7 things they do better in Mexico

Our recent return to Tijuana was as fun as the first Baja food marathon. Baja sometimes feels more Mediterranean than Californian -- even at taco trucks, entire families are fashionably dressed and luxuriating the day away over ceviche tostadas in a far more relaxed way than you see in the U.S.
And, yes, Tijuana is safe, as long as you exercise normal precautions that you would traveling anywhere. We might have been pushing it a bit traipsing around the red light district at 2 am in search of Kentucky Fried Buches (chicken necks), but at no point was there ever a hint of danger.
Here's a few of my favorite things that are different about Mexico -- even just over the border in Tijuana.

1) Beer bucket senoritas: Mexico's answer to the pitcher of beer is the beer bucket. Whether at a seafood restaurant, an evening spot with entertainment or an outdoor tequila festival, you're likely to find roving senoritas with plastic buckets filled with ice and local beers. What better way to wash down a dozen tequila samples?
2) Mexican hipster bars: If you've been to the Little Joy one too many times, thinking you're really slumming it, than the logical next step is La Mezcalera. Joy Division on the jukebox; cute 19 year old Baja chicks and guys (the drinking age is 18, of course), a couple dozen varieties of mescal snowcones (try the guayaba) served in vintagey aluminum tumblers -- can't we just transplant this place to Highland Park?
3) Octopus and olive tacos: La Cahua del Yeyo specializes in Sonoran seafood stews, soups and tacos, and their octopus tacos with tangy green olives are stewed carefully so that the octopus remains relatively tender, making for a genius combination of flavors. These complex seafood dishes are normally eaten for breakfast or brunch, so get there by 2 p.m.

4) Hibiscus tacos: As a jamaica fan, I've had jamaica margaritas, popsicles and other things based on the rosy, tangy hibiscus flower (shown above at Tijuana's central market). But I had never had it in a main course before, the way Baja-Med restaurant La Querencia does it in their tacos with homemade tortillas and goat cheese. Innovative dishes like this -- as well as the fresh venison tacos we tried -- make La Querencia one of the top two or three restaurants in Tijuana.5) Fried salted garlic as a snack food: I saw this excellent snack for sale in the Oaxacan foods booth at the Tequila Expo. No flour or potato starch, just pure crunchy garlicosity. Share some with your lover. Yes, that's a stray grasshopper at bottom, escaped from the adjacent chapulines basket.6) Most amazing seafood truck ever: I'm just going to go ahead and name Mariscos Ruben the best seafood truck anywhere. Go ahead, name a better one, I'm there. It's no ordinary truck, it's more of a full scale restaurant hidden in a truck. Inside the truck, a couple of ladies arrange meaty, just-shucked crab claws in perfect circles. Along the side of the truck is a stainless steel counter with barstool seating. The seating and ordering area is enclosed with a plastic awning -- if you're claustrophobic, take your seafood to the adjacent park and eat on the grass. In an annex opposite the truck, Ruben or his cooks (men take care of the grilling) will grill up dishes like clams au gratin with fresh clams, cheese, octopus and shrimp on a mesquite-fired grill. But my favorite dish here, and possibly my favorite of the whole trip, was the shrimp tacos enchilados or spicy shrimp tacos, dripping with a chile and butter-laden sauce. Even if you're just cruising through Tijuana, Mariscos Ruben would be easy to hit since it's on one of the main roads, across from Costco.7) Seafood restaurants that get it all right. L.A.'s Mexican seafood restaurants never seem to put all the elements together properly -- either the food is solid but the ambiance is dreary, as at Mariscos Chente, or even worse, decent atmosphere, bad food as at any number of places. In Mexico, it's snap to find a place like La Palmera, that not only puts together the requisite oilcloth-covered picnic tables, open air pavilion, cold cervezas and jukebox, but serves up massive fresh shrimp coctels, scallop ceviche, Pismo clams and meaty grilled corvina fish.

See much more detail on these places and more at the blog of our fearless leader, StreetgourmetLA.

Michael Voltaggio: Why the Langham Dining Room?

"Top Chef" contestant Michael Voltaggio is quickly cementing a reputation as an arrogant, bad loser, despite his artistic food creations. But whatever his TV persona, his opinions about taking the job at the Langham hotel Dining Room are refreshingly direct in the latest issue of Pasadena Magazine.
“My first impression was no. I don’t want to go back and work in an old hotel, in an old dining room,” he tells writer/editor Linda Immediato, who is even more candid in her description: "The Dining Room feels like Grandma’s house. It has an air of mothballs. And it certainly doesn’t match Voltaggio’s sultry, intellectual and playful modern cuisine."
But after "Top Chef," Voltaggio decided to ride out the renovation planned for next year and see what happens. What will he do while the restaurant's being renovated? He has said he'd consider another TV job at some point, if it had the right focus.
If you want to read Jonathan Gold's article on Pasadena dining, you'll have to buy the print edition.

