Frankies Spuntino chefs in L.A. tonight

If you didn't already get reservations for Animal's guest night tonight with hot Brooklyn chefs Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli... well, it's probably way too late for that now. But you can console yourself with their new cookbook, which comes in a cool McSweeney's style casing and is full of things I'd love to try, like Linguine with fava beans, garlic, tomato and bread crumbs.
And next time chefs this popular come to town, keep reading those local food blogs to find out where they are!  In the meantime, here's a recipe from Saveur for their Orrecchiette with horseradish and parmesan.

Xoia surfs the Vietnamese wave into Echo Park

It's only fitting that my first meal at Echo Park's new Xoia started with pho tacos. The restaurant is owned by longtime Echo Park residents Jose Sarinana and Thien Ho, and the food is mostly homestyle Vietnamese, influenced by Ho's heritage fro the city of Hoi An. This article from the Eastsider explains how the restaurant came about. Just a few years ago, I never would have believed that the Silver Lake-Atwater area would giver near-Eastsiders a choice of Indochine, Viet Noodle Bar, Gingergrass and Pho Cafe, and now Echo Park has its own version with just a touch of Latin influence -- at least in the tacos.
Since the launch of Kogi BBQ truck, pretty much every cuisine serves tacos, and these juicy tacos made with pho beef just needed a touch of soy sauce and housemade salsa to bring them to life.

Pho beef tacos

Xoia is still in soft-opening stage, with a limited menu and dinner service only. But in a few weeks, more menu items will be added and lunch will kick off too. The former paint store is bright and modern, decorated with Sarinana's abstract paintings, with a small patio that's nicely enclosed so that diners don't have to sit right on the Sunset Blvd. sidewalk. A clutch of bloggers were invited Monday to try some signature dishes, and I liked both the tacos and the beef pho. With a heartier, more flavorful broth than is sometimes found in the nouveau Vietnamese spots and a jumbo helping of noodles, this is a solid bowl of pho for $8.50.
The menu also has spring rolls, vegetarian pho, banh mi at around $6.50, chicken curry and an intriguing noodle dish, Mi quang, with thick rice noodles, shrimp, pork, mint and sesame cracker chips. There's no liquor license at the moment, though they may apply for one down the line.
Xoia
1801 Sunset Blvd.
Echo Park

213-413-3232

Good Magazine's decade in food

Eastside bon vivant Jon Huck has passed along Good magazine's intriguing decade in food.
- It's fun to realize it's already been 10 years since Carrie Bradshaw starting eating cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery -- and Magnolia is finally making it to L.A. all those years later.
Other highlights:

2002: The Julie/Julia project is one of the early blogs that launches a craze for food blogging that continues to grow.
2004: Yelp launches, giving earlier sites like Chowhound a run for their money and elevating dirty Internet tricks to a new level. Also, Julia Child dies.
2005: The word "locavore" becomes popularized.
2009: The White House organic garden is planted.
No entries for 2010 yet -- have you noticed any food milestones so far? Also no entries for food trucks...clearly it's not comprehensive, but the food scene has come an incredibly long way in the last decade.

Malo es bueno: Silver Lake's booziest brunch

Mango banana French toast with piloncillo syrup

Technically I guess it's possible to have a boozy, leisurely brunch at several places in Silver Lake: Cliff's Edge, Edendale Grill and Dusty's come to mind. But it would be hard to find a better combination of potent yet refreshing cocktails and zippy Mexican brunch dishes than Malo, where several bloggers/writers were invited to try brunch and some new cocktails this weekend.

 A salsa flight and guacamole are de rigueur at Malo

Malo makes an excellent margarita of course, but the Medicina Latina adds a strong jolt of ginger to the lime and tequila with a mist of Mezcal. Matt enjoyed the extra-spicy Bloody Maria made with tequila, while a new drink made with gin, mint, and smashed peaches was also a hit. I wouldn't have thought to order

scrambled egg tostadas ($8), but they were terrific; I actually liked them better than the chilaquiles. Either decadent Mango and banana french toast with warm piloncillo syrup ($8) or spinach enchiladas with a touch of the fiery creamy salsa and cool avocado slices would make the perfect morning-after dish.

Scrambled egg tostadas

In addition to lots of other brunch salads, vegan choices and egg dishes, there were two pancake creations we didn't try: bacon cheddar pancakes and buttermilk and queso fresco pancakes, so a return trip is in order. And don't be afraid that the desserts will be too sweet -- both the flan and tres leches cake are nicely calibrated not to be cloying. I've always been partial to Malo and their organic margaritas and ground beef pickle tacos, but their brunch is a super-pleasant way to soak up some morning sun on the patio before hitting the Silver Lake Farmer's Market, Spice Station and Cheese Shop of Silver Lake to stock up for dinner.

