My Favorite Things

Move over Oprah. I think I want to start highlighting some of my favorite food-related things. These include, restaurants, dishes, cooking utensils, products...you name it.

My Japanese Breakfast at Fukagawa in Gardena

One of my food groups is in the midst of a series, "Ain't Always Eggs and Bacon". Basically, we are exploring various non-American breakfast spots. They previously went to 3 Square Cafe and Bakery in Venice (German breakfast). Due to my schedule, I was unable to join them. However, I can vouch for the great food at 3 Square. I had very yummy corn pancakes, poached egg, smoked salmon, and fruit. Also, after wandering into the bakery, I was able to sample my friend's triberry scone. I was rather annoyed by her going on and on about this scone. I mean, I like scones, but how good can a scone be? Apparently, a scone can be amazing. Seriously, after one taste, I coveted the scone. I actually talked about this scone for a good week.

But, I digress. Back to Fukagawa. Breakfast at Fukagawa consists of four specials.
The basic (Combo A) is a bowl of rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, seaweed, an egg (hard-boiled, raw, or tamago) and a small dish (perhaps a potato croquette, boiled spinach or tofu). Combos B-D just add on to the items in Combo A. See all combos below:

Combo A:
Rice, miso soup, small dish, nori (seaweed), pickles, and an egg.

Combo B:
Combo A + Natto (fermented soy beans)

Combo C:
Combo A + fish (grilled Aji-spanish mackerel, Saba-mackerel, or salmon) or steak

Combo D:
Combo A + Natto + fish or steak


Since, it's not everyday that I have Japanese food for breakfast, I decided to get Combo D. My final order consisted of a bowl of rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, nori, a raw egg, a tofu small dish, a bowl of natto, and grilled salmon with a side of grated daikon radish. It was quite a bit of food.

The miso soup was good. However, there were so many other things to concentrate on, that it became an afterthought. This was also the case for the pickled cabbage. As for the salmon, it wasn't my favorite. I found the grilled salmon a little overcooked and dry. Based on information from our group organizer and yelp.com readers, there is a special way to eat the rice. You mix a raw egg and soy sauce in the rice. The steaming rice partially cooks the egg and you end up with a delicious dish. I love steamed/runny/poached eggs, so I decided to try it. However, as it turned out, my rice was not as hot as I expected. So, I did not have the desired outcome. Still, I enjoyed the taste of the egg, soy, and rice. It was different. The tofu dish was very nice. There were two large pieces of tofu in a very flavorful broth. The dish was accented with shaved bonito flakes and green onion. I really enjoyed it. Oh, let me not forget the natto. Hmmm, what to say. I came to natto with an open mind. Even as one of my Japanese dining mates went on about how much she disliked it. The natto arrived with a raw quail egg in the center and topped with green onion. There was also a little bit of spicy mustard on the side of the bowl. As I attempted to stir in the ingredients, the natto began to foam and spiderweb like strings developed. The more I stirred, the more it bubbled. I finally decided to bite the bullet and just taste it. Remember, I have an open mind. Well, after one taste of natto, it was officially closed. The taste was akin to a teenaged boy's dirty gym sock. It was without a doubt the most unpleasant thing I have ever eaten. I strongly believe in second chances, but I think it's a wrap for me and natto.

Overall, an interesting experience.

Kogi Taco Truck-update

Last weekend, I caught up with the Kogi Taco Truck. It was really nice to see them out in their element. They were located just outside The Brig in Venice. I got the chance to sample a couple of the other items (in addition to my spicy pork and short rib tacos).

The night's special: Mole

It was a little bowl of mole, with a little onion and sesame on top. It was rich and flavorful. Also, it had a real nice heat. I couldn't finish it all, but I wanted to. So, I took it home and enjoyed it the next day. It was even better.



The Kimchee Quesadilla

Apparently, it's a big hit and has become a sort of regular special. It consisted of kimchee, cheddar, and jack cheese. Oh, there was also a very delicious salsa on top. I found myself scooping a little more on with each bite. I will openly admit that I'm not a huge fan of kimchee. However, I don't dislike it. It was nice, however, it was very different. The traditional flavors are so familiar, that I was always a little surprised when I took a bite that included the crunchy kimchee. While it's not something I can eat a lot of, I can appreciate how others would enjoy it.

Taco Truck: Korean Style--Kogi Korean BBQ

One Saturday afternoon, my food blogger group was invited to sample the newest Taco truck in town, Kogi. Don't expect the typical carne asada or carnitas. No, this is Korean BBQ, taco truck style. As someone with a love of Korean food, I was all over this idea.

(l to r: Eric Shin, web administrator.photographer, Chef Roy Choi, Mark Manguera, and Caroline Shin-Manguera)

Kogi was the brainchild of Mark Manguera and his wife, Caroline. It is the fulfillment of an idea Mark threw out after leaving a club at 2am one morning. Mark, who worked many years in the hotel business, decided to team up with Chef Roy Choi (of Rocksugar in Century City) to bring his idea to fruition. After many taste testing sessions, including Mark, his family, and Chef Roy, they arrived at the menu we were presented with.

Their main menu consists of tacos and burritos. You have the choice of four proteins: short rib, spicy pork, chicken, and tofu. The burritos are a breakfast burrito consisting of eggs, hash browns, and your choice of protein. According to Mark and the others, the burrito is a big hit with the late night crowds. However, we sampled the four tacos, along with a special treat.


We were told that each protein has it’s own distinctive marinade and special sauce accompaniment. The tacos came in a small taco shell, along with a little lettuce and sesame seeds as garnish. My first sample was the spicy pork taco. It was served with an orange wedge. I squeezed a liberal amount on the spicy pork and had my first taste. The pork was simply delicious. The pork was tender and flavorful. The orange partnered beautifully with the sweetness of the pork. It added a little something extra that was surprising and very delicious. Next, I tried the short rib taco. It was served with a lemon wedge. Unlike the spicy pork, the short rib did not particularly benefit from the addition of the acid. While, not my favorite, it was very good.
(l to r: short rib taco and spicy pork taco)Next up, was the chicken. It was just ok. I found the chicken a little over-cooked and there was nothing special about it. I finished up my taco sampling with the tofu taco. I love tofu, so I was really looking forward to tasting it. However, while the sauce was flavorful, I found the tofu itself lacking in flavor. Also, the actual pieces of tofu were a little large for my taste. I would have preferred if it were similar in texture/look of tofu scramble. In short, it wasn’t my favorite. Of all of the tacos, I could have eaten the spicy pork all day long. It was outstanding.


As we were preparing to finish up, Chef Roy presented us with a Korean BBQ Slider. WHAT??!? Ok, I was excited at the prospect. The slider consisted of the short rib, lettuce, sesame seeds, and mayo served on a King’s Hawaiian bun. One bite, and I was in heaven. It was incredibly tasty and I enjoyed every single bite.


All in all, it was very good. Many noted that the dishes would benefit from the addition of more Asian elements. Some suggestions included rice based wrapper instead of tortillas. Or, possibly the addition of crunchy cabbage, kimchee, or a little pickled daikon. Still, the Korean taco is an intriguing concept. Again, it was all quite tasty and I anticipate that it will only get better with time. Mark and Chef Roy are really open to feedback and invested in bringing the best food to the hungry late night masses.

Since, it is a taco truck, they are on the move. You can track them down via Twitter http://twitter.com/kogibbq. Also, don't forget to check out their website http://kogibbq.com to see more great pictures and learn about Kogi. After a recent visit to the website, I noticed that they are spicing things up with various specials, like the recent Kimchee Quesadilla. Sounds interesting. They are in Venice tonight, so I might have to make a special trip over there.

Why I'm Mad at Guy Fieri (or My Visit to Chino Bandito)

Every year, during Thanksgiving time, my family travels to Arizona. When traveling to another city, I always look forward to visiting a new restaurant. Usually, that’s not the case when I visit AZ. We have a tradition of sorts. The day before Thanksgiving, we have Ruby Tuesday (mainly because I insist), Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, and pizza the day after. However, that all changed after I saw an episode of Diners, Dives, and Drive-ins. Guy highlighted a little place in Phoenix called Chino Bandito. It’s Mexican/Chinese fusion. Um, hello? WHAT? Anyway, it looked really interesting and I had to taste that food.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to visit their new Chandler location. Prior to my visit, I heard a lot about their unique ordering system. Since it was our first visit, we were treated to a tutorial. In short, all of the entrees were available with rice, in a quesadilla, or in a burrito. During our tutorial, we mentioned that we were not in a hurry, so we were able to partake in a tasting.

We started with a sample of their black beans. I really like black beans. However, I found the Chino Bandito version incredibly salty. Frankly, it was inedible. Next, we were offered the emerald chicken. It was sautéed chicken with garlic and ginger. It was simple, but not memorable. The same could be said of the carnitas and jerk chicken. The jerk fried rice was so spicy that it totally killed my taste buds. It took several sips of whatever and a couple of minutes for me to resume tasting. The last sample was jade chicken. They were lightly fried chicken pieces in a delicious, spicy sweet red sauce. Of all of the samples, this was the one standout.

