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rjwong

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  1. LA Times Food Section -- March 23, 2005 Luxuries of Spring Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com requires registration. You can log on with username "egulleteer" and password "lafood". Some content is in the premium section, called calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee, but you can see the calendarlive stories below free, for one week. Elevated to the sublime / by Emily Green The French have it right: The very best butter is oh, so cultured. European butter is far more superb than American butter. “Allison Hooper of Vermont Butter & Cheese dares us to buy any French butter — Président, Isigny, Echiré — and fail to notice the difference. It will have the character, the irresistibility, so lacking in most American butter.” Includes three recipes: Butter tarts (from Audrey Haas); Fraisier with buttercream (adapted from "Desserts: A Lifelong Passion," by Michel Roux); Jeremiah Tower's Montpellier butter For Easter, la vie en rose / by Anne Willan Parsleyed ham can be found in other parts of France. “But only in Burgundy does jambon persillé hit the headlines, top choice in a region renowned for good eating.” Includes two recipes: Jambon de Paques (Easter ham); Shortcut jambon persillé A Chardonnay worth coveting / by David Shaw Marcassin Chardonnay is one of the wines of Marcassin, a small-production Sonoma Coast winery, owned by Helen Turley, winemaker and co-proprietor, and John Wetlaufer, Turley's husband and partner, who's in charge of viticulture and marketing. Shaw proclaimed, “I loved the wine instantly. It's the best American white wine I've ever tasted, ...” However, in order to get some, you have to get on the winemaker's private mailing list. “About 5,000 people are on the waiting list to get on the mailing list; some have been waiting 10 years.” Herbal extravagance / by Regina Schrambling Spring showers? Bring 'em on. As long as we're talking about chervil, dill and chives strewn lavishly into a salad. “And nothing symbolizes abandon more extravagantly than a salad using fresh herbs not as a garnish, or even in the dressing, but as an essential ingredient.” Includes two recipes: Spring herb salad; Spring herb salad with warm blue cheese Pamper those delicate babies / by Donna Deane With this season's baby vegetables just arriving, it's so tempting to eat them on the way home from the farmers market. “But there's also a way to get them to the dinner table with their glorious color and freshness and newness intact.” Includes three recipes: Spring ragout of asparagus and baby parsnips; Spring ragout of baby carrots; Mixed spring vegetable ragout Their dream season / by Kent Black No one’s more excited about the coming season than L.A.’s chefs. Included are four chefs & their desired spring luxury: Hans Rockenwagner (Rockernwagner in Santa Monica), white asparagus; Alain Giraud (Four Star Private Cuisine), petits pois; Scooter Kanfer-Cartmill (Formerly of Naya in Pasadena), morels; David Lefevre (Water Grill in Los Angeles), king salmon Out of Africa, intriguing flavor combinations / by Linda Burum Chef-owner Ibrahima Sarr has opened his Senegalese restaurant Le Teranga on Crenshaw Blvd. near the Baldwin Plaza shopping center. “When you enter the beveled glass door you immediately feel teranga (welcomed).“ Go east, aficionados / by S. Irene Virbila New Concept Restaurant in Monterey Park is given a 3* rating. This “is the first U.S. outpost of a restaurant group that has more than 20 restaurants in China. The executive chef, Chen Chen Liang, who is from Canton province, opened the Monterey Park restaurant.” Even after four visits, Virbila has yet to exhaust the menu. “Bring on the Chinese.” WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2002 Brander Sauvignon Blanc au Naturel: Santa Ynez Valley; about $24; fresh and aromatic; goes with shellfish, grilled fish, asparagus, risotto with peas. “Because it sees no oak, the pure taste of the grape, its lively acidity and minerality, shines through.” *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday Feeling in a bistro mood / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Brass.-Cap (short for Brasserie Capo) on Channel Road. Bruce Marder is ... now taken over the Beach House in Santa Monica Canyon and turned it into a French American brasserie. Bistros / by Leslee Komaiko Can't get to Paris? No problem. The following will take you there, culinarily speaking. Includes five restaurants: Angelique Café on Spring St. in downtown L.A.; Pastis on Beverly Blvd.; Mirabeau in Dana Point; Mimosa on Beverly Blvd.; Le Petit Bistro on Ventura Blvd.
