It wasn't very long before a return visit to Canter's (Sondre Lerche at the El Rey). All INK knew of the over-sized cookie was what she saw on an episode of Seinfeld. To her surprise it wasn't just a generic butter cookie with frosting. The dough was soft and airy and melted in her mouth. Was that lemon zest? The "black" frosting was chocolate.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
side dish: black and white at Canter's
It wasn't very long before a return visit to Canter's (Sondre Lerche at the El Rey). All INK knew of the over-sized cookie was what she saw on an episode of Seinfeld. To her surprise it wasn't just a generic butter cookie with frosting. The dough was soft and airy and melted in her mouth. Was that lemon zest? The "black" frosting was chocolate.
Been There, Ate That. . . too
JiRaffe--Probably the first place we had an amuse bouche. Ahh, INK's foot-themed meal: trout with peeky toe crab and black foot chanterelles. Why don't we go back?
Hungry Cat--Decadent lobster roll, heart-breaking chocolate souffle/creme brulee/bread pudding, few tables. Gotta try the creative cocktails.
!Loteria!--Because you can't always go to San Diego when you get a hankering for potato tacos.
Apple Pan--Burger, fries and apple pie ala mode. Or banana cream. Wonder which of the four veteran servers will be working our side of the counter. No nonsense, cash only.
My Secret Recipe--When you want oodles of spicy little octopi cooked in front of you in Koreatown. Believe them when they say medium is spicy. Wish the rice came at the beginning; like we said, it's spicy. Enjoyed the pa jun, fried pancake with more octopus and lots of green onion.
Bread Bar--Of course, that first visit during its early days was the best because they gave INK a free bag full of brioche and croissants.
Caprice--Don't really remember the French mini pastries too well. It's the experience of ringing the doorbell and either a tall, skinny guy with an accent lets you into the kitchen with large metal tray upon tray of delights. Or its a young woman or Caprice, himself, who will regale you about his youth in Provence. Sometimes its one on one. Other times there is a row of cooks with pastry bags in the background. They're all in their chef whites and they all offer free samples!
Tia Juana's--Soft tacos, so-good-must-be-bad refried beans and rice, handmade tortillas.
Hungry Cat--Decadent lobster roll, heart-breaking chocolate souffle/creme brulee/bread pudding, few tables. Gotta try the creative cocktails.
!Loteria!--Because you can't always go to San Diego when you get a hankering for potato tacos.
Apple Pan--Burger, fries and apple pie ala mode. Or banana cream. Wonder which of the four veteran servers will be working our side of the counter. No nonsense, cash only.
My Secret Recipe--When you want oodles of spicy little octopi cooked in front of you in Koreatown. Believe them when they say medium is spicy. Wish the rice came at the beginning; like we said, it's spicy. Enjoyed the pa jun, fried pancake with more octopus and lots of green onion.
Bread Bar--Of course, that first visit during its early days was the best because they gave INK a free bag full of brioche and croissants.
Caprice--Don't really remember the French mini pastries too well. It's the experience of ringing the doorbell and either a tall, skinny guy with an accent lets you into the kitchen with large metal tray upon tray of delights. Or its a young woman or Caprice, himself, who will regale you about his youth in Provence. Sometimes its one on one. Other times there is a row of cooks with pastry bags in the background. They're all in their chef whites and they all offer free samples!
Tia Juana's--Soft tacos, so-good-must-be-bad refried beans and rice, handmade tortillas.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Been There, Ate That
Other places that we've patronized in the past and enjoyed:
Providence--It's a seafood restaurant with mmmm bacon in every course, including dessert.
Violet--Little dishes and reeeaally little glass of milk and cookies as the coda.
Blue Velvet--After an Edward Scissorhands matinee with the mom, a very early glass of wine and well-prepared dinner. Talk about crazy, but works dessert combinations.
Tender Greens--What, no corn?! But these big, fresh salads with choices of protein are great. Cupcakes don't hurt.
Ford's Filling Station--Everyone knows about this other Culver City stop.
Nook--Comfort food, but the communal table stools are uncomfortable.
Jar--Meat and veggies roasted and braised right. Does it really stand for Just Another Restaurant?
Angeli Cafe--Homey Italian food with great bread. It's fun to watch people try to find the door. Wish that chicken pasta was a regular menu item.
Lemon Moon--Great prepared salads like Clementine. Too bad it's only open during lunch on the weekdays. Knew it would be good before it opened when INK saw the Zumex machine in the window while running.
Joan's on Third--Salads, soups, cupcakes, coffee, gelato.
