourself based on your personal priorities.

I must preface this to say I am a regular at Pacific Fish Center and Restaurant just below them on the pier. They have the best dungeness crabs, lobster, fried oysters, and live shrimp I have had anywhere. Except when they are having a bad day and I get the occasional mushy creature. And the service is consistently awful as well as the long wait on weekends. And they use the most absolute cheapest disposable plates and napkins that dissolve if you look at them funny. And they charge you corkage if you bring wine but give you plastic cups to drink it out of. But the crab is SO good I just keep coming back for more.

So after a particularly amazing lunch there (shorter lines) we were wandering around the pier and saw this place on the third floor. Turns out they have been there for 6 months, but I never noticed them before. Walked in, asked for a menu, and the price per pound on the lobster and crab, and it was comparable to Pacific Fish. So same prices, but much better view, real plates and silverware, waitress service, and lots of other menu options. We decided to try it the following week as an experiment.

We went on a weeknight around 7pm, and were rewarded with an incredible view of the sunset. Also, they treated the white burgundy we brought with appropriate respect and glassware.

For those of you who don't have a lot of experience with korean restaurants, you will note that menu items are never what they seem. Everything comes with an assortment of "banchan" (small side dishes) so you never what to expect. We decided to "go for it" and ordered a "small" live sashimi fish (they said it was yellow tail from their tank) and a live lobster sashimi. The YT was about $60 and the lobster at almost 4 lbs was $90. THe food just kept coming for hours and hours. Soups, veggies, edamame, sushi rolls, some incredible snails, other fish courses, on and on. Even a killer salad.

The good: THe lobster sashimi was the tail meat of the lobster in the shell, pre-sliced into chunks. There were gold flakes sprinkled on top. (the waitress explained they are "good for digestion.") The head and the body of the lobster stared at us while we ate its tail. It occasionally made sudden, dramatic and somewhat threatening gestures with its claw. This was somewhat disconcerting. However, I recalled my college bio courses and the lesson on the primitive nervous system of the lobsters and knew it did was not capable of suffering pain as mammals know it so I felt reassured. The excellent Grand Cru Chablis also helped.

The promised YT sashimi turned out to be snapper. It was a huge plate, probably equivalent to like 5-8 sashimi orders at a Japanese restaurant. The quality was incredible, as this fish was swimming around just moments earlier. I happen to prefer YT to snapper so I was disappointed I did not get what I was expecting, but it was definitely worth it. There was also some snapper belly served alongside the fillet slices which was extraordinary. Soy sauce & wasabi was a dipping option, but the preferred method of eating involved wrapping the slices in red lettuce leaves, spicy red sauce, and exceptionally mild garlic slices and jalapeno. I really enjoyed the korean flavor as a yin/yang to the mild and silky fish flavor and texture.

Later on the meal, the steamed lobster body came back to us. Sadly, it was water-logged and overcooked. As this was a $90 lobster, that was really disappointing and why I hesitate to recommend this restaurant with enthusiasm. I do want to go back and have it prepared another way, but not sure how. I hear there is a "spicy stew" option. An expensive experiment as my husband dislikes kim chee, but may be worth a shot.

Overall, I recommend going here with a large group and ordering lots of stuff. I really want to try the dungeness and see how it compares with Pacific Fish. THey also have live abalone and all kinds of sushi and sashimi. Boring cooked dishes are also available. THe menu claims live octopus but they said they no longer have it.

Redondo Sushi

125 W Torrance Blvd (on the pier - 3rd floor)
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

310-798-8582

Tinto - Top Tapas in Philly

2008-07-04T22:46:51Z

To quote my brother: "This is the single best restaurant you have ever taken us to." We don't get back to philly that often, but he is comparing it to Vetri, Morimoto, and the like. I have to say I completely agree. (And I rarely agree with my brother.

I believe this place could even thrive in Los Angeles. The formula is perfect; lovingly prepared small dishes that are complex but not fussy; flavorful but not overpowering. (This is in distinct contrast to Ansill, another tapas place we went to the prior night that was mediocre at best.) Ingredients are local and sustainable where possible, although certainly there are many imported accents. Everything tastes of freshness and quality and is clearly made to order. Corkage was approachable at $15; and they decanted my brunello with no complaint. We supplemented the brunello with a lovely cava off the wine list and it perfectly paired with much of the courses.

There were four of us and we managed to order more than half of the menu.

We started with a jamon (ham) from Iberia that was on special. I did not even know it was legal to get that stuff here. I was so excited I eagerly paid the $16 for a nice-sized order. We supplemented it with two cheeses: Epoisses (not exactly spanish (it's burgundian) but one of my favorites and it did not let me down) and Leonara (my mother's name is Lenora so I told her it was "her" cheese.) Both were very much appreciated. We also had some marcona almonds. Next we moved to "mariscos" (shellfish) and ordered:

Pulpo - Spanish octopus, potatoes, piquillo pepper paint, lemon powder. (loved the lemon powder as a "dip;" very molecular gastronomy)
REVUELTO DE LANGOSTA - lobster & asparagus shirred eggs, oyster cava cream
CHIPIRONES EN SU TINTA baby squid, crab bomba rice, squid ink (I am allergic to squid and did not have any, but everyone else said it was one of the favorites of the night)
MOULES BASQUAISE - mussels & chorizo in sauce basquaise, lemon aioli, frites
RODABALLO A LA PLANCHA - turbot, sauce pastis, baby fennel, citrus (the quality and preparation of the turbot was spot on)
Vieiras con Pancetta - sea scallops, benton's bacon, cider emulsion, green apple

Moving on to "Salados" we ordered:

Patatas Tinto - house-made chips and smoked paprika cream
Almendras - marcona almonds

Next came Bocadillos (sandwiches); we chose one:
DE SALMÓN - cured salmon, caviar, croissant, queso de cabra, crispy shallots (this was fought over)

and then moved right to Carnes (meat) and ordered:

CORDERO - roasted rack of lamb, artichoke puree & lemon

My brother is a vegetarian (but eats fish) so we did not linger long in meats and instead moved on to Verduras (veggies)

Alcachofas con Trufas - Purple tulip baby artichokes, black truffle, lemon, idiazabal (the novice truffle oil eaters at the table who thought they hated truffle found they adored it after this course)
JUDIAS VERDES - haricot vert, almonds, dates, orange segments, paprika sherry vinaigrette

We skipped over Brochetas (bruschetta) onto Montaditos (canapes):
De Panceta - pork belly, honey laquer, shaved apples

They brought us some complimentary cookies for dessert as we did not order any. But these were so good we went ahead and ordered the Bananas Y Azfran (chocolate cake, carmelized bananas, saffron crema) which amazed us all.

If you are ever in philly, I thoroughly recommend you try this restaurant. Next time I want to try their parent restaurant, Amada.

Tinto

www.tintorestaurant.com

114 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 665-9150

Dock's Oyster House - Amazing Seafood and Wine List in Atlantic City

2008-07-04T15:04:57Z

Atlantic City is often described as horribly inadequate by foodies. The "good" restaurants are mostly Las Vegas celebrity chef outposts with a few philly extensions like Buddakan thrown in. The whole area is going through a gentrification process right now; there are Coach and Louis Vuitton stores just a few blocks from the pawn shops and payday loan stores. In three to five years, it is going to be a very different place. But for now, I needed a solid place for dinner following the food and wine expo at Bally's. I figured you can't go wrong with fresh seafood, and Dock's has been around for over 100 years so we decided to give it a shot.

I am glad we did. THere were four of us. We feasted for hours on premium oysters by the dozen, buckets of clams, huge lobsters,s and more. Of course the east coast oysters (Blue Point, Chesapeake, Hood Canal) were incredible (you really can't get them here in LA) but also very impressive were some of the West Coast oysters. The Hama Hamas were the favorite of the group; they were even better than when I get them at many places in LA. There were some great sea scallops on risotto, nice softshell crab, and lots of tasty veggies.

Not only was the food amazing, the wine list was over the top. Clearly a CA bias, but the prices were incredible. I ordered two bottles. One was a 2004 Goldeneye for $75 (retails for ~$50) and a 2002 William Selyem Flax for $158 (you can't find this one very easily. Probably runs $100+ if you can)

We stayed long after closing and got to hear our waiter's great rendition of a Billy Joel classic at the piano bar. What an awesome place; I will definitely go out of my way to go back the next time I am in the area.

