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The NoHo Rockin’ Food Truck Fest is back! This Saturday only!

Report by Pauline Adamek

This North Hollywood foodie festival will help raise funds for Hope for Paws, a local animal rescue which saves homeless and abandoned dogs and cats from the streets and public shelters, rehabilitates them and finds them forever homes.

The NoHo Rockin’ Food Truck Fest will be held on Saturday, June 25th, from 11AM - 7PM at the main lot next to 11458 Burbank Blvd. at Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood.

The event will feature fifteen of LA’s finest gourmet food trucks, art and craft vendors, live music, a magician, belly dancers, martial arts demonstrations, raffle prizes as well as some wonderful dogs looking for forever homes.

KCT Productions is producing the event and the idea was created as a way to help support local dog rescue organizations. The Sound 100.3FM is the radio sponsor for this event.

Tickets are only $5.00 at the door and $4.00 on-line.

Also, for just $2.00, attendees will be eligible to win a variety of raffle prizes from various merchants in the NoHo Arts District and surrounding areas.

Prizes include: a luxury stay at a Laguna Beach resort, several gift cards from local merchants, and a chance to win a new bike.

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NoHo Rockin’ Food Truck Fest

Saturday, June 25, 2011

11AM - 7PM

At the main lot next to 11458 Burbank Blvd. at Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood.

For more information on the NoHo Rockin’ Food Truck Fest, please go here.

About Hope for Paws:
Hope for Paws is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing abandoned, homeless dogs and cats.

It is fully supported by donations from the community.

For more information, please go here.

Bottega Louie is absolutely huge. I mean literally. The restaurant is divided into four parts: 1) restaurant; 2) bar/cafe area - the only part of Bottega Louie I haven’t actually experienced yet, but from what I understand, offers some selections from the restaurant menu and the gourmet market; 3) gourmet market; and 4) patisserie. My main focus will be the first and last parts, as they are what make me a repeat patron.

The restaurant side of Bottega Louie is deceptively simple. The spatial atmosphere is created by the white marble floor and high ceiling, but all the tables are fairly close together. The combination of the two creates a very loud environment sometimes that you do have to shout just to be heard by someone at your own table, which gets really annoying. It is worth it though for the food, which also seems simple on the surface but is quite grand once you start exploring the flavors. I love truffles, but that aside, I just do not like mushrooms at all. So it really says something when I tell you that I am addicted to the Portobello Fries ($9). This is a must on every visit. Bottega Louie gives a really generous portion of thick, long chunks of portobello that has been battered, deep fried, and served with an aioli sauce.

There are actual entrees that are excellent, as well. The two I would strongly recommend are the Hanger Steak Verdura ($18) above and the Burrata Pizza ($16) below.

The steak is served with black truffle sauce. (See previous comment on how I feel about truffles.) There isn’t anything particularly special about this entree - it’s just plain good. This is definitely for someone who enjoys some good prime beef. The Burrata Pizza is my favorite at Bottega Louie. I tried the Bianco Pizza over the weekend, and while it was good, it does not surpass the burrata one in taste. I am a sucker for burrata, which is like mozzarella but tastes creamier. The prosciutto and rapini make me love this pizza more. The only thing about Bottega Louie’s pizzas one must be aware of is it is best when you eat it as soon as it is brought to your table. The cheeses and texture of the dough change as the pizza cools, so grab a slice while it’s hot.

I have yet to actually have dessert at Bottega Louie, as I am obsessed with the patisserie there. My visit over the weekend had a great deal to do with the fact that my dining companion informed me that Bottega Louie launched a chocolate line last month. So after a huge filling lunch, we bought chocolates and macarons to stuff ourselves even further. There were five different chocolate flavors to choose from: pistachio, cherry dark chocolate; English toffee dark chocolate; milk chocolate; toasted almond, raisin milk chocolate; and hibiscus, passionfruit white chocolate. Each chocolate bar costs $6. While all good, the first one was definitely my favorite by far. As for the macarons, you can’t go wrong with any one of them, though the raspberry one was particularly flavorful. Each macaron had a crispy yet delicate shell and smooth filling sandwiched in between. I’m also a sucker for the macaron packaging. The boxes are adorable, and I reuse them after I devour the macarons.

