Monthly Archives: May 2013

May 31, 2013 · 10:08 am

Alma Lovin’

Alma started as an acclaimed pop-up restaurant in Venice, but laid down roots last year next to a taxi dance hall downtown on South Broadway. It has a cool minimalistic and modern interior with an open kitchen where a talented young chef named Ari Taymor hones his craft. Taymor’s modern American cuisine is the food equivalent of a Terrence Malick film or an opera by Phillip Glass; in other words, it’s not for everyone. But for foodies and other bon vivants (myself included), dinner at Alma can be a very special experience.

The menu, which is printed in lower case letters on pages of a yellow legal pad, changes daily and features small plates composed of seasonal, market-driven ingredients, many of which are sourced from an exclusive arrangement with a garden/micro-farm in Venice. The flavors are complex and nuanced. The combinations are, for the most part, interesting and inspired. As you would expect, there are foams and droplets of sauce.

My favorite dish is the Chicken Liver Toast & Date Jam, a perfect amalgam of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy. I’m also a big fan of Alma’s Seaweed & Tofu Beignets with Yuzu Kosho and Lime, as well as their unusual “onion salad” of Spring Alliums, Kumquats, Goat’s Milk, Turnips and Coffee Granola. For dessert, I recommend the Warm Rye Bread Pudding with Red Fruits, Almond Brittle and Frozen Yogurt. You can enjoy it all with an organic wine, craft beer or homemade soda.

Alma is located at 952 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown). UPDATE: ALMA IS NOW CLOSED. VERY SAD.

Spring Alliums, Kumquat, Goat Milk, Turnip, Coffee Granola

Uni Toast, Burrata and Caviar

Seaweed & Tofu Beignet, Yuzu Kosho and Lime

Dungeness Crab, Summer Squash, Almond Milk, Quinoa and Basil

Seared Yellowtail Jack, Celery and Lentils

Chicken Liver Toast and Date Jam

Grilled Scallops, Smoked Pork, Corn, Miso and Apricot

New York Steak, Morel, Snails, Asparagus and Smoked Garlic Bearnaise

Jidori Chicken, Carrot, Lemongrass and Basil

Charred Eggplant with Trumpet Mushrooms, Broccoli, Bulgur and Pine Nuts

Sweetbreads, Mole, Beet and Cherry

Buttermilk Cake, Apricot and Brown Butter Ice Cream

Chocolate, Popcorn and Sorrel

Warm Rye Bread Pudding with Red Fruits, Almond Brittle and Frozen Yogurt

Modern, cutting-edge French cuisine next door to a taxi dance hall

Modern, cutting-edge cuisine next door to a taxi dance hall

A Torrid Affair

A couple years ago I told you about a torrid affair I was having with a mushroom and truffle pizza. We started off pretty hot and heavy. Unfortunately, though, because I live in the Valley and she resides in Santa Monica, the interminable 405 construction and ensuing traffic have wreaked havoc on our relationship. But don’t be sad. Things are about to improve because the pizza and I can now hook up in Hollywood.

Stella Barra Pizzeria is the new sister restaurant of my favorite upscale pizza joint in the city, Stella Rossa Pizza Bar in Santa Monica (which has now been renamed Stella Barra as well). Located on Sunset in Hollywood, Stella Barra serves the same amazing pizzas as the Santa Monica restaurant, but in a much larger and even cooler space. It’s the perfect spot to dine when going to the Arclight, Pantages or Palladium, or to kick back at the bar with a glass of wine after a vinyl foraging session at Amoeba Records (life in LA can be so exhausting!).

Both restaurants are helmed by a young genius chef named Jeff Mahin. You may know Jeff as a finalist earlier this year on the reality tv show/cooking competition The Taste, but I’m far more impressed with the fact that he trained at my all-time favorite restaurant in the world, The Fat Duck in England. Jeff spent years perfecting the perfect pizza crust and tops his creations with the most mouth-wateringly delicious ingredients such as Calabrian chilies, smoked paprika oil, housemade sausage and sunny-side up farm eggs.

