Los Angeles

To be honest I wasn't sure what I was going to think of LA. I had heard that it was smoggy, the driving was bad, it was stinky hot and it was sort of a big tourist trap full of plastic fantastic people. But I do have a few friends who live there, either full of part time, and we had our baseball tickets so off we went.

We had a rough time when we first got there with Dollar Rent A Car, a story I won't go into here. By the time we headed to the accommodations (for the second time that day) we just wanted to eat. On our first trip to the apartment we had passed a place called Tommy's which looked like an average burger joint; the prime selling feature was the large amount of parking and the fact that it was around the corner from our apartment. We decided to pull in and take our chances and we ended up with a winner. Tristan said it was literally the best burger he had ever had. We were actually at the original Tommy's, though they now have a few locations. The original burger is one with chili on top (I opted out), and looks like a heart attack on a plate but it really hit the spot.

After we got settled and had a little rest we headed up to the Griffith Park Observatory. The park and the telescope were really great to visit at night, and we took in the city views. Following that we went to a place that our friend Kris had recommended El Conquistador. The menu was standard Mexican fare but the margaritas were the real star. The atmosphere is also worth the visit.

Another stand out in the fast food arena was Pinks Hot Dogs. We were warned there would be line ups, but we went mid week and at an odd time (around 3pm) so we really didn't have to wait very long. And boy was it worth it. Tristan had the Today Show Dog which featured 2 hot dogs, chili, guac and other assorted toppings, I had the Emeril Lagasse featuring a few spicy items. They have a patio out back where you can eat in the shade, these are not walk and eat dogs.

We had dinner out with friends two nights in the city. The first was with my friend from high school Phil, who works in Pasadena. He recommended a place in Silverlake called The Red Lion Tavern. A solid German tavern the menu featured large portions of authentic fare and a great beer list. The night we were there a man was playing the keyboard and his first song was "I love LA" by Randy Newman. Big points.

On our final day in LA we had two stand out meals. We drove out to Santa Monica and walked along the sand all the way to Venice Beach to take in the scenery. Venice is a trip and while there are tons of small cafes on the board walk one just off the main strip caught my eye, a place called Larry's. The patio was nice, and with a sophisticated menu and quirky cocktails it was a great place to relax. The photo of the pizza seen at the end of the entry is from Larry's

We drove back into the city that night to meet our friend Micheal for dinner. He had made reservations at The Little Door restaurant. The restaurant is noted for being one of the most romantic in the city and for good reason. The primary ceiling in the restaurant is a living one made of incredibly dense vines. Totally beautiful. The food was excellent - but the price point is pretty high. We had been pretty good in LA so we were ok with a bit of splurge.

And that was pretty much LA from a food standpoint, a few things we found helpful:

• Had Dollar Rent a Car not screwed up we would have had a GPS (they had run out even though I had reserved one) - I cannot stress how much this would have come in handy. To avoid massive roaming on our smart phones we had to use the wireless at the apartment, Google Map our day and then write it all out by hand before leaving for the day.
• If you take in a Dodger Game don't bother with the All You Can Eat - those Dodger Dogs are terrible. Also bring your passport if you want to buy beer and look younger than 60, they don't accept any other out of country ID.
• It sounds cheesy but the Star Tour of Homes we did was actually pretty fun. Particularly because then we could both look around without being worried about directions. We did this one and got the kids price, see if you can negotiate for it. Our tour went through more than just the homes and included Rodeo Drive.
• Our only really "celebrity sighting" was at The Grove shopping mall in the food court. We were eating at a Cajun restaurant and this guy, was sitting next to us. But every time I read People or US they always have photos of celebs shopping at The Grove, probably a good bet for some kind of sighting.

Quantity Vs. Quality A Winterlicious Wrap-Up

Winterlicious 2009 - This year it was eat or be eaten.  

My belly runneth over the waistband of my jeans and for your reading pleasure my intense 4 day jam packed dining out extravaganza.  The good, the bad and the ugly.

We begin one week ago today -

Wednesday February 4 

7:30pm 

Atelier Thuet

Dinner Companion - Mr. Homer

Homer and I had dined at Thuet's other restaurant Bite Me in the fall and enjoyed it.  Since the Atelier is right in Homer's work neighbourhood we decided to try it out.  And despite a rocky start when Homer tried to make a reservation and the host (or whomever answers the phone there) said the word "deuce" to many times to make a normal person comfortable, we had a truly excellent meal.

What I ate:

First Course:  Roaster Butternut Squash Soup Garnished with House Made Ricotta

Perfect for a cold winter night, warm and comforting.  Both Homer and I agreed if this had been the only thing on the menu it would have been worth it.

Main Course:  Hand Rolled Gnocchi with Tripe and Braised Pork Belly

Delicious and soft gnocchi with a light tomato sauce.  The pork belly was melt in the mouth but the tripe was a bit chewy and off putting in the dish.  While I don't regret ordering it, Homer's choice of the Truffled Chicken Pot Pie nearly made me reconsider, it smelled like heaven.

Dessert:  Lemon and Chocolate Verrine

Tasty but not too lemony, a nice light finish to the meal.

Service:  Polite if slightly rushed, but not uncomfortably so.  I only managed 1 glass of unmemorable wine which is usually a sign of how fast they are serving.

Go Back at Full Price:  Yes!

Thursday February 5

5:30pm (the ONLY time we could get)

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Dinner Companions - Mr. Homer, Ryan Cripps and Michael Lazarovitch

Having never tried Mildred's Kitchen in the previous incarnation I had no idea what to expect.  What I got was a gorgeous white space, with so much room I forgot where I was for while, namely attached to an office/mini mall/tower.  Another Liberty Village hot spot, I had read many reviews about crusty service but our gal was nice as could be.