Spoon House--Spicy Japanese spaghetti with soft French bread.
Zax--We'll alway remember you as our favorite restaurant. . .
Providence--It's a seafood restaurant with mmmm bacon in every course, including dessert.
Violet--Little dishes and reeeaally little glass of milk and cookies as the coda.
Blue Velvet--After an Edward Scissorhands matinee with the mom, a very early glass of wine and well-prepared dinner. Talk about crazy, but works dessert combinations.
Tender Greens--What, no corn?! But these big, fresh salads with choices of protein are great. Cupcakes don't hurt.
Ford's Filling Station--Everyone knows about this other Culver City stop.
Nook--Comfort food, but the communal table stools are uncomfortable.
Jar--Meat and veggies roasted and braised right. Does it really stand for Just Another Restaurant?
Angeli Cafe--Homey Italian food with great bread. It's fun to watch people try to find the door. Wish that chicken pasta was a regular menu item.
Lemon Moon--Great prepared salads like Clementine. Too bad it's only open during lunch on the weekdays. Knew it would be good before it opened when INK saw the Zumex machine in the window while running.
Joan's on Third--Salads, soups, cupcakes, coffee, gelato.
Spoon House--Spicy Japanese spaghetti with soft French bread.
Zax--We'll alway remember you as our favorite restaurant. . .
side dish: Good-pie!
We pride ourselves on being able to enjoy both the finer and, uh, coarser foods in life. When $5.99 pie month rolls around at Marie Callendar's, Delicacheena is there with the pie tin deposit. And we're a sucker for the "limited time" flavors. Who are we kidding? "Limited time" induces us to purchase many of the un-necessities of life.
On March 4th, the planets were aligned just right and the end of the $5.99 deal coincided with the start of the Lemon Cream Surpreme's limited appearance. (The specialty pie was not on-sale.) We bought two pies to take advantage of the six bucks deal and to get the Surpreme--UE is not big on lemon and it was a stressful weekend.
The Lemon Cream Surpreme is described as Boston cream pie with a touch of lemon, but that is not accurate. It's more of a "Cake or pie? Why not both?" In the traditional pie crust, there are layers of yellow cake, pudding/cream and lemon filling. Why not?
The coconut cream pie and its too-sweet-and-creamy goodness is just like mom never made.
On March 4th, the planets were aligned just right and the end of the $5.99 deal coincided with the start of the Lemon Cream Surpreme's limited appearance. (The specialty pie was not on-sale.) We bought two pies to take advantage of the six bucks deal and to get the Surpreme--UE is not big on lemon and it was a stressful weekend.
The Lemon Cream Surpreme is described as Boston cream pie with a touch of lemon, but that is not accurate. It's more of a "Cake or pie? Why not both?" In the traditional pie crust, there are layers of yellow cake, pudding/cream and lemon filling. Why not?
The coconut cream pie and its too-sweet-and-creamy goodness is just like mom never made.
Extraordinary Desserts! Ordinary Panini!
Extraordinary Desserts
2929 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
Ph: (619) 294-2132
It is impossible for Delicacheena to motor down to San Diego without visiting the beloved Extraordinary Desserts. Bold name choice, but it's true. We find sustenance just staring at the refrigerated cases.
With two locations, our favorite is the one in Downtown. Whenever we first walk in we are immediately challenged to take in the volume of vibrant and delicate flowers atop layers of sweet cream, fresh berries and rich chocolate. A long wine bar lines the right side of the room with a huge relief of Buddha at the end. But we haven't experienced that yet, we save our calories for other delights.
There is an interesting (picked by monkeys!), but expensive (those monkeys charge a premium) tea menu. INK went for the regular iced tea which comes garnished with a bamboo pick of berries and a rose leaf. She considered paying the dollar for a refill, but one refreshing glass was enough.
Now for the food. The panini (why are all sandwiches Italian now?) are pretty to look at, but not pretty to eat. INK would like to be both official cake taster and menu consultant. The first thing she would do is tweak the sandwich presentation. It is physically impossible to pick up and bite the caesar panini and the butter knife was not up to the task of slicing through the pressed bread. Maybe it should have stuck to being a salad of grilled eggplant, red peppers and romaine lettuce with the bread on the side. It was accompanied by three types of delicious olives, two green and one gigantic black.
JM ordered the goat cheese that came with a side of potato salad made with a tapenade type dressing. It was good, not extraordinary, but at least she could pick it up!
UE had the egg salad panini that also came with a side of potato salad. Her panini also failed the "pick up" test since it was topped with a layer of the same tapenade type dressing. The paninis were good, but not really worth the work.
