Veggietales's Profile
Where to get good breakfast AND good coffee
Bottega Louie
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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
rec's near LMU , Playa del Rey
Hangar 19
I usually get the tri-tip and mac n cheese, but they do have chicken, fish and salad options.
Ayara Thai. I think it's the best Thai rest in the area.
Destini Cafe for pan-asian food. I usually get their bibimbop and dumplings. Large tea selection and great ambiance on the patio.
I personally think Tandoor-a-India has the best Indian food in the area.
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Destini Cafe
423 Culver Blvd, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
Where to get beef bones for making stock?
I'm live near LAX and plan to make a large batch of beef stock and freeze it for the all the upcoming holiday cooking in the coming months.
Where is the best place to source the bones for roasting? Obviously butchers (which are rare in area) but does anyone know of grocery stores/independent markets that give away or sell their bones cheaply?
Thanks!
Best Jerky on the Way to Mammoth
Mahogany Smoke House
2345 N Sierra Hwy
Bishop, CA 93514
(760) 873-5311
www.smokedmeats.com
This picture was taken just this past weekend.
Mahogany also has some the of the best sandwiches I've ever had. This time around I got the Hog Heaven: Ham, cappicola, bacon, cheese, grilled onion and peppers on toasted baguette. Picture attached to induce drooling.
God, I wish this place wasn't 4 hours away... want to bring me back some jerky and a few sandwiches? :)
~Veggietales
BBQ Caterer who grills on-site
I have a party I'm throwing in September. I am looking for a mobile grill pit that can be brought to my location to serve up a variety of BBQ'd meats.
We're located in Culver City/Marina Del Rey area.
Can the hounds recommend anyone to me?
Thanks,
Veggietales
Authentic Ethnic Eats 10 MIns or Less From Venice?
Lidia's Pupuseria
2 Westminster Ave
Venice, CA 90291
Perfect, perfect pork, loroco, chile/cheese pupusas. I feel like I want to order every kind... The curtido is tangy and piquant. They have 2 sauce options, one that is very hot and one that is mild and sweet. All the players involved work well together.
Also, had their pork tamal and it was also very flavorful and moist.
I want Lidia's now... mmmm.
Maple Sausage Biscuit question
Does it matter that I'm using half butter/half shortening for the fat? I can still cut in the fat and store?
The wet is the buttermilk, maple syrup and the sausage. I can't wait :)
Maple Sausage Biscuit question
Can i make the dough a day ahead of time? Should I cut out the biscuit, store them between layers of wax paper in a air tight container? Or should I make the dough, store it overnight then punch out the biscuit right before I bake?
Thanks, bakers!
T-minus 5 days..
~Veggietales
Cheapest Sushi in LA?
I second on Sushi Don Sasabune. The quality of fish superb for the price, the rice is delicate and served warm, nigiri and rolls. Besides the great B combo for $9.95 (I always get it with spicy scallop roll), their salad with tuna or your fish of choice is huge and delicious.
I try to go at least 4-5 times a month to support this gem.
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Sushi Don Sasabune
4816 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607
Sasabune
12400 Wilshire Blvd Ste 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Where to buy nigari (magnesium chloride) to make homemade tofu?
Have you made tofu at home? Where did you you source the coagulant? Is it readily available in a Japanese or Korean market?
Thanks for the lead!
~VT
Looking for a romantic (dark and quiet) restaurant near Sofitel hotel....any ideas????
While the food isn't memorable, the ambiance and service is superb.
Starbucks in Los Angeles (or SFV or OC) that are 24 hours?
The Starbucks on Topanga Cyn and Ventura Blvd. has been 24 hours since it opened. I moved away from the area last year, so I'm not sure since with the recession if they have cut back on their hours. Give them a call and and out...
pastry bakery West L.A.
I guess I third the rec' on La Maison du Pain. Everything I've had has been delectable.
Gjelina Sunchokes
I had to reply when I saw the title of your post. Whenever anyone asks me what they should order at Gjelina I immediately say the sunchokes. earlier in the year Travis did another rendition of his sunchokes: roasted slowly with just a few herbs and hit with sherry vinegar right before serving. The acid bring out the depth and creaminess of the sunchoke. I think the salsa verde serves that function.
Best Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) on the Westside.
I ended up going to Taj India on Lincoln just north of Manchester. It was alright. No real spice or flavor, really bland.
I will definitely check out Agra Indian Kitchen the next time I have a hankering, which will probably in the next few days :)
Best Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) on the Westside.
Wow, that sounds awesome. But alas he has not posted if he's out anywhere today...
Best Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) on the Westside.
After searching the boards, I couldn't find any recs. Live in Playa del Rey and would think there would be a killer version of this rich dish in Venice/SM/Culver City.
It would be for take out and lunch specials are always appreciated in the wallet.
I'd be willing to drive to South Bay but I'm confident that there has to be a nice market that does a good version of butter Chicken.
Hurry, I'm hungry. Thanks, Hounds.
-Veggietales
What Do You Order at Hugo's?
