Monthly Archives: March 2011

The Wurst is the Best

If you have been to Germany, you have no doubt had Currywurst, sliced sausage in a curry-ketchupy sauce with curry powder sprinkled on top. It’s one of the most popular street foods in Deutschland, and my second favorite after Doner Kabobs. Berlin Currywurst is a tiny new restaurant serving its namesake on the ultra cool strip of West Sunset in Silverlake.

The menu at Berlin Currywurst is a great example of German minimalism; they essentially serve just one dish, Currywurst, although you can get it in a multitude of ways. First you pick your sausage. Choices include Pork Bratwurst, Veal & Pork Bockwurst (which is my favorite), Paprikawurst and various Beef, Chicken and Tofu Wursts. Next you pick the spiciness level of your curry sauce. Finally, you select an added flavor for your curry sauce (the choices are fruity, garlic, jambalaya and chipotle). The Currywurst is served with a tiny wooden fork and two slices of German Farmer’s Bread, which are great for sopping up the extra sauce. The whole plate is pretty small so I recommend getting a double portion or ordering two, which gives you the ability to sample two different combos of sausages and sauces. The only other thing on the menu besides drinks are homemade fries, which are exceptionally good, especially if you order them with minced onions. My only complaint with Berlin Currywurst is they don’t serve beer. Otherwise, I thought it was Wunderbar!

Berlin Currywurst is located at 3827 W Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (in Silverlake).

Fritten (Homemade Fries with Minced Onions)

German street food comes to Silverlake!


Berlin Currywurst on Urbanspoon

 

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Don Draper Ice Cream!!!

This food truck was a real find!  Lake Street Creamery is a Gourmet Ice Cream Truck with really delicious and unusual flavors.  The regular menu includes such flavors as “Pancake Breakfast” (made with flapjacks, maple syrup, bits of real bacon and a sprinkling of fresh-ground Peaberry coffee; “not for vegetarians or the excitable”); “Donut” (tastes just like a cake donut), “Aztec Sacrifice” (spicy chocolate made with chiles and cayenne pepper), “Black Jack” (“It’s Black Licorice.  Deal with it.”)  and “Holiday Chocolate” (made with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger).

The Ice Cream is served in tasty waffle bowls (“in a futile attempt to save the planet”) and they serve you really generous scoops as well as very generous tastes of any flavor you want to try.  I tried them all!  They also make special Ice Cream Floats such as “Jelly Donut” (Donut Ice Cream with Black Cherry Soda) and “Coffee and a Donut” (Donut Ice Cream and Iced Coffee).  When I visited the truck recently, they had a special flavor called “The Don Draper.” Its ingredients include vanilla, caramel, bourbon and smoke.  It was great to be able to enjoy my favorite tv show about mid-century ad execs in the form of a frozen dessert!   How to find the Lake Street Creamery Truck:  they post a calendar on their website www.lakestreetcreamery.com.

UPDATE: THE LAKE STREET CREAMERY TRUCK IS SADLY NO MORE. I WILL HAVE TO MAKE MY OWN DON DRAPER ICE CREAM AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET “SMOKE” FLAVORING.


Lake Street Creamery on Urbanspoon

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You Had Me at “Cacao”

CaCao Mexicatessen, a cute little place in Eagle Rock, describes itself as a modern version of a Mexican deli that pays homage to Mexico’s greatest contribution to the Culinary World — Chocolate!  This is misleading.  While you order at a deli counter, CaCao Mexicatessen is simply one the best gourmet Mexican restaurants in the city.   And while they serve awesome hot chocolate drinks and offer some great mole dishes, this place is about so much more than chocolate and mole.

The menu is extensive and full of so many amazing small plates of perfection, it is hard to know where to begin.  The Carnitas de Pato (duck confit, avocado, vinegar onion, radishes and chili oil) as either a taco or a sope is a must-have.  As is a taco or sope made with the Chorizo Rojo Con Papa (house-made spicy ground pork seasoned with Mexican spices, dried potatoes and topped with onion, cilantro and salsa).  The Chile Rellenos at CaCao are perhaps the best I’ve ever had.  Their standard Chile Rellenos incorporates squash blossoms, green pumpkin seed mole, imported Oaxacan and Jack cheese, and roasted corn.  A special version I had recently had Chorizo Tejano, Salsa Ranchera and Crema de Habanero.  If you feel like going more exotic, I also recommend getting a taco with the Conejo Con Granada tacos (rabbit confit with a four chile pomegranate sauce) and one with the Wild Boar Chorizo Verde. CaCao has many great vegetarian tacos as well, including an excellent one made with fried hibiscus flowers.  Make sure to go there with a group so you can sample as many things as possible!

CaCao Mexicatessen is located at 1576 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles (in the Eagle Rock neighborhood, mid-way between Glendale and Pasadena).

A cute, small and brightly-colored restaurant

Hot Cacao, the speciality of the House

Carnitas de Pato (duck confit) taco and sope

Flor de Jamaica (hibiscus flower) taco

Mole Poblano (chicken mole) tacos

Conejo con Granada (rabbit with four chile pomegranate sauce) taco




Cacao Mexicatessen on Urbanspoon

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The Best Sandwich in all of LA: “The Godmother”

The best thing between bread in all of LA can be found at a gourmet Italian deli in Santa Monica.  “The Godmother” Sandwich at Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery is perhaps the perfect sandwich.  It’s worth driving a long distance to get and it’s also worth waiting for in Bay Cities’s very long deli counter line  (tip:  you can order ahead online to avoid the wait).  Yes, it’s that good.  One of the reasons The Godmother reigns supreme is the amazing crusty bread, which they bake fresh every 20 minutes.  Equally excellent is what they put between the bread:  four amazing Italian meats (Genoa Salami, Mortadella Cappacola, Ham and Prosciutto) plus Provolone plus “The Works” (mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, homemade Italian dressing and pickled hot or mild peppers).

While the Godmother in my opinion is the best, Bay Cities has other great sandwiches too.  I also recommend the Caprese (Water Mozzarella, Onion, Tomato, Basil, Oregano and Oil & Balsamic Vinegar) and there’s a secret sandwich not on the menu called a Don Lorenzo, which is basically the Caprese with Prosciutto.  Wash your sandwich down with a gourmet soda like Boylan’s Black Cherry or  Cock ‘n Bull Ginger Beer.  Bay Cities is also a great gourmet market with imported cookies and candies, gourmet cheeses, hot prepared foods and a nice selection of wines.  It is located at 1517 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica.

Bay Cities Deli Counter


Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery on Urbanspoon

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Holy Chicken Balls!

Sorry, Nom Nom Truck. I have a new food truck obsession.  The Ludotruck, the newest venture of local celebrity chef Ludo Lafebvre (of Ludo Bites and Top Chef Masters fame), serves fried chicken and biscuits like you’ve never tasted before!  What to order:  you can get three different kinds of chicken (and you can get a combo that comes with all three), but my favorite is the Provencal Pepitte, which are juicy boneless chicken balls infused with rosemary and herbs de provence and prepared using a special three days process.  Also excellent are the Honey Lavander Biscuits and the Ludo Slaw.  How to find it:  the easiest way is the schedule posted on the Ludotruck Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ludotruck.

The truck with the big red coq

Each type of chicken with dipping sauce and slaw

Ludotruck


Ludo Truck on Urbanspoon

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