Swedish (fish) Sushi

All of that Baltic Sea seafood... the Swedes must have great sushi. Swedish... Sushi... Fish... Swedish... Fish... Swedish Fish Sushi.  I found this on This is Why You're Fat. I am appalled and yet intrigued... and definitely know someone who will likey.

The Halloween Reveal

*******UPDATE*******UPDATE******UPDATE*******SEE BELOW******

Halloween is my favorite holiday and it's time to reveal my costume. I've been practicing all week to get into character and I've got bunny ears, an Egyptian headdress, an arrow headband and a banjo for the occasion. Guessed yet who I'll be? He's my crush of the century... Steve Martin!





Here's my rendition:

The Witch's Wish

A lonely witch once lived on ScaryBlob Lane,
Her cauldron bubbled and boiled but good cooking was her bane.

See, the pot was too black from the tricks that she played,
And tasted of farts from the elves that she once slayed.

She had very little trouble serving such gruel,
To the monsters, goblins, trolls, and ghouls.
They'd take their rusty knives and stab at the flesh,
Of half baked vultures with curvy long necks.
Slurp the soup with eyes of newt,
Belched at the end just like brutes.

But the witch was tired of this dark company,
Always plotting and scheming about their next massacry.
She thought of being pretty and wearing white lace,
Making new and happy friends and showing of a new place.

But how could she do this,
She thought without rest.
The witch wished she new just how to be her best.

Alone, she peered in her crystal ball,
Looking for secrets very near and very far.
She happened upon a noisy and hopping fun place,
A city full of wonder, bright lights, Will and Grace.

People danced through the nights and walked through the days,
Ate fancy foods and watched fabulous plays.
Though they were busy, the fun never stopped.
They never had to cook because of chefs in black tops.

The witch gasped and gloated then smiled with reprieve.
She thought for a moment saying, "that kind of living is just what I need".

She hopped on her broom wearing mismatched socks,
To see if she could find those chefs, "they rock!"
She contacted their ruler, a woman named Jill,
Tall and lanky but approachable still.

She explained in great detail her troubles and doubts,
And of the life she so long lived without.
"We'll send you a Culinista, one of our best,
They'll make the food.  You can take care of the rest."

The witch was delighted and flew home straight-aways,
To take care of odd things, loose ends, and frays.
She mopped what could be mopped and broomed all she could broom,
A garden of flowers replaced the tombs.
Her cauldron was dumped and she scrubbed down spots,
Built a stove and bought all-clad pots.
Washed her black hair and shined her black shoes,
Bleached her brown teeth and Wonderbra'd her boobs.

"No more spells", she promised.  This life was new.
Plus they weren't all that magical and never did what she wanted them to do.

Invites were sent to neighbors in town,
People who once avoided her with long faces and frowns.
They all came to see, new magic and glee
And the new happy chef, she promised, with tea.

The guests were amazed!
They loved it from beginning to end.
And sang silly songs with their new dark-haired friend.

Only the Dish's Dish could've answered the witch's wish.
No black magic could've ever handled this.

Happy Halloween!

$400 at Smith and Wollensky

I got a last minute invite to join my big brother and his buddy at Smith and Wollensky last week while going ballistic in NYC. They had some $400 gift card that they'd been wanting to use for a while. That seemed like reason enough to hit up the classic uptown meat palace. Here's the crew.



We got things started with a bottle of Turley, one of my favorite California vintners. We moved on to a full line up of appetizers - an iceberg wedge, delicious calamari and my favorite, the colossal crab cocktail, which was truly ridiculous.

Booya.

The filet au poivre was the meat of choice and, by the end of the meal, all plates were clean.  We got spinach and mushrooms as sides - both worthy choices.



We were pretty well done for it at that point - having polished off two bottles and the meat. But what's a steak dinner without dessert and dessert elixirs to match.  We followed Chris's lead when he ordered Hennessy and carrot cake. Good call boss.



All in all we did pretty well... and only went over our gift card a tiny bit ;-)

Tipsy Parson; First Look

Tasha gave me a little tour of Tipsy on Friday. And things are looking rad. Sadly, I had to head back to LA before I could sample the goods... always a good reason to return.

