The best food and restaurants for today. Atwater, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Thai Town, Hollywood, New York and wherever my travels take me.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Pasita, New York

I had a quick trip to NYC last week so thought I'd do a quick wrap up on some of the food highlights. First off, my friend Steve took me to Pasita, a new Venezuelan-style pizza place and wine bar in the West Village. Pasita specializes in thin-crust pizzas and these didn't disappoint--my prosciutto and arugula pizza was excellent as was Steve's white pizza with artichokes and mushrooms. Jesse's South American-style pizza of shredded beef and manchego may have been my favorite. We also sampled the yucca fries. We'd had so many glasses of the Chilean Carmenere that the owner was nice enough to charge us for a bottle rather than a glass which we learned only when we'd finally stopped drinking and asked for the bill after all the other restaurant patrons had gone home.

Pasita
47 8th Ave (West Village between Horatio Street and W 4th St)
(212) 255-3900

Olives, New York

It wasn't my idea to have lunch at Olives in the W Hotel on Union Square. It was pouring rain and I was drenched by the time we got there, but it turned out to be well worth it. I had the special three-course Greenmarket menu from which I selected minestrone soup (easily one of the best I've ever had), saffron-yellow pillows of agnolloti stuffed with braised lamb shank on a bed of tomato ragu (incredible) and, for dessert, a pairing of homemade sorbets. I also tried my friend Rika's prosciutto and fig pizza which is her favorite and a seasonal specialty. Todd English has restaurants all over the world at this point (I ate at the Beacon Hill branch of Figs while in Boston over the summer) so it was nice to find this outpost (and in a hotel no less) delivering such quality. The next time I'm in New York lunch at Olives may be my idea.

Olives
W Hotel, Union Square
201 Park Ave South (at 17th St)
(212) 353-8345

Country, New York

I've eaten at Country, Jeffrey Zakarian's restaurant in the Carlton Hotel, a number of times since that's usually the hotel I stay at while in NY. I hadn't been particulary impressed until this trip when, while waiting for my car to JFK, I decided to grab a quick bite at the bar. I ordered the clam chowder which is served ceremoniously by the waiter who pours a small carafe of clam broth and heavy cream into a bowl filled with freshly cooked clams and small chunks of smokey bacon. Enough said. Even better though was the Tuna Pizzette, an open-faced tuna sandwich with alternating strips of sourdough bread topped with sashimi-grade raw tuna on half of the pieces and what must have been olive oil-poached albacore on the others. All of this was garnished with thinly sliced, slender long French radishes, some fresh greens and a little fleur de sel. Now that's a tuna sandwich.

Country
90 Madison Ave (at 29th St)
(212) 889-7100

Sunday, November 05, 2006

La Diferencia, Tijuana




What could be a better antidote on a day trip to the relative grime and mayhem that is Tijuana than to find an out-of-the-way restaurant where you can relax in a colorful but quiet tiled courtyard listening to a gurgling fountain and the chirp of caged birds while sipping from a cold bottle of Sol? La Diferencia is a far cry from the places along Avenida RevoluciĆ³n where barkers shouting "hey buddy" try to hustle you in for a shooter of Cuervo Gold. In fact, it's on a relatively elegant Restaurant Row about 15 minutes (and only a $6 cab ride) away from the border itself. The menu features elegantly presented and rather sophisticated takes on Mexican cuisine.

I'd long wanted a chance to try cuitlacoche, the corn fungus prized as a delicacy in Mexico, and was happy to see that La Diferencia offered it in several different preparations. I opted for the appetizer of cuitlacoche crepes in tomatillo sauce which was delicious. The crepes were light little bundles filled with the earthy, black cuitlacoche and tied closed at the top with a small amount of corn husk. The cuitlacoche reminded me a bit of black beans but with a slightly funky corn aftertaste. As a main course I opted for the chile relleno de jaiba, which, as the name implies, is a chile poblano stuffed with crab. This was no greasy, batter-fried chile, but instead had been baked in puff-pastry to a golden brown and dusted with sesame seeds. The same puff-pastry showed up as an edible lid on Buddy's soup through which he could poke through to the light, clear mushroom broth hidden below. He especially liked his shrimp enchiladas which I tried and can also say were excellent. The service at La Diferencia is excellent too, which, the food aside, must account for the popularity of the place among the crowd of well-to-do tijuanenses with whom we dined. I'm not sure that a trip to TJ will ever be complete without a trip down the donky-painted-as-zebra sideshow that is Avenida RevoluciĆ³n, but it sure was nice to find a top-notch restaurant turning out inventive, excellent Mexican cuisine only slightly off the beaten path.

