800 Degrees opened early last month, a new concept via a partnership led by Umami Burger’s Adam Fleischman. After a dinner at LudoBites, somehow the topic of 800 Degrees came up. It was open late (until 2am everyday), was nearby, and would be relatively quick. We were sold.

There are plenty of pizza options in LA, but this one’s a little bit different. It’s essentially fast-food pizza, but customizable and made-to-order with fresh ingredients; I think comparisons to Chipotle are fitting. It reaches a medium ground between the quickness of a Domino’s or Pizza Hut and the higher end pizzas at something like Mozza. Kind of like Pitfire Pizza, but even cheaper and more customizable.

The pizza creation process is assembly line, with one’s preferences taken throughout. Three base pies are available (margherita, bianca, marinara at $5-6) at the first station, where fresh dough is rolled out.

Next a whole host of toppings are available, completely optional, most $1 each. Don’t want toppings? Fine. The Pizza Margherita is $6.

Once ready, the pizza is baked in the wood-burning oven for just a minute or two, all while the customer watches. Pretty cool.

Also cool is this futuristic looking soda machine – various “base” sodas and flavored syrups are available. It’s all about customization here, apparently.

Between our group, we ordered up a variety of pies.

Margherita with Salame

Bianca with Sausage

Margherita with Meatballs, Proscuitto, Arugula

Margherita with Artichokes, Salame

Margherita

How were the pizzas? Pretty good actually. The dough was soft, had some nice char, and had a nice chew. I thought the toppings were good, but none were particularly memorable. Overall, it was good pizza at a great price, fast. Very satisfying. I’m a big fan of the model, and gauging other reviews, it seems like the rest of the city is too. I fully expect expansion soon and potentially on a large scale…not unlike Umami Burger.

I recently purchased a KitchenAid stand mixer (due to a deal I could not refuse) and immediately had dreams of freshly baked breads, cookies and pastries. However, while researching optional attachments, I came across the pasta extruder, a play-doh like attachment that basically pushes dough into various shapes to be cut. I had to have one.

I’ve made fresh pasta once before a couple of years ago with a manual pasta roller…it’s been sitting in the cabinet ever since. I found it to be pretty difficult and time consuming, and my result wasn’t even up to par with dried pasta. However, the extrusion method is much easier. Basically, a dough is made and pushed through various dies to create different shapes, then are cut manually. No need to roll pasta over and over.

Inspired by this post on food, je t’aime I set out to make fresh rigatoni with a ragu bolognese from the Mozza cookbook. The ragu was fairly easy – it took a lot of time (most of it idle), but had a lot of room for error. The pasta, on the other hand, had to have a dough that was just right. One thing’s for sure; every chef and cookbook has their own pasta recipe. I tried a number of them, but so far have found this one to work best for me. Interestingly, it requires no eggs, no kneading and no resting.

Pasta dough (food, je t’aime)

5 oz all purpose flour
5 oz semolina flour
4 fluid ounces warm water

1. Weigh flour and place in bowl of stand mixer.
2. With the paddle attachment, mix on low slowly dribbling in water to produce a wet and crumbly dough.

The dough is cut into walnut-sized pieces and fed into the extruder. It’s pretty fun to do (as long as it turns out well) and makes fresh pasta pretty quickly. The dough is the tricky part; if it’s too sticky/wet, the pasta won’t hold its shape and will get stuck together. If it’s too dry, extrusion becomes noticeably more difficult and the resulting pasta becomes too dense.

To pair with the rigatoni, I went with Mozza’s ragu bolognese.

Ragu bolognese (The Mozza Cookbook)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves
2.5 ounces pancetta, roughly chopped or ground
1 cup soffritto
1/2 of a 4.5 ounce tube double-concentrated tomato paste
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup whole milk

1. Combine oil and garlic in bowl of a food processor. Add pancetta and puree until ingredients form a homogenous paste.
2. Cook mixture over medium heat until the fat from the pancetta is rendered, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from browning.
3. Stir in the soffritto and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Move the vegetables to create a bare spot in the pan, add the tomato paste to that spot and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add veal and pork, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the juices released from the meat have cooked off and the pan is almost dry, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the wine, increase heat to medium high and cook until the wine has evaporated and the pan is almost dry, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock, bring it to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the stock has almost all cooked off but the pan is not completely dry.
8. Add the milk and simmer until the ragu returns to a thick, saucy consistency, 30-40 minutes.
9. Use the ragu, or allow it to cool to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Finishing the pasta