After watching the designated cake lady continuously walk out with new floral creations from the kitchen to the front, it was finally extraordinary dessert time! Selecting a dessert always starts with a trip to the front cases. We selected two eye pleasing cakes. The tres leches cake was one of the daily specials. This shredded coconut topped cake rested perfectly on tangy kiwi and sweet mango sauces. It arrived with a scoop of homemade white chocolate ice cream. Each favor resulted in a wonderfully different experience. This was the reason we came here!
The second dessert was a decadent chocolate brownie. Almost tasting like a flourless cake with a rich and thick milk chocolate frosting, it was offset with fresh berries and a light "very vanilla bean" ice cream. This is strictly for professional chocolate lovers, but amateurs would delight in the cake as well!
As expected, the ending is never ordinary. (Or as INK would say, "Muy yum")
2929 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
Ph: (619) 294-2132
It is impossible for Delicacheena to motor down to San Diego without visiting the beloved Extraordinary Desserts. Bold name choice, but it's true. We find sustenance just staring at the refrigerated cases.
With two locations, our favorite is the one in Downtown. Whenever we first walk in we are immediately challenged to take in the volume of vibrant and delicate flowers atop layers of sweet cream, fresh berries and rich chocolate. A long wine bar lines the right side of the room with a huge relief of Buddha at the end. But we haven't experienced that yet, we save our calories for other delights.
There is an interesting (picked by monkeys!), but expensive (those monkeys charge a premium) tea menu. INK went for the regular iced tea which comes garnished with a bamboo pick of berries and a rose leaf. She considered paying the dollar for a refill, but one refreshing glass was enough.
Now for the food. The panini (why are all sandwiches Italian now?) are pretty to look at, but not pretty to eat. INK would like to be both official cake taster and menu consultant. The first thing she would do is tweak the sandwich presentation. It is physically impossible to pick up and bite the caesar panini and the butter knife was not up to the task of slicing through the pressed bread. Maybe it should have stuck to being a salad of grilled eggplant, red peppers and romaine lettuce with the bread on the side. It was accompanied by three types of delicious olives, two green and one gigantic black.
JM ordered the goat cheese that came with a side of potato salad made with a tapenade type dressing. It was good, not extraordinary, but at least she could pick it up!
UE had the egg salad panini that also came with a side of potato salad. Her panini also failed the "pick up" test since it was topped with a layer of the same tapenade type dressing. The paninis were good, but not really worth the work.
After watching the designated cake lady continuously walk out with new floral creations from the kitchen to the front, it was finally extraordinary dessert time! Selecting a dessert always starts with a trip to the front cases. We selected two eye pleasing cakes. The tres leches cake was one of the daily specials. This shredded coconut topped cake rested perfectly on tangy kiwi and sweet mango sauces. It arrived with a scoop of homemade white chocolate ice cream. Each favor resulted in a wonderfully different experience. This was the reason we came here!
The second dessert was a decadent chocolate brownie. Almost tasting like a flourless cake with a rich and thick milk chocolate frosting, it was offset with fresh berries and a light "very vanilla bean" ice cream. This is strictly for professional chocolate lovers, but amateurs would delight in the cake as well!
As expected, the ending is never ordinary. (Or as INK would say, "Muy yum")
Surf's Up!
Taco Surf
4657 Mission Blvd.
San Diego, CA
Ph: (858) 272-3877
Delicacheena loves unseasonably warm days and was treated to a beautiful Saturday in San Diego. The reason for the trip was Razorlight and Mohair, but, hey, you gotta eat lunch and dinner.
We made our third trip (the first two were in one day) to a hole-in-the-wall called Taco Surf located in Pacific Beach. The "surf museum" boards line the ceiling and share wall space with beach-themed paintings and photographs, attracts young freckled and bronzed males in board shorts and wetsuits. Overheard: "Dude, I knew this Persian guy. He went to Peru all the time, just because." "Wait, why did he go. ..." "Uh, I mean he was Peruvian."
In addition to burritos grandes and nachos, there are about five different types of crispy, rolled (taquitos) and soft tacos. We each ordered three, not remembering them to be as large as they were today. INK got a crispy potato covered with cojito cheese, a soft carnitas and a soft grilled mahi mahi. The strange, but satisfying mix of mashed potatoes and crunchy taco shell was her favorite. Was that season salt that tinged it red? The flavorful bits of carnitas were almost overwhelmed by the guacamole and may have been better plain. JM had crispy fried fish and carne asada soft tacos and finished with a rolled potato taco with a side of guacamole. UE had a similar meal, substituting the carne asada with carnitas.