Since I was ordering for a few people, it was my opportunity to sample several items. My final order was chile rellano quesadilla, jade burrito, pork fried rice, refried beans, and jerk fried chicken. The chile rellano quesadilla was extremely disappointing. After two bites, I was done. The fry was both soggy and hard. It was disgusting. The jade burrito, while tasty, was also disappointing. I spent a great deal of time thinking about the possible makeup of a Chino Bandito burrito. No one was more surprised then I to find that a Chino Bandito burrito consisted of the entrée wrapped in a tortilla. No rice, no beans. No lettuce. No tomato.No imagination.

However, I did enjoy the pork fried rice and the refried beans. Overall, I was extremely disappointed by my visit to Chino Bandito. This was clearly a case of the interesting concept and disappointing execution.

I'm Not Going on Another Break...seriously, I'm not

I know my posts have been few and far between. I've been super busy lately. I have several reviews on the horizon. Look forward to posts on the Kogi Korean Taco Truck, early dinner at Comme Ca, Korean food at Beverly Tofu, and a visit to the Chinese/Mexican fusion spot in Arizona, Chino Bandito.

Oh, and comments on Top Chef.

Top Chef Returns!!!

With Project Runway and Mad Men ending, I'm so glad to see the return of my favorite show.

This year, we have 17 contestants vying for the honor to become this year's Top Chef. CAN'T WAIT!!!

Appetite Stimulus Plan--November 17th-21st

Open Table is advertising an Appetite Stimulus Plan. During the week of November 17th, various restaurants will feature special 3-course menus at $24 for lunch and $35 for dinner. You do not want to miss out on this! I've already made my reservations.

For more info, visit

Sunday Brunch at Jar

I love Jar. Haven't been back since my dinner last year. Memorable meal. Well, I've heard great things about their Sunday brunch. So, one Sunday after church, I decided to go and check it out. As usual, I checked out the menu beforehand. I eyed a couple of items, namely the lobster benedict and the Edy's chilaquiles. Oh, and I had fond memories of the delicious char sui pork. I noticed that they offered it as a side dish during brunch. So, I had a lot to consider.

It was a last minute decision, so I did not have reservations. But, I called ahead and they were very accommodating. As I walked in, the first thing I noticed was that the feel of the place was a little different than my first visit. While, my dinner was quiet and enjoyable, the place was full and bustling.

The waiter welcomed me with a delicious plate of sticky bread. Nice! It was covered with a gooey icing and sprinkled with nuts. It was very hard to resist. It was delicious and harkened to cozy brunch at home, not a restaurant.

After going back and forth about what I was in the mood for, I finally settled on the chilaquiles. I love chilaquiles. Until recently, I would have them about once a week for breakfast. Just imagine crispy tortillas, covered with a delicious chile sauce and cheese. Again, pretty hard to resist. Jar's tortilla chips were thick and fried hard. Definitely a good choice. This allowed for a great crunch even after the addition of the sauce. The chile sauce initially was a nice mild flavor. However, there was a creeping heat. I love the presence of heat without killing my taste buds. The addition of juicy, flavorful carnitas and a dollop of cooling crème fraiche further elevated the dish. As with all Jar entrees, the portion was considerable. While, I attempted to devour every delicious bit of it, I was unable to finish the dish.

I thoroughly enjoyed my brunch at Jar. While the food was fantastic, the price left me elated! It was a delicious, filling, and reasonably priced meal. I may have to make it a regular Sunday outing.

I'm a Culinary Groupie!

I know what you're thinking, "What the heck is that?" That's a perfectly valid question. A question I will answer in this post. However, I do so with a bit of trepidation. By retelling the story behind this photo, do I REALLY want to expose the enormity of my craziness (and the craziness of the people I know) to the abyss that is cyberspace?

*sigh* Why not?

The question, "What the heck is that?" Well, my friends (sorry I'm channeling JMac), that is a picture of Anthony Bourdain sitting in his car taken from the PASSENGER seat of my friend's car with my Blackberry. *sigh* I know that your next question is probably, "Why?". That question is a little more difficult for me to answer. Thinking long and hard, it boils down to the fact that I'm a Culinary Groupie! There! I finally said it.

So, my willing accomplice and I were on the 405N headed back home after an afternoon of playing racquetball in Redondo Beach. I was completely spent and decided to nod most of the way back to Culver City. I decided to rouse myself from my exhaustion-induced stupor and enjoy the remainder of the ride. Well, when I looked up, I saw a car with an interesting license frame. However, I only saw the bottom half of the frame that read, "Support A Chef". Of course, I perked up. I asked my friend to speed up a bit so that I could see the rest of the plate. OF COURSE, my friend sped past the car. As I looked over to my right, I noticed that the driver was none other than Anthony Bourdain. Ok, I lost it! I started screaming. It went something like, "Omigod...omigood, that was Anthony Bourdain...SLOW DOWN!" Seriously, all of that. So, my road dog, who encourages my madness said, "Nuh uh!" As she attempted to slow down (for all you Angelenos--yes, on the 405), he decided to slow down as well. I looked in the side mirror and caught a quick glance of him. What was he doing? SMIRKING! He totally knew what we were doing and intentionally slowed down. What a jerk! Oddly, at that moment, I started to love him even more. What did I start to do? Like a LUNATIC, I started to wildly wave my hands out the window and scream "I love you". I know...I know. Clearly frightened, he managed to stay behind us a safe distance. That was all well and good. We didn't want to get shot for slowing down traffic, so we decided just to keep driving and take our exit.

But, WAIT! He got off at my exit!!!

In the back of my mind, I'm wondering why he's going to Culver City. But, hey...I love Culver City, so why not! A part of me also thought that this was meant to be. Exactly what "this" entailed, I can't tell you. Anyway, we both arrived at the stoplight at the same time. So, there we were. Me and Anthony...side by side. Now what? Of course, in all of the excitement, I never thought about what I WOULD do if we caught up with him. Inside the car, there's a bit of back and forth about whether or not I should take a picture. After all of that, we have a minute long back and forth about "to take a picture or not take a picture". The light, not caring about the weight of my dilemma, turns green. Realizing, that it's now or never, I quickly reach over and snap a picture as he starts to drive off. The very picture that precedes this little story.

So, there you have it. I know. Wow! Ok, that happened a couple of months ago. I thought the craziness factor would diminish with time. But, it really doesn't.

By the way, I did finally get a chance to read the rest of the frame. It said, "Support a Chef...Eat Out Often". I couldn't agree more.

Kiss My Bundt

I first heard of Kiss My Bundt when one of my food groups scheduled a visit. My weekends are usually scheduled a month or so in advance, so I knew I would be able to join them. However, my curiosity was piqued. It's like me and my book clubs. I belonged to two book clubs last year. My schedule prevented me from actually ATTENDING the club meetings, but I always read the books. Same with my food groups. If I can't make an event, I make a mental note to check out the place when I have time. I made a mental to note to stop by the bakery the next time I was in the area. Recently, after a late breakfast and a little shopping with my road dog at The Grove, I decided to head over to the bakery. Although, finding a parking space was daunting task, it was well worth the effort.


As we entered, we were warmly greeted by the owner,Chysta Wilson, who freely invited us to try samples of her cute little cakes. As the child of Southern parents, bundts were frequently present at family gathering or an older relative's kitchen table. Growing up, 7-up, lemon, and Million Dollar bundt cakes were staples. As I stared into the case, filled with familiar treats, I was reminded of my childhood.

The store is an explosion of pink and brown. I happen to love the color combination, and was downright giddy to see it applied so liberally throughout the store. My favorite element was the bright pink couch. A pink couch! So girly, and so perfect. While I LOVED the couch, it led me to the one negative thing about the bakery. As far as seating, the couch is it. So, my desire to sit down and chat while eating my cake and drinking a glass of milk was immediately squashed. But, enough about that. Let's get to the cake.

There is a wide array of flavors available at Kiss My Bundt. There are over 30 flavors and 20 different frostings. Wilson has a selection of eight flavors that are available everyday (Daily 8), along with a few flavors from her list. I had the pleasure of tasting six flavors: vanilla with buttercream, red velvet, pumpkin spice with cinnamon sugar glaze, carrot cake, luscious lemon, and banana chocolate. Each cake was firm, as a good bundt cake should be, but still moist. Also, if you are a frosting fiend, you have found your heaven.


The red velvet was one of the best of have tried in Los Angeles. In the past few years, Los Angeles has become OBSESSED with red velvet cake. Wilson stated that it was by far her most popular flavor. Red Velvet cake has been around for a very long time, especially in the South. My best friend's mom, Mrs. B makes the absolute BEST red velvet cake. Hers was the first I had tried and 14 years later, it's still the best. But, as I can't travel back to the South for a piece of Mrs. B's cake whenever the craving hits me, I can travel on over to Kiss My Bundt's for the next best thing.

Her carrot cake, pumpkin spice, and lemon cakes were heavenly. The lemon cake was light and intensely flavored. True to it's name, it was luscious. The lemon cake was a definite throwback to one of those flavors I remembered and loved from my childhood. However, I did not enjoy the chocolate banana cake. I think it had more to do with the combination for me. I love banana. I like chocolate. But never the two shall mix. So, I pretty much confirmed that I do not like the combination.

