Sunny Spot

When I was twenty-two years old, I had the ridiculous pleasure of living in the Caribbean for a few months. It was 1986 and my then-boyfriend Perry (a newly licensed pilot) scored a winter job flying for Air St. Thomas / Virgin Air (no connection to Sir Richard Branson). The small island-hopping airline was based in the U.S. Virgin Islands on St. Thomas, so we made our home above the hills in the capital city of Charlotte Amalie.

Our upstairs apartment had a large kitchen (Perry did most of the cooking back then), and just one other room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the island.

Mr Wayman, our landlord built a ramp near the back door so our dog Warhol (who moved with us from the mainland) could run up the side of the mountain. We loved our tiny bit of paradise.

Always a photo buff, I spent most of my time photographing and getting to know the island. I loved pretending to be a “local” for those few months, and on Perry’s days off we would rent a small boat and head to the nearby British Virgin Islands.

Our favorite spot was Sidney’s Peace and Love in Jost Van Dyke Island’s Little Harbor, just 7 miles northeast of St. Thomas. Once docked, I would pick out a live lobster from a trap near the shore and the cook would grill it on the spot. Perry always ordered barbecue chicken (he didn’t like seafood) and we BOTH drank heaps of rum at the attached open-air bar. It was “serve yourself” at Sidney’s, and also “total the bill” yourself if you weren’t too drunk. An honor system that you just didn’t mess with in the Caribbean.

My favorite shop on St. Thomas was called Sunny Caribbee, where I picked up island spices, oils and trinkets for the kitchen. There was an elementary school nearby and I loved listening to the students pounding on steel drums in the afternoons.

We left the Caribbean when Perry was offered a job with United Express, the commuter division of United Airlines. He now lives with his wife and kids near San Diego. (More about Perry here)

Walking into Roy Choi’s Sunny Spot for the first time made me smile from ear to ear. I flashed back to 1986 and was suddenly transported to my carefree, twenty-two year old, vagabond self.

After several visits (including dinner and brunch) I still get that happy feeling when I walk in the door. It’s a mini-holiday, a few hours of vacation. A delicious and less expensive trip to the sunny Caribbean, that’s for sure.

Don’t Worry… Be Happy!

Sugar Cane Fried Pig’s Feet

Roy Choi’s take on Mofongo! Muh-F*K*N Mofongo: Plantains, Bacon, Garlic, Black Pepper

LET’S PARTY!
Left: Fleur-De-Lis: Gin, Hibiscus, Honey, Chartreuse, Lemon
Middle: Death in the D.R.: Dominican Rum, Lime, Honey, Absinthe, Champagne
Right: Dry Harbour: Pot Still Rum, Lime, Absinthe, Habanero Pineapple Shrub

Cuban Torta: Pork Terrine, Prosciutto, Provolone, Pickled Jalapeño, Mustard

“What A Jerk” Wings: Double coated, double fried

Bridgetown Swizzle: Barbados Ru, Averna, Falernum, Lime, Angostura

Diablo Prawns w Rum Glaze, Garlic Butter & Herbs

Yucca Fries w Banana Thai Basil Ketchup

Jamaican Roasted Lamb w Lettuce Wedges & Pickled Mango

Whole Roasted Red Snapper w Ginger Oil, Cilantro, Chili Vinegar

The Silver Goblet: Coconut Ginger Sorbet

House-Made Caramels w Maldon Sea Salt, Toasted Cashews

The “bird cage” table in the back dining room

Dinner in the bird cage: Me, Peter, Evelina & Greg

Brunch Menu Festival Bread w Goat Butter, Guava Jam & Rum Honey

Brunch Menu Bloody Mary: Vodka, Dirty Sue, Tomato, Jamaican Jerk Spice

Brunch Menu Banana French Toast: Rum Coconut Whipped Cream, Caribbean Spiced Maple Syrup

Brunch Menu Sunny Spot Egg Plate: Korean Style Baked Eggs, Jerk Seasoned Potatoes, Mo Jo Glazed Grilled Pork Belly

Brunch Menu Eggs, Sausage & Grits: Fried Eggs, Jerk Sausage Patty, Anson Mills Grits, Maple Syrup

Take a seat!

