Category Archives: Downtown

October 27, 2011 · 9:00 am

Mexican Gourmet Goodness

Several high-end Mexican restaurants have opened in LA in the past couple years, most notably Red O, which I found disappointing. I think a lot of these restaurants have cool decor, great mixed drinks, beautiful plates, but taste-wise the food is nothing spectacular. This is not the case with Rosa Mexicano, which just opened its second location on Sunset in West Hollywood (the other location is Downtown in LA Live). Everything about Rosa Mexicano is muy excellente, especially the food! When I first heard about Rosa Mexicano, I was skeptical about a Mexican restaurant that is part of small chain originating in New York City, but I was quickly and completely won over.

The restaurant is quite beautiful with vibrant colored lights and a waterfall and it has a fun, sexy atmosphere. The signature drink here is a Frozen Pomegranate Margarita, which is really tasty and packs a punch. But my favorite beverage is their awesome White Wine Sangria. Rosa Mexicano makes some of the best guacamole I have ever eaten and they make it fresh for you tableside. They also serve two amazing spicy salsas, a Oaxacan pasilla salsa and a tomatillo and habanero salsa, so between each of these and the guacamole, it’s pretty much a dilemma as to what to dip your tortilla chip into; I usually alternate between the three.

In terms of appetizers, I loved the Pacific Yellowtail (Hamachi) Tartare (diced yellowtail, watermelon, cucumber and jicama served with a tomato-habanero sauce and a ball of jalapeno ice on top) and the Pork Belly and Sea Scallop Tacos (braised heritage pork belly and seared diver scallop served on warm corn tortillas with a citrus-habanero salsa). For entrees, there is a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes which have been refined and taken to a whole new level. My favorite is the Carne Asada Tacos (grilled skirt steak marinated in juajillo and pasilla chiles, garlic, cumin and black pepper and served on a shallow bed of melted Chihuahua cheese with fresh corn tortillas and sides of red bean chorizo chili and creamy corn esquites). Other main courses include ancho chiles stuffed with slow-cooked marinated pork, a chicken tortilla pie, perfectly seasoned and grilled shrimp brochettes and a variety of gourmet enchiladas. There are also several great vegetarian options as well as a gluten-free menu. You will want to save room for dessert, especially the scrumptious tres leches cake topped with blackberry-hibiscus glaze and toasted meringue, and the decadent Banana Chocolate Chip Cake filled with peanut butter mousse and topped with dark chocolate sauce and cinnamon swirl ice cream.

Rosa Mexicano is located at 8570 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood and 800 W. Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles (Downtown; in LA Live).

Frozen Pomegranate Margarita

Incredible guacamole and great salsa!

Pacific Yellowtail (Hamachi) Tartare

Carne Asada Tacos

Shrimp Brochette

Tres Leches Cake

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Beautiful, fun and sexy decor

2 Comments

Filed under Downtown, West Hollywood

October 21, 2011 · 9:45 am

Politically Incorrect Chicken

I’ve heard a lot about Chick-fil-A and their famous fried chicken sandwiches over the years, but had never been to one of their fast food restaurants. So when they opened their second LA location a few weeks ago in Hollywood, I was there in line with hundreds of other people who were either already fans or curious as to whether the food would live up to the hype. Chick-fil-A started in Georgia in 1946 and has the kind of loyal following and reputation, especially in the South, that In-N-Out Burger has here in Southern California. They offer a menu that features inexpensive and much lauded sandwiches made with super fresh, high quality ingredients; fast food that transcends the genre. But Chick-fil-A also has some detractors who call for a boycott of the chain due mainly to Chick-fil-A’s political contributions to groups that campaign against gay marriage. The owners of Chik-fil-A, much like the owners of In-N-Out, are Christian conservatives with traditional Christian values. But unlike In-N-Out, which simply puts tiny references to biblical verses on the bottoms of cups without further explanation, Chick-fil-A is a lot more vocal about its Christian values and is even closed on Sundays.

Putting aside politics and marriage equality (which I support), what did I think of the food at Chick-fil-A? I loved it! They have basically perfected the fried chicken sandwich. Crispy, superbly seasoned batter on the outside, juicy and flavorful white meat chicken on the inside. You have your choice of spicy or regular chicken; both are spectacular. The chicken is freshly battered and fried in each Chick-fil-A location and the bread and everything else in the sandwiches are also super fresh. I liked the waffle fries (although I hear they don’t fare as well if not eaten right away), but what I really loved were the seven different dipping sauces, with my favorites being the Honey Mustard, Polynesian and Chick-fil-A sauces. I highly recommend the shakes, which include Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Peach and my favorite, Cookies & Cream. They also have great cole slaw and carrot-raisin salad, which are made fresh at each location. If you have room for dessert (or a second dessert if you’ve ordered a shake and consider a shake a dessert), I recommend the lemon meringue pie. For breakfast, which is only served until 10:30 am, the chicken sandwiches are served on biscuits (which was the only thing I was disappointed in; too soft and mushy).

