It’s time for me to get ultra geeky. This is just the kind of food to get really excited about – and I have to admit, I waited awhile to make my visit to Ludo’s temporary post at Breadbar and there was a lot of talk in the blogosphere preceding my visit. But I just had to see what all the hoopla was about. Upon actually eating Ludo Bites, though – I saw how it was easy to get excited about these plates. Well. I thought that such “beautiful” food must taste spectacular; I was also amazed that for the better part each plate really did. These bites are meant to surprise you. You will want more at the end of each plate but will be visually enticed directly into the next.

The menu changes evolves daily. Ludo is constantly tinkering and perfecting if not overhauling these plates. The Kumamoto Oysters came in a pool of red cabbage and three carefully-placed cubes of kimchi gelee. The foam, Sam and I were told, comes from the oysters themselves. How delightful, and outright resourceful, I thought. The oysters themselves were extra tender (fresh) and slurpable – if that were proper. But Ludo seems to love fun more than formality. The kimchi added a subtly fermented spice to the mixture. After enjoying the oysters and gelee, I couldn’t stop savoring the liquified red cabbage as its own soup.

Just the same, I savored the chorizo soup before it.

Standing in it was a dallop of gherkin – a tart, pickly little island in the center of a sea of salty, rich goodness. Okay, a mere pond. Though cantaloupes were not available this particular night, it is usually part of the plate and I’d be interested to try it with that sweet element in it. Really, though. I could have licked the soup out of the bowl.

Now, that foie gras tart was incredibly interesting.

Full disclosure: I am not a foie gras connoisseur, so it’s no surprise that I had never had it served on a crust, before. Much less with a smear of lemon paste and huge slices of mushroom on top. I do wish I knew which kind they were. The mushrooms and crust, along with the foie, gave this tart its savory quality while the zest of lemon kept me surprised. I think it was here that I wished I was more experienced in the area of foie gras to be able to appreciate this dish more fully. But provided that it’s humanely harvested, I think I may be a believer. Its compactly velvety quality is enticing…

The creamy polenta, cantal cheese, oxtail beef and black truffle was rich and comforting. I’m a big fan of oxtail beef and the buttery quality it’s given in this dish was delicious. Also on tap for us was a super-interesting 65-degree poached egg that came with a carmelized savory french toast and smoked mornay sauce. And if you’ve ever eaten french toast with a poached egg for dinner before, please let me know. This wasn’t my favorite plate but I had to see what the fuss was about in regards to the french toast. And yes, every one of those 65 degrees is literal, so I’m told.

I had quite the time wrapping my head around the seared duck breast. It was paired with bok choy, mandarin kumquats but also carrot cake. Yes – my palate was telling me that I now like carrot cake with my duck? It made perfect sense, and I’m not talking “in theory” here. It’s funny because I thought the baby bok choy in this plate was ironically expected…just because it’s Ludo. But the carrot cake was that wrench in this equation. Whoa.

Anyway, I’m going to stop blabbin’ and let you gaze at the pictures. Ludo Bites really is a delightful experience – there’s plenty of reasons (one’s wallet is not one of them) – I hear about people going back again and again via Twitter. But for what these “bites” are, I think these prices reasonable – you just have to require a lot from your food. That’s not a bad thing. Ludo and his charming wife Krissy come with the dining experience and personally ensure that it is to your satisfaction. Not a bad way to occupy a temporary location. Unfortunately, Krissy wasn’t in-house when I went (though we all ended up at an unrelated dim sum dining experience later on, and we share a Wisconsin connection – yay!). But their foie gras cupcake might be reason enough to drop in again, soon!

Because this panna cotta with caviar and caramel was enough…simply sweet & salty deliciousness. A unique combo that really works:

Ludo Bites on e*starLA’s Flickr

Other reading:

Chefs Claim “Pop-up” Eateries Built To Last – Nation’s Restaurant News

Ludo Bites at Breadbar
8718 West 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.205.0124

Maison 140’s Bar Noir is quite a unique spot. With Maison 140 being a boutique hotel housing only 43 unique guestrooms, it’s actually hidden away in an enclave in Beverly Hills. Bar Noir has Mandarin and French black-red themes and an intimate feel, which makes it the perfect place to relax with a few good friends over cocktails. Or wine and cheese, that is.

