Thyme Café + Market

thyme café + market © thyme inc

This weekend, my sister and I met our cousin Stefanie for lunch at a new café in Ocean Park called Thyme, which opened last month. It has sort of a Joan’s vibe with lots of white subway tile, charcoal accents and marble countertops. And the menu features similar fare, including a chicken taragon salad sandwich—which I tend to order whenever I see one. When I’ve gotten this at Joan’s, I’ve been disappointed by the bread, which tends to be on the dry side. Here at Thyme, every aspect of the sandwich was FANTASTIC. Smaller slices of hazelnut raisin bread, so a manageable sized sandwich, and with the perfect ratio of tarragon. I would (and now will) drive across town for this sandwich. My sister had an equally superb egg salad sandwich and Stefanie tried a trio of grilled salmon salad, orzo salad and a third that’s escaping memory (I think it involved snap peas?). And we each got mini cupcakes for dessert with some good, strong coffee. Please, please go check this place out and let me know what you order!

mini cupcakes © thyme inc

Ten Years Ago Today…

…I packed into a ‘93 Infiniti and moved from a beautiful Russian Hill apartment overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco into The Oakwood corporate housing—which featured a mirrored murphy bed and was teeming with child talent rehearsing songs from Annie in the common walkways—to take a job as a style editor at the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Things were different then. For starters, there was a Los Angeles Times Magazine. And like many of us raised in the Bay Area, I had preconceived notions about L.A., almost all of which, I’m happy to say, were wrong. I never imagined I’d still be here a decade later, nor that after 10 years I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else (despite occasional fantasies of a swank pad in Belgravia or a modest casa on Lake Como; a girl can dream). Here is a short list of reasons why you’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming from the City of Angels:

1. Langer’s. The #19 sandwich and a celery soda. Enough said.

Langer's #19

2. The Beverly Hills Hotel. If you need a reason to fall in love with The Pink Palace all over again, rent one of my all-time favorite movies, California Suite. It is every bit as relevant 31 years later, from driving to the Valley for the best sushi to capturing LA at its elegant if absurd best. If you need another reason, rent either Designing Woman with Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall or Robert Evans’ The Kid Stays in the Picture for awesome scenes at the city’s best hotel pool. I used to go there on Monday nights for a drink and to listen to my former neighbor play piano in the Polo Lounge. More recently, it’s where I got my husband’s wedding band in the little Asprey shop tucked downstairs.

3. Lonnie Bishop / Neiman Marcus Shoe Salon, Beverly Hills. Lonnie has a preternatural ability to catalog one’s entire shoe collection, and never suggests a shoe resembling anything you already own.

4. Loteria. The best Mexican restaurant in LA prides itself on not offering a combo plate. Sidle up to the taco bar on a Friday night at the Farmer’s Market location and try any of number of tempting tacos and sauces , or head into the newer Hollywood location where you can order a first-rate margarita and my very favorite spicy Tacos de Camaron with avocado and crema. Amazing. The Chicarron de Queso (griddle-toasted cheese) is pretty epic, too.

5. The neighborhood farmers markets. Pretty much every neighborhood has a weekly, year-round farmer’s market that reflects the distinct personality of the neighborhood. You can’t beat the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, and when I’m training with my running group on Saturday mornings out at the beach, I always stop by after before hitting Santa Monica Seafood. But most weekends, you’ll find us at our neighborhood Larchmont Farmer’s Market (where a gent plays reggae for the kids) unless we need something a little harder to find, in which case Hollywood Farmer’s Market is the bomb.

Multi-hued cauliflower at the Larchmont Farmer's Market

6. The Original Farmer’s Market. The Farmer’s Market has stood at Third and Fairfax for 75 years. It is also where my father, that rare breed of native born-and-bred Angeleno, went as a kid. In addition to the tacos at Loteria, I am crazy about the buttery hamburger buns at Thee’s Bakery and the alpha and omega of hamburger meat, Nancy’s Blend at Huntington Meats.

7. Rodeo Drive Chandeliers. During December, a million dollars worth of chandeliers light up Rodeo Drive. Pure magic.

8. Chris Burden’s “Urban Lights.” I think there is little more beautiful than the dramatic installation of 200 vintage Southern California street lamps in front of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Day or night, they’re spectacular. I make a point of driving home via Wilshire at night just to see them.

Urban Lights © Museum Associates / LACMA

9. Yang Chow. I don’t pretend that this is the best Chinese food in LA, but it is my favorite. Every year we get tickets to several Lakers games with our friends Booth and Adam, and before each game we all meet at Yang Chow for Slippery Shrimp and Green Beans with Minced Pork. We try to sit in William’s station. He is a huge Laker’s fan, and is often wearing a team tie. In fact, guess where we’re going tonight? Let’s go, Lakers!

10. The Hollywood Bowl. My father took his dates to the Hollywood Bowl in the 60s and really, is there anywhere more romantic? Grab a picnic and a bottle of wine, and head for the ‘Bowl. Fireworks may ensue.

But of course the very best thing about LA, and the most unexpected part of living here, are the incredible friends and colleagues and colleagues who are friends whom I’ve come to know over the past ten years. So here’s to you, you know who you are! And thank you for making LA a place I am proud to call home.

Honorable mention: Mikawaya mochi and Daikoku Ramen in Little Tokyo, omakase at Sushi Ike, Surfas, The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, hiking or hitting golf balls in Griffith Park, the steamed red curry with seafood at Yai Thai, Book Soup, Harry Winston, reserved seating at Arclight Cinema, sandwiches from John’s Garden and eating them across the PCH under an umbrella at Malibu Lagoon Beach, the view from the gardens at The Getty, Disney Hall, OK Store on Third, running with the LA Leggers at the beach before dawn on Saturday mornings, Dodger dogs, the clam pizza at Mozza, the Triumvirate (Barneys, Saks, Neimans on Wilshire), KPCC, and margaritas after work across the street with my neighbors Alyssa and Martha are RIGHT up there.

