DINNER PLUS

Agura

5114 N. La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
aguradining.com 
Map   

Price: Ordering is a la carte, but there’s a minimum charge of $55

Grub: Menu available online. 

Festivities: The theme is Japanese New Year: make your own mocha rice cake, Taiko drums and Shishimai dance performances, sake breaking ceremony, free sake and a DJ at midnight.

Akasha

9543 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-845-1700
akasharestaurant.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating 5:30–7 pm, Three-Course Prix fixe with dessert buffet ($60);  Second Seating 9–11 pm ($75)

Grub: It’s a Southern theme, with wild shrimp etouffée, Liberty Farms duck gumbo with organic chicken andouille sausage, beignets with warm chocolate custard Sauce. Entire menu available online. 

Festivities: Entertainment provided by Sweet Baby J’ai and the Bonne Musique Zydeco Band and a complimentary champagne toast.

Beacon 

3280 Helms Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-838-7500
beacon-la.com 
Map 

Price: Four-Course Prix Fixe ($47)

Grub: Chestnut bisque with Nueske bacon, Maple Leaf Farms duck breast with bacon-braised winter greens and a port wine pomegranate sauce. Whole menu available online. 

Festivities: Complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

The Bistro Garden at Coldwater   

12950 Ventura Blvd. 
Studio City, CA 91604
818-501-0202
bistrogarden.com 
Map 

Time and price: 9:30 pm, Three-Course Prix Fixe ($150)

Grub: Chilled gulf shrimp and Kumamoto oysters, pan seared veal chop with herb au jus, and Maine lobster ravioli with cognac and brown butter. See whole menu online. 

Festivities: DJ, dancing, hats, horns and complimentary champagne at midnight.

Charlie’s Malibu 

22821 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265
310-456-3132
charliesmalibu.com 
Map 

Time and price: 6 to 10 pm Four Course Prix Fixe ($85), wine pairings ($32)

Grub: White truffle pizza, bone-in short ribs, pan-seared filet mignon, Australian lobster tail

Festivities: Drinks, dancing, complimentary champagne, and DJ Kid Wicked in the upstairs lounge.

Chateau Marmont 

8171 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-650-0575
chateaumarmont.com 
Map 

Price: Three-Course Prix Fixe ($65)

Festivities: New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball with complimentary glass of champagne.

Craft  

10100 Constellation Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310-279-4180
craftrestaurant.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating: 5:30 and 7:30 pm, Three-Course Family Style Prix Fixe ($100/person); Second Seating: 9:30 pm, Three-Course Family Style Prix Fixe ($125/person)

Grub: Venison saddle with cocoa nib and cipollini, roasted and braised Wagyu beef with aged soy, and torrone semifreddo with amedei chocolate

Festivities: Champagne toast at midnight.

Drago Centro 

The City National Bank Plaza
525 S. Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA 90071
213-228-8998
dragocentro.com 
Map 

Time and price: 5-10:30 p.m., Five-Course Prix Fixe ($85)

Grub: Foie gras torchon with rhubarb compote and watercress, cioppino stew with lobster foam and crostino, and chocolate budino with passion fruit, crème and gold leaf. Entire menu online.

8 oz. 

7661 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-852-0008
8ozburgerbar.com 
Map 

Time and price: Party from 9 pm to 2 am (admission $35 presale, $45 at the door)

Grub: passed hors d’oeuvres (we’re guessing burgers?), and a dessert buffet

Festivities: Champagne toast at midnight, DJ, and dancing.

JiRaffe 

502 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-917-667
jirafferestaurant.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating: 5:30-7:15 pm, Four-Course Prix Fixe,  ($95); Second Seating: 8:00-10:00 pm, Four-Course Prix Fixe,  ($135)

Grub: American sturgeon caviar with homemade blinis, crispy potato-wrapped big eye ahi tuna; prime beef tournedo “Rossini.” Entire menu online. 

Festivities: (Second seating only) complimentary glass champagne for the big toast.

Lilly’s French Café & Wine Bar 

1031 Abbott Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA, 90291
310-314-0004
lillysfrenchcafe.com 
Map 

Price: $45 Three Course Prix Fixe with champagne and amuse bouche

Grub: Terrine of foie gras with fig chutney and toasted brioche, tenderloin of venison with poivrade sauce and green beans, and tagine of pineapple and pumpkin with dried fruits. Entire menu online. 

Mélisse  

1104 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-0881
melisse.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating 5:30 to 6:30 pm; Four-Course Prix Fix ($140); Second Seating: 8:30 to 9:30 pm; Six-Course Prix Fix ($250)

Grub: Maine lobster and foie gras, truffle crusted lamb loin, and prime rib eye of beef and braised beef cheek. Entire menu online.

Festivities: (Second seating only) Live music, dancing, and a complimentary glass of champagne.

Michael's on Naples 

5620 E. 2nd St.
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-439-7080
michaelsonnaples.com

Time and price: First Seating: 7 pm; sit down dinner with cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, and seafood bar ($110); Second Seating: 8:30 pm; casual buffet with drink, hor d’oeuvres and seafood bar ($75)

Grub: Orecchiette pasta with fennel sausage and rapini, duck confit ravioli with pistachios, shallots, and parmigiano reggiano. Entire menu online.

Michael’s Santa Monica 

1147 Third St.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-451-0843
michaelssantamonica.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating: 5:30 – 7:30 pm; Five-Course Prix Fixe ($95); Second Seating: Starting at 8 pm; Six-Course Prix Fixe ($175) 

Grub: Butter-poached spiny lobster with creamy risotto and chives, porcini mushroom ravioli, and squab with wild rice, roasted mushroom emulsion, and blood orange glaze. Entire menu online.

Festivities: (Second seating only) Free flowing Champagne, jazz music from Don Allen and his band, and dancing.

Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro

189 The Grove Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-965-9595
Map 

Time and price: Open Seating 4 pm to 1 am, Four-Course Prix Fixe ($85)

Grub: Roasted beet salad with fallen Roquefort soufflé, seabass pappillote with morel mushrooms, and filet mignon and Maine lobster with truffle butter and pommes croquettes.

Palate Food + Wine 

933 S. Brand Blvd
Glendale, CA 91204
818-662-9463
palatefoodwine.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating: 5:30 pm; À la carte menu and raw bar; Second Seating: starting at 9 pm; Six-Course Tasting Menu ($100)

Grub: Hunter’s game terrine, wild Sockeye salmon tournedo, and venison osso bucco. Entire menu online. 

Festivities: Complimentary champagne toast at midnight; DJ set at 10 pm, and party favors.

The Spanish Kitchen 

826 N. La Cienega Blvd. 
West Hollywood, CA 90046 
310-659-4794
thespanishkitchen.com 
Map 

Price: Three-Course Prix Fixe ($65) and open bar all night ($55) 

Grub: Chipotle-rubbed flat iron steak, camarones al mojo de ajo, and Rock Slide chocolate brownie

Festivities: DJ, dancing and complimentary champagne toast at midnight.

Rivera

1050 S. Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-749-1460
riverarestaurant.com 
Map 

Time and price: First Seating: 6:30 to 7:30 pm, six course tasting menu ($75), wine pairings (additional $50 or $75);Second Seating: 9 to 10 pm, eight course tasting menu ($110), wine pairings (additional $50 or $75); Cocktail party: 11 pm-12:30 am, bottomless cocktails ($50)

Grub: Maine lobster soup with corn and green and red chiles, duck with cranberries, tarragon, and bordeaux, foie gras with anejo gelee. 

Festivities: Noisemakers, countdown, complimentary champagne.

Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen 

10250 Santa Monica Blvd. 
Los Angeles, CA 90067 
310-552-9988
rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com 
Map 

Price: Five-Course Prix Fix ($88 per couple), Grand Brut Champagne for an additional $60

Grub: Indian stuffed flatbread, Nyonya seared scallops, and caramelized banana custard cake.

DRINKS PLUS

Big Foot Lodge Los Angeles

3172 Los Feliz Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-662-9227
bigfootlodge.com 
Map 

Cover charge: $5 at 9 pm; $10 at 10 pm; $20 after 11 pm

Festivities: DJ Lee Spins, free party favors, and free champagne toast at midnight.

Saints & Sinners 

10899 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-842-8066
saintsnsinnersbar.com 
Map 

Festivities: DJ Burnie Nowax spins and free champagne toast at midnight

The Spanish Kitchen 

826 N. La Cienega Blvd. 
West Hollywood, CA 90046 
310-659-4794
thespanishkitchen.com 
Map 

Price: $55 for open bar

Festivities: DJ, dancing, and complimentary champagne toast at midnight.

Stinkers 

2939 W. Sunset Blvd.
Silverlake, CA 90026
323-661-6007
stinkerstruckstop.com 
Map 

Cover: None; opens at 7

Festivities: DJ Laroj spins and free champagne toast at midnight.

Wilshire Restaurant 

2454 Wilshire Blvd. 
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-586-1707
wilshirerestaurant.com 
Map 

Time and price: 10 pm – 2 am; $50 Open Bar; A la carte menu also available

Festivities: Holiday party favors, DJ, and complimentary flute of champagne.

NYE TAKEOUT

Hudson House

514 N. Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310-798-9183
hudsonhousebar.com 
Map 

Cuisine: Pub-fare

Price: Varies for “Party In a Box” of selected dishes that serve four people

Grub: Bacon Chives Biscuits, Dungeness Crab Deviled Egg, and Truffled Goat Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

What’s included: Party Favors

*If choosing to dine in, holiday cocktails will be served as well as a complimentary glass of champagne at midnight.

 Sax, who has supped on matzo balls, knishes, borscht, and kishke from here to Krakow, was at Langer’s for the second day of a whirlwind west coast book tour that has also taken him to San Francisco and Berkeley. Tuesday night, a private event at Nate ’n Al drew representatives from the city’s great deli dynasties. Aside from the Mendelson brothers who run that restaurant, there was Art Ginsburg (Art’s Deli), Debbie Markowitz (Factor’s), and Norm Langer and his family (the host of yesterday’s event). “This is like the five families! It’s not unlike the Godfather,” kibitzed Beverly Ginsberg, of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy duo Ronna and Beverly who made a surprise appearance at the event.

 Yesterday’s festivities included a performance by Jelvis (yep, you guessed it—the Jewish Elvis) who belted out songs like “Blue Suede Yarmulke” and “I Did It Oy Vey” while we stuffed our faces with pastrami on rye (Sax describes the Langer’s pastrami sandwich as “a sculpture of delicatessen that encapsulates perfection at every turn”) while Norm Langer looked on like a proud Zadie.

The slightly-longer-than-a-week Beer Week will feature exceptional events such as Verdugo Bar’s Oktoberfest bash (Oct 17th), Beachwood BBQ’s six-course “Molecular Beer Dinner” (Oct. 19th) and a “Meet the Brewer” night at Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena, featuring Dominique Denis, head brewer at Belgium’s famed Chimay brewery. Other events include The Daily Pint in Santa Monica hosting Chuck Silva of Green Flash Brewing on the 21st, pouring a special selection of their cask ales, not to mention a veritable selection of Oktoberfest-themed tastings not to be missed.

The entire affair will close out with a huge fête at Descanso Gardens on Saturday, October 24th, showcasing unlimited beer samples from over 50 breweries, live music, and tasty bites from Patina catering. Tickets for the main event are $40 and are on sale now.

For information on all of the upcoming events, check out http://www.labeerweek.com.

I’ve just seen the documentary Fresh, and I’m awash in good intentions to try organic gardening. Alas, one look at my desolate garden beds (is that old drip sprinkler even functional?) and my heart sinks—who has the time?

Fortuitously a friend tells me about Community Supported Agriculture (aka CSAs) and hope is renewed: I can participate in the reinvention of the industrial food chain without even buying my own composter.

CSAs, which have been around for over a decade, are farms supported by a community of members, or “shareholders,” who provide financial backing and reap their reward in produce. Becoming a member is often as easy as signing up online and paying a weekly, monthly, or seasonal stipend. CSAs deliver produce to members at prearranged sites, often at local farmers markets.

Not all CSAs are created equal, but many are certified organic farms that strive for lofty goals such as sustainability and biodiversity. The CSA I picked, Tierra Miguel Foundation, in Pauma Valley near Oceanside, is one such farm with an impressive list of awards. “They’re really doing it the right way. It’s from their heart,” says Mimi McCracken, who served as site coordinator for Tierra Miguel’s deliveries to L.A.’s Wonderland Elementary School last spring. “These guys are totally walking the walk.”

Tierra Miguel has delivered more than 1,000 tons of organic produce to local families and schools in the past decade and has hosted more than 30,000 children and adults for its educational programs. About half of the farm’s 85 acres are preserved as a wildlife corridor, which provides habitat for native flora and fauna. “If you come out to visit the farm, you can really see it. It’s incredibly diverse,” says Shoshana Raskas, Tierra Miguel’s CSA coordinator.

Hurrah for the snakes and the bees and my carbon footprint, but how are the vegetables? After minimal paperwork, I signed on as a “member,” and the day of my first delivery arrived in short order. I have to admit, I am a sporadic vegetable enthusiast—some weeks I go on real benders and stock the refrigerator with my homemade ratatouille, but other weeks I find myself reaching around some wilting salad bags for the leftover pizza.

Any commitment issues I may have been harboring, though, evaporated the instant I saw my first vegetable box. It was nicely layered with a bag of 12 large tomatoes as well as green beans and okra. Root vegetables—beets, carrots, and radishes—were clumped under generous bags of greens (tatsoi and arugula) and herbs (sage and cilantro). A carton of strawberries added festive color.

Two opposing concerns preoccupy those who are considering CSAs: Will the box have enough vegetables to be worth the money? And how will I ever cook all these vegetables?

After perusing my lovely box of vegetables, these seemingly contradictory anxieties were somewhat allayed. My seasonal membership breaks down to roughly $45.65 per box, and I am to receive one box every two weeks. If we commit to eating our daily vegetables (and who wouldn’t with all these beauties lying around?), my family of four may mow through this box before we are due for our next delivery, so I expect to be supplementing from local markets. In all, my vegetable bill could end up being a bit higher than without the CSA, but I suppose I could factor in the price of the pleasure I derive from knowing mother earth is well cared for.

As for how to cook all these vegetables—hmmm. Ratatouille, anyone?

Local CSAs:

Tierra Miguel Foundation (760-742-4213)
A quarterly fee gets you a weekly or biweekly assortment of farm-grown organic produce delivered to various pickup spots throughout Los Angeles 

J.R. Organics (714-235-3219)
L.A.-area pickup spots include the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market and the Santa Monica (Pico) Farmers Market 

South Central Farmers’ Cooperative (800-249-5240)
Related to the group that fought to maintain the South Central Farm—a dispute that was captured in the award-winning documentary The Garden—this CSA delivers to locations throughout Los Angeles

Silver Lake Farms (323-644-3700)
Operated by Tara Kolla, this brand-new CSA is a relative bargain at $20 per week

Farm Fresh to You (800-796-6009)
Originally started in Northern California, this CSA has expanded to the Imperial Valley and now services Los Angeles as well

Old World Village
Every Wed-Sun through November 1st
7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach
(714) 647-7107
http://www.oldworld.ws/okfest.html

LA Oktoberfest @ LA Mart
Saturday, Oct 10, 1-6pm
1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles
(213) 915-8003
http://laoktoberfest.com

Alpine Village
Every Fri-Sun through October 25th
833 W Torrance Blvd Torrance
(310) 327-4384
http://www.alpinevillage.net/oktoberfest.htm

The Phoenix Club
Every Fri-Sun through October 31st
1340 S Sanderson, Anaheim
(714) 563-4166
http://www.thephoenixclub.com/

Michael Pollan starts In Defense of Food, An Eater's Manifesto with a set of simple instructions for how and what we should consume: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. The idea is nothing new. In fact, eating more fruits and vegetables should be a no-brainer. But as Pollan walks readers through what Americans are eating now and how, these simple instructions seem challenging.

