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Sometimes you have to live in a neighborhood to find the gems hidden behind the fast food chains and drugstores. My friends David & Krista discovered Red Hill as they walked around, and it has become their favorite spot (and it is literally hidden behind a fast food chain and a drugstore). The area is called Red Hill because in the 1950′s many artists and left wing liberals congregated here, and back in those days, they were called “Reds” or Communists. Whatever your political views, your palate will thank-you for a foray into this wonderfully welcoming place which features inventive and market driven plates for very reasonable prices (average $40 per person for 2-3 plates with drinks & gratuity).
The starter plate of house made pickled vegetables and home made butter was a harbinger of great things to come from the open kitchen. All the vegetables, from the red onions to the spicy cauliflower had a slightly different pickling mixture that ranged from spicy to slightly sweet. The home made butter was so good we asked for more of the dense chewy bread so we could finish it.
Krista had the burrata salad with pesto, beet greens and carrots. The burrata was freshly made and the combination worked well as the burrata added a smooth mellowing counterpoint to the spicy greens and strong pesto.
Four of us split two orders of the venison meatballs and all of us loved the flavors of this appetizer even though a few bites had nearly too much red pepper, we all ate like addicts, unable to stop regardless of any pain we experienced. If they would have mixed the red pepper in more evenly or simply used less, we would have been even more addicted.
The only disappointing dish of the evening was the salad with radishes, Marcona almonds and Meyer lemon dressing. It was actually only the vinaigrette which weakened this dish; it was too salty without any complexity and a bit too much acidity.
Everyone loved Krista’s choice of main dish, the pappardelle with pork ragu and goat cheese agnolotti. The light pasta was perfectly done, and the fresh zucchini, peas and pork all contributed their own texture and flavor to this perfect dish. If you order only one thing here, order this dish!
I chose the bone in pork chop which was served with pureed squash and sauteed greens. The flavors of the accompaniments were all perfect, and the presentation was beautiful, but my pork chop was a bit overdone and dry. It was not bad, but it was not great either. David said that when he ordered this dish, his chop had been thicker and less dry, so perhaps I will try this again some other night.
Robin ordered the roasted chicken, which was moist, full of flavor, and served with some of the best collard greens I have ever tasted.
David’s duck with cherries was spectacular, with crisp skin, moist meat, and beautifully tart cherries. If you love duck, order it here, and if you have never tried duck, try it here.
Somehow we managed to find some room for dessert, so we chose to share two of them. The meringue and sorbet with tart cherry sauce was a refreshing way to finish a meal. The meringue was not baked long enough to give structure, so the texture was a bit rubbery, but overall, this very nice.
The favorite of both the dessert connoisseurs was the orange flan with chocolate dipped candied orange peel. It was a thick smooth rendition of a classic with a slight twist.
Whether you want to explore a historically famous neighborhood, visit friends, or simply eat a great meal after a Dodger game, head over to Red Hill and you’ll hit a home run.
Red Medicine is the infamous restaurant where famed food critic Irene Virbila was outed (i.e. photographed) and refused service. While I agree with many opinions on both sides of this incident, I had not been keen to go to this restaurant until a fellow foodie friend said it was high on his list of places to try.
Fortunately I am not famous enough to be either recognized or refused service for my “power” as a food critic, so I was seated and served without incident with two of my friends who are both as critical of food as I am.
Since the menu is meant to be shared, we ordered several small plates, the first one to arrive was the brussel sprouts with caramelized shallots, fish sauce, and vermouth for $9. The crunchy chips on top were a nice way to present this dish and some of the brussel sprouts were fabulous, while others (especially at the bottom of the dish) were overly salted. When using fish sauce, it is very important to use a light hand when salting and apparently the kitchen didn’t understand concept yet.
We also tried the beef tartare for $15 which was made with water lettuce, water chestnut, nuoc leo (peanut sauce), chlorophyll, and peanut. This was such an unusual version of beef tartare that we all said “Whoa!” after the first bite. But we all took second and third bites until we finished the dish. Combining all the ingredients on the rice chips was essential to getting the full flavors this dish incorporated. I’m not sure I would order this again, but I was glad I had tried it.
