Los Angeles

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:52:00 GMT

It was good, but not nearly as good as the employees kept telling me.

Riding Waves at the Bazaar

BuzzEditor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:24:00 GMT

Rojo y Blanca at The Bazaar by José Andrés

Photo: Natasha Bedu

During the month of November, José Andrés is offering a special menu at The Bazaar that consists of six "waves" of dishes meant to be shared, accompanied by four Spanish wines ($100 per person; served throughout the evening; 310-247-0400).

Dining News Elsewhere: Obesity and Cancer, Bacon-Wrapped Matzoh Balls

BuzzEditor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:53:00 GMT

– A baguette dropped by a bird stopped the Large Hadron Collider. [Times]
– Linking obesity and cancer. [MSNBC]
– Scripps (which owns the Food Network) sets its sights on the Travel Channel. [EMD]

– Jamie Oliver, upholder of justice. [Telegraph]
– How wine became a "fast food." [Daily Beast]
– Daniel Boulud sets his sights on London. [Bloomberg]
– LA's Orso prepares for a final bow. [NYT]
– A long chat with Gordon Ramsay. [Telegraph]
– Not kosher: Ilan Hall's bacon-wrapped matzoh balls. [Jewish Journal]
– 7-Eleven gets ready to roll out its own wine. [MSNBC]
– Why Guinness can taste different in Ireland (and elsewhere). [Accidental Hedonist]
– Will laser etchings replace fruit and vegetable stickers? [Gizmodo]
– Portion sizes, then and now. [DivineCaroline]
– How exactly does Jell-O work? [BG]
– Meat, the fabric. [EMD]
– Cookie monster cupcakes love cookies. [Leila Cohan]

Food Truck of the Week: Mattie's Southern Kitchen

BuzzEditor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:52:00 GMT

Mattie's Southern Kitchen logo

Photo: courtesy of the truck

When you consider the number of roadside stands that pepper the Deep South, it's no surprise to find a food truck that's managed the seemingly impossible concept of fried-chicken-on-wheels. The workers in the truck must be driven totally bonkers by the fine aromas arising from their grills and deep-fryers – how they resist constant temptation is a mystery to me. And there's much temptation to resist, for Mattie's offers everything from catfish tacos to pulled pork sandwiches...chicken 'n' cheese biscuits to one of the gooiest mac 'n' cheeses in town. It even offers genuine Southern-style sweet tea, which is essentially a glass of sugar moistened with tea, a demi-beverage to gladden the heart of anyone from south of Mason-Dixon. For locations, go to Twitter and Facebook – or the soon-to-functional mattiessouthernkitchen.blogspot.com.

– Merrill Shindler

Weekend Menu: Phelps Wine, Speakeasy and Organic Charity

BuzzEditor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:39:00 GMT

Looking for a tipple and nibble this weekend? Try these.

Thursday and Friday, November 5–6: The Belvedere at the Peninsula Beverly Hills offers a four-course meal from chef James Overbaugh paired with four Joseph Phelps wines – including their 2006 "Insignia," which retails for $199 a bottle – for $98 per person (6–10:30 PM; 310-788-2306).

Saturday, November 7: At Speakeasy, the relentlessly creative Dan Silberstein of www.drinkeatplay.com turns the ballroom at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel into a jazz lounge and bar with mixologists from all over town gathering to pour samples of gin, bourbon and scotch, along with fruits and cheeses. For those who opt for the VIP option, there is also a champagne bar (8–11 PM, 7 PM for VIP; $75 for general admission, $150 for VIPs; for more info, click here).

Sunday, November 8: CBS Studio Center hosts the 23rd annual "Go Green, Go Organic" benefit for the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. At the culinary dine-around from noon to 3:30 PM, expect sustainable, organic dishes served by more than 30 restaurants, including Akasha, BLT Steak, Cecconi's, Loteria! Grill, Grace and XIV ($150 per person; click here for tickets).

