rjwong

Ah yes. Solvang, that Danish tourist trap, I mean that quaint little Danish town. If you do go there, take the 101 northbound from Santa Barbara to the Buellton exit (State Route 246), going eastbound. You'll past two steakhouses, A.J. Spurs & The Hitching Post, on your way to Solvang (about 3-5 miles). The Solvang Restaurant on Copenhagen Dr. is the home of Arne's Famous Aebleskiver. malachi, you mean Lee Vining, along the 395, south of Bridgeport and north of Bishop and Mammoth Lake?? I must admit, I find it hard to believe. To me, Lee Vining is just another town on the way to Nevada & the Carson Valley from the LA area. BTW, what do you think of Schott's Bakery in Bishop? I usually stop there to buy some of their breads.

LA Times Food Section -- June 15, 2005 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 require an additional fee. Fabulous fizz / by Regina Schrambling Malty or hoppy, fruity or spicy, beer brings effervescent flavor to summer dishes. Cooking with beer, arguably, rivals wine as an ingredient for all seasons. The old “one for me, one for the recipe” is a foolproof formula -- of course you have to sample to decide which might be the right beer for every dish. Includes four recipes: Beer- and lime-marinated chicken; Chilled tomato-beer soup; Beer-braised summer vegetables; Jalapeño biscuits Roast 'em if you've got 'em / by Betty Baboujon A little heat brings out the intense almondy sweetness of cherries. Baboujon recalls her trip through the French countryside, as she was eating in-season cherries with abandon. Content to devouring them fresh from the farmers' market back in L.A., she then tasted something brilliant at AOC -- roasted cherries. Includes three recipes: Duck breasts with pan-roasted cherries; Gâteau basque with roasted cherries; Bing cherries, Serrano ham and grilled chicory Quaffology 101: How to really appreciate a beer / by Charles Perry and Sang Yoon You really don't want to guzzle it ice cold. As in Champagne, bubbles and glasses make a difference. Grabbing a bottle from the fridge, popping the top and pouring it down the hatch is NOT drinking beer. So begins this step-by-step primer to not only drinking beer, but also enjoying the flavor. The primer includes sections titled: “Give it some air”, “Beware of skunks” and “Now drink.” Includes the side article, Assessing a beer: sniff, swirl and sip Boohoo, and pass me that éclair / by Gina Piccalo They cry and eat while millions watch and click. This wacky, weeping site is an Internet phenomenon. Casimir Nozkowski and his high school friend Dan Engber created the Crying While Eating website to compete in the Contagious Media Showdown contest sponsored by the Eyebeam Art and Technology Center. The site didn't win the $2,000 grand prize, but won Internet popularity, among other things. There is a discussion thread about this website: cryingwhileeating.com, most ridiculous website ever Porto's just keeps them coming / by Linda Burum The popular bakery has expanded, opening a café. The sandwiches are worth the wait. After more than 25 years, Porto's, a Cuban bakery in Glendale, has entered into the restaurant business with items like pan con lechón (roast pork sandwich), papas rellenas, and torta de pollo. A breakout hangout / by S. Irene Virbila Literati II in West L.A. is given a 2½* rating. Chris Kidder, former chef de cuisine of Campanile, & pastry chef Kimberly Sklar have created a modern, original place with Kidder's firm belief in farmers' market. A restaurant with good food that's priced more to be a neighborhood hangout than a special occasion kind of place? This is the future of dining in L.A. and it can't come too quickly. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf- du-Pape: Southern Rhône; about $28; lush and concentrated; goes with roasted squab or duck, grilled meats, leg of lamb, daubes. It has everything going for it — deep ruby color, a scent of ripe dark cherries, espresso and pepper that leaps out of the glass. LETTERS Where's L.A.'s great bread? Why do you run stories about bread stores in New York ["All Hail the New Upper Crust," June 8] that we can't go to? Run stories about bread stores in L.A. that we can go to. Big tease. A fast fan of Homegirl Café I read this article [Delightful Dishes With a Mission," June 8] at 6 this morning, and by 10 a.m. a friend and I were enjoying some of the best food we've ever had. "Angela's green potion" tastes like a summer morning. Parking wasn't a problem, ... *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday A big fat taste of Greece / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Papa Cristo's Greek Restaurant on W. Pico Blvd. On Thursday nights, the "My Big Fat Greek Family-Style Dinner" serves dishes on long communal tables. "Pace yourself," the manager warns, "there's a lot of food." He's not exaggerating. For $18.95 per person, you get dinner, dessert and coffee, and ... uhh ... entertainment. Grecian formulas / by Charles Perry What's Greek? A plate of moussaka, a phalanx of dancing waiters, grandiose roast lamb dishes? All these things. Includes five restaurants: Malvasia Mediterranean Taverna in Long Beach; Papadakis Taverna in San Pedro; Mama Voula's on Santa Monica Blvd.; Christakis on Newport Ave. in Tustin; Sofi Greek Restaurant & Garden on W. 3rd St.