  2. Daddy-A, Thank you for your foodblog. You have reminded me why I'm still a Canadian wannabe. So help me, I want to go back to Vancouver so bad!!! Arne, you have done a great service to the municipality of Burnaby, the greater Vancouver area, the province of British Columbia, and the country of Canada. Would be appropriate to end this blog with a rendition of "O Canada", ehh??
  3. Oh, the hell with all the food .... there's HOCKEY! Remember when it was the New Westminster Bruins (which became the Tri-City Americans) and the Portland Winter Hawks and the Victoria Cougars (not the PG Cougars!)... oh, those were the days. Oh, and the Kelowna Blazers. They were a hot team too back then. I went to Cougars' games when I was very pregnant. I can't say it affected the Spawn but I did name my latest dog after Rogie Vachon... Okay, to bring this back to food, the best carmelised onions in the world were sold at the Cougars' games in Memorial Arena... ← Jensen, you can get your hockey fix on this thread.
  4. Add four (4) more books. I went back to that huge book sale over at Book Alley in Pasadena. The Cooks' Catalogue La Cuisine: the complete book of French cooking Pei Mei's Chinese cook book, vols. 1 & 2
  5. Ohhh, now I get it! It took me a while to figure out that sentence. Pappagallo instead of *$'s, ehh? Brilliant!!
  6. I remember hearing on the TV years ago about a restaurant in the Los Angeles area that serves this salad which induces labor in about 48 hours. Caioti Pizza Cafe, on Tujunga Ave. in Studio City, is the name of the place. On the menu, it's called "THE Salad" (with Romaine, Watercress, Walnuts & Gorgonzola; Balsamic Vinaigrette). Supposedly, the secret is in the balsamic vinaigrette.
  7. When I was visiting the Bend area, people recommended The Pine Tavern. I had lunch there. It was pretty good. Sorry I can't tell you more. My memory is not serving me correctly ...
  8. LA Times Food Section -- March 16, 2005 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com requires registration. You can log on with username "egulleteer" and password "lafood". Some content is in the premium section, called calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee, but you can see the calendarlive stories below free, for one week. IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION / by Russ Parsons A strawberry that looks great, tastes delicious and travels beautifully? They're working on it. eGullet member Russ Parsons talks with Kirk Larson, a UC plant breeder, about the breeding of strawberries. Includes two side articles, “Following the trail of the fruit,” & “Some berry basics” and two recipes: Strawberries and oranges in basil syrup; Strawberry vacherin. Store-bought? Bah! / by Linda Burum Various chefs around LA are recreating homemade condiments and candies, even goldfish crackers. Includes three recipes: Sherry vinegar-cured anchovies (adapted from Sang Yoon at Father's Office); Doug Arango's ketchup; Root beer and vanilla bean lollipops (from Scooter Kanfer-Cartmill of Naya). The taste of bacon, cubed / by Regina Schrambling Not the crisp strips or crumbled bits so familiar in America, the French's idea of bacon “is chewy and succulent, with more flavor than fat. And they unflinchingly label it lardon.” Includes three recipes: Beans with lardons and sage; Classic frisée salad; Brioche with lardons What's behind the buzz / by David Shaw It was a surprise hit at the Cannes Film Festival, then a box-office sensation throughout France — both a succès d'estime (the critics loved it) and a succès de scandale (many people in the wine world hated it, and a few threatened lawsuits over it). What did Shaw think of film director Jonathan Nossiter's movie “Mondovino”? “His film, however, is simplistic, reductionist, heavy-handed and unfair. ... 