Catching up: Highland Park's new wine bar, Echo Park's produce shop, Lucifer's RIP club and more

Busy week...but here's some interesting announcements from around the near-Eastside.

Feast reports that the tiny York Ave. Yucatecan spot Villas Durango will become a wine bar, Highland Cork. Has the wine-sipping population reached enough critical mass in the area to support a wine bar? Hard to say -- the newer spots like Good Girl Dinette and Cafe de Leche are welcome, but they're still few and far between. And does anyone actually eat at Marty's, or is it mainly a lounge now?

Not the actual Cookbook, but a lovely vision of a neighborhood greengrocer

Los Angeles Magazine reports that Homegrown LA's Marta Teegan will open Cookbook on Echo Park Ave. in Echo Park. It's a "community-supported greengrocer," with fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, bread and more. With classes, readings and tastings, this place sounds almost too good to be true -- reminiscent of San Francisco's cool 18 Reasons non-profit food space -- so I hope the community will support Cookbook.
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Are you a Lucifer's Pizza fan? The gothy-themed Lucifer's on Hillhurst just launched the R.I.P. (Rewards in Pizza) Club for frequent pizza consumers who can get one free pizza after buying 10. Members of the R.I.P club who buy 10 pizzas before August 15 will also get a chance to win a trip to Sin City...Vegas, that is.
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Xoia Eats modern Vietnamese on Sunset in Echo Park is now open...more soon after I get a chance to try it, but it looks great so far.
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And lastly, Baba Ji of Cowboys and Turbans is turning the liquor store next to Rambutan into Silver Lake Natural Food Market...I wish that corner had been so happening when I lived there and it was Cafe Tropical, the old Italian restaurant where Rambutan is, or nothing.

Who could object to such a scene?

Picnic tables in front of Papa's Tapas on Wilshire

I know being a restaurant owner is no picnic, but I despite my generally good feelings for councilman Tom LaBonge, I think his call for more regulations for food trucks-- including prohibiting them from using metered spaces at all --  is generally a poor idea. Take the stretch of Wilshire which seems to be the source of the most complaints. I've worked there for 15 years, and I've been complaining about the food around there for just as long. The lack of street life around there was dreary, considering that thousands of people work in the area and need to eat lunch. On Thursday our office building at 5900 Wilshire set up picnic tables in front of the piece of the Berlin Wall improbably propped up on the lawn. There were kids in strollers, office workers, museum visitors, all sharing tables and talking about which trucks they liked. It was worlds better than the sterile sidewalks with only a few chain restaurants of the previous 14 years. The petition put together by the Mobile Food Truck Vendors is up to nearly 6,000 signatures -- it couldn't hurt to sign it. Do you think the trucks require any more regulation than they already have?

Veggie, garlic shrimp and beef tacos from Papa's Tapas

Have you been to Blasphemy yet?

Here's an amusing review of the new restaurant Blasphemy. If it sounds like a spin-off of the Gorbals...well, maybe that's intentional...or not.
It's from local writer Adam Baer. Here's an excerpt:

Served alongside tamarind-pickled rhubarb cigarettes and nanogreens on a thin slab of recycled local asphalt from Melrose Avenue, Blasphemy's Bacon-Schmaltz ($39) comes paired with a Manischewitz-Guinness smoothie served in a shot glass, and any one of the day’s special desserts, which can range from sweet cotton candy knishes ($12) to Nutella-glazed smoked salmon sausages on car-bomb-shaken Dublin crème ($16).

Adam Baer's Bacon Schmaltz: a review of Blasphemy, from Grin & Tonic

Eat My Blog raises over $5,000 for the L.A. Foodbank

Flourless fruit tarts, left; grapefruit curd tuiles, right

Mini chocolate/coconut cakes, left, Starry Kitchen's pandan churros, right

 Thanks to everyone who came out for Eat My Blog Saturday and thank to the amazing Cathy Danh of Gastronomy blog for organizing this wonderful event, which raised $5,427 for the L.A. Regional Foodbank. My bacon maple cupcakes sold out really fast, as did lots of other treats. There were dozens of inspiring baked goods, but tried to restrain myself and not take home too many. I think I chose well: the triple cherry streusel bar I bought was definitely one of the most delicious baked goods I've ever eaten. Will the baker of these please write in with the recipe so I can post it? Thanks much!

Just Jenn's Sleeping Baby cupcakes

Who doesn't need crack pie, Guiness bacon cupcakes and Pink Elephant cookies?