Top chef episode #10: Meat Natalie - Flavors that are big in your mouth

I'd eat that: Bryan's meatloaf looks like a real TV dinner, only better, inspired by 1950s-set "MASH."

It's a smaller, tighter group tonight, and the chefs are chastened by how few of them remain -- as well as stunned that somehow Robin is still among their ranks.
For the Quickfire challenge, the chefs draw classic TV shows which are meant to inspire TV dinner menus. It's a fun idea, but most don't have a clue how to interpret it.
Not surprisingly, Earth mother Robin wasn't allowed to watch TV as a kid, so she's never seen "Sesame Street." Her egg-yolk embedded in a mini-burger does have a childlike playfulness, but the judges pronounce it tough and uninspired.
Jennifer, who drew "The Flintstones," lights up with a rare smile when she talks about BamBam pulling Pebbles around by her hair -- does she harbor a secret desire to be dominated? When Jennifer's cooking, she runs around the kitchen like a frantic pony.
The winner: Kevin's meatballs are at least consistent with "The Sopranos," and the judges love his pear dessert.

Michael's delicate asparagus salad is better-looking than the winning dish.

Elimination round: The chefs are excited to cook at Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak and see all the great cuts of beef. But Natalie Portman appears and announces that she's a real foodie, but "The one thing is, I'm vegetarian." Crunch Robin is happy, as is Kevin, who usually gives up meat for Lent, or when the Hobbits haven't killed any Orcs lately. Jennifer is a very carnivorous girl, so she's sulking as usual.
Doing a slow fade: Jennifer is really off her game tonight. Tomato coins, what the hell? Her dish looks like the random stuff I pulled out of my garden in the dark the other night and threw on some pasta.
Runner-up: Michael's asparagus salad looks a little stingy on the plate and is burdened by disconcerting lumps of banana in the polenta. But his dish makes Natalie smile and laugh, "it made Natalie giggle like schoolgirl."
Natalie doesn't look comfortable as a judge -- she gives a tight little smile when one of the other judges slams a chef, although by the end she's dishing with the best of them, and tittering when all the girls start carrying on about a flavor that starts "growing like a little prick" in your mouth.
I'd eat that: Kevin's dish has a meaty, substantial feel, with hen of the woods mushrooms and smoked kale -- It's a "mouthful of flavor," so he's the winner.
The loser: "Mike exudes arrogance," a judge says -- no, duh! Finally, the cocky Mike must leave. He has the nerve to say on his way out that Robin should have gone instead of him -- what a douche. Mike, don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you!
Let's hope Jennifer can get back in the saddle for next week's episode.

Vocabulary lesson:
Barigoule -- a preparation usually made with artichokes, olive oil, white wine and sometimes mushrooms Charmoula -- Moroccan sauce made with garlic, cilantro and parsley

Are you foodie enough to win tickets to Great Chefs of L.A.?

Govind Armstrong, left, at last year's event

Want to score a pair of tickets to Great Chefs of L.A., a big benefit Go Green, Go Organic tasting Sunday, Nov. 8 at CBS Studio Center for the National Kidney Foundation?

First, you must sing for your supper -- after all, these benefit tasting tickets usually go for $150 each.

The winner will be the first person to email me answers to the following questions about the participating chefs and also become a fan of Great Chefs of L.A. on Facebook or follow Greatchefsofla on Twitter.

1) Akasha Restaurant offers La Fin du Monde beer. Where is this brew made and what does it mean?
2) What other notable L.A. restaurateur did Josie LeBalch work with while at Wolfgang Puck's Ma Maison?
3) Loteria's Jimmy Shaw is originally from what city?
4) Govind Armstrong worked for which top L.A. chefs while still a teenager?

A winner will be chosen by 12 noon, Wednesday, Nov. 4. Thanks for playing!

Adam Goldberg disses Speranza and S.L. restos in general

Is Speranza really that bad? That's what actor Adam Goldberg seems to be saying as he wails on the Hyperion spot and all Silver Lake restaurants in this video promo for his new movie "Untitled." As he drives up and down Hyperion and eats at an eccentric friend's house (is that perennial scenester John Tottenham in the background?), Goldberg riffs on the traffic on Franklin and how he's just not feeling the strip of restaurants where Birds is located. Too bad "Untitled" is set in New York, because Goldberg seems to have plenty to say about L.A.!

Bike Bender blasts through E-Ho

Quaffing a rose-flavored soda pop at Sahag's Basturma on the Bike Bender.

Bike bender #2 went off well on a somewhat steamy East Hollywood afternoon Sunday, as 26 bike riders (and two lasses on a seagreen Vespa!) convened the caravan for EatingLA and FoodGPS's second Bike Bender. The last edition in Highland Park concentrated on Mexican food and beer; this time it was Armenian and Thai tastes and as always, beer. At stop #1, Sasoun Bakery, we tasted lahmajune, spicy cheese bourek hot out of the oven, tangy spinach bourek and date-nut cookies.

