Eat & Drink Options Along 2019 Great LA Walk Route

Even though this year's Great LA Walk takes place much closer to where I live (the route runs from Arcadia to Downtown LA via Pasadena, Highland Park, Chinatown & adjacent neighborhoods), I'm semi-bummed that I'm out of town this weekend and will not be able to partake in this pre-Thanksgiving tradition.

That didn't stop me from making an eats & drinks map for this year's participants, my own form of tribute to the late Jonathan Gold (whose attempt to dine at every restaurant on Pico Blvd. served as the dining guide for the 2007 Walk).

The map, which includes some LA classics as well as my personal faves, is available here.

Whether you're looking for a tasty jolt of caffeine, a fast grab 'n go bite, a sitdown spot to rest your legs or even a mid-hike tipple, I hope this guide will help you stay nourished & hydrated on your 18-mile trek. Happy trails! 

(& much thanks to Mike Schneider of Franklin Avenue, the Walk's organizer, for reaching out to me to put this together - it's a joy to do every time & reminds me of all the great dining options available throughout LA)

Eating & Drinking Options Along the Great LA Walk

 

No ocean views at the end of this year's walk, but that's OK.

I can't believe it's time for the Great LA Walk again this Saturday, my favorite of the organized urbanhikes in the area. This time, walkers will be tackling "the Valley" with the fearless Franklin Avenue leading a 17+ mile hike down Ventura Blvd from Woodland Hills to Universal City, then an upward swing to NoHo via Lankershim Blvd.

Of course, equally exciting is the prospect of checking out some of the eats/drinks in the area, since I don't find myself in this area all that often...

...and this quickly turned into a behemoth list of a to-trys & to-revisits, so figured I might as well share this map with fellow Great LA Walkers too.
Hopefully, this will disprove any notion of the Valley being devoid of good food & drinks. Whether you want something casual but tasty (Mendocino Farms, BatterFish), more exotically ethnic eats (e.g. Apey Kade, DarbinZ), a refreshing glug of potent potables (Boneyard Bistro, Murph's, The Local Peasant) or a guilt-free, healthy bite (LYFE Kitchen, SunCafe), there's something on the map that should fit the bill. And failing all else, I also put in a few markets for stocking up on hiking provisions.

Now the hard part is figuring out where I will be stopping along the way... (asides from the official afterparty @ District Pub, obviously.)

Eat My Blog 5.0 Happening Today!

Today's the Eat My Blog bake sale (with proceeds benefiting the Philippine Red Cross for Typhoon Haiyan relief), so come on down to Coolhaus Pasadena from 10a to 1p today buy some delicious baked goods from bloggers & pros.

As for my contribution? Freshly baked chocoholic cookies (and I do mean fresh, they're being baked in batches right now!)

The recipe is available here (my only modification for the #EatMyBlog edition is I did 50/50 white chocolate & dark chocolate chips.)

Foodventuring Through Arts District & Little Tokyo

This past weekend, I was invited to check out the inaugural L.A. Sriracha Festival. But when I arrived at its start time of 3 p.m., I saw this right outside. . .

(and there's another line equally long wrapped around the corner!)

. . . so I decided to bolt & explore the area a little while before making a return.

About a block down from the festival's site at Lot 613, I came across Urban Radish -- a recently opened market that reminds me of a Surfas & Sprouts hybrid (with some gourmet boutique-y food items, along with fresh, seasonal produce, a sandwich bar and even cold-pressed juices.)

As it turned out, I have been on a hunt for onion jam (for those moments when I'm too lazy to fuss about with caramelizing my own onions) and found a nice one by The Jam Stand there, so I snapped that up and mozied onwards, while keeping this place on notice for future gourmet shopping occasions (for me, it's lot closer than either Surfas.)

My next stop was The Pour Haus, which I've always known as that wine bar next to Church & State. Since I wasn't in any mood to eat until I returned to Sriracha Fest, this seemed like the perfect place to mellow & linger while waiting for the admission lines to dwindle down. 