Craft-ing a Cal-Italian Dinner

BuzzEditor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:52:00 GMT

Craft

photo: Alen Lin

On Wednesday, November 11, get a Craft-y taste of Italy when chef de cuisine Anthony Zappola and pastry chef Shannon Swindle prepare a five-course California/Boot dinner – think braised Maine lobster with smoked bacon, porcini and watercress and venison saddle with Tuscan kale – paired with wines from Palmina winery. For a look at the full menu, click past the jump (7 PM; $125 per person; call 424-204-7485 or e-mail tcancino@craftlosangeles.com for reservations).

California Meets Italy wine dinner:

Wednesday, November 11th at 7pm
$125.00 per person (including wine pairings)

Menu:

Hors d'Oeuvres
Tocai Friulano, Honea Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, 2008

---

Fluke Crudo with Citrus & Wild Fennel
Malvasia Bianca, Larner Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, 2008

---

Braised Maine Lobster with Smoked Bacon, Porcini & Watercress
Barbera, Santa Barbara County, 2007

---

Roasted California Squab with Leg Ravioli, Chestnuts & Sage
Nebbiolo, Santa Barbara County, 2007

---

Venison Saddle with Tuscan Kale & Cippolini
Undici, 2006

---

Almond Praline Panna Cotta with Roasted Warren Pear
Santita, 2006

Dining News Elsewhere: An Illy Invasion, Iron Chef in the White House

BuzzEditor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:08:00 GMT

– Illy is making inroads into U.S. coffee shops. [WSJ]
– Gordon Ramsay is planning to bring the popular MasterChef to the U.S. [THR]
– Sam Kass: assistant White House chef, policy wonk. [NYT]

– Related: Iron Chef America heads to the White House. [NYT]
– After 17 years, Jean-Georges is shutting down Vong. Though maybe not for long? [Eater]
– Learning to compost in Chicago's public schools. [Chicago Tribune]
– More on the affect of calorie counts on menus. [NYT]
– The Kogi Truck folks in LA have their own custom car now. [Mouthing Off]
– Kids menus should grow up. [BG]
– What does your beer choice say about you? [AdAge]
– Yellow Tail isn't the only Aussie wine, y'know. [WSJ]
– One 225,000-ton ship, more than 24 dining options. [EMD]
– Grant Achatz stands sternly in front of an airplane. [GS:C]
– Is it a steak house or a gay bar? [SteakHouseorGayBar]

Celeb Chefs Cover the Market

BuzzEditor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:11:00 GMT

Spago

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Though fine dining may have cooled off a little as a result of the past year’s economic turmoil, celeb chefs remain as popular as ever. Fortunately, many of them have opened more casual concepts, allowing diners with tighter budgets to get a taste of their culinary vision. But how do these budget-minded sibs stack up against their high-end counterparts? Read up, and then add your own votes and opinions.

Wolfgang Puck

Arguably LA's most famous toque, Wolfgang Puck keeps packing them in at pricey perennial favorite Spago, while also offering his fare at lower prices at new places like Wolfgang Puck B&G.

Spago

176 N. Cañon Dr.
(Wilshire Blvd.)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-385-0880; reserve online

Food	Decor	Service	Cost
26	25	25	$78

It “just keeps getting better” for devotees of this Beverly Hills “can’t-miss” “classic” that’s still “on top of its game”, serving the “superb” Californian cuisine of Wolfgang Puck (who often “comes out to greet diners”) turned out by chef Lee Hefter; the “royal” service proceeds at a “stately pace” in the “lively”, “elegant yet casual” interior or on the “serene patio” where patrons “dine under – and among – the stars”; so though it “may require your first-born as a deposit”, it’s “ever so worth it.”

Key to Zagat Ratings

Wolfgang Puck B&G

800 W. Olympic Blvd.
(Figueroa St.)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-748-9700

Food	Decor	Service	Cost
-	-	-	M

The eponymous chef-restaurateur expands his presence to burgeoning Downtown with this indoor-outdoor Californian at LA Live that offers a midpriced menu of his signatures – from pizza to prime meats and calamari to kurobuta; a musical-note motif repeating throughout the floors and light fixtures seems appropriate, considering its proximity to shows at both Staples and Nokia.

