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February 22, 2012

Don Julio Margarita Dinner at Border Grill

Posted by the minty under alcohol education, cocktalian, dessert, events, food, foodie alert, great cocktails, hot bartenders, restaurant reviews, tasting menu | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Mexican 75

Happy National Margarita Day! A few weeks ago, I was invited to Don Julio‘s Margarita Dinner at Border Grill in Santa Monica.The four courses were paired with Don Julio cocktails and spirits. We started with the Mexican 75 (Don Julio blanco, persimmon orange puree, cava) with the lobster ceviche. All the cocktails are the creation of head cantinero (bartender) Alexander Fazio of Border Grill.

lobster ceviche with Seville orange

We started with the lobster ceviche with Seville orange, grilled persimmon, fresh ginger and crispy plantain chips. I used the chip to scoop up the chunks of lobster. Although I knew it was an appetizer, I knew I wanted more!

Jalisco Slip

The next cocktail, the Jalisco Slip, was my favorite. Made with Don Julio reposado, chai tea and honey, it was a bit sweet but mostly I liked the spicy tones to it. Later I found out it’s not actually tea but a spice mix the Chefs Susan and Mary Sue came up at their original City restaurant (which by the way, they’re doing a City Night at Border Grill Downtown on February 29– more info here). The spice mix has cardamon which makes sense since that’s the main component that makes chai so tasty.

roasted beets with greens and grains

The next course was the favorite of the night. The roasted beets was tossed with toasted Israeli couscous, black kale and a whole grain mustard vinaigrette. Chef Susan talked about putting this dish on the brunch menu with a fried egg. Yes, please. It was a gorgeous dish and mentally I wondered if I could ask for me. How embarrassing, another dish I wanted more of!

Anejo Viejo

 

The next cocktail was the Anejo Viejo (Don Julio anejo, fennel, blood orange). I found this too sweet for me so I would adjust something (or more tequila, please!).  I’m wondering if there was simple syrup in this.

Don Julio braised pork belly

 

The fennel in the cocktail was picked up by the pickled fennel salad in the Don Julio braised pork belly. The portion was enormous with an artichoke and sunchoke ragout. I actually had to take some of this home. I suppose it was a good thing the lobster ceviche was on the smaller side but I still wanted more couscous!

arroz con leche

 

For dessert, we got a shot of the Don Julio 1942 to go with the arroz con leche (rice pudding). The sipping tequila was the perfect thing for this smooth sweet dessert with crispy phyloo, dulce de leche and crema sabayon. The tequila was probably closer to an aged bourbon. And most people will tell you if you like bourbon, you’ll like the aged tequilas with its caramel and vanilla notes.

Don Julio tasting

 

You may be wondering where are the margaritas for this margarita dinner. Here are a couple of recipes from Border Grill from a few years ago. But may I suggest Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s margaritas by the gallon recipe if you’re prepping for a party to celebrate National Margarita day.

 

Don Julio

Border Grill

Los Angeles – 445 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 – (213) 486-5171

Santa Monica – 1445 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 – (310) 451-1655

Las Vegas – at Mandalay Bay 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119 – (702) 632-7403

 

February 21, 2012

DTLA: Brunch at Baco Mercat

Posted by the minty under brunch, cocktalian, dtla lunch, food, foodie alert, restaurant reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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tangerine mimosas

A couple of weeks back, I saw some tweets about brunch at Baco Mercat. Seeing as I’ve enjoyed both lunch and dinner at the recently opened spot on Main Street, I could help but think brunch would be fantastic. The biscuits and gravy were calling my name. Loudly.

biscuits and gravy

I’m not a huge breakfast person but when I do eat breakfast, I prefer savory items. Getting the biscuits and gravy is the ultimate comfort food breakfast. The biscuit was so fresh and flaky and it was the perfect amount of bacon and cheddar cheese as well. Add a fried egg to the mix and you got yourself breakfast. Or brunch. Or “hair of the dog” as Baco is calling their brunch menu.

We were torn about getting the breakfast baco with egg and chorizo or some other items. I was eying the sausage (either merguez or pork) with fennel or English breakfast with morcilla (blood sausage) and celery. Or maybe simple like steak and eggs. The only sweet item I’d consider is the yeasted waffle .

