la.foodblogging

Allston Yacht Club is one of those hidden restaurants right in my own back yard that I never would have noticed if someone hadn’t pointed it out to me. This someone happened to be an email inviting me to join them on a Thursday night for a tasting menu, drinks and all. Always one to try out a new neighborhood joint, I agreed to go. The free meal helped too.

No, the restaurant isn’t in the marina. It’s tucked away north of Sunset on Echo Park Ave. The owners, Bill and Charlie facetiously named it after a fancy-pants neighborhood in Boston. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be ironic. The self-proclaimed hook at Allston Yacht Club is that the dishes are so fairly priced for the economic climate that one could even afford a glass of wine with the meal. Most of the small plates are $9 and under. They also claim they’re unique because they’re a casual place to sit down and grab a drink, but in LA, that type of restaurant is a dime a dozen.

I started off with a cocktail AYC was testing that night. Watermelon, strawberry, ginger ale, and booze makes for a refreshing summer beverage. The drink was so good, I could even drink it without the alcohol.

One of the first things to appear on the table was a plate of peanuts and small dried fish. They were salty and had a nice kick to them thanks to the slices of green chili pepper mixed in. One of the owners said it was Thai inspired, which I could see, but as the boyfriend pointed out, it needed something else: kaffir lime leaves. The fragrant leaves would give this tasty beer snack more Thai flavor.

While I was munching on the snacks, Bill stopped by to chat. He talked about how he and his partner Charlie came up with the menu. It contains mostly dishes that they like to eat themselves, which explains why none of the dishes really seem cohesive with each other. It makes AYC a place to stop by for a drink and a few bites to eat, not an entire sit-down dinner.

One of my favorite dishes of the night was the brandade with roasted tomato. It’s a whipped mixture of pureed potato, salt cod, tomato, cream, and olive oil, put in a bowl, and passed under the broiler. When spread over a crispy crostini, it’s creamy, melt-in-your-mouth lusciousness.

Next came a sample of three appetizers: shishito peppers, frico, and arancini. The shishito peppers were cooked well and extremely salty, which make them fitting to snack on while drinking a nice cold beer.

The frico, essentially melted and baked parmesan cheese, was tasty, but lacked in presentation. I joked that the frico would be more aesthetic if it were made into a more lace-like pattern and placed sticking up through the arancini.

The arancini, battered and fried risotto balls, were decent but not spectacular. Deep frying anything makes it taste good. What caught my attention was the tomatillo salsa served under the balls. It was a unique but balanced touch because the acidity of the salsa cut down on the rich oiliness of the balls.

I also sampled the fennel, orange and greens salad, which tasted much like what one would expect. There’s no going wrong with pairing fennel and the sweet acidity of orange. The two make such a strong burst of flavor that the restaurant could even get away with serving a more bitter variety of greens instead of just plain arugula. Don’t get me wrong, the greens this salad was served with were fine, but it could be “kicked up a notch” with a bit of frisée or baby mustard greens.

The next trio that was brought out was three samples from the main plates. The cedar plank salmon had a decent charred flavor, but was a tad too overdone for my liking. This could be attributed to the sample plate being a smaller portion than usual, thus skewing the cooking time. I’m not a huge fan of the cooked pink-fleshed fish, but I could see people enjoying this. The dish was uninspired, but the restaurant doesn’t claim to break any molds.

The roasted brussel sprouts were a miss for me. They were cooked to the proper done-ness, which was a relief because no one likes undercooked brussel sprouts. What wasn’t good was the flavoring. The menu claimed a balsamic reduction, but as the boyfriend pointed out, it tasted more like sherry wine vinegar. The acidity was too much for this dish and drowned out any sweetness from caramelization. I do have to give AYC props for offering the option of having this with or without bacon, which should please vegetarians.

Barbecue duck confit with beans isn’t a combination I’ve thought of before, but AYC has made me a fan. The duck was flavorful and tender without being too fatty. The barbecue flavor was brought out further by the sweetness of the beans. This is one dish I’d have no qualms recommending to friends. I would be happy with just a big plate of this and a cold beer.

