Gerry Furth-Sides

Long Beach Chefs Celebrate Filipino Month with Family Pop-Up October 29

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For one night only, Chef AC Boral, founder of Rice & Shine Eats and Chef Raquel “Roq” Jubran, chef/co-owner of Lasher’s Kitchen, will transport guests’ taste buds to the Philippines during a Family Feast pop-up dinner in celebration of Filipino-American History Month that takes place every year in October.

The dinner will take place on Monday, October 29th at Lasher’s Kitchen, located at 5295 E. 2nd Street, Long Beach 90803.

Chefs Boral and Jubran will prepare and serve a 8-course family-style menu that will include traditional Kare Kare, a unique Filipino dish made with simmered oxtail, vegetables and peanut-based sauce, Chicken Adobo, a popular dish made with chicken marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black peppercorns, seared in oil and then simmered in the marinade, and Ambrosia Fruit Salad made with macapuno (young coconut), various fruits, nuts, cheese, and sweetened condensed milk.
The $65 dinner will begin at 6:30 pm with a special appetizer. Dinner will follow promptly at 7 pm. Two specialty cocktails will be available for purchase during the evening: A Kalamansi Margarita and a Passion Fruit & Blood Orange Mimosa. Music will be provided by DJ HoneyMee.

Chef Roq

“Chef Roq and I are excited to share our culture and some of the foods we grew up on with Long Beach diners,” Chef Boral said. “The casual, Filipino family-style setting encourages conversation and will make for an engaging, delicious evening.”

Added Chef Jubran, “A collaboration with fellow Filipino-American Chef AC is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and we figured October being Filipino-American History Month, the timing would be perfect!”

Advance purchase required. Seating is very limited. To purchase tickets, click HERE.

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How to Celebrate Mezcal Day October 21!

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Celebrate Mezcal Day October 21st or any other day with this refined spirit.  All you need to remember is that  All Mezcal is Tequila but not all Tequila is Mezcal — because of the unique way that mezcal is processed from a variety of agave plants (like tequila is) that instills a special smoky taste. The heart of the agave plant, the piña, is traditionally slow- cooked in pit ovens, giving it a characteristic smoky flavor. The type of agave plant, as well as the aging process, make each mezcal unique. It is produced in several different states in Mexico, the most prominent being Oaxaca.

(1) Laurel Hardware in WEHO designed a dedicated Mezcal Bar offering seasonal Mezcal-infused cocktails and contemporary Mexican cuisine.  The enticing, intricately designed bar area boasts nearly 100 different Mezcals sourced from over 50 distillers.

Mezcal

Mixologist Dustin Shaw

Mixologist Dustin Shaw “goes at it” at Laurel Hardware

Laurel Hardware Mezcal Bar’s, intricate speakeasy vibe

“Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo been, también.” mezcalphd.com/2013/10/mezcal-tequila-sotol-bacanora-raicilla-pulque-and-more

Dr. Lakra Cocktail: Ilegal Mezcal Anejo, Cube of Aztec Bitters, Demerara Sugar, Ancho Chili Oil

Chilled Lobster

Chilled Lobster Tostada topped with Cucumber, Avocado, Tomato, Fresno Chili perfect with a shot of mezcal

The glittering array of bottles brightens the dusky room in the new bar tucked into the side of the front lobby of Laurel Hardware. The Mezcal-infused beverages range from their Dr. Lakra cocktail – to the María Sabina cocktail – a sweet concoction of Los Nahuales Reposado Mezcal, Japanese whiskey, blood orange, basil, and lavender vanilla espuma.  (For more on mezcal, please see the post of our associate writer, Barbara Hansen’s post www.eatmx.com/2017/03/a-mezcal-bar-opens-at-laurel-hardware.html

Silky Guacamole

Silky Guacamole made with Lime, Cilantro, Pomegranate, Blue Corn Chips still is a favorite complement to mezcal in any form

The engaging, outdoor patio at Laurel Hardware – a sunburst of vibrant color, lights, and outdoor garden – perfect for a mezcal drink.

Laurel Hardware, 7984 Santa Monica Boulevard, serves dinner seven days a week, and the bar is open until 2 am. For more information or reservations at Laurel Hardware, please phone 323.656.6070 or visit online www.laurelhardware.com. 

(2) At the Newport Beach location of Malibu Farms, Natasha (below) serves the Smoke of mezcal, shishito chipotle agave, fresh lime juice, and chipotle sea salt. The standout cocktail, worth a visit on its own, can be enjoyed with the farm-fresh dishes

SMOKE cocktails

Natasha brings SMOKE cocktails

SMOKE mezcal cocktail

SMOKE mezcal cocktail at Malibu Farm

Dishes that complement the mezcal include a Burrata Salad with seasonal fruit (peaches here), arugula, fresh figs, and candied pecans, laced with a maple balsamic vinaigrette.  Lively Avocado Huarache arrives on a long rectangular platter.   Jalapeño ricotta spread, malibu honey and a lemon vinaigrette top a flatbread, crunchy enough to provide texture but not brittle enough to break in your hand.  For vegetarians, there is also a Cauliflower Crust Pizza.

Burrata Salad and Avocado

Burrata Salad and Avocado Huarache complement the smokey mezcal

Malibu Farm Restaurant: (949) 791-2096, ‬3420 Via Oporto – Newport Beach, California.  Easy, accessible parking structure (the restaurant validates for 90 minutes) and some street parking.

