la.foodblogging » LA.foodblogging

Recommend Your Favorites

Jonah — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:19:40 +0000

You have favorite spots to eat in Los Angeles. Maybe we have written about them, maybe we haven’t. Here is your chance to tell us about you favorite spots, suggest that we write about them and let our readers know about places that they should try.

Just fill out the form below, and we will publish the results:

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You can also use this page, which will be the permanent recommendation page:

la.foodblogging Los Angeles Dining Recommendations

Thanks! Looking forward to the responses.

la.foodblogging Wordle

Jonah — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:32:18 +0000

Here’s a fun toy for your Sunday: Wordle. I love words as art, here’s la.foodblogging run through Wordle:

I think I am going to have to do a version for our header image.

Infant Dining

Jonah — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:28:58 +0000

After a couple of weeks of nesting with our new son, we hit the gates running on dining out. I took a chunk of time off of work to do some bonding and help out as my wife recovered and did feedings at what seemed like every five minutes, little guy can eat!

As predicted, our first meal out was at Sushi Karen. My wife devoured the sushi, we kept Simon in the car seat and he slept the whole time. Sushi Karen is majorly kid friendly and we have already been back.

We had breakfast at John O’Groats where the owners carefully selected a table so that we could wedge the car seat onto a chair so that it wouldn’t get bumped or jostled. We went mid-week so we didn’t have to deal with the weekend wait. Tried their new menu item — poached eggs on bruschetta — very tasty.

Dinner at Rockenwagner’s 3 Square was very tasty, especially the carrot soup and tuna burger. The space is a bit tight though. Fortunately, Simon is a saint and our dining neighbors just wanted to look at him and comment on his hair. The indoor lighting at 3 Square is awful, a weird dull orange that does not make the food look as appetizing as it really is.

Brunch at Joe’s in Venice was delicious as always. Unfortunately we couldn’t get an outdoor table because of a private party, but Simon and I shared the bench seat and he slept through almost all of the meal. He popped up awake towards the end of the meal and we traded off holding him.

Joan’s on Third was a great stop while strolling in and out of the cool shops lining the street. We were a bit before the lunch rush and snagged an outdoor table. Simon was in the mood to be held and fortunately, the dishes were easy to eat one handed.

Simon’s first trip to Jinky’s was also our first stop into the Valley location. More open and roomy than the Santa Monica location, this was also a mid-week stop so there was no wait. I tried the turkey burger with curry spiced chili, a decadent delight. A messy chili burger is no meal to eat one handed, however, so Simon was in his seat on a chair.

La Bottega is the little casual cafe attached to Il Grano. In fact, I believe that they share a kitchen. We went with friends, sharing a four top. Simon’s car seat plopped down into an upside down high chair, a trick we learned having lunch in Napa. La Bottega is one of the best priced deals on the Westside; good, basic Italian food for a reasonable price. nice carafs of wine as well.

For a mellow weekend brunch Back on Broadway is a great choice. This place seems to be busier on weekdays, popular with the business crowd. Weekends are quieter, and we nabbed a huge table for my whole family, with Simon on the side. I can’t wait to go back for the breakfast quesadilla.

Burgers at The Counter was good, but our seat was next to the bus station and the servers were literally throwing the silverware and plates into the bus bins. Simon can sleep through noise no problem, as long as it isn’t big bangs. The crashing plates and silverware kept startling him, and annoyed us as well, so we had a quick dinner and split. The Counter does have this nice little hammock thing to put car seats into. It’s more stable than putting the car seat on top of a high chair and fit nicely next to the table.

At Marix in Santa Monica we met a bunch of friends for dinner. The restaurant was very accomodating to our party and gave us room for the car seat. That place can get really loud with the low ceilings, but Simon just slept and slept, loud talking doesn’t really bother him.

Cafe Brazil is casual and relaxed, with plenty of large tables and benches. A word of warning though. Their coffee is STRONG. I love it, but combined with my sleep deprivation, the high octane caffeine boost sent my mind spinning. I though that would be a good energy boost, but it made me edgy. Their spicy black bean soup is one of my favorite sides.

That’s a sampling of where we have been in the last couple of months. So far, dining with an infant has been great. We haven’t had any screaming fits, just a couple of diaper blowouts that have necessitated a trip to the car for a change. As he gets older, we’re pretty sure that things will get tougher, we will see!