Sunny Spot

More photos at Sunny Spot

More photos of the Caribbean

Sunny Spot
Website
822 Washington Blvd
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 448-8884

Mexicali Taco and Co.

Downtown L.A.’s Mexicali Taco is open for lunch and dinner, but I’m a big fan of the lunch deals. For WAY under $10, I get a garlicky vampiro (photos below), taco and drink. The crispy cachetada is a GREAT hangover meal, on it’s own or with a fried egg on top. Trust me, I’ve tested it out!

Jonathan Gold wrote:
But like everybody else who visits Mexicali Taco & Co., I am obsessed with the vampiros, rather larger flour tortillas folded over chorizo, chicken or carne asada, maybe all three, as well as a squirt or two of garlic sauce and what can technically be described as a boatload of gooey, stretchy melted Mexican cheese. (A vampiro is supposedly a creature of Sinaloa, although I’ve seen them in Guadalajara and they are apparently endemic in northern Baja at the moment. I refuse to take sides.) Think of a  CPK-size pizza folded in half, only a million times better. A folded pizza you can have with giant grilled guero chiles — chiles dusted with dried chiles! — if such is your pleasure. Or really, about a pint of that taqueria guacamole. ~ Read more at L.A. Times

Carne Asada Vampiro. GET EXTRA GARLIC SAUCE!

Cachetada: The classic tostada reinvented with choice of meat and melted Mexican cheese, topped with a savory aioli chipotle sauce.

Cachetada con Huevo. HANGOVER HELPER.

Dinner is great with a group of friends (and family). My brother Greg’s favorite is the MEATY Zuperman: A gigantic portion of all three meats & cheese sandwiched between two tasty haring tortillas.

Chorizo Nachos w special Salsa Raja. Ridiculously GOOD! I shared, but didn’t want to.

Gueros: Cantonese-Baja Style Peppers. At $1.50, a MUST ORDER every time.

All about Mexicali Taco & Co (they cater too!).

Follow Mexicali on Twitter

Mexicali on FaceBook

Make sure you wave hello to founders Esdras Ochoa & Javier Fregoso!

Mexicali Taco & Co.
Website
702 N. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 613-0416
Located one block north of Sunset Blvd/Cesar Chavez Blvd, just north of downtown and west of Chinatown.
Map

Eats On My List

I don’t know about you, but my restaurant “to do” lists (yes, plural) are enormous. I keep various copies (sorted by location & cuisine) on my phone and desktop computer, just to remind myself that I need to venture out of my comfort zone more often. I know there’s nothing wrong with me going back to my favorite restaurants again and again, but one of the reasons I love Los Angeles so much is the availability of authentic, ethnic foods.

My go-to food critic is Jonathan Gold (L.A. Times), so it’s not surprising that he’s the source for most of the restaurants I add to my lists. When Jonathan wrote for L.A. Weekly, his “99 Essential Restaurants” guide was my foodie bible, and the only paper issue I regularly saved. Many of my food blogger (and twitter) pals come from diverse culinary backgrounds and I constantly learn about exciting (mostly strip mall) joints from them as well.

Obviously there are many wonderful places to eat in Southern California, and I cannot count how many times someone has blurted out, “WHAT? You haven’t been to (insert Sawtelle ramen house, newest pizza parlor, or a thousand other restaurants here)?”…

The simple fact is that I will never get through my restaurant lists, and that’s fine by me. It’s more fun knowing that I can plan a tasty adventure with friends anytime I’m craving it.

