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the pie hole

January 23, 2012 //
1

today is national pie day, and in honor of such an important holiday, i bring you a tempting look into my favorite little pie shop located in downtown los angeles: the pie hole.

as you may know by now, i have a love of pie that exceeds the average person, and i can be highly critical of such tasty delights, including my own. since opening only a few months ago, i have been to the pie hole several times, tried a range of their pies both savory and sweet, and other than them running out of pie (often before the closing time of 9p) it has yet to disappoint. on that note, it’s a good idea to call ahead, check their twitter feed, or facebook page before heading down in the early evening hours just to make sure they haven’t sold out. there are plans to expand the kitchen in order to accommodate a clearly successful pie-loving niche.

they rotate the pie selections seasonally. every 2-3 weeks new one’s are added to the menu to test out, others go away and/or come back, and depending on what ingredients are fresh, local, organic, and frankly…just plain quality, there is always something tantalizing to taste. other than your typical slice of pie, they also have pie bars, pot pies, whoopie pies, pocket pies and other play-on-pie creations.

any of these are paired very nicely with a top notch coffee with beans from groundwork, a selection of teas, other cold beverages like juices, and even mexican coke.

the decor is simple but inviting, and spacious for such a small place. most things wood, including the tables and counter, were made by matthew, one of the founders, and are complemented nicely by the metal chairs and stools. located across the street from wurstküche in the arts district, it seems to fit snuggly in this cool street art laden neighborhood just perfectly.

pie is definitely the new cupcake.

the pie hole • 714 traction avenue, los angeles, ca 90013 • 213-537-0115 • open tuesday-sunday 11a-9p or until sold out (closed monday)

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Categories pie, review

mf gourmet @ grand central market: eggs benedict + fresh bread

November 16, 2011 //
2

ever since working at al’s breakfast in dinkytown during my college and post-college years at the university of minnesota, i have been highly critical whenever ordering eggs benedict. don’t get me even started on the one at bottega louie which i sent back twice. nick’s cafe has a pretty good version, but i have yet to find one that equals the one at al’s, especially the hollandaise sauce. the one at mf gourmet in grand central market comes close. they make their’s with applewood smoked bacon (which i prefer to canadian style), kendor farms eggs, on top of fresh baked baguette. i was skeptical because the hollandaise looked a bit thin, but the flavor was all there, and even though it didn’t quite have the lemony taste of al’s, it was combined so well with the quality ingredients i didn’t even miss it.

grand central market is filled with meat and fish vendors, produce stands and restaurants, but mf gourmet is unique because their

“offerings are prepared from scratch, executed by skilled artisan craftsmen…[they are] committed to sustainability, through locally sourced ingredients when available…with health and nutrition always in mind.” (from their website)

they only have a small counter covered in brown craft paper with maybe 8 stools (reminiscent of al’s too), so i assume during busy lunches there could be a bit of a wait.

the menu is on a chalkboard, sugar comes in a lidless canning jar, s+p is in tiny metal cups, and tea is served in pretty floral cups on saucers. cute touches all around, not to mention, the coffee is good as well. also, in order to promote cake pops la, we were given complimentary desserts!

they only have two items for brunch right now: the eggs benny, and french toast with potatoes and bacon. they do have a more extensive lunch menu including a burger, fresh pasta, and a fish of the day.

besides being able to purchase a few basic items at the counter to take home, such as apples, select cheeses, potatoes and garlic, they also have several different fresh baked breads and pastries to choose from.

i chose sourdough. the loaf was so big i wondered if i would be able to eat it all. no problem…three days later it was gone!

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street art + making dreams come true at pizzanista!