'Mondovino” is the viniculture version of 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'” There is a discussion thread about this movie: Mondovino: Make no documentary before it's time Regulating the wild mushroom / by Corie Brown L.A. County halts sales at farmers markets. Could restaurants and supermarkets be next? It all started on 2 Feb. 2005 at the Santa Monica farmers' market when mushroom vendor David West [eGullet member dfunghi] got shut down. Includes statements by: Terrance Powell, the environmental ombudsman with the LA County health dept.; circuit picker Hippie Mark; Mike Stephens, a buyer for several wild mushroom distributors, and Robert Miller, spokesman for the California Department of Health Services. This topic was first made known in this discussion thread here, posted by eGullet member dfunghi (David West). L.A. just can't resist a hot date A.O.C.'s parmesan-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates make a lasting impression. And other restaurants have gotten into the act with their own interpretations. The bar steals the scene / by S. Irene Virbila Beechwood in Venice is given a 2* rating. The bar is the center of attraction, while the dining room seems like an afterthought. The partners in Beechwood are Brooke Williamson, chef Nick Roberts, and David and Patti Reiss. Williamson runs the front of the house, which surprises the critic. “I still don't quite understand why such a talented young chef has given up the kitchen for the front of the house. .... And who's to argue? Because Beechwood is a bona fide hit.” WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Burge Family Winemakers Olive Hill: Barossa Vallet; about $40; complex; goes with game, grilled birds, braised meats. “Dark and concentrated, it has a taste of spice and something wild, but finishes smooth and opulent.” *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday Have stove, will travel / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Nancy Silverton, a chef without a restaurant. However, on Tuesday nights at La Terza on W. 3rd St., she has what she calls Tavola Italiana, or Italian Table. “It's a series of antipasti plates similar to the eye-popping array you might find at a traditional trattoria in Rome.” Antipasto / by Leslee Komaiko Sometimes it's nice to skip the pasta and secondi and make a meal of the marinated vegetables, cheeses and cured meats. Includes five restaurants: Il Fornaio in Beverly Hills & other locations; Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica; Ago in West Hollywood; Ca' del Sole in North Hollywood; La Bottega Marino in West L.A.
  9. Lois, Check out this post from the Los Angeles Times Food Section Digest (9 Mar. 2005). At the bottom of the post, is an article on communal tables. I would also add the Original Pantry in downtown LA. It's open 24 hours a day, owned by former Mayor Richard Riordan, and the decor is straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel. This should give you a good first start.
  10. So, you're the famous Daddy-A, ehh? I enjoy reading the Vancouver forum threads and the name Daddy-A keeps popping up, as though Daddy-A is as famous as Stanley Park (uhh, are you?). I look forward to your foodblog. Thank you, Arne. BTW, turning 40 isn't all that bad ... yet ...
  11. The bookstores are: Book Alley & Cliff's Books, both in Pasadena on Colorado Blvd. near Vroman's. Book Alley is having the book sale, so please don't buy my books, okay??
  12. Add twenty-four (24) to the total. I went on a shopping spree today. There's a book store in Pasadena that's having a "huge book sale" through the month of March, 35% off!! And I went to another used book store and bought some more. Included are: Larousse gastronomique (1st Amer. ed., 1961); Time-Life International Cookbook; 13 books from the Time-Life Foods of the World series; 9 spiral-bound booklets "Recipes" from the Time-Life Foods of the World series. Excluding the Larousse book, the other books averaged out to be $7.50/book. I suppose that's not bad, ehh?? At 35% off, I might go back and buy some more cookbooks. The more you buy, the more you save, right??