Kosher salt
3/4 cup chicken stock or pasta water
3 teaspoons unsalted butter
12 ounces pasta
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano

1. Combine 1.5 cups of the ragu, the chicken stock and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
2. Stir ingredients to combine and heat until the butter is melted and sauce is warmed through, adding more chicken stock if necessary to obtain a loose sauce consistency.
3. Turn off the heat while the pasta is cooking.
4. Cook pasta until 1 minute from being done.
5. Place sauce over high heat. Lift pasta out of cooking water, drain and immediately add to the pan with the sauce.
6. Cook the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring gently with a rubber spatula so you don’t tear the pasta. Add pasta water if the pasta is dry and sticky instead of slippery and glistening.
7. Turn off the heat and add the finishing quality olive oil, stirring vigorously and shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce.
8. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano and stir to combine.
9. Plate pasta and use a microplane or fine grater to grate a light layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano over plate and serve.

Expectantly, the ragu was the easy part (technically) though there were a lot of steps. As expected, it exhibited a rather rich (there’s a lot of fat) and luscious sauce, definitely meaty. Simple and delicious. I added a little bit of chopped parsley on top.

Over the course of a few days, I prepared various batches of pasta and came up with some I thought were pretty good and some that were just bad. While I liked the taste and texture of my “pretty good” pasta, they didn’t hold their shape very well, falling in on themselves.

These held their shape perfectly, but were way too dense.

My understanding is that the ideal dough for extrusion is different from one that goes through a pasta roller (particularly with the kneading and resting period), though I’m not entirely sure. For some reason, pastas in which I added egg, kneaded, and rested turned out way too sticky. If anyone has a pasta extruder and tips to share, I’d love to hear them!

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger opened City Cafe in 1981, at the time a relatively nouveau restaurant serving food with accents around the globe. The success of that restaurant led to a much larger CITY restaurant and eventually Border Grill. As a tribute to their first restaurant, the downtown Border Grill will be hosting a one-night throwback meal on Feb. 29th (they’ve been doing it every Feb. 29th since 2000). Like the original City Cafe, the menu highlights flavors from around the world – France, Italy, India, Portugal, Thailand are some of the countries represented on the menu. I was invited to a preview dinner to try a few of the dishes on the upcoming menu.

Lemon Ginger Tea fresh lemon, ginger, honey

Yogi Tea milk, ginger, clove, cardamom, black pepper, honey

We tried a couple of the non-alcoholic drinks. The tea tasted as expected, with a balance of ginger and lemon flavors. A little bit of honey ensured it wasn’t too tart. The yogi tea was very interesting, with strong savory spice flavors and ginger coming through strongly.

Supremo Mojito 12 year old rum, fresh mint, lime, sugar, hand muddled

I also went with a cocktail – this rather large mojito. Not too sweet at all, with the lime and mint flavors upfront.

Our first dish was a sampling of a trio of appetizers.

Potato Bhujia spiced potato fritters, cilantro, mint chutney, yogurt sauce

Fried Sage Leaves tomato salsa, tomatillo salsa

Chinese Sausage Salad grilled chinese sausage, red onion, celery leaves, chiles, garlic, kaffir lime leaves

The potato bhujia (a potato fritter) was lightly crisped on the outside and creamy on the inside. Cilantro and mint yogurt added a cool acidity to counter the fried bhujia. The fried sage leaves were quite nice too, with a mild sage flavor and crispy texture. However, I may have been looking for a lighter batter. The tomato salsa added much of the depth of flavor. Finally, the highlight of the trio was the Chinese sausage salad – served in a red onion bowl. The richness of the sausage was well-balanced by the cool vinaigrette and kaffir lime, while the sausage’s chewy, waxy texture made for some nice bites. Refreshing and delicious.

Sautéed Halibut Cheeks with Tomato and Pernod tomato concasse, snow peas, pernod, homemade fettuccine

The halibut cheeks were perfectly cooked – dense, meaty and still moist. Crispy snow peas and sweet tomatoes provided more flavor with the fresh fettucine. The sauce had a little more butter than I would’ve liked, but I appreciated the richness.