Addendum: Cannot believe I forgot to initially include: the Lakers, of course! I’ll be the one in the Pau Gasol Sunday whites jersey at tonight’s game…let’s go, Lakers!

Larchmont Bungalow: Time to Get Saucy

Last week, my sister and I decided to give Larchmont Bungalow a go despite the hate email being circulated amongst neighbors and the fact that one such neighbor accosted us on the way in and snapped disapprovingly, “well, you gotta do what you gotta do.” So I was determined to like this place, if only out of spite. My first visit was just okay, and I figure they still need to work out some service kinks. The burgers were fine (Claire got one with mozzarella and I ordered a stuffed turkey burger) and the buns very good—love the oniony herb situation baked into the top—but both burgers were totally lacking in goop. How about some aioli or something? Anything? Also, Claire ordered the sweet potato fries and they came without any dipping option. Again, a little green goddess or garlicky aioli or even plain old mayonnaise would go a long way here.

Then on Friday, my friend Katie and I made a repeat visit. We both ordered veggie burgers, which are not veggie burgers as we discovered when they arrived at our table despite the menu indicating otherwise, but portabella burgers. (“Our all natural veggie burger layered with goat cheese, grilled portabella, roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach.” Sounds like there’s a patty involved, right?) Again — needs some sort of sauce. And Katie’s sweet potato fries were dry and soggy—which is something of a feat to achieve. The guy at the next table ordered the neon red velvet pancakes (which just sounds gross, so really he had only himself to blame) and declared them “disgusting” after one bite. I want to like this place, so but I think I’ll give it a few more weeks to hit its stride before going back and risking ostracism from my neighbors. Especially with burgers starting at $12.95 and up. And yeah, the owner is being kinda jerky about city zoning. But if they do indeed get a beer license, who am I to judge?

In the meantime, Katie and I will be taking our weekly lunch date back to Larchmont Larder up the street, which has the friendliest staff and SUPER FREAKING YUMMY EGG SALAD! (And a Swiss Barley and prosciutto soup that is to die for.)

Larchmont Bungalow

Looks like the Larchmont Bungalow has hung a shingle and is nearing completion, much to the consternation of many of the locals. I snapped the above picture this afternoon with my iPhone, while running last minute errands on Larchmont for my trip to Portugal tomorrow. I’m pretty excited for the Bungalow to open, despite the email my entire block received from an infuriated neighbor urging us to boycott it (the Bungalow is potentially violating Measure Q by putting in seating, for which they do not have a permit). Next up: where do I purchase a shag wig and some vintage Maison Bonnet frames so I can pop in here for a beer without fear of exile from Windsor Square?

Beer Float

Allow these two words to sink in: Beer. Float. I don’t know where to begin, other than that this is the most genius dessert ever. Yesterday my friend Anne and I met for lunch at The Golden State on Fairfax for some bratwurst and fries. The dogs are courtesy of Let’s Be Frank, and are made with humanely raised pork.

But back to the matter at hand, namely beer + ice cream. Anne ordered us each a beer float—made with Old Rasputin imperial stout and a scoop of brown bread ice cream (they feature several flavors from Scoops—another post for another time). The malty stout mixed with this truly insane ice cream is just heaven in a pint glass. I think I might riff this weekend at home with some Guinness and chocolate gelato.

Where to Drink Beer in Los Angeles

photo via fathersoffice.com

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a scorching hot list of the best beer spots in Los Angeles, courtesy of friend, graphic designer and killer drummer, Ted Byrnes. Ted and I were emailing yesterday about favorite spots for beer in LA, and his recs were so freaking great, I first had to crack open a beer, and then share his encyclopedic knowledge of LA’s best beer-centric watering holes with you…

The Verdugo in Glassell Park – not only do they have a great selection of American and Euro beers, but they also get nice very limited kegs and casks from Stone, Ballast Point and many other fine San Diegan brewers.

Father’s Office – pretty self explanatory – nice beers from CA AND that damn burger!

Pure Luck - I’m sure as you know – it’s a vegan restaurant frequented by the biker punk set (as in fixed gear track bikes, not motorcycles) that has a beer-obsessed owner. This means they stock special bottles like the Stone Collab beers and rare stuff from Jolly Pumpkin and have limited kegs from the likes of my personal favorite newish brewery The Bruery (from Orange County – they also happen to brew Belgian-style beer better than the Belgians, in my opinion). They might get the award for a great edited beer selection.

Lucky Baldwins – this is the most old school of the great beer bars – it’s in Pasadena and has pretty much everything. Brits, Americans, Belgians, French, German… you name it, they probably have it. It’s usually super crowded, and the food is brit style pub food (so not super awesome) but you will be guaranteed some great beers. It should be noted that this is the preferred beer bar of the beer buyer for the Whole Foods in Pasadena, which happens to have one of the best beer selections around in my opinion – nicely edited and gets cellar-worthy stuff.

