Los Angeles

Having lived in Orange County/LA area a good portion of my life (with family still there), I head down South regularly, exploring LA haunts as much as I can, struggling much more in OC to find high-caliber food and drink but always on the hunt.  My recent visit provided yet more experiences worth sharing…

DRINK

Seven Grand – The sad news is, this bar isn’t in my neighborhood.  The good news is, it’s the best one I’ve been to in LA yet?  There are a few mixology-caliber (at least from what I hear) spots I haven’t yet been able to visit (soon!?), but up till now, my foray into the LA mixology scene/cocktail renaissance has produced nothing compared to what I experience regularly in SF and NY (LA still often heavily factors in the vodka/fruity-sweet kind of cocktails popular in the ’80′s). Seven Grand, however, changes things. The space, for starters, couldn’t be cooler. In an old building in the heart of downtown LA (still desolate streets at night though they continue to try and bring more residents to the area), the grand staircase, lined with animal heads is almost creepy but wins you over as you pass a cheesy hunting diorama display midway into the musty, deer-head, pool table, old-fashioned wallpaper bar.  I like the corner wood booth tucked away to the left of the entrance or happily sit at the bar and let the bartenders shake up something special.  Their whiskey selection is thorough, if pricey.  When it comes to cocktails, the selection is minimal, sticking to straightforward classics, which I actually rarely have seen in LA up till this point, but have long been common in NY and SF (or New Orleans): Mint Juleps, Sazeracs, etc…  It’s good to see those done well in LA.  After chatting, the bartender mentioned an off-the-menu special, the oddly named “Big Mac“, made of Bourbon, Lemon, Blackberry and Cranberry with plump, juicy blackberries… an invigorating, balanced imbibement.  LA may get into the game yet.

LAMILL Coffee Boutique – Coffee is done oh-so-well in SF and when the king, Blue Bottle Coffee, secured a $20k siphon machine for their cafe, articles were written in the New York Times on down about this amazing test-tube display from Japan, the only one in the US, making coffee by an ancient, slow-brewing method. We’ve seen the craft accelerate here years back – I never have to drink a bad cup in my hometown.  I was intrigued by LAMILL’s menu, as it employs a number of the methods we’ve long seen in the Bay Area, like Chemex (hand-drip through a paper filter), Eva Solo, French Press and Siphon brews.  Each is brewed individually at your table, from a variety of beans around the world – both bean and brewing method, your choice.  There are special drinks on the menu, seasonal choices (like eggnog) or with pairings (like a gourmet jelly donut).  I already like Silver Lake, the neighborhood LAMILL is located in, but was even more impressed by the chic dining room and prompt service.  A slew of laptop writers seem odd in this setting and the food overpriced for what is trying to be both coffee/tea cafe and mid-range restaurant.  I love the concept but found each coffee I tried somehow disappointing, mediocre, lacking robust flavors of the best in SF and in Italy.  I decided to also try a specialty drink for a taste range, but found the coffee overly sweet and syrupy, reminding me more of Starbucks than of a quality coffee boutique.  But I only got to taste a few coffees, and at barely over a year old, I still want to give it another shot.  I sense it might be one of those LA, “style over substance” deals.  Maybe my expectations were too high, going as a coffee nerd all jazzed up at the sight of mini-siphons at each table.  The concept seemed fun, playful… but, of course, the coffee quality and taste has to match.  I really want to love you, LAMILL.  Maybe next time.

FOOD

Pazzo Gelato – A choice Silver Lake ice cream joint with some of the better gelato in LA.  They let you try flavors so don’t be shy.  I was won over by the addictive, smooth Banana Hazelnut.  They do a rich Egg Nog around the holidays and their European Yogurt is delectably tart, while Chocolate Tangerine gives a nice variation on the Choco Orange combo (one I adore).  Plus, it’s right off the 101 Freeway so easy to pull off and get a scoop.

Phillips Bar-B-Que, 1517 Centinela Avenue (near Beach Ave), Inglewood, 310-412-7135 – As is true of the best BBQ, this place is a dump where you walk up to a window and order your Que to go. I just eat it in the car, because where else are you gonna go in Inglewood (there’s also two other locations: Mid-City and Leimert Park)? Often named the best BBQ in LA, it’s probably the best I’ve had in LA, though not the best anywhere.  Friendly and down-to-the-earth, I find Phillips the real deal.  Smoked links?  Aw, yeah.  A good, spicy sauce compliments the meat with a slice of bread to sop up the extra sauce.