November 4, 2011 //
1

a couple months ago while on a bike tour on my 5 year anniversary of living downtown, i was tooling around checking out places i hadn’t been before such as the bradbury building, angels flight, and the central library, but also taking in a lot of the street art that has become a prevalent movement here in los angeles. i stopped into angel city brewery for a beer and read an article in the downtown news about a new pizza place called pizzanista. since i was famished from biking around all day and it is located on the south end of the arts district near to where i was, i thought i’d check it out. on my short trip there, it took me past some of the most impressive murals i had seen yet, by the artist roa i recognized from the show ‘art in the streets’ that was just at the geffen contemporary at moca this past spring and summer.

also fitting is that the owner of pizzanista, salman agah, is an ex-pro skateboarder, which is often a scene linked to street art. the music playing is always a wide mix. the last time i was in it went from the yeah, yeah, yeahs ‘heads will roll’ to musical youth ‘pass the dutchie’ in one fell swoop. the interior is small, has only a few tables, and a handful of stools that you can belly up to at the front window. the menu is on a large chalkboard on a brick wall and the red padded chairs and the wood panelling reminds me of an old-timey pizza parlour.

i have been back a few times, and salman is always there. he’s always super friendly, saying hello like he remembers me, and even if he doesn’t, he genuinely makes me feel like he does. it’s my new favorite pizza place…hands down the best downtown, and dare i say in all of los angeles? there are a couple places that i like, such as two boots and damiano’s, that get that crispy yet chewy crust, but pizzanista takes it one step further and combines fresh (and as much as possible organic), delicious, and quality ingredients into some incredible tastes. for example, their latest special: pumpkin pizza with sage, shallots, ricotta and fresh arugula. i, for one, don’t think pizza is pizza unless it has two ingredients: cheese and tomatoes. i don’t get ‘white pizza’…never have, never will, so i was a bit hesitant to try the pumpkin pizza, but it sounded so wonderful i just had to.

the pumpkin sauce was a great substitute for tomato, and the rest of the flavors complimented everything so well, i forgot about the tomatoes…well almost.

this morning i was dreaming about ordering a pepperoni pizza from pizzanista just before i woke up. no lie. thankfully i slept in so it wasn’t too long before i could take off on my trusty steed and head over to my new local pizza joint for lunch, and make my dreams come true.

a slice of pepperoni and a slice of mushroom, onion and ground beef. oh and they have mexican coke!

pizzanista!  • 2019 e. 7th street  los angeles, ca  90021 • 213-627-1430 • closed mondays

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my very own regal beagle: the escondite

September 3, 2011 //
1

daisy, bo and luke duke had the boar’s nest. norm, cliff and fraiser had cheers. jack, janet and chrissy had the regal beagle…and now with the recent opening of the escondite, i too have a local.

the escondite

when i first moved downtown almost 5 years ago, i went to see the derby dolls when they were at 3rd and alameda, and on the way back my friends and i stopped into the 410 boyd for some food afterward. as i remember it, the food was pretty decent, but the lighting was fluorescent and horrible, and the art on the wall was god awful. i never went back. being that it was only a block away, i have always wanted it to become some place that i would like to hang out and have a drink, or get some late night food. i have been asked many times ‘is there some place nearby that we can just get a drink?’ and i think of the usuals: bar 107, mignon, pete’s cafe, wurstküche, and cole’s, but all of those are easily a 10 minute walk, and for non-new yorkers, you might as well ask them to run a marathon. 410 boyd never even crossed my mind.

a few weeks ago, while walking back from lunch with my friend shirley, i noticed the 410 boyd sign had changed. it was now planks of wood with an eye peering through them. intriguing…

we decided to stop and check things out. erin, one of the owners, was on the patio and asked if she could help us. she was as sweet as my sweet potato pecan pie, told us that they would be opening in a few weeks, and that we would be pleasantly surprised. my neighbor katherine had met brian, the other owner, while doing some guerrilla gardening in their parking lot, and he was nice enough to donate water to them. we decided we would go get a drink on opening night, and as it turned out quite a few other people in our building also wanted to see the new digs. there was easily a dozen of us there.

the escondite, or the hiding place, is dark enough to hide from anyone, but so much so, that i had a hard time even reading the menu that night. i was told that they would be adding candles to the bar area, and reprinting the menus with a darker font. i have been back a few times now, tasted the food, had a chance to chat with erin and brian some more, candles have appeared and fonts are darker.

