Category Archives: lunch

Urban Garden: Fresh, Casual Lebanese Fare on Fairfax

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Tabouli, Fatoush & Falafel

Though there’s a new eatery in the neighborhood, its proprietor is anything but a stranger. George Abou-daoud’s newest venture (The Bowery, Rosewood Tavern, Township, The Mercantile) does not actually include a liquor license.

Instead, you’ll find fresh Lebanese made from scratch. Your trusty Mediterranean selections like babaganoush, lebneh yogurt, organic chickpea & quinoa falafel, tabouli, fattoush salad, vegetarian kibbeh, lentil mujadarra, stuffed cheese rolls, fried cauliflower can be found at Urban Garden for an average combo price of $9-$15 a pop. It’s a great addition to Fairfax Village, at once metaphorically and physically across the street from mainstays as historic as Canter’s and iconic as Animal.

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Favorite Dish: Rein Fall in with Mo-Chica’s Quinotto

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Quinotto – Quinoa risotto, wild mushrooms, parmesan, parsley infused oil

I was loving the weather this past weekend in Los Angeles. At one time, I may have been one of those annoying Midwest ex-pats that complained about “missing the seasons,” but let’s be honest: Heat wave after heat wave into October does not a City of Angels make. We finally get to bring out the boots and maybe even sweaters. Late October is better than never, as they say.

Inspired by the grey clouds as well as the feeling that we Southern Californians will always have one foot in the sunshine, I recalled Mo-Chica’s Quinotto – a quinoa-mushroom dish that invokes the consistency and tastes of a mushroom risotto. Drizzled with parsley-infused oil, this savory dish is perfect for the grey clouds that have been finally adorning our skies.

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Palm Springs, CA: Cheeky’s Brunch Starts Your Desert Morning Right

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Berkshire Pork Stew

Upon stepping into Cheeky’s on a Friday morning, I knew it was a place I’d enjoy eating at. Filled with natural light, it’s open Thursdays through Mondays during the breakfast-to-brunch time block. It makes sense, since the menu changes weekly – and it’s a delicious one dedicated to seasonal, local ingredients, at that.

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Simmzy’s is a Long Beach Neighborhood Delight

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Daytime view from open patio at Simmzy’s Long Beach

Long Beach is that sister city, south of Los Angeles. If you are one who truly loves being an Angeleno – without the irony, that is – you accept The LBC as the L.A. away from L.A. Each block is potentially completely different from the next, and it’s one vast county hosting a cornucopia of cultures and backgrounds.

Blue Cheese Haystack

And then there’s Long Beach-Belmont Shore. At Simmzy’s second location, their corner on the block is bustling with flip-flops, beer and pub food. It’s a true pub without having bowed to the recent “gastro-” trends as of late. Besides, Simmzy’s are beachy places without the beachfront. People sometimes just want good weather, good beer (offered up by two dozen taps), a good time and good food – not groundbreaking culinary trends.

While I tend to think the Manhattan Beach location is a tad small, the Long Beach one also has no problems filling its space to the gills. They’ve got day-of-the-week special, which happened to be the Short Rib & Chocolate Porter Chili on Saturdays – a sweet, tangy treat. Though their crust is not a lot to write home about, their pizzas showcase some original topping combinations, such as a smoked Bacon & Date Marscapone, made with garlic, mozzarella, sage and balsalmic syrup for a slightly sweet treat.

And while I know that Brussels sprouts are a bit of a shoe-in for many places, I can’t say that I’ve had many executed so impressively as their carmelized rendition, with butter, garlic, lemon, anchovies, capers and bruschetta for a succulent yet zesty combination.

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Venga! Debuts Lunch & Sweets on Canon

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Quiche

Correction (10/10/11): Venga! is now closed and will re-open at a future date as a Mediterranean Restaurant with an Israeli focus.

There is a new cafe, patisserie and gelateria all rolled up into one on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. No, it’s not Bouchon, but from one lunch experience, I ended up very surprisingly pleased with the results.