Cute exterior. Check.

Inviting front room with stocked bar. Check.

Cozy back room. Check. I didn't want to leave.

And here's me and Tasha - truly one of my mentors and someone I truly admire.

Can't wait to return for a full-on dinner!

West Village Breakfast

I forgot that one of the little pleasures of living in the West Village is banana pudding for breakfast. It's not debated that it's the best from Magnolia. Sneak back into bed with a little bowl-full. It even goes with freshly brushed teeth.

Jilly loves Rawvolution

Before leaving LA (first time since moving!), Taylor and I decided to do the most crunchy thing possible just to give me a little extra boost before re-entering the jungle: NY. What did we do? We went to a raw restaurant on the way to LAX! Moreover, it's called Euphoria Loves Rawvolution! The place is as you'd imagine: mismatched furniture, worn in. Community art. Scarves and other billowy materials. Cat Stevens. People closing their eyes while they ate.
It was a pretty mellowed out vibe. We realized how much NY we still had in us when a woman descended upon our corner nook and introduced herself. We couldn't process her motive of introducing herself and just blankly stared back. Awk-ward!
In any event, the food was really yummy. I had these nori wrapped veggies which came with a miso dip and dilly cucumbers. Taylor had the Swiss and mushroom burger, which of course was not what it seemed to be. But it too was very tasty! The food tasted fresh and hearty and we felt really good after eating. So good that we split some desserts - a cinnamon apple cookie that was a dense puck of dried fruit (but good in a hiking rations sort of way) and a coconut chocolate ball that tasted just like a Mounds to me.
We were in such good spirits when we left we decided to make this pit stop our LAX ritual. It's great food pre-boarding and makes it easier to say no to icky plane food.

Jitlada, an Out-Of-Towners Sripraphai

Now that I live in LA, I have to find replacements to all my NYC go-tos... my fav burger, my fav cheap Japanese, my manicure place, my dry cleaner... and my new Thai hideout. My go-to in NYC was always Sriprapahi in Queens.  Yes, far out but ooooo so worth it. So I was stoked when my secret connect here told me about Jitlada. It's known to be a spicy favorite amongst foodie here.

The menu is enormous and looks pretty standard until you get to the back page, which is a paper insert of a straight-up black ink on white paper, tiny margins, list. The real stuff is back here. On a recommendation we ordered the crispy morning glory salad and the rice salad.



The morning glory salad was a sweet and spicy balancing act only enhanced by the complimentary textures - crispy, crunchy plus supple and smooth. Sripraphai does a similar salad with watercress and I prefer it because the flavors are more separated out across the palate.  Here, there's a myriad of flavor but it all fuses together.



The rice salad was neither of our favorites even though I am a HUGE lover of rice. Moreover, this salad a blend of jasmine rice, mango, green beans, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, Thai chiles, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, bean sprouts, coconut and dried shrimp that all gets mixed into a sauce of kaffir lime, anchovy paste, sugar, lemongrass and ginger.  In theory, I should love this dish but it seemed somehow too soft for me. Too mushed.  If there had been perhaps more citrus to cut the mushiness... I don't know. I wished I'd liked it but I didn't.

Also on a rec, we ordered a green curry which really was good. The sauce was fantastic and in it floated yummy Thai eggplants and little shrimps. I prefer the green curry at Sripraphai - I think it has more fire and more defined, specific flavors but this one was doable.



The crown jewel of the evening was the Satoon Tiger Prawns. Two enormous shrimps came grilled and split down the middle. Seriously, they were little lobsters. The grill taste came through without affecting the tenderness of the meat. Left a good taste in our mouths and we'll surely be back. It may be across town for us in LA but at least it's not cross country.

Soup Cubed

After a long business meeting/lovefest at Cube Marketplace last week, I was sent home with some frozen Roasted Kobocha Soup. After it sat in my freezer for most of the week, I was finally able to whip it out in a pinch during Game 2 of postseason - a game that completely derailed my Saturday evening plans, leaving me on the couch, alone save the players.  And I got hungry. I was supposed to be at a girlfriends house eating sushi and doing face masks but 13 innings of LAA vs NYY was too good to move a muscle for.

