Le Grand Orange

On a recommendation, Taylor and I swung by Le Grand Orange in Santa Monica for lunch. It's the kind of casual-yet-quality place I'm always sniffing around for. Order at the counter from a tailored menu on which every option is tantalizing.  There's really a wide variety of dishes and one can have as large or small, ethnic or classic, a lunch as the mood deems.  I went for the miso-glazed salmon sushi roll, a LGO signature.  Taylor selected the shangri-la nut veggie burger.

Mine was a fresh avocado roll topped with salmon that had been painted with miso and then broiled.  It was an excellent, clean choice and I only wish that there had been 8 pieces instead of 6!



Taylor's veggie burger won out though. The burger was amply portioned and rested on a pillowy sesame bun. The flavor of the burger was great with the chipotle aioli. The cole slaw was a bit of an after thought, but it didn't really matter.



For something sweet, we grabbed a chocolate chip banana cookie and were happy that it delivered. Imagine banana bread + chocolate chip cookie texture.



There is a big painting in LGO that reads YES and this was our sentiment exactly as we exited the restaurant.

Neptune's Net

Ooooo, what's this? Back-to-back blog posts? It's like the good ole days! And it's going to be like this again on out.  But September has been a wild ride - The Dish's Dish had a perfect opportunity to expand to Los Angeles and we had to say "Bring it."  The dust is settling slowly (our office is still on the truck traveling across the states); and we are ramping into high gear with new West Coast Culinistas. Blogging will 100% be in the mix asap. As in, as soon as we can stop working on logistics 24/7 and have something good to eat!  Luckily, when the power was out from 9am - 2pm today, we had a perfect opportunity to drive up the coast and dig into Neptune's Net.

Daaaaamn. This is place is legit! Pull up on the side of the PCH for excellent seafood. It's insane on the weekends, but on Tuesday afternoon, it was mellow vibes all around.

We just split a lobster roll ($13.50!!!) to test the waters, reasoning we'd be back soon enough.

Talk about hitting the spot.  Imagine ocean breezes lapping your face as you bite into the buttered, grilled bun.  The lobster mix is wet, as in a little on the mayo-ey side, but it's still packed with hardcore meat... and for $13.50, what a steal.  The cole slaw was the chopped-up kind, which I quite like and the fries were basic but made jazzy by a bit of tartar sauce. If the roll, which we almost got round 2 on, isn't enough, DO NOT miss the frozen custard.

As I examined this board, the resident Zac Efron behind the counter served me a few samples without my even asking!  I went for a swirl and like a mind-reader, he suggested rainbow sprinkles. HEAVEN! There are granulated bits of chocolate in the chocolate. Shake Shack got nothin' on this chocolate.

Stuffed Wha?

What the.... I left NYC less than a week ago and things seem to be going bonkers. What is this stuffed cannoli place in the LES??? Sacrilege or worth the pilgrimage?

Nobu Malibu

September posts have been sporadic at best but hopefully now that The Dish's Dish HQ relocation process is near completion, things will get back to normal and postings will return to onceish a day.
To ring things in at our new Malibu office, we decided to toast at Nobu Malibu. Sure it's an older restaurant and the menu's exactly the same regardless of whether you're in Milan, NYC, Vegas, etc but the quality remains superbe. Plus, Taylor had never been (the horror!!).
Despite Nobu being Nobu, Malibu's still Malibu, hence the restaurant's strip mall location. Granted, there's also a Kitson is the Malibu mall not to mention an Oliver Peoples and three highend beauty product stores.
We saddled up at a corner table and ordered a few classics. First up was the yellowtail with jalepeño. Supple pieces of fish basked in the almost smoky-citrusy sauce. A tiny slice of jalepeño crowned each sliver. Six perfect bites were gobbled up rapidly. Taylor loved it!
Then came my favorite - the sashimi salad. The dressing is key here. It's a combination of mirin, minced onions, soy sauce and a few other Asian specialties. A mountain of greens is trellaced by a rim of seared tuna, bathing in the dressing. The whole thing is topped with a flower. It's been my most-craved dish since my first Nobu experience in '02. I've subsequently learned to make the dress as means of survival and even, for a time, was able to enjoy the dish at Tab Tos, a now defunct East Village restaurant started by a defected Nobu chef.
Thereafter, we ordered a few rolls - house special and shrimp tempura. The special was a great rendition on the rainbow roll and the shrimp tempura included a nice bite of asparagus. Excellent touch. We ordered a few sushi, too - tuna and salmon - just for a little treat. The fish was the freshest we'd had in a while. Ahhhh living by the Ocean.
We walked out to the parking lot sated and happy. Nobu Malibu was a perfect way to enjoy our first night in town.