Blue Palms – this Hollywood spot is much like the Verdugo in terms of the types of beers they offer – nice rare stuff as well as rock solid stuff (like Stone’s Smoked Porter). They also do the cask / limited keg thing – their casks are usually listed on their site in terms of what they will be getting – I think now they have Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean (which I have not yet had).

photo via elpradobar.com

El Prado - nowehere near as good or as interesting as the spots listed above (they have less than 10 taps) but it’s in Echo Park (where I live) and they do rotate and usually will have at least one thing that’s really great. Last time I was there (last week) they had a keg of Allagash’s (from Portland, Maine) Curieux which is a very alcoholic beer that is barrel aged – I believe this one is aged in bourbon barrels. It is very good, and rare-ish to see on tap. It is a tripel-style ale (Belgian style).

The Bruery – they are a brewer in Placentia (Orange County) that has a tap room open on the weekends. They brew the best belgian style beers in my opinion. They do bottle a smallish selection of their beers (the Tradewinds Tripel being the seasonal right now – it’s brewed with Thai basil – yummy) but they have AMAZING shit in their taproom. I no longer really drink Belgian beers as these guys do it great. It should also be noted that I am really not pro-America about anything but beer. I think American craft brewers have pretty much surpassed everyone else in the world, and I think the Bruery is a great example of that, particularly because they do more European style beers. That being said, they also know what they are doing with hops – I just had their Humulus Lager on tap at Pure Luck last night and it was up there on the IBU’s – a great beer!—Ted Byrnes

THE FOODINISTA’S NOTE: Check out The Bruery’s Saison Rue—spicy, fruity and a nice hit of citrusy hops.

Update 8/27/09: Be sure to read the comments for more great recs on LA beer joints!!!

Tuesday Night in Thai Town

So the neighbors can’t be too happy about the fact that a stretch limo dropped off a bunch of seriously happy and chatty customers in front of our house late last night. Our friend Amy was in town from Las Vegas and we all went out on the town—Thai Town, that is—with Chef Jet Tila from the Wynn Encore’s Wazuzu, who is in town filming at his dad’s Bangkok Market on Melrose this week. So last night Jet took us on a tour of Thai Town, and our first stop was Yai Restaurant in a Hollywood strip mall, next to a 7-11. First order of business, a round of Thai beer.

Then Jet ordered some of his favorites representing different regions of Thailand.

Here are just a few, but by no means all, of the dishes we tried. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite, the steamed red curry with seafood (squid, shrimp, scallops, crab, mussels). It’s wrapped in foil, much like Jiffy Pop! It is without doubt, the most exciting dish I’ve tasted in recent memory. Definitely order this.

You’ll also want to get some of the crab steamed rice:

The fried catfish with green apple salad (secret ingredient: pickled garlic) was incredible:

As was the authentic pad thai, extra spicy.

There was also wild boar with red curry, Chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly, fried trout, and much more. Yet somehow we managed to make our way over to Ban Kanom Thai for dessert. It’s a bakery and sweets shop, with homemade ice cream and all manner of enticing pastries and Thai sweets. It’s open until 2 am, and even 10:30 pm on a week night it was pretty hopping. The aroma when you walk through the door is incredible.

Check out this insane coconut pudding with taro. Reeeeeally good.

And these sweet “tacos”…

My friend Booth (another partner in crime last night) and I are already planning a repeat attack. Seriously amazing food, and even better company. Thanks, Amy and Jet!!!

Gjelina in Venice

This weekend Tiny G and I hit Abbot Kinney to meet Tiny G’s doppelgänger HRM and his mom, Andrea, for brunch at Gjelina. First off, the staff there is the bomb. Couldn’t be friendlier, and Tiny G definitely had eyes for ladies at the front of the house. I had eyes for the chickpea stew with Israeli couscous, spiced yogurt and harissa:

Though, seriously, get a load of what Andrea ordered. La Quercia speck with fried eggs, arugula and lemon. Next time I am all over it:

After a couple of mimosas we stopped in next door at Parker Pettit, where Tiny G picked up some Yo My Booties blue suede moccasins like his friend HRM was wearing:

And then we walked down to see my friend Andy, who is the “A” in the A+R Store, which was hopping! I am slightly obsessed with this porcelain Wellington boot vase I saw there from Czech designer Maxim Velčovský. Do I need one??? I think maybe yes…

B is for Breakfast, B is for Bags

The other morning I met a friend for breakfast at BLD—Breakfast Lunch Dinner—restaurant on Beverly. The ricotta blueberry pancakes and fried egg sandwich with gruyère here are legendary. Their coffee arrives in a silver French press, and has to be some of my favorite restaurant coffee around. I love it. This last time, I went a marginally more virtuous route than my beloved fried egg sandwich and got the house-smoked salmon scramble.

But the most delicious aspect of this week’s visit to BLD were the two incredibly chic women sitting next to us speaking what sounded like some sort of Chinese dialect, each with a white Goyard St Louis tote casually slung over her respective chair.

In addition to the matching Goyards and Cartier love bracelets, one woman was wearing a pair of leopard-print Tori Burch Reva ballet flats, which I’ll forgive her, because she was also wearing this gray Chloe sweater jacket I’ve been lusting after (in another life, that is). Her companion was wearing a lovely little lightweight Marc Jacobs-y khaki jacket, white jeans and these beautiful blue Chloe peep-toe sandals. (Someone has a teeny tiny Chloe fixation.)

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all, so why shouldn’t we dress for it?

Chicken Milanese

Whenever my husband is on his own for dinner, and often when he isn’t, you’ll likely find him scarfing a Chicken Milanese sandwich. His favorite is from Joan’s on Third. Joan’s is our favorite spot at which to meet for lunch for a midweek “date.” The rendition of the Chicken Milanese features lightly breaded chicken with melted provolone and a tangy mustard aioli on a baguette. A couple days ago we met there for lunch, and tried a side of the potato salad, which is a new fave. It’s a simple mix of red potatoes tossed in a mustard vinaigrette with chopped Italian parsley. And frankly, if you transferred this into one of your own bowls and served at home, you’d quickly get a reputation for having the best potato salad around…

STREET smart?