I took the soup from the freezer and followed the super easy microwave instructions. Cut an X into the plastic, place soup in plastic in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 4.5 minutes. Easy enough to do during a commercial break.   When it was ready I poured the now soupy contents from the plastic/bowl into a mug and nestled into the couch.  Wow! The first sip was so delicious I had to look away from the game.  It was great - super creamy and very nicely spiced.



At the next break, I grabbed the box to check out the ingredients of what I'd just so rapidly consumed.  All natural... all ingredients I recognized. No chemicals, preservatives or flavor enhancements whatsoever.  That spice came from good ol' sage, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  The creaminess was a trifecta of the squash, honey and a dash of cream. Here's to extra innings!

The Feeding Frenzy

Sometimes New Yorkers let things get a little out of hand. Actually, it's more likely the case that they push things in that direction.  Such is the case with the recurring, "FergusStock" as Eater is calling it.  Each year, Fergus Henderson comes to New York and makes a bevy of dishes at the Spotted Pig (and this year The Breslin as well).  While I take no issue with what he's serving, it's the manner in which surely New Yorkers will receive this news... It's going to be a FEEDING FRENZY!  I have no idea of what the health benefits (or short comings) are of a pig's head but I cannot imagine it's good to eat too much of it or perhaps paired with the myriad other dishes he's offering and that, YOU KNOW!, people will be ordering en masse and will contain every part of the pig. Guys, just go easy.

Mozza

Since I've arrived in LA, everyone has been saying Mozza is the place for pizza.  Coming from NYC, I was wary but I'll try any Batali-backed Nancy Silverton restaurant once.  I went for lunch with my buddy from E! and was happy with our selections.  She suggested the squash blossom and burrata pie.

(photo from jeffandakiko on flickr)

Oooo I loved the combination.  Crust was a little fluffy for my NY sentiment but it didn't stop me from digging in for seconds.  The wobbly burrata atop the baked blossoms, once spread out, really made for a perfect lunch pie.

I wanted the mushroom pie... my friend doesn't know I always get the funghi option - but she perked up when I mentioned 'shrooms and and so I followed through.

(photo from ilamya on flickr)

The flavors - mushrooms, taleggio and thyme - were well balanced... and familiar.  I guess this is classic combo (seen it at Otto for one) but it was nonetheless satisfying.  She ended up being more into mine and I, hers. But all in all the place was solid.  I dug the airy vibe, high ceiling and friendly waitstaff.  I liked the size of the pies (if a touch pricey) but I guess with big names comes bigger profit margins. And nothing will ever be DiFara.

Petrossian

I went out with INSANE FOOD BLOGGERS last night.



We went to Petrossian Paris on Robertson Blvd. THey loved it because it was brightly lit. I loved it because of this block of steak tartare I ordered that came with a layer of caviar. It was hilarious.

(photo from mylastbite.com - she organized the dinner)

Our three course meal turned into about 8 since the chef, Benjamin Billy, kept sending out pre-game freebees. Check it yo.

A lobe of truffle butter that some people, I kid you not, were eating without bread. It was pretty horrendous, if entertaining. My friend Sam and I wouldn't go to that extreme but we did enjoy our fair share on toast points.

My favorite - a crispy paper-wrapped shrimp with ginger. Light, adorable.

A scallop with bacon foam... oh oh excuse me I mean emulsion. Butternut squash puree and a vinegary reduction.  Tasty.

This is foie gras creme brulé. I admit I did not eat this. Foie has a horrific affect on me after my summer of '05 during which I ate foie nearly 3 times a week.  Enough is enough and I can't go back. The gluttons enjoyed it though.

Ahhh! Finally something I ordered.  Smoked salmon. Could not complain. It was excellent. Next up came that block of meat referenced earlier. And then finally, 4.5 hours later, dessert.

(photo from mylastbite.com)

Panna cotta with white peach espuma... foam. I liked. It tasted like a fruit cup! Plus pistachio creme brulé, which was interesting though one bite was enough.

This meal felt like the last supper. But with lots of flash photography.

Rice Cooker

Whether in LA or NYC, I want a damn rice cooker. I found this amazing one on Amazon and have been hearing good things about it from the Culinistas. The  Zojirushi Rice Cooker is a 6-cup powerhouse. It even has a steamer. Thoughts?

