darrelll's Profile
How long can I keep homemade aioli?
I know this is an old thread. I'm wondering how long it will stay fresh if I use my vacuum sealed jars... I'm thinking 2-4 weeks? Any opinions?
I'm looking for Indian food in Pasadena - with good service and decent food
I recommend Tibet Nepal House. Good food/service/management/prices.
-----
Tibet Nepal House
36 E. Holly Street, Pasadena, CA 91103
Innovative Rice Noodle Rolls Anywhere?
While I don't have any places to recommend, your topic points to making your own rolls at home. I never really liked the restaurant versions much as most contained hardly any filling so it was mostly just the noodle so I would prefer to order chow fun instead.
I think homemade versions could be made that will kicka$$. The restaurant versions are boring with little filling in order to keep prices inline with other dim sum item prices. But at home, I would not be limited by that restriction. Thanks, you've given me food for thought.
Killer Shrimp will return!
So, who's the owners... Lee Michaels was somehow involved with the original KS... is he involved with this new KS?
ISO Liquid Crab & Shrimp Boil concentrate in LA
Just buy it direct
http://www.zatarains.com/Products/Seafood-Boils/Shrimp-and-Crab-Boil-Lemon.aspx
McCormick/Shilling Spices acquired Zatarain's recently I believe, so the distribution might be wider than before now.
Soft Shell Crab: Has anyone had any good ones yet?
Ask them if they are fresh or frozen... Finding fresh are tough because as soon as they molt their shell, they are killed. We used to find them in downtown Chinatown fresh killed, but nowadays it's been over a decade since I've seen non frozen crabs.
Venice/MDR Cheap &/Or Unique Eats
26 Beach Cafe makes a great burger, chicken breast sammie and wonderful salads. I used to work across the street from their original location and I mainly ate lunch there maybe 3-4 times a week. Hinano's makes a decent burger if you like In-n-Out burgers, 26 Beach burgers are far more upscale. C&O was my breakfast go to place so I can't comment on dinner there. Kifune's was my favorite sushi bar, but this was where I'd eat dinner 3-5 times a week there so the sushi chefs knew exactly how I wanted my dishes prepared. Kifune also has good value Japanese lunches for teriyaki or tempura or combo dishes. Alejo's shrimp diablo was my fav pasta dish. Siamese Garden was my go to place for a romantic date place. Inside they had a couple of booths that you could close a curtain to give your table a sense of privacy.
I moved out of the MdR area about 10 years ago, so things could have changed at the above restaurants. At Kifune's, I used to spend so much money ($2-3k/mo) there, when I'd go tuna fishing in Mexico, when I'd return, I'd throw a sushi party at Kifune's using the fish I caught using the bluefin, yellowfin, albacore, yellowtail and dorado I brought home and they would not charge me for the fish I caught and we'd still run up bills of many hundreds of dollars for an evening. 10 years later, I inquired about throwing another party there, but the owner didn't remember me, nor the head sushi chef and they refused...
-----
26 Beach
3100 Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292
Hinano Cafe
15 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292
Siamese Garden
301 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292
Kifune Restaurant
405 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292
Cheese Curds, Squeaky Cheese
Make them yourself. A gallon of inexpensive whole milk and some rennet and perhaps some calcium chloride. I tried a couple of the poutine dishes at Soleil in Westwood and those use cheese curds and were delicious. I had the poutine with the filet mignon and mushrooms as well as the poutine with Merguez sausage... both dishes were awesome! We had these poutines with their monthly bouillabaise weekend special.
-----
Soleil
1386 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Housemade ketchup?
I take Heinz and add Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot sauce to the ketchup and I prefer it to the standard Heinz. We used to prefer Heinz over Del Monte because Heinz was thicker consistency and more flavor. To make my own housemade ketchup is a snap. I use tomato paste, dilute with water to desired consistency, a dash of sugar if the paste is sour and add some fresh herbs on hand either basil or thyme, some black pepper and some hot sauce and it kicks 57 no problem.
California Roll burger from 26 Beach
I used to eat there maybe 4 days a week when they first opened at their original location which was 300 ft from my office. I was there so often, I wanted buy a cordless phone so I could do my work there. Their chicken breast sammies and their fabulous entree salads are not to be missed.
Least Deserving Restaurant in Jonathan Gold's 99 Essentials 2010
I had Border Grill's dineLA dish of the braised short ribs that was magical as was the green corn tamale. I asked the server and she said they may be adding it to the menu which they really should.
-----
Border Grill
1445 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401
Mozza's Pizza is NOT Pizza!
You have a pizza oven... and you order takeout???
It would take less time to make your own than buy takeout, if you have the ingredients.
Mozza uses wonderful ingredients. I love the fennel sausage.
Armenian banquet hall vs. Chinese restaurant wedding banquet
Empress Pavillion and Ocean Seafood in Downtown Chinatown are also good for 200+ peeps. I'd say Empress would definitely be my #1 choice for the Chinatown restaurants because of the parking. With Chinese, your food cost could easily be 1/2 your budgeted money. I don't know about Armenian food/costs so I cannot compare.
-----
Ocean Seafood Restaurant
747 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Bite tests the waters in LA's burger war
I've been to most... FO, Foundry, Umami, Golden State, 25 Degrees, Counter, etc... and last night, I had the Mission & 24th burger at Henry's Hat. It was excellent! Worthy of mention. Awhile ago, I tried there FO imitation which was just okay as it had too much blue cheese, but do try the Mission burger, it might be a contender.