Braised Duck with Red Curry grilled japanese eggplant, scallion, basmati rice

This was a pretty flavorful Thai curry with a mild heat; chunks of duck were in the sauce as well as slices of the seared breast. I thought both duck preparations were good. The eggplant was very tender, though I’m not sure it added too much to the overall dish.

Chewy Date Bar golden oat crumble, caramel ice cream

A sweet, slightly chewy date puree was sandwiched in between a layers of granola. I thought this was done pretty well, with the date flavor being front-and-center, along with earthy oat notes. Lemon and caramel ice creams completed the dish.

The CITY dinner was a completely different experience from the typical Border Grill menu, and I quite enjoyed myself. The menu was pretty varied in its influences, but I thought the team executed them pretty well. Perhaps some of the worldly knowledge behind Susan Feniger’s STREET has also been shared at CITY. Catch CITY on February 29th in downtown.

Mary Sue Milliken, new-ish executive chef Monique King, and Susan Feniger.

Note: This was a sponsored meal.

Generally regarded as one of the top restaurant openings in 2011, Picca has truly been a hotspot since opening in June. It seems that every time I’ve visited, the restaurant’s been packed – boisterous and full of energy. It’s easy to see why; the restaurant has an addicting combination of delicious and interesting food, top-notch cocktails and a unique vibe. It’s still somewhat of a novelty cuisine-wise for many people, and I think that’s some of the appeal – it’s something different.

I’ve dined here on six occasions now; this post recounts the last two visits. The first was in December, a dinner hosted by Steve Plotnicki (Opinionated About Dining). The second was a week ago; originally searching for a DineLA dinner, we ended up just ordering a bunch of plates off the regular menu. Given there are a lot of repeat dishes with previous posts, I’ll just touch on some of the new items and highlights.

Dinner One:

albacore ceviche rocoto-infused ponzu leche de tigre, japanese cucumber

chicharron de costillas crispy pork ribs crostini, sweet potato puree, feta cheese sauce, salsa criolla

Rich and savory flavors were at play in this dish, led by the succulent pork and zesty salsa. With some creamy sweet potato and feta cheese, it all came together on a thick toasted bread for some pretty delicious bites.

causa snow crab cucumber, avocado, huancaina sauce
causa spicy yellowtail spicy mayo, gree

conchas a la parmesana scallops, parmesan cheese, spinach, lemon dressing sauce

anticucho tomatoes burrata, black mint pesto

Bursting of juicy flavor, I thought the burrata (warmed slightly) and tomatoes were heighted by just a little bit of smoky flavor. Some mint pesto completed the take on the Italian classic.

anticucho black cod miso anticucho, crispy sweet potato

The smoke of the grill worked really well with the buttery fish, accented by a  little bit of miso.

grilled eggplant

anticucho corazon beef heart, rocoto walnut sauce

Always reliable at Picca, the beef had a wonderful chewy texture and good beefy flavor; some rocoto sauce spiced things up a bit.

arroz con erizo peruvian paella, mixed seafood , sea urchin sauce

grilled 32oz rib-eye aji amarillo

I’d been wanting to try this dish for a while, a daily special. Satisfying anyone’s inner carnivore, the rib-eye is prepared sous vide and finished on the anticucho grill – a perfect medium rare every time. The meat met my expectations; it was tender and flavorful on its own…honestly I didn’t even think it needed the aji amarillo side.

seco de pato duck leg confit, black beer sauce, cilantro rice

alfajores dark chocolate, dulce de leche

vanilla bean pisco flan

bonbon churros

quinoa pudding

Dinner Two:

Before dining, our friend brought in one of his prized spirits, a 20 year Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

Mixologist Julian Cox called this “liquid gold” – I found it to be very smooth, sweet and rather maple-y.

albacore ceviche rocoto-infused ponzu leche de tigre, japanese cucumber

chicharron de costillas crispy pork ribs crostini, sweet potato puree, feta cheese sauce, salsa criolla

Just as good as the previous time; this has become one of my favorites at Picca.