Taste of Abbot Kinney

Yesterday, I was invited by a team of LA food bloggers to hit up Taste of Abbot Kinney, the first ever restaurant tasting festival on AK in Venice.  The event was sold out though it didn't seem crowded. The tastings were inside of the restaurants (not along the street), which made for an awkward, if interesting time.  It worked well at Tasting Kitchen, as the "tasters" took over the back bar room.  It also worked well at Lemonade and sort of cafeteria style resto that's been proliferating like the LA fires.  Oooo zing. Lemonade was actually my favorite nibble. Photo below.



I also liked the desserts from Comme Ca at Intelligentsia Coffee.  The baristas were there usual intense selves. I snapped a photo.  Ah-wooooo! Coffee is serious, man.



There was a lot more tasting going on... at Joe's, 3 Square, N'ice Cream and The Brig. It was good but inconsistent, the way one of the food bloggers described eating out in LA in general.  Oddly, the restaurant I've been encouraged to try on Abbot Kinney, Gjelina, was not offering up anything.

Vanilla Bake Shop

I found an elegant bakery on Wilshire yesterday afternoon while running a few errands. Vanilla divides attention between wedding cakes, cupcakes, delicate sweets and seasonal treats.  I was at first drawn in by the ornately decorated cupcakes.  Upon closer inspection, I was wowed by the flavors, which change daily.  I spotted key lime, pumpkin and mocha chocolate, which were specials as well as black & white, red velvet and "mom's birthday cake".




I was mesmerized by the ice box shots.



But in the end, I tried a macaron. I had pistachio, lemon, strawberry and chocolate from which to choose and I opted for the strawberry.



It really wasn't great - the cookies were overdone and thus crumbly and hallowed out and there was a baking powder aftertaste but the overall flavor was nice and based on the overall cuteness of the shop and the brisk cupcake business they were doing, I'd give it another shot - at least to try a strawberries and cream cupcake - you know, for comparison.

Cupcake Car

Good grief! There now exists a cupcake car.  Invented this year at Burning Man and now sold online for $25k at Neiman Marcus!

Eater National

As if the Eater team knew The Dish’s Dish was going bi-coastal, they, too, have expanded/revamped their layout. With a strong (not to mention witty) presence in NYC, LA and SF alike, they’ve combined the separated city sites and added an Eater National news strand where they are, no doubt, able to bleed sponsors of more money, selling a greater viewership.

The change-up comes at a perfect time for The Dish’s Dish, as I’ve found myself having to double-up on the food news. Now it’s not just the NYTimes on Wednesdays, but the LATimes, too. I’m doing double duty on Grub Street. And, I’m discovering new, LA-food blogs, too.

But back to Eater – I say congrats! Oh, and check out the Jobs Marketplace – The Dish’s Dish was tenth EVER to post!

Best No-Gear Dessert

Moving never goes 100% smoothly, but The Dish’s Dish arrived in Malibu on Thursday September 24 (having packed up the office two days before) and still hasn’t been visited by the moving truck! There’s no office furniture, no living room set-up and, not to mention, no cooking gear!

But sitting on the floor and eating take out didn’t stop me from building a sweet ending to a few dinners. Behold, the oven-made s’more! Unless you’re going to have ice cream, most other desserts require some sort of utensil - whether it’s a pie dish or a brownie pan or ramekins. All you need for this treat is tin foil, graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate – all of which can be purchased at the corner store. Simply craft your s’more as you would while camping but worry about roasting the marshmallow first. Then, bundle the package into tin foil and heat in the oven at 350º for 15 minutes. Violá!  A dessert so ooey, gooey good, I’ll be eating it even after the furniture arrives!

Father's Office vs. Spotted Pig

People who visit NYC go to Spotted Pig for the burger. The meat is char-grilled and the brioche bun is griddled, with checkerboard marks to prove it. Between bun and burger rests an ample serving of blue cheese – which some swear is key. Cozied up to the patty is a mountain of shoestring fries laced with crisply fried rosemary leaves and slivers of garlic.

