George's Profile
looking for fresh sardines
Pete of J & P West Coast Seafood had fresh sardines on Monday morning at the WeHo farmer's market in Plummer Park. He doesn't have them every week though. Best to call first.
which farmers market can I find La Boulangerie bread?
I asked Thierry about his full list of Farmer's Markets. As of now, here is his schedule:
Thursday: City Hall
Friday: Echo Park ; and Bank of America DownTown
Saturday: Calabasas; and Americana Glendale
Sunday: Larchmont; and Agora Hills; and Westlake; and Mar Vista; and Pacific Palisades
Monday: West Hollywood.
No markets as of now on Tuesday and Wednesday....Go find Thierry!
which farmers market can I find La Boulangerie bread?
Monday mornings Thierry is at the FM in WeHo, Plummers Park. He is the best in LA.
Fromage Frais in the L.A. area anyone?
More specific than fromage frais, but I just finished off the delicious goat milk faisselle that Laurent Bonjour is selling out of his cheese truck at local Farmer's Markets: Laurent Bonjour's Cheese Corner.
Grand Central Market - best lunch?
I did the jury duty excuse for lunch at Grand Central Market experience this week and have to confirm the well known excellence of Sarita's Pupuseria. But I also went to Roast To Go and asked the woman there to show me the buche, which she did proudly and so I jumped in a got a taco de buche - it was really, really, really delicious. Very spicy salsa roja, lots of onion and lemon to interact with the pig stomach. It was amazing, though I don't know if my fellow jurors in the later afternoon shared my opinion, I'm sure given how large and messy it was that I smelled like a taco de buche for some time.
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Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Sarita's Pupuseria
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Roast To Go
317 S Broadway Ste 23, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Boccalone in LA?
Thanks for responding to this old post and for the info. Back when, Cube wasn't selling it, but happy to hear that has changed. Love Cube.
Whole Roast Pig from Chinatown?
I just logged on to look up old threads on Sam Woo and see this post at the top of the day's list. Years ago, on this board, someone told this then recent transplant from NYC that I should replace my longings for New York Noodletown by going to Sam Woo. But 6 years later, I've never been. Is there any agreement on which Sam Woo location is the "best"? I'm thinking of going in a few hours.
ISO small eccentric but good Napa wineries
and if 'experience' is what you are looking for, then I would recommend Round Pound. It is a beautiful vineyard, but I would recommend reserving a place at their olive oil tasting, it is really informative and fun.
ISO small eccentric but good Napa wineries
when i've been to Van Der Heyden in the past, the owner himself poured the wines, in a trailer out in the back of his yard, with his grandkids toys scattered about outside. he was fun and the experience unique, but i didn't go back on this recent trip. if you would enjoy visiting a beautiful spot, with picnic opportunities and room to languish and hang out (the bocce court for example), then Dutch Henry is fun. It is indeed eccentric though--the pourer was a musician, and was playing his country-western CD during our time there, offering signed copies. If you are looking for a small vineyard with great tasting room experience--you don't hang out on a vineyard while there so much--then I recommend Elyse. I enjoyed it more, for the wines. As a postscript, I have noticed that a cheaper Elyse wine, not offered in their tasting, is being sold now by a big store like Trader Joe's.
michel richard's pâté
funny to see this post resurrected tonight. For I have just signed on after my dinner, my wife and I had earlier today stopped by the new Maison Michel--it is very attractive and can't wait to eat there. But we were buying pates to take home, and I literally just finished eating the duck pate, and the parsleyed ham terrine. Also the salmon wrapped around a poached egg in aspic. So classic and so good.
ISO small eccentric but good Napa wineries
I wanted to report back after my trip. My wife and I tried many of these suggestions, although we didn't make it to Terraces. Elyse was really great, very much like Havens used to be across the street (the Havens site stands abandoned looking, though the vineyards around it are being worked; the Elyse people said it was being sold again very soon by the company that took it over and went bankrupt). You do have to make an appointment, small tasting room, one white and about seven reds including the port at the end. The port was the only thing I didn't think was fantastic. The two cabernets and the syrah priced at 65/bottle were too steep for me to buy, but I enjoyed them and purchased their pinot and a cab from Tietjen vineyard priced around 40/bottle. The dog, a 13yr old pointer, was by our side as we tasted, very friendly, and informative, in fact some women came back with their friends for a 2nd tasting in as many days, to introduce the friends to the place. Really recommended. Dutch Henry is a beautiful spot on Silverado, you can bring a picnic if you plan ahead, and they have tables amid olive trees, airedale terriers, some pretty bold and funny cats, and a bocce court. It is a fun place. The wines were good, not extraordinary, but the thing I tasted here that I like best was their olive oil. It is made from the olives growing along the drive outside the tasting room--we were told the olives are brought to a nearby monastery. Was he pulling our leg? I don't know, but the olive oil is 28/bottle and is really fantastic.
