john gonzales's Profile
California Foie Gras Ban
Try Jiraffe. If it isn't on the menu, it could be a special. I'm a foie-fan and find theirs one of the best seared anywhere. Occasionally Josie does a good version too.
Bummer. R.I.P. Safe & Save Market
I went today and they are battened up. I saw the manger (maybe part owner?) who was always at the register and he said the opening of the big Murakai Market was basically the straw that broke the camel's back.
They were always a friendly mom & pop styled place, with good fish, especially the Scottish salmon and tunas.
Drago (Non-Centro): Should I Go?
I agree.
I don't know that Valentino is necessarily on a different level. Certainly not than Drago Centro which I think is definitely a tad better than the SaMo Drago. I go to all of these quite a bit. Centro uses some upgraded ingredients, is more ambitious in its cuisine, and certainly is a nicer setting.
As to Drago SaMo vs. Valentino, I agree that Valentino can reach greater heights at its best. For more basic meals it might still be a bit better, but not always, and the difference is less. I would also agree with you that service and seating varies more at Valentino as it is big, and can get more pressed on busy nights. The other factor is that Drago is definitely less expensive. Those great meals at Valentino can be $125 +T, T, & bev. Both Drago & Centro offer (IMO) reasonably priced tasting menues which is how I go most often. Comparing, I think the Six course at Centro is $70, while I'm estimating it would be $90-100 at Valentino. Drago often has a 5-6 course for $60ish. I just had the 6-course duck menu for $59 last Saturday. It was not earth-shattering, but was very tasty and plenty of food, and nice value. They included some nice preps, moderately creative, of: foie terrine, agnolotti, confit, duck breast, and a dessert that had some foie and a pepper ice cream that was very good.
If I order off the Drago menu it is hard to pass on the papardelle with morel & pheasant ragu. This dish is delicious and a wonderful red wine pairing. They always do well with pastas and most of the roasted meats.
I find that I usually spend more at Josie and Vincenti, though I really like both. Jiraffe is like Drago to me, very good and very good value, though their entrees are not as deep. I am not an Il Grano fan, more in regard to service/attitude and upcharging than the food itself which can be very good.
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Jiraffe Restaurant
502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401
Il Grano Restaurant
11359 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Vincenti Restaurant
11930 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Drago Restaurant
2628 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90403
Drago Centro
525 S. Flower St., Suite 120, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. Opens in Beverly Hills
I tried the bagels, both fresh and "left-over". I think they're pretty tasty. They have a harder skin than many, which gets even harder once the sat for 12 hrs, and are dense but not doughy. To me these are actually positive atributes and "authentic". They also had a wide array of flavors.
I wouldn't drive across town to get them, but they're better bagels than most places, and no bagel is worth a schlep.
Animal
I like the reccos so far.
I would get foie biscuit, pig ear, pork belly sammie, hamachi tostada, poutine, and octopus
Yucatan style Mexican comparable to Chichen Itza
The food there is tasty (esp the pibil) and inexpensive. Just note that it is not the type setting that the 6th St. Chichen was, and Flor is in fact just a counter to order take-out. There MIGHT be a couple of patio tables now, but I always just get to go.
Truffle tasting in west LA right now? preferrably with pasta?
I've been to this Valentino dinner. It looks like they even reduced the price a bit this year. I'm really tempted to do it again as it was really tasty. Ample amounts of truffle in classic preparations. The accompanying wines (Batasiolo) are not great, but very good. All-in-all, it's a very good price for a fantastic dinner.
CORKAGE at LUCQUES
The OP was Russkar, a HE who did as much of all ranges of dining as anyone in town.
Anyhow, I think it's a reach to conclude that Four Oaks or Mimosa (or any establishment) sacrafices their livelihood or goes out of business because of a generous corkage policy.
Generous corkage can actually profit a restaurant. A place like Cafe Bizou, Fritto Misto, or other spots with low corkage policies or nights, do well by it. Why do you imagine some fine restaurants like Providence and Josie have corkage nights? Because they are smart enough to recognize that wine collectors who want to BYOB are a segment worth bringing in. Many of us order rather extensively (Russ included).
