Web site of the day

Usually I like to recommend food that you should enjoy eating. But this time, I must commend Steve, Don't Eat It! for finding lots of food that you absolutely shouldn't eat. I know, a few of these items are considered gourmet delicacies, but don't quibble, just read and laugh. What's your favorite disgusting food that you actually like? I'll have to think about that one.

Side trip to Paris

I wish. But no, I'm staying right here for the moment. I think the author of this book on Paris food shops is my old boss Pierre Rival. It was reviewed in the L.A. Times' food section.

The reviewer finds his writing a little stuffy, but a) it's translated from French, so it's probably the translator's fault b) If it's the same Pierre Rival, he was a trade journalist for many years, so what do you expect? Gourmet Shops of Paris is available on Amazon and looks like it would be worth it for the food porn photos alone.

In today's Times, S. Irene visits Dusty's in Silver Lake. I have to admit, the prospect of trying poutine (the French Canadian snack of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy) isn't making me want to rush over there, but it looks like a nice place for brunch. I finally found the link by using the search box, but hey, L.A. Times, the restaurant review from Thursday doesn't appear on either the Calendar Weekend page or the food page...not the easiest thing to find.

Same with the L.A. Weekly's Where to Eat: Glendale. Here's the link, because the Weekly's link from the food section doesn't work.

The L.A. Times also delved into cupcakes, mentioning that there had been entries about them on blogs, as well as blogs devoted to cupcakes. Who knew? Next time, please name the blog! I recently made some terrific cupcakes from a recent Bon Appetit. The Blueberry Hill cupcakes were filled with blueberries and topped with a tangy, lemony maple sugar frosting...yum. The recipe hasn't been posted on Epicurious.com yet, though.

Taste test: Suriyo Thai

It's possible that the best thing about Silver Lake's Suriyo Thai is their fancy plastic takeout containers, which can go in the microwave, to work with you the next day, and even be recycled for more leftovers. I should have taken a picture of them, since otherwise, all Thai food looks the same.
Now, the food...it's ok. I know some people like their lunch specials. But despite a decent amount of heat in the "medium" dishes, the flavor just seems bland to me. This time, we had our traditional pad kee mao noodles (one of my tests of a Thai restaurant, especially since it's Matt's favorite), prik king with tofu and chicken with a green curry and eggplant. The prik king sauce was thin instead of hearty, and the green beans were nearly raw. The green curry sauce was also watery and bland. The pad kee mao was the best of the lot, but it was only adequate, certainly not like the carmelized goodness you can find at Nadpob, Torung or Sanamuluang. They deliver, which is a plus, but so do Mae Ploy and Rambutan. Los Feliz hoodies also enjoy Pattaya on Vermont, which I thought was pretty good as well. When Suriyo first opened, my impression was "Thai food for Americans who don't know any better," and while nothing was terrible, I'm afraid my first impression still applies.
Suriyo Thai Bistro
4114 Santa Monica Blvd.
Silver Lake
(323) 662-9052

Hamlet nostalgia

Really nice story on Marilyn Lewis and Hamburger Hamlet in the New York Times magazine, which as every blogger pointed out, seemed to have more articles about L.A. than New York. As a child I probably ate at the Hamlet more than any other restaurant, and the Lewises were friends of our family, so it was a particularly nostalgic piece for me. When I was little, it seemed truly revolutionary to put wacky stuff like pineapple on a hamburger. A few other Hamlet imitators sprang up -- Hamburger Habit on Wilshire, and another kooky place on La Brea (Small World, maybe?) with unusual burger toppings. I'm not sure I agree that the Hamlet spawned Jar and Spago, but the Daily Grill for sure. The NY Times gives the recipe for their famous lobster bisque. When the Hamlet was still good, my favorite dishes there were the ratatouille and Those Potatoes, a kind of glorious hash browns. Now that the Lewises have sold the chain, the remaining outlets are a little spotty, food-wise.