The book attributes most of our bad eating habits to nutritionism, which Pollan describes as the breakdown of food into nutrients that are either good or bad.  Instead of looking at a piece of food whole, nutritionism judges a food’s health value by its specific nutrients. Unfortunately, this leads food companies to inject otherwise unhealthy products with specific nutrients to make the products “healthier,” and thus more marketable. But adding fiber to bread, for example, doesn’t reduce the number of unhealthy additives. According to Pollan, hydrogenated oils, which are commonly found in margarine, are evil. Omega-6 fats and trans fats are equally toxic, and linoleic acid, soybean oil, and soy isoflavones should be avoided. The book is brimming with scientific studies that prove eating natural foods is best.

Pollan takes on the role of food activist as he alerts readers to the many follies of nutritionism, ultimately showing how this scientific paradigm has led to the Western Diet of processed foods, going so far as to blame the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society for creating the public health crisis currently facing America, where rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are soaring. Pollan claims the advice from government-run studies about what to eat and how to eat it have been based on little scientific fact. 

To learn that the health advice that’s been given to the public for the past 30 years is wrong—harmful, even—is shocking, and it left me looking for someone to help me create specific meal plans. Pollan could preach to readers on a produce box, but he won’t do that. Instead he lays out “eating algorithms” to guide people through their food choices. If you can’t pronounce something or your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, he argues, you shouldn’t put it in your mouth. It’s easy advice to follow if you live on a farm. If you’re a city girl like me, the discourse might leave you feeling helpless. On the other hand, I’m grateful for any justification to eat real butter over margarine, and really, the book is easy to read and enlightening. Pollan feeds you what you need to know without overstuffing.

If you’re an organic junkie and you want to shout your enthusiasm for pesticide-free greens and free-range chicken from the rooftops, here’s a way: Host a Fresh party. For $30 the folks at freshthemovie.com will send you a screening copy of the documentary they released this summer with the good-faith agreement that you can—and will—show it to up to 20 people.

Sounded like a soirée to me, so I recently invited over family and a few organically inclined friends for an evening of “reinventing the food chain.” We nibbled on triple-cream MT TAM cheese from Cowgirl Creamery, then moved on to an alfresco feast—“It’s all organic,” squealed my five-year-old daughter—of grilled vegetables, chicken, and Bratwurst.

Paired with two organic wines (an Albero Spanish rosé and a Bonterra zinfandel), a macaroni-and-cheese dish of organic pipe rigate and a lovely tabbouleh opened most of the guests to the idea of transformation (although my father-in-law took exception to the vegan sausages—“If you put a vegetable in a round thing, it doesn’t make it a sausage”—he should at least be commended for working his way through much of Michael Pollan’s The Ominvore’s Dilemma in advance of the party). After a dessert of my mother-in-law’s organic buttermilk peach pie and organic cookies with vanilla custard, berries, and kiwi, we settled in for the screening.

Unlike Food, Inc., which for all of its vital exposé left many downhearted, Fresh is largely uplifting. For every shot of baby chicks being carelessly tossed to the ground in a conventional chicken factory there are ten shots of fuzzy, clean piglets and healthy cows grazing among wildflowers in organic pastures.

And Fresh benefits from its charismatic heroes. Scenes of Joel Salatin’s bucolic Virginia farm, where Salatin preserves the “cowness” of the cow and the “pigness” of the pig on pastoral grass pastures, made me want to order my own muck boots and roam about with the “egg mobile” (a rickety RV for chickens). Seeing Will Allen, a six-foot-seven former basketball player, run his hands through a box of worm casings on his urban farm in Milwaukee and call it “black gold,” I mentally mapped my backyard for a composting spot.

Other subjects include Russ Kremer, who exterminated his conventional pig herd after a hog gored him with its tusk and he nearly died from the antibiotic-resistant infection he sustained. Kremer now runs Ozark Mountain Pork Coop, which is chock-full of photogenic piglets. The film also features deliciously compelling interviews with food writer Michael Pollan, who sets the tone of the film early by ominously declaring, “Cheap food is an illusion.” His interstitial comments throughout provide credibility, urgency, and charm.

If the message of the film is that organic, ecological farming methods are viable, the message of the movie’s distribution method is that transforming the industrial food chain begins with public awareness (so host a party).

After the credits rolled, we wondered how farms like Salatin’s and Allen’s can be translated to a massive scale and how the shopping paradigm will ever shift back to local markets that feature local goods. What can we do if we can’t afford to shop at “Whole Paycheck”? These are questions to be reconsidered, I suppose, over several more bottles of organic wine.

In the meantime, we were inspired by the film and have begun thinking about “reinvention” in our lives. “I’m not touching worms,” said one guest, “but I would gladly buy my produce from that guy.”

Maybe it’s all about baby steps. Next soirée: worm party.

Cheers.

Naturally, I sat by the Frenchwoman and had to stay on my toes as “mmm good” and “more please” wasn’t going to cut it. “We use very, very old wines. Older wines give complexity,” she explained – rather excitedly – it’s obvious she likes her job. After each course it began to make sense to me even as everything else got a little bit fuzzy: Yellow label Veuve with heirloom beets (matching acidities); Veuve Clicquot Rose (a crunchy, fresh beverage) with Tai snapper; creamy Veuve Rare Vintage 1988 with filet mignon. In this economy everyone is getting a different perspective on things. Champagne with each course - if you’ve got the money, honey – give them the time.

The subtitle of Melissa's Great Book of Produce by Cathy Thomas , “everything you need to know about fresh fruits and vegetables,” is right on the mark: Here you’ll find an alphabetical listing of both common and exotic fruits and vegetables, 100 recipes, beautiful color photos, nutritional information, and tips on buying, storing, preparing, and using the produce. Among the featured stars are multiple varieties of berries, dragon fruit, melons, pears, beans, beets, chiles, garlic, mushrooms, microgreens, and squashes. Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, established in L.A. in 1984, imports and distributes hundreds of items of specialty produce from around the globe—so this is the source. Founders Joe and Sharon Hernandez named the company after their daughter and have helped introduce trends (like “baby” vegetables) to cooks worldwide.

The food, which came out in fits and starts, was tasty overall, if a little rich. Scallops arrived looking gorgeous in the half-shell and tasting just as fresh, with a spicy jolt thanks to wasabi-infused crème fresh. I’ve never been served tuna tartar with sweet-potato mash and BBQ sauce, but strangely, it worked (and the mash was divine). A “lobster dog” hyped endlessly by both the chef and our servers, however, was disappointing and unwieldy (I’m also not sure that the term “dog” can properly apply to a thimble-sized piece of lobster balancing precariously on a brioche toast). Still, the food—decadent but bite-sized, elegant without being over-the-top—was tailor-made for a night out, which is just the point.

52 Weeks in the California Garden by Robert Smaus is the trusty book longtime Angelenos refer to when planting their gardens—it’s as much a handy garden tool as the trowel. Smaus, a former Los Angeles Times garden editor, knows his pittosporum from his paphiopedilum—no question. As for edible plants, he can recommend what to grow at specific times of the year in order to produce a fruitful harvest. (For instance, fava beans and radishes in the fall, basil and parsnips in the spring.) The beauty of the book is that it’s a season to season, month to month, week to week guide to composting, fertilizing, preparing the soil, planting from seed or seedling, and watering. It also indicates what should be planted in full sun or partial shade, the best distance for sowing seeds and setting seedlings in the ground, and when the fruits and vegetables should be ready for picking. Glossy, encyclopedic volumes on gardening may come and go, but this simple, straightforward book is a keeper.

All that soytastic protein and, er, beer will come in handy during the arm wrestling tournament taking place simultaneously. Both men and women confident in their upper body strength are invited to register by emailing meandpotatoes@gmail.com. So far, prizes are listed only as “rad.” Though, with these guys, we don’t doubt it.

Keep an eye out for more Verdugo Bar Oktoberfest action late next month during L.A.’s first ever Beer Week. More info to come.

Verdugo Bar
3408 Verdugo Rd.
Glassell Park, CA 90065

Paradis Danish Ice Cream Store
2323 Honolulu Ave.
Montrose, CA 91020

FRIDAY

3-7 p.m. Happy hour at Corkbar
$4 pints, 50 percent off appetizers, wine specials, and more

4-7 p.m. Happy hour at The Must 
Half prices on select pints, pitchers, sangria, wine, and snacks 

5:30-7 p.m. Happy hour at City Sip LA
$3 wine selections, $5 snacks

6-8 p.m. Happy hour at Copa d’Oro
$5 cocktails

10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Happy hour at Rivera
$7 cocktails, $7-$13 snacks

SATURDAY

4-7 p.m. Happy hour at The Must 
Half prices on select pints, pitchers, sangria, wine, and snacks 

5-7 p.m. Saturday Social at City Sip LA
Wine and cheese pairings for $14 per person

6-8 p.m. Happy hour at Copa d’Oro
$5 cocktails 

10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Happy hour at Rivera
$7 cocktails, $7-$13 snacks

SUNDAY

All vinyl all night at Simmzy’s

Game day at The Must
Play Jenga, Uno, Bingo, and more
4-7 p.m. Happy hour at The Must
Half prices on select pints, pitchers, sangria, wine, and snacks

6-8 p.m. Happy hour at Copa d’Oro
$5 cocktails 

9-11 p.m. Happy hour at City Sip LA
50 percent off all open bottles by the glass

Test Kitchen Tuesdays at Corkbar
For $2, chef Albert Aviles offers an appetizer-sized portion of a new dish not available on the regular menu
3-7 p.m. Happy hour
$4 pints, 50 percent off appetizers, wine specials, and more

Titties & Wine Tuesdays at The Must
DJ and ladies night
4-7 p.m. Happy hour at The Must
Half prices on select pints, pitchers, sangria, wine, and snacks

5:30-7:30 p. m. Happy hour at Salute Wine Bar 
50 percent off wines by the glass, $5 bruschetta 

5:30-7 p.m. Happy hour at City Sip LA
$3 wine selections, $5 snacks 

6-8 p.m. Happy hour at Copa d’Oro
$5 cocktails

7:30 p.m. Latin jazz at Copa d’Oro

11 p.m. to close Happy hour at Corkbar
$4 pints, 50 percent off appetizers, wine specials, and more

Esnault comes to the Michelin-starred spot via Auberge de L’Ill in Alsace, Louis XV in Monaco and Essex House in New York. But his real cred? Getting a personal recommendation by Splichal’s “good friend” Alain Ducasse:

“I shared with Alain the difficulties I’d had finding the right chef for Patina and he insisted right then and there that I meet Tony, who has worked with him since 1996 and opened Adour in New York,” says Splichal.

Esnault will work alongside Splichal in the Patina kitchen throughout the month of September, eventually developing a new menu by mid-October. Welcome, Tony.

...In other French chef news: Ludovic Lefebvre’s wife Krissy has started her own twitter account under the user name FrenchChefWife. Early tweets include behind the scenes Ludo fun like: “I was nice and did dishes but got in trouble for not respecting his knife and immediately returning to it's stand. I told u - crazy!!” and “Really, the nerve - hurry up with my cookies so he can cook the chicken. He does not understand what is more important - COOKIES 4 sure.” It’s a must-follow.

Um, what?

“Don’t laugh!” he reprimands. I’m smirking. On the way over I heard Vincent’s Thriller monologue on the radio. Blood curdling? Sure. Veal braising? I’m skeptical. “Vincent and his wife traveled all over the world,” says Harvey, “and whenever they found an amazing dish they would get the recipe from it. Honestly, it’s our favorite cookbook.”

Man, forget Julia Child. Work your way through horror legend Vincent Price’s recipes and you’ll be risking a helluva lot more than burnt boeuf bourguignon! The book, which came out in 1965, is actually titled A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price. It’s quite the cult classic, it turns out—used copies retail for around $100 and the web is filled with testaments similar to Harvey’s. But really, his is the only endorsement I need. I’m now on a quest to add this to my collection—and soon.

The book was a wedding present to Harvey and his wife, “and we’ve been married 40 years” he says. A great cookbook and a good marriage: two things that stand the test of time.

But don’t fill up, capische? The real street festival takes place at 1651 N. Highland Ave., just south of Hollywood Boulevard from September 25-27. Admission is only $5, so go ahead—mangia!

Full Little Dom’s/Dominick’s menu below:

Pork Braciole, $7
Stiglioli - Grilled Steak topped with Smoked Mozzarella, $7
Sausage & Peppers Sandwich, $5
Roasted Tomato & Artichoke Foccacia, $4
Sausage & Cavolo Nero Foccacia, $4
Fried Clams, $8
Rice Ball, $4
Zeppole, $4
Gelato, $3

Owner/chef Amy Sweeny writes: “On August 30, we all gathered at the table to share in a Farm-to-Table Dinner of incredible Windrose Farm produce and Tablas Creek wines. The evening reached a lovely momentum, with everyone enjoying the food and wine... and then a sprinkler valve burst, flooding our entire restaurant. (See the "rain" coming down on our entire kitchen.) Needless to say, the event was canceled halfway through.”

Oof! They’ve scheduled a re-do for next Sunday, September 13. Here’s the menu:

Seating from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Chilled Puree of Heirloom Tomato with Mint

~~~
Prosciutto & Melon with Parmigiano Reggiano
or
Green & Yellow Zucchini salad with Castelvetrano olives

~~~
House-made Herb Pappardelle with hand-cut basil pesto

~~~
Grilled Local Moro Bay Halibut with roasted eggplant, peppers, baby red onion, Gaeta olives, marjoram and roasted cherry tomatoes

~~~
Peach & Blackberry Crumble w/ Thyme

$45 per person; $30 optional wine pairing
For reservations, contact 323.871.2666.

With September’s Best New Bars issue (on stands now) fresh in my mind, I instantly recognized Don muddling a sugar cube into a pool of bitters. (Check out expert bartender Marcos Tello doing the same thing in our Sazerac step-by-step.) That long silver bar spoon Don twirled in his tumbler is identical to the one the folks at the Varnish and Rivera use to crack their ice and stir their drinks. At one point, Don searches in vain for bourbon, and ends up asking his drinking companion, “Is rye ok?” A) Rye is always ok. B) Both classic brown spirits are once again the centerpieces of today’s trendiest cocktails.

In a constant effort to feel one step closer to sharing a drink with Don Draper, I went to Eric Alperin, owner of the Varnish Bar in downtown L.A., and asked for an Old Fashioned recipe worthy of the king of 1960s New York advertising. Here’s what he gave me:

The Old Fashioned

1 White Sugar Cube
3-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
A barspoon of club soda
Muddle the above three ingredients in a 9 oz whiskey glass into a paste.
Add 2 oz Bourbon whiskey (The Varnish prefers Elijah Craig 12 year)
Add ice (At The Varnish we make our own ice blocks and chip them into the appropriate cubes. So for the Old Fashioned we use one large rocks cube)
Stir in the glass.
Spray and garnish with an Orange Peel

Light a smoke a la Don Draper, sip and enjoy...

All in all, it was a refreshing look at the beverage industry—a business usually full of big corporations with bitter rivalries battling for market control. Not here. Not these guys. There is an open exchange of information between craft brewers, and lately there have even been collaborative brews—different breweries, working together to release something special. One featured favorite was the Ken Schmidt/Maui/Stone Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter, a rich and exotic concoction brewed up by homebrewer extraordinaire Ken Schmidt, Maui Brewing’s Garrett Marrero, and Stone’s Mitch Steele.

Local SoCal favorites like The Bruery, AleSmith, The Lost Abbey, Craftsman, and Ballast Point were on hand sampling their goods, as were out-of-town pioneers like Jolly Pumpkin (MI), Allagash (ME), and Ommegang (NY). Aside from raising more than six figures for several charities, the anniversary fête was also a success for beer drinkers, with brewers bringing out special releases and sneak previews.