Address: 2405 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401-6630
Phone: (609) 345-0092
Fax: 609-345-7893
Website: www.docksoysterhouse.com/

Getting Around Town. Table 8 + Taste of the Nation in Culver City

2008-06-01T19:00:02Z

This past Friday we went with another couple to the very last night of Table 8 in their current location. We sat at the bar and ordered everything off their lounge menu. I finally got to try deep fried olives filled with Chorizo. We all had the same favorite menu item: Grilled cheese with shortribs. MMMMMM

I can't wait until they reopen.

Today, we went to Taste of the Nation in Culver City. Most of the top restaurants in town were represented. THis is a great event as these types of events go, I recommend it. However, am I the only one who finds irony in mass glutinous eating and throwing out huge quantities of food all for the charitable cause of feeding hungry children?

But I digress. Saw Govind Armstrong at the Table 8 booth and he recognized us. That was fun. He indicated the new location and menu will be amazing; he was clearly very excited about it and was not looking back. Bar Marmount was there. We told them our story of woe with Gordon Ramsey and how we had their burger and fries for dinner. They were highly amused. And finally, Antonia of top chef fame was on site cooking for Foxtail. We chatted a bit and are looking forward to checking out her restaurant soon. (No, we did not ask her ANY top chef outcome questions.) We did see others hassling her a bit.

http://www.table8la.com/

http://www.tasteofthenation.com/

Kitchen Nightmares: Where are you Gordon? (Review of The London, Opening Night)

2008-05-29T13:44:32Z

Subtitles: "The Emperor Has No Clothes" or perhaps, "Well, At Least the Bread Was Good."

Suffice it to say, this is one of the single worst opening nights I have ever attended. Both Craft and Paperfish were better and that is not saying very much.

First off, I should mention I went in with very high expectations. I am a big fan Gordon Ramsey via Kitchen Nightmares, and am a regular viewer of Hell's Kitchen (although not exactly a fan of that show.) Plus, I already have a deposit down on a trip to go to England next summer, the highlight (and primary reason for going on the trip) being a special dinner with the illustrious chef.

It is also worth mentioning that I had a business trip in TX earlier that day and was in meetings 6:30AM PST. I went from the plane directly to the restaurant - I am just that dedicated.

I was with a party of 8, including a few relatively well-known local restaurant people who cannot be named. I am mentioning this now as it was reasonable to expect some degree of special treatment. Well forget that. If we were getting special treatment (we did observe some whispering and pointing in our direction) then the general public is really in trouble. There was actually much drama that had the end result of them splitting us into two CIRCULAR tables of four. While the tables were adjacent, they were positioned in a way to make shared conversation (and tastes) pretty much impossible. Plus, they could not even give both tables the same waiter. This was only the beginning of the "nightmare."

We quickly learned that this was to be a small plates menu. Not a big deal, until I learned that small plates meant microscopic. A funny moment was when the first food item arrived, Scot said, "how nice, we are getting an Amuse Bouche." Pleasure morphed into concern when we quickly discovered it was the first course. Remember how everyone made fun of California Nouvelle cousine 10-20 years ago? Big giant plates with a miniscule food particles on them? This was really that kind of experience. But I am jumping ahead.

Let's discuss the room. It is worth mentioning that I usually tend to be neutral on things like decor. Occasionally, I am really impressed with a space (Paperfish, Republic) and there are others that are maybe not my taste (Providence.) But I am rarely moved to such a negative reaction until the London. There is a lot of white, brass, gold, over-sized and mismatched furniture and fixtures. Think Donald Trump meets a New Jersey Diner. But forgetting personal style preferences, the place is a logistical nightmare for the waitstaff. Giant circular tables with big circular bench booth seating dominate the room. They abut each other in a way that makes the wait-staff have to kind of run figure 8's in order to serve people. Lots of passing of dishes occurred. There are also a number of square tables around the perimeter of the room. (I still can't determine why the 8 of us could not have four of these tables but I was not there for the big drama when this was discussed and those involved clearly did not want to discuss it so I dropped it.) None of us could believe that Mr. Kitchen Nightmares himself could allow such a horrid arrangement.

Ok, that was a big back story, I realize. But it really helps to set the stage for the food. Sometimes when you have the right environment things can be overlooked. Often I find myself remembering a restaurant as a little better than it probably deserved because I was just enjoying the company and the moment. I could not grasp onto anything here.

Our two tables ordered separately and shared wine but not food. My table shared interest in some of the same items, so we had multiples. A good thing, re the portion sized mentioned earlier. Some more about the menu: Chef Ramsey supposedly prides himself on locally sourced cuisine. So we were confused by some menu items that shouted quite the opposite: " Connecticut Rabbit," "Scottish Langoustine," etc.

There was a choice of a tasting menu for $85/6 courses which was nothing more than an uninspired grouping of some a la carte items already on the menu, so we passed on that and went all a la carte. There were three price points on the a la carte items: $14, $18, $22. Three specials were $15, $18, and $26. Now this sounds very reasonable on paper, but the size of even the most expensive "large" items was so small that it really made the prices appear outrageous.

Between the two tables, here was what was ordered. Portion sizes were so tiny I personally tasted very few of these. In general, anything containing fish was described as "too fishy" and "not fresh enough." The english pea soup would have been nice without the smoky, fishy salmon. I actually enjoyed the cassoulet, which had a nice variety of unusual shellfish and a lovely sauce, but it was a real tease. Our table of 4 shared 2 orders, and it was painful. The cod was just horrendous. THe pig tails, truffles, and truffle were blended into what looked like a brown ground beef sauce. The flavors of these items did not come out at all. It wasn't until I reread the menu just now that I remembered it should have tasted like something other than too-fishy fish with meat sauce. The pig's head was also a table favorite. It presented kinda like pig trotter or maybe a homemade non-spiced sausage without the casing. The 2-3 grams I tasted had a nice flavor and texture. Duck breast was flat and uninspired. Duck tongue was a tiny crispy morsel that added a touch of crunch but not much else. Fillet and short rib: Eh. My table cut its losses and did not order dessert. They brought us a complimentary plate of forgetable macarons (And I love Macarons) and some passionfruit marshmallows. The other table had a variety of desserts, and indicated we made the right decision.

Apple-Cured Duck Breast and Crispy Tongue, Foie Gras with Amaranth
Chilled English pea soup with cured salmon, creme fraiche, and caviar
Broiled black cod, pigs tails with Kumamoto oysters, Pèrigord truffle
Pacific yellow fin tuna with pickled daikon, crab beignets, sesame soy dressing
Burrata Mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes, cape gooseberries, basil pesto
Smoked rainbow trout, avocado, fennel crisps, sauce mousseline
Smoked pork belly with roasted Scottish langoustine, celeriac and apple
Cassoulet of seafood, king prawn tortellini and garbanzo beans
Wild Asparagus Risotto with Chive Flowers
Braised Pig's head with English peas and Chantarelle
Breast and braised leg of poussin with white cabbage, pickled ginger
Beef fillet and Kobe short rib, cipollini onion, baby beets
Monkfish with crispy chicken skin, lemon thyme consomme

After our $1000 dinner we went to Bar Marmount and had burgers and fries for dinner. Much better than our nightmare experience we had at the London.

Come on Gordon, you Donkey. what is wrong with you?!!

The London
1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
1-866-282-4560

MMM Dark Chocolate

2008-05-26T13:41:57Z

We have exciting dinner plans tonight. Our friends who own a restaurant are testing a new concept and we are to be their guinea pigs. These are last minute plans, so we had to quickly switch the planned dinner to lunch. That turned out not to be a bad thing. Dinner was to be a nice prime rib. Instead, I cut it into prime ribeye steaks and hit the grill. The weather is perfect. Mid 70's, no humidity. I love LA. Grilled steak, veggies, and a Sea Smoke Pinot. But it is dessert that made the meal extra special. The other day I was in Bristol Farms and spontaneously picked up a few special dark chocolate bars. The brand is one I never had before..Vosges. I tried two flavors; 'black pearl bar': ginger, wasabi, black sesame seeds. The other was the 'Red Fire Bar': Mexican ancho y chipotle chiles, Ceylon Cinnamon. Both are 55% Cacao.

