Milk for Dinner!

Milk
7290 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-6455

A last minute urge for their blue velvet cake brought JM and UE to Milk, but what they got was a good hearty dinner on a cold LA winter night. Milk is typically a great place for lunch or dessert, and now it's good to know it's a great option for a quick dinner! Choosing from the permanent menu on the wall and the specials to the left, orders are made at the counter. It was hard for JM to focus since the gelato case was right next to the register and the dessert case was overflowing with fresh cookies, decorative cakes, colorful cupcakes, plump muffins and lovely bread loaves.

JM and UE shared the warm, creamy, corny with a kick, goodness of the tortilla soup. For the entree, JM had the croque madame. It was unconventional and was probably more like an open faced ham, egg and cheese sandwich topped with sausage gravy, but it hit the spot as a dinner sandwich. UE was craving meat and decided on the media noche. The hot pressed sandwich was hearty and the pickles added a surprising crunch. The side salad was perfectly simple with vinegar and a pinch of sea salt.

For dessert, the decision was extremely difficult. From red velvet cupcakes to strawberry ice cream sandwiches, JM and UE settled on the tres leches cake and the blue velvet cake (of course). The tres leche cake was not as milky and soaked as one would expect. The cake was a dry interpretation of the traditional dessert and needed more sweetness and milk. The vanilla bean whipped topping was nice, but added to the "typical" cake quality. The blue velvet cake was good as usual! The vibrant blue hue may throw some off, but the rich velvety blueberry cake with embedded blueberries helps to overcome the initial color shock quickly. In the end, definitely go for the food, but skip the tres leches....unless you like soggy vanilla cake.

Show 'Nuff

Pho Show
4349 Sepulveda Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
310-398-5200

[read this in the latest edition of Breaks magazine]

Although the Westside has plenty of Japanese, Persian, Indian and Thai restaurants, there is scant representation of Vietnamese cuisine. And we won’t get into the dearth of good Chinese food in this article.

Now Pho Show, continuing the grand pho pun tradition, is bringing a bit of the eastside to us. Culver City has been cultivating a restaurant row downtown for the past few years. But Pho (rhymes with “duh”) Show is located where Lindblade runs into Sepulveda Boulevard near shops where you can get a Thai massage or tropical fish, not by wine bars and gastropubs.

It’s a small minimalist place with mango-colored walls and hard white chairs. There are six tables for two on the sidewalk surrounded by new flowering vines and bamboo plants. On a late Monday afternoon, there were about three other tables occupied. I chose a spot outside. It was cool for a July day and the building created shade so the temperature was pleasant. The sight and sound of traffic was not relaxing, but drivers singing to their radio and babies in strollers pushed by their nannies provided atmoshere.

There are several starters and drinks, including beer, wine, and soju cocktails. I started with a glass of iced Vietnamese coffee and shrimp spring rolls. The coffee was strong and sweetened by condensed milk, but I was disappointed that it didn’t come in a Vietnamese coffee press. I like having to wait for the coffee to drip slowly from the metal contraption into a cup and then stirring it into a glass of ice. You have a choice of fish sauce or peanut sauce with the rolls. I chose fish sauce, which, for the uninitiated, is not as strong as it sounds, but is more vinegary. The “salad rolls” come in a fresh rice wrapper filled with rice noodles, shrimp, basil, mint and cilantro. They are a refreshing choice for warm weather. There are also versions with meat or tofu or you can get the fried cha gio.

There are other rice and noodle dishes with endless combinations of meat and vegetables, nothing more than $11, however pho is the main attraction. Pho is a thin rice noodle soup with a clear beef broth, various meat options and garnishes that each diner uses as desired. I ordered a basic small bowl with rare steak, but I have friends that can’t eat pho without tripe and brisket. When your server asks, request the steak on the side or it won’t be rare for long. The small bowl was a good size though at $6.75 not the deal you can get at other pho joints. The broth had a delicate beef flavor with the aroma of what I believe was cardamom and cloves. Perhaps not as hearty as some would like, but it was perfect for the summer. White and green onions floated on the top. The noodles below the surface were a bit clumped together, but fine once stirred around. The steak came on a separate dish with more onions. You also get Thai basil, sprouts and lime wedges to add at your discretion—I put in everything along with some red chili sauce, of which there are three kinds on the table.

