Chef Larkin and his pal/business partner/life partner(?) Joshua McBride from the Soul Cajun spot, Larkin’s Joint in Eagle Rock, have just come up with what might be the most profitable business scheme known to the LA food industry. Ya that’s right, taco trucks got nothin’ on this.
Mac N’ Cheeza –a tiny 400 sq ft space in the ground level of the Chapman building – is about to make them a whole lot of coin for the following reasons… Continue reading
Having lived in LA for a grand total of 3 ¾ months, I already know much more about it than you (<—my credentials). It’s a dastardly concoction of tragically dramatic hipsters, altruistic artists, pompously arrogant Westsiders (yes all of you) and a barrage of other archetypes that I’m too lazy to identify, each of whom are inevitably fast tracked to do none other than bolster the already lavish scene of pish-posh and dilly dallie that continually pervade the city… and I kind of like it. With cunning people crafting clever ideas, the potential for an innovative dining experience is all too evident in our city, to say the least. As gloss finished-fondant cupcakes and flamboyantly tinted macaroons begin to tatter the shelves of our shops, it’s hard to not want to be apart of the gastronomical phenomena that has hitherto been so muffled. And so it begins. Continue reading
The Thirsty Crow –the new bourbon bar from the dudes who brought you Bigfoot Lodge and The Little Cave in Highland Park -is the latest in the spirit based bar trend. Set to open April 21 in the former Stinker’s Truck Stop space off Sunset in Silverlake, the menu will be focused on small-batch American Bourbons. Don’t expect any talk of cocktail construction or mixology quotients here, they are planning on keeping things plain and simple with a selection of “Classics” like your Old Fashions, Mint Juleps or Sazeracs amongst a varied menu of hued-over Manhattans (think dark caramel, orange marmalade and mole spice). With a name derived from an old Aesop’s childrens tale about a Crow whose only goal in life is to siphon whisky out of a barrel, this place is clearly off to a good start.
Hero’s Quest: Every Sunday from 9-close they’ll be hosting Bourbon education classes where they’ll most likely teach us why we are bad people for mixing these heedfully crafted spirits with soda. Bummer. Go learn something.
The Doheny –a romping pompous members only cocktail lounge “hidden” somewhere downtown –opened in early 2008 and came with something like a $6,000 dollar-a-year price tag. After the hype died down and people realized that the clientele consisted of old men and “cool guy” employees from Cedd’s other establishments (7 Grand, Broadway Bar, Golden Gopher), the place began to depreciate in value and the fees followed in suit. 
The latest quote was somewhere around $2,550. Obviously heading the clear direction of… south, the boys over at 213 Downtown –Cedd Moses’s nightlife co. –have scrapped the douche den (commonly referred to amidst the blogosphere) for a “new” rum bar concept, Cana.
The best part about Cana is that it still requires a membership fee of $20 a year. Now, I’m not exactly savvy to marketing and I’m sure this is some kind of gimmick, but humor me for a minute. Continue reading
If you live in LA and even slightly pay attention to what’s happening with the food and nightlife scene, you’re certainly tired as hell with the whole “Mixology” routine. Now, I’m not going to get into this except to say that I am a fan of a well-made drink, but come on… mixology? Get off your high horse and make me a Manhattan.
That being said, if you venture into any cocktail savvy lounge you’re bound to receive a drink with a curiously shaped formation of ice. For instance, a glacier shaped cluster peeks out above the surface of a 12 year Macallen whisky in your Old Fashioned while a long lopsided sphere-like slab orbits the parameter of your Hi-Ball glass as you sit sipping your Gin and Tonic.
My first experience with these oddities was at The Varnish, downtown. Continue reading
Hero’s Quest: Drop into Umami Burger at Space15twenty next Wednesday night for their weekly ‘dinner and a movie’ in their most awesomely, lawn chair furnished courtyard. Order the port wine and Stilton Blue Cheese burger with a glass of Montepulciano and grab a spot on the patio for a flick.
Not only will your date be impressed that you’ve chosen such a culturally attuned affair, but you get to spend an hour and a half watching Liza Minelli strut around the Kit-Kat club (seducing the bi-sexually bodiced, cross dressing love hunk, Maximilian) in the 1972 musical, Cabaret.
Next week check out a series of shorts by Milky Productions, starting at 8pm.
Cost for two: $40-50
Umami Burger 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Umamiburger.com.
TJ Grocery List
Romeo and Amanda—ad execs by day and gastronomical pioneers by night—are the creators and producers of the latest in L.A.’s DIY food fetish. Their weekly blog, We Can Cook That, details their at-home emulation of some of the city’s most famous dishes, including the Flank Steak at Animal or the Grilled Duck Breast at Campanile. The site was created as a byproduct of the couple’s love for cooking, L.A. cuisine and the financial burden that comes with too many trips to the reservation booth. We chatted with them to find out where they find their ingredients, their most difficult challenges to date, and whether their own restaurant is in the cards.
Last Monday I happened to be dawdling around The Tar Pit for some drink and friend time. Nearing close, we were lucky enough to have the man, the legend, the droopy-eared culinary extraordinaire, Chef Mark Peel, drop some knowledge on us. The topic you ask? Not food, no. Drink! A cocktail… The Sazerac.
Wow, food is literally taking over the world. Remember that time when people wanted to go to ivy league schools like Princeton or Dartmouth to study law, politics, physics oh my? Well, now people are going to Harvard to study food. Ferran Adria, probably the worlds most esteemed Chef (El Bulli in Spain), and LA’s own, Jose Andres –currently of The Bazaar at SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills but once worked directly beneath Adria –are heading the east coast to teach a 13 week course on Culinary Physics (ie. Molecular gastronomy…[ie. The cool little foam formations and crystallized air that make dining at either of their restaurants a science experiment]) at Harvard.
This is just great, talk about the evolution of academia. Also, Hi-5 to the board of academics at Harvard for championing this, though I guess it’s a great way to bring a bit of personality to the musing and pondering that goes on within their cedar and brick covered walls. I wasn’t sure if the molecular stuff was here to stay, but it seems like it’s advocates are making quite the push.
I know Ferran closed his restaurant a few weeks back for like 2 years for some reason, but who’s going to man The Bazaar with Jose in Massachusetts and Marcel –the former sous at the Bazaar –over at the new Bar210/Plush?
Supper Rating: Supper Hero
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