Monthly Archives: April 2013

Three is a Magic Number

Urban Flower Tart with Watercress Vinaigrette
Brand-spanking new and already the hottest ticket in town, Trois Mec has arrived. Its name means “three guys” in French and it’s the collaboration of three of LA’s most beloved and talented chefs, Ludo Lefebvre of the Ludo Bites pop-ups and the tv show “The Taste,” and Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo of Animal and Son of a Gun. These three amigos have fashioned a truly magical dining experience. The only problem is that it’s incredibly difficult to get in.

The modern and minimally designed restaurant is small and intimate.  There are only four tables plus eight seats at the bar overlooking the open kitchen.  It’s cloistered away in a Hollywood strip mall behind frosted glass and has no signage other than the illuminated yellow sign of the previous tenant, Rafaello’s Pizza. To dine at Trois Mec, you don’t need a reservation; you need to buy a ticket. These tickets, which are transferable and can even be resold on Craig’s List, go on sale once a week on the restaurant’s website and currently cost around $97 for the prix fixe menu including tax and tip but excluding beer and wine. With such limited seating, competition for the tickets is fierce and I pity the poor Hollywood assistant tasked with procuring them for a demanding boss.

The seasonal menu (which can be vegetarian upon request) consists of five official courses and several additional tastes. My recent dinner there started with a virgin apéritif of chilled Aged Oolong Tea with Lemon Shrub in a sugar-rimmed glass and ended with a White Chocolate and Caramel Tart with Habanero Salt. In between was a parade of gorgeous, inventive and delectable small plates of gastronomic glory. Many dishes, such as the Herb and Flower Tart with Watercress Vinaigrette (pictured above), were similar to the modern French fare of Ludo Bites, while others, like the Boneless Chicken Wings with Mustard and Sesame Seeds, more closely resembled the reconceived comfort food of Animal and Son of a Gun. My favorites were the super light cheesy potato dish of Potato Pulp, Brown Butter, Bonito, Onion Soubise and Salers Cheese and an insanely good Rib Cap with Shallot Broth, Black Walnut and Clover Spelt. I also loved the unique Buckwheat Popcorn with Rice Wine Vinegar. If they sold this at Trader Joe’s, I would eat a bag everyday.

Trois Mec is located at 716 N. Highland, Los Angeles (in Hollywood) and serves dinner Monday through Friday. Tickets can be obtained on their website. 

Buckwheat Popcorn with Rice Wine Vinegar

Buckwheat Popcorn with Rice Wine Vinegar


English Peas with Miso Marinade and Cured Salmon Roe

English Peas with Miso Marinade and Cured Salmon Roe


Boneless Chicken Wings with Mustard and Sesame Seeds

Boneless Chicken Wings with Mustard and Sesame Seeds


Asparagus, Brioche, Egg Yolk, Yuzu, Green Alder

Asparagus, Brioche, Egg Yolk, Yuzu, Green Alder


Carrot, BBQ, Orange, Yogurt, Avocado, Watercress

Carrot, BBQ, Orange, Yogurt, Avocado, Watercress


Potato Pulp, Brown Butter, Bonito, Onion Soubise, Salers

Potato Pulp, Brown Butter, Bonito, Onion Soubise, Salers


Rib Cap, Shallot Broth, Black Walnut and Clover Spelt

Rib Cap, Shallot Broth, Black Walnut, Clover Spelt


Strawberry, Almond Ice Cream, Rhubarb, Rose Ice, Olive Oil Cake

Strawberry, Almond Ice Cream, Rhubarb, Rose Ice, Olive Oil Cake


Chef Ludo Lefebvre

Chef Ludo Lefebvre


The restaurant only seats 26 people.

The restaurant only seats 26 people.


Don't be misled by the exterior.

Don’t be misled by the exterior.



TROIS MEC on Urbanspoon

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Your Armenian Mama’s Kitchen

Beef Luleh Kabob
Nestled on a residential side street a few blocks from The Americana and Glendale Galleria, Mini Kabob is a little mom and pop shop that serves some of the best Armenian food in the city.  To say it’s a hole in the wall would be an understatement. It has three small tables and you feel as if you’re eating in the kitchen of your grandmother or favorite aunt while she cooks for you.  Ugly upholstered chairs and a dreary oil painting on the wall add to the charm of this hidden gem.