Besides Jeff’s signature pizzas, Stella Barra has many great Italian starters and salads. I love the Fresh Local Burrata with Roasted Tomato Jam, House-made Bread, Sea Salt and Arugula, the Organic Meatballs (pictured above) with Tomatoes, Lardo, Basil and Oregano, and the Spinach & Purple Kale Salad with Pecorino Romano, Medjool Dates, Shaved Radishes and Mustard Vinaigrette. If serving LA’s best pizza was not enough, Stella Barra also sells big, freshly baked M Street Bakery cookies, which are possibly the best cookies in the whole city. I’m especially partial to the sweet and salty Bacon & Chocolate Chip one.

Stella Barra Pizzeria is located at 6372 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (in Hollywood).

Fresh Local Burrata with Roasted Tomato Jam, House-made Bread, Sea Salt and Arugula

Spinach & Purple Kale Salad with Pecorino Romano, Medjool Dates, Shaved Radishes and Mustard Vinaigrette

Shaved Mushroom Pizza with Gruyere, Melted Onions, Black Truffle, Torn Parsley, Rosemary and Thyme

Prosciutto & Farm Egg Pizza with Mozzarella, Gruyere, Pecorino, Chili Flakes, Black Pepper and Sunny-side Up Egg

Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookie

Talented Chef Jeff Mahin

Cool Digs

Cookies and Wine

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Filed under Hollywood

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May 15, 2013 · 10:50 pm

Gettin’ Sauced

Everyone knows that the Valley has great sushi bars. A lesser known fact is that the Valley is also the home of many of LA’s best barbecue joints. My favorite is Uncle Andre’s BBQ in Studio City. A true hidden gem and a hole in the wall, Uncle Andre’s serves both amazing Southern style barbecue and soul food.

At first blush, you might not be impressed. The restaurant is a small, poorly decorated hovel in a dull Valley strip mall. You place your order at a window and then wait for a long, long time — typically between 30 and 45 minutes unless you call ahead. But none of this really matters because the food, when it finally arrives, is so damn good.

The barbecue is top notch; generous portions of perfectly cooked meats slathered in a delicious tangy and slightly sweet sauce. My favorite dish is the excellent Angus Boneless Beef Ribs. The Baby Back Pork Ribs and Barbecue Chicken are also great. There are Fried Catfish Nuggets, Hush Puppies, Fried Chicken (with or without waffles) and tasty Chicken Tenders. Make sure to order the Mac ‘n Cheese; it’s one of the best in the city. Other sides include Cornbread, Collard Greens cooked in vinegar, and yummy BBQ Baked Beans. On Fridays, they serve Gumbo until they run out. Get the Banana Pudding for dessert. You can thank me later.

Uncle Andre’s BBQ is located at 11715 Moorpark St. in Studio City.

Mac ‘n Cheese

BBQ Chicken and Baked Beans

Cornbread

Chicken Tenders

Banana Pudding

A hole in the wall in a dull Valley strip mall

Killer BBQ

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Filed under Studio City

Tagged as Banana Pudding Los Angeles, Barbecue Studio City, BBQ San Fernando Valley, BBQ Studio City, Best Banana Pudding Los Angeles, best bbq los angeles, Best Restaurants Studio City, Los Angeles Best Mexican Food, Uncle Andre Restaurant, Uncle Andre's Barbecue, Uncle Andre's BBQ Menu, Uncle Andre's Restaurant Studio City, Uncle Andres, Uncle Andres BBQ

May 8, 2013 · 11:00 am

Chego and the Man

If I didn’t love ’70s sitcoms so much, I would have titled this piece “Chego’s Choi Champions Chinatown.” Â This past weekend, LA’s favorite son and founder of the modern food truck revolution, Roy Choi, moved his super cool temple of reconceived rice bowls known as Chego from the Westside to Chinatown. Â Desperately in need of some revitalization, frowzy Chinatown is great when you’re shopping for exotic herbs, bamboo backscratchers or paper parasols. However, the restaurants there leave much to be desired (yes, I’m one of those people who believe you must drive to the San Gabriel Valley if you want good traditional Chinese food), so Chego’s relocation is pretty much a game-changer for the neighborhood.