Pho Show doesn’t have the funky “authenticity” of a place downtown or further east, but who says all pho should be eaten at a hole in the wall? Why should we have to endure the 10 freeway for Vietnamese food? There is one significant problem. Pho, like its Mexican counterpart menudo, is known as hangover food. Unfortunately, Pho Show doesn’t open until 5:30 on the weekends. But nearby you can always get a Cubano sandwich or a massage nearby while you wait.

Tasting Flight: Camellia Cellars

Camellia Cellars
57 Front Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(888)404-WINE

In late August, UE & friends discovered a gem hidden away in the residential streets of Healdsburg, CA. One of our last stops before we drove back to LA with our 20+ bottles, UE was determined to find a Zinfandel that was crisp, sweet and dry. The complimentary tastings lead to the purchase of a 2007 First Kiss, Proprietor's White Wine Blend from Sonoma County. With a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and the sweetness of Viognier & Muscat, the taste was crisp and the body was simple. First Kiss is a delicately balanced wine with an acidity that does not overpower the playfulness of the citrus undertones.

After experiencing a wonderful Cab at the Gundlach Bundschu Winery, UE was in search of a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon. The hunger (or thirst) for a complex red resulted in the discovery of a 2004 Sangiovese Riserva from the Merlo Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. A perfectly balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, the body is round with a complexity that is masterfully restrained. This full-bodied red has indeed changed UE's preference for the seemingly predictable dry white wines. If only I could find a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon...

Delicacheena in NYC

Brasserie Les Halles
411 Park Ave South
New York, NY 10016
212-679-4111

Au Bon Pain
Locations all over the East Coast

Grand Central Terminal
87 E 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

INK did so much research that it's really a shame she didn't stay in the city longer, at least as long as her dining checklist. In the interest of time, convenience, and family relations, she ate pizza from Sbarro! (Although she did have some pretty good thin-crust eggplant pizza made by a New York transplant in Vermont. . .) No hot dogs from a street vendor were had, either.

The eating highlight was Les Halles, Anthony Bourdain's former gig, Bourdain of the what-really-happens-in-the-kitchen books and travelogues on the Food Network and Travel Channel. Mom likes the shows and Dad likes escargot so it had parental approval. Les Halles was dark and loud with happy locals and tourists and the usual "ain't we hip" restaurant playlist. The only song INK can remember is Amy Winehouse's "Rehab," but perhaps because that was the soundtrack of summer 2007.

We started with the escargot, of course, with plenty of bread to sop up the hot, garlicky butter. Even the first-timers dug it. Dad got the vertical pork tenderloin. Mom had the brasserie classic, steak frites. Cousin and Niece ordered the le fancy macaroni and cheese with gruyere and serrano ham. INK was very pleased with her truffle sauce and froi gras burger-- loosely packed and oh-so-juicy. Creme brulee, tarte aux pommes and profiteroles don't disappoint. Exciting and cutting edge? Definitely not, but rich, comforting, satisfying.

The next morning, the chain Au Bon Pain was a pleasant spot for breakfast before hitting MOMA to complete the Delicacheena van Gogh summer tour. Love the self-serve bakery of endless can't-decides.

A salad of falafel, couscous, tabouleh, salad green, eggplant, etc. at Grand Central was a healthy way to end the stay.

So perhaps this was more of a reconnaissance trip--a lot of ground was covered in that tour bus. INK, however, was pleased to have checked off eat a "fancy" dinner, run to/in Central Park to see the Alice in Wonderland statue, see "Starry Night," and don't kill any relatives.

Looking for K-town in Culver City

Gyenari
9540 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90231
310-838-3131

Delicacheena usually travels to Koreatown to satisfy their craving for sizzling meat and kimchee. With the opening of a Korean BBQ Lounge in Culver City, UE and the SPII crew sneaked in after the lunchtime rush to enjoy a meal that is happily consumed in the late-night hours.