From here, I would have to compare things to a wine tasting. The bars actually have five instructional steps listed on the back: "breathe, see, smell, snap, and bite." Each involves using your different senses to experience different aspects of the experience. One that was unfamiliar but effective involves using your tongue to press the bits of chocolate to the roof of your mouth. Combined with inhaling at the right moment, this had the effect of bringing out the respective spiciness of each bar.

All in all, we both loved the mexican bar best. I think the combination of great dark chocolate with cinnamon and chili is exhilarating.

One side note: There was a third bar: a green and black's. It was lousy. Being that this is normally a great brand, we were confused as to why. Then Scot noticed the expiration of 8/07 on the bar. This is now the third brand and time this happened to us at Bristol Farms. They never seem to remove their expired chocolate from the shelf. This time, we are actually going to go back and point it out to them. THen use the store credit to buy more bars, because this was fun!

Catalina Restaurant...Much Better than Expected

2008-05-24T13:54:58Z

With all the mixed reviews I have been hearing, I thought I would check it out myself. First off, it is certainly far better than Coccole, no contest. Plus, the space has been completely redesigned so it is much more comfortable and better lit. Four of us shared the following appetizers:

Duo of Soups: White and green Asparagus Soups, Lemon Oil - This was my favorite item of the night, actually. A yin and yang of white and green asparagus puree was poured into a white bowl, with the lemon/olive oil drizzled on top. It was a lovely presentation that tasted of freshness and bright flavor. I was delighted that they did not take the easy way out as there was little or no butter or cream added.

Grilled Flatbread, Asian Pears, “Oregonzola” Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Honey Balsamic Reduction, Micro Greens - Also a favorite of the table. Not too sweet, a tiny bit tart. Great fusion of textures and flavor.

Jumbo Lump Crab Salad, Red Grapefruit, Avocado Tatsoi - This was fine but unremarkable in any way.

Seared Scallops, English Pea Risotto, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Toasted Pine Nuts - For once, seared scallops that were not overcooked. I find that hard to find in this city. Very fresh, perfectly seared. This risotto was nothing less than amazing. We scraped the plate clean. Order this for sure.

Mains: I got the chicken, the other three ordered steak.

Sonoma Spring Chicken, Asparagus, Morel Mushrooms, Roasted Chicken Jus - Nice presentation; deboned breast with crispy skin with the wing bones and drumsticks still attached. It was a little inconsistent; some of the chicken was a bit undercooked. The bone was pretty red. The sauce was delightful. Some of the asparagus was not peeled and was stringy. Some of it was spot on. Morels were mild flavored and a nice accent.

Dry Aged Bone-in New York Steak, Red Scallions, Peewee Potatoes, Baby Shitake Mushrooms, Beef Jus - Scot insisted on really rare and that is what he got. I think someone hit it with a cigarette lighter then brought it out. It is nice to know they don't pre-sear; clearly it was made to order. Everyone was very happy with their steaks. I don't know exactly what they did with the shitakes, but they were also one of the best things of the night. Scot went nuts for them and he usually picks them out of dishes and gives them to me.

Dessert: Three of us got the molten lava cake, one ordered some fromage blanc and expresso gelato.

Molten Chocolate Cake, Burnt Marshmallow, Graham Crackers: They had a problem in the kitchen and I did not get mine until everyone else finished their dessert. They comped me for it. This was basically an overdone smore. Which is not a bad thing...

Fromage blanc gelato tested well, like cheesecake ice cream. Duh. It was ok. Expresso gelato was described by scot as "intense coffee flavor" but no aftertaste. "very clean."

Overall - I would rate Catalina 'good' by LA standards and 'Very Good" for South Bay standards. If I lived across town I would not make a special trip to go, but I do highly recommend it for locals.

Appetizers are around $10-$15, entrees mostly $25-$30.

corkage: $20. They do not have proper glassware. They have a decent wine list with some notable California and Italian offerings, but this is weird - no vintages. I have never seen a wine list with so many options over $100 without vintages.

320 S Catalina Ave
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

(310) 374-6929

www.320catalina.com

New Orleans-Style Crawfish, Crabs and Shrimp in LA!

2008-05-25T15:07:06Z

No, not LA as in Louisiana, I mean Los Angeles! Ok, Garden Grove, actually, but still, that is WAY closer than New Orleans. This is "The Crawfish House." A gem of a restaurant that is completely Vietnamese owned and operated. There are a number of similar places in the immediate area (eg Boiling Crab), but my understanding this one is one of the "quietest" with the "shortest lines."

This is a place to order authentic boiled-in-a-bag crawfish, shrimp, crab, and more all in a delightfully spicy Cajun seasoning. Actually, you have a few options of seasonings: Cajun, Garlic, and Lemon Pepper, or the house special, the "Whole SHA-BANG" which is an awesome combination of all three. I adore crawfish, and these were fresh and tasty. When you order two pounds it also comes with a few chunks of corn on the cob and some thick slices of a great sausage that is not andouille but not that different. The blue claw crabs were very tiny by East Coast standards, but typical of what I see in the Asian Markets locally. THey were very labor-intensive to eat but extremely flavorful. Whenever I have them I am again reminded of why I love them so better than the more user-friendly dungeness crabs that are much more easy to come by out here.

But it was the shrimp that stole the show. I would call them large to extra large in size. Served with the heads, they simply absorbed the seasonings and were incredible. The "goo" in the shrimp heads was actually better (sweeter) than the crawfish.

Another highlight was the cajun fries. These were just really great home-style fries which were quite addicting.

The only disappointment were the oysters on the half-shell. I think these were gulf oysters, but they were not as fresh and the temperature was not as cold as I would have liked. Don't order these. May does not have an "R" in it, anyway. I did not try the gumbo as I read on other reviews it was not great.

Both domestic and imported beer available. Heineken and Corona are only $2.75.

We pigged out and with 4 beers the whole bill with tip came to $62. This is a great place to go with a group of friends. Be prepared to wait in line if they are busy, which they typically are.

Yes, we were the only white people in the place; no matter. The service was friendly and they spoke English just fine. While we were there they were playing a Laker's Game on TVs around the restaurant and everyone was very enthusiastically cheering. It's a really a fun place. Check it out.

10112 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove , CA 92843
(714) 539-3297

Yakitori Bincho...better than Shin-Sen-Gumi?

2008-05-25T13:22:37Z

We are regulars at Shin-Sen-Gumi in Gardena. We have been to most of the Yakitori haunts around town, but we find ShinSenGumi by far the best. We hate that it is so loud, but appreciate the authentic tradition that is behind it. So when I read this passionate post about a new kid on the block that proports to be better than Shin-Sen-Gumi, we had to try it.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/516011

I won't go into all the detail, as this post on Chowhound does a much more thorough job than I could of describing most of the menu items. Suffice it to say, we prefer an "authentic" Japanese experience, and really do enjoy the organ meats such as "special hearts." My favorite is the gizzards. (it is a textural thing). Scot's favorite item is the cartilage. So yeah, we are into it and generally the staff at these restaurants seem to respect us for understanding and appreciating the cuisine.

I love the pier, and Binchu is a really cute space. We mostly dislike all the other restaurants on the pier (except for the Korean crab place of course), so it is nice to have another options.

Service was great, and they only charged me $10 corkage. (I like wine with my skewers. Beer is too heavy, and in my opinion Sake too light to pair well with them.)

We ordered pretty much the entire skewer menu. The meatballs (Tsukune) were one of the more memorable items; very soft and succulent. Much better than the ones at SSG. And they do a nice shiso chicken. Another favorite is the meat-stuffed shitakes. SSG does not have those. The most unusual thing about the place is for each item you can choose between "salt" and "teriyaki." We told them we would go with the chef's recommendation, which was a mix.