For the summer, you can enjoy this stylish retreat while sipping fruity, floral French Rosé wine and nibbling artisanal cheeses selected for the pairing. It’s held every Wednesday from 6-9 PM and costs a respectable $35 per person.

The following Rosés are featured:

Jaboulet—Côtes du Rhône ‘Parallèle 45′ Rosé 2008

Whispering Angel—Côtes de Provence Rosé 2007

Sauvion—Loire Valley Rosé D’Anjou 2008

Caroline on Crack, Tara of Tara Met Blog, H.C. of LA-OC Foodventures and I had a chance to taste the wine paired with cheese and charcuterie. And yes, you could say that we were rosy from the Rosé. *groan* But it was a good time to try a kind of wine I’ve never been familiar with and the cheeses Bar Noir offered were quite impressive. My favorite was a rosemary-encrusted cheese and the Sauvion-Loire Valley Rosé. In general, Rosés are fruity (that is, sweet) and floral so if you like dry wine this is probably not the tasting for you. I could see girlfriends getting together over these wines and cheeses…stereotypically speaking, that is. Pardon me.

To RSVP for Masion 140’s summer Rosé “Vin et Fromage,” e-mail: tastings [at] maison140beverlyhills [dot] com or call 310.407.7795.

Maison 140
140 Lasky Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Rosé et Fromage every Wed. through August
6-9 PM
$35 per person

Bar Hours:
Sun – Wed  5:30 PM – 12 AM
Thu – Sat  5:30 PM – 1:30 AM

First, it was a review on a South Bay establishment and today, we have one in The Valley. Sherman Oaks, that is. As they say, it’s good to stretch yourself. Expand one’s own boundaries. And what a great place for BBQ, at that. I would make the drive – after all, it’s always better to take a Canyon road than mess with the freeways – at least where I’m coming from.

I accompanied fellow food bloggers Mattatouille, FoodGPS and John of SocialDomain in the quest for BBQ. It was a Monday, and all brews are 1/2-off. This is a splendid place to enjoy such price discount because Boneyard Bistro’s brew list is quite impressive – 120 to date, and from what it sounds like the list has just kept expanding with no signs of stopping. But more about the brews later.

As for the appetizers, Aaron, the gracious executive chef and co-owner, sent out platters of what he thought we should try. Note that there was no mention of “bites” – as portions are aplenty.  There’s an appetizer selection for whatever suits your fancy but the pick of the night was the pulled pork dumplings, complete with a side of surprisingly good coleslaw.

Now to align themselves with the on-going macaroni & cheese craze, Boneyard decided to shape their mac & cheese into that of a grilled cheese sammich, bread then fry. While I can’t really argue with mac & cheese so long as a good cheese is used and the macaroni wasn’t cooked too long (yes, these “sammiches” were tasty), I thought it unnecessary to add more “girth” to my mac & cheese. This isn’t to say that I can’t see why this appetizer is a hit, however. It’s fried. Because if you’re not eating BBQ, you’re eating something battered and greased.

However, the fried chicken. I really enjoyed it and was especially impressed with how juicy the center was while the outermost layer was not only crispy, but fluffy. And I’ll be honest, here – I’m a dark meat kinda gal so if you want an opinion on how the breast was, you’ll just have to get the opinion of another food blogger.

The smoked meats were delicious, particularly the pork ribs. And maybe it was just a fluke and I’m a sucker for pork because I really enjoyed the pork sausage as well. The smoked flavor really permeated the entire link. It was ever-apparent that the smoker is indeed in the back and our meats had just emerged from it. The beef ribs were also respectable but for full disclosure purposes I have always been partial to pork.

If you are really serious about BBQ and have perhaps expressed frustration at the selection in Los Angeles, Boneyard Bistro would be worth a trip to the valley. Also, if you are even half-serious about brews it is definitely worth the peep – especially with the entire list being 1/2-off on Mondays. We tried the ol’ dogs: Road Dog, Hair Dog and Brew Dog Paradox, which is aged in 1970 Glen Grant Scotch casks. The real treat at the end of our meal was the Thomas Hardy Ale – which not a short time ago wasn’t available Stateside. Legally.

