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...Ma Maison is LA?

The big deal in LA is supposed to be Jitlada, though I've never eaten there.

I'm not in the restaurant industry (yet), but I've had experience with horrible work situations. I say, just quit. It's much easier than you think. And the day you do it, you'll be screaming full of joy the day you leave. You need a change of scenery, that's what it's come down to. Anything that comes up after HAS to be a better situation simply because you seem to be going through the worst of the worst that your industry can throw at you.

Speaking of 99 ranch market, the one on Walnut/Jeffrey has lobsters are on sale for 6.99 a pound. Run, don't walk. They also had spot prawn, which were big and beautiful, but weren't on sale and were costly at about $23/lb. I bought a few, and the guy behind the counter was exasperated and annoyed that I wanted the spot prawn. He was also annoyed at the couple in front of me who asked for a few as well. What was that about? Way in the back, behind the lobster tank they had tanks with these HUGE, big faced fish. If anyone has been there lately, what were those?

Mitsuwa, the japanese market, is excellent when it comes to produce. Costa Mesa. I believe they have a couple stores in LA as well.

Anyone know where I can get french thyme in south/central OC? Everywhere I go is lemon thyme. And a rosemary question. I can't seem to grow it. I grow it in plain socal desert dirt with the tiny bit of original soil that came with the plant. I grow it very close to lemon thyme which is growing abundantly. It's in the area of the garden which is water every day. Should I plant rosemary in a dry/unwatered area? Is it the lack of actual soil? Is the thyme overcrowding it? what could be the problem?

Really? Wow this is great news, where did you hear this? ← Eater LA blogged about it last month. They also reported that Cat Cora, Marcus Samuelsson, and Rick Bayless are planning on a high end food court at the Macy's at SCP. ← I saw that on ELA as well. It seems there's a little animosity from folks in LA that Orange County is landing these "celebrity chefs". I would be curious to see what comes of the "fine dining food court", but I feel it's going to amount to little more than pretension for pretension's sake with little substance. Most likely, the above chefs will be involved as only lending their "brand names" to the individual restaurants. I think having Comme Ca in our backyard might be nice, though. The gossip that I'm hoping is true is the piece about Thomas Keller bringing a "Bouchon-like" outlet to LA. That would be friggin sweet (let me have my pipe dreams)! ← The on-line reaction OC got when Dean and Deluca chose OC over LA. That was something interesting. Since we are on the topic of restaurant openings, Capital Seafood is opening up a location in Irvine. For a chinese dominated area, there are a surprising lack of dim sum restaurants, yet 3 or 4 korean tofu houses within a few miles of each other (BCD Tofu is opening another location).

Really? Wow this is great news, where did you hear this? ← Eater LA blogged about it last month. They also reported that Cat Cora, Marcus Samuelsson, and Rick Bayless are planning on a high end food court at the Macy's at SCP.

Never really thought of PFC as a chinese restaurant. Going in, I've always assumed that they were pan-asian inspired american cuisine. A lot of their menu clearly has no chinese equivalent. As someone who grew up eating chinese/vietnamese food, I'm not offended by the food at PFC. If I didn't know where any of the good places were, and I needed a safe bet, I would rather go to PFC than try my luck at a randomly chosen restaurant, chinese or otherwise. IOW, some of the food is tasty enough and they have a higher standard for chain restaurants in it's category. It's clearly a better alternative to Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory. Good, safe bet for the friends where the conversation is not going to revolve around the food . It's not a place to go with friends where you know that food would be part of the conversation.

Comme Ca (David Myers) is opening next year across the street from SCP, so it's going to be a three-way competition, though this one has a more traditional menu.

The ban is on the sale and production inside the state. Interstate commerce shouldn't be affected so you should still be able to order it from outside the state. ← Sorry, everyone. I completely forgot I posted this thread. Thanks for the replies. I do hope interstate commerce isn't affected, and I wonder how the quality will be importing it all the way from France. Although I think Canada also has a foie gras farm.

