Category Archives: Sherman Oaks

January 7, 2013 · 11:51 am

500 Days of Scones

Last year I rejected the hackneyed New Year’s resolution to eat healthier and instead I boldly declared my resolution to eat more pie. That was so 2012. As we begin 2013, I feel we are entering a new era, an era of both frightening uncertainty and cautious optimism (and I’m not just talking about the Lakers). Accordingly, my resolution this year is to eat more scones!

There is something very warming and comforting about a scone, especially when accompanied by a hot drink on a cold day. First introduced to the world by the the Scots in the early 1500’s, the scone is more popular today than ever. There are two basic kinds of scones: the “cream tea scone” and the “drop scone” (aka “griddle scone”). The cream tea scone is light and fluffy and served with clotted cream and jam during a traditional English afternoon tea. I prefer drop scones (aka griddle scones) which resemble biscuits and are crispy and slightly browned on the outside, delicate and flaky on the inside.

My favorite scones in LA come from Rockenwagner Bakery/3 Square Cafe and Bakery, helmed by Austrian-bred master chef and baker Hans Rockenwagner. Rockenwagner’s scones are insanely good and his varieties include Triberry, Ginger, 5-Grain, Chocolate Chip, Blueberry, Bacon & Cheddar and my favorite, White Chocolate Raspberry. I’m also crazy about the Republic of Pies’ Bacon Scone, which is surprisingly sweet rather than savory. Another unique scone is Short Cake’s Campfire Scone, which tastes just like a S’more and is topped with toasted marshmallow. Below is my list of the top eight scones in the city. Happy New Year!

Raspberry White Chocolate Scone from Rockenwagner Bakery/3 Square Bakery and Cafe in Santa Monica, Mar Vista and Venice

Chocolate Pear Scone from Clementine in Westwood

Bacon Scone from Republic of Pies in North Hollywood

Maple Oatmeal Scone from Sweet Butter Kitchen in Sherman Oaks

Blueberry and Jam Scone from Bricks and Scone (403 N. Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles)

Blueberry and Jam Scone from Bricks and Scones in Larchmont

Campfire Scone from Short Cake in The Farmer’s Market

Ginger Apricot Scone from Susina Bakery & Cafe (7122 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles)

Ginger Apricot Scone from Susina Bakery & Cafe in Mid-City

Oatmeal Brown Butter Scone from Sycamore Kitchen in Mid-City

1 Comment

Filed under Fairfax, Larchmont, Mar Vista, Mid-City, North Hollywood, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Venice, Westwood

Tagged as 3 Square Bakery and Cafe, Best Scones, Best scones in LA, Best Scones in Los Angeles, Bricks and Scones, Bricks and Scones Larchmont, Campfire Scone, Clementine Bakery, Clementine's, Clementines Bakery, Clementines Century City, Clementines Los Angeles, Hans Rockenwagner, History of Scones, Republic of Pies, Republic of Pies North Hollywood, Rockenwagner, Rockenwagner Bakery, Rockenwagner Bakery Culver City, Rockenwagner Bakery Mar Vista, Rockenwagner Bakery Menu, Rockenwagner Bakery Santa Monica, Rockenwagner Bakery Venice, Rockenwagner Scones, S'mores Scone, Scones, Scones and Bricks, Short Cake, Short Cake Bakery, short cake campfire scones, short cake farmer's market, short cake los angles, short cake s'mores scones, Short Order Bakery, Susina, Susina Bakery and Cafe, Susina Los Angeles, Sweet Butter, Sweet Butter Bakery, Sweet Butter Cafe, Sweet Butter Cafe Sherman Oaks, Sweet Butter Kitchen, Sweet Butter Kitchen Sherman Oaks, Sweet Butter Sherman Oaks, Sycamore Kitchen, Sycamore Kitchen Los Angeles, Three Square Bakery and Cafe

March 28, 2012 · 11:00 am

Don’t Mess With Texas

Everyone has a different opinion about American barbeque. Some love the pork-centric Southern-style, while others prefer Kansas City-style which uses a variety of meats glazed with sauce. But if you’re a fan of the dry-rub, beef-heavy Texas style, then I’ve got the place for you, Cowpoke. Smoke City Market in Sherman Oaks has some of the best Texas-style barbeque outside of the Lone Star State and certainly the best I’ve ever had in LA. Everything about Smoke City Market reminds me of barbeque joints I’ve eaten at in Texas. You order at a counter, where the meat is sold by the pound and carved to order. There are no plates; your meat is placed on butcher paper and sides are served in plastic containers. There are no napkins, but rather rolls of paper towels on the wall. All the barbeque is accompanied by slices of white bread.