Tomme Arthur of The Lost Abbey made a “sangria” of sorts, using a sour ale base blended with an ale that had been aging with tangerines, adding raspberries, sour cherries, raspberry mead, “and surely not a drop of wine.” Patrick Rue from The Bruery brought out the big guns, previewing his much anticipated bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, dubbed Black Tuesday, which weighs in at a massive 19.5% ABV.

The 13^th anniversary party may be over, but some bottles of Stone’s super-hoppy 13^th Anniversary Ale can still be found scattered about at select retailers, and some kegs are still popping up in better beer-minded bars around Los Angeles.

Photograph courtesy TheFullPint.com

Menu below:

Midnight Breakfast
$13 each

Monte Cristo
Black Forest ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, dusted with powdered sugar and served maple syrup and strawberry compote

Edison Silver Dollar Stack
Wild Blueberry buttermilk pancakes, maple candied bacon, lemon butter and syrup

Nutella-Banana Crepes
Vanilla crepes stuffed with brown butter bananas, nutella, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and chopped hazelnuts.

The Boiler Room Benedict
Crispy British muffin, slow poached eggs, pancetta bacon, and chive hollandaise.

Working Joe Breakfast
The works, diner style – two eggs, home fries, short stack and candied bacon

Sides
$6. each

Home Fries - Short Stack of Blueberry Pancakes - Candied Bacon- Two Eggs

Lesley Bargar Suter: First and foremost hello, and congrats on the new restaurant. How exactly did you come to decide on the Alexandria Hotel space? It’s certainly unique.

Ilan Hall: I was getting a tour of downtown with Justin Weiss of the Central City Association, and he ran into a buddy of his on the street that was the building manager of the Alexandria. He showed me the space and I fell in love.

LBS: Is there a general theme or concept behind the food? Haggis and shepard’s pie on the same menu as a cucumber salad with zahatar. If there is any structure, it certainly seems loose.

IH: My father is from Glasgow and my mother’s from Jerusalem. I've studied Italian, French, Spanish, and contemporary American cuisine. I feel that sticking to one style would just not be me. I make food that I think is delicious and seasonal. Those are the only boundaries that I give myself.

LBS: OK, coming from a half-Jew, I totally appreciate matzo balls wrapped in bacon and pork braised in Maneschewits (an underused cooking wine, if you ask me). But still, what the heck?! Why the culinary blasphemy?

IH: The only problem with Jewish food is that there is not enough pork fat injected into it! Seriously, I love the food I grew up with—like Grandma's matzo balls—and making it taste better by adding different ingredients, blasphemous or otherwise, is the best way to both honor my culinary heritage and serve great food.

LBS: Remind me, what does “the Gorbals” mean?

IH: The Gorbals is the neighborhood in Glasgow where my father was born and raised. It was traditionally home to a large immigrant population, including Jews, and the 'melting pot' personality of the city inspired my menu.

LBS: So, any opening-week jitters?

IH: The answer is definitely YES, there are butterflies in my stomach. But I have a great team and people really seem to be loving the food during our trial runs which makes me calm down some. And the amazing bottle of Scotch my dad gave me as a gift for opening the restaurant helps too.

LBS: Speaking of booze, I’ve seen a lot about your food menu, but can you talk a bit about the beverage service?

IH: We have a full liquor license. Lots of scotch and a focused line of booze. Ten reds, ten whites, five rosés and only some select brands that are my favorites, like Hendrick's!

LBS: Have you been watching the new season of Top Chef? Are you rooting for anyone?

IH: Brian Voltaggio. He is my old boss and one of the greatest cooks I have ever met. I hope he takes down his brother.

LBS: At this point, are you so over the Top Chef people calling you in? It seems like every series now has a scene with Ilan Hall as a judge. How does that work? Is it like, “Hey Ilan, listen, we need you to come in again…”

IH: Nah, I really do love the show and it's always fun being on the other side. I have a great relationship with the crew and they likely use me so much because I'm local....and I'm opening this awesome new restaurant now.

LBS: We’ve heard.

The Gorbals
501 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-488-3408

“The Farmer’s Market people are talking about letting me build a patio up on the roof, sort of a crow's nest. We hope to have a really cool bar with great beers and wines, both on tap,” says Pressman. “Oh, and milkshakes—those will be a big part.”

For now, the restaurant is being called Grass Burger, but Pressman’s not sure she’s going with it. “The whole concept is green and sustainable—that’s why we’re using all Sonoma grass-fed meat.”

Tonight’s menu is a $35 three-course prix-fixe dinner:
First course: A Weiser Farms melon salad with Cowgirl Creamery cottage cheese
Second Course: A frisée lardon burger or a traditional cheeseburger
Third Course: Fig, milk chocolate, bourbon ice cream with cashew butter cookies 

Uh, yum.

The dinner goes from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and tables are first come first serve. Just the name “Silverton” draws big enough crowds these days. Throw in the word “burgers” and expect a swarm. I’ll be lining up at 5.

Meet Jean Christophe Novelli—Europe's renowned Michelin Chef and Novelli Academy owner. French born and residing in London, Chef Novelli is determined to open a top-notch culinary institute in the States, and he sets his sights on Venice, California. Working with Chef Novelli on the ambitious experiment is his executive chef and right hand man, Steve Kitchen. For additional support during his extended stay in America, Chef Novelli also brings along his pregnant fiancée, Michelle, and hires a temporary assistant, Joel. First order of business: selecting nine students to be his test subjects at his first Academy across the pond. But is America ready for this French culinary genius? Bravo's upcoming docu-series "CHEF ACADEMY" is set to premiere fall 2009.

This sounds more like Flipping Out-meets-food than a cooking competition, which I guess gives the network grounds to air one more cheffy show. Hey, I’m not complaining.

UPDATE: Looks like the premier has been  moved to December.

I’m lucky that the fancy-schmancy La Brea tea shop Algabar is on my way home from work. Not only do they specialize in importing rare teas, but they also host various events and lectures on the subject. Here’s one I’m going to try to hit up:

On Wednesday, August 26 the gals behind local supper club Chicks With Knives (totally unrelated too, but nonetheless friendly with the Hot Knives guys) are holding a “Crash Course in Tea” at Algabar, led by tea expert and Algabar partner Gail Baral. In addition to cupping (the tea/coffee term for tasting) white, green, oolong, and black teas, you can learn about the origin and production of tea, as well as the best way to prepare and serve tea at home.

The cost: $35.
The time: 7-9 p.m.
Call 323-954-9720 to reserve your spot.

While I tend to shrink from heat this time of year, it’s right now that many of my beloved prunus—the family that includes peaches, plums, and nectarines—are at their peak.

In my search for the seemingly elusive perfect peach I spoke with Tammi Taylor of Regier Farms at the Pasadena Farmers Market, who gave me tips on how to pick for ripeness: “Peaches picked at full maturation don’t have to be soft to be ripe. For summer fruit like peaches, look for the brightest color and lots of color closest to the stem.”

When it comes to nectarines, Audra Etheridge of Etheridge Farms Organic Fruit said that they should have a little give when touched, and that nectarines with speckles on the skin tend to be sweeter than others.

For any fruit of the prunus family, Nick Contreras and Henry Krenz of Olson Family Farms tells consumers to smell for fragrance and to look for a rich color.

Contreras and Krenz both emphasize that with organic fruit, “once its ready, its ready, and the fruit won’t last for days.”

The best time to buy peaches, plums and nectarines is right now and goes until mid to late September.

Here’s what I remember: It was Wednesday, so the bohemian-Moulin-Rouge-meets-Renoir’s-ballerinas-troupe Incandescence tip-toed around the place before taking the stage. The Green Fairy flitted around serving absinthe cocktails and shots. There were charcuterie plates and kobe burgers a-plenty. There was also, I’m happy to see, a lively crowd. (Always so well-dressed here!)

Owner Andrew Meieran is lamenting the government furloughs a bit for affecting his Downtown biz, “We were down about 80% on that day,” he told me. But he and GM special Events Dir Barbara Jacobs have thought of inventive ways to get the right sort in. Soup Kitchen Fridays 5-7 p.m. with comp grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (you even cue up like the Depression Era hand-out) and, as always, 35-cent martinis on Thursdays (their price in 1910—again 5-7 p.m.

I recall being in the Generator Lounge which is filled with, well, generators and wandering over to the Ember Parlour. The whole place is a marvel in copper (an homage to the building’s original owner Copper Baron Thomas Higgins says Meieran) and every detail is attended to. Oh, and the Winter cocktail menu starts up in September.

The Edison: open Wed—Fri. from 5pm—2am; Saturday from 8 pm—2 am. Edisondowntown.com

The new winter cocktails below!

But aside from that, all those hard-to-find ingredients like obscure salumi, must-have vinegars, mustards, salts, spices, etc. have been off-limits to all but L.A.’s top chefs and restaurateurs (namely, folks affiliated with spots like Melisse, Providence, Craft, and Campanile). Well hold onto your “Shut Up, I’m Cooking” apron strings everybody. (What? You don’t have that?) On Saturday, August 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gourmet Imports will be opening its doors—and its wholesale prices—to the public.

Items available for sale will include:

- Imported & Domestic Artisan Cheeses
- Charcuterie: Salumi, Pâtés & Foie Gras
- Specialty Olive Oils, Vinegars & Mustards
- Grains, Pasta, Beans & Rice: Farro, Couscous, Quinoa, Red Camargue Rice, Black Forbiden Rice, Carnaroli Rice, Dozens of varieties of Beans, etc.
- Large Selection of Spices & Specialty Salts
- Baking & Pastry products including: Bulk Chocolate, Tart Shells & Chocolate Cups, Frozen Fruit Purées, Vanilla Products, and Technical Items (glucose, gelatin).
- Beverages including: Lorina French Lemonades, Orangina.

Bonus: A barbecue outside. Alex guarantees we’ll all “geek out.” Needless to say, Screw Sunset Junction. I’ll see you there.

Gourmet Imports Warehouse
961 South Meridian Ave, Alhambra, CA 91803

tortillas florales 7
HOUSE MADE TORTILLAS, “INDIAN BUTTER”

jamon serrano 14
THINLY SLICED SPANISH HAM, TOASTED COUNTRY BREAD

spanish chorizos 14
LOMO EMBUCHADO, SALCHICHÓN, CHORIZO, TOASTED
COUNTRY BREAD

chilled crab 15
SUMMER CORN ESPUMA

tamalli 9
BRAISED PORK SHORT RIB, SEASONAL MUSHROOMS, GUAJILLO SAUCE

piquillos rellenos 10
STUFFED SPANISH PEPPERS, CHORIZO, GOLDEN RAISINS, GRUYERE

huevos verdes 11
POACHED EGG, SERRANO HAM, GREEN SALSA

naranja 10
BEET AND ORANGE SALAD, PISTACHIO DUST, CHEVRE VINAGRETA

pato 12
CONFIT DUCK LEG, MACHE LETTUCE, PINE NUTS

tacos 13
HOUSE MADE NIXTAMAL TORTILLA TACOS, SHRIMP OR PUERCO PIBIL

quesos españoles 12
THREE SPANISH CHEESES, SANGRIA JUS, CRUSTY BREAD

mexico city sundae 8
VANILLA BEAN - PASSION FRUIT ICE CREAM, HABANERO CARAMEL SAUCE

I know, I know—it feels like just yesterday we were flabbergasted by the idea of a truck serving anything more than straightforward tacos. But now, with sushi, burgers, dosas, fries, and everything else available curbside, why not Dodger Tickets? Today, the baseball franchise debuts its Dodgers Ticket Truck.

The mobile booth will travel around to different neighborhoods selling tickets to fans for upcoming games. You can, of course, follow its route on Twitter. The inaugural drive was captained by none other than Snoop Dogg. Awesome.

As of now, there are no plans to sell Dodger dog’s or $7 beers from the truck, but hey, you never know.

So how to win? Submit your best tuna melt recipe HERE by Friday. Myself and a few other canned-seafood loving staffers will be testing out the finalists this weekend and choosing a winner. (After devouring more than 18 melts in three weeks for the issue, I’d say I’m pretty much an expert.) So give us your ultimate combo of bread, cheese, fish, and extras!

(Hint—I like melty cheese. And butter.)

All the negative chatter had my expectations pretty low. I figured I’d cringe at Amy Adams and, at best, have some serious beurre blanc cravings by the end. The truth: I left that theater walking on air.

I don’t think I’ve laughed out loud that much in a movie in years. I blissfully bought the whole thing—hook, line, and butter. I wanted to disappear into the life of Julia Childs, which, of course, was the point. I also had a few goosebump-inducing moments where I realized that I already share the life of blogger Julie Powell: Young, recently married urbanite lives in crappy apartment and continually searches for life’s purpose in a plate of food? You got me—I even have the cat.

This is not serious filmmaking—though there’s definitely serious acting. The overwhelming positive attitude spewing forth from everyone in the film is unrealistic. (However, I found it refreshing that, for once, the men were the empty supporting characters, not the women. Poor Julie’s husband didn’t even get a specific job.) And nothing happened that you didn’t expect to happen from the get-go. But considering I’m not a fan of romantic comedies, I adored watching a feel-good flick that didn’t revolve around the warring sexes or binge drinking. (Though, there was plenty of that, too. I’ve never craved a martini so bad in my life.) The food pictures are pornographic, the Paris obsession is contagious, and, for me at least, Adams' character was entirely identifiable.

The best part of the night? Sipping a Côte de Provence rosé with some foie gras and figs at Monsieur Marcel just before. It set the mood just right. Highly recommended.

The film opens tomorrow. Monsieur Marcel opens at 11—every weekday.

Here’s a peek at the menu:

Open Face BLTA
With arugula, baby ripe vine tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, avocado and topped with a basil garlic aoli, served over a savory cheddar and chive waffle. 14

Two poached eggs
Served on corn fritters with grilled asparagus topped with a spicy béchamel sauce, crispy pancetta and shaved Parmesan. 14

Eggs three way
Baked soft-boiled with Gruyere cheese, scrambled with balsamic cipolin onions, olive oil fried egg with grilled scallions. 12

Grilled Pizza
With caramelized onions, arugula, prosciutto, manchego cheese, fried egg and drizzled balsamic reduction. 10

Ricotta Pancakes
Topped with fresh seasonal berries and whipped lemon crème fraiche. Served with a side of warm maple syrup. 10

Tofu Scramble
With roasted red bell peppers, crimini mushrooms, onions, fresh herb mixture on a grilled
Portabella mushroom. 12

Vegetarian Chorizo
Scrambled with eggs or egg whites and served with warm tortillas and a side of sour cream. 12

For the Little Ones (Under 12)
One Plus One Equals Two
One Scrambled Egg, One Pancake, Two Bacon Strips 9

* All of the above entrées are served with a choice of: roasted potatoes tossed in a chimichurri sauce or seasonal fruit.

What’s on the grill? Vegan BBQ—but like, good vegan BBQ: pulled pork “sammies”, grilled seitan bahn mi, plus hand-cut fries, cole slaw, and—wait for it—beer popsicles. Throw in some Hot Knives-recommended music, board games, and beer pong and call it a weekend.

The hot soy action starts at 2 p.m.

Starting tonight, and continuing all this month, Beacon is offering a menu of $5 tacos in flavors like Mu Shu Duck, Grilled Yellowtail, Stir-fried Mushroom, plus a smattering of wines from around the world available for $5 and under. Not too shabby, considering you don’t have to eat standing up. How novel.

-The Food Network just announced the contestants for the second edition of The Next Iron Chef (the one where they choose a new member of the Iron Chef America Team), and our own Eric Greenspan of the Foundry is one of them! God knows he’d make great television, so I’ll be rooting for him. The show premiers October 4 at 9 p.m.