  13. LA Times Food Section -- March 9, 2005 SPECIAL SECTION: L.A.'S ITALIAN LOVE AFFAIR It's pure paradiso Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com requires registration. You can log on with username "egulleteer" and password "lafood". Some content is in the premium section, called calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee, but you can see the calendarlive stories below free, for one week. Tuscany to Sicily in three blocks / by Valli Herman One can find nearly a dozen and a half Italian restaurants in the area of Brentwood. On top of that, the owners and the chefs don't mind the competition. Aisles and aisles before you eat / by Charles Perry Mario's Italian Deli and Market in Glendale serves up big-league submarine sandwiches. Heaven, thinly sliced / by David Shaw “Essentially Italian, salumi -- smoked and cured meats -- are yours for the ordering all over L.A.” The Francophile Shaw recalls his fondest memories of superb Italian sandwiches. A slow celebration of pork / by Laurie Winer “You don't need a whole pig to capture that succulent tenderness. The right cut and long roasting make it easy.” The restaurants all have their own versions. “Here's what we say: Let the roasting commence.” Includes two recipes: Slow-roasted shoulder of pork ; Salsa verde The cream of caffè / by Russ Parsons A chat with Guy Pasquini, “the youngest member of Los Angeles' first family of espesso, a clan that has been selling espresso machines for homes and businesses and running coffeehouses for almost 50 years.” Chianti's quiet revolution / by Jordan Mackay “With new blends, superior clones and modernized winemaking, the region has finally arrived.” Choosing a Chianti about ten years ago would have been very risky. “But today it's hard to go wrong.” The strands that bind / by Laurie Winer “Filippo Cortivo brought Mamma and her remarkable pasta-making skills to La Buca.” Cortivo & Mamma are working together at their restuarant on Melrose while trying to figure out how to bring the rest of the family over. Includes two recipes: Reginette della Mamma (from Loredana Cecchinato at La Buca) ; Salsa Trevisana Our own heirloom original / by Carolynn Carreño “Spigarello, a delicious broccoli relative, isn't found anywhere but in a few Southland farmers markets. So what gives?” Carreño does some detective work about its origins. Includes a recipe for: Spigarello sautéed Italian style (from Mark Peel at Campanile) Our poet of Renaissance alta cucina / by Charles Perry “Luigi Ballerini champions historical Italian cookbooks and brings the culinary past to the table.” Mind you, this former chair of UCLA's Italian department & specialist in avant-garde art is not a foodie. So, “why is Ballerini, a man of letters who admits he doesn't cook, involved with historical cookbooks?” From start to finish / by Barbara Hansen The Times Food section staffers recommends these dishes as beautifully executed examples of quintessential Italian recipes: La Terza peperoni arrostiti (from Gino Angelini at La Terza); Pecorino's pear and almond gratin (gratin di pere e mandorla, from Raffaele Sabatini at Pecorino) Cookstuff by Becky Trowbridge Four items for your Italian kitchen: Chitarra tagliapasta (“guitar”, or Italian noodle cutter); Muffuletta relish; Fluted pastry wheel; Wild Italian oregano A rare talent for crudo / by S. Irene Virbila Il Grano in West Los Angeles is given a 2* rating. Salvatore Marino takes crudo, the Italian restaurant equivalent of sashimi, up another level at the new Il Grano, which debuted several weeks ago. “The tasting menu was a revelation. ... The regular menu, though, is still uneven.” WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Enoteca Bisson 'Marea' Cinque Terre: Liguria, Italy; about $26; crisp and minerally; goes with raw and steamed shellfish, Dungeness crab, spiny lobster and grilled fish. “It grabs your attention with its lush minerality, cool fruit and crisp acidity.” For the record French wine — A graphic with an article about French wine in last week's Food section overstated the quantity of exports. The 1999 figure should have been 1.6 billion liters, not 160 billion. The 2004 figure should have been 1.42 billion liters, not 142.1 billion. For the record "Mildred Pierce" — An article about the book and movie "Mildred Pierce" in last week's section said that if Mildred Pierce had served 48 people at 85 cents a person on her restaurant's opening night, she would have made more than $80. The correct total is $40.80. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories on Thursday Happy anniversary for us / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Röckenwagner in Santa Monica. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, owner Hans Röckenwagner has reconfigured his restaurant with a stammtisch section, or the "regular's table" with three long communal tables he made himself. “In the stammtisch section, he's proposing a four-course prix fixe menu every night from now until June 20, the official anniversary, for an astonishing $20.20 per person.” Communal tables / by Leslee Komaiko “Communal tables offer Angelenos a rare chance to hobnob with strangers or at least share a table for an hour or two.” Includes five restaurants: Olé Tapas Bar in Studio City; Seabar in West Hollywood; Nook in West L.A.; Le Pain Quotidien on Melrose; Jer-ne in Marina del Rey.
