Jase's Profile
Lyle Lovett, Texas, and Bayless.
I'd classify what he did under the sin of Pride. The severity of the sin I will leave to individual judgment.
Still think it was pretty arrogant of him to come marching into Los Angeles and announce he'd show the city what "real" Mexican food was like, without bothering to do any research.
Lyle Lovett, Texas, and Bayless.
Well, my point was to anyone castigating Lovett for being ignorant about Bayless and Mexican food, Lovett at least is just a regular guy when it comes to food.
Much bigger sin for Bayless to do what he did than to jump on Lovett for what seems to be a throwaway dry humor comment in a fluff interview.
Lyle Lovett, Texas, and Bayless.
Of course Bayless was the one who had the audacity to come to Los Angeles and announce that he was going to show the city what real Mexican food was like. All this without bothering to explore what the city had to offer. He made the assumptions that there was only the usual Mexican American tacos, burritos and gloppy cheese covered combo dishes.
Many if not all of the "authentic" dishes he was touting was already being served in for years in many places. There was quite a dust up last year when this occurred. Jonathan Gold among others called him out for it and Bayless got defensive and didn't accept that LA had those dishes already.
Bayless has done a world of good introducing people to the more sophisticated dishes in Mexican cuisine but he's not exactly infallible and lacking in ego.
What Is the Hottest Hot Sauce You've Ever Tasted?
Heh, check out the review from someone who's husband thought he was a tough guy. This has a link to the actual Amazon review but easier to post the snippet.
http://leasthelpful.com/post/15126121998/later-we-rubbed-some-in-his-eyes-and-they-stung
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
LOL! I like peppers in my cheesesteak. I thought cherry peppers were part of the philly cheesesteak canon? Philly's Best offers it. Yes, there is something sublime with just the meat, cheese, onion and bread. But I also like the heat and texture difference the peppers give. Not bell pepper though, should be cherry peppers.
Mike's does offer it without.
Any recommendations for NY-esque establishments in LA?
Thanks. I keep forgetting about that place and have yet to get around to trying it. I wish I had remembered over the holiday break and going there on a weekday. Looks like they're closed through this Sunday the 8th. Will have to remember to give them a shot soon. So much for working off that holiday weight. If I like the ice cream and fudge, you won't mind if I curse you when I get on the scale will you?
Meanwhile, although they're not traditional, I have liked Coolhaus's retail store near Helm's Bakery area the two times we've gone. I like the creaminess of their ice cream and their flavors.
Any recommendations for NY-esque establishments in LA?
Yeah, the problem with that is I'm not going to make a trek to Lawry's when I have a hot fudge sundae craving. I was thinking more along the lines of a diner or old fashioned ice cream shop.
Better for me anyway. I don't need to be eating a hot fudge sundae regularly.
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
Thanks. I used to like Mike's in El Segundo a lot. But the last couple of times something changed in the way they mix the peppers, meat and cheese. Can't quite put my finger on it but it's not as good. I still like it but it doesn't quite hit the spot for me.
Philly's West on Westwood, I like how they do the meat, cheese and onions but their bread definitely isn't traditional philly style.
Any recommendations for NY-esque establishments in LA?
Thanks. I'll have to check out the Lox platter. Appreciate you pointing out the difference. I'm not a big matzoh ball fan. But I do have a particular weakness for lox. If there was Russ and Daughter's LA equivalent, I'd be in serious trouble. That's one of those places we stop in a couple of times in our New York visits.
How's their hot fudge? Hard to find a good hot fudge these days. Heck hard to find a good hot fudge sundae with high quality vanilla and the fudge.
Is Lotus of Siam worth the trek for a Portlander?
Personally i've warned people off the buffet as I think it's not representative at all of the quality of LOS's offerings. But I suppose for a $10 lunch buffet, you could do a lot worse.
Is Lotus of Siam worth the trek for a Portlander?