It’s worth noting that AYC has a small but decent wine list which focuses mainly on old world wines. This may seem contrary to its more modern food menu, but the red wine the boyfriend ordered went quite well with what he had.

Speaking of what he had, it was nice of the restaurant to accommodate a vegan diet. While there was some confusion at first about whether or not the dishes could have dairy, it all worked out okay at the end. As the menu is right now, I wouldn’t recommend it to vegetarians with large appetites, but I hope the restaurant adds a couple more filling items for the herbivores among us. It only makes sense considering the restaurant’s location.

I went into Allston Yacht Club with no expectations — a good way to avoid disappoitnment. The sampling of dishes I had was decent, but not amazing. The restaurant is a good choice to have in the neighborhood, but I wouldn’t call it a destination location.

This is supposed to be a restaurant review, but I have to voice my opinion about something related to the restaurant. I appreciated that AYC’s PR contact met us at the door and explained the concept of the restaurant and introduced us to the owners. I appreciated that the owners came by to sit down and chat and I was intrigued with their back-story.

What I didn’t like was being told before each dish came out how amazing it was and how amazing everything that came out of the kitchen was. It sets up high expectations, some of which certainly were not met. While I know it’s up to PR to sell the restaurant, please PR minions, keep your food opinions to yourselves and let the bloggers eat in peace.

Allston Yacht Club
1320 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 481-0454

By Louise (see more of her posts). You can find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

My VERY pregnant friend and I went to lunch at Villa Blanca, the new Italian spot that replaced Trilussa. Between you and me, I can say with the utmost sincerity, the LAST thing Beverly Hills needed was ANOTHER mediocre Italian eatery. Honestly, what is the deal? Why are there SO MANY? Can we get a little Thai or Indian up in here? I am well aware that a slew of diners exist who will disagree with me, but I’ll take Via Veneto in Santa Monica any day. So, if you have a glimmer of insight into the Italian food obsession in BH, let me know! Moving on …

The atmosphere at Villa Blanca is whimsical, romantic, and white on white, which feels fresh and glamorous. There’s a lovely patio on the sidewalk but the inside seating is equally inviting. You might think you’ve stepped into someones romantic wedding reception for a moment. The menu (thank god) offers some items not seen elsewhere in BH, such as a variety of Italian inspired sandwiches and flat breads as well as some unique appetizers. (More details after next visit.)

Since it was lunch, we both opted for salads which I enjoyed more than my usual greens at La Scala, Il Pastaio, or Via Alloro. Both were very fresh with lots of “the good stuff” meaning chicken, cheese, olives etc. This is hard to find in Beverly Hills where salads are usually quite lettuce heavy despite the $18.00 price tag. I tried the Greek salad with shrimp and Erica had the chicken chopped. At Villa Blanca I felt the food at least stood up to the price.

Our waiter was fabulous! He really made our afternoon sweet and enjoyable. I forgot his name, but remember his accent! We decided to indulge in cappuccino and dessert so I would have more blog fodder and my friend could satiate her mommy-to-be cravings.

The coffee was delish! The molten lava chocolate cake … YUMMYLISCIOUS! I’m normally not one to rave about a dessert unless it really deserves my glowing review and I’ve had plenty of average molten chocolate lava cakes. This one rates a super 9! I took one point off as the cake around the edges was a tiny bit dry. The rest, superb and worth every calorie. I’ll be returning to Villa Blanca soon for a dinner review!

THE QUICK DISH
This newbie Italian restaurant is worth a try if you’re sick of all the others and want better quality for your cash. The food is good, the atmosphere great, and the service 5 star!

RESTROOM REPORT
Like It!

By foodflirt90210 (see more of her posts). You can find more of foodflirt90210's writing at her own website foodflirt90210

Le Saint Amour is Bruno and Florence Herve-Commereuc’s latest restaurant. Located in downtown Culver City on a wedge-shaped block, the main entrance is actually on the Culver Blvd. side. The interior has a wall lined with booths and tightly placed tables on one side, and a bar on the other side. On sunny LA days, there’s also the patio located on the Washington Blvd. side.