causa albacore garlic chip, ceviche sauce
causa spicy yellowtail spicy mayo, green onions, wasabi tobiko

anticucho tomatoes burrata, black mint pesto

arroz con erizo peruvian paella, mixed seafood , sea urchin sauce

Hearty and very comforting, I love the flavor of the rice in this dish. Sea urchin was blended into the sauce, adding a richness and an additional depth of sea flavor.

anticucho corazon beef heart, rocoto walnut sauce

anticucho beef filet sea urchin butter, garlic chip
anticucho papa a la huancaina potato, quail egg, pancetta, chives

ceviche mixto mixed seafood, sweet potato, choclo

tiradito de atun tuna, soy ceviche dressing, sweet potato paste

pig foot stew

I actually didn’t know this was pig’s feet until afterwards. The pork was pretty delicious, soaking in its own rich braising liquid with some roasted tomatoes and lime to brighten things up.

bisteck a lo pobre skirt steak, egg, pan fried banana, chickpeas tacu tacu

choritos steamed mussels, pancetta, aji amarillo butter

The mussels were pretty tasty, accented by some salty pancetta. I think the aji amarillo butter was what brought everything together, adding a richness and warm peppery flavor to the dish.

oysters a la chalaca pan fried oysters, cherry tomatoes sarsa

One of my favorites – the oysters were fried and put back in the shell, complemented by the acidity of a fresh salsa.

arroz chaufa de mariscos mixed seafood, peruvian fried rice, pickled radish

Interestingly, the fried rice was very Chinese in flavor. Topped with a mix of shrimp, mussels and squid, I enjoyed this plate.

seco de pato duck leg confit, black beer sauce, cilantro rice

quinoa pudding

alfajores

I liked these cookies; rather light with a sort of shortbread texture, I think we had a chocolate one and a dulce de leche one.

vanilla bean pisco flan

churros

Picca has become a reliably good meal; in fact, I think these last two meals were probably the strongest I’ve had here. The execution’s been on point and the flavors spot on. Really tasty. My favorite dishes would have to be the tomato, black cod, and beef heart anticuchos, the always-reliable ceviches (though they can be found at Mo-Chica too), arroz con erizo (Peruvian paella), choritos, oysters a la chalaca, and the chicharron de costillas.

Previous Picca posts:
Picca | (2) | (3)

I first heard about Mexicali in the early part of last year, when LA Taco was hosting a popular vote for best taco in Los Angeles. They ended up winning that competition, and I made my first visit to the taco stand (located in a parking lot at 1st & Beaudry downtown) shortly thereafter. I immediately became a convert and cursed myself for not hearing about them earlier, given I lived just a couple of blocks away.

My weekly trips (sometimes more, sometimes less) became part of a routine until, all of the sudden, the operator of the parking lot decided to end their partnership. It was a most inopportune time given their burgeoning popularity, but just a few months later it has led to this: the brick & mortar location of Mexicali Taco is set to open, a couple blocks from their original setup. What’s in store? Regular hours (lunch service!), less smoke, and the same grub many in the city have been craving during their hiatus.

The grand opening is set for Feb. 15th, but I stopped by during a soft opening for friends & family. The new restaurant is clearly a stark contrast from the old parking lot with bright lighting and ample seating. An open kitchen allows generous views of the action to anyone walking by.

The menu is pretty similar to before with a few additions. Prices are nominally higher, no doubt to help cover the cost of rent and overhead.

Like the old parking lot setup, a variety of salsas and other toppings are on-hand to allow customization of the tacos.

A few drink offerings were available too, including a pretty nice horchata (and a barley version).

In our group, cachetadas were a popular choice. The tortillas were grilled until very crisp, having the texture of a large nacho. They were then topped with a choice of meat, cheese and a chipotle aioli.

Chorizo and chicken cachetadas

Chorizo cachetada

Carne asada cachetada

A new option is to top any item with a fried egg, ranchero style. What a nice touch. The texture of the tortilla was the difference-maker, being extremely crispy, while the meat, cheese and spicy aioli made for some tasty bites.

A couple of new items were the Cantonese-Baja style peppers and nachos. I shied away from the potentially spicy pepper but did go for nachos, topped with a choice of meat, cheese and a salsa with peppers. Probably the easiest dish for sharing and pretty well done.