Last: Barlow. This is a really lovely place, very much a family vineyard, very close to Dutch Henry and both to Calistoga. You have to call ahead, as you cannot drive onto the property without the code to their front gate. After opening it with the code, you drive up a beautiful lane surrounded by the vineyards, cross a bridge and climb up a steep hill toward what is essentially the winemakers' home. It is a father and son's place, the father retired from his career down in Orange County to Napa and seems now to be in his 80s. You taste the wines in his home, in our case at their dining or kitchen table. The wines are really fine--not typical big Napa explosive wines, they were subtle and even the Zinfandel was a great food wine it seemed to me. I purchased several and really loved the wines I tasted, most all of them unfiltered and made from estate grown grapes. So I am basically just writing to add these details, and reiterate the recs you all made to me, and with my thanks!
ISO small eccentric but good Napa wineries
thanks everyone these suggestions and the elyse report are great. I leave next Wednesday so if you have other ideas.......
Olema Inn vs. Osteria Stellina...or something else?
ate there last summer as my wife and I passed through Pt. Reyes Station. I still remember the goat. It was the highlight of our trip (we are from LA).
ISO small eccentric but good Napa wineries
Thank you. I'm looking into Dutch Henry. That thread reiterates Van Der Heyden, so thanks I hadn't read it yet. Near Havens on the same small road was another vineyard called Elyse.
http://www.elysewinery.com/
I wonder about trying them.
ISO small eccentric but good Napa wineries
I apologize in advance, I know there are a million postings and I have been searching and reading them. Here's my question though:
I'm coming up to wine country from LA next week. I'm wondering if the two vineyards that I have enjoyed the most--smaller places, individual or family proprietors--suggest immediately other lesser known vineyards that one would want to seek out.
Years ago, visiting my brother in SF, we drove out to Napa and fell by complete chance into this place:
http://www.vanderheydenvineyards.com/
It became a legendary visit for us, and we regularly exchange the wines with each other using mail order from afar.
More recently, another find: after a bottle of their wine at dinner at Ad Hoc one night while visiting, and then asking about them at a bigger vineyard the next day, the pourer there said--you are just 10 minutes away, I know them and used to work there, they are about to close but rush over and I'm sure you will find them still there. We rushed, they were closing, but to set up a French country style outdoor party with the vineyard next door, including food and live music, so amazing, and they of course welcomed us and set out the tasting wines for us. It became a favorite and I try to return on any visit. The vineyard was called Havens.
But I have just read online that it has been closed down! Kind of crushed about that.
Do these smaller places immediately suggest similar favorites for those who know the area better than I? I guess I'm saying, ultimately, that the big places and tastings leave me cold. I loved Havens for the French-style wines they were doing, like Côte du Rhone, the rosés too were amazing. I'll be staying in Calistoga, so anywhere up and down the valley is fine.
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Ad Hoc
6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599
ISO steamed buns
that is a beauuuutiful photo. yes this is the kind of bun i am looking to purchase. I'll check 99 Ranch.
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99 Ranch
17713 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA
ISO steamed buns
Basically I'm making my own version of the Momofuku steamed pork (belly) buns and I'm looking for a source for frozen buns for steaming. Any ideas/markets you know that carry them?
if you know a resto that makes pork buns that will make me forget momofuku, I'm also all ears. I expect in LA it is not a tall order at all.
ISO Morels
And West Hollywood Farmers Market (Mondays, Plummers Park). No rush on the morels here.
Chichen Itza catering?
dommy - i just went to the website to salivate as i sometimes do, and see they are offering lechon/suckling pig sunday mornings (?) until 2 pm. Does anyone know anything about this??
michel richard
i went in this afternoon for a fix of eclairs to go. got them, and couldn't resist the ham/parsley terrine and salmon rilletes to go as well. All was as good as ever, but wanted to post for I overheard that they are moving -- after decades the lease is up, and they will move in a month to Fairfax and Melrose.
What's the story with the huge live prawns at the Little Tokyo Marketplace?
the video of russ parsons and providence is here on this website, under chow videos, the category "The Perfect"--it is great to watch.
Is Sa Rit Gol actually closed?
Very sad. Does anyone have any leads on a place that specializes in the delicious black cod casserole that Sa Rit Gol made?
Is Sa Rit Gol actually closed?
I've been googling and googling, but it seems vague, even though there is one post on this board with the same question--only one person responded and the response was that the phone was disconnected.
I love Sa Rit Gol. I was going to go there tonight. Anyone know for sure?
New to West Hollywood, please help
Wa Sushi and Bistro, on La Cienega just north of SMB. 2nd floor of a strip mall.
Cardoons Puntarelle
I'm not on this board as often as I used to be, so checking in tonight, to see this old post resurface was a surprise. Thanks so much for the info. I am SO excited.
Bistro LQ
Pacing was slow. Not as bad as Bistro K. The menu carries a disclaimer about this.
Criticisms: the pork dish needs to be worked out further. It was really bland, even for my wife who barely salts her food, it needed to be salted. But beyond seasoning, it wasn't at the level of the other things we ordered or saw ordered.
They offer bread rather parsimoniously and cleared the bread plates after the appetizer course. No butter was offered. We requested the return of the bread plates and more bread, and I assume you could request butter too.
But everything still seems in play at Bistro LQ -- portion size, customs, etc. The waiters didn't know yet what to expect nor had they tasted / experienced the dishes themselves. I don't think it will in the end be at all like Bistro K, the staff is numerous and seem already to have a sense of all their different roles, the service in fact was great last night and it was their first night.