La Diferencia
Blvd. Sanchez Taboada 10611-A
Zona Rio, Tijuana B.C.
(011 52 664) 6 34 33 46

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Yai Restaurant, Thai Town and Los Feliz

It's always great to hear about another restaurant in Thai Town, and that's especially the case when the recommendation comes from well known local Thai chef Jet Tila. In fact, Yai was number one on the list of restaurants that Jet put together for KCRW's Good Food a few weeks ago, so that was more than enough reason for me to try it. Even better, Jet provided a list of his favorite dishes at each restaurant which made the discovery process even easier.

I'd had deep fried catfish at the old Palms Thai before, a whole fish, flash-fried to a crispy golden crunch while the inside stays moist and tender. Yai fries the whole fish too, but it's been cut cross-wise in half-inch slivers so that you can pick up and eat each little piece which is crispy almost all the way through. It's served with a red chile paste on the side so you can add your own level of kick. Jet recommended the Pad Thai but I couldn't resist trying Pad Kee Mao instead, my favorite Thai noodle dish made with the wider rice noodles which are pan fried with chicken and topped with some fresh basil. Perhaps my favorite dish though was the starter of papaya salad that my friend David suggested we order. The sweetness of the fresh papaya played perfectly with the salty, savory fish sauce and dried shrimp while chile peppers packed some heat. It's that amazing balance of flavors that makes Thai food so satisfying and exciting all at once. I look forward to working my way down the rest of Jet's list of favorites and then making my way back to the top to try Yai Restaurant again.

UPDATE:

A second outpost of Yai's Restaurant opened in February in the strip center at the corner of Hollywood and Vermont. The spanking clean interior and relatively more upscale digs make the whole Yai experience all around more pleasant. Best of all, the food is just as good and the servers couldn't have been nicer.

Yai Restaurant
5757 Hollywood Blvd, just east of Western Ave
Hollywood
323 462-0292

and

1627 N Vermont Ave
Los Feliz
323 644-1076

Monday, October 16, 2006

Skooby's Hot Dogs, Hollywood and Hermosa Beach



Last Saturday after seeing a great Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show at the Henry Fonda, I was determined to find some food before I made my way home. One of my friends has often described me as resolute, and at least when it comes to food that much is true: I wanted a chili cheese dog and by god I was going to have one. Lucky for me, not only does Skooby's stay open till all hours of the night (3 am on weekends), they make an excellent and dare I say high quality chili dog. Both the dog and bun are custom made for Skooby's and the fries they make are hand-cut--much like the ones at In N Out--and served with a roasted red pepper aioli. Take that, Pinks. My only complaint was that they don't take credit cards and so I had to wander up Hollywood Blvd at 1 am checking various tattoo parlos and bondage gear shops for an ATM. Still, a person could do a lot worse than to end up at Skooby's after a late night out in Hollywood. As for why you'd be out at all in Hermosa Beach, you're on your own.

Skooby's
6654 Hollywood Blvd (@ Cherokee)
Hollywood

and

502 PCH
Hermosa Beach

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Square One Dining, Hollywood


