rjwong

DH, Welcome to downtown Los Angeles!! First, let me direct you to this discussion thread: Downtown LA dining From Staples Center, walk up two blocks along Figueroa to the Original Pantry Cafe. It's a historic place that's open 24/7. Walk up another block on Figueroa & there's Zucca, an Italian restaurant owned by the Patina Group (Joachim Splichal). Walk up several more blocks on Figueroa to about 5th St. and there's Ciudad, a pan-Latin American restaurant owned by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the "Too Hot Tamales." That's just for starters along Figueroa. The good Chinese places in downtown are at the north section. Staples is more in the southern end. Japanese restaurants are more towards the northeast section in Little Tokyo. Mexican is sort of all around, but start at the Grand Central Market around Broadway & 3rd. Of course, there are all those chain restaurants like The Palm, Arnie Morton's of Chicago, Roy's, Daily Grill, etc. Getting around downtown LA can be easier if you buy a bus/rail Metro day pass for $3 a day. From downtown, ride the Metro Red Line to Hollywood or ride the Metro Red Line to Union Station & transfer over to the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena. Your dining opportunities has just multipied. If you don't mind meeting another eGer, send me a private message (PM). Enjoy!

coughy, you got me curious why you said no Mexican, Thai and Indian. I bring it up because one of Los Angeles' culinary strengths is its plethora of authentic ethnic cuisines. For example, while you said no Mexican, there's Salvadorean, Cuban, Peruvian, Brazilian, and other Latin American cuisines. Maybe you might want to reconsider & rediscover these ethnic cuisines. Just a thought ... Back to your topic, you're staying in Beverly Hills, where most of the fine dining restaurants are located. Do you want to try more Asian-influenced restaurants like Matsuhisa? Or the added Hollywood glitz of Spago's, complete with Sherry Yard desserts? Or the newest LA restuarant, Providence with Michael Cimarusti? If you want a traditional, old-school, retro restaurant, LA has that too at Lawry's the Prime Rib. If you stay longer, we can squeeze some more restaurants in for you. Just let us know.

Okay, I'll take the bait: What kind of restaurant is NOT in Yountville already?

In the 29 March 2006 edition of the LA Times Food Section Digest includes Leslie Brenner's article/interview with Mario Batali and his current battles with Del Posto, among other things. In the article are some updated info about the new restaurant on Melrose & Highland with Nancy Silverton: Mario says the 2nd week in June. Nancy says in the fall of 2006, maybe. Personally, I'd go with Nancy. Mario has no idea about LA bureaucracy ...