I had read that Bruno was known for his charcuterie, so how could I come for my first visit without trying any of it? The decision of what to order was easy once I saw there was a charcuterie plate available for lunch ($10) with the choice of fries or salad as the side.

Before my main dish came, I was presented with a basket of bread. The bread may not look like much, but it was the tastiest bread I’ve had for a while. The crust was perfectly toothsome, and the inside was flavorful with just the right amount of chew, and delicious with butter. I had to force myself to stop at one piece of bread to save stomach room for my main dish.

The charcuterie plate came out swiftly with a side of fries. There were two types of each variety of forcemeat, which was plenty for me. Every individual piece was very pleasing to the palate, but I had favorites. Among those were the prosciutto, salumi, and the crushed pepper-corn crusted pate. I was worried that a plate full of meat would be too rich or dense, but that wasn’t the case at all. Nothing was overly salty and each bite of the cornichons (the small pickles) was a refreshing palate cleanse.

Le Saint Amour’s lunch menu offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and more dinner-type dishes. The sheer number of dishes I can’t even pronounce makes me eager to return for more. The restaurant is the perfect place to settle down with a long, leisurely lunch and a glass of wine.

Le Saint Amour
9725 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
[map]

By Louise (see more of her posts). You can find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

Last week the Los Angeles Zoo staged an event that promised the following:

Several top LA chefs will feed the black bears while we hacks will get to munch on Pinks (famous) hot dogs.
What is wrong with this picture?!?!?
Well, considering I’ve lived in LA for over a decade and had never even tried these one of these legendary hot dogs (the queue is almost always over an hour) and I wanted to see the bears, I thought why not?

Nice and early I trooped over to the LA Zoo, in Griffith Park, and gathered, along with a handful of writers, TV cameras and local politicians, to watch the bears in action. Down in the bear pit were several carved watermelon shells stuffed with mackerel, tropical fruits – such as papaya, kiwi and cantaloupe – and vegetables including carrots and lettuce.

Before the two bears emerged from their enclosure to chow down, we listened to a short speech from Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) President Connie Morgan, Zoo Director John Lewis and Tom Mankiewicz about the popular and informal fundraiser. City Council member Tom LaBonge joked with the gathering that he was always at Pink’s, adding, “Don’t tell my doctor!”

Beastly Ball honoree, the diminutive Laura Z. Wasserman and GLAZA Trustee, gave a brief speech wearing striking red high heels, describing her longtime love of animals. GLAZA is a private, non-profit organization that raises money for the city-owned Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. For the past 39 years they have staged The Beastly Ball, their annual fund-raising event under the stars. Rather than being a stuffy black-tie event, informal and safari attire is encouraged for the attendees of the Beastly Ball. Entertainment and dance music will be provided by world music groups and live bands.

Chefs from the top LA restaurants that will be catering the star-lit event conducted the morning feeding session from afar. They included Jason Park of Yamashiro; Akira Hirose, owner/chef of Maison Akira; Calogero Drago, owner/chef of Celestino Ristorante, Jack Rogers, chef of Spitfire Saloon; Gerardo Ochoa, chef of El Cholo and Francoise Koster, chef of La Poubelle.

It was fun to watch the curious bears examine and then dive into the watermelon baskets. One bear gingerly plucked grapes off the stem one by one with its teeth.

On hand to feed the hungry hacks was Gloria Pink, Beverly Pink Wolfe and Tom West, of Pink’s Famous Hot Dogs. We humans feasted on snappy Pink’s Hot Dogs (beef, turkey or vegetarian) dressed with the usual condiments (relish, onion, cheese), including some of the best damn chili I have ever tasted.

Now I get why these hot dogs are so popular!

Tickets to the Beastly Ball run to $1,000 per person. If that’s a little out of your league, on July 14 and July 24, between 6 and 9pm, you can enjoy a delightful evening of musical entertainment under the stars at Music in the Zoo. A variety of musical acts will perform at different locations throughout the Zoo each evening.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.

For tickets and information, call (323) 644-4753

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past ten years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She is completing a family cookbook and has also written novels for 8-12 year olds. She is currently writing two screenplays.