However, my favorite by far was the pumpkin spice with the cinnamon sugar glaze. I can't even describe how delicious it was. I love the spice cake. The cake was extremely delicious. But, it was the icing that got me. Again, the icing took me back. I remembered my mother and my aunts making bundt cakes. They would prepare these simple glaze icings made from confectioner's sugar. They would drizzle the icing all over the still warm cake letting the icing slowly cascade down the sides. Mmmm. It was so simple, yet it was such a delicious addition to the cake.

My visit to Kiss My Bundt allowed me the chance to recall a lot of really fond memories from my childhood. The cake was not the focal point, but a wonderful centerpiece of times spent with my family. When I asked Wilson why she chose bundts, she also told a story about family. She shared memories of cooking bundt cakes with her aunt. This same aunt would send her care packages, while she was away at college, containing a bundt cake and a little money. I too, remembered receiving similar care packages. So, what's so special about bundt cakes? I mean, it's just cake. It's a little more than that. It's also tradition. I realize as I get older, seemingly unimportant things become more significant.

Also, although, I never thought this would happen, I'm getting tired of cupcakes. I welcome the switch to the cupcakes soulful cousin, the bundt.


Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Located at Crescent Heights Blvd., near the Grove)
Phone: (323) 655-0559
http://www.kissmybundt.net/

Recipe: Pizzeria Mozza's Butterscotch Budino

I loved Pizzeria Mozza’s Butterscotch Budino. Here’s a recipe that was posted in the May 9th, 2007 edition of the NY Times. You may not be able to find all of the items in your local grocery store. However, a trip to your local gourmet or specialty store will surely produce the items. Enjoy! I know I will. I’m thinking Thanksgiving dessert.


Butterscotch Budino With Caramel Sauce

Adapted from Dahlia Narvaez of Pizzeria Mozza

Time: 1 hour, plus 3 hours’ chilling

FOR THE BUDINO

3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/8 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum


FOR THE SAUCE AND TOPPING

3/4 cup heavy cream
Scrapings from 1-inch piece of vanilla bean, or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
2tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons fleur de sel
3/4 cup crème fraîche.

1. For the budino, combine cream and milk in bowl or pitcher, set aside. Whisk egg, egg yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl, set aside.

2. Combine brown sugar, kosher salt and 1/2 cup water in pot. Place over medium-high heat and let sit until edges start to brown. Tilt pot as needed to even the browning until caramelized, nutty and deep brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Immediately whisk in cream mixture, mixture will steam and caramel will seize. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Whisk a cup at a time into egg mixture until half is incorporated. Remove from heat, and immediately whisk egg mixture back into pot until custard is very thick, about 2 minutes.

4. Whisk in butter and rum. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and divide among 10 6-ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool, and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or up to 3 days.

5. For sauce, combine 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla in medium saucepan. Heat until simmering. Add butter and remove from heat; set aside.

6. In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar and enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make a wet, sandy mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling pan for even cooking, until mixture is medium amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in cream mixture; set aside and let cool. (May be refrigerated and reheated before serving.)

7. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add crème fraîche and whisk until thick and fluffy. To serve, spoon a tablespoon of warm caramel sauce over each budino. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel, and add a dollop of cream topping.

Yield: 10 servings.

Late Night Stop at Pizzeria Mozza

Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza. *sigh*

I've wanted to visit both establishments since they opened. Moreso, Osteria Mozza. However, I was frightened away by all of the horror stories surrounding getting a table. I'm not one who really likes rejection, so I've put a much-needed visit on the back burner indefinitely. I've heard that Pizzeria Mozza gets pretty packed as well. The lines forming outside the entrance as I pass the restaurant on the way to the Arclight only confirmed the talk. Since, I'm not into standing in lines; I've put that off as well. That is...until recently.

After a happy hour drink at J's Lounge and a couple of cocktails (and more cheese than I care to admit) at an event on Sunset, my hunger overcame me. While trying to decide where to grab a late night bite, I summoned up a little courage/

"I want to go to Pizzeria Mozza"

I figured its 10pm on a Thursday; surely, I can get in without waiting. After the short trek over to the restaurant, I opened the doors and saw a packed (and quite lively restaurant). Semi-defeated, I asked for a table and luckily the host pointed to two chairs at the bar. I grabbed them quickly and thanked God for loving me. As soon as I sat down, three other parties came in and had to wait. Score!

It's totally as cute as can be. The reds, orange tones, and dark wood. The decor certainly added to the warm and intimate, yet lively feel of the restaurant. The table setting was an adorable paper placemat chock full of pizza trivia (I LOVED that! BTW, did you know that those crazy Costa Ricans favor coconut on their pizza?). The silverware was presented in an adorable little paper bag. Adorable, just adorable. One of the things I loved most about Pizzeria Mozza was the thoughtful touches. There were hooks under the bar to hang my purse. There was a little foot rest that prevented my legs from dangling all night. The wait staff was phenomenal. True professionals. My water glass was never empty. They were attentive. They gave helpful suggestions. In short, they were the epitome of awesome.

I had the insalata mista to start. It was a simple salad of mixed greens and a light, sweet dressing. But, salad is salad. At Pizzeria Mozza, it's all about the pizza. I selected the Speck, bufala mozzarella, olive tapanade & oregano pizza. The waiter informed me that the items were added to the pizza after the dough was cooked. I admit, I was a little put off by that. I mean, come on! I was dreaming of gooey, hot mozzarella. There's nothing better than that! But, I absolutely love everything on the pizza, so I ordered it anyway. It was really good, but still a little different and surprising. The pizza crust was delicious and extremely flaky. I thoroughly enjoyed eating every bit of it. The cheese was nice and soft, elevated by a little dollop of tapenade atop each piece. With the addition of the deliciously generous slices of speck (smoked prosciutto) and fresh oregano, the flavors melded together to form a truly delicious pie. Full, from two consuming two pieces, I decided to take the remainder home. While, I found the hot and cold aspect interesting and still enjoyed the flavors, I'm looking forward to popping it in the oven for a few minutes and enjoying it hot.

As mentioned before, I've heard a lot of "talk" about Pizzeria Mozza. In all of the talk, there was one item that was mentioned time and time again. The Butterscotch Budino. Although, I was full, my inner foodie would not let me go without tasting it. That's not to say that our waiter didn't prod us a bit. The couple next to us ordered the budino. The waiter asked us to watch them take their first bite. If we were on the fence, their reaction would seal the deal. It did (not that I needed much convincing). The dessert arrived in a glass. The majority of it filled with a deliciously smooth and creamy butterscotch pudding. It was a serious pudding. Not that overly sweet stuff that you often find. Sitting atop the pudding was a dark, sticky caramel sauce. The dish was finished by a dollop of whipped crème fraiche and fleur de sel. I loaded my spoon, making sure to get all of the elements of the budino. It was simply sublime. I guarantee I will have dreams about that dessert. It also came with a couple of tiny rosemary pine nut cookies. The cookies were savory and a nice accompaniment to the budino.

So, in short…I enjoyed Pizzeria Mozza. At the end of the meal, the waiter asked for our opinion of the dessert. As we sang the praises of all things butterscotch and caramel, he made a statement that mirrored one of my cardinal food beliefs, “If you are going to eat something, it should be good. Don’t waste a meal on bad food." His statement only served to confirm what I already assumed about Pizzeria Mozza. It’s a place where people who love food can enjoy simple food done extremely well. Their love and respect for food is very present. You find it in the décor. It exists in the staff. It’s present in the people dining there. But, it’s especially there in the food.

Pizzeria Mozza
http://www.mozza-la.com/pizzeria/about.cfm

Endless Summer Barbecue Sunday's at Ford's Filling Station

Last Sunday, a friend and I decided to go to Ford's Filling Station for dinner. My last visit was earlier in the summer with one of my food groups. The outing was a progressive dinner, and the organizer chose Ford's for our 1st course. The memory of all of the wonderfully prepared dishes led me there. I had to stop myself from salivating at the thought of their simple, yet delectable flatbreads (white shrimp and jamon serrano were superb). How could I forget their lovely roast beef salad? Because I enjoyed so many dishes during my last visit, I had no idea how to settle on one dish with visions of all of their yummy food dancing in my head.

Luckily, my "dilemma" was resolved rather quickly. Much to my delight, I found that in addition to the tasty regular dinner menu, Sunday was Endless Summer Barbecue Sunday! Since September 21st, Ford's has offered a special barbecue menu at dinner. For only $18, you have your choice of two meats and two sides. There was no way I could pass up that deal! The meat selections were numerous. There were pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, sausage, and beef brisket. The side dishes selection was also quite nice. The choices included Tuscan cabbage, succotash, heirloom tomatoes, corn on the cob, and a few other items.