Chego is not fancy or expensive; you order at a counter. The new Chinatown digs are considerably smaller than the previous Palms location, which was small to begin with. The long communal tables of the old space are replaced with picnic tables outside the restaurant in the courtyard of Chinatown’s Far East Plaza, which enables you to soak up local flavor while dining. The creative Asian fusion comfort cuisine is basically the same as before; i.e. awesome. My favorite dish is the Chubby Pork Belly (pictured above), an incredibly delicious rice bowl with kochujang-lacquered Kurobuta, fried egg, pickled radishes, water spinach, Chinese broccoli, cotija and peanuts. I also love The Beefy T bowl with hot chili fried rice, diced prime rib, braised shoyu garlic paste, fried egg and fried shallots. For dessert, it’s a tough decision between the Sriracha Candy Bar (chocolate crisped rice bottom, caramel, Srirach ganache, spiced candied peanuts and dark chocolate) and the Piña Krackalada (sweet coconut rice with caramelized pineapple and dark chocolate). Get both; your secret indulgence is safe in Chinatown.

Chego is located at 727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles.

Chef, genius and all-around cool guy Roy “Papi” Choi

The Beefy T (Hot Chili Fried Rice, Diced Prime Rib, Braised Shoyu Garlic Paste with Fried Egg and Fried Shallots)

Bottled Sodas and Sangria

Pina Krackalada (Sweet Coconut Rice, Caramelized Pineapple and Puffed Rice)

Piña Krackalada (Sweet Coconut Rice, Caramelized Pineapple and Puffed Rice)

Tres Leches (Devil’s Food Cake Soaked in Cayenne-Cinnamon-Infused Leches with Tapioca Milk Pudding and Spiced Peanut Brittle)

Picnic table seating in the courtyard

Chinatown’s Far East Plaza, the new home of Chego

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Filed under Downtown

Tagged as Best Restaurants Chinatown, Best Restaurants Chinatown Los Angeles, Chego, Chego Chinatown, Chego dtla, Chego Los Angeles, Chego Menu, Chego new location, Chego restaurant, Chego Review, chinatown revitalization, los angeles Chinatown restaurants, Los Angeles Chinatown revitalization, roy choi, Roy Choi Chego, Roy Choi Rice Bowls, Roy Choi's Chinatown restaurant, sriracha candy bar

May 3, 2013 · 11:56 am

Santa Barbara Road Trip

When the weather is nice, one of my favorite things to do is drive up the coast to Santa Barbara with my family for the day. Â Although it’s only ninety minutes away, when I arrive at this beachside paradise of white-washed Moorish architecture and palm trees, my cares slip away and I feel as if I’m on vacation. Â There are a few good places to eat in town and one incredible one — a dilapidated white and teal taco stand called La Super-Rica Taqueria. Â This little shack was the favorite Mexican restaurant of Julia Child, who lived in Santa Barbara at the end of her life, and it’s my favorite too.

Don’t think twice about getting in the line that usually runs out the door; it is well worth the wait. Â When you get to the counter, you have your choice of over twenty Mexian specialties. Â The plates are small (and inexpensive) and I usually order three or four things just for myself. Everything is homemade and super fresh. Â The corn tortillas are perfection and you can even watch them being made by an abuela behind the counter. Â The chorizo is fried, fatty and well seasoned. Â The guacamole is pure bliss.

My favorite dish is the No. 16, “Super-Rica Especial,” an awesome mix of marinated and grilled pork and a roasted chile pasilla stuffed with gooey melted cheese. Â To drink, I recommend the sweet, cinnamony horchata or the watermelon agua fresca. Â You can enjoy your food and drink on the restaurant’s large covered patio, where you can help yourself to spicy pico de gallo with jalapenos and tasty salsas. Â Muy fantastico!

La Super-Rica Taqueria is located at 622 N. Milpas St, Santa Barbara.