In total, I thought the primary differences with SSG were in regards to both flavor and texture. The flavors at Bincho were much more...subtle. Not bland, but let's just say I was using a lot of the japanese pepper. They were not "chicken-ey" enough. I think SSG uses some kind of brush-on marinade that adds a depth of flavor (someone please tell me it is a soy sauce derivative and not MSG) that they do not use at Binchu. I could understand how others would prefer it at Binchu for this reason. I guess an analogy would be anyone who has eaten at sushi places like (the old) Sasabune or Sushi-Sushi; they paint a soy sauce glaze on all the fish. I prefer it "naked" like they do at Shibucho, Mori, etc. To me, it tastes more "authentic" because the natural flavor of the fish is not masked. So, I can see how some would prefer Binchu for the same reason.

The other thing about Binchu is all the chicken parts had kind of a softer texture, and had a slight "gamier" flavor/texture that I associate with slightly undercooked chicken. This was most apparent with the thigh meat. Very slightly, nothing to be alarmed about. But at SSG, I like the way the chicken has a bit of a "skin" on the outside (not literally) and is soft in the inside. WHen you bite into the chicken thigh or breast at SSG, you get a sensation more similar to biting into a sausage or hotdog (or piece of chicken off the BBQ grill) vs Binchu, which is more of almost a stewed chicken sensation. Again, I could see how people would prefer the Binchu as it is more "tender."

Also, one final point is that SSG has an extraordinarily extensive menu with all kinds of other options. Great soups, fish dishes, veggies, etc. Binchu is quite limited.

All in all, I think South Bay is big enough to support both establishments. Each does have something special to offer. I hope Binchu is successful.

Japanese Grill Yakitori Bincho
112 N. International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach 90277
310-376-3889

m-th - 5p-11p
f-su - 4-midnight
closed tuesdays

Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori Restaurant (Gardena)

18517 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA 90248

Phone: (310) 715-1588

http://www.shinsengumiusa.com

Lunch 11:30am - 2:00pm (Mon. Thru Fri.)

Dinner 6:00pm - 11:00pm (Open Daily)

OMG Macarons from Boule are the Best Dessert Ever

2008-05-05T08:36:55Z

Such a heavenly creation, the French Macaron. The first time I ever had them was about 15 years ago, in Switzerland. They were made by the confectionary Sprungli and called "Luxemburgli." They were tiny little "burgers" that would melt in your mouth with a buttery, creamy texture within a meringue like shell. Back then, there were only a few flavor options, but each one would burst in your mouth with incredible purity of flavor. I had to travel to Zurich a number of times on business back then, and I would make sure I always grabbed about $20 worth (which bought about a pound or so.) I had never had any dessert before or since that was so incredible.

I have been seeking out these little divine delights ever since. And I have found cheap copies in various patisseries and bakeries in different parts of the country. I was able to of course get them in France, and there are even a few places in CA that carry something that at least looks like them. The Ferry Market in SF, Jin Patisserie in Venice, the french cafe ( I forget the name) on Montana in SM. While the ones in France (Lyon) were superb, the ones I have had in this country were good, but fairly forgettable.

That is until I finally got to Boule. Backstory: We had an appointment for Thai massages at this great place in Hollywood. At least we thought we did until we found out they put us down for the wrong day. So there we were across town and suddenly had a lot of time on our hands. I remembered the last three times I had tried to go to Boule it was always closed. Not this time! Now I would finally get to try their famous macarons. Derek the store clerk was very helpful as he walked us through all the options. We actually decided to try 2 of almost every flavor. I decided to skip the rose and the coffee.

Pictured below is our treasure. Well, all but the coconut. We had those at the bakery. The other flavors below include mango, coconut, pistacio, chocolate, raspberry, fleur del sol, chocolate truffle (with truffle oil), and pecan praline. I wish I could tell you my favorite, but each one was truly as good as the last. THey possessed a purity of flavor, a mixture of smooth, flaky, creamy textures, and amazing mouth feel. The fruit flavors also had a layer of gel with an intense fruit infusion. The dark chocolate truffle had more truffle oil flavor than truffle courses I have had at restaurants. These little guys are like the best of pie and pastry combined. I would rather have these than any other dessert. BTW, I wasn't sure about the Meyer lemon and Derek comped us one. I did not care for it as I do not like Lemon Meringue pie. If you like lemon pie, you would love this flavor.

I passionately recommend these little delights. It's worth the trip to West Hollywood!! (Oh they have lots of other tasty breads, chocolates, gelato, pastry, etc. But get the Macrons! ($2-$2.50 each)

Boule, L.A.’s Modern Patisserie
Where style and (sweet) substance meet
408 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048

OPEN
Monday through Saturday: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Tel: (310) 289-9977
Fax: (310) 289-3567

It's Spot Prawn Season! Let's Get Them Drunk and Have Our Way With Them

2008-05-04T18:29:01Z

I love Santa Barbara spot prawns and am used to paying a premium for small tastes of them in restaurants. I also adore them in the form of ama ebi at the sushi places. But so expensive and hard to find. So when I saw a reference on Chowhound to getting live spot prawns at Ranch 99 Markets for a mere $16/lb. I know what we were doing on Friday! Bought 4 lbs of the little guys. They were nice about giving us a cooler and packing them in water so they could survive the trip home. Next time I will bring a container, as we got lucky this time that they could accommodate us.

Now the background is that while I certainly enjoy eating tasty animals, I am a bit squeamish about murdering my own food. Call me a hypocrite, it is what it is. So I was a bit apprehensive about the preparation of dinner. But then I found the recipe of my dreams. Drunken Spot Prawns. This called for "marinating" the live prawns in chinese cooking rice wine before cooking them whole. This was a win, as all the other recipes involve knife work with a kicking shrimp, not my thing. With this recipe, they would die (or at least passout) from drunkeness. You have to agree this is the perfect death. Much better than getting boiled alive.

I decided to kick up the recipe a few notches. Rather than using the $1.99 cooking wine, I wound up using about $20 worth of decent Japanese sake with a bit of Mirin mixed in. (foreshadowing: this turned out to be a very smart decision) Those were very happy shrimp. So I "marinated" the prawns in the sake, and they stopped kicking pretty quickly. Check out the video further down. By the time it took to get the fish broth/dashi boiling, they were pretty still. I did them in several batches; they cook in less than a minute.

Eating them was a similar experience to crawfish in New Orleans. Pop the head off. First eat the tail, which is very succulent and possesses incredibly fresh shrimpy flavor. Then suck the head. Now here was the surprise part. The marinade really infuses the prawns. Plus, immersing them in the fish broth for under a minute does nothing to boil off the alcohol. So it kinda happened by accident that Scot noticed he was getting completely wasted even though he was almost ignoring the nice 1er Cru Chablis I had paired with the prawns. I am so glad we went with the good sake and not the swill, that would have been unpleasant.

Boy was this a good meal. Spot prawns are only in season about 6 weeks, get them while you can. Oh, Ranch 99 also has main lobster at $11/lb. Lobsters are 2-3lbs and more! No, they won't murder them for you.

Continue reading below to see some images of the spot prawn dinner as well as a video of the prawns bathing in the sake.

I love LA. Could never do this stuff back East.

Ranch 99 Markets
http://www.99ranch.com/

we go to one of the flagship stores:

1340 W. Artesia Blvd.
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 323-3399
Hours: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Santa Barbara Spot Prawns Getting Drunk in Sake Bath
http://foodandwineblog.thefoodietraveler.com/2008/05/02/its-spot-prawn-season.aspx

Before and After..."Marinating" Spot Prawns on the Left, Ready to Eat on the Right

Added some greens, mushrooms, sliced ginger, and gingko to the dashi, sake, and fish broth for a nice soup to accompany the spot prawns. Quail eggs added to bowl for extra creamy flavor.

Save the Taco Truck! (MMM Tongue Tacos)

2008-05-04T18:34:15Z

I believe it would be a terrible thing to ever ignore the plight of a fellow foodie. And people who run taco trucks, well, I have seen the passion in those taco creations and they count. So when I heard of their plight, well, we had to come out and show our support. Apparently the powers that be are trying to make it so they are not allowed to park in the same spot more than 30 or 60 minutes depending on the part of town.