And sure enough, I had a lovely flight of three Southern Italian Reds here—my favorite being Cantine Colosi's 2011 Nero d'Avola, which was soft, juicy with ripe berry and plummy aromas—an easygoing red for a warm afternoon. The $9 pricetag for three generous pours isn't bad either.

After the flight (and a glass of happy hour Lambrusco), I made my way back to the Sriracha Festival around 4:30 p.m. (halfway into the event). The admission line was gone, but alas, so were many of the foods (and the few remaining stalls still serving foods had considerably long queues themselves.) But I did manage to sneak in some nibbles and sips, including a fairly fiery Sriracha leather from Pour Vous (which was apparently used on their pork sliders that ran out fast), Eagle Rock Brewery's Manifesto witbier and a Thai Tea soda from Los Angeles Ale Works.

Since I didn't get to eat much, I joined Caroline on Crack for an excursion to Little Bear, where we shared a plate of their heavenly crispy brussel sprouts and a refreshing glass of Firestone-Walker's Vessel 8 Saison, and hungrily eyed her tomato soup with grilled cheese dippers too.

After Caroline and I parted ways, I decided to head to Little Tokyo to see what food mood will strike. Ramen in Daikokuya? Udon at Marugame Monzo? Sushi at Sushi Gen or Toshi? Homestyle foods at Suehiro?

Alas, I settled upon Shabu Shabu House, since I haven't been in a while and since I'm solo, it's a prime opportunity for me to snag a seat quickly and bypass their infamously long waits. 

Indeed, I got seated within 20 minutes (even while couples were being told to expect an hour wait by the host.) And their beef shabu shabu was pretty solid: the meat was meltingly tender and nicely accented with the sesame & ponzu sauces, and the vegetables tasted fresh and clean. Definitely worth a re-visit if I'm solo-dining again, not so much with company though. 

Last but not least, a quick stop by The Pie Hole for some baked goods to go, a bacon & cheddar scone for the breakfast the next morning and a slice of their maple custard pie to satisfy my sweet tooth. Both were heavenly, and intriguing enough for me to want to attempt reverse-engineering at home (though I had already done a version of the cheese scone before.)

In any case, I'm delighted what started out as a single-event invite turned into a foodventurous afternoon and evening through the Eastern parts of downtown. And if Sriracha Festival returns next year, I'll be sure to make a note of getting my butt there extra early!

Disclosure: my admission to the Sriracha Festival was hosted.

L.A. Sriracha Festival @ Lot 613

613 Imperial Street 

Los Angeles, CA 90021

Urban Radish

661 Imperial St

 Los Angeles, CA 90021

(213) 892-1570

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Pour Haus

1820 Industrial St

Los Angeles, CA 90021

(213) 327-0304

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Little Bear

1855 Industrial St

Los Angeles, CA ‎90021

(213) 622-8100

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Shabu Shabu House (Yelp page)

127 Japanese Village Plaza Mall 

Los Angeles, CA ‎

(213) 680-3890

The Pie Hole

714 Traction Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 537-0115

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Ode to Tomatoes Day 1: Artisan, Paso Robles Wines & Apple Farm Inn Dinner

Paso Robles wines have piqued my curiosity for a long time but visiting the area itself has—until recently—eluded me, since I either didn't have enough time to make a side trip en route to Northern California, or I just get lazy and sooner make my vino-focused daytrip with Santa Barbara County wineries instead.

So, when the Boutique Hotel Collection had invited me for an "Ode to Tomatoes" weekend to check out what their resorts and restaurants have to offer, I decided to pad the already long weekend with a few extra excursions of my own.

And it was so worth it.

The three and a half hour drive up the 5 and then westward on the 46 was largely uneventful, but it was a great opportunity to polish off my podcast backlog (a mish mash of This American Life, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, Slate Gabfests, The Table Set, and Science Friday.)

Upon arriving in Paso Robles, I was ravenous - so I heeded the advice of a friend and went to Artisan, a casual-chic restaurant in downtown that does local-seasonal fare. 