I have 1 or 2 things: the pasta papa which is homemade tossed with scramble egg, bacon, chicken sausage topped with pecorino. It's really hearty and heavy and delicious.
For a lighter option, I get the quinoa and red beet salad, pecan, dried cherries with a tasty vinaigrette. I think it come garnished with a blue cheese, or maybe feta.
Oh, and their black bean cakes are really yummy.
What foods say "home at last" to you?
Dinengdeng. My grandmother makes it with pork belly, shrimp, Chinese long beans, and calabaza squash that she cooked until the squash became the thickener in the stew.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinengdeng
I'm so Ilocano :)
Making Whipped Cream with Half and Half?
More fat content. It will not whip to an airy consistency as would whipping cream.
You should make a creme anglaise with your your half and half. Oooh, super rich!
The Best Combination of Two Distinct Flavors
Blue cheese and honey.... I love this on bread, maybe a sprinkle of Marcona almonds *yummm*
A Eulogy for the Shopping Mall: What are/were your favorite food court foods?
Boardwalk Fries!!! I had a $3 budget to feed myself when I worked at Walden Books (who remembers?) I would order the medium fries and a side of hot cheese sauce, yes the bright orange plastic cheese sauce. They had a condiment bar that had spices, salts, ketchup, etc, and I would use the seasoning salt and malt vinegar very liberally over my medium fries and then dip in the cheese sauce. I would get a free ice water cause my budget allow to actually get a drink.
When I was a child, I definitely remember begging my mom for one of those big baked potatoes, bacon and the bright orange plastic cheese every time we went to the mall. It was so decadent to my 10 year old taste buds.
Going up PCH to Ventura, looking for BLUE CRABS!!
Yes, blue crabs is what I am speaking about. They are available in retail markets and at Quality Seafood in Redondo Beach.
I am aware that blue crabs are not indigenous to the Pacific.
lechon los angeles
Barrio Feista has gone down hill. Went there last month and was served Tinolang Manok that was spoiled and the Dinuguan tasted sweet, not tangy, like they didn't put any vinegar in it, but maybe sugar. The manager didn't even offer to take it off the menu but bartered to give us a free desert ( we chose ube). When the check came the ube was on the check!! We let the server know what the manager had offered a complimentary desert; he replied that the manager had gone to the bank and he couldn't confirm the comp. We were over it and just paid it.
Food and service both tanking.
I would suggest Fiesta sa Barrio over Barrio Fiesta, but second to Arko Foods for your lechon.
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Fiesta Sa Barrio
4411 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Going up PCH to Ventura, looking for BLUE CRABS!!
My man and I are headed up PCH for a scenic drive to the city of Ventura, starting in Venice.
Can anyone confirm if any of the seafood "shacks" serve boiled or steamed blue crab?
I do not like dungeness or king crab. We'd like to stay coastal but would consider driving inland if the place is worth it.
-Veggietales
lechon los angeles
With so many turo-turo places offering Lechon, it really is a crap shoot. I've had really bad lechon. Where they use an old pig and the meat is tough. Or they don't cook it long enough (slow and low is key) and the meat is tough. Or they wrap the cooked little piggy for transport and it steams the hell out of it so your crispy skin is a chewy, rubbery mess by the time you get home.
Arko Food International in Glendale knows how to roast a a pig. You need to order 2 days in advance of pick up. Arko is a Filipino Market that also has a turo-turo restaurant; all the selections are legit. If you're lucky, you may stumble in on a day that they have Igadoo.
Arko, my go to lechon place for those huge Filipino family parties :)
Caterer or Chef for Small Dinner Party in Hollywood Hills
Larchmont Larder. Chef/Owner Michael Beglinger formerly of Spago and Patina.
http://www.larchmontlarder.com/
JERRY'S "FAMOUS" DELI on Topanga
During financial "tightening of the belt" most restaurants initially cut labor as an overhead cost. So remaining employees are usually stuck with more work, same pay, which equates to disgruntled employees, usually affecting the overall customer service experience. It's the same story from the top down.
OBSESSED with chicken adobo
My family is Ilocano and we swear by the use of sugar cane vinegar, which has a 4% acidity vs. 5%, which has more mellow tang as an end result.
My Nanay used shallots in everything she cooked instead of onions, as she claimed it grew wild and abundantly in Ilocos and Pangasinan. Shallots do have less sulfur than an onion and contributes to the "sweetness" in the reduced sauce. One huge onion sounds like a lot, and if you're not cooking it down for a long time (which I'm assuming no cause that would kill the chicken) then the pervasive flavor is onion, but it really should be the garlic standing out.
Replace your vinegar to soy to a ratio of 1 to 1, +2 parts water. Instead of onion use 2 med. shallots. If the honey works for you, great, but I use table sugar. I keep the lid ajar and the heat at med/high. The sauce should be thick and sticky and the shallots and garlic completely disintegrated from cooking down.
I mostly cook pork adobo and I use pork belly, pork butt, Spareribs, rib tips (my fav!) or a combination of pork and chicken.
Masarap!