-Dodgers Stadium has introduced their “My Town” seating section. Fans who purchase My Town tickets can sample a different global cuisine each game, like Dogertown Korea with kimchi and Korean-style BBQ, Dodgertown Philippines with Philippine-style BBQ pork and pineapple spears, and—my personal favorite—Dodgertown Mexico with tequila lime chicken and jicama with chili-lime salt. (’Cause God knows Elysian Park doesn’t have any good Mexican food—oh, wait.) Actually, this does sound pretty fun, and My Town tickets also score you a Dodgers “This Is My Town” T-Shirt in country-specific colors. Play ball!

-This Sunday, the folks from Epicurious.com will be at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market handing out tote bags and all sorts of schwag…while supplies last.

-Also on Sunday, the Fallen Fruit folks are joining forces with Machine Project in Echo Park to hold the 4th Annual Public Fruit Jam from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Just bring your own fruit, they’ve got the rest! They typically make around 500 jars, so you might want to stock up on some peanut butter while you’re at it.

-This is just for fun: If you haven’t been listening, Evan Kleiman from Good Food and Angelli Caffe has been working on a Pie-A-Day project all summer, in which she—you guessed it—bakes a pie a day! The Good Food blog is now full of listeners’ suggestions, recipes, etc. It’s a pie-stravaganza! Kleiman has decided to extend her project to November. My favorite is her Black Cat Pie. Just my style! 

Well, here’s a little True Blood gossip I can spill: Come September, Tru Blood carbonated beverage will be hitting stores. The flavor? Blood orange of course (yuk yuk). Apparently the drink, which debuted at Comic Con this past weekend in San Diego, is based on a fictional drink from the show. Again, I’m behind.

LAMAG: So, I didn’t know you spent ten years in L.A. When was that?

James Oseland: I was born and raised in San Francisco, and I’d always had that thing implanted in me—like, ‘Ugh, Southern California? Puh-leeze.’ I studied film at the San Francisco Art Institute, and then worked in experimental film for a number of years. But I eventually got tired of it and thought, ‘You know, I’m going to show them. I’ll move to L.A. and work in the real movie business.’ So I packed my bags and got a place in East Hollywood at Franklin and Vermont.

LA: Had you been to L.A. before?

JO: The first time I visited, I took a train in from New Orleans and rolled into Union Station at, like, 6:30 in the morning. It was dawn and there were palm trees and blue sky. I walked through Chinatown and got on a bus that took me all the way up Wilshire to Westwood. I thought, ‘Wow, this is not the L.A. that I expected.’ There are still things that I find so hypnotic about the place.

LA: And then you ended up working at the LA Weekly…

JO: Yep. I got a job in the proofreading department there. I was still doing my movie stuff on the side, but increasingly I was turning to the Weekly for work, and I just really loved the experience. Working at the Weekly really taught me the craft of putting together a publication from the ground up. I loved the camaraderie, I loved the deadlines, I loved the challenge of fixing a flawed sentence. It was a new love discovered.

LA: Do you miss L.A.?

JO: Oh god yes. There’s probably not a week that goes by that I don’t miss some aspect of L.A. food life: Thai Town, tacos. During the last two years I lived in L.A., I would take these monthly sorties down to Little Saigon. I would go there by myself and spend six or seven hours going to supermarkets and learning, eating around, tasting this extraordinary food. This was in the early ’90s, and Little Saigon was not exactly little, but what it has grown up to now absolutely astonishes me.

LA: It’s amazing down there, isn’t it?

JO: I was there just back in March, and those supermarkets put Costco to shame! There will be practically a whole aisle dedicated to sticky rice flours. Fresh, not frozen durians and jack fruits—giant piles of ’em. Honestly, I travel a lot, and nowhere else in the world will you find these extraordinary global streams of cooking so fully represented. We have nothing even remotely similar here in New York City.

LA: How often do you get back here?

JO: I’ve been back to L.A. ten times since I left in 1993, but the time I spent working on Top Chef Masters was my most continued stay in the city. It really was a reunion with the place. I was there for about 6 weeks, and it was a trip full of wonderful sense memory. I started to explore culinary L.A. on my off days, when I wasn’t working on the show. I was overcome with that same kind of sense I used to have when I lived there, this sort of humbling but inspirational feeling of, 'Whoa, look at all I don’t know!' I’m the editor of Saveur. I’ve written a book about Indonesian food. I’m supposed to know everything, right? But then I go to L.A. and I’m reminded about how wonderfully little I know and how much more there is. It’s a universe, an absolute universe.

LA: Ok, so what were some of your favorite stops while you were here?

JO: I stumbled upon this Filipino turo-turo place one afternoon. It was in some crappy strip mall on Santa Monica maybe, near Vermont? I can’t remember the name, but I parked my rental car, walked in, looked at the food behind the glass and thought, ‘Wow, the food looks wonderful!’ I ordered just a regular turo-turo plate and ate this wonderful, beautiful, complicated food. I had been eating all this amazing food for Top Chef Masters, and I just wanted something soulful and direct, clean and smart.

A couple of days before that, I met a close friend of mine who lives in Silver Lake for a Thai massage on Sunset, right near Tang’s Donuts. Do you want to know a secret? I used to go to that place at 2 a.m. and get jelly donuts and chocolate shakes, alone—it was the most blissful food memory. Anyway, I found out that the lady who gave me a massage was from the Issan region in Northeast Thailand. I love that type of food and you can’t get it in New York at all. So I asked her, “Are there any places, other than your house, where I can get good Issan food?” She turned me on to a few restaurants, and I went to one—again, I can’t remember the name—but it was like being in Issan. Wonderful.

Also, I really enjoyed Suzanne Goin’s Lucques. I had been there before, but wow, what a glorious epiphany. Everything that came out was extraordinary, but the thing that blew me away the most was the basic garden lettuce salad that came out in the beginning, with what was essentially a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing and fresh-snipped chives. To see that kind of intelligence and dedication and sincerity put in to what could have been this plain old salad—wow, she’s really got it going on. I love her.

LA: Ok, so about Top Chef, what was your favorite dish of all the ones we’ve seen so far?

JO: There are a couple, but the one that immediately rises to the surface is Rick Bayless’ tongue taco. He made this very reductive salsa verde with tomatillos and probably a bit of lime juice too, though I couldn’t swear to it. And there was the tongue as well as griddled chorizo and it all made these wonderfully perfect soft tacos. Of all the dishes it was the most pure, intelligent, soulful articulation of really good cooking.

LA: Everything has been so darn friendly so far on the show. Is it ever going to get competitive?

JO: Stick around for the final four episodes. Once they’re working with just the same group of people in the finals, things will really shift.

Worth a giggle: Some of the fit folks looked like they hadn’t touched a carb in years, so the fist-sized lobster rolls that were making the rounds didn’t quite get the love they deserved. I noticed fellas in Rock and Republic jeans and Tommy Bahama shirts were just eating the lobster out of the bun and then 86-ing the bready goodness. There were petite buns scattered everywhere. Don’t be afraid, fellas—eat the bun! It was delicious. Maybe it was the wine or perhaps those crab cakes, but to the gray-haired couple making out in the parking lot while we waited for our cars: I hope I still have that kinda spunk at your age.

I wonder if Kogi has been approached for such a thing. Surely, considering the fact I waited over an hour on Tuesday for three shortrib tacos, this several months after the Kogi craze began, I imagine they could eek out a six-figure sponsorship, easy. Let’s just hope it doesn’t involve some odd corn based tortilla-like product.

Our editor Mary Melton somberly devoured the Orange Julius Shulman on ginger snaps. RIP Julius. And by the way, you’re delicious.

After sampling all the food—sometimes twice—I made the rounds to each and every dessert vendor, collecting Breadworks’ brownies, English toffee from Littlejohn’s, a walnut pastry from T & Y Bakery, nutella crepes from French Crepe Co, and best of all – French toast from Charlie’s Coffee Shop. The toast was crispy on the outside, dusted with powdered sugar, and served alongside a small cup of rich maple syrup, which accidentally spilled over my other desserts. (Note: NOT a problem.)

Celebrations are continuing throughout the week. Check back here and the Farmer’s Market Web site for more info.

PiLAtaste is the brain child of Meg—a personal chef and all-around food lover from Atwater Village—and Heather—a longtime Pilates and yoga instructor based here in L.A. The class is, as the name suggests, a cooking class mixed with some Pilates and yoga instruction. It sounds weird; it isn’t.

Each session begins with one hour of exercise, followed by an hour-long cooking class focused on dishes that are good for you and your taste buds. The grand finale is a sit-down meal where discussion topics range from nutrition and fitness to life, love, and the pursuit of deliciousness.

Why cooking and exercise together? From the PiLAtaste Website:

“With all the environmental, physical and emotional stressors in the world, our bodies need all the defense we can give them against disease and exhaustion. Exercise, meditation and nutrition is no longer a luxury, it is a total necessity. Balancing it all is what piLAtaste uses as a philosophy. …Through piLAtaste we teach people how to cook, eat, and exercise consciously and to enjoy it all from start to finish. It is not just about what you do but how you do it. Greens should be sniffed. Downward Facing Dog should be enjoyed. Tomatoes should be squeezed. Spine Stretch should be cherished. And meals should be shared with someone you love (or at least like). This is in turn nourishes one’s body as well as their relationships.”

The location of each class is sent to you when you sign up. The next one is this Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. They’re currently running a summer special for $37 a session, but I hear it's filling up quick. Visit www.pilataste.com to sign up.

I was a little disappointed by the spartan to-go counter behind the security bars, but when I asked if they had tables I was led to a dark back room with heavy rugs, African statues, and zebra cloth—and then beyond that to a deeper sepulcher with murals of Egyptian pyramids and neighborhood kids, all set up like a classroom facing a bearded, dreadlocked gentleman dressed in an orange dashiki bedecked with pyramids and a golden Ankh hat. Wow. Did I belong here? Did I walk into a religious service where I was the only congregant?

Chef Ken suggested the turkey meatloaf and the holy man, my new best friend Jacinto Rhines Jr., started reciting his latest poem, this one about Michael Jackson. ”What happens to a Music Man when a Music fan loves a Music man more than a Music man loves himself?” Chef Ken quickly returned with collard greens, turnip greens, spinach, meatloaf, cornbread and a delicious yam and mango side that I wanted to bottle up and share with everyone I know.

While I was alone with Jacinto, listening to his stories about community activism and reading one of his beatnik poetry books, the head of a local construction company came in with his big smile and his regular check to keep the non-profit organic café stocked for another month. Maybe it was the megadose of cayenne pepper in the lemonade, or maybe it was singing “Nature Boy” out on MLK with Jacinto, but I felt strangely euphoric for hours afterward.

1st Marathon Mom’s Mushland
1444-1446 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
http://naturalsoulfood.org/

From the release:

The Hatchi series is a new guest chef series showcasing exciting culinary talents and rising star chefs every last Thursday of the month. Hatchi in Japanese means the number “8,” which is also the symbol for infinity. With this theme, each series’ menu will feature eight small plate courses (six savory items and two desserts) priced at $8 per dish. With a menu of infinite creativity and possibilities, each month, guests are invited to enjoy an exclusive one-night–only “performance” and put themselves in the chef’s hands for the evening.

For reservations, call 310-277-3770 or breadbar.net.

Tomorrow is the launch of Café Pinot’s “Locals Night” (aka, happy hour). The theme for the premier dinner is A Taste of the French Riviera, and between 5:30 and 7:30 they’re offering free tapenades with homemade crackers and breads, as well as a discounted menu with Tuna nicoise rillete on a garlic crouton ($5), rosemary chicken open faced sandwich ($5), pomme frites with herbes de Provence and garlic aioli ($5). Cocktails are $7 and assorted beers and wines are $5.

A second location of Sushi “Nazi” Nozawa’s casual sugarFish cafe opens this Friday in Brentwood. The first one, btw, is in Marina Del Rey.

It’s Hollywood Bowl season, and Susan Feniger’s Street is hopping on the picnic bandwagon with an exotic six-course bento box for $25 including a non-alcoholic drink and dessert.

July 14 is a big day for Josiah Citrin’s Mélisse: it’s Bastille Day AND the restaurant’s 10th birthday. To celebrate, they’re offering a four-course tasting menu priced at $100. All month long, they’re reducing their corkage to $10 and offering a massive ten-course tasting menu for $150. Bonus: Folks ordering the ten-course menu will walk out with a $50 gift card for a future visit.

Tomorrow is the last night of the week-long Running of the Bulls celebration at Bar Celona, with all-you-can-eat pallela and all-night happy hour specials, plus DJs and Spanish guitar. Olé!

Manhattan Beach is getting another new spot. Tin Roof Bistro hopes to open in the Manhattan Village Shopping Center on Sepulveda by the end of the month, serving “Amercian fare” by chef Anne Conness (formerly at Napa Valley Grille). On July 24 they’re hosting a grand opening with free, yes free, “sneak preview” meals to folks who represent the “Spirit of Philanthropy.” We’re not sure what that means either, but to make reservations for lunch or dinner that day, call (310) 546-6180.

Full already?

Just to remind you, this is Maynard we’re talking about here—the dude who baa’d like a sheep for 40-or-so minutes at a Church of Scientology show. The man who has gone on stage in a black string bikini, mime makeup, and a curly brown woman’s wig. But sure enough, he also runs a well-respected sustainable wine company in the desert. Who knew?

The event takes place this Saturday, July 11, at Palate in Glendale from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $5. Reservations required. Contact nina@palatefoodwine.com to grab a spot.

There was still a crowd of people waiting to try the different food trucks after the film started. Many paid $15 for a ticket just to access the restaurant row (this does not include the cost of food) and skipped the film all together.

Surprise: There were some mixed reviews on Coolhaus and their architect-inspired ice cream sandwiches. “They were kind of expensive for a tiny and messy ice cream sandwich,” we heard one eater say.

Just outside of MOCA was a line of enterprising food trucks not involved with the Dwell event, but smart enough to come by anyway. The three-week old Marked 5 sold burgers on rice-patty buns with torakku beef and katsu pork. Calibi BBQ offered an extensive menu of Korean tacos and burritos (sound familiar?). Looks like the trend is far from over.

Let the lines begin!

Order line: (323) 297-1130

With Universal CityWalk across the street—essentially, one giant sports bar—we’ll see how this does. Of course, if I could find a reason to avoid Universal Citywalk at any time, I would. And Luna Park has managed to hang in there thanks to some creative gimmicks. (Rotating promotions are always fun, at least. Right now there’s a blue plate special served on, well, a blue plate and an all-chocolate brunch offered on Sundays.) Sounds like we can expect the same here.

Here’s the deal from the PR folks:

“Rather than closing to retool the restaurant, the popular destination on the bustling Abbot Kinney Boulevard (formerly known as AK) will become a transparent culinary case study. As Chef Casey Lane [who comes to us from Clarklewis in Portland] trains staff, implements new and improved kitchen techniques, seeks the freshest fare from the farmer’s market of that day, takes every detail exponentially to the max, and while the space undergoes interior and exterior modifications—the restaurant, The Tasting Kitchen—will remain open.”

So basically, instead of waiting until a successful new restaurant formula is found, we pay money to be a part of restaurant creation in action—the stumbles, pitfalls, lousy dishes, inexperienced waiters, kitchen meltdowns, and all. I sorta get it, but then…I don’t. It’s like Hell’s Kitchen, but we don’t get to be on TV.

The sample menu looks promising, actually. The “process” all starts tomorrow night and will run for eight weeks, at which point they’ll (hopefully) have found their groove and will reopen with a new menu, new look, and new name in the Fall.

Caché, the new project from Mélisse chef Josiah Citrin and chef de cuisine Nyesha Arrington, is slated to officially open this Friday. The restaurant is taking over the space once occupied by Hidden on Main Street in Santa Monica—Hidden was lovely, but had some serious issues (a food expert friend claims she had her credit card number stolen by the bar staff there, just to give you an idea). I'm glad to see the spot is being put to good use.