And don’t worry – whatever brew you fancy – Boneyard has you covered. We went in the back to check:

Just don’t forget to finish off with their flourless chocolate cake. Infused in it was Jack Daniels and Coca Cola for a twist on your standard chocolate dessert.

Check out my entire Boneyard Bistro Flickr Set

Boneyard Bistro
13539 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818.906.7427

Mon-Thu 6 – 10 PM
Sat 6 – 11 PM
Sun 5 – 9 PM

No, I won’t mention that there’s two signature cocktails and three sponsored spirits plus beer and wine that you weren’t legally allowed to drink during that other prom. I also won’t mention that Tommy’s mom – the one who kept sending you to the principal’s office – won’t be there to chaperone.

But what I will say is that all Blogger Prom attendees will be given a deep discount and be able to book one of Andaz West Hollywood’s fabulous rooms this night (Wednesday, July 22) for $150. To top it all off, they will include a $50 credit to RH restaurant as part of the deal. Wow!

To make a reservation, all you have to do is call Andaz West Hollywood at 1-800-233-1234 and tell them you are part of the cool crowd. Say you are a guest of Blogger Prom to get the special rate. And as a note to party crashers, all names on the reservations made with the hotel will be verified with our Blogger Prom attendee list. If your name isn’t verified, your card will be charged the regular rate – $245 for the night and no RH credit.

So go ahead. Stay with us. We won’t be calling Mom & Dad to tell them you really aren’t sleeping over at Kevin or Jane’s house watching Mallrats on VHS.

Cross-posted at The Official Blogger Prom Blog

Photo credit to The Flying Enchilada on Flickr

Thursday, July 9, 2009

5:30 – 7:30 PM

Patina Group – which also includes Zucca Restaurant and Nick + Stef’s Steakhouse – is hosting a special Locals’ Night at each of their locations on Thursdays this summer. Way to bring residents and commuters alike together – that’s what I like to see. Downtown love!

For tonight – Café Pinot will feature “A Taste of the French Riviera.” The theme will inspire a $5 menu of appetizers and drink specials. Also on the menu on Thursdays this summer is live music, a complimentary appetizer and a chance to win prizes! Next Thursday will be at a different resto with a different theme so take advantage if you’re really feeling the French cuisine tonight.

And if you miss Locals’ Night, bring a bottle of your favorite wine. For the summer, the entire Patina Group (click for complete list) will waive your corkage fee.

So enjoy the skyline view and beautiful outdoor patio for a little while. Your wallet can take it. I’m taking the Metro to Café Pinot from Koreatown tonight. I know! Public transportation! The subway! In L.A.!!

P.S. – I’m told by FoodGPS to “try the rabbit.” Oh, little furries…

Café Pinot
700 W 5th St
Los Angeles, CA 90071

213.239.6500

Wednesday, July 15th
7 -9 PM

Presenting their second of three classes in their Culinary College series, Los Angeles Magazine will be featuring Wilshire Restaurant’s Executive Chef Andrew Kirschner at Snyder Diamond in Santa Monica. This class, “A Taste of Asia,” will teach us “students” how to recreate the following menu:

• Steamed Carlsbad Mussels with Red Coconut Curry Broth
• Vietnamese Summer Shrimp Rolls

As in all classes in the series, Sub-Zero/Wolf Executive Chef Bridget Bueche will be cooking food grown locally from the Santa Monica’s Farmer’s Market. Also, Ian Blackburn from LearnAboutWine will also be on hand for wine tasting.

Caroline on Crack, Maya of ShopEatSleep and I will see you there!

“A Taste of Asia” class info

Snyder Diamond
1399 Olympic Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.450.100

Tickets are $50. Please call Estrellita Dacanay 323-801-0034 to purchase.

Payment by credit card only.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
5 – 9 PM 

I love Farmer’s Market!! I can’t be a Mid-Town resident and not celebrate the 75th Anniversary of a very happy place – the home of some of my best memories in the neighborhood. And the only permanently-standing farmer’s market that I’ve ever known of. Yes, folks – The Grove was always the new kid on the block. I met someone the other day who didn’t even know Farmer’s Market was there. Sweet. So anyway – that’s just my being selfish. There’s a Pinkberry in there now, and well – the rest is history. There are true gems of eateries that reside in Farmer’s Market – not to mention countless other meat, ice cream and produce vendors, for example. And hot sauce! So go and support. I will be looking forward to tastes specially from The Gumbo Pot, Banana Leaf and Loteria Grill! Sample from the whole gambit of a total 36 restaurants.

