Around town: Echo Park wine store, Jonathan Gold talks Mexican food

CitySipLA, which for now is a series of wine tastings and classes from sommelier Nicole Daddio, will open an Echo Park wine store/bar/market next to fire station #20, according to CurbedLA.

Earlier in the week, the folks at Curbed teased us with a hint of info on what's going on with Flor Morena...but although neighbors have spotted more activity there than in recent months, still no actual news. Since they can't have a liquor license there, I'm voting for an outpost of the Point.

On Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7:00, Jonathan Gold will discuss Mexican cooking in L.A. at the Zocalo series at the Downtown library. Gilberto Cetina of Chichen Itza, Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu of La Casita Mexicana, and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill will be there for the round-table discussion. On the agenda: the difficulty of introducing challenging dishes to customers more intent on chips and margaritas than on cuisine. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended at http://www.zocalola.org/ or (213) 403-0416.

I think I've mentioned this company before, but if you're looking for a cute mail order gift idea, I love the look of this candy/cookie sushi from Kookisushi. They use apricot-flavored gummi eggs to mimic salmon roe, dark chocolate for seaweed, green tea filling for wasabi, lemon for tamago and strawberry filling to look like tuna.

Little Ethiopia with a crowd

When people talk about eating in Little Ethiopia, they invariably mention Messob (that basket on the left is a messob table), Rosalind's and Merkato. Oddly, I've never heard anyone talk about eating at Little Ethiopia, one of the newer restaurants along the Fairfax block that hosts several restaurants from the region. So when Citybeat restaurant critic Richard Foss convened his Periodic Table dining group at Little Ethiopia, with wine pairing no less, I decided to check it out. The erudite Richard's gatherings are considerably more ambitious than the Chinese dining groups we sometimes convene -- in addition to wine pairings, with glasses he totes to the restaurant, there's a presentation from the restaurant owner about the cuisine or the history of the country, as well as live entertainment -- in this case, on the masenko. And there were around 50 people at several round tables, which is quite a job to organize. We started with the traditional Ethiopian mead wine called tej, a sweet but pleasant aperitif that reminded me of pineau des charentes. After appetizers of sambussas -- basically samosas with flakier wonton-wrapper style wrappers -- we moved on to the extensive buffet with all the saucy Ethiopian favorites like lamb (yebeg siga alicha) and chicken (yedero wot). I really liked the savory lentils with a slightly peppier sauce than the meat dishes, and the finely-chopped collard greens (right).
For some reason it's been donkey's ages since I've had Ethiopian food, so I can't really say whether Little Ethiopia is better or worse than its Fairfax brethren, but it certainly has plenty of room for a large group, and the lentils rock. Unfortunately, we had to leave early, and missed the final course of port and baklava, plus the Ethiopian dancing demonstration. But I've vowed that I'm not going to let decades pass before trying Ethiopian food again, and I probably I need to explore some other dishes, since some of the sauces do tend to have a certain sameiness. Also, scooping up a whole plate of food with injera bread is pretty filling -- perhaps better to ask for a fork next time.
Little Ethiopia Ethiopian Restaurant
1048 S. Fairfax Avenue
(323) 930-2808

Drinks report: Sgt. Recruiter

The cheerful young barman

It's starting to get a lot more Frenchy in these parts, what with Figaro Bistro, Mes Amis and the expansion of Cafe Stella. And now the Spanish-themed Cobras & Matadors has spawned a petit bar à vin with the curiously un-Gallic name of Sgt. Recruiter.

Nice fresh oysters of several varieties

It's a sweet little spot with a brief menu written on the mirrored wall behind the bar -- frites, moules, oysters, onion rings, socca. Some good French wines at reasonable prices. A few Belgian beers, but none on tap. Salud!