Miscellaneous:

The gourmet market is actually not that impressive to me. Not a wide selection of cheeses and sandwiches, but it’s a good stop for someone who wants something high end and is on the go. To me, however, if you’re going to go to Bottega Louie, don’t just pass through - stay for a while.

There is a parking structure nearby, but honestly, I just take the Metro Rail and walk on over from the station on 7th.

Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (866) 418-9162
Hours: Monday-Friday 6:30 am-11 pm, Saturday-Sunday 9 am-11 pm

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On Sunday, May 1, 2011,KCRW & SMC Associates present Global Street Food, a special, live event celebrating street food from around the world, being held at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

This will be a live stage show followed by gourmet food truck tastings, featuring Evan Kleiman of KCRW’s Good Food radio show. Kleiman will be joined on the Broad Stage by her friends, including Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Gold, OC Weekly’s Gustavo Arellano and Chef Jet Tila. Also food writers from Malaysia and Mexico City will join them via Skype to share what’s cooking on the streets where they live.

“We’ll talk a bit, then we’ll all head out to eat from six of LA’s best food trucks. Enjoy banh mi, hot dogs, empanadas, curry, tacos and crepes. The ticket price includes food and a raffle.

Growing up in Silverlake, street food was corn dogs, chocolate dipped frozen bananas, or my favorite, jelly donuts from the Helms Bakery truck. There are now thousands of food trucks roaming the streets of L.A., serving some of the best food in the world. This kind of road-side service is LA’s mobile interpretation of traditional street food from China, Vietnam, Latin America and Europe.”

Kleinman’s radio show will explore current trends and history on May 1^st.

Ticket prices: $42.50 and $40.00, and a limited number of $30.00 balcony seats.
Maximum tickets: 8 per order

Your ticket will allow you to sample street food from six of L.A.’s best food trucks during the second half of the show.

A limited number of specially priced balcony seats have just been released. For more information and to purchase tickets go here.

Global Street Food

Sunday, May 1, 2011

at 11:00 AM

The Broad Stage
1310 11th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Limited parking is available in The Broad Stage parking lot and on nearby streets. Please check street parking signs carefully as restrictions do apply.

Phone: (310) 314-4635 (KCRW Membership)
Website: KCRW.com/globalstreetfood

The Trucks:

	India Jones Chow Truck is “authentic-as-it-gets” gourmet Indian street food, influenced prominently by Punjabi cuisine. With roots in Jaipur, India chef Sumant Pardal has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years.
	Mariscos Jalisco isn’t just another shrimp taco truck. Winner of “Best in Show” and the “People’s Choice Award” at the L.A. Street Food Festival, owner Raul Ortega brought his delicious Mexican taco recipes straight from San Juan de Los Lagos, Jalisco.
	Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels brings Argentine cuisine to the streets of Los Angeles. Chef Piaggio thrives in fusing his Argentine roots with the street food culture of California, and has been making his signature Argentine empanadas for almost 30 years using a recipe from a remote little town in the middle of the vast pampas.			Crepe’n Around’s gourmet crepe truck is run by sisters Eileen and Joann DeLeoz, who fell in love with crepes while visiting the Eiffel Tower in 2006. Follow their truck “Crepe’n Around” Los Angeles for delicious, sweet & savory classic French crepes with Americanized fillings that everyone can enjoy!			Let’s Be Frank serves their “hot dogs gone good” from carts and trucks throughout San Francisco and L.A. Topped with homemade pickles and onions, their “Frank Dog” is made from 100% grass-fed beef from local producers with no fillers, added hormones, anti-biotics or junk.			Nom Nom Truck is an all female-owned food truck (owners Misa Chien and Jen Green) that serves “Banh Mi”, or Vietnamese Sandwiches, and other Vietnamese-inspired dishes to West Los Angeles and the greater Los Angeles area. Jen Green, half-Vietnamese, uses her family’s secret traditional recipes for Nom Nom’s famous Banh Mi sandwiches.

Okay, it’s hardly traditional sushi — way too much sauce, mayo and spice — but Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi knows how we like our sushi in L.A.

Part of the Katsuya-group of restaurants around LA, Kiwami opened a few doors down from the original Katsuya in Studio City, which opened in 1997.

