estone888's Profile
halibut
Some of the Korean markets in Koreatown also have live fish - actually, most of them do. The market in Koreatown Galleria and also the one in Koreatown Plaza do if I recall correctly. I recently saw a good selection at the big new market in one of the new malls on 6th. It might have been the one at 6th and Western or it might have been the one a bit east of there past Normandie on the south side - can't recall the name. Among the live fish I saw there were fish they called halibut but they looked more like flounder to me - not that I know the difference other than that I think of halibut as being quite a bit bigger.
I was at Ranch 99 in what used to be called San Gabriel Square - Del Mar & Valley, in San Gabriel, and they had a better even than usual assortment of live fish and shellfish in their tanks.
There is a fantastic Asian live fish market in Rosemead called Seafood Paradise Fish Market, 8955 E Garvey Ave, Rosemead. It's like visiting an aquarium where you can take the exhibits home and eat them.
Burnt ends etc.
I have had excellent burnt ends at Bludso's but they don't usually have them. Ideally you need to call a day ahead and ask them to reserve / make some for you. 310-637-1342
Korean cold spicy noodles?
A friend is craving Korean cold spicy noodles in Koreatown for lunch tomorrow. Any suggestions as to the best place for them? Thanks.
Lucifer's Pizza Los Feliz?
Anyone know anything or have anything to say? I keep trying to convince the girlfriend that buying Groupons for places we know nothing about is not necessarily worthwhile. But she's gone and bought another one - for Lucifer's. I figure we're committed to eating there anyhow, but I might as well be prepared.
Please Magic Johnson + Guggenheim, make this happen
Last time I was at a game it took at least 20 minutes to a half hour to get a hot dog and a beer. I don't think it's the food prep time so much as the inefficiency of whatever company/ies are running the concessions.
Please Magic Johnson + Guggenheim, make this happen
There is, sadly, almost no getting rid of the truly awful Dodger Dog. For whatever mistaken reasons, people seem to like them. It's like my father's love for his mother's roast chicken - the very worst chicken I've ever tasted. He grew up with it and that's all that counts for him.
Still, in a city with the culinary diversity of Los Angeles, what is on offer at Dodger Stadium is a disgrace. At the very least there should be a certain percentage - ideally a very high percentage but I'll settle for 50 % - of bids to run concessions that are only open to locally owned and operated businesses, ideally small businesses like taquerias and hot dog stands and dumpling houses and food trucks and fried chicken places, etc. Some of the worst taco trucks in town have food that's better, and certainly cheaper, than what's currently available to eat at Dodger Stadium. And they are more representative of the community we live in.
Loud and louder restos: Maybe I'm getting old, but...
I'd definitely second Bottega Louie. I actually like the food there and would like the ambience if I could have a conversation, which I can't, at all. I can barely even hear myself think in that place. I have given up on it.
downtownish amazingness! culture shock?
Culture shock? How about the roasted half pig's head at Gorbals?
Any good Mexican food in Silver Lake?
If you liked it, I'm happy for you. But I sure haven't ever had anything there I'd be willing to eat again.
Any good Mexican food in Silver Lake?
They do make reasonably good margaritas at Casita del Campo and if you drink enough of them the food won't make you gag, though it's a near thing. But if you drink enough of the margaritas you might be revisiting the food later and that's really not very pleasant.
Any good Mexican food in Silver Lake?
Best tacos near Silverlake are at Mexicali Taco & Co. on Figueroa just north of Sunset. Not really Silverlake, but not too far. Other than that I can't think of anywhere in Silverlake that I'd go for Mexican food rather than drive farther afield for far better Mexican food. It's a shame since I live in Silverlake. But, I've tried all the Mexican places in the neighborhood and while some are okay for margaritas and chips and salsa, there aren't any that I would consider to have good Mexican food.
Best Dim Sum
I just got back from 888 and was reminded again of how it is my favorite of the off the cart dim sum places. It has an enormous and often changing variety - a far bigger variety than Elite, Sea Harbour or Shanghai #1, my three favorite order from the menu places. It has several types of dim sum that I can't find anywhere else - gau choy gau, for instance, my favorite - and the quality and freshness, though not on a par with from the menu places, is excellent for an off the cart place - especially if you snag a seat near where the carts exit the kitchen.
Small Chinese Banquet Advice Wanted
Yep, I'm leaning toward Sea Harbour. Money is something of an issue, but not enough of one that Sea Harbour is out of the running. I enjoy Newport but it doesn't seem particularly banquet-worthy to me, either. And it's my birthday, so I plan to please myself first of all. I haven't been to Lunasia since it became Lunasia - having been I can't recall the name of it before that. One of their set banquet menus online does look pretty good though.
Small Chinese Banquet Advice Wanted
I want to put together a party of about 12 people in a private room in a Chinese restaurant for my birthday in June. Having lived in Hong Kong for 11 years and traveled extensively in China, I know something about Chinese food and am happy to eat anything and everything. My guests are, for the most part, somewhat less adventurous but still game. I'd like to go to the restaurant in advance to work out a menu, rather than rely on its existing, set price banquet menus.