Canelé

You will appreciate the small, concentrated menu once you step inside the nondescript shop. Although it’s hard to tell exactly what they do since the dessert cases face sideways, it seemed like the neighborhood had at least mildly become acquainted with Venga! just two weeks into their opening on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Owner Shahriar Besharat and Pastry Chef Kriss Harvey (who has studied under the tutelage of Pastry Chefs all over the world as well as with Master in Gelato Giuseppe Scaringnella and in the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna; Joel Robuchon Las Vegas is on his resume) have cultivated a brightly-lit cafe with a minimalist look and menu – but the strength rests in these few items.

Macarons

For instance, the slow cooked chicken sandwich is prepared in a vacuum and packs punch with slices of jalapeno and carrot. It’s tender thanks to its preparation, but it’s also got great flavor. The Croque Monsieur (or Madame, should you choose to add a sunny-side up egg for $1, as we did) is delicious. Too often have I had a Madame with bread that was too thick and overwhelming. At Venga! the layers were harmonious in thickness as well as taste – not too rich, and just enough. The quiche with spinach, shiitake mushrooms was also tasty. The crust was golden and delicious. I almost wanted another slice. The tomato salad with whipped cheese and basil is also a beautiful rendition (perfect for before the end of summer) – especially with the heirloom varieties that are used.

Pastries at Venga!

But you mustn’t leave before you have dessert. This would be a grave omission. There are plenty of gelato varieties to choose from, but my favorite was the Almond with Caramelized Almond flavor. The Passion Fruit Sorbet was also super potent and a perfect flavor for a hot day.

The macarons are also delicious, and a tad denser than others that I’ve had. I can’t argue with more flavor in my macarons, however, and there are plenty of flavors to go around. I love the dustings on the outside of some of them, which add quite delicious details. Salted Caramel and Coconut are now my go-to.

A must-try is the Canelé, which is done quite expertly with the outside coated with a crispy beeswax. The inside was a soft, tender, almost-custard texture – just how a perfect Canelé should be. As you peruse the brightly-lit pastry cases, you’ll definitely have a hard time resisting all of the beautifully presented pastries in all their colorful glory. I’m due for a return visit to try some more.

Alas, I’ve learned that they have free wifi! This could be a dangerously indulgent destination (yet productive?) for me in the near future. Blog or eat? Lunch, dinner or dessert? Now, I won’t have to choose.

All food and drink were hosted.

 

Sun – Mon

10 AM – 6 PM

Tue – Sat

10 AM – 10 PM

Menu
Beverages & Desserts Menu

Free wifi

Venga!
452 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.205.9400

@vengabh

Michael Voltaggio Preempts Ink With Ink Sack

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Banh Mi

There’s a sandwich shop that just debuted last week and thus far, it has sold out everyday ahead of its scheduled close time of 5 PM. Dare I suggest, however, that it’s worth getting there right at its 11AM opening?

Menu

While I’ve often complained about the selection of lunch options near my office, I was happy to find on opening day that ink.sack was an easy to drive north – I got there in 7.5 minutes. It’s a school-themed enclave with standing room only (if even that). Ink and Ink Sack sandwiches the dessert landmark, Sweet Lady Jane between them on the designer shopping-laden end of Melrose.

The menu features a manageable dozen items with just more than half being 6-inch sandwiches ($4-6 each) and the rest being crispy salt & vinegar potato chips, compressed fruit seasoned with chili and cookies. On a normal lunch, I can devour about two sandwiches with sides.

Sack lunch, indeed. (With Mexican Fruit)

My favorites were the Jose Andres, or “The Spanish Godfather” (Serrano ham, chorizo, lomo, Manchego) and the Banh Mi (pork cheek, chicharrones, pickled vegetables). I also really liked the Maple Turkey Melt, complete with Camembert, mustarda and arugula. The bread is also solid and while good quality, doesn’t overwhelm the small sandwich.

I’ve yet to try the two chicken varieties (with cold fried chicken and chicken liver mousse, each) but rest assured, for the amount of hype the Voltaggio name garners, the bottom line is that each sandwich is a reasonably priced dosage of delicious goodness. Just remember that they’re so popular, Ink Sack has been forced to institute a 6-sandwich maximum per person.

Don’t forget your fruits. (The veggies are in the sandwich.)