The menu aims to feature “market-based, contemporary American dishes.” What that means: charcuterie plates, wood-fried calamari, a market wedge salad with blue cheese, egg, and bacon, Scottish salmon with caper-raisins and pine nuts in verjus, hanger steak with Maui onion rings and a chimchurri sauce, Kurobuta pork chop with pineapple chutney, plus a smattering of intriguing veggie sides. There will also be a rotating menu of wood-fired flatbreads and a separate bar/lounge menu that takes full advantage of the “delicious things in cute little mason jars” trend, plus snacks like sliders (really Josiah? Sliders?) and Parmesan truffle fries.

We’ve always wondered why Main Street isn’t more of a foodie strip. While this doesn’t sound like it’s breaking any new ground (Craftbar, Palate, Rustic Canyon, and Westside Tavern all ring a bell), I’d count on Josiah taking this to another level.

Caché
3110 Main St., Santa Monica (310-399-4800).

BLT Steak: A special Fourth-of-July-themed menu including dishes like a grilled watermelon salad, smoked pork spare ribs with peach barbecue sauce, suckling pig with pickled watermelon, summer succotash with grilled corn and fava beans. Desserts include red, white, and blue cupcakes and strawberry shortcake. Order individual dishes a la carte, or pick one app, main, side, and dessert for $60.

Crumbs: The cupcake shop is offering a holiday cupcake—frosted red, white, and blue with a star-shaped sugar cookie on top—with proceeds going to the USO.

Gus’s Barbecue: This is more a catering deal, but if you place your take-out order for the 4th by July 2nd, you’ll get 50% off a bottle of wine to take home.

Nobu West Hollywood: “All-American” inspired menu, including braised Wagyu short ribs with potatoes, smoked Columbia River king salmon, Nobu beer Jidori chicken, grilled baby corn anticucho, and, of course, apple pie a la mode. Available from 6 p.m. to close.

Rush Street: “Independence Day Chicago Style” with hot dogs, grilled lamb lollipops, and spicy glazed ribs, plus all-day specials on domestic beers.

Rustic Canyon: The Santa Monica restaurant is opening early, at 4 p.m., to host a BBQ and Beer Bash featuring a one-night-only menu of classics like slow-cooked BBQ pork ribs, lobster rols, soft shell crab sandwiches, and house-made ice cream. “Beer Chick” Christina Perozzi will be on hand pouring some special, small-batch brews.

LBS: Well Ludo, it’s over. You lost.

Ludo: I’m a little sad it’s over. It was fun, you know?

LBS: Ok, so I have to ask, what’s with the beef between you and Rick Bayless? Was that real?

Ludo: I guess it was real—it was not just for the show, but I think they pushed it a little. They shoot us for 20 hours, and they just take what they want. I really respect Rick, and we have fun together, but I really wanted to beat him. We compete for charity, but still, you want to win! I tried his tacos and, well, it’s tacos, you know? It’s guacamole, potato, and tongue.

LBS: You, of course, made the pig’s ear quesadilla.

Ludo: When I got the pig’s ear, I was excited. I’ve cooked a lot of pig’s ear in France. We do a lot of headcheese and we fry the pig ear. But I was thinking that the best way for me to sell pig’s ear was to do something very common for people, like a quesadilla. It’s street food, you know? And it’s a quesadilla! It’s not complicated. You put in the cheese, the pig’s ear, and chop chop! That’s it. Ça vas.

LBS: Do you wish you had made something else?

Ludo: I would have been happier to do a pig’s ear headcheese thing like we do in France, but there was no time for that. I fought with the judge with the glasses, the Saveur editor [James Oseland]. He said, “Why don’t you do head cheese?” I said, “I’m sorry, but you should know, it takes time to do head cheese!” And for a street food challenge, I don’t know if headcheese is very…street food.

LBS: Did it seem like the public liked it?

Ludo: Yes, they liked it. I didn’t have any quesadilla left! People kept coming back. They don’t show that on TV, of course. I just had four left for the judges because they were the last ones to eat. If I didn’t have enough quesadilla for the judges, can you imagine? Ooh la la!

LBS: You definitely came off as the crazy Frenchman.

Ludo: I know! In the first quick fire, I did the tartare with the red gazpacho with beets and balsamic. The servers came to pick up the dishes and they forgot to put my gazpacho sauce on the plate. So I see the judge start to eat my tartare without the gazpacho and I was freaking out! They don’t show this on TV, but I was screaming at the producer, I was saying, “I’m going to leave the show now if you don’t take my sauce now!” I threatened to walk off the show. “Put my sauce out now, we start again!”

LBS: I recognized that dish by the way. You serve the watermelon with tuna and beets at LudoBites.

Ludo: Ah yes! You noticed. I do like watermelon.

LBS: How was it spending time with the other chefs?

Ludo: It was good for me to speak with Cindy, with Rick, and with Wilo because they have a lot of experience in the restaurant business. I’m still very green, and they’ve all been running restaurants for 20 years. The next time I go to Chicago I am going to see Rick, trust me.

LBS: You can go in and make fun of his quesadilla.

Ludo: Exactly! I cannot wait to go see Rick to teach me how to do a quesadilla. I like when he said, “How does a French guy know how to make a quesadilla?” You know Rick, hello? You’re from Oklahoma! My quesadillas were on the menu at Lavo [in Las Vegas]. I’d sell 100 quesadillas a night, and people loved it. It was the number-one seller!

LBS: Do you cuss that much in your kitchen normally?

Ludo: No. Well, yes, sometimes. Ok, yes. Somebody told me last night that I’m stressed all the time. My wife says yes, I’m stressed all the time in the kitchen. I just care so much.

LBS: I take it from your tweet “I speak English!!” that you didn’t know you were going to be subtitled.

Ludo: Oh my god, when I saw that, I thought, “Oh great.” I could not believe they put subtitles on me! I know I have a little accent. I’m working on that now because people really like me on TV.

LBS: You do, indeed, make great television. The show had been a bit of a snoozer before this episode.

Ludo: Some people have approached me about another show, so we’ll see. The focus now is to decide what I want to do next. LudoBites is over in August. I’m looking for another location now. But don’t worry, I’ll stay in Los Angeles. I’m very happy in my little bakery.

My family and I found ourselves waiting on the sidewalk for almost an hour to get into the Little Tokyo restaurant, a narrow corridor of a space on 1st Street. Any skepticism about the place evaporated one we started slurping our way through bowls of the house ramen. The slices of black pork belly practically dissolve the moment you pop them into your mouth, and the noodles are firm but yielding enough to please purists. What sets the dish apart, though, is the broth, made with pork bones that simmer overnight (as the restaurant’s literature will tell you). Spiked with a boiled egg (marinated long hours, too) and cloudy like miso soup, it gives you a big, warm embrace. It’s filling, too, or else we would have tried something else on the menu. The well-worn downtown branch has an earthy appeal, but Daikokuya has outposts in Monterey Park and Costa Mesa, too, with a Hacienda Heights location in the works.

Daikokuya

327 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213-626-1680)

What we know: They plan to open mid-July, they’ll be open for lunch and dinner, and they’ll feature a “martini hour” (their quotes, not ours). A few early menu items include a citrus dusted grilled shrimp salad with fennel, apple, and juniper berries, an angus burger with applewood bacon, gazpacho with avocado, and lasagna stuffed with mixed mushrooms. So, a total mishmash. Still, I always kinda liked that patio.

More details as they come...

What I really love about this cookbook? The introduction. This book was originally published in 1981, so the intro was likely written while Mr. Puck was in the process of conceptualizing Spago, making it an exciting glimpse into Wolfgang’s future. Today, however, it acts as a reminder that, even 30 years ago, California chefs were talking about the same philosophies they espouse today.

In the intro, Wolfgang writes about “undercooking fish,” using “less butter, “preserving the natural flavors” of ingredients, and emphasizing “creative presentations employing varying food textures and colors.”

A passion for fresh and seasonal foods presented simply in a manner that highlights the products’ natural qualities—rings a bell, doesn’t it? It makes me wonder if California cuisine could be caught in a rut. Then again, maybe we have just established a niche worth sticking to. Regardless, this book is a true classic in the sense that it offers traditional dishes that appeal to modern readers, even 30 years later.

As for the recipes: I recommend the avocado soup. It makes for a lovely summertime lunch in Southern California.

Really L.A. Live??!! You had to go to New York to find decent Mexican? I mean, we get that you need a large, chain operation to fill that grey cavern of a space, but have you heard of El Cholo? Seems they could step up to la plancha. Is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard an Angeleno-turned-New Yorker lamenting the lack of great Mexican back East? I mean really!!

Anisette is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a special Provence-themed cocktail hour menu called L’Aperitif. Monday through Friday from 5-7 p.m., enjoy gougers with smoked salmon or aged gruèyre, pommes frites with a garlic pepper dip, or toasts with black olive tapenade, each available for $5. Four dollars will score you some charcuterie or an ice-cold Kronenbourg or Pilsner Urquell. Wines by the glass are $6 each and cocktails are $7. Better news? While the Provençal focus is temporary for the anniversary, the bar menu concept will stick with a different regional theme for each season. www.anisettebrasserie.com 

Tomorrow night, AMMO continues its Small-Batch Socials series with “Juniper in June.” For $20, taste gins from three different small-batch producers from around the world paired complementary appetizers. www.ammocafe.com

Starting June 23, Corkbar’s Test Kitchen Tuesdays will expand to include three dishes with wine parings for $15. This Friday at 5 p.m., Corkbar will host an Ethan Wines vintage release party with five wines for $19. http://www.corkbar.com/

Upscale Thai restaurant Talesai on Sunset has debuted a massive redo—complete with neon signage—for summer that includes a new dinner menu and delivery service. www.talesai.com

As of Monday, Jamba Juice now offers grab n’ go meals like sandwich wraps and fresh salads in addition to their popular meals-in-a-cup—also called smoothies.

The Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Lounge is inviting guests to spend a day with chef Robert Allen shopping at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, planning a menu, then sharing a multi-course lunch with wine pairings. For $250, let’s hope he’s good company. Due to the market schedule, this special is only available on Wednesdays. www.beverlyhillshotel.com

If you like bottled coffee drinks: POMx, the new iced coffee from L.A.-based POM Wonderful, is making its way into stores this week. We were worried too, but no, the coffee isn’t actually made with pomegranate juice (gross), just an antioxidant-heavy pomegranate extract. And according to this site, it is iced coffee weather.

Pinkberry’s green tea flavor of froyo will be removed from menus in three weeks, according to a company source who preferred to stay anonymous. Two new flavors will be introduced. On the bright side, some (perhaps all) L.A. Pinkberry locations will pass out free servings (not just those paper thimbles) on Friday June 26 from 5 PM to 11 PM.

Alex’s full report:

“We were right in the middle all the madness, but for the
most of the time, it was just people running around screaming. Then people about a block away started fires and tried to tip over cars. (People were even running out onto the 110?!?).

“All that stuff ended up coming down our street at some point. Someone got pulled out of his car by the crowd in front of our building but managed to get away before too long, and a car on the corner was pummeled by the mob, with people jumping up and down on it while the passengers were still in it.

“The riot police did a couple sweeps down our street (classic riot line-up) and during the last time, someone from the scattering crowd threw a trash can through our window, also knocking-down our sign. It should be fixed in the next day or two, but it shook all of us (and our customers) up.”

The crew had to stay put and protect those 800-or-so wines until maintenance arrived to board it up. Go Lakers!

If you didn’t hear, last week the beloved Echo Park Taco Zone taco truck was badly burned due to suspected arson. Luckily they have a spare truck that’s been slinging suadero tacos to the swarms of hip and munchy.

Friday night, Spaceland will be hosting a benefit show with performances by Kenan Bell, Robert Francis, and “Very Special Guests.” From my experience with the Silver Lake venue, “Special Guest” often spells big time star, and considering the A-list acts I’ve spotted devouring a pair of tacos on the Alvarado curbside, I’d expect as much. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Show starts at 8:30.

The new guy has claimed a spot just one block west of Brownstone, and the sign’s already up. Owner Edvin Kadimyan hopes to have the doors open by mid-July, and aims to make the spot “more of a hangout place.” As for the pizza: he promises a Jumbo 28” pie, as well as “East Coast-style” thin crust, and a heartier Sicilian.

Considering his pizzeria will be just a Kalamata olive’s throw from Casa Bianca, Kadimyan is unfettered. “They have really good pizza. I think that since we’ll be aiming at a more organic food menu, yes, it’ll be challenging, but it’ll be great.” Whatever the cut of the Corner Pizzeria slice turns out to be, Eagle Rock residents are going to have one more  pie to pick from soon enough.

Don’t let the name scare you. The event will involve neither marching, nor, let’s hope, death. Instead, a crew of wiener enthusiasts will head to Pinks, then Oki-Dog, then Skooby’s at pre-determined times and decide on the ultimate dog.

There will also be awards—with wieneriffic prizes!—for best costume (you’re encouraged to dress in hot dog theme), and best hot dog haiku (participants can read a frankfurter-inspired haiku aloud, with winners chosen based on applause). To keep you busy while you’re waiting in line for your nacho cheese chili dog, test your knowledge with a few rounds of hot dog trivia. (PS: the average hot dog is consumed in 6.1 bites.)

This is a rowdy crew that takes their themes SERIOUSLY, and they’ve got the T-shirts, hats, and fake tattoos to prove it.

Here’s the schedule:

3 p.m.: Pinks Hot Dogs (709 N. La Brea)

4:30-5 p.m. (estimated): Oki-Dog (860 N. Fairfax)

6:30 p.m. (estimated): Skooby’s (6655 Hollywood Blvd.)

Some final words of encouragement from Lucinda:

“Do you have the guts?! Do you want the glory?! Throw the Pepto in your holster, fling caution & your cholesterol to the wind, and join us! Once more into the bratwurst breach!”

Well if that don’t give you a hankering for a hot dog, nothing will.

Follow them on twitter: http://twitter.com/HDDMLA

Oh heck, while you’re at it, follow me: http://twitter.com/LesleyBS

Alex, via Gourmet Imports (a wholesale subsidiary of Nicole’s Gourmet Foods), does much of the cheese wrangling for spots like Mélisse, Craft, Water Grill, Anisette, Palate, Church & State, and Providence, among others. If you’ve followed his exploits via Hot Knives, you know the man is just as serious about his beer.

Here’s the pairings roundup for Monday:

Hitochino Nest—Doigts De Chevre (surface ripened french goat cheese)
La Merle Saison—Quadrello Di Bufala (washed rind italian water buffalo cheese)
Glazen Toren Tripel—Cana De Oveja (bloomy rinded spanish sheep's milk cheese)
Blue Dot IPA—Azeitao (crazy raw portuguese sheeps milk cheese)
Telegraph Wheat Reserve—St Maure De Tourainne (ash ripened french goat's cheese)
Uncommon Brewer's Siamese Twin Double—Soureliette du Fedou (natural rinded basque sheep's milk)
Telegraph Stock Porter—Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar (one of the best cheddars in the world: from Modesto!)
Allagash Curieux—Roquefort L'Aigle Noir (the best cheese. ever.)

The price tag for this explosion of cheese-beeriness? $35, which includes a $10 coupon for any beers at the store. Bonus!

Call ahead to confirm: 626-403-5751

The Time: 5.00pm

The Place: 921 Meridian Ave Unit B, South Pasadena CA 91803.

Yes, the pours were heavy, and the tastings many. My goal was to try the blanco, reposado, and añejo from each of the seven companies showing off their agave goods. I’ll say it: I failed. With no dump bucket, I was drinking a solid ounce per taste. By the last couple of stations I was weaving my way right to the añejo. Not bad for $15 admission.

The shindig was held in Malo’s new upstairs bar/lounge area, which quickly filled up with tequila aficionados and some, well, beginners. (Overheard: “Wow, Tequila, it’s so strong!”; “Can I get a margarita?”)