And I'm so thankful for that rec, my lunch there was delectable: a luscious potato soup gratin made with pork stock and topped with gooey aged white cheddar and crispy lardons, followed by a meltingly tender lamb leg French dip with an almost gravy-like lamb neck jus; the latter was beautifully paired with Talley Vineyard's 2011 Estate Pinot Noir.

My only regret was not having a dining companion (or a few) so I can sample more of their dishes and drinks (many of which utilize locally made spirits.)

After lunch, I spent a few hours going through Paso Robles Wine Country, which was really mellow and laid-back (reminded of the back roads of Sonoma wineries, and in contrast to the touristy Napa.) Of the wineries I tasted, these three were my favorite stops:

• Tablas Creek - no stranger to the lovely wines they make, so I was thrilled to finally visit their winery. My only grievance, they had already sold out of their amazing Mouvedre-dominant dry rosé when I went. On the other hand, I did discover several new wines from their label that I loved, including the 2011 Esprit de Tablas red blend and the 2012 Vermentino.
• Villicana - my "hidden gem" find of the roadtrip, they had an amazing Roussanne—which I got a bottle of—and also distill their grape juices to make vodkas and gins under the Re:Find label, and having sampled them, I can vouch for the tastiness of their gin and cucumber-flavored vodka (and kicking myself for not getting a bottle of those too!)
• Daou - being one of the highest vineyards in the Paso Robles region, this place offered an amazing view of the whole area, and their gorgeous tasting room and patio makes it a perfect spot for lazying a day away with a picnic and a bottle of their wine (which, from my tastings, lean on the big, bold red side—not exactly my type considering the warm weather and that I was tasting them on their own, but I could see potential for chillier times and when paired with meaty dishes)

After my pleasant afternoon of wine tasting, I finally made my way back down to San Luis Obispo to Apple Farm Inn & Restaurant, the first official stop on the "Ode to Tomatoes" tour.

I had heard & read about Apple Farm Inn before, but was unprepared for delightful country decor of the property and warm hospitality of the staff. It was like getting the charms of a bed and breakfast with the amenities of a boutique hotel.

After checking in and freshening up, I went to the restaurant for their backyard winemaker dinner with Le Vigne winery. Of course, given the theme, every dish was infused with freshly harvested tomatoes -- which taste worlds beyond what one would find in a supermarket aisle. 

With tomatoes this vibrant-tasting, there is very little that needs to be done to them, so I am glad that every dish really highlights their fresh essences than muddle them up with other strong flavors. While the entire five-course meal was solid, I was particularly delighted by the bright heirloom tomato gazpacho with green zebra tomato sorbet; the oxtail ravioli with beefsteak tomato sauce, Thai basil and crispy shallots; and the caramel-poached green tomato goat cheesecake. The last of which I hope to reverse-engineer at home (unless Chef Smeets can bear to part of that recipe!)

Needless to say, I went to bed that night with my tastebuds thoroughly satisfied (though for good measure, Apple Farm did have two gigantic chocolate chip cookies on the nightstand and sparkling apple cider in the fridge waiting for me, in case I get any late night snack attacks.)

And this is the only the beginning of the epic 3-day journey, more to come in a future post...

Additional photos on Flickr set here

Artisan

843 12th St

Paso Robles, CA 93446

(805) 237-8084

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Tablas Creek Vineyards

9339 Adelaida Rd  

Paso Robles, CA 93446

(805) 237-1231

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Villicana Winery & Vineyards/Re:Find Distillery

2725 Adelaida Road

Paso Robles, CA 93446 

(805) 239-9456

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Daou Vineyards

2777 Hidden Mountain Road

Paso Robles, CA 93446

(805) 226-5460

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Apple Farm Inn & Restaurant

2015 Monterey St. 

San Luis Obispo, California 93401

(805) 544-2040

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Disclosure: My meal & accomodations at Apple Farm Inn & Restaurant were hosted. 

LQ Fooding @ Vertical Wine Bistro

I've known Laurent Quenioux and his eclectic fare since his Bistro K days in South Pasadena, so when I heard he's doing a few "foodings" (that's food+feelings, a concept that I'm familiar with but still don't fully grasp—and I'm not sure if anyone's meant to,) I made a reservation, snagged Conbon, grabbed a bottle of wine and up the stairs we went to Vertical Wine Bistro.