Gyenari offers outdoor dining with a bar area located at the front. The remaining space contains black leather booths and a beautifully lit yellow flower wall divider. Unlike traditional Korean establishments, the atmosphere was calm and quite spacious.

The lunch menu offers both recognizable dishes as well as salads & sandwiches. No barley tea was available but we did enjoy the cranberry hibiscus tea. The surprisingly meaty pork Mandoo appetizer satisfied our empty stomachs but the mild kimchee and chicken broth side dishes set the tone for what we now knew would not be traditional Korean entrees.

The piknik plates were combination meals with different meat offerings. The tempura was light and the batter surrounding the vegetables and shrimp was flavorful and not over-fried. The side noodles were a solid offering that was appreciated more as the meal progressed.

We had high expectations for the bulgogi plates but like the kimchee before it, the spice level and seasonings were drastically dull. TOS was happy with his spicy pork but agreed the adjective "spicy" should be removed from the name. Meanwhile, KKK's beef bulgogi was not offered on a sizzling plate. Without the usual smoky flavors and inescapable meat perfume, the non-grilled meat left a bland taste and a chewy texture. For a traditional preparation, we recommend visiting during dining hours as patrons are able to grill meat at their tables.

UE's pan seared tofu was a bright spot among the piknik plates. The sauce was familiar and did not overwhelm the natural flavors of the tofu. The texture was slightly firm and maintained its form well. Overall, a simple dish that can satisfy any foodie.

Since the A.L.T. was not under scrutiny, URL happily devoured the sandwich and the perfectly shaped onion rings. The ahi burger was seared and prepared exactly as it should be. URL declared it the best among all she's ever tasted. After taking a bite, KKK was convinced and will order the sandwich on her next visit.

As lunch came to the close, we all left room for dessert. Four delightfully fried donuts with a raspberry cream sauce washed away any disappointment we had with our meal. The donuts crunched on the outside and warmth exuded from the center. The raspberry sauce tasted natural and freshly prepared. We stared at the empty plate and wondered when we would return for these treats again.

Gyenari is not a substitute for the traditional places in K-town. Do not be discouraged with the lunchtime combination meals as they come through with their other offerings and well-made desserts.

Pre-Game Treats

Treat Street
secret location varies

What a better way to preface a game day than with La Taquiza (if you're not tailgating, that is) and what's better than preceding that with baked goods?

The latest Treat Street bake sale was last Saturday on Carnation off of Micheltorena in Silver Lake. INK felt carsick after we missed a left and had to break out a map (!) and circle back around through the twisty streets. Plus it was an overcast morning, but that didn't put a damper on our pursuit of sweetness.

We bypassed the honeydew jigglers and Kiss in full face-paint cookies. UE particularly enjoyed the hand print sugar cookies. JM gave an unexpected high rating for the wheat-free apple blossom muffins. The UB40's, red wine chocolate caramel cupcakes with a sprinkle of sea salt, really tasted like all those things and worked well. The mini upside-down cakes, made with cornmeal, were tart with what may have been plum. There were doughnut muffins and moist "sarsaparilla thrilla" bundt cake. The butterscotch tarts were not butterscotchy enough. Salt n Pepa shorbreads were not too sweet, but the pumpkin whoopie pie was a sugary, creamy mess. . . that we loved. Olive oil cake had a nice texture. The lemon meringue cupcakes held up well to refrigeration and were still nice a few days later.

Heavy Metal Barbecue

Los Angeles BBQ Festival

L.C.'s Barbeque
5800 Blue Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64129
816-923-4484

No real point in writing about the other pitmasters that we tried (Bandana from St. Louis, Parise from Los Angeles) because the main event at the Los Angeles BBQ Festival, curiously located off the Santa Monica Pier, was L.C.'s Barbeque. . . with a Metal Shop soundtrack.