If you haven't gone yet, please don't do the buffet at all. It really isn't worth your time. I've gone to LOS multiple times a year for several years. Just did Pok Pok the first time this year. You can see my Portland trip report here where I describe the Pok Pok meal in Saturday's meal
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/805061
I'd say LOS is worth the trip to compare at least one time. I probably had the reverse situation as you where I wasn't sure if Pok Pok was worth the trip given. But I felt I owed it to myself. I'm very glad I did and will return in future trips. As mentioned, it's two different animals. You may not find LOS worth repeating depending on taste, but I think it's worth at least one trip to compare.
When going to LOS, I'd suggest the Northern Menu and Chef's specialties in the back of the menu. Those would probably give the biggest contrast to Pok Pok's offerings. Good luck and hope to hear back.
Best Philly (style) Cheese Steak in LA?
I started going to Philly's Best years ago when they first opened up their original one in Fountain Valley. To my non-philly palate, it was pretty darn good. But it seems like in the past few years, they've gone downhill. At the very least inconsistent from location to location. The prices creeped up with the quality and quantity dropping.
It's been a couple of years since I've been to one and it was at the Lake Forest and Irvine locations. Have they improved their quality control?
Any recommendations for NY-esque establishments in LA?
I remember someone mentioning they get the special platter of pastrami that comes with chopped liver, swiss cheese and several sides. Has anyone gotten that lately? How big is it? Good deal? I like a liver pastrami combo once in a while.
Any recommendations for NY-esque establishments in LA?
What's good to get at Junior's if in a deli mood? We've only gone a few times and gone with the pastrami each time. We really should save our pastrami meals for Langer's. Curious what else to try at Junior's.
Lunch - Olympic and Bundy
I have not. It's in this weird no man's land for me. I don't go that direction for lunch and for dinner, I don't feel like driving back up towards work. We just end up close by for Santouka and now Yamadaya when in the mood for that kind of food. We should probably give it a try just for the sake of completing the circuit of local food. Thanks for the prompt.
Lunch - Olympic and Bundy
You think Juquila is better? I'll have to try them again. My experience has been the opposite the couple of times I went to Juquila at least for the mole dishes. But I don't get mole's frequently at MA, I like other items on their menu more.
Good call on Javan, I forgot about them and they do have good lunch specials. Kiriko would be really tough with the budget. At Furaibo, I've done a bowl of rice with either an order of wings or the pork belly. Inexpensive good lunch.
Lunch - Olympic and Bundy
I would temper this suggestion with the caveat that it barely satisfies ramen cravings but that's about it. They've gone downhill some in the past couple of years in my opinion. Of course my experience could be colored by the availability of Santouka and recently Yamadaya a couple of miles south. I choose to go there when hit by ramen cravings.
Lunch - Olympic and Bundy
I work in the general area too. Some good suggestions already, to add to those.
Not good for call ahead but if you're into the gourmet trucks, they all park at that corner every weekday, different ones each day.
I like El Super Taco, but I've never been to the one in the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf center. I've only gone to the Pico/Sawtelle one or the one on Santa Monica next to Monte Alban. Their tortas are pretty good, I like the cubano.
If you're willing to walk that far, there's all the different places up and down Sawtelle. I like running into Nijiya for something from their case. Either one of the curry places will do call in. So will Blue Marlin. You can find some solid food well under your budget.
Also there's this new place near Ralph's on Stoner I've been meaning to try. Just haven't made it over there. Neli's http://www.neliscatering.com/index.php
Welcome to the work neighborhood!
Thanks and a trip report
Thanks. I wish we had tried more Italian. Felt like we didn't hit as much as we could have despite our limited window. The seafood was great. Probably should have tried to fit in another lobster roll and clam belly before we left town. Haha!
Thanks and a trip report
Thank you for all the help on food and non-food items. Knock on wood, but I generally have good luck with finding friendly people when I travel. Seems like people are usually willing to be helpful and generous when discussing their hometowns. Most people I encounter in my travels seem very friendly despite me sticking out like a sore thumb since I don't look like most locals.
Suggestions for DTLA spot for small private party drinks and appetizers?
Had the event at Mas Malo. We ended up with 50 people and a budget of $2500. It hit all the requirements. Easy walking distance from the Athletic Club, they were able to give us a private room and we came in under budget. They were easy to work with and responsive.