I am actually surprised that in the currently challenging economy more local restaurants don't try to bring in the corkage crowd.
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Fritto Misto
601 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Cafe Bizou
91 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
Best lobster on Westside?
Agree. The shanghai lobster there is one of my top dozen dishes of all-time, anywhere.
I find the lobster at the Palm a pretty good value, but occasionally it is a bit sub-par.
Outa-towner staying at Battery Wharf
Guess we both root against Lebron this season.
Walk is slightly preferable, not necessary. A cab-ride that's not too far (2 miles max?) is fine. We will have travelled all day (Sat.) so something that isn't very elaborate is preferable. Though we definitely want something good. Some wine friends suggested Troquet..
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Troquet
140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
Outa-towner staying at Battery Wharf
TIA. We are from L.A. (sorry about those Lakers) and coming through for one night. I'm looking for somewhere with good food, maybe a bit vibrant, preferably not too far from Battery Wharf. We won't get anywhere till 8:45-9pm. In that we have great sushi here, and will have lots of local seafood in Martha's Vineyard, neither of those would be top choice. Italian (or other) would be fine, with something a little creative rather than real old-school preferred.
Bastille Day ??
Anyone know of places (from downtown west) doing some sort of Bastille Day menu or event??
Taste of the Nation LA
My wife and I are going. I agree that this is an excellent event. To someone else's question, one of the reasons is that it is specifically not too crowded. There are lots of top establishments there, and rarely much of a wait or shortage of anything.
True that a number of places are doing tartare. Hey, it will probably be good on a warm day. Seems like every year there is one thing that is the most popular ingredient. Two years back I recall that it was shortribs.
Josselin's Tapas Bar and Grill....good news for Kauai foodies.
Ditto. I was actually even worried as the Poipu spot seemed to take forever to get to opening. Jean Marie is one of my favorite chefs, and I love french technique applied to Pacific rim food. I never went to Kauai without at least one visit to APC, including a great tasting menu on our honeymoon. It was a bummer to see him go through a dormant stretch, but great to see him back in Kauai. Even better to see the Wok-charred Mahi on the menu. We've "stolen" the dish for home, but still can't match his.
Slightly related, if you're into cookbooks he has one called Taste of Hawaii which is good. Even better is one featuring almost all the older Hawaii chefs, called Great Chefs Hawaii.
Spanish chorizo source WLA??
Want the Spanish variety, not Mexican. Ideastoward the West, other than Surfas? TIA
Osteria Mamma - New Italian in Hollywood
I really liked the food at the initial spot, but the corkage-friendliness was just as big a factor in drawing us from the westside. The glitz and high corkage at the "new" La Buca killed it for me. Any idea on the corkage fee/policy at Mamma?
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La Buca
5210 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Rehearsal Dinner Wine Pairings!!
Might help if you give some infor on how much you're looking to spend per bottle (or if you already possess wines), and how wine savvy your guests are, and maybe even how many people you're talking.
Something like Cote Rotie indeed would go well with the duck, but (IMO) it's not worth it unless you are willing to source something at least seven years old. They'll be above moderate in price and really might be under-appreciated by many. The same age constraints for barolo.
There's always a fine line with wedding/event wines. Though a smaller rehearsal dinner is easier to manage. I'm a wine-geek and my wife is in the wine business, but we dumbed down the wines a bit for the 135-person group at our wedding. We had standard mid-level wines poured as the mains, but also had everyone set-up with an extra stem and had some special wines brought around and poured (ala a 6-litre of 86 Caymus Spec.Select) for anyone who opted. Some people just opted not to have the extra wines, or had just small tastes. No one seemed taken aback by the approach as it was offered to everyone. In the end we were able to get by with decent stuff as the standard, and fewer bottles of the more expensive and unusual stuff.
Anyhow, I'd concur with doing bubbly with the first course. It pairs well with the dish and moreso with the occasion. If you were able to pour some bubbly as a "greeter" instead, than I'd definitely go with a still white. The vinaigrette adds a little of a challenge as it want something with complementary acid. Ala, Chablis (or more esoteric pouilly- fuisse), domestic chard, or sauv blanc. I'd opt to be sure and not get a flabby, buttery type of Chard.