The most disappointing dish of the entire night was the white asparagus with fried burdock root and coated in tapioca salsify, with spot prawn roe, on top of almond milk. It was completely tasteless, with no seasoning whatsoever, and the asparagus was so stringy that we had trouble eating it (or even biting through it). It was a shame since we all loved asparagus, but none of us wanted to eat this.
It is hard to tell from the photo, but the sweetbreads under the charred cabbage were wonderful. This was one of our favorite dishes of the evening, with perfectly crispy and tender nuggets. Once again the salt was a bit overdone on the charred cabbage, but the sweetbreads made this dish a winner.
For our final hot course, we chose the rice porridge with the uni supplement for $27 made with egg yolk, hazelnuts, ginseng, butter and Santa Barbara Red Uni. This was a very rich dish which we all loved. The combination of flavors made this the ultimate comfort dish of all time. This was definitely not your run of the mill home made or even restaurant quality rice porridge. It should definitely be shared unless you want to eat only one dish here.
For our desserts we shared the Green Gage plum with frozen cream, sorrel, elderflower, wild chervil. It was an interesting (as in neither good nor bad) alchemy of flavors both tart and sweet, but no one like this enough to finish it.
The dessert winner of the evening was the birch ice. It was THE most unusual dessert I have ever tasted and it beckons me to come back to Red Medicine with it’s scintillating composition of textures and flavors. The presentation was beautiful.
But upon cracking open the crunchy top layer, the cold, sweet, and creamy secret treasures below were absolutely addictive. Made with birch ice, almond praline, red currants, green almond, and jasmine, this was a palate pleaser.
I’m glad I was not on their “hit list” and able to taste their unique fare. Although I loved all their presentations, I was not impressed with all their flavors, especially since over salting food is a big faux pas that was repeated in two of their dishes. At prices that hovered around $60 per person, this kind of amateur mistake should have happened even once. People care more about tasting their dishes than looking at them, so the execution of recipes must be precise to elevate the food to the same level as the plating.
We all remember a flavorful dish long after it is eaten, but no one will remember a beautiful plate after they have seen it.
Gladys may have taken the midnight train to Georgia, but I took a private jet to Memphis last week 
For the first time, I actually got to spend some time on Main street, watching “Cinderella” carriages amble along the trolley tracks.
Trolleys along Main Street are picturesque ways to promote “mass transit” in Memphis.
I even walked along Beale Street.
Clubs like B.B. King’s were open during the day.
Clubs like this were open during the afternoon, but I’m sure the atmosphere at night was much livelier after dark.
Since I had already tried both Interstate BBQ and Corky’s BBQ on my last trip, this time I went to Central BBQ (based on a local’s recommendation). Central was voted by locals as the best BBQ place and the week-end I was in town, it was their anniversary, so a half rack of ribs was only $10 (normally $15.25)!
They are a “green” restaurant, so they compost and recycle. Products are biodegradable as much as possible and in keeping with this philosophy their sauces are all available from pumps. Vegetarians have the option of a Portobello sandwich here for $4.99, served like a pulled pork sandwich, but I would say 99% of the customers come here for the BBQ meat.
I ordered my ribs wet, but got some vinegar sauce on the side. The meat was tender, and the rub and sauce were both good, but my preference is Corky’s, although this comes in at a close second. Since everyone in Memphis has their favorite BBQ place, I’m still on my hunt for “the best”. Another local told me to try Tops, but I didn’t have time to get there this trip.
My fine dining experience was at Flight. If you’ve ever tried a flight of wine, the restaurant concept is the same, offering smaller bites of different dishes so you can sample and compare different variations side by side.
They offer wine flights and I could not resist the “Make Wine Not War” Bordeaux flight for $11.50. The St. Estephe was my favorite, but the other two complimented my meal very well.
