zinFAN's Profile
Favorite NV Champagne?
surprised nobody's mentioned Lasalle yet. Both their Brut & Brut Rose are fine expressions in the $30 range. Camille Saves is another one of my favorite, but they're priced in the mid $40's.
Sumo mandarins
Bought a few this morning from the SM market and gotta say they aren't as sweet as the ones from the Jpn markets last yr. I think the salesgirl was saying the cooler than normal temps during the growing season & immature trees raised the acidity.
Rap Song to J. Gold's 99 Essential Restaurants.
Ha! pretty tight.
But I think the Azn dudes from Youtube got you beat on their SGV food rap/remix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3HQ9uge0g
Do I need a wine cooler/fridge?
How many bottles do you regularly keep on hand in the closet? And what price range? In general, I only keep my whites in a modest Haier wine fridge since they're the most fragile. I tend to drink my reds within a couple months of purchase or send them off-site for storage.
First Impressions: Ray's @ LACMA
Went with another couple a couple weeks ago for dinner and while the menu is varied & interesting, the execution was a bit off. The clams in curried broth was way too salty and a bit funky. I'm a big fan of Asari/Manila's so this was disappointing. Also my halibut came out lukewarm.
On the other hand, the service was congenial & not overly fussy. And the portion sizes were decently sized, especially the 1st courses. And they threw in some petit fours for us at the end which was a nice touch. Oh, they've got a diverse wine list with plenty of bottles by the glass to suit the taste of even acid-loving wine geeks.
Uses for Shichimi Togarashi?
shichimi works well with dark chocolate. Sounds weird, but it accents the bitterness so your ganache isn't cloying. Try sprinkling some over a dark chocolate cupcake and see if it suits your taste.
Persian Mulberries 2011 - Any Markets or Restaurants Have 'Em?
Wed. Santa Monica Market has several vendors selling Mulberries right now, but I'm not sure on the particular varieties. Besides dark purple, there are even some that are white and others that are long & elongated. For best selection you should try to get there by 9am.
what wine pairs best with bacon?
I like bacon or rillettes with fizzy red wines like Lambrusco or Brachetto or Marzemino. Also German kabinett's (especially the ones that are a bit petillant with CO2) are a great fit. Roses are a decent match too, but I avoid anything too big heavy or tannic. Oak & salty fats just seem to clash in my mouth.
Inexpensive Wine
a great blog to check out is goodcheapvino.com for bottles that are on sale at BevMo, CostPlus, TJ's & Costco. They sip & spit through a lot of drench so you don't have to.
oh I just read on another LA-based wineblog site about '09 Kirkland Cote du Rhone Villages (that's right Costco-branded wine). It's supposed to be very good for $7 a pop.
Best farmers market for tourists?
LA really doesn't have a tourist-oriented venue like Ferry Plaza up in SF or Pike Place in Seattle. I've taken out-of-towners to SM's Saturday farmer's market on Arizona and they were able to take in 3rd St. Prom and the newly renovated SM Place. Plus it's only a short bikeride down to the Venice boardwalk too.
Some wine suggestions for Valentine's day ?
I just enjoyed bottles of '08 Tempier Cabassaou and La Migoua the other night. Both are phenomenal & really exemplify the best of southern France. Plenty of spice & garrigue, plus earthy savory elements. A bit of a splurge, but it's Valentines!
Restaurant Stemware - Do You Even Care?
I'm really pissed at restaurants that have eliminated even the cheap stemware in favor of stemless tumblers. You see this a lot at gastropubs & small-plate eateries. I for one love to swirl my wine & inhale the aromas. Half the enjoyment is in the nose.
Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
OMG... i used to love that flavor. It was some serious crack. It's funny because I've never been a fan of Dr. Bob's other ice creams.
Muscadet
I was in a wine shop the other week and tried to convince a wine clerk that Muscadet isn't made from Muscat grapes, all while she was insisting that it was and only the more expensive cuvees show floral notes. In fact she picked one pricier Muscadet off the shelf & said that one was aged sur lie and tasted perfumed & sweet. uhhhh, right.
TN Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes Janasse 2003
Thanks for the notes. I didn't buy any extra CDP's to lay down since '03 was so hot & I wasn't sure how these expensive bottles would evolve over time. That Janasse seems like it's doing fine and not disjointed or hot on the finish.
sheet cakes from Pavilions or Costco...are they any good?
