"los angeles" news and stories

A weekly look at the draft selections in beer-friendly bars across the country.

California has always been known as a great craft-beer state. Back in 1977, San Francisco's Anchor Brewing received some of Michael Jackson's highest praise in his seminal book, The World Guide to Beer. Over the past decade, Sierra Nevada took hopped up craft beer mainstream before it was mainstream, making their Pale Ale one of the few ubiquitous craft brews. More recently, breweries such as Stone and Firestone Walker have been recognized as industry leaders and international award-winners.

So why for so many years has California's largest city, Los Angeles, lagged behind as a home to great beer bars?

A newcomer on the block, Blue Palms Brewhouse, opened on July 8, 2008, with aims to rectify the situation. "My girlfriend and I were tired of driving to San Diego and San Francisco for great beers," says owner Brian Lenzo. "L.A. was an empty market. Now since we've opened, about eight other places have followed."

More on the Blue Palms Brewhouse -- and its recent draft list -- after the jump...

Los Angeles has many things to recommend it to the enterprising eater, and Surfas is unequivocally one of them. Why? Well, for one, take a look at this photo. Mycryo Gelatine Substitute. Lots of it. While the vast majority of the population would have absolutely no idea of what to do with it -- sprinkle it? snort it? use it instead of NutraSweet? -- the fact that Surfas carries it in such large quantities is just very cool. So is the shop's eye-popping variety of spices, flours, sugars, extracts, chocolates, nuts, dried beans, butters and -- well, you get the picture.

Geared towards pro chefs who presumably have a need for things like mycryo gelatine substitute (used mainly by pastry toques, as discussed here), Surfas is also a paradise for the less ambitious homecook.

Find out why after the jump.

• A Los Angeles food club has been meeting monthly for a whopping 45 years.
• An ode to the breaded goodness of pork schnitzel, plus tons of good cooking tips.
• Lost Coast Brewing adds to its proliferation of fruity brews with a Tangerine Wheat Beer, a beverage primed to be "a charming outdoor sipper."
• The delicious aspects of Chinese Hunan cooking and a positive review of Xiang Wei Lou, a "plain but spiffy café" in San Gabriel, Calif.
• This year's Anatolian Cultures & Food Festival boasted amazing, sticky dondurma ice cream, full-scale structural reproductions and even a Turkish quesadilla.
• Writer Dan Neil weighs in on Carl's Jr.'s sexy Padma Lakshmi commercial and the politics of mixing sex and fast food.
• 2006 Terra de Verema Triumvirat -- a "beautifully balanced" $30 wine that the critic says could sell for twice as much.
  
• A brief review for Costa Mesa's Pizzeria Ortica, which offers unusual fare like house-cured yellowtail and milk-braised Kurobuta pork short ribs ... plus a more detailed review by critic Irene Virbila.
• Recipes: Pork Schnitzel, German Potato Salad, Julienne's Graham Cracker Chewy Bars

Tired of not being in the know?

Everyone knows that every night, somewhere, people are drinking for free. Various bars have promotions from liquor companies, nights when they want to pack the house, and special events that result in totally free drinks, and often free food, as well!

Whether you're visiting or a resident, visit My Open Bar for free drinks in:

• New York City
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Chicago
• Honolulu
• Miami

My Open Bar lets you know what time, what's free, and where it is. All you have to do is show up! They even have mobile and RSS feeds.

Special thanks to my friend Brandon A. for the tip.

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Here's what you can find in Today's Los Angeles Times Food Section (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)

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.

Love cheesecake? So does Amy Scattergood.

Who needs cooking school? Learn how to cook online.

Cooking with tomatillos.

The wine memoir is becoming drinkable. Three wine writers swirl their memories in book form; Alice Feiring, Neal I. Rosenthal and Sergio Esposito.

Reseda...or Istanbul? It's hard to tell the difference sometimes. A review of Sako's Mediterranean Cuisine.

Wine of the week: It's still possible to find a good bottle of white burgundy for under $30.

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