-----
25 Degrees Restaurant
7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
The Golden State
426 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
M Restaurant - Hotel Metropole
205 Crescent Ave, Avalon, CA 90704
AYCE KBBQ for a larger sized group (8-15 people)
Road to Seoul and Tahoe Galbi are both excellent recommendations as far as the food goes, however, Tahoe Galbi you can get bottle service and a private room. Last time at RTS, they spread my group around 4 tables. RTS has a large smokers patio which if the group likes to smoke, that might be the choice.
So if you all want to sit together, TG is where I recommend and definitely make a reservation or you could be waiting a long time. If you don't care that the group sits together and some would like to smoke while eating, RTS would be my recommendation.
-----
Road to Seoul
1230 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006
GOOD gluten-free hamburger buns. Any in Hollywood?
MAYBE at Locali at Franklin and Canyon Dr. Frozen, not fresh if they have them. It's sorta a Veggie mini market deli
Better destination pizza spot: Bollini's or Zelo?
Okay, I'll give them another try. Liked everything else about the place.
Better destination pizza spot: Bollini's or Zelo?
I LOVE Bollini's pizza. Haven't tried Zelo, but have heard good things about them. I'm willing to drive from Hollywood to Bollini's as a destination. Haven't been back since he's opened up his big dining room. His pastas are also amazing, especially his funghi pizza and pasta.
Better destination pizza spot: Bollini's or Zelo?
I don't recall if Masa's was a cornmeal crust, I do recall the sauce was a bit off... either too sweet or too sour. The salads were amazing and the desserts were terrific as well. Go for the regular pizza, less sauce.
-----
Masa Restaurant
2063 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
soft shell crabs-- in season yet? where to buy?
LAX-C Market a few blocks from Chinatown has the best prices for frozen SS crabs. Various grades and sizes.
Getting My First Apartment, Total Foodie--What Is Absolutely Necessary to Buy?
If the OP listened to everyone, he'd have enough to outfit 5 kitchens... 1st apartment... I imagine he's on a very tight budget... I'd change the list to "What essential kitchen items should I get with my $100 budget". I'm presuming a single person.
1. 8" non-stick saute/omelette/burger pan $10
2. 12" Cast iron fry pan $15-25
3. 10" Chef knife, paring knife (Ikea $18)
4. 2qt sauce pan (boil eggs, sauces, boil water for coffee) $10-20
5. French Coffee Press Ikea $14
6. Silicone spatula, wood spoons, SS spatula or flipping burgers/steaks/eggs, heavy duty SS tongs (don't bother with the cheap ones), veggie peeler - all found at Ikea again
7. Set of cheap Tupperware plastic storage set - Ikea again
8. Big stock pot for soups/pastas
9-10. Add a wok and rice cooker if you plan to cook a lot of Asian dishes
These are just a beginning but the above items on my list, you can cook a lot of dishes with my bare minimum list
Best Chinese downtown?
It depends how many in your party. I don't like going for Cantonese Chinese dining unless I have at least 6 people but 8-10 is optimal so that I can get a good variety of dishes as my rule of thumb is about 1 dish per person excluding rice, dessert and soup. This formula doesn't work good with less than 4 as I'd include soup as one of the dishes.
So you tell me how many in your party and I'll tell you what I would order.
REVIEW: Breed Street Vendors, East Los Angeles
Awesome review Das! Nina's was our 2nd stop after Juan Torres truck and I downed 3 of his tacos, I just couldn't eat much more. When Nina's daughter was there, it was great as a Chinese Gringo, I speak un poquito Espanol and she left shortly after we arrived so I didn't know what some of the other dishes Nina was cooking up. But... she was cooking several items I've never seen before, so we are going back and I'm gonna eat everything she makes!!!
Congrats to Nina's Food, winner of the 2010 Vendy Award! I love to see an underdog win! Her very modest cooking setup vs those monster gourmet food trucks costing upwards of $100k. It's not the tools or toys... it's the knowledge and skill. WTG, Nina!
Breed Street Vendors update
Congrats to Nina, of Nina's Food, WINNER of the 2010 Vendy Awards
Two 2010 Vendy Award Finalists ELA Dining Reviews
Thanks Wild...
Congrats to Nina, WINNER of the 2010 Vendy Award! Her unique foods is probably what did it for her. Loved her huitlacoche DF Quesadilla and her Pambazos.
A most humble and deserving winner. Juan's tacos were among the best truck tacos, but so many vendors do great tacos as well.
I made a quick version of the pambazos for 30 of my poker buddies... I used french rolls and didn't dip the bread in chile sauce and I didn't fry the bread... my version was just okay (mediocre). For it to be spectacular, it needs the full, authentic treatment.
Need a Yamashiro update please
Yeah, go Thurs get parking validated then only costs $2 instead of $7.50, the Garden Market is a great way to spend an early evening and grab some bites. Then go up to the restaurant bar inside and get your drink on.
Yamashiros? yes or no
It was mediocre for me as well. The entire menu could really use a Gordon Ramsey makeover. However, they still do a ton of business.
Yamashiro's Farmers Market
A friend lives near Yamashiro, it can be a nightmare to park or to even turn around on her street. It is so worth the $2 for valet parking. Parking is tough anywhere above and below Franklin near Yamashiro.
-----
Yamashiro
1999 North Sycamore Ave., Hollywood, CA 90068
