I know...we stopped by this weekend and no more Pal Cabron...Sigh! I hope the family decides to serve them at Guelaguetza.

Bristol Farms is advertising them on their web site...it can't be too much longer!

I don't get it at Ikea (terrible)...I actually get it from a Scandinavian Bakery supply in MN...and occasionally available at Surfas...and guess where it is made...Belgium!!...and yes it is Parelkorrel Grain Perle made by ...yes...Tirlemont!

Yup! I also find pearl sugar at any number of Scandinavian stores that carry baking supplies...and at a number of mail-order sites!

I have found them in bulk at the Whole Foods Fairfax location and at a number of farmers markets. Bristol Farms used to carry them at their Manhattan Beach store...maybe they will have them at the Pasadena location. I have also seen them at a number of Hispanic markets over the years.

Not in WeHo...but Mezza on Washington Blvd. in Culver City might fit the bill...quite good and very reasonable!...and not too far away!

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Mezza Grill
9901 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Bristol Farms has very nice lamb shanks...sometimes at a good price!

I purchased some rib-eyes yesterday...$7.98...I also got some flatirons for the same price!
...but I agree, call before you go!

I brought my family from Torino and Ferrara to SoCal last year...most of them for the first time. I took them to Mastros which they loved and still talk about. Fathers Office was disappointing to them (I enjoy it!), but they loved the Apple Pan for its old school feel and burger (as do I!)...as a matter of fact, my family returned to The Apple Pan on the way to the airport to fly back to Italy!

Mori Sushi and Urasawa are good choices for the area...and I also like Hiko Sushi on National Blvd.

The one meal my family remembers most fondly was having the tasting menu at The Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles...as we know, most Italians love all things seafood...and this was a winner! On their own, they had brunch at Ocean Avenue Seafood in Santa Monica (the Water Grill's sister restaurant) and raved about the oyster bar and beautiful views of the ocean.

I know it was not on your wish list, but you must try some of the excellent Mexican (or taco trucks!!) which are not really available in Italy or for that matter in all of Europe. My family in Ferrara took back ten containers of mole paste from Restaurante Guelaguetza and now serves chicken mole at special family dinners...they even had me teach them how to make enchiladas...yes, they now make the best corn tortillas in all of Italy :-)...they have requested that I bring more when I visit this fall!!

Buon Viaggio!!

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Water Grill
544 South Grand, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Apple Pan
10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Hiko Sushi
11275 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Mori Sushi
11500 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Guelaguetza
3014 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006

Ocean Avenue Seafood
1401 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Mori Sushi
34320 Pacific Coast Hwy Ste B, Dana Point, CA 92629

Mastros Restaurant
2087 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Almost all Ralph's carry it...as does Bristol Farms.

I agree with you on Mignon...I wanted to like it but it disappoints... Maison du Chocolate will ruin you for most other chocolate available in the U.S....NYC has 3-4 shops and we in SoCal can't even get one!

It seems that almost every train station and airport in Europe has a Leonidas in it...but in Paris there are so many incredible chocolate shops, I would find it difficult to go to Leonidas there...one bite of a piece of chocolate from Christian Constant on Rue Assas will change your life!! I took a two day chocolate tour of Paris in the 90's...oh my gosh...I have not been the same since!

I really can't understand why an international city like Los Angeles can not support premium chocolate...first Neuhaus, then Galler and now Leonidas...gone!! Diane Kron's chocolate is good...and then I agree with you...only a few selections!! I think Americans are used to paying under $20 for a pound box and can not get used to spending more for an artisanal product...sad!

Good cheese dept....great seafood, especially if you know the fish monger...really good specials on quality meat...Poilane French bread flown in several times a week...imported Italian mortadella...Spanish jamon (including the black footed style for $150+/lb...it is wonderful!!)...and terrific service. All of this comes at a price though...many things are more expensive than other purveyors...but if you pick and choose what you buy it can be cheaper than Ralphs or Vons!

The Larchmont location stopped being a Leonidas a couple of years ago...I think it is called Chocoholics and it is now sells an inferior product at a higher price! I now get my Belgian chocolates from Chocolatt (I think they just changed the name to Lady Chocolatt) on Wilshire Blvd. near Bundy...no Leonidas, but quality fresh Belgian Chocolate!

