Tag Archives: Venice

Christophe Happillon Features West Coast Oysters at Joe’s Restaurant

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Fanny Bay Oyster

It may have been another night out in the neighborhood for Chris when I met her and Ken at Joe’s on Abbot Kinney last friday. But it had been awhile since I had a drink from their bartender, S. Hector Bury – and he didn’t disappoint with a delicious cocktail made with bacon-infused bourbon.

Christophe Happillon

But we were there to learn about Christophe Happillon’s oyster program, which is at Joe’s on Friday nights and The Edison on Tuesday and Thursdays. So, whether you’re feeling The Downtown LA vibe early in the week or more in the mood for Venice towards the end, you know where to go for your oyster fix.

Truth be told, I was also at The Edison for their latest Radio Room just three days prior (which prompted Nico to accuse me of “cheating”) and had gotten a preview of Christophe’s awesome oyster display of Fanny Bay oysters. The real lesson would come at Joe’s, however, where he featured three different types of oysters. I have always loved oysters but knew very little – and was really appreciative to get a lesson in the West Coast ones Christophe was carrying that night.

Christophe shucking an oyster

When Christophe set to shucking oysters for us (“Oysters are like women -,” he mused, “you cannot force them”) he started out with San Quintin Bay oysters from Baja, California. This was the strongest, saltiest oyster of the bunch, with this particular bay not receiving much rain and therefore putting the oysters in an environment with more sediment.

The next two oysters proved milder – as they were from areas also on the West Coast but which had more rain and bigger waves: British Columbia. The Fanny Bay oysters, which were also at The Edison, had a tougher consistency than the San Quintins. Because there are more waves, the muscles in these particular had developed more than the previous variety. They were also not as salty as they grew in less sediment.

The final variety, from Metcalf Bay, was also from British Columbia but was the sweetest of the bunch. Christophe pointed out the Metcalfs’ shells in particular – which were especially brittle – as the environment Metcalf has less waves than the San Quintin and therefore had less elasticity. In general, the more muscle an oyster has, the sweeter its taste.

Now Christophe may be a French shellfish specialist, but he stresses that oysters on the half-shell are a primarily American dish. Think turkeys at Thanksgiving being stuffed with oysters, and the search for an aphrodisiac when primarily male emigrants relocated to the continent. Our time at Joe’s was a great lesson in the history and origins of oysters’ chemistry, salinity and temperature, and I came away that much more knowledgeable about the bivalves. Now to eat more… ;)

Half-dozen oysters: $17
One dozen oysters: $30
(Prices subject to change according to availability and market price.)

Oysters in this review were hosted.

Joe’s
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA‎ 90291-3386
310.399.5811‎

Dozen Oysters

4th Annual Great Walk of Los Angeles

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H.C. and Siel at Shrine

I’ve a confession. It’s been awhile since this Angeleno and once-Marathoner has clocked even a mile on foot. So when I heard that Michael of Franklin Avenue‘s Great Walk of LA was coming up – I knew it was time to come through. To my relief, I found out Siel of Green LA Girl and H.C. of LA-OC-Foodie would also be there and I’d have my day-long walking partners.

Since Saturday’s walk, I think I’ve averaged about 10 hours of sleep per night. My average is usually 6-7. I am still sore.

We started off in Shrine Auditorium by USC and from estimation it looked like about 250 people were gathered there. Walkers were all ages and of all backgrounds – including USC students, families, couples, single people, bona fide and once-per-year walkers (like myself). Michael got on the blowhorn and handouts on the history of the nearby West Adams district were available.

St. Vincent de Paul Church

Our walk involved a few loops around the historic neighborhood, giving us a real appreciation for an area that would otherwise be easily dismissed. From Numb3rs to Six Feet Under, many shows were filmed in a lot of these huge houses. We also passed by Marvin Gaye’s house in which he was also tragically shot by his father.

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The First Taste of Abbot Kinney

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It’s safe to say that the first ever Taste of Abbot Kinney can be logged in the books as a success. I had a great time going from restaurant to restaurant (especially in the company of Caroline on Crack, H.C. of LA-OC-Foodventures, Sam of LAist – while running into The Delicious Life and Choisauce), having bites of everything each storefront offered to entice us back on a later date. For the most part, the Abbot Kinney restos put in good effort in making sure each guest got to enjoy a decent-sized portion rather than token smidgens. My main qualm was that there could have been more wine and cocktails served for the pairing. After all, regular price admission was $60 per person (or if you were savvy enough to catch the discount on Goldstar, $41 with ticket fee).

But there were pleasant surprises. It was my first time at most stops – with mental notes made to revisit Lemonade, Intelligentsia and Tasting Kitchen. Avoid: The Brig – an Abbot Kinney “dive” bar undergoing an eastside identity crisis, who served up a Brazilian Lemon Drop. It was Brazilian in the sense that it was made with rum, not vodka – but rum is sweet and lemon drops are sour, so the point escaped me. Stick to the 1:2 pours here, as the point of this bar is to knock ‘em back rather than to actually taste. The rib from Beechwood served at The Brig, while an unfair gauge on the establishment’s food as a whole, was sweet, average and unremarkable.

Back to Lemonade (yes, it’s a chain) - who gave us a generous portion of their delicious cucumber mint lemonade and a sampling of three salads (above): Sesame vinaigrette atop snap peas and edamame, Hazelnut vinaigrette atop roast beets and pickled red onions, and roast cauliflower, golden raisins and almonds in a light curry sauce. Three salads, three words: Bursts of flavor. Super fresh ingredients. Perfectly, lightly seasoned. Must try it.