  14. Soot Bull Jeep ; 3136 8th St. (Catalina St.) ; (213) 387-3865
  15. Last Saturday, a couple of friends and I went to have some steak at the Pacific Dining Car. I ordered the New York strip, medium rare. It tasted flavorful, juicy, not dry, not burnt. My friends ordered a New York strip and a T-bone. They enjoyed their steaks as well. The dining experience was excellent. What's really amazing about PDC is that they have served excellent steaks since 1921 and that they're open 24 hours a day. I don't want to rush into judgment, but Pacific Dining Car may be the best steakhouse in LA. The research continues ...
  16. BTW, PCL, to help us help you, let us know which parts of SF and LA you'll be staying & whether you'll have a car. Also, high-end, holes-in-the-walls? On expense account (don't we all wish)? In LA, besides Mexican, there's Salvadorean, Peruvian, Cuban, Brazilian, etc.... Did you want to try those as well?
  17. PCL, nice to meet you in the California board! Here's a link to my post from another thread about Guelaguetza and few other ethnic places. I'll think of some more Mexican in the LA area, if I can. I presume you don't want chains, right??
  18. When I visited Eureka area, it didn't feel like a tourist trap to me back in the early '90's. Mind you, I never stayed overnight in Eureka, since I would continue on to the Crescent City area and stay with friends. Between Fort Bragg and Eureka, there are a few things to do: In Leggett, there is a general store/tourist stop where you can drive your car THROUGH a tree. North of Garberville is the Humboldt Redwoods State Park which includes the Avenue of the Giants. Absolutely gorgeous! Five miles west of Fortuna is the Victorian town of Ferndale. The entire town is a designated State Historical Landmark. In Eureka, I remember enjoying a walk through one of their historical museums. There is a public library that looks really nice. The Carson House is a Victorian building which is used by members of a private club. Food-wise, there is one restaurant I go to when I'm in the Eureka area: The Samoa Cookhouse. This is where the lumberjacks would eat back during the old logging days. They serve soup, salad, bread, couple of entrees, vegetables, dessert, and seconds, all for one price. I double-checked for you and there is no recent edition of Olmsted's book (I'm a librarian by profession).
  19. LA Times Food Section -- March 2, 2005 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com requires registration. You can log on with username "egulleteer" and password "lafood". Some content is in the premium section, called calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee, but you can see the calendarlive stories below free, for one week. The master of fusion / by Russ Parsons After over a decade of moving around, Chef Kazuto Matsusaka & his wife Vicki Fan have come back to Southern California with their new restaurant Beacon in Culver City. The article details Matsusaka's culinary life from his days with Wolfgang Puck, Ma Maison, Chinois on Main, and fusion cuisine. Includes three recipes: Avocado salad; Kakuni udon (with Udon dashi (broth), Braised pork belly & Udon and assembly); Chicken kushiyaki with umeboshi and shiso. Also includes the side article, Fusion flavors come home, a list of some ingredients called for in their recipes that may be a little unfamiliar. There is a discussion thread about this restaurant here. Who's killing the great wines of France? / by Corie Brown The documentary "Mondovino" will be released in L.A. theaters April 29. Director Jonathan Nossiter belabors this reality: The French wine industry is in crisis. What happened? What is the French government going to do? And how about this notion: “Gallo, the savior of French wine? The chasm separating the French government from the traditional vintners in 'Mondovino' just got a little wider.” There is a discussion thread about this article here. Detour ahead for Michelin / by David Shaw So, for the third year in a row, the coveted, eagerly awaited, zealously guarded Michelin Guide ratings for restaurants in France leaked early last week. Shaw has a little talk with the new director of Jean-Luc Naret. "One of the things that struck me," he said, "is that there's not a lot of transparency in our decision making.” There is a discussion thread about this topic here. Passage to Indian cooking / by Barbara Hansen Chef Suvir Saran demystifies the flavors of the subcontinent with home cooking that surprises. Indian-style home cooking is the topic of his