Category Archives: Hollywood

December 31, 2021 · 10:29 pm

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2021

What can I say about 2021? In many respects, it was a little better than 2020. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s to not take anything for granted and to not forget to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. And on the subject of simple pleasure, here is my annual list of the ten best things I consumed and posted about this year. I hope you enjoy. Happy New Year!

10. Crispy Ramen Egg from Afuri Ramen. This is egg-ceptional.

“The Danny Boy” Porkstrami Sandwich from The Bad Jew stall at Smorgasburg

9. “The Danny Boy” Porkstrami Sandwich from The Bad Jew (at Smorgasburg). Some may say “oy vey” but I say “hooray” to this delicious pork pastrami that is certainly not kosher.

8. Chocolate Chess Pie from Goldburger. Checkmate!

Parmesan Crusted Halibut with Grilled Asparagus and Beurre Blanc from Porta Via

7. Parmesan Crusted Halibut from Porta Via. The math doesn’t always work, but in this case fish plus cheese equals awesome.

“The William Mae” Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich with HiHo Pickles, Organic Honey & Slaw Sauce and Purple Cabbage from HiHo Cheeseburger

6. “The Willie Mae” Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich from HiHo Cheeseburger. Who knew a chicken sandwich at one of LA’s top burger joints would be this amazing. HiHo is certainly no one trick pony.

Sticky Glazed Pork Shank with Shitake, Honeynut Squash, Hoison Mayo, Hot Mustard, Naan and Lettuce Cups from Girl & the Goat

5. Sticky Glazed Pork Shank from Girl & the Goat. Girl & the Goat is the best Chicago import since Cracker Jack, and this delectable take on on a Korean Ssam is my favorite dish on the menu.

4. Bacon-wrapped Dates stuffed with Parmesan from AOC. Chef Suzanne Goin has been serving these incredibly addictive, salty and sweet morsels for almost two decades and I have been consuming them for just as long.

3. Zucchini Chips with Herbed Yogurt from Greekman’s. Q: What is a zucchini’s favorite sport? A: Squash. The Zucchini Chips at Greekman’s are significantly better than that joke. In fact, they’re pretty f-ing amazing! Easily the best vegetable dish I consumed this year.

2. Trout Almondine from Petit Trois. I’m nuts about this dish!

1. Strawberry Donut from The Donut Man. These are slightly tart, wonderfully sweet and perfectly glazed. And the good news is you don’t have to drive all the way to Glendora anymore as they are now also made and sold downtown in Grand Central Market. It’s my favorite thing that I consumed and posted about this year.

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Zen and the Art of Fine Dining

One thing that you may not know about me is that I'm really into meditation. Between all the food adventures, I'm taking sound baths, silently repeating mantras, and aligning my chakras.

Auburn, an upscale restaurant which opened this past year in Hollywood, has a simple yet refined elegance that appeals to my zen-loving self. The modern decor is minimal with white walls, lots of natural light, and beautiful hand-crafted blonde wood furniture with clean lines.

The menu of New American cuisine lists twelve small plates of roughly equal size, from which you can select either four, six or nine courses with optional wine pairing for your own custom-designed tasting experience. Chef Eric Bost’s dishes are each beautifully composed and perfectly balanced, creating a blissful sense gastronomic harmony.

My favorites are the incredible Epoisses Cheese and Sunchokes with Seeds and Flowers and the superb Sonoma Duck Aged in Kogi with Mustard Greens and Roasted Figs. And while a dessert selection is certainly optional, I wouldn’t miss Pastry Chef Dyan Ng’s spectacularly tart and sweet Yogurt with Mushroom Caramel.

Auburn is located at 6703 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles (in Hollywood). Namaste.

Santa Barbara Abalone with Mitsutake Mushrooms, Kabocha Squash, and Broth of Bone Marrow and Roasted Chicken

HIramasa Crudo with Citrus Fern, Celery, Purple Radish, Blackberry and Fingerlime

Eggplant charred in the hearth with Puffed Grains, Black Garlic, Almonds and Onion Essence

Sonoma Duck aged in Koji with Mustard Greens and Roasted Figs

30 Day Dry-Aged Rib Eye with Oxtail, Turnips, Nori, Charred Grapes and Red Wine

Epoisses Cheese and Sunchokes with Seeds and Flowers

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Filed under Hollywood

Tagged as Auburn, Auburn Los Angeles, Auburn Restaurant, Auburn Restaurant Hollywood, Auburn Restaurant Los Angeles, Chef Eric Bost, dyan ng, Eric Bost, pastry chef dyan ng, tasting menus los angeles