On my birthday this year, the BF treated me to dinner at a place we’ve been meaning to go to for a while: XIV. The last time we tried to dine there, we were unsuccessful because even though their site said they were open that Sunday night, they weren’t. This time, we made reservations to make sure they were open when we got there.

The decor in XIV was the first thing we noticed. There were highly embellished, antiquated looking furniture, but with a post-modern flair like this weird antler chair in the corner by our table. There were also cow-hide armchairs, roaring fireplaces, and ugly modern art. You could say that the decor is eye-catching.

The tasting menu at XIV is broken up into three sizes: 8 dishes, 11 dishes, or a whopping 14 dishes. The BF and I decided to do the 8 dish tasting menu just to see what the kitchen could put out. Even though most of the menu is laid out as if the dishes were served tapas-style, we ran into some confusion. XIV has an entirely vegan, separate menu. We thought that, like at AOC, he could pick 4 dishes and then I could pick 4 dishes and then we could share. Oh, if it were only that easy.

Apparently, the way the vegan menu works is like this: one of us picks 8 dishes, and the other will also have 8 dishes of the same kind. So if I chose 8 dishes, he would get 8 vegan dishes corresponding to the dishes I had. Since I was about to let the chef pick what he wanted to send out, this was a hitch in my plan. In the end, I let the BF choose 8 dishes he wanted off the vegan menu, and the kitchen would send out 8 omnivore versions of what he had.

This confusion wouldn’t have existed if they had just called them ‘courses’ instead of dishes. Since we both got our own plates for each version of the dish, it was more like we were sharing 8 of the same courses. I mostly stuck to my own dishes and he obviously stuck to eating off his dish. Even though ordering was more difficult than we had initially thought, we both decided it was an interesting way to present each course.

Our thoughts on each course after the jump:
Read the rest of this entry »

By Louise (see more of her posts). You can find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

If you enjoy Thai-influenced curries, then you are going to adore Curry Love, a brand new and tantalizing range of organic and vegan curry sauces created by Swiss-born chef Michael Buechi.

This utterly delicious line of savory organic simmerables were inspired by Chef Buechi’s travels to Thailand. He does all the hard work for you, balancing flavors and spices to offer an alternative to splashing out on a gourmet meal.

These fragrant curries are the perfect base for various hearty dinners. Options range from Luscious Yellow Thai (mild) to Blissful Banana Ginger (medium) to Passion Red Thai (hot).

Vegans and Vegetarians can also enjoy this USDA-certified organic curry line.
[NB – does contain soy wheat and tree nuts.]

We recently did a test of two of the curries at home. Unfortunately, in all the excitement, I completely neglected to photograph the results. Sorry!

For the Passion Red Thai curry I sauteed some quartered baby eggplants in olive oil until soft and golden. I then added the sauce and some BBQ Duck meat that I had picked up from Sam Woo’s BBQ in Van Nuys. I found the sauce to be more mild-to-medium than hot, which I prefer.

For the yummy-sounding Blissful Banana Ginger I lightly sauteed some green onion pieces in peanut oil, then added the sauce. I then simmered some snow peas and chopped asparagus for about five minutes until they were cooked. Then we added some already cooked bay shrimp that my friend Carolyn brought. Next time I’ll add some thawed uncooked shrimp from Trader Joe’s frozen section.

I served both of these sensational curries with some steamed brown rice and everybody went back for heaping seconds. These two meals served three extremely hearty appetites.

I had also purchased some fresh basil and fresh cilantro but forgot to add them to the dishes. Additional herbs would have been completely unnecessary, in any case.

VERDICT:

The sauces were surprisingly runny. I noticed that the first ingredient is water. Hmmmnnnn. I do prefer my curries to be on the thick side.
BUT, the flavors, while actually quite mild, were truly excellent, so any misgivings about the consistency were eclipsed by the marvelous experience of dining like a Thai Princess in my own home.

Curry Love – brilliant, tasty and super easy to put together.

Each 11oz jar costs $6.99. A little pricey, but so worth it.
Their gorgeous boxed set of the curry trio is a great gift idea.

Available online – My Curry Love
Call toll-free 888.635.8886

Thai one on!!

