tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78820892008-05-15T21:16:45.841-07:00Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comBlogger741125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-42243597426466229292008-05-14T23:02:00.000-07:002008-05-15T20:39:09.128-07:00

El Caserio: Eat at the sign of the dwarf Silver Lake seems to specialize in restaurants with no signage, like Pho Cafe and Cliff's Edge, or restaurants that can be challenging to find the first time. The new upscale version of longtime Ecuadorian/Italian restaurant El Caserio is also tricky to find, even if you know that it's located in

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-54828890329082905512008-05-13T09:27:00.000-07:002008-05-14T10:14:38.242-07:00

The Silver Lake round of musical chairs continues...Chowhound poster Scurvy confirms the last and apparently most reliable Flor Morena rumor. Michelangelo, which has been looking for a nearby spot since they announced they would be closing at the end of May since their landlord terminated their lease (EatingLA 3/14), has settled on the Flor Morena space. Update: I spoke with the owners, who tell

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-54224141686384133742008-05-11T18:22:00.000-07:002008-05-11T19:37:52.325-07:00

Hordes of hungry mothers storm the Cheesecake Factory First, the obligatory Americana report. Observation 1) The line snaking all the way down the sidewalk for the Cheesecake Factory before opening on Mother's Day was kind of pathetic. Observation 2) The patio at Katsuya looks pleasant, but who wants to eat expensive sushi at noon with the sun beating down?

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-76161952367696650832008-05-10T19:57:00.000-07:002008-05-10T20:08:36.978-07:00

The NY Times, which sometimes seems to cover L.A. almost as much as the L.A. Times, drops in at Sgt. Recruiter on Hollywood Blvd. this week. There are some odd observations -- a gaggle of pony-tailed moms are somehow equated with "loud look-at-me types," while a blond philosopher offers that "it's not repulsive." Well, no, I should hope not. The author is Samantha Bonar, who has written some of

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-51869460822440832132008-05-10T19:29:00.000-07:002008-05-10T19:39:29.506-07:00

I pooh-poohed people who were looking forward to digestive biscuits and treacle when Tesco's Fresh & Easy first opened around L.A., but apparently enough people asked for British items that they plan to add more, according to the Orange County Register's story on changes at the chain. They've already got back bacon and chicken tikka masala, but now they're planning on adding other unspecified

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-61412164187774455412008-05-09T15:59:00.000-07:002008-05-09T16:12:00.964-07:00

Over on the near-Eastside, we have pizza coming out of our ears. The Westsiders, they get nice healthy salads. In Culver City alone, they've got Tender Greens, Leaf and the Point. Clearly the perennial lines out the door at Tender Greens were not lost on restaurateurs, and now Greenleaf has opened in Beverly Hills. I wasn't able to get to the opening but I plan to stop by soon at lunchtime for a

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-19436858472707011662008-05-09T11:08:00.000-07:002008-05-09T11:22:36.064-07:00

I can't believe Assemblyman Jim Beall of San Jose has the nerve to propose a $1.80 surcharge per six-pack of beer to fund anti-alcoholism programs. That's like, what, a 40 percent increase or something? And what about vodka or wine coolers, don't they contribute to alcoholism? Why target beer, and why such a huge proposed tax? It's guys like this that give Democrats a bad name. There's probably

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-3391186792694582382008-05-06T10:41:00.001-07:002008-05-06T11:58:10.778-07:00

Neal Fraser, center, with Modern Spirits Vodka's Melkon, left, and Litty, right. How many upper-tier restaurants can you name that opened five or more years ago and haven't experienced any glitches in food, service or reputation? It's just a handful, and Grace is definitely a member of that club. We stopped by the Beverly Blvd. restaurant's fifth anniversary celebration Monday night, where we

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-83321686165538439612008-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:002008-05-05T09:26:47.639-07:00

Tacos Arizas truck in Echo Park, at Sunset and Logan Don't get us wrong. EatingLA loves tacos and taco trucks and thinks there's room for everyone to survive. But I have a feeling that the vast majority of people who have signed the petition at Saveourtacotrucks don't understand that the ordinance applies only to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles. Jennifer

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-12184510263060072452008-05-04T16:32:00.000-07:002008-05-05T09:11:08.833-07:00

It seems like just a little while ago I was complaining that L.A. had a terrible beer selection, that Father's Office is all well and good for Westsiders but where can near-Eastsiders get a decent beer? Then the York opened and then Verdugo, not to mention Lucky Devils and Pure Luck. Now Echo Park has lucked out with El Prado. So far, due to a series of licensing mishaps that befell the old El

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-55902364685309104902008-05-02T17:59:00.000-07:002008-05-02T17:59:02.061-07:00

I always thought there should be more healthy fast food places, but I'll have to reserve comment on Zen Burger until I taste it. Zen Burger, which opened in New York last fall, is coming in late summer/early fall to 7950 Sunset, near the corner of Hayworth. The prices are certainly right -- about $4 for most items -- but something about faux-beef and faux-chicken sometimes rubs me the wrong way.

