HPLsauce's Profile
Authentic Japanese Sushi Place in LA/OC Area (non of that Korean/Chinese sushi chefs)
Sounds like you should try Sushi Go 55.
http://www.sushigo55.com/
In Search of... Breakfast in Silverlake.
"Good" is the worst restaurant in Silver Lake, which is saying something.
Casbah Cafe is okay. I like their weird boiled egg sandwiches. The coffee is drinkable although it doesn't hold a candle to Intelligentsia, which is a shame.
Best Omakase (L.A.)
Nozawa is in that range if you skip the sake and don't order a lot of extras. On Melrose I wonder if you are thinking of Azami.
Hungry Cat for Saturday lunch
I haven't been in a while so I haven't tried their latest take on eggs benedict, but both previous versions were outstanding.
Pantry? WTF?
Yes, the Pantry is terrible. Perhaps we should add this to the sticky at the top of the LA board.
Sushi Ike on Sat. What's good?
Get the grilled octopus sashimi. It's really good and I don't know of any other place that does this.
Afternoon tea ideas =)
In Santa Monica, Tudor House on 2nd and King's Head on Santa Monica Blvd. are both pretty good. Tudor House is more authentic.
Huntington Museum requires reservation. I enjoyed it, but unless you also want to check out the gardens and / or the library the expense and hassle seem excessive.
What's to eat in San Pedro?
It's been a few years but I quite liked Marcello:
Marcello Restaurant
470 W. 7th Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
http://www.marcellorestaurant.net/client/marcello/marcello_content.html
Dusty's, Blair's, Canele...or???
Canele is probably the best of the four (Dresden Room serves food as well -- acceptable if you like old school steakhouse food but nothing to write home about -- probaly the worst of the four). I've not had dinner at Dusty's in a long time (just brunch / lunch) but it struck me as overpriced the last time I did. Cafe Stella serves better food at a similar price.
Much closer to Dresden: Vermont and Il Capriccio are both okay.
Sorry I'm not more enthusiastic. None of these is a destination restaurant.
Is it possible to steam milk w/o an espresso machine?
It would be easy with chemistry lab equipment. Otherwise, I'd warm the milk in a double boiler and live without foam.
Dry Mac 'n Cheese?
Yikes! In that case I wonder if using a smaller pan, so that the macaroni is deeper, might also help (less surface area for evaporation...though also less surface area of crispiness). Either less time in the oven or a lower temp would help for sure; I do mine at 325 or 350 for 20 or 30 minutes, but if you want a really crispy top you might also broil it briefly ... Good luck.
Dry Mac 'n Cheese?
If you're using a full pound (dry weight) of pasta, you're using about half as much sauce as you need.
Try twice (or even more) the roux, a pint (16 oz) milk, and at least 10oz (weight) of cheese. The sauce can break (this is tricky), but it sure won't be dry.
Glendale - pre-movie for drinks and fun food?
Carousel might work. Stick with the mezzas (one or two items per person and share -- good fun). The entrees are enormous portions and not as interesting.
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Carousel Restaurant
304 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203
How do you grill a whole Pork Loin?
Brine it! Grill indirectly (coals on one side, roast on other side of grill). Pull it at 135 or 140. A roasting pan with a lid (preheated to maybe 100-110) would be good for transport; otherwise you could use a lidless pan with a lot of foil. You'd want to rest it 20 or 30 minutes I reckon, so unless your party is very far away this shouldn't present any difficulty.
Looking for good food in Little Tokyo (vegetarian-friendly)
Usui on First St (a few doors W of Central, near the Far East Cafe) has a lot of vegetable dishes on the menu -- many more than I usually see at a Japanese restaurant. I don't know if they use dashi in these dishes; ask if your vegetarian family members do not eat fish.
For dinner only, Izakaya Haru Ulala, Izayoi, and Honda-Ya have a reasonable number of vegetable-based items on the menu. Again, be careful of dashi and katsuobushi / bonito flakes if your folks avoid fish.
Oyster Bars in LA?
Another option is Enterprise Fish Co just off Santa Monica's Main Street. Both Enterprise and Ocean Ave Seafood offer discounted oysters during happy hour.
When I used to frequent both more ... frequently ... the food was a little better at Ocean Ave and the ambience was also a little quieter.
Spicy Ramen in Little Tokyo?
Of the LT ramen shops, Orochon most emphasizes spiciness.
Vegetarian Gravy?
Many stores carry vegetable broth (never tried the "chicken flavored" one though). If you make your own gravy, you'll need more roux or other thickener than you would normally because there's no gelatin in veggie stock. Flavor the gravy with a bunch of sauteed mushrooms and it will be very tasty.
Sushi for a group in Little Tokyo
I think I remember seeing a private room in Kappo Ishito. They offer an excellent omakase that includes many cooked dishes as well as sushi.
ALL DAY BREAKFAST
low end: 101 Cafe on Franklin, Fred 62 on Vermont, Millie's on Sunset (closes early, 4pm I think, but serves breakfast the whole time); The Coffee Table on Rowena serves breakfast until 3pm.
high end: Pacific Dining Car
while Musso and Frank only serves flannel cakes until 3pm, I believe omelettes and such are available all day.
Free Spiny Lobster Dinner
A valient effort, and a truly disturbing tale for the ages, but spinys are mercifully clawless.
Sushi Zo new policy
At risk of going way off topic, Sasabune was better five years ago than it has been since. I noticed a decline probably starting around 2004 and have not been back much since the move to Santa Monica.
I'm a huge fan of Mori (though expense and distance conspire against frequent meals there) and ... haven't tried Zo yet. I've been meaning to for months.
Year-old Beaujolais Nouveau
A couple of years ago a local store had a case or two of Nouveau that was from 2003 (if I recall -- might have been 2002). Don't remember the brand. I bought a bottle out of curiousity and it was pretty good. I picked up a couple more bottles now and then until they ran out. I liked this wine better than the year's actual, new, Nouveau (2005).
I don't know if 03 was a better year for Beaujolais, or if I have peculiar tastes, or if it's a bit of each.
Alaskan King Crab Legs, please
The Hungry Cat serves some good crab legs. The mustard butter they use is less "simple" than drawn butter, but it is very good.
see this thread:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/386078
wherein I mentioned:
Captain Jack's Seafood & Prime Rib
16812 Pacific Coast Hwy
Sunset Beach, CA 90742
(562) 592-2514
where I've had excellent, simply prepared king crab legs. It's been over two years since I ate there, though, (bit of a long drive) and I've seen a couple of claims that it's not what it used to be.
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The Hungry Cat
1535 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Captain Jack's Seafood & Prime Rib
16812 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
Open all day with booze?
Billingsley's
11326 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
M-F 11:30am-10pm; S-Su 4:30pm-10pm
Not sure about the wine list, but they do great cocktails.