A couple nights ago we went with our friends Katie and Matt to STREET, Susan Feniger’s new restaurant in the former Highland Grounds coffee shop on Highland just above Melrose. The menu is inspired by global street food, with an emphasis on vegan and environmentally sustainable ingredients. I had heard great things from a couple of other foodie friends as well as Jonathan Gold’s review, but had read mixed reviews on EatingLA.com. I’m a fan of Feniger and her cooking, so I was predisposed to love this place, particularly since it’s in my neighborhood.

First off, the menu is challenging to navigate—a veritable palate whiplash from Scandinavia to Southeast Asia, and many ports of call in between. I, for one, would find it more accessible if it were reorganized by region instead of, say, one lump category: “Noodles, Soups, Stews, Curries”, a category that represents the cuisines of Thailand, Japan, Italy, Singapore, Vietnam and India. 

Knowing the Too Hot Tamales, I feel confident that Feniger’s solo venture will find its sea legs. But to put it gently, there were a few missteps. The first was the amuse bouche sent out to each table—puffed millet with curry, marshmallow, black currants, coriander and fennel seed, a sort of savory rice krispie treat. I wanted it to be crispier, but it was chewy and stale and dominated by untoasted whole fennel seeds.

With our cocktails (I got a lovely Hemingway Gin & Tonic made with Junipero, an intensely juniper-y gin from the folks at Anchor Steam that shows no quarter) we ordered the Moldavian Meatballs—ground beef and kashi simmered in a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce with dill sour cream—which were pretty good, but a little on the sweet side.

I liked the cardamom, ginger and soy filling in the pork dumplings, but the dough on the dumplings was gluey. The spiced potato paranthas—flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes and fried in butter—got mixed reviews from our table. Katie and I liked them more than the boys did.

The New Jerusalem Bread Salad—a take on Middle Eastern fattoush—was so over-salted and heavy on the cumin that it was barely edible. There were also next to no Jerusalem artichokes involved.

The Egyptian-style Baked Fish (Artic char) was cooked nicely, but the bed of kushary (lentil and macaroni) was off-putting both from a flavor and texture perspective. The dish went largely untouched.

The one dish we all loved was the Stir-Fried Noodles with Shrimp, Pork Belly, Chinese broccoli and choy sum greens. But here, I’d like to point out that we had ordered family style and they brought one big bowl with a large spoon. Not particularly user friendly with large egg noodles.

But where things really went south were in the beverage department. First let me say that the beer, wine and cocktail selection is fun, smart and accessible. The drink vessels, however, are not. I ordered a glass of Côtes-du-Rhône blanc, and it arrived in this precious Sanbitter bottle that looks like a bud vase, along with a diminutive tumbler from which to drink. 

From a service standpoint, I think we were there on a REALLY off night. While we waited 20 minutes for dessert (soggy Turkish doughnuts), I ordered a coffee, which was delivered in a glass tumbler and was so damned hot I couldn’t pick up the glass. I asked our server if he could pick it up, and he agreed it was way too hot, adding, “it was probably sitting under the heat lamp for a while. Let me see what I can do.” He walked up the ramp toward the bathroom and seconds later reappeared with what looked to be the same exact glass of coffee, which was still too hot to pick up. 

So, if you are heading to Street, let me know when the coffee mugs are in. And hopefully by then the kitchen will have fully caught up to Feniger’s clever, if ambitious, concept.

Wardrobe Malfunction + Lunch for $15 or Less: Korean Kitchen Hibachi BBQ

I had hoped today would be the final installment in my quest for cheap lunches downtown during jury duty. But alas, it’s back to court tomorrow morning for more deliberating. Still though, when I set out for lunch today I did think it would be my last downtown for some time, so I went to one of my old faves in the Japanese Village Plaza for some Korean fare. Korean Kitchen Hibachi BBQ is tucked in the corner of the mall, and is a darkish galley-like space serving some of the better Korean BBQ and bibimbap outside of Koreatown. Bibimbap is one of my all-time fave dishes—a bowl of hot rice served with beef and veggies and topped with a raw or fried egg. I like to dump some kimchi in there and a ton of chile paste. It’s super cheap, and although I didn’t order the Korean bbq specials, they look to be as good as ever.

Back to the wardrobe malfunction. Someone—and not I—put my tights in the dryer, which basically frazzled the lycra and meant that by midmorning the tights were threatening to fall down at any moment. The horror. So I ducked into the American Apparel on 2nd in Little Tokyo and grabbed some reinforcements in midnight blue, which ended up looking great under a black jersey a-line dress. While I was at it, I picked up these stripey leggings in cream/black, which I thought would be fun with a long black cardigan and some tomato red Lanvin ballet flats for tomorrow. Or do stripes read too jailbird?

Lunch for $15 or Less: Blossom Restaurant

The latest in my quest for lunch under $15 while on jury duty downtown…

Week Three on jury duty, and so far my favorite meal downtown has been at Blossom Vietnamese on Main between Fourth and Fifth. I’m always excited to have a bowl of pho, the Vietnamese specialty of rice noodles in beef broth with thinly sliced beef. Blossom’s is particularly fresh and flavorful, and the beef seemed to be better quality than one often encounters in pho situations. Along with the sliced beef and noodles in the broth were fresh cilantro, scallions, and thinly sliced yellow onions.