Taste test: Fantasy Eatery

Thanks to some Chowhounds who responded to my request for a Chinese restaurant my picky teenagers might like, we tried Fantasy Eatery in the Great Mall of China, and had one of the more successful family dinners we've had in a while. Of course, standards are set kind of low in my family, where one child eats only pasta, cheese and quesadillas, and dinners out usually consist of salt shaker fights at Zankou Chicken. So we approached the empty Fantasy Eatery, which is apparently a branch of a Vancouver and Toronto chain, with a bit of trepidation. There was one poking- chopsticks-up-the-nose incident, but otherwise, Chinese soap operas on the TVs managed to occupy the ever-squabbling siblings. The decor is rather sparkly, with an unused white grand piano, various beaded curtains and random decorations of paper Easter chicks -- on Thanksgiving weekend. The vast menu has plenty of typos to amuse the kids (fired rice and the like). They skipped right over the frog and "lam" and ordered up sweet and sour pork chops, chicken fried rice and chicken and noodles. The adults ordered scallops in XO sauce with mushrooms and peapods (above left) in the hopes of finding a dish with a bit more flavor. But we actually liked all the dishes -- chicken and noodles featured wide homemade tasting noodles in a mild sauce with Chinese broccoli on the side, chicken fried rice wasn't on the menu but they obligingly made us a competent version, and Sam enjoyed the large pieces of fried pork in a tangy, not-too-sweet and sour sauce (below left). The scallops were a bit greasy, but I liked how the large, meaty slices of mushroom mimicked the jumbo scallop slices. By the time we left, the room was full of large Chinese families enjoying intriguing-looking platters. So I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a mix of milder and more unusual dishes in a non-funky atmosphere that welcomes families.
Fantasy Eatery
140 W. Valley Blvd. #212
San Gabriel
626-307-2666

Silver Lake Tamales and another blogger takes on Farmer's Market

A Silver Lake reader let us know about his neighbor, Chela, who he says makes fabulous tamales. I haven't tried them yet but I thought I'd pass the info along in case anyone is having holiday parties con tamales. Varieties are: BANANA-LEAF CHICKEN TAMALES -- white meat in a red sauce of tomatoes, garlic, cumin and smoky guajillo peppers;
CORNHUSK CHICKEN TAMAL -- Traditional cornhusk tamales made with white meat in a
savory green sauce of tomatillos, bell peppers, and cilantro; and
GOURMET VEGETARIAN --
Cornhusk wrapped tamales made with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, onions and mild poblano peppers. Prices are $15.00 a dozen or $110.00 for one hundred -- that's 12 free! Email me if you'd like her number.

Faithful Chowhound poster SKU is undertaking a new survey of all the stands at Farmer's Market on his blog SKU's Recent Eats, which longtime readers may remember I tried back in ought six or so. So far he's covered about the same ones I did (reviews are at the bottom of my review sidebar), but he plans to keep going longer than I managed and try them all, so check back and see if he makes it. Judging from his links, he's also quite the whiskey connoisseur.

And in restaurant news...Quick, which L.A. restaurant would you describe as "comfort kitsch"? That's apparently how Luna Park sees itself...anyway, the La Brea Blvd. restaurant is doing a flight of cocktails called the Luna Park mini bar, including a mini mint julep, a Bitty Raspberry Margarita and a Tini Ice Breaker.

Plus, the Napa Valley Grille in Westwood recently purchased an entire pig from Iowa's famous La Quercia. He's doing a four-course dinner with tenderloins, housemade sausage and porchetta as well as incorporating it into other dishes.

Reservoir chef/owner takes break for "Hell's Kitchen"

If it looks like construction has been going kind of slowly on Reservoir, which is set to replace Netty's on Silver Lake Blvd., one reason is that chef/owner Gloria Felix is one of the coaches on the next season of Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen," which EaterLA reports is filming in Culver City. Felix has also parted company with former partner and Grace pastry chef Elizabeth Belkind, who will apparently be taking her gourmet donut-making skills elsewhere.
According to EaterLA, this season of "Hell's Kitchen" has a pizza theme, so it's not surprising that Felix trained with Antica Pizzeria's Peppe Miele, the only pizza maker in L.A. certified to train pizza makers from the Verace Pizza Napoletana association. Reservoir, which Felix perhaps over-optimistically estimates will open in February, will feature California rustic cuisine with locally-sourced ingredients as well as rustic pizzas. There's also weekend brunch, a small bar for wine and craft beers, a patio and outdoor seating in front.