Susan, Back on 23 Feb. 2005, there was an LA Times article on West Coast Pilseners. Unfortunately, it's now in their Archives section, which requires payment. However, below is my digest entry to this article from the LA Times Food Section digest:

The LA Times Food Section recently did some special articles on Savoring Sonoma (1 June 2005). The link takes you to eGullet's weekly digest of the LA Times Food Section. NB Reading the LA Times online requires registration. Russ Parsons wrote the feature article on Paula Wolfert, where she and her husband live in Sonoma.

Hiya, Captain! In San Luis Obispo (SLO), you can try an Italian place called Cafe Roma. It's been a while since I've eaten there. Near Railroad Ave. On Higuera, there's Mo's for ribs and a steakplace named McClintock's (there's one in Shell Beach along the 101). Down the street is a coffee & tea place called Rudolph's. If you need a tourist attraction, there's always the Madonna Inn. As for Morro Bay, there's a restaurant on Market, around the 400-500 block. From the restaurant, you can take the stairs down to the main tourist area. I don't remember the name right now. On the northern side of Morro Bay on Main St., parallel to Highway 1, a local restaurant name Taco Temple. Mind you, they serve more than just tacos. They serve fish there and it's pretty good. Of course, if you're down in SLO on a Thurs. night, Higuera St. shuts down for the weekly farmers' market with several BBQ stands, serving ribs, Santa Maria-style tri-tip, among other things. In Port San Luis, the Olde Port Inn is located at the end of the pier. You can also see what's fresh. Enjoy your time along the Central Coast, Captain!

I'm not familiar with those brownies. You don't mean Alice's brownies, do you?

Susan, Check out this discussion thread on California Diners You might want to PM Rebel Rose about a winery somewhere around Paso Robles (hint-hint). Susan, what "horrible LA traffic"? They're rumors. Just RUMORS!! You can't go wrong with In-N-Out Burgers. They use fresh ingredients. If you can stop by San Luis Obispo on a Thursday night, there's a farmers' market right on Higuera St. Complete with several BBQ stands serving ribs, Santa Maria-style tri-tip, ... It's wonderful! Maybe at the end of your trip, you should allow yourself one "fine dining" meal in Los Angeles??

Mon Kee's is still closed. I haven't seen any builders or construction workers around. I still don't know what's up. I'm still trying to find out. to be continued ... ← I've been checking off & on for a few months about Mon Kee. Finally, I was able to peek through one of the windows. The dining area in totally gutted right now. I was talking with a co-worker and he mentioned that it can take several months to get the correct permits to do some renovations on the place. That's the latest update. Back to some more Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles, please??

Since Father's Day is coming up and probably every steakhouse will be busy on that day, I'm catching up on research reporting on steakhouses. About three weeks ago, I took a day trip over to Santa Barbara. Before I took the Amtrak train back to Los Angeles, I had an early dinner at Holdren's. Apparently, it's one of the better steakhouses in SB. For about $30, I ordered a Prime NY Strip steak, which included a soup/salad and a twiced-baked potato. My server brought out some bread with butter and a cup comprised of drawn butter/EVOO & rosemary. Nice touch. The clam chowder soup was not thick. Mind you, it was under-seasoned. The steak came out as ordered, medium rare, and was served warm to cool. The steak was under-seasoned as well. However, the twice-baked potato was seasoned just right. For dessert, I had the crème brulée. It tasted fine. Yet, it was served on a hot plate. I mean temperature hot. If anything, the plate should have been chilled. Overall, Holdren's has potential as a really good steakhouse. These little glitches unfortunately take away from being an excellent restaurant. Mind you, for the price, it was a good value.