The afternoon was already heating up at stop #2 as we crowded into tiny Sahag's Basturma, where for 25 years they've been turning out spicy soujouk sausages, subtly-spiced, juicy finger-sized maaneg sausages and fenugreek-laden dried basturma (above), which gave us the Yiddish word pastrami. Soft bread, pungent olives and pepperoncini complemented the meats, which some paired with rose and tarragon sodas.

At stop#3, Bhan Kanom Thai, warm coconut khanom krok pancakes were just coming out of the molds, while the crepes for "Thai tacos" (above) were sizzling on the hot griddle before being topped with a marshmallow-ish cream and bits of salty egg or sweet coconut. Taro coconut cakes were not as universally loved, but I liked their lavender color and nutty flavor. While it didn't take long to cover the ground for the first three stops, we were all happy to arrive at the last one, the cool, dimly-lit Blue Palms Brewhouse, where each biker got to try two beers. My favorite was Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA, but there were plenty of others to enjoy.
Stay tuned for another delicious, sudsy Bike Bender in January -- possibly a Chinese New Year's edition!

Scenes from a bucolic Beer Festival

Craftsman's Mark Jilg dispenses samples of wet-hopped IPA, among others.

The culminating event of L.A. Beer Week at Descanso Gardens was blissfully uncrowded and relaxing, as opposed to most mass tasting events. I probably lucked out to get there the first year, before the crowds arrive. It probably could have been even more publicized, since I talked to hopheads on our Bike Bender that hadn't heard about it. But Descanso Gardens was a lovely place to sample a couple dozen beers (I only made it to about eight, and again managed to lose my tasting glass). Weeping willows and beer tasting on a warm Indian summer afternoon: yes!

Sign that it's time to go home: Suddenly, your tasting glass vanishes. Among the standouts were the brand-new Requiem Espresso Stout from the Gentleman Scholar, a new L.A. beer from Naja's Martin Svab and Gianni Diaz; the Bruery's Two Turtle Doves, a 12% Belgian-style ale with cocoa nibs and toasted pecans and Craftsman's Edgar's Ale.

I was pretty toasted myself after all those strong brews and recall only that Duvel's new Green single-fermented draft ale is less strong than their Classic in the bottle, in case you want to take things a bit slower. Next time, it would be great to have a list of all the breweries so that we could check off what we tasted and how much we liked it.

It's Beer Festival Saturday!

50 breweries. Unlimited 5 oz. tasting pours. A beautiful fall afternoon. Acres of lush greenery. I can't see what sounds much better than that. The L.A. Craft Beer fest was awesome, but I kept thinking how much nicer it would be somewhere outdoors and not dark and dank like the Echo. Now it's happened, and it's the L.A. Beer Week Festival, at Descanso Gardens in La Canada tomorrow from 3-8. Food for sale, live music, $40. Buy tickets on their site or at the door.

Domaine L.A.: Melrose gets great grapes

Guests mingle at Wednesday's grand opening, complete with wines from La Fenetre and foie gras grilled cheese sandwiches from Ludovic Lefevbre.

Domaine L.A.'s recently-opened Melrose shop is certainly convenient for picking up a good bottle to go with your California Chicken Cafe takeout, but it's also a great addition to the mid-city/West Hollywoodish area that's generally lacking in laid-back, friendly wine shops like Silver Lake Wine and Colorado Wine Co. Owner Jill Bernheimer, a former film producer who has been running online wine shop Domaine 547, says that for right now the store will be sales only, no tasting events, since city licensing is particularly onerous around restaurant-heavy Melrose. One fun feature at the store is the Wall of Affordable Deliciousness, with insouciant recommendations at reasonable prices, including "Not Yellowtail" and Domaine La Bastide syrah-grenache for $9.

Just for fun: Chinese scare tactic posters

Loves these Chinese posters warning parents about adulterated food using images of glass-encrusted donuts and pizza. Guess it's a real concern, given the cardboard dumplings scare of two years ago.
via Eatmedaily.

Top Chef #9: Restaurant Wars -- Now that's revolting!

I wouldn't mind this silky ganache with spearmint ice cream right this minute.