Brent’s Deli – So there’s a yuppiefied, chain-looking Westlake Village locale, or the real-deal original in Northridge.  Northridge is WAY out of the way for most of us, but I almost say it’s worth it to try this decades-old classic with pretty much the best corned beef on rye or pastrami on the West Coast.  Jewish/New York diner classics abound, sandwiches are huge, there are blintzes, chopped liver, and Jewish deli classics.  It’s a worthy detour heading out of LA on my drive back North.

LOS ANGELES

So my gorgeous sister just got married in So Cal and you know even despite the full week of family events and parties, I got in my fair taste of food and drink. Since I planned the bachelorette gathering, finding hip but chill locales was in order… here were the best from this trip:

COFFEE

Caffe Luxxe

Caffe Luxxe: My favorite LA taste this year (besides Pizzeria Mozza, which I wrote about in May) – and the very best coffee/espresso I’ve ever had in LA – is a Caffe Nico ($4.25) at Santa Monica’s Caffe Luxxe. How I shall say this? As I walked away, I felt the irresistible urge to turn right back around and order another. Worse still, I awoke every morning for a week thereafter, the memory of that perfected Italianate espresso still on my tongue, taunting me sadistically. With a menu of essentially no more than espressos in a pristine, little shop, Luxxe intrigued me from the get-go, but once I tasted crema-rich espresso mixed cleanly with candied orange peel and a splash of half-and-half, I knew I’d be forever spoiled. I have only two questions: why don’t LA friends I talked with know about this place, and, more importantly, when can I get back there?

COCKTAILS with a view (or a scene)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: My sister’s bachelorette gig was enhanced by a random lounge in the Northernmost part of LA County: sleepy, suburban Agoura Hills. While I have to say cocktails were average at best, Chapter 8 went above and beyond in the atmos department to give us an unforgettable setting. It’s “Vegas meets retro lounge meets glitzy bordello”. You can see by the photo that the amount of red means dress up, slink around, watch old movies on the flat screens behind the bar, or groove the night away in the dance room or outdoor patio. Take photos in the weird vinyl “tunnel” between the bar/restaurant and dance room. This place will transport.

Moonshadow's Malibu

Moonshadows’ Malibu: Cocktails here are average and at big city prices (around $12; the culinary cocktail renaissance has, sadly, yet to explode in LA), but Moonshadows’ Malibu beachside setting, again, more than makes up for it with the outdoor deck literally hanging over crashing waves on rocks below. What a place to take in the sunset or a warm night! Heat lamps, vinyl beds, cabana-like tables/booths and an outdoor tiki bar create a vibe that’s fun but chill (not obnoxiously wild, at least not when I was there – weekends are different, I hear). The blue lighting off of white vinyl cast a magic glow as the moon rises over the Pacific.

LOS ANGELES

Farmer’s Market (since 1934)

Monday-Friday, 9 am-9 pm
Saturday, 9 am-8 pm
Sunday, 10 am-7 pm
Some merchant hours vary

6333 West 3rd Street (and Fairfax)
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-9211
www.farmersmarketla.com

The original Los Angeles Farmer’s Market started in 1934 with actual farmers selling produce from the back of their trucks in a dirt lot. Now it’s a permanent set-up with (horror of horrors) chain stores like Starbucks (?!) and Pinkberry surrounding its outer rim, and permanent open-air “stands” or shops in the middle.

San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Building Farmer’s Market this ain’t. No rare, expensive, beautiful produce here. Nor will you find gourmet, foodie dream shops serving lavender salt or grass-fed beef jerky. You won’t even find much of what might be deemed “gourmet”. What you will find at its center is almost a time warp, reminding me of ‘80’s food fairs of my childhood with bright red, sugary popcorn or bags of roasted nuts sold by sweet Grandma-types.

I didn’t experience a taste revolution here, but I’m lulled into its charm nonetheless. Piecing together a meal from various “stands” is a fun experience, with tables strewn everywhere for ease. True to form, I researched and compared ‘best recommended’ from multiple reviews, then tried many myself. Here are my top choices:

DRINK

Eple

Eple: The one spot that was actually inventive and current is a brand new (less than a couple months old) fruit and juice shop next to Pinkberry. Calling itself a “House of Decadent Fruit”, they sell fresh, exotic fruits, and refreshing, eye-opening juices in combos I could drink often: healthy AND teasingly delighting the palate. I love the Strawberry/Red Pepper/ Banana juice – just enough, not too much, red pepper. They also have Kiwi/Spinach/Banana juice, and a few others.