Last month, I went to North Woods Inn down near La Mirada along the 5 (that's Interstate 5, for you non-Southern Californians), just north of the Orange County line. For one price, I had the New York steak, which came with two salads, baked potato, & a basket of sliced bread topped with cheese. The steak wasn't bad. The cheese bread was great. The decor is really retro. I mean, let's go back to the cabins in the mountains. From the outside, there's snow on the restaurant rooftop. Inside, lots of wood. Long wooden tables, walls made of logs, and heads of deer, moose and other game mounted along the walls. The dining area is huge. The bar is also huge with wide open spaces, just like the Old West. A life-size grizzly bear is standing over to one corner near the fireplace ... You would probably go there more for the atmosphere than for the steaks.

Paul, Thank you for telling about your restaurant plans. First, as for a name, how about restaurant names like: C.B. Sushi (for Conveyor Belt Sushi) Mister Sushi (or, Sushi-san) Phil(ly) Sushi Penn Sushi Civic Sushi Second, in your research, have you looked into other CBS operations in the US (not Japan) and observe standard and local practices? Customer demographics (groups, solo diners, lively, low-key)? I can only recall one sushi place (in Los Angeles) with that concept. I can try and find the name of it later.

The French word "monde" should have an "e" at the end. The German looks okay. Es gibt kein Fehler.

Now THAT is brilliant. I just love it when an idea is great AND easy! If you don't mind, I'm going to save that in my "idea" file. It's a keeper. Hey Cherie..... howcome you didn't utilize the husband before calling the computer guy? I woulda been in a load of trouble if I'd called in outside help.....although no matter what my hubby says, I will ALWAYS call the plumber....... ← good question---he is pretty damn handy, but knows his limitations...doesn't "do" cracked motherboards..so he told me to take it in, and where to take it. the computer guy said it was terminal, so we were having him transfer the data from the dead laptop to the new one, when the tricky file issue came up. i think i'll bake some for that handy husband, too. ← Go ahead. I don't mind if you want to save MY idea in your file. If this becomes the next food craze, I want my percentage in cookies, among other things.

CD-ROM disks with the hole in the middle. Bake the cookies as thin as possible, and stack them in those cylindrical plastic CD-ROM containers. Separate each cookie with wax paper. Instead of reaching for a CD disk, he can reach for a cookie.

Count me as a poster now. Your foodblog is quite informative, visually appealing (mind you, Cambridge is prettier than Oxford, ehh?), and vicariously delicious. As for the bacon, make a Cobb salad: chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced hard-boiled eggs, diced avocadoes, crumbled blue cheese, diced chicken, diced cooked bacon bits, with a covering of blue cheese dressing.

