Consuming LA

April 7, 2016 · 7:32 am

The Great Blogiversary Giveaway

Consuming LA is celebrating its fifth blogiversary! As a thank you to my readers who have made Consuming LA one of the top food blogs in Los Angeles, I am giving away gift certificates to many of the places that I’ve written about and recommended. There are ten prizes in all.

Here’s how to enter to win: If you do not already subscribe to Consuming LA, you can enter simply by subscribing (which is free). If you are already a subscriber, you can enter by simply emailing me at Howard@ConsumingLA.com. Once you become a subscriber or if you have already been one, you can enter additional times by referring new subscribers. You will receive one entry for each referral and you can enter as many times as you want. The deadline to enter is April 20, 2016. Click here to see the official rules. Here are the prizes:

Marinated Kurobuta Pork Belly

$100 Gift Certificate from Hanjip. Favorite dishes include Kimchi Fried Rice Sauteed in Brown Butter, Bone Marrow Corn Cheese with Shaved Parmesan and Bonito Flakes, and Marinated Kurobuta Pork Belly.

Skirt Steak with Oregano Chimichurri and Sea Urchin Butter

$100 Gift Certificate from Maré Favorite dishes include Branzino with Fig Pomegranate Sauce, Skirt Steak with Oregano Chimichurri and Sea Urchin Butter, and Blood Orange "Trifolo" with Semolina Cake and Fruit Compote.

Albacore Poké with Mango on Jasmine Rice

$100 Gift Certificate from Sweetfin Poké Favorite Dishes include Spicy Tuna Poké on Kelp Noodles, Mango Albacore Poké on Jasmine Rice, and Sriracha Tuna on Citrus-Kale Salad.

Cheeseburger from Cassell’s Hamburgers with House Ground Prime Beef Patty and Cheddar Cheese on a Parker House Bun.

$50 Gift Certificate from Cassell’s Hamburgers This is my favorite burger joint in the city! Favorite dishes include the Cheese Burger, the Patty Melt and the Dulce de Leche Pie.

The best popcorn ever!

$50 Gift Certificate to California Mad Poppers Favorite items: “South of the Border” Cheese Popcorn with Jalapeños and Cheddar, "Bacon on the Brain" Caramel Corn with Maple and Bacon, and “Elvis” Caramel Corn with Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon.

Maple Bacon Doughnut

$50 Gift Certificate from Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee This is my favorite donut shop in LA! Favorite donuts include the Butter & Salt Doughnut, the Huckleberry Doughnut, and the Breakfast Doughnut with sliced country ham and a poached egg inside.

Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

$50 Gift Certificate from The Independence Favorite dishes include Ricotta Gnudi with Asparagus, Bacon and Parmesan Cheese, Angus Burger with French Onions, Gruyere and Herb Aioli on an Onion Bun, and Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce.

Aussie Pie Tiger Stack

Lunch or Dinner for Two at Aussie Pie Kitchen Favorite Dishes include Ground Beef and Shiraz Pie, Chicken and Tarragon Pie, and any pie served “Tiger Style,” which means it’s served on a pile of Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and topped with a scoop of bacon-laced Mushy Minty Peas and a ladleful of Creamy Thyme Gravy.

Blue Crab Hand Roll

Lunch or Dinner for Two at KazuNori Favorite dishes include Blue Crab Hand Roll, Bay Scallop Hand Roll, Toro Hand Roll and Lobster Hand Roll.

Figueroa Philly

Lunch or Dinner for Two at Figueroa Philly This is my favorite cheesesteak place in Los Angeles. Favorite dishes: Cheesesteaks and Hot Pastrami Sandwiches.

Good luck!

Small is the New Big

It’s a simple law of nature that small versions of everyday things are cute. Babies, puppies, Mini Coopers; all are friggin’ adorable. We should also add Petit Trois, a diminutive version of a French Bistro, to this list.

Petit Trois is the younger sister and strip mall nextdoor neighbor of Trois Mec. Both restaurants are tiny and are helmed by heavily tatted, reality tv-starring, bad-boy chef Ludo Lefebvre. But unlike Troi Mec, which serves creative and cutting-edge cuisine, the food at Petit Trois is more traditionally French, with offerings such as French Onion Soup, Confit-fried Chicken Leg with Brioche Butter and Frisée Salad, Croque Monsieur/Madame, and Escargots. All are excellent. The one non-traditional item on the menu is the “Big Mec,” an awesome gourmet cheeseburger with caramelized onions, garlic aioli and a red wine bordelaise sauce made with foie gras.

There are no tables at Petit Trois. All seating is either at a bar facing an open kitchen or at a counter facing the back wall. So it’s not the kind of place you want to go with a big group, but it’s perfect if you’re dining alone or with a single companion. I also recommended going at an off hour to avoid a wait; they don’t take reservations.

Petit Trois is located at 718 Highland Ave., Los Angeles (in Hollywood).

Baguette and Butter

Confit-fried Chicken Leg with Brioche Butter and Frisée Salad

“Big Mec” Double Cheeseburger

Frites

Napoleon with Tahitian Vanilla Cream

Chocolate Mousse

It’s in a tiny space.

