carln's Profile
Ridgeback Shrimp at The Shack - Rowland Heights - With PHOTOS
Seafood Paradise sells them live when they can get them at about $3.99/lb.
Culinary adventures in St. Lucia
We are back from St. Lucia and I wanted to jump back on here to fill everyone in on the various meals we had.
Laurel's (On Trouya Road north of Castries). This is a locally owned, small restaurant that serves local foods. We had dinner there one night because it was within walking distance of where we were staying (Windjammer Landing). We ordered Accra (salfish cakes) to start and then I had the pork ribs and my wife had the local fish (mahi mahi that night). The accra was delicious but a little oily and both the ribs and fish were fantastic. Both were served with rice, beans and plantains. This place is a great little, family owned restaurant and really makes you feel as though you are eating in someones house.
We had several lunches at JJ's which is just outside the market in Castries. You wont see a sign that says JJ's but there is a sign that says "Caribbean Cocktails". They make several dishes every day and we found that a lot of locals would come there to pick up their lunch at lunch time (most tourists would come and have drinks but most of the eaters were locals). We ate there several times and had creole octopus, stewed pork, fried fish and creole shrimp over the various meals. The food here was very good and again felt very local and authentic. The chef (Chef Sweet Juice) was a very friendly man and went out of his way to explain the food and take good care of us. JJ's is well known by the locals for their stuffed crab backs which they do on wednesday nights. Unfortunately on the wednesday night that we went down there, they were closed because JJ's mother had recently passed away and everyone was at the funeral. Chef Juice was incredibly apologetic the next time he saw us because he had told us to come down on wednesday, forgetting that they would be closed. He was so nice and we had such good food there, that we were not upset in the least.
While on the island, we also made a point to go to the jump up (local street party) in Gros Islet. This was a fun night and one not to be missed. All the locals put bbq's out on the street and grill a variety of foods. There is a dj playing music and its a huge street party. We had some grilled kidneys, grilled lambi (conch) and some fried fish at the jump up and again all the food was very good. At all of the street stalls, no matter what you pick you get rice, beans, salad and ground provisions (some combination of local starches...yams, plantains, dasheen [taro]).
We went to the Gros Islet jump up the following friday again, but this time we went to a little place that a local friend had suggested. I dont know that i has a name, but starting at about 6pm at the Gros Islet fishery (where all the fishing boats come in with their catch), there is a little place where they grill fresh fish and lambi on the coal. This place was great and was frequented almost exlusively by locals.
One saturday night we drove to Dennery which is a small fishing village on the east coast of the island and which has its own jump up on saturday nights. The Dennery jump up (or fish fiesta as its sometimes called) is also a fun event with great food. if you are into seafood, this is the place to go. We had stewed octopus, grilled fish roe, grilled fish, lambi, and although I couldnt have them because i was too full, crayfish and sea snails. If you go to the Dennery jump up make sure you arrange for a taxi driver to pick you up at a certain time because it can be challenging to find a cab from there.
On a recommendation from the resort, we had dinner one night at Spinnakers in Rodney Bay. We honestly found this place to be a tourist trap. The food was not very good and the service was probably the least friendly of any place we ate at on our trip. Its in a beautiful location on the beach but other than that i would stay away from it.
One day we took a trip to Pigeon Island (not really an island any more because you can drive to it) and had lunch at the only restaurant there called Jambe de Bois. Because it was the only place there, and because pigeon island is a big tourist spot, we expected the food to be average at best, but we were the first ones there that day and they made us some very good fried and grilled fish. Nothing spectacular, but again, good, home cooked-type food.
Finally, we had heard so much about The Edge in Rodney Bay that we went there for dinner one night (and then went back again another night). This place is said to be the best restaurant on the island and we found the food to be very good. We had local prawns poched in butter with seafood raviolli (one of the best dishes...the one that made us go back), grilled red snapper with anise foam, and kingfish and shrimp wellington. All the food here was very good and for a high end dining experience, i would highly recommend it.
Im sure we ate at some other places too that i cant think of at the moment but as i remember them i will post again.
Hope this helps those heading to the island in the future.
Culinary adventures in St. Lucia
Crowbar, thanks so much for this information. Its just what i was looking for.
Culinary adventures in St. Lucia
Are there any local joints that are worth visiting and not necessarily on the tourist path? is there such a thing? Just looking for the best food. Everything else is scondary.
Culinary adventures in St. Lucia
Hey guys, there is less than a month till we head out to St. Lucia, so please let me know if you have any ideas. thanks
Good fishmonger / Seafood Market near Downtown/Echo Park/Silver Lake
Santa Monica seafood generally has a nice selection. Seafood Paradise in Rosemead is my favorite though...almost everything is alive in tanks.
Culinary adventures in St. Lucia
We are hoping to really explore the whole island so suggestions are welcomed for any place on the island. We will be staying just north of Castries but really want to travel around the island and find some places that are off the beaten path.
Thai in culver city area
Although it not in Culver City, has anyone tried Lattitued Thai on Lincoln? Its fairly close to CC and I have heard good things about it (but never been).
What/how much to order at Park's?
The beef tartar is actually quite good as well. Its an interesting twist with korean pears in it. As far as the BBQ goes, you cant go wrong with the seasoned Galbi. Its the best.
Help me choose a restaurant. Providence, Ink, Animal, others?