Quickfire challenge: The Voltaggio brothers are arguing all the time. Everyone thinks Robin should have gone home. Now that it's down to only eight chefs, everyone is increasingly crochety. So when they choose teams, Robin is picked last, of course, on the brothers red team. On the blue team, Jennifer is called out by restaurant owner Rick Moonen for calling her black cod trout.
The winners and losers: The blue team wins for the black cod with mushrooms and shitake broth. Both the brothers on the red team both pout like bad losers.
Elimination round: The chefs must create two complete restaurants, upstairs and downstairs, concentrating on the front of the house as well as the kitchen.
Since Moonen's rm restaurant specializes in sustainable seafood, they must pay attention to the Monterey Bay aquariam's Seafood Watch card to help choose their seafood. The chefs stay pretty conservative with their seafood choices, usually going for either Arctic char or black cod.
The restaurants: OMG, is Revolt the worst name for a restaurant ever or what? In fact, it's revolting.
The other team's choice, Mission, is a little boring but you can totally imagine a restaurant being named that.
Oh, the drama: Michael doesn't like how Robin is plating the pithiviers, and she tries to grab back her pastry, telling him to "screw off." "Don't cuss at me again!" he snaps angrily. These people are just about at boiling point.
I'd totally eat that: Bouillabaisse looks pretty good, but then I'd eat rouille spread even on asphalt shingles. Still, cooking the shellfish to order was apparently the wrong move.
The winners: Despite the stupid name, Revolt takes the prize. The judge like Michael's chicken with calamari "pasta," Robin's nicely-executed pear pithivier, and the cod with billi billi sauce. Toby proclaims it the best restaurant wars team ever. Michael wins for his chicken and gets $10,000, which he graciously splits with his team members.
The losers: Jennifer is upset, because her trout butter sauce is broken. But its Laurine who is dismissed, because she didn't handle the front of the house well. When Jennifer finds out Laurine is gone, she makes a face like an Arctic char being fileted. Now the only woman are sour-faced yet competent Jennifer and erratic, bitchy Robin. Which do you think will go home first?

Next time: Natalie Portman guests on the show -- but here's a hint of turmoil to come: naturally, she's a vegan.

Culinary vocab for the day:
Pithivier: A layered puff pastry dessert usually filled with frangipane (almond paste) and combined with fruit. On this episode, it was made with pears.
Billi Bi: A creamy mussel soup. On this episode, it was used as a sauce for cod.

Cooking classes that help you and others, too

I love hearing about the culinary programs that give people the skills to find work in restaurants and other food service, whether they're former gang members, at-risk youth or at St. Joseph Center in Venice, the homeless population. St. Joseph's 10 week Culinary Training Program helps participants get back on their feet by providing training, externships and even job interviews in a fully-outfitted training kitchen and in the Bread and Roses Cafe. But of course they need funding help to do all this, and that's where you come in. St. Joseph has invited guest chefs to come teach cooking classes that benefit the center and are 50% tax deductible. These are great alternatives to taking classes from
cooking schools.

Oct. 21, Wednesday evening is the Chocolate Spectacular with Gourmandise Desserts; Saturday, Oct. 24 is From Sicily with Love with the chef from Ado; Nov. 14 is Decadent Desserts and Sweet Plates with pastry chefs from Gourmandise and Kensington Caterers.
(sponsored link above)

Locali expands menu, delivers to Hollywood/Los Feliz

If I lived in the Hollywood/Los Feliz area, I would definitely be ordering some healthy food from Locali, which delivers up in the area between Highland and Hillhurst. Yes, there are super-crunchy things like vegan artisan sandwiches on foccacia and teriyaki tofu, but omnivores have plenty of choices too, including The Wayward Pilgrim sandwich: turkey, swiss, walnuts, spinach and raspberry jam or the Log Cabin breakfast sandwich with smoked chicken, apples, swiss cheese and maple syrup on a croissant. Plus, there's a kale salad, not to mention hemp salad and a hemp bagel. And ginger slushies. There's no excuse for ordering bad pizza when places like this deliver. Don't miss the Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches, either.

Where to get your Hello Kitty waffles, sushi and more

It's Hello Kitty's 35th birthday, and she's still looking like a kitten. I wish my daughter were a bit younger so we could go celebrate at Royal T cafe, which is having a birthday celebration to Oct. 23-Nov. 13 at the Culver City tea shop/gallery. Kitty-adorned waffles, pancakes, sandwiches and other dishes will be served, of course. On Saturday, it's Hello Kitty day all day long, from 10 am-10 pm, including a kitty-themed sushi workshop from 4-5. Meow!

Stefan Richter's frozen lollipops: A 'Top Chef' bonus

The finished frozen lollipops in flavors like wine ice cream with a chocolate center, passion fruit and eggnog.

Almost as entertaining as talking to former "Top Chef" finalist Stefan Richter and watching his sous-chef make frozen lollipops is reading the trail of comments he leaves on blogs around town. Clearly a little obsessive, hopefully his intense focus translates to the food that comes out of his kitchen at Stefan's at L.A. Farm. I was invited to try the restaurant this week, and we finished off a satisfying lunch of pumpkin soup with smoked duck and grilled salmon with Richter's fun frozen lollipops.
I went back to the kitchen to watch sous-chef Troy prepare them with liquid nitrogen -- that is some fun stuff to play with! Here's how it's done, although you'd have to have a nitrogen license to do it.