Whole Foods Pasadena: Let the complaining begin

Barely 10 days in, and already they're complaining about Whole Foods. Here's a few snapshots from the suggestion board, and clearly, there's no pleasing these people. "I came here for the singles event but couldn't find it (no signs). Great store, though." -- And you couldn't ask someone? Guess that would be too embarrassing. So did anyone less directionally-impaired get to the singles night? (Hint: I think they have it in the wine bar upstairs.)
"Amazing variety, but I couldn't find my favorite -- potato knishes!" -- 73 kinds of organic truffles, a roasted nut bar, but she won't be happy unless she can get a knish. Oy, I hope they've got the free-range schmaltz.
And my favorite: "There is something very peculiar and energetically off-putting -- there is a disconnect and it doesn't feel great to be here. Maybe you can do something about this!" -- What would you suggest? A Chakra re-alignment? A visit from a feng shui expert? Maybe the karmic pain you feel is really the sting of all your money being sucked out of your wallet.

Wine bars a go go...

It looks like Barbrix will be under construction for several more months...

Cobras and Matadors on Hollywood Blvd. has expanded into a wine bar next door, we learned via Daily Candy's Weekend Guide. Sgt. Recruiter (Wait, did Jason Lee have another baby?) seats 15 and serves onion rings, oysters, mussels and such to go with the wine.

And Cafe Stella, which has long had a sort-of wine bar in one room, is making it into a full-on wine bar when the Frenchy bistro expands into an adjacent dining room in January. Plans for Artisan in Echo Park are farther down the line, says partner Francois Renaud.

Plus, there's Silver Lake Wine's recent expansion, Barbrix, which is deep in construction on Hyperion, and the wine shop-cum-tasting room in Atwater...the neighborhood will soon be awash in grape juice.

Taste test: Little (Fat) Sheep

spicy on the left, mild on the right with lamb slices cooking in the broth

When I build my groovy prefab dream house, I'm having Little Sheep's giant photomural of a Mongolian yurt as the living room wall. Then, perhaps in other rooms, I'll recreate both Canter's photo ceiling and Chameau's camel eyelash ceiling. Anyway, I digress.
Little Sheep (sometimes known as Little Fat Sheep, depending what menu you look at), is a dizzying amalgam of 21st century cutesy Asian branding (Hello Kitty-style sheep on the server's shirts which read "Got sheep?", a bright coffee shop-like interior with the cool murals) and an almost Jurassic style of cooking. The specialty is hotpots, and I'm not even sure if you can order other things without also committing to a massive, roiling pot of milky broth on the heating ring in the middle of the table. You can get your broth mild or spicy or half and half. We went for half and half, which looked nice but I find that although I can down an entire plate of fiery chicken Szechuan cubes or Thai curry, searingly hot clear soup is a little harder to deal with. In the broth float all manner of objects -- galangal root, ginger slices, cardamom pods, mysterious walnut-sized spices, jujubes and dragon berries. The broth soaks up some flavor from all this stuff, but the idea is to customize it with the right mix of some two dozen add-ins from the meat, vegetable, tofu and noodles columns on the menu. We chose sliced lamb, maitake mushrooms, bean thread noodles and pea shoots but realized later that shitake mushrooms and bok choy would have worked out better. Throw in some cilantro to boost the flavor.
Scallion pancakes (left, with free peanut and daikon appetizer) are fun to dip in the broth; if the steam from the soup proves overwhelming and you weren't thinking of having a Chinese herb facial right then, you can turn off the burner for a while. Lamb dumplings were a little too lamby for me, but nice when submerged in the broth. You have to try this place at least once for the experience and to soak up some medicinal hotpot; if you're a lamb lover or want to refine your soup ingredients combo, you'll be back for seconds. There's also beer, fruity drinks, and side dishes like lamb fried rice or lamb noodles. In case you need some more lamb.
And I have to give them a huge shoutout of thanks -- I left my camera there when it slipped out of my purse and they found it and saved it for me -- M goi!
Little Sheep
120 S. Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park
(626) 282-1089

To-do list for people who eat and drink in L.A.