We had the tangerine mimosas with Szchuan sweet and sour. I may try the Bloody Mary with sundried tomato and harissa mix next time.

green cabbage and papaya salad

Moving on to the more lunch part of the menu, we had the green cabbage and papaya salad. I’m a big fan of Chef Josef’s vegetables and this was his take on a Thai green papaya salad. It is fairly spicy so look out. I loved how the veg were sliced for this salad– so pretty.

bazole

 

I had the Bazole when Baco first opened and the manager had told us they were going to perhaps tweak the recipe so you can add your own spicy sauce to it. It’s still not every spicy but after having the salad, we enjoyed the relative calmness of the broth.

beef tongue schnitzel baco

 

Can’t leave Baco without a baco. We got the beef tongue schnitzel. We ordered too much but the two of us still managed to eat it all anyway.

I was very happy with brunch and it’s the little things like sitting outside on a sunny clear day in Los Angeles that made this meal even better.

Baco Mercat

408 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 – (213) 687-8808
 

February 17, 2012

MacArthur Park: My New Favorite Pastrami Combo at Langer’s

Posted by the minty under art, food, foodie alert, restaurant reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Langer's #44

The #19 is the most famous Langer’s sandwich. It is pastrami, cole slaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing. I started ordering the #1 which is all of that minus the cheese. However, whenever I’m not at Langer’s and want pastrami, I usually get something more like a Reuben with sauerkraut.

I wondered…

close up on #44

I decided to get the #44 (pastrami, sauerkraut, cheese) and you know what? It’s now my new favorite. The tartness of the sauerkraut went so well with the lovely meaty pastrami and balanced out by the cheese. Of course, our server did bring me a side of Russian dressing and said some people liked dipping their sandwich that way. Ah, great idea.

cabbage soup

chicken noodle soup

matzoh ball soup

We started our meals with a couple of soups- cabbage, the chicken noodle and matzoh ball. One of these days, I might try their chicken in a pot but that would mean I wouldn’t get pastrami. I can’t fathom going to Langer’s and not get pastrami.

grilled Nippy cheese sandwich

Some people can though.  I have no words other than yes, get the grilled cheese if you can somehow manage not to eat that beautiful pastrami. Despite what some people will tell you, I didn’t have the roast beef. I have to get the pastrami and roast beef (#54) just to test the waters next time.

some murals near Langer's Deli

mural next to Langer's parking lot

Some great art in the neighborhood!

Langer’s Deli

704 South Alvarado St., Los Angeles, CA 90057-4020 — (213) 483-8050

 

February 17, 2012

West 3rd: Exploring the Robata Bar at Robata Jinya

Posted by the minty under craft beer crawl, food, foodie alert, restaurant reviews, wine tasting | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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uni at Robata Jinya

While ramen may be one of my favorite things, I love all things Japanese. I wanted to try the robata bar at Robata Jinya. I had gone in December to try out the ramen and fell in love with their tender pork. I wanted to check out what else was good at Robata Jinya. They have a list of house favorites but we strayed to other items on the menu.

 

hamachi with jalepeno peppers

salmon belly

We started with an array of raw stuff including uni, hamachi and salmon belly. I loved the salmon belly. The cute nigiri looked like the striping of a Cheshire cat. We also liked the uni. I felt the hamachi was sliced a little bit too thinly but I’m a bit of a fiend for raw fish.

 

grilled mushrooms and okra

beef tongue robata

 

The robata items we had were the grilled mushrooms, okra and beef tongue. The veggies were very good. While I liked the beef tongue, I am used to more tender tongue (ha!). The texture of these cubed pieces were closer to gizzard or heart.

 

agadashi

 

I was still feeling a bit hungry so we ordered agadashi and ramen for stuff that’ll stick to your ribs. The eggplant was stuffed with shrimp. Yum!

soft boiled egg for ramen

small bowl of ramen

 

The small bowl of ramen probably did me in. It was an onslaught of carbs and rich broth after a lot of clean flavors and fish. The best of both worlds.

Check out my full post about the ramen at Jinya and Yamadaya.

