kimcooper

A tip of the hat to food blogging genius Teenage Glutster, who discovered this astonishing spot and was kind enough to bring me and some friends along for two recent mole tastings, just dishes of house recipe, deeply favored, two-days-in-the-making moles served with soft corn tortillas fresh from the griddle. Chef Rocio Camacho is a 5th generation Oaxacan mole master who has created a suite of more than a dozen innovative, intoxicating--literally, as the blends of peppers and seeds have psychoactive qualities in large quantities--and utterly delicious moles, which she pairs with a selection of meats common (chicken, shrimp, pork) and unusual (duck, venison). The tart, creamy passionfruit mole was the knockout punch on both days, but the coffee- and tequila-infused moles are also not to be missed. And while our second group had mixed feelings about the white chocolate mole--very sweet, rich and low key compared to the more assertive, spicy moles surrounding it--I suspect it would be amazing over bananas or a citrusy dessert. Senora Camacho created my ex-favorite moles, the trio at La Casitas Mexicana in Bell. They're still yummy and I'd be happy to eat them again, but compared to what she's serving up in East Los Angeles, it's like the difference between a pretty high school girl and a gorgeous mature woman--more complex, more sophisticated, more interesting, more compelling, more memorable. Hurry over and sample these creations before word gets out. This is world class cookery that demands your attention and respect. Moles La Tia 4619 E. Cesar E. Chavez Los Angeles, CA 90022 (323) 263-7842 http://www.moleslatia.com/

Yes, for great Chinese or Vietnamese food you really need to be prepared to head east on the 10, into the San Gabriel Valley, and for the best Thai, head into Hollywood. If you're hanging around on this board then it's safe to assume you care about the difference between decent eats and stellar ones, and are willing to drive for them. A few of my favorites: Golden Deli (Vietnamese), 815 W Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel, CA, 91776 - (626) 308-0803 101 Noodle Express (Northern Chinese), 1408 E Valley Blvd., Alhambra, CA, 91801 - (626) 300-8654 Mei Long Village (Chinese), 301 W Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, CA, 91776 - (626) 284-4769 China Islamic, 7727 Garvey Ave., Rosemead, CA, 91770 - (626) 288-4246 Sea Harbour (dim sum), 3939 Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead, CA, 91770 - (626) 288-3939 Near you, Tacomiendo is a terrific home style Mexican joint, really much better than you'd expect to find on the west side! 4502 Inglewood Blvd., Culver City, CA, 90230 - (310) 915-0426

Bernaise, we are so pleased you will be joining us on the Esotouric bus on Saturday! Here are a few Pasadena suggestions for before or after the tour. Pie 'n Burger is a much-loved lunch counter specializing in just what you would expect. I've never had their burgers, but the pie is really exceptional. Or if you prefer something a little more sophisticated, the egg salad sandwiches and chocolate tarts at Europane are scrumptious. And for shopping, a stroll through Old Town Pasadena (Colorado Boulevard around Fair Oaks) should scratch the itch. They have an H&M and a Lush store, plus most of the nicer chain fashion and home stores.

Thai Town spreads farther than just that mini mall, though it is a good Ground Zero from which to explore. The dessert shop in that lot (with a name I can neither recall nor pronounce) is amazing, too. I recommend the bananas in coconut milk. There are some Thai restaurants on Sunset Boulevard as well as on Hollywood. The borders are indeed approximately Western to the West, Hollywood to the North, Sunset to the South and Normandie to the East (with the Eastern edge bleeding into Little Armenia). Jitlada at 5233 W. Sunset Blvd has an interesting Southern Thai menu that some food bloggers on the "other" site discovered. . Palms Thai at 5900 Hollywood Blvd. is fairly Westernized, but they have nice long tables good for groups, quick service, and Thai Elvis (who may actually be Armenian) performs live on occasion, which can be a draw or not, depending.

Here in NE LA, east of the river, the cherry tomatoes are sweet as candy, the first spaghetti squash just about big enough to cook, the Japanese cucumbers keep growing into spirals and the sparse green beans are a big disappointment. Somehow the passion fruit I planted from seeds from a friend's house secretly flowered up a tree while I wasn't looking, and now the little tree is garlanded all 'round with little orange holiday decorations filled with tasty pulp. A local blogger did a photographic survey on the front yard gardens in my neighborhood, that turned into a debate about class, race and media attention. You might find it interesting: http://laeastside.com/2008/07/eatable-patches-of-dirt/

The Magic Castle Hotel is on that hotel list. I'm thinking if your niece cannot hear, she might particularly enjoy taking in the sleight of hand performances in the close up room at the Magic Castle, a private club which is open to guests of the hotel. It requires such visual concentration to spot the trick... if you are even able... that it would be a good use of her senses. Just down the hill from there, try a Beard Papa cream puff at the Hollywood & Highland mall. This is a Japanese dessert chain, and I think the fresh baked unsweetened paste and lightly sweet vanilla custard with whipped cream is really a lovely treat. There actually IS a chicken and waffle joint not far away, Roscoe's at 1448 N Gower Street, just north of Sunset. And you would be close to Thai Town (Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, east of Western Avenue) where there are many adventurous meals to be enjoyed.

A late lunch today, after exploring the grounds of the mysterious and beautiful Pio Pico adobe in Pico Rivera, was at Golden Triangle in Whittier. We had the astonishing ginger salad, their creamy homemade tofu salad, and the mint-lamb noodles (it was frankly too hot outside to enjoy this one, so most of the dish has come home for breakfast). Dinner last night was at Ensenada on Spring Street downtown. It's a nice place to linger with friends, but after two meals there, I'm not impressed with anything but the homemade soups which accompany all the entries. Cheese soup the first time, rice-dotted meatball (with a lime slice) last night. Next time, if there is one, I'm ordering soup and more soup. Lunch Monday at Colori Kitchen at 8th and Olive (disclosure: I am their publicist), glad to see them doing a busy service and breaking in the summer menu.

It's a supermarket and not a farmer's market, but we've been quite happy shopping at Super King on the edge of Glendale. Hard to beat the loss leader prices on berries, and incredibly fresh and varied offerings, from stonefruit to herbs and all between. The article by Kathryn Maese in the Downtown News (linked below) about a recent decline in quality at the Grand Central Market is upsetting. She's quite right: there's no reason GCM can't again become a destination. It survived the loss of the Bunker Hill residential community in the 1960s, so it's madness to think the loss of the Angels Flight funicular is really the problem, especially when there are more people living downtown now than there have been in 50 years. http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2008/...nion/edit04.txt