I selected the brisket, pulled pork, Tuscan cabbage (or carvolo pero), and succotash. The portions at Ford's are ridiculous. I was presented with a heaping plate of meat and veggies. I found the brisket flavorful, but a little over done. I was expecting slices of tender, juicy brisket. I was a little disappointed. Even with the addition of the spicy barbecue sauce, it left much to be desired. However, the pulled pork more than made up for the lackluster brisket. The pork was tender and packed with flavor. It was moist and succulent. Everything you expect to find in pulled pork. I could see bits of onion and red bell pepper sprinkled throughout the delicious meat. Mmmm! For my side dishes, I selected the Tuscan cabbage and succotash. The cabbage was very similar to kale in appearance. The greens appeared slow cooked with onions and other spices. They were good, but I did not enjoy the texture of the greens. They were still a little too crunchy for my taste. Sadly, most of them remained on my plate. However, the succotash was AWESOME. This version of succotash included, fresh corn, fennel, onion, and black-eyed peas. In general, I REALLY dislike black-eyed peas. As a girl with Southern roots, black-eyed peas occasionally found their way to the family dinner table. One of the few constants in my culinary dislikes is my loathing of black-eyed peas. I've never had them and enjoyed them...that's no longer the case. I enjoyed them very much as a part of the succotash. They were not the focus. Instead they served the role of a minor, yet important supporting character. So, while Ford's didn't convert me, I'm starting to come around. The dish was absolutely delicious and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Again, I'm enjoying the wonderful restaurants in and around Culver City. Ford's Filling Station is certainly becoming one of my favorites.

Ford's Filling Station
http://www.fordsfillingstation.net/

I'm BACK!

I'm officially returning from my hiatus! Yay! In my last post, I mentioned taking a hiatus due to health reasons. Overall, I'm fine. However, I have to dramatically alter my eating habits. Huge adjustment. Less going out and more cooking at home. Fortunately, I love to cook. This brings me to my main point. The focus of adventuresofawannabefoodie will expand a bit. Prior to the hiatus, I began to expand my focus with the MILK review. Now, I'm just planning to open the doors a little wider. Now, I'll share my healthy recipes and dining experiences, in addition to my fine dining experiences.

Also, let's not forget Top Chef. I literally squealed with excitement when I saw the teasers for Top Chef: New York. I'm looking forward to writing more thorough recaps this year. My schedule was really crazy last year and I didn't have the time to write. This year is different. My schedule is still crazy...just not as crazy as last year.

Hiatus

As you can see, I'm taking a little break. I went to a progressive dinner in July that I need to update, but I just haven't had time to sit down and write about it. However, for health reasons, I have to take a little break.

In the meantime, Happy Eating!

Got Milk! Recipes

I know I'm late. But, here are a few of the recipes from the Got Milk event. Additional recipes are available at .. ENJOY!

ICE BLENDED GREEN TEA
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon Japanese green tea powder
1⁄4 cup nonfat powdered milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1⁄2 cup low fat condensed sweetened milk
1⁄2 cup low fat evaporated milk
1 1⁄2 cups nonfat milk
6 cups ice

DIRECTIONS:
Sift together tea powder, powdered milk and sugar.In a blender, add tea powder mix along with the rest of the ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth.


MILKIE WAY MALT
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 quart vanilla bean ice cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons malted milk mix
1⁄4 cup caramel sauce
1⁄4 cup chocolate syrup
1⁄4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup malted milk balls
whipped cream to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Freeze 4 glasses. Drizzle caramel and chocolate syrups in each of the chilled cups for decoration. Place one pint of vanilla bean ice cream, 1/2 cup of malted milk into the blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour malt into 2 of the glasses, then repeat the process with the rest of the ice cream and fill the other glasses.Pipe whipped cream on top of the malts and top with the malt balls

CORNBREAD WITH RASPBERRY JELLY
SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:
1⁄2 pound sugar
2 tablespoons pastry cream powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
9 ounces whole milk
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces flour
5 ounces cornmeal, fine or medium ground
5 ounces butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⁄2 cup raspberry jam
2 ears of corn

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place butter in a thick bottom sauce pot and cook over medium heat until butter begins to brown and smell a bit nutty. Set aside. Remove husk from corn, along with corn sills (hairs)and cut the kernels from the cob. Reserve kernels
and discard the cob. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk together egg, vanilla extract and milk and set aside. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet, whisk until just combined. Do not over whisk. Add corn and brown butter to the batter and whisk to combine. Pour half of the batter into a buttered loaf pan
(3"x3"x8") or 10" round cake pan. Spoon the raspberry jam down the center of the batter, then pour the rest of the cornbread batter in the pan. Sprinkle some of the cornmeal and sugar on top of the bread to produce a nice crust. Bake at 325ºF for about 30-35 minutes or done. Check by inserting a skewer into middle of the
loaf. Upon removing, it should be dry. Let the loaf cool to room temperature. Remove the loaf from the pan. Note: For easier removal of loaf from pan, cut a piece of parchment or baking paper the size of the bottom of the pan and place in pan before adding the batter. This will help it release from the pan when ready to de-mold.

Way to Go STEPHANIE!

So, I started this post on June 13th, and now it's July 2nd. The finale was a couple of weeks ago and I really don't have much to say about it. I'm glad Lisa lost. I'm glad Stephanie won. I'm sad Richard did poorly. The finale was the most anti-climatic thing I've ever seen. I mean, seriously.

Champagne Tasting at K&L Wine Merchants

So, a couple of weeks ago, I went to a champagne tasting at K&L Wine Merchants! Can you say yummy? K&L, which was founded over 30 years ago,is a wonderful little place.

Every Thursday, the Hollywood location has wine tasting for $10. Because I'm a LA Foodie, it was discounted to $5. Yay me! I thought what better way to unwind from my busy week. Another plus, I might learn a little something other than the fact that I like champagne.

The tasting consisted of six champagnes ranging in price from $30-$80. Also, they were all Bruts. There was the Gosset Brut Excellence ($29.99). It was a a blend of of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It was nice. I was a little put off because they were not served in flutes and I missed the bubbles. I find the bubbles very exciting. It's really the best part of drinking champagne. The next was the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. It was mostly Chardonnay, but still a blend of the three grapes. I found it very aggressive. It also didn't have the usual finish that I come to expect from champagne. It was smooth and you could really taste the fruit. The third wine was the Delamotte Brut Champagne. It was 50% Chardonnay. I really enjoyed this one. It was a little lighter and sweeter. Some of the other tasters didn't like it as much, but who cares. Again, it's all about what YOU like. The fourth wine was the Jacquesson Brut Cuvee#732. This particular producer numbers their wine. This particular wine was from 2004. It contained more Pinto Meunier and very different in taste. I really did not enjoy it. Next was the Laurent-Perrier "Grand Siecle" Champagne. It was a vintage blend of 1995,1996, and 1998 wines. It was 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. It was not too acidic and VERY good. Mmmm. Finally, we received a special tasting of the Delamotte vintage 1999. It was ok. It just didn't do it for me.

One of the other tasters commented on how unimpressed she was with the choices. Frankly, I thought they were all fine. Of course, I enjoyed some more than others...but still, it was all good. She went on to comment that she really likes Perrier Jouet. Well, I mean come on. That champagne is a little more expensive and I have to agree, delicious. NO contest.

I actually learned a few interesting tidbits about champagne. For instance, I did not know that champagne cannot be released for at least 18 months. Fascinating. Also, I never really thought about the composition of it all. All of the champagnes I tried were blends. I found that most champagnes, with the exception of blancs are blends. Also, I learned about the difference between vintage and non-vintage champagne. Every year, champagne producers must set aside at least 20 percent of the wine for use in a future non-vintage wine. Also, producers get to decide which years will be vintage. Vintage wines are composed of grapes collected all in the same year. See, I didn't know the difference. Now, I do. Pretty neat.

K&L is considered one of the best wine stores in CA, and an excellent source for the online shopper. They have three locations:in San Francisco, Redwood City and Hollywood, California. I had to rush off to a meeting on the other side of town, but I can see why they are so highly regarded. For a moment, I got a little lost in the vast array of wines from all around the World. I had to tear myself away. I found their prices really reasonable (actually a little less than BevMo---my go to place for alcohol. Also, the staff was really knowledgeable and helpful. Always, a plus. I will definitely make my way back over there.


K&L Hollywood
1400 Vine Street
Hollywood, CA, 90028
(323) 464-WINE (9463)
(323) 836-0853 (Fax)
Store Hours: M-F: 10-8pm, Sat: 10-8pm, Sun: 11-6pm

Time to Hang Up His Hat-Spike's OUT!

And then there were four, the wrong four, but still four. This past episode was really good. Marred only by the fact that pinched face Lisa is still there.

Quickfire-They have to change into AWESOME meat packer uniforms and break down a humongous rack of beef into several frenched tomahawk chops. Spike, the progeny of butchers kicks everyone’s behind. The chops are beautiful. I have to give him props. After butchering, they have to return to the Top Chef kitchen and prepare a perfect medium rare chop for the guest chef, Chicago chef Rick Tramonto. Next we are treated to some lovely food porn. Seriously, there is nothing better than a good, steak. Just watching them grill, broil, and sear those steaks made me so hungry. MMMMM. In the end, Spike reigns supreme. No surprise there.