 

Robata Jinya

8050 W 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048 – (323) 653-8877
 

February 15, 2012

Seattle: Mistral Kitchen

Posted by the minty under cocktalian, dessert, food, food crawls, foodie alert, great cocktails, hot bartenders, minty life, restaurant reviews, tasting menu, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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Bobby Burns

My 24 hours in Seattle was coming to a close. Before heading out to the airport, we had lunch at Mistral Kitchen, just a couple blocks away from our hotel. Just about everybody told me it was fabulous and after surplus of calories (mostly empty in the form of cocktails), a light meal was just what I wanted.

hamachi crudo

Bobby from 100 Eats 100 Days ordered the Bobby Burns cocktail (Famous Grouse Scotch, Laphroig 10, Dolin sweet vermouth, Benedictine, Peychaud’s bitters) and the hamachi crudo for the table to share. I’m pretty sure everyone was impressed by the barman wrapping the long peel around the round ball of ice. I do have to say I usually have seen this cocktail served up. Still, love that ice ball.

diver sea scallops

hearty winter greens, bacon lardons, parmasan

I love Seattle and how fresh the seafood is. The hamachi crudo was great as were the scallops though I preferred the oysters I ordered best. I also was dying for some fresh veg and the hearty winter greens fit the bill.

oysters

I ordered three each of the available Kushi and North Shore oysters. I liked the North Shore ones a bit more with the more traditional mignonette. The smaller Kushi oysters were just fine on their own.

proscuitto and arugula pizza

cutting and serving ourselves pizza

When our server dropped off a pair of scissors, we knew we were in for a DIY adventure. The tomato, Proscuitto di San Daniele and arugula pizza was not sliced. As shown in the picture, you cut yourself slices to eat.

pork belly, escarole, turnips, sultanas

The only dish we were meh about was the pork belly. It just seemed piddly. I wished we used the $12 to buy more oysters.

pork terrine, fermented pickles, dijon, micro greens

On the other hand, the pork terrine was very nice. We had to ask for more bread (which was wonderful) to go with the perfectly made potted meat.

wood fired hanger steak, potato, trumpet mushrooms, cipollini onions

I had a lot of steak recently the week before with dineLA (LA’s Restaurant Week) so I didn’t particularly find the steak riveting but it was well-cooked. I probably would have gone for the half chicken only because I wanted something comforting. Although we were thwarted from having daurade from the evening before at How to Cook a Wolf, we decided to keep it light because we were heading to lunch #2. Yep, back to Salumi to split the porchetta sandwich.

chocolate feuilletine torte, banana egg nog ice cream, hazelnut praline

Holly wanted something light for dessert. She chose the chocolate feuilletine. I told her it hardly sounded light with the banana egg nog ice cream! Then again, our other two options weren’t light either. The sticky toffee pudding with blood orange, pomegranate and Earl Grey creme fraiche would have been my choice but I was abstaining. The chocolate pretzel bread pudding with Pike XXX stout ice cream and barley malt syrup also sounded amazing.

It’s a good thing we walked around the near-empty Seattle Center after this so-called “light” meal.

Mistral Kitchen

2020 Westlake Ave., Seattle, WA 98121 — (206) 623-1922
 
Seattle Adventures in 24 Hours
 
Part 1
Pike Brewing Company
Barhopping in Seattle
Dinner at How to Cook a Wolf
Cocktails at Knee High Stocking Company
 
Other Seattle posts
 
Restaurants
Bars
 

February 15, 2012

Seattle: How to Cook a Wolf

Posted by the minty under cocktalian, food, foodie alert, great cocktails, minty life, restaurant reviews, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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The Vincenzo

Last October, I went to Ethan Stowell’s Staple and Fancy and loved it. I wanted to try another one of his restaurants during my 24 hours in Seattle and chose How to Cook a Wolf. I was pretty excited about it. I thought it’d be maybe like Animal in LA. Yes, I based this entirely on the name alone. I did zero research which is unlike me. Once we got there after bouncing around from Pike Place and a couple of bars, we waited for our table at the small bar.

the Mario

I ordered the Vincenzo (Bombay Gin, Aperol, Lillet Blanc, Dash each Grapefruit, Lavender & Orange Bitters). Ah, I liked this. A subtle Negroni-type drink. I also liked the whiskey cocktails they had including the Mario (Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Ramazzotti Amaro, Angostura Bitters) and the Sinatra (Bulleit Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, Sugar, Orange Peel). The Mario is closer to a Manhattan while the Sinatra is like an Old Fashioned. For tequila fans, they have the Locatelli (Aha Toro Tequila, Cointreau, Fresh Citrus Juices, salt) which is like a margarita.