And just like he promised on his site, these foodings are unique, one-of-a-kind experiences, with a menu of dishes that sounds disparate but induces curiosity at the same time. Oysters with chicharrones & figs? Porridge with pomegranate & teriyaki chicken? Would that really work?

Had I known that Domaine LA was doing the wine pairing & selections for the LQ foodings, I would've readily gone with her picks. But since that wasn't disclosed on the LQ site (and I myself didn't know until shortly before the dinner over twitter,) I wound up bringing along a bottle of Zaca Mesa's 2009 Z Cuvee Rhone-style red blend. And it worked pretty well throughout the meal, with its mix of berry & spice notes, a medium body and soft tannins (which got mellower as the night went on.)

As for the dishes, they were all very playful indeed. With so many different components, no two forkful are ever the same, and wekept playing mix and match with each course. Of the six courses, my favorites were:

Rice & chestnut porridge with teriyaki pintade hen & pomegranate - a surprise to me since I generally prefer my porridges to be on the mellow side, but here it acted as a balance against the piquant pom arils and the luscious, richly flavorful chicken.

Wild Scottish hare pie with huckleberries, quince, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, brussel sprouts in XO sauce, sichuan peppercorns - Admittedly the pie on its own was a bit too salty but upon mixing it with the tart berries, sweet, fragrant quince and the savory sprouts, it was like technicolor of tastes compared to the black & white of a standard pot pie, with various flavors and textures mingling merrily on my tongue.

Lychee Cremeaux, passion fruit gelee, vanilla froyo, cherry granita, blood orange caramel, cookie crumble - like the hare pie, I loved the fiesta of flavor variations and combinations on this plate. I'm also thankful that this was a lighter dessert, considering the heftier courses we've had prior and because we also ordered...

...selections from LQ's cheese cart, which has a reputation of its own. With almost 40 kinds of French cheeses of every imaginable variety (aged vs. fresh, hard vs. soft, bleu vs... not), it's another experience that's near impossible to replicate (well, my not taking notes of what we actually might be a factor too.) But the seven we chose spanned all three milks, a range of textures, ages & rinds, and even a vein (to Conbon's hesistance, but even she found that one "not bad.")

The accompaniments are just as unique, with an array of fruit forward spreads, some hazelnuts and helping of truffle honey. The last one is worth the $3 extra splurge, since it goes well with every cheese we had that night.

My only real sadness is that this fooding will be LQ's last for 2013 (there are still some spaces available for this coming Sunday & Monday, check out the reservations page or his twitter feed.) But I do look forward to what inspirations he'll bring back in '14, after his debut in London.

More photos on my flickr set here.

LQ Fooding @ Vertical Wine Bistro
70 N Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103

Lexus Culinary Masters Dinner @ Animal

Until recently, upon hearing the words "automobile PR", my mind would instantly jump to test drives, car shows, and demo races with scandily-clad women waving checkerboard flags. Plus a good mix of testosterone-fueled grunting alongside a near-obsessive geekout over the vehicles' technical specs & features.

And that was a notion that was disproven when I was invited to their Culinary Masters Dinner last month at Animal, when its chefs & co-owners Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shook (who are also behind Son of a Gun & Trois Mec) are inducted as their latest culinary masters and will be doing food-related outreach on the brand's behalf alongside other masters including Daniel Boulud, Masumaru Morimoto and Michael Symon.

At this particular dinner, they partnered with Michelle Bernstein (from Michy's and Crumb on Parchment in Miami & also a recent Culinary Masters inductee) for an eight-course, wine-paired dinner benefiting Common Threads, a charity dedicated to educating kids & their families to cook wholesome, nutritious and delicious meals at home.

Since this was an event hosted by Lexus, there's bound to be some encounter with one of its vehicles. For me, that entailed being chauffeured from my home to Animal in its 2013 LS460.

