The Cobbler Lady
3854 Crenshaw Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90008-1821
323-298-2144
323-298-2148
contactus@cobblerlady.com
When a co-worker commented, "I haven't had cobbler in a long time," JM took it as a challenge. She would bring the best cobbler anyone had ever tasted to their friend's weekend barbecue!
On a sweltering first day of summer, we drove down Crenshaw to the Cobbler Lady in a strip mall near a Ralph's. We picked up a medium cherry, a medium peach, a mini apple, red velvet cake and a couple of cupcakes.
When it finally cooled off, UE and INK each bought a scoop of ice cream from Baskin Robbins. The refrigerated mini cobbler was stuck in the indispensable toaster oven (who could bear to turn on the regular oven in this heat even at 10:30 at night?) for several minutes. We don't know if it would have been just as good right from the store, but fresh from the toaster the crust was crisp and flaky. The apples were chunky, not mushy, not gooey as the fruit in cobblers often are. And the pastry was made all the better with the butter pecan and Heath Bar ice cream.
We don't know how everything else went over at the barbecue earlier that day, but we were happy with 31 Flavors and our toaster oven.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
side dish: violet's cakes
Violet's Cakes
21 East Holly Street
Pasadena, CA 91103
626 395 9821
626 395 9571
INK managed to find metered parking on the opposite corner of the block and had enough change for seven minutes so she speed-walked to the quaint Violet's. There were a couple of tables outside and inside and the open kitchen dominated the space. A couple had a platter of cupcakes, sampling flavors for their upcoming nuptials. The display case would definitely take longer than seven minutes to ponder.
After waiting a day, INK was too eager to eat to remember photos. It was Father's Day and she hoped the ten cupcakes would be up to par: elvis, chocolate strawberry,oreo, blueberry, vanilla, banana , almond joy, toffee, brownie bomb, red velvet. Delicacheena has a reputation to uphold after all. Even after being refrigerated overnight, the $2.50 cakes were very moist and true to their flavor (except for the very subtle toffee). The frostings were also not merely sweet, although they were that, but tasted of fresh and real ingredients like butter and Valrhona Chocolate. Favorites of the group were the blueberry which was not just a glorified muffin, the elvis for the banana and peanut butter fans, simple vanilla and red velvet with cream cheese frosting.
Violet's is no Dainties with ethereal whipped cream. . . but at least they're not Sprinkles either.
21 East Holly Street
Pasadena, CA 91103
626 395 9821
626 395 9571
INK managed to find metered parking on the opposite corner of the block and had enough change for seven minutes so she speed-walked to the quaint Violet's. There were a couple of tables outside and inside and the open kitchen dominated the space. A couple had a platter of cupcakes, sampling flavors for their upcoming nuptials. The display case would definitely take longer than seven minutes to ponder.
After waiting a day, INK was too eager to eat to remember photos. It was Father's Day and she hoped the ten cupcakes would be up to par: elvis, chocolate strawberry,oreo, blueberry, vanilla, banana , almond joy, toffee, brownie bomb, red velvet. Delicacheena has a reputation to uphold after all. Even after being refrigerated overnight, the $2.50 cakes were very moist and true to their flavor (except for the very subtle toffee). The frostings were also not merely sweet, although they were that, but tasted of fresh and real ingredients like butter and Valrhona Chocolate. Favorites of the group were the blueberry which was not just a glorified muffin, the elvis for the banana and peanut butter fans, simple vanilla and red velvet with cream cheese frosting.
Violet's is no Dainties with ethereal whipped cream. . . but at least they're not Sprinkles either.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
We'll Be Frank
Hole in the Wall
11058 Santa Monica Blvd. (Behind the Winchell's)
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-312-3632
Father's Office
3229 Helms Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-736-2224
Let's Be Frank
Helms Avenue between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd. on the East side of the street.
Culver City, CA
We didn't realize Hole in the Wall was closed on Sundays so we popped down to Father's Office at Helm's Bakery figuring it would be easier to find parking and a table than in Santa Monica. The Rogue Hazelnut was rich and the Grimbergen Blonde--recommended as similar to Hoegaarden--was spicy. The shoestring and sweet potato fries with aioli were addictive as usual and the oatmeal stout ribs were sweet and tender, but the burger was not up to par. The roll was over toasted and therefore crumbly and dry and the medium rare patty was closer to medium. Our neighbors at our table had a rare burger that was supposed to be medium. INK is used to the Office Burger being juicy and messy and this one wasn't.
Good thing the fries didn't fail and we were content to bring home a coupla $5 beef dogs from the Let's Be Frank truck (which used to be just a cart) across the street to eat while watching the game. . . We're always planning the next meal. Hole in the Wall burger for lunch tomorrow?
We'll let you know how the frank/Hoegaarden pairing goes.
UPDATE: The lightly spiced with a hint of lemon Hoegaarden complimented the peppery dogs. They were dense and beefy, but lacked snap. The grilled onions had just enough bite and sweetness. If we had eaten the hot dogs right away, we would have added kraut and/or the homemade relish, but the brown mustard sufficed.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
between meals
Tommy's chili fries at 2 am are pretty darn tasty even after waiting until you're across town and get dropped off at home. You can engage in a lengthy discussion of the Lakers versus the Celtics whether you want to or not while in queue. Plus the line's shorter than at Pink's on a Friday night. . .
Saturday Afternoon
Amandine Patissiere12225 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025-1105
(424) 901-1249
After a lunch of ice tea with the vegetable omelette, the ratatouille omelette, and the tuna sandwich on soft pain de mie (each with side salad and sour cornichons), you can’t leave Amandine without dessert. We shared the rich, flourless chocolate gateau with a walnut crust at the café and brought home an almond croissant, a banana chocolate tart and an odd, but cute “zoo animal” brioche mouse.