book "Indian Home Cooking," coauthored by Stephanie Lynes. Includes three recipes: South Indian-style chicken with curry leaves and black peppercorns (dakshin murgh); Mangalore fried shrimp (jhinga Mangaloree); My sister's favorite corn curry (makayee noo curry) 'Mildred Pierce' still one hot plate / by Charles Perry The 1945 movie Mildred Pierce, based on the James M. Cain novel, is the Glendale movie, according to Perry — “it's practically a how-to book on starting a restaurant in L.A. It's a classic recipe: A gutsy Glendale gal, the L.A. restaurant scene and a lot of tears.” Includes a recipe for: Black bottom pie, adapted from a recipe that ran in The Times Nov. 14, 1932 A tropical theme with a backbeat of sophistication / by Charles Perry Ecuador-born chef Fausto Alvarez is turning out modern pan-Latin American food in a Pasadena hole in the wall called Tropical Caribbean Restaurant. The result is exquisite. The Hot List LOS ANGELES TIMES LIST FOR MARCH 2, 2005 (Rankings are based on a Times poll of national and independent booksellers) Included in the list are a couple of books by Rachel Ray and two from the “Beautiful Cookbook” series. And who's number one? Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Steak, with rare style / by S. Irene Virbila Boa in Santa Monica is given a 1½* rating. An offshoot of the original on Sunset Strip, Boa is a stylish new beachfront steakhouse and latest hot spot in Santa Monica. The wine list, the salads, the sides, nor the steaks, at these prices, are impressive. “The kitchen doesn't demonstrate the precision cooking of the guys manning the broiler at Arnie Morton's or Ruth's Chris either.” WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Bodegas Artazu 'Artazuri': Navarra, Spain; about $9; power and grace; goes with just about anything. “It's a Grenache that holds something back .... Wow.” For the record Mexico City chef — In an article in last week's section about chefs in Mexico City, the name of the chef at Pujol restaurant, Enrique Olvera, was misspelled as Olver. For the record Brewmaster — In an article in last week's Food section about Pilsener beers, the last name of Trumer Brauerei brewmaster Lars Larson was misspelled as Larsen. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories Out at Meson G / by Leslee Komaiko Former Patina executive chef Eric Greenspan, who “opened Meson G on Melrose Avenue in November, was given his walking papers Sunday night by owners Tim and Liza Goodell. The writing was on the wall for a long time." Paris calling / by Leslee Komaiko A little over a week ago, someone hacked into Paris Hilton's cellphone address book, and soon the list was posted on the Internet. But restaurants including Chaya Brasserie, Mr. Chow, Koi, La Scala and the Spanish Kitchen were also listed. "It's been an extremely annoying, frustrating headache. It's just ridiculous. People have no life and are calling from everywhere to say nothing.”
  20. Fellow Angeleno, at your service, touaregsand. Here's a link to a weekly newspaper called Los Angeles Downtown News. Downtown LA is definitely being revitalized, hopefully for the better. There's Staples Center. Then a couple of years ago, the LA Cathedral opened, followed by the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Condos & lofts are being developed. Mind you, efforts are being made towards "affordable housing." More restaurants are coming into downtown, particularly restaurants under the Patina Group, headed by Joachim Splichal. In fact, he moved his flagship Patina restaurant from Melrose Blvd. to downtown, right next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Plans are being made to finally have a full-service grocery store in downtown LA. Currently, the Grand Avenue project is going to include a pedestrian district, connecting LA City Hall to the Music Center. You're right, touaregsand, LA Chinatown is not what it used to be, ever since the Chinese moved over to Monterey Park & Alhambra back in the 1980's. Other walking & eating neighborhoods: Santa Monica 3rd St. Promenade; Westwood Village (back in the 1980's, not so much now); Old Town Pasadena (touristy?); Farmer's Market/The Grove (touristy?); Universal Citywalk (definitely touristy!); Beverly Hills (great for evening window shopping, dahlink); downtown Long Beach; Larchmont District; downtown Montrose; downtown Glendale; beautiful downtown Burbank. These are just off the top of my head. There are plenty of neighborhoods in the LA area. It's a matter of trying to find them and GETTING THERE!!