Elimination challenge: Prepare an appetizer and entree using what they find in the guest chefs restaurant. Cool! I actually love these challenges every year. It forces them to be creative, without imposing ridiculous obstacles. Due to his quick fire win, Spike was able to pick his proteins first. Why, oh why did that knucklehead pick frozen scallops? EYE don't use frozen scallops. For me, the texture is just never right after freezing.

Highlights: Harold and Hung! I love them and it was nice to see them again. Richard's sweetbreads and hamachi dish. Yum! Antonia's steak. Mmmm. Ribeye is the most deliciously marbled cut. I wanted that steak! Antonia's quip - Antonia: (explaining why the stove needs to remain partially open) It needs air or it will die. Lisa: What if I die? Antonia: Well, I guess you aren't going to Puerto Rico. Tee hee!

Lowpoints-Ilan. Ugh. Lisa moving forward to PR. Me rooting for Spike to stay.

It's witch'Craft

I've cancelled more than one reservation at Craft since the Los Angeles location opened last year. However, my favorite shopping soror-buddy wanted to have an early dinner this past holiday weekend, so although I was still salty about Top Chef, I decided I really wanted to go. So, I did...AND IT WAS FREAKIN' GREAT! Craft has totally bewitched me. Craft is a little on the expensive side, even for me. But, I really didn't mind. Everything was so delicious and the wait staff was so attentive...even before I took out my little book to take notes (which I FINALLY remembered to bring). I'm so glad I remembered that little book. If I didn't, I would leave out so much. I still think I'm going to leave stuff out.
So, let me get on with it!

The amuse consisted of a little crostini with tomatoes and house made ricotta (another friend noted that it was goat cheese-but I found it too mild for goat cheese). I'm going to make an assumption that the tomatoes were heirlooms. Also, I could taste oregano. My initial comment was that it tasted like pizza. It was the perfect, yummy first bite.

1st course-Japanese hamachi and Tuscan melon and Veal Sweetbreads. I LOVE yellowtail. Seriously, it's my standard sushi/sashimi order. It took a minute for me to find it on the expansive menu. But, once I did, I knew I had to have it. The fish was fresh, sliced nicely, and seasoned with a bit of olive oil and salt. The melon was presented in the form of nice cubes and thin slices (resembling pickled ginger). I'm a huge fan of salty sweet. I frequently sprinkle a bit of salt on melon. So, that flavor was very familiar. There was also a little cranberry and sliced ginger to round out the dish. It was an interesting combination, especially with the cranberry. However, it was a light and harmonious start to the meal. My soror ordered the veal sweetbreads, and I had to have a taste. They were also very delicious. Initially, I was resistant to sweetbreads. Once again, I remembered that my parents are from the South. Over the years, I've had various types of offals before I even knew what they were, so I went for it. I'm so glad I did. While, the sweetbreads were nicely cooked, they were able to shine with the addition of a nice onion marmalade and kumquat. Mmmm.

Entree-The black cod and ramp. The cod was wrapped in prosciutto. Double yum. I rarely eat bacon/ham, but I get downright giddy when something is COOKED with bacon/ham. I am especially fond of prosciutto and pancetta. Alone, it does nothing for me. But, in the right dish, it provides such great flavor. The cod was nestled atop a bit of ramp puree and beluga lentils. The fish, which was a little under seasoned otherwise, really benefitted from the prosciutto. But, the texture of the fish was really nice. I was extremely pleased to see the lentils. They were a nice addition to the dish. While the ramp puree provided great color, it didn’t add much to the dish. But, all in all, it was a really great dish.

Side dish- roasted Jerusalem artichokes (or sunchokes).After ordering the artichokes, the server asked if I was familiar with them. I knew that they were not your standard green artichoke. Jerusalem artichokes (or sunchokes) are a root veggie. Not a very attractive thing at all. But, it is QUITE tasty. The site wiseGEEK gave a great description as "a cross between a rutabaga, potato, sunflower seed, and water chestnut." They were lightly seasoned and had the right amount of oil. I literally could not stop eating them. They were that delicious. My only complaint was that I wished they were a little tenderer. Just a tad.

Dessert amuse-Yogurt panna cotta, tangerine sorbet, and sauterne gelee. I was very excited when I saw the little dish. I love panna cotta and this was nice. I didn't LOVE the texture of the panna cotta. It was not as firm as I would have liked. However, I think it was not meant to be. The sauterne gelee was really nice.

Dessert-Peanut Butter Cup with peanut brittle, caramel gelee and caramel gelato. I had a hard time deciding on a dessert. Everything looked wonderful. I was actually leaning towards the many interesting gelatos and sorbets. In the end, I recalled the many great reviews of the peanut butter cup, and ordered it. It was quite literally a peanut butter cup…the largest one I’ve ever seen. It had a chocolate cookie crust (that I wished was a little sweeter) and a layer of delicious salty peanut butter topped with chocolate. It was good, but not as sweet as I anticipated. It was a little too much on the salty side for me. However, as I continued to pair it with the ice cream, I liked it a little better. The ice cream was very good. Perfectly, smooth and creamy. Nice color and subtle caramel flavor. Still, in retrospect, it was good. However, I don’t think I would order it again.

Post-dessert treat- For our post-dessert treat we were presented with a raspberry macaroon. It was very similar to the one I had at MILK, however, the temperature was right. It consisted of two raspberry macaroons with raspberry gelee or jam in the middle. I'm not a huge raspberry fan, so it was just ok. I kept dreaming I had the MILK macaroon at the correct temperature. Oh, and this brings me to the only thing I really disliked all night...the citrus petit four (that was actually similar to a jelly candy). I made the mistake of popping the entire thing in my mouth. WHY?!? It was soooo tart and intense. I quickly ate it and drank a few sips of water. NOT A FAN. But, after paying the check, it was quickly forgotten. Why you ask? TO GO TREAT! We were given a little banana walnut muffin packaged in a cute little bag secured with a Craft sticker. Since my soror is allergic to nuts, I got TWO muffins. I ate them the next day (one for breakfast and the other for dessert after dinner), and I have to say they were delicious! They were moist. I could see and taste the banana. The density of the cake was just perfect. The nuts were numerous and crunchy. It was one of the best muffins I've ever had. Seriously, that was a good muffin.

I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Craft. I can't wait to go back and try other items. Now I finally know why Chef Tom is the bees knees!

Got Milk? Blogger Event at MILK

It's official, I'm a food blogger! On Monday, I attended an event at MILK. The wonderful folks at Got Milk? (a wonderful non-profit organization based in California that promotes the consumption and use of milk) partnered with Chef Bret Thompson of the 15-month old MILK to share a few of his delightful treats. This partnership was a first for both parties, as well as the first time Got Milk? hosted a blogger event!

First of all, MILK is totally cute. It's reminiscent of an old time ice cream shoppe. Upon entering, you are greeted by an overabundance of delicious treats in, around, and atop of the cases.


That day, Chef Thompson showcased a number of his special treats for us to enjoy.

Milky Way Malt-One of the servers noted that this treat was one of the customer favorites. The look of the malt resembled cookies and cream ice cream. The cup lined with streams of gooey chocolate and caramel sauces. Nestled on top of the malt was a small dollop of whipped cream, sprinkled with tiny malted chocolate balls. Full disclosure, I'm not a huge chocolate hound. I prefer fruity to chocolate. However, even I have to admit that this was a sinfully delicious malt.

Raspberry-Corn Muffin-I had my doubts about this. I had a little bit of a block when it came to the creamed corn and the raspberry. After one bite of the moist muffin, with the creamy corn center and raspberry jam at the bottom, I became a believer. It was quite yummy and one of my favs of the night.

Ice-blended MILK green tea-Ok, one word...YUMMERS! I love green tea. LOVE it! The drink was nice and smooth. The green tea flavor was ever so subtle. To top it off, there was a nice dollop of whipped cream. This was one of my favorites of the night. I think I had at least three of them.

Arroz con leche-This was my least favorite of the night. It was basically a tiny ice cream sandwich. The texture of the rice cookie and the ice cream did not work for me at all. First of all, they were both a bit hard. Although, I think the problem had more to do with the temperature than the actual execution of the dessert. Still, not a favorite.

Berry tres leches-I LOVE tres leches cake. However, if you've ever had/made one, you know most cakes are rather dense. However, Chef Thompson uses a sponge cake. The cake was layered with two types of cake. One infused with blueberry used as a soaking liquid and another that was vanilla. Between the layers was a deliciously light custard. The cake was topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. This cake was light, moist, and beyond delicious. Many attendees selected this cake as a definite favorite of the night, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Banana dulce de leche ice cream dipped in butterscotch and almonds- Whew, that was a mouthful! Again, not to sound repetitive, but I LOVE dulce de leche. This wonderful ice cream arrived on cute little cones. The cones were then dipped in butterscotch and covered with almonds. The ice cream had an intense banana flavor that I really enjoyed. Again, dulce de leche, bananas, butterscotch, and almonds...all things I love. However, it was a bit much for me. It was a little too sweet. After so many desserts, it was difficult to finish it. Dessert overload?!? I never thought I would see the day.