Citrus at Social
Social Hollywood
6525 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-337-9797
Happy Birthday to BP! We were keeping our expectations low because restaurants attached to clubs. . . well, you know. Social's restaurant make-over with new chef consultant, Michel Richard, and chef de cuisine Remi Lauvand, was written up as an improvement on the former Moroccan-themed place.
It definitely is a lovely space of green satin and velvet booths and armchairs, a large picture of citrus fruits over the fireplace, yellow curtains hanging ceiling to floor, the essence of oranges and limes in the air, the original arched and frescoed ceilings. The large spacious room feels fresh and inviting in the daylight and warm and modern when the sun goes down. Unfortunately, the Money Mart signs shines through the west facing windows day and night.
The Valentino cocktail is sweet and goes down easy, but is tempered by the aroma of the whole basil leaf reclining in the yellow green liquid. The cu cu cocktail is refreshing with cointreau, cucumber and cilantro.
Looking at the individual prices of the appetizers and entrees, the table decides to order the prix fixe menu. We start with the amuse bouche--a flavorful mushroom cigar of finely chopped mushrooms wrapped in crisp filo dough like taquitos in a yogurt sauce.
Our first appetizer is a choice of two. The cold potato leek soup is poured into a dish where an upside-down glass has just been removed to allow an avalanche of potato flakes. MH says the soup is like cereal and INK agrees it is, but in a good way. The milk-white soup is creamy; the flakes have a hint of crispness then melt on your tongue. The beet and tuna salad, red cubes of the ubiquitous starter menu ingredients, also please.
The second appetizer is sablefish with artichokes or monkfish with duck au jus. Both are large portions. The sablefish is delicate; the monkfish meaty.
Two of us order the pork chop as a main course. It is small and lonely on the plate, but is juicy and complemented with chanterelles. Luckily MH and GG ordered the lobster burger to share. The meat is moist, but the sauce is a bit too sweet. The fries, which the table shares, are great--thick, hot, crisp and with a fresh potato flavor. The other entree option is the rib eye accompanied by a creamy polenta and a reduction sauce. All taste fine, but the thinly sliced meat is a bit overwhelmed by the sauce and polenta.
Desserts make us ooh and ah. The Kit Kat looks like a large piece of the candy bar with a chocolate and white chocolate bulls eye set upright in the center. The chocolate, noisette (hazelnut) and crisp layers are irresistible. The orange souffle with vanilla bean ice cream sounds simple. The elements come on a four section platter: the unmolded souffle resting on a thin cookie wafer, the ice cream in a ramekin next to a pitcher of caramel, sour orange segments, whipped cream with almond slices. The waiter pours the caramel on the perfectly formed, delicate souffle and we have fun mixing and matching.
6525 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-337-9797
Happy Birthday to BP! We were keeping our expectations low because restaurants attached to clubs. . . well, you know. Social's restaurant make-over with new chef consultant, Michel Richard, and chef de cuisine Remi Lauvand, was written up as an improvement on the former Moroccan-themed place.
It definitely is a lovely space of green satin and velvet booths and armchairs, a large picture of citrus fruits over the fireplace, yellow curtains hanging ceiling to floor, the essence of oranges and limes in the air, the original arched and frescoed ceilings. The large spacious room feels fresh and inviting in the daylight and warm and modern when the sun goes down. Unfortunately, the Money Mart signs shines through the west facing windows day and night.
The Valentino cocktail is sweet and goes down easy, but is tempered by the aroma of the whole basil leaf reclining in the yellow green liquid. The cu cu cocktail is refreshing with cointreau, cucumber and cilantro.
Looking at the individual prices of the appetizers and entrees, the table decides to order the prix fixe menu. We start with the amuse bouche--a flavorful mushroom cigar of finely chopped mushrooms wrapped in crisp filo dough like taquitos in a yogurt sauce.
Our first appetizer is a choice of two. The cold potato leek soup is poured into a dish where an upside-down glass has just been removed to allow an avalanche of potato flakes. MH says the soup is like cereal and INK agrees it is, but in a good way. The milk-white soup is creamy; the flakes have a hint of crispness then melt on your tongue. The beet and tuna salad, red cubes of the ubiquitous starter menu ingredients, also please.
The second appetizer is sablefish with artichokes or monkfish with duck au jus. Both are large portions. The sablefish is delicate; the monkfish meaty.
Two of us order the pork chop as a main course. It is small and lonely on the plate, but is juicy and complemented with chanterelles. Luckily MH and GG ordered the lobster burger to share. The meat is moist, but the sauce is a bit too sweet. The fries, which the table shares, are great--thick, hot, crisp and with a fresh potato flavor. The other entree option is the rib eye accompanied by a creamy polenta and a reduction sauce. All taste fine, but the thinly sliced meat is a bit overwhelmed by the sauce and polenta.
Desserts make us ooh and ah. The Kit Kat looks like a large piece of the candy bar with a chocolate and white chocolate bulls eye set upright in the center. The chocolate, noisette (hazelnut) and crisp layers are irresistible. The orange souffle with vanilla bean ice cream sounds simple. The elements come on a four section platter: the unmolded souffle resting on a thin cookie wafer, the ice cream in a ramekin next to a pitcher of caramel, sour orange segments, whipped cream with almond slices. The waiter pours the caramel on the perfectly formed, delicate souffle and we have fun mixing and matching.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
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