We got the private room downstairs. Nice set up since it has it's own bar and plenty of tables and couches, perfect for mingling and noshing. I liked it better than the second floor option due to being able to control the sound and giving more privacy. Got one of their preset options for food. A good variety of finger foods and quantity to satisfy everyone. We had an open bar and the alcohol prices were pretty reasonable.
The food here won't blow away any hard core mexican hounds or most locals who have explored our city's offerings. But for the type of group I had, it was perfect. It gave people a feel for Mexican other than your usual gloppy combos, but the flavors weren't so unfamiliar that it scared people off from trying it. Many of the attendees were fascinated by the chicken mole skewers having never experienced mole before. The chips with the multiple salsas were also a hit since it went beyond the usual pico de gallo. People could go home and talk about the new flavors they tried and they were exposed to something exotic. It was a different LA experience. So it's a good balance for that type of group, new but not off putting flavors.
Overall, it was a hit and we received a lot of compliments on the venue, food, service and ambiance of the private room. Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
Thanks and a trip report
Hi everyone, apologies for the delay. Life and other travels. Thanks to all the help from this thread with special thanks to opionatedchef.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/806042
We arrived at Neptune Oyster's right on schedule, 15 minutes before they opened and we were the first in line. For starters we got the scallops, fried clams, 2 pcs each of 3 kinds of oysters and 3 kinds clams. Our mains were the lobster roll and the vittelo tonato.
This was just well worth the trouble of scheduling around. Loved how fresh everything was, but the standouts were the two sandwiches and the fried whole clams with bellies. With the clams, my first thought was I get it now. I get why all the expat New Englanders out here in LA miss this dish so much. I love how tender it was, the clam flavor, the breading that was so light, no greasiness, just a delightful introduction to this dish. The vittelo tonato was a great combination of different flavors and textures. We got the lobster roll with butter and not mayo. This just blew us away. Loved how it showcased the sweetness and flavor of the lobster meat with the butter just enhancing and not covering. We left happily sated and thrilled at a good start to our trip.
Afterwards, we walked around and tried some snacks. We went to Bova's Pastry and had a the lobster tail It was good, but it didn't blow us away. Then had a couple of slices at Regina's. A pepperoni and a margharita. Loved, loved the freshness of the flavors, the tanginess of the sauce and the texture of the crust. The flavor of the crust threw us off a little at the beginning, don't know if it was because we just tried nibbling on the crust by itself. We found it a little flat and under seasoned. But as part of the entire slice, it really worked. I think it was one of those things where maybe we were overthinking it. Bottom line, we really enjoyed it. We loved the feel and vibe of the place, people were welcoming and I can understand how it would be just a fun spot with friends.
Dinner that night was Blue Inc. We had the calamari pasta style with a meat sauce. Gnochi with lamb sausage to start and entrees of Scallops and the house specialty of duck confit with sticky rice. We enjoyed the strips of squid substituting for the pasta, paired well with the meat sauce. The gnochi was done well although the lamb sausage was on the mild side with very little lamb taste Scallops were cooked well and we enjoyed the sauce that came with it.
The house specialty dish was a somewhat of a disappointment. We found the elements way too sweet. There wasn't a good balance of the duck richness and skin crispness to offset all the sweetness in the dish. We absolutely love duck confit and it says a lot that we didn't bother finishing this dish. Conceptually I get what he was trying to do using the sweet to balance the richness but this dish was just a failure for us.
One service note, we felt somewhat ignored by our waiter and thought he was very cold to us. Maybe we were marked as tourists or didn't order alcohol, who knows. When we sat down and asked about featured dishes, he gave us a blank look and said there was nothing available. No follow up as to specials of the house or recommended dishes or inquiring about our taste. Once he took our order, we didn't see him again until we were done. The runner dropped off the food and took care of filling our glasses and those types of things. We're pretty low key and don't need any fawning service. But we were surprised at the lack of attention, especially in contrast to how chatty he was to the tables next to us.
Overall, we were fine with the meal but it wouldn't be a must return. There was nothing exciting or intriguing enough about the dishes after tasting them. The menu descriptions made them sound more interesting than the actual dishes themselves. Certainly there was nothing there that screamed out Boston to us unlike the other places on our trip.