Cantonese-Baja style peppers

Chorizo nachos

Perhaps the simplest of items and also one of the ones that put Mexicali on the map – the carne asada taco features a choice of corn or flour tortilla (the flour tortilla is brought in from Mexico) topped with chopped up steak. That’s it. The salsa/topping bar offers a host of options to customize the taco to individual liking.

Carne asada taco

My favorite item happens to be the vampiro, a chicken vampiro to be specific. It looks like a quesadilla on the outside; when opened up it reveals melted cheese, garlic sauce, and a wonderfully smoke-imbued chicken. So delicious.

Chicken vampiro

For dessert, there was a special appearance by The Churro Borough – I hadn’t seen these guys since Baja Night 3.0.

Five flavors of ice cream/custard were available, sandwiched between two warm, flat churros.

These babies were as good as they looked. Delicious. The textural contrast was something else, with the rich creaminess countered by the light, flaky dough. Great balance of flavors too, with the cinnamon-sugar of the churro being a good accompaniment; not overly sweet at all. Why haven’t I seen this elsewhere? So good.

Congratulations to the whole Mexicali team. The food was exactly what I remembered; comforting, full of flavor and ultimately very satisfying. The Churro Borough is not a permanent fixture here, but I hear it will pop up on occasion. If so, it can’t be missed.

Mexicali Taco is a great addition to the downtown area, and I’m hoping to make it part of my lunchtime rotation too. I expect the place to quickly be a popular destination downtown, particularly for the late-night fix (open until midnight Fri-Sat). Selfishly, I just hope it’s not too popular – I hate waiting for my chicken vampiro.

The Mexicali partners: Esdras, Javier and Paul.

Note: All food and drink were hosted.

Lucques is Suzanne Goin’s first restaurant (opened in 1998), located in West Hollywood. The menu is seasonal and market-driven; every restaurant claims to be doing that nowadays but Goin was doing it before it become so cool. It’s probably attributable to her background at Chez Panisse, the landmark Berkeley restaurant focused on Californian market menus.

I’ve been to Lucques before a few years ago for DineLA. I don’t remember much; I remember it being fine/good but nothing particularly special.  Coincidentally, DineLA was the impetus for this next visit: three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts were available to choose from, all from the regular menu. It turns out that it was actually the exact same menu and price as the “Sunday Suppers” the restaurant promotes every week.

root vegetables “fattoush” with romaine, radicchio, feta and fried pita

cranberry bean soup with winter greens, pecorino pistou and crostini

Two of us ordered the “fattoush” salad to mixed results – I went with the soup. Warm and comforting, the bean flavor was evident with some strong herbal notes. I liked the sweetness of the onions on top, as well as the melted cheese adding extra textural and savory flair. A thin crostini sat in the soup for more texture and body.

ricotta dumplings with wild mushrooms, sunchokes, walnuts and wagon wheel

The vegetarian at the table opted for this entree. The dumplings were very light, fluffy and pillowy – pretty much like gnocchi. There was a creamy cheese flavor in the dumplings, accompanied by the bold earthy flavors of mushrooms in the sauce. Quite nice.

grilled hanger steak with polenta, mustard crème fraîche, kale and horseradish gremolata

pancetta-wrapped trout with parsnips, hazelnuts and balsamic brussels sprouts

The rest of us split between the steak and trout. I tried a piece of the steak and found it to be cooked well, tender and flavorful. I thought the trout was more interesting, with a moist tender flesh and crispy skin. Oddly, I found the pork flavor of the pancetta to be missing though. There was a little bit of a sweetness in the sauce (I think from the reduced balsamic) that went well with the brussels sprouts, while some hazelnuts provided a nutty texture.

bittersweet chocolate torta with mascarpone, hazelnuts and coffee ice cream

This was a fairly typical chocolate tart with a rich, bitter flavor (that I liked). Hazelnuts added texture and some nuttiness, while the coffee ice cream was quite good with a deep, strong coffee flavor.

sticky toffee pudding with pineapples, macadamias and coconut ice cream

The pudding was actually a hearty pudding cake, warm and rather light. Pineapples added a different kind of sweetness, while some crunchy macadamias were the main textural component. Coconut ice cream was a nice accompaniment.

warm apple tart with fennel, almonds, salted caramel and vanilla ice cream

Light and flaky, I really enjoyed the pastry of this tart. I missed the fennel and didn’t think there was enough salt in the salted caramel, but the caramel-vanilla-apple combination was still a tasty one. Some whipped creme fraiche was a nice touch.