LA Times Food Section -- March 29, 2006 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. If that is unacceptable, try clicking this link here, enter the URL address of the LA Times and proceed accordingly. Some content is in the premium section called www.calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee. Fancy grits cause a stir / by Regina Schrambling Once you've tasted the real, stone-ground deal, there's just no going back. Not the supermarket grits that are white & smooth. But the extremely coarse kind or antebellum grits which were produced until the end of World War II. Grits have cachet. They have character. Essentially, they are the William Hurt of starches: Give them a supporting role and they will steal the show. Includes three recipes: Grits with leek and shiitakes; Barbecue-braised duck legs with garlic grits; Cheddar-chipotle grits timbales Finally, authentic grits are here / by Regina Schrambling When it comes to grits, coarse is a compliment, and no producer does them better than Anson Mills in South Carolina. The roughly ground dried corn has admirable texture and phenomenal fresh flavor. They take much longer to cook than even the closest runner-up, but it's time well spent. These are grits you can eat with a fork, not a spoon. Where has the love gone? / by Leslie Brenner Maybe it's the $29 valet and purse stools that are making foodies snicker at Mario Batali's latest venture. Brenner interviews Mario Batali while in the midst of Batali’s battles with his critics about his newest Manhattan-based restaurant, Del Posto. There are two related discussion threads: Del Posto and Nancy Silverton & Mario Batali Little Saigon, at home / by Mary MacVean Ann Le worried that her family's recipes would be lost, so she gathered her favorites and published a cookbook. Ann Le’s parents journeyed from Vietnam to Southern California eventually, more specifically Little Saigon in Westminster. Published not long before her grandmother died this year, “The Little Saigon Cookbook” is a written collection of home-made, family-style Vietnamese dishes that Le’s family & friends have only passed along orally. Includes three recipes: Green papaya salad with shrimp (Gói du dú); Pan-fried spicy chicken with mint and ginger (Gà chiên); Warm 'shaking beef' salad with watercress and tomatoes (Bò lúc lâc) When life dealt them grapes, they made wine / by Patrick Comiskey Imagine marrying a famous Central Coast winemaker, and when you meet your extended family, it includes not only your spouse's parents and siblings, but his winery partner. The following could read like an oenological soap opera: Includes the side article, ”Distinctive boutique wines” Pull up a chair, have a pint / by Susan LaTempa It's the best of several worlds at 3rd Stop, with stellar brews on tap and Italian appetizers that beg to be shared. The 3rd Stop is a new pub located on 3rd Street near San Vicente. Owners Jason Killalee & Frank Alix have brought the "concept" of eating in the bar back to its working-class roots. Grab your basket, spring is upon us / by Amy Scattergood Green garlic, English peas, red scallions and succulent strawberries. Time to hit the market! And don’t forget to buy some mushrooms from Clearwater Farms owner David West (aka dfunghi). A flash in the pan at Valentino / by Leslee Komaiko Valentino, Piero Selvaggio's elegant Santa Monica Italian restaurant, has a new chef. (And it's not who you think.) A sweet taste of home / by Barbara Hansen Ohio's oldest hotel, the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, serves a fabulous pie, "sort of a Shaker sugar pie with coconut," says Wes Bausmith, a deputy design editor in The Times' features department. Village market closes / by Charles Perry Thursday will be the last meeting of the Westwood Village Farmers Market; the longtime Weyburn Avenue location is scheduled to close indefinitely. The city fire marshal has revoked its street-closing permit for public safety reasons while work proceeds on a residential and shopping complex. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Ampelos Cellars Evans Ranch Syrah: Santa Rita Hills; about $26; rich and concentrated; goes with grilled ribs, chops, sausages, roast leg of lamb. … plenty of sweet spices and cherries in the perfume balanced by a cool, earthy character and a bright zing of acidity. Letters to the editor High tea? Not really Susan LaTempa referred to "the rituals of high tea" in her restaurant review ("Tea Time's Hot Again, March 22), using the phrase to describe an extravagant afternoon tea spread. However, "high tea" is actually a working class evening meal. Persian recipes with poetry Can you please pass on to Charles Perry my congratulations for a terrific article on Sufi/Persian cooking ("Poetry in Every Plate," March 22). I'm a longtime appreciator and cook of Turkish and other Middle Eastern foods, and these recipes will join my collection and get plenty of use. Greek without the chic factor I just want to encourage S. Irene Virbila and all her like-minded friends to, by all means, head on down to Manhattan Beach to that new serious Greek restaurant, the very first one in the area ("So Chic and so Very Greek, March 22). A fine Chilean wine choice Very glad to see your article on this Chilean wine ("Wanted: Fighting Varietal, March 22). I had recently been browsing at Albertson's and saw this varietal under the Origin label. Always willing to try something new, especially at a very reasonable price, I picked it up, and my husband and I enjoyed it with lamb chops. I thought it good enough to go back and purchase another bottle to share with friends. Writing adds joy to cooking Thank you to Russ Parsons for the wonderful, playful tone you bring to food writing. I consistently find myself laughing and promptly e-mailing your pieces to my foodie friends and my language-loving, polyglot father. And, of course, cooking recipes from them later in the week. Joy in food is such a good thing, and sharing it through your writing is pure pleasure. For the record Risotto recipes — The three risotto recipes that ran in last week's Food section call for chicken stock, but, as was mentioned in the accompanying article, lighter-bodied chicken broth should be used. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories French through and through / by S. Irene Virbila Maximilians in North Hollywood is given a 2* rating. Along with the décor, chef Marc Boussarie has a menu so French that it could be a neighborhood spot in Cahors or Annecy, as you savor some heavenly duck confit. A treat, if you can find it / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Lou on Vine St. Amdur and Lori Frystak have set up a really nice, low-key wine bar, along with a brief, well-planned menu. … a glass of wine, a snack, supper with friends. Or simply a dessert and a glass of sweet wine … A haven for those who want to have a conversation instead of some soundtrack. Gone fishing / by Leslee Komaiko Anchovies optional? Not to us. We love the meaty little fish. Includes five restaurants: Red Lion Tavern on Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake ; Sopra on Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood ; Sage on the Coast on E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach ; Angeli Caffe on Melrose Ave., L.A. ; Grace on Beverly Blvd., L.A.

