arkestra

as noted above, they've been using the automated machines on the west coast for years. i'm willing to frequent a place that uses an automated machine (indeed, i've been to places that have pretty good automated machines.) the problem is that the machines starbucks uses are lousy. the product is undrinkable (not that it was a whole lot better before they introduced the machines).

Sadly, I believe Cafe Organica has closed (though I believe the owner has some plans for a new place).

Going for lunch is a great idea. If you're willing to to get one of the fixed sushi selections (not all sushi places offer them), you can get a real deal. Mori sushi has 2 or 3 fixed lunch specials and they're priced in the teens. Even at dinner, I think you can do omakase and get out for $65, but I would let the suchi chef serving you know up front what your budget is.

I'd go to Sushi Sasabune for sure. It was my favorite place when I lived in LA. It's in a mini j-town like area on Sawtelle. Do the omakase. The best in LA in my opinion! ← Sasabune has moved. It's located on Wilshire, near Bundy/Centinella, in the old Todai space. Personally, I think Sasbune USED TO BE very good, many years ago. (I ate their on a regular basis, several times a week.) The quality started to decline as its popularity grew. (Among other things, they started precutting fish.) Of course, one could argue about the best sushi places from now to eternity!

As between the three sushi places you mentioned, I'd pick Mori Sushi hands down. I think it's the best choice in terms of fish quality/preparation and atmosphere.

hario (japanese) makes some pots that are very similar to yama (taiwanese). hario used to have a presence in the u.s (so. cal.), but i believe they may have closed the operation. (i believe their website used to be hariousa.com) i assume you can still find some of their pots. if you have a problem, you may want to contact cafe balcony, a small cafe in west l.a. they serve vacuum-brewed coffee using harios. (they have about 4 on the counter.) they may be able to tell you where to get one. here is a link: cafe balcony good luck

you can also get a lunch deal at R23. their fixed sushi lunch is $12 (if i recall correctly). they also have other specials (including cooked food). a few doors down from R23, you can find cafe metropol, a nice, very casual place, with very decent food (sandwiches, salads, pizza, etc.). cafe metropol

russ, imai is no more. it's now another sushi bar. (i have no idea if the new place is any good.) for sushi downtown, i would recommend R23. good food and a great room. R23 edited to add: oops! sorry, russ. i just noticed that your post was from 2004. i guess imai was still open.

minor correction -- chameau is on fairfax (between beverly and oakwood).

here is a site with some instructions: instructions i use a grind that's a little more course than an espresso grind.

i was at the santa monica farmers' market this morning and purchased some passion fruit (which i haven't yet tried). i saw only one place carrying them.

i believe i saw some (the dark purplish ones) at the wednesday farmers' market in santa monica. (i say "i believe" because i just passed by the stand and didn't get up very close.) if i go tomorrow, i'll keep an eye out for them.

Well, I've finally ordered some Goldeyes. I placed the order through Mariner Neptune (they were very nice and helpful; thanks Pam). They will ship next week to friends in Canada who cross the border on a weekly basis and the frineds will then ship to me. Considering all the shipping charges, the fish better be good! I have one last question: I was told that a red dye is usually used in connection with the smoking process, but it can be omitted if requested. If I was ordering the fish for my own consumption, I would omit the dye. However, because I am ordering for someone else, I wanted to get your thoughts. Is the red dye traditional/common? (The fish is for someone who grew up in Winnipeg (I'm guetimating 30-40 years ago), so I'd like the fish to appear as it most likely did at that time. Any dye thoughts?

Thanks Pam. I'll call these places to see if they can ship to the U.S. I have a feeling they may not (the Mariner Neptune site mentioned supplying establishments all across Canada, but made no mention of the States), but it's worth checking (plus they may be able to lead me in the right direction). As for quantity, I wasn't looking for much; probably 2-3 fish, but I could probably handle up to a dozen. (The "friend" I mentioned in my original post is actually my mother-in-law. She would like to get some (I imagine 1-2 fish) for her husband's doctor, who is originally from Winnipeg. But if I need to order more to satisfy some minimum order requirement, I'm sure I could find what to do with another 10 or so.) And Rona, thanks so much for your offer. I'll try the places Pam mentioned first, but if that doesn't work out . . . . (I have a feeling FDA regs may be an issue, but I'll check.) Thanks again for all the responses.