Square One is definitely my kind of place. Not only do they serve brunch till 4 pm (they're open only from 8-4 daily except Mondays), but the food is of such high quality and the presentation and attention to detail so on point that they truly do fall into that rarified category of restaurants that show love and respect for the food they serve. The hollandaise-covered poached eggs with house-cured salmon served on a bed of frisee and potato pancakes that I ate for brunch today at 3 pm was surely love on a plate. The mixed greens salad in a vinaigrette that accompanied it was garnished with the thinnest, most perfectly uniform julienne of fresh radishes; a light dusting of red cayenne pepper topped the hollandaise; the thick smoky bacon that I stole off of Nicole's plate had been cooked to a soft crunch; orange juice is fresh-squeezed. I can't wait to go back to try their lunch menu, particularly the olive oil poached albacore tuna sandwich on five grain bread. According to their website, Square One believes in serving only organic, locally sourced produce and it shows. Not surprisingly, I hear there can be quite a crowd early in the day waiting to get a seat. Here's where sleeping in offers an added bonus--by arriving after the rush today not only did we have our choice of prime patio tables, but we had the perfect vantage point from which to observe the always curious comings-and-goings at the Scientology Center across the street.

Square One Dining
4854 Fountain Ave
Hollywood
323 661-1109

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Arturo's Puffy Taco, Whittier

The half-life of a puffy taco is short. The flaky, deep-fried masa shell that makes it so delectable to eat also makes it painful to pick up and quick to collapse under its own weight back onto your paper plate once you do so. The puffy taco taunts--how badly do you want me?

You might just want it badly enough to drive to Whittier, home of Arturo’s Puffy Taco. Both of the filling options you expect for this Tex-Mex original, the savory ground beef picadillo, or the shredded, stewed chicken, are listed on the lighted menu board outside this taco stand that shares a parking lot with the neighborhood U-Haul franchise.

Order dos puffies with Arturo’s guacamole sauce at the outside window and then head inside to grab one of the formica-top booths that aren’t already filled with local teens or Mexican families out with their kids on a Saturday night. The cutlery is plastic, the lighting fluorescent, but what do you expect for a meal this good in LA where $10 gets you cheese enchiladas, a puffy taco, pitch-perfect rice and refried beans, fresh lemonade and $1.50 in change?

Arturo’s Puffy Taco
15693 Leffingwell Rd
Whittier, CA
(562) 947-2250

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Pinkberry, LA and New York


After what turned out to ultimately be a quixotic drive across town to a meeting that got cancelled while I was waiting for it to start, I decided that a stop to finally try Pink Berry, the Korean frozen yogurt place poised to soon multiply across LA, would be a good way to rescue the afternoon. I can never get enough fro-yo but this, like most all desserts for me, always means chocolate. Pink Berry prides itself on offering only two flavors, Green Tea and Original, and since I'm not typically a fan of the flavors used widely in Asian desserts (you can keep all your lycheess and dorians), I was slightly disappointed not to find my favorite flavor on offer. A few bites into my small cup of Original was enough to change my mind. The taste is fresh, not too sweet and slightly tart. It reminded me very much of a lemon cream or perhaps the taste of Key Lime Pie. This being LA, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised to find they have their own doorman, the better to manage what I've heard can be a line that normally snakes down the sidewalk. What next, a valet?

Pink Berry
868 Huntley Dr (just south of Santa Monica Blvd)
West Hollywood

UPDATE:

I musn't forget to mention that I stopped in at the first NYC branch of Pinkberry for a taste of home back in the fall. There's no doorman yet, much less lines down the street, but the place did have a few mid-day customers. It's on a stretch of W 32nd St lined with Korean barbecue restaurants. I understand that stores in the upper 80s, Soho and Chelsea (naturally) are also set to open, among others. I guess if Pinkberry can make it in WeHo, they can make it anywhere.

Pinkberry
7 W 32nd St (between 5th and Broadway)

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Loteria Grill, Farmers Market

While a more obvious choice than I typically like to post about since it's in the shadow of the Grove and so hardly off the beaten path, I must finally confess in writing my love for this food stand in the 3rd & Fairfax Farmer's Market. Since I'd eaten there with Jon and Jason just last weekend and so had satiated the normal hankering for my favorite-in-LA chicken enchiladas suizas in a tomatillo sauce with a side of black beans and arroz verde, I was free on a visit yesterday with my cousin to try something new. She and I split a plate of chile rellenos and I also ordered two tacos, one of cochinita pibil and one of papas con rajas poblanas. Actually the chile relleno was supposed to be her lunch, but the plate of food was so huge it wouldn't have been right for her not to share. Turns out there were actually two chiles. The first appeared to be the typical battered and deep-fried chile poblano, but inside it was filled with cheese and what we think was sauted squash and onions. The other was a firey dried red chile filled with black bean puree and covered in a light cream sauce. Piled along side the two was a picadillo of ground beef (?), plump raisins and slivers of almonds. Everything was delicious and the presentation really looked amazing too.