Each order of pho is accompanied by a plate of bean sprouts, jalapeños, fresh basil and a wedge of lime, all of which I added to the broth. I have to say, this is one of the better bowls of pho in recent memory. I also ordered a ginger limeade, which is super spicy with fresh ginger. I could drink those all day long.

Two women at a neighboring table had an order of spring rolls and said they were great. I’ll be back for sure. Oh, and the total was $11.47, $3.50 of which was for the drink. Not exactly a bargain where pho is concerned, but definitely worth it.

Lunch for $15 or Less: Grand Central Market

The latest in my quest for lunch under $15 while I’m on jury duty downtown…

The other day I asked a couple friends for their favorite food stalls at Grand Central Market, a Los Angeles fixture since 1917. The first to respond was my friend Alec, who said “the one where Joey Pants meets DeNiro in Midnight Run.” (One of my all-time favorite movies.) I think DeNiro and Pantoliano meet at China Cafe inside Grand Central, does anyone know?

I wasn’t in the mood for Chinese, besides which, I was particularly taken with the suggestion from Pat Saperstein of EatingLA.com to check out Maria’s Fresh Seafood, specifically the shrimp tostada and fresh scallop taco. I ordered as directed, adding on a tamarindo (tamarind and Sprite – love), the grand total for which was $7! Given the generous portions and reasonable prices, I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh the fish was. And I love the crispy batter on the scallops in the soft taco. 

Checking out my fellow diners, it seems like the thing to get, and next time I will, is the seafood cocktail served in a cup. After lunch I wandered around and made a note to come back the next time I need dried chiles. Look at this stand:

Also, I was glad to see that Tumbras a Tomas, my favorite place for tortas, is still doing a mean business—standing room only. If jury duty lasts long enough last week (and I pray that it doesn’t), I’ll be back to order a goat torta, or else lengua and cabeza tacos. 

Lunch for $15 or Less: East Japanese Restaurant

The latest in my quest for lunch under $15 while I’m on jury duty downtown...

First let me say that it is possible to order any number of satisfying lunchbox options for $8.50 at East Japanese Restaurant in Little Tokyo. Your choices of entrées include tonkatsu pork cutlet, broiled mackerel, tuna handroll, or tempura vegetables—each comes with a choice of a couple pieces of sushi or sashimi to start, as well as green salad, miso and steamed rice. Or, you can order a sushi combo of four pieces of sushi and a 6-piece cut roll, with miso soup, for $8.50. A bargain considering Whole Food’s version of this (called the Medium Tsunami Combo) fetches $9.95 and on occasion features cut rolls that are frozen in the middle.

Second, a confession. I blew my $15 budget by almost double. Instead of ordering one of the enticing and affordable lunch specials, I ordered directly from the sushi bar in part to erase the memory of Monday’s subpar sushi experience, but mostly because the specials board boasted Santa Barbara sea urchin. Uni, or sea urchin, is one of my very favorite things to eat and I love living so close to the source of some of the best uni around! Sweet, creamy and slightly nutty, uni is rarely a bargain on a sushi menu. In this case it was $7.50 for two pieces. It was incredibly fresh, and worth every cent.

Add to that the Chu-toro from Japan, a couple pieces of hamachi, and salmon for the omega 3 fatty acids, and an unusual ume shisho cut roll (below) made from pickled Asian plum paste and shiso leaves with fresh mint, at once both tart and slightly sweet. The flavor was a little too intensely sour for my taste, but definitely one of the more interesting flavor combos I’ve tried recently. I highly recommend the sushi at East, and I’m told that the udon is really good and that at night they have an extensive appetizer list that features sublimely grilled squid. 

Lunch for $15 or Less: Frying Fish

The latest in my quest for lunch under $15 while I’m on jury duty downtown…

Back in the day when I worked downtown (circa ‘99 to ‘04), Frying Fish Restaurant in the Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo was a favorite for cheap, conveyer-belt sushi. The good news is that your sushi is still delivered via conveyer belt, an amusing novelty, and it’s still cheap. As well it should be, because—how do we put this nicely? I guess we don’t. The fish is remarkably flavorless. Definitely frozen. The hip Japanese clientele who once crowded the bar seem to have moved onto fresher waters. Yesterday there was an assortment of cops, college kids and a few tourists who’d wandered in. The service is friendly and the sushi won’t kill you. But check back tomorrow for better sushi options in the vicinity.

Lunch for $15 or Less: Daikokuya Ramen

The latest in my quest for lunch under $15 while I’m on jury duty downtown…

Until this afternoon, I would have told you without missing a beat that the best ramen I’ve ever had is at Momofuku in New York (made with Berkshire pork shoulder and belly, and a poached egg). I’m pretty sure Momofuku’s still rules the roost—it’s been a while since I’ve had it—but today I discovered a bowl of ramen in Little Tokyo that would give David Chang a serious run for his money. My friend Bryan (aka DJ Buttafuoco for all you downtown hipsters), who lives a few blocks from Daikokuya, gave me my marching orders, saying, “The Daikoku Ramen is what you’re there for. They make it ‘kotteri style’ if you ask, which is richer, thicker broth extracted from pork back fat. It might kill you, but it’s worth it.” 

Boy, he’s not kidding. The tonkotsu broth is made by boiling pork bones for a day, and then mixing with soy sauce—and, if you ask, the kotteri back fat. Ask. Then it’s loaded with tender kurobata pork belly, scallions, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and toasted sesame seeds. The soft-boiled egg is marinated overnight in soy sauce, and lordy, is it good. The bill, with a diet Coke, was a little over ten bucks before tip. I texted DJ Buttafuoco on my way back from lunch that I’d tried the ramen, to which he replied, “Now the real challenge begins: avoiding the noodle/pork fat coma for the rest of the afternoon.” I’m not sure I won that battle, but was sure glad for the brisk walk back from the restaurant to the courthouse, taking in the sights along the way. It was crazy windy—bad day to be wearing a skirt—but just gorgeous, gorgeous outside.