The next day, we had lunch at the Parish Cafe. We ordered light sticking with the Mexican corn to delude ourselves that we were eating somewhat healthy. Split two sandwiches, the tuna sandwich from Ming Tsai and the Proscuitto sandwich. Both executed well, good flavor balance of all the elements. Bread was fresh. A very good lunch break for walking around that area.
After lunch, we took the scenic route walking back towards the North End and general area of our hotel. We grabbed a couple of cannoli's from Maria's. One regular and one choc filled. We decided not to get the chocolate dipped ones as we weren't sure how fresh they looked. Loved both of the ones we got. Really enjoyed the freshness of the shell and the filling. The chocolate filling texture reminded us of a custard. Wife adores cannoli's and she was thrilled with these.
We then meandered over to Monica's to get a sub to split. We settled in by the fountain near the Paul Revere statue to enjoy the sub. Loved the balance of all the flavors, the ingredient blended together to a wonderful whole. The bread to our taste had a good chewiness to complemented the fillings well. I could easily have one of these every week for lunch.
We took a longer than expected walk to dinner at Island Creek Oyster Bar. Good thing we had given ourselves some extra time to enjoy the sights. We knew it would be a long walk from Beacon Hill and it would be a great way to work up an appetite.
Upon checking in, we were seated immediately. We got a wonderful waitress. Once she found out it was our first time in town and wanted to try a bunch of different dishes, she was happy to chat and discuss our menu selections. I asked her to select 3 types of oysters that were different from what I had at Neptune. We also got clam bellies, mussels with saffron and roasted peppers, scallops and the lobster roe noodles. Waitress took the extra step of splitting up the two entrees into individual dishes for us for easier dining. A very nice touch that we hadn't even asked for and no extra charge. Dessert was the donuts with apple sauce.
We were so happy to have this as our last meal in Boston. The food was wonderful, the ambiance and service relaxed and friendly. We once again reveled in the taste of clam bellies with that lovely tenderness. The three varieties of oysters were all briny and distinct. Mussels plump, cooked properly with sauce that we were happily slurping up. Loved the two entrees. The scallop sweetness went well with the puree of sauces and the little bit of pickled vegetables. The lobster roe noodles were deserving of the acclaim. The interplay of the tender and rich short rib meat contrasted well with the lobster meat and the other ingredients. Just a lovely dish. It was a good thing the waitress had split up both entrees, otherwise my wife and I would have been fighting over the last bites of each. The waitress might have saved our marriage with that move.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip to Boston. Thank you all for the advice and help for our dining forays. One last thing I wanted to point out was the friendliness of people as we walked around. Every single time we stopped to orient ourselves and had a map out, without fail, someone would walk up to us and asked if we needed help with directions. It was all kinds of people from blue collar workers to an immaculately dressed elderly matron adorned with expensive jewelry. It was very heartwarming to experience such welcoming sentiments from random strangers. Thank you again and we hope to visit in the near future and spend even more time exploring.
Top Chef - Texas - Last Chance Kitchen (spoilers)
Do you think her prawns would have been cooked properly if she took a little extra time prepping them? Heh, heh.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #6 - 12/07/11 (Spoilers)
Selfish non-team members like herself who throws people under the bus at the first opportunity? Yeah, that's how you inspire people to follow you as a leader.
Or taking someone else's recipe and not even giving token thanks? I have no love for Beverly but I find these attempts to defend Heather pretty laughable.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #6 - 12/07/11 (Spoilers)
LOL! So Heather is competitor in calling out Beverly but Beverly is focusing on her shrimp and not helping isn't considered a competitor. She should drop what she's doing instead?
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #6 - 12/07/11 (Spoilers)
The recipe posted looked like it was more than just prepping and poaching shrimp.
Cassoulet
Hmm, no one ever told us the Saint Amour version was for two. We always ordered our own and ate it all. I feel like such a pig now.
Tony's Barbecue and Bibingkinitan in Carson
How's the fish selections? Tuna belly and collar looked good in the big photos but I was after the meat.
And I realized how long of a post this became. Of course, your summary is so much more succinct as to the appeal of the grill to order versus steam table.