I'd go pinot or red burg with the duck. Especially as it doesn't appear to have much of a sauce and has the mushrooms as a key ingredient. Though, like someone else, I also personally like the low-tannin Cru Beaujolais with fowl.
The sauce again is a factor with the steak. By itself the Bleu is best with a white with a hint of sweetness. Though of course you need to go red with the steak. This would make me tend away from a very high tannin or oaked red. As in young bordeaux, or really oaky cab. At the same time I'd shoot for some ripeness/sweetness. Zin, a non-oakbomb cab, right-bank bord. with some age, or even a nice concentrated Merlot. I had a Northstar merlot and a Regusci within the last few days that would be nice in being big, rich, slightly ripe, but not tannic or oaky. If you went zin I'd just avoid some of the ultra hot, alcohol-laden ones. Sometimes it's tough to have more than one glass of those. My most recent fave in that vein is a Hug out of Paso, and something like a Ridge Lytton Springs is even more subtle. Come to think of it some of the other Cal rhone-rangers would fit the steak-bill. Something along the lines of Tablas Creek, Herman Story or Villa Creek blends. The latter can be a bit ripe, but are user-friendly.
moving - taking wine out of refrigeration & putting it back
You're probably fine. Transport vibration is no issue unless you are going to drink them within a week.
Don't leave them in the car where it can get 85 degrees very easily.
The styro shipper or a big ice chest is the safe idea. If it's going to be 80+ out, it's easy enough to buy a couple of those soft icepacks and put them anywhere inside the enclosure.
As far as any fridge, transport it upright. If it is tilted more horizontally than 45 degrees, it should not be turned on for 6-8 hrs after it is righted.
should I open this 2000 Bordeaux
Drink it. Depending on your storage conditions it might be over-the-hill.
Well-stored IMO that wine (you added an "N" to Trintaudon) in good vintages, which 2000 was, is best at 5-8 years. So even with controlled storage, it isn't likely to improve after 10 years. It isn't as sturdy a wine as some of the Haut Medocs or nearby classified St. Juliens.
How to impress a chef with a Westside brunch?
Bazaar was going to be my recco as well.
Cafe Bizou Santa Monica is back
Yes, now back to the same owners as the original in Sherm.Oaks and the Pasadena one, though I've never been to the latter.
I don't know that I'm saying it reaches "all that" level. The food is neither cutting edge or superb. One has to consider the price in the analysis and definitely wouldn't expect a Melisse or even Anisette dinner. However it has solid basic dishes and the price seems pretty reasonable.
I'm an eater and a drinker. So the $1 salad or soup and the reasonable desserts make for a well-priced meal say $23 pre tax&tip. The big win for a wino like me is the $2 corkage. If you don't like to drink and bring good wine it would be less of a draw. It's not uncommon for us to bring a bottle per person. Corkage has really crept these days in LA and $15-20 is typical for the mid-level places. The way I figure it, $2 at Bizou saves $10 off a meal. The room is very mundane in decor, but there is space between tables, the tables are good sized. it's very clean, and not loud.
I'm going in this week to see how the old regime is doing and will post back.
Searching for cheese and charcu. in Del Mar
Thanks for the reccos. Venissimo worked out really well. Indeed a very good selection and they're willing to spend the time to taste and assist. Not that it helped us as travelers, but it's cool that they can record your purchases in the database for future reference. The receipt also gives a description of each cheese.
The goat chees stuffe piquillos were tasty too.
Cafe Bizou Santa Monica is back
I passed by on my walk tonight. They're now re-opened for dinner Wed-Sat. The better news is that they're back under the original ownership/team. A few years back they had a switch in ownership/management and frankly went way downhill, then closed for dinner. I'm not sure of the business dealings, but they're back to the original ownership.