For previous LUNCH FOR $15 OR LESS, CLICK HERE!

Lunch for $15 or Less in Downtown LA: New Moon

My friend Max, who is a DA in the Bay Area, gave me a great idea. Since he couldn’t give me any advice about dealings inside the courtroom, he had some for outside the jury box, namely lunch. So for the duration of my jury service, I’ll be looking for cheap eats that cost less than $15 (which is what they “pay” you for jury service; I’ll actually be donating my fees). Thanks, Max, great idea!

Today I met one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world for lunch since she works a stone’s throw from the courthouse. We hopped on the DASH bus at Second/Spring (it only costs 25¢!) and cruised down to New Moon on Spring/9th. Back when I used to work in fashion, she and I used to grab a chicken salad here, and then head across the street to browse at the now-defunct fashion bookstore in the New Mart, or visit one of the showrooms in that building. Once we got trapped in an elevator at the New Mart, and I started hyperventilating. She whipped out a large volume on Dior: The Early Years that she’d just purchased, and started reading aloud. It was instantly calming, not to mention fascinating. The next 45 minutes flew by.

But back to New Moon. It’s seen better days (but haven’t we all?). But the service is super friendly, the Original New Moon Chinese Chicken Salad is still good (and huge, huge portions so get a small unless you’re sharing) and I love the wontons they still bring out at the beginning with the sweet dipping sauce. We got an order of potstickers, a large original chicken salad and two Arnold Palmers, for which the total bill before tip was $22. Throw in a well-heeled clientele to boot.

Meatloaf to the Rescue

Yesterday I had jury duty, and was exhausted by the time it was all over (guess who got on a jury?). So we decided to try takeout from Larchmont Larder, where we’d been when it first opened and enjoyed, but hadn’t been back in a couple months. We wanted something easy and extra comforting so we went with the meatloaf. It’s a classic blend of pork, beef and veal, and comes with a naughty mushroom cream gravy, which, let’s be honest, was kind of just what the doctor ordered. It’s not cheap—for four slices of meatloaf, and sides of sauteed spinach and mushrooms with shallots and herbs—it came to $35. But when you consider that I spent $17 on an egg salad sandwich and an Arnold Palmer last week at Café Midi, it’s a little easier to swallow. Plus, the meatloaf was satisfying and good, and we have leftovers.

Update 4/3/09: I feel it’s important to call out my friend Selena’s comment in the section below. She and her office ordered takeout from Larchmont Larder today, and it was very disappointing. It seems there are consistency issues, e.g. our meatloaf was tender and tasty on Monday night, yet a sandwich order with meatloaf today was like a “brick of clay.” Please post if you have any recent experiences—good and bad, please.

Civic Duty & a French Dip

After skating through the week without having to appear for jury duty, I got nailed on the last day. So this morning I made my way downtown super early to report for duty and realized, you know, jury duty downtown is kind of fun. Provided of course you don’t actually get on a jury. More on that later. But where else can you find jury parking underneath a building as good-looking as Disney Hall?

We broke for lunch at noon, so I called my friend Adam, who works down the street at the Los Angeles Times, and met him on the corner of Spring and Second to walk over to Cole’s at 6th and Main for lunch. For those of us in downtown L.A. today, wasn’t it gorgeous? I love those old buildings near the Times.

I hadn’t yet been to Cole’s since Neal Fraser (of BLD and Grace) had revamped the menu at this historic joint. And I’m not going to get into whether or not Cole’s or Philippe’s invented the French dip in 1908, even though we all know it was Philippe’s. At the advice of my friend Katie, I ordered a lamb dip with blue cheese and a side of cole slaw, along with a pint of draft root beer.

The hand-carved lamb and bleu cheese combo is incredible, and the slaw is mighty mighty good; Cole’s differentiates itself by hand-carving its meats and serving au jus on the side, while Philippe’s doesn’t hand carve and warms its meat in the au jus before serving (no complaints here!). But one fact is indisputable. Cole’s is a hell of a lot better than its previous incarnation, and I will be back soon to try the classic beef au jus. Like maybe on Monday, because guess who has to report back to the courthouse? Oh, and is it just me, or is Esa-Pekka Salonen on the side of Disney Hall a poor man’s version of Don Johnson, who was working the room at a neighboring table at Cecconi’s last night?

Ladies Lunch: Pizzeria Mozza

If you are looking to find the foodiest dental hygienist in the city with the best restaurant recommendations (globally), immediately book in with Bonnie at the wonderful Dr. Sobelman’s office on Wilshire and La Cienega. Several years ago for a trip to Barcelona, a friend gave me a list of recommendations from Gourmet columnist Colman Andrews (and author of Catalan Cuisine) and I got one from Bonnie, and guess what? They were pretty much identical.