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Don’t Leave Just Yet: Cocktail Competition after Taste of Abbot Kinney

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I hope you bought your tickets for the First Annual Taste of Abbot Kinney taking place tomorrow (Sunday, October 11) – after all, the event is sold out of presale tickets but don’t despair. According to the website, a limited number of tickets will be available on Sunday.

But I’m planning on staying the evening, too. I’ll be sauntering back on over to Joe’s Restaurant to top off my tastes and personally witness “Raising the Bar: Battle of the Bartenders.” A collaboration between Joe Miller of Joe’s and John Sedler of Rivera, the competition will showcase the best mixologists from BOA, Church and State, Providence and Comme Ça in addition to the obvious (Joe’s and Rivera).

This will also be the first in a series of six-for-six hosted at each of the aforementioned restaurants – once per month. During the Mix-Off, bartenders will be required to mix three rounds of drinks:

• The “Classic Cocktail” Host bar will supply all traditional spirits and ingredients.
• “The Theme” – Utilizing the Spirit of the Evening, bartenders will create their choice of cocktail while using their own ingredients. Joe’s will be featuring Rum.
• “Free Style” – Bartenders will create a cocktail, using any trick or ingredient they come up with.

The actual competition is free to all attendees and you can buy any one of the creations made for $10 per cocktail. A bar menu of bites will also be made available for purchase to accompany your libation.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

6 – 9 PM

Joe’s Restaurant
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291-3386
(310) 399-5811

@tasteofak

Party On, Singles: First Friday With The Lek

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Photo credit to Gema Campos Hernando

You may be familiar with First Fridays – the one day of the month people crowd surf in Abbot Kinney art galleries – but this August 7th, TheLek.com has collaborated with Air New Zealand to promote their joint tourism effort entitled “The Matchmaking Flight.”

From 6 – 10 PM this Friday, August 7, enjoy an open bar right on Abbott Kinney with RSVP – whether you’re single or not. (But better RSVP soon – there are only a certain number of spots!) Wines from New Zealand will be featured and Steinlager Pure, New Zealand’s most famous beer, will be on tap along with other New Zealand spirits in keeping with the theme. DJ Jeremy Sole (KCRW, Afro Funke’, Musaics) will be spinning Afrofusion, Funk, R&B, Hip Hop and World Beats in putting out the beats all night long.

I’ve flown Air New Zealand to London before and remember being quite impressed with the airline, which is government subsidized. There’s a screen at every seat and a great channel selection. I was also extremely surprised to find the food, which included hot entrees at dinner, decent – certainly a ton better than other airline food out there.

Their first attempt at matchmaking crazy singles abroad is set for October 13th of this year. The experience is suited for hooking up, as passengers “will be encapsulated in the matchmaking experience, including: a pre-flight gate party at LAX; themed food, drink, and games throughout the flight; entertainment; and a large-scale, singles-only party in Auckland, New Zealand.” Roundtrip ticket prices start at $780 – which would be extremely cheap assuming that’s from Los Angeles but when does the “starting” range of airfare ever pertain to LAX? They are also offering three add-on packages: “Romance” will include relaxing activities and lush destinations; “Culture” will immerse travelers in New Zealand’s rich heritage and national treasures and “Adventure” is suited for the adrenaline junkies in the pack.

And guess what – The Lek will be giving out two free Matchmaking Flight tickets to New Zealand at the party this Friday! I wish I were going – too bad I have to rehearse for a wedding! Good luck, hope you win and enjoy!

RSVP to First Friday, August 7

6 – 10 PM

The Stronghold
1625 Abbott Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

@thelek

Inquire about The Matchmaking Flight

Learning To Love TOMS Shoes

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TOMS Shoes invited several Los Angeles area bloggers to a private night in their new space, a pop-up store on Abbott Kinney in Venice. I thought their entire space was adorable – of course, on top of informative. The girls in the store even gave it a bit of a family vibe and all were very enthusiastic about what their company was doing to expand their business – the success of which is integrated with their cause. It was really refreshing, actually, to see a company’s employees so stoked on the success of their company which each of them has had no small part in contributing. Snacks such as puppy chow (chex with chocolate filling), treats such as wrapped apple strudel, a cider punch, Honest Tea and Sapporo completed the welcome. Or maybe that was the free pair of TOMS shoes they gave each of us.

Founder Blake Mycoskie and Sole Surfer/Social Media Manager Caitlin were on hand to greet bloggers and I thought the story behind what the mission of TOMS is, was a great narrative used to fill the space. It was good to hang out a bit with Siel of GreenLAgirl too (and Dani from Mosaic, who works for TOMS!). Along the length of the store is the timeline of the company’s history on display, from recruiting interns on Craigslist to the launch of the pop-up store not a mile from where TOMS was founded.

If you don’t know already, for every pair of TOMS you buy, a child in need gets a pair of his or her own.

Podoconiosis is a form of elephantitis and a soil-transmitted yet easily preventable disease had people worn shoes to protect their feet. It’s rampant particularly in Ethiopia and the target of TOMS Shoes. Half-to-one million suffer from Podo while 11 million are at risk. So you can feel good each time you buy a pair of these stretchy and comfy kickers. The more you wear them, the more they form to your foot.

In addition to their basic model and all the variety of cloths, textures and colors available, they recently came out with a wrap boot. I’m not so much a fan but then again, how could a shoe company not embrace their own style boot? I stuck with a brown plaid pair of shoes that will go with my loungey and natural-toned moods. Range of pricing starts at $42 up to $65 for shoes and as much as $118 for their new wrapped boot. Vegan varieties are also available.

The store will be there only until the end of January so be sure to make a visit before they’re gone to learn more about the company and to donate a pair of shoes to a child while getting a pair of kicks for yourself. After all, it’s always fashionable to be humanitarian. (They have guys’ shoes too!)

TOMS Shoes Pop-up Store
1617 Abbott Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
10AM – 7PM

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