Last, but certainly not least, the Butternut squash soup-The only thing, besides a great deal of water, that saved me from collapsing into a sugar-induced coma right in the middle of MILK was this soup. Chef Thompson felt it was important to include a savory dish to the mix. I'm so glad he did. The soup, served in a champagne glass, was my hands down favorite of the night. It was perfect! It was creamy, silky smooth, and perfectly seasoned. It was further topped off by a bit of cream fraiche and spiced pepitas. So, the creaminess of the soup was truly enhanced by the nice crunch of the toasted seeds.

Now, I know that in addition to the yummy sweet treats available at MILK, I can enjoy the great food offered there as well. Something, I plan to do very soon. Why you may ask? Um guess, who won the grand raffle prize? Me, that's who! I received a pail with a stuffed cow, Got Milk? t-shirt and travel mug, chocolate chip cookies and cranberry-pumpkin walnut bread from MILK (which my co-workers enjoyed), AND a $50gift card from MILK. I never win anything, so I was so geeked!



Also, since Chef Thompson was nice enough to share, I will post some of the recipes next week. But, if you can't wait, PLEASE stop by for a visit. MILK is located at 7290 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046,(323) 939-6455.

You've GOT to be kidding me!

I mean, seriously! Come on!!! Top Chef decided to pick up the fragments of my broken heart and stomp on them! I'm still in shock, however, I was not surprised. Once, he decided to head that sinking ship, I knew it was over. If Lisa and her pinched little face is not knifed next week, I'm not sure I can stomach the rest of the season. Lisa, Spike, and Antonia should have left before Andrew and Dale.

*end rant*

Fine Dining in Atlanta

Well, I'm returning from a weeklong trip down South. I was in Atlanta this past weekend, and I made a point of going to Restaurant Eugene. Once my trip to Atlanta was planned, I had to research restaurants. Restaurant Eugene was atop several lists as the best restaurant in Atlanta. So, I made a reservation for myself and several friends for Friday night. Then, I received confirmation. Chef Linton Hopkins was on Iron Chef. While, he lost to my fav Chef Morimoto, his dishes looked absolutely delicious. I was really excited!

Of course, my friends and I got lost on our way to the restaurant. Mind you, we had directions. And no, we had not had one sip of alcohol at that point. But, I tell you. One wrong turn can do you in. We finally made it. Ok, who opened the door for us as we walked into the restaurant...um, Chef Hopkins. How cool is that! He was super friendly and welcoming. That really made the night for me. Of course, I'm the only idiot who is totally starstruck by chefs. Seriously, I saw Hubert Keller walking through Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last year and was over the top excited. I'm crazy, I know.

Anyway, the restaurant is really beautiful. Simple, earth tones, lovely. Since we were going to a wine bar for drinks after dinner, we all skipped wine and I ordered an entree and dessert. For my entree, I had halibut, with fried coleslaw. The halibut had a perfectly browned, crispy crust. The fish was delicate, flaky, and buttery. Perfectly cooked and delicious. Now, on to the coleslaw. I have never heard of nor imagined fried coleslaw. But, I will say it was quite tasty. It was fashioned in a stack, with fried crust. Also, to my delight, the coleslaw stack included lobster. Mmmm. It was finished off with shrimp and shaved fennel on top. It was unique. I really enjoyed the crunchiness of the dish. The veggies were crunchy and fresh. The seafood was nicely cooked. The dressing was also light, albeit a bit too vinegary for my taste. Still, I loved the concept. Sadly my dessert, carrot cake with butter pecan ice cream, was lackluster. The carrot cake was carrot cake. Nothing inventive or exciting about it. However, I will note that the ice cream was really good. Not too sweet, creamy and smooth. I find many places have ice cream that is too icy...if that makes sense. So, while delicious, it too was just...good ice cream. Nothing special.

All in all, it was pretty darn good. One of the better fish dishes I've had. Sadly, the dessert was a miss for me. However, the service was spectacular. Our waiter was friendly and very attentive. Also, a couple of managers came around to check on us. Oh, yes, we were welcomed by the chef. That's always adds to the experience. Most of all, it was a great meal because of the conversation and laughter my friends and I shared over our meals.

I'm so sad!

*sigh* Why? That's all I have to say. Why Andrew?

A Taste of the Nation

Share our Strength is a wonderful organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. A Taste of the Nation is one of their big fundraising events. The event is held in various cities throughout the US. If it comes to your city, please try and attend. It's a unique opportunity to support a great cause, while eating the best food available in your city. I know I'll be there on June 1st when it comes to my City! Remember, it's tax-deductible and 100% of the proceeds go to organizations dedicated to ending childhood hunger.

Orange County, CA
May 2

Houston, TX
May 4
Austin, TX
May 4
Northern New Jersey
May 5
New York City, NY
May 14
Manchester, NH
May 19
Hartford, CT
May 22
Los Angeles, CA
June 1
Denver, CO
June 1
Baltimore, MD
June 2
Philadelphia, PA
June 2
Minneapolis, MN
June 3
Las Vegas, NV
June 4
Pioneer Valley, MA
June 9
Ft Lauderdale, FL
June 11
Ithaca, NY
June 17
Portsmouth, NH
June 18
Baton Rouge, LA
June 19
Portland, ME
June 22
Dallas, TX
June 29
New Orleans, LA
July 13
Miami, FL
July 24
Seattle, WA
July 31
Salt Lake City, UT
August 3
Orlando, FL
August 9
Napa Valley, CA
August 25

Checking in

To say things have been hectic lately is an understatement! However, I am now on the other side of the mountain and things are settling down. My last foray was Sunday Supper at Lucques. Again, that was wonderful. I have managed to watch every episode of Top Chef. SOOOOOO much to say.

1) Still love Dale. He's just precious. I LOVED his apology to Lisa. From that day on, I promised to apologize to people in the same manner. Basically, I'm sorry for yelling/being mean to you, but you get on my nerves/I just don't like anything about you. :-)

2) Love Stephanie and Andrew. I think Stephanie might be our next Top Chef.

3) I'm glad Spike was FINALLY able to make that damn squash soup.

4) Why is Nikki still there? Even better question, what is up with her HAIR!?! That updo thingy she has going on looks insane.

5) I'm glad Jenn's gone. Liked her until Zoi left. I just wanted to SCREAM every time she told us she was "doing this for Zoi"

6) Spike and Mark?!? I'm going to leave it alone. I'm so un-PC. I'm sure to offend someone.

7)The food looks fantastic this year. I seriously want to make/eat everything.

8) I'm tired of the catering challenges. Seriously...TIRED! Don't mind the team challenges as much, but I'm almost tired of them.


I'm still considering my next visit. I'm leaning towards Comme Ca or Josie. Also, I'll be in Nashville and Atlanta in coming weeks. I've identified two restaurants that I will visit while out of town. Looking forward to sharing my experiences.

Anonymous Shout-out

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that I sometimes fail to mention if I am dining alone or with others. There is really no rhyme or reason why I do it. Sometimes, I don't feel like writing about other people because I feel the need to describe what they ate. My posts are long enough. Sometimes, I'm just lazy. I don't feel like writing. It just depends.

So, my road dog decided to catch up on reading my blog and discovered that she was omitted from two or three of my posts. Today is a lazy (and BUSY) day for me, so I'm not about to go back and fill in. However, she requested a shout-out. However, I seriously doubt that she would want me to put her name all up and through here. Isn't that ironic?

So, big shout out to she who will not be named here! :-)~

Top Chef: Block Party

I HATE that I do not have time to watch Top Chef and write about it. Also, I'm still sans lap top. *sigh*

So, Block Party.

* Spike and Andrew need to kill the Borat shtick. Seriously, I've reached my limit.

*Tired of the "true to the street food" and "soul chef" crap. Make the freaking taco and shut up about it. I just didn't understand it.

*I wanted to reach through the screen and grab Drew's duck taco with plantain jam and cotija cheese. Yumalicious!

*Richard's taco was really interesting. However, I thought a little shrimp or something would have worked better for me.

*HELLO! Can we see what EVERYONE made!? I wanted to see Dale's dish. It was all layered and stacked and stuff. :-(

*Erik and the corndog. How can they make a similar mistake twice in a row? Crazy!

*Didn't care for the elimination challenge

*I thought Red had a slight advantage, but they both kinda sucked

*Who makes a bad pasta salad? Wow!

*Drew's outburst...WOW!! LOL. That's right boy! That's your house!

Sunday Supper at Lucques

So, I dined at Lucques (pronounced Luke--very important) this past Sunday. The Sunday Supper is a Lucques tradition and a great way to experience Lucques if you are on a budget. The Sunday Supper consists of a three course meal for $40. Considering the fact that Chef Suzanne Goin is a James Beard award winner and Lucques was just named the best restaurant in Los Angeles, $40 is a steal. I had the great pleasure of dining with another member of my food group. As I said before, although we were strangers, we just chatted away. I could talk about food all day.



The first course was a salad of james birch's baby escarole with mustard, lemon, parmesan and garlic croutons. I'm of the opinion that a salad is a salad. But, I will admit that the salad was really tasty. Fresh greens, nice creamy dressing, and the crunchiness from the croutons. It was a rather large salad, and I ate the entire thing. Again, fresh ingredients can elevate the mundane.