Tonight: Ride the green fairy as Kubler Swiss absinthe launches at the Green Door on Ivar. Not invited? Don't worry, it will be on sale soon for $49.99 a liter.
***
Thursday: First, get caffeinated.
Taste the super-rare Hacienda la Esmerelda Geisha coffee from Panama at Intelligentsia Coffee. Just $99 a half pound, but you can sip it for free at Thursday's reception, starting at 7:00.

(a fish taco from the show)
Then, it's time for ice cream. Check out Stuffed - A Plush food show opening at Munky King on Melrose Thursday night. Real ice cream from Scoops. Fun fake food from lots of cool plush artists. Music. What have you. Sounds like a plan.
***
Friday: Catch Dorris Doerrie's docu How to Cook Your Life featuring a Q & A with Zen master and chef Edward Espe Brown, moderated by Evan Kleiman at the Laemmle Sunset 5. It's sponsored by Slow Food LA.

Samurai Sam's comes to Museum Square

Apparently only the chain voted as the #1 Asian franchise to own is good enough for us Wilshire Blvd. worker bees. We're getting a Samurai Sam's soon, sandwiched between O to Go (which I always think should offer carry-out orgasms) and Baja Fresh. These places seem to be springing up all over, from Wilshire and Vermont to Kuwait, and they're supposedly relatively healthy -- that is, except for the 1000 calorie Sumo Bowl, whatever that is. But all I can say is...why?

The rest of the Michelin Guide is out...

Michelin released the first Los Angeles restaurant guide at a Les Deux reception Monday night, although talk of the coveted stars had already made the rounds of local eaterati. Alain Giraud, Michael Cimarusti and Noe's Glen Ishii were among chefs making the scene. The guide helpfully (or hopefully?) includes a subway map, and a quick essay on the history of L.A. eating explains the invention of the California roll and Wolfgang Puck's contribution.
Here's the rather quirky list of where to eat for less than $25: Alcove, Banzai Sushi, Baran, Boss Sushi, Chabuya, Cholada, The Clay Pit, Danube, Empress Pavilion, Hide Sushi, Il Capriccio on Vermont, Ita-Cho (barely!), Javan, Kaizuka, Kiriko, Lares, La Serenata de Garibaldi, La Serenata Gourmet, M Cafe de Chaya, Monte Alban, Nanbankan, Native Foods, Nizam of India, Nyala Ethiopian, Park's Barbecue, Real Food Daily, Saladang Song, Shaherzad, Sushi & Kushi Imai, Sushi House Unico, Sushi Sushi, Taiko, Vivoli Cafe, Yang Chow and Yujean Kang's.
And fear not -- they may not have rated a star, but all the favorites like Blair's, Pizzeria Mozza Lucques and Hatfield's are included in the guide.
Non-Western food isn't the guide's strong suit -- only four Chinese restaurants are included -- Empress Pavilion, Mr Chow, Yang Chow and Yujean Kang's, and the only Thai restaurants are Cholada, Saladang Song and Talesai. But then, we knew that's not what the guide was for -- it's basically an introductory primer to the city for tourists.

Paging Gordon Ramsay: Dilbert needs you

Interesting article in the New York Times business section, The Tables Turn for Dilbert's Creator, about "Dilbert's" Scott Adams taking over the management of Stacey's at Waterford restaurant in the northern California bedroom community of Dublin. It's unclear whether some of Adams' ideas for turning around the money-losing restaurant, such as associating the restaurant more closely with the comic strip, will attract more patrons, but it's worth a try.