The restaurant is run by “Mama” Alla and “Papa” Hovik, a friendly immigrant couple from Yerevan, Armenia.  Mama does the cooking in the open kitchen and Papa works front of the house.  Everything Mama makes is delicious.  Your meal starts with amazing homemade hummus served with Armenian lavash bread.  There are several choices of kabobs including beef, pork and beef luleh (ground beef), but the best is the chicken.  Expertly seasoned and grilled, topped with onions and parsley, and served with basmati rice, a charred tomato and spicy pepper, and a side of garlic sauce, the juicy chicken shish kabob is pure perfection. You can wash it all down with an Armenian mineral water or a tarragon or pear soda.

Mini Kabob is located at 313 Vine St. in Glendale. It’s cash only.

Hummus and Armenian Lavash Bread

Hummus and Armenian Lavash Bread


Combination Plate with Chicken Shish Kabob, Pork Shish Kabob and Chicken Luleh Kabob

Combination Plate with Chicken Shish Kabob, Pork Shish Kabob and Chicken Luleh Kabob


Garlic Sauce

Garlic Sauce


Vegetable Cake (special order)

Vegetable Cake (special order)


Jermuk Mineral Water

Jermuk Mineral Water


Alla and Hovik

Alla and Hovik


A tiny hole in the wall...with great food.

Walking distance from The Americana and Glendale Galleria


Not fancy

A tiny hole in the wall..with great food



Mini Kabob on Urbanspoon

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Pikey, Me Likey

Pikey Fish and Chips

Call it the “New British Invasion.”  Modern English gastropubs have been regularly opening on this side of the pond for the past couple of years.  My favorite in Los Angeles is The Pikey.  Its dark wood, brass rail and mirror-laden decor reminds me of the pubs I frequented when studying abroad in England during college; the perfect place to down a pint of ale.  But The Pikey is more than just a cool-looking place to drink, and is not, as they say in London, “all fur coat, no knickers.” Their elevated British pub grub is abso-bloody-lutely delicious!

My favorite dish is the Fish and Chips.  The golden battered snapper is crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, and the thrice cooked chips (what we Yanks refer to as “fries”) are gobsmackingly good.  I’m also a fan of the Curried Cauliflower, Mary’s Vinegar Chicken, and the brilliant Crispy Pig’s Ear Salad with Young Kale and Mustard. For dessert, I suggest getting either the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch and Clotted Cream or The Pikey’s “Fool” of the day, a smashing concoction of puréed seasonal fruit, whipped cream and sugar.  Blighty-themed cocktails such as the “Laddie Dill” (vodka, cucumber, dill, lime, salt and pepper) and “The Guvnor” (gin, lemon juice, egg whites and bitters) will have you saying things like “it’s the dog’s bollocks!” and “Bob’s your uncle” in no time.

The Pikey is located at 7617 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (in Hollywood).

Welsh Rarebit

Welsh Rarebit


Crispy Pig's Ear Sald with Young Kale and Mustard

Crispy Pig’s Ear Sald with Young Kale and Mustard


Mary's Vinegar Chicken with Thrice Cooked Chips

Mary’s Vinegar Chicken with Thrice Cooked Chips


Curried Cauliflower

Curried Cauliflower


Brussels Sprouts with Boiled Bacon

Brussels Sprouts with Boiled Bacon


Char-Grilled Beef Burger with Bandaged Cheddar, Tomato, Worcestershire Aioli and Chips

Char-Grilled Beef Burger with Bandaged Cheddar, Tomato, Worcestershire Aioli and Chips


Strawberry and Rhubarb Fool with Meringue

Strawberry and Rhubarb Fool with Meringue


Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch and Clotted Cream

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch and Clotted Cream


Laddie Dill with Svedka Vodka, Crushed Cucumber and Dill, Lime Juice, Salt and Pepper, Rocks

Laddie Dill with Svedka Vodka, Crushed Cucumber and Dill, Lime Juice, Salt and Pepper, Rocks


A little bit of Blighty in Hollywood

A little bit of Blighty in Hollywood



The Pikey on Urbanspoon

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