The (fake) hair band played a two hour set that almost spanned our wait for meaty goodness. We were naive when we saw the line for L.C.'s and thought, "Let's check out the other stands and then come back." But the queue for 'cue had not diminished. We were amused by Bon Jovi and Guns N Roses covers and enjoyed the ocean breezes while slowly easing toward the overworked pits.

When we finally made it to the front, it was mesmerizing to watch the women hack at the sticky smoldering slabs on the butcher block. The saucy ribs and rib tips were worth the wait--tender, with just enough chewiness and crunchy charred bits. And, oh, the smoke! The aroma of leftovers lingered in the car and the house and made the lunchroom salivate the next day.

side dish: July 4th weekend

The Village Idiot
Clementine
BLD
Din Tai Fung
Tea Station
KC's Crepes

No fireworks for Delicacheena, but lots of good food, at least for UE, INK and cohorts (JM is in the wilderness).

BLD was closed on the 4th so we drove north to Village Idiot: hot-off-the-something BBQ ribs special with greens and cornbread, salmon on soba noodles, flaky veggie pie, "cheeky halves" of Heavenly Hef and Nectar of the Gods to quaff, apricot triple sec bread pudding, glorious peach shortcake.

Saturday included the dependable Clementine and finally BLD with standout special nectarine salad of spinach, chickpea fritters and ricotta. Eating all the seasonal stone fruits!

Today was about our inner cheena. Din Tai Fung: juicy pork dumplings, fried rice almost like Dad's, perfectly round and fluffy red bean bao. And taro and almond milk tea bobas from Tea Station

UPDATE: For dinner, after visiting BP and MH and the new baby. . . French bulldog, we head down Lincoln to KC's Crepes near LMU: crunchy sweet chili chicken with basil and greens, Margherita, and caramel vanilla crunch.

Treat Street - Back To School

Treat Street
Silverlake, CA

Back in September, Delicacheena visited the traveling bake sale known as Treat Street. Not as well as hidden as previous sales, UE and JM met up with TW to grab some Back To School treats. Among our favorites: PB&J Sandwich cookies, Expresso Cookies and Reese's Cup. Though we were able to purchase most of the treats, we were surprised at how fast the items were selling out. Treat Street is no longer a secret whispered among dessert fanatics. Delicacheena will have their dollars ready when the next location is posted. Stay tuned!

Taco Nostalgia

La Taquiza
3009 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 741-9795

Delicacheena loves attending conferences at 'SC because it's the best university ever, but it doesn't hurt that La Taquiza is just a bit north of campus. This place has been around forever or at least since we lived on 30th St which was long, long ago. Nice to see the restaurant in a L.A. Times article about aguas frescas the following week.

Come to me tacos al pastor y carne asada con salsa rojo and a sprinkle of cilantro and onions! Carne asada is just-right tender and juicy. The pork is smoky sweet and melts in your mouth. They give you two kinds of salsa for to-go orders, but there are more options in the salsa bar. The red salsa is hot without numbing your tongue; the green is that watery avocado (I think) stuff that you get at some places, but it was a nice slightly creamy contrast to the heat, meat and grease (grease equals flavor).

I guess there are other great items to consume (TW raves about the mulitas), but I'm here to wax nostalgic about the tacos of my past. I order four at a buck and half each. Don't you want to bite into these fat babies? Bits of meat tumble out when you hoist them to your mouth, but don't let any of them get away. Savor each mouthful.

Our Favorite Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall
11058 Santa Monica Blvd. (Behind the Winchell's)
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-312-3632

Carvel Ice Cream
11037 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-444-0011

We blame ourselves for the demise of Dainties. A half dozen about every month, was that the best we could do? Of course not. We didn't step up and now the best cupcakes ever are never more.

Now we have vowed singlebloggedly to raise the awareness of our favorite cupcake chef's newest endeavor and to assure that Hole in the Wall is with us for years to come. So, come on and eat their burgers already!

Delicacheena knows it's hot sitting on the parking spots with just some umbrellas for protection and there are countless high and low end burgers out there. But you know you can replace one of you meals from a box or a lousy chain with a juicy half pound of beef, turkey or veggie patty.