I had a good meal at Lucques – the food was comfortable and sort of homey. However, similar to my previous experience, there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about the food. I’m not sure if the DineLA menu was just more conservative (though all of the items we tried were on the regular menu), but I wanted something more, perhaps something less predictable. I wouldn’t object too strongly if someone suggested coming here, but I’m not in a hurry to return.

I first dined at Wolvesmouth about a year ago and it was one of the more memorable dining experiences of the year. I almost never get to see this caliber of cooking up close, and I found the process to be as intriguing as the food itself. Since then, I’ve dined at Wolvesmouth’s streamlined Beer Belly event as well as the gluttonous 40-course event, but this was my first trip back to the “standard” ~10 course setup. There was a fortuitous (for me) last-minute cancellation, and I jumped at the chance to fill in.

The ever-changing menu is posted on the refrigerator, an amalgamation of what’s fresh at the farmers and fish markets (and meat purveyors), combined with whatever ideas come up in Craig Thornton’s head. While always different, the menu is reliably interesting, displaying varied flavors and techniques.

potato puree, cheddar, broccoli cheddar fritter

We started with this dish. The puree was very thick and rich, likely from the added cheese, and it definitely had a potato flavor kind of resembling a richer mashed potato. The fritter was tasty, fluffy and airy, with a little bit of texture (I think from the broccoli stems?) that worked quite nicely. Some lime juice was a nice touch to cut through some of the richness.

ocean trout, chickpeas, harissa, yogurt, meyer lemon

The trout here was cooked well, and I thought the hearty chickpeas helped add some body to the dish. Yogurt and meyer lemon provided some tart acidity.

rabbit, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, tobasco

Here, pureed cornbread polenta was topped with a slice of fried green tomatoes and a rabbit meatball. Interesting. The sweetness from the cornbread and tomatoes worked well with the savory meatball, while a touch of tabasco aioli really brought everything together. The delicate crunch of the tomato’s batter was pretty nice too.

chicken liver, radish, toast, apple, parsnip, almond

The fresh bite of radish and green apple was integral here, complementing the rich mineral flavor of the liver. Some almonds added a nuttiness and crunch, while there were two different breads available for spreading.

squash, coffee, cider, pistachio, oil, cherry

I liked the fact that this squash was roasted, bringing out a little more of the sweetness. The coffee cream added a lot of depth, while pistachios added a nutty texture. Some tart cherries completed the bites.

bay scallop, uni, sweet shrimp, avocado, cocktail shrimp head ice, cucumber, onion

This was another very interesting dish, with flavors of a shrimp cocktail and a seafood salad. The shrimp head ice was very intriguing; it was cool, refreshing and slightly spicy at the same time. Tomato and a little bit of sea flavor were the primary complementary flavors with the seafood. I also liked the meaty avocado and the cool crunch of the cucumbers here too.

I caught these slabs of meat coming out of the oven. Nice!

pork belly, jalapeno tofu mousse, glazed carrot, freeze-dried peas, crab

When I saw the large slab of pork belly in the immersion circulator, I knew we were in for a treat. Cooked sous vide then crisped in the oven, the pork was luscious and succulent. However, I thought the skin could’ve been crispier – it was a little limp. The crunchy, glazed carrot was a nice accompaniment with a subtle maple flavor while the jalapano tofu mousse provided a very mild heat and creaminess. Lastly, freeze dried peas added some delicate texture.

duck, wild mushrooms, brussels sprouts, skin-breast-sauce, roman gnocchi

The last savory dish was this piece of duck breast, served with brussels sprouts and gnocchi. The duck was flavorful and tender, but the skin wasn’t as crunchy as expected (diced and sprinkled on top of the duck), similar to the pork. I liked the balance of sauteed brussels sprouts and gnocchi with the duck though.

