Former mayor Richard Riordan already runs two iconic L.A. restaurants -- downtown's Original Pantry and Malibu's famous Gladstone's for Fish. But never one to rest on his laurel's, he's added three more to his lineup: Riordan's Tavern, the Oak Room and the Village Pantry.
On the dining scene, SIV gives new tapas joint Bar Pintxo 1½ stars and Fraiche is doing so well in Culver City, it's already thinking of expanding to additional locations.
The most interesting article of the day (in my opinion, of course) is from Regina Schrambling who ponders the anonymity of restaurant reviewers from professional journalists to bloggers (and if you happen to recognize a mysterious half face on the article, yes, that is yours deliciously!)
Looks like the entire staff of the Los Angeles Times food section went on a retreat over the long weekend to Santa Barbara, with the entire section dedicated to the "local" wine country.
As far as wine regions, the Central Coast of California uses unusual grapes and SIV praises a hot wine, Le Picpoul from the Languedoc region in France.
You must have A/C in your house if you can stand to be in the kitchen! White wine gelees are a refreshing addition to the summer table and the Times hunts down the recipe for Grilled Cheese from restaurant Lucques.
New Orleans now offers a soulful culinary phenomenon that's more often seen on the streets of New York City or Los Angeles: taco trucks.
Residents of New Orleans have embraced the mobile taquerias' offerings, including al pastor and pork tacos. Some even go for the more exotic cow's head and tongue varieties, both of which are some of my favorites. Even though the public has warmed up to a type of restaurant little known before an influx of Latinos came to the state seeking reconstruction work, Jefferson Parish officials have recently banned the trucks. The new law gave vendors only 10 days to set up restrooms and washing stations. I've certainly wished for both of these amenities after wolfing down a few tacos de carnitas on the streets of Jackson Heights, Queens. But it's simply not going to happen. It should be pointed out that if my fair city banned the taco trucks, there's a fair chance that I'd soon find myself living in L.A.
But back to the story at hand. Jeff Parish pols raised concerns that the mobile kitchens are unsanitary, even though state health officials found nothing wrong. As the article I read pointed out, the taco trucks are embroiled in a food fight of sorts. To be sure, racisim also plays a role in the ban, but so does a concern that the cuisine of Puebla threatens the historic foodways of the Big Easy. New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas recently asked, "How do the tacos help gumbo?"
The burning question for me is something more along the lines of, "How soon can I get me a boudin noir taco?
Thanks to the thrillseekers over at Thrillist, you can keep a list of all the joints that are open late in a handy little card in your wallet -- easy to pull out when you're stumbling out of th abr after Last Call and need a place to direct that cab before heading home.
The Thrillist.com Late Night Gorging Card has restaurants listed by region with addresses, and asterisks to indicate which ones are open all through the night. This particular card is for Los Angeles, but we think there should be one of these for every city. Heck, why dont' we star one right now! If you know of a late night or 24-hour place in your 'hood, let us know in the comments!
Veritable artistry in something we're not quite with familiar with: verrine. What is it? A verrine is a French import, something like a terrine, with layers of ingredients in a small glass that is either an appetizer or a dessert, and is becoming increasingly popular with chefs on this side of the Atlantic.
The LA Times heads into the Year of the Pig with a full section dedicated to pork, Chinese cooking, and restaurants.
Russ Parsons sings the praises of pork, with recipes for Cider-brined pork chops with wild rice, Ragù with pork ribs, sausage and pancetta, and Five-spice roast pork belly. Also included: an information box with resources for top pork in Los Angeles.
Despite the cold weather and overcast skies that have suddenly turned into storm clouds, southern Californians seem to think it's...summer? The Los Angeles Times Food section today was about grilling, salads, ad margaritas.
Have you ever stashed a Coke in the freezer, hoping to chill it quickly, then forgotten all about it, only to have it explode all over your frozen peas?
Here's what you can find in Today's Los Angeles Times Food Section (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)
New Orleans now offers a soulful culinary phenomenon that's more often seen on the streets of New York City or Los Angeles: taco trucks.
The LA Times heads into the Year of the Pig with a full section dedicated to pork, Chinese cooking, and restaurants.
A fraking amazing Battlestar Galactica cake
Iced Tea 101
Pierogies + cheese + onions + kraut = Parmageddon!