LA Times Food Section -- June 8, 2005 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 require an additional fee. A Swedish summer / by Betty Baboujon Part-African American and part-Swedish, professional caterer Helene Henderson fitted right in at the dinner table in her hometown of Luleå, Sweden. At her Hancock Park home with some neighbors and friends in the movie industry, she throws a Swedish & Californian midsummer-style feast. Helene includes Swedish dishes that don't rely on frozen or pickled vegetables. "No meatballs," interjects Henderson. "This is my Sweden." Includes four recipes: Crayfish feast (Kräftor); Red beet latkes with crème fraîche and chives (Rödbetsbiffar); Dandelion greens salad with gooseberries and cilantro vinaigrette (Maskrossallad); Rhubarb crisp (Rababerpaj) It's fire and ice in one shot / by Patrick J. Comiskey In Scandinavia no Midsummer Day celebration would be complete without a plentiful supply of aquavit. Includes side article, Scandinavia's spirit in L.A. A flair for dinner and a movie / by Barbara Hansen Ismail Merchant was as dynamic a cook as he was a producer. And he loved to bring people together. Movie producer Ismail Merchant of Merchant & Ivory fame passed away two weeks ago at 68. In this appreciation, Hansen memorializes the Bombay-born Merchant with his culinary flair and improvisation (“Italo-Indian” cuisine). These recipes were not published in either of his two cookbooks, or in later books on filming in Paris and Florence ... inspirations of the moment, served to appreciative friends and then left on the cutting room floor, so to speak, ... Includes three recipes: Shrimp with broccoli; Cochin pineapple-clove dessert; Location masoor dal All hail the new upper crust / by Regina Schrambling Dedicated bread cafes, fabulous $14 bread baskets: New Yorkers sure love those loaves. And new bakeries are popping up, like Amy's Bread, Balthazar, Blue Ribbon Bakery Market, Bouley Bakery & Market, and Sullivan Street Bakery. Amy Scherber of Amy's Bread says that the demand is for top products. ”Everything is high end.” Includes one recipe: Flaxseed bread Delightful dishes with a mission / by Barbara Hansen Homegirl Café takes a light hand with Mexican favorites -- and lends a hand to at-risk women. This new Mexican restaurant is located in East Los Angeles, across from Mariachi Plaza, and is part of a nonprofit organization named Homeboy Industries, which helps youths formerly in gangs remake their lives. Carving up the scenery / by S. Irene Virbila Fogo de Chão in Beverly Hills is given a 1½* rating. This Brazilian concept started in 1979 in Porto Alegre by four former waiters. Now, there are branches in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, and 3 in Brazil. Fogo de Chão is, hands down, the best of the churrascaria genre I've ever encountered, short of the real thing — beef grilled over wood out in the countryside. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2000 Domaines Bunan “Moulin des Costes” Bandol Rouge: Provence: about $25; Full-bodied and lush; goes with grilled leg of lamb or chops, daube. Bandol shows its stuff with big, bold flavors ... For the record Nutritional analysis — The nutritional analysis for a recipe for cucumber cooler in the May 25 section was incorrect. The correct breakdown is, per serving: 71 calories; 0 protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday Decked out in high-end hectic / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on THEBlvd at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The hotel recently revamped the lobby lounge that's bringing in a whole new crowd. The young chef de cuisine, Scott Thomas Dolbee, has made a valiant effort to come up with a menu that's updated and fun. Is Paris' burger as mouthwatering? / by Dog Davis Partying heiress aside, how does the Spicy BBQ Six-Dollar Burger really rate? Put it on the tab / by Charles Perry Not all hotel restaurants are just glorified room service. Includes five restaurants: The Tower Bar at the Argyle Hotel on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood; Whist at the Viceroy Santa Monica on Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica; Diaghilev at the Wyndham Bel Age on N. San Vicente Blvd. in West Hollywood; Chateau Marmont Restaurant on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood; Noe at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza on S. Olive St. in downtown Los Angeles.

Sorry to hear that, Sam. It sounds like you're going down like Don Giovanni ... Hope you get better soon. Perhaps we can all send you some soup? Both you and Marlene are WINNERS!!

Sam & Marlene, what cameras are you using for your wonderful photos? Also, did you have some Italian music in the background with your Italian dinners?

Deb, It must not be easy for you and your family. Hopefully, your grand-nephew will see the importance of eating proper food and taking his proper medication. I would say, in medical cases, monitoring a child's lunch is quite acceptable so that unfortunate events like this don't occur. Fortunately, there was a school nurse who cared enough for your grand-nephew & his well-being to take appropriate actions. My thoughts and prayers to you, your family, and your grand-nephew.

Since I originated the 1/2 pound ground meat suggestion, I don't mind increasing the amount to one full pound of ground meat, if it will keep Marlene's family together at the dinner table. Besides, Marlene said the magic phrase, "piano lessons." Sam & Marlene, the culinary & musical team of eGullet, ehh??

This week's LA Times Food Section (1 June 2005) features: SONOMA COUNTY! Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. One of the articles talks about the restaurant scene in Sonoma County: Enjoy!