In the 29 March 2006 edition of the Los Angeles Times, a little "dispatch from New York" article titled Where has the love gone? by Leslie Brenner READ. CHEW. DISCUSS.

Have you been there recently? I was reading in the LA Times that it has a new chef. And the place got reviewed back in June 2005.

As for dim sum places, there's CBS Seafood & Empress Pavilion. Both are excellent. CBS is my favorite place to get dim sum. Mind you, I usually order from the deli section for take-away. Empress Pavilion is a lot bigger with fancier decor & fancier prices. I tend to eat there when I want to entertain a large group. Check out the MOE in LA: Chinese Dinner thread for photos.

FYI Bastide is closed, as per LA Times. Mind you, it will re-open at the same location, but with a new name, new decor, new menu, etc. Check out the 12 Jan. 2006 edition of the LA Times Food Section digest I second Carolyn's suggestion: please tell us what types of cuisine you're interested in eating. I would also add Grace & the newest restaurant Providence. Also check out the Los Angeles Area Restaurant Threads

By around 2:00 p.m., dim sum sort of dies down. Elie, CBS serves traditional Cantonese dim sum with the ladies pushing the carts around and when you see what you want, say so. That 's the restaurant section. I always go to the Chinese deli section, where I stand in line, order what I see, and take it back to the office or home. Warning: it can get chaotic.

Bump. After three years, Lucques seems to have improved itself, I suppose ... Given all the press with Suzanne Goin recently, I finally decided to have a Saturday lunch at Lucques. I was sitted in the back part of the restaurant where the garden/patio section is. The place was a bit quiet, one or two groups in the front, one couple in the back, along with a party of older gentlemen engaging in a wine tasting & lunch also. It felt casual, relaxing & leisurely. Restaurants that are open for Sat. lunch are quite unusual. I started with the green garlic and nettle soup with windrose tepery beans and grana. A very nice warm broth with no distinct flavor that I noticed, except for the shaved grana cheese. The grilled market fish for the day was a New Zealand seabass, with shaved fennel, herb salad and grapefruit salsa. The fish tasted wonderful. The grapefruit salsa was a good complement with the salad. Overall, the entree made for a nice light lunch. I would definitely go back and probably try one of those Sunday suppers.

I ate none! Well..I took a bite of one slice. ← Yeah. Right. [bart Simpson]Ididn'tdoit.Youdidn'tseemedoit.Youcan'tblameme.[/bart Simpson] Henry, definitely Sweet Sixteen, maybe Elite Eight. Your blog, that is. Thank you for sharing your life, introducing us to your friends and revealing your passions for architecture & food!!

Kent, here are some suggestions for your Western dinner in Shanghai: How about Chicken Fried Steak? I know it's a lot of frying. Mind you, just keep it to 4-6 oz. portions. For 15 people, you'll need about 8 pounds of beef. Or a beef stew, tomato-based with carrots, celery, onions, and root vegetables? Wouldn't your relatives expect you to cook some "Texan" beef dish or some "cowboy food"? Since you'll be in Shanghai, take advantage of the available seafood, cooked Western-style. Shrimp with linguine. Bouillabaise. Cioppino. I second Pan's suggestion about the omelette/fritatta. Spinach fritatta with ham or bacon, served whole on a large round platter for presentation, but cut into serving portions. As for a salad, you might want to consider chilled blanched vegetables, or even a chilled seafood salad. Potato salad? Are you going to bring your own seasonings? Will you find what you need over in Shanghai? Enjoy your time over in China!!

Every great restaurant has a great dishwasher ... Thank you, Henry, for acknowledging the great unsung hero of the restaurant world, the dishwasher.