Photos below from:
Chung King Sichuan, Wang Xing Ji, Elite Dim Sum (Chinese)
Ramayani (Indonesian)
Cafe Fusion (Taiwanese)

Chung King Sichuan (San Gabriel)
Shared with Danny (he speaks Mandarin), Remil, & Hanh

“Chung King’s brand of Sichuan cooking, sizzling with four or five kinds of chiles and smacked with the cooling, numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, lies halfway between dentist’s-chair Novocain and the last time you could afford a lot of blow.” ~ Jonathan Gold
Please read Jonathan Gold’s review of Chung King

Fried Chicken Cubes w Hot Pepper at Chung King

Boiled Fish Slices in Hot Sauce at Chung King

Crispy Rice w Seafood at Chung King

Quick Fried Pig Kidney Slices at Chung King

Chinese Bacon w Garlic Sprouts at Chung King. More photos on Flickr

Wang Xing Ji (San Gabriel)
Shared with Danny, Remil, Hanh, Craig, Esther, Wes & Peter

“The first American branch of a popular dumpling house in Wuxi, a city just outside of Shanghai, offers giant pork dumplings bursting with flavor, as well as smoked fish, crab and pork buns, and spare ribs” ~ Jonathan Gold (Read full article)

Look for this Wang Xing Ji JUICY DUMPLINGS sign

Pork XLB aka Xiao Long Bao (juicy indeed!) at Wang Xing Ji

Salt and Pepper Crispy Cakes at Wang Xing Ji

Inside the Salt and Pepper Crispy Cakes at Wang Xing Ji

Hand-tossed Crispy Onion Pancake at Wang Xing Ji

Preserved Egg w Tofu at Wang Xing Ji

Juicy Pork & Crab Bun at Wang Xing Ji

My friend Hanh going for the HUGE Juicy Pork & Crab Bun at Wang Xing Ji. More photos on Flickr

Dim Sum at Elite (Monterey Park)
Meals shared with Danny, Remil, Darin, Marilyn, Wes (he speaks Cantonese) & Peter

Check out 10 Best Dim Sum Restaurant in Los Angeles by Clarissa Wei

There is usually a LONG line for dim sum at Elite, and it’s worth it.

Mushroom Dumpling with Shrimp at Elite

Silver Fish w Spicy Salt at Elite

Pork & Shrimp Shu Mai at Elite

Crispy Shrimp Rice Noodle at Elite

Macau Egg Custard at Elite

Deep Fried Dumpling with Minced Pork at Elite.  More photos on Flickr

Ramayani Indonesian (Westwood)
Meal shared with Fiona (she speaks Indonesian), Hanh, Vivian & Peter

Ramayani entrance, close to Santa Monica Blvd.

Martabak: Pan-fried flour tortilla filled with beef, onion and eggs. Served with pickled vegetables at Ramayani Indonesian

Nasi Gorend: Pork Fried Rice at Ramayani Indonesian

Beef Rendang: Slow-cooked in red chili, garlic and coconut gravy at Ramayani Indonesian

Sayur Lodeh: Vegetables in coconut milk soup. (Sayur means vegetables) at Ramayani Indonesian

Ikan Bumbu Tumis: Whole pomfret smothered in a spicy lemongrass, onion, shrimp paste & tomato sauce at Ramayani Indonesian

Otak Otak: Gourmet Fish Cakes grilled in Banana Leaves at Ramayani Indonesian

Cafe Fusion Taiwanese Cuisine (Arcadia)
Meal shared with owner Arthur Chen & Eddie
Note: This meal was graciously hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles. Many thanks to Amy Wang & TK Lee!

Entrance to Cafe Fusion. Note: It’s NOT really “fusion”. The owner just didn’t change the building name.

Smoked Shark at Cafe Fusion

Fresh water clams, cooked in soy sauce, lemon juice, wine, garlic & chile at Cafe Fusion.

Eel Noodles at Cafe Fusion.

Amaranth is also called Chinese red spinach

Cold Squid w Ginger Slices

Steamed Whole Black Cod w/ Taiwanese Tree Seeds. More photos on Flickr

Restaurant Addresses:

Chung King Sichuan
1000 S. San Gabriel Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 286-0298

Wang Xing Ji
140 Valley Blvd., No. 211 (upstairs)
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 307-1188

Elite Restaurant Website
700 S Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-9998

Ramayani Indonesian Website
1777 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles , CA . 90024
(310) 477 3315

Cafe Fusion Taiwanese Cuisine
510 E Live Oak Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 447-6488

Follow Jonathan Gold on Twitter!