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-85357637946840081812008-05-02T13:22:00.000-07:002008-05-02T13:51:51.922-07:00

EatingLA is sorry to hear that Phil, Robert and Hayden at Square One Dining have completed the sale of the restaurant, and will be moving on to other endeavors. But the good news is that the new owners, John Himelstein of Gingergrass and partners D'nell Larson and Manao Davidson plan on keeping everything basically the same. For now, the only change they're planning is staying open on Mondays, so

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-67776175421988525142008-05-02T09:14:00.001-07:002008-05-02T09:22:23.258-07:00

We stopped by Desert Rose on the corner of Hillhurst and Prospect, where workers are finishing up a huge outdoor patio in front of the restaurant. The inside is looking nearly done, but one of the partners I spoke with was fairly taciturn. Full bar. French and Italian food. Opening targeted in "three weeks." That's all we got. Not sure why it's called Desert, or Rose. And there's a "help wanted"

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-15796723106488684232008-04-30T21:01:00.000-07:002008-04-30T17:11:54.951-07:00

Grated Jidori egg! Bone marrow toast! Candied rhubarb! The likes of which Echo Park has never seen. Clare snapped a photo of Josef Centeno's new Lot 1 on Sunset Blvd. It doesn't look very fancy inside or out, but the menu promises some pretty interesting dishes. There's also breakfast bacos and a creative brunch menu. Prices range from $17-22 for entrees, $9 for lunch bacos and around $9-11 for

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-45843118603339903932008-04-30T15:44:00.000-07:002008-04-30T18:15:07.559-07:00

The folks at Popchips love food bloggers. Reviews of the healthyish chips can be found on dozens of blogs, and yesterday a carton of assorted flavors arrived in EatingLA's cubicle. I usually shy away from reviewing food items that are sent to me, because it seems so mean to say "these people sent me such and such, and it was disgusting." Popchips, however, are actually pretty good. I try to stay

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-66508664897077652522008-04-30T11:19:00.000-07:002008-04-30T11:34:30.377-07:00

Charles Perry did a thorough survey of hot dogs in today's food section, but even better for me, he's started a Beer of the Month column. He makes the point that L.A. is finally improving as a beer town, after years of opening bar after bar with pathetic beer selections. The other night we stopped by Footsie's and found their on-tap beer selection was decent. This month, Perry highlights Victory

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-39958623474471059332008-04-29T16:38:00.000-07:002008-04-29T16:51:18.914-07:00

I love, no, lurve, Jane and Michael Stern. I once spent a three week cross country trip reading and re-reading Roadfood and Goodfood and carefully crossing out the places that had closed. But the Sterns' initial web venture Roadfood.com seemed nearly as retro as their taste in pies. They've now kicked it up a notch with Roadfood Digest, in a more convenient blog format. Now the only thing I have

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-91986622272368438612008-04-29T09:17:00.001-07:002008-04-29T12:40:58.829-07:00

Now that brown paper has gone up covering Flor Morena's windows (as well as a boarded up window that was apparently vandalized last weekend), we thought it was time to recap all the rumors that have swirled around the place. The owners have apparently wrested control of teh property free of Flor Morena's proprietor, who certainly irked a lot of people by leaving the property vacant for so long.

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-28858393896015868292008-04-27T12:45:00.000-07:002008-04-27T12:52:31.256-07:00

Are you a fan of the blog Chocolate and Zucchini? Who isn't? I stopped by the Alliance Francaise's booth at the LA Times book fair yesterday and heard that they're hosting a talk and signing for Clotilde's new book Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris. I'm not sure if she'll be appearing anywhere else in L.A., so this might be the only chance to meet one of the most famous food bloggers ever.

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-36628722710739219812008-04-25T15:14:00.000-07:002008-04-25T15:22:50.557-07:00

I would love to join the Fallen Fruit folks for thir annual nocturnal fruit forage in Silver Lake on Wednesday, April 30 from 6-7:30. Unfortunately, I think I've already committed to like eleventy other things at that very moment. But if you want to tag along to look for fruit on the ground -- this year, in honor of the loquat! -- email info@fallenfruit.org to let them know you're coming, and

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-34857127797012071542008-04-25T09:24:00.000-07:002008-04-25T09:41:10.778-07:00

Continuing on my tour of Boyle Heights, we tried out Carioca Restaurant on 1st St., located in what looks to be an old house with a cool neon sign out front. There seem to be strangely few reviews of this place and I think I can see why. It's not bad exactly, just odd. It's one of the few places in East L.A. that's open on Sunday nights with a full bar, but Sunday nights are probably

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-87357331284619006362008-04-24T12:41:00.000-07:002008-04-26T08:28:07.735-07:00

Centeno's Lot 1 on Sunset in Echo Park Clare from Rainy Days and Sundays ran into chef Josef Centeno, late of Opus, and found out he's not going to Silver Lake or Downtown but in-between: his new resto will be called Lot 1 at 1533 Sunset Blvd. (at Laveta Terrace, so near the new Park restaurant) with bacos for lunch, a Tuesday evening tasting menu and

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-69428743724259315392008-04-23T08:14:00.000-07:002008-04-23T17:04:48.318-07:00

S. Irene takes on LaMill and likes what she sees, although she's not into describing the intricacies of the coffee menu. Two stars are very good for a cafe with no wine list. I'm glad she highlighted one of the best things I've had there, the beautiful passion fruit gelee in a pool of coconut milk dessert. I don't think I would have used the phrase "The decor virtually defines eclectic," but

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-45109590828887873052008-04-21T15:52:00.000-07:002008-04-22T10:55:16.874-07:00

Hard to believe it's been five years already since Grace opened. In honor of the fifth anni, chef Neal Fraser is doing Five Courses for $55 with wine pairing for $35 starting Tuesday, May 6. The menu's kind of a greatest hits of Grace: Dungeness crab salad with English peas, mint and Meyer lemon vinaigrette Sauteed skate with roasted cauliflower and raisin caper emulsion Bacon-wrapped saddle of

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882089.post-86759183314379722002008-04-20T15:22:00.000-07:002008-04-20T15:39:11.736-07:00

I've always thought this house at 751 N. Virgil was a cute place for a restaurant, but the Thai place that was there for a while didn't last in this heavily Central American neighborhood. Now Amalia's Guatamalan Cuisine & Seafood has moved in, and it looks like a more ambitious operation than most Guatemalan bakeries and restaurants, with entrees around $9-$18. Guatemalan specialties include

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301459337765753609noreply@blogger.com