More on Save our Taco Trucks:

http://saveourtacotrucks.org/
http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/

So back to the story. Scot went along grumbling, as we had perfectly good leftover pasta bolognese (made from scratch) in the fridge and he really wanted that. But no, I haven't been to a taco truck in forever and insisted. It was for a good cause, after all. Scot begrudgingly agreed and off we were to Gardena. The place we chose looked like a converted car wash. They had an actual building on the lot that sold homemade juices and desserts. And the truck was parked on the actual lot. I have a feeling this truck is not at all affected by the ruling but whatever. We were there. Being it was 8:30 at night, and of course we were the only gringos, we did stick out a bit. Especially when I brought out my spanish/english dictionary. At that point people started asking us if they could help us. They knew nothing of Save Our Taco Truck Night, but they were very friendly evn though they thought we were insane. They attempted to steer us towards carne asada and carnitas. Feh, they have that at Chipotle. I wanted all the special parts. (Which is why I brought the dictionary; I needed to know which part of the creature I was ordering.) When I explained that lengua (tongue) was my favorite, they kinda stopped trying to help. One especially friendly girl did say that I had an especially strong positive aura and she wanted to do an astrology reading on me. I was very complimented and considered her offer, but we never quite got around to it.

Then we finally got around to ordering. The dictionary proved useless. Apparently I am going to have to find a dictionary specializing in animal parts, as none of the more select items on the menu were in the dictionary. The funny thing was we asked all the people in line and they did not know what any of them were either. They just made yukky noises.

So we decided to start with a few tacos: lengua, carnitas, and tripe. And two tostadas: octopus and shrimp, and a ceviche. Tons of food and it came to $9. While we waited, we went to the juice bar and I got a horchata and scot got a chocolate banana milkshake. All the food was quite fresh and had great flavor. There was an assortment of hot sauce available from various countries in South America. The tacos (soft) also came with a tender grilled onion, grilled pepper, and some carrots. THey came with a great homemade salsa and onions on top as well. The lengua was both of our favorites; very tender, mild flavor. Carnitas are always good, but the tripe was a bit to tripe-ey for me.

With the tostadas, my favorite was the octopus which was cooked until just tender, and had just the right amount of citrus accent.

Well we probably didn't need it but being that we only spent $9 we wanted to try some more stuff off the menu. I think they were laughing at us at that point. So we threw caution to the wind and ordered more tacos: Cabeza (i think this was beef tendon) carne asada (duh) and pastor (pork? still not sure). And lengua quesadillas. And a shrimp cocktail. The shrimp cocktail was kinda overcooked and in a gazpacho that tasted of too much tomato juice. The cabeza was the best of the tacos..very tender. Great texture and flavor. The other two were forgettable. The lengua was immersed in gooey cheese in between two very fresh flour tortillas. I was too full to eat much of it but the few bites I had were very good.

All in all, the whole thing cost about $22. I love LA for these kinds of experiences.

Be sure to ask for lots of extra napkins.

El Antojito
Neighborhood: Harbor Gateway
Corner of 168th Street and Figueroa
Gardena, CA 90247

Ceviche Tostada
Lengua quesadilla
Pulpa and camarones tostada
lengua, tripe, and carnitas tacos

Citrus at Social: The Chef was so busy playing with the food he forgot about the flavor & quality

2008-04-21T16:22:42Z

We went here for my birthday; it came highly recommended and Irene (LA Times) had very nice things to say. I wish I had read the recent not-so-nice review in LA Magazine that showed up on my doorstep the next day...perhaps I would have reconsidered.

I am fascinated with molecular gastronomy having been to Alinea and Moto for my birthday last year, and more recently to Coi in SF. Some places really pull off the fusion of technique and flavor, others do not. Citrus falls into the latter. Some examples of notable dishes: We ordered the mosaic, which was described as a carpaccio of "surf, turf & earth." The presentation was amazing; alternating matching circles of tuna, peppers, beef, and scallop each with its own garnish were artfully arranged like an Othello board. But none of us actually cared for the flavors. They were bland, and in the case of the scallop, fishy.

The tuna and beet salad was one of the better dishes because the beets were prepared and seasoned perfectly. But I don't think it really complemented the tuna that well. I liked the beet and tuna as separate tastes, not on the same fork.

The onion tart with smoked salmon was nice, but nothing to write home about. Esgargot "in the garden" was unnecessarily creamy and the granola was strange, but not an offensive topping. Frizzy frissee salad with lardons was lettuce and bacon bits with a poached egg on top. It was fine, but silly at $13. The 4 of us shared three entrees: Lobster burger, roasted chicken, and the famous 72 hour short ribs. Lobster burger was ok; I have had similar dishes that were much better at places like Catch and Hungry Cat. The short ribs had a strange rubbery texture, I guess from the sous vide. But I was just recently at Lucques, and their short ribs are also slow cooked but were amazing. We all agreed the "roast" chicken was the best, but it was actually breaded and tasted like it was fried, so that kind of ruined it.

Of course I have to make special mention of the french fries fried in butter, one of the main things that drove me to this restaurant. I don't care what the reviews say, this just doesn't work. The clarified butter they use actually took on a bit of a rancid odor/taste. One of my dining companions, a foodie who has worked as a chef, actually was sickened by the taste and could not continue eating after tasting them. They should have stuck with duck fat like they do at other bistros.

Overall, probably the best menu item was the tater tots. But these were definitely the most expensive tater tots I ever had.

I will say that service was exemplary, and they comped me the kit kat dessert for my bday. Wine service was also excellent, and only $15 corkage. But in the end, it is all scene and no substance. It is not a bistro, it is not fine dining. But it is very expensive. Foodies should skip it.

Citrus at Social Hollywood
6525 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-337-9797

http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/social/main.cfm

Sunday Brunch: An Italian/Japanese Fusion Experience in Torrance

2008-04-15T21:33:03Z

We've been to il Chianti before, being that it is only about a mile from our house. Dinner has always been interesting, but generally items are hit or miss. Not often you can get an uni pizza. But it is a cool place, great hidden tables, counter seating, outdoor seating, lots of options. Even a nice wine list with some good Italian options.

So it was just happenstance that we were driving out this past sunday looking for a quick meal not so out of the way, and we saw the open sign. What the heck. Our timing was good, they just started offering brunch in the last month.

You have three options ranging from $12-$18. The cheapest includes a salad, 3 appetizers, soup, rice or bread, beverage, dessert, and a pasta dish. The next highest has a meat instead of pasta, and for $18 you get the meat and pasta.

Now, you can't be that picky cause the menu is fixed. It changes each week. Here was ours:

Beverages included about 9 options. We went with a Kirin draft and a sparkling wine (house.)

1) Spring greens and veggies with a homemade ginger dressing that had a touch of anchovy (?) flavoring
2) An appetizer plate containing 4 items:
    -pure-tasting consomme containing a few pieces of lardon
    -small salad of salmon sashimi chunks, tomato, shiso (as a play on basil)
    -a few slices of smoked salmon twirled on some sweet onion and capers
    -hotate (scallop) sashimi with tobiko and a minced onion salsa
3)Pasta was served side by side with the meat:
    -Pasta was spaghetti with roasted japanese eggplant and ground chicken in a rustic marinara with garlic
    -Meat was a pork tenderloin and not-too-sweet demi-glaze. It was served on mound of mashed potatoes. The potatoes were the only item we did not care for. No problem, the serving of rice (perfectly glistening individual kernals) was more than plenty.
4) There were three dessert options: Chocolate mousse, Red bean cheesecake, panna cotta. We split the panna cotta and cheesecake. Both were small slices that in typical asian style were not too sweet and a great light ending to an incredibly surprisingly tasty brunch.

This is a great value. We sat at the counter and could see a lot of the action in the kitchen. What a great thing to do on a lazy sunday afternoon.

BTW, you can order of the rest of the menu as well. We saw a bowl of fire go by us, and we were told it was an octopus flambe of some sort. Would love to have tried that...

Il Chianti

www.il-chianti.com

24503 Narbonne Ave
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 325-5000

Capo: This is much better than having to fly all the way to Italy

2008-04-21T16:01:13Z

We were not expecting much. The reviews for this place are generally mediocre at best, plus it is very expensive. Although one of my foodie coworkers was recently there and he had nothing but good things to say about the place. I have to say, I am with my coworker on this one. We stopped by about an hour before our reservation and dropped off a special Brunello for them to decant. We then wandered off to Casa Del Mar for a great aperitif on some comfy leather chairs. Hangar One wasabi vodka bloody mary with ginger...ah but this is another review. Getting back to Capo...we were first impressed by the room. We had a nice corner table, very cozy. Our waitress was lovely and knowledgeable, not at all uppity like many of the reviews allude to. We supplemented our brunello ($25 corkage) with a half bottle of a 2002 Jadot Meursault.

