Simplicity seems easy but it is difficult; very difficult. To specialize in the creation of a single, relatively uncomplicated dish, particularly one that is familiar to diners, requires perfect execution. I have great admiration for small menus. L’Assiette, on Melrose Avenue, is an example of a restaurant built on the premise of perfection. The name itself means, “the dish.” And what is that dish around … Continue reading Can’t Spell ‘L’Assiette’ without LA
Founded in the 1880s as a temperance colony, Lompoc was originally conceived as a booze-free utopia. (Note: this is not to be confused with a free-booze utopia, which, I’m sorry to say, is not a real thing). William Hollister, a wealthy rancher who was once considered the state’s largest producer of wool was interested in cheap labor and clean sobriety. Today, wages are still low … Continue reading Escape LA: Lompoc, a Santa Barbara city
Every once in a while, a food writer comes across a restaurant concept that seems to have all of the intangibles necessary to be a mega-hit. It is a glimpse into the future. I won’t be the least bit surprised if in a few years, there are fast-casual poké chains in every neighborhood in L.A. and expanding across the country. And, to some degree, those … Continue reading From Hawaii with Love
“This is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.” — Walter Sobchack, The Big Lebowski There used to be rules to bowling, anyway: cigarette smoke, fluorescent lighting, off-brand beers, country music jukeboxes, pederasts and women named “Flo.” Times have changed. Well, not really. But at Bowlero in Mar Vista, they really have. Bowlero is the newest concept in bowling. And while it’s been a … Continue reading High Rollers in Mar Vista
“It’s completely out of your hands,” proprietor Mark Reynolds of Torrance’s Jolly Oyster Market says about the travails of mollusk farming. And yet Reynolds’ hands are scarred by cuts acquired from years of oyster shucking. These are the same hands that were once defined by the manicured digits of a high-finance banker. The African-born Englishman, who had spent time working in Dubai and Hong Kong, … Continue reading The Oyster Will Be Your World
Last week, Michelin-starred Executive Chef Ho Chee Boon unveiled a whopping 13 new dishes at Hakkasan Beverly Hills, marking the most significant menu transformation since its September 2013 launch. The chic Cantonese restaurant, like most Beverly Hills residents, recently underwent a facelift and now has a more chic, up-to-date look about it. Truth be told, the bar got a lounge implant — a handful of … Continue reading Hakkasan Spices it up with 13 New Dishes
How cool would it be to own dishware featuring the iconic landmarks in your particular L.A. neighborhood? Here’s the scoop… On Wednesday, local fast-casual chain Lemonade, founded in 2008 by chef Alan Jackson, unveiled colorful new dishware designed by L.A.-based designer Ilan Dei. It was Dei who created the warm, friendly and individualized look of the restaurants. “Los Angeles is so diverse and each neighborhood … Continue reading L.A. Neighborhoods Featured on Designer Dishware from Lemonade
It’s a rite of spring: Angels and Dodgers fans head to Arizona to catch their beloved ball clubs and get a glimpse of what the summer will bring. It’s less than an hour in the air between L.A. and Phoenix, so Angelenos, what are you waiting for? Plan your Cactus League itinerary with these must-dos. 1. Sloan Park – After a winter of hibernation, Cubs … Continue reading 9 Innings and Outings during Cactus League
Renowned around town as a quick and healthy lunch joint, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop has now expanded into the dinner market with a new location on Hollywood Boulevard, a block from the Pantages. The menu includes the familiar staples, like the famed Turkey Melt on pretzel bread, tortilla pizzas and, of course, the salads. But you’ll also find a handful of entrees, such as salmon and … Continue reading Greenleaf — It’s What’s for Dinner
L.A.’s own Walter Manzke, of Petty Cash and Republique, is off to Aspen to represent our fair city at the Grand Cochon cookout this June. This past Sunday, the acclaimed chef won the local competition, held at the Viceroy Santa Monica, with the help of a Cook Pigs large black heritage pig. Last year’s “King of Porc,” Ray Garcia — an L.A. local, born and … Continue reading Swine and Dine: Pork Tour on a Roll
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