Proscuitto di Parma

After reviewing the menu, I figured it was easier to tell them what we didn’t want (a handful of things) versus all the items we wanted. We ordered the entire menu except for olives, turnip soup, beets, bruschetta and the baby greens). Later it turned out they were out of the rabbit liver mousse and one of the fish courses- the daurade. They did have plenty of branzino and asked if we wanted two branzinos but one would be prepared in the duarade preparation with arugula pesto, lemon, artichoke and olive. But I figured one branzino dish was enough. We kept the branzino that came with the calamari, cavalo nero (black Tuscan kale), bean stew.

We also ordered all five of the available pastas; spaghetti, spaghetti nero, tagliarini, strozzapreti and potato gnocchi.

Mixed radishes

We started with a plate of proscuitto with rosemary honey and hedgehog mushrooms.

I was more excited about the mixed radishes but we found the dish under-seasoned and a bit too oily.

beef tartare

I have a love/hate relationship with tartare. On one hand, I love it. On the other hand, I rather eat raw fish. I like a good cooked steak and I generally find beef tastier after it’s been spiced. Raw fish on the other hand, can taste amazing with just a little salt.

citrus cured escolar crudo

For this reason, I loved the citrus cured escolar more.

soft boiled eggs

soft boiled eggs - opened

I expected the soft boiled eggs to be warm. They weren’t and I supposed you can think of these as a really DIY deviled egg. I ended up mixing some of the caper aioli and crispy potato together and mashing it all up to eat.

Brussels sprouts with fried egg

Probably one of my favorite things in the world are Brussels sprouts. These were great and even better with a fried egg.

tagliarini

strozzapreti

 

Up next were the five pastas. I thought my favorite would be the spaghetti nero with the mussels but it turned out it was the vegetarian one, the tagliarini with brown butter, sage and shaved hazelnut. I also liked the strozzzapreti with the beef cheeks, oregano and mint.

potato gnocchi

spaghetti

spaghetti nero

 

I also did like the potato gnocchi. Every now and then I come across really good gnocchi. The pillowy bites were quite perfect. We accidentally were sent two spaghettis and after all the other pastas, we were quite carb-ed out. But carbs mean our brains were happy, albeit sleepy. Time for some protein!

braised short ribs

pork belly

 

I did find it weird the short ribs and the pork belly came out before the fish, our final course. The braised short ribs came with caramelized root vegetables, garlic confit and braising jus. The beef was very tender but I needed just a tad more salt.  I am not generally a fan of sweet with my savory but the pear puree with the pork belly was interesting. The dish also came with grilled treviso and saba had been drizzled on the plate. I needed this moisture for the pork belly which was a bit dry.

grilled branzino

Branzino, a type of seabass, was our final course. Served with calamari, cavalo nero (kale) and beans, the dish represented the best rustic Italian to me. It finally occurred to me this restaurant was more like a small plates or cicchetti bar. While I didn’t mind the larger meat dishes and pasta, I felt the small plates were stronger. If I really wanted good pasta, perhaps I should have gone to Ethan Stowell’s Tavolata. There’s always next time although I’d probably end up at Anchovies & Olives first.

After dinner, we headed over to Knee High Stocking Company for more barhopping to continue our 24 hours in Seattle .

How to Cook a Wolf

2208 Queen Anne Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109 — (206) 838-8090
 

February 14, 2012

24 Hours in Seattle – Part 1

Posted by the minty under alcohol education, bar crawl, cocktalian, events, food, food crawls, great cocktails, happy hour, hot bartenders, minty life, restaurant reviews, tasting menu, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Space Needle in Seattle

If you had 24 hours in Seattle, what would you do? I had a very clear idea and emailed my cohorts an almost hourly itinerary. Of course, I’m flexible and left room for things like “sleep– worded as “crash” and “wander” (also known as “what do you guys want to do?”). Turns out the wander part meant going to the nearly tourist-free Seattle Center. The sunny but chilly February day didn’t have its usual hoards of children screaming around the fountain or lines of folks trying to go to the Space Needle. It was even difficult to tell if the Experience Music Project or the adjoining Science Fiction Museum were even open.