Here's the amazing menu for Eat My Blog, Saturday June 19 at Tender Greens West Hollywood, 8759 Santa Monica Blvd. Come say hi and get some amazing candies, ice cream, cookies, pies and more to benefit The Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. I'll be making the Guiness chocolate cupcakes with maple bacon frosting and working in the morning.

Mooi: Some like it raw

Mooi represents the new Echo Park with a vengeance: it's fashionable, yet funky, with a decadent sounding selection of dozens of flavors of ice cream -- yet the ice cream is made from raw cashews, and the "orange chicken" is made from jackfruit. Located in the old Jensen's Rec Center building, the look is fetching, with menus made from Dr. Seuss books, mismatched vintage furniture and an ice cream counter up front.And of course the patrons sport beards worthy of a deep woods logging camp. At lunch, though, you won't get to try the jackfruit chicken or enchiladas with sliced walnuts -- the lunch menu is quite small, with a soup, a few salads and two "sandwiches."
I use the term loosely because truly, a slice of cucumber on a clump of raw grains mushed into a patty does not a sandwich make.

A mild salad of apple, cucumber and zucchini cubes in a curry dressing was fine because of course, salad is normally raw. Though the sandwiches were basically a joke, I quite liked the ice cream. Given the caloric content of cashews and coconut, I'm guessing it's nutritionally similar to the real stuff, but my chocolate chile and Layne's Cracker Jack ice cream had a mapley sweetness,with a touch of salted caramel -- and pretty good in their own right.

I'd like to say I'll be back to try the more ambitious dinner menu, but who am I fooling? There's plenty of other places that actually apply heat to their food, so I'll probably pass, unless I'm totally jonesing for some apricot cashew ice cream.

Mooi 
1700 W. Sunset Blvd.
Echo Park

Food blogger horror pic, Udon movie and more food fun at L.A. Film Fest

The Los Angeles Film Fest starts Thursday at L.A. Live and surrounding theaters, and this year's edition has several food-related pics as well as special deals at Downtown restaurants for festgoers. 
Here's one I'm checking out for sure: "Bitter Feast," with an appearance by Mario Batali, stars James LeGros as a chef who kidnaps a food blogger who gives his cooking show a bad review. It screens Friday at 9:45 p.m. and Sunday at 10 p.m. at the Downtown Independent.
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On Saturday, Jonathan Gold talks about food and film at the screening of "Udon," the premiere of a Japanese comedy about, of course, an udon noodle factory. The film shows at 4 p.m. at the Downtown Independent.
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Next Saturday, June 26 at 7:15 p.m. is the Regal Cinemas screening of "Kings of Pastry," a documentary about French pastry chefs in competition, from documentary filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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Downtown restaurants are offering tons of discounts to ticketholders during the 10 day festival, from $7 cocktails at the Association to 50% off beer or wine flights at Bottle Rock, to extended happy hour at Library Bar and free sundaes at Pitfire Pizza.

Amwaj, more Middle Eastern coming to Los Feliz

What's with all the Middle Eastern restaurants opening on Hillhurst? Surely it's not because of the massive popularity of Desert Rose...but after Feast reported Papa's Place was opening a casual Turkish-German restaurant on Hillhurst, we spotted the more formal-looking Amraj Organic Mediterranean across from Home. Amraj has a roofed patio in front and marble interior, and a construction permit on the door named Krikor Krikorian as proprietor, with no liquor license for now.
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Meanwhile, Xoia Vietnamese looks ready to open soon next to El Prado on Sunset in Echo Park, reports Daily Dish. And in Silver Lake, Speranza is currently closed for remodeling; half of Barbarella is becoming URSA Mediterranean Kitchen and progress is finally being made on the transformation of Eat Well into Kokomo.

Charm Rice & Noodle: Finally, real Thai in South Pasadena?

Tom yum noodles were packed with rice noodles, fish balls, fishcake slices, minced chicken and shrimp. The tangy broth was mild but comforting -- ask for more heat if you like.

Patakan Thai on Fair Oaks Ave. seems to have taken a cue from Saladang up the street: The strip mall Thai spot has spawned a new restaurant a few doors down with a more authentic menu of Thai noodles and rice dishes. Admittedly, Patakan is not the most exciting Thai food, but as the only Thai restaurant in town, they kind of had a corner on the market. So far I've only had one dish from Charm but I'm cautiously optimistic that even though it has the same owners, Charm will spice up my South Pasadena eating -- plus, they deliver! The menu is definitely promising. Here are some of the more unusual dishes:

-- Kha kaprow gai sub -- spicy ground chicken with basil, garlic and fried egg over rice

-- Khao honey pork stew
-- Baa-mee nong gai -- egg noodles with bbq pork and bok choy
-- Guew jub -- rice flake noodles in herbal broth with fried tofu, hard-boiled egg, pork slices, pork intestine, crispy pork
-- Sweet black sticky rice dessert with coconut milk and sweet corn

Charm Rice & Noodle
711 Fair Oaks Ave. #K
South Pasadena
626-441-2419

What's on the menu for Father's Day? Steaks and cupcakes?

