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.

Concerts and Waffles

The Waffle
6255 W Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90028
(323) 465-6901

We were not blown away by Nada Surf's latest; it's pleasant, but we had high expectations. Still we had several sing-alongs with the boys at their Wiltern show on the 19th.

Then last Wednesday we had to use our gift certificate before it expired so we got drinks and panini at Hotel Cafe. We think Test Your Reflex would have sounded better without the obnoxious "fans" standing behind us.

What do the above have in common? The Waffle. There's a new go-to food joint in Hollywood for after-concert noshing. The butterscotch-hued diner is near Sunset and Vine, across from the Bowery and Magnolia.

The first night we enjoyed the savory cornmeal and jalapeno waffle with chicken-fried chicken and white gravy; a small comforting chicken pot pie; and a large satisfying steak salad with grilled romaine, mushroom, onions, and peppers; and a bowl of waffle fries. We would have liked both forms of waffles to be crisper, but this was a great late night meal (that we managed to wait for with in case of emergency pretzels from Rockenwagner). The service was friendly, but a bit 2 a.m. wacky. . .

The second night was for dessert after the panini. We shared the waffle sundae with two small malted waffles, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and candied almond slices. A good deal for $5 instead of the $8 sweet waffles from the entree section. The waitress claimed "The Pudding" was butterscotch (like the decor), but it tasted like chocolate milk with a layer of dark fudge underneath and topped with whipped cream and strawberries. We opted not to complain as we dipped the shortbread cookies in the creamy goodness. Who needs the bar upstairs when you got pudding downstairs?

[We couldn't help but read some of the other blogs. Perhaps the post-concert, post-1 a.m., on a weekday is the only way to go.]

P.S.
Bell X1 can be a bit sleepy and atmospheric on the album, but they shook the Troubadour last Monday. You name the hand held percussion instrument and they got it--maracas, cowbell, ear of corn shaker. . . See it always comes back to food.

side dish: Masa at Echo Park

Masa at Echo Park
1800 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 989-1558

When you've stood in line for over an hour and finally admit to yourself that you're not gonna get inside to see the Kooks, turn around and trudge to Masa on the corner. Delicacheena was denied entry to the Echo, but at least we could enjoy a late dinner in a friendly setting.

The regular tables were taken, but Delicacheena was happy to sit back in the "living room" area. We started with the compressed manchego salad--refreshing, sweet, crunchy. The pasta fresca a la Siciliana--penne, basil, tomatoes, mushrooms and pine nuts--and the Masa penne--mushroom pasta and sun-dried tomato pesto with cream--were fresh, flavorful and hearty. A chat with our waiter and a glass of Blackstone Pinot Noir also helped to erase the indignity of loitering on the sidewalk.

We ended the night with the ultimate comfort food chocolate croissant bread pudding. . . and felt better that we weren't like our fellow diners who had been in line since 3 in the afternoon and still didn't make it inside.

Tamale-Mobile

Los Angeles International Tamale Festival
MacArthur Park

Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe
2124 West 7th S.
Los Angeles, CA 90057
213-487-4300

Delicacheena loves an all over L.A. weekend: French-influenced dinner in Santa Monica, the game at Barney's in West Hollywood, early morning rowing in the Marina, shots in Beverly Hills, street festival at MacArthur Park.

It was misty at home, but the clouds were holding back around downtown and didn't turn the Los Angeles International Tamale Festival soggy on Sunday. UE and INK were ready with umbrella and, most importantly, empty stomachs. We joined the foodies and mostly Latino local families crowding 7th St. along the south side of the park. The soundtrack was five second snippets of classic rock and americana, a megaphoned street evangelist ["Jesus Cristo es el salvador del mundo."], hyperspeed dance remixes and blaring canned mariachi. There was a brief reprise from the medley when The Smiths' "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" en espanol was played in its entirety while we waited in line. [Hear Mikel Erentxun. Unfortunately you hear the audience singing more.] We ahhhed the tot clad in cowboy hat, vest and bandana astride the pony getting his photo taken, surrounded by wedding photogs hawking their talent, cookware demos, and citizens for Bill Richardson or Hillary Clinton.

The first stop was a booth frying up taco shells and taquitos, but they were temporarily sold-out of tamales so we moved on. We stopped at one of Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe booths. Mama's is a non-profit training restaurant and has a permanent location across from the park. Tamales were $3 at all the booths. According to the Mama's menu, the normal price is $2.75. They call themselves "The Tamales Capital of the World" and don't offer just the usual corn husk-wrapped variety. There were five available; we bypassed the vegan veggie and ordered chicken with vegetables from Honduras, the chicken and mole from Oaxaca, the Gutamalan pork, and chili cheese from Oaxaca. Only the cheese tamale was wrapped in corn husk, the rest were kept moist in banana leaves. The chicken with vegetables had a fry-sized length of potato, some peas and raisins and a green olive, no pit. The chicken with mole was oozing the rich, black sauce that would have been good with some rice. The meaty pork had red sauce and rice dough. Our hands-down favorite was the cheese with red and green jalapenos (rajas) that had a bit of kick and lots of flavor. Later we found that the earned best cheese tamale.

We had double-grease-torta envy even while we clutched our warm cornmeal bundles and sipped our two buck grande horchata, but a chewy on the outside, gooey on the inside cheese popusa is the only time we deviated from the tamale diet. Me Gusta Gourmet Tamales was winner of five of the six categories at last year's festival so we had to give them a try. This year they were named best beef and best pork tamales so that's what we ordered. They were wrapped in corn husks. The beef were hefty with masa, too much so, but the meat and red sauce were flavorful. The pork with green sauce were on the skinny side, but we were charged less for them. They were decent and tasted better with the mild red salsa poured on top. The cornmeal in both was fluffy and moist, but not as moist as Mama's.

We returned to the Mama's booth to find that they now had dessert tamales on sale-- strawberry and sweet corn. Delicacheena has enjoyed dessert tamales at Christmas time with pineapple and corn, but strawberry was something new. We were skeptical, but then even more delighted with the comfort food. It was like corn pudding (think New England), smooth and mushy, but with the sweet tartness of strawberries cooked down to nothingness. The sweet corn tamale was later devoured by JM. As we unwrapped the husks, the comforting smell of sweet corn revealed our treasured treat. The tamale did not disappoint as each bite melted in our mouths.

Fortifided with cornmeal and cheese, we headed off in the newly-christened Tamale- Miata-Mobile to make deliveries to the sick and infirm that could not join us that day. . .

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.

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!

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.