December 31, 2019 · 12:21 pm

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2019

As 2019 draws to a close, it’s time to wax poetic on my 10 favorite things that I ate and wrote about this year. Here are the winners:

Mashed Avocado with Watermelon Radish, Sprouts, Grape Seed Oil, Red Pepper Flakes and Lemon on Pumpernickel from Alfred Coffee (it’s only served in the Silver Lake location)

10. Avocado Toast from Alfred Coffee. Although usually referred to as a vegetable, an avocado is actually a fruit. This fruit and bread combo is the best in the City.

Brown Butter Mochi from Porridge + Puffs

9. Brown Butter Mochi from Porridge and Puffs. “Aloha” is Hawaiian for hello, goodbye and love. I aloha this dessert.

Focaccia from Triple Beam Pizza (and served at Hippo)

8. Focaccia from Triple Beam Pizza. Saying that a delicious, can’t-get-enough-of-it food is “like crack” is the most overused expression in food bloggerdom. This focaccia bread is like heroin.

Sweet Corn Cappellacci with Funghi Misti and Fresh Thyme from Hippo

7. Sweet Corn Cappellacci from Hippo. Q: What does corn say when it receives a compliment? A: Aw, shucks. The Corn Cappellacci at Hippo is much better than this joke.

Iceberg Salad with Grilled Thick Cut Smoke Bacon and Danish Blue Cheese from APL

6. Iceberg Salad from APL. This is the first time a salad has made my annual list. But in all fairness, it’s basically a giant, thick slice of smoked bacon and gobs of incredible Danish blue cheese, accompanied by some lettuce.

4 (tie). Fried Chicken from Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. Three words: Finger. Lickin’. Great.

Smokey Frid Chicken from Plan Check Kitchen + Bar

4. (tie). Smokey Fried Chicken from Plan Check Kitchen + Bar. Also finger lickin’ great.

3. Morning Bun from Tartine Sycamore. I agree with Ellen Degeneres who said “I don’t think I really need buns of steel; I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon.” While Tartine Manufactory closed this month, these awesome buns of cinnamon, caramelized sugar and orange zest can still be found in LA at sister restaurant Tartine Sycamore.

2. Pastrami Rueben from Freedman’s. I love Ruebens so much that I married one (although technically my wife’s maiden name is spelled Rubin). This Pastrami Rueben is not as good as my wife, but is pretty awesome nonetheless.

1 . Dry Aged Tomahawk Chop from APL. Smells like foie gras. Tastes like truffles. Costs a fortune but worth every penny. It’s the best thing that I consumed and wrote about in 2019.

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Filed under Downtown, Echo Park, Highland Park, HIstoric Filipino Town, Hollywood, Mid-City, Santa Monica, Silver Lake, West LA

Tagged as 10 best things to eat in LA, best 10 things to eat in LA, Best Restaurants in LA, LA's best restaurants

November 26, 2019 · 10:04 pm

Knives Out

In our youth-obsessed society, it’s nice to be reminded that many things get better with age. Wine, whiskey, leather boots and cast iron pans all improve as they mature, as do certain cuts of beef if they are “dry-aged.”

At APL in Hollywood, Chef Adam Perry Lang, whose monogram is the moniker of his marvelous steakhouse, knows a thing or two about dry-aging meat. Lang expertly ages his beef in a specially built basement refrigerator for months, producing steaks and chops which are extremely tender, smell like foie gras and have an incredible other-worldly flavor. This is a luxury item like truffles and caviar, with a price-tag to match.

APL also serves tasty chicken, fish and pasta, but unless you don’t eat red meat, you’re making a mistake by not getting the dry-aged beef. The other must-order dinner item is the Iceberg Salad with crumbled Danish blue cheese and a big, thick slice of grilled smoked bacon. It’s the best wedge salad I’ve ever consumed and the perfect intro to a magnificent meat fest. For lunch, APL serves some of the best BBQ in town.

APL is located at 1680 Vine Street, Los Angeles (in Hollywood).