Healthyca’s New Menu – also Press Panini – NoHo/Studio City

MaxMillion — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:09:02 +0000

Okay, I don’t usually get excited about sandwiches. They’re not really my… thing. It’s not that I avoid bread or anything, it’s just that I tend to prefer my carbs in pasta form, or as roasted or fried potatoes.

So —
you’ve gotta appreciate it when I go nuts about this new sandwich I tried.

Backstory: My hands-down, all-time favourite lunch place in the east Valley is healthyca (fyi – it’s pronounced ‘health-i-ka’). I already reviewed them a couple of years ago.

Well, I am excited to report that healthyca has just launched a fresh new menu. I tried one of their new sandwiches on Friday and it was Oh. My. God. Fantastic!!

Portobello Mushroom on home whole wheat ciabatta (i.e. baked in-house, gentle readers) with beets, chevre, walnuts, roasted tomato (with a bit of a spicy kick!), black olive tapenade, lettuce and I sub’d grilled onion instead of raw red onion.

The complex flavour profile and combination of this heavenly sandwich was just a knockout. It was so damn good, I went back and got it again the very next day they were open (Monday). Remember - I said I don’t go for sandwiches very often.

Okay, having said that, I actually really like hot sandwiches. So, I love the variety – about thirty choices – at my new local sandwich joint Press Panini. Generally if I’m gonna have a sandwich, I’ll make a toasted ham, gruyère and pineapple one at home on my own panini maker (don’t laugh!) The benefits of now having a place around the corner that does Italian-style pressed sandwiches is (1) the variety, (2) the convenience – it’s a walk-up window and you can eat there or take it home, (3) it’s great for when you don’t have enough ingredients at home to put a lunch together and (4) um, there isn’t a (4)… BUT while the French-style bread roll they use at Press Panini is great in its own way, they don’t offer a whole wheat option at all, and I just can’t do white bread… Also, I probably won’t be craving hot sandwiches during this sweltering summer that often, either, which is too bad for them because I am sure I am not alone.

Anyway, Press Panini offers a rather extensive menu of a vast variety of hot, pressed sandwiches – all priced at $9, with a ‘kids’ size available for $5 – as well as tasty soups ($6) and big salads ($10). They do a meal deal of a sandwich (all are on their long, white panini bread roll) plus a side of soup, salad or chips and a regular sized drink for $14. I couldn’t go past the classic Caprese which was a tasty and simple combination of fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato and fresh, whole basil leaves, all dressed with a piquant balsamic dressing.

My guy opted for the classic Prosciutto with provolone cheese, tomato and romaine lettuce and dijon mustard as well as that same balsamic dressing. Mid-way through our lunch I asked for his opinion. “Can’t talk. Eating.” came the brusque reply, but when he had devoured the lot, the comment was “Delicious!”

Another great one we’ve tried since is the Olive All-Over with brie & parmigiana cheese, sliced kalamata and black olives, portabella mushroom (how do you spell that?!), fresh spinach leaves and tapenade. You can see it’s quite similar to my new fave from healthyca.

In any case, with the new and fantastic sandwiches, as well as their incredible salads and new fresh juice combos, healthyca is looking mighty tempting for that occasional lunch run. You can eat there, pick up food to go or they now deliver all day, within a certain radius, so tip the driver well!

The sandwiches at healthyca are all priced around $9-10 and also come pepperoncini and pickles and a small side salad – choose from new potatoes, wild or herbed rice, fresh fruit cup, quinoa or baby greens with house dressing. I generally opt for their incredibly tasty quinoa side salad.

Trust me – you just gotta try that killer sandwich!

Chef Maki’s small shopfront, industrial-type kitchen (in NoHo) churns out some of the hands-down, most delicious and fabulously healthy food you will ever taste. I’m not kidding! So, even though they have a new menu, a lot of their popular items are still available, such as the noho sausage sandwich, which is a homemade, free-range turkey sausage on a house-baked sesame roll with tomato, mustard, house-made mayo (the real deal, meaning egg yolks and good olive oil) also lettuce, grilled onion and their own divine fresh pesto sauce. It’s a hefty and satisfying lunch for $9.50.