I found the wolf surveying the kitchen.

malt panna cotta, pain perdu, whiskey banana sauce

The panna cotta clearly showed off the malt flavor, and I liked the warm French toast to go along with the cool treat. Warm bananas and grated chocolate completed the dish.

vanilla pound cake, kabosu curd, black sesame, mandarin, lime pop rocks

This dessert was a work of various textures and citrus. The kabosu curd and mandarin slices were the fresh, fruity base while the black sesame crumble and pound cake were the bulk of the body. Lime pop rocks were a fun addition too. This was rather light and a nice way to end the meal.

This meal was on par with my first Wolvesmouth experience. I think around 10 courses is ideal; each plate is substantial on its own, while still showcasing a diverse example of Thornton’s cooking. For me, the highlights were the fritter & potato puree, rabbit, pork belly and the last dessert. Considering the dinner as a whole, it’s easily still one of the unique and tasty experiences in the city.

Mario Batali needs no introduction. As one of the most famous chefs in the country, I’m sure he draws crowds whenever he’s doing a food event. When I heard he would be hosting a lunch in Coast Restaurant at Shutters on the Beach, my interest was piqued. When I heard it would be three courses (with wine pairing) for a seemingly-reasonable $65 per head, I jumped at the chance.

Batali was in town promoting his cookbook and this was one of his stops. The lunch was held at Coast Restaurant within Shutters on the Beach, a beachfront hotel in Santa Monica. It was a really nice day, and the window-covered restaurant maximized this to great effect. We dined on the sunlight patio, literally beach-side. Perfect!

Before the first plate was served, some appetizers made their rounds in the dining area. There were actually 5 different ones to choose from, but only 3 made it to our table (we didn’t get the white bean alla toscana or arancini with bolognese). Boo.

Fried squash blossoms with ricotta

Prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks

Roasted baby peppers stuffed with tuna

The fried squash blossoms were very familiar from trips to Pizzeria Mozza, and were just what I expected. Fried just right, they were light, crispy and creamy. The breadsticks were nice too, with the meaty proscuitto working in tandem with the crunchy breadstick. Finally, the pepper stuffed with tuna was perhaps the most interesting of all – the sweetness of the roasted pepper was a nice complement to the meaty tuna.

As the appetizers made their way around, so did the drinks. Prosecco and bellinis found their way onto our table time and time (and time and time) again.

Batali Bellini
Flor Prosecco NV

Patio seating on a nice day? Check. Nonstop sparkling wine? Check. We had the ingredients for quite an afternoon. After about half an hour of passed appetizers, we were served the first course.

Rabe, Potato and Ricotta Ravioli
Bastianich Friuliano “Adriatico” 2009

Al dente pasta was filled with a creamy potato and ricotta filling, bathed in a sage butter sauce. I’m a sucker for fresh pasta, and these ravioli didn’t disappoint. The plating was surprisingly inconsistent though, with one person getting only two ravioli (while the others got three), as well as the sage garnish missing on one plate.

Next we were served the main course with a side dish, as well as a duo of wine pairings.

Braised Chicken with Sweet Onions and Parmigiano
Spaghetti Squash with Soft Herbs and Robiola

La Mozza Perazzi 2009
Bastianich Vespa Bianco 2008

The chicken was braised then seared, giving the skin a bit of crispiness. I thought the thighs were perfectly cooked, tender and fairly juicy; however, the sauce of red onion and red wine didn’t have a lot of flavor. It was topped with fried diced pancetta (!) which added a slightly pork flavor with a delightful crunch. Some crusty bread was placed on the bottom to soak up any juices/sauce, but I didn’t think it was necessary. Finally, the squash side was a nice touch – it was sweet and sort of creamy, complemented by a creamy cheese.

I liked that there was a duo of wines to pair, one red and one white; while very different, they both paired with the chicken pretty well. I enjoyed both but preferred the red.

Orange-Scented Cannoli
Flor Prosecco Rosé NV

Lastly, we were served dessert. The cannoli came out about as expected, with its light, orange-accented cream and crispy shell. Simple and satisfying.

Batali was in the restaurant the whole time, spending most of it mingling with guests. He made it a point to visit each table for a brief chat, and stayed after the meal to sign anything and everything people brought.

The lunch exceeded expectations and was a lot of fun. The food was good and the alcohol plentiful, however the interaction with Batali is what made this meal memorable. It was a pretty unique experience, and I thought the $65 was very reasonable given everything we ate/drank (as well as the Batali factor). I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a winter day in SoCal.