News, Barragan's, Vegetarian's Delight

Sorry, haven't had much time to explore lately.
Kathy reports that they've removed the great go-go dancer sign on the new cafe at Rowena and Glendale and that construction is coming along well. They say they're opening June 25, but that seems optimistic.
She also says that Casa del Mar in Santa Monica is adding a sushi bar and sake menu, for those Westsiders who can never get enough raw fish.
And the kind-of hidden Johnnie's Bar on Sunset near Descanso (across from the Silver Lake Lounge, sorta) now has a sign up, just in case there weren't enough places to drink in Silver Lake already.
I've been revisiting old favorites lately. If you're in need of some carne asada tacos and a stiff margarita, it's hard to beat Barragan's. Actually the tacos are even better at Malo, but if you're with somebody who wants a blended margarita, or got forbid, a strawberry or melon flavored one, Barragan's is your place. The carne asada almost seemed deep-fried -- the meat was kind of like beef bacon bits tacos. This was not entirely unpleasant. And at Barragan's, you get guacamole with the tacos, which is a plus.

carne asada tacos, Barragan's
I needed some cardamom, so I picked up a paneer dosa at India's Sweets and Spices. They're now calling the restaurant portion Vegetarian's Delight, and if you're casting a Beck video or an episode of the new UPN drama about twentysomethings in Silver Lake, this is the place to find the extras. I'm sorry to report my dosa, filled with cheese, vegetables and zingy peppers, was more greasy than usual. But the ordering system seems a bit more organized, and the long waits are improved.

paneer dosa, India Sweets and Spices

Barragan's
1538 W. Sunset Blvd.
(213) 250-4256
India's Sweets and Spices/Vegetarian's Delight
3126 Los Feliz Blvd.
(323)345-0360

Bonjour, Backdoor Boba

In the continuing quest for edible food in the mid-Wilshire area, I decided to brave the lunch menu at Backdoor Boba, a quirky little cafe/gallery in the alley across from Kinko's. Open for about a year, their menu keeps expanding with new signs on the wall, offering Asianized Western dishes or vice versa. "Fried rice with habanero Cajun sausage!" proclaims one. "Penne paste with tofu and sun-dried tomatoes" says another.
I ordered the salmon cake salad and an iced green tea with soymilk. I liked the salad -- it was a breadcrumby salmon patty that tasted just like the ones my grandma in Illinois used to make out of canned salmon, on a large bed of fresh romaine, with a sweetish vinaigrette. Plain, but reasonably healthy tasting.
The counter guy, Frederick, was so happy to find someone to speak French with that while I ate, we ended up discussing the pros and cons of the American economic system and whether American film critics serve merely as publicists for movies.
So whether you're looking for wi-fi access, a tofu stack on French bread with spinach (?), blueberry pancakes or a heavy French political discussion with your boba, Frederick and the Asian owners will be glad to oblige.
Backdoor Boba
5484 Wilshire, only in the alley sorta
(323) 933-4020

Posh: A little Latin flavor on Pico (closed)

I've never been to Buenos Aires, but at lunch Ramin kept talking about moving there for its low prices, European flavor and handsome residents. Oddly enough, we were eating at Posh on Pico, which feels exactly like I imagine a neighborhood cafe in Buenos Aires would feel. This section of Pico between Fairfax and La Brea is apparently known as the Wilshire Vista neighborhood, and it looks to be getting gentrified very quickly. The small bungalows are landscaped and repainted to the max, residential streets sport community bulletin boards, and next to Posh is another newish coffeehouse on this formerly desolate stretch of Pico.
Posh is owned by a friendly Honduran lady who wants to bring food of several Latin American countries to Angelenos. Right now she's got a nice breakfast menu with banana pancakes and arepas (Venezuelan corn cakes) and omelettes, a dynamite Latina burger at lunch, and several dinner specials such as chicken tamarindo. To drink, there's good coffee, ginger lemonade and an agua fresca of the day as well as Latin American soft drinks.
It's a cute little room with marble-topped tables, old wooden chairs and bright art on the walls. La Brea Bakery breads and pastries are served, and the housemade Tres Leches cake.
Ramin liked his Latina burger (turkey is also available) which was assertively flavored with red and green chiles and an herb mixture.