(3) Nixon Chops & Whisky in Whittier has three separate bars to enjoy mezcal, two easy lounges open to the street.   Mezcal is a specialty at the under the capable eye of Barkeep and mixologist Greg who looks over 200 whiskeys in the house.  Manager Lucy’s choice for us was a SILVER MEZCAL ARTESANA, the best.  The agave type is a special San Dionisio Ocotepec blend of Tobola and Espadin, matured seven to ten years, from Oaxaca.  Distilled twice in a copper column, it is close to 42% alcohol by volume and has a smokey finish to the notes of grilled pineapple, papaya and mango with lingering floral notes to the taste.

Riazuleńo Tobola Mezcal starts the evening at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Bartender Greg’s updated lively, original Classic and Modern Classic Cocktails

The Mezcal would go with a number of dishes on the inspired menu of Mexican-Japanese chef Katsuji Tanabe at the Nixon Chops & Whisky.  We recommend from the CHILLED section one that already has a smokey broth: Tongue & Kamapachi Ceviche with Avocado, Pickled Tongue, Smokey Chipotle Broth.

tongue & Kamapachi

CHILLED: tongue & Kamapachi Ceviche at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

A mezcal cocktail would also be perfect with the Iberico ham.  Almost anything Spanish would be complemented by the mezcal.

the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY, 13033 Philadelphia Street, Uptown Whittier, CA 90601 (562.698.3355). For more details, hours and reservations, please see  www.thenixoncw.com.

(4) The Venetian Resort Las Vegas celebrates National Mezcal Day and the completion of The Cocktail Collective bar complex with the opening of their Electra Cocktail Club.  expert mixologist Sam Ross’ Mezcal cocktails include the following, with the recipe for his Mosquito below.

  • Age of Aquarius – Mezcal, passionfruit syrup, fresh lime juice, honey, Campari (Electra)
  • Banco de Mexico – fresh mint, crème de cacao, Mezcal, Altos Anejo Tequila, rose water mist & a sprinkle of powdered sugar (Rosina)
  • Mosquito – Mezcal, Campari, ginger, lemon juice, shy, ginger candy (The Dorsey)

The Mosquito mezcal cocktail from The Dorsey at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is one of the hits.  Also popular are the.

The Mosquito Cocktail

  • 1 oz. Mezcal*
  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz. homemade ginger syrup
  • 1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice just shy of 1 oz
  • Shake ingredient in tin & strain into a coupe glass
  • Garnish with candied ginger

Photo courtesy of The Dorsey at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

For details on the three venues at the hotel, please see: The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

(5) In Santa Monica,  MOON BAR at Lunetta at Night offers the Mariposa Calor with mezcal, Aperol, Amaro notion, lime and firewater bitters in the lounge area. It is a testament to the care that the bartending team mixes their original cocktails.  The Moon Bar itself is smoky in feel and stocked with eclectic varietals.  Dark and clubby, the room is done up in green velvet and navy blue with walnut,  soapstone and satin brass accents, a fireplace, brass-topped bar and a skylight.

Anyone of the legendary Chef-owner Raphael Lunetta’s small dishes pairs beautifully with the mezcal cocktail.

All-day diner & upscale American Eats, 2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405.The Moon Bar at Lunetta hours: For information and reservations, please visit www.LunettaSM.com or phone 310.581.9888.  

Famous Pro Soccer Star Alessandro Del Piero Brings Italian No. 10 Restaurant

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(photo courtesy of No. 10 restaurant)

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Italian football legend Alessandro Del Piero brings his favorite, multi-seasonal, multi-regional Italian fare to Los Angeles at at No. 10 Restaurant.

At the door, welcoming candles in oversized holders

One of the two cozy corners right inside the front door

One of the two dining rooms facing a bar fronting the performance kitchen

Del Piero creativity and vision as a fantastic team leader on and off the field led along with his expertise and experience with regional Italian cuisine led to the restaurant.  The athlete who ran entire fields without stopping for an entire game rightfully has a Spacecraft designed restaurant in a cavernous space with indoor-outdoor seating across the wide front. 

The story goes that after hero who has been a soccer star since he was a teen-ager, discovering the distinctly different regional cooking styles and ingredients after years of living and traveling around Italy.  The chefs at contemporary No.10 source something special from each locale, whether ingredients or technique.

The upmarket menu is the result of the fusion of the two chefs, one American and one Italian.  Their goal is to blend their gastronomic cultures with passion to create a harmonious synthesis with their recipes. Samples of four popular dishes are in the appetizer and the pasta sections.  Polpo was tender and charred just so that the slightest smoky taste was in place. The citrus grapefruit was an unusual touch, not unexpected for northern Italian chefs.

Polpo, Charred Mediterranean Octopus, Broccoli, Grapefruit, Yogurt and Crispy Chickpeas

Mauritzio the manager offered the popular Frittino, where a spicy tomato sauce dipping sauce happily replaced the usual Marinara. The squid was more tender than crispy in a light, light batter, and perfectly tender. The Shishito pepper worked beautifully to add a slightly Asian touch and a bit of snap .

Frittino, fried calamari, shrimp, butternut squash, Shishito Pepper and Spicy Tomato Sauce.

Pappardelle, made in house, with a very delicate Lamb Ragu and diced Chanterelle Mushrooms is another sophisticated northern Italian style dish.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu, Chanterelle Mushrooms

The owner’s pick: Risotto N10 with parmigiana Reggiano, Radicchio di Treviso and Lemon

The staff was excited about their N10 Sphere dessert of dark, milk and white chocolate Semifreddo, Meringue, Amaretti Cookies, Mind and Huckleberry on the side.

The surprise chocolate awaits to pour over the layered “bombe”

The server urged us to try the Tiramiso, with lady fingers, espresso and Marcarpone made into a Mousse which made the dessert more dense but so much l lighter!

Chef Nick Parker was born and raised on a farm in Idaho, Nick Parker’s passion for food started at a young age. He is self-educated in the culinary arts through books, traveling, staging and a strong interest in “molecular gastronomy.”  After working in kitchens all over the U.S. Nick arrived in SoCal where he’s worked with acclaimed chefs Mario Batali and David Burke.  He specializes in Italian, French, Spanish, Creole, Pacific Northwestern, Southern, and modern American cuisines. Chef Parker likes to create seasonal menus that feature hand-picked, organically-grown vegetables and herbs, as well as fresh seasonal seafood ingredients. He believes in farm-fresh produce, even if it involves building a farm and doing the work himself, which he once did in the Pacific Northwest.

Fabio Ugoletti was born in Parma, Italy, and spent his childhood in the heart of the Po River Valley, also known as the “Food Valley.” It was here that he learned to appreciate good food and family traditions.  His culinary career began when he started working in luxury hotels and upscale restaurants. He has worked under the direction of important chefs such as Daniele Sera, Massimo Spigaroli, Paolo Vai.

​In the Chianti region of Tuscany he worked as an Executive Chef at Al Gallopapa, a prestigious 1-star Michelin restaurant. Fabio has also worked as a gastronomic consultant and has organized events all over the world in countries including Italy, China, Poland, Sweden, Korea, United States, and Lithuania.  He was also involved in the development of the “new wave” of Italian Cuisine.

No. 10,  8436 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310.924.2011. For details and to make reservations, please see:  //www.n10restaurant.com

Chef Raphael Lunetta’s New Day to Night Concept

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Its been decades since Chef Raphel Lunetta surfed off the beach near his new dining concept in Santa Monica, LUNETTA All Day and LUNETTA Dining Room & Bar.  And during the years in between Chef Lunetta’s culinary career burgeoned, right through the heyday of LA fine dining.  But to see the chef in action in a performance kitchen makes the years fade away.

Chef Raphael Lunetta in action at LUNETTA

lamb chop - Local Food Eater

A lamb chop as a thing of beauty in the hands of Chef Raphael Lunetta

This past year the  Southern California native Raphael Lunetta completed his dining complex in Santa Monica that caters to both casual and more formal dining called for these days: Lunetta All Day with a cozy back patio behind it, and counterpart, Lunetta At Night next door, clubby with charcoal colored walls and brown leather banquettes, and the Moon Bar and lounge in the back of it.

The seasonal Coastal California menu made up of small plates, wood-grilled fish, and steaks also feature local ingredients straight from the Santa Monica Farmers Market, where the chef has been a familiar face for decades.  There is even a menu section in honor of Seasonal Market Vegetables.  Most representative is the burger, which he makes with grass-fed beef, has a slice of heirloom tomato, sharp cheddar, and avocado.

Lunetta Burger- Local Food Eater

The LUNETTA BURGER (photo courtesy Acuna-Hansen)

The carefully prepared California coastal fare tastes as bright and fresh as it looks. Sharing is encouraged.

Snake River Meatballs- Local Food Eater

Snake River Meatballs ($16) in a bowl of marinara, mascarpone polenta, and grated Reggiano

 

Heirloom Tomato Salad - Local Food Eater

Heirloom Tomato Salad ($18) with stracciatella, sweet onion, organic olive bread crostini)

pappardelle pasta - Local Food Eater

Housemade pappardelle pasta special with lamb ($28)

Caramelized Pork Chop- Local Food Eater

Caramelized Pork Chop · wild rice, cider reduction, pickled apples · $29 GF

Molten chocolate cake- Local Food Eater

Molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream

 

The chef is best known for running JiRaffe, a fine-dining restaurant –  a little glass box in the heart of Santa Monica that was all the stir when it opened in 1997, and that closed in 2015 as formal dining began to wane in the city, and home dining with to-go and delivery began a steady rise to popularity.

The restaurant on the LUNETTA “daytime” side

Carefree navy and white plates and napkins sit ready and waiting for either concept at LUNETTA

 

Handcrafted Cocktails heavily influenced by Chef Raphael Lunetta’s menu, particularly his incorporation of produce from the Farmers Market, is featured in the bar.

Fresh flowers adorn cocktails- Local Food Eater

Fresh flowers adorn cocktails at the Moon Bar at LUNETTA

The Moon Bar with eclectic varietals offered by the glass and by the bottle.  Dark and clubby, the room is done up in navy blue with walnut, soapstone and satin brass accents with low tables in front of the green velvet furniture, a fireplace, brass-topped bar, and a skylight.

All-day diner & upscale American Eats, 2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405, (310) 581-4201.The Moon Bar at Lunetta hours: Tuesday-Friday from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm, and Saturday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm. For lounge information and reservations, please visit www.LunettaSM.com or phone 310.581.9888.  

 

LocalFoodEater/Powered by Clorder, Editor Moderates Western Expo Panel

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 Gerry Furth-Sides, Editor/columnist for LocalFoodEater.com, powered by Clorder Clorder moderated a panel on spices at the 2018 Western FoodService & Hospitality Expo in Los Angeles by invitation.  It was part of the expanded educational program with more in-depth panel presentations.

The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo were also newly co-located with Coffee Fest and Healthy Food Expo West this year  The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo.  at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The tradeshow and conference provided 9,000+ industry professionals with access to the hottest menu trends, state of the art design and decor, a renowned education program, special events, and 450+ of the leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant & foodservice community.

Moderator Gerry Furth-Sides introduced the panelists who each spoke on different aspects of the expanded interest and use of “ethnic” spices in mainstream restaurant menus and health products.  We will have samples of the newest expanded versions of ethnic spices that are going mainstream for the audience.

 Gerry Furth-Sides’ media experience ranges from Newsweek editorial/TV to writer/editor to a decade’s long stint doing west coast  TV tours representing the California Growers Association.   Her book writing credits include  The Los Angeles Food Guide; Frommer Guidebooks; Sofi’s Aegean Kitchen; Tommy Tang’s Asian cookbook.  Gerry produced two dinners with LA chefs for the James Beard Foundation in New York. She was editor/columnist for the American Institute of Food & Wine, The Southern California Culinary Guild and Women’s Culinary Alliance newspapers.  She is completing the book-directory on  LA ethnic food, A Long Way to Go for Dinner.

Panelists Chefs Robert Danhi, Bernard guillas, Linda Civitello

Panelists included: Linda Civitello, Ph.D., is the author of Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight That Revolutionized Cooking, which the Smithsonian magazine named One of the Ten Best Food Books of 2017. She is also the author of Cuisine & Culture: A History of Food and People, winner of the Gourmand award for Best Food History Book in English (U.S.), and which is used to teach food history in culinary schools. A frequent speaker on a wide range of food history topics, from “James Bond, Foodie” to the “History of Mother’s Day,” Linda has also been a Food and Art consultant for the Getty Museum, spoken at Harvard University, on the BBC, and before the American Chemical Society. She also cooks professionally.

Civitello served two of her cakes, 1796 White Rose Gingerbread and a1872 Coffee Spice Cake as people came in to be seated, and they had to wait to hear the explanation.

Chef Robert Danhi, Curator of Cultures spoke about the role of spice in his most recent travels in Southeast Asia.  He is an award-winning author, TV show host, and R&D Chef.  His three decades of extensive research covering Southeast Asian foodways reflects a lifelong commitment to the demystification of Southeast Asia for home cooks, aspiring chefs, and industry peers. Photo-journalist Danhi wrote, photographed and published his first book, Southeast Asian Flavors. This deep-dive into the people, places, and foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore earned honors as a James Beard Award finalist. As a curator of cultures, Chef Danhi was invited to host, “Taste of Vietnam,” a 26-episode television show exploring 19 provinces of Vietnam, which aired in 17 countries globally.  Chef Robert was also the main judge for Top Chef Vietnam. Danhi ’s current research focuses on leveraging technology to blend qualitative and quantitative research.  His team is creating an app available in late 2018 called Flavor360 that enables the user to capture, analyze and share the 360degree flavor experience.

Executive Chef Bernard Guillas: Spice Mixology LaJolla, will address the culture of spices gained from his international travels and describe the “spice of life via mixology.” He will explain formulas and how to blend unique spices from ancient lands “to add excitement” to any meal.

Executive Chef Bernard Guillas of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, Inc. the Shores Restaurant at the La Jolla Shores Hotel, and the landmark AAA Four Diamond Rated Marine Room restaurant is a recognized international speaker and consultant chef. Born into a family of butchers, bakers, and restaurateurs, Guillas’ began his formal training with top chefs and restaurants in France, moving on to an international career, beginning in French Guyana. Richly diverse South American flavors still influence his food.  Just before relocating to San Diego, he worked in Washington DC under Pierre Chambrin, former White House executive chef.  The highly acclaimed chef was inducted into the International Restaurant & Hospitality Rating Bureau’s American Chefs’ Hall of Fame.  Guillas’ first award-winning cookbook, Flying Pans, co-authored with Chef Ron Oliver, earned the coveted IACP People’s Choice, and top 10 Cookbook in America honors at Book Expo America.

Guillas cooked many times by invitation as a guest chef at the James Beard House in New York. An activist for sustainability and his community, he promotes the San Diego region and his restaurants in his extensive world travels, appearing regularly on local and national radio and TV networks.

Chef Bernard Guillas

Chef Danhi (who got off a plane from southeast Asia the day before) makes a point to the crowd with Chef Guillas looking on

The affable national Celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani gave a cooking demo.  Demonstration with local Chef Bruce Kalman who demonstrated a series of dishes while discussing sustainability, brines vs. fermentation and more.   Other presentations included an AllerTrain Lite program to teach employees how to safely interact with and serve diners with special dietary needs and a Culinary

Five-To Try Spots and Why for Inspired Indian Summer Dining

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Indian summer is described as “a period of unusually dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn” or one that suits our own LA better these hot, humid days as, “a period of happiness or success occurring late in life.”

(5)

 

Pearl BBQ’s new home on 7th street has a backyard picnic area.  But the story for me remains three words long:  Texas BBQ Rib  — so much so that ever since I can feel my face break out into a spontaneous grin as soon as that bone is in sight, on a plate or in a box.  Sigh.  Sauce, as they say, is “frosting on the cake.”

At Pearl’s BBQ, American style ribs, beef or pork racks, are served with various barbecue sauces to be “torn” apart by hand, and the meat is eaten from the bone.  By the way, one order of the Texas beef ribs at Pearl’s holds about four servings for the $30 tab.

smoked Texas-style Ribs- Local Food Eater

A thing of beauty: Pearl’s BBQ smoked Texas-style Ribs (photo courtesy of Pearl’s BBQ)

Beef short ribs are the equivalent of spare ribs in pork, with beef short ribs but almost always larger and meatier than pork ribs.  And it is served, classic-style, with two pieces of white bread that make me long for meals in Watts at the Lark.

Smoked BBQ Ribs- Local Food Eater

Pearl’s Smoked BBQ Ribs

Key to the taste is the smoker. Pearl’s BBQ’s 1,000-gallon smoker, a big, impressive number created by at Fat Stack Smokers in Sun Valley.

Pearl’s BBQ 4th at 2010 E. 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA  90021.  For more information please visit www.PearlsBBQLA.com.

 

(4) Culinary mastermind, Chef Danny Elmaleh, shines with his award-winning sharable middle eastern plates at the third award-winning  Cleo location in Los Angeles, by being.   Every refined Japanese-Moroccan dish makes a gutsy statement, yet feels effortless and satisfying.

Danny Elmaleh- Local Food Eater

(photo courtesy of being) Second generation Chef Danny Elmaleh, Moroccan and Japanese.

Executive Chef Danny Elmaleh heads up the kitchen at both be Cleo at the Orlando Hotel, which sports the enclosed outdoor patio, and Mizlala, his family restaurant in Sherman Oaks.  His are dishes that make you sigh with pleasure and gasp with delight at times.  Cleo just launched brunch.  The menu includes a tower of Brioche Mini Doughnuts that come with a sour cream glaze, Smoked Salmon Benedict, Red Shakshouka and a Mushroom Omelette with truffle.
(3) Preux & Proper’s sweet two-floor home in a flat-iron building in DTLA location may be an odd match-up for New Orleans cuisine, but founder-owner Joshua Kopel and partner-Chef Sammy Monsour beautifully realize Kopel’s mission to “bring a little bit of authentic Southern food and hospitality to Southern California.” It is his modest Southern way of saying, “we moved mountains to bring it about.” www.PreuxandProper.com 

Owner-founder Joshua Kopel

Sammy Monsour - Local Food Eater

Chef Sammy Monsour

Chef Sammy Monsour’s Lebanese heritage and southern upbringing show up in the middle eastern flavors threading their way through dishes, infusing a sunny, cool Mediterranean light among the more earthy heat of New Orleans ingredients.   One perfect example of his inventiveness is the Hand Made Charcuterie is the SMOKED BEEF HEART PASTRAMI TOAST, hummus, lemon, and shaved trinity.

Smoked Beef Heart Pastrami Toast- Local Food Eater

Preux & Proper’s SMOKED BEEF HEART PASTRAMI TOAST

Still, the FRIED WHOLE GAME HEN is our pick among the number of favorites dishes on the menu because will make you forget about fried chicken forever. The secret is the crunch of crushed pecans and the honeycomb on top.  Add it to the buttermilk biscuits with serrano jelly taste for pure decadence.

Fried Whole Game Hen-Local Food Eater

FRIED WHOLE GAME HEN  at Preux & Proper

For details and hours, please seewww.PreuxandProper.com,840 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014.  Phone: (213) 896-0090
(2)   Café Pinot feels like a secret garden cleverly tucked into a pocket on the dark side of the main Los Angeles Public Library.  New Executive Chef Phillip Martin’s  menu reflects the care and craftsmanship that has always gone into this DTLA treasure

The restaurant seems to fall away into the park by way of  floor-to-ceiling glass walls, one open

Happily, each engaging dish begins with the same class French technique since Café Pinot opened, with evolving inventive touches that are surprising and delightful.  The menu also includes shareable small and large plates (though Crispy Lamb Sweetbreads would never fall into this category for me).

Crispy Lamb Sweetbreads, our favorite dish,  with cumin Rojo, leeks, cucumber roll-up, yogurt and mint, our favorite bite of the evening in the Small Plates section, reflects both middle eastern and Latin inspiration.  Chef Martin’s sweetbread is perfectly smooth, tender and moist with a crispy outside complementing the mild, creamy flavor of the inside.  The sweetbreads interplay beautifully with the rich, more acidic flavors of the spice and yogurt, just as they should.

Crispy Lamb sweetbreads-Local Food Eater

Crispy Lamb sweetbreads at Café Pinot

Two dishes make a light meal.  Fennel composed salad has a Northern California autumn flair with pear, citrus, hazelnut, Humboldt Fog cheese and black pepper pairs beautiful with the Crispy Lamb Sweetbreads.

Fennel salad- Local Food Eater

Fennel salad at Café Pinot

Café Pinot, www.patinagroup.com/cafe-pinot, 700 West 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071,  parking available at the adjacent Library, located on Flower St. Validation required. Weekdays 1st 2 hours $6, after 5 PM & Weekends first 4 hours FREE.   Tel. 213-239-6500

(1) Newly renamed CHAYA Modern Izakaya makes good on its promise of a  Handcrafted Cocktail Program plus Wine, Sake, Premium Spirit, and Japanese Whisky Lists.  Paired perfectly are the inspired brightness of the revamped menu by chefs under the direction of Executive Chef, Yukon Kajimo.

only CHAYA Venice does not have outdoor dining but the private room features skylight windows and the beach just steps away.

(Photo courtesy of Acuna-Hansen)

 

The whole fish becomes the star of the table, served a couple of times a week when extraordinary fish is available, such as Bream. The whole fish is split horizontally with one half grilled and served with daikon, ponzu and chimichurri sauces to bring out a different element of flavor with each one.  Sushi and sashimi are prepared out of the other half.

Ginger Mackerel Roll for dessert at CHAYA Venice

For more information or to make reservations, please visit www.TheCHAYA.com or call CHAYA Modern Izakaya directly at 310.396.1179. They do answer the phone within three rings.

Chef Ricardo Diaz Makes a Homey Soup into a Whittier Star

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Chef Ricardo Diaz

Chef Ricardo Diaz’ genius transforms the dining scene in Whittier

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Chef Ricardo Diaz is fittingly making Mexican Sopa de Fideo into a star at his stylish, earthy cantina in the tree-lined Uptown Whittier District.  The story honors Mexican Pio Pico, who settled the very land it sits on in the first street in the town well known as the All-American home of Richard Nixon. www.coloniagroupinc.com

Pio Pico

The imposing mural of Pio Pico that lines the wall at Colonia Publica in Whittier

Pio Pico

Pico Pio in a Whittier Museum exhibit

At Colonia Publica,  the casual high tables up front are perfect for people-watching along the tree-lined Greenleaf street in Uptown Whittier District.  A line of tables marches to the back alongside a wall hiding the kitchen.

The smart gastro-cantina in spiffy Whittier uptown district

The simple and nourishing combination of tomato-based broth, onions, and toasted vermicelli noodles are offered in many of its variations, chosen by each guest. Sopa de Fideo or “soup of noodles” is a stock-based and very much a part of Mexican cuisine although until now it has not been as commonly known as menudo.   Noodles, typically slender ones such as vermicelli or angel hair, are broken up or cut to ensure that the flavors flow threw each one.  Adding to the layer of flavors, the noodles are browned separately before being combined with the rest of the soup ingredients.

Chef Diaz describes Sopa de Fideo part of the simple, basic home cooking in all parts of Mexico and with generational families here in the United States.  The rich 14-hour simmered broth made with pork backbone, organic free range chicken, and locally sourced vegetables,   It is what the poorest eat and what the nannies in rich families serve the children.  It fills after school tummies, lunch-time workers and late escapades into the kitchen.”

A little fideos order form with a fun golf pencil arrives at the table next to a regular menu, for you to pick from the 20 customizable items you would like, ranging from tortilla chips to sliced avocado and lemongrass.  They include Pollo/Epazote scented Chicken Breast;  Frijoles Negros/Black Beans; Housemade Pork Chorizo; Queso Fresco/Farmers Cheese; Monterey Jack Cheese; Pico de Gallo/Onion, Tomato & Cilantro Salsa and Elote Asado/Grilled Corn Kernels.   On the more unusual side are Camaron al Ajo/Garlic Shrimp; Nopales/Blanched Cactus and Chicarron/Pork Cracklings.

Elijah

Elijah serves up an order of fideo

Sopa de Fideo has a history as a part of the cuisines of Mexico, Tex-Mex cuisine, and the Philippine province of Cavite. It has been suggested that the dish may have originated in Spain.  Chef Diaz prefers the Mexican origin.  “One of the things I set out to do with my restaurants was introduced people to the food Mexicans really eat,” Diaz says. “Carne asada, tripa – that’s all weekend barbecue food that you do every once in a while. Fideos come from the heart.”

Colonia Publica offers full-service and toward Chef Diaz’s pub focus, Colonia Publica’s menu includes smaller plates ranging from Baja Shrimp Burrito with beer battered shrimp, red cabbage, chipotle beans, spicy remoulade and cilantro ($7.50) to the popular American favorite, Burger Daddy with two sirloin patties, balsamic bacon onions, gruyere cheese, mustard aioli and fries ($12)

The lineup of new-wave micheladas made with IPA, oatmeal stouts or aguachile.  The michelada is one of the many popular Mexican beer cocktails.  It contains ingredients perfect for the hot Whittier summer of Mexican Cerveza prepared beer, lime juice, and assorted sauces, spices, and peppers, and has the options of Maggi sauce (a soy-like sauce that with MSG), Worcestershire sauce, chamoy powder, serrano peppers, Camaronazo, Clamato or citrus slices.   The parts of the name filled with affection are key to understanding it.  Mi or ‘mine’; Chela, slang for ‘beer’ and ADA from helada or‘cold’).

Old favorite, Modelo, serves as the michelada menu base at Colonia Publica, including the classic michelada Roja (with Clamato), a jalepeño aguachile michelada, a chamoy michelada and the tamarindo michelada with agave wine and cayenne pepper.

“For years people were trying to match wines with Mexican food, but I always thought it was a stretch,” to quote Diaz.  “Cerveza always went with Mexican food – it’s part of the national diet almost.”

Colonia Publica, 6717 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier; (562) 693-2621. is open six days a week. For hours and more details, please see:  www.coloniagroupinc.com

Stylish, reclaimed-wood-lined Mexican gastropub popular for its micheladas & customizable noodles

The Perfect Meal at New CHAYA Modern Izakaya

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) When Chaya Venice recently changed its name to New CHAYA Modern Izakaya we knew it meant a small plate bar drinking.   So we expected the new Handcrafted Cocktail Program, Wine, Sake, Premium Spirit and Japanese Whisky List in the transition. What surprised us were the inspired brightness, dishes by the evolved menu by chefs under the direction of Executive Chef, Yukon Kajimo.

Acuna-Hansen

(Photo courtesy of Acuna-Hansen)

Japanese-import Izakayas became popular in the United States only a few years ago More than that, an “Izakaya” defines a friendly drinking place hangout or lively gastropub for unwinding, relaxing and sharing stories, for serving food and drink makes the owner proud. It is certainly the case here.

Kyle at CHAYA Venice  brings out Yamato Junmai sake and the Coconut Grove cocktail

The little-dish and drink duo concept works perfectly for the all-day Happy hour at CHAYA.  It also worked to make up our unusual four-course fish and seafood meal.  Bravo to Corporate Executive Chef Yukou Kajino and to Chef Kojima’s team: Jon Inoue, Katsuhuki Wako, Antonio Aguilar, and Oscar Cuaya.

Chef Yukou Kajino

Corporate Executive Chef Yukou Kajino

Spicy Grilled Octopus with garlic chili oil, spicy green papaya turns into a circle of clean, bright, fresh flavors and textures.  The octopus was the most tender we had ever eaten.

Grilled Octopus

The whole fish becomes the star of the table, served a couple of times a week when extraordinary fish is available.  Bream is a stellar example.  Unrivaled Mediterranean gilt-head Bream is considered the tastiest. The chefs love to work with this fish for its succulent, white flesh that is ideal for grilling, baking or frying whole.

The whole fish is split horizontally with one half grilled and served with daikon, ponzu and chimichurri sauces to bring out a different element of flavor with each one.  Sushi and sashimi are prepared out of the other half.

The new element to the whole fish is its binchotan grilling, according to long-time manager, Joseph.  “Binchotan” translates into “mastering the heat,” the small grill lends a char and a taste of fire to the fish without the smoke. White Binchotan Charcoal is a type of Activated Charcoal, nearly 100% carbon so it is smokeless,  that has been traditionally made for over 300 years by charcoal makers in the Kishu province of Wakayama in Japan.

Uni Spaghetti is a tangle of crispy, creamy and firm textures and an array of sea and land tastes.

Uni Pasta

Uni Pasta at CHAYA VENICE

Ginger Mackerel Roll

Ginger Mackerel Roll for dessert at CHAYA Venice

Cocktails are contemporary and international.  The Coconut Grove below is comprised of Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Coco Lopez, Cointrau and Lime.  Sake comes in a small or large carafe.  Even the most modestly priced can be paired well with most dishes.

Our Junmai Sake made by a company founded in 1865 (!) has a clear taste that pairs wonderfully with almost any dish since it is considered a pure grade.  It is brewed in traditional Yamahai-jikomi fashion manner using only Miyama Nishiki rice, soft water, yeasts in the Akita Seishu brewery for generations and koji.  The ingredients and the inordinately long two-month minimum fermentation period brings out brings out beautiful, earthy notes and a light, smooth, creamy texture to the drink.

A foamy cappuccino as an after-dinner drink at CHAYA VENICE

Just as I was writing that show business people are always so happy because when you meet them they have finished their projects weeks before and chefs who come out of the kitchen are exhausted, the universe disproves me with two-second generation restaurants whose chefs are nothing short of exuberant.  And, unlike most restaurants today, when you phone CHAYA VENICE, someone picks up the phone within three rings — a live person who will answer questions or get someone who can do so.  Another nod to Chef Kojima’s team: Yukon Kajimo.  Jon Inoue, Katsuhuki Wako, Antion Aguilar, and Oscar Cuaya.

The private room at CHAYA VENICE (Photo courtesy of Acuna-Hansen)

CHAYA Modern Izakaya serves Dinner Sunday- Thursday,5:30 pm to 10:00 pm, and Friday- Saturday from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm. For more information or to make reservations, please visit www.TheCHAYA.com or call CHAYA Modern Izakaya directly at 310.396.1179.

Local Hive™ Safely Brings Local to Global This Season

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(Gerry Furth-Sides, photos courtesy of LOCAL HIVE HONEY)  Honey, in general, is so wonderful that it might just take a taste test like to differentiate the pure and local ones for yourself.  We did years ago with local Santa Monica honey at a farmers market and never went back to other honey.  One company that is promoting this type of product, as well as honey conservation on a grand scale, is  Local Hive™ from Rice’s Honey®, a leading producer of high quality, USA only raw & unfiltered honey since 1924.

The new label design highlights the new Local Hive™ and  Rice’s new alliance with PACE, “Pollinator Awareness Through Conservation and Education”, the Butterfly Pavilion’s non-profit global initiative to restore habitats, strengthen populations and reintroduce pollinators into native habitats around the world.  Rice’s Honey® has a mission to help promote all pollinators & sustainable bee farms across the country. This partnership and commitment are represented communicated on the back of the new label, notes that a portion of proceeds from every bottle sold of Rice’s Honey® will be donated to the PACE initiative to promote and protect the prosperity of pollinators worldwide.

The company is launching a campaign to emphasize that their Local Hive So Cal Honey is 100 percent pure; raw and unfiltered, preserving the honey’s nutrients for a unique local flavor from “the backyard” of the buyer. For updated information, please check out the new website: www.localhivehoney.com www.localhivehoney.com 

From now until Dec 12th, Local Hive So Cal Honey will be highlighted to honey lovers in a variety of ways including a billboard on the Newport Freeway in Orange County from November 9th – December 12th, lead sponsorship in the California Wine Festival in Huntington Beach on November 9th and 10th and an extensive digital/social program through mid-December.   For details on the event, please see: californiawinefestival.com/events/huntington-beach

All Local Hive™ honey is sourced exclusively in the U.S. and then bottled in Greeley, Colorado.  The team at Local Hive™ works directly with local beekeepers across the U.S., to ensure each varietal yields delicious and subtly different natural flavors. Very similar to wine, where you taste and see the difference between varietals, Local Hive™from Rice’s Honey® also imparts specific flavors in each of the honey they produce across the country.

Local Hive

I verify the taste test with the NORCAL and SO-CAL local hive honey!  Southern California honey reflects its sweet natural source, including hints of alfalfa, berries, citrus, clover, and sage, in every bottle.  You can taste the warmth of the sun in the light honey. We loved the most sophisticated, less sweet and more intense northern Nor Cal honey flavor that is still warm and mild.  The layered flavors have a non-sweet taste at first before reaching a more floral, sweet aftermath.  It is delightful on its own and perfect for very special salad dressings.

Local Hive

Local HiveTony Landretti, Chief Executive Officer of Rice’s Honey®. “Since Rice’s Honey® founded in 1924 by L.R. Rice, reports, “we have always remained committed to providing the best tasting U.S. only raw & unfiltered honey while supporting local beekeepers all across the U.S. who provide artisan blend of various, local floral types to grocery stores.”  To find a neighborhood store, please visit  localhivehoney.com/findastore

L.R. Rice founded Rice’s Honey®, headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, in 1924. The company remains committed to its founder’s mission of becoming a leading producer of authentic, high quality, U.S. only raw & unfiltered honey.  Local Hive™ from Rice’s Honey® has generated brand equity through its commitment of producing premium, high quality, raw and unfiltered honey at affordable prices.  Rice’s Honey works with local beekeepers to provide several local, raw & unfiltered honey varieties throughout various states and regions across the U.S.

Café Pinot with Grand Hotel Restaurant Manners

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Café Pinot feels like a secret garden cleverly tucked into a pocket on the dark side of the main Los Angeles Public Library.  New Executive Chef Phillip Martin’s recently introduced fall seasonal menu that includes both new dishes and a few of the restaurant classics with his touch, reflects the care and craftsmanship that has always gone into this DTLA treasure.  Now, obsessed with the Spanish series, Grand Hotel as I am, this radiant gem becomes the contemporary dining version of the hotel’s lush restaurant and afternoon tea grounds for me as well.  

These are the Maguire Gardens (named after the developer who helped preserve the library after the 1986 fire), a favorite DTLA outdoor space of lush plantings that all that remains of Bertram Goodhue and Carleton Winslow’s original library gardens. Part of their plan recreates Goodhue’s original Islamic-influenced design with cypress lined tiers of steps flanking long shallow pools.

Chef Martin summons George- Local Food Eater

Exuberant Chef Martin summons George to table

The second of Joachim Splichal’s portfolio, it has been my favorite since it opened.  Warm wood and earth tones add to the organic, hushed feel of the 1920’s craftsman interior.  Glass walls allow the restaurant to fall away into the park itself.   Outside dining in the manicured park is exquisite and intimate, whether by day or as the center of a glittering skyline at night.

The restaurant seems to fall away into the park by way of floor-to-ceiling glass walls, one open.

“White tablecloth” dining at its most exquisite, contemporary and relaxed

International inspiration is folded into the cuisine described as Cal-with touches of shishito pepper and calamansi and shimeji mushroom making an Asian statement in the menu.

The wine list is reasonably priced with many California and French labels.  The helpful server picked a modestly priced Canyon Road Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast for our red.  Medium-bodied and smooth with accents of cherries, raspberries, and vanilla with a silky finish, it is still light enough to pair with fish.

Even the cocktails hold international lure.  The Copper Pot in its Moscow Mule copper mug translates into more of a romance language version than Russian with Casa Noble tequila, grand mariner, honey, watermelon cubes, fresh lime, basil, and cilantro.

The Copper Pot Cocktail at Café Pinot

Happily, each engaging dish begins with the same class French technique since Café Pinot opened, with evolving inventive touches that are surprising and delightful.  The menu also includes shareable small and large plates (though Crispy Lamb Sweetbreads would never fall into this category for me).

Yes, there is old-school bread offered, a meal in itself. George happily brought heels, too

We ate the rest of the heels at Café Pinot toasted

Crispy Lamb Sweetbreads with cumin Rojo, leeks, cucumber roll-up, yogurt and mint, our favorite bite of the evening in the Small Plates section, reflects both middle eastern and Latin inspiration.  Only adventurous chefs with confident technique take on the challenge of this dish utilizing both the thymus gland (from the throat) and the pancreas gland (heart or stomach).  When Lamb sweetbreads are soaked and blanched well as they are here, it takes away the usual offal musty flavor.    As a result, Chef Martin’s sweetbread is perfectly smooth, tender and moist with a crispy outside complementing the mild, creamy flavor of the inside.  And the sweetbreads interplay beautifully with the rich, more acidic flavors of the spice and yogurt, just as they should.

Lamb sweetbreads at Café Pinot

In the Small Plate section, Hamachi Crudo with tomato, watermelon, Fresno pepper and kalamansi, a cross between citrus and kumquat, known as the Philippine lime, but with a more sour taste.  Mushroom confit and tarragon are new additions to an Australian Beef Tartare but more unexpected is the additional crunch of jicama and the Little Gem lettuce cover-up.

Australian Beef Tartare at Café Pinot

Fennel composed salad has a Northern California autumn flair with pear, citrus, hazelnut, Humboldt Fog cheese and black pepper.

Fennel salad - Local Food Eater

The Fennel salad at Café Pinot

All the pasta are made fresh in-house daily using cage-free eggs.  Spaghetti Alla chitarra, known as “guitar spaghetti,” gets its name from being pressed into long strands using a stringed chitarra cutter, which seems to make a guitar sound as you mold them.

Cilantro Chittara at Café Pinot

Squid Ink Fettuccine with shrimp, garlic, breadcrab and chili flakes at Café Pinot

Our favorite in the Large Plate section was the Market Fish, here delicately crusted, tender salmon with confit fingerling potato, Himeji mushroom, leek, and nasturtium.  The nasturtium was such a nostalgic reminder of when it grew wild in our nearby Silverlake home — Chef Martin says he still finds it growing all over the area.  The confit fingerling potato was a smart, innovative transition between the fatty salmon and the mushrooms and leeks.

Salmon with confit fingerling potato, shimeji mushroom, leek, nasturtium

Duck Breast with quinoa, charred fig jam, 64.5c egg yolk, five spice broth – 64.5 is the chef’s ideal temperature between the usual 62 and 65.

Dessert can be flamboyant – don’t forget this is also a special occasion party venue.  But our own grand finale came at the restaurant’s closure.  It even topped the time I was at a dinner at Café Pinot with the legendary Gloria Steinem after a library lecture.  On this evening I  was carrying home a very thoughtfully composed little bag of bread heels by the restaurant staff, a faulty parking structure gate would not let me leave the garage.   No one was in the garage so I phoned the closed restaurant for help, and Manager George dashed right down to help even after hours.  Now, I don’t know what could be a more Grand Hotel experience that this.

Café Pinot, www.patinagroup.com/cafe-pinot.

700 West 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071,  parking available at the adjacent Library, located on Flower St. Validation required. Weekdays 1st 2 hours $6, after 5 PM & Weekends first 4 hours FREE.   Tel. 213-239-6500

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