  21. CORRECTION UPDATE: Lui's Restaurant is no more. Sorry about that. If you don't mind and depending on rush hour traffic, there are some places in LA Chinatown and the Hollywood area, which are on the way to the Baked Potato. I usually go to Sam Woo on Broadway & Alpine (northwest corner). Street parking can be a problem. Famous in LA is a Middle Eastern (Armenian) place called Zankou Chicken. They have wonderful roast chicken. Ask for extra garlic sauce. I don't usually go over to Studio City or NoHo at all. I know there's the usual chains on Ventura Blvd. like Daily Grill and Louise's Trattoria. This is the best I can do. Depending on the traffic, you might want to consider going up the 5 northbound to the 57 northbound to the 210 westbound. You should have plenty of time to get into LA, have dinner, and make the show (9:30?).
  22. mizducky, Just in case, Welcome to eGullet! There's a place in NoHo I used to go to when I was working in Burbank back in the '90's. It's called Lui's, Chinese Cantonese Restaurant, on Lankershim Blvd. (east side), about 1/2 block north of the Lankershim-Vineland-Camarillo intersection, across from Blockbuster's (street parking only). It's been years since I've gone. They do have a menu (Americanized), but I ordered from the blackboard where they listed their specials. The food was very good. Even though I go to LA Chinatown for Chinese now, I just might go back to Lui's for old time's sake ... Lui's; 4840 Lankershim Blvd.; N. Hollywood, CA 91601; (818) 985-0967 BTW, what time are you planning to enter the SoCal rush hour traffic on Friday?
  23. rjwong

    couscous

    Wolfert, that 's okay. I went over for you. chefzadi had some ready for me to take home for dinner. The couscous was quite buttery (chefzadi, you must like butter). It retained its texture, even after I spooned some broth on top. The couscous didn't become soggy or mushy to me. The lamb tajine was wonderful. I definitely added some more harissa. I can drink the broth by itself. It's ideal when you want to recover from a cold or a flu. chefzadi (or your wife actually), merci beaucoup!!
  24. Muchos gracias, everyone!! I knew I could come to my eGullet members to get the real scoop on the Mexican restaurant scene in the D.F. caroline, esperanza, nickarte, between the three of you, I think you can write an excellent history of Mexican cuisine in English. I wouldn't mind. caroline, why is that? Perhaps, DK feels she has done her part and it's time for someone else to step up? Again, I don't know. Just offering a possibility. esperanza, may I quote you? That was excellent! nickarte, thank you for your statements. They're not "silly inaccuracies", but sloppy mistakes on the part of the author. A writer needs to have an accurate historical context in whatever s/he is writing about, all verified by facts and meticulous research, à la Diana Kennedy's perfectionism that caroline previously mentioned. I have learned so much from starting this thread. caroline, I read your thread about the Mexican Culinary establishment. I'll be waiting for your update. Uno mas, gracias.
  25. SJE, I usually go visit my friends in the Carson Valley (Carson City, Gardnerville, Minden, Genoa), which is about a 30-40 minute drive south from Reno. If you don't mind the drive, there's a great local Basque restaurant called JT's along the 395 (west side) in Gardnerville. For the price of the entree, they serve soup, salad, beef stew (or tongue), your entree with fries, beans, bread, and ice cream, all served family style. As for Reno itself, I'm not too familiar. Reno does have a Trader Joe's & a Wild Oats (sort of similiar to Whole Foods Market), if you need to pick up some items. I have some friends coming into LA this week from Carson Valley, Nevada. Let me check with them & I'll get back with you. winesonoma, I'm gonna have to try that Liberty Belle next time I get up there. Thanks!
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