Wed – Sun
11 AM – 5 PM

ink.sack
8360 Melrose Ave., No. 107
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Plenty of Reasons to Love Osteria La Buca

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Pork Meatballs, Calabrian Chilis, Almond Tomato Sauce

I’ll get right to the point. Let’s count the reasons, shall we?

Delicious, housemade charcuterie: Check. Fresh, housemade pasta: Check. Flavorful and tender-to-the-fork meatballs: Check. Tasty Neopolitan pizzas: Check. Former Porchetta and 10 Downing (NYC) chef Jason Neroni in the kitchen: Check.

Salumi: Chicken Liver Pork Pate, Porchetta di Testa, Terrina Campagnola, Whipped Lardo

I had the opportunity to try all this and more at a recent media lunch and came out glad that I played hooky devoted work PTO to doing so. Nothing is lost, however, on the starters. The ricotta croquettas topped with a touch of truffle honey haven’t lost their touch – still fluffy as ever - in the changeover. The excellent salumi that came out included a chicken liver and pork pate, porchetta di testa, terrina campagnola – and last, but certainly not least, a whipped lardo. I couldn’t get enough of that lardo, so of course I couldn’t complain when it also appeared on the lightly fried green tomatoes. But the meatballs! The meatballs! How unordinary they were, what with their flavor and texture. They were really divine. In between these bites were smoked and extra meaty olives and pickles as well as salted, pork fat almonds.

Parpadelle with Rabbit, Castelvetrano Olives, Porcini Mushrooms

Only after all of this did we really start lunch.

The pasta was delicious. Not oversauced, not too simplistic with just enough going on to keep things cohesive, interesting and more than enjoyable. The freshness of the angelotti, bucatini and parpadelle were quite as good as any I’ve had, with those pastas being made the same day in a specially designated “pasta room” (which doubles as a private dining room housing the chef’s table) just upstairs.

Feeling like a sweet-ish pasta? Go with the Sweet Corn Angelotti with Dungeness Crab, Lemon Basil and Butter. In the mood for a heavier variety? The Rabbit Parpadelle with Castelvetrano Olives and Porchini Mushrooms is also excellent. The Bucatini Carbonara comes with an irresistable poached egg and is seasoned with Marscarpone, Guanciale and Black Pepper, which gives this pasta a delicious kick.

Basil Ice Cream, Sauteed Strawberries

The pizza is delicious, though I must admit that my favorite tends to be the simplest variety – appropriate named “The Classic” at Osteria La Buca: Mozzarella, tomato, sea salt and basil is all you’ll find on this one. But the fennel sausage variety with ricotta, pickled jalapenos and garlic paste is also game. It all depends on what you like.

I must say, though, don’t forget dessert. Especially the refreshing Basil Ice Cream with Sauteed Strawberries. The Chocolate Budino with sea salt also stands on its own, and dare I say its simplicity gives Mozza’s a run for their money?

Osteria La Buca really is a delightful place to dine, with plenty of solid options. With its recent, refresher remodel setting the framework for Jason Neroni’s arrival, it’s apparent that they have aimed to step up their game. While I found the former La Buca warm and charming, it seems that Chef Neroni has tightened things up and dishes come out a bit more refined. Delicioso.

All food, wine and cocktails were hosted.

 

Tue – Thu: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
5:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Fri: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
5:30 PM – 11 PM

Sat 5:30 PM – 11 PM
Sun 5 PM – 10 PM

Osteria La Buca
5210 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.462.1900

Tender Greens Offers More Than Just Fast-Casual Salads

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Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs Stew, Rainbow Carrots, Fingerling Potato, Celery, Onion ($10.50)

Tender Greens has not only been open for awhile, they’ve been rapidly expanding all over Southern California with each location employing unique, add-on menus onto a solid, base selection of salads, sandwiches and hot plates. And though they are filed under the “fast-casual” column that has been touted as a 2011 food trend, Tender Greens operates with all the sensibilities of a stand-alone rather than a chain. Or worse – a fad.

Happy Vegan Salad ($10.50)

I love having Tender Greens near my place as a healthy option should I run out of goods in my refrigerator. Their produce, sourced from Scarborough Farms, is as fresh (not so tender) as any you’ll find at a sit-down restaurant, though at Tender Greens you’ll appreciate the easy way of placing your order at the beginning of line, to pick your order up (and/or a number for the remainder) as you reach the cash register with a minimal wait. Consider it an upscale cafeteria. I like the no-nonsense, and since it saves a few bucks off my check while I can get some solid nourishment, I know what I came for.