Starters included a softshell crab (special for the evening) roasted in their famous oven. It was supplemented by a wagyu steak tartare and a vegetable burrata salad. Of the three, the veggies were most impressive. We really saw the love and care that went into choosing the perfect, seasonal vegetables from the farmers market, and then cooking them just so. If I could have vegetables like this everyday I would eat a lot less meat.

The tartare was just ok. The beautiful, delicate wagyu was overwhemed by too many capers. A shame. Softshell crab was very nice but unremarkable.

Next course was a rigatoni with a tomato-truffle bolognese sauce, their signature dish. This was stupendous. I usually do not associate truffles and tomato-based sauces, but this one blew us away. Again, the quality of the tomatoes, the meat, the perfectly cooked home-made pasta really came through.

Our main dish was a traditional bistecca - Steak Florentine. This was a HUGE porterhouse for 2. It was perfectly charred on the outside and perfectly rare on the inside. Really, really, great. We ordered a side of asparagus to accompany it, and they were the truly the best asparagus we have ever had, including the fancy white ones we recently had in europe.

For dessert we opted for a hazelnut and chocolate souffle. I love souffle. This made us both very happy inside. It was accompanied by a shared glass of Inniskillin Cab Franc - which they comped us for! (I had asked if it was a fresh bottle - I gather it wasn't but I couldn't tell from tasting it. Awesome. $55 value)

This was overall a great meal, and yes it was pricey but absolutely worth the money. All the people who complain about the cost just do not understand the quality of care that went into sourcing and obtaining the ingredients, as well as the flawless cooking technique.

Go here.

Capo

www.caporestaurant.com

1810 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-5550
Get directions

Sushi Ken: Good Quality at a Great Price in South Bay

2008-04-15T21:33:43Z

How'd I miss this place? Ok it is on the end of a nondescript strip mall kinda stuck behind a Cost Plus World Market, but still, what a find. Tiny place, a bit too bright, but it's about the food. Here's what you do. Bring a bottle ($10 corkage) or order the Hakkaisan ($12 for a generous "waterfall" serving.) Then order the 14 piece Omakase for $32. Yes, that's right, $32. And no, it's not for pale, tired tuna and a California roll. THe chef picks 14 of the most premium fish in the shop. He starts with a nice piece of Toro, and other selections may include Aji, Kompachi, Japanese snapper, and yes, beautifully marinated ikura and very fresh uni. There are at least one or two obscure Japanese fishes that they cannot translate for me.

The quality is great. Certainly not the quality of a Shibucho or Mori, but very good. The quantity of food is also impressive. We usually supplement with a few extras of our favorites. Last time this included a unique marinated salmon with lots of fat bands. So tasty!

Their hot dishes are hit and miss. Chawan Mushi is perfect, tempura is from obviously frozen shrimp and awful. THey have a number of off-menu items, you need to ask. All of their soups are generally good.

Sushi Ken

22831 Hawthorne Blvd
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 378-9595

Wow, Buffalo FROGS LEGS?!

2008-04-01T13:20:02Z

No, it is not an April Fool's menu item. It's for real, and quite tasty. We were visiting Chez Melange in Redondo Beach the other night. We generally enjoy the "melange" of menu offerings, but this one was the "Melange-iest" one we have had in quite some time. The succulent little froggie thighs were deep fried and smothered in a wonderfully buttery and perfectly spicy buffalo sauce. Then there was a refreshing blue cheese/ranch dipping sauce. The whole combination was delightful. We actually ordered a 2nd order it was just that good. Check it out soon, they tend to switch out their menu items fairly frequently.

Chez Mélange
1716 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Phone (310) 540-1222
www.chezmelange.com

Fraiche - Wow, I am really impressed

2008-04-01T16:06:12Z

The table, the room, Karl, our hot and yet attentive French waiter, and of course the food...all VERY impressive. They were even kind with corkage. If you have read any of my other posts, you know I do not impress easily. So this was a night to remember.

We had been to Fraiche when they first opened, and liked it then. Some of the items were hit and miss, and there was an issue with some of the pasta being oversalted.

This time around, it was all good. Between us and our dining companions, we ordered a significant chunk of the menu. The steak tar tare was one of the best I have had in a long time. Instead of mixing the meat with egg yolk or aoili, this was blended with a "sabayon" (egg yolks + butter) and it was not overly garnished in pickles or capers, it was JUST RIGHT. I hated having to share that one. Probably could have eaten another order all by myself. There was a memorable farro salad with blood oranges. And a pleasant lentil and black sausage dish. The Charcuterie/Salumi was also outstanding. We ordered a Chef's sampler: I loved the lardo, and the proscuitto was sublime. Mains included a lamb casserole with soft, juicy lamb chunks. There was a tasty lamb pasta dish, and both the boys got a great steak and perfectly crispy frites. We had to get an extra order of those..

Bottom line, I could come here often. What a shame it took a month to get a reservation. Stupid Frank Bruni promoting it in the New York Times messed it up for all us locals. www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05six.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

class="r">Fraiche

fraicherestaurantla.com
9411 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-6800

Akasha. Lots of Hype, Doesn't Deliver

2008-04-01T16:18:43Z

We didn't have reservations but they agreed to let us hang out at the bar. Cool room, reminds me of Fraiche. Industrial look, lots of stone. Awesome drink list and tons of wine by the glass. Dinner is a motley assortment of small plates, salads, pizza, big plates, etc. Their thing is the whole local/sustainable/organic movement that has invaded LA. This place may look casual, but their prices say otherwise. On their lunch menu, burgers are priced in the teens. "Big Plates" on the dinner menu are well into the $20's.

I first ordered the house signature drink: The Akasha. 42 below, kiwi vodka, organic cucumber juice, homemade thai basil elixir. I had very high expectations for this drink as I generally like all these ingredients...separately. Together, they were so medicinal they were reminiscent of some herbal vitamin drinks I have endured in my past. I couldn't even get it down. They kindly agreed to take it back and I got a nice Dolcetto instead, afraid to try any more drinks.

Scot chose a glass of the 06 Pelerin St. Vincent's Pinot from Santa Lucia Highlands. He liked it ok, but he did not like it $17 worth which is what they charged. I checked, the retail on that bottle is ~$40 so that is some generous markup.

We also got one appetizer, the Cannelinni bean hummus, $8. The description said truffle salt, flatbread, marinated olives. The flat bread came covered in sauteed onions and tasted of cumin. There was no truffle salt that we could taste, but even if we could I don't think it would have mixed well with the cumin. It was also a very tiny portion; about 2 Tablespoons of humus and about 3-4 small wedges of flatbread. We continued to study the menu, looked at other people's plates, and found that nothing appealed to us. We decided to quietly pay for our $40 appetizer & drinks and go somewhere else.

Funny thing, we wound up at Versailles. Full dinner and drinks cost less than the Akasha "snack," and it tasted a lot better. But it was not local, organic, or sustainable. Or particularly cool.

http://www.akasharestaurant.com/
9543 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: (310) 845-1700

NYT: Foodie Bloggers & Health Issues

2008-05-04T21:02:53Z

Interesting piece in the NYT today: The Fat Pack Wonders if the Party's Over

The gist of the article is that there are a bunch of foodies and especially foodie bloggers out there revelling in Pork Fat and are all finally getting to a point where they have to come to terms with the terrible things they are doing to their bodies. The article focuses on one of the original E-Gullet founders, but mentions various newspaper critics and other bloggers as well.

I think the piece took an unnecessarily negative approach to the foodie philosophy. A few excerpts:

"If 1960s Las Vegas had its Rat Pack and 1980s cinema its Brat Pack, early 21st century food has its Fat Pack...The journalists, bloggers, chefs and others who make up the Fat Pack combine an epicure’s appreciation for skillful cooking with a glutton’s bottomless-pit approach. Cramming more than three meals into a day, once the last resort of a food critic on deadline, has become a way of life. If the meals center on meat, so much the better."