What I ate:

First Course: Roast Cauliflower Soup with Curry Oil

While not as lush as Thuet's this soup was still a winner.  Velvety and deep the curry oil was a bit over powering at points but not enough from deter me from eating the whole bowl.

Second Course:  Grass Fed Ontario Pork with farro and caramelized onion risotto and veg.

An honest and pure dish this was a great example of something simple done right.  It just felt fresh.

Dessert:  Profiteroles with Lindt milk chocolate ice cream and chocolate drizzle

To be frank, not as delectable as I thought it would be.  The profiteroles were pretty dry though I guess maybe they had to be in order to keep this towering dish upright.  Ice cream was delicious though.

A drinking note about Mildred's:  I ordered the Malivoire Gamay which I had never had before.  The waitress said they can barely keep it in stock.  I see why, I could bath in this wine.  Go get it now.

Service - as mentioned terrific.

Go back at full price - Yes

Friday February 5

8:00pm

Marben

Dining Companion - Ms. Jenn Scott

Ok, so this is not really part of Winterlicious, but they do have the same sort of promotion going on right now so you should get your butt there before Feb 13.

I had the great treat of being able to sit at the Chef's Table at Marben this past Friday.  I wish I could tell you everything we ate, but it is sort of a glutenous haze, because you see my friends we did a BLIND TASTING.

I do however has four words for you:

Fois Gras Creme Brulee - Just as decadent as it sounds.  

A gorgeous space as well suited to dining as it is to drinks with the girls (or guys) this Wellington restaurant is really a sort of hidden gem.  Executive Chef Craig Alley is not only a heck of a nice guy he also knows what he is doing.  If you have a special occasion, I highly recommend hitting up Marben and treating yourself to the Chef's Table.  Or just head down on a Friday for some drinks and a great time.  And say high to my buddy the GM Chuck Howard (see photo below of him and Craig).  They'll take good care of you.

AND FINALLY:

Saturday February 6

8:00pm (or try 8:30pm)

Tappo

Dinner Companions:  Mr. Homer, Dan Misener, Jenna Zuschlag Misener, Amber Rutherford

I didn't mind the wait or the too crowded dining room or the rubbery calamari.  I didn't even mind our servers apathetic service, but when he plunked the cheque down before I could even put dessert spoon to mouth the straw she broka my back.  We had just, about 10 minutes ago ordered another bottle of wine and for all he knew we were moving on to the Veuve, guess he never will.

What I ate:

First Course:  Calamari all Griglia

While it was rubbery the flavour was still there with the tomato and avocado.  Safe to say this was actually the best part of the meal.  Sigh.

Second Course:  Stinco D'agnello (or Lamb)

Stin(K)co is right.  This flavourless giant lamb bit was the source for the title of the post, Quantity vs. Quality.  It felt thrown together and uninspired.  I didn't finish it and after I told Homer this when we got home he said I should have given it to him, he was still hungry since the gnocchi was minuscule.

Dessert:  Tiramisu

Not bad, not good, but not bad.  Light and mild but again nothing you couldn't buy at the grocery store.

Service:  Our server was apathetic and trying to rush us out after having been seated late.  You get a fail my friend.  The host was a greasy haired guy who didn't seem to care that that bar was already full and asking us to wait there crammed us at the end by the door, good thing it was warm out! However one of the auxiliary servers was quite friendly when Jenna found a hard bit in her calamari, turns out it was spine of the calamari which he explained to her. Not good but still at least he was honest about it.

Go back at full price:  Um, no.

Coming soon - I'm in a New York State of Mind. 

Even Sooner - I am back in the Kitchen.

The Salad of My Dreams

It's been a little while since I really loved a salad.  There is the one I call, the one that got away. 

The salad itself was simple.  Mixed greens, with feta, a balsamic style vinaigrette and most importantly Cajun jumbo shrimp.  Something about the combination was like crack to me.  The second the plate hit the table in front of me I would dive in and it would be gone before everyone else at the table had even picked up their forks.

This magic salad was found at a Toronto restaurant called Fire on the East Side.  I can still remember the day that I went in for dinner and the salad was no longer on the menu.  I begged and pleaded for them to make it for me just one more time, but to no avail.  The restaurant is still great even without the salad.

I thought I would never find a salad I liked as much, but then I was introduced to Nigella's Warm Rocket Salad and my prayer's were answered.

Like the shrimp salad of my past, this is also a warm salad.  She suggests making it right away in front of guests but when my friends Michael and Ryan made it for me they made the warm part ahead of time and simply reheated when it was time to serve.  Without further adieu here is the recipe, with thanks to boys for introducing me to it.

Nigella Lawson's Warm Rocket Salad

Serves 4

2 medium red onions

8 slices of pancetta 

Olive Oil

4 sprigs thyme

4 big handfuls of rocket (arugula)

Balsamic Vinegar

A Piece of Parmesan for shaving

Peel, halve, and quarter the onions, then quarter again, to give you 8 pieces from each onion.  Heat a frying pan and fry off the rashers of pancetta until crisp (now Ryan cubed both the onion and the pancetta, which I really liked, I like small bites).  

Add a couple of lugs of olive oil to the pan, and add the sprigs of thyme, the onions and pine nuts with a pinch of salt.  Toss around and fry on a medium head for about 5 minutes until caramelized and sweet (not black!).

Then, Throw everything into a salad bowl with the rocket or any nice salad leaves.  Drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar, this will make a natural dressing as it mixes with the olive oil.  

Serve with some shaved Parmesan over the top, you use a potato peeler to do this. 

Munch away.