Category Archives: Downtown

July 10, 2013 · 12:11 pm

Wonder-Ama

Angels Flight is an LA curiosity located in the heart of downtown. Built in 1901, it is known as “The Shortest Railway in the World,” and for 50Â¢, takes you up 298 feet to the top of Bunker Hill. A couple blocks away, on 4th Street, is another elevation of sorts. Bar AmÃ¡ is a new restaurant from Chef Josef Centeno (BÃ¤co Mercat and Lazy Ox Canteen) that serves elevated Tex-Mex fare.

Often described as bastardized Mexican cuisine from this side of the Border, Tex Mex is comfort food that is usually cheap and best enjoyed with a cold cerveza. For Chef Centeno, it’s the food that he grew up with and, at Bar AmÃ¡, he refines several Tex Mex classics and puts a new spin on others. There is of course Queso, a gloppy liquid cheese dip that is a Tex Mex staple and delectable Puffy Tacos filled with yummy Carne Guisada. My favorite dishes are an amazing Pork Belly Chicharron with Poblano Cream and Lime, and a decadent dessert of Leche Quemada (Burnt Milk) Pudding with Graham Cracker, Fennel Pollen, Peanut and Almond. Other menu items, such as the Rancho Gordo “Borracho” Beans with Beer, Cilantro and Bacon and the Albondigas with Corn & Sweet Potato Cake, Tomatillo and Baked Egg, sounded better than they tasted.

Not surprisingly, the elevated cuisine at Bar AmÃ¡ is pricier than the grub at most Tex Mex eateries. However, you’re dining in a nicer than normal space; a very cool industrial chic room with lots of reclaimed wood and southwest tiles. Also worth mentioning is the impressive bar stocked with an extensive array of high end tequillas and mezcals. For extra fun, you can follow your dinner with a ride on Angels Flight and experience a bit of LA history.

Bar AmÃ¡ is located at 118 W. 4th St., Los Angeles (Downtown). Don’t confuse it with fellow Downtown newbie Alma.

Tex-Mex Queso with Avocado, Sour Cream and Salsa

English Peas & Black Grapes with Crema, Arbol and Pea Tendril

Carne Guisada Puffy Tacos

Albondigas with Corn & Sweet Potato Cake, Tomatillo and Baked Egg

Fideo with Octopus & Kielbasa with Toasted Vermicelli and Pepitas

Leche Quemada (Burnt Milk) Pudding with Graham Cracker, Fennel Pollen, Peanut and Almond

Industrial Chic/Southwest Decor

Angels Flight

2 Comments

Filed under Downtown

Tagged as Angeles Flight, Angels Flight, Angels Flight Los Angeles, Baco Mercat Sister Restaurant, Bar Alma, Bar Ama, Bar Ama Downtown Los Angeles, Bar Ama Menu, Bar Ama Restaurant, Bar Ama Review, Chef Josef Centeno, josef centeno, Joseph Centeno, Leche Quemada, Leche Quemada Los Angeles, Mexican Restaurants Downtown Los Angeles, Puffy Tacos Los Angeles, Tequilla Bars Los Angeles, Tex Mex Los Angeles

July 3, 2013 · 11:08 am

Dead Chefs Society

Something very cool and collegiate is going on downtown at UMAMIcatessen. There’s a twelve-seat bar in the back of the restaurant that has been converted into “The Residency.” Here, visiting chefs create intimate and unique themed dinners. The latest is the Dead Chefs pop-up series presented by talented chef Micah Wexler (of the late great Mezze) and his partner Mike Kassar. Each meal is five courses, with optional wine pairing, inspired by the cuisine of a deceased chef. Wexler precedes each course with information about the legendary chef and an explanation of the dish you are about to consume. It’s kind of like that fun seminar that everyone wanted to take when you were in college with the cool visiting professor.

I recently attended one of these dinners; an homage to Maestro Martino di Como, a 15th-Century Italian culinarian who was the Western World’s first celebrity chef. The meal (pictured below) was molto buono and its highlight was a whole roasted suckling pig that Wexler carved table-side. Future Dead Chefs honored will include Julia Child, Jean-Louis Palladin, Sylvia Woods (the Queen of Soul Food) and Chen Kenmin (the father of Chinese Sichuan cooking).

The Residency at UMAMIcatessen is located at 852 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown). The Dead Chef dinners are at 7:15 and 9:00 every Thursday night until August 15th. Each dinner is $60 per person plus $30 for optional wine pairing.

Sgombri con Zucchini e Finocchi (Mackerel and Summer Squash with Wild Fennel Sauce)

Sgombri con Zucchini e Finocchi (Mackerel, Summer Squash with Wild Fennel Sauce)

Zanzarelli con Fava e Zafferano (Bread Soup with Fava Beans and Saffron)

Pasta with Arugula Pesto

Maialino da Latte Arrosto (Roasted Suckling Pig, Garlic, Herbs and Offal Sauce)

Crostata di Madorle (Almond Tarte with Date and Coffee and topped with Creme Fraiche)

Chef Micah Wexler educates and feeds you

1 Comment

Filed under Downtown

Tagged as bar at umamicatessen, chef micah wexler, chen kenmin, daad chefs dinner, dead chef dinners, dtla pop-ups, educational dining experiences in la, educational dining experiences los angeles, jean-oui paladin, la pop-up restaurants, los angeles pop up restaurants, maestro martini di como, marino di como, MIcah Wexler, mike kassar, Residency umamicatessen, roasted whole roasted suckling pig, special meals at umamicatessen, sylvia woods, the residency; umamicatessen the residency

June 7, 2013 · 11:46 am

Badmaash is Badaash

Q: What do you get when you combine Downtown hipsters, a Warhol-esqe treatment of Mahatma Ghandi, craft beer and Chicken Tikka Poutine? A: Badmaash, which opened last month and appears to be the country’s first Indian Gastropub. Its name is Hindi slang for a rascal or mischief-maker, and this Indian bad boy sports a modern and Ã¼ber-cool look which includes blackboard walls and brightly-colored vintage Bollywood movie posters. Rock music and an eclectic selection of fruity wines, India pale ales and other microbrews create a party-like atmosphere which stimulates the chakras and brims with good karma.

The food is as fun as the decor. The menu offers a mix of Bombay street food, Indian fusion cuisine and traditional Indian favorites. Badmaash’s mash-up fare includes the aforementioned Chicken Tikka Poutine (which is excellent and pictured above), Crispy Tamarind Glazed Pork Belly with Housemade Pickles and Cilantro-Pineapple Yogurt, a Spiced Lamb Burger and Chili-Cheese Naan Bread. There’s even a blasphemously delicious beef dish (which you rarely see in Indian restaurants for religious reasons) called Holy Cow Keema POW! If you want to go old school, you can feast on Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer and Ghost Chili Lamb Vindaloo. To drink, I recommend trying an imported Thums Up soda, a spicy cola with a strong cardamom and cinnamon flavor. Namaste, LA foodies!

Badmaash is located at 108 W 2nd St, Los Angeles (Downtown).

Indian Pickles and Preserves (Housemade Pickles with House Mango Chutney and Tomato Chutney)

Holy Cow Keema POW!

Butter Chicken

Two Thums Up!

Super cool digs

Love the upstairs too!

1 Comment

Filed under Downtown

Tagged as badmaash, badmaash indian gastropub, badmaash la, badmaash los angeles, badmaash menu, badmaash restaurant, badmash, badmash restaurant, downtown la indian food, downtown la indian food delivery, downtown los angeles indian food delivery, downtown los angles indian food, holy cow keema pow, indian cola, indian fusion restaurant, indian fusion restaurant los angeles, indian gastropub, indian restaurants downtown los angeles, indian restaurants dtla, indian soda, los angles indian fusion food, thumbs up cola, thumbs up soda, thums up cola, thums up soda, tikka masala putine

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

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.