Salumi board- loved they doecorated for Lunar New Year

chombotta soup

meatball sandwich

Once we got to Seattle, we headed immediately to Salumi. I knew my writer friends from Southern California would love it. I knew I was going to get the meatball but was sad they were already out of my favorite porchetta. Luckily, we went back just before heading to the airport.

mole mozzarella

lamb sausage

We busied ourselves with eating until we just couldn’t take another bite. I knew we were going to get tidbits at Pike Place later so I made myself stop picking at the meatballs. Our eyes were certainly bigger than our stomachs because I was really silly and ordered soup. We also had the mole mozzarella and lamb sausage sandwiches. What we should have done was ordered 2 meatballs subs to share between four people but hey, what do we know? We’re just happy to get inside the warm and happy Salumi where everyone is cheerful about meat.

Salumi Artisan Cured Meats

309 3rd Ave S., Seattle, WA 98104 – (206) 621-8772
 

Pike Place

I’m not particularly enraptured by coffee so the original location of Starbucks at Pike Place didn’t grab me. It is of course interesting to see it, especially when there isn’t a busload of tourists rapidly snapping pictures of the storefront. Inside, you’ll find knick knacks that pertain only to this location. It’s like the Hard Rock t-shirts from the 80s. Must collect them all?

beef and onion piroshky

The four of split one beef and onion piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky but if you weren’t stuffed to the gills on Salumi, I’m sure one is good per person. I like any of the ones with onion. So savory!

Piroshky Piroshky

1908 Pike Pl., Seattle, WA 98101 — (206) 441-6068
 

4 chowder sampler from Pike Place Chowder

A couple of years ago, I fell in love with the chowder from Pike Place Chowder. It turns out late in the day is not a good time to go. Three of the chowders were lukewarm. Luckily our favorite was the piping hot clam chowder with bacon. Next time, I’m getting on this one.

Pike Place Chowder

1530 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101 — (206) 267-2537

Pike Place Fish Company

Then we wandered over to the stall throwing fish. Pike Place Fish Company is famous for throwing their fish around. Except no one was really buying so we may have uh, slipped them something to do it. One of these days, I’m actually going to buy a bunch of stuff to cook but this wasn’t the day.

I took some videos. Here’s one. And here’s the stall across the way goofing around. I didn’t catch them throwing chips around but you get the idea.

BTW, here’s a pin up page of their fish mongers.

Pike Place Fish Company

86 Pike Pl., Seattle, WA 98101 — (206) 682-7181
 

Bitters galore at DeLaurenti

As mentioned, I don’t cook when I’m in Seattle but if I did, I probably would have a field day at DeLaurenti. The only reason why I went in was to stare lustfully at their bitters and other drink making paraphernalia.

DeLaurenti Specialty Foods

1435 1st Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 — (206) 622-0141

tulips at Pike Place

We continued on to Pike Brewing Company and then headed to dinner after that at How to Cook a Wolf.

A couple of years ago, I also loved the enormous chicken fried steak at 5 Point. After our massive bar crawl where we hit Zig Zag, Rob Roy, Knee High Stocking Company, Sun Liquor and Canon, we stopped in for some greasy spoon love.

The chicken fried steak wasn’t as good as I remembered. Oh, the gravy was still good as well as the eggs. But the steak itself was a bit gross. I mostly ate the hash browns. I had two bites and decided it was time for that portion of the itinerary labeled “crash.”

chicken fried steak at 5 Point

The 5 Point Cafe

415 Cedar St., Seattle, WA 98121 — (206) 448-9993
 
… To be continued.
 

