Food with Your Music, Music with Your Food

What's more important to Delicacheena, food or music? That would take more time and space than we have. Plus we'd lose half of our audience (ha ha). Here's a list of places where we can/could indulge both passions. However, "we're not talking fine dining."

The Echo --Nothing like chicken fingers on New Year's Eve. Booths around the perimeter.

The El Rey --Wolfgang Puck's cafe. JM will share her BBQ chicken pizza with you. Chairs and some tables along wall. Don't know what more is upstairs.

The Hotel Cafe --Remember when it was actually a cafe where you could get coffee and panini? They got their beer and wine license some time ago. Lots of tables since the expansion, but can you still get food?

Largo --(Usually) must order full meal if you sit at the reserved tables. Honey chicken? One of Delicacheena's favorite little locations because big mouths are not allowed, in the audience that is.

The Roxy --Garden burger with fries. Comfy raised booths. Depends on how many spots are reserved for the connected. Otherwise you can juggle a drink and a plate of fries right in front of the band.

Temple Bar --Small venue, selection of tea(!) and plantain quesadillas. Plenty of tables and cushy seating.

Spaceland --We've seen a guy with a cooler of tamales and we are willing to try someday, but don't tell the vendor police. Bar stools and tables, booths are usually occupied by the merch folks.

The Troubadour --For the longest time we thought we were just imagining the aroma of fries, but there really is a bitty kitchen in the corner behind the bar in the main room. A typical snack bar with gum, candy, dogs, fresh veggie plate. Fair amount of bar stools, some with tables. Another favorite venue--small with character and history and we can always find street parking.

The Wiltern --We smell the freshly baked frozen cookies, but we haven't partaken of the expensive treat. (Don't like that they don't manage their own website anymore, but are part of Live Nation.)

When Live Instruments Are Not Necessary:
Arena--Haven't been there in awhile, but it was nice to know you could cool off outside with a taco or burger in Arena's Giant and Spundae days. Circus Disco is there Saturday nights now, but Delicacheena feels funny about putting a link. . .

The Golden Gopher Bar --Decent jukebox and the table placards list places that will DELIVER to the bar. Plus there's the convenience-store-like front counter.

Mel's Drive-In --If you went there on karaoke night at the Hollywood Location, you might have heard JM and INK performing Squeeze while you ate your wet fries. Now there's a DJ late Friday and Saturday nights.

Palms Thai --Thai Elvis, anyone? Visit the bakery located in the same strip mall.

Outdoors:

Greek Theater --Bummer, you can't BYO anything, but there is food for purchase: ubiquitous chicken fingers, Pink's dogs, etc.

Hollywood Bowl --Everyone knows about the brilliance of the Bowl. Patina Group knows its way around outdoor dinning. Of course, can be as simple or elaborate as the meal you choose to bring. Haven't had the privilege of box seats. There are benches and tables outside the amphitheater, but its better to eat, hear and see "inside".

Ford Amphitheatre --Cute little guy to the Bowl's big-time sophisticate. We brought sandwiches from Susina and bought wine at the Ford. Such a pretty jewel with the bucolic hillside behind the stage and the stars above. The rain came later.

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

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. . .

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!