 My dad, Henry G. Saperstein

My dad isn't around anymore, but my main food memories of him are his breakfasts: either Hebrew National salami, sliced and fried with eggs, or tinned sardines eaten with crackers and Gulden's spicy brown mustard. His tastes weren't very sophisticated, but he was excited to discover a world of more vibrant flavors when he left his mother's traditional Jewish kitchen and joined the Air Force. He loved discovering Mexican food and Chinese food, even the watered-down versions we got back in the day. Like me, he liked his food good and spicy, and like me, he often wished they would invent something new for lunch.

If your dad is still around, you could have a Dad box of cupcakes delivered from Sprinkles from June 18-20, and everyone in his house would probably thank you. The box comes with red velvet, black and white, vanilla milk chocolate, and a luscious peanut butter chip that's not at all too sweet. I was sent a sample box in anticipation of Father's Day, and if your dad is has a sweet tooth, they'd be just the thing. If not, maybe a Hebrew National salami would do the trick.

Guelaguetza parties for Bizarre Foods

Fearless Mexico explorer and trip leader Bill Esparza of StreetGourmetLA appears on Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods Baja next Monday June 14, and to celebrate his newly-flourishing list of TV appearances he's hosting a viewing party at Guelaguetza on Olympic from 6-9 pm. There's a great menu of Oaxacan snacks and creative tequila and mescal cocktails, all for $5. The viewing party is open to the public.
Some of the snacks include:
-grasshoppers, of course -- chapulines with garlic and jalapenos, topped with avocado and Oaxacan cheese;
-quesadillas stuffed with queso fresco and epazote and
-clayudas with mole negro.


And the cocktails...ay caramba!

-Garra de tigre: Mescal and fresh lime garnished with crushed agave worm salt;
-Beso real: Tequila, agave syrup, pomegranate juice, lemon and mint;
or the spicy Real Mexican with tequila, pineapple, cilantro and jalapenos.
(Bill Esparza at right in photo with Baja chef Benito Molina, center and La Casita Mex's Ramiro Arvizu, left.)

Zaatar Factory: A savory Lebanese journey to Burbank

 Khachapuri comes in egg, cheese, potato and sausage combos, and is cooked to order.

Over here at Eating LA, I mostly leave cupcakes, donuts and brownies to other bloggers. But give me a good loaf of French bread or a spicy cheese-stuffed burek, and I start to get a lot more intrigued. The one-year old Zaatar Factory in Burbank is one of many excellent Lebanese or Armenian bakeries in L.A. baking burek stuffed with spinach or cheese, meat-topped lahmajune and sweet tahini bread and cookies. The small cheese burek ($10 for about a dozen) would be perfect party hors d'oeuvres. But the friendly bakery has a wider selection than many, adding meat or potato-stuffed burek in a half-moon shaped turnover and freshly-made khachapuri.
Unfortunately I was in a bit of a rush, because the real attraction at Zaatar Factory is the khachapuri, sort of a Lebanese pizza-like breakfast bread, with eggs, cheese or sausage topping a foccacia-like base. The bakery is to-go only, so you can take it home and reheat, or just scarf it down in the car. They take about 15 minutes to make, so call ahead or browse in the tiny but well-stocked Lebanese market next door, which also serves grilled meat sandwiches.
The maneishe bread is topped with the bakery's namesake zaatar mix of marjoram, sesame seeds, thyme and oregano. This one is half zaatar, half pepper sauce, and it's dynamite if you take it home and top with a little feta or mozzarella and melt it in the toaster oven.

Zaatar Factory

2909 N. Glenoaks Blvd.

Burbank

(818) 859-7353

 

 

Forage launches Home Growers Program

Responding to the crackdown on home gardeners contributing produce to their restaurant, the folks at Forage have taken action and started the Home Growers Program. If you're just hoping to bring in a bag of extra lemons every so often, this probably isn't for you, but if you're a more serious gardener, Forage can help you become certified to supply to restaurants. What a great, progressive way to support urban farming!

(pictured, a Highland Park family who grow guavas, corn and more)