Latina burger
I had the arepas with a sauteed vegetable omelette. The corn cakes were soft and pillowy and very rich, although a salsa would have made a nice accompaniment. Apparently in South America they eat these with butter and jam, which sounds awfully good! The food has a light touch with clean, fresh flavors, like the plaintains which are roasted, not fried.

vegetable omelette with arepas
The prices are more L.A. than South America, of course, with burgers at $10.95 and dinner entrees in the $15-$20 range. But this is certainly a nice spot to check out the magazines on the rack and while the afternoon away.
Posh on Pico
5542 W. Pico
(323) 931-4338

Is Cole's closing?...and other notes

There was a flurry of worry when the Downtown News reported that Golden Gopher bar proprietor Marc Smith had bought Cole's P.E. Buffet, the city's oldest continuously operated restaurant. (Others like Canter's, Philippe's and Musso and Frank are either younger or have moved locations.) Although the Downtown News article said Cole's would be turned into a "posh watering hole," Chowhound posters insist it's just getting a good clean-up and will be open later for the drinking crowd.
A terrific restaurant list:
Chowhound poster Modernist must have had too much coffee last night...he compiled a massive list of great L.A. restaurants, with lots of good choices particularly in the Japanese and Chinese areas. See how many you've been to. This is a great reference if you're thinking, "I've always wanted to try a Chinese place in the San Gabriel Valley, but where to start?" or "Now where was that tempura bar I heard about?"
L.A. Times relents
Hooray, hooray, the L.A. Times website is free! Well, not free of pesky pop-ups or boring columnists, but at least you can get a restaurant review without spending several hours on the registration process. The food section is looking good lately -- today's articles about food writing, Indian snacks and an Ortolan review were a particularly good selection. And say what you will about David Shaw, I completely agree with him about L.A. pizza. Although I don't have a coal-fired oven, I've taken to making my own after a few disastrous experiences at Nicky D's.
You never hear anyone recommend this place, but taste nostalgia makes me still appreciate my high school hang Di Vita's on Wilshire.

Meow! Fish for Hungry Hollywood Cats

The Hungry Cat is a cute seafood place with a distinguished pedigree and some knockout cocktails. But its odd location and design make it somewhat hard to appreciate the kind of experience that's likely to cost upwards of $70 for two people. The Cat is the lovekitten of chefs Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC) and David Lentz (formerly of Opaline), and it's kind of like a seafood shack on the New England coast put on a shiny little black dress and decided to hide out in a Hollywood shopping complex.
As the few tables inside were booked up on Saturday night (I spied famous pastry chef Lindsey Shere's name on the list) , we scored a table on the patio. The patio is perfectly pleasant, if you don't mind the view of the back door of Borders, but I'm afraid the cute little wooden block stools have got to go. An older lady requested a real chair and was accomodated, but do you have to be in AARP to get a back on your chair? Another well-prepared diner brought a little stadium seat with her, which looked quite ridiculous. Come on folks, chairs aren't that hard. The interior is odd as well, with a pitch black wall, a curtain separating the restaurant from a sunglasses shop and a fairly high noise level from all the shiny surfaces.
There's some serious bar talent coming up with these potent cocktails -- Matt had the Pimlico, a scarily tasty mix of bourbon and fresh orange and lime juices. The wine and beer list is small but well chosen. The equally small menu is all seafood, all the time, except a lone burger just in case your party includes a pescaphobe.
Nearly everyone had the raw oysters on their tables, and while they looked tempting, we opted for cooked dishes instead -- a calamari and frisee salad, the clams with chorizo and the crab cake with celery root slaw ($14).