February 13, 2012

Barhopping in Seattle

Posted by the minty under alcohol education, bar crawl, booze, cocktalian, food, foodie alert, great cocktails, happy hour, hot bartender crawl, hot bartenders, minty life, restaurant reviews, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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big block of ice at Rob Roy

 

Last October before I headed to Portland Cocktail Week, I stopped in Seattle and went on a 2-day massive bar crawl. I hit up 2 tastings and 13 bars in 48 hours. Advance training for my liver.

I recently went back for a whirlwind 24-hour trip two weeks ago. How many bars did I go to then? Technically we went to 6 but I only drank at 5– well, then I had a drink at dinner so let’s just say 6.

We started our trip with a great lunch at Salumi then had a tour of the Pike Brewing Company. I had wanted to go to Etta’s for happy hour but a certain bartender magically delayed us until we missed their short happy hour. Fortunately, Zig Zag opens at 5 and we headed there.

Alaska at Zig Zag

 

I was welcomed back to Zig Zag and since there were four of us, we decided to get a table instead of hanging out at the bar. I ordered the Alaska (gin, yellow Chartreuse, orange bitters). It’s a simple but elegant classic cocktail. They have such an extensive list that it’s not difficult to find something you’d like. Or you can always go with wine and beer. But really? Cocktails are the way to go here.

Zig Zag Cafe

1501 Western Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 – (206) 625-1146
 

Delores at Rob Roy

Next we rushed over to Rob Roy where I had told everyone and their mother to meet me. I had met Rob Roy’s owner, Anu Apte, in PDX during the now infamous Mary’s strip club after party for the opening Portland Cocktail Week event.

It was still happy hour so I opted for the Delores (aged rum, Dubonnet, sherry). Ooh, I liked it but then again, I’m a huge fan of sherry cocktails.

Sloe Gin Fizz

My friends loved their Sloe Gin Fizzes so much, they got more of the same. My mind boggled a bit. You can drink the same thing in one night? Especially, when it really would be just for tonight? I’m always seeking something new.

So for my next cocktail, I went with Anu’s suggestion, the Turinese Skyline (cognac, Cardamaro, Ramazzmotti, Regan’s orange bitters)  which just recently made it to the cocktail list.

Turinese Skyline at Rob Roy

It was a tasty follow up to the Delores.

I asked about the huge block of ice outside. Apparently it didn’t fit anywhere and they had to throw it out. What? No one to bar back and cut that ice down to smaller cubes? Aw…

We headed to dinner and then went to Knee High Stocking Company.

Rob Roy

2332 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98121 – (206) 956-8423
 

John Cameron at Sun Liquor

 

I had heard great things about Sun Liquor so I had put it on my list of places I wanted to go to. Going back to Zig Zag, Rob Roy and later Canon were a given. But I wanted to go to some new bars. After Knee High Stocking Company, we headed to Sun Liquor.  I liked the cute little space, the cool wavy coasters, the slight Asian feel to the art. But the drinks?

Oh, terrible. I ordered the John Cameron (Ardberg Scotch, Carpano Antica vermouth, orange bitters). It was unbalanced. The sweet vermouth was overpowering the Scotch. I tasted a friend’s cocktail and it was better but not much so. I felt the juice in his wasn’t fresh but apparently it’s more because they don’t clean the press in between pressings, muddying the flavors.

I wish we had stayed at Knee High.

Sun Liquor

607 Summit Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 — (206) 860-1130
 

Bartender's Choice at Canon

 

Canon was packed when we got in but like the wind, everyone disappeared leaving enough spaces at the bar for us stare in wonderment. Canon really is a beautiful bar with a huge amount of liquor. It still amazes me how much Angostura they used to stain the bar. I told Murray Stenson at least they didn’t have to worry about earthquakes. He replied that the bottom shelf stuff like Kahlua would be saved though if anything should topple. Ha! See pics of the bar here.

I ordered a bartender’s choice from another bartender. He made me a tasty cocktail with rye though I specified bourbon. Ah well. It was my last tipple of the night.

My beautiful Seattle. One day, I’ll embrace you longer than 24 hours.