First you pour some nitrogen into a small container. Don't touch the stuff, or you will stick to it.










Previously, you have frozen balls of chocolate ganache on sticks. Now take the stick out of the freezer and dip in melted ice cream -- mint, in this case.


Now dip it in the nitrogen until the ice-cream refreezes. Resist the urge to pop it in your mouth as soon as it's done -- "Your tongue will stick to it!," Troy reminds me. Make some nice layers, like you're coloring an Easter egg. You can see the finished products at the top -- but you have to lick them to get the full effect, not bite them, as the ice cream tends to fall off in shards otherwise.

(This was a hosted lunch.)

Top Chef #8: Pigs and Pinot: Playing up the funky, hairy notes

Warm potato and clam salad

Tonght's guest judge is Charlie Palmer, the pioneer of American cooking. Although Bryan Voltaggio worked for him for 10 years, and brother Michael has also worked with Palmer, he assures that he will be impartial. But increasingly uptight Michael clearly thinks the connection gives him a leg up, while Bryan is afraid maybe Charlie doesn't like him.
One viewer noted last week that the product placement is out of control this season, and in tonight's episode it reached its apex. The snide look on Jennifer's face when she hears they have to create dishes using Alexia salty snacks is priceless. Even the cars are product placement -- what are Venzas?
I'd eat that: Kevin's warm bean confit tomato salad with fresh herbs and creamed corn looks delicious. I hope they post a recipe for that.
Most pretentious award: Did Bryan actually say he was using Soy air? Say what?
Quickfire challenge winner: Eli's potato clam salad with white truffle. Doesn't excite me, but I guess it's better than Robin's sweet corn panna cotta with avocado. Has she never heard of textural contrast?
Elimination challenge: Pigs and Pinot is the name of an annual benefit dinner Charlie Palmer hosts, so that's the theme. Michael reminisces about pate de campagne he once made with Palmer, clearly thinking his history will get him somewhere.
The chefs smile when they hear the ingredients are foodie mainstays pork and pinot noir -- a helluva lot better than onion flavored snacks!
But quel travail: They have to make 150 tasting portions like a real benefit tasting -- what a pain.
Each chef gets to pick the pinot to pair his or her food with: Eli picks a Russian River Terlato, accusing the others of having amateur palates that prefer candy flavored wines. For a 25 year old, he's kind of a wine snob.
But one thing's for sure -- I could sure use a big glass of pinot right now!
Laurine's got balls, figuratively of course -- she decides to try making pork rillettes for the very first time. Not sure if that's a good idea.
Random observation: But seriously, why does Jennifer always look so sour?
Ganging up on the cancer victim: Tension in the house comes to a head while Eli's making dinner. "You're not my mom, Robin!" he kvetches. She says if she were Eli's mom, she would have raised him better. Ouch! But looking at Robin's wizened face is starting to annoy me, so I can see how they feel. During the upcoming challenge, they seem like they're going to hate Robin's dish before they even taste it. "We all know what the right decision is," they say while they're waiting for the decision -- everyone's dying to get rid of Robin.
Sure enough, the Food & Wine editor's assessment of the rillettes is "Catfood." (The tuna rillettes at Palate are truly reminiscent of catfood, BTW.) Bad call for Laurine, yet she gets to stay.
Now that's just gross: Toby Young, as usual is vulgar: The difference between an American pinot and a French wine is like the difference between a shaved armpit and a hairy one, he charmingly posits. Even when Jennifer makes the cut, she looks relieved but not happy.
The winner: Kevin, for his pate, which looks like catfood, but apparently doesn't taste like it.
The Loser: Ash changed his mind and ended up making cold pork.
It seems like they're trying to see how crazy they can drive the other chefs by keeping Robin as long as they can, although her cooking is clearly weaker than the others. Meanwhile, the brothers look like they're about to start punching each other out on front lawn while Robin does her Pilates. With only a handful of chefs left, nearly everyone seems on edge tonight.

Bike Bender #2: Join us in east Hollywood!

If you missed Bike Bender #1 in May, that was a big mistake. Thankfully, you have an opportunity to make amends when Josh Lurie (FoodGPS) and I co-host Bike Bender #2 on Sunday, October 25 in east Hollywood.

We plan to ride through E-Ho in an effort to showcase the neighborhood’s culinary range, both indoors and out. Bike Bender #2 will convene at 12:45 PM outside the Vermont/Sunset Red Line stop. Our bike tour will include at least four stops and culminate with a flight of four beers at Blue Palms Brewhouse, one of L.A.’s leading beer bars.