Michelin ratings leaked -- Chowhounds already complaining

I don't think Michelin meant to post the first-ever Los Angeles ratings on its website Friday, since the big announcement was supposed to come on Monday. But posted they were, as the L.A. Times describes in today's front page story. The Chowhounds have already weighed in, and quel surprise, they disagree. Russkar, who has probably eaten in more top L.A. restaurants than just about anyone, feels La Cachette deserved a star. Other hounds are wounded by the exclusion of Lucques, Campanile, Grace, etc. To the person who complained about Osteria Mozza not being included: the visits were done before it opened. Still to come are selections for the value restaurants in the "Bib Gourmand" category and their other non-starred choices.

Presto change-o: Mes Amis opens in Los Feliz

Colorful café chairs replace Asian touches on the sizable front patio, with swoopy metal decorations on the front

Actually it's been open a week, but the new French bistro on Vermont seems to be having a soft opening with no sign out front yet. We always said Tiger Lily was too big, so the space has cleaved in half, leaving a smaller bar on the right which remains Tiger Lily and a nicely-sized restaurant on the left which has been dubbed Mes Amis.

Inside, one room has comfy red booths, while a wall of wine awaits in the adjacent room

Just a block down from Figaro, one of the partners is a former Figaro manager and the menu bears some resemblance to that of the older bistro. Dishes include trio de lapin (rabbit three ways!), loup de mer and bouillabaisse, with prices in the $30 per entree range. Pizzas figure too, although $20 for an apricot proscuitto pizza strikes me as a bit high. Mes Amis is also open for lunch and weekend brunch.

A children's menu is a nice touch, with choices including a grilled Nutella sandwich. Poulet pané sounds better than chicken fingers, I guess.

Fresh and Easy, but also pre-packaged in plastic

Duck liver or chicken liver pate for $4.98, along with Calabrese salami

It's a little hard to wrap your head around Tesco's Fresh and Easy stores. Eating L.A. stopped by the Glassell Park location early this morning, when opening day's crowds had abated, to find a strange mishmash of a store, with a sprinkling of Trader Joe's and a dash of Ralph's. But I suppose it fits the neighborhood, which is a mostly low-income Hispanic area adjacent to gentrifying areas of Eagle Rock and Glendale. Other stores are in Arcadia, Anaheim and several other locations. A yuppieish couple checked out the Stilton and pate selection, but observed that there's an awful lot of packaging on every item. "It will just be good to have a market down the hill again," said the hubby.

We bought quince membrillo, flan, fresh-squeezed oj, organic Earl Grey tea ($1.99) and espresso fudge ice cream ($2.19)

Meanwhile, an older woman complained to her son in Spanish that the prices on name-brand goods like crackers seemed high to her, although today's L.A.Times article says many prices are lower than elsewhere. Many of the items, like Meyer Lemon cake mix and organic boxed mac 'n cheese, are clearly from the same manufacturer as Trader Joe's products, but with Tesco's rather boring plain-wrap style packaging. The best part is that prices do seem quite low, especially for Fresh and Easy brand items. The grab and go meals are higher, about $5 for single serving fresh meals and $8 for two-serving frozen meals. Although there's only few British items (back bacon, the Stilton with cherries), there does seem to be a higher proportion of Indian food than the area would necessarily indicate, although Trader Joe's has a similar amount. Mini baguettes, at 97 cents each, are plastic-wrapped like all the products

Even the pita bread is made by an Indian bakery, rather than a Middle Eastern one. As everyone else has said, everything including all the produce is thoroughly encased in plastic, for the ease of the self-serve checkout stations, and the feel of the store is rather industrial, like a mini Costco. Overall, it's nothing to make a special trip for, but probably a welcome place to pick up toilet paper, ice cream and quince paste and cabernet sauvignon wine vinegar if you're in the neighborhood.

Silver Lake Wine: bigger and boozier!