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I began with the Salad flight for $10 which had a small serving of a grilled pear and Camembert salad, made with baby arugula, roasted walnuts and maple walnut vinaigrette (my favorite of all three); a mixed greens, roasted corn, dried cherries, crispy bacon, tomatoes, goat cheese, and cajun pecans topped with a white balsamic vinaigrette; and a baby iceberg salad topped with Maytag blue cheese, applewood smoked bacon and grape tomatoes (my least favorite because it was actually bland, especially compared to the outstanding version at Sixth and Pine in Los Angeles).
The special of the day was Jerk seasoned wild boar, so I chose the small plate for $12, the large portion was about $30 and if you want to try a flight, they offer flights of fish, fowl, meat, or seafood from $31. The wild boar had a very nice depth of flavor, but the jerk was not spicy at all, and the tziki like topping was a strange contrast to the robust cumin flavored medley of succotash. It was not noteworthy and not unpalatable. Perhaps I should have stuck to a meat the locals know well, but I so rarely see wild boar on any menu that I had to order it.
It was a memorable trip simply because it was my first trip in a private jet, but the beautiful dispositions of the people in Memphis reminded me that the most important part of any trip, no matter where you go or how you get there, is the company you keep.
There are very few places I will gladly frequent several times a week, but Sixth and Pine is one I would happily return to on consecutive days (and I have). Sixth and Pine is the new concept cafe inside the Westside Pavillon’s Nordstrom’s department store which features a more complete restaurant experience, including a hostess, wine list, tablecloths, and daily specials.
Every table receives an inventive crudite of pickled vegetables.
The chicken noodle soup includes not only a comfort factor, but a delightfully robust and complex flavor.
The chicken “pot pie” is basically a creamy chicken soup with a rosemary biscuit. I found this less appealing than the chicken soup, but once you broke up the biscuit in the soup and added some salt and pepper, it was a fair version.
The best wedge salad I’ve ever had was here! I’ve actually ordered this at least three times as of this writing and every time it has been spectacular. The quality of the blue cheese, the sweet crunch of the candied pecans, and the perfectly ripe roma tomato wedges, make this a stellar salad. You might want to order extra salad dressing on the side because the portion is so big, you will probably want more. The picture is a HALF order, which came as a “side” to our entree!
On the regular menu the roast chicken is the ultimate comfort dish. This version had tender moist meat and crispy skin, seasoned with only salt and pepper; simplicity at its best! The grilled vegetables were perfectly done, and the portion was so big my friend only ate half and took the rest to go.
One of the daily specials is the flank steak, served with fries, a cilantro chimichurri sauce and horseradish sauce. We ordered it rare, and it came that way (always a plus for a piece of meat this thin). The fries were perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Both sauces were complimentary to the meat and the meat was good enough to be eaten without any need for either sauce.
The fish and chips was less of a success, with a fairly thick batter and fish that smelled slightly “fishy”.
The braised short rib daily special was a good effort, with marvelous jus and perfectly fried onion rings, but the meat was not as tender as it could have been. The sauteed spinach side, mashed potatoes, and the roasted carrots were all decent, but nothing stood out as exceptional.
The chocolate chip cookie sundae was as good as it looks. The cookie was tender and freshly made, the ice cream was a quality brand, and the whipped cream was fresh.
Wines from France, Argentina, and CA are all offered ranging from $7-$14 per glass and all the entrees range from $10-$16, so this is truly a quality find for the price. Everyone on the staff is professional and has a great attitude.
What more could you wish for except perhaps a bigger stomach so you could fit in more menu choices
Like most people who live here in Los Angeles, I do not go to Universal Studios or Disneyland unless friends from out of town are visiting me. Even when people from out of town come to visit, I will often chauffeur them to the tourist sites, but leave them there to enjoy the attraction without joining them.
There are a few attractions which are favored by tourists and locals alike, and Lawry’s The Prime Rib is one of them. Even though it is a favorite of several of my friends, I have never been there with any of them until this week. One of my friends goes to Lawry’s so often that she is a VIP Rewards member, so when she invited me to try it, I knew that it was time for me to try this landmark restaurant.
Being a fan of very rare beef, I was always skeptical of anyplace which caters to “medium rare” tastes, but my eating partner knows my preferences and has enough sense to know where I will be happy with my food.