Whist

Back in January I was honored to host a wonderful Wild Game dinner by Chris Crary, the Chef de Cusine at Whist Restaurant in Santa Monica. Recently, I returned to taste (gratis) the current menu offered by Executive Chef Tony DiSalvo (Jean Georges, Gramercy Tavern).

Like most of my friends (and family), I’m a big fan of small bites and sharing plates … ESPECIALLY in such a beautiful, relaxing (yet elegant) location.

My brother Greg (who recently moved here from Scotland) joined me for the incredible dinner and we so enjoyed spending some quality brother/sister time together. Needless to say, there was plenty of eye-rolling (it was so good!) and laughing at our table. Just sitting in the beautiful, outdoor dining room… we both appreciated every bit (and bite) of the Whist experience.

NOTE: A new menu will be available after July 9th (some new items have already been added), so go SOON to taste dishes below!

Crostini Heaven (details below)

Uni (Sea Urchin) Crostini, Sea Salt, Lemon & LARDO. Dungeness Crab Crostini w Yuzu Mayo.

Petrossian Caviar, Egg Yolk, Cucumber Dill Crostini

Chicken Liver Mousse, Pancetta Crostini

Dungeness Crab Crostini w Yuzu Mayo

Roasted Beets, House-made Goat Ricotta, Grapes, Endive, Local Pistachios

Japanese Mackerel Escabeche, Tapenade Crostini

Crispy Pork Terrine, Sour Cherries, Pickled Shallots, Mustard

Lamb Keft Meatballs, Orange, Pistachio, Yogurt. I don’t like lamb but my brother LOVED these.

Sweetbreads, Favas, Morels, Sherry

Cured Hamachi, Rhubarb “Ponzu”, Cucumber, Radish, Celery

Torchio Pasta, Rabbit Ragu, Swiss Chard, Olives, Salami, Rosemary (+ extra truffles!)

Soy-Braised Short Ribs, Pickled Radishes + Asian Pear

Chili-Fried Chicken, Spring Vegetable Kimchee

Potato Gnocchi, Asparagus + Morels

Wild Black Sea Bass, Braised Ramps, Tom Yum Broth

Grilled Octopus, Romesco, Potatoes, Charred Wild Leeks

Scallops, Fennel, Celery, Treviso + Bottarga Salad, caper, Lemon + Basil Vinaigrette

Chocolate Tart, Orange Sorbet

Ephemere Beer on a warm evening

Rhubarb Tart, Walnut Crumble, Vanilla Ice Cream

My brother Greg. He loves FOOD almost as much as I do!

More photos on Flickr

Whist Restaurant
Viceroy Hotel, Santa Monica
1819 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 260-7511
Website

Dining Date: 6/19/12
Many thanks to Tony DiSalvo and Chris Crary!

About Chef Tony DiSalvo

5 Questions for Tony DiSalvo by Betty Hallock, L.A. Times

Chris Crary’s Wild Game Dinner

Follow Tony DiSalvo on Twitter

Follow Chris Crary on Twitter

Whist Chefs on Twitter

Viceroy Hotel on Twitter

Bäco Mercat

I thought Josef Centeno’s Bäco Mercat (in downtown L.A.) was simply a sandwich and soda shop.

I was SO very wrong…

Of course we begin with the Bäco flatbread sandwich: Pork Belly, Beef Carnitas, Salbitxada (Catalan sauce of tomatoes, almonds and garlic). Peter and I first tried Chef Centeno’s Bäco when he opened the Lazy Ox Canteen in Little Tokyo.

Bäco Mercat is the home of the “bäco,” the signature flatbread sandwich that was developed by chef Josef Centeno. The original bäco was the crispy pork belly and beef carnitas with caraway pepper. Since then, the bäco bread has taken center stage and works as a vessel for all things delicious: pork, beef, poultry, seafood and vegetables. (more on the website)

Sugar Snap & Pear Salad w grapefruit, burrata, dill walnut.