If you want to wait for ages for a table and do a bit of star-spotting, then by all means stick with the scene-y, still trendy Katsuya.

But if you want impeccable service and some fantastic sushi, then you will want to try Kiwami.

A recent Saturday lunch turned out to be quite a birthday treat for this critic.

For starters, valet parking is free at lunchtime. Bonus!

They also have lined wicker baskets for you to place your handbag in. Classy!

Once I checked their website and saw that they offer a lunch special of all my favorites for only $20.00, I was sold.

It’s called the ‘Kiwami Tray’ and described thusly:

A perfect lunch tray with: Spicy albacore with crispy onion (an amazing combination of flesh and crunch), Crab & Avocado Wrapped w/Halibut (tender and succulent), Yellowtail Jalapeno (firm, raw and melting), Baked Crab Hand Roll (rich and elegant) and Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna (dainty cubes of crunchy fried rice adorned with fine dollops of spicy tuna).

And it was damn good fare. In fact, I couldn’t finish it all, so had some of the remainder boxed up to enjoy the next day (I am a lightweight).

All in all, it was a splendid way to celebrate my birthday.

***

Kiwami
11920 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
Neighborhood: Studio City
(818) 763-3910

Open:

Mon-Sat 12 pm - 2:30 pm

Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm

Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm

Sun 3 pm - 9 pm

As you arrive in the tiny plaza, you might wonder if you’re at the right place. From the outside, this hardly looks like the place where you would find great food. As soon as you walk into Chego, though, you’re in a very cozy neighborhood joint. Be prepared to order your food at the counter or get out of the way because there will be others around who know what they want. The line goes pretty quickly, but the real challenge is finding a place to sit.

My friend and I stopped by for dinner and were fortunate enough to spot a couple free stools against a mirrored wall as we waited with anticipation for our food. I ordered the house favorite, chubby pork belly bowl ($8). With one bite, it’s easy to understand why this is so popular. The pork belly was so flavorful and had the right amount of straight-from-the-fire charred taste. Buried underneath the massive amount of kurobuta pork belly was a fried egg, some spinach, pickled radishes, and of course, rice. Truthfully, I was pretty full after eating just half the bowl, but I just couldn’t stop eating this. I justified this with the logic that I didn’t get to have lunch earlier and so I could eat a little more. Next thing I knew, my huge bowl was completely empty, and I felt like a “Chubby Pauline.”

My friend ordered another winner, Tiny’s prime rib rice plate ($9). This is an excellent choice, too. The prime rib was delicious, though a bit difficult to cut through with plastic cutlery, which is what you get at Chego. While more aromatic, this entree isn’t quite as flavorful as the chubby pork belly as a whole, but it is a great choice. I would most likely recommend the prime rib rice plate for someone who is less adventurous but still wants to try a taste of Chego.

So for those who are adventurous, check out the sriracha bar ($4), yes, sriracha. Think of this as Krackel and Mr. Goodbar meets sriracha. The sriracha is actually pretty mild. You can barely taste it, and you certainly don’t see it. The Chego staff explained to us that it’s actually a sriracha ganache. We were a little skeptical about trying this, but the staff assured us they don’t put anything on the menu that isn’t good. Just for kicks though, we did try adding a little extra sriracha sauce to the candy bar, as the sriracha ganache was a bit too subtle for us. Surprisingly, we liked it. Just don’t go overboard with too much of the sriracha sauce.

This self-proclaimed peasant food is a great treat, making you feel like you’ve splurged without dealing a blow to your wallet. Due to some of the inconveniences, this is not a place for everyone, but most food aficionados will love Chego.

Miscellaneous:

Drinks are on the honor system. You pay for what you order at the counter, and then you go help yourself at the drinks stations/pantry area next to the kitchen. It’s actually a very cool space to check out, as you can look right into the kitchen and see how they cook the food. Definitely worth a peek or two.

Special thanks to J. Yeh for taking the photos for me.

Chego!
3300 Overland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Hours: Tue-Sat 5:30PM-11:30PM

Review by MaxMillion

Opening mid last year is a (still new-ish) Mediterranean restaurant in Beverly Hills. The name Momed is short for modern Mediterranean, and the majority of the cuisine is eastern Mediterranean, meaning influences from Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco.