Chick-fil-A is located at 6750 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (in Hollywood) and 3758 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles (Downtown near USC). There are also locations in Torrance, Cerritos, Lakewood, Santa Clarita and City of Industry. UPDATE 5/26/13: Additional locations are now in Northridge, Long Beach and Azusa.

Chicken Sandwich

Waffle Fries and Dipping Sauces

Chick-n-Minis for breakfast

Lemon Pie

What happened to barnyard animal solidarity?

New Hollywood location

8 Comments

Filed under Azusa, Cerritos, City of Industry, Downtown, Hollywood, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Torrance

Tagged as Chick-fil-A gay, Chik-fil-A, Chik-fil-A Hollywood, Chik-fil-A Los Angeles, gay boycott, gay boycott Chik-fil-A

August 19, 2011 · 10:30 am

Waffle Wars!

Liege waffles have hit LA. A popular street food in Liege, the third largest city in Belgium, these waffles are flatter, denser and sweeter than their sister, the Belgian waffle. They are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and are made with chunks of pearl sugar, which caramelize on the outside of the waffle when baked. Not one, but two cafes have opened in LA in the past two years which specialize in Liege waffles.

Shaky Alibi on Beverly Boulevard in the Fairfax/Mid-City area is a polished, European-looking cafe with a ladies-who-lunch feel to it. The menu is limited to coffee, tea and chocolate drinks, Liege waffles, yogurt parfaits and ice cream. You can order your Liege waffles plain with powdered sugar, with an imported Belgian spread such as dark chocolate or speculoos (a Belgian speciality made with ground cookies) or with bananas, pecans and strawberries. Their menu also offers “Savory Waffles” with choice of Swiss, Cheddar or Fontina cheese and mesquite smoked turkey or Black Forest ham. This is something that sounded really appealing to me, but when I ordered one, it was not what I was expecting. I thought these “Savory Waffles” would be waffles baked with pieces of meat and cheese inside. Instead, they turned out to simply be a sandwich served on a split waffle; a good sandwich, but a sandwich nonetheless.

Syrup Desserts has a hip, urban vibe. It’s open until midnight every night and is on Spring Street in a funky party of Downtown. They have shelves of classic board games like Trivial Pursuit and The Game of Life for you to play while drinking their cappuccinos and consuming their waffles! Although I go there for Liege waffles, Syrup Desserts also serves buttermilk waffles and Belgian waffles, as well as crepes and a variety of pastries. Their menu offers an extensive list of waffle concoctions including a Caramel Apple Waffle which is served with dulce de leche ice cream, fresh sliced apples, cinnamon, caramel and vanilla sauce. If you’re looking for something savory, they have several varieties of grilled cheese sandwiches including Asian Pear & Gouda and Blackberries, Muenster & Walnuts.

Which of these two joints is better? Both have great waffles, but I’m a bigger fan of Syrup Desserts. For one thing, I found the service to be disappointing at Shaky Alibi. When we were there last, there was only one poor guy taking all the orders, running the register, making the waffles and bussing the tables; needless to say, the wait was extremely long and it wasn’t even that crowded. Also, I slightly prefer the waffles at Syrup Desserts. I like that I could get a Liege waffle with chocolate chips actually baked inside the waffle at Syrup Desserts whereas Shaky Alibi only puts things on top of their waffles. The service was much better at Syrup Desserts, although it should be noted that due to its Downtown location, parking can be a bitch.

Shaky Alibi is located at 7401 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles. Syrup Desserts is located at 611 South Spring St. in Downtown Los Angeles.

Shaky Alibi's Liege Waffle

Shaky Alibi's Turkey & Cheese Waffle

Shakys Alibi's Cute Storefront

Syrup Dessert's Liege Waffle

Syrup Dessert's Grilled Cheese

Syrup Desserts is a two story urban cafe.

Syrup Desserts has board games!