Kim, to answer your first question, I would say you might be a bit naive. What I mean by that is that you may be looking at waiting on restaurant tables from "the grass is greener on the other side" point of view. Whether it's in the office or in the restaurant, each place has its own set of problems. Each place, unfortunately, has its politics. Speaking as a 46-year-old man, I know I couldn't handle the physical duties of the job. Let's face it: we're no longer twentysomething any more. But those other servers are ... Do you have the patience dealing with younger co-workers who may be lacking sense? Can you handle thirtysomething GMs who might see you as a threat to their career advancement? Is this reminding you of office work, Kim? Nothing's new under the sun: politics is the same everywhere. It just shows itself in different ways ... Would anyone hire you? Kim, it depends on the restaurant, the management, its operational procedures, its philosophy. More importantly, would YOU accept them as an employer? Remember, it's a two-way street.

kai-m, Willkommen zu eGullet!! Bienvenue au eGullet! Welcome to eGullet! NB This is not the cabaret. I included some weblinks to various discussion threads. Perhaps you have already read through them. If not, please proceed accordingly. San Diego Fine Dining in San Diego, Help! Los Angeles Area Restaurant Threads Santa Monica Food in Venice Joe’s Restaurant Review Las Vegas is located in the state of Nevada, not California. There is nothing like it in Europe. Dining in Las Vegas La Super-Rica (Santa Barbara) Best Dining in San Francisco Moment mal, bitte. Wie sagt man "streetcorner restaurants" auf Deutsch? If you don’t know already, in California restaurants (not “fast food” places), the diner pays for: Listed menu price, PLUS California sales tax (8.25% of “listed menu price” in Los Angeles County), PLUS Tip or gratuity (usually 15-20% or higher of the “listed menu price” total, which is NOT written on the bill and is expected. This is, in general, common practice here in the United States.) kai-m, here are some questions so that we can get a better idea what you (and others) want to eat: What types of restaurants you do want? Quiet & refine? Places with loud music & the “Hollywood scene”? Restuarants with younger people? Mature people? Oder das macht nichts? What kinds of ethnic foods do you want to eat? Chinese, Japanese? Mexican? Thai? French? Italian? German? Austrian (z.B. Wolfgang Puck)? Do you want to buy your own food at farmers’ markets? Trader Joe’s? Whole Foods Market? Typical American supermarkets? I hope this helps. Enjoy your vacation in California!

Doesn't "Dai Pi Quat" mean big spareribs? Not a huge stretch from pork chops, ehh?