This dine-all-day place is simply fantastic!

The sweet smell of roasted beets greets your entrance to this airy, sunny and unpretentious little place where you place your order at the counter. The alluring pale green heap of Avocado hummous was the first thing that caught my eye. We got the three dip platter ($12.00), meaning the avocado hummous one plus a thick tzatziki and plain hummous – all were excellent. The dips were served with two smallish but pillowy, freshly baked warm pita circles, one wholewheat, one white – best I have ever had. A necessary additional serving of the pita cost $1.10.

Duck shawarma with fig confit pita wrap – insanely good and super flavorful ($14.00). Moist shredded duck spiced with cumin and pieces of sweet, roasted eggplant. On the side is a heap of crisp, bright shredded cabbage dressed in oil.

Moma chips are wonderful – thin, soft and chewy sliced potatoes with crispy edges. They come with garlic dip and ketchup you will likely ignore.

It was all too much for me to consume (even sharing) – 3/4 of my wrap will serve for today’s lunch :)

Momed
233 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

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Review by MaxMillion

What better way to excite young imaginations and introduce kids to the fun of creating in the kitchen than this gorgeous new cookbook from writer, healer and cook Nancy Mehagian?

Newly launched is The Supernatural Kids Cookbook, a super-cute little book brimming with healthy, delicious and easy-to-follow recipes, plus dozens of adorable illustrations by Alexandra Conn and a foreword by Bridget Fonda.

“Kid tested and Mother Earth approved,” The Supernatural Kids Cookbook is an innovative collection of healthy, tasty and easy to prepare foods that introduces the basics of cookery to budding junior chefs and also encourages mindful eating. Expressly created for kids, this cookbook was to coax them on a path and lifelong journey of nutritious and delicious culinary exploration and inspiration.

This friendly and instructive book explains basic preparation, illuminates mysterious things such as the major food groups and presents a two-page illustrated list of essential cooking equipment for tiny chefs.

On page three there’s a clear glossary of basic cooking terms (do you remember when you first learned what it meant “to mince”?!) and the ‘before you begin’ page promotes essential sanitary and safe habits and encourages young readers to explore and educate themselves. I loved the illustrations for how to cut up a pineapple also the best way to chop an onion. Remember – getting creative in the kitchen is one of the best ways to build confidence and self-sufficiency in kids. Can there be anything more gratifying and rewarding than putting a meal on the table that you prepared yourself?

Above all, these recipes are extra enticing and designed to motivate curious kids to explore cooking from a wholesome perspective. The majority of the dishes are vegetarian, which is a fantastic place for young people to learn about conscious cuisine.

The Supernatural Kids Cookbook contains over seventy (70!) scrumptious and healthy recipes that the entire family will enjoy eating. Kids will be inspired by fun-sounding recipes such as Monkey Muffins, Zany Zucchini Bread and Hippotatoes. There is a page devoted to the simplicity of steamed vegetables and also more ambitious fare such as the enticingly titled Ruby Soup, which is a dazzling version of the Russian standard beetroot soup known as borscht. Veggie Stir-fry with Tofu and Cashews and Vegetarian Chili are bound to become family favorites.

***

Mehagian’s recipes are all extremely well-researched and fool-proof. Anybody, young or old, can tackle these mouth-watering meals and then sit back and wait for the accolades to follow – that is, unless everybody is too busy eating!

’Scuse me while I head into the kitchen to cook up a treat.

The Supernatural Kids Cookbook

by Nancy Mehagian.

illustrated by Alexandra Conn.

Buy it now from Amazon – $18.00 (cheap!)

Review by MaxMillion

Somehow Hendricks Gin — a Scottish concoction — has recently crossed my radar, meaning during this past Christmas. I think it’s been around since the 1960s, but further research is required.

This aromatic spirit has supplanted (at least for now) my go-to Gin of choice, the elegant Bombay Sapphire, for the makings of my habitual Gin & Tonic consumption.