Some of the most authentic and delicious French food in LA

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Filed under Hollywood

Tagged as best restaurants hollywood, french restaurant hollywood, french restaurants in la, French Restaurants Los Angeles, ludo lefebvre, Ludo lefebvre new restaurant, Petit Mec, Petit Trois, Petit Trois Mec, Petit Trois Menu, Petite Trois

February 23, 2016 · 12:18 pm

A Perfect 10

Although its name sounds more like a hotel room number than a restaurant serving some of the best Lebanese delicacies this side of Beirut, 10e is the upscale Lebanese-Armenian eatery that LA has been waiting for. It’s surprisingly not located in either of the Armenian meccas of Glendale or East Hollywood, but rather in the heart of Downtown LA in a space that feels like a Middle Eastern palace with ornate vaulted ceilings. The lighting is dim and there is live music every night; perfect for a romantic dinner with your sweetheart or a clandestine assignation with a mysterious stranger — take your pick.

The food is impressive. The puffy and hot-out-of-the-oven Lebanese bread is mouth-wateringly excellent, especially when paired with the Hummus or Labne Yogurt Dip. I recommend starting your meal with some Mante (Armenian Beef Dumplings with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Sumac), San Bousek (deep fried Puff Pastries stuffed with Ground Beef and Pine Nuts; pictured above) or Beef Fried Kibbeh (made with Bulgar and Onions).

You’ll probably want some veggies after all of that fried goodness, so I would order a Fattoush Salad with Purslane, Romaine, Cucumber, Tomato, Radish, Mint, Pita Chips, Sumac, Lemon and Olive Oil. From there, I suggest getting an order of the perfectly seasoned and grilled Lamb Chops with Za’atar, Roasted Pepper Sauce and Parsley Sauce. Dessert of course is Baklava covered in sweet syrup; the perfect ending to your Middle Eastern feast.

10e is located at 811 W 7th Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

Yogurt Dip

Puffy Lebanese Bread

Kibbeh Nayyeh (Steak Tartar with Bulgur, Onion Parsley and Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Beef Fried Kibbeh with Ground Beef, Bulgur, Onion, Pine Nuts and Greek Yogurt

Vegetarian Flatbread with Eggplant, Basi, Cherry Tomato, Roasted Pepper, Kalamata Olives, Kashkaval Cheese, Mushroom and Avocado

Fattoush Salad

Chicken Lule Kebab with Grilled Pita, Red Onion, Parsley and Sumac Garlic Toum; served with Salad and Rice

Lamb Chops with Za’atar, Roasted Pepper Sauce and Parsley Sauce

Feels like a Middle Eastern palace with ornate vaulted ceilings

In the heart of Downtown

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Filed under Downtown

Tagged as 10e, 10e los angeles, 10e menu, 10e restaurant, Armenian Restaurants Los Angeles, best dtla restaurants, best restaurants downtown los angeles, fancy armenian restaurant los angeles, lebanese armenian restaurants los angeles, lebanese restaurants los angeles

January 29, 2016 · 11:55 am

Kinder, Gentler Sushi

Sasabune was one of my first great sushi loves. Originally located in a small house on Sawtelle, Sasabune served the freshest and tastiest raw fish west of the 405. Its warm-rice sushi was similar to the sushi served in the Valley by legendary “Sushi Nazi” Kazunori Nozawa (who trained Sasabune’s chef) and, like Sushi Nozawa, they wouldn’t make California Rolls or Spicy Tuna. But I’ve never witnessed customers getting kicked out of Sasabune like they did at Sushi Nozawa for not following the rules. It was the kinder, gentler Nozawa.

Sasabune eventually moved to a cavernous space in Brentwood and then to smaller digs down the street, but seemed to lose a little of its magic with each of those moves. But with an additional location in Beverly Hills presided over by sushi master Ei Hiroyoshi, Sasabune bounced back to the top. The Beverly Hills branch serves insanely good sushi and one of the best omakase meals in the city.

Sushi Sasabune is located at 9162 W Olympic Blvd in Beverly Hills and 11917 Wilshire Blvd in Brentwood. A third LA location just opened in Glendale at 101 N Brand Blvd.

Cucumber and Seaweed Salad

Maguro and Toro Sushi

Mussel with Japanese Mayo

Oyster

Mussel with Garlic Butter and Seaweed

Ikura (Salmon Roe) and Uni (Sea Urchin) Sushi

Fried Shrimp

Butterfish Sushi

Lychee Sorbet

Sushi Master Ei Hiroyoshi

2 Comments

Filed under Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Glendale, West LA

Tagged as best sushi beverly hills, Best Sushi Los Angeles, sasabune, sasabune beverly hills, sasabune beverly hills menu, sasabune menu, sasabune sushi, sasabune sushi beverly hills, sassabune, sushi beverly hills, sushi sasabune, sushi sasabune beverly hills

January 15, 2016 · 9:56 am

Best. Doughnuts. Ever.

This is going to be the best year ever. I can just feel it. Goals will be met, miracles will happen, and dreams will come true. But if none of that turns out to be the case, there’s always doughnuts.

A couple years ago, I ranked the best doughnut shops in LA. If that list was written today, there would be a new #1 pick. Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee opened right before the holidays with doughnuts so incredibly good, I can legitimately say that this place is a complete and total game-changer. Utilizing the finest ingredients and a secret other-wordly recipe, the talented artisans at Sidecar craft their mouth-watering creations with amazing flavor and a perfect texture which is crisp on the outside and supermoist on the inside.

The menu consists of permanent offerings, as well as several seasonal monthly specials. My favorite off the list of regulars is the simple yet perfect Butter & Salt Doughnut, but the Huckleberry one is not far behind. If you’re looking for something more nutritious, there’s a doughnut offered in the morning that is filled with sliced country ham and a poached egg, and topped with fresh basil (pictured above). It’s the breakfast of champions.

Happy New Year, food lovers!

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee is located at 631 Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica.

Maple Bacon Doughnut