Merry Christmas cocktail!

Hibiscus Christmas cooler

I love the deep, fruity flavor of jamaica or hibiscus flowers. Their bright red color makes the perfect holiday cocktail. Here's a festive hibiscus Christmas cooler inspired by the Sterling Daiquiri in the L.A. Times, by Allan Katz of Cana Rum Bar, but minus the ginger liqueur. (Steeping some grated ginger in the agua de jamaica would probably impart a similar flavor). Cheers!
Ingredients:
2 oz. agua de jamaica (from L.A. Times recipe made with dried hibiscus flowers, available at Latino markets. Optional, add grated ginger to the steeping mixture.)

1 oz. rum, spiced or regular
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. club soda
Mix and serve over crushed ice with a wedge of lime and sprig of mint.
(Taste and add simple syrup if it's too tart for your taste.)

DogHaus: Pasadena goes to the dogs

Dog Haus has plenty of seating, and a parking lot in back

Pasadena is a lovely town in many ways, most of them historic and a bit stodgy. But the food scene is changing fast with the arrival of more up-to-date spots like Intelligentsia Coffee, Daisy Mint, Cham Korean Bistro, Slaw Dogs and now another doggery, Dog Haus. Just up the street from Pasadena City College, Dog Haus has an industrial vibe with a somewhat more straightforward menu than Slaw Dogs. That's fine, since although Thai slaw and mango chutney sound intriguing on a hot dog, in the end they don't really add that much to the experience.

BLAST dog at Dog Haus: Bacon, lettuce, avocado, Serranos, tomato

I had a BLAST, which involves bacon, avocado and Serrano chilis. I know, it looks like a lot of mayo, but the canine take on a BLT worked well with their large, meaty all-beef dog and a little extra relish.

Double dog dare at Dog Haus: jalapenos, cheese, grilled onions

Sam was very pleased with his Double Dog Dare, which had lots of jalapeno, cheese and grilled onions. Tater Tots tasted exactly like the ones my mom used to make from the frozen bag, which just fine for a nostalgic interlude. If you prefer, there's turkey and veggie dogs, and a choice of skinless or snap dogs. Starting out early? Try the breakfast-y Grand Slam Dog, with bacon, egg and tater tots.
Dog Haus is a fun stop for students, families and Pasadena workers, with just enough variety to keep people coming back.
Yay: Also on the menu: burgers, sausages, fries, chili cheese fries, sweet potato fries, chili. If you don't want to spend $5.95 for a hot dog, you can get a regular dog with a few toppings for $3-4.
Nay: Seems a tad pricey for a hot dog. All the special Haus Dogs are $5.95. In contrast to Slaw Dogs which has a too-flimsy bun, Dog Haus's Hawaiian bread bun is almost too big, sweet and bready.

Dog Haus

105 N Hill AvePasadena

(626) 577-4287

Good Girl Dinette extends hours

Good Girl Dinette is something of a hidden gem in Highland Park, and now it's even easier to fit in a visit for the spicy jalapeno fries or curry chicken pot pie. Good Girl is now open for lunch on Fridays (yay, my day off!) and all day on Saturdays (noon to 10) and Sundays (noon to 9). Who eats at Good Girl?  Here's the perfect snapshot of modern-day Highland Park from Good Girl's blog:

lizz and isaac's wedding

i met lizz and isaac about a week or two into the dinette's opening: they were looking for fuel for their veggie oil benz and i was looking to dispose of my frying oil. lizz is the owner of the eco-clothing line, popomomo, and isaac is a sculptor. and somewhere between their regular visits to the dinette for dinner (where they would always order spicy fries) and their weekly visits to pick up the restaurant's used oil, we became friends.

Xoia: Modern Vietnamese with a side of tacos

Co-owner Jose Sarinana's art covers the walls

Pork tacos have intricate seasonings

Quick, name where you ate if you lived near Echo Park in 2000: Barragan's, Pescado Mojado, Rodeo Grill, Freres Taix...the Brite Spot. There were a few more, none of them much of a culinary destination. Ten years later, Echo Park is a bustling nightlife area, detailed in last week's L.A. Times' article Echo Park Evolves Into Hipster Destination. As a beer lover, I'm excited for Mohawk Bend to open, but what most areas need even more than more bars are more casual, reasonably-priced places to grab a bite.

Mi quang noodles

Xoia picks up the vaguely Vietnamese thread that's always run through Echo Park (A1 Market, Phnom Penh) and fuses it to the hood's strong Latino background. and Owner Thien Ho brings a full Vietnamese menu with inspiration from the neighborhood and her husband Jose Sarinana's heritage, so you'll find pho beef or Mi Quang pork tacos (3 for $5.75) and banh mi sandwiches made with lemongrass pork carnitas ($6.50). All the phos - chicken, beef and vegetarian are $8.25, with a richly flavored stock that outdoes most of the other Vietnamese places in the immediate area. Several dishes go beyond the familiar pho and banh mi, like Mi Quang, a dish from Hoi An with thick rice noodles in a curry-flavored sauce with shrimp, pork and banana blossom and rice crackers on the side. There's also green papaya or chicken salad, Vietnamese coffee and housemade Vietnamese coffee ice cream, making this one of the larger Vietnamese menus in the area.

Banh xeo crepes with distinctive peanut sauce

Pros: Everything is fresh, tasty and reasonably-priced.
Cons: No beer or wine. Service can be a little scattered, but when we received different dishes than what we had ordered, the server graciously wrapped up the extra ones for us to enjoy at home.
 Xoia

1801 W. Sunset Blvd.
  (213) 413-3232



(Mi Quang photo from Xoia's website.)