Half Rack Baby Back Ribs w chili vinegar.

Pork Belly, Soujouk with Ricotta Cavatelli.

Caesar Brussels Salad, Pecorino, Anchovy, Garlic.

Toron, with oxtail hash, pickle, cheddar and “tater” (it’s like a big homemade tater tot)!

Black Rice Risotto: Squid, Fine Herbs, Creme Fraiche.

Pulled Confit Goose Leg with blood oranges, arugula and pickled cherries.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Szechuan Peppercorns, Whipped Cream, rice balls.

Bäco Ginger, Orange, Juniper Soda Pop!

Absolutely charming (and casually romantic!) inside and out. Peter and I will be spending many, many evenings downtown this summer!

More food photos on Flickr

Please read Jonathan Gold’s Bäco review at L.A. Weekly

Bäco Mercat
408 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-8808
website

Follow @BacoMercat on twitter

Bäco Mercat on FaceBook

The NEW Mo-chica!

Ricardo Zarate, one of my favorite chefs (Picca Peru) officially opens his new Mo-chica restaurant in downtown L.A. tomorrow, May 30th. Peter and I were invited to check out the new space and menu at a “friends and family” preview dinner, where we both tried ALPACA (photos below) for the first time!

The official grand opening includes a street artist, ribbon cutting and Peruvian dancers.

Schedule of Events at Mo-chica 5/30/12:

9AM: Local street artist Robert Vargas tags the windows

11AM: Official ribbon cutting with Ricardo, local artists, city officials (open to the public)

11:30a-3:30p Open for Lunch

5:00p Step-and-repeat photos (open to the public)

5:30-10:30p Open for Dinner

6PM: Dancers and musicians begin their night-long performances

Address is 514 W. 7th Street (@ Grand), Los Angeles, CA 90014

My photos from the preview dinner:

Ceviche Mixto: Halibut, prawns, scallops, squid, red onion, rocoto, leche de tigre, camote. (Zarate is a ceviche master. Our first dish in the new location HAD to be this.)

Choritos a la Chalaca: Grilled chopped mussels, prawns, squid, tomato choclo salsa.

Carapulcra: Peruvian sun dried potato stew, crispy pork belly, chimichurri.

Estofado de Alpaca: Alpaca stew, tagliatelle, aji amarillo sauce, fried organic fertile egg. (I thought for sure the alpaca would be strong and gamey, but it was exactly the opposite! Very light, reminded me of veal.)

Hamburgesa: Alpaca & lamb patty, pickled cucumbers, aji amarillo yogurt dressing. (I am NOT a fan of lamb, but I would order this burger again. As of this week, I AM a fan of alpaca!)

The new Mo-chica has a full bar.

Dogfather (front) aka Pisco Sour: Pisco, egg white, fresh lime & lemon juice, cane syrup sugar, angostura bitter. Papa Don’t Peach: Banks Rum, Fresh Peaches infused w Calvados, Peach Bitters, Simple Syrup, fresh lemon juice.

Dessert: Kabocha Pumpkin Beignets w Chancaca Sauce (sweet sauce made of raw unrefined sugar crystallized with honey).

About Mo-chica (via official press release)

Mo-chica is a vibrant, urban restaurant serving Chef Ricardo Zarate’s modern interpretations on traditional Peruvian comfort food.

Originally built in an unassuming food court in downtown Los Angeles, the restaurant’s humble setting proved a stark contrast for the innovative cuisine served. Chef Ricardo Zarate, a good-humored Lima native who trained at some of London’s most celebrated restaurants for 12 years, opened Mo-chica in the summer of 2009 as his first solo endeavor. The restaurant immediately received recognition from both local and national audiences, including Jonathan Gold and the head honchos at Food & Wine. After opening Picca in 2011 and fueled by the unprecedented momentum of the restaurants’ successes, Zarate resurfaced his dream for Mo-chica—one he wasn’t able to fully materialize with the original location due to limited resources. The chef found a larger space downtown on 7th and Grand that could embody his original vision; the open, industrial-esque restaurant features concrete floors, vibrant-hued walls tagged with graffiti (thanks to local artist Kozem), whimsical touches—including Peruvian figurines customized by some of the city’s culinary tastemakers such as Ludo Lefebvre, Nancy Silverton, and Evan Kleiman—and sneakers suspended from the ceiling.

All my photos of Chef Ricardo Zarate on Flickr

Mo-chica website
514 W. 7th Street (@ Grand)
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213. 622.3744

Dining Date: 5/27/12 Friends & Family Dinner (gratis).

Many thanks and CONGRATS to Ricardo, Stephane, Jorge, Team Mo-chica, Shawna & all!

Hours
Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Valet parking available after 7 p.m.
Sun.-Sat. 11:30a-3:30p (lunch)
5:30-11p (dinner)

Follow Chef Ricardo Zarate on Twitter

Follow Mo-Chica on Twitter

Mo-chica on FaceBook

Mo-chica by Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly

Read “Ricardo Zarate Wants To Introduce You To Alpaca Meat” by Grub Street L.A.

Artist Robert Vargas

Also by Ricardo Zarate: Picca Restaurant

More about Alpaca Meat

Lunch at Petrossian

Petrossian restaurant is as elegant or casual as you want it to be. Sure, there’s the Kaluga caviar tasting that can set you back a few hundred of your hard-earned bucks. A pasta hand-pressed with caviar powder is so luxurious you may want to share it with a friend (it’s worth it). But there are also plenty of reasonably priced items, like the Dungeness Crab Sweet Corn Soup or Asparagus with Foie Gras Ravioli,  that cost under $20.

Recently, Chef Giselle Wellman cooked up some new dishes for myself and writer Julie Wolfson to try (gratis) on a warm, spring afternoon. Contrary to what most folks think, I don’t accept too many comped meals (my waistline can’t take it!), and always note when I do.

With so many new restaurants constantly opening in L.A., I don’t always make time to visit favorites like Petrossian. In years past, Peter and I shared multiple meals with friends and family (which we paid for in full). It was wonderful to be back and taste some classics, as well as Chef Wellman’s new creations.

Egg Royale: Soft Scrambled Egg, Vodka Whipped Cream, Caviar $14

Caviar Salad: Butter Lettuce, Shaved Egg, Shallots, Chives, Parsley, Lemon, Dill, Crème Fraîche $22

Dungeness Crab Sweet Corn Soup: Fennel, Cherry Tomato, Serrano Chili, Avocado, Lime $16

After the pour…

Asparagus with Foie Gras Ravioli: Black Summer Truffles, Little Gem Lettuce, Truffle Jus Vinaigrette, Foie Gras Ravioli $16

Summer Berry Gazpacho: Armagnac Poached Foie Gras, Pickled Beets $22

Think Borscht!

Caviar Pasta: House-made pasta with caviar powder, Crème Fraîche, Chive $45

It was such a pleasure finally meeting Chef Wellman. Read all about the her here: “Talk With Giselle Wellman” at Food Replubic

About:  Petrossian is a casually elegant destination for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch featuring a selection of French-inspired California cuisine artfully prepared by Executive Chef Giselle Wellman. A boutique area adjacent to the dining room offers guests a way to continue the experience at home and is an ideal shopping destination for host or hostess gifts and customized epicurean gift baskets including tastes of Caviar, Smoked Salmon, Foie Gras, and Handmade Chocolates. More info on website

Petrossian
321 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 271-0576

Dining date: 5/17/12

Follow Chef Giselle Wellman on Twitter

Follow Petrossian West Hollywood on Twitter

All my Petrossian photos on Flickr

BierBeisl Austrian Restaurant

Sausages, schnitzel, WHIPPED PORK FAT and kaiserschmarrn? Grüß Gott!

My first bites at Bernhard Mairinger’s BierBeisl…

Grammel Schmalz: Whipped white pork fat sprinkled w PORK CRACKLING.

Oh, I wasn’t supposed to eat the pork fat with a SPOON?

The Potato Cheese spread was so creamy.

Grapefruit Stiegl Radler: Half Goldbrau/half all natural grapefruit soda. I need this at home for pool-side sipping this summer!

“BierBeisl” Carpaccio, thinly sliced roast pork and bread dumpling, “Styrian Gold”, pumpkin seed vinaigrette.

So beautiful, light and refreshing.

Awesome Käsekrainer Sausage: Swiss cheese infused, light peppery, similar to “Polish”. Served with with tarragon mustard and fresh horseradish. Continental Gourmet Sausage (Glendale) custom-makes these for the chef.

Cheese inside the sausage.

The BEST veal schnitzel I’ve ever had (even in Germany). Make sure you order the vinegary potato salad. NOTE: This is a half-portion. Peter & I split the order.

I usually don’t order dessert, but when it’s made by pastry chef Lissette Rodriguez (she’s worked at ink & the Bazaar), it’s a MUST.

Classic Kaiserschmarrn (like a pancake), with warm plum compote.

Poppyseed Parfait, crispy chocolate tuille, raspberries… so GOOD!

Peter chatting with lovely Lissette!

Grab a seat at the “stammtisch” (communal table) along this wall. It’s the perfect spot to watch the action in the kitchen.

The talented Austrian himself, Chef Bernhard Mairinger!

BierBeisl entrance.

All my BierBeisl photos on flickr

Read all about BierBeisl:
L.A. Times

EstarLA

Tasting Table

BierBeisl
9669 S. Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 271-7274
website

BierBeisl on FaceBook

Dining Date: 5/11/12 with Peter

Follow Lissette Rodriguez on Twitter

About Grapefruit Stiegl Radler

Vienna Bistro aka Beisl

Grüß Gott

 

Spring @ ink

Favorite spring dishes at Michael Voltaggio’s ink:

Egg Yolk Gnocchi (super creamy in the middle), Bay Scallops from Mexico, Accents of Spring

Octopus (the broth was fantastic), Young Fennel, Pimenton.

Pork Belly (of course I loved this), Charcoal Oil, BBQ Oil, Corn.

Lamb Shoulder, Lamb’s Tongue, Lamb’s Quarters, Vadouvan, Yogurt (I usually HATE lamb, but had to fight Peter to get my share).

Greek Yogurt, Strawberry, Rhubarb, Coconut, Granola Crunch (refreshing and not too sweet).

Dining date: 4/25/12

About Chef Michael Voltaggio & ink.

ink restaurant
8360 melrose ave.
los angeles, ca 90069
323.651.5866
website

Many more ink photos on flickr

All my Michael Voltaggio photos on flickr

Bill & Hiroko’s Burgers, Van Nuys

Burgers like my grandpa used to make!

Bill & Hiroko’s is near the Arclight in Sherman Oaks (my regular picture theater). If I’m heading to an early-afternoon movie during the week, I stop at Bill & Hiroko’s for a bite and skip the popcorn at the theater. They are open 8:30am – 4pm (M-F).

The Double Cheese Burger is my favorite. Sometimes I get TWO.

No fries here, so order a bag of chips and a soda.

It’s ALL BOUT the seasoning on the old-school 1930′s era grill. 

Bill and Hiroko working their magic.

Not a fan of burgers? The Pastrami on Rye is fantastic.

Super-filling Patty Melt.

Look for this sign, or follow your nose. If the counter in front is full, head to the dining room in back. Covert PBR’s go down perfectly with these delicious belly bombs!

Read all about Bill & Hiroko’s by Elina Shatkin at L.A. Weekly Food (where I first learned about this burger heaven!).

Read  “Ten Best Burgers in L.A.” by Elina Shatkin at L.A. Weekly Food.

Follow Elina Shatkin on Twitter, she is now Senior Editor at Los Angeles Magazine

Bill & Hiroko’s
14742 Oxnard St.
Van Nuys, CA 91411
818 785-4086
(no website)
Map

Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30am to 4pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday