My Starry Eyed Surprise

Working in Downtown LA year round has its perks. I have the same commute each day (on foot I might add). But that also means that the lunch scene remains pretty constant as well. While Downtown LA may have a good number of places to eat, very few hit the trifecta of lunch criteria that I eat by: under $10, walking distance, tasty.

Enter Starry Kitchen.

Nguyen and Thi Tran opened Starry Kitchen at the end of February to a Water Court crowd that was craving something new (there's only so much Mendocino Farms someone can eat in a year). The Trans' "restaurant" was previously known as Apartment 205 in North Hollywood (they ran an underground restaurant out of their actual apartment for nine months, see the full LA Weekly Article for more). Thankfully for me, the Trans decided to take their underground cooking public at the Water Court on 4th and Grand. Starry Kitchen brings a simple and delicious approach to lunching.

The restaurant lays out their menu in an easy to follow format. First, you pick your protein (chicken, pork, beef, veggie, etc.). The protein options change all the time, with different styles being rotated on and off the menu every few weeks, so there is always something new to try!

Here is a list of the proteins I have enjoyed on my trips to Starry Kitchen:

-Lemongrass Chicken

-Pan Fried Taiwanese Pork Chop with Basil

-Vietnamese Coconut Pork

-Japanese Curry Meat Balls

-Chinese Hoisin Hamburger

-Fried Tofu/Corn Balls (sounds funky, tastes AMAZING)

The next step is to pick your "vessel" for the protein. You can choose between a Wrap, Banh Mi (see our earlier post for a definition), Chopped Salad, Thai Cobb Salad, or Lunch Plate (protein, rice, salad). The Wrap, Banh Mi, and Lunch Plate all come with Daily Sides (for FREE!). Daily Sides have included Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles), Asian Sesame Slaw, Pineapple Fried Rice, Coconut Rice, Curry Fried Rice, Peanut Noodles, and a side chopped salad.

I usually go with the Banh Mi because their baguettes are fantastically fresh, with a nice crackly crust on the outside and pillowy-ness hiding on the inside. Also, the Banh Mi usually serves as a nice "vessel" for the heavier or more flavorful meats like the Curry Meat Balls or the Coconut Pork.

So, for a reasonable $8.12, I can walk out with a delicious 12" Banh Mi and a generous sized side dish. All three conditions (money, taste, convenience) are all gloriously satisfied. Welcome to the weekly rotation, Starry Kitchen.

Check out their blog. They post the new menus when they become available (click the menu link on the mid-left side)...

Starry Kitchen

350 S. Grand Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90071

(213) 617-3474

Westside Mai Tais: Tastes Like Marketing

We decided to be spontaneous on Friday and try out an event we read about on some of our favorite sites -- The Modern Mai Tai Experience at The W Hotel in Westwood. The event promised the "World's Best Mai Tai" from Joey Gottesman's (Royal Hawaiian Mixologist) recipe. The venue itself was fine and all the bartenders/servers were friendly enough. But the Mai Tai...most definitely not the world's best. It tasted like watered down pineapple orange juice, with too heavy a pour of something that tasted like bad vodka (Bacardi 151?). We've been to Hawaii quite a few times and tasted quite a few Mai Tais. Where was the Orgeat syrup? Where was the lime juice? This cocktail most definitely lacked in the delicious department.

If you want a great Mai Tai, without the cost of flying to the islands, head over to Tiki Ti's in the Silverlake area. It's a family owned place with amazing tropical cocktail recipes. You can choose from over 75 family recipes listed on their landscape size menu (makes the perfect checklist if you want to conquer them all!). There is a brief description of each drink, but the exact recipes are all secret so you'll never know exactly what's in your cocktail. You just have to learn to trust.

For all of you lucky enough to be flying over to Waikiki sometime soon: stop by the House Without A Key bar at the Halekulani Hotel. THIS is what a Mai Tai should taste like (Caution: these are potent and just a few could lead to hazy dinner memories).

For those of you who can't make it to the Islands anytime soon, here's Bourbon's Mai Tai recipe that he derived from the original Mai Tai recipe as Trader Vic Bergeron made it back in 1944:

1 oz. Light Rum
1 oz. Dark Rum
1/2 oz. Orange Curacao
1/4 oz. Orgeat Syrup
1/4 oz. Simple Syrup
3/4 oz. Lime Juice
Garnish with lime wheel and sprig of fresh mint.

Fun fact: Mai Tai means "Out of this World" in Hawaiian.

Okole Maluna!

-Bourbon and Bleu

Underground Dinner Parties

Our friend Kevin started this new dining society called Just Call It a Dinner Party. Basically he puts on dinner once a month at a friend's home. He charges $30 for a multi-course meal and wine. Oh, and did we mention he works at Providence and is an amazing chef?!

We've been to two of his dinners so far -- both hosted in Silverlake. The first one was more of an outdoor, Summer-themed meal. He served a roasted corn and bacon salad to die for. He took some fresh corn-on-the-cob and cut off the kernels, mixed in some salty, crisped up bacon, added juicy grape tomatoes, and sprinkled it with red onion for a bitter touch. He also put together a proscuitto and squash blossom salad. He added shavings of parmesan and cucumbers for crunch. Finally he drizzled a generous helping of some of the most aged balsamic vinegar we've ever tasted (the vinegar was so thick and so sweet -- delicious).

For the main attraction, he grilled up an amazing piece of white fish, steamed a generous helping of clams, and prepared grilled steaks for the non-fish lovers.. The fish was served on a chopping block, so everyone could help themselves family style. He also brought out some perfectly crisped potatoes, which made for some amazing warmed up leftovers for days to come. We rounded out the dinner with homemade sorbet and fresh figs.

The most recent dinner was seated inside and set up a bit more formally. We started with warmed olive bread, served alongside whipped butter. First course was a bean cassoulet (a stew of sorts) with fresh beans, greens, and squid. Then out came little bits of roasted cauliflower with parmesan shavings. This was hands-down the best way we've ever eaten cauliflower -- bite size pieces, roasted until golden brown, which even created a sweetness to the vegetable. Then, to top it off, salty creamy parmesan. The last of the first courses was a sauteed potato and onion mixture. The dish was reminiscent of the potatoes from Kevin's Summer meal, but we didn't mind. They were crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and deliciously oniony.

This specific dinner event was unique because several people wrote in that they were vegetarian or had food allergies -- so to accomdate everyone, Kevin served up 4 main courses. Keep in mind, all these dishes were family style, so you can try anything and everything you want. In the shellfish arena, we were served scallops with a deep, smoky romesco sauce and steamed clams in an herbed broth. For the vegetarians: a potato and kimchi pancake with fried egg. And for the meat lovers: delicious, tender pork belly. The potato pancake was one of the more unique dishes we've seen prepared. Kevin mixed in homemade, pungent kimchi to the shredded potato and then proceeded to make a pancake the size of a dinner plate. We broke the egg yoke and spread it all over the pancake to add a creamy aspect to the dish.

Finally, we rounded out the evening with some homemade sorbet and cheese.

We can't wait for the next dinner - Sun, Mar 7! If you're interested, email dinnerpartyla@gmail.com and sign up. There should still be a couple of spots left. The dinner will be located in Echo Park and is guaranteed to be a fun and delicious time.

Here's the menu:
cute little hors d’oeuvres
santa barbara spot prawns & grits
sweetbreads lime/chile/queso fresco
pommes lyonnaise
korean short ribs, braised french style
fava beans a la plancha
cheese/sorbet

LA Food Fest 2009

We headed over to the LA Street Food Fest this past Saturday. After we got over the tragic lines (we were one of the lucky ones who only waited an hour to get in), we got down to enjoying ourselves and the immense amount of street food. We ended up eating enough to satisfy ourselves for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and neither of us spent more than $25.

We had a plan of attack once we got in: one of us would wait in a popular long line (Ludo's Fried Chicken was our obvious choice) and the other would run to a shorter line (like Coolhaus or Del's Frozen Lemonade), pick up two portions, and bring it back to the other. This way we could make the most of our time and sample the most food. Yes, we are food crazed. Here's the low-down on what we got:

After a long wait in the entrance line on a hot, mid-70s day, the first thing we bought was Del's Frozen Lemonade (peach mango and watermelon). The slushies were refreshing - only complaint was that the watermelon flavor was pretty weak.

Next up was Coolhaus (because one should always start the day with dessert). Coolhaus specializes in homemade ice cream sandwiches. We sampled 4 mini flavors - chocolate chip cookies with maple bourbon bacon ice cream, gingersnap cookies with wasabi ice cream, brownies with strawberry ice cream, and brownies with mint chip. Maple bourbon bacon for sure won our hearts with the salty-sweet mix, but strawberry was a close second.

Bourbon brought back some Komodo tacos next. We tried 2 signature tacos (steak tacos with guacamole), 1 cheeseburger taco (you can figure that one out), and a short rib and cucumber taco. Actually, the cheeseburger won! As weird as it sounds, it was delicious! Nice ground meat with good lettuce and cheese toppings, and they had a special sauce that was pretty close to In 'n Outs. We'd get it again.

Bleu ran into some friends while running around and got to try some of Gastrobus' slow-cooked pork with grits and pickled onions. She's a sucker for the creamy goodness of grits paired with tender pork. So obviously she loved it.

Then came Louk's beef and lamb gyro. This is the first time either of us have seen the gyro prepared the true Greek way -- served with french fries inside of it. Yes, this is how they actually do it in Greece and it makes it taste so much better - healthier too, ha :) The gyro was a generous size, with plenty of shaved meat, fresh tomatoes, and red onion, which added tons of flavor.

Time for something sweet- we headed to Get Shaved, the shaved ice truck. We ordered a 3 flavor bowl with POG (passion orange guava), Lychee, and Tiger's Blood. We get a pour of sweet cream to top it all off. This shaved ice stole the day. Up until this point, it was our favorite purchase. It reminded us of the fluffy and silken Matsumoto shaved ice you can only get in Hawaii.

Finally we rounded out the day with the infamous Ludo's Fried Chicken. And yes, for all of you wondering, we waited in a 2 hour and 15 minute line to order the chicken. And then waited 2 additional hours to receive our order. But, yes, that was the best damn 4 hour and 15 minute fried chicken we've ever had. Quick background: Ludo Lefebvre is a famous Los Angeles chef, most notably for serving as Executive Chef at Bastide from 2004-2006. He decided to "surprise" the food fest by taking over a food truck for one day and one day only. The only thing he was selling was fried chicken. Basically, $5 got you 2 (large) pieces of chicken, soaked in buttermilk and rosemary, deep friend in a thick golden batter and served with sweet and spicy piquillo pepper sauce. We think the picture says it all.

All in all, we got to try tons of delicious food. All in all, the day was worth it. But boy did we enjoy a line-exhausted, food coma-driven nap afterwards.

For the love of ramen

We got a recommendation to try out Daikokuya in Little Tokyo for a superb ramen meal. Just a warning though, this place is not for the impatient. The wait on a Tuesday at 8pm for 2 people was over an hour, but the food is definitely worth it and once you're seated, the service is quick.

Bleu ordered the Daikoku ramen ($8.50) and Bourbon ordered the Daikoku ramen combination with shredded pork rice bowl and salad ($10.95). We both asked for some hot tea (free, nice!) The salad came out first -- shredded cabbage with a creamy dressing. Good crunch with a bitter touch. Then out came the pork bowl. The shredded pork is actually bits of slow cooked Kurobuta pork belly...delicious. There's a nice and simple teriyaki-esque sauce (not too sweet, not too salty), some green onions, and lots of dried seaweed shreds. Bourbon said it tasted like the best Yoshinoya bowl he had ever eaten. It could actually suffice for dinner in itself, but we were here to indulge in the ramen.

The ramen was made up of 4 main components: 1) The tonkotsu broth -- the broth was cloudier than we were used to. We're guessing there was a hefty amount of miso. Overall the broth had a strong umami taste - meaty and filling. Great to slurp down. 2) The ramen noodles - this was our only complaint to the meals. The noodles were undercooked, which caused them to stick together and made for more difficult eating. Apparently this complaint is consistent with the rest of the online reviews. 3) The soft boiled marinated egg - The yoke was still loose when we broke into it. Added some creaminess. Bleu's favorite part of the ramen 4) The pork -- thin pieces of pork belly laid on top of the ramen. The best part was the equal part of meat to fat in each thin strip, and the thin nature allowed it to melt in easily with the ramen. Not quite as delicious as the chunks of pork belly from the rice bowl, but added a nice meatiness to the meal.

Overall, Daikokuya is a must hit spot for any ramen fan in Los Angeles. Plus, it's on Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential LA Restaurants (another checkmark for us!).


Daikokuya
Little Tokyo
327 E 1st St (between Central and San Pedro)

Lazy Farmers' Market Saturdays

There's something about sleeping in on a Saturday and riding your bike down to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. The world feel as if it's a happier, more wholesome place where everyone smiles and waves at each other.

For this reason and the fact that farmers' market produce is just plain better, we've made a point of going at least once a month (if not every weekend). This past trip, we made some good buys and cooked up this fantastic lunch that we figured we'd share here.

First up, Bleu has an obsession with roasting heirloom carrots. These are nothing like your ordinary mini, precut orange carrots. These are dense and flavorful and come in purple and white and golden orange. The baby heirloom carrots (about 1-2 inches in length) are the best -- and show up usually around late Spring. We like to toss about a pound of carrots with some good olive oil, a hefty amount of kosher salt (Maldon is a favorite), some pepper, and about 2 tablespoons of cumin. Roast the carrot mix at 475 degrees for about 45 minutes, but check on them after 30 minutes to make sure they're not overcooking.