Dinners all come with a salad, but you may chose to add or delete as many items as you would like from the selection. I got the salad of spinach, romaine and iceberg lettuce with the works of beets, egg, and croutons. The salad is normally served with their signature house dressing, but I chose their blue cheese. I liked the salad so much I even ate some croutons (which I never eat). Their service is impeccable, with chilled salad forks presented with the salad, which is tossed over a bowl of ice! Old world service and presentation at its finest.
Of course the main reason everyone comes here is the beef, and you have choices on the cut and sides as well as how well done you would like your meat. We both wanted our beef as rare as possible, so our wonderful waitress Christine “shopped” the carts to see who had the rarest beef for us. Christine, like several of the staff, has been working here for over two decades, so professional service is a forte here. My friend wanted the mashed potatoes and creamed corn ($6).
I added the asparagus with hollandaise sauce for $8.
All the beef comes with mashed potatoes, grated and whipped horseradish, and yorkshire pudding. The beef was the best quality, with a nice salted crust and a wonderful au jus. Even though it was not “bleu”, it was so tender, succulent, and nicely roasted that I ate half of my “Lawry’s Cut” portion ($39). I must commend all the Rose Bowl players who manage to eat their entire double thick “Beef Bowl Cut” portions because I would have burst if I had finished my “regular” portioned cut (even without adding a small thin chocolate wafer).
My secret surprise dessert was a special treat from my dining partner who had remembered my fond memories of CC Brown’s Ice Cream Parlor (it was an institution on Hollywood Boulevard before it closed). Lawry’s is the only place where they not only serve, but sell the famous hot fudge sauce from CC Brown’s! This wonderful hot fudge sundae bowl (enough for two or three to share for $8) brought back memories that are priceless.
Some places are famous for celebrity sightings, others for fabulous food, and a few rare places combine the two and become landmarks; Lawry’s is a landmark.
My first visit to Swanya Thai turned out well, with lovely service, a clean open dining area, and food that was tasty and served generously. Since I had not brought my camera, I decided to go back and try them again, getting take out food so I could write a post about them with photos.
I was looking forward to a good meal, but I was hugely disappointed when I bit into an egg roll; they were undercooked to the point that the wrapper was elastic instead of crisp. The filling of carrots, celery and cabbage was crunchy and would have been good if it had not been over salted. For $5.50 this would have been a bargain, but it only if they had cooked and seasoned the rolls properly.
The most successful dish was the Pad Woon Sen for $7.95. You can order it with any protein you prefer, with prices adjusted accordingly. I chose tofu because I had ordered a beef dish and wanted this as my vegetable/starch dish. The flavors were good in this, but again the skill of the kitchen (or lack thereof) showed through with slices of celery stalk that were bigger than my fingers and clumps of egg (which you can see in the photo).
The dish I had the first time was the Crying Tiger Beef for $8.95. I was so impressed by the moist and succulent beef that I ordered the dish again to write about it. Sadly this tasted nothing like the beef I had tried the first time. The meat was so dry and tough that I ended up throwing it out (even if I had a dog, I’m not sure I would have subjected an animal to this dish). The spicy sauce was very good, but even using all of it to try to reconstitute the beef did not help this dish.
I am sad to have found my second foray to Swanya so disappointing, perhaps the regular chef was off that night or they changed chefs. I’m hoping it was just an off night, but when a restaurant’s food quality declines rather than improves on a subsequent visit, it does not bode well. I hope that they bring their food up to the level of their lovely service and decor; after all we go out to dinner for the food, not just the ambiance.
I’ve been trying to go to Fig & Olive for the last two weeks, but scheduling conflicts with my planned eating partner kept us from keeping any plans we made. As the adage says, “What does God do when you make plans?” The answer is “She laughs.” When the latest plans to lunch did not work out, I decided to go alone and take advantage of the Dine LA lunch menu for $28. Since the prix fixe menu was the same price as the bouillabaise alone, it made no sense to order a la carte.