The second course was the ragoût of beef shortribs and spring vegetables (asparagus and french green beans) with farro and savory crème fraîche. I love short ribs...love them! Since they are so hearty and it is spring, I thought my short rib window was closed. But, alas, here they were. The short rib was tender and nicely flavored. It was one of the best short ribs I have ever had. The creme fraiche was dolloped on top of the entree. I was able to identify chive. It was delicious and added a pleasant creaminess to the dish. The veggies were nice and crisp. A surprising and nice contrast to the tender short rib. Farro. Wow. This was my first experience with farro. Farro is a wheat grain. It had a very unique texture. I can totally see people not appreciating the texture. However, I thought it played well with the meal. It was simply delicious.

And then there was dessert. The dessert was almond cake with citrus zest, candied rhubarb and strawberries, and vanilla custard. The cake was moist, yet had a deliciously crunchy top. The custard was smooth and a perfect consistency. As for the fruit, I was not particularly fond of the rhubarb. But, the strawberries were nice. Frankly, I would have enjoyed the cake with a little bit of the cream. Yum!

Sunday Supper at Lucques is divine. I highly recommend it. I have a feeling I will make my way there again very soon.

Top Chef: Zoo People

Yes, I realize that there was actually a new episode on last night. However, I fell asleep while attempting to watch it. Not once, but twice. I was exhausted. Anyway, here are my thoughts about the Zoo People episode.

1) Spike and the fedoras. Um, what's that all about? Dude, as soon as you wake up you reach for your fedora? So strange. Cute, but strange.

2) Val reminds me of Rachel Dratch. The Debbie Downer version at times. I realized this last week. I thought it was a revelation until I read the TWOP recap and noticed that the recapper thought the same thing. I swear!

3) Reminded of how much I love Farmer's Markets. LOVE THEM! Spike had the right idea. You just can't rush an afternoon at the Farmer's Market. Dale made a very astute point about the quality of meat at a Farmer's Market. Honestly, I never buy meat at Farmer's Markets. All this talk of markets, I might go this weekend.

4) Wylie Dufresne-wow! Molecular Gastronomy is not really something I'm all that interested in. I mean, I admire what they do, I just don't really want to eat it.

5) Braised chicken wings. I HATE braised/barbecue/baked whole chicken wings. It's just so messy.

6) I hate that Andrew didn't follow directions. His dish looked yummy.

7) Zoo challenge was kinda wack. Yes, I said wack. No other word to describe it.

8) Erik the Soul Chef? puke

9) I'm tired of the 'hands in the air' thing after the challenges. I will NEVER forgive the Season Twosies for that.

10) Challenge food...I wanted to try the ceviche, lamb meatballs, stuffed anchovy, and the banana cake. Mmmm

11) Ahem...Top Chef contestants. For the love of all that is good and holy, stop making freaking mushroom caps. What are you TGIFs? I mean seriously. I actually like mushroom caps, but they are not very attractive. Especially, if they are filled with more brown stuff.

12) I'm glad that people are capable of making desserts this season. I mean, seriously.
13) My boy Andrew won! Coooooooooolness!

LA Magazine Names Top 75 Restaurants in Los Angeles

This is no secret to people who know me...I LOVE LA Magazine. Of course, the restaurant stories and reviews are a definite highlight. So, imagine my glee when I received my mag this week and noticed the feature...Top 75 restaurants in Los Angeles. Here's the list.

1. Lucques
2. Melisse
3. Providence
4. Bastide
5. Urasawa
6. Sona
7. Vincenti
8. La Cachette
9. All'Angelo
10. Patina
11. Hatfield's
12. Osteria Mozza/Pizzeria Mozza
13. Mako
14. Wilshire
15. The Dining Room at the Langham
16. Valentino
17. Angelini Osteria
18. Spago
19. Campanile
20. Fraiche
21. Josie
22. Saddle Peak Lodge
23. Craft
24. Cut
25. Water Grill
26. Ortolan
27. Joe's Restaurant
28. A.O.C.
29. The Grill on the Alley
30. Gardens
31. Xiomara
32. Jar
33. Nishimura
34. Mimosa
35. Comme Ca
36. Mastro's Steakhouse
37. Ciudad
38. Simon LA
39. The Foundry on Melrose
40. Grace
41. Bar Hayama
42. Michael's
43. Drago
44. Il Grano
45. Kiriko Sushi
46. Matsuhisa
47. Lawry's the Prime Rib
48. Blair's
49. Massimo
50. Madeo
51. Sushi Katsu-ya
52. La Botte
53. The Hump
54. Sushi Dokoro Ki Ra La
55. Tanzore
56. The Buffalo Club
57. Mori Sushi
58. The Lobster
60. Chameau
61. Il Carpaccio
62. Trattoria Tre Venezie
63. Nanban-kan
64. Asanebo
65. The BLVD
66. Paperfish
67. Petros
68. Sam's by the Beach
69. Bashan
70. The Ivy
71. Cafe Pinot
72. Crustacean
73. Cafe Pierre
74. La Scala
75. Tasca Wine Bar

Ok, so wow! I've only dined at seven. I have alot of eating to do! But, I do have reservations at Lucques. I'm so glad the reservations were made prior to this list. Hmm, perhaps I will work from this list. Eh.

Top Chef Ep. 1

Season Four is officially here! I will not bore you with a complete recap of the show (frankly, I have no desire to write a thesis this morning). However, I have a few little comments.

1) They all have potty mouths! It was insane.

2) The couple...the lesbian couple. Interesting spin.

3) Sista girl Nimma...wow! I know she's a line cook, but she seems a little too soft-spoken for that world. Good luck to her. I might try to eat at her restaurant when I go to Atlanta.

4) Top Chef crush...kinda hard this year. But, I'm leaning towards Spike and Dale (I have an Asian thing--I can't explain it)

5) Ones to watch: Dale, Stephanie, Richard. They are on my radar now. Just too many folks right now. I had to rewind and pause a million times to get people straight.

6) Lastly, I think I love Andrew. No, seriously. I think he's my favorite. The New York thing, mixed with his frenetic speech was just too much. He reminded me of a Spike Lee character. His reactions made me giggle on more than one occasion. LOVE HIM!

It's Back!!!

Oh Joy of joys! Top Chef is back! As previously noted, I LOVE this show! If you didn't know before, I'm sure the excessive use of exclamation marks tipped you off. In addition to blogging about my restaurant visits, which are few and far between, I will post my thoughts on the show. I’m looking forward to a great season (please, no reverting to the ridiculousness of Season II). I’m also looking forward to possible Bourdain and Hung appearances.
*One last thing…I’m very excited. My top picks for Top Chef and Project Runway actually won. My pony never wins. Let’s hope my streak extends itself to the Democratic Primaries and the General Election.

I've Found My People!

Soooooooo, yes. I've joined a food group. In the Violet recap, I mentioned that I dined with a member of the food group I joined. What? How? Why? I'll cover all of that. The important thing is, I've found my people.

One day, as I perused Chowhound, I came across a post listing several LA food groups. Some focused on wine. Some focused on ethnic food. However, one group covered it all. So, that's the group I joined. Basically, it's a yahoo group consisting of people who are interested in food. There is discussion on various food related topics. More importantly, there are outings. Perfect! Since starting the quest, I find myself dining out alone. Sure, I am usually joined by a friend or two. However, sometimes they are just not as excited as I am. They just want to eat. Also, fine dining is expensive. It's my thing. I know that. I certainly don't begrudge folks not wanting to spend $50 to $80 (or more) on a meal. That being said, it's all good now because I have found my people. How do I know?

I made a side comment about my dinner at Violet in a discussion thread, and soon others wanted to join me. They were just as excited about going as I was. I ended up dining with a member of the group. Mind you, we were total strangers. However, the conversation flowed the entire night. We discussed our meal. We talked about other restaurants, the group, everything. It was great! So, I'm looking forward to many new and exciting culinary adventures!

Dine LA: Violet, A Night of Highlights

Omigoodness!!! So, I squeezed in last minute reservations at Violet during Dine LA. After viewing a demonstration by Chef Jared Simons on the Dine LA website, I just had to. The dish looked absolutely delicious. Ok, I will openly admit, that it wasn't just the food. Full disclosure, the chef is superhot! He's like a rock star. Seriously.

As it were, I ended up dining with another member of a food group I joined recently...more on that later :). The Dine LA menu was a prix fixe meal for $25. Fantastic value for the quality of the dishes. Of course, I left my damn book again. I mean, seriously. I know...I'm kinda hopeless. Therefore, I resorted to emailing descriptions of the food via my very handy Crackberry.