The tour costs $28 per person, which covers food at each stop and beer at Blue Palms Brewhouse, plus tax and tip. If you want additional food at any of our casual, low-priced options, you’re welcome to order it. At this stage, we’re not sharing the specific spots, but these are all places that Josh and I have been to and recommend. You can email me if you want more info. This is a fairly short and easy ride, only about five miles. It is over 21 since the beer is included, and is better suited to omnivores.

Jonathan Gold to write for Pasadena magazine

I'm guessing most blog readers, foodies, etc. have probably never even seen a copy of Pasadena magazine, a glossy rag mostly targeted at the market for expensive Craftsman light fixtures. That might be about to change, though, as Pasadena magazine has a new managing editor, Linda Immediato. Immediato has worked at the L.A. Weekly, Gourmet and Angeleno.

"The November issue also premieres the writing of Pasadena's very own Pulitzer Prize winning food critic, Jonathan Gold, whom Linda worked with at Gourmet magazine, and more closely with at L.A. Weekly,"

the magazine's release says.
November's issue will the the Food & Wine issue, with an interview with Michael Voltaggio, "Top Chef" contender and Langham Dining Room chef.
Gold will continue to write for the Weekly, thank goodness.

Wayne Thiebaud: Cupcakes with no calories

I love the deli salads in "Food Counter" (2005.)

If you like a little art with your food once in a while, don't miss the Wayne Thiebaud retrospective to Jan. 31 at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Seeing his iconic cupcakes reproduced in print is nothing like the real thing: Thiebaud's thick, dimensional strokes and vibrant colors should be seen in person. We met the 88 year-old Sacramento and San Francisco-based painter at a reception last week catered, of course, by Auntie Em's cupcakes.
Feeling a cupcake craving after the show? Try Auntie Em's, Dot's Cupcakes in two Pasadena locations, or Violet's Cakes.

Umami Los Feliz: Get ready for green fried chicken

behold the signature Umami burger

The opening of Umami Burger in Los Feliz is cause for celebration since until now, there was barely a decent burger to be found east of Hollywood. (I dunno, is anyone that into Fix Burger?) Although it's only been open a week, Umami already turning out burgers bursting with umami flavors, thankfully without too many service glitches.
I doubt I will ever be able to replicate my first Umami experience, biting into one of the best burgers I have ever tasted as I sat all alone at the La Brea location with a glass of owner Adam Fleischman's excellent petite syrah. Since then, my experiences have varied -- a sublime scallop sandwich, a way-too-rare Hatch burger.
I'm glad they've caved in and decided to offer skinny regular and sweet potato fries, since the giant log fries never quite seemed to work. We had onion rings ($3), which have a nice malt liquor batter but could just a touch more time in the fryer to fully cook the onion. They were already out of the turkey miso burger, so we had to go meaty all the way. It was Kathy's first Umami experience -- we both liked the Umami burger ($9) and its sweet Portuguese bun, although they tend to cook them rare no matter how you order them. With chorizo, bacon and ground pork as well as manchego cheese and pimenton aioli in the Triple Pork burger ($11), the piggy burger edged into the too-salty category, although it might have worked perfectly with one of the unusual Japanese beers on offer.
Fleischman says he decided to focus part of the beer menu on Japanese beers like Coedo sweet potato beer (a hefty $16 for a large bottle) and Echigo Rice Lager because no one else has much of a selection of Japanese beer, and to go with the Salaryman theme of the adjacent bar that used to be Sgt. Recruiter. There are also American craftbrews on tap like Poleeko Gold and Allagash White.
Coming soon, after they get their burger legs firmed up, are several entrees like steak, seafood and green fried chicken (with wasabi and Japanese herbs) as well as the return of the wonderful scallop sandwich.
Umami is off to a good start, and is already about as crowded as a Trader Joe's parking lot, but since Eastsiders tend to eat after 8, get there around 7 and you should be fine.
Also, I don't have to tell you guys this, right? But when really popular places get really crowded, your experiences may vary.
Umami Burger
4655 Hollywood Blvd.
323-669-3922

Eva Restaurant: A lovelier shade of pale

Prelude: Like S. Irene, I visited Eva recently. Hers wasn't a full review -- neither is this, since I only had lunch. But overall I'd say she liked it a bit more than I did.

What's for lunch? I have a friend who goes out often at night, so the rest of the time he likes to stay basically within two blocks of his house. Luckily for him, this area encompasses Grace, BLD, Terroni, Kokomo and plenty more choices. He suggested we try the $19 three course prix fixe lunch at the fairly new Eva Restaurant, since it falls within his prescribed area. The chef-owner of Eva is Mark Gold -- not Jonathan Gold's brother, who heads up Heal the Bay, but the Mark Gold who was chef at Leatherby's Cafe Rouge. Gold is a genial fellow and lovely host, who enthusiastically deposits creamy Barhi dates on your table while you're eating, carts out a box of lettuces fresh from the morning's farmer's market and waxes eloquently about his lovely squash.