The entrance is spacious and open with natural light streaming in from the skylights, making it feel as if you are in an enclosed outdoor patio. There are selections of olive oils from around the world and aged balsamic vinegar with different infusions available for sale at very reasonable prices. A bottle of 18 year old balsamic was $16 for 16.9 ounces, so at about a dollar an ounce, it’s a good deal. If you can’t come in for a meal, or simply want to make your own, you can order their products online.
The welcome basket of rosemary focaccia included olive oil selections from Australia, California, and Tunisia, and flavors ranging from fruity to herbaceous. My favorite was the Manzanillo (the one on the right), the light and fruity one from California.
For my appetizer, I ordered the beef carpaccio, made with filet mignon, 18 year old balsamic vinegar, baby arugula, tomato, parmesan, and truffle olive oil. It was a magnificent version of this classic dish. The aged balsamic and the truffle olive oil added depth and complexity to this simple dish; I could have easily eaten two or three of these as my main course.
For my main course, I chose the trio de la mer bouillabaisse, made with grilled scallop, lemon sole, striped bass, shaved fennel, garlic infused olive oil, and served with a saffron aioli and olive oil crackers. Having eaten this dish in the South of France, I was a bit skeptical of whether a restaurant in Los Angeles could accomplish a decent, much less great version. I applaud the chef for this dish, the soup was fragrant with flavors of the sea, garlic, and fennel. There was a slight kitchen misstep with the striped bass and scallop; both arrived sushi style (raw) and I had to have them cook both pieces again. The waitress and manager were both very apologetic and immediately fixed the problem, going so far as to bring out another serving of the soup in addition to my two undercooked pieces.
The saffron aioli was spectacular. A small bit of it went a long way to enhance the flavor of the soup. Spreading it on the olive oil cracker before dunking it in the bowl made it a mouth watering highlight. It was so addictive that I ended up dipping the foccacia into it also!
- For my dessert, I wanted to try the “crostini” made with Amarena cherries, marscarpone, and pistachios on shortbread served on a plate of micro basil. The tart candied cherries, creamy mascarpone, and crunchy pistachios worked well together. I could have eaten the shortbread on its own, but the topping made this a decadent dessert for a non dessert eater like me.
A fine meal at Fig & Olive, to be repeated as soon as I can coordinate my schedule with someone else!
It’s been 2 years since I’ve been to The Six and I’m happy to say things have improved with time. Their food creativity has evolved, and the result is a lively menu with food good enough to lure non drinkers to this gastropub.
I wasn’t very hungry, so I chose the Mesclun Greens with hazelnuts, pear and balsamic for $8
and was glad it was all I ordered since the plate was huge, about 11″ in diameter! The flavors were surprisingly good, from the tasted hazelnuts to the crisp pear, every component added a different layer which combined to make a refreshing plate of greens. The dressing was light enough to accent without overwhelming, and the greens were diverse enough to create different textures with each bite.
My friend ordered the Turkey Sloppy Joe Sliders with portobello, red bell pepper, and fried house-made pickle for $12. These were slightly sweet with spices that had a warmth reminiscent of a Moroccan style Ras El Hanout. This was an innovative rendition and a very generous serving for an appetizer. It was more than enough for a full meal if you are not splitting it with anyone else. The baby buns were as delightful to eat as they were to photograph.
The S’More dessert was a big version of the campfire classic. The first serving came out burnt (our waitress told us that they were still fine tuning the amount of heat to put on the topping), but the second one was good, with just enough crisp marshmallow for crunch over a sweet chocolate and graham cracker base. This dessert was a bit too sweet for my tooth, but my friend loved it.
We had a glass ($10) of the Graffigna Malbec and were glad to find a good glass of wine with innovative flavors in a pub. We will definitely be back for more, and perhaps another s’more.
It’s one of the most magical times of the year; yes, it’s Dine LA week again! I always try to go to at least one new restaurant and revisit one I have not been to in over a year during the special prix fixe menu promotion. This week the new restaurant of choice was Picca, a Peruvian place specializing in small plates that are meant to be sampled and shared.