Pouring at the event:

4 Copas 100% Organic
Partida
Maestro Dobel
Comisario
Casa Noble
Hacienda de Chihuaha Sotol
Tequila Ocho

I was an instant fan of 4 Copas, aged in American oak. But my favorite sip of the night was from Maestro Dobel. Their “diamond” tequila is a crystal clear blend of reposado, añjeo, and super añejo, and went down smoo-ooth with a finish of banana and walnuts.

Platters of shrimp and beef tacos (love that pickle!) plus chips n’ dips were meant to soak up some of the libations. But at the end of the night we headed downstairs for something a little more solid—and pig like. Carnitas and fried plantains to the rescue.

Fun find: The Los Angeles Tequila Tasting Club, brand new to the area, which holds occasional tasting “meetups” like the one at Malo, as well as seminars and workshops with experts from the California chapter of the Academia Mexicana de Tequila. (Why didn’t my college counselor show me their brochure?)

http://losangelestequila.com/

-Go team! Crumbs Bakeshop (all five of ‘em) will be selling special purple-and-gold-frosted Lakers cupcakes until the end of the NBA finals. Price? $3.75. D-FENSE! www.crumbsbakeshop.com 

-The American Farmland Trust is holding a little contest to select “America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market.” Both the Santa Monica and Hollywood farmers market are in contention. The winners will win, well, the title of America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market, as well as a supply of No Farms No Food® tote bags to distribute to shoppers. Go online to vote. www.farmland.org/vote

-Speaking of farmer’s markets, downtown-based Valerie Confections is debuting a line of cakes, pies, jams, and other sweets called “Valerie at the Market,” which will be sold at area farmers’ markets. All the treats sold will include local, SoCal-grown ingredients. www.valerieconfections.com 

-Hooray! Downtown’s Rowdy Red Wine and Burger Bar can now actually sell red wine. (And liquor!) Thanks ABC.

-The next Ammo “Farm to Table” dinner has been announced. August 2nd, chef/owner Amy Sweeney will pair up with Windrose Farms (we’re big fans of Bill and Barbara Spencer) and Tablas Creek, both from the San Luis Obispo area. Price, $45 a person, and $30 for wine pairings. Call 323-467-3293 for reservations. http://www.ammocafe.com

-Nobu has decided to extend their “recession friendly” menus throughout the summer. From 6-9 p.m., seven nights a week, folks in the lounge can get mixed drinks for $6, wines for $7, martinis for $10, and now “tapas” like like panko encusted scallops, foie gras on crispy soba, and miso marinated grilled Pacific white shrimp
 
-I dub this the summer of the float. The beer float at Golden State has us wondering why we ever bothered with soda. The Larchmont Larder is offering locally made Margo’s Bark root beer floats (proceeds from the root beer go to help shelter dogs) on June 9. And tomorrow, O.C. Sonics (soon coming to L.A.!) will be handing out gratis root beer floats from 8 p.m.-midnight,

As for the dinner: Except for a few media folks and friends of Mick, (some of whom are members of a terrific Stevie Nicks tribute band—wonder if that gets awkward?) the event was open to the public and Mick was a gracious and endearing host, stopping at every table to chat. A yummy menu—chosen by Mick himself—of lamb chops, shrimp and crab cocktail, and filet mignon was paired with three of his terrific wines: a Reisling, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet.  Mick told us all before we started to eat that if we didn’t like anything we had, we could chase him down the road. As you can guess, that didn’t happen.

Chef Michael Wilson’s new menu is made up of traditional tacos, nachos, quesadillas, fajitas, enchiladas, plus mucho tequilas—all the better to sample during Wilson’s new happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4-7, with $2 tacos and $5 margaritas.

Check the new menu here.

Why I heart tacos, here.

“I think we’re getting closer,” I said to Cara, a fellow intern, as we drove down Wilshire Blvd. The buildings and palm trees seemed taller—fancier even, which meant we were headed in the right direction: Rodeo Drive.

When two interns are told on a balmy afternoon about an old fashioned ice cream truck rumored to set up shop in Beverly Hills, they will find it.

And find it we did, parked quietly on Rodeo, across the street from the Roberto Cavalli store near Brighton Way.

The little truck reminded me of the ones that used to drive around my neighborhood when I was a kid. Light blue and small enough to make you wonder if it’s related to a Smart car, the truck was adorable but ignored by most of the Rodeo crowd. Two men in suits walked by without giving it a glance.

Leaning against the truck was a dark-haired man, who told us his name was Mike and was the truck’s owner. Tanned and probably in his mid 40s, Mike told us he’s been selling ice cream on Rodeo for years. He’s usually there on weekday afternoons at different spots along Rodeo.

But why Rodeo?

“I like it here,” he replied quickly, with a shrug of his shoulders. He wouldn’t tell us much more than that.

“I like my privacy,” he said, though he did mention that he’s received many offers to film the out-of-place curbside classic, all of which he’s turned down.

We pressed Mike further, but he wouldn’t open up; he did however, offer us discounted ice cream. I ordered my first Choco Taco ($1). A taco-shaped waffle shell dipped in chocolate and stuffed with vanilla ice cream, it was perfect. Cara picked a SpongeBob SquarePants popsicle with gumball eyes ($1).

In the company of Valentino’s red clad mannequins across the street, we ate our ice cream on a sidewalk bench and did some people watching.

At 4 p.m., girls wearing let’s-go-clubbing dresses strolled by, as did pets on leashes, gaping tourists and men toting shopping bags.

In the shadow of the Salvatore Ferragamo store, we ate our treats in silence. But the quiet was interrupted when I spilled a dollop of vanilla on my shirt.

“So unclassy,” said Cara, before returning her attention to the now one-eyed SpongeBob, melting quickly in her hand.

“My favorite: Mozza in Los Angeles”

Atta boy Al! Thanks for the love.

According to Eater L.A., when Bruni was asked about Mozza’s absence form the list, his response was “Let's just say that I don't think I visited on their best night.” Harumph.

Watch the video here. (It's at the very end.)

The company’s president, Minott Wessinger, is trying to change the perception that absinthe is purely a novelty drink. Despite being legalized in the U.S. since 2007, absinthe still retains an aura of mystery. Some are wary due to myths that the herbal beverage (a neutral alcohol infused with fennel, anise and wormwood) can cause terrors (hence the “torment”). Wessinger claims the spirit’s hallucinogenic properties stem from old rumors, and asserts that his absinthe evokes a pleasant “mellow up.” We’ll see about that.

Purists contend that the liquor should only be served louched—or clouded—by mixing with water that’s dripped slowly over a sugar cube, teetering over a slotted spoon. But Steve Livingi, lead mixologist at The Doheny, begs to differ. Last night, he served Le Tourment Vert in eight different cocktails, which were then paired with dishes prepared by Richter’s catering company.

A successful duo: Lobster Le Tourment Vert bisque with dill and anise and ‘The Southside Parisienne,’ Le Tourment Vert, gin, lemon, mint, cointreau, and champagne. Delightful, if not a tad overcomplicated. When it comes to pairing absinthe with food, I believe that the simpler the better. Oysters, for example, would be a perfect compliment to the liquor’s delicate fennel and anise flavors.

All in all, due perhaps to Livingi’s spectacular wizardry, I’m sold: Absinthe belongs on more cocktail lists. Heck, Stefan’s favorite, Diet Coke and Le Tourment Vert, could quickly trump Red Bull and vodka in the club.

Best cocktail of the evening: The Up and Up (pictured).

1 ounce of reposado tequila
1 ounce of Le Tourment Vert
¾ ounce of lime
¾ ounce of lemon
1 bar spoon of Rose Water.

It’s perfumy bliss with a little kick.

The Spectacle of French Cuisine, From Renaissance to Revolution
Join chefs and museum educators Maite Gomez-Rejon and Nancy Real in an exploration of French culinary traditions. Participants tour the Getty collections, prepare a meal during a hands-on cooking session using historic recipes and enjoy a class lunch together. Complements the exhibitions Cast in Bronze: French Sculpture from Renaissance to
Revolution and Capturing Nature's Beauty: Three Centuries of French Landscapes.

Where: The Getty Center
Course fee: $75
July 30 & August 13
10:30am-2pm

The Pleasure of Empire: Food and Cooking in Ancient Rome
Explore the culinary pleasures of the Roman Empire in a lecture and
tasting with historian Andrew Dalby and chef Sally Grainger, authors of
The Classical Cookbook. Dalby surveys the tastes and aromas of ancient
Rome, where ingredients were drawn from every province of the empire and
shipped at great cost over land and sea. Grainger shares her research on
the Roman recipe text Apicius and its remarkable survival from
antiquity. A tasting of delicacies from Apicius, as well as other
classical sources, follows.

Where: The Getty Villa
Tickets: $35
July 23, 7pm
July 25, 5pm

Wines of the Black Sea
Ancient wine-making traditions began along the Black Sea, and modern
Georgia is the source of delicious wines that hark back to antiquity.
Wine expert Barbara Baxter leads a tasting experience of Georgian wines.
Participants will tour the special exhibition The Golden Graves of
Vani.

Where: The Getty Villa Course fee: $90
July 24, July 25, & July 26
11am-2pm

Tony told me he and Curtis came up with the idea for the place after the two noticed a dearth of the kind of barbecue spots they craved in Los Angeles, and given that both have experience in both musical and culinary arenas—Tony started the Endless Summer taco truck in Williamsburg and co-ran the Tee Pee Records music label; North Carolina native Curtis used to front the band Bad Wizard—opening a spot that combined the two seemed like a wise move.

Tony says he hopes Territory will become a neighborhood a hang-out, not unlike the auto body shop in Newark, New Jersey, that his father once ran—“There was always a revolving cast of characters there,” he told me. The location, on a somewhat desolate stretch of Hoover south of Melrose, isn’t the most obvious (there’s not much foot traffic), but evidently Tony has a nose for real estate as well as smoked meat: “I think this whole stretch is gonna be the next big thing.”

The taste? INEDIT is described as being slightly cloudy, with “acidic, sweet and sour flavors.” As of today, you can try it yourself at the Bazaar at SLS, La Loggia in Studio City, and Café Sevilla in Long Beach. Though I also hear they’re going to be selling it at BevMo and, of all places, Albertsons. Slumming it indeed, Andria.

Here are some of my favorites:

Saturday Night at the Fish Fry by Louis Jordan
Pork Chop Stomp by Grady Martin
I Love My Fruit by Sweet Violet Boys
Soggy Cereal by Mike Condello
Disco Tossed Salad by Overnight Band
RC Cola and Moon Pie by NRBQ
Freezepop Forever by Freezepop
Life is a Minestrone by 10cc
Maximum Consumption by The Kinks

-Diana Jou

Not wanting to appear 20th century with their vodka-flavored vodka, Belvedere is off in hot pursuit, unveiling a new flavor once a month under the full moon on the rooftop of the Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills in a series they're calling Claire De Lune.

Invitees were asked to wear a splash of red to commemorate May's new flavor, Belvedere Black Raspberry. Mixed with a healthy portion of cranberry juice, the new vodka tasted a bit like a cocktail by Ocean Spray rather than an alcoholic concoction. Reason enough to have a second, I'd say.

Local artist Gary Baseman stopped by. Reportedly, so did singer Lilly Allen. But it was Dennis Quaid who—with his rugged good looks and Traffic­ cred—rode the elevator to the rooftop like a man just looking to spend a peaceful night under the stars, made the night. You can’t buy that kind of hip.

Photograph by Forest Casey

Perhaps more interesting than the actual vodka: the online infomercial, hosted by Aykroyd himself. The former SNL star spends the first 5 minutes of the 8 minute ad talking abut his all-too-real belief in alien and supernatural phenomena, and the importance of contemplating the alien world in our daily lives. Joke? You decide. When the vodka itself is finally mentioned (around, oh, minute six), it turns out its triple distilled (through diamonds, no less). Aykroyd sums it up well: "This is a luxury vodka, in a cool bottle."

Gimmick or not, the bottle is gorgeous. Bigger surprise: the vodka is darn good, with a subtle nuttiness and hints of vanilla. It’s tasty enough for sipping, but mild enough for mixed drinks. Crystal Head Vodka: $50 a bottle. Drinking out of a comedien-endorsed reproduction of a mythical alien head: priceless.

The BOA Steakhouses in Santa Monica and West Hollywood will be offering a Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch. If the champagne isn’t enough to entice you, then maybe the BOA eggs benedict with shaved forest black ham or the bananas foster French toast will. 

Come to Sunday brunch at Ortolan and enjoy the food that earned this restaurant a Michelin star. Nothing says “I love you, Mom” better than appetizers like sea urchin cream with mussels and spring vegetables and main courses like lamb confit. Drive the message home with a chocolate soufflé. 11 a.m.-4p.m. 

If you can’t make it to Fraiche in Culver City for a brunch that includes crab benedict and strawberry shortcake, then come for dinner, where a $45, four-course prix fixe menu awaits you. Dinner includes such adventurous options as monkfish and quail.

Riva has lots of Mother’s Day specials. For brunch, you can have a braised short rib hash, and for dinner, you can try baby pig in porchetta, and if you can’t see your picky little one choosing from these options, Riva has provided a kid’s menu, which features dishes like roasted ham and roasted potatoes—a consistent plate for a choosy child.

Go to any of the three Katsuya locations for brunch and enjoy Japanese cuisine alongside—yes, bottomless mimosas.

Need to narrow down your choices? Morton’s The Steakhouse set up a Mother’s Day prix fixe menu to help you pick a plate. $59 gets you three courses, which of course includes (but is not limited to) a delicious steak.

When Chef Roberto was putting together his Mother’s Day Feast menu for Lago in Santa Monica, he looked back to his childhood. The result is a meal that is an ode to his mother’s home-cooked Italian meals with a contemporary flair. Don’t worry about catching this Festa Della Mamma menu just on Mother's Day; you can enjoy dishes like giant calamari stuffed with market bell pepper risotto and lemon-thyme foam 'til Friday.

$50 at Saddle Peak Lodge will get you a three-course brunch with classics like brioche French toast, or unexpected surprises like seared ahi tuna salad with baby greens and candied Meyer lemon. There will also be a children’s menu. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Photograph courtesy of flickr/jay.tong

 Photographs courtesy of Vince Bucci/BUCCI PHOTOS

Q: What is the concept behind Coolhaus?
A: Well, both of us love architecture, design and food so the idea is to combine it all together. Our philosophy is to make Coolhaus fun and sustainable. We use natural ingredients to make our ice cream and use edible wrapping paper to reduce waste.

Q: Why architecture?
A: Coolhaus actually started off as Natasha’s graduate architecture thesis project. The project was about connecting the experience of eating to the space around us and making food fun again.

Q: What can we look forward to this summer?

A: We have a new partner with Sci-Arc grad student, Carrie Foster, who is the new director of experience. She will help with us revamp the truck with exciting possibilities such as making it run on ethanol, using solar energy, having a fold-down bar, and a portable patio set-up for people to hang out. We are also working on new ice cream sandwiches to debut in June, so get ready!

Salud!

Photograph courtesy of flickr/stu_spivack

Well, we did the research for 101 Cheap Eats in our May issue, and we respectfully disagree.

In fact—to answer all your calls and emails—the burger featured on our May cover was created exclusively for Los Angeles magazine, but it was inspired by the burger at 8 Oz. Burger Bar on Melrose Ave.

A burger worth picking up the phone and logging online to find? That deserves a whole other title.

The real scoop: They’re serving Cefiore frozen yogurt. The frozen yogurt chain—with storefronts in Little Tokyo, Hollywood, and Arcadia—is of the Pinkberry vein, but I find the yogurt a little smoother, less icy. Plus, more flavors like blood orange, acerola cherry, and acai berry. With the weather heating up, and the closest Yogurtland just beyond walking distance, this’ll more than do.