It's a build-you-own affair. There are checklists like at the Counter, but far more simplified. Choose your meat or lack-there-of, bun or bowl, cheese and mayo. Decide if you want all, some or none of the lettuce, red onion, tomato and house made zucchini pickles. Extras include apple wood smoked bacon, avocado, roasted peppers, sauteed onions, fried egg and sauteed mushrooms. There are packets of ketchup, mustard and Tapatio. Sweet potato or regular fries? They're both thick, crisp, hot and fresh-tasting and one order is enough for three.

The beef is juicy and, well, beefy. The meat was cooked the way we like it: medium. The fried egg is perfectly cooked, not rubbery, not runny. Had she known about the roasted peppers, TW would have paid the extra price to add it to her burger order.

The turkey burger is peppery, not as juicy as the beef, but moist and hearty. The chewy pretzel bun holds up well to the slippery mix of meat, provolone cheese, and cranberry mayo. On another visit, the chipotle mayo with its bite is more prominent than the the cranberry mayo.

The veggie burger tastes of smoky black beans and corn. The whole wheat honey is slightly sweet. Sans bun, this patty is the best choice for the burger bowl. Throw a fried egg, sauteed onions, provolone cheese, and mushrooms on a bed of red leaf lettuce and this truly becomes a very tasty salad.

We leave stuffed; the savory side of our stomachs satisfied, but the sweet side was a little sad. We ventured across the street to Carvel Ice Cream where we were able to calm our sweets craving. While we worked on our haiku, we reflected on the loss of the cupcake that should have been.

But maybe,if chef and co-owner William Dertouzos regains a little faith in the Los Angeles consumers, just maybe he'll feel we're worthy of his cupcakes again.

side dish: Fresh from the Toaster Oven

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.

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.

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.

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 Patissiere
12225 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.

We're Published!

Read Delicacheena's articles in Breaks Magazine.

Antwerp(en): Fashion and Food Capitol

We only had one day in Antwerp, the fashion capitol of Belgium. We knew we were in for a treat when we arrived in the beautiful art deco train station with one of those giant vending machines--diapers, wine, or Coca-cola Light, anyone?

At Renzo, we went Italian with ham, mozzarella, and pesto panini. INK wanted to try a the handmade "warm chocolate special" to drink. JM had ice tea (peach and fizzy, of course).

We loaded up on chocolate gifts at Pierre Marcolini and biscuits at Phillip's Biscuits. We looked out for ourselves at Goossen Pastries, an Antwerp institution with a long line of locals out the door.

Much to gusta at Gusto, a mondern little restaurant with orange lights and only one cook and one waitress. We started with a mixed antipasta. JM complimented her mushroom linguini with Fanta. INK had potatoes and gambas. We would eat there all the time if it was in L.A.

A shot of Belgium 45 Degrees added to the atmosphere of dark wood and scarred cats at the neighborhood gin bar. Our dessert was a shot of hazelnut creme gin.

We finished off the Goossen for breakfast the next day before catching our train to Amsterdam.

Stuffed!

Munky King
7308 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Our Murakami day was pop art and food. This time the art was food. The Munky King on Melrose had a small, but satisfying exhibit of plush food. Handcrafted of felt and cotton by a variety of artists, the food was too cute and thus disturbing in its cuteness--Food with smiles or forlorn eyes, ready for consumption. Turkey legs, sticks of butter, cupcakes, and sushi rolls. Haminal, a pink rectangular guinea pig-like creature with a jaunty pineapple ring on his ear, came in a range of sizes and, as the ad claimed, was boneless and fit perfectly in the can. Delicacheena now has a small haminal at home. Tasty!



We planned on eating a late lunch/early dinner at Angeli Caffe for its comfort Italian since it was just steps away, but we always forget that they aren't open until 5 on the weekends. We turned around and snapped up a booth at The Village Idiot. We watched the last remaining light disappear as we enjoyed our meal of Fish and Chips with our beer and ice tea.