Today I met Bonnie and her foodie friend Tracy from London, and we had, predictably, a fantastic lunch at Pizzeria Mozza. As always, the service was exceptional. We ordered a few greatest hits, like the chicken liver bruschetta (my absolute favorite!), fried squash blossoms, tricolore salad, the egg and guanciale pizza with radicchio and bagna cauda, and then tried another with Coach Farm goat cheese and leeks. For dessert they enjoyed the divine butterscotch budino (which I had to sit out since I gave up dessert for lent), while I enjoyed a glimpse of an old TV fave—Don Johnson and his lovely wife, Kelley Phleger, eating lunch at the bar. Here are my two must-orders on the menu (though when available, the littleneck clam  or wild nettle pizzas are right up there):

Digging Santa Monica Seafood’s New Digs

Yesterday my friend Amy and I went to check out Santa Monica Seafood’s new digs and wow. It’s massive, and in addition to all of that beautiful fresh seafood, there is also a cafe and oyster bar. I’ll be going back soon to eat, but yesterday we were there to pick up some gorgeous Mexican shrimp for a recipe for which Amy and I had tipsy-texted Paul Bartolotta in the wee hours in the cab home from our extravaganza at The Bazaar  (and of course, being a chef in Las Vegas, Paul was still going strong and immediately responded to our plea). Check back later today for the recipe! In the meantime, here are a few pics of Santa Monica Seafood (now at Wilshire & 10th):

4 Starry Night

Speaking of hype, everyone has been talking about Virbila’s four-star review of The Bazaar, José Andrés’ new place inside the SLS Hotel. Our friend Amy is in town from Las Vegas, so we thought we should go check it out. I had been for lunch when it first opened, but was dying to go back since the recent press. If you haven’t been yet, the SLS Hotel is about as glitzy as it gets even by Vegas standards, and looking around at the impossibly good-looking clientele it seems unlikely that good food is being served here, let alone being eaten. But it is! Instead of me going on and on and on and on about how ridiculously amazing and theatrical it all is (and believe me, it is), I’m going to let the photos speak for themselves.Oh, and I’ll post later in the week on dessert. See if you can spot the weird molecular science in the below photos. Hint: we didn’t eat any mozzarella or olives last night but we tasted both…

 

sweet potato chips

 

 

olive "ferran adria"

 

cava sangria in individual pitchers with straw

 

jamón + catalan bread with tomato

 

tableside “nitro” capirinha

 

soy-marinated salmon roe cone

 

sea urchin steamed bun

 

cherry tomatoes + liquid mozzarella

 

salty wrinkled potatoes

 

sauteed cauliflower "couscous"

 

people eating ... in l.a. ... after midnight!

Chinese Takeout

The other day my friend Diane shared the most amazing potsticker and a crazy good dipping sauce that she and her grandmother had made together. I am going to BEG her to share the recipe, or better yet, guest blog with photos the next time she makes them. (Please, Diane???) In the days before Tiny G arrived on the scene, I used to make potstickers using a recipe from a friend in San Francisco. It’s so much fun!

Okay, so in the meantime, I’ve had potstickers on the brain but no time to drive to Yang Chow in Chinatown (and forget about Monterey Park), let alone make my own. So we tried a new delivery place on Fairfax called 88 Chinese & Sushi (I know – it should be one or the other). We ordered way too much food: potstickers (I wanted steamed, but the husband “accidentally” ordered fried), Mongolian beef, orange crispy shrimp and green beans with brown rice. But it was actually pretty good. Let me know if you have any delivery faves near the Hancock Park area. We are always open to suggestion!

Word: Wurstküche

I don’t even know where to start. For those of you familiar with Wurstküche—a “purveyor of exotic grilled sausages”—downtown on 3rd/Traction, you will no doubt pardon me if I GUSH. (Wurstküche is German for sausage kitchen.) I can’t remember the last time I loved a restaurant so much! You walk in and there’s a case of 20 varieties of sausage, ranging from the familiar Hot Italian and Chicken Apple to Rattlesnake and Rabbit with Jalapeño Peppers, and everything in between. The menu options are concise – grilled sausage with a choice of grilled hot or sweet peppers, onions or ‘kraut on a roll and Belgian fries, which you can top with white truffle oil or one of their excellent dipping sauces. They offer 24 beers on tap (mostly Belgian) as well as artisanal sodas (Sweet Blossom elder flower soda, Manhattan Special espresso soda).

Oh – and word to Teri Hatcher, who stormed out while we were ordering like she was being chased by an army of paparazzi (she wasn’t): nobody, and I mean nobody, cares. Especially, by the looks of it, the poor guy you were dragging behind you.

Anyway, I ordered a buffalo, beef and pork with chipotle sausage, topped with grilled sweet peppers and onions, and a Chimay White. My husband got a Louisiana Hot Link with sauerkraut, a Houblon Chouffe pale ale (hoppy fruity deliciousness) and we shared an order of Belgian fries with curry ketchup (on the recommendation of the guy next to us in line, who looked like he knew his way around the menu). 

Once you place your order, you go down a long narrow hall to this raucous dining room with big communal tables and benches, seating at the bar as well as little bistro tables. So much fun. We’re going back immediately. 

First Bite: Umami Burger

Umami Burger / via Thrillist

In which The Foodinsta is intrigued by a provocative posting she read on Thrillist about a new burger joint, which results in a lunch that is wacko even by LA standards.

Before I launch in here, I do want to say up front that the food at Umami Burger is really quite good. And the service, while totally batty, ends up being inexplicably charming.

Okay. Let’s back up. Met my friends Mary and Leslee for a girls lunch today at the newly—and I mean newly—opened Umami Burger on La Brea.

Once inside, it’s an attractive space with an attractive clientele. The tightly edited menu consists of 10 burgers, and a few sides including fries and a market salad. But, we’re told at 12:45 pm on a Tuesday afternoon, they’ve run out of buns.