I have been attending/judging this bizarre grilled cheese cooking competition since the, er, 3rd 2nd annual, when it was held in a little warehouse in the artists district. Back then, judges lined up to taste what was maybe 30-or-so different grilled cheese sandwiches while scantily clad women passed out vodka-soaked pickles and a 20-foot torch was used as a cooking device. How things change…

Last year’s event—sponsored by Kraft (as is this year’s)—took over Griffith Park and starred pros like Eric Greenspan of the Foundry competing alongside hundreds of soccer moms and burning man alulms. The biggest drag from the 1st 6th annual? No booze. This year features a full beer and wine garden courtesy of the stellar Lagunitas brewery and Trinchero Family Estates winery, with proceeds benefiting Black Rock Solar, a non-profit aiming to curb climate change.

This will be the year that my dear friends and Digest blog contributors Hot Knives won’t be competing. (Winning gets old, I suppose.) But they will be there giving a grilled cheese presentation and and acting as celebrity (?) judges.

Admission to taste/judge is $5. But if you hope to be able to yell “I am a f@#king grilled cheese champion™!”, the competition fee is $10, and registration is still open.

Hope to see you there.

Bread, Butter, Cheese, Victory!

Los Angeles State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

When British socialite Tamsin Lonsdale invited me to join a dinner for The Supper Club—the roving private dining club she runs branches of in New York and London and has recently imported in L.A. and whom I’ve written about before—I took pause. Maybe it was the concept of breaking bread with strangers that didn’t exactly appeal to me. But, when I learned that the 21 strangers would include a Scottish singer-songwriter (Darius Danesh), a famous actress (Natasha Henstridge), a renowned party planner (Lulu Powers), a pro volleyball player (Amanda Kamm), a young heiress (Jennifer Missoni) and an artist whose work I love (Ryan Heshka), my arm was sufficiently twisted. Above, a still from Wednesday night's event, held at Cecconi's restaurant in West Hollywood.

Photograph by Erik Neldner

In this corner, you’ve got “the old dinosaurs” which are Coors, Budweiser, Miller. In the other, there’s everyone else—the small guys trying to get good beer out there to the American public. At least that’s how the film frames it. It is, shall we say, a limited release, but loads of beer big wigs make appearances, including Jim Koch of Sam Adam’s, Todd Alstrom of BeerAdvocate, and Greg Koch, founder of San Diego’s Stone Brewing Company—the only California brewery featured, a far as I can tell from the trailer. We’re lucky to have a good half a dozen or so theaters screening the film. Check here to see where. Click here for the trailer.

Celebrate the flick with a beer float at Golden State. Someone tell me why I haven’t had this yet? A scoop of Scoops brown bread-flavor gelato bobbing in a pint of Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. Y.U.M.

-Crispy stuffed morels with Red Darla, a Washington cow’s milk cheese.

-Roasted baby beets with California sheep’s milk ricotta, pistachios, and mint.

-Purple Haze goat cheese ravioli with brown butter and hazelnuts

-Braised Niman Ranch short rib gratin with celery root puree and Rogue River blue-
-Brown sugar and California crème fraiche trifle with farmer’s market berries

Call 310-393-7050 for reservations. Can’t wait till Monday? Head to Andrew’s Grilled Cheese and Beer night on Sunday, April 19.

Here are a few teaser menu items, with a full menu available soon!

Appetizers: Garlic Turmeric Chips, Vietnamese Imperial Rolls.
Soups and Noodles: Vegetarian Spice Lemongrass Noodle Soup, Grandpa's Porridge.
Rice dishes: Braised Pork, Caramelized Leek and Daikon
Frittata.
Savory Pies: Lemongrass Curry (chicken and veggie), Beef or
Tofu Stew.
Kid's Menu (how cute!): Curry Pies, Pint Size Pho, and
Milk and Baguettes.

A little history: Tran’s family founded Pho 79—one of Orange County’s first Vietnamese restaurants and still often hailed as the area’s best.

Good Girl Dinette opens Friday.

Serious Eater and native Chicagoan Daniel Zemans made it his mission to conquer the
world of Los Angeles food. Serious Eats has his full—and very thorough—report. Some highs, some lows, some newbie oversights. (No Scoops, but Mashti Malones?) Check it out here!

Also, the New York Times has a great piece about wine on tap which prominently features the Father's Office's Sang Yoon—who pretty much came up with the idea. Way to go Sang.

La Cachette

10506 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.
310-470-4992 or lacachetterestaurant.com
Wed. April 8-Thurs. April 9

$60 per person (food only)
Please request this menu when making your reservation

Matzo Ball Soup
~
Gefilte Fish served with House Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Cream
~
Organic Sonoma Leg of Lamb served with Flageolet Beans & Garlic Jus
~
Assortment of Sorbet served with Fresh Fruits

***

Akasha

9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City
310-845-1700 or akasharestaurant.com
Dinner Wed., April 8; Lunch-Dinner Thurs. April 9-Fri. April 10; Lunch Sat. April 11.

Passover specials a la carte - prices vary

"The Red Sea" Cocktail
~
Tuscan style chopped liver or vegetarian "chopped liver"
~
Hand-crafted tunisian fish balls / tomato-shallot sauce
Wild arugula & herb salad / pine nuts / olive oil / meyer lemon zest
Housemade white & beet horseradish / harmers market date & almond haroset
~
Organic chicken soup
Matzo balls / fresh dill / flat leaf parsley
~
Honey glazed Rosie chicken / dried apricots / cherries
Weiser fingerling potato leek fritters / spicy tomato jam
Heirloom carrots / sugar snap peas
~
Six-hour braised moroccan brisket / dried prunes / cipollini onions
Weiser fingerling potato leek fritters / spicy tomato jam
Grilled asparagus / purple haze carrots
~
Vegetable matzo ball soup
~
Potato leek fritters / spicy tomato jam
Wild arugula & herb salad / pine nuts / olive oil / meyer lemon zest
~
Eggplant matzo mina / goat cheese / tomato sauce
Grilled asparagus / purple haze carrots / baby spinach & roasted garlic
~
Lemon pine nut torte / lemon curd / toasted meringue / farmers market berries
~
Coconut macaroons / dark chocolate brownies
Matzo toffee crunch / toasted almonds / mexican sea salt

***

Jar

8225 Beverly Blvd., L.A.
323-655-6566 or thejar.com
Wed. April 8, 2009

Adults $120, Children (12 and under) $55
Includes tax, gratuity, wine, coffee, or tea

Assorted Tray Pass Hors D'oeuvres :
English Pea Purée
Homemade Chopped Liver
Cured Salmon and crisp potato pancake
~
Matzo ball soup, lemongrass broth, spring vegetables
~
Haricot vert, with chanterelle mushrooms
~
Choice of :
Braised lamb shank, roasted spring vegetables
Sautéed halibut, English peas, horseradish mashed potatoes
~
Assorted Macaroons
Dessert Platter

***

Angeli Caffe

7274 Melrose Ave., L.A.

323-936-9086 or angelicaffe.com

Thurs, April 9

$40 per person
Reservations: Call Angeli at 323 936 9086.

Long Cooked Eggs tinted with Onion Skins
Haroset of Dates, Oranges, Raisins, Nuts,Spices - Romaine
~
Leek Croquettes
~
Pesce en Carpione
Sauteed White Fish marinated w/caramelized onions in a mustard-champagne vinaigrette
~
Chicken Soup w/Chicken Dumplings and Matzo Balls
~
Evan's Pot Roast
~
Pollo Arrosto
Garlic, rosemary, lemon chicken
~
Tortino di Azzime
a "mazzagna" of vegetables, and fresh tomato-basil sauce
~
Cianfotta
Stew of leeks, peas, asparagus, artichokes, tender lettuce, mint
~
Parsley, Radicchio, and Napa Cabbage Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
~
Flourless Chocolate Cake (has dairy)
Apple Crisp with Matzo-Cinnamon Topping

***

Spago

176 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills
310-385-0880 or wolfgangpuck.com
April 9, 2009

Adults $175, Children (9 and under) $80; proceeds benefit Mazon, the Jewish Response to Hunger

SAMPLE MENU:

Spago's Famous Shallot & Thyme Matzo
~
Gefilte Fish of Whitefish, Pike and Carp
with Fresh Herbs & Spices, Homemade Red & White Horseradish
~
Spago Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Judy Gethers' Matzo Balls
~
Wild Salmon with Ginger-Almond Crust
&
Braised Beef Short Rib "Flanken"
~
Vegetable Ratatouille & Carrot Purée
~
Torte Au Citron - Lemon Pudding Cake
New York Cheesecake with Chino Ranch Strawberries
12 Layer Chocolate Dobos Torte
Passover Puffs with Chocolate Sauce
Wild Berry Sorbet with Farmers' Market Berries
Macaroons, Macaroons, a Menagerie of Macaroons
~
Hagafen Cellars Chardonnay 2006
Hagafen Cellars Pinot Noir 2005

With David Beckham on loan to a soccer team in Milan, it’s up to these two high school girls from Santa Monica to make the season’s most thrilling kick! Will they score a goal through Randy’s Donuts? Will they score through the concrete-filled, 32 1/2 foot tall roadside icon in Inglewood? Or will the ball end up on the 405? Watch to find out.

Over lunch at Bloom Café on Pico Blvd., Lonsdale explained the concept, which is something like Skull and Bones as imagined by Vogue: a mash-up of beautiful people hand-picked by her convene for intimate events (mostly dinners) three or four times a month at first-rate venues to exchange bon mots and business cards. Lonsdale—an eccentric gap-toothed blonde former stylist in Aviators and feather earrings—only relocated to L.A. last month, but has already staged dinners at the Mondrian, Chateau Marmont, Sunset Tower and Shangri-La hotels, and plans are in the works for more unexpected events, like a Malibu picnic and a black tie party at Pink’s Hot Dogs.

We’d call it exclusive, but that would be the understatement of the century: applicants must be referred by two current members, then pass muster with Lonsdale herself. (Yes, there’s an interview, and only a fraction of those who apply actually get in.) Only then can they shell out $2,000 a year to mingle with her rotating guest list of movers and shakers at an unlimited number of events. “For me, it’s about sitting next to someone and not even knowing what they do,” says Lonsdale. In a town where  “what can you do for me?” is a constant, if unspoken, refrain, that philosophy is strangely refreshing, though it’s hard to imagine how it would apply to Natasha Henstridge and Lulu De Kwiatkowski—two guests at recent L.A. dinners.

Baba Ghanouj
4276 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807
(562) 424-4567

What does this translate to at area restaurants? While I had hoped the folks at M Café would be left groping for macrobiotic tempeh bowls in total darkness, the truth is far more romantic. For one hour, a couple dozen restaurants citywide will be offering dining by candlelight—which to me seems like a nice option any old evening (or kinda spooky, depending on where you’re eating.)

A few spots are even doing special “Earth Hour” menus, like Ciudad and Border Grill, who are both featuring “Good for You, Good for the Planet” dishes. At Border Grill: Border vegetables with cucumber quinoa salad, sweet creamed corn, caramelized onions, braised fennel, spiced squash, sauteed mushrooms, and black beans. At Ciudad: Roasted poblano chile relleno stuffed with potato rajas and cotija cheese on a bed of quinoa salad and a trio of salsas.

La Cachette will be pouring their new Tru Organic cocktails. For every one you drink, a tree will be planted. (Man, have they thought about introducing this on the Sunset Strip? The entire Amazon rainforest could be replanted in a month).

Among the other participants are all the Chaya restaurants, Melograno, Tracht’s, SiLa Bistro, and more. For a complete list of participants (Look kids, it’s Janeane Garofolo!) visit www.earthhourus.org/losangeles.

Turns out: nope. The reference is, in fact, as obvious as it seems. Adolfo Suaya, the money bags behind hotspots like Geisha House, envisioned the restaurant, which opens tonight, to be more cozy, more casual, and a lot more ‘eclectic clutter chic.’ (Raggedy Ann dolls!). Luckily, Suaya also envisioned it to be a lot more beer-forward. And for that, we have to hand it to him.

Actually, let’s hand it to beer sommelier Ryan Sweeney, co-owner of the Verdugo Bar in Glassell Park. BoHo brought Sweeney in early as a beer consultant (and hired his Verdugo co-founder, Brendan, to design the sparkling tap system that juts out in a glass house on the way to the little boys’ room).

If the small plates menu by chef Andre Guerrero (Oinkster) seems a little standard for the “bohemian” moniker, it’s the opposite with the beers. Nestled in the heart of the restaurant, the box-shaped pub bar offers more than 20 taps. Perched on a padded stool, you can take in the entire dining room. There, in the dead center, is the tap line-up.

As with Sweeny’s own Verdugo bar, the taps at BoHo are all subject to change—but that’s a good thing. “Pure rotation” means no capitulations and no fallback beers. If a brew is super-seasonal, new or limited release, rotational bars can swoop in and grab them.

On our sneak-peak visit, the lower octane beers were mostly oldies but goodies—ales like Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar and Deans Bros’ ESB. But the hop-happy beers prevailed, a smart pairing for the bubble-crusted pizzas and farmers market salads.

Moylan’s Harvest is a real find. Created by accident (both brewers hopped the same batch), this isthe only place in L.A. pouring it. But personally, all I want to drink this month is cool goblets of dry-hopped Old Guardian. Stone Brewing’s classic barley-wine beer has never tasted better.

When it comes to dark, end-of-winter beers, don’t bother asking for Guinness. Order up a Speedway Stout, the reigning California imperial stout chalk full of enough coffee beans to keep you awake for the 10:30 p.m. showing at the Arclight next door.

Beer freaks lookout, Sweeney has some insane kegs “on deck.” Next month, if you’re in line for some Amoeba in-store, I’ll wave from the bar sipping Collaboration Not Litigation, the state’s best Belgian strong ale you’ve never seen at a bar.

Evan George is a contributing writer to Los Angeles Magazine and one of the two beer geeks behind the vegetarian cooking and brew review blog “Hot Knives.”

By Alexandra Ilyashov

Dinner at The Hungry Cat can be washed down with a Kumquatini or a Greyhound Proper, but if you’re looking for a Diet Coke, you’ll have to BYO. Instead, soda fiends can accompany those tangy oysters and whatever chorizo-addled dish is currently on the menu (it’s mussels at the moment, FYI) with something retro and a lot tastier: sodas that contain cane sugar in lieu of high-fructose corn syrup—usually imported from south of the border.

It would be easy to mistake the dearth of Diet Coke as a pretentious snub of mainstream colas. But after a couple sips of the $4, cinnamon-touched, glass-bottled Coke imported from Mexico, the decision to eschew chemical-filled, corn syrupy sludge becomes clear: It just tastes better. “It might remind you of what Coke tasted like as a kid,” explains Hungry Cat general manager Tim Staehling.

Restaurants all over town are becoming soda purists. At the mid-Wilshire patty joint Umami Burger, they’ve been selling 700 bottles of cane sugar-sweetened sodas a week since opening its doors a month ago. “The reaction has been just unbelievable,” says owner Adam Fleischman. “If people are eating high-end hamburgers, they should be drinking a soda that tastes equally as good.”

Locally, most of these sodas come courtesy of Gardena-based importer/distributor Real Soda in Real Bottles, which also counts Pink’s Hot Dogs, Mozza, Il Sole, and 400 home delivery customers among its growing clientele. The company carries 1,600 varieties of soda, all of which come in the hefty glass bottles that purportedly help to achieve the ideal ratio of flavor to carbonation.

Soda company bigwigs are taking notice of the trend. Next month, Pepsi plans to roll out throwback versions of its namesake cola and Mountain Dew that contain—yep—cane sugar. The limited edition drinks will be available April 20 through June 13. Historically, soda snobs have been known to raid supermarket shelves this time of year for seasonal, “Kosher for Passover” Coke made with real sugar. (Corn syrup is off-limit to observant Jews during the weeklong holiday).