Expansion

Bloggings been a little slow lately because we've been plotting world domination... Starting mid October, The Dish's Dish will be servicing, not only NYC and the Hamptons, but LA and Malibu, too! Here's what the office currently looks like.

Minetta Soufflé

This is not the best photo but if you get to dessert at Minetta Tavern, you'll most likely not be in a state to take any good pics. After the Black Label burger, I needed a counter-balance... Soufflé! And look, when I broke it, I incidentally formed a J. J for Jill.

Porno

Swweeeet. I snapped this shot at Yasuda on my 21st birthday and still get a little tingly every time I take a peek.

Yogurtland in NYC

Last week in LA, my buddy turned me on to Yogurtland. It's a newfangled yogurt chain a la Pinkberry and Red Mango but this one is self serve. That's right, you pull your own yogurt. You also have about 10-20 flavors from which to choose and about that many toppings - that you also do yourself. Hence, my green tea, taro, strawberry combination each flavor with its own topping. Ahhhh...

Freezer at MILK

Oooooo and the freezer deserves a reveal. Homemade drumsticks and mint chocolate chipwiches!

MILK LA

I'd never heard of Blue Velvet cake until we popped into MILK on Beverly Blvd last night. I guess it's apt for a dessert shop in LA
Blue velvet is a chocolate based cake like red velvet but a combination of blueberries and blue dye make it a crazy deep turquoise!
Cream cheese frosting stays true to the classic. It was a fun treat!

Park's LA

I'll be honest- I just blogged a book of odes to Park's BBQ only to have it disappear as my Wordpress app crashed out on me. I'm a little disheartened but going to try to make another go at it.
We mer up with some serious food friends of ours living in LA. They know what's up- especially with Korean BBQ as last year in an effort to find the best they tried upwards of 50 places. They are the real deal.
So we met at Park's - their fav and also on Jonathon Gold's 99 list- and let them do the ordering. Kobe style beef, pork short ribs, mushrooms and kimchi pancake... Not to mention an impressive array of banchan- spicy radish, glass noodles, sweet potato, scallion salad, the crunchy little fish, plus the extras they knew to ask for- rice, lettuce, sliced garlic that went on the grill and sesame oil that mixed with a dish of salt to make a second dipping sauce. Service was wonderful as the waitress made sure our food was cooking properly and that we were eating it at the right moment. My favorite was the beef! But I loved it all. We all ate aggressively for about an hour before our bellies were to full to go on- luckily, we'd all cleaned out plates and all that was left on the table were a few lone leaves of lettuce. This was my first experience with legit KBBQ... And apparently now I'm ruined.

AKASHA

Yesterday was fueled with LA landscapes, houses, people and food. It started in Culver City with a tour of my friends solar powered, Eco-extreme house thar he's spent the last year perfecting. A Tesla sits in the garage . I won't go into more detail but I will say the look-around got us in the mood for Akasha, a restaurant dedicated to organic local sustainable buzzword mega foods. I'd been last year and loved it and was pumped to take Taylor.
We were both very satisfied with our orders. He got the spicy turkey burger with cheese and a side potato salad. I got the house cured salmon sandwich. Delicious!

WTW- E!/Style Network

Yesterday I had a meeting with E!/Style Network... Now I don't like to get too detailed with worky thingies on le blog but I did want to share my outfit
I was going for put together but not coordinated; clean but not country club. It's 90 degrees here this week but I didn't want skimpy.
I went for my men's xxs Whyred sweater, a Stockholm purchase from summer collection, and balanced it out with my fab Old Navy shorts. Shoes were the famous gift from Taylor's mom, the Manolos (on which the talent exec gave a compliment) and the bag was my usual vintage (from MY lovely mother) red Dooney and Bourke. Hair was natural and, save my usual dual necklaces, I forgot to put on any jewelry sooo nothing to report there.