The tightly-edited lunch menu is similar to the dinner menu, with a somewhat austere Asian feel, mirroring the minimalist interior 0f the former Hatfield's cottage. Maybe it was a quirk of what we ordered, or maybe I'm just used to more assertive flavors, but all three of our dishes were creamy and just a bit pale. I started with burrata ravioli with corn milk and summer truffle; delicate but a little bland. Black cod with seawater glaze and liquid potatoes was the best of the three: sophisticated and beautifully-cooked, topped with house-made raisins that were fun to nibble on. I tried some of my friend's linguini and clams with bacon, but I'm not sure I'm convinced that udon noodles work well in this dish. For dessert, we had pristinely fresh cantaloupe and several cheeses including the prizewinning Rogue River blue.

The lunch menu is a good way to sample Gold's delicate, attentive cooking at a reasonable price, but after seeing other blogger's reports of the Sunday night family-style dinners, what I really wanted was that platter of fried chicken and bowl of creamed corn that My Last Bite wrote about.
Eva is both cozy and elegant, and I'd certainly go back for Sunday dinner, which seems like a good deal for $35 including wine. I'll just be sure to mix in some more colorful dishes next time.
Eva Restaurant
7458 Beverly Blvd.
323-634-0700

Is Glassell Park the new Eagle Rock?: L.A. Bento, Butter Tart and more

A cluster of news from Glassell Park, thanks to other nearby bloggers:

I'm excited to stop by L.A. Bento on Division St. in Glassell Park on my way to work and pick up a lunch bento/sandwich box. Via Squid Ink.

Butter Tart Bakery on Verdugo Rd. is transforming into a breakfast and lunch spot, thanks to Andre Guerrero of the Oinkster, who is taking over the lease and introducing a bigger menu starting at the end of October. Via FoodGPS.

Also from FoodGPS, a first look at Frankie & Johnny's Seafood Outlet on Riverside Drive. I'm a little bemused by the raucous website, nautical decor and chunks of frozen fish for sale, but given the price of fish these days, I'll certainly check it out.

And also in Glassell Park, not Eagle Rock, the Eagle Rock Brewery is getting so much closer to opening...here's a progress report on building the tasting bar, etc.

Lamill close to introducing intoxicating new cocktails

Jean from Lamill says the haute coffeehause is getting very close to getting its beer and wine license, which should come through in just a few more weeks.
She says they're working on coming up with some unique beer and wine cocktails, like tea champagne. The menu hasn't changed too much since Michael Cimarusti designed it back in March, 2008 -- thankfully, the arctic char with soy beurre blanc, one of my favorite dishes ever, remains. But when the beer and wine license comes through, Cimarusti will introduce some new dishes designed to showcase the beers, wines and sake. We can't wait!

David Restaurant "plodding along" on Sunset

David Sutton has the awning and paint job up at David Restaurant on Sunset near Parkman, while keeping the nostalgic L.A. Chinese sign. David is still working on the space but says it's "plodding along." He promises a breakfast and lunch menu to start, with Asian, Latin and comfort food dishes, and dinner coming later. Meanwhile, he's running David Catering LA out of the space, which includes a full menu of savory crepes -- can we expect those when the restaurant opens?

Top Chef #7: Dinner Party: Prawn with the wind

I have to say right up front that this was not the most scintillating episode of Top Chef. Maybe the tone for the episode was set by poor Jennifer, who was really sick the whole time. Maybe it was as close as she could get to last episode's play-the-cancer-card routine. But without some of the, shall we say, larger personalities, it seems like it's down to the real chefs now, who are grim, humorless and determined to win.
Quickfire challenge: TV chef Tyler Florence was the guest judge for the quickfire challenge, where chefs had to cook dishes combining three words selected on a slot machine. My daughter thought there was something hilarious about the Adventurous Crunchy Asian selection, and that's certainly the one I'd chose to cook. But several of the chefs, especially whiny, egotistical Mike said they never cook Asian food. How is that even possible?
Not too bright: Robin seems to think curry powder belongs in Middle Eastern food.
I'd eat that: I thought Ashley's feta pudding and sumac-crusted halibut (above) looked good despite the no cheese-with-fish rule.