I’ll see you at Third and Fairfax.

Tickets:

$20 – food sampling and retail specials

$25 – food, retail specials  & 2 drink tickets for the Market’s two beer & wine bars

$45 - includes a copy of The Original Farmers Market Cookbook, which can be signed by the author, JoAnn Cianciulli, at the event. She is a sweetheart!!

Farmer’s Market LA
6333 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.933.9211

Farmer’s Market 75th Anniversary flier

Buy Taste of Farmer’s Market tickets

amberjack, nectarine, jalapeno, citrus, mint

I have to admit: It wasn’t my idea to visit Animal. It was good that I had opportunity to go, though – since it was on @gregwong’s LA hit list as a visiting New Yorker. He’s diligent like that; rather, I am probably lazy. But the unmarked restaurant in the heart of the Fairfax District was a pleasant surprise that exceeded whatever expectations I didn’t have.

I was intrigued with the idea that Animal gets its kicks out of including menu items that make you go, “What?” It’s ambitious but the key is that they actually do an incredible job with execution. The menu changes “daily” – although I was able to find online the same menu I ordered off two weeks ago. I find it hard to believe, though, that a menu becomes tired within a 24 hour period. You’ll also notice with these menus that they don’t try and name any of these concoctions with the intent of superficial glorification. Instead, you order each item as in each of its ingredients – as above. As some like to say, Is it what it is?

I’m only about a year late since Animal was first opened by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo – who were named Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2009. Also on their resume are Iron Chef America appearances and a cookbook on the NPR’s 10 Best of 2008 list.

But I’m glad I didn’t know that from the get-go. I like my palate surprised.

And varied. We started off with the amberjack – which was citrusey and refreshing. Since it’s in the same family as yellowtail, its tenderness had a texture that was very similar. We then moved on to their variation on a southern favorite, crispy hominy – sprinkled with lime. It’s a nice fried, salty consistency to chew on while also being a departure from your typical calamari. With hominy being corn without the germ – and back in the day doubling as animal feed – its novelty as a gourmet appetizer as presented at Animal comes well-served with a fluffy shell.

poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar

At the same time, there was poutine. I giggled that we had a Canadian dish following a Southern one – and it may have brought back memories of Whistler, BC (the last time I had poutine) had it not been topped with oxtail gravy. This is how rich a poutine should be. It was a perfect texture and if oxtail were a more oft-served meat, this is how I’d see the dish being served in more places – except I would’ve preferred if Animal had included cheese curds and kept that sort of down-homeness about it (the cheddar was shredded). Otherwise it’s a great, luxurious play on a folksy food.

pork belly, kimchi, peanuts, chili soy, scallion

Probably the dish that caught my eye was the pork belly-kimchi. I was interested to try out a recipe with ingredients frequently in Korean cooking. But not only was the pork belly topped with kimchi – it was actually topped with a tossed salad that included, I think, bamboo, daikon and carrots in addition to the peanuts, chili soy sauce and scallion. The result was a somewhat Thai-tasting topping on the pork belly instead of Korean-, which might be what one would expect from kimchi being listed on the menu. But I know what you are asking: How did it taste with the pork belly?! If you get over the shock of pairing a light Thai flavor with the gluttonous part of a pig, it actually went together well. The tenderness of the pork belly offset the cutting taste of the chili soy.

I am curious to go back and try more of Animal’s dishes - as well as give the wine list the proper attention it deserves (we went with the house this time – which was more than respectable). I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone vegetarian – Can the name spell it out any more clearly? - or non-adventuresome with their food, as “Changes and modifications [are] politely declined.” I must also rectify my mistake and intake miscalculation since I’ve failed to try out any of their desserts. But I can say that dinner at Animal will assure an atypical dining experience if that so suits your fancy. I’d encourage a reservation if a walk-in bar seat won’t suit you.