The Refresher

The Refresher: I’m not a soda drinker (never touch it) but occasionally love a high-quality root beer. Still, I couldn’t resist the idea of trying from the large selection of rare bottled sodas at this stand, including their own excellent house-brewed root beer (Bennett’s Big Bear Root Bear) and a Lemon Cola. Check out the daily house specials.

LUNCH/DINNER

The Gumbo Pot

The Gumbo Pot: This somewhat greasy, Louisiana eatery was my favorite choice for a meal here. Not exquisite, most items are just hearty and plentiful, but shined compared to the letdown of Loteria or French Crepe Co. For $3, you get three hefty Beignets, drizzled in chocolate or plain (pair it with chicory coffee). They grill up Alligator Tail Filets, Catfish, Snapper and fried Oysters. Po’ Boys Sandwiches offer tasty meat (love the Cornmeal Fried Catfish), but darned if I didn’t have to dig to find the meat in all that French bread. And the Gumbo? Not bad. Nice, spicy andouille sausage and some good chunks of shrimp and chicken.

Loteria! Grill

Loteria! Grill: After all the great things I’ve heard about this place, and knowing LA has some of the best Mexican food in the country (I’ve eaten plenty of it growing up), I was pretty disappointed. First, the price: $10 for two microscopic tacos – about three bites each – with rice & beans. Worse, each item I tried did not overwhelm me. It’s good, but heck, local SF taquerias beat it, hands down! What did jazz my taste buds, inauthentic as it is, was the side of “green rice” with flecks of fresh mint. Refreshing, bright and poppy – a treat. Also, tasty black beans. If only their mains were as great as their sides.

The French Crepe Co.

The French Crepe Co.: It’s mediocre, especially compared to Briton buckwheat crepes at SF’s Ti Couz, BUT… if you want to fill up on crepes, it’ll do the trick with a large menu and sweet servers.

BUTCHER

Huntington Meats

Huntington Meats: Just look at the photo of Jim and Dan on the website and you’ll feel good about this place. It’s old school in all the right ways, while current in its use of Harris Ranch, corn-fed meat. They make all sausages on the premises, which sound mouth-wateringly good (Chicken Jamaican Mango, Alligator Andouille). The Renaissance Man has been on a gourmet jerky hunt, trying all kinds of interesting jerky around the country (focusing on the Midwest where beef is king)… and he says Huntington’s beef jerky is the best he’s tasted. You can see the quality as it comes in big sheets of a large cut of meat, not in little strips like most. They make their own BBQ sauce, marinades and chutneys.

LOS ANGELES

Pizzeria Mozza

It almost doesn’t seem worth writing about a place that’s already such a hit… unless you love it enough to add your voice to the din. Though open little over half a year, reservations need to be made a month in advance and a line forms before it’s opening hour of noon. It’s not a hip “scene”, which is what normally draws LA crowds. In a very Bay Area move, this Hollywood pizzeria is all about the food. The room is high ceilinged and airy, service is attentive and professionally fine-tuned, but tables are packed tightly with the decibel level annoyingly high.

You’ll forget all that, however, when you taste the pizza that, despite countless delicious gourmet pizzas I’ve tasted over the years, actually stands out. I went in a little blasé, expecting a good pizza the likes of SF’s Pizzetta 211, Pizzeria Delfina and Beretta. I was delightedly surprised to bite into Mozza’spuffy, blistered, hollow crust and find a doughy center. A perfect combination of textures. Toppings are fresh, traditional Italian with over 15 pizzas to choose from. The Fennel Sausage Pizza is drool inducing… the aroma of fennel rises from the plate tauntingly before first bite confirms it tastes even better than it smells.

Appetizers are top quality, Italian antipasti with California freshness. The Brussel Sprouts in Prosciutto Bread Crumbs and Olive Oil are crisply invigorating, as are the salads, particularly the popular Chopped Salad. Whatever the gelato pie of the day is, order it… unless you don’t care for ice cream. I had a Meyer Lemon Gelato Pie: tart, refreshing, in a thick, homemade graham cracker crust, drizzled with white vinegar sauce. Their website shows a Pumpkin Gelato Pie – I’d come back for that!

Much has been made of this affordable pizzeria one can’t easily get into. Mario Batali’s first West Coast restaurant with Nancy Silverton’s heavenly pizzas and Joseph Bastianich’s wine expertise… is surprisingly worth the hype. On top of all this, Osteria Mozza, their upscale restaurant next door, is already winning national awards and acclaim. I’ll continue to recommend Pizzeria Mozza as a refreshingly affordable, stellar LA meal.