I was very thankful that I didn't have to keep my eyes on the road for the 45 minutes trip there (and better yet, the tipsy trip back.) I am even more grateful that I wasn't assaulted with a bunch of car questions & sales pitch along the way. After a full day at work, I'd much rather rest my eyes & catch up on my e-mail backlog than go into depths about cabin space, fuel economy, horsepower and resale value. That being said, the ride was enjoyable and smooth throughout even in the throes of LA's stop-and-go rush hour, with comfortable seating (which has seat warmers AND coolers) and lots of room.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with passed hors d'oeuvres & glasses of bubbly and left to mix & mingle until Lexus' brand representative made his announcement of its newest culinary masters; we then took our seat and were treated to a delightful multi-course feast.

While I think all dishes were a delight and provocative in one way or another with combinations I would've never put together, there were definitely a few highlight dishes, including:

Yogurt with red beets, blackberries, hibiscus and shiso - this starter course tasted as vibrant as it looked, with the red beets' sugary sweetness balanced by the tang of the berries and hibiscus, the refreshing aroma of shiso & melded together by the creamy yogurt. It's like a fancy parfait!

Shrimp-stuffed squash blossom with cheese grits - fried squash blossom is always a delight, but I loved that instead of the usual cheese, this one was filled with shrimp - a playful take that reminded me of tempura with a blossomy shell. The cheese wasn't completely out of the picture tho, and was mixed into the grits here for a comforting accompaniment to the squash & shrimp.

Bouillon with egg, Italian sausage, fried broccoli and garlic bread - a delightful mingling of different flavors and textures; I loved how the rich sous-vide'd egg gives way to the light, luscious broth with hits of spice & "greeness" from the sausage and broccoli. And the toasts were great for eating alongside the soup or dunking in to mop up the last bits.

Dry aged beef, chanterelles, scallions, balsamic, creamed corn - artfully presented and a pleasure to eat, especially as I kept mixing and matching different components to see what combinations work (in short, they all do!) And it was beautifully paired with a 2010 Rhone that is smooth on the palate but robust enough to hold its own (and bring out) the bold flavors on the plate.

After this experience, if people asked for my opinions on Lexus, I'd say it was delicious. Sure, I'll probably get strange looks from 99 percent of the crowd, but I'll keep an eye out for that 1 percent who'll give me a nod and a wink because they too, have had encounters with their culinary events.

Other reports on this event:
Eating LA
e*starLA
(Beverly Hills Restaurant) Examiner
Gayot

Opening Night at The Taste 2013 @ Paramount Studios

On Labor Day weekend, I was invited to check out The Taste, LA Times' annual multi-day food & wine event taking place at Paramount Studios. I was only able to make it to its Opening Night event, but had a blast hanging out with friends, mingling with industry folks and - obviously - sampling various fare from some of L.A.'s finest restaurants.

While about signficantly pricier than the other Taste events, I would recommend Opening Night if you're not into waiting long lines (none of the queues that night took more than a few minutes) or if you want to chat up with head chefs (who had a night off and were free to roam, taste, chat and sign - though some couldn't resist getting behind their respective eateries' boothes to prep and serve up food from time to time.)

Also wonderful is that all five of The Taste hosts from the L.A. Times are present too to mix and mingle, so you can get some lowdown on hot nightlife spots from Jessica Gelt & Betty Hallock, cooking advice from Noelle Carter & Russ Parsons, and of course, to dine out tips from Jonathan Gold.

But the star of the show is definitely the food, and I sampled lots that night from hot & new restaurants around town, along with ever-popular "classics," here are some of my favorite bites of that evening:

• Mexicali's Ghost Pepper Rib Eye Taco - love the flash of spice the quickly gives to juicy beefiness.
• Drago Centro's Corn Agnolotti with Freshly Shaved Truffle - wonderfully aromatic with a luxurious creamy filling to boot.
• Osawa's Saga Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu - I know it's clichéd to say this, but it really does melt in your mouth, and nicely balanced by the slightly acidic ponzu-ish sauce.
• Coco Laurent's Shrimp with White Bean Puree - a fun, modern take on shrimp & grits
• Oliverio's Braised Short Rib with Gorgonzola Fondue - admittedly, this dish feels more appropriate for cold weather, but I love the robust, meaty comfort of tender short ribs against the creamy tang of the blue cheese sauce.
• Pizzeria Mozza's Mini Butterscotch Budino w Salted Caramel Sauce & Rosemary Cookies - I think this one is obvious...

