jaydee's Profile
BLT Restaurants Owned Go Burger Coming to Hollywood
too bad over half of those spots listed have horrible burgers. we need to thin the herd. for the record, I enjoy Bowery's burger.
ISO - Duck Confit (for the home)
i understand DIY duck confit is pretty easy (albeit long), but i'm looking for duck confit legs that are ready for home prep. i picked up a few at surfas (d'artagnan) - but i read of a recent recall, so i'm looking for other options. i understand nicole's in south pas has em on hand, but what about whole foods? bristol farms? anyone have a source they can share? thanks!
Best Place to Dine Solo?
a table or spot at a bar at any steakhouse worth its salt is perfect for solo dining.
Carniceria - Hollywood/Los Feliz/Silverlake/Echo Park
Any recommendations for a carniceria anywhere in the Hollywood/Los Feliz/Silverlake/Echo Park areas? Thanks.
Pacific Dining Car - Never Again
rare. my comment was to say that the steaks are so thin, that if you order any where beyond rare, your steak is basically well done.
100 bucks to spend towards a night out..
thanks russ. i'm leaning towards la terza, given your comments on the tartare.
100 bucks to spend towards a night out..
Wife and I have a $100 credit we can apply to a dinner out. We'd like to try a place we have not been to, so here's our list of places we're kicking around.
La Terza
Terroni
Comme Ca
Hatfields
Dusty's Bistro
Sona
Granted, we'll spend over 100 - so we don't have to end up exactly at 100 - but if you had your choice of the 5, which one would you go for? We're not big wine drinkers, but we will enjoy a glass or two - so great wine lists are not something we're necessarily after. Food first, ambiance and non-snooty service a close second. Thanks.
Hu Tieu with Pork Broth?
i'm with you on mien nghia. i'll have to try the other two.
Pacific Dining Car - Never Again
right, when i ordered the steak i mentioned, "oh by the way, this is my second time here. please be sure to keep the good stuff for your regulars, don't bend over backwards on my behalf." i glanced around and most folks had the same cut for the most part. some of the smarter ones (i presume, said regular patrons) were eating NON steak items - c'est la vie.
i don't mean to be snarky, but your comment has no relevance. the steaks - from what i saw, seemed consistent around the room. while i can agree that regulars tend to appreciate and forgive a place for its charm/failings (hence, why they're regulars), i am not sure that PDC is holding a special stash of bovine for its favorite patrons.
Pacific Dining Car - Never Again
I haven't posted in awhile, but I had to vent about this place. Back in 2005, I took my Dad to Father's Day brunch at the Downtown location of PDC and was astoundingly underwhelmed. I however, thought that was due largely in part to the fact that we ordered off of the 24 hour breakfast menu. Fast forward to 2007 and I offered to take my friend out to a restaurant of his choice for the holidays - and when he said PDC, I had a hunch to advise otherwise, but hey it's his gift right?
For the price, this place sucks. The steaks, advertised as prime, were as thin and ordinary as the $4.99 Whiskey Pete's specials at the California/Nevada Stateline. I ordered the hashbrowns, and out came undercooked breakfast potatoes that I ended up drowning in some weird ketchup concoction provided. God forbid if anyone orders their steak beyond rare, because you'll be eating shoe leather. I was trying hard to figure out where my $$$ was going for this 35 buck ribeye, was it for the novelty of dining in a renovated train car? Holy God, I'll listen to corporate rock and pretend I'm in Australia, in order to have a steak just as good and 28% cheaper at my local Outback. If you ever go into Pane e Vino on Beverly and get the Italian ribeye there, it's $28 bucks or so, and you get a vegetable and tuscan beans on the side. On top of that, the cut is "Flintstones-brontosaurus-sized" and is just wonderful (Mr. Grub, I am eternally grateful for your recommendation years ago). Thinking of how we could have had such a better meal there, made every gagging bite at PDC that much harder to take.
So aside from never closing, this place - in my eyes - has nothing going for it. So unless it's 3AM and you're drunk from a night out at a nearby Downtown watering hole or had a nice night out at a K-Town massage parlor and are feeling a bit hungry - you're better off just going to bed and waking up and finding a better meal during normal business hours.
There - DONE.
Pacific Dining Car
1310 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 483-6000
Steaks in Hollywood
went with dakota. great ambiance, had the crispy pork belly (with morels, asparagus and fried egg), KC strip, and the table had sides of creamed corn (corn, mascarpone), creamed spinach, fries (black truffles and parmesean) and mixed mushrooms. sides were not remarkable, but good. i appreciated the small size of the sides - sometimes i think steakhouses go overboard. the KC strip was rare as ordered and good - although heavy on the salt. brioche donuts to end - nothing spectacular dessert wise. overall though - fit the bill and great time had by all.