While many make find this usage sacrilegious (the purity of the Martini reigns supreme) I really love it for G&Ts — especially with the addition of some fresh cucumber slices instead of fresh lime juice (of which I used to like a lot in there - perhaps too much…)

Hendrick’s Gin is a brand of gin produced by William Grant & Sons in Girvan, Scotland. In addition to the traditional juniper infusion, Hendrick’s uses a hint of Bulgarian Rose followed by a mash of cucumber.
Hendrick’s gin is bottled in a dark brown apothecary-style bottle.

No more Bombay Sapphire for me for the time being, although Sapphire is way more affordable (less than half the cost) than Hendricks.

Case in point: TJs is selling a 750ml bottle of Hendricks for about $25.00.

BevMo sells a 1.75 Litre bottle of Bombay Sapphire for around $30.00!

It’s tough when you develop expensive tastes *sigh*

More detailed review to follow.

I arrived first at Lasher’s, and despite the huge signs, I almost drove right by it. The reason is this restaurant actually looks like someone’s home from the outside. It turns out, this was once a home, built back in 1920. It really creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere. I was led to one of the small dining rooms, which was comfortable, but also didn’t leave too much privacy. I was very close to another table with three ladies. So when my dinner companion showed up 40 minutes late, it did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room. I got as far as telling him he was in the doghouse before the ladies at the next table lashed out at him for his tardiness. Truthfully, I was fuming quite a bit when he walked in, as I had been starving for 40 minutes, but those ladies took care of it all. They scolded him harsher, louder, and tougher than I ever could have. The server, who had circled me a few times earlier like a worried father his daughter was stood up by her prom date, even chimed in, “Can I get in on this too?” My companion apologized to me and everyone else, and then told me, “Of course, dinner’s on me.” While I appreciate the free dinner, I would have gladly paid for my own because the food was really quite delicious.

First up, we had the hearts of romaine salad and miniature baked brie. I have been eating rather decadently lately, so all I wanted was a simple salad. The salad was fairly light, but it was hardly simple. All the ingredients were fresh, the dressing wasn’t heavy, the blue cheese was just the right amount. The brie was quite lovely, too, but since I made my own baked brie just the night before, I was less excited about this one. Lasher’s did a wonderful job at pairing it with grilled pear, cranberry, and toasted almond. (FYI, I complemented my brie with baked pears, toasted walnuts, peach pecan jam, and a bit of honey.) The amount was just right, too. It was just enough to whet our appetite and not too filling.

We both loved our entrees, braised beef short rib and Cajun seafood linguini. The beef was so tender it literally fell off the bone. It didn’t look like that much food, but I was only able to finish half of it and had to take the rest home. The Cajun seafood linguini was also excellent. The cream sauce is rather rich, but an enjoyable indulgence. It’s hard to say what was my favorite part of this dish - the spicy Andouille sausage, the large succulent shrimp, or the tender scallops. Again, this was a generous portion, so we had to pack up the rest of this dish, too.

So it’s not that we’re just lightweights when it comes to eating, but we did have our eyes set on dessert. We knew we wanted the bananas foster bread pudding for sure. Even if we hadn’t picked that one out ahead of time, we would have anyway in the end, as both our server and our busboy separately came to our table and recommended it. With one bite, it’s easy to understand why it’s so popular, not just with patrons but also with the staff. It is a little dense after a heavy dinner, but it is so good and worth the hour workout you’ll have to do the next day to make up for eating this. I could barely make out the bananas flavor, but it was there. The more obvious flavor was the caramel (with perhaps a hint of rum?) and some vanilla creme to balance everything out. We also got the chocolate molten cake. This is not a huge portion, but because of how rich it is, even after you pour in some vanilla creme, the cake is just the right size.

Again, while I didn’t pick up the tab for this meal, the DineLA menu made this quite an affordable meal. Not including beverages, tax, and tip, our three-course meal was $34. I believe the linguini on their dinner menu is usually $29 by itself. Take advantage of DineLA, and if you don’t know which of the participating restaurants to try, go to Lasher’s! All in all, I had a great time at dinner. My companion, a little less so, especially since as we were leaving, the ladies at the next table reminded me not to let him off the hook so easily and roughed him a little more for me.

Lasher’s American Restaurant
3441 E. Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90803
Phone: (562) 433-0153
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, opens at 5pm; Sunday brunch 10:30am-3pm