I'll admit to having eaten the taco of potatos and poblano peppers with a hint of crumbled Mexican white cheese at Loteria before so that wasn't a new one for me. I loved it again. However, I'd never tried their cochinita pibil and am happy to report that it was fantastic and not as greasy (or admittedly quite as rich and tasty) as the James Beard Award winning standard served at Yuca's on Hillhurst. Tiny slivers of pickled red onion topped the shredded pork taco which is just the type of attention to detail that keeps me coming back for more at Loteria.

Loteria Grill
Farmer's Market
3rd and Fairfax Aves

Full House Seafood Restaurant, Chinatown

After checking out the Banksy show at the gallery downtown last night, a group of us headed over to Chinatown for some chow. We ended up at Full House, a lively but smaller version of the ballroom-sized dim sum/seafood houses across the street but still complete with tanks of live spot prawns, lobsters and a strictly decorative freshwater fish so enormous for the size of his tank we were certain he hadn't been able to make a turn for years. With six of us at the table, we were able to order quite a feast.

I normally don't care too much about Hot & Sour soup, but the one I had was perhaps the best example I can remember tasting. It was full of different types of mushrooms, tofu and just a hint of red pepper to give it some heat. I think I ate three bowls. Others tried the wonton soup which also looked excellent, packed as it was with vegetables including vividly green brocolli, baby squid tentacles, chicken, and pork-filled wontons. I ordered stir-fried snowpea leaves for the table which were a hit. (Spinach seemed like bad idea anyway and I love the snowpea leaves though I can't stand snowpeas themselves.) I also ordered scallops in a black pepper sauce which I thought was okay, not great. I'd never tried the thin Singapore noodles which came spicy and with a kick of curry powder and bits of shrimp and vegetables. The shrimp with candied walnuts is also a good dish to share with a lot of people since it's a heart attack on a plate. (The shrimp are lightly battered, fried and then covered in a mayonnaise-based sauce and candied walnuts.) This version had turned a bit mushy by the time it reached our table so wasn't as nice and crisp as it could have been but still rather delicious. Other dishes included a bright red sweet and sour beef which I didn't try, a half peking duck (I love eating the crispy skin on steamed buns with a little plum sauce but am always rather indifferent to the meat itself; just seems like too much trouble to get much off those tiny bones). Somewhere in there was a plate of pan-fried dumplings which are hard not to like. I'll definitely be going back to Full House and I'm sure it'll come in especially handy when there are gallery shows around the corner on Chunk King Rd this fall.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Galcos Soda Pop Stop, Highland Park

Galco's Soda Pop Stop, Highland Park

Galco is a fantastic shop in an old grocery store on York Blvd that specializes in hard-to-find soda pops from across the country. The store is completely filled with palletes and shelves of obscure colas and pops from across the country. I even spied some Mexican Cokes (made with real sugar, rather than corn syrup like the domestic stuff). I stopped in today and picked up 6 bottles of my family's favorite, Sun-Drop, a carbonated lemon-lime soda bottled in North Carolina which is still only otherwise distributed in little towns in NC, VA and TN. I asked for a recommendation on root beer (they carry around 40 different varieties) and was directed to Red Ribbon Home Brewed Style Root Beer from Natrona, PA. Not overly sweet (also made with real sugar), it was perfect with the Italian sub sandwich I ordered at the deli counter in the back of the store. Galco's also carries a wide selection of beer and some old time candies like Pop Rocks and Nestle 100 Grand bars. You can also pick up old-fashioned seltzer water in the refillable glass squirt containers. There's a $15 deposit on the bottle but I think I may give that I try next time I stop in. I don't know if there's another store like this one in the country so we're lucky to have it right in our backyard. The owner is super friendly and intimately knowledgable about the products he carries too.