We also picked up a vibrant bundle of some long asparagus. We steamed the asparagus so that it glowed green, seasoned it with some salt and pepper, topped it with a spoonful of pesto, and shaved fresh Parmesan on top. Then - the ultimate part - we placed two freshly poached eggs on top.

Not gonna lie, we love poached eggs. You know how some people put ketchup on everything? Well, Bleu could put poached eggs on anything. So it is very convenient that Bourbon has become quite the master at poaching eggs. Here's some tips for perfecting the poach: In a saucepan, add about 2-3 cups of water and 2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar and bring to a heavy simmer, then turn the heat down to medium low. (Warning: Do not skimp on the vinegar; it helps the eggs form together into the nice, round poaching shape and won't let them stick to the bottom too much). Crack your eggs into a ramekin (or use a coffee mug, like us, if you don't own ramekins) before pouring into the water. You'll want to crack and pour each egg individually. Once the eggs start to rise up from the bottom of the pan (about 2-3 minutes), use a spoon to lightly gather the out edges of the egg whites and fold over the yoke. When the eggs are done (about 4 minutes total), use a slotted spoon to gently pull them out of the water. Pat dry with a paper towel (no water is key), then serve!

Santa Monica Farmer's Market
Arizona Ave, from 2nd to 4th.
Saturdays, 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

Babycakes -- the healthy side of sweets

This morning we headed over to Babycakes NYC for the second time. It's the newest bakery to make the jump from New York, and it specializes in vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free pastries. They bake up everything from cookies and cupcakes to breakfast goods like biscuits, donuts, and cinnamon buns.

We know what you're thinking -- how could any bakery that eliminates sugar, butter, and gluten be any good? Well, we don't know the exact science behind it -- but this place is DELICIOUS.

Our past two visits have both been in the morning, so we've tried out mainly breakfast items -- chocolate glazed donut, coconut lemon donut, biscuit with raspberry jam and vanilla, and blueberry crumb cake. Buuuttt we also managed to sneak in a miniature chocolate chip cookie sandwich. Babycakes NYC serves gluten-free items and pastries sweetened with agave, as well as vegan treats made with spelt (a less processed grain that is an ancient relative of wheat, but contains gluten). The great thing about these ingredients is they don't give you that sugar high and crash. And they fill you up for quite some time and make you feel good, not guilty about your sweet tooth.

Our favorite of the treats would have to be the biscuit (with raspberry jam and vanilla) and the cookie sandwich. We know, random right? This biscuit is creamy and flaky, with a generous helping of raspberry jelly and some vanilla custard-like spread. It went perfectly with our Stumptown coffee. (and yes, they serve real milk to go with the coffee. Bleu was nervous about that one). The cookie sandwich was made up of two chocolate chip cookies with a big spoonful of vanilla frosting in between. Again, the right mix of sweet and creamy. We opted for the mini the first time (only because it was with breakfast), but we could go for a full-sized one (or two!) next time.

B&b's Savings Secret: Monday is "Day Old Day" and all stock is 50% off!

Babycakes Bakery
Downtown LA
130 6th Street (in between Main and Los Angeles)

Update!

Sorry for the long draught of posts.  Rest assured that B&B have been keeping up with all the new bar and restaurant openings in LA.  We should be bringing you a new batch of locally grown content in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Thanks for the support and happy holidays...

Bourbon & Bleu

Thanks Caroline!

Caroline on Crack -- one of our favorite LA blogs -- let us guest blog for her site. Check out our review of Eva restaurant!

Bottega Louie: Around The Clock

So this is pretty embarrassing to admit, but I ate at Bottega Louie not once, not twice, but three times this past weekend. I started out on Friday night dining on their dinner menu with Bourbon, Chris, and Natalie. I made my way over there on Saturday morning so Bourbon and I could try the muffin flight (and a few other items). Oh and then, because we just hadn’t gotten enough, Bourbon and I went there for Saturday lunch. Ahhhh. I guess there’s never too much of a good thing?

Bottega Louie is definitely my downtown “go-to” place. I’ve done Mother’s birthday brunch, girls’ night out with Miss Ashley, or just a stop in for a delicious French macaron. This place has something for everyone.

The 10,000 square-foot restaurant is what I like to call loft-style: the entire place (bar, café, market, kitchen, dining area) is open air and visible. The bar itself is fairly small with two bartenders and 4-5 stools, but the customers are allowed to drink their cocktails at the dozens of café seats. The bartenders produce quality drinks – they actually make one of my favorite Manhattans (probably because it’s on the tad bit sweeter side and served with those fancy amarena cherries). The market area serves breakfast pastries, dainty desserts, fancy lunch sandwiches, and delicious La Mill coffee. There’s also a giant counter with pre-made food that you can have packed up to go (like thai beef salad or lasagna, yummmmm).