Checkout counter at the front of the store with empty shelves waiting for hard liquor

Silver Lake Wine re-opened tonight after a light remodel with a better traffic flow, more space for wine, and a design that allows for selling liquor up front. The tasting counter in back is twice as long, which allows for easier bellying up to the bar on crowded wine tasting nights. The red flight was particularly nice at tonight's well-attended tasting, especially the 2005 Pinot Noir from Sarah's Vineyard.

A much longer tasting bar

The store seems more spacious, with vertical wine racks, the cashier counter at the front and more room around the wine displays. April explained that the hard liquor is required to be placed at the front of the store, because an obscure licensing law says that you can't carry a bottle of booze past a tasting area. The liquor will be stocked following tomorrow's inspection, if all goes well. Sunday's tasting is Port and food from chef Audrey Bernstein, which sounds like a good time.

Whole Foods Pasadena: The next fern bar?

The Cucina area has seating upstairs,
with more seating downstairs and outside

Could there be a more beautiful phrase in the English language than "custom butter bar"? New Zealand butter blended to order with flavorings like roasted garlic or herbs are just one of the wonders of the new Whole Foods on Arroyo Parkway. I checked out the new store on opening day along with every walker-pushing little old lady in Pasadena -- I guess Whole Foods will have to replace Beadle's Cafeteria for them. I wanted to ask the folks gaping at the shopping cart escalators for the two-level store, "People, have you never been to Target?"
If butter doesn't do it for you, how about an entire counter of spiced nuts -- I sampled some assertively flavored chili-lime almonds -- or freshly-ground chocolate peanut butter? Upstairs is an airy eating area-cum-food court with stations devoted to Asian food, a carving station for sandwiches, etc. There's more prepared food by the pound than in any other Whole Foods, including a cobbler bar where I can imagine my pie-loving son spending quite a bit of time. The cheese selection is also larger -- basically each department carries a few or lots more items than other Whole Foods, from Mashti Malone's ice cream to a vast display of Belgian beers to a candy counter the size of most chocolate shops (pumpkin and turkey truffles, pictured). But that's not all. There's a full-fledged Wine & Tapas lounge with couches, a wine bar and beer on tap, and get this, singles night starting Thursday, November 15 from 6-8 pm. Oh, and a chair massage room. Ask for Manny if your neck hurts.

A Night in Hell's Kitchen

I've become addicted lately to the British version of "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares." I love watching Gordon Ramsey slag lazy Brit restaurateurs with frozen food in their restaurants decorated with dusty plastic flowers. I'm excited about seeing him in person on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. A Night in Hell's Kitchen will feature Gordon Ramsay in conversation with Hans Rockenwagner, and it sounds like a good time.

A few seats left for beer pairing at Comme Ca

If you haven't tried Comme Ca yet, there's still a few seats available for the beer pairing dinner Monday night (Nov. 5), in support of California Paddle 2007. The event was created as a fundraiser for California Paddle 2007 and the Coastal CODE initiative, and half the proceeds will also go to the Red Cross's wildfire relief fund. Extreme athlete Tom Jones finished paddling the entire 1,250-mile coastline of California on a 12-foot board today, to combat plastic pollution in the ocean. The Alaskan Brewing Company is sponsoring the dinner, and I am looking forward to trying their smoked porter. Tickets are $125 for David Myers' four-course menu paired with Alaskan beers; call 323-782-1104 for reservations.

Alaskan Brewing is donating a percentage from sales of its new Alaskan IPA in support of cleaner oceans.