Susan Feniger

Susan Feniger, half of the Two Hot Tamales, has been bringing her specific take on Mexican cuisine to the City of Angels for decades, and she's still at it – her highly affordable Street opened earlier this year.

Border Grill

1445 Fourth St.
(bet. B'way & Santa Monica Blvd.)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-451-1655; reserve online

Food	Decor	Service	Cost
22	19	20	$34

“They still have their mojo” assert champions of this “legendary” Santa Monica Mexican from celeb owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken serving up “stylized” south-of-the-border dishes and “tremendous tequila drinks” to wash ‘em all down; a “friendly” staff and brightly colored murals make up the “lively” atmosphere, although sensitive sorts call it “too loud for enjoyable eating”; P.S. happy hour is a “delicious deal” with $4 drinks and $3 tacos.

Key to Zagat Ratings

Street

Photo: Natasha Bedu

Street

742 N. Highland Ave.
(Melrose Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-203-0500

Food	Decor	Service	Cost
-	-	-	I

Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Ciudad) has taken over a former Melrose District coffeehouse, turning it into this Eclectic street-food eatery with high ceilings and an outdoor patio; its inexpensive, multiethnic menu – offering small plates from all over Latin America and Asia (with a few European stops) – brings back memories of the chef’s first creation, the much-loved City Restaurant.

Key to Zagat Ratings

The Axis of Eating

BuzzEditor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:55:00 GMT

The Hudson

Photo: Claire Thomas

At the cusp of the Hollywood Hills, Boys Town and Little Russia, Fairfax District arrival The Hudson provides a multineighborhood destination for budget-friendly American comfort food, accompanied by many wines, beers and specialty cocktails; the commanding space is dominated by a 50-ft. tree growing in the dining room.

1114 N. Crescent Heights Blvd.; 323-654-6686

Fabio Wants To Whip You Into a Firenze

BuzzEditor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:36:00 GMT

Fabio Viviani

Photo: courtesy of Bravo TV

Linguistically challenged Top Chef veteran Fabio Viviani has taken over North Hollywood’s old Barsac Brasserie space and made it into Firenze Osteria, where he’s hoping to draw foodies from nearby Universal Studios hungry for a taste of dishes from Florence, Italy; the well-aged art adorning the walls of the warm space looks as if it were lifted directly from the Arno.

4212 Lankershim Blvd.; 818-760-7081

Keep on Truckin' ... With Lists!

BuzzEditor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:36:00 GMT

Green Truck on the Go

Photo: courtesy of the truck

With so many food trucks using Twitter these days, keeping track of all those tweets can make your head spin. But by utilizing Twitter's new lists feature, we've made the truckin' life a little easier. With 26 food trucks and counting, our LA Food Trucks list is your one-stop shop for street-meat tweets. Want a little more background about the trucks? Check out our Food Trucks of the Week.

Dining News Elsewhere: PBR For Sale, Wading Into the Tip Pool

BuzzEditor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:43:00 GMT

– Talking with the troubled Ciprianis. [Vanity Fair]
– The brewery behind PBR and Schlitz is for sale. [NYP]
– Restaurants seek to better manage tip pools. [NRN]

– Western foods are gaining in China. [ABC]
– Where have all the Angostura bitters gone? [Bostonist]
– Who gets all of those 7 PM reservations, anyway? [Between Meals]
– The last days of Gourmet. [Last Days of Gourmet]
– Nation's Restaurant News to go biweekly. [Food Writer's Diary]
– Who needs to tip when you can buy the chef a beer? [GS:C]
– 222.5 pounds? Now that's a big meatball. [MSNBC]
– Could you eat 78 pieces of cutlery? Would you? [Daily Mail, via EMD]
– The manually operated hamburger vending machine. [JapanProbe]

Cooking With Coco

BuzzEditor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:14:00 GMT

David Chang's pork neck with succotash

Photo and recipe: courtesy of Phaidon Press

For its latest cookbook, Coco, Phaidon Press turned to 10 world-leading chefs – Ferran Adrià, Mario Batali, Shannon Bennett, Alain Ducasse, Fergus Henderson, Yoshihiro Murata, Gordon Ramsay, René Redzepi, Alice Waters and Jacky Yu – to each pick 10 contemporary chefs from around the world. In turn, each of those chefs then wrote a menu and recipes for the book. The final product is more than 400 pages of gorgeous photographs, mouthwatering recipes and interesting tidbits from kitchens around the world. Want a taste? After the jump, get the recipe for pork neck with succotash from New York chef David Chang (of the Momofuku empire).