LA Times Food Section -- March 22, 2006 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. If that is unacceptable, try clicking this link here, enter the URL address of the LA Times and proceed accordingly. Some content is in the premium section called www.calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee. Bravissimo! Sweet Stirrings of Springtime / by Russ Parsons Creamy, luscious risotto is easier than you think. With the right rice and a light stock, it's a showstopper. Despite its complexity in flavor, risotto is as easy to create as making a recitation sound like one of Dante's cantos: soffriggere, tostare, bagnare, mantecare (the four circles of risotto?). Includes three recipes: Risotto with mushrooms and pea sprouts; Artichoke risotto with lemon zest; Risotto with spring herbs; with the side article, ”It's not just arborio anymore” Chile Pins its Hopes on Carmenère / by Corie Brown The celebrated Apalta region has the missing link from the classic Bordeaux blend. Chile wants to excel beyond its niche as a “value” wine region to a world-class wine region. How will Chile get there? With Carmenère, the obscure French grape cultivated only in Chile is taking over this South American wine region. Includes the side article, ”Pretty, but pretty uneven too” Poetry in every plate / by Charles Perry Centuries ago, a Sufi mystic, Rumi, waxed ecstatic over apples and spinach. A dinner party brings life to verse. Perry visited Turkish food writer Nevin Halici in Konya, Turkey, where the famous 13th century Sufi poet Rumi spent most of his adult life. In the thousands of lines of ecstatic poetry Rumi wrote, still read and loved throughout the world, he referred to a surprising number of foods and dishes. Includes three recipes: Sour spinach; Sweet spinach; Hassaten pilaf Tea time's hot again / by Susan LaTempa The Scarlet Tea Room breathes new life into a favorite indulgence, with delicious results. The Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena: It's a postmodern tearoom with a sense of humor. It’s all right to come in your jeans. The vivacious proprietor, Karen Mikaelian, no dowager, is clad in pink jeans. The sandwiches are not bland, and no snobbish attitude here. Eagle Rock: the new Silver Lake? / by Leslee Komaiko Tucked between Glendale and Pasadena, Eagle Rock is heading into a mini restaurant boom. More than just Casa Bianca, there’s now Mia Sushi, and later on, a Middle Eastern spot called Spitz with Turkish-style kebabs, and restaurateur Andre Guerrero’s Oinkster with what he calls “slow fast food.” Clever chickpea fritter with a salad sensibility / by Barbara Hansen At a recent visit to the Auberge at Ojai, the new "progressive American/French" restaurant where Christian Shaffer (of Avenue in Manhattan Beach and the recently closed Chloe in Playa del Rey) is chef, Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila was wowed by a chickpea fritter appetizer. A traditional Lenten dish that satisfies / by Barbara Hansen Dear SOS: My sister and I were in Santa Barbara recently. When we stopped at the Chase Restaurant & Lounge, they served a bean appetizer for happy hour. My sister loved it and ate two helpings. They said it was an old family recipe. Fresh from Pacific Palisades / by Mary Ellen Rae Former attorney Kimberly Reiner has been making fudge since she was a kid, but less than two years ago she went professional. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2004 Philippe Alliet Chinon: : Loire Valley; about $17; ripe and juicy; goes with roast birds, grilled chops, braised duck legs or daubes. Philippe Alliet … [h]is Chinon is a very pure expression of Cabernet Franc ... spicy and delicious … Letters to the editor Four cheers for sublime simplicity RE Amy Scattergood's "Simplicity: Let it Rule" [March 15]: Back in the day, say the 14th through 19th centuries, written recipes generally were "one-liners." For the record Secret restaurant — An article in last week's Food section said an invitation-only "Secret Restaurant" event in Los Angeles would be open to the public and the dinner would be prepared by chefs from Lucques, Grace and AOC. The dinner is not open to the public, and the chefs no longer work for those restaurants. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories So chic and so very Greek / by S. Irene Virbila Petros in Manhattan Beach is given a 2½* rating. This is not your typical Greek restaurant: a boisterous taverna with posters of the Acropolis and music from Zorba the Greek. Owner Petros Benekos has a place with white interiors and unadorned walls, sleek and refined. The breadth of Petros' menu and prices that are higher than at most L.A. Greek spots reflect the fact that chef Yianni Koufodontis, who was sous-chef at both Spago and Maple Drive, not only has some serious technique, but has also made the effort to seek out top-notch ingredients. It's OK, play hooky / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Providence’s lunch menu. Having a leisurely lunch at Providence can be quite an indulgence, an escape from the stress of everyday life. Chef Michael Cimarusti has created an excellent a la carte lunch menu. And with pastry chef Adrian Vasquez on board, you may go for one of his dessert creations instead of the cheese. Luxe lunch / by Leslee Komaiko Can't face another grilled chicken sandwich? Boss buying? Make a reservation at one of these spots. Includes five restaurants: Maison Akira on E. Green St., Pasadena; Water Grill on S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; Spago on N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills; Patina on S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; Café del Rey on Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey.

Henry bambino, you looka so skinny. Mangia, mangia ... I really need my prosciutto fix now. Would you bring some down to LA please? I usually eat some over at La Terza when Nancy Silverton has her Tues. night tavola. How did you first meet the Batali's? Have you met Mario yet? You weren't that obnoxious to them, were you?

I recently had the marvelous opportunity to have dinner at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice with my fellow eGulleteer moosnsqrl. I ordered the tasting menu, while moosnsqrl chose the Winter menu. And yes, we each tasted the other’s selections. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the tasting menu that I had because it was different from the one listed on the website. We concurred that there were a few hits. Mind you, everything wasn't bad. The table where we ate was situated near a wall with water trinkling down for a nice, calming aesthetic. Overall, I enjoyed the dining at Joe's. I'd definitely go back! Chico : chanterelle mushrooms with sweet citric marinade, minced daikon Amuse White asparagus salad (tasting) Leek a la vinaigrette, truffled beets & mache salad (winter) Pork slices (?) with fava beans (tasting) Steamed Hawaiian opakapaka, butternut squash & hazelnut, rock shrimp, sugar snap peas, sauce veronique (winter) Rib-eye (?) with mashed potatoes, asparagus (tasting) Millbrook Farms venison, apple – rhutabega puree, grilled swiss chard, star anise – cranberry gastrique, venison jus (winter) Dessert amuse : peanut butter truffle, carmelized strawberry slice Lemon panna cota, nuts, fruits (tasting) “Truffle banana split” : truffle vanilla ice cream, chestnut meringue, chocolate sauce & strawberry preserves (winter) Waterfall by the table

Sorry. I got in late. Great blog, Henry!! You grew up in Southern California & you're Chinese? We need to talk, dude ... What type of Chinese food did you grow up eating? Cantonese? What are your favorite Chinese restaurants in LA? in Seattle? Do you keep up with what's going on with both the culinary & architectural scenes in Los Angeles, particularly downtown LA? What do you think of Frank Gehry? And who would be his culinary counterpart, in your opinion?