Steaks in Hollywood
things are pretty intense for us work-wise with no end in sight, so CUT would be more appropriate for a closing meal - i'm afraid we're looking more towards a meal that's closer to central hollywood and would be a good meal to comfort us after a long day of marathon meetings. these guys are from the city, consider themselves steak snobs and often scoff at the (unfounded) stereotype of the LA dining scene as being 'weak'. I'm closer to M&F's simply because they pour good drinks and the character of the place is so unique, it would be open their eyes a bit. i know i'll likely lose any pissing contest with regards to a bi-coastal steak argument, so i'm looking for something representative of LA steak.
Steaks in Hollywood
I have out of town colleagues coming in for meetings all day in Hollywood. The Senior member of the team wants steak and I need somewhere closeby to eat. I am thinking the Grill at Hollywood and Highland or Musso and Franks - any other places I'm missing? Thanks.
Chicago Style Sports Bar in LA / OC ? Bears Game???
i see plenty of bears fans lining up outside of Big Wangs on Sunday's - Hollywood
Need a good butcher
i'll echo the recs for marcondas. closer to hollywood, up beachwood canyon is the beachwood market - which has a meat counter that sells prime beef, and friendly butchers. i haven't really 'tested' them per se, so i have a better repoire with the marconda guys. the beef at beachwood market is awesome though.
short ribs on the cheap - but awesome, can be found at A1 Asian Market on Sunset. The meat counter is not as pristine as your average supermarket meat counter - but they do the trick.
French 75 = Bad 90%
i think the frisee salade aux lardons would count in the 10% that is actually good in the place (burbank location)
Fraiche in Culver City
had a great corn soup and burrata salad for a light lunch the other day. seating is cramped out on the patio and they don't have the tartare on the lunch menu - but other than that, i was pleased and would definitely return.
Izakaya Honda Ya - Quick Review
I went to Honda Ya in Little Tokyo the other week. Here are highlights and lowlights. I'll be back, and I'm glad this place opened.
Lowlights -
Sesame chicken was uninspiring
Room is quite ventilated given the grill and such - but the AC is pumping FULL BLAST - with no area for escape (save for the tatami room). This is a mino nit, and given the heat wave currently, not a big deal.
Highlights
Huge space - complete with tatami room options.
Attentive service
Huge menu (which might be a bad thing?) - including soba/udon and ramen selections (though I didn't try it)
Chicken skin as a regular item on the menu (did you hear that Haru U La La? it's a menu STAPLE!)
I'll repeat myself here - CHICKEN SKIN IS A REGULAR ITEM ON THE MENU.
Izakaya Honda-Ya
333 S Alameda St, 3rd floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 635-1184
post-mortem analysis - braising short ribs
sorry - just reread OP and realized what i meant to say was that the beef wasn't immersed in the liquid (i.e., the level went slightly below the top line of the short ribs). i certainly covered with a lid. sorry about that. given feedback though - i think oven was too hot. thanks all.
post-mortem analysis - braising short ribs
did some research on braising short ribs. i tried last night with good results, but i felt that i could have done much better. please take a look at my thoughts/questions and see if i'm off or if there is anything i can do next time......thanks in advance!
my main issue was that the liquid reduced a great deal - i was expecting more liquid left. the mirepoix i used essentially disintegrated.
before placing in oven (at 350), i poured beef broth to just go right to the top of the meat, but not covering it.
i left in oven for 4 hours.
was the oven too high?
i don't want to mistakenly make a stew. but i was bugged out by the lack of liquid at the end.
thoughts?
LaTerza better than O'Mozza
russ - can you go more a bit on the tartar? always on the lookout for a great rendition in LA. thanks.
MILK, the new Sweet Lady Jane. . .
did any one have a conversation with the manager?
Wine bar or other 1st date places?
i took my wife out for our first date to cafe veneto - which is now 3rd stop. i returned there to propose. i understand they still have the same menu (flat bread pizzas, a great nutella 'pizza' dessert) and it would fit the bill of casual and not too stuffy. near cedar's on 3rd.
Sushi, only the great need to reply
if you have to ask, you probably shouldn't go. =)
just razzin you. i think WITHOUT booze, you're looking at 250 a person - easy (if my memory of other posts serves me right).
i would add izayoi and tama to Diana's list.
Date with husband, need help!
i'd echo recs for Grace, although I would shy away from the australian ribeye - which was a bit salty and drowning in sauce. otherwise, the place is a hit.
Craft - Holy Crap
great review! i wasn't a big fan of craft steak, but who knows - next time i have a business dinner, i'm there.
cooking trout
i had a great trout dish at a restaurant in LA where the trout was deboned - and left with skin on and even tail (head removed). i believe the trout was pan seared and finished in the oven. the skin was crispy, the flesh was moist and the fish was not overly greasy or oily (as a result of frying). if i were to replicate this, would i simply pan sear a trout on both sides (with little oil) and then finish with it in the oven (@350 or so, in the same pan)?