The only bummer was the lack of craft beer representation this time around; all the beer offerings were by Stella Artois. While I don't mind Stella beers (and keeping the goblet after,) I did very much enjoy sampling local brews from last year's Taste from Ladyface, Monkish and The Bruery, just to name a few. Here's hoping they will make a comeback for next year...

Needless to say, I can't wait to check out some of these restaurants to try more from their menu (or revisit some of my longtime favorites.) And equally excited to see what next year's festival will bring.

More recaps for The Taste from:

• Darin Dines
• The LA Beat
• The Unemployed Eater
• Love Happy Hour
• Average Betty
• Hollywood Today

Lobsterfest-ing @ Quality Seafood

September may signify the end of summer, but for lobster-loving Angelenos, it's also the month of lobsterfests. With three successive festivals taking place on consecutive weekends in Long Beach, San Pedro and Redondo Beach, it can be hard to figure out which festival to go.

My personal choice this year, none of the above. Instead, my friend conbon and I took off to Redondo Beach's Quality Seafood, already well known for their live steamed crabs & other seafood fare, for their monthlong Lobsterfest special.

Instead of paying a $10-15 admission for the other three festivals, and then another $20 or so for the meal, our hearty lunch at Quality Seafood clocked in at a reasonable $18, and it included a 1.25 pound lobster (but it felt heavier than that), whole ear of corn, steamed potato and "butter" for dipping.

And the meal was great, the lobster meat was firm, succulent and faintly sweet, and the corn & potato were nicely cooked as well. They're fine with the butter, but I enjoyed them even more with the tomalley (five year old FDA warning be damned, especially since I only consume this once-twice a year.)

For $2 more, you can get a tall boy of PBR to wash it all down (though the wiser choice would be to hauling your thirst a few stalls down afterward and quench it with some craft brews at Naja's Place, which we did.)

I know, the other lobsterfests offer music, entertainment and rides too -- but if you're going purely for the food, you might as well save yourself some money (from the admission) time (from long lines) and scheduling hassles (from trying to figure which location which weekend) and go to Quality Seafood instead, any day through the 30th.

Quality Seafood
130 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 372-6408
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Tips for The Taste

Since the 2013 The Taste is coming up this weekend, I figured it's time to do a repost from my old blog, which has some observations & tips based on last year's series of events.  

Personally, I'll only be able to make it opening night this year, but the rest of the lineup sounds promising too. So snag a ticket while you can, there were some that sold out ahead of time last year -- to the disappointment of quite a few who expected to buy at the door. 

It's been three weeks out and I still can't get over the sheer gluttony & indulgence at The Taste LA, the three-day, five-event L.A.Times-organized extravaganza highlighting the amazing bites & sips this city has to offer.

Taking place over Labor Day weekend, The Taste was a series of events structured around different themes, from the family-friendly Labor Day Picnic on Monday to the more spirited Cocktail Confidential to profiling SoCal's signature eats with Flavors of L.A.

Overall, I had a fun time, from . . .

 

. . . tasting dishes from some of my favorites around town, from Huckleberry's baked goods to the mini lamb burgers at Haven Gastropub to the Autumn Maple beer from The Bruery.

 

. . . to trying new fare, like FigOly's crab-topped gazpacho, lobster rolls from the Terranea resort and beer cocktails made with Hangar 24's Orange Wheat by the Golden Gopher.

 

. . . to attending the demonstrations & presentations, such as this one on beer cocktails with LA Times' Betty Hallock and The Beer Chicks.

   

. . . to, of course, meeting the chefs, bartenders, proprietors and fellow bloggers & writers in-person and upfront (which, frankly, is too many to list unless I want to turn this blogpost into a NaNoWriMo production!)

 

That being said, like most other food events in town, there are always room for improvement--while The Taste was held on the lovely Paramount Studios set, it had a dearth of devices to deal with the crazy heatwave that weekend; fans, misters, or an A/Ced room would've been much appreciated. (I was, however, plenty thankful that Icelandic Glacial provided plenty of cold bottled water to the hot & parched masses.)

Then there are mishaps typical at most food fests, oppressively long lines at some stalls, vendors running out of foods/drinks way early into the event, not enough seating for demos/discussions and some tables turning into a precarious garbage Jenga (the trash cans aren't that far away, people!) 

And in anticipation of The Taste's comeback next year, here's some handy tips to keep in mind to maximize your fun at this event:

1. Buy tickets early. A no-brainer, but especially worth mentioning here - the price from it's initial pre-sale to day-of purchase went from $50 to $75 a person, a 50% hike! Also, Flavors of L.A. completely sold out ahead of time.

2. Strategize & prioritize. Study the map and note which restaurant/bar/vendor are must-trys and hit those up first to minimize the chance of them running out by the time you get there.

3. Buddy up. While one of you wait in that uber-popular (and ultra-long) line, the other(s) can go hit up the shorter lines in adjacent stalls, making that wait a lot less grueling (and a lot more tasty.) 

4. Share your plates (at least for the first run.) The small sampler portions are deceptive, but they add up and before you know it, you're beyond full and not even halfway through the venue. Divvy up that first plate with your line buddy, and if you really like it, go back for your own seconds. It also helps cut down on the food waste.

5. Swaps and subs are a no-no. Generally, what you see is what you get, so don't break the cadence of the production line (who are already swamped enough as is churning out hundreds, if not thousands, of dishes & drinks) with special requests.

6. Get to demos/discussions early. Like, by 10 to 15 minutes -- even if they are running behind schedule. Those seats fill up fast!

7. And, if they are not in a rush cranking out orders, chat up the vendors. These people are definitely passionate about the places they work or the products they represent, and you might even get the scoop on an insider tip and be the cool cat who knows about the off-menu dish or upcoming changes. Or even a gift card/coupon for a future visit.

 

Just a few things to keep in mind for next year's Taste, which I look forward to checking out again!

Disclaimer: My admission to the Taste events was hosted.

Additional photos on flickr set here

Water Tasting @ Ray's & Stark Bar

When I read Joel Stein's piece on water menus & water sommeliers several years ago, my first thought was "oh, how precious." Shortly followed by "this is definitely going to be an L.A. thing."

So when I was invited to taste the water menu at Ray's & Stark Bar with their general manager/water sommelier Martin Riese, my only initial surprise was "what took L.A. so long?!"

Also, a good amount of skepticism that these waters have a flavor profile.

Shockingly though, they actually do - and that's something I learned tasting all the different waters in together (and yes, Ray's will offer a water tasting flight for water-curious patrons too.) Some waters had a smooth body, others left lingering notes. Some were almost sweet while others had a distinct minerally savoriness. Most of this is attributable to where the water came from & how it is processed, which affects the dissolved minerals & gases that translates into effervescence & flavors.

Naturally, all these varying characteristics means they can pair with different dishes, an experience Martin highlighted with this snippet from Ratatouille.

However, my experience was more like this:

Thus, I'd still much sooner go for pairing with a more potent beverage. But it's nice to know that even for something so neutral as water, there are still tell-tale flavor differences, and in the future I'll try to refrain from being judgy when I overhear some patron inquire about some brand-specific water.  

And personally, I'm OK with my municipal tap, but I did make note that Vichy Catalan is my favorite of the tasted waters (it's also got the most dissolved minerals, so there is a definitely pop of flavor in there,) and I might even be inclined to order that one if I'm looking for a refreshing, fizzy sip -- even though I remain sketpical of their cholesterol-lowering claims.

Other thoughts around the Web on Ray's water menu:
Caroline on Crack
Gourmet Pigs
LA Times
Jezebel
LA Mag

Ray's & Stark Bar @ LACMA

5905 Wilshire Blvd, 

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 857-6180

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