Costco cakes that require refrigeration are head and shoulders above Pavilions. We were served a chocolate frosted Pavilions layer cake at a retirement party and it was cloying sticky & sickening sweet. But it's cheap enough to throw out, so you don't feel that bad. If you're on the Westside try Angel Maid on Centinela in Culver City. They tend to have a lighter hand with the sugar and any of their chiffon cakes with whipped cream frosting are scrumptious. And they're easy on the pocket book.
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Centinela Cafe
4800 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Looking for wine recommendations - fruity, borderline semi-dry, red below $20
any of Rosenblum's Zinfandel bottlings will be jammy & ripe & somewhat sweet. Also if you can find Two Hand's Angel's Share or Gnarly Dudes shiraz, you won't be disappointed.
good restaurant around Disney?
Whenever I get dragged to the Magic Kingdom I make it a point to go outside the park for dinner. There's a Roy's down the street on Katella which I think is a better value than Napa Rose. It's definitely walkable.
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Napa Rose Restaurant
1600 S Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802
Looking for quiet restaurant in Glendale
Try Fresco Ristorante on Brand near the car dealerships. It's decently fresh Cal-Italian in a sedate setting, perfect for quiet conversation.
Wine pairing help for dinner tonight
I'd say a balanced zin like Ridge 3 Valleys, or a fruit-driven '07 CDR. I'm not sure how sweet the lamb meatballs with loquats will be.
Restaurant w/ Great Beer Menu
Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks has a decent selection, but it's not going to match gastropubs like Father's or Library. If you get a chance check out the lounge Verdugo out near Eagle Rock. Terrific beers, including Pliny the Elder! don't let the sketch hood scare you off ;)
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Boneyard Bistro
13539 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
The Verdugo Bar
3408 Verdugo Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Bite Bar & Bakery - seriously good croissants
maybe I just had an old croissant (as i picked it up in the afternoon) but Bite's plain butter croissant seems a bit hard & chewy. I prefer the croissant au beurre I get from Anisette, so shatteringly flaky & light.
Best Farmers Markets!
Wed SM market may be huge, but the major prob is no matter how early you go, much of the exotica never make it to the tables and are reserved for the either the wholesalers or direct restaurant trade. If you're a regular & get to know the vendors on a first-name basis they might reserve a bag for you (or they may not).
Also just because they have esoteric heirloom varieties of whatever doesn't mean it's sweet or tasty. For example the LA times expert touted the virtues of Kishu mandarin but i tasted samples last week and they were just mehhh.....
Best chocolates in LA?
I've ordered from Xuan chocolates ( www.xuanpatisserie.com ) the past couple of years and i've found the taste of their dark chocolate more to my liking than Comparte's. Plus if you order multiple boxes to give as gifts, the shipping is just a flat $5.
David Kamp on The Splendid Table 2/14/09
If you look up david kamp's website, he actually mentions the wine since obviously he had lots of inquiries: 2006 Olivares Altos De La Hoya from Jumillla, Spain. I see it on wine-searcher for as low as $8.99!
Are Cheaper Wines Less Healthy?
as long as the bottle appears to be sealed properly, they're all fit for human consumption. I've bought bottles for parties at 99 cents stores which were just as good as 2 buck chuck. So if a particular brand of wine is palatable to you, go right ahead & chug-a-lug! Don't let anyone (winos or snobs alike) tell you what should taste better. It's your taste buds & your wallet.
Exploring Sawtelle
I usually don't write negative comments unless the service is abysmal, but with Little Hong Kong Cafe the dishes were really sodden in grease the other night. So take a pass and head up the street to Tofu-ya! The portions are a bit bigger than Tofu Village (across the street in the Nijiya Marketplace complex). As to authenticity, I don't know enough about Korean soon to give a grade.
Lot 1: tasting menu is on!
hmm... seems a bit pricey considering the sketchy neighborhood in which it's situated. Any further details of what the tasting menu might entail?
kid friendly restarants
Kay n Dave's mexican is very kid-friendly, although the food is a bit wanting. I hate to say it but Cheesecake Factory gets good marks for accomodating babies & toddlers too.