Does anyone know if ban on the sale and production of foie gras in California after 2012 extends to imports? Could I still import it from NYC or France or from an internet grocery?

I liked Yujean Kang in Pasadena. Sure, it's a bit americanized, but I still liked it.

There's only one sushi nazi in LA and that's Nozawa. What you experienced is just really poor service. The chef there is supposed to be really nice and personable. That's one of the reasons why it's so popular, aside from the food. I just can't imagine the chef ranking customers like that. Maybe the woman had no idea what she was doing or how to explain the situation? I wonder why the wait.

It's a set few items from the menu, though they say that it changes daily. You get one choice of two in the second course. It excludes tip, tax, drinks.

I agree. It's the best deal ever! I went there yesterday for the prix fixe and was pleasantly surprised as I had remembered it as costing $25, which would have been a steal as well. 1)salad with candied walnuts, cheese shavings and vinagrette 2)pan-seared duck, couscous, avocado sauce 3)chocolate mouse, puff pastry, scoop of mascarpone(?) whipped cream. (A bit disappointed it wasn't ice cream).

You might try the Macy's Home Store. It across the bridge in the smaller mall. For Indian, I like Natraj Cuisine of India in Fullerton For Vietnamese sandwiches: Banh mi Che Cali on Brookhurst. For Mexican: Taco Mesa in Costa Mesa. By the way, Marche Moderne offers a prix fixe lunch for $20.

It's a shame they chose Newport Beach/Fashion Island. It's going to be difficult for a lot of OC-ers to get to, not being anywhere near a major freeway.

I have had mixed luck with the meat at Whole Foods. They have a store in Tustin off of Irvine Blvd and Newport Ave. Their meat has been OK (they at least have veal, lamb, oxtails and other interesting cuts), whereas their seafood has been outright nasty. I remember getting some scallops about a year ago that looked like they got into a fight with a cheese grater. The existing Whole Foods store is closing soon and the new one is going to be opening up later this month. I believe it will be on the corner of Barranca and Jamboree. One of the employees claimed that the new store will be "3 times the size of the old one" and that the butcher/seafood section should be "much better". Just out of curiosity, why would you boycott Whole Foods? ← It's my own personal boycott and I'm sure no one is doing it with me, so it doesn't matter if I break it. But it was that whole "live tank lobsters are cruel" excuse that just ended it for me.

Ralphs doesn't even have lamb. Apparently lamb is too "out there" for Ralphs.

99 Ranch Market, the one on either Culver or Jeffrey, had tanks teeming with absolutely beautiful and active live spot prawn last year. I've also occasionally seen live King crab there as well as live crawfish. They also carried lobsters, all atleast 5 pounders, which were on sale for something like $9 a pound. The meat there doesn't seem to be of the highest quality, but being a Chinese supermarket, they do carry different bits and ends of different animals. They do have oxtail. It was the only place in Irvine that I found that sold a bag of bones for my beef stock. How is the meat at Whole Foods? There's one opening up in Tustin or Irvine. I'm kind of boycotting them, but I could be persuaded to buy something if it was worth it.

I've been searching everywhere for french thyme. I went to home depot, orchards, Trader joes (which had it, but in a pot with 3 other herbs and 3 times the cost), and longs drugs. All of them had an abundance of lemon thyme. Very frustrated! Anyone in OC know where to go?

Who do you think "rules" the socal food scene? Goin? Wolfgang?

The 3rd floor is pretty much dead and even a little eerie. I never see anyone up there except when tourists get lost. Thanks for the review Sisefromm. I can't wait to try it. I've got to save up!

Tim Goodell was a very talented chef, but as far as i know, he doesn't cook anymore which is a shame. Most of their restaurants in LA were scene-y, style over substance Hollywood establishments that were very simlar to those Asthon Kutcher restaurants that are popping up all over LA, the polar opposite of their two OC restaurants. I can't imagine them starting another fine dining establishment in OC. I'd be really excited if he decides to cook again.