You can have Wienerschnitzel with warm German potato salad, with the bacon, of course. Include the sauerkraut for contrast, unless you want a heavy meal. Zo, venn are vee eatink, mein Grub??

LA Times Food Section -- March 15, 2006 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. If that is unacceptable, try clicking this link here, enter the URL address of the LA Times and proceed accordingly. Some content is in the premium section called www.calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee. Ridiculously simple and crazy good / by Amy Scattergood Insanely good dishes that are a snap to make? We kid you not. With all the dishes we notice on all those “iron Chef” episodes and in all the latest cookbooks, we're getting information overload. But when it comes time to make dinner, we're stuck in a terrible anxiety-ridden limbo. No need to worry. We rely on those dishes that are so simple you don't need to write them down: Make them once and they'll lodge in your memory forever, like the chorus of an '80s hit song. Includes three recipes: Roasted beet and goat cheese salad; Quick halibut Provençal; Sweet pea soup; and the side article, ”Captivating culinary one-liners“ Elusive, exotic, intoxicating / by Barbara Hansen Once banned, the distinctive Sichuan peppercorn is now available. Taste what you've been missing. Sichuan peppercorns, known in Chinese as hua jiao (Mandarin) and faa jiu (Cantonese), comes from a prickly ash tree that grows in the Sichuan province of China. A couple of years ago, it was discovered that if the peppercorn were roasted before being imported to the United States, pests from the prickly ash tree won't effect U.S. orchards. And now, fortunately, they are freely imported and available in most Asian markets. Includes three recipes: Honey-lacquered squab with gingered nappa cabbage and fennel-pear purée; Charcoal-grilled Sichuan beef with cilantro-shallot sauce; Cold chicken slices with sesame and Sichuan pepper; and the side article, ”Suddenly, it's everywhere“ Fuzzy melons, curly beans / by Lili Singer Black Cherry' tomatoes — dark juicy morsels with a tart-sweet essence and glistening maroon color that stands out in a salad or frittata. Or how about 'Anellino' beans? Or 'Papaya Pear' zucchini? If you assume such mouth-watering crops are exclusively farmers market delicacies, think again. Every one of these beautiful vegetables can be grown in your own backyard. Just read through some seed catalogs, or go to your local nurseries and plant sales and begin your spring planting! Includes the side article, ”Where to shop“ Just tell 'em Diddy sent you / by Regina Schrambling It's an only-in-New-York scene. In a city that has had a fascination with speak-easies since Prohibition, La Esquina has redesigned the template for an increasing number of heirs to the secret wine cellar in the "21" Club, the one that dates back to the days of Eliot Ness. Mexican dishes, beautifully played / by Linda Burum At Malverde, chef Generoso Bahena offers his own versions of regional specialties. Malverde on Long Beach Blvd. in Lynwood can be described as a new haute-Mexican restaurant. Generoso Bahena is known for his Chicago restaurants, Ixcapuzalco and Chilpanzingo, and especially for working with Rick Bayless for about a dozen years, later becoming managing chef Bayless' Chicago restaurant, Topolobampo. Bahena does much more than re-create traditional standbys with top-tier ingredients. His presentations are lightened, stylized and filled with quirky original touches. Now that's a magical pint / by Charles Perry Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Guinness' brew master teaches us the art of "the Pour." Fergal Murray is the brew master at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, and he's teaching the staff at Casey's Irish Bar & Grille in downtown L.A. how to pour a pint ... of Guiness, of course. Dining between the lines / by Laurie Winer There's more to a menu than meets the eye. A carefully designed one, such as this dinner menu from Providence, chef Michael Cimarusti's high-end seafood palace on Melrose Avenue, conveys as much about food fashion, the L.A. dining scene and even the diners themselves. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2004 Le Secret Ivre Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes: Rhône Valley; about $20; aromatic and lush; goes with grilled fish, seafood stew, roast chicken, vegetable soup. At this price, it can make any weeknight supper a celebration. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories Southern charm, L.A. savvy / by S. Irene Virbila Memphis on Hollywood Boulevard is given a 1½* rating. Entrepreneur Michael Sutton and a group of investors have come up with a restaurant that's not Italian, Asian fusion or a steakhouse. The menu at Memphis is pure Southern comfort food. And the decor inside the historic Janes' House is feminine, dark and perhaps romantic. This place is configured for entertaining. Chef Francisco Chaidez and his staff are more into cooking than tossing up overdressed salads. And as for desserts, they've got Key lime pie. Mind you, The one to go for, though, is the banana bread pudding drizzled with chocolate sauce. Market-fresh, in Ojai / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Auberge at Ojai. Christian Shaffer closed Chloe, his Playa del Rey restaurant, brought along his wife Tedde and his chef de cuisine, Nickos Rovello, to open up Auberge at Ojai. The menu will change monthly, to reflect the freshest, seasonal produce available. Virbila's thoughts? I brought along a longtime Ojai resident who thought he'd died and gone to heaven. "At last, someplace where you can eat," he said. Now that's a magical pint / by Charles Perry Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Guinness' brew master teaches us the art of "the Pour." Fergal Murray is the brew master at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, and he's teaching the staff at Casey's Irish Bar & Grille in downtown L.A. how to pour a pint ... of Guiness, of course. Mexican dishes, beautifully played / by Linda Burum At Malverde, chef Generoso Bahena offers his own versions of regional specialties. Malverde on Long Beach Blvd. in Lynwood can be described as a new haute-Mexican restaurant. Generoso Bahena is known for his Chicago restaurants, Ixcapuzalco and Chilpanzingo, and especially for working with Rick Bayless for about a dozen years, later becoming managing chef Bayless' Chicago restaurant, Topolobampo. Bahena does much more than re-create traditional standbys with top-tier ingredients. His presentations are lightened, stylized and filled with quirky original touches. It's ciao, coming and going / by Leslie Brenner Big changes have occurred in the kitchen at Gino Angelini's Los Angeles Italian spot, La Terza. Who's in now? Chef de cuisine Danilo Angelini — who is no relation to Gino, and sous chef Vincenzo Vertuccio. Who's gone? The former chef de cuisine, Jason Travi, left the restaurant last month, apparently with no hard feelings; Travi says he'd like to open his own restaurant. Right at home / by Leslee Komaiko Some restaurants just have a homey feeling. That's certainly the case with these former residences. Includes five restaurants: The Cottage on N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach; The Raymond on S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena; The Sundried Tomato Café on Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano; La Cachette on Little Santa Monica Blvd., Century City; Memphis on Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

A co-worker & I had lunch over at Grill Lyon in the Honda Plaza, Little Tokyo. I was all set to take (actually drag) my co-worker to Sushi Gen and introduce him to the world of sushi ... hehehe ... Unfortunately, there was a waiting list of 16 over at Sushi Gen, so my co-worker lucked out ... a second time. The LA Times wrote an article about the place, with chef Tadayoshi Matsuno and his wife, Keiko, who came out of retirement. The reason is probably because they want to help introduce their chef/son, Kiichi. Grill Lyon, which used to be called Lyon back in 1981, serves the same Franco-Japanese cuisine that it served when it first opened. I had the bento box: miso soup, a piece of tofu flavored with seasoned oil, and then the bento box itself. The vegetables were well-seasoned; the thin tonkatsu (fried pork chop) slices were not bad; the fish croquettes tasted fabulous. And as expected, beautiful presentation with the bento box. My co-worker had a grilled chicken spicy with lime sauce, which came with a creamy curry soup and a salad. He really liked his lunch. He said the chicken was quite spicy, but didn't overpower the chicken or the lime sauce. Everything blended well together. He kept raving about it, probably because he lucked out of eating sushi & sashimi. I'll get him. Sooner or later, I'll get him ...

NY strip steak (medium rare), prime rib, hamburger (1/2 lb. minimum) with bleu cheese, chicken-fried steak with pan gravy ... Onion rings. Not an onion loaf, and not those girly onion strings that was dipped in a light tempura batter & disintegrates when you try to eat them. Onion RINGS!!