(Pic from Serious Eats)

Now, people who visit La - with proper counsel - go to Father’s Office. While at Spotted Pig, the waits are usually 2-3 hours long to eat; Father’s Office has a different policy. Sure, it might take just as long to actually grab a seat, but there’s no rule here that says you can’t eat standing up. Since tables are first come, first served, diners are instructed to order both food and drink from the bar. Burgers are served in a basket and if you don’t mind holding your burger basket, you can walk in, order, eat, and take off.

Sounds pretty easy, huh? Well, it is, but how is the actual meat? Well, for starters, it’s a blend of dry-aged ribeye and chuck. There’s a Gruyere-blue mixture melted onto the burger. The Father tops it with bacon fat-caramelized onions and then, in true California cuisine fashion, piles the patty with arugula. It’s all contained in a sort of hoagie-like bun, of which I was extremely skeptical. Fries are ordered separately, but both burger and basket of fries are plenty to share.

(Pic from PowerCooking.net)

So, so, so… how is it actually? I think it’s amazing. I think it far exceeds the Pig. It makes the Pig burger taste DRY and, gasp, bland! The Pig burger is meat on a bun. It’s practically grey. Father’s burger is deep red meat with rich green arugula. And I never liked the shoestring fries at Spotted Pig. They’re too wispy. You’re basically eating strands of oil. The Father’s Office fries are hefty. And, you can order sweet potato fries if it suits you. The Pig burger needs ketchup. Those at Father won’t even allow for ketchup. It’s one of those snotty edicts that would have annoyed me in the past but you’ve got to trust (before your first bite and then you’ll believe thereafter) that this burger needs no ketchup.

When comparing burgers, there’s always that out-clause that you’re comparing two different beasts – like comparing Spotted Pig to Shake Shack. But in this case, I think the burgers are in the same gifted-track at private school… and dad just does it better.

Gladstone's

After hearing about the SBE takeover of Gladstone's, I knew that I had to go asap - to experience the restaurant in it's current state.  That's not to say it's in such a great state now, but I know that after it's revamped, there's always going to be the questions, "did you ever go before it got the face lift?"  Well, one mediocre meal with outstanding views later, I can say, yes.

Taylor and I ate dinner on the front patio over looking the ocean.  He got the crabcakes and I got the peel and eat shrimp.  Though prices were steep for the casual spot, portions were huge and there was no question that we'd be making at least one other meal out of this one. While though food was nothing to write home about, there were a few other ingredients that made up for it. One, of course, was the view. We were eating on top of the ocean - something that is still a thrill for us, having been holed up in miniature restaurants back east for 17 years, collectively.

The other kicker was the to-go food foil animals.

After having googled Galdstone's, I now realize that this is the most talked-about topic.  But you really won't get it until you've been.  According to our waitress, some on staff have made their careers from these foil-constructed animals.  Tables will request certain waiters who they know are master foil-crafters.  We thought our waitress was quite good - making a crab (filled with crab cakes) and a seahorse with a candy-stripe tail.

Pretty impressive! Enough to earn Gladstone's the rank of #1 for highest grossing restaurant in Southern Cali? Indeed.  Whatever SBE revamps, I hope they keep the foil art.

Gourmet Closing? Wha?

Gourmet Magazine just announced it will be closing. Wild.

Riva

I had an excellent lunch at Riva on Wilshire Blvd last week. It's Jason Travi's second restaurant in LA, which he has opened with his wife/pastry chef Miho.  I didn't make it to dessert, but my wood-fired mushroom salad was superb.  Sweet greens and meaty mushroom were tossed in the lightest of vinaigrette's (sherry?) and topped with razor-thin Parmesan.

My friend ordered the whole wheat capellini - a manageable lunch portion of tomato-laden noodles.

Unfortunately, that was it, as is was lunchtime.  There's a lot on the menu that looks good - from pizzas to seafood. It was only dotted with diners at lunchtime but I imagine dinner sees a brisk business. The place has been going strong for almost a year now.

The Specials

Behold, Blackboard Eats. A website that offers up the specials of the day so to speak. Everyday there is a new, 24hr restaurant deal ranging from a free bottle of wine (yesterday) to 30% off your final bill (today). Currently, the specials only cover LA, but they claim NYC bargains are en route.