Galco's Soda Pop Stop
5702 York Blvd
Highland Park

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Orris, West LA

My friend Susan was in town from Australia for a conference at UCLA this week so it presented a perfect time to finally try Orris on Sawtelle. At the waiter's recommendation we started with the fried shishito peppers with prosciutto and parmesan. Squash blossoms stuffed with shrimp mousse and olive tapenade was a perfect use of squash blossoms which are pleniful at the farmer's markets right now. Snapper carpaccio with ginger was perhaps my favorite dish of the evening. The ginger dressing was perfect on the warm, sashimi-style snapper. Dungeness crab cakes were tiny but tasty; there are three to a serving, each about an inch in diameter and they are served on a whole-grain mustard sauce. Since I was still a bit hungry we finished off the meal with an order of fried chicken a la japonaise and a side of potato dauphinois. The chicken nuggets were simply fried and served with a spicy sauce. The potatoes were rich and gooey in their cream sauce. As the little plates of food kept arriving the restaurant patio where we were seated filled up as did the interior of the restaurant until the place was totally hopping. We whiled away our Wednesday evening, Susan drinking dark Asahi beer (she the government subsidizes the wine industry and that beer is relatively expensive in Oz) while I tried both a French and Italian rose followed by a Cab/Shiraz blend from Australia. We finally opted for a dessert of flourless chocolate cake with coffee gelato before finally rolling to the car. The bill was $111 plus tip so it wasn't a cheap night out but well worth it for the feast we had.

Orris
2006 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles
(310) 268-2212

Sunday, August 13, 2006

B&G Oysters Ltd, Boston

Across the street from The Butcher Shop and with the same owners, B&G is a top end seafood restaurant with a casual sophisticated vibe and an awesome patio. Fresh oysters can be had from spots all along the New England coast and from Canada as well. Michelle took me here the night I arrived in Boston and I had one of the best versions of a lobster roll I can remember. The clam chowder with hunks of bacon was fantastic as well.

B&G Oysters Ltd
550 Tremont St
Boston
617.423.0550

B & G Oysters in Boston

No Name Restaurant, Boston


Though right on the waterfront, this is no tourist trap. You have to walk down a lonely stretch of closed docks and follow the arrow to No Name, which is filled with locals and others who have probably been coming here for years. We snagged one of the formica tables with a view across Boston Harbor towards Logan where I had a sweet, perfectly cooked boiled lobster with butter. The seafood chowder is apparently renowned but I didn't think it had all that much flavor. Boston Cream Pie for dessert was a must and this one was perfect.

No Name Restaurant
Fishermans Wharf
15 Fish Pier St W (Cross Street: Seaport Boulevard)
617 338-7539

The Butcher Shop, Boston

I ate here twice, the first time Michelle and I stopped in for wine and a house-made charcuterie/cheese plate which was excellent. We had a glass of the Bugey Cerdon sparkling rose which I would like to find here in LA. Later that week I returned with a colleague and had dinner at one of the high tables along the window. We each had the tenderloin which was a superb piece of meat. Fine dining in a very casual but cool atmosphere, the bill was $150 for two including something chocolate for dessert.

The Butcher Shop
552 Tremont Street
Boston
617.423.4800

Butcher Shop in Boston

Hama Sushi, Little Tokyo

Buddy convinced me to branch out a bit from my favorite sushi joint, Saito's, so we headed down to Little Tokyo to a place he had been once before. The inside of the tiny restaurant is mostly taken up by a u-shaped sushi bar, manned by two chefs. The waitresses brought us each steaming hot towels and took our drink order and returned with a tall, cold bottle of Sapporo to share. Over the course of the evening we downed albacore, toro (the good one at $10 per order rather than the cheaper version at $5), snapper, hamachi, more hamachi and some miso soup with clams. Did I mention the hamachi? It was the melt-in-your-mouth variety as was the albacore and toro. (It seems you can hardly go wrong with these in most sushi restaurants). The final tab was around $80 plus tip which is about what is to be expected for excellent sushi. Lucky for me I had forgotten my wallet (Oops!). Thanks Buddy. Get you next time?