“Most of us who are in this profession are here as an excuse to eat,” said Mimi Sheraton, the food writer and former New York Times restaurant critic who has chronicled her own battle with weight loss. Still, she said, “I’ve never seen such an outward, in-your-face celebration of eating fat.”

Personally, an ideal meal out for me is not one that embraces fat but one that embraces flavor, with simplicity and healthfulness being a bonus, not a detraction. IMHO, it is much harder to make a chicken breast taste good then shortribs. I am way more impressed with the chef that does the former (as long as it was not achieved using mass amounts of dairy or bacon!) rather than the latter. We actively seek out places that excel with fish and vegetable dishes. Of all the trendy things out there right now, I think Crudo is one of the best ways to assess a chef's creativity and skill, as it requires a careful balance of subtle ingredients. It is a category of food where too much fat ruins, rather than enhances, the end product.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/dining/19fat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=dining

Oyster Shucking Adventure. Don't Try this at Home...

2008-03-17T15:48:56Z

We love oysters. Such tasty little creatures. Ordering a dozen at a restaurant is such a tease. We want LOTS of oysters. I have happy memories of sitting at Felix's in New Orleans eating four or five dozen at one sitting. While I have bought two oyster shuckers, the few times I attempted to shuck an oyster or two has ended in disaster so it was something I never really pursued.

But this time, it was going to be different. This time, we would get the husband to do it. There was a high degree of motivation on both our parts, as Quality Seafood has dozens of varieties to sample, and doing it ourselves would be dramatically cheaper. (Quality Seafood will also shuck them for you if there are not too many and they are not too busy, but then you spill all the juice ("liquor") getting them home, so we didn't want to take that route.

So we invested $10 in a "top of the line" shucker as well as a good tool to scrub them. (Men like when you can buy tools for a job.)

Here is the selection of oysters and our comments:
Ease of Shucking: Scale of 1 to 5, 1 being easiest to shuck
Flavor: Scale of 1 to 5, 1 being most preferred taste (IMHO)

1) Kumomotos:
Cost: $1.95/ea
Length of shell: 2-3" the smallest of the group
Shucking: 2
Flavor: 3
Comments: mild, sweet, not briney at all. Also the least "oystery" of the oysters. Recommended for oyster neophytes.

2) Hamma Hammas
Cost: $1.60/ea
Length of shell: 4-6" the largest of the group
Shucking: 5
Flavor: 2
Comments: Very sweet, briney without being bitter, meaty, fleshy. Best bang for buck

3) Bajas
Cost: $1.29/ea
Length of shell: 4/5" the smallest of the group
Shucking: 4
Flavor: 5
Comments: Yuk. After tasting them, we deep fried the rest. Stupid seafood guy said "these are a great value." Just awful.

4) Sammish Bay
Cost: $1.60/ea
Length of shell: Round: diameter of 1-2". The oyster itself is larger than kumomoto
Shucking: 4
Flavor: 2
Comments: A bit sweeter than hamma hammas, nice and briney. Our second favorite.

5) Malpeque
Cost: $1.89/ea
Length of shell: 3" diameter. Also round
Shucking: 1.5 Easiest to shuck
Flavor: 4
Comments: We expected to like these more. Sharper brineyness with a tinge of bitterness. Not as sweet. Strong flavor, but more of brine than oyster. Nice texture.

6) Miyagis
Cost: $1.70/ea
Length of shell: 2-3"
Shucking: 2.5
Flavor: 3.5
Comments: Underlying flavor excellent, but too briney/salty. These would be better cooked in something.

Conclusions: While Scot did get pretty good at shucking by the end of the night, it came at a cost. There was at least one blood-causing injury, a huge mess, and annoying little shell shards in many of the oysters. I also wasn't counting on the occasional tiny little worms. (On the outside of the shell, but still, Ew.) Being that we were paying $1.60-$1.90 an oyster anyway, we might as well pay $2.50-$3.00 restaurant charges next time. Oh, and I still say that East Coast/Gulf Coast oysters are best.

Organic Sushi Bistro...Now this is LA

2008-03-16T11:21:36Z

It's called Kula Sushi Bistro. A Sushi "Bistro" in Century City? This was going to be an adventure. From reading all the reviews and descriptions, I was expecting a fairly authentic Japanese dining experience but with some "dumbing down" for the American palette, all in a funky, modern setting.

Yes, I was right.

Great space, contemporary decor. Very open, nice accoustics. They could have easily packed a lot more tables in, but instead there is a generous amount of open space and it is very comfortable. Great date setting, as there are many tables/booths that are fairly private. Funny thing...there is no actual sushi bar, only tables.

Happy hour was in the lounge off to the side of the restaurant. They offered Free Toro for Happy Hour! Ok, just one piece, but a nice touch. They also comped us for some black edamame, fried lotus slices and a crispy rice with a crab and avocado topping. We supplemented that with their homemade chawan mushi, and their crispy rice with spicy tuna. We also tried an order of their homemade cold tofu. A few premium sakes (as well as some wine, beer, and well drinks) are half price. We took advantage of this as well. Sake was served in a traditional style, the overflowing glass in the wooden box. Chawan Mushi was a well-constructed egg custard with a few non-traditional ingredients, including a few pieces of unagi (eel) and some black edamame. The tofu was also of high quality. It was exceptionally creamy and lush, and was garnished with shaved bonito. The texture was like a custard. Again, very traditional. As for the crispy rice with the toppings, this is not traditional of course, but it is cut in small pieces and makes a great finger food and accompaniment to alcohol. I found the crispy rice slightly overcooked and chewy, but scot really liked it.

After happy hour ended we went over to the restaurant for dinner. We kinda ate a lot at happy hour, but figured we would at least try some sushi. And we had to get one more order of the tofu and chawan mushi. They comped us each another piece of toro. (woohoo) I had brought a bottle of burgundy to open, but their Sake selections were so interesting and nicely priced, we kept with that.

All in all, we found the portions of fish on the large side and very well-priced. The owner came by to chat later on. We were asking about some of the flavors and methods used, and she explained that the chefs prepare the food in an Osaka style, versus a Tokyo style. A specific difference is that the sushi rice has a slightly sweeter profile than what we were expecting. Not sweet like that awful mix they use in fast-food or supermarket sushi rice, but not like the stuff you get in premium sushi bars either. Most of the sushi bars and Izakayas we typically go to are apparently much more Tokyo-styled.

Also, Kula Sushi Bistro is very focused on organic, high quality ingredients. It shows. I would definitely like to go back and try their hot entrees.

Kula Sushi Bistro
http://www.KULAsushi.com
Sushi, small plates, organic "when possible"
10351 Santa Monica Blvd, Century City, 310.282.8870 Valet: $5
Dinner nightly
corkage $20

Coi - Molecular Gastronomy in San Francisco

2008-03-16T10:55:30Z

We loved Alinea in Chicago, and since that experience have been questing other great Molecular Gastronomic experiences. I had heard that Coi (pronounced "kwa") is the best (only) experience SF has to offer in Molecular Gastromony...(meaning they have exactly one more option than LA...) so of course this was at the top of my list. There were five of us. #5 just got his pilot's license that day so we were also celebrating his triumph. The wine was inadvertently themed...they were all from the 2000 vintage. First a Vietti Barbaresco, then a Altesino Brunello, then an Arrowood Cab. We brought 2 bottles and purchased the Altesino was from the wine list. I had prearranged the purchase a few days before so they could decant it for 3 hours. It was a great value at $130 and I think the favorite of the table, but it was a really tough call vs the vietti...oh well, on to the food!

We all agreed that we would do the 11 course tasting menu. One really nice aspect of the menu was that for about 4 of the courses you had a choice of two items. THis worked out brilliantly as my husband and I each agreed to try one of each, meaning we had more like a 15 course tasting. ANother guest is not a fan of fish so she was quite satisfied with her many alternatives.