calamari salad with frisee and roasted potatoes
The salad was refreshing, with tender calamari, but unremarkable. I had heard great things about the clams but the Moroccan spiced broth either didn't have enough chile heat or just had too many spices going on. It seems like just garlic and peppers -- a more Spanish or Portuguese flavor -- could make this dish sing. I've never tasted a crab cake like this one, however, -- a huge lump of all fresh crab which was just pure crab flavor, with a nice celery root slaw.

left, clams and chorizo; right, crab cake
Nearly everyone ordered the lobster roll ($22), which comes with a heap of golden fries that looked wonderful. Clearly, oysters and lobster roll are the de rigeur selections. And Jeremy Sisto and his mom had the calamari salad as well.
I'm a little ambivalent about the Cat -- the cocktails are knockouts, and all the food is clearly carefully prepared, with a few standout dishes. But a bread basket would be nice, and some real chairs.
In short, this is a great place for a tasty bite and a drink before a movie at the ArcLight or a play in the neighborhood -- if you're in the habit of dropping between $60 and $100 for two on a little bite.
The Hungry Cat
1535 N. Vine
Hollywood
(323) 462-2155

The path of least resistance

If you work at Variety, by any chance, or at E!, the Screen Actors Guild or Indie 103, you're probably pretty sick of eating at Baja Fresh, Johnnie's and Koo Koo Roo. And if you've worked there as long as I have, you wouldn't dream of eating at Callender's. Yesterday I was so busy, I didn't even want to cross the street. The first place to eat outside the back door was the new hot dog cart seen in Daily Candy, Devilicious Dogs. The cart offers a choice of Sabrett's beef dogs, bratwurst, Polish sausage and brisket sandwiches. My bratwurst was a little bland, but the lady was really nice, and sometimes you just have to break out of the Trader Joe's frozen food rut.

Devil Dogs
in front of Variety
5700 Wilshire

A Monte Cristo tour, part one

My boyfriend is fond of a good Monte Cristo sandwich, and since the calorie-laden but tasty sandwich is a California original, I thought I'd let Matt contribute to the blog by taking a Monte Cristo tour. The Monte Cristo was reportedly created in southern California, possibly at the Del Coronado hotel in San Diego, around the 1940s.

Part one takes us to the Astro Family Restaurant, recently seen on Project Greenlight. The Astro's Monte Cristo runs about $10, but you can smoke on the outdoor patio, so that puts them up a notch in Matt's book. Although the photo came out quite nicely, Matt says Astro's Monte Cristo only rates a 3 out of 5. It's essential to get just the right juxtaposition of the ham, turkey, cheese, bread and egg coating, and this one was somewhat dry and cold. Also, it took the waitress forever to bring the jam, which is an essential component. Between my tuna melt and Matt's Monte Cristo, we didn't have to eat for the rest of the day. However, it's probably one of the few places you could get one at 3 a.m., if that's your idea of a good time.
On our list of Monte Cristos to try are Luna Park, my childhood favorite the Smokehouse and the H.M.S. Bounty. Let us know if you know about one we should try.
Astro Family Restaurant
2300 Fletcher, Silver Lake

More news

Coming to Atwater: Indochine Cafe, a Vietnamese spot opening soon in the godforsaken stripmall on Glendale Blvd. housing all of life's necessities: Krispy Kreme donuts, Coldstone Creamery ice cream, a cell phone store, a nail salon and a check cashing place.

There's also a new ramen place in downtown Glendale, but I haven't checked it out yet.

The New York Times had a beautiful Living section on Sunday. If you missed it, it's available online. Here's an article on discovering ingredients like nettles, panko and mulato chili.

Also notable were stories on underground dinner parties, Boulette's Larder and sake in San Francisco and frozen custard. How is it that the NY Times usually manages to cover the rest of the country better than the rest of the country covers itself?