Hama Sushi
347 E 2nd St
(213) 680-3454

Lou, Hollywood

I finally made it to Lou a few weeks ago. Buddy and I rolled into the parking lot on a Monday night and I was discouraged to see drapes completely blocking the view of the restaurant interior. Thinking the place was closed, I hesitated to give the door a try but lucky for us, a peek through the curtain revealed a cool and darkly subdued dining room, with more than a view people seated and eating. So don't be fooled by the curtain if you go. You can't see a damn thing until you force your way inside.

Lou is about wine and small plates of food. We sampled a rose and the charcuterie and cheese plate, gravlax, frisee salad with goat cheese, heirloom tomato salad and a peach crumble for desert. Everything was good, though I would have liked to see a couple of simple entrees on the menu in addition to the appetizers. I would go back again to sample some more of the wines, perhaps after dining on a proper meal elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Lou
724 N Vine St
(323) 962-6369

Monday, July 03, 2006

La Parrilla, Silver Lake

It took me quite a while to find Mexican food in West LA that I thought was half-way decent. So I was thrilled to find La Parrilla a few years ago, not least for the homemade guacamole that, if you're lucky, will be made on a cart right at your table. If not, it's still made to order and pairs well with the fresh tortillas and grilled meats that are the restaurant's specialty. On my most recent visit it was scorching hot outside so something light was in order. Buddy and I dug our chips into a big bowl of the fresh guac and I ordered some fish ceviche. Turns out they were out of the fish on this day so I opted for the shrimp ceviche instead. The waiter returned with an enormous dish of diced shrimp mixed with fresh tomato and onion served on a bed of shredded lettuce. Fresh leaves of lettuce were sticking up from the platter providing a green backdrop to the ceviche and crisp tostadas that sat at the side. I've had the fish ceviche at La Parrilla before and think I prefer it to the shrimp variety. But it was light and not a bad snack at all on a languid afternoon, especially when piled on a tostada with some of the piquant fresh pico de gallo and guacamole.

Buddy had the shrimp fajitas which he seemed to enjoy. Even though it was mid-afternoon, the mariachi with the Elvis-style pompadour was already working the room with his sidekick. For $6 the duo sang a rousing version of the classic "El Rey" and it was worth the money just to see Buddy fidget uncomfortably while they serenaded us. Our bowl of guacamole now empty, we stumbled back out into the blinding light of day and the cars whizzing by on Sunset fully satisfied with our meal.

La Parrilla
3129 W Sunset Blvd (Silver Lake Blvd)
323 661-8055

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Chosun Galbee, Koreatown

I've been searching for a new restaurant to try in Koreatown and had read several posts about this one on Chowhound so this seemed like a good night to try it. Greg and Sara had never had the Korean and there isn't much of it in Austin so they were game. We had one order each of Bulgoki and Tiger Shrimp for the grill as well as the cold spicy Bibim NengMyun noodles and Galbee Dolsot Bibimbob, the rice and vegetable dish cooked in a sizzling hot stone bowl until the rice is crispy. All of the food including the kimchee and assorted other pickled vegetables (bean sprouts, zuchini, julienned Japanese radish, etc.) they brought out were fantastic and we also were thrilled to each be served a green salad with a tasty light dressing at the start of our meal. Greg and I shared a giant Hite lager. We grilled up the bulgoki and the shrimp and ate them wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves and topped with the firey orange paste which I wish I knew the name of. We all agreed this was one of the best meals of the weekend and a great introduction to Korean food. My favorites were the bulgoki and the bibimbob. I might try another noodle dish next time since the NengMyun tasted so similar to the kimchee but it was all so good and the bill very reasonable at around $30 per person. Service was also excellent except for the surly host with earpiece who balked when when we asked for a better table. 'What do you mean by a better table?" he asked. "One that's not in the back corner of the restaurant next to the kitchen door and server station perhaps?" I replied. He found us a booth in the middle of restaurant which was perfect.