I'm trying to decide between Sea Harbour, Elite or Newport Seafood (which I know is popular with my friends, but I'd prefer Cantonese seafood - with some roasted meats thrown in for good measure. (Pigeon would be nice so that I can cruelly enjoy the looks of horror that I know whole roasted pigeons will elicit from a couple of my friends. And then enjoy their changed expressions when I convince them to try it.) Price is pretty much no object in this instance - well, within reason, I don't think shark's fin or birds nest are going to be on the menu.
I've liked the dim sum at Shanghai #1 Seafood but on my two visits for dinner I have been less than wowed by the food and downright annoyed by the service. (Although I suppose a party in a private room could be a different matter.)
So, whaddaya think? Are Sea Harbour and Elite my two best bets? Any other place that I ought to consider?
Real, Traditional Club Sandwich in LA?
As does Rick's just down the street at Fletcher and Riverside. I'm a little surprised, actually, by the question. I like club sandwiches and have little trouble at all finding ones as described by the OP. The problem with them only seems to arise when you go to hip, trendy or fancy places.
$500 - Where to splurge?
I have had the wine pairing at Providence and it was wonderful, some real surprises. On the other hand I should have taken a taxi. The drive home was, shall we say, interesting. Hard choice.
$500 - Where to splurge?
I second Providence. I've also liked Melisse, though not so much as Providence. Spago I can take or leave, I think it's kind of boring. I might also consider Saam at The Bazaar for a fun, unusual tasting menu - you'd even have some money left over unless you went wild with wine.
Where can I find a skin-on full fat pork butt?
El Mambi Market, 328 East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale - just east of Glendale Ave. A great little Latin American market with a fantastic and very cheap butcher - especially for pork. If you don't speak Spanish, not to worry, one of the butchers speaks excellent English. They are very happy to cut you what you want if it isn't already available.
Great places to grab lunch/dinner on the road from LAX to Palm Springs on I-10
If you can get on the road by 2:30-3pm at the latest, take the 105 to the 110 north - with two of you, you can stay in the carpool lane the whole way. You might encounter some traffic getting from the 110 north to the 10 east, but that time of day it shouldn't be too bad yet. Then, all along the 10 you have a lot of easy access - easy on and off the freeway - Chinese restaurants starting at about Atlantic Ave. in Monterey Park / Alhambra and continuing for many miles on both sides of the freeway. There are just too many to recommend one in particular unless I know what you are looking for. One of my favorites for a quick lunch is J&J Shanghai at 301 W. Valley Blvd. in San Gabriel. It has among the very best XLB (juicy pork dumplings - soup dumplings if you are from NYC) in the area. Exit the freeway at New - go north to Valley, turn right it's on the left at the back of a stripmall. Or exit the freeway at Del Mar, go north, turn left on Valley and it's the second stripmall on your right - the first one past the Hilton.
Good, Healthy but not vegetarian/vegan in Hollywood, Weho, Los Feliz, Silverlake area
Nothing all that unhealthy that I can think of about Mohawk Bend on Sunset near Alvarado in Echo Park, or Barbrix on Hyperion in Silverlake, and both are very good, with varied menus.
Dinner Suggestions? Staying Downtown LA?
According to Google Maps - 16 minutes from the Biltmore to J&J near Valley Blvd and Del Mar Ave, Monterey Park is at least 5 minutes closer. Freeway is close to the Biltmore - up 5th to the 110 North to the 101 South to the 10 east. Still, if you're staying in downtown why not walk everywhere - even if it means the lesser dim sum at Yum Cha Cafe in Chinatown rather than going out to the far better places in the San Gabriel Valley.
Dinner Suggestions? Staying Downtown LA?
Unless it's closed down, there is a small branch of Yum Cha Cafe in Chinatown on Broadway. It is, to my knowledge, the best dim sum in Chinatown. But that isn't saying much.
One Great Memphis BBQ Meal Needed
Staying with a friend. I've spent a lot of time in Clarksdale and never been terribly impressed by the bbq there. I've never understood why people are so fond of Abe's, though the pulled pork is okay. I do like the tamales at Hick's quite a bit. Best bbq I've had in Mississippi is in Greenwood at Hoover's Grocery in Baptist Town.
Proximity to the airport isn't too crucial, I should be able to get into town in Memphis well before it's time to get back to the airport on the way home.
One Great Memphis BBQ Meal Needed
In early April I'm flying into Memphis and then heading south to Clarksdale, MS for the Juke Joint Festival. I'm going to have time for one truly great bbq lunch or late lunch in Memphis on the way to or from the airport. Ideally it won't be somewhere too far out of the way between the airport and points south - but the quality of the bbq is more important.
What's the latest thinking on the best bbq Memphis has to offer? Thanks.
Where to buy inexpensive brisket to make corned beef?