The dining room is giant, but it is somehow always packed, especially on weekend nights, and, unfortunately, they do not take reservations. The servers are friendly and they all work as a team to get your food out in a timely manner. I would say my only minor complaint is that sometimes the food comes out too quick, where you feel rushed. But Chris remedied this by only ordering a few dishes at a time, so we had a long, leisurely dinner. Oh, and another wonderful perk, the restaurant offers complimentary premium still or sparkling water! I swear, sometimes bottled water costs just as much as a cocktail. Sheesh.

Here are some of my top food picks for Bottega:

Clockwise from left: bran muffin, chocolate croissant, poppyseed mini muffin, apple cinnamon mini muffin, blueberry mini muffin, and roasted tomato and burrata pastry

Breakfast: The roasted tomato and burrata pastry. The pastry is small, so you’ll probably need more than one or at least something else to fill you up. But the pastry has a wonderful chewiness to it and the burrata makes it so creamy and fancy.

Salad: Modena. lettuce, candied walnuts, goat cheese, herbs, and creamy balsamic. Sounds simple, right? But it’s just done so well. Plus I noticed that practically every other table ordered one too. There’s just something addictive about their dressing…

Pizza: Bianco. This is the restaurant’s white pizza with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and arugula. It’s delicious-ness. The pizzas are fairly large. You could comfortably split one with another person, maybe throw in a side salad, and be full for dinner.

Side: Portobello Fries. Thick cut pieces of Portobello mushrooms fried and served with a sinful aioli. Yum. It’s a generous portion served in a fun cone cup. Good for group sharing.

Dessert: The soufflé. Keep in mind it takes 25 minutes to cook, so order it early if you’re in a rush. The chocolate soufflé is at the right point of richness, served with a creamy vanilla bean sauce. It hits the sweet tooth in just the right spot!

So go enjoy a meal or muffin or macaron or cocktail or whatever at Bottega Louie – they have so much to offer. Or, at least, go check out the place. It’s seriously one of the most beautiful restaurants in LA.

Bottega Louie
700 S Grand (7th and Grand in Downtown)
Los Angeles, CA 90017

-Bleu

Bringing the Bar Home, Part 2: Clear(er) Spirits

It takes more than just great alcohol to make great drinks. You need the tools. In case you missed Part 1: Tools, check it out and get equipped. But let's not forget, most people enjoying drinking more than mixing. So let's get down to the liquids.

I recommend these spirits not only as good bases for cocktails, but also to have neat without breaking the bank. I also want to help you build up an impressive and versatile bar, without feeling like you can't share the "good stuff" with your friends.

This specific post will discuss the non-whisk(e)y base spirits that most people are familiar with. Because a large portion of my spirits knowledge was obtained through my experiences at a whiskey bar, I decided to save the world of whiskey for its own separate write-up. With that being said, let's get down to business:

Vodka: Tito's Handmade Vodka - Find out what some of the best bartenders already know, that this vodka is delicious, versatile, and shouldn't cost you over 20 bucks.

Gin: This is a tough category for me. I was turned on to gin most recently, so I feel that I have only had certain gins in certain drinks and therefore, it's harder for me to draw a conclusion. Here's a quick run-down; you can decide what fits you the best (full post on gins coming soon).
New Amsterdam - Under $15 a bottle, mix this with anything you like for a tasty gin drink, just avoid the martini.
Beefeater/Tanqueray - Pick a bottle, seriously. They both cost under 20, represent a London Dry Gin style, and work well in G&Ts or martinis.
Plymouth - My favorite all-around gin. If you are picky about your gin, spend the extra few bucks (it'll run you about $30). This will not disappoint, no matter how you serve it.

A few of the top-selling gins in the U.S.

White Rum: Rhum Barbancourt White - This is not your typical silver rum. Rhum spelled with an "h" denotes a specific type of rum made in the French Caribbean. Instead of using molasses like most rums, they use fresh-pressed sugar cane to capture the best flavor and quality. In a daiquiri or rhum & coke, the long-lasting sugar cane finish will leave any thirsty friend satisfied. Once again, you get a great spirit for under 20 buckaroos.

Aged Rum: Ron Matusalem Clasico Rum - Aged in oak barrels, this well-balanced golden rum will make the perfect match to any tropical drink you crave. With the ability to be drank neat or on the rocks, Matusalem makes a great poolside companion for any drinker at around 20 dollars a bottle.