Blue Plate Oysterette

A full review will be in order when I return to a computer (iPhone blogging while out west) but a quick word about Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica which had it's soft launch last night: ROCK! Taylor and I were grateful to score seats at the bar, which looked into the very open kitchen. We ordered a slew of yummies... Let's just say starting with a marinated, grilled, chilled prawn cocktail and ending with banana bread custard. Life is good. The official opening is Thursday, I'll have proper pics up on Monday. Perfect for when you're in LA but want Pearl.

Marmont Avocado Smash

A little celebration platter + Old Fashioned at Chateau Marmont.

Joan's On Third

Everytime I come to LA, I hit up Joan's On Third. Fresh made sandwiches and tantalizing sides n' salads make for the perfect lunch. There's also great cookies, caramels and other tasty extras. My first meal in Cali this time (all split with Mr Taylor) was the oven roasted turkey sandwich with caper mustard - we added brie - and a side each of fennel orange raisin salad, heirloom tomato salad and half an artichoke, grilled and served with a sweet balsamic reduction. Perfection!

BBB

Lucky am I to know the executive chef at Brooklyn Bowl/Brooklyn Blue Ribbon Sushi/Let’s Just Call It The Pleasure Dome. We stumbled in after dinner only to be assaulted with a full-on ten-year anniversary party for insound. Thankfully, some friends had secured some VIP lane couches and chef Dave sent out an illuminated birthday bread pudding. Doused in chocolate sauce and topped with a sphere for sweet vanilla ice cream, I blew out the candles with indie rock and pins crashing in the background. The introduction of another bowling alley to the neighborhood and the premiere Williamsburg access to Blue Ribbon is a very welcome blend of old and new – hip and classic. The menu, the space, the activities… they all mix the old-new quirk to a B!

The Ace Hotel Bar

My birthday began this year at a new spot – so new that it’s not even fully opened yet. The Ace Hotel, that sexy work-in-progress in the weird part of town, has got one “this is the place to be” lobby and bar. A girlfriend of mine took me for a drink around 7pm and after one cocktail, there was Patrick McMullan singing happy birthday – be it not to me – sitting catty corner and snapping pics. The bar is a creation by the Spotted Pig folks and April Bloomfield, though not up and running quite yet in the full-fledged kitchen, is marking her territory with homemade salt and vinegar chips at the bar. $4 gets you a doggy bag with a “hello my name is” sticker slapped on letting you know it’s contents and D.O.B. The snacks are addictive and what was supposed to be one glass of birthday champagne turned into several rounds of booze as well as multiple bags of chips. The lounge has a Miami meets NY feel – inviting you to relax and keep on imbibing.

Hangawi

Hangawi isn’t a new restaurant, but it’s exactly what I wanted on my birthday. It’s that happy paradox of old faithful and special secret. It’s zen and healthy but simultaneously sexy and rich. Hidden away on 32^nd Street behind a wooden door, walking into the space brought me back to a few years prior (good to do on a birthday) when I was frequenting the Korean restaurant a few times a month. We slipped off our shoes to settle into a low table and ordered first a house salad, which, here, comes with a sesame dressing, crisp spinach leaves and julienned beets. It helped ready our palate for the sensational flavors that were soon to come. Watercress and tofu dumplings were a summer special and we were glad we tried them. Four plump pockets of hearty green came with a soy-based dipping sauce. They were equally healthy and decadent tasting, though we knew the later quality was only a perception. Kimchi mushroom pancakes came next and confirmed both of our loves for the spiced cabbage. These I have to guess were a little indulgent. Each bite was crispy on the outside and warm on the inside. Only the spicy dressing by which they were accompanied cut through the hearty flavors of the cakes. Staying in the mood for spice, we decided to share the spicy chili mushrooms. This was a true birthday present because I love mushrooms and can never get enough of them. The dish arrived to our table – an enormous portion of various types of ‘shrooms. They were bathed in a spicy brown sauce that left me needing one more bite. So, I guess then, no big surprise that we finished the platter. After the meal, we lounged around on our pillows for quite some time, taking in the surroundings. Everyone dining seemed to be wholly connected to their dinner friends and fully enjoying the meal. Everyone seemed happy and at peace. The philosophy of the restaurant strives to bring every aspect of um and yang (like yin and yang) into the experience – balancing everything from mind and body to greens and roots. HanGawi serves harmony and this was exactly the place to be while celebrating a milestone birthday and readying myself for what will hopefully be a very productive year.