Chosun Galbee
3330 W. Olympic Blvd
(323)734-3330

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Ciudad, Downtown

By the time we made it from Malibu down to Venice for a walkabout through the canals and along the boardwalk and then all the way back to my house, it was already getting late. The original plan was to head to MOCA for a late-night viewing of the Rauschenburg exhibit but eating dinner was agreed to be the first order of business. Ciudad seemed a good choice as I hadn't eaten there in a few years but figured it would be a hopping spot what with all the people downtown for the MOCA and Kinky/Sidestepper show. It was indeed hopping and we were lucky enough to snag a seat on the outdoor patio with a view of the lights of the neighboring skyscrapers all around. We started with the "Chicarones" Nachos which were a special. We had a hard time getting out of our drink-server whether or not the nachos were actually chicharones (fried pig intestines) but then learned that they were in fact a facsimile made of flour so we ordered them. They were definitely interesting and a pretty amazing technical feat--a hollow puffy chip with the same heft and crunch of traditional fried pig guts--but we would have settled for some corn chips. Not only would corn tortilla chips have been easier to eat, but they would have been more flavorful than the flour "chicarones" too. Pomegranate margaritas were a hit as were our entrees. I had a special of Copper River Salmon served on a bed of minty barley and topped with a tomato jam. Copper River salmon is my favorite and I look forward to eating it whenever possible this time every year. This preparation was delicious though perhaps a bit salty. I'd love to figure out how they made that barley though. Greg and Sara both ordered the Stuffed Tomato and Chile Relleno which they managed to polish off with no trouble. For dessert we shared a piece of chocolate cake. We lingered over coffee till we were the last ones in the restaurant and never did make it to MOCA.

Ciudad
445 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles
(213) 486-5171

Malibu Seafood, Malibu

We set out for Malibu on Saturday around 11:30 and made great time heading out the 101 and over the brilliant Kanan Dune Rd with amazing views of the Pacific as we sped down towards PCH. We wanted to eat before hitting the beach and I knew Greg would love Malibu Seafood so we parked across the street and dodged traffic as we ran across the street to wait in line. I ordered the Seafood Combo which is a fried basket of the greatest hits: fish, scallops, oysters, shrimp and fries. All were excellent but I thought the best was the fish which was perfectly moist and flakey. Sara had a fried fish and a fish taco which she loved; Greg had the fried shrimp which he also loved. We had a nice view of the Pacific from our covered picnic table on one of the lower dining patios. I hope to make it out to the 'bu again soon and next time I'm ordering the two-piece fish basket and calling it a day. Oh, the beach was amazing too and I even got in the water for the first time this year. Lovely afternoon.

25653 Pacific Coast Hwy
(one and a half miles north of Pepperdine U.)
310 456 3430

Friday, June 30, 2006

Alcove Cafe & Bakery, Los Feliz

My friends Greg and Sara were in town from Austin this past weekend so I thought I'd start with a summary of all the great places we ate starting with Friday. We were all starving by the time they made it to my house from LAX that afternoon so we headed over to Hillhurst Ave. I had the crab cake sandwich per usual even though I find there to be too much bun and not enough crab cake. Sara had the brie and apple panini which she loved. I can't remember what Greg had but they loved everything and it was great to sit outside in the shade and enjoy a beautiful Southern California afternoon.

Alcove
1929 Hillhurst Ave
323 644 0100

Saito's Sushi, Silver Lake

I had taken Greg to Saito's when he was in town last year and he was eager to take Sara there on this trip. We spent the afteroon checking out the last day of the Klimt exhibit and walking around the La Brea Tar Pits so were ready for some great sushi. I always start with the Albacore Salad and it did not disappoint--lightly seared melt-in-the-mouth albacore sashimi with a ponzu sauce and chopped scallions. I could eat that every day. I don't normally order tuna sushi because I don't find it to be very flavorful but Greg and Sara wanted it and I'm so glad they did. This was some of the best tuna sushi I've ever had. More like toro, this tuna was absolutely lucious. We also had the Japanese Spanish Mackerel which was superb and something my friends said they normally don't like. The halibut and hamachi were all super fresh and fantastic. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing sushi place in my neighborhood. Anyone want to go again?

Saito's Sushi
4339 W Sunset Blvd (at Fountain)
323 663-8890