Tequila: Tenampa Azul Reposado - F. Paul Pacult, author of The Spirit Journal, declared this as "the best value in all of tequila." Tenampa Azul comes from the Gran Centenario estate, the most awarded tequila estate in the world, with a wonderful flavor profile that has just the right amount of bite to stand out in margaritas, but the complexity to be enjoyed neat. Do the world a favor and stopped buying Jose Cuervo Gold. Buy some guacamole, because this will only set you back a twenty spot.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for the next edition of Bringing the Bar Home: World of Whisk(e)y!

I will leave you with a famous nugget of genius from W.C. Fields: "Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll have another drink."

-Bourbon

Dinner Party Pairings

For Halloween, our friends Chris and Natalie invited us over for a little dinner party. They cooked, Bourbon paired cocktails with each course, and I made dessert.Their friend Ryan also stopped by with some tasty miniature cakes.

The four of us met up in the morning at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market to get supplies for that night. Bourbon and Chris took off in search of citrus, ginger, and other Asian flavors (that was the theme for food and drink for the evening). I shuffled along taking pictures and staring at the fresh produce and Natalie picked up some awesome flowers and pointed out a celebrity sighting (sweet!).

Bourbon's Shiso Southside with Chris' Soba and Shitake Miso Soup

We started off with soup made from a homemade miso broth, soba noodles, fresh picked shitake mushrooms, firm tofu, and seaweed. Bourbon paired this with a twist on an Southside cocktail (gin, lime juice, mint, and simple syrup). Except he switched in shiso leaf for the mint and balanced the cocktail accordingly. The citrus and light herbal-ness of the cocktail paired perfectly with the salty mellowness of the soup. I voted this my favorite food and drink course.

Next up was sweet potato fries with a sesame-peanut aioli. The aioli had a little bit of a kick to it from some sriracha. Bourbon paired this with the Hottenroth beer from The Bruery. The pairing was spot on. I mean salty fries with creamy dipping sauce and beer, where can you go wrong?

Bourbon's favorite course was the fried chicken. Lightly batterd chicken strips fried and then sauced up with an awesome concotion of flavors Chris put together - roasted shisito peppers, soy sauce, miso, sesame oil, citrus, ginger. It tasted like fancy orange chicken. He also mixed in some green bell pepper strips. You know, so we could get our vegetables, haha. Bourbon mixed up a lovely cocktail of Sagatiba, shisito pepper, fresh passion fruit, and some lemon. The mild sweetness of the passion fruit went well with the chicken and the shisito pepper gave it a special kick.

Round four. And yes we couldn't believe there was more food. Chris dished up some miso-glazed pork shoulder, which had been cooked in an Asian-style gravy. With Bourbon's Brown Derby (bourbon, grapefruit, and honey) cocktail, we were sufficiently full and tipsy.

Buuuuttt there's always room for dessert, right? The night before I put together a passionfruit and ginger ice cream pie with a gingersnap, candied ginger, and pineapple crust, which I tweeked from a Food and Wine recipe. The dessert was light and tasty. The recipe actually calls for 3 pints of vanilla ice cream, which I acually swtiched out for 1 vanilla, 1 ginger, and 1 passion fruit. I was pretty happy with the flavors in the end.

I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween. Maybe this post will inspire you to put together your own dinner party with food and cocktail pairings. Feel free to email us for ideas!
-Bleu

Tasting at The Bruery

Bourbon and I headed over to the The Bruery last weekend with his parents and had an amazing experience. The Bruery is a craft brewing company based out of Placentia (Orange County) who aspires to "[push] the limits of what 'beer' is." They have a tasting room - open Fri 4-10pm, Sat 4-10pm, and Sun 12-6pm - and offers up tasting flights of 5 beers for $8 (logo glass included), which is a good deal in my book.

I've pretty much been obsessed with this brewing company ever since the LA Craft Beer Fest, back in May, where I got to taste Cuvee Juene. Loveliness. It's a lambic style ale that they aged in Chardonnay barrels. It's got a pucker to it (definitely in the sour beer category) and some apple and citrus notes. So I was so excited to get a glass, but - of course - they were fully tapped out. Blasphemy. But it's okay, Bryan Tetzlah, one of the account managers, promised to take care of us.

Bryan started us off with the Orchard White, "spiced with coriander, citrus peel and lavender." I was all about this beer. So light and versatile - you could pair it was any meal, but I definitely picture a nice roasted salmon or some barbecued citrus chicken. yum.

Next up were the Saison Rue and the Hottenroth. The Saison Rue is a malted, spicy beer. Bourbon's parents were big fans and took home a couple of bottles. Bryan promised I would like the Hottenroth since it had some of the sour qualities of my lovely Cuvee. It was awesome! I ended up buying a bottle to bring home and we drank it last night at a Halloween dinner party paired with some homemade sweet potato fries and sesame peanut aioli. Perfect pairing. The beer is light (3.1% ABV), fruity and ever so fermented with a pucker of citrus. I think it's the wine-lover's beer.