Doesn't the marbling have something to do with how tender it is? When I've bought brisket from Smart and Final it was nowhere near as tender after many hours of rub and smoking, than similar sized briskets of higher quality from Costco or other places.
Where to buy inexpensive brisket to make corned beef?
Yep, I've never been happy with the quality of Smart & Final's brisket - though I've only slow smoked it. I'd rather spend a bit more and get a higher quality brisket.
Fairbanks and North - A Trip Report - Long
I just got back from a week long trip to Fairbanks, then up to Coldfoot and a couple of days at Chena Hot Springs. Thanks to you local Chowhounds for your recommendations. Here's what we (4 of us) ate:
Dinner the first night was a lazy stroll from our hotel - Pike's - to Pike's Landing. (We were all tired.) It was pretty much what you'd expect in the way of bar food. The steamed clams were good - garlicky broth, though about 1/4 of them hadn't opened. The halibut burger was okay but seemed like something of a waste of a nice piece of halibut. The halibut fish and chips were also merely okay - the frying could have been a bit crisper. The french fries were good, though. The draft beers were excellent.
For breakfast we went to Alaska Coffee Roasters and it was great. Really world class espresso and latte, great baked goods. I wish there was somewhere just like it near my house in Los Angeles.
Lunch was at the Chowder House which was local and amusing if not a whole lot more. The smoked salmon chowder was good, the clam chowder merely okay, the fresh baked bread was sort of a fresh baked small loaf of Wonder Bread but what the heck. The place did have a nice atmosphere and if I lived in Fairbanks I'd probably go there from time to time.
Dinner the second night was at Gambardella's. Sure is a big place. It's pretty much standard issue red sauce Italian and was fine. If it was nearby where I live I might go there from time to time, but it's not worth going out of your way for. (Maybe in Fairbanks it is, I don't know.) The eggplant parmigiana was the stand out of all of our dishes - surprisingly light and fresh tasting. The salads were good, though near drowning in dressing.
We then went up to Coldfoot at the base of the Brooks Range for several days of aurora viewing and general exploration. The food at the truckstop at Coldfoot Camp was surprisingly better than it had to be - considering it's the only dining option for perhaps 125 miles or so in any direction. Great onion rings, excellent breakfasts (especially pancakes and reindeer sausage,) huge tasty sandwiches - especially the blt. Very good soups. (Though the chili was too bland.) Excellent pies. Nothing more in the way of variety than you'd expect from a truck stop, but good.
Back to Fairbanks way late at night and the only thing open that wasn't a chain - major criteria for me - was the Family Restaurant on Airport Way. Pretty good fried chicken, actually. Nearly inedible meatloaf, very overcooked porkchops. My sister's grilled cheese was a regular old white bread American slices grilled cheese.
Then it was up to Chena Hot Springs resort. The restaurant there is good, not great, but good. Standouts were the tomato basil soup - made from tomatoes and basil grown in their own greenhouse, which is an interesting thing to visit on the "Geothermal tour." The halibut for dinner was excellent, very nicely cooked and served with good fresh vegetables from their greenhouse, and the clam chowder was excellent, though a bit saltier and creamier than I tend to like it, lots of clams. The "famous" blueberry pancakes were okay but I can't imagine why they'd be famous.
Back to Fairbanks and we were utterly wiped out exhausted. We thought about going to Lemongrass Thai - even though it seems odd to be coming from Los Angeles (home of the world's largest Thai community outside of Thailand) and going to a Thai restaurant. But we were all too tired so we trudged back across the parking lot to Pike's Landing again. The King Crab legs were good. The Killer Shrimp were good, garlickly, a bit spicy, buttery but what is it with all that salt? Do people in Alaska have a low blood pressure problem or something? Again, excellent draft beers.
My flight left too early for any more meals but my sister, who lives in Chicago, did go to Lemongrass Thai that evening before her flight and liked it a lot. She had a halibut dish that she said was excellent. I asked her how they managed to get any fresh Thai ingredients in Fairbanks in February and she concluded, from looking around, that they must stick to dishes that they can cook with what they can get seasonally - as her halibut didn't seem to have any fresh Thai ingredients that might have been a problem. But she is very familiar with Thai food and said it was excellent.
Fairbanks?
Thanks. It's good to get some response even if it is somewhat discouraging. I probably have enough to get by on for now. We're only going to be in the area for a week - three nights in Fairbanks, two nights at Chena resort and two nights up in Coldfoot on an aurora viewing (hopefully) trip. Chena and Coldfoot we won't have any options in terms of food, but we will have three dinners, two lunches and one breakfast in Fairbanks as we transit in and out to the other places. I'll certainly post back and let you all know how it went. If you need anything for Los Angeles, our board is very active, but you can also get to me through my website that is listed on my profile here. Thanks again. Eric
Fairbanks?
Really - nothing in Fairbanks? Nothing at all? I suppose if I don't hear back from some of you I'm just going to have to wing it and post my own report when I return.