One of the most intriguing dishes was the first one, which is standard every night. For the "pink grapefruit" course you had to first apply some grapefruit oil to your wrists like perfume and the instructions were to smell your wrist while consuming the course. This was very cool and similar to the kind of thing at Alinea.

http://foodandwineblog.thefoodietraveler.com/2007/12/22/pilgrimage-to-alinea.aspx

The rest of the courses were most impressive in the strategic yet subtle use of contrasting flavors and textures to create unique experiences in your mouth. (Ok, it was not nearly as sexual as this sounds, but it was REALLY good) I go to fusion this and eclectic that all the time and in my experience they typically don't work more than they do. Coi not only made it work, but did it without the effusive use of butter, cream, animal fat, and all the wonderful goodies that always make chefs seem better than they really are. Most of the dishes were light and possessed delicate flavor, but were highly complex. Kinda like the way you might describe a great older burgundy or bordeaux...which probably would have paired better than what we brought...oh well, maybe next time.

This menu is very close to what we had. Sadly, I have been trying to get them to email me our actual menu for over a week, they keep promising but no menu. THe show must go on. Note a few pix on the bottom.

PINK GRAPEFRUIT ginger, tarragon, black pepper

ROASTED BEETS smoked salt, Bellwether sheep's milk yogurt,cilantrp
or
KAMPACHI SASHIMI white soy, yuzu, shichimi togorashi

CARAMELIZED ENDIVE TART black olive vinaigrette, herbs

WILD NETTLE SOUP ricotta enrobed in lemon gelee, oxalis flowers

WARM ARTICHOKE AND PUNTARELLA SALAD green garlic, spring onions, farro, mcevoy olio nuovo
or
MONTEREY BAY ABALONE GRILLED ON THE PLANCHA fennel, radish, pan di zucchero, dickson ranch olio nuovo

YUBA 'PAPARDELLE' mushroom dashi, winter vegetables

LOCAL WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLO celery root, perigord truffles, hazelnuts, chervil
or
MONKFISH ROASTED ON THE BONE vadouvan, manilla clams, pea shoots, lime

SLOW-COOKED SOUL FOOD FARM EGG chard, wheatberries,
brown butter-parmesan sauce
or
POACHED AND SEARED GUINEA HEN bloomsdale spinach, turnips, bacon, sage

COI Restaurant - San Francisco, CA

Cav - Great Wine Bar in Castro. Innovative wines, food

2008-03-16T10:54:55Z

Cav was the surprise of the trip. My original expectation was just to share some wine and snacks with a friend I know from when I worked at Wally's about 5 years ago. She had left Wally's while I was there and opened Cav some months later. I was certainly looking forward to some good wine (she was the sommelier.) The wine did not disappoint, but it was the food that really blew us away. Apparently, Pamela has partnered with a very gifted chef: Michael Lamina. The menu offers a variety of wine-friendly small and large places. The lobster Pot-au-Feu was one of my favorite dishes; the bouillon was impeccable; clear and flavorful with a few pieces of lobster. I could have just supped this all night. Other impressive dishes were the duck confit potato cake with poached yolk and warm chicory salad. The yolk came out perfectly soft-cooked and it was fun to pop it and let it make a rich gravy for the moist duck. The butternut squash ravioli was the right combination of creamy with a very delicate touch of pumpkin pie spices. The seared duck breast came with house-made spaetzle and creamed mustard greens. (pictured below) I haven't has spaetzle this good since I was in Germany. It had the right texture; not too starchy or crumbly and had a great flavor. THe house-made charcuterie and cured meats were a huge hit. (pictured below). This was a delightful assortment of salumi, delicately pickled veggies, and some unsual treats such as pig trotter and tongue. We ended with a creative cheese plate sourced from France, California, and beyond.

Prices were great as well; small plates range from $7-$15 and large plates are mostly in the $20's. Excellent value for beautifully prepared dishes made with high-quality ingredients. Incredible and eclectic selection of wines by the glass. Pamela might be an old friend, but I am not biased. Just go and check it out for yourself!

Cav Wine Bar

www.cavwinebar.com

1666 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 437-1770

Bar Crudo - I really was expecting something much better

2008-03-16T10:54:24Z

We stopped for a drink and just to try the signature dish - the crudo. They were very nice about accommodating us at the bar, where we could watch them shuck oysters and prepare the dishes. Pictured was the house variety; there were three of us and they offered a combo of 3 pieces each. It took us 4 tries to find a bottle of European white wine from the list that they had in stock. Finally went with an obscure Italian varietal that was just ok at $45. Pictured below are the salmon, scallop, tombu tuna, and I think a kompachi. As we tasted them, they went from ok to not so great. The sauces overpowered the fish, the fish not that impressive. It was also sliced unevenly. Not pictured was the ono, which we got ala carte. I tasted it and the fish was actually bad. My friends were grateful I was able to save them from the yuckiness.

NY Deli in San Francisco?

2008-05-04T21:03:58Z

Since the Sunday brunch we were originally going to go to at Nikko looked awful and un-Japanesed, we decided to let our friends take us to to their new-found treasure, an authentic NY Deli called Miller's East Coast West Delicatessen. We HAD to go, as they professed to have awesome Nova and bagels flown in daily, which is my husband's favorite.

There was a short line (not bad for prime sunday brunch hours) and we were seated in about 15-20 min or so. They have everything you would expect: knishes, ny egg creams, kishka, chopped liver, matzah ball soup, half-done pickles, giant stacked meat sandwiches, and more and more. So hard to choose...We ordered a ridiculous amount of food. Scot of course got the lox, which he seemed to really enjoy. I tasted a bit of the nova, which was smooth and mild. I ordered a tongue and cornbeef special (NY people will know special means coleslaw and russian dressing) and we also supplemented it all with onion rings, fries, and kishka. The friends advised us not to get the knishes or latkes based on prior visits, so we went with their advice.

The kishka had a nice flavor, but it lacked authenticity for me as I like it when it actually has the skin on the outside and tastes meaty. This was not quite right. The onion rings were one of the highlights of the meal...perfectly fried; very crispy on the outside, not too much breading, and the onion was very tender. As for the fries, we had ordered the ones with turkey gravy. They brought out the garlic fries, which we sent back, but then decided later we should have kept them and got the side of gravy to dip them in. Once we added salt to the fries though, all was good again. My sandwich was mixed for me. The tongue was succulent and moist, great flavor and texture. THe cornbeef was slightly dry, which was because it was very lean, so this might be desirable for others. All in all, it was a tasty meal, and at least as authentic if not more so than Junior's here in LA. Scot likes Junior's lox better; I like Miller's tongue better.

East Coast West Delicatessen

www.millersdelisf.com

1725 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 563-3542

La Paulée de San Francisco - Amazing Burgundy Tasting

2008-03-17T15:57:02Z

This event was the primary impetus that prompted our recent SF visit. Having visited the Burgundy region last year and being completely blown away, we were excited to be able to try so much wonderful burgundy in one place. We only attended the luncheon, which at $300/pp we thought it to be quite extravagant. Clearly money was no object to most of the attendees, and/or they were industry people. I definitely spotted many familiar faces from Wine Spectator and other publications. It seemed most people were also attending the dinner event, which was $1500 AND you were expected to bring some special wine to share. We decided to skip that event, lol.

The luncheon was quite an experience. The producers themselves were pouring. We tasted about 85 wines, many of which were 1er Cru and Grand Cru. For the most part, it was all about 2005, but there were also some 2006 and 2004 available. A couple producers offered a mini-vertical of some of their wines from certain vineyards.

Also accompanying the wines were small plates from 12 top restaurants in the city. Coi was most impressive. Their dish was served inside a chicken egg shell. The top was cracked off soft-boiled style. The description was Soft Cooked Soul Food Farm Egg Yolk with Bacon, Spicy Onion Relish & Parmesan.

One of my favorite moments of the day was when one of the producers recognized me from our recent trip to her winery in Burgundy. She said it was something about my accent, lol.

The wine was amazing. Now I just have to see if I can still find any of my favorites for sale.

Hog Island Oyster Company in the Ferry Building

2008-03-16T11:33:04Z

I thought it would be better. Kind of a tourist trap. The oysters were way overpriced at $2.50 or more a piece. Oyster stew had way too much cream. Baked oysters were nice. Probably the dish to get, ironically enough, is a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich, described as Cow Girls' Mezzo Secco, cave-aged Gruyere and Fromage Blanc served with house made pickled vegetables.

1 Ferry Plz
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 391-7117
http://www.hogislandoysters.com