The salads are all big, hearty and super delicious. Ranging from around $9 to $11, some new additions include the ratatouille salad with baked eggplant, roasted tomato, grilled zucchini, peppers and onions, glazed walnuts, fresh herbs and blue cheese ($9.10). I can’t wait to try the avocado caprese with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil oil (that you pour on yourself) plus avocado, purple onion and baby greens ($9.24). All salads come with a dressing (chose from ten, including low-fat citrus and lime cilantro) as well as the same small side salads they serve with the sandwiches.

Maki offers several delicious ices teas and juice combinations all packed with various ‘superfoods’ such as mangoes, mint, or antioxidant-strong blueberries. He even adds a hint of cayenne along with pineapple, grape, orange and ginger in the fighter drink. All the food there is healthy, delicious and affordable, using high quality, mostly organic ingredients and produce – even the salmon is wild caught. All of Chef Maki’s food that I’ve sampled has been great. This is high quality and healthy fare.

Kinda like ‘stealth health’…

I also tried one of their delicious juices (mango, mint, orange melon and lemon) but it was tuff to drive home with the juices… even thos I didn’t spill any, I was petrified I would. (I always zip over and pick up.)

If healthyca isn’t already your favourite place, then it probably soon will be. Or please comment and tell us what your fave is!

healthyca
4724 Lankershim Blvd, just S of Camarillo, close to the Blue Moon nightclub, NoHo.
(818) 505 1037.
Fax (818) 505 1037.
Open Monday to Friday only, 11am-6pm, [coming soon – ’till 9pm]
Catering available – (818) 693 2778.
Website is under construction.

Press Panini
4389 Tujunga Ave, just S of Moorpark, Studio City.
(818) 487 2564
Open 9am–9pm.
Delivery available.

Restaurateurs - Tell me About Rising Food Prices and Declining Spending

Jonah — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:17:00 +0000

I am working on an article for this site about the rising price of food, coupled with a decline in consumer spending; how is it (if at all) affecting businesses. I am looking for some input from local chefs and restaurateurs. If you are interested in answering a few questions and giving your take on the current economics of running a restaurant in Los Angeles, please get in touch:

foodblogging@gmail.com

I would also be interested in hearing from our readers — as customers — if they have noticed a shift in the way that their favorite dining spot is doing business these days.

An Example of Great PR

Jonah — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:53:30 +0000

It’s no secret that I have had some harsh words about PR requests in the past.

This morning I got an excellent example of a great PR request. This was a request to post events on my Digesty.com foodblog aggregator. Here is the email (reprinted with permission):

Hello,

Esotouric offers offbeat LA bus tours that sometimes include unique
food components. We’ve collaborated with Tai Kim of Scoops on creating
flavors themed to our tours, picnicked on dumplings from 101 Noodle
Express, etc.

I’m interested in reaching out more to the LA foodie community, and
wonder if it would be okay to occasionally post announcements of our
upcoming tours when there is an interesting food association? For
instance, on July 12 we’re launching The New Chinatowns, a tour
exploring the history and culture of Monterey Park, which concludes
with a dim sum and wine pairing at Wing Hop Fung.

http://esotouric.com/newchinatowns

Can you please let me know your policy on such a post?

best regards,
Kim
Esotouric
http://www.esotouric.com

Here is why I think that this is an example of great PR:

By saying “I’m interested in reaching out more to the LA foodie community”, Kim is being upfront and honest what her intentions are. She isn’t saying “I know your readers will want to know about this” or “thought you might be interested in…”. There is nothing wrong with wanting to reach out to the foodie community, it’s nice to hear honesty
Without being too wordy, she tells me exactly what it is that she wants to share. Unique bus tours with specific examples of content and stops. Most PR emails I get are really long, wordy, with multiple sections and headings. I’m lazy, I’m not going to sort through a pages long email to extract something that might be interesting for our readers (sorry readers.)
This is the line that I found most endearing: “Can you please let me know your policy on such a post?”. I find that question to be so respectful and genuine. I appreciate being asked what my policy is, and I did write back to let her know that the posts didn’t fit Digesty, but that I appreciated how the request was presented and could I post her email her.
I also appreciate the email for what it is not. It is not pushy, not presumptive, not condescending, not impersonal, and frankly, not the ordinary PR requests I get

I probably would help publicize more events if they all came wrapped in emails like this.