Ramen Yamadaya
11172 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
Dining date: 1/16/12

I first tried Tsujita over the Veteran’s Day holiday. Trying to fit two lunch spots into one larger meal, Tsujita happened to fall into the second slot where a humongous line awaited us. Sadly, the tsukemen (dipping ramen) ran out while we waited in line, and we were left with the good-but-not-great ramen. I knew I’d have to return to really try Tsujita. Over the MLK holiday we again went for a two-spot luncher, with Tsujita first this time. We arrived at 11am (opening) to ensure we would not be denied. Perfect timing! We got in without any problems.

Three tsukemen options are available – “regular,” one with extra seasoned boiled egg (ajitama tsukemen) and one with extra chashu (chashu tsukemen). Coincidentally, we all ordered the same thing – the chashu. A few accompaniments awaited us at the table – in my opinion, I didn’t think they were even necessary.

I marveled at the bowl that came out – noodles were topped with thick-cut chashu, a piece of nori and a lime wedge. Accompanying the noodles was a dark and murky broth, filled with a soft-boiled egg, pieces of chashu and a not-so-hidden layer of fat floating on the top.

I had my first bite and was sold immediately. The noodles were thicker than usual with a wonderful chew, while the broth displayed a heady, rich porky and bonito flavor. It was well-balanced between the pork and fish, and I’m sure the fat helped made for an incredibly savory and comforting slurp that screamed umami. Apparently, pork bones are simmered for 60 hours with the bonito added at the end. The chashu was wonderful as well, thick and meaty – they just melted when heated by the hot broth (it should be eaten quickly since the fat will congeal if sitting out too long and the broth won’t be hot enough to melt it). Simply addicting.

The soup thickened and got richer over time as the noodles soaked up the liquid. By the time the noodles were gone, it was pretty much a gravy at that point. The lime was particularly clutch when it reached this consistency, helping to add a fresh citrus dimension as well as some acidity. Finally, they’ll add water to your leftover “gravy” for a drinkable soup – it wasn’t quite so much for me, still packing an incredible salty, porky punch. Personally, it needed to be consumed in small quantities per mouthful.

After some deliberation, we made the short trip to Ramen Yamadaya.  We’d be ordering entirely different things, but we were still somewhat fearful that it would disappoint given what we had at Tsujita.

Ramen Yamadaya is a newer ramen restaurant to the SoCal scene, opening its first branch in Torrance in 2010. I’ve consistently heard good things about it, and its popularity has helped them already open up additional locations in Culver City, Westwood and Costa Mesa. The specialty here is the 20-hour-cooked tonkotsu broth, making for a rich and porky ramen.

It was my first time so I opted for the ramen. The rest of the party ordered some different items, less similar to what we previously ate at Tsujita.

Gyoza

Chicken Kara-age

Takoyaki

Ramen Yamadaya tonkotsu kotteri

I tried a small piece of the gyoza and chicken and found them to be rather typical variations. I wanted slightly more meat and less cabbage flavor in the gyoza, and I thought they could’ve been crispier too. However, the star for me was the ramen. Going for the extra-fatty kotteri option, the broth indeed was rather heavy, milky and fatty. Full of flavor, indeed. The fresh garlic was an awesome accompaniment, providing a fun garlicky bite to the rich broth. The noodles were perfectly cooked, lending a nice chew and soaking up the flavors of the broth. Two kinds of chashu came with it – a leaner, thinner cut shoulder and a thicker, marinated belly cut. I didn’t really like either. The shoulder was a little dry and flavorless, while the belly’s marinade had an overpowering flavor that masked the meat. Still, a very good bowl of ramen.

Ramen Yamadaya is good, and is worthy of a return trip on an emptier belly. Still, I’d be hard pressed to come here unless Tsujita is closed or out of tsukemen. I’ve never had tsukemen before and it was a bit of a game changer for me. I can’t say if it was a good example of the dish, but I just found it simply delicious. At this point, I actually prefer it over any of the bowls of more “typical ramen” in LA.  There’s an inherent playfulness in dipping the noodles into the soup at-will, and I found myself conflicted between slurping everything up as soon as possible while it was hot, and consciously slowing myself down to savor every bite. I’ll be back for sure.