For many years I "commuted" to Brussels monthly...and I developed a taste for the best Belgium had...Mary, Wittamer and Pierre Marcolini were the best... Fresh Leonidas was very good (the See's Candy of Belgium) but the stuff shipped to the US was not that fresh and suffered from a poor distribution network (per the Leonidas Salt Lake City shop)...interestingly, I was advised to purchase my Leonidas on line through Amazon...the product was very fresh but a little expensive! I now get Mary from a small shop in San Francisco and Pierre Marcolini from their shop in New York (they may close!!)

I just remembered...Macy's Union Square in San Francisco has Leonidas...maybe cheaper shipping from them!

Contrary to other reports, the sticks are always very good and the service is "efficient"...Beware...the hot is really hot!...but so, so good! Mrs. TravelPath and I have never had a problem with speed of service or quality

Bristol Farms has excellent mortadella from Italy...and often on sale!! It was approx $7/pound a few weeks ago...and so, so good!

I think we will have to agree to disagree...I also grew up in SoCal and lived in Mexico as well...so I am quite familiar with Mexican food . The New Mexican cuisine I think of has its roots from the unique mix that is New Mexico...the native American, Spanish, Jewish (yes Jewish...the history of the Conversos in New Mexico is fascinating), Anglo...and yes Mexican...My friends and family in New Mexico all differentiate Mexican from New Mexican when they dine out in the Land of Enchantment ...as do the local restaurant reviewers. Gil Garduno , perhaps New Mexico's best restaurant reviewer, definitely separates the two!

Regardless, we can agree on the quality of the cuisine in New Mexico...and the rarity of quality outside its borders!

Mary and Tito's is a gem...(I have quarts of their carne adovada and red in my freezer at home in Los Angeles) ...and I agree with you about Sadies...I have been going since it was in the bowling alley...and the Roberto Special is something I can only have once a year...it must be over 4000 calories!! I also agree about Barelas Coffee Shop...while not as good as Mary and Tito's...very serviceable!

I really like Cecilia's cafe on 6th street...great vibe and wonderful carne adovada...her red is one of the best in the city if not the state! Durans Central Pharmacy has great tortillas and their green chile stew is something I crave on a regular basis!

The only disagreement I have is calling New Mexican Cuisine "Mexican"...The unique ingredients and preparation of New Mexican cuisine make it a unique style of its own...maybe one of only a few unique cuisines in the US...along with Louisiana and New Orleans!! Whatever we call it, we are lucky to have it!!!

I too have experienced a minced lobster roll in Maine...at McDonald's believe it or not...while tasty, it does not have the mouth feel and lusciousness of a Red's or almost any other NE lobster roll. I am glad they got the buns right, but a good lobster roll requires identifiable chunks of lobster meat with a minimum of mayo...if any mayo at all!!

Fortunately, I travel to the Boston area almost every month and I get my fill on the way to the airport at a local fast food place that does an amazingly good Lobster roll...Kelly's, they actually use the meat from two one pound lobsters!!

I have my fingers crossed so hard!!...but you are correct, it may be too much hassle to get to!! I will try this coming week!

I tried their Po' Boy...both oyster and crab...the breading on the seafood was very heavy and the french bread did not have the correct "bite"...OK, but not worth a return trip. Their jambalaya was better, full of seafood, but lacked any spice...to me a real no-no! Once again, if you are in the neighborhood...fine...otherwise, skip it! Mrs. TravelPath enjoyed the crab-cakes but agreed that they were more East Coast in style.

...and this LA boy agrees. The best Cajun/Creole comes out of my kitchen...my chicken etouffee and fried okra last night was awesome...it also helps that I have family and friends in Lafayette sending me raw ingredients on a regular basis. Saying this, Ragin' Cajun in Hermosa Beach can, on occasion, produce a decent gumbo...and their Cajun potato salad can be quite good. I have talked to the owner and he has made special orders for me that are very good! Most of their regular menu items, however, are disappointing!

The Gumbo Pot used to be very good...especially for breakfast (years and years ago!!)...their eggs hussard and bananas with sherry were outstanding. The owner then was Charles Myers formally of The Ritz on Pico during the Cajun/Creole craze of the 70s-80s. Charles now owns Big Sky in San Luis Obispo where you can get some of his old LA specialties. The new owner has dumbed down the cuisine to food court quality for the tourists and shoppers at The Grove! I used to purchase Charles's andouille which he had made to a Brennan family recipe...it was really good!...Alas, no longer...the gumbo pot uses a low quality commercial product...SIGH!

