Consuming LA

March 20, 2015 · 12:56 pm

And Then There’s Maude

Maude is the pretty new girl at the ball that everyone wants to dance with. An ultra-ambitious endeavor by celebrity chef Curtis Stone, Maude serves solely a nine course fixed price tasting menu inspired by one seasonal ingredient which changes every month. This past January I dined with my wife and friends on a Pomegranate-centric menu. Other past monthly themes have included rhubarb, artichoke, morels, parsnips, berries and truffles.

The restaurant is beautiful, cozy and intimate. The whole place seats only 25 diners, and some of the courses are served directly by Curtis Stone himself. Reservations are extremely difficult to get and can require a lot of repeat dialing.

As for the food, while I thought it was good, the Pomegranate menu did not blow me away. Maybe my expectations were too high given the praise heaped on Maude by several friends and fellow bloggers. It’s not surprising, though, that a nine course menu which completely changes each month might not always be uniformly amazing.

The price each month varies based on the seasonal central ingredient, but ranges between $90-$125 with the exception of the truffle menu, which costs a whopping $250. This excludes wine, tax and a madatory 18% “service charge,” which they inform you is for the kitchen staff as well as your server, and you’re encouraged to leave a separate “tip” as well for your server. This is a new trend which I’m not a fan of. It’s confusing, makes you feel cheap for leaving 18-20% all-in, and is not the best way to end a nice evening of upscale dining.

Maude is located at 212 S. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.

Carrot Salad with Sunchoke, Blood Orange and Leeks

Salmon Crudo with Rye, Radish and Celery

Duck Terrine with Braised Red Cabbage and Frisee

Duck Raviolo with Winter Greens, Celeriac and Valoute

Lamp Rump with Turnip, Cous Cous and Chard

Chocolate with Burnt Orange, Tarragon and Hazelnut

Intimate and romantic

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Filed under Beverly Hills

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February 27, 2015 · 11:57 am

It’s Zo Good

In the competitive world of LA Sushidom, Sushi Zo is a titan. How good is Sushi Zo? It’s Breaking Bad good. It’s Chris Paul and Blake Griffin good. Or in terms my wife can understand, it’s Saks Fifth Avenue Friends and Family Sale good.

The original location resides in a Cheviot Hills shopping center and has been a mecca for sushi lovers for the past eight years. But if you’re willing to shell out some serious shekels, the newer location Downtown in the Old Bank District is the one to really get excited about. Its menu is strictly omakase (chef’s choice) and consists of 20 or so expertly curated and prepared bite-sized slices of the best raw fish you’ve ever consumed, along with a few other amazing Japanese delicacies including Sushi Zo’s famous Squid Noodles with Uni and Truffle Salt. It simply does not get better than this.

Sushi Zo is located at 9824 National Blvd, Los Angeles (in Cheviot Hills) and 334 S. Main St, Los Angeles (Downtown).

Kumamoto Oysters

Amberjack Sashimi

Sea Bass Sashimi

Bluefin Tuna Sashimi

Octopus Sashimi

Halibut Sushi

Scallop Sushi

Wild Caught Yellow Tail Belly Sushi

Medium Toro Sushi

Amberjack Sushi

Pompano Sushi

Ankimo (Monk Fish Liver)

Japanese Barracuda Sushi

Chawanmushi (Egg Custard Dish)

Red Snapper Sushi

Squid Noodles with Uni and Truffle Salt

Salmon Roe

Uni (Sea Urchin) Sushi

Giant Clam Sushi

Cod Sperm Sac Sushi

Sea Eel Sushi

Sea Bass Soup

Tamago (Omelette)

Sushi Masters

5 Comments

Filed under Cheviot Hills, Downtown

February 11, 2015 · 10:38 am

A Nutty Place in the Valley

One of my favorite tv shows growing up was The Brady Bunch. Not only was it the perfect depiction of 1970’s suburban idealism, but it taught me “caveat emptor” and not to play ball in the house. If you want to check out the actual home used as the Brady house exterior, it’s located at 11222 Dilling Street in Studio City. While you’re in Studio City, I suggest you complete your Brady Bunch expedition by heading over to Spread PB for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the quintessential suburban after-school snack.