On to the “add-on” specials being offered at each location. In West Hollywood, they’re offering one-pots that change daily. I had the opportunity awhile back to try the roast of the day, a slow-cooked beef ribs stew, and devour it I did. It’s a great way to mix the menu up should you feel like deviating from the trusty Happy Vegan (with farro wheat with cranberry, green hummus tabbouleh, hazelnuts quinoa with cucumber and beets and lettuce) – my favorite salad here despite my lack of vegan status. I’m always smitten when the healthiest item on the menu also happens to be the dish I love.

Aztec Brownie ($3)

So go to Tender Greens in West Hollywood and get your one pot on. See what’s in store for the day. Or, if you’re feeling like fitting them  into your warmer weekend calendar – or are just looking for a good excuse to partake in a whole animal roast – schedule Tender Greens Hollywood for the last Sunday of the month beginning April 24th (Easter).

In a special event spearheaded by avid home brewer, Chef Eric Hulme, Tender Greens will welcome Tustin Brewing Company into the space on Sunday, April 24th and together they will be cooking up a whole roasted lamb in the restaurant’s caja china – a Cuban roasting box. For $35 per person, you’ll get to enjoy your Whole Lamb Roast with sauces and sides, beer and dessert on the back patio of the Hollywood location. It also includes tax. Reservations are required, so be sure to contact heidi@tendergreensfood.com to claim your spot.

With plenty of selections on the menu that aren’t just healthy – they’re also delicious - and even special events and items at the individual locations, everyone should experience Tender Greens at least once. Easter is a great opportunity, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be by beforehand since it’s a neighborhood staple. (In case you were wondering, the Aztec Brownie is a solid dessert choice which masquerades as a flourless chocolate cake – it’s good.)

All food and drink were hosted.

One-pots available in WeHo

Tender Greens
8759 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.358.1919

Whole lamb roast in Hollywood: Sunday, April 24th, 2011 from 5 – 9 PM

Whole animal roasts every last Sunday for Spring and Summer

Tender Greens
6290 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.382.0380

Healthful, Conscientious Pan-Asian at Fresh East Is Actually Delicious

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Emperor's Lamb ($12.95)

Good Chinese, Indian and other Asian food is known to be sourced from the dirtiest, rudest hole-in-the-wall shops around town – especially east of our Metropolis off the 10 and 60 freeways. I can put it this way:  There were plenty of great reasons to visit my aunt who lived in West Covina for those two years, and they were all within a two-mile radius around the house she later flipped.

Spicy Garlic Noodles ($8.25)

There’s usually a direct relationship between taste and MSG in Asian food, however. It’s just one of those known facts, along with the cost-effectiveness of an often cash-only operation – and a lot of these Mom and Pop shops using styrofoam and other unrecyclable products and just plain being un-green.

Fresheast is the first known-to-me Pan-Asian place that integrates an Eco-conscientious (organic when they can) business model into actually delicious food. No MSG is in their recipes, all their sauces are made in-house and their plates are made from recycled, bio-degradable palm fronds. As for your side, you can choose from white rice, brown rice, quinoa or greens.

Interior

The best part of all of this is that they’re Midtown Lunch LA price point-friendly (that is, under $10). To start, anyway (sorry, Zach, you’ll have to drink water). They also have beer and wine on their menu, so you can wash down your Jidori Chicken with some Singha or Fess Parker Pinot Noir. And there’s free parking. In West Hollywood. And there’s energy outlets! And wifi! Talk about blogger-friendly.

My favorite dish was definitely the Emperor’s Lamb, which really impressed me in that there was little-to-no gamey taste. Their Jidori Chicken was also solid and had really good flavor. The Spicy Garlic Noodles were so-so, but nothing extraordinary. It seems that for the most part, they’ve been able to hone in on the right recipes, creating dishes that utilize fresh and made-in-house ingredients while keeping the price point fairly low.

I also loved the Fresheast juice, which was a great, natural energy drink made with beets, kale, apples and other ingredients. Feel like coconut? They got them. And don’t forget dessert. Their sorbet flavors are potent yet fluffy – I loved the mango!