Pork Neck with Succotash
Serves 4
Recipe by David Chang

For the pork neck
300 g kosher salt
270 g sugar
6 liters hot water
2 bay leaves
25 g black peppercorns
6 liters cold water
10 g pink salt
1 pork neck

Mix the salt, sugar, hot water, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.
Mix the cold water with the pink salt.
Add the pork neck and confit 5 hours at 300°F (150°C) covered.
When tender, press between 2 sheet trays. Portion into serving size pieces.
Crisp on a griddle or pan to heat through.

For the succotash
100 g ground (minced) smoked, think-cut pork belly
12 g chanterelle mushrooms
250 g lima (butter) beans
175 g corn (sweetcorn) kernels
Butter for sautéing
1 tbsp tarragon, chopped
4 ml buttermilk
120 g butter
130 g arugula (rocket)

Sauté the pork belly, chanterelles, lima beans, and corn in a pan.
Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper, chopped tarragon, buttermilk, butter, and arugula.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:01:00 GMT

A bit out of the way and not worth finding.

La Cachette Lunch Deal

BuzzEditor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Chef Jean Francois Meteigner is now serving a $15 prix fixe lunch at La Cachette Bistro from noon–2:30 PM, Monday–Friday, beginning with a choice of soup du jour or mixed green salad; then moving into entrees like a baked brioche filled with ham and Swiss cheese; and concluding with dessert choices such as macaroons or bread pudding. Expect the menu to change every few days (310-470-4992; reserve online).

Los Angeles

Outtake of the Week

Riding Waves at the Bazaar

Rojo y Blanca at The Bazaar by José Andrés

Photo: Natasha Bedu

Dining News Elsewhere: Obesity and Cancer, Bacon-Wrapped Matzoh Balls

Food Truck of the Week: Mattie's Southern Kitchen

Mattie's Southern Kitchen logo

Photo: courtesy of the truck

– Merrill Shindler

Weekend Menu: Phelps Wine, Speakeasy and Organic Charity

Craft-ing a Cal-Italian Dinner

Craft

photo: Alen Lin

Dining News Elsewhere: An Illy Invasion, Iron Chef in the White House

Celeb Chefs Cover the Market

Spago

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Wolfgang Puck

Spago

176 N. Cañon Dr. (Wilshire Blvd.) Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-385-0880; reserve online

Wolfgang Puck B&G

800 W. Olympic Blvd. (Figueroa St.) Los Angeles, CA 90015 213-748-9700

Susan Feniger

Border Grill

1445 Fourth St. (bet. B'way & Santa Monica Blvd.) Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-451-1655; reserve online

Street

Photo: Natasha Bedu

Street

742 N. Highland Ave. (Melrose Ave.) Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-203-0500

The Axis of Eating

The Hudson

Photo: Claire Thomas

Photo: Claire Thomas

Fabio Wants To Whip You Into a Firenze

Fabio Viviani

Photo: courtesy of Bravo TV

Keep on Truckin' ... With Lists!

Green Truck on the Go

Photo: courtesy of the truck

Dining News Elsewhere: PBR For Sale, Wading Into the Tip Pool

Cooking With Coco

David Chang's pork neck with succotash

Photo and recipe: courtesy of Phaidon Press

Outtake of the Week

La Cachette Lunch Deal

176 N. Cañon Dr.
(Wilshire Blvd.)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-385-0880; reserve online

800 W. Olympic Blvd.
(Figueroa St.)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-748-9700

1445 Fourth St.
(bet. B'way & Santa Monica Blvd.)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-451-1655; reserve online

742 N. Highland Ave.
(Melrose Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-203-0500