Little Gems Salad with Avocado “Goddess”, Puffed Grains & Seeds

Iceberg Salad with Grilled Thick Cut Smoked Bacon and Danish Blue Cheese

Brick Half Chicken with Sage, Cranberry Relish and Lemon Herb Dressing

This is what the dining room looks like.

This is what the dry aging meat in APL’s cooler looks like.

This is what the BBQ served at lunchtime looks like.

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2018

It’s that time of year for blogs to make predictions, present year-end wrap-ups and bestow awards. In keeping with the custom, here’s my annual list of the ten best things I ate and wrote about during the past year.

Deep Fried Fluffer Nutter with Fresh Bananas from Black Market Liquor Bar

10. Deep Fried Fluffer Nutter with Fresh Bananas from Black Market Liquor Bar. More chefs need to find ways to incorporate marshmallow fluff into their food.

Hamachi in Monochrome, Sweet Pea in Pastel from Dialogue

9. Hamachi in Monochrome, Sweet Pea in Pastel from Dialouge. Three words: Off. The. Hook.

Pappardelle with Ragu Bolognese “Vecchia Scuola” and Parmigiano Reggiano from Felix

8. Pappardelle with Ragu Bolognese “Vecchia Scuola” and Parmigiano Reggiano from Felix. Q: What do you call a fake noodle? A: An impasta. The Pappardelle at Felix is incredible and deserves better than that joke.

Black Barley “Risotto” with Fermented Black Garlic Tea, Wheat Grass and Fiscalini Cheese Crisp from Kali

7. Black Barley “Risotto” with Fermented Black Garlic Tea, Wheat Grass and Fiscalini Cheese Crisp from Kali. Fermented garlic tea and wheat grass aren’t ingredients that usually come to mind when reminiscing about the best things you’ve eaten during the past year. Surprise!

Butterscotch Budino with Sea Salt and Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies from Pizzeria Mozza/Chi Spacca

6. Butterscotch Budino with Sea Salt and Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies from Pizzeria Mozza/Chi Spacca. Fun fact: the word “Budino” originally referred to a type of medieval sausage. Now it’s just the Italian word for what we Americans call pudding.

Grilled Heritage Pork in Koji, Pickled Daikon and Leek from Shibumi

5. Grilled Heritage Pork in Koji, Pickled Daikon and Leek from Shibumi. Those familiar with this blog knew there was going to be something Japanese on this list and also something on this list which is primarily pork. The exciting news this year is that these two things are combined!

Beef & Bone Marrow Pie from Chi Spacca

4. Beef & Bone Marrow Pie from Chi Spacca. Think about the best pot pie you’ve ever eaten and how much you enjoyed it. Now multiply that feeling by ten.

Momotaro Tomato with Bagna Cauda, Lap Xuong and Creme Fraiche from Here’s Looking at You

3. Momotaro Tomato with Bagna Cauda, Lap Xuong and Creme Fraiche from Here’s Looking at You. A lot of people don’t know that a tomato is actually not a vegetable, but a fruit. This is the best fruit dish in LA.

Peanut Butter Meringue Pie from Pie ‘n Burger

2. Peanut Butter Meringue Pie from Pie ‘n Burger. I have nothing against apple, cherry or pumpkin, but it’s amazing to me that peanut butter is not the most popular pie flavor.

Foie Gras Halva with Creamy Pâté Date Paste, Black Sesame and Buckwheat Loaf from Bavel

1. Foie Gras Halva with Creamy Pâté Date Paste, Black Sesame and Buckwheat Loaf from Bavel. This dish combines the flavors of two of my favorite things: fatty goose liver and the the candy you buy at the cashier counter when you leave a Jewish deli. It’s the best thing I consumed and wrote about in 2018.

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Filed under Downtown, Hollywood, Koreatown, Mid-City, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Studio City, Venice

Tagged as Bavel, beef and bone marrow pie, best things to eat in la, best things to eat in los angeles, black market liquor bar, black market studio city, butterscotch budino, butterscotch pudding, Chi Spacca, deep fried fluffer nutter, dialogue restaurant, flexi restaurant, fluffer nutter, foie grash halva, here's looking at you, kali, kali restaurant barley risotto, momotaro tomato, Pie 'n Burger, Pie and Burger, pizzeria mozza, shibumi, Top Los Angeles Restaurants

Category Archives: Hollywood

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2021

Zen and the Art of Fine Dining

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2019

Knives Out

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2018

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