If you need a little more Ashley, check out her Top Chef photo gallery here.
The winner: Kevin, who also says he doesn't know Asian cooking, does a nice simple chargrilled pork with Vietnamese herb salad, and chooses the $15,000 instead of immunity.
Elimination round: Nancy Silverton and Govind Armstrong are among the chefs from Macy's Culinary Council who will judge the dinner party episode.
This challenge is tricky, because working in pairs seems to bring out the worst in the chefs. Because Mike can't stop bad-mouthing Robin, inevitably he must team up with her, and says he's "livid." Way to be gracious, Mike!
Michael Voltaggio, who has likely eaten at Mozza many times, gets Silverton's bag of food, and decides to do a ravioli-topped halibut, thinking she'll appreciate the pasta.
Mike gets the Takashi Yagihashi's bag, so he's stressed that he has to deal not only with Robin but with the likes of dashi and ponzu.
Stupid idea: As soon as Ashley and Eli announce they're making grilled spot prawns over gnocchi, Tom Colicchio looks suspicious. The finished dish is beautiful though, with a beet creme fraiche sauce providing a vibrant backdrop.
Those are some tense boys: Both Michael and Bryan Voltaggio look tense and miserable, as if their life depends on this challenge. When the electricity goes out while Michael's cooking his halibut, he looks like he's going to cry. Bryan also seems pretty tightly wound. Note to self: Do not apprentice in their kitchens.
The winner: Despite being sick, Jennifer and Kevin win for their Korean Kobe beef dish (above), snagging $10,000 Macy's gift cards. Maybe next week's contestant should arrange to chop off an arm or something for an advantage.
The loser: Indeed, the halibut is badly cooked because of the electricity problem, but even worse was the idea to put a frozen egg yolk in the ravioli, which seems to gross out Colicchio.
But even worse was Ashley and Eli's gnocchi and prawns dish, with tough, salty gnocchi and undercooked prawns. I guess looks aren't everything. I'm devastated to see Ashley go, because she was my girl crush, and I liked her tats. Jennifer must have liked her too, because she cries when Ashley leaves!
Was it my imagination, or was this episode a touch lacking in drama, despite the sad ending?

Spaces still left in UCLA food writing class (wonder why?)

Los Angeles Magazine restaurant critic Patric Kuh teaches a food writing workshop starting Saturday at UCLA Extension's Downtown branch, and Kuh says there are still spaces available in case anyone's interested. I was hoping to speak about food blogging at next Tuesday's class if enough people sign up for the class. There are college journalism credits available, and the class is $315.
Given yesterday's sad news about Gourmet closing, it's understandable that writers might be on the fence about food writing.

On the other hand, May's International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle sold out quickly, and the BlogHer Food conference sounded popular also. Then there's the luxurious Food Blogger Camp in January at Club Med Ixtapa -- wonder how many people have plunked down $2000 or so for that one?
What does it all mean? Why are people willing to pay so much to improve their blogging when there's so little money to be made? Maybe they just like getting out and meeting other bloggers?

Super-local night at Canele next Tuesday

I'm so happy that chef Jessica Koslow read about Canelé's Friends Cook nights on my blog, and decided to cook up one herself. Jessica, who blogs at Eat.Sip.Chew, is a pastry chef who used to cook at Atlanta's Bacchanalia, and she's going to try to go as local as possible with her menu Tuesday, October 13. There are even eggs from Silver Lake!

JTYH Restaurant: Where to get your mu shu cat ears, chicken paws and noodle pimples

When Josh told me JTYH Restaurant was descended from the famous Heavy Noodling, which I never went to before it closed, I was all like, "Hand cut noodles! Sign me up!" Driving east towards Rosemead, Valley Blvd. becomes increasingly Vietnamese, but the inscrutably-named JTYH is Chinese, with a page of the menu devoted to Shanghai and Sichuan dishes as well as the signature noodles. Sinosoul has already waxed over this place at length, so I'll boil my noodle broth down to the essence:



JTYH is a small place in a minimall with plenty of parking. Its large ceramic chicken looks to have flown the coop from Sea Harbour down the street. But the menu is much broader than most noodle joints, so it could work for full dinners as well. There are entire sections devoted to soup noodles, fried noodles, dry noodles, pancakes, dumplings and buns. There's also a Chinese-only "snack" box. Sinosoul says it features Chicken noodle pimples, which sound akin to spaetzle. Appetizers include spicy chicken paws (feet, I would guess) and the usual cold seaweed, dried fish and cucumber dishes.


Everyone seems to get either the Beef stewed noodle soup or the Lamb noodle soup. We chose the beef, with tender brisket, a decent broth and oddly-shaped, beveled handmade noodles with a great rustic texture.

I had to try Mooshu "Cat Ears" -- there's no pancakes involved, just the Chinese version of orrechiete noodles topped with scrambled egg and pork. A very comforting dish that would be great for breakfast.

When I ordered leek dumplings, the waitress made a swooping motion with her hands that I took to mean "These aren't your normal dumplings, they are large like a plate." And that's exactly what they were, more like a pie stuffed with chopped leeks and bean thread noodles. Very cool, if not exactly dumpling-like. Mix up some chili sauce and black vinegar to dip them in, if you wish.

JTYH is open from 11-9:30 every day except Tuesday (why are Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants closed on such random days?)
JTHY Restaurant
9425 Valley Blvd.
Rosemead
626-442-8999