So if you're ever in PB and want some Mexican (food) and the ramblings of surf boys...be patient finding a parking spot and try a potato taco!
4657 Mission Blvd.
San Diego, CA
Ph: (858) 272-3877
Delicacheena loves unseasonably warm days and was treated to a beautiful Saturday in San Diego. The reason for the trip was Razorlight and Mohair, but, hey, you gotta eat lunch and dinner.
We made our third trip (the first two were in one day) to a hole-in-the-wall called Taco Surf located in Pacific Beach. The "surf museum" boards line the ceiling and share wall space with beach-themed paintings and photographs, attracts young freckled and bronzed males in board shorts and wetsuits. Overheard: "Dude, I knew this Persian guy. He went to Peru all the time, just because." "Wait, why did he go. ..." "Uh, I mean he was Peruvian."
In addition to burritos grandes and nachos, there are about five different types of crispy, rolled (taquitos) and soft tacos. We each ordered three, not remembering them to be as large as they were today. INK got a crispy potato covered with cojito cheese, a soft carnitas and a soft grilled mahi mahi. The strange, but satisfying mix of mashed potatoes and crunchy taco shell was her favorite. Was that season salt that tinged it red? The flavorful bits of carnitas were almost overwhelmed by the guacamole and may have been better plain. JM had crispy fried fish and carne asada soft tacos and finished with a rolled potato taco with a side of guacamole. UE had a similar meal, substituting the carne asada with carnitas.
So if you're ever in PB and want some Mexican (food) and the ramblings of surf boys...be patient finding a parking spot and try a potato taco!
Monday, March 5, 2007
side dish: The Village Idiot
We visited this surprisingly airy and sunny "gastro-pub" in February. It has a u-shaped bar and plenty of tables and booths lining the front windows. The service was slow; each step (sitting at one of the many open tables, getting the menus, having our orders taken, etc.) was excruciatingly drawn out.
We shared the pretty rock shrimp and scallion fritters as an appetizer. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the mango(?) salsa complimented the fritter. JM indulged her craving with the pub burger and especially enjoyed the balsamic onion relish. INK's fish and chips could have been more flavorful, but was crisp and not greasy. Although she usually sticks to malt vinegar, INK enjoyed the tarter sauce, closer to an herbed mayonnaise. UE was satisfied with the catfish with black-eyed peas, greens and andouille sausage.
(For dessert--there's always room for dessert--we had the ever-pleasing red velvet cake at Dough Boys on 3rd.)
7383 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
(323) 655-3331; http://www.villageidiotla.com
We shared the pretty rock shrimp and scallion fritters as an appetizer. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the mango(?) salsa complimented the fritter. JM indulged her craving with the pub burger and especially enjoyed the balsamic onion relish. INK's fish and chips could have been more flavorful, but was crisp and not greasy. Although she usually sticks to malt vinegar, INK enjoyed the tarter sauce, closer to an herbed mayonnaise. UE was satisfied with the catfish with black-eyed peas, greens and andouille sausage.
(For dessert--there's always room for dessert--we had the ever-pleasing red velvet cake at Dough Boys on 3rd.)
7383 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
(323) 655-3331; http://www.villageidiotla.com
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Good food for good weather
Clementine
1751 Ensley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Ph: (310) 552-1080
When it's a bright and sunny day, we can't help but go to Clementine for food that matches the weather! This place is great for breakfast, lunch, take home dinners and desserts. They even have curbside pick-up for those avoiding the line during prime eating hours (be sure to call ahead).
Fortunately, we arrived around 1:30 pm and found a parking meter spot relatively quickly. Always try the small lot behind the building first, but you can usually find meters along the street. When we walked in, we were greeted with fresh baked smells and a glass counter filled with banana cakes with cream cheese frosting, peanut butter sandwich cookies, sunshine corn cakes and butterscotch brownies with walnuts, (INK says don't miss the cupcakes, especially the chocolate with whipped cream filling and the coconut!)....we can go on, but you get the idea. Walking further into the restaurant, we see another glass case filled with the bright fresh colors of the specialty salad offerings. Behind the smiling face at the counter lists a variety of entrees ranging from sandwiches to meatloaf to pasta.
Once we decided on our lunch order, UE went to snag an outside table while JM ordered at the counter. Our food arrived about ten minutes later. We both ordered the daily 1/2 sandwich and soup with cookie combo. The autumn chicken salad sandwich was perfectly light and hearty made with chicken, apples, celery and grapes. (Order the full sandwiches if you're super hungry). The sweet potato soup was creamy and surprisingly not overly sweet. The best part of a Clementine meal is of course the dessert. Who knew a thumbprint cookie, made with a drop of marmalade on a sugar cookie, could make the rest of the day sunny!