Quick bite: Tonny's

All I knew about Tonny's was that it is a great favorite of Jonathan Gold's and somewhere, in the dark crevices of my brain, lurked a mention of their chile verde. I've been craving chile verde ever since someone (you know who you are) went to New Mexico last week and failed to cart home a vat of enchiladas covered in the stuff. Actually, it turns out that Mexican Mexican chile verde, like at Tonny's, is green mostly by virtue of tomatillos rather than the digestive-system-scouring New Mexican kind, which is made with large quantities of fresh green chiles. Nonetheless, Tonny's green chile with pork is a wonderfully tart yet rich version which pairs nicely with their homemade corn tortillas. It's not very photogenic, though, so the photo is of Matt's caldo de res, a simple beef soup which is comforting on a foggy night after you've just watch dour Joy Division members wandering around Manchester in Control. Tonny's is only open until 10 at night -- stodgy Pasadena didn't care for their former 24 hour schedule -- but the good news is that they open at 6 am every day, just in case you need some chilequiles or catfish 'n eggs at an early hour. Service is very friendly, and the aguas frescas with fresh fruit and fruit milkshakes are refreshing. We like Tonny's, and I'll bet the folks in Manchester wish they had one there, too.
Tonny's Restaurant
843 E. Orange Grove Blvd. (near Lake)
Pasadena
(626) 797-0866

A Life in Desserts: Sherry Yard's new book

We tasted a few lovely bites at Spago yesterday from Sherry Yard's new book Desserts by the Yard. There was a light, citrusy cheesecake, divine tiny chocolate sablé cookies, lemon curd bars, rich chocolate mousse spoons and paté des fruits, which are always my favorites. People were buying a dozen books at a time, and the line to have Sherry personally sign them was quite long. There's also a yummy calendar based on the book which includes 12 of the recipes from her life of dessert-making, from Spago to Chinois and time spent in Napa, Vienna and Manhattan. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to write your autobiography through desserts?

Quick bites: Skaf's Glendale

Glendale already has plenty of worthy Middle Eastern spots, but now Skaf's, a favorite of Valley-dwellers, has opened a Glendale branch. The location is a bit obscure, but it's just a short jog from Whole Foods or Fish King. The nicely-decorated sit-down restaurant is a step up from Zankou, yet kid-friendly, informal and reasonably-priced. We had some very smoky mutabal and a fresh-tasting fattouch salad to start, followed with chicken shwarma served with super-smooth hummus and a bright cabbage salad. There's several types of kebabs and occasional specials as well as lentil soup and felafel sandwiches -- no roast chicken, though.
Skaf's Grill
367 N. Chevy Chase Dr. (near Verdugo)
Glendale
818-551-5540

Coolest L.A foodblogs: your recs?

As a commenter noticed recently, the mainstream media doesn't mention very many niche foodblogs out of L.A. I try to highlight interesting new ones, but I don't always add them to the blogroll until they show some staying power. I'll admit right up front that I don't find most cooking blogs that interesting -- the design and recipes both have to be really stellar to grab my attention. So here's a few fun blogs that come to mind, and if anyone adds more to the comments, I'll add them into this article if they pique my interest.
For some reason, Bandini's Great Taco Hunt seems to be mentioned more than almost any other blog. Very cool, but let's dig deeper.
Potatotomato, from two graphic designers, has very nice photos and brief reviews. The gals are in Paris right now, I'm jealous!
Burnt Lumpia offers some creative cooking ideas and other musings from a distinctly Filipino point of view -- like the purple ube gnocchi,pictured above right.
Wandering Chopsticks has recipes, local restaurants and travels, concentrating of course on Asian food.
(I'm not sure it's a requirement to be Asian to have a good foodblog in L.A., but it certainly helps.)
I like blogs that concentrate on one subject, like tacos or ramen (the rameniac himself at left), but I also appreciate the ones that focus on neighborhoods, especially when they mix restaurants, urban development and other local news.
Tannaz covers the neighborhood around Farmer's Market; so does Blackburn and Sweetzer and also Santos from Meet Me at the Corner of Third and Fairfax.
Atwater Village Newbie probably isn't much of a newbie anymore, but still a good resource, while NELA's York Blvd. is brand new. It might be nice to get some sense of who is behind York Blvd., since I think with blogs, the more personality the better. And on that note, I can't leave out L.A. Is My Beat, from frequent commenter Ellen, which bursts with her colorfully-knitted and bespectacled personality. She has a separate blog linked from there for her restaurant reviews.
What's your favorite L.A.-area based blog with restaurants or recipes or neighborhood news?