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Gumbo Pot
6333 W 3rd St Ste 312, Los Angeles, CA 90036

I definitely second the Starling Diner for their French Toast..."OMG" is just not a strong enough expression for how good this is!! Their house made granola with Greek yogurt is an outstanding "healthy" alternative. I also love their caramelized apples in brandy sauce...so, so good!!...and I agree on Jongewaard's Bake N Broil for their baked goods...an old reliable stand-by.

I always head to Pann's for their biscuit and gravy with sausage...maybe the best in Los Angeles (and I say this coming from Southern roots and living in the South for a lot of years!). DuPars, when they are on the ball, have the best buttermilk pancakes in the area! Finally, the apple pancake at Dinah's is outstanding...get the large and bring home the leftovers for breakfast the next day!!

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Pann's Restaurant & Coffee Shop
6710 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Starling Diner
4114 E 3rd St, Long Beach, CA 90814

Thank you...thank you!! It is the best pastor I have had in Los Angeles...even though I feel guilty passing up El Chato...But two of the very best taco trucks in SoCal within a couple of blocks of each other and within 5-7 minutes of my home! I am in heaven!!

I have been going to Dr's for decades and have noticed a lack of consistency the last ten years or so. Last month I attended a small gathering at the Dr's in the afternoon and while the service was excellent, the brisket was dry and the ribs tough. This past weekend I attended a party catered by Dr HW and the brisket was as good as it ever was...so were the ribs and the chicken was incredible...and I don't like BBQ chicken!! So this afternoon, I had a co-worker (who has time to go out for lunch...I don't) bring me back some brisket and beef ribs...the ribs were fair but the brisket was outstanding.

So, I think it is a hit or miss situation...when it is good (and it often is) it is very good...when it is not...well!

We will have to agree to disagree here...about Chicago Pizza...for me Tony's crust lacks the proper "bite" and the sauce is just too sweet...sweeter than anything I have had in Chicago! Don't get me wrong, I like Tony's...it is among the best that SoCal has...but for Chicago style stuffed pizza...or thin crust for that matter, at least for me and a whole bunch of my friends and family, Chicago Pasta House is the go to place! (even if it requires a 90 minute drive!!)

As for the the resemblance to pizza worldwide...as an Italian, who lived in Italy the better part of 20 years, I can confidently state that it bears no resemblance to the pies I found in Roma or Napoli...unless you are frequenting Pizza Hut or the like in Italy! (sadly, these do exist there!) I remember as a young man going with my family to a well known pizzeria in New York...when the Italian owner discovered that we were from the "old" country, he immediately took the partially eaten pie off of our table and returned 10 minutes later with a proper Margherita...even the venerable NY pizza is different enough that the owner was worried that an Italian would not like it!!

De gustibus non est disputandum!

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Chicago Pasta House
24667 Sunnymead Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

I really don't get the comparison to authentic Chicago Deep Dish...Don't get me wrong, I like Tony's Little Italy and I have consumed many a slice there and through take out...and I also live in Los Angeles...but it does not resemble any pizza I have ever had in Chicago, and believe me when I say I have had dozens, if not hundreds of pies in Chicagoland! I still believe that Chicago Pasta House in Moreno Valley comes the closest...and when they are on, as they often are...they are as good and even better that some Chicago institutions!

Now if we could just get a decent pie in Los Angeles...While not Chicago style, I miss La Barbaras terribly! Sigh!

Yes...just last week...the chocolate was as good as ever...the cherry chocolates were wonderful!!...and a little "lagniappe"...the owner really knows how to make a fine Italian cafe (expresso)...and this from a good Roman boy!!...and his hot chocolate is excellent, made in a European manner...not too sweet, but very rich and thick!!

I second Ocean Ave Seafood...it has been a few months since I have been, but they have "happy hours" oysters special with a glass of wine for a very reasonable price!

While I agree about mass produced chocolate and freshness...especially Leonidas and the overpriced Teuscher, I know that neither the Belgian Pierre Marcolini nor the French La Maison du Chocolat (both available from their New York stores) are mass produced or frozen...this holds true for the French Michel Cuizel available at a few local retailers (I get mine at Vicente Foods...always fresh)