LA Times Food Section -- June 1, 2005 SPECIAL SECTION: SAVORING SONOMA A golden moment 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 require an additional fee. A passion for endless flavor / by Russ Parsons Enter into Paula Wolfert's world. She and her husband moved to California nine years ago and bought a place in Sonoma six years ago. Her life is more than just collecting recipes and writing cookbooks. It's about cooking and sharing. ”This is the kind of food thtat restaurants don't take the time to do anymore. This is something special I can do for my friends, and at the same time, I feel like I'm helping to keeping this food alive. This is what I do.” Includes four recipes: Herb jam with olives and lemon; Ramps, asparagus and ham; Madeleines from Dax; Stew of quick duck confit and fresh fava beans There is a discussion thread about this article: Paula Wolfert "A Passion for Endless Flavor" At last, the scene blossoms / by S. Irene Virbila Elegant tasting menus, hand-thrown pizzas, oysters al fresco: Sonoma's restaurants have arrived. Despite producing lamb, chickens, eggs, cheeses, heirloom vegetables and the like, Sonoma County has never had a restaurant with the high-profile of the French Laundry, say, or even Mustards Grill in Napa Valley. However, restaurants like Cyrus, Will's Seafood & Raw Bar, and Zazu, may change all that. With greatness in its sights / by Rod Smith Three areas of Sonoma County have emerged as the New World capital of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With its diverse terrains and climates unlike its neighboring Napa County, Sonoma County's American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) each have its distinct character: the Russian River Valley, the Green Valley AVA, and the Sonoma Coast AVA. Going her own way / by Corie Brown Marimar Torres comes from a legendary Old World wine family, but her focus is firmly on the future. Daughter of the legendary vintner Don Miguel Torres, Marimar will make what changes are needed to her Marimar Estate in Sonoma's Russian River region to produce one Chardonnay and one Pinot Noir. She's tired of being ignored by wine critics. Since her 1990 vintage, for which powerful wine critic Robert Parker gave her Chardonnay 88 points, he hasn't written a word about Torres' wines. Country-French finds a cozy home in Beverly Hills / by Charles Perry Café Marly, serving old-fashioned favorites in a quirky room, invites you to linger. Café Marly on Little Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills is quite retro with its everyday French menu. The service is also a throwback to another era and reminds visitors why people used to describe French restaurants as "charming." Everything comes together deliciously / by Barbara Hansen Welcome to the good life in Sonoma, where good food meats good wine meal after meal, as we found on recent visits. Includes two recipes: Braised rabbit pappardelle with spring vegetable from the Girl & the Fig in Sonoma; Gambas cozidas (poached shrimp with spicy tomato and garlic sauce) from LaSelette Restaurant in Sonoma Where the Burgundy varieties reign / by Leslie Brenner The Los Angeles Times tasting panel met recently for a blind tasting of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from three of Sonoma County's 13 AVAs -- Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Sonoma Coast. The panel was more impressed with the Chardonnays (2001-2003 vintages) than with the Pinot Noirs (1999-2003 vintages). And who won in each category? 2002 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Chardonnay and 2002 Lynmar Quail Cuvée Pinot Noir. Superb finds close to the vine / S. Irene Virbila Instead of flying to Oakland or San Francisco, Irene Virbila and her husband decided to drive to their four-day stay in Sonoma. Hey, with no weight limits, the mind boggles at how much wine and other goodies you can fit into the car. Along the way, we acquired some wine, true, and a stash of books. It'll leave you purring / by S. Irene Virbila Hungry Cat on Vine in Hollywood is given a 2½* rating. Chef-owner David Lentz and his wife, Suzanne Goin of Lucques and A.O.C., have opened up an East Coast seafood cafe in Hollywood with a closing time of 1 a.m. most nights. The beauty of Hungry Cat compared with more ambitious seafood restaurants is a tightly edited menu — fewer choices, but almost all of them good enough to make you feel like you've won the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Carlisle Russian River Valley Zinfandel “Fava Ranch”: Sonoma; about $29; power with finesse; goes with big rich steaks on the grill, daube cooked in a Zin or Rhône, suckling pig. At 15.9% alcohol, it's that rare wine with both power and finesse. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday A flash of Alto Palato's tenor / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Spark Woodfire Grill on W. Pico Blvd. Danilo Terribili, who worked with Mauro Vincenti at Rex, is back where he had his first job in L.A., now as owner of this Cal-Mediterranean concept (with Bill Chait, who founded the Louise's Trattorias). Rustic retreats / by Charles Perry Elegance only takes you so far. Sometimes you need the rough, earthy flavors that emerge only from a wood-fired oven. Includes five restaurants: Amalfi Ristorante on N. La Brea Ave.; Angelini Osteria on Beverly Blvd.; Spago on N. Canon Drive in Beverly Hills; Zucca Ristorante on S. Figueroa St. in downtown Los Angeles; Palmeri on San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood.

Here's the link to Blackfish Cafe in Lincoln City. If you drive to Lincoln City from Cannon Beach, the Tillamook Cheese Factory is halfway in the middle. Enjoy.

Please tell us more about cooking by weight. Is it easier, harder, or just different? Does it make more of a difference when you're baking rather than cooking? I was thinking more generally as in ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey), to give them more options. This would go well with a modified vegetarian meal, where the produce has the prominent role instead of the meat. And I would limit the ground meat to about 1/2 lb. Is that enough of a challenge for a carnivore?

The Tillamook Cheese Factory Admission is free.