The brisket at Smoke City Market is incredible and is an absolute must-have. There are two kinds: moist and lean. I’m partial to the moist, but love the lean (pictured above) as well. The brisket is made with an incredibly tasty rub and smoked for over twelve hours. The result is a flavor that’s “big as all hell and half of Texas.” Like any respectable Texas barbeque restaurant, sauces are served on the side. Smoke City Market also has awesome beef ribs, pork ribs, chicken, turkey and sausage, as well as great sides which are all made from scratch. I love the Tomato and Cucumbers salad, which is super fresh, as well as the German Potato Salad. The Longhorn Mac (mac ‘n cheese) is also excellent. Other favorites of mine include the Red Cabbage, Pit Beans and the Chili. For dessert, I recommend the Cobbler and the Banana Pudding.

Smoke City Market is located at 5242 Van Nuys Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. UPDATE: WITH A HEAVY HEART, I MUST REPORT THAT SMOKE CITY MARKET IS NOW CLOSED. THE VALLEY JUST CAN’T CATCH A BREAK.

Tomato & Cucumbers

Moist Brisket

BBQ Chicken

Longhorn Mac

Pit Beans

Red Cabbage

Pecan Pie

Cobbler

A little bit of Texas in Sherman Oaks

If you enjoy Consuming LA, please subscribe, like me on Facebook and/or follow me on twitter at the top right of this page. And please forward to your friends!

9 Comments

Filed under Sherman Oaks

Tagged as Barbecue sherman oaks, Barbeque sherman oaks, bbq sherman oaks, bbq van nuys, best barbecue los angles, best barbeque los angeles, best bbq los angeles, san fernando valley best restaurants, san fernando valley restaurants, smoke city bbq, smoke city market, smoke city market menu, smoke city market review, Texas barbecue Los Angeles, texas barbeque los angeles, texas bbq los angeles

April 4, 2011 · 11:00 am

Bread Winners

Amazing signature bread served warm to your table soon after you are seated and order. Â Is there any greater welcome gift that a restaurant can bestow upon a hungry patron? Â Great bread is often the reason for choosing a restaurant (or if you’re watching your carb intake, a reason to avoid a restaurant where you simply can’t control yourself). Â Here’s my list of the top 5 winners in the category of best signature bread in LA:

Garlic Cheese Bread from The Smokehouse

1. Garlic Cheese Bread at The Smokehouse (442 W. Lakeside Drive, Burbank). Â This is hands down the best garlic bread you will ever eat. Â It’s salty, cheesy, garlicky awesomeness. Â Enjoy it with dinner and martinis at The Smokehouse, the iconic dimly-lit, red boothed throw-back which has sat for the past 65 years across the street from the Warner Bros. lot.

Pizza Dough Bread at Angeli Caffe

2. Â Pizza Dough Bread at Angeli Caffe (7274 Melrose, Los Angeles). Â These are small round loaves of piping hot perfection. Â If you’re dining with a hungry group (or kids), once this incredible bread is brought to your table, propriety will be abandoned, burns will be risked and this right-out-of-the-oven treat will be ripped apart and devoured instantly.

Garlic Knots at Caioti Pizza Cafe

3. Â Garlic Knots at Caioti Pizza Cafe (4346 Tujunga, Studio City). Â Hot, buttery, garlicky, soft and chewy. Â The garlic knots at Caioti Pizza Cafe, a small rustic neighborhood eatery, are extremely addictive. Â The one drawback: Â they sometimes run out.

Grilled Pita at The Great Greek

4. Â Grilled Pita Bread at The Great Greek (13362 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks). Â This is not the free (and good) bread they give you when you arrive at the Great Greek. Â You have to actually order the amazing grilled pita bread here and it would be a Greek tragedy to not do so. Â The pita is exclusively flown in from Chicago. Eat it with fresh whipped Hummus, tangy Tzatziki, or my favorite — Tarama, Greek caviar dip.

Popover to Neiman

5. Â Popovers at Neiman Marcus (9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills in their Mariposa restaurant; also 6550 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park in their NM Cafe). Â Who doesn’t like popovers? Â The ones at Neiman’s are consistently perfect. Light, cripsy and flaky on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. Â Served with strawberry butter!

That’s what I call WINNING!