Our final rounds were some of the heavier hitters - Autumn Maple and Two Turtle Doves. Autumn Maple brings back ever Thanksgiving memory you've ever had. You can taste a bit of sweet potato and those Holiday spices. Two Turtle Doves was more in the stout realm of beers with toasted pecan and cocoa flavors.

Bryan then let us try some of the secret stash - the barrel aged Partridge in a Pear Tree. Hands down, best beer I have ever had. Despite all four of our extremely different tastes in beer, we all loved it. The Bruery described it as "dark brown in color fruity and complex with a rich malt backbone." It was so complex. It initially tasted like carmel, but once you swallowed it down it had more tastes of wine and sherry. But, with all good beer, they're not making too many bottles. So it's fairly difficult to buy. If you see one, snag it, please!


If you want to sample some great beer, head on down to The Bruery's tasting room. Also, most Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and BevMo's carry it, if you want to buy some bottles for yourself without leaving the LA area.

The Bruery Tasting Room
715 Dunn Way
Placentia, 92870

-Bleu

Some New York City Favorites...

Last week I headed out to New York for work. I extended my stay through the weekend, and my friend Ashley flew out to meet me. Unfortunately, she brought all the rainstorms from California with her (it’s all her fault!!) – so it was a lovely 40-ish degrees with wind chills of 22 degrees and sporadic storms. BUT we still had a fabulous time and, of course, dined on great food. Here’s some of the highlights:

Polenta with Cippolini Onions, Wild Mushrooms, and Arugula (Inoteca Vino e Cucina )

This is the perfect warm-you-up dish. The onions and mushrooms were slow cooked and carmelized, and the polenta had the comfort-feeling of mashed potatoes, but with the texture and sweetness of corn meal.

Squash Blossoms (Crispo Restaurant)

The blossoms were stuffed with 3 different types of Italian cheese and then lightly tempura battered (so you didn’t feel all greasy and gross) and served with a flavorful marinara-esque sauce.

The Upper Westside Concrete (Shake Shack)

Shake Shack is one of my all time favorite burgers in the U.S. I think I even like it better than (gasp!) In 'N Out. Their milkshakes with mix-ins are SO thick, they have to call them Concretes. Ashley and my pick came with vanilla custard, chocolate toffee, caramel sauce, and chocolate chips. It would cure any sweet tooth.

Pain Au Chocolat (Claude Patisserie)

This place is my favorite secret find of New York. Bourbon discovered it on Yelp a year or so back because we both have an incurable obsession with chocolate croissants. These croissants rival those from Paris, which makes sense as the owner is from France. Two of the three times I’ve been there, the croissants are hot out of the oven. The chocolate oozes out and the pastry is flaky and soft in the middle. This time, the croissant had reached room temperature, but to my surprise (and delight!) the chocolate inside was still gooey. Grab a croissant and great cup of coffee (ask for milk!) for less than $5. If the weather permits, sit outside at one of the dozens of small bench parks.

.....i heart ny.....

-Bleu

Nom Nom Truck: Banh Mi Means Delicious

Alright so Banh Mi actually means sandwich in Vietnamese. But when you get the right balance between the traditional ingredients, it is nothing short of delicious. That's exactly what you get at the Nom Nom Truck, now roaming the streets of LA.

So what do I mean by traditional ingredients, you ask? Well, a banh mi is traditionally composed of a roll, vegetables, meat/tofu, and a vietnamese mayo (egg yolk, cooking oil, and maybe some spices). The roll is a Vietnamese baguette, crispy on the outside with an airy and chewy middle. The vegetables usually consist of pickled carrots, daikon, onions, and cucumber that are thinly sliced with jalapenos and my favorite: cilantro. Meat options can vary greatly from chicken to different preparations of pork to pate or head cheese (google it, i don't want to break the new to you).

Checking my twitter on Friday, I saw that the Nom Nom truck would be making an appearance in Little Tokyo that night! After recruiting a few other hungry folks throughout the day, I made the short trip to 1st and central. After some crafty parking, I was next in line staring at the menu.

Nom Nom serves up grilled pork, BBQ pork, lemongrass chicken, and vegetable tofu sandwiches, as well as tacos for those carb conscious people (and, let's be honest, it wouldn't be a true LA food truck without a taco option). You can also choose the "deli special" which is a sandwich containing all the meat options in one roll!

Banh Mis will run you $5 to $6, while the tacos cost $2.50 for one and $4 for two. Nom Nom also offers refreshments: soda (I went with the A&W Cream soda--classic), water, and

Vietnamese Iced Coffees. Prices range from $1.50 to $2.50. They also offer combos for those looking for a full meal and drink. I opted for the monster combo (12-inch banh mi, 3 tacos and a drink) for only 10 bucks!