INGREDIENTS:
Blissful Banana Ginger Curry: this creamy combination of banana and coconut milk is balanced by the refreshing taste of ginger, lemongrass and lime juice. Ingredients include: water, coconut milk, dried bananas, rice flour, onions, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, lime juice, tomato paste, spices, sea salt and ground chile peppers. Chef Buechi recommends this medium curry with shrimp and chicken.

Passion Red Thai Curry: this spicy red Thai curry combines cumin and turmeric with the soft and sweet flavors of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Ingredients include: water, coconut milk, onions, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, lemongrass, corn starch, garlic, lime juice, tomato paste, spices and salt. Chef Buechi recommends this hot curry with chicken and fish.

Luscious Yellow Thai Curry: This yellow Thai curry combines the sweetness of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon with cumin and turmeric. Ingredients include: water, coconut milk, onions, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, lemongrass, corn starch, garlic, lime juice, tomato paste, spices and salt. Chef Buechi recommends this mild curry with meat and vegetables.

Easy At-Home Recipes:
On the My Curry Love website, Chef Buechi offers easy-to-prepare delicious seafood, meat, poultry, and vegetarian recipes using his luscious curry sauces.

These recipes include:
Yellow Thai Vegetable Curry;
Yellow Curry with Salmon and Spinach;
Yellow Curry with Beef and Tomatoes;
Yellow Curry with Chicken and Snow Peas;
Red Curry with Chicken and Corn;
Red Curry with Spicy Garlic Shrimp;
Red Curry with Beef and Eggplant;
Banana Curry with Veal and Pineapple;
Banana Curry with Beef Meatballs;
Banana Curry with Rice Noodles, Mango and Shrimp;
and Banana Curry with Spicy Shrimp.

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past ten years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She is completing a family cookbook and has also written novels for 8-12 year olds. She is currently writing two screenplays.

The Quesadilla Lady is a lady with a cart, some fast hands, and the tastiest quesadilla I’ve ever had. She sets up her stand on the sidewalk on Echo Park Blvd., just a few steps south of Sunset. When I spotted her, there was already a handful of people crowded around her cart.

For $3, you get a fresh, handmade blue corn quesadilla with your choice of filling. I asked her to fill mine with cheese and huitlacoche, also known as corn smut, also known as corn fungus. It may sound gross, but boy was it tasty. It had a smooth, almost slimy texture, and a sweet, subtle taste not unlike corn itself.

In front of the flat grill, there’s also a variety of toppings which can be put on the quesadilla, free of charge. I recommend the pickled cactus, pico de gallo, and red salsa. But use the red salsa sparingly! Even though I was told it was very mild, it actually has a lot of kick to it — a delicious but painful kick.

The best part about the Quesadilla Lady is that she has vegetarian and even vegan (we hope!) options. When I asked if the quesadilla contained lard, the answer was no, just corn oil. The BF, curious to try Mexican street food, asked for a quesadilla filled with huitlacoche and squash blossoms. The squash blossoms gave the quesadilla a nice change of texture. I may have to get some of those next time.

A group of people in front of us, who must be street food pros, brought their own plates and utensils! Considering I live so close and will most likely visit the Quesadilla Lady again, this sounds like something I should be doing too. Next on my list of fillings to try are the chicharrones and potato filling.

Echo Park Quesadilla Lady
corner of Sunset & Echo Park (south of Sunset)

By Louise (see more of her posts). You can find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

On a pleasant spring night this week, I had an amazing dinner at Joe’s Restaurant on a quiet corner on the usually busy Abbot Kinney Blvd. It was still early enough for sunlight to be shining in through the windows, illuminating the crisp, clean decor inside.

Our party, two omnivores and a vegan called ahead for reservations and to ask if the chef, Michael Bryant, would be able to make something to accommodate the vegan. The person who took our reservation assured us that it would be no problem.

On very short notice, because the kitchen wasn’t prepared for the vegan to order an entire tasting menu, Bryant came up with an inventive set of dishes utilizing fresh vegetables such as fiddle head ferns, peas, and celery root. I’ve seen my share of vegan dishes made by higher-end restaurants before, but the dishes Bryant presented were by far the best.

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By Louise (see more of her posts). You can find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.