Allow that to sink in. At a burger joint. Next we’re told they are out of salad, but have french fries or chili. We ask how long they’ve been open. Since Friday, our server tells us. Who is the chef? Oh, the first chef quit, then the second chef basically had a meltdown and it is unclear whether or not there is a third chef working today. We ask and are told, “I think so.” And when no food appears an hour after ordering, we begin to wonder.

stilton + port-caramelized onion sliders + sweet potato chips

But then our food does arrive and, surprise!, they’ve found buns! We ordered the port and stilton sliders ($8); an Umami burger with amazing homemade ketchup, grilled onions, fried parm, grilled shiitake mushroom, and tomato ($8); a SoCal burger with butter lettuce, “dried” tomato, house spread, house-made processed cheese (yum!), and caramelized onions, which came with soggy if colorful sweet potato chips ($7.50); and a couple sides of fries ($2.50). By the way – the beef patties on all of the above, really flavorful and just plain GOOD. I don’t know how they can make such a great burger and charge so little.

umami burger

Back to the fries. We got a stack of eight thick-cut french fries on one of the plates along with a spoonful of that amazing house-made ketchup. But when we asked about the rest of our fries, we were informed they’d run out. Of fries.

thick-cut fries and house-made ketchup

Which we then sort of forgot about because there was a kerfuffle at the next table where one model-good-looking 30-ish hipster yelled at a 20ish hipster at a neighboring table “Get out of my FACE!” to which the provocateur yelled, “What are you going to do if I don’t?” Our server escorted the offending hipster and his well-heeled girlfriend out of the restaurant, smoothing over the dispute in the parking lot. What the … ? An attractive 40ish woman at a third table huffily got up to leave, passing by our table and pointing to the enormous painting above our table, snorting, “Yeah, Buddha.”

Oh, and they don’t accept Amex.

But regardless, their credit card machine wasn’t working so it was a good thing we had cash (why do I never have cash???). Yet even with all of the madness, our server remained unflappable and, I’m telling you, the burgers are great. So let me know if you brave a visit, and if chef #3 is still holding his—or her?—own. I’ll be heading back with the husband this weekend, if only to confirm that today’s lunch was or was not in fact a special Food Network episode of Punk’d.

Update 2/19/09: For a less frenetic, but every bit as tantalizing, experience, check out Pat Saperstein’s review on Eating L.A. Interestingly they have raised the prices since my Tuesday visit—but we’re talking .50 or $1 on a couple items. I still don’t get how they can produce such a superior burger at these recession friendly prices!

Hearts on Fire

The not-so-skinny: bread, custard, chocolate. The recipe is on the menu at The Hungry Cat in Hollywood, a seafood restaurant with scene and substance from David Lentz, husband of Suzanne Goin of Lucques and AOC fame. You can also find the recipe in Goin’s cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. It’s pretty much perfect as written. One note – I always have leftover custard liquid. I bet it would be good for french toast the next day. Of course, do you really want french toast the morning after you eat this? Oh, and I was out of whole nutmeg, so we just used ground instead.

One more thing—boys go CRAZY for this dessert, so if you were wondering what to make for your Valentine, look no further.

Caramelized Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Cinnamon

From Sunday Night Suppers at Lucques, Suzanne Goin 

GOIN WRITES: This recipe is a lifer. I’ve been making it for more than 20 years, and every time I try to file it away, someone inevitably comes along asking for it. I brought it to my first staff get-together when I was working at Chez Panisse and, from then on, for all of the parties that followed, when I would even thinkof making something different, my friends and coworkers would cry out for this caramelized chocolate bread pudding. A few years later, the bread pudding gained an East Coast fan club, too. I was working at Alloro, a tiny restaurant in Boston’s Italian district. Back then, the Mafia owned all the local cafés and had a monopoly on the dessert-and-coffee crowd. Whereas the other (probably wiser) restaurants on the street obeyed the unspoken law of not selling dessert, at Alloro we broke the rule and secretly served this bread pudding to our in-the-know customers. We worked hard to keep the highly requested dessert under cover, and it seems we succeeded: both the recipe and I are still around. 

A few things make this bread pudding better than most. I love custards and am often disappointed by bread puddings with too much bread and not enough pudding. So be careful to use just a single layer of brioche, which creates a crispy crust but won’t absorb all the rich, silky custard underneath. Once you break through the caramelized, toasty top layer and dig down through the luscious custard, a treasure of melted chocolate awaits you at the bottom. 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
4 or 5 slices brioche, or good quality white bread (I like Pepperidge Farm), 1/4-inch thick, crusts removed 
3 extra-large eggs 
2 extra-large egg yolks 
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1 1/2 cups heavy cream 
1 1/4 cups whole milk 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate 
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for caramelizing the top 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the softened butter on one side of the brioche. Cut each slice in half on the diagonal and then again into quarters. 

Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, whisking to combine well. 

Sprinkle the chocolate over the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) baking dish. Arrange the brioche, buttered side up, with slices overlapping just slightly, on the chocolate (there should be just a single layer of bread). Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down with your fingers to make sure the bread soaks it up. Place the bread pudding in a roasting pan, and pour warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the custard is set and the bread puffs up slightly. The pudding will be springy to the touch. 

Let the bread pudding cool at least 10 minutes. 

If you have a kitchen blowtorch, sprinkle the sugar over the top, and torch to brown and caramelize. You could run the pudding under the broiler to caramelize if you don’t have a torch, but be careful not to curdle the custard underneath. Serve the bread pudding from the baking dish at the table, using a big spoon.

Tasting Table LA edition

As all of you EaterLA fans have no doubt heard, lamented and checked into therapy over, friend and foodinista numero uno Lesley Balla left EaterLA as editor last week to head up TASTING TABLE LA, where she’ll continue to deliver the scoop on local chefs, restaurants, trends and all things foodie LA. Sign up now for the February launch of the daily newsletter by clicking here. Congratulations, Lesley!