BBQ Pork Banh Mi: First of all, this sandwich was bigger than I expected. Some banh mis you find will be lacking in the filling, but not at Nom Nom. Overflowing with cool, crisp vegetables and tender BBQ pork, the sandwich was framed by the classic baguette. The first bite was everything I had hoped for; the roll was perfectly baked, the spice of the cilantro and jalapenos are perfectly offset to the spread of mayo. 15 or so bites later, I groan in contentment and look ahead to the tacos.

Tacos: I wanted to try all the meats, so I ordered one lemongrass chicken, one grilled pork and one bbq pork. Each taco shared the same filling as the banh mi, but the outside was obviously a fresh corn tortilla rather than a baguette. Each of the meats had a enough sauce/marinade that the dryness of the tortillas was kept in check. I personally enjoyed the lemongrass herb with the corn flavor of the tortilla; it was unique and refreshing.

My first experience here did not disappoint one bit and I will definitely be making repeat visits whenever the truck rolls through my neighborhood. Find out when they will be cruising in your neck of the woods by following them on Twitter @nomnomtruck or by checking out the weekly schedule on their website.

Cilantro Love,

Bourbon

Eva's Bringing Back the Neighborhood

This past Sunday, we decided to give Eva’s "Sunday Dinner Party" a go. Mark Gold opened Eva four weeks ago, taking over the Hatfield’s location on Beverly. The setting is perfect for his new restaurant concept (comfortable, neighborhood restaurant) since the place is set up like a cozy home. On Sundays, it truly is like an invitation to a friends house for dinner, all you do is eat and enjoy, not worrying about what to order because everything is planned out for you. Oh, and just FYI, meals Tuesday-Saturday are served a-la-carte at extremely affordable prices. Sunday is the only "dinner party" day.

We showed up for our 2:00 reservation (I guess you would call this a lunch party, then?) and realized that we were the only ones there! Mark Gold greeted us and explained that we were his first 2:00 Sunday reservation. The Sunday Dinners have become very popular, but people tend to come in starting around 4:30, because well that's when dinner is usually served. He told us to pick whatever table we wanted and promised to get the white wine chilling while he poured us a glass of Hey Mambo red, in the mean time.

We ended up being the only patrons in the restaurant during our feast, so Mark sat with us for the majority of the meal. We picked his brain on restaurants he liked in Los Angeles, food trends, and the operations behind his restaurant. All the while, he kept feeding us seconds of dishes that we loved, refilling our wine glasses, and asking for our opinion of the food.

Here’s what our Sunday menu consisted of (all for $35 per person):

Potato Salad with Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots
We swallowed down the first bowl so fast, Mark came by with seconds. Embarrassing? Meh, it was so tasty, we didn’t care. The potatoes were sweet, the mushrooms were fresh and meaty, and the shallots were buttery with a slight crisp around the edges. The chefs also mixed in some chopped up chives and parsley and some top quality parmesan cheese.

Steamed Littleneck Clams with Herbs and Shallots Served with Garlic Parmesan Bread
The clams were fresh and delicious, lacking even the faintest must of fishiness. All of the shells had opened beautifully, allowing them to be dressed in slivered garlic and herbs. The broth at the bottom was thick and creamy; it made a perfect companion for the homemade garlic bread. Mark gave us the rundown of the garlic bread: Breadbar baguette, rubbed with garlic, smeared with butter, topped with top quality parmesan and a good helping of parsley. The bread was served warm and was the perfect utensil for soaking up sauces.

Chicken Puttanesca
Generous pieces of crispy, breaded chicken topped with a light and salty mixture of tomatoes, capers, olives and garlic. It was the perfect dose of comfort food on a lazy afternoon.

Real Spaghetti Bolognese
The meat sauce was a hand ground mix of beef, pork, and veal, and Mark explained that they soaked the mixture in milk to give soften it and give it a noticeable creaminess. The bolognese offered a nice texture and flavor balance to the al dente spaghetti.

Polenta Almond Cake
The cake was served warm with a dollop of tangy crème fraiche that accentuated its flavors. The dessert was laced with lots of lemon zest that gave it a citrus twist and helped to maintain a ridiculous amount of moisture inside. Two beautiful figs were served on the side to compliment the already refreshing dessert.

Finishing our meal with a glass of the Hey Mambo white wine, we discussed how Eva's "Sunday Dinner Party" hit all the right notes for us. Cozy atmosphere, outstanding customer service, high quality food, and a price that will have us coming back as much as possible.

Eva
7458 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles 90036