My starter was the house cured salmon, with baby beets and horseradish. The salmon was sliced into very thin strips. It was reminiscent of thin pancetta slices. The baby beets were cut into nice sized cubes. I know that I'm officially an adult because I love beets. The salmon and beets were topped with freshly grated horseradish. It was surprising. Everything worked really well together. It was a lovely dish, and indeed a wonderful start. My entree consisted of the grilled skirt steak, with celery root mousse, red wine sauce, and braised leeks. My dining companion noted that the steak was not hot. Sadly, I agreed. Although the temperature was off, it was cooked perfectly. Really good skirt steak is not common. Many tend to overcook it and the result is a piece of meat that is as tough as leather. However, this was cooked medium rare/medium and it was juicy and tender. Not perfect, but pretty darn close. The celery root puree was new for me. Honestly, celery root is kinda gross looking. So, it's not something I think to pick up or eat. However, I'm glad I did. It was really smooth and creamy. It greatly benefitted from being plated next to the red wine sauce. Mmmm. The leeks, while nice, were more of a garnish. That was a little disappointing. Now, on to my 2nd favorite thing (I'll get to the first later...I promise)about this meal. The dessert. I had the ginger panna cotta with roasted pineapple. Again, omigoodness. It was wonderful. The panna cotta was spicy and smooth. I've had panna cotta in the past, but never a ginger panna cotta. This rendition was a real treat. The pineapple, ohhhhh the pineapple. Can you say delicious? What a wonderful pairing of spicy (the ginger in the panna cotta and the cinnamon on the pineapple) and sweet (the sweetly carmelized pineapple). Roasting the pineapple created this wonderful caramelizing effect that enhanced the sweetness of the pineapple. Mmmm, so delicious.

So, I mentioned that the dessert was #2 in a dining experience complete with highlights. So, what was #1? Three words: macaroni and cheese. Violet is kinda famous for their mac and cheese, so we decided to split the dish. I'm generally weary of restaurant macaroni and cheese. While a Cali girl, I have Southern roots. Southerners are serious about their macaroni and cheese. So, to say I was hesitant was an understatement. But, I took a chance. If this is the payoff I get for throwing caution to the wind, I will definitely do it more often. It was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!! Macaroni, gruyere cheese, leeks, and serrano ham. I cannot stop raving about this dish. Yes, it was that good! So, good that I plan to replicate it very soon. But, at only $9, it's easier to just go to Violet.

To top it off, the check came with a shot of milk and a cookie. How precious it that? Also, Chef Jared was in the house. Chillin! Oh, and our waiter was Sam's (from Top Chef 2)Doppelgänger. So fantastic food and eye candy. How can you top that?

Violet was the perfect ending to my brief Dine LA experience. I will definitely make it back. Sooner, rather than later.

Dine LA: Sadly Coming to an End

*insert sad face here*

Have you ever really anticipated an event? I mean, it's on your mental calendar. You tell all your friends about it. You make preliminary plans to participate. I mean, you make a totally big deal out of it. Talking to anyone who will listen about it...then forget about it when the day arrives. Sadly, that happens to me all the time. Actually, less often now that I have my Blackberry. But, alas, I have to REMEMBER to put the item...correctly...on my actual calendar. I say all of that to say, I let the entire first week of Dine LA pass me by. Thanks to a gentle reminder, I will be able to fit in at least two restaurants before it ends. I'm really looking forward to dining at a new restaurant on Friday. Super excited! Stay tuned!

Dine LA- Simon LA

So, what started with me mentioning going to Simon ended up a group dinner. I'm so glad it did. My dining companions were lovely and a good time was had by all.

Simon LA is located in the Sofitel Hotel...which is absolutely lovely. Also, we had to walk through the Stone Rose Lounge, which is super cute, before reaching the restaurant. Since we were early for our 6:30 reservation, we had time to have cocktails. I decided on the Honeytini. It was really good. Grey Goose Pear, pear puree, honey and simple syrup. It sounds really sweet, and it was. However, it was not syrupy sweet. So, we talked and sipped on our cocktails until time for our seating.

Everyone decided to try the Dine LA menu. My three courses consisted of the Jumbo Lump Crab Salad, Fresh Hearts of Palm, Soybeans, Pea Shoots and Grapefruit Vinaigrette, Braised Beef Short Rib, Sweet Potatoes, Brocollini, and Dried Cherries, Citrus Watercress Salad, and Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

My thoughts. First course. Initially, I was torn between the crab salad and the yellowtail carpaccio. I really love yellowtail. It's just a really mild, nice textured fish. However, the crab salad won out when I realized the yellowtail dish contained cilantro. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I hate cilantro. It tastes like soap. So, I had the crab salad. Prior to ordering, our wonderful waiter mentioned the crab was served with guacamole. Hmm? I actually like guac. But, it would have thrown me a bit if he hadn't told us. So, the crab is nestled on the guac with the watercress (lightly dressed) on top. Verdict. It was good, not great. I think I would have preferred nice little chunks or thin slices of avocado instead of the guac. The texture was just weird. I will add that the vinaigrette was very delicious. Perfect amount of acidity. Second course. The short rib was cooked very nicely. Juicy, tender, and well seasoned. The side was good, but I would have preferred more. The dried cherries, couple with the sweet potato was really nice. Third course. Cupcakes. I make a pretty gosh darn good red velvet cake. Frankly, I'm usually disappointed in most. First of all, I prefer a little more cocoa in my red velvet cake. Oh, and nuts. It's not red velvet unless I have pecans! Still, the little cupcakes were good. Perfect little size to pop them in your mouth (which of course I didn't...I used my utensil, of course). Finally, they topped off our dinner with a little whimsical bowl of cotton candy. It was adorable. Oh, let me not forget that one of my dining companions knew one of the managers and he sent over a delicious flatbread pizza. Good cheese, tomato, basil. Yum! Honestly, it was so simple, but a definite highlight for me.

Oh, I want to kick myself. I almost forgot the best part. The Simon LA bread basket is Awwwesome! It was literally a cornucopia of flatbread crackers, small flavor packed squares foccacia, mini challah loaves, and biscuits. It was the United Nations of bread baskets. I don't think I've ever been that excited by a bread basket before. I was a little disturbed by my reaction, but I couldn't help it. Simply, it rocked.

Final thoughts. It was good, not spectacular. I definitely plan to hang out at Stone Rose Lounge again. I will give Simon another try. I have to try out the regular menu. Most of all, I had a great time hanging out. My dining companions were a hoot and a half!

Dine LA

From January 27 to February 1, 2008 to February 3 to February 8, 2008, Los Angeles will embark on it's first official Restaurant week. Many restaurants throughout the city plan to participate. Restaurants will serve a selection of three-course menus at special prices ranging from $15 or $22 for lunch and $25 and $34 for dinner. I intend to dine at one of the participating restaurants in the coming week. This is truly a wonderful opportunity (dinner at Grace for $34...hello!) to experience some of the finest culinary treasures of Los Angeles. Check out the link below for more info. In the meantime, happy dining!



http://www.dinela.com/data/restaurantweek/

Founders Day Dinner at Table 8 ('08 that night)

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of my beloved sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, me and two other Sorors decided to dine at Table 8. This was not my first visit to Table 8. However, on my previous visit, my focus was solely on the late night menu. On this special occasion, I planned to take full advantage of the delicious offerings. In addition to a wonderful night with my dear Sorors and a deliriously funny run in with a D-list celebrity at the next table, I had one fabulous meal.

Before sitting down and reviewing the menu, I seriously considered the prix fixe menu. However, one dish continued to call me. But, I'll get to that later. We decided to start with the grilled cheese with pulled shortrib, truffled potato chips and parsley salad. Luckily, I decided on that very dish on my previous visit. It was just as delicious then as it was the first time. Possibly, even a little better. I remember thinking that it needed a little more salt. However, paired with the truffled chips, it was perfect. The chips were flavorful, light, and crispy. Simply perfect. The parsley salad was light and crunchy. A nice addition. For my entree, I chose the American kurobuta pork with cheese grits, braised collard greens and bacon glazed turnips. Ok, let me just say this. I may be a California girl, but I am a Southern girl at heart. I have really strong feelings about, and I'm in love with cheese grits. I am really in love with these particular cheese grits. They were spectacular. Familiar and comforting. Made all the more delicious thanks to the drippings from the bacon that accompanied the turnips. Mmmm. Ok, let me calm down. Seriously, I'm getting very excited just thinking about those grits. The greens were good, but not spectacular. Honestly, compared with the the grits and pork, it was a bit of an afterthought for me. Oh, yes. Let's talk about the pork. This was my first experience with kurobuta pork. What is kurobuta pork? Well, it's a type of pork popular in Japan. It's a Japanese black hog. However, it's origin dates back to England almost 300 years ago. However, this kurobuta is raised here in America. The meat is darker, heavily marbled, and tender. The tenderness of the meat was something I noted immediately upon taking my first bite. When the server placed the plate in front of me, I was a bit perturbed. The pork apparently had a dry spice rub and appeared a little dry. However, it was the opposite. To say I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. It was tender, juicy, and delicious. Yum! I ate every bit of it. The only thing that kept me from licking my plate was the image of Emily Post turning over in her grave. Finally, the dessert. We all ordered different desserts and passed them around. The dulce de leche cake and the panna cotta were delish. With a little encouragement from our server (who was delightful), I selected the lemon almond cake with mascarpone sorbet. Lemon and almond, a wonderful combination. Sweet, light, and moist. I love mascarpone, and the sorbet was delightful. The sorbet paired really nicely with the cake. Serving to cut the sweetness of the cake wonderfully.

In, short...wonderful friends, great wine, delicious food...perfect night.