Mika, my adventurous eating partner, was so stressed from her 1.25 hour drive she ordered one of the exotic cocktails made with avocado (yes, really, avocado). I can not tell you everything in the drink; she is not a drinker, so she sipped it throughout our meal and said it tasted neither of alcohol nor of avocado, but was slightly tart, smooth and sweet. I opted for a glass of Malbec.
Although we ordered the prix fixe, we were hungry, so we added an order of the eggplant with sweet miso for $8. It was a beautiful presentation with edible flowers, crunchy buttery croutons, and a sweet miso that made the eggplant taste similar to the miso glaze usually used on fish. This was a definitely a happy way start to any meal.
With the Dine LA menu of $34 for three courses, Mika chose the grilled anticucho beet salad with burrata and lemon balsamic dressing. She adores beets and loved this salad.
I always order Spanish Mackerel whenever I see it on a menu, so my choice was the ceviche style version appetizer, made with crunchy garlic chips. The ginger sauce was so delectable, I could have slurped it. My only complaint was that it was a tiny portion because I could have easily made a meal of this dish if the portion was about 4 times bigger.
Mika chose the slow roasted beef short ribs estofado with palares beans and a salsa criolla, as her main course. I tasted the tender beef with the creamy beans, and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a classic comfort dish.
I chose the pan fried Branzino filet served with parihuela sauce and the same pallares beans served with the short rib. The fish was perfectly cooked and the creamy bean accompaniment added a hearty component to this light dish.
Mika preferred her churros plain, even though they came with three dipping sauces, dark chocolate (my favorite), salted caramel, and passionfruit.
The perfect finish to a delightful introduction to Peruvian small plates was the vanilla bean flan, which was served with a salted caramel sauce and edible flowers. It was as smooth and rich as it was visually appealing.
We’ll definitely be back:)
Southern Californian weather is so enviable that people from all over the world come here to vacation, especially in the Winter, when 60-70 degrees Farenheit is considered “cold” by those of us who live here. After many years here, I’ve assimilated to being spoiled. I put on sweaters and scarves (I even wear gloves sometimes) anytime the thermometer dips below 65 degrees, and when I see people in tank tops I know instantly that they are tourists or new transplants from a region where Winter means snow.
One beautifully clear blue sky day, the beach called out for a visit, so two assimilated East Coast transplants opted to go to Gladstone’s for lunch. This place one of those tourist and local favorites that has become a bit of a landmark. After their remodel about 2 years ago, it got a much needed structural and menu facelift. The sawdust on the floor and the barrels of roasted peanuts are gone, but the casual atmosphere and the fresh seafood still draw crowds.
Their Bloody Mary for $14 (they use celery salt on the rim) is a perfect drink to go with seafood, but you can also opt for wine, margaritas, or mojitos. The Traditional Caesar for $12.95 with garlic croutons is a satisfying version with just enough garlic and parmesan to compensate for the light anchovy in the dressing. The salad is perfect for those who like the “middle of the road” between a classic table side dressing and a toned down salad bar version.
I ordered a dozen oysters from the Northwest. They were fresh, creamy, and perfect with a squeeze of lemon. I loved the caper berry accompaniment, and for those who like cocktail sauce, horseradish or mignonette sauce, all were offered on the platter.
My friend ordered a half a pound of slow poached and peeled shrimp cocktail for $19.95 and enjoyed all of them without any accompaniment from the platter.
Not on the main menu, but offered as a side were home made lightly salted potato chips. They were as addictive as they look and thankfully crisp (unlike the ones I ate at Freddy Smalls).
Our hostess knew my dining partner, so she offered us a complimentary hot fudge brownie Sundae (normally $7) with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, nuts, chocolate chips, whipped cream on a brownie. It was a huge dessert and decent enough to satisfy, but it did not wow me enough to take more than a few bites.
The view from our beachside table on the patio was the most spectacular part of our meal. I must admit that compared to this view, any meal would come in second, so the fact that we had a good meal at Gladstone’s with a wonderful server (Chrissa from Crete), made this a perfect Winter’s day at the beach.