Electric Karma ~ Exotic Ambiance

foodflirt90210 — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:46:16 +0000

Last year my feelings about Indian food went from 0-10 in a matter of one week. Prior to that time, I ignorantly assumed all Indian food was “covered in curry,” which was, in my mind, a thick, pungent green sauce I’d tried in Australia and quite disliked. Eventually a friend convinced me to try Electric Karma, telling me there is so much more to Indian Food than curry, which really just means “sauce.” I’ve tried many Indian restaurants around the greater LA area, but this place remains my absolute favorite … not only because of the authentic food and kind hospitality, but also because of the exotic outdoor/indoor patio area. A few low tables are surrounded by fluffy over sized pillows and couches. Candle light makes the entire room glow, highlighting the warm reds and rich oranges that blanket the room. A gurgling fountain lets the sound of running water sooth the soul, while you sip fine Indian wine. There are gorgeous murals painted on the golden yellow walls, my favorite being the “blue goddess.”

I’m moving to Aspen Co. next week, where there is no Indian food to my knowledge, so I’ve been eating as much of it as possible before I head to the mountains. I took my friend Anna to Electric Karma last week and here’s a delicious account of our meal. I began with a glass of their white wine from India … it’s slightly fruity, but not too sweet. She ordered mango sangria which tasted like white wine with mango juice in it … not amazing but ok if you like really sweet drinks.

As a true eggplant lover, I could not pass up the sautéed Japanese eggplant covered with tomato sauce and ginger yogurt. Each bite melted like butter in my mouth. The tart tangy yogurt and tomato paired perfectly with the sweet eggplant. You’ll find it under salads on the menu, though it seemed more of an appetizer to me.

Next we ordered samosas, because how can you not when you’re eating Indian food, right? 3 little packages of crisp dough arrived fried to a deep golden brown and filled with creamy potatoes, peas, and herbs. The tamarind chutney served with was savory, spicy, and sweet. Addicting!

They brought out the olive naan with the raita sauce, and mango chutney. The naan bread, baked in their tandoor, is fluffy, chewy and slightly crisp on the edges. They have a large variety of flavors including cheese stuffed and a coconut cherry naan! The refreshing raita made from plain yogurt, grated cucumber and onions is so divine I could (and do) eat it as a cold soup. Spread a piece of naan with a little raita and the spicy, syrup sweet mango chutney, sit back, close your eyes and taste heaven.

For our entree … yes we still had more food arriving because it’s all so good I can never order enough … the chef/owner Paramjit Singh Khinda recommended we try the Nirvana Chicken, but replace the chicken with Lamb Tikka. This was the very best lamb dish I’d had so far at Electric Karma! The lamb, which is marinated in yogurt and 17 spices, was perfectly tender and drenched in a velvety coconut masala curry with chili. To die for! I’ve never been able to indulge in dessert at this wonderful Indian eatery, since all the savory food is so flavorful, it’s difficult to even think about saving room for something sweet. Electric Karma will always be on my list of “must visit” restaurants whenever I’m back in LA.

Electric Karma
8222 1/2 W Third St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: (323) 653-2121

Speaking of Karma … I am writing a new blog called KarmalizedLife. Feel free to check it out!
With gratitude for great Indian food - FoodFlirt90210

lafb is 3!

Jonah — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:26:46 +0000

Just over three years ago we had our first post. Since then we have had a bevy of contributors who have donated their time and efforts to bring a constant stream of restaurant reviews, discoveries and tips to our fantastic readers.

We are nearing our 1,000th post, which should happen sometime in late May. Over the past three years, we have had nearly 50 different writers, some who are active today, and some who have moved on. I’m personally thankfully to all who have been part of the la.foodblogging family. Many of the authors I have met and even shared a meal with. Would you believe that there are also authors who I have never met face to face, only through email?

It’s worth noting some of our more active posters. Their dedication is one of the factors that keeps our readers coming back.

Even though she hasn’t posted in two years, SoCalorie remains the top poster (not counting myself). She brought a true journalist’s style, breaking coming trends and restaurant news in addition to providing dining reviews. She is truely missed
We are lucky to have Pauline still writing for us. Even with her time spent at Notre Dame, finishing her MBA, she managed to rack up the second most posts behind SoCalorie. Pauline has reviewed some of the finest dining spots in town, and has also provided insight on hidden gems in the SGV — often detailing why a restaurant’s cuisine is authentic or unique.
Rene has been with us from the beginning, turning out consistent posts, representing the kind of dining I think many of our readers enjoy. Rene covers a broad region of Los Angeles, highlighting not just restaurants, but also markets, festivals and special events.
MaxMillion brings her skills as a professional writer, along with her passion for good food to lafb. As a result, her posts are well researched and narrated in a style that makes you feel like you were right there with her during the meal. Not only that, but she makes a heavenly Pavlova!
KT generously writes her restaurant reviews here at lafb while maintaining her own foodblog at Gastronomy 101. KT makes it a point to try out some of the most talked about new restaurants in town and reliably reports back to us whether the talk is hype or if the buzz is justified. Always giving us pictures and a detailed account of her meals, I often look to her reviews for dining ideas for myself.