See my Animal on Fairfax Flickr Set

Animal
435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.782.9225

How classic would a cocktail need to be in order to have a whole day dedicated to it? And is a cocktail still the same cocktail if made with entirely different ingredients? Well if gin martini purists had a hard time accepting vodka martinis, it’s time to test the boundaries yet again – this time with tequila.

Tequila martinis? No way! I had a hard time even imagining the concept, too. But fellow bloggers Caroline on Crack, H.C. from LA & OC Foodventures, John from Social Domain and I had a chance to give it a shot in celebration of and on the eve of National Martini Day – which was supposedly on June 19th. The setting couldn’t be better, either – from the rooftop of the Palihouse in West Hollywood.

We warmed up with a spicy margarita, which was so unexpected yet had just the right amount of aftertaste. A tad tangy and not a plain hot. But the real treat was definitely the Maestro Dobel tequila martini (above). As you can see, it’s a clear tequila but apparently is still aged as it combines reposado, anejo and extra-anejo tequilas. Later, I learned the trick in this martini recipe – a touch of Cointreau Noir.

The recipe below:

• Pour an ounce of Cointreau Noir into ice-filled Martini shaker then drain liqueur so it “sticks” to the ice.  Pour three ounces of Maestro Dobel, stir thoroughly, serve in classic Martini glass, garnish with orange twist and rejoice.

I thought the tequila did well for the martini – even as the color might have made me doubt at first. But indeed I did taste that it was an aged cocktail at heart and had good texture. The tequila itself isn’t cheap ($79.99 at BevMo! for a 750 mL bottle) but I could definitely taste why. And I could see why you could get away with this particular tequila in a martini – it’s aged yet clear. Delicious and potent.

Palihouse
8465 Holloway Dr
West Hollywood, CA 90069-4258
(323) 656-4100

Equipped with a nose drip and 30 squares of toilet paper in my purse, I had the chance to see Björk’s Voltaic in Hollywood at The Montalban on Vine and, well, Hollywood Blvd. Voltaic is essentially a compilation of the Paris and Reykjavik legs on her Volta tour. Though it looked like it was mostly from Paris (complete with Björk graciously exclaiming “Merci, Paris!” to conclude her songs), the movie had me convinced that I really need to see Björk live. It was such a treat to see her perform in the flesh – that is, by way of widescreen – and they made whatever memories of studio recordings I have of hers come to life.

I really loved the frocks Björk donned – complimented by those on her all-female brass section, too. The first set was set upon a brilliant red and was borderline tribal, with Björk changing mid-way into her seemingly typical futuristic silver-pink space frock complete with metallic tights. Of course, she was barefoot the entire time and her bodily movements were unabashedly in tune with all the nuances and explosions that came with her songwriting.

Back to that all-female brass section. I couldn’t sing enough praises about it. They doubled as able backup dancers and headbangers, the way a tribal brass section should. Maybe it’s an Icelandic thing (see: Sigur Rós in Heima).

And where traditional wind instruments left off, the Reactable picked up. Björk, after all, was the musician to debut the ground-breaking synthesizer in a musical performance (at 2007 Coachella, nonetheless) during “Declare Independence” –which also was on the Voltaic setlist. I do wish that Voltaic showed more of the Reactable doing its magic. It’s mind-blowing to see sounds created, then manipulated by moving cubes around on a table. Moar!!

I was impressed with the setlist itself – with it appropriately alternating between her hits and showcasing the best off Volta (Earth Intruders, Wanderlust). Army of Me in particular blew my mind. Maybe I just love when Björk goes industrial, or the song itself is allowed to vamp loud and well live. But the entire setlist left me smiling. Joga was beautiful as ever. Hunter left me in awe of the unquestionably skilled drummer with its intricate drumline. And Bachelorette served as a reprise throughout the setlist. The only thing that could have served it better was perhaps live violins – but that’s just my own bias speaking.

You can get your own dose of Voltaic on June 30, when the following formats will be dropped:

• Disc One (CD) – Songs From The Volta Tour Performed Live At Olympic Studios
• Disc Two (DVD) – The Volta Tour Live In Paris, Live in Reykjavik
• Disc Three (DVD) – The Volta Videos and the video competition
• Disc Four (CD) - The Volta Mixes

Not all songs in Voltaic are new, but as presented in concert – all of Björk is fresh.

You can listen to Voltaic on NPR here.