A friend here in the U.S. has asked me to find out how she can obtain Winnipeg Goldeye. (I've never had the fish. I understand it's often sold smoked.) Does anyone know of some place that ships this fish to the U.S.?

They just opened a market in Little Tokyo, downtown L.A. For some reason, it's not yet listed on their website.

i forgot to add that on my way back to the hotel from my last visit to cafe italia, i stopped at l'express and had another very good espresso. my only complaint concerns their cups -- they're too big (even if they are kind of cute).

thanks to this thread and to carswell, i was able to enjoy some really nice espressos during a visit to montreal last week. on my first full day in the city, i made it back to benelo on crescent where i had fantastic espressos a couple years ago. as carswell mentioned, ownership has changed. the espresso was good, but not great. it's still a nice option downtown. i had a better espresso later that day at some place on montagne, between maisonneuve and sherbrooke, on the east side of the street. unfortunately, the name escapes me. (it's more of a cafe/restaurant. i had a pretty good panini while i was there.) i thoroughly enjoyed cafe olympico on st. viateur. i was there twice and the espressos were very good each time. but the true highlight was cafe italia on st. laurent. my first visit was with carswell and we both agreed it was the best of the three places we tried that afternoon. i returned at about 6:30 the following morning (while my wife and kids were still sleeping) to get one last good espresso (ok, so i had 2) before going home later that day. once again, exceptional. after leaving cafe italia, i walked over to see if cafe union or cafe crema were open. unfortunately, they weren't. oh well, i guess i'll have to explore them during my next visit. i also had a very good espresso while having a quick bite at cafe zenetti near jean talon. the shot was a little long, but it was still very good. i also really loved the pizza i had there. ironically, upon returning to southern california, i was dreading the notion of drinking the bad espressos here, only to be surprised by 2 positive experiences on my first day back. how does the saying go? even a blind dog finds an occasional bone. thanks again for all the recommendations.

i just checked out their site. it sounds great! too bad they don't deliver to so. cal.

In no way is Snowdon Deli Kosher ... again, Kosher-style most definitely. And one source to check is: Kosher Restaurants or perhaps: Kosher Restaurants take 2 If you are looking for certified kosher smoked meat, I can direct you to Chez Benny, an Israeli cafeteria-style restaurant that's certified. They are located on Queen Mary Road, west of Decarie (practically next door to the metro). I can't attest to their smoked meat, but their falafel & baba ganouj is top rate & other Israeli specialities as well. They have just added Kosher Szechuan to their menu but I can't comment since I have yet to try it. ← Oops! Thanks for the correction. That's what happens when you rely on your wife for information! (Sure, blame the wife)

if you're looking for smoked meat, i believe snowden deli is kosher.

I live in Southern California and Gad Dairy products can be found here in several "Israeli" stores. These stores also carry "white" and cottage cheeses, as well as several yoghurt products from Strauss. I recently noticed some Yotvata products that are made in the U.S. It appears they have set up a subsidiary -- Yotvata USA, or something like that.

I don't know how many of you have seen it, but this reminded me of the Fawlty Towers episode "Waldorf Salad" when John Cleese pretends to yell at the chef who had already gone home.

Carswell, thanks for the Benelo update. Please let us now when you've tried the espresso under the new "ownership." I'm planning on visiting again in late April. This time, I hope to try some of the other places mentioned on this thread. I had a tough time making the espresso rounds last time as our kids were quite small and it was hard to get away for espresso trips. (We stayed near Benelo, so I was there every day.) The kids are a little bigger now, so I'm hoping to make it to a few other places, with or without them. (They rarely say no to a stop that includes pastries.) Any luck finding Horace Tapscott recordings?

It looks (and sounds) great. But what are we supposed to do in SoCal?!!!!!