5 Comments

Filed under Downtown, Fairfax, Mid-City

Tagged as Liege Waffles, Liege Waffles Los Angeles, Shaky Alibi, Syrup Desserts, Waffles, Waffles Los Angeles

August 12, 2011 · 11:00 am

Pop-Up Perfection

Temporary “pop-up” restaurants have been popping up all over Los Angeles for the past couple of years. But the ultimate pop-up is LudoBites, the creation of iconoclastic bad boy chef Ludo Lefebvre and his wife Krissy. Now in its seventh incarnation, LudoBites, which chef Ludo describes as a “touring restaurant” or a “travelling circus,” is the hottest ticket in town. LudoBites 7.0 is open only for dinner and only from August 3 to September 10, when the downtown sandwich shop Gram & Papa’s is transformed into one of the most sought after dining experiences in LA. When reservations became available online on Bastille Day for its 6 week run, the restaurant became completely booked in less than 60 seconds.

The food at LudoBites is exciting and across-the-board excellent. The menu consists of complex, modern and often playful takes on French cuisine (Ludo was previously the executive Chef of L’Orangerie and Bastide), but with some regional American influences, which are no doubt the result of Ludo’s experiences traveling the country while taping his new Sundance Channel reality show Ludo Bites America. For an appetizer, I recommend the tasty Onion Tart with Bottarga (dried tuna roe). In terms of entrees, I loved the Epoisse Cheese Risotto with Hazelnut, Egg Yolk and Herb Salad pictured above (you break the yolk and mix it into the risotto); so delicious! The Duck with Cherry, Spicy Saucisse, Beets and Radish is probably the most beautifully plated dish I have ever been served; the brightly colored disks of beets and radishes with drops of oil on top reminded me of little colored umbrellas much like the opening scene of one of my favorite films, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. But if there was one dish that stood out for me among the others, it was the Foie Gras “French Dim Sum” with Crispy Kimchi and Sake-Black Truffle Cream. It was amazing! My favorite dessert was the Smoked Vanilla Bacon Creme Brulee, which was served with a cup of Melon Soup.

If you don’t have a reservation, you could ask to be placed on the waiting list in case there is a cancellation or you can try your luck as a walk-in. Regardless, make sure to sign up on their website for updates on future incarnations of the restaurant. LudoBites is currently located at 227 East 9th Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Onion Tart with Botarga

Duck dish: the most beautiful plate ever!

Foie Gras "French Dim Sum"

Smoke Vanilla Bacon Creme Brulee and Melon Soup

Peach Melba Vacherin with Lavender

LudoBites 7.0

Burger Battle!

In case you haven’t heard, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a hugely successful national chain which started in Washington DC, has come to conquer LA. In the world of fast food hamburgers and fries, Five Guys occupies the same space in the market that In-N-Out Burger has locally dominated for many decades; super-fresh, never frozen ingredients, fries made from potatoes cut in the restaurant and fried in trans fat-free oil, and burgers which are all cooked to order. As we all know, In-N-Out is a Southern California institution. It’s the object of many late-night cravings, the home of an awesome “secret menu” and hidden biblical verse references, as well as the place most frequently visited by LA vegetarians when they’re ready to start eating meat again for the first time. Is Five Guys better than In-N-Out? No, it’s not. But it is better than most other fast food burger restaurants.

The burgers at Five Guys, like In-N-Out, are really good. Five Guys even has several more choices for toppings than In-N-Out, including bacon, jalapenos and sauteed mushrooms. Five Guys also gives you free peanuts to munch on while you’re waiting for your food to be cooked. While I like both burgers a lot, I slightly prefer the burger at In-N-Out mainly because In-N-Out has much better buns. I love the fries at In-N-Out, but Five Guys also has great fries, and you can order Five Guys’ fries with cajun seasoning generously sprinkled on top! Unfortunately, I found the service at Five Guys to be less than stellar. They are not staffed with the uber-efficient yet exceedingly friendly, clean-cut kids that one always encounters when going to In-N-Out. The last time I was at Five Guys, after waiting about 20 minutes after ordering, I was given our burgers and unapologetically informed that they ran out of fries and we would have to wait another 20 minutes while they prepared a new batch. This would never happen at In-N-Out! Also, Five Guys in notably more expensive. So while Five Guys is definitely worth trying, I think In-N-Out has nothing to worry about.

Five Guys currently has locations in Culver City (at the Westfield Culver City Mall), Valencia, Carson (at the Southbay Pavillion) and Thousand Oaks; more locations are opening soon including Northridge, Mid-City and Downtown. In-N-Out is all over Southern California. UPDATE 12/10/11: Five Guys now also has locations open in Cerritos, El Segundo, Northridge, Whittier and Downtown. UPDATE 5/25/13: Five Guys now has additional locations in Long Beach, West Covina, Lakewood, Westwood, West Hollywood and Studio City.