I spoke with one of the owners/chef and he said he'd be overseeing their return to the successful formula. That being very solid, if unspectacular, classics at a very reasonable tally. The old menu, which looks just like the Sherm.Oaks menu is in play. Monkfish, Lobster Bisque, Au Poivre, The $1 salad or soup add-on, nightly special, and best of all $2 corkage remain. There aren't many places this way to bring a bottle of wine and get an extensive meal for $30-35 including tip. Hopefully they'll return to form, and do well, but remain less crowded than the Sherman Oaks branch.
Walking distance of Santa Monica & Yale in Santa Monica
I live about three blocks from there. I'd consider Sasabune and Akbar up on Wilshire, and the Shack does have a decent burger. Dragon Palace right there on SaMo is edible inexpensive Chinese.
The bus is actually very easy right there. You can ride the MTA or the Big Blue (SaMo) bus. I actually ride the #10 fwy bus to downtown a lot,
Searching for cheese and charcu. in Del Mar
I'm coming into town to stay at Grande Del Mar and need to buy some cheeses and charcuterie to have a little get-together. Ideas on someplace nearby? TIA
California Cuisine Boring (Spago, Lucques, Gjelina, Josie, Rustic Canyon, etc...)
Do you remember when Ludo did the "spice road" dishes during his stint at L'orangerie. The regulars didn't seem to go for it.
California Cuisine Boring (Spago, Lucques, Gjelina, Josie, Rustic Canyon, etc...)
I definitely agree with you that I find myself choosing to spend my somewhat tightened dining out budget on more unique cuisines. I elect to do more of the Cal/market cuisine cooking at home, because I can make respectable approximations. I feel the same way about steaks, as I feel I can buy nice cuts and do them at home.
I think in general ethnic restaurants might be doing better than some of the standards. They're tasty, interesting, and not expensive.
California Cuisine Boring (Spago, Lucques, Gjelina, Josie, Rustic Canyon, etc...)
I think you and the original poster have a point in that there is something about taste, and there is a related (but not necessarily so) issue with seeking "unique" or avoiding "boring". Not meaning to debate you personally at all, but am just responding here.
I tend to care most about tatse and very often love things done for years, or done at many places. I might like Foie Loco Moco, but certainly love classicly prepared seared foie gras. I can't count the number of raves I've heard over Melisse's chicken though even I have never had it.
On the flipside, I think at Bazaar some of the offerings are more visually and intellectualy interesting than outright delicious. Though most of their menu accomplishes both. Josie's tagine of short-ribs is great. I don't know that they can be made better in some novel fashion, or that it detracts that they make them at a lot of places.
I'm with Lizzie and find Spago to hit the sweet spot of quality goods and technique, with enough twists, that all taste great. Is a three moth old menu/revue that old? Spago has consistently turned out that type of cuisine for 20 years. If you had a tasting menu today it would be stylistically identical.
I'd also say that in one respect Cal cuisine will alwys tend to be seen of as boring by some. It's a market based cuisine dependent on the good products typically available here. Part of it's strength is letting the ingredients and freshness show. There is definitely a possibility of too many flavors muddling this strenght. Not unlike anyone who appreciates Cut or Mastros (as the OP listed). The standout is the simple quality of the steak.
A Taste of Yucatan To Go (and Home of the Giant Tamal Pie) - La Flor De Yucatan [Review] w/ Pics!
Neither actually. I don't post very often here anymore but must have joined ten years ago. Went the way of others like Russkar.
I've lived in LA for 25 years, all as an adult. I do a lot of meals out and about. There are a lot of great divey spots, but not that many to get a meal combining the price, quality, and non-mundane items such as FLOR. Cochinita is often stringy, but I've never found their's dry, it's dripping with juice.
A Taste of Yucatan To Go (and Home of the Giant Tamal Pie) - La Flor De Yucatan [Review] w/ Pics!
Nice review. Flor de Yucatan is indeed a true find. Not many place can send one on a culinary adventure for $10-15, and that's sharing multiple items. You've touched on much of what they have, but one can't go without having the Cochinita Pibil. I get it every time I go. Pibil and some tortillas for tacos has even joined the thin ranks of my favorites to take to eat at Dodger games.
The added bonus is that it's easy to get to just north of the 10's Hoover exit.