 

Canon

928 12th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122

 

February 10, 2012

SLS Hotel: Cocktails and Dessert at the Bazaar

Posted by the minty under alcohol education, cocktalian, dessert, food, foodie alert, great cocktails, restaurant reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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piggy at your service at the SLS

 

After dinner at Tres by Jose Andres, we hopped over to his other restaurant at the SLS Hotel, the Bazaar, for after-dinner cocktails and a second dessert. This was my fourth Jose Andres experience and although the chef is the common factor, none have been similar. I’ve also been to China Poblano and Jaleo in Las Vegas.

Magic Mojito

Cocktails are divided into several categories including specialty drinks, Jose’s Staff Libation Selections, SLS Classics and New Classics.

I was interested in the New Classics like the Liquid Cherry Manhattan with the cherry spherification. It reminded me of the Manhattan I had by Devon Espinosa at Marcel’s Hatchi pop-up but that wouldn’t be such a stretch considering Marcel used to work at the Bazaar.

olive oil ice cream

I was quite full so I only took a bite of the olive oil ice cream. The texture was akin to a brownie and not silky smooth. It wasn’t bad but not quite what I was expecting. I liked the fresh grapefruit that came with the dish.

Oakason and the Little Peach

One of my friends wanted something with vodka and the server pushed the peach drink on her. Oakason and the Little Peach (Oakason Japanese peach, pear vodka, St. Germain) was surprisingly not as sweet as I expected it to be but still not the sort of thing I like. Later we saw people with martini glasses of cotton candy. I wasn’t interested in the cotton candy but still, it was interesting to see the Magic Mojito cocktail poured onto it and the cotton candy instantly melt. We had to order a side of cotton candy for the photo and snackers.

Down to Earth

 

In the end, I decided on Down to Earth (Del Maguey mezcal, Cynar, lime, orange, agave-truffle bed). I was extremely curious to know what this agave-truffle bed was but turned out it was ice. I got the essence every time I moved the straw around. It was actually a fairly amazing cocktail.

By far this restaurant had the worst service. My friends were unhappy with our server and she could sense it. Before we knew it, we were left to practically fend for ourselves. I am usually inclined to sit at the bar for cocktails but my friends wanted that second dessert. If I do come back for a meal or dessert, I will stick to the appropriate meal hour. The Bazaar is cool to show your out-of-town guests to but for a watering hole, I rather go up the street to the Roger Room.

 

The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel

465 S La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 — (310) 246-5567
 

February 9, 2012

Bell: La Casita Mexicana

Posted by the minty under brunch, dessert, food, foodie alert, restaurant reviews | Tags: , , , , , |
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La Casita Mexicana

 

I’ve wanted to try La Casita Mexicana for a long time. It’s been on my list forever and this year, I was determined to tackle it. I had heard of La Casita Mexicana as being some of the best Mexican food in Los Angeles. And that it was also in Bell. Where’s Bell? Well, after I got off the freeway, I realized I’ve been in this area maybe twice before and I got pretty close with the Latin sweets crawl Street Gourmet LA led almost 2 years ago.

lemonade with chia seeds

I hit up La Casita with Valentina of Eastside Food Bites. She wanted to try their brunch and I was more than happy to try it as well.

soup

We started with a tomato soup with noodles. Traditional Mexican? Not quite but homey and filling.

chilaquiles

I am actually familiar with some of La Casita‘s food, having had a taste of it at Guelaguetza over a year ago when it hosted a Taste of Mexico dinner. I had enjoyed the mole then and as I did this brunch. Chilaquiles is a traditional breakfast of chips and salsa, drizzled with cheese and accompanied with beans. These were pretty fancy with dual colored chips and fresh white cheese.

poached eggs

Valentina also got poached eggs which she promptly piled on top and broke the yolk all over the chips, lending an even richer quality to the meal.

fish with squash blossoms

 

After a long week of eating steak, I wanted to go pescatarian. I opted for the fish with squash blossoms. There were hardly any squash blossoms but plenty of chopped up zucchini. It was a bit on the salty side. Fortunately, I ate this with plain white rice which helped. I started regretting not getting pork or a mole dish.

churros

 

I hadn’t intended to get dessert but I couldn’t resist the lure of fresh churros stuffed with cajeta (caramel).

Next time I’m sticking to the carne y mole entrees!

La Casita Mexicana

4030 Gage Ave., Bell, CA 90201 – (323) 773-1898
 

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