The 5 course tasting menu at providence will be plenty of food. I guarantee that you will not leave hungry. I do like the other places that you mentioned, but I would pick Providence all the way.
Where to buy cockles (and seafood in general) in Los Angeles?
Seafood paradise in rosemead often has cockles. They also have a number of other live fish and shellfish and they are my go-to place for seafood.
In Search of Great Olive Oil..
You may be looking for the Olio Nuevo which is the first press of the first fruit of the season. It is generally unfiltered and is absolutely delicious. I get mine from a farm in Paso called Olivas De Oro (they are also online) but there are other producers that sell nuevo locally as well.
Artichoke's Heart Melrose
I also wanted to love this place....but didnt. The chalk board thing is a total gimmick and is pretty stupid. One, because the board is huge and two, because there are boards in each room so even if your board says there are 2 ribeyes left, they actually have more that are written on the other boards. Just a dumb idea.
Anyway, beyond the chalk boards, these guys hold themselves out to be a steakhouse. I ordered a steak and it came out horribly overcooked. The manager did offer to make a new one but since we were with guests, I didnt want everyone waiting for my new steak and just ate it. For me, you cant be a steakhouse and not know how to cook a steak. Its a shame too because they have a great oak burning oven that could cook some great food in the right hands.
Sushi Sasabune? or something else close to Sushi Zo?
I honestly wouldnt let some of the negative things on the board about Zo steer you away from it. If you are willing to spend about $200/head (after tax and tip) then I still think its an amazing meal and you wont be disappointed. the quality of the fish is amazing there and other than Urasawa its my favorite place in town to eat.
PERFECT SUSHI West Los Angeles SUSHIZO
It may be more pieces than it was when it was $60 (i unfortunately didnt know about it when it was that cheap) but its certainly not any more pieces than when it was about $120. I dont want to sound too negative honestly because I love the place and unlike most, I actually really like the chef as well. He always asks about my mother and brother (when they are not with me) and has always been very nice to us. I am more disappointed at the fact that the price keeps going up for one of my favorite meals and is pretty much at the point where I can only go on rare occasions now.
Gravy Ramen at Kanpai Sushi - anyone tried it?
They are very expensive, but I agree that the fish is good. As an FYI, they participate in the restaurant.com program and you can purchase gift certificates (for a couple of bucks) that will give you up to $100 off a bill of over $200 or $50 off a bill of over $100. I literally only go to Kanpai if i have one of these certificates because it brings their prices down to a reasonable level.
PERFECT SUSHI West Los Angeles SUSHIZO
Honestly, I really dont care who his assistants are, but I feel that its really a shame that the prices keep going up to the point where many of us are being priced out. The food there is always phenomenal, but as I said above, at over $600 for 3 people, its getting a bit out of control.
Pork leg bones? - moved from Los Angeles Board
Seems like the recipe is not calling for enough bones. I would think that you would need more bones.
PERFECT SUSHI West Los Angeles SUSHIZO
Just went back to Zo the other day and the prices sure have jumped up. I have been a huge fan of Sushi Zo over the years but boy, this weekend it was about $175 per person, before tax and tip. As little as a year ago, you could eat there all-in for about $125 per person. At these new prices, you are looking at over $200 per person and unfortunately thats getting to be a bit too crazy. A meal for three people at over $600 is tough to justify.
Culinary adventures in St. Lucia
Hey guys,
I am heading to St. Lucia for two weeks at the end of April for my honeymoon and was wondering if there are any cooking classes, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, produce markets, fish markets, etc., that a crazy food lover shouldnt miss. I have read about the various fancy restaurants on the island and will likely visit many of them, but am also looking for places that are off the tourist path and more geared to locals. Any info that you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.
PERFECT SUSHI West Los Angeles SUSHIZO
I dont know how much they used to serve a few years ago, but I do know that they still serve the yuzu juice at the end...and its delicious.
tried Killer Shrimp on admiralty
We went when the first opened and had a pretty good experience. We then went back a month or two later and found the service to be awful and the food to have already taken a dive. The waitress forgot to put in our order and then lied when we called her on it. We had a pretty bad second experience there and are probably not going back any time soon.
Mariscos Chente - So Long Centinela, Hello Imperial Highway
I ate there one night that Sergio was not there and it was an incredible difference. I was willing to be that the fish they served that night was not a Snook. It looked different and had a different consistency. I would agree that its only worth going if Sergio is working. Based on my experience, if Sergio is not at the Inglewood location, you are better off going to Centinela.
Food Recommendations in Big Bear
We had a tough time finding decent food up there but found the North Shore Cafe to be the best of the available options.
Kanpai Sushi on Lincon?
You are half right. Its pretty good...but not for the price. The best way to do Kanpai is to go to restaurant.com and to buy a gift certificate. They offer $50 off $100 or $100 off $200. With one of these certificates, its becomes decently priced. To be fair, i generally order from their specials menu and those items are pretty expensive, but i find that if you use on of the gift certificates, its much more bearable. To illustrate, I ate there with my brother (so just 2 of us) the other night and the bill came to almost $300 before the certificate.
Best Deal on a Whole Roast Pig?
Eva's Lechon makes a mean pig. I highly recommend it.
Fresh raw clams
Not sure why the address of that one 99 Ranch Market showed up, but in case you werent aware, there are several of those markets around town and every one that i have been to has had clams.
-----
99 Ranch
17713 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA
