Posted by Ed Levine, May 15, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Photographs of Mozza taken by Kathryn Yu
Patric Kuh is the restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine and the author of The Last Days of Haute Cuisine: The Coming of Age of American Restaurants
. He's also one of the most thoughtful food writers I know, so I knew we would get a unique perspective on dining experiences in Los Angeles when I caught up with him a couple of days ago on the phone.
"What I look for when I eat in Los Angeles is an authentic LA experience, not a New York experience, not a Las Vegas experience. There's a certain kind of laid-back luxury that LA has perfected, that would seem forced and out of place in New York or some other place."
"I know it sounds kind of weird, but the fantastic produce grown in California year-round plays a significant role in the restaurant-going experience in Los Angeles. Because we have such great produce, I'm particularly interested in what a chef is trying to express or say through the produce he or she uses. Every chef knows the farmers and the farmers' markets inside and out, so really it's what they do with that produce that counts."
"As far as whole notion of restaurants as theater is concerned, the restaurant world in Los Angeles is one big theatrical experience, but it's not about star-spotting. The real Angeleno would not deign to notice a star, we're not going to craning our neck at the stars."
"Contrary to what many people might think, we're not health obsessed weenies. We eat lots of cheese and beef and ice cream when we go out to eat, so I would say the flavors derived from fat figure heavily into our restaurant experience. Finally, amateurishness and pretension bother Los Angelenos. This really is a company town (the company is Hollywood), so we don't like amateurish productions masquerading as restaurants"
"If the sommelier is a stuffed shirt with a windsor knot it's not going to work here because the guy ordering the 61 La Tour is wearing a t-shirt and jeans."
After the jump, some of Kuh's quintessential Los Angeles dining experiences.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, May 14, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Duck fat fries from Duck Fat Restaurant in Portland, Maine. Photograph from the Paupered Chef.
Duck, fat and fries are three words that please most people. Combining them is a very beautiful thing. Chef Amanda Freitag at New York City's The Harrison isn't the only one bathing spuds in quack-quack grease. She cuts hers with a malt vinegar mayo, given the duck fat's richness. After the jump, see what other chefs across the country are skipping peanut or cottonseed oil to embrace rendered duck fat.
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Posted by Ed Levine, May 8, 2008 at 11:45 AM
A dish from the French Laundry
Having been a restaurant critic for many, many years the San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer has had the pleasure of experiencing great restaurants all over northern California, the country, and the world for that matter. Having eaten with him many times I can tell you that Michael loves fried chicken as much as he loves white truffles and caviar.
He told me that as a restaurant critic it's very hard to go to a restaurant and just experience it the way a regular diner would. "You experience things a little differently as a critic. To help me judge a restaurant I separate its main components; food, ambiance, service, wine list and service, so my perspective is slightly skewed. Then I weave the various components together in the course of three visits. Usually, one of the three visits I try to experience it as a regular diner would." For more on how Michael goes about his work, check out his How to Evaluate a Restaurant section on his Between Meals blog.
His San Francisco and Napa Valley restaurant experience picks had mostly surprises and one obvious choice:
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Posted by Ed Levine, May 5, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Bill Addison sampled nearly 300 tacos and 100 burritos in an incredibly cool ten week-long quest for the best that the Bay Area offers. Do click through to his story because and admire with me the meticulous and thorough way he went about this Pancho Villian–sized task. I also admire his intestinal fortitude (literally). His favorite was the relatively unheralded Sancho's in Redwood City. Here's what Addison had to say about it:
Burritos and tacos are everything they should be at this diminutive storefront with expansion plans. Each element zings with freshness and quality. The bonus of well-made fish tacos, a rarity in the Bay Area, makes this a must-try. Super burrito: $6.55, Regular taco: $1.25
Sancho's
3205 Oak Knoll, Redwood City CA 94062 (near Canyon Road; map); 650-364-8226
Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Julie Besonen hips us to a couple of Santa Barbara taquerias that sound awesome, including El Bajío for its "sensational seafood soups, fresh moles and well-seasoned, slow-roasted meats," and Los Arroyos, "famous for warm, freshly cut chips and creamy guacamole heaped in a molcajete."
Posted by Erin Zimmer, May 1, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Date Shake sign at Hadley Fruit Orchards. Photograph from kthread on Flickr
California is a date mecca, especially in the southern half near Palm Springs. The prune-resembling pellets are packed with natural sugars, which makes them a great—yet shocking to outsiders—ingredient for milkshakes. The goal is to achieve a paste-like texture with minimal chunks and top it with a shake of nutmeg.
When I recently mentioned this to a New Yorker friend, she responded, "Wait, milkshakes you drink on a date?" I mean, that's possible. But in the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire regions of California, where date farms are abundant, it's the default shake flavor over vanilla or chocolate. Here are some favorite date shake spots.
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Posted by Zach Brooks, April 23, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Photograph from entitee on Flickr
One of my favorite parts of doing a sandwich column is that now all my family members send me photos of ridiculous sandwiches from all around the country. Take this one, for example, which my brother in law sent me from Sacramento. The Squeeze Burger with Cheese Skirt, as it is widely known in and around California's capital, is clearly a feat of modern engineering. And while the actual burger that is hidden underneath there (somewhere) is not necessarily anything to write home about, this sandwich has many other secrets that make it quite the serious sandwich.
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Posted by Raphael, April 18, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Everybody be cool.
Dining out in the San Francisco Bay Area may have gotten a little more expensive: The blog SFist clues us in on a recent rash of East Bay restaurant "takeover"-style robberies—eight in the past couple of weeks. The most recent robbery in Emeryville follows a similar pattern: "[o]ne of the suspects revealed a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded money from both employees and customers" [cbs5.com]. Prize quote from SFist: "Be careful, Chez Panisse denizens!" [via Eater SF]
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 17, 2008 at 3:50 PM
The L.A. Times details the genesis of some of Southern California's favorite Hong Kong–style coffee shops, places that serve a mish-mash of dishes: "escargot, Russian borscht, Spam-topped noodle soup, German-style pork knuckle, French toast, Chinese chow fun and a panoply of Italian-style pastas re-imagined for Asian palates."
Seems these hotspots took a long and winding march to the L.A. area. First, Russians fled to Shanghai after the Bolsheviks came to power. There, they set up cafes, which had a nice go of it till '49, when the Communists took over. They scurried to Hong Kong, where the mix of HK residents, mainland Chinese, and British spawned a unique type of establishment, one that gave many Hong Kong residents their first taste of Western food while at the same time taking on aspects of the Chinese culture at large. And then, of course, they made the jump across the Pacific. A guide to Hong Kong–style coffee shops in SoCal.
Related: The Comfort Food of Hong Kong [IHT]
Los Angeles Times Magazine profiles the history and continuing popularity of Philippe the Original, the nearly 100-year old L.A. institution best known for serving French dip sandwiches.
Posted by Leslie Pave, March 31, 2008 at 3:15 PM
A typical way to describe kombucha is to say it’s fermented mushroom tea. So when faced with a choice of a well made cappuccino or fermented mushroom tea, that voice inside your head may scream, "double cap extra foam." But Uzbekistan-born Lev Kilun will let you sample his house made kombucha on-tap while you wait for your organic espresso drink at Café Lyon in the Rockridge district of Oakland, California. Before your double cap is done brewing, you might wish you ordered the kombucha instead.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 20, 2008 at 5:30 PM
In December, we brought you a Serious Eats Fish Taco crawl, but played special favoritism to Orange County. Commenters squealed when San Diego got no love. Herewith, a second chapter of the crawl, focusing on the San Diego county. This one especially goes out to observant Catholics, looking for more than just the local parish's fish fry on tomorrow's last Lenten Friday.
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Posted by Ed Levine, March 13, 2008 at 2:15 PM
When food critic Michael Bauer awarded four stars in the San Francisco Chronicle to the eponymous Michael Mina, many readers took offense at the very notion of eating in, enjoying, and writing about such a restaurant in these troubled times.
Bauer aptly explained why he feels it's important to write about four-star restaurants now. I am not a fan of over-the-top decadent dining, but from Bauer's review I would hardly call Michael Mina an obscenely extravagant restaurant. In fact, Bauer's review made me want to jump on a plane and eat at Michael Mina tonight.
Related: Does the World Need More Fancy-Pants French Restaurants?
Posted by Erin Zimmer, February 29, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Can fro-yo dialogue ever exist without a reference to Pinkberry anymore? There's more to swirly creaminess than the controversial Korean chain, especially in the fro-yo motherland of So-Cali.
Here are my five top fro-yo shops without a Pinkberry in sight.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, February 19, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Scattered near Southern Cali college campuses like UCI and UCLA, Asian-style bubble teahouses stay open late, serving the student community. They go through boxes of extra-fat straws, wide enough to fit tapioca balls or "boba" as it's often called, about the size of marbles. Stab their fluorescent-colored straws into cellophane-wrapped plastic cups which is filled with traditional flavors (green or black milk tea) or fruitier options (lychee, honeydew, mango).
Gummy and gelatinous, the tapioca boba bubbles sitting at the bottom of each cup symbolize a cultural staple for young Asians in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and all over California. For only about two bucks, the drink (hot or cold) is just as important as the scene—brightly-lit with comfy couches, usually blasting techno music. It’s the coffee shop alternative, with fat straws involved.
Here's a round-up of favorite boba hangouts in Southern Cali.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 28, 2007 at 2:15 PM
When in Rome, eat spaghetti, and when in SoCal, inhale the fish tacos. Outsiders may find the beachside tradition gross or confusing, but it’s home between two corn tortillas for locals. Staple components include: diced green cabbage, grilled or breaded white fish (usually Mahi Mahi) and fresh pico de gallo salsa. Within a five-mile radius of my childhood home, covering such beach towns as Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel, the fish taco mecca rests. Whether kitschy Mexican restaurant or mini-mall taco chain, the drill is the same. Wrap 'em with foil and love.
Check out the SoCal stops and superlatives below, each with a unique twist on the fishy mainstay. For the record, this is the first "fish taco" mention on Serious Eats. We're making history, kids!
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There's now anecdotal evidence from at least one restaurant in San Francisco that reducing corkage fees (the charge a restaurant applies when you bring your own wine in) benefits not only diners but restaurateurs. Frank Klein at Fish & Farm charges $5 instead of the average $20 and has reported that about 40 percent of the tables taking advantage of the new policy also buy a bottle from the restaurant. Plus, they're bringing in some really interesting wines, Klein says.
Posted by Zach Brooks, December 19, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Photograph from c(h)ristine on Flickr
With the New Year approaching, there is the possibility of the chance that maybe I would perhaps consider having an inkling to make a resolution to eat better. With that (50/50 at best) chance of "improving" my diet looming, it's time to stuff my face with not so healthy things, just in case I decide to abstain after January 1st.
In my book of guilty pleasures, the number one at the top of the list, has got to be fried chicken—and what better way to enjoy it then in sandwich form, served out of a bakery in Oakland, by a former cook from the birthplace of California cuisine.
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Posted by Zach Brooks, November 14, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Who doesn't know what a burrito is? Taco, of course. Quesadilla? No problema. Torta? Well, they don't have those at Taco Bell! Even if you are familiar with the Mexican Sandwich that is the torta, (not to be confused with the Spanish egg "torta") you probably don't know the torta. Why? Because no two are alike, and every region/state/restaurant/bodega has their own version. Meat or no meat? Sliced avocado or guacamole? Black beans or refried beans? The permutations are endless, and you'd be hard pressed to the find the "perfect" torta. That is, until you try the version from La Casita Chilanga, a tiny torta specialist on Middlefield Rd., the "Little Mexico" of Silicon Valley.
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Posted by Zach Brooks, September 12, 2007 at 12:00 PM
There are turkey sandwiches, and then there are (cue the Hallelujah music) TURKEY SANDWICH!
The difference? The former is usually made from a thinly sliced substance cut off a giant hunk of meat that sort of resembles a turkey breast, while the latter is a much more serious affair, requiring the roasting (and shredding) of an actual turkey before both the white and dark meat are piled high into what will become a (cue the Hallelujah music) TURKEY SANDWICH!
The New Crockery Cafe is a small mom-and-pop hole in the wall in the design district of San Francisco that specializes in the music-inducing kind of turkey sandwich. Every morning for 18 years they've roasted a whole 35-pound turkey, just for lunchtime sandwiches—and unlike at Thanksgiving, they never have leftovers. Around 10:30 a.m., the turkey comes out and is shredded just in time for the lunch crowd to arrive. By 1:30 p.m., the turkey is usually gone, a surprising feat, until you find out the sandwich costs less than $6.
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Posted by Zach Brooks, July 25, 2007 at 12:00 PM
I am firm believer in the that if you fry anything, it's an automatic improvement. Fry something and put it in sandwich form, and you've struck gold. Nowhere is that more apparent than an hour or two south of San Francisco, in Monterrey County, the Artichoke Capital of the World, where hundreds of restaurants serve up their version of the fried artichoke sandwich. I can't imagine there's a bad fried artichoke sandwich to be had in the whole county, but my go-to stop is the Lighthouse Harbor Grill, in Moss Landing, right on Route 1.
Their version is served on a ciabatta-like "Francese Roll" from Kelly's French Bakery in Santa Cruz. It's given a nice dose of balsamic vinegar on the bottom slice and is then topped with locally grown artichokes that began the previous night marinating in saltwater and citric acid. After the soak, the artichokes are dipped in a tempura batter with garlic powder and parsley before being deep-fried to a golden brown. The sandwich has the requisite lettuce, tomato, and onion—but the real key is the thick rectangular hunk of feta that rests in the middle.
The salty and sharp feta, with the rich and crisp artichokes, cut by the balsamic vinegar and held together by a soft pillowy ciabatta roll. The perfect roadside sandwich for the Route 1 traveler, and further proof that fried is always better.
Lighthouse Harbor Grill
Address: Route 1 and Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing CA 95039
Phone: 831-633-3858
Posted by Ed Levine, June 6, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Linda Burum's piece in the Los Angeles Times today on all the terrific Shanghai-style food being served in the L.A. Basin made me realize once again why Los Angeles is where we can all eat the best Chinese food served in this country. Are there any dissenters on this issue?
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Posted by Adam Kuban, May 16, 2007 at 12:30 PM
One of L.A.'s most noted burger joints celebrates its anniversary. As editor of A Hamburger Today, I'm ashamed to say I've never been to the Apple Pan, but I've read and heard plenty about the place. We even have a nice Serious Eats video about general manager Charles Collins and his own 50th anniversary of service there. But today's story in the L.A. Times brings some new, quirky info (at least to me):
- It's well-known that you can't get tomato on your burger, but "regulars know you can request an onion slice or even fried onions, when the grill isn't too busy."
- The Apple Pan has remained stubbornly old-school in terms of food prep and service: "Soft drinks are still poured in paper cones supported by stainless steel cupholders, in the 1940s lunch-counter way. Over time those bases began to disappear, and about a year ago it looked as if the restaurant would finally have to start using cardboard or plastic cups. 'But then a customer found a bunch of bases for us on EBay,' [owner Martha] Gamble says."
It's a loving portrait of a type of place that is sadly becoming all too rare these days. One that treats its customers and employees with respect (the "newest" kitchen member has been there 17 years) and doesn't try to meddle with a good thing or expand or chain itself out, thereby losing quality.
Related: The Apple Pan, Quality So Far
Photograph from Ilpo's Sojourn on Flickr
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 16, 2007 at 10:14 AM
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack—again and again and again.
I just read in the Wall Street Journal (in the paper version, as the online version of the story is, unfortunately, behind a paywall) that Dodger Stadium is offering all-you-can-eat hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and soda as part of a package deal in its cheap, right-field seats. "Tickets range from $20 to $40 apiece, depending on the allure of the match-up and whether they are bought by groups or individuals."
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Posted by Adam Kuban, January 31, 2007 at 5:06 PM
The L.A. Times does Los Angeles's recently opened Pizzeria Mozza, the joint venture from legendary L.A. baker Nancy Silverton, superstarchef Mario Batali, and restaurateur Joe Bastianich:
There's something so sensual about Silverton's relationship to food and her aesthetic that's entirely her own — direct, focused, uncompromised. She doesn't primp or fuss over her food. It's not art-directed or scripted. But it is entirely original and recognizably hers. And even if you're an Italian purist who's scandalized that she doesn't make pizza exactly like they do in Naples or someone who finds her food too simple and wonders what all the fuss is about, it's precisely this: Her food is vibrant and alive.
That Margherita is a beautiful melding of fresh milky mozzarella delivered almost daily from Mozzarella Fresca in Northern California, with a light tomato sauce and the fresh, fragrant basil leaves on a crust that's both tender and crackling crisp on the bottom, blistered and smoky from the wood-burning oven. A pizza of funghi misti means mixed mushrooms on a soft carpet of tangled cheeses — Fontina and Taleggio, with a sprinkling of thyme leaves.
Hot spot? Mozza is on fire [Los Angeles Times; Grr: registration required]
Posted by Alaina Browne, December 2, 2006 at 3:29 PM
The five best Chinese Restaurants in Southern California according to NYTimes' Mark Bittman. His favorite out of the bunch is Triumphal Palace:
Six of us — one of whom now claims she will be married here — shared 24 dishes (about 18 of which came within 10 minutes), and while all except the predictably sad desserts were good, some were incredible. These were barbecue pork belly, firm cubes of slow-cooked, crunchy-skinned fresh bacon that, I swear, were a dead-on replica of a dish Alain Ducasse used to serve at about five times the price; Chiu Chow-style dumplings, with thick, chewy, slightly crisp rice-flour exteriors filled with (could it be?) jasmine-scented meat; deep-fried carrot cake, in fact a savory-sweet custard-filled dumpling; boiled baby bok choy in fish stock, which, like the duck I’d had at dinner, contained some secret ingredient that was the Bomb; and a wonderful layered creation of pan-fried sticky rice with egg.