Spread PB is a new restaurant devoted entirely to peanut butter, which they make themselves in numerous varieties including regular, nutty, dark chocolate, maple bacon, coconut, cinnamon raisin and banana chunky. Their extensive menu features childhood favorites such as “Ants on a Log” (celery sticks with peanut butter topped with raisins or chocolate chips) and “Smiles” (apple slices layered with peanut butter and mini marshmallows; pictured above) and creative concoctions such as “Banana Sushi” and greek yogurt peanut butter smoothies.

The main attractions, however, are the sandwiches. You can build your own with your choice of peanut butter, bread and a long list of toppings, or select from a list of house specialities. My favorites are the Chicken Curry Sandwich with green curry peanut butter and “The P’s Please” sandwich with peanut butter, pickles and potato chips. Both are surprisingly good; perhaps even better than the ones Carol and Alice used to make for Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby and Cindy.

SpreadPB is located at 12215, Ventura Blvd, Suite 104 in Studio City. UPDATE: Spread PB is permanently closed. I also heard that NYC’s Peanut Butter & Co. is closing. It’s sad timed for peanut butter.

The P’s Please (Peanut Butter, Pickles and Potato Chips) on Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Chicken Curry Sandwich with Green Curry Peanut Butter

Dogwich (Banana, Peanut Butter, Jelly and Chocolate Chips on a Hot Dog Bun)

Banana Sushi

Berry Berry Nuts and Bananas (Blueberry Bread, Peanut Butter, Strawberries, Blueberries and Bananas)

Ants on a Log (Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter and Raisins or Chocolate Chips)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

The Peanut Gallery

The Brady Bunch House in Studio City

3 Comments

Filed under Studio City

Tagged as Brady Bunch food, flavored peanut butter, green curry peanut butter, peanut butter pickles and potato chips, peanut butter restaurant, peanut butter restaurant los angeles, peanut butter restaurant studio city, peanut butter restaurant the valley, spread pb, spreadpb, Studio City Restaurants

January 22, 2015 · 11:45 am

I Came, Orsa, I Conquered.

There’s a state of consciousness that I refer to as “aesthetic bliss.” It’s when one or more of your senses is completely enraptured as a result of a highbrow pursuit. It’s the feeling you get while listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, taking in the Bolshoi Ballet’s Swan Lake at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, or viewing a Kandinsky exhibit at LACMA. The food version of this is Orsa & Winston, the dining experience from local superstar chef Josef Centeno.

Centeno is the creative talent behind awesome hipster eateries BÃ¤co Mercat and Bar Ama, as well as the former chef of Lazy Ox Canteen. With Orsa & Winston, Centeno now has a more sophisticated environment to show off his mad skills. The menu has you select from either a five or eight course seasonal tasting menu (or with a 72 hour advance reservation, you can truly indulge and opt for the “Super-Omakase” of more than 20 courses). All come with optional wine pairings, as well as optional supplemental dishes. Each tasting menu is a procession of beautiful, delectable and perfectly executed small plates to experience and savor.

Needless to say, such aesthetic bliss is not inexpensive. But for a special occasion or when you just want to treat yourself to an evening of exceptional food and wine, Orsa & Winston is worth the splurge.

Orsa & Winston is located at 122 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles (Downtown).

Buttermilk and Summer Corn Soup

Smoked Sockeye Salmon Crudo

“Breakfast in a Shell” (Coddled Egg, Maple Syrup, Pancetta, Semolina and Balsamic Whipped Cream)

Milk Bread Focaccia with Parsley, Parmigiano and Speck

Braised Lamb Belly with Cranberry Beans, Hericot Vert and Nectarine Bustarda

Melon Granita topped with Huckleberry and Lavender Mint

Chocolate Caramel Crostada with Candied Banana, served with Banana Rum Ice Cream and Peanut Toffee

Shortbread Cookies

Modern and minimalist decor

In the Old Bank District downtown

4 Comments

Filed under Downtown

Tagged as best downtown restaurants los angeles, dtla restaurants, josef centeno, Joseph Centeno, Orsa & Winston, Orsa & Winston Menu, Orsa and Winston, restaurants with tasting menus los angeles, tasting menus los angeles, Winston & Orsa, Winston and Orsa

December 29, 2014 · 10:40 am

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2014

2014 was a rough year. Escalated conflict in the Middle East, missing jetliners, and an Ebola outbreak; the hits just kept on coming. So it’s not surprising that my annual list this year of the ten best things I consumed and wrote about in the past year include mostly comfort foods. Let’s hope for greener pastures in 2015. In the meantime, here are some things to help you feel a little better:

10. Tiger Stack with Chicken and Tarragon Pie from Aussie Pie Kitchen. Foodwise, there are few things in this world more comforting than meat pies. Stack a chicken tarragon one on a mound of garlic mashed potatoes and top it with bacon-laced mushy minty peas and a ladleful of thyme gravy, and let the emotional healing begin!

9. Fresh Peach Stuffed Donut from The Donut Man. This year I went in search of the best donut shops in LA. The research, as you can imagine, was gruelling. The winner was The Donut Man, a shack located on historic Route 66 in Glendora, whose specialty is an amazing seasonal donut stuffed with either fresh strawberries or peaches.

8. Classic Butterscotch Ice Cream with Butterscotch Sauce from Mother Moo Creamery. This year I also set out to find the best artisan ice cream shops in LA. My top pick was Mother Moo Creamery in Sierra Madre. After sampling all of their flavors (my dedication to this blog knows no bounds!), my favorite was an insanely good Butterscotch Ice Cream, which was made even better when topped with a rich housemade butterscotch topping.

7. Brioche Toast, Cranberry Bourbon Jam and Nut Butter from Sqirl. Things that are simple but perfectly executed can often be magical. Case in point: the brioche toast with housemade jam and nut butter at hipster breakfast haven Sqirl is pure perfection.

6. Pancotto from The Factory Kitchen. Everything I’ve eaten at The Factory Kitchen has been so good, it’s hard to single out just one dish for this list. But if I had to pick one it would be this unusual homage to a peasant bread soup with duck egg, red potato vellutata, sauteed greeens, semolina bread crostone and speck.

5. BBQ Spot Prawns from Pot. LA superstar chef Roy Choi’s restaurants in the new Line Hotel in K-town are probably the hippest and most happening eateries in the city right now. My favorite dish there: these crispy BBQ Spot Prawns which I got to pick out myself before they were grilled and served on a bed of sizzling onions.

4. Uni Pasta from EMC Seafood. Creamy uni pasta is one of those go-to dishes that I always order when I see it on a menu. The version at EMC Seafood is one of the best I’ve ever had.

3. Peanut Butter Ganache, Roasted Grape Ice Cream, Griddled Pound Cake and Chocolate Feuilletine from Saint Martha. If you read this blog regularly, you know how obsessed I am with peanut butter. Saint Martha, one of my favorite new restaurants, has one of the best peanut butter desserts ever.

2. Salt and Vinegar Popcorn from The Church Key. This specially seasoned popcorn is so addictive, it should be regulated by the Federal government.

1. Crab Hand Roll from KazuNori. I am completely obsessed with this hand roll. I refer to it as “The Precious.” It is my favorite thing that I consumed and wrote about this year.

10 Comments

Filed under Downtown, Glendora, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Sierra Madre, West Hollywood

And Then There’s Maude

It’s Zo Good

A Nutty Place in the Valley

I Came, Orsa, I Conquered.

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2014

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