So try it out. You won’t get that MSG hangover or icky feeling you typically get after consuming bad-for-you Chinese. And if you’re looking to get some work done, you might as well bring your laptop, too.

All food, wine and beer were hosted.

Open daily, 11 AM – 10 PM

Happy Hour: 4 – 7 PM daily
Get 50% off wine and beer with food purchase

Free parking, energy outlets and wifi

Menu

Fresheast
8951 Santa Monica Blvd- Suite G1
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.859.9989

Roving Mammoth Smuggles Burritos So You Don’t Have To

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Roving Mammoth

This article first appeared on LAist.com

It’s known amongst California snow birds that while San Francisco and Sacramento snow sport enthusiasts flock to Tahoe, Angelenos looking for more ski-able real estate flock to Mammoth. If your commitment is intact, the choice is clear: The five-to-sixish hour drive rewards you with Mammoth Mountain’s over 3500 acres.

I couldn’t be more surprised, then, that it wasn’t a local resort but Mammoth that took cues straight out of Los Angeles culture. Or could I? Friends directed me via Twitter to articles detailing that there would be food trucks retro-fitted snow cat food trucks, dubbed Roving Mammoth, parked right on the runs. While this past weekend marked my third trip this season to the mountain, it was my first time finally getting to try out this phenomenon-gone-snow. (For another such phenomenon, check out the new Art Park, a terrain park dedicated to Jeff Anderson showcasing artwork, complete with descriptions posted by each feature. What’s next? First Fridays?)

Let’s be honest, when you get a record-breaking 17 feet of snow in December, the last thing on your mind when you’re on the mountain is to track down a food truck when your Monday through Friday, 9-5 is spitting distance from Miracle Mile. The first? Fresh tracks and tree runs. But now, having tried the burrito at a price point that undercuts anything at the four lodges ($9 baked potato? $7 slice of soggy pizza? $12 tostada salad?), I will make it a point to make a burrito break whenever I’m thinking fast and simple.

I caught Neil Mallery, McCoy Station Manager, in action inside the truck at the major intersection by the top of Canyon Express (Chair 16) and Roller Coaster (Chair 4). Having debuted on Christmas, Roving Mammoth is in service Thursdays through Sundays. Just check the @MammothMountain Twitter feed to get the DL on which runs they’re doling out their $5.50 burritos. They go until they sell out, which typically happens around 3PM (or sooner, especially on Saturdays on Sundays). Pick from their green chile breakfast burrito with eggs, a chicken burrito, a beef burrito and a bean and cheese burrito.

Thanks to their heated storage, the burrito was still warm and the pleasantries weren’t lost on my bare hands. I’ve never tried eating with gloves, before, but I’m counting on the burrito as the only viable candidate to do that with. No hot drinks are available yet, but grab a bottle of Cholula (or Tabasco) to take with you when you sit down at one of the plastic lounge chairs situated outside the snow cat, and you’ll pack some heat in every bite. The selection and price of the drinks and snacks are identical to the lodges’ (meaning you’ll pay as much for those as for the burrito), but the burrito itself was better than I expected. Beans – yes, rice – yes, ground beef – yes, fresh flour tortilla – bingo! I would have enjoyed more cheese and salsa since it was advertised, but there was no doubting that the medium-sized burrito I enjoyed was indeed made fresh that morning. There were good ratios of each ingredient, overall. Now, I’m just curious about that green chile in the breakfast burrito. Guess I’ll save it for my next visit.

It’s no small point that there’s a good reason to actually sit down to eat your so-described hand-held burrito by the truck, as you would a food truck in the streets of Los Angeles, nouveau or O.G. Enjoy it while it’s warm and round. That is the advice I can offer from having made the mistake of putting my first purchase inside my jacket, meaning to ride down with it to meet my buddies at the lodge during their coffee break. You can guess what happened (it fell out of my jacket) – so if you see a burrito on that intermediate run called “Downhill,” down to Canyon Lodge, congratulations: You just scored a free, cold, hard burrito.

Currently roving Thursday – Sunday

10 AM – 3 PM

Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort
10001 Minaret Road
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
800.626.6684