The rest of the year, finding a cane-sugar soda is doable—just head to The Refresher at the Farmer’s Market, Galco’s Soda Pop Shop in Glendale, or to a smattering of bodegas around the city. Since 2007, Jones Soda Co. has been bottling Pure Cane Soda in classic flavors like Root Beer and Cola, as well as kitschier options such as Fufu Berry and Crushed Melon. Whole Foods has also gotten in on the action with its organic house brand of sodas sans corn syrup. But a word of caution for Costco and Sam’s Club shoppers: the “real sugar” colas found at these bulk warehouses sometimes contain a mixture of cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, so don’t expect the same flavor you’d get with the Mexican varieties.

As for satiating the calorie-counting masses, the folks at Hungry Cat are still on the lookout for a suitable diet option. “We tried a Diet Coke imported from the Netherlands for a while, but we weren’t crazy about it,” Staehling says. “Usually people are cool with it, and we have one regular customer who brings her own.”

-story by Alexandra Ilyashov

SAT, MARCH 14

The Standard Hollywood
8300 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood
323-650-9090 or www.standardhotels.com

What: “Kiss Me I’m Cool”
Special St Patrick’s day cocktails including the “Irish Car Bomb” (does that really require quotes?) plus a ping pong tournament from 12 p.m.–5 p.m. where there will be champagne for the winner and free shots for tournament participants until 5 p.m. No cover.

TUES, MARCH 17

Breadbar Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City
310-277-3770 or www.breadbar.net
What: “Kiss Me I’m French”
Special four-course St. Patty’s Menu for $17 ($14 sans beer)
1. Split Pea Soup
2. Asparagus salad with herbed vinaigrette
3. Beer-braised brisket sliders
4. Green tea cupcakes
5. An artisanal stout (beer)
Plus, all beers are $1 off all day on Tuesday, and the bakery is offering pistachio-green, almond butter cakes called GREEN Wall Streets ($4.95 a bag).

Rush Street
9546 Washington Blvd., Culver City
310-837-9546 or www.rushstreetculvercity.com
What: Green beer, Irish Car Bombs, Irish coffee, “Shamrock Shots,” green beer pong on the deck, Pole Room “Fun” (whatever that means), plus Irish food like corned beef hash and cabbage sliders and a traditional Irish potato stew.

MARCH 13-17

Paciugo Gelato Caffe
1034 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach
310-379-2525
What: Special St. Patty’s flavors including Guinness, Irish coffee, and baileys, plus standard green flavors like mint chocolate chip, pistachio, green tea, and green apple sorbet.

Sprinkles Cupcakes
9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills
310-274-8765 or www.sprinkles.com
What: For the first time ever, Sprinkles is dying their famous red velvet cupcake green and topping the cream cheese frosting with one of their signature green dots.

MARCH 16-17

Yard House
www.theyardhouse.com
(All 12 Southern California locations are participating)
What: Irish menu including Corned beef brisket, shepherd’s pie, grilled corned beef sandwich, plus green-colored Coors Light and Pyramid Hefeweisen

ALL MONTH

Sila Bistro
2630 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake
323-664-7979 or www.sila-bistro.com
What: Saint Patty’s Day/Month Menu courtesy of the Irish owners including Irish stew, Lake Superior white fish, corned beef, and Lost Coast 8 Ball Stout

As for traditional pubs around town, Citysearch has a more-than-decent list of pint-worthy places.

According to Alex: “We will specialize in the rarer beers, having about 15 taps and a sizable bottle list, as well as a full kitchen featuring plates designed to pair nicely with our beers and wines.”

You’ll still find Macy hosting the occasional beer tasting night over at Red Carpet. BottleRock looks on point to open later this month.

(Seriously, though, thanks Eddie!)

:)

-photo: Eric Shin

What goes on the menu in Vegas, stays on the menu in Vegas. “I don’t want to use tomatoes in December,” says Lefebvre. He hopes to have LudoBites, “a little bistro where you have good food,” up and running again at the Breadbar on Third Street by mid-May. This is a relief for his wife Krissy, a lawyer, who has been communting to LV on weekends, and moved into a one-bedroom spot in Manhattan Beach so they could rent out their home in the Valley. “I want my husband back,” she says.

            In its first incarnation, in the winter of 2007, LudoBites’ menu of small plates rendered critics and the hoi polloi—those who could snag a seat—rhapsodic. The collision of Lefebvre’s classical training and an indefatigable zest for experimentation led to dishes like brocomole (guac without the avocado), miso soup with foie gras, skirt steak marinated in Coke, panna cotta with caviar. The Beverly Hills Cheese shop a partner in the endeavor (as they will be again), provided all manner of lacto-delectables, from the raw milk Epoisse for a cheese plate to the goat cheese Lefebvre made a mousse of and popped atop his beet gazpacho. The prices were right, there was no corkage fee, and reservations were nearly impossible to get. We’ll expect the same this time around —although Krissy says there will be a minimal corkage fee, “maybe $5,” to cover set-up costs. “With the economy, this is a good time for LudoBites,” says Ludo. “I call it bistronomics.”

            As you’ll remember, Ludo initially made a name for himself at L’Orangerie (moment of silence) before going wild at Bastide (after Alain Giraud, before Walter Manzke). Between those two stints, he came out with Crave: The Feast of the Five Senses, a cookbook co-written by Martin Booe which some bought for the recipes, others for photos like the one of a shirtless ab-happy Ludo emerging from the surf hoisting a  brace of enormous fish.  In the fall of 2007, he co-opted the nighttime kitchen at Breadbar and began cooking his heart out in a global tapas vein.

During his Vegas year, Ludo says his cooking has changed: “I’m still a technique guy, but more simple. I go to the essence. If you order a snapper, I will put the emphasis on the taste of the snapper, and not put too many flavors on it.” His French accent has not diminished on the road to culinary simplicity, and snapper sounds considerably more exotic, possibly divine, when pronounced snaipuhr.

Rumors that Lefebvre is a contestant in Bravo’s new spinoff, Top Chef Masters—think Top Chef with established top toques and without Tom Colicchio— are unconfirmed. We can only say that a flurry of folks in chef whites being trailed by a TV crew were spotted in a local Whole Foods and Ludo was in the mix. Krissy knows from reality TV; she was one of the Donald’s proto-employees on The Apprentice.

Lefebvre will be back in town in a couple of weeks and revving up for LudoBites, which will run five nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday. He’ll have a kitchen staff of three—down from 25 in LV. “I want my freedom,” he says. “This is going to be a lot of fun.” For all of us.

One new detail: The spot—formerly the Dive—will feature an outdoor fire pit and a late night menu of small plates and “exotic hangover dishes” aimed at attracting the Hollywood club set. Susan has been posting all sorts of fun tidbits on the Street Web site including an original web series called “Street Noise” detailing all the pre-opening goings-on. They’re still boasting a few invite-only tastings prior to the debut. Enter online for a chance to be one of the 10 anybodies to attend.

Start your morning fresh with a free stack o’ pancakes, and finish it with a trio of absinthe cocktails and Oysters Rockefeller…made with absinthe. Take that, stomach!

From 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. this Tuesday, participating IHOPs nationwide will give everyone a short stack of pancakes at no charge in honor of National Pancake Day. According to IHOP’s Web site: “All we ask is that you consider making a donation to support local children’s hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network or other local charities.” Last year, the chain raised more than $875,000—and made a whole lot of people late to work.

Also on Tuesday, Morton’s The Steakhouse in Beverly Hills is hosting “Absinthe, the Green Hour,” a Pernod Absinthe tasting event. For $45 a person including tax and gratuity, diners can try three Pernod Absinthe cocktails complete with drawn out, ice-water-sugar-cube ritual, not to mention Oysters Rockefeller made with absinthe, crab-stuffed mushrooms, sliced tenderloin on crostini, and Morton’s mini cheeseburgers. Worried the taste of absinthe and oysters might turn YOU green? Not to worry: a Pernod expert will be on hand to guide you through the tasting. The whole shebang starts at 6 p.m.

Morton's Beverly Hills

435 S. LaCienega Blvd.

310-246-1501

Even better? The Korean-inspired cocktails whipped up by the Doheny’s barstaff. The bar’s GM and top mixologists headed to Koreatown yesterday afternoon to scoop up ingredients like nori, tapioca pearls, Botan rice candy, black sesame seeds, and red chili peppers to create a menu of Asian-inspired cocktails that, frankly, rocked my world. My favorite: the ginger margarita made with reposado tequila, Domaine de Canton, and strips of nori for garnish. The sharp ginger, smoky tequila, and briny seaweed made for a serious taste explosion. Also good, the Red Fairy made up of fresh raspberries, vodka, and a touch of Le Tourment Vert absinthe.

All worked surprisingly well with the Kogi contributions. Sipping a $12 custom cocktail while eating a drippy, spicy, Korean taco in a plush leather booth inside a historic Downtown building converted into an exclusive private club? I know it’s cliché, but come on: Only in L.A.

Abou-Daoud—who also owns the Bowery, Delancey, Mission Cantina, and the Tamarind Deli—says District will be a full service restaurant that will maintain the “social nature” of his other venues, but be more “cheffy.” He’s staying mum about the cuisine, but maintains Hollywood has enough Asian and Latin restaurants. Agreed.

Sharing the same Spanish Colonial building at Sunset and Seward will be The Mercantile, a wine bar and artisanal market selling rare cheeses and other gourmet goods. Both are set to open “after summer.”

What’s opening sooner? The small wine tasting room at Mission Cantina, which officially debuts tonight.

“The basic idea is to change the way people socialize at restaurants by providing great food and drinks in a more relaxed atmosphere,” says Abou-Daoud. “No tablecloths, no reservations, and the bar being just as important an element as the restaurant.”

-This year, the red velvet cupcake is as ubiquitous as that arrow-penetrated organ perpetually linked with Valentine’s Day. Makes sense that Auntie Em’s Kitchen would reconfigure theirs into a larger-than-life-size heart. It feeds up to four (your love life is none of our business). ($16)

-Susina Bakery must have spies in Eagle Rock because they’re also offering a supersized red velvet cake ($25). Its darker cousin, the molten chocolate cake ($5), is a sinister and gooey alternative—as Spider-Man is to Venom.

-LAMILL sticks to the crimson dessert’s traditional look, but tops it with edible carnations and pairs it with Love Potion No. 7, a tea sangria infused with fruits and such said to have aphrodisiacal properties. Have fun finding out. (Cupcake: $3.50, Love Potion: $4.50)

-Boule is making the iconic shape out of white chocolate and honey lavender. Other varieties are filled with passion fruit ganache and rose caramel. A handwritten note on a chocolate sheet personalizes your selections. ($15 for box of six)

If you can’t make time for that special someone, shame on you. Fortunately, Cookies by Design understands and delivers—though olfactory shopping is half the fun. And nothing says “I love you” like scantily-clad sugar dough. Dirty secret: the “Flirty Valentine” ($52) is so racy, some folks refuse to sell it. This bouquet is also one of the most difficult to make, so you’ll get more bang for the buck. And isn’t that what this holiday is all about?

Auntie Em’s Kitchen
4616 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock, (323) 255-0800

Susina Bakery
7122 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 934-7900

LAMILL
1636 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake, (323) 663-4441

Boule
408 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., (310) 289-9977

Cookies by Design
5205 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 961-9161

Fraiche in Culver City has started serving weekend brunch, including French- and Italian-inspired egg dishes, salads, paninis, and desserts. Among the new menu items: a Spanish scramble with Merguez sausage, roasted peppers, manchego, and fingerling potatoes ($12); a frittata with zucchini and squash blossoms ($9); a panini with oven-roasted tomatoes, provolone, and pesto ($13). You’ll be able to swill a few daytime-friendly cocktails, too, like the Blood Orange Fizzy (fresh blood orange juice and champagne; $9).

As first reported by the Daily Dish (and shortly after, by absolutely everyone): Kogi—the Korean BBQ taco truck that shot to superstardom thanks to hungry bloggers and a Twitter feed—is taking over the kitchen at the Alibi Room in Culver City. There may also be plans for a downtown brick-and-mortar location in the works. I don’t want to play the devil’s advocate here, but watching a place get so big so quickly makes me think we’ve got T-minus a week before the Kogi backlash begins. Anyone?

It’s going to start smelling a lot less like dreams and a lot more like killer corndogs at Disneyland. They’ve begun powering the Disneyland Railroad with used cooking oil from the resort—which, as our own Mary Melton found out, tends to leave behind the distinct aroma of fried foods. Mmm….

Bottlerock Wine Bar has hired executive Chef Jared Levy to oversee the kitchens at both the existing Culver City location as well as the upcoming downtown spot set to open in March. Levy has worked with such heavy hitters as Michael Cimarusti of Providence and Kris Morningstar, formerly of Blue Velvet and, most recently, Casa.

Luau, the new upscale, pseudo-Polynesian restaurant in Beverly Hills, has formally announced:

“WE’RE NOT DOING ANYTHING SPECIAL”

Owner Andrew Hewitt explains in a release: “We feel, in these difficult times, people should have the freedom to choose whatever suits them from our menu rather than being forced to order what we tell them to have from an overpriced ‘special’ menu.”

Um, OK—do I agree that spending $125 a person for a three-course meal that might cost you $85 any other night is dumb? Yep. But to advertise “doing nothing” like it’s, well, something is a bit much. It also might be brilliant.

For the record, loads of restaurants don’t do anything in particular for Valentine’s Day. I usually spend mine at Silver Lake’s El Conquistador where the menu doesn’t change, but the owner Jesse parades around in a pink suit and you're surrounded by giant, inflatable, red glowing hearts. Plus, what’s more romantic than tequila? Olé.

An early menu is full of noontime basics like a chopped salad, roasted baby beets, a BLTA, and a grilled cheese. A tasty sounding falafel sammy and flatbread with hummus are the only hints at Mohajer’s Iranian descent. But with organic ingredients and breads courtesy of Rockenwagner bakery, it sounds like a welcome addition to the 'hood.

As for the name—it evokes memories of the childhood doll that became the unfortunate victim of my early forays into haircutting. Thankfully, the only cabbage on this menu comes in slaw form.

Cabbage Patch
214 S. Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA

I’m so obsessed with this that I just have to share. Courtesy of Serious Eats, some guy made an unofficial music video for Trader Joe’s on his Palm Trio—breaking pretty much every one of the store’s no-photography policies. Legal or not, it hits it right on the nose, citing everything from the impossible parking lots to the “balls of ice cream covered in flour.” Enjoy!

When Andrew’s Cheese Shop first opened last year, Steiner had chef Tommy Pollio (of the Polly-O cheese family) in the shop each Wednesday making fresh Mozzarella, but when Tommy had to move back east, Steiner took the reins and turned mozzarella making into a weekly ritual.

Burrata is a tricky beast, though, requiring the addition of more fat (usually cream) to make that luscious texture. Next week, Steiner and Rustic Canyon chef Evan Funke (Steiner is cheese consultant to the restaurant) will take their first crack at it together by adding mascarpone cheese to the mix. But be kind: Steiner says it might take them a week or two to get the recipe down. As long as he’s perfected it come tomato season, I’m fine.

Using the new online interactive cheesecake creator, folks can click and drag several varieties of crust, batter, “flavor swirl,” “flavor chunk” (ew), “topping,” and “final touch” to create—and name—their ultimate cheesecake explosion.

Mine: Vanilla cake crust with peanut-butter batter, strawberry chunks, lemon mousse, and a white chocolate drizzle. I call it “Kinda Gross.”

Personally, I think flavored cheesecake should be outlawed; a few cherries on top is as far as I’ll go. But God knows the place that serves something called Craig’s Crazy Carrot Cake Cheesecake has no such qualms.

The finalists will be posted online and the public will vote on the winner. All submissions must be received by February 28, so get baking—er, clicking.

Forgive the fuzzy cell phone pic and the Chi-town angle. But, I mean, wow. If this isn’t national news, I don’t know what is.

(Thanks to Neal for sending this my way!)