1751 Ensley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Ph: (310) 552-1080
When it's a bright and sunny day, we can't help but go to Clementine for food that matches the weather! This place is great for breakfast, lunch, take home dinners and desserts. They even have curbside pick-up for those avoiding the line during prime eating hours (be sure to call ahead).
Fortunately, we arrived around 1:30 pm and found a parking meter spot relatively quickly. Always try the small lot behind the building first, but you can usually find meters along the street. When we walked in, we were greeted with fresh baked smells and a glass counter filled with banana cakes with cream cheese frosting, peanut butter sandwich cookies, sunshine corn cakes and butterscotch brownies with walnuts, (INK says don't miss the cupcakes, especially the chocolate with whipped cream filling and the coconut!)....we can go on, but you get the idea. Walking further into the restaurant, we see another glass case filled with the bright fresh colors of the specialty salad offerings. Behind the smiling face at the counter lists a variety of entrees ranging from sandwiches to meatloaf to pasta.
Once we decided on our lunch order, UE went to snag an outside table while JM ordered at the counter. Our food arrived about ten minutes later. We both ordered the daily 1/2 sandwich and soup with cookie combo. The autumn chicken salad sandwich was perfectly light and hearty made with chicken, apples, celery and grapes. (Order the full sandwiches if you're super hungry). The sweet potato soup was creamy and surprisingly not overly sweet. The best part of a Clementine meal is of course the dessert. Who knew a thumbprint cookie, made with a drop of marmalade on a sugar cookie, could make the rest of the day sunny!
Can't beat Canter's
Canter's Deli
419 No. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Ph: (323) 651-2030
Unfortunately Rodney wasn't at his special booth when we arrived,--for some reason he's a reassuring sight for us--but you can't beat Canter's for late night food. What to get? Matzo ball soup and a corned beef reuben with fries, of course.
Sometimes we mix it up with the mish mosh, but tonight we got the pure and simple matzo ball, tasty with chicken schmaltz, in broth. You never know when the the bagel chips are going to run out and tonight we had the sorry substitute of saltines.
The reuben, which can also be ordered with peppery pastrami, is layered with sauerkraut and swiss cheese between buttery toasted bread. It requires plenty of napkins. It's not the biggest and some claim Nate n' Al's is the best, but we're always pleased with this guilty pleasure sandwich. And the crisp on the outside, tender on the inside steak fries along with two types of pickles rounded out the meal as the vegetable group.
If we want dessert, we go with a shake or rugalah; the other desserts tend to be dry. One day we'll try the cheesecake or the black and white. Later you can check out some local music acts at the Kibbitz room or just choose a booth that is in the adjoining dining room and listen in. The wait staff is a quirky mix of grandmotherly, scary, perturbed, loquacious, coiffed and courteous folks that add to the experience. You know the waiter likes you if he or she divides the matzo ball soup between two bowls when you share. As long as we're hungry after a concert, we'll be noshing at Canter's.
419 No. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Ph: (323) 651-2030
Unfortunately Rodney wasn't at his special booth when we arrived,--for some reason he's a reassuring sight for us--but you can't beat Canter's for late night food. What to get? Matzo ball soup and a corned beef reuben with fries, of course.
Sometimes we mix it up with the mish mosh, but tonight we got the pure and simple matzo ball, tasty with chicken schmaltz, in broth. You never know when the the bagel chips are going to run out and tonight we had the sorry substitute of saltines.
The reuben, which can also be ordered with peppery pastrami, is layered with sauerkraut and swiss cheese between buttery toasted bread. It requires plenty of napkins. It's not the biggest and some claim Nate n' Al's is the best, but we're always pleased with this guilty pleasure sandwich. And the crisp on the outside, tender on the inside steak fries along with two types of pickles rounded out the meal as the vegetable group.
If we want dessert, we go with a shake or rugalah; the other desserts tend to be dry. One day we'll try the cheesecake or the black and white. Later you can check out some local music acts at the Kibbitz room or just choose a booth that is in the adjoining dining room and listen in. The wait staff is a quirky mix of grandmotherly, scary, perturbed, loquacious, coiffed and courteous folks that add to the experience. You know the waiter likes you if he or she divides the matzo ball soup between two bowls when you share. As long as we're hungry after a concert, we'll be noshing at Canter's.
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