I appreciate the efforts of all of our authors over the past three years. In addition to those mentioned above, we have enjoyed posts from Cybele of Candyblog.net, Kristy from Best of LA, Dylan from Eat Drink and Be Merry, Sarah from The Delicious Life, and Zteve from Gastrologica.com. We also enjoy contributions from a host of creative minds who stop in from time to time to give their insight.

I enjoy the different perspectives that everyone brings to the table, it’s a true joy to come to la.foodblogging and see what dining adventures are being had.

As I mentioned last week, we are adding new contributors. If you’re interested, drop me an email at “foodblogging” at gmail.

New Look, New Server, New Contributors

Jonah — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:03:22 +0000

Because I don’t have enough to keep me busy these days, I’m launching a redesign of la.foodblogging, and we have also moved servers!

We have been hosted at MediaTemple for a while now. They are a decent host, but the limitations they put on their gridserver accounts are confusing and their support response times were pretty terrible for me. We’re talking more than a day to respond to issues about not being able to connect to their database server.

Our new home for this site is over at WiredTree. I have been hosting Digesty and Cheww over there and couldn’t be happier with their performance and support. I don’t get any kickback or discount for recommending them, you really should check them out if you are in the market for a webhost.

The new look is built on the awesome template “The Morning After” from The Master Plan, with a few tweaks and a few more to come. Let me know if anything looks broken.

Finally, we are adding new contributors. We added one this week and I am looking for a few more people who are passionate about sharing their food finds around Los Angeles. If you think you are interested, please read the About Page and email me at foodblogging [at] gmail to discuss further.

Enjoy the new look and the new zippy server.

Coupa Cafe ~ Beverly Hills

foodflirt90210 — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:02:56 +0000

It’s important to give restaurants a second and possibly third chance, just as it is with people. I tried Coupa Cafe twice when they first opened in Beverly Hills and wasn’t impressed. Early this week, my boyfriend and I were lamenting over how Beverly Hills needs a few better breakfast spots. Since he’d never been, we walked into Coupa Cafe and were so deliciously satisfied by the time we left, we returned the next morning!

They have these addicting Arepas and phenomenal coffee from Venezuela. Arepas (for those who don’t know, I didn’t) are a very popular Venezuelan snack food, especially for the late night party crowd. We go for pizza, or possibly “street meat” (aka hot dogs on a cart) at 2am. Venezuelans eat Arepas. They are little corn cakes that remind me of a Pita/English Muffin hybrid. When sliced in half, they are very thin, a little crispy, and you can fill them with anything you’d like. They become a perfect little sandwich, about the size of our Egg McMuffins, but much tastier!
On visit #2, Derrek ordered the Breakfast Special Arepa, eggs with bacon and Gouda, as well as one with turkey, goat cheese and spinach.

I customized mine with egg whites, sun dried tomatoes, and light Gouda cheese. All three were wonderful, but the Breakfast Special is great if you’re hungover!

Now let’s talk coffee. Among my favorite places in BH to get my morning ritual Cafe au Lait are Frittelli’s, Ingrid’s, and Le Provence. COUPA CAFE is now my coffee obsession of the moment. I always knew my heart would be stolen my someone or something in South America … I guess it’s the latter :). I asked if they had a mild coffee and our waiter suggested the Caracas. Not only did the Au Lait arrive looking red carpet ready, but also had velvet-like mircofoam, the tell tail sign of a fine barista. The coffee was rich, decadent, and smooth, as promised. Coupa Cafe also has free WiFi, beer and wine, a cute outdoor patio area and a warm fireplace inside. What’s not to love?

Coupa Cafe
419 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210-4819
Phone: (310) 385-0420

Cross Street: Brighton Way
Hours: Daily 7:30am-11pm
Happy Hour M-F, 5-7pm, 2 for 1