the menu is pretty simple: mostly burgers, some sandwiches, a few salads and appetizers, and hand cut french fries.

chili cheese fries

cheese stix

most of the burgers have names right out of my generation: boss hogg, rip taylor, ricardo montalban, herve villachez[sic], capt kangaroo, don ho and my favorite gavin macleod.

boss hogg + gavin macleod

dr joyce brothers

they all have some not so usual ingredients on them including fritos, refried beans, pineapple, hashbrowns, mashed potatoes, and cream cheese. they are vegetarian friendly, and can all be made with a veggie burger, or if you prefer chicken breast, that’s an option too. their buffalo mushrooms have a really good kick, and one of the best sauces i have tasted, but it made me want them to be chicken wings.

buffalo mushrooms

brian wants to respect the vegetarians and wont use the deep fryers for both fries and wings, and until they can expand, mushrooms it is. the teriyaki steak tips were tangy and had some good heat and spice as well. i need to try out their sandwiches next, but since i am a bit of a sandwich snob, who knows that outcome? ultimately, the food is good, and for a neighborhood local i don’t need it to win any james beard awards. what i do need is that on a sunday night after a long day at work, without a meal break, to show up after 10pm and erin to happily say ‘we serve food til 1am every night.’ thank you sweet baby jesus! …and this was the view on the patio that night:

and as we left last night:

i have been in enough over the past couple of weeks to know that once the word gets out about this place, my local will soon be popular, but even brian implied he has no qualms about turning people away that don’t give him the vibe that he wants. he and erin set out to make it a neighborhood place, and i believe it.

brian is also an owner at bar 107, which on the weekends especially, can get crazy and over run with usc kids, and what i like to call ‘bridge and tunnel’ peeps. the feeling at the escondite is much mellower and matured. it’s a place where people of any age will want to hang out and have a drink and some food, but has character and isn’t stuffy.

the music has been fantastic. a great mix ranging from obscure 70’s one hit wonders to punk rock, with a little old school willie nelson, and a bit of early 90’s grunge rock thrown in. again, all up in my wheelhouse. although, i have seen both erin and brian on 2 separate occasions run and jump the bar when a certain enigma song came up in the rotation.

i asked brian, why not just take the song off the ipod? he said, ‘cuz it’s fun to run.’

i’m pretty sure chrissy, janet and jack would be jealous.

the escondite is at 410 boyd street, la, ca 90013 • skid row adjacent • parking is free after 6 + all day sunday • happy hour 5-8p m-f.

*a special thanks to shirley shivhon for providing some of her photos.

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Categories review

sushi @ r23

July 16, 2011 //
7

i am a snob about many things food related, but i put sushi at the top of that list. i could easily eat sushi for every meal (even breakfast), but i pass when it is offered at catering, or see it pre-packaged at grocery stores. the problem being is that i was introduced to really good sushi early on, and i can’t go back. i started eating sushi regularly when i moved to california. for the first few years i lived above a sushi place called shin. i was uber-broke, but my friend harve would treat me whenever he had the hankering. this is the first place i had uni, and fell in love with it. harve really influenced me to move beyond rolls so slathered in sauces that you couldn’t taste the fish. if the fish is good, you don’t need anything to make it taste delicious.

when i started working a lot and had money, i became addicted, and was going sometimes 2-3 times a week. this was around the time i met my friend mara, who lived near me and shared my love of sushi. we started going to tama in studio city weekly, if not more. we even became friends with our sushi chef kenji. there was a night that we got him so drunk off sake and asahi that his rainbow roll looked sad and pathetic. that is not to say he isn’t an amazing chef. some of my best meals have come from kenji. he once made a king crab roll with a grapefruit ponzu sauce that is on my ‘best dish ever’ list. sadly, kenji moved on to a place in encino and i moved downtown, so it’s not often i get to experience his talent.

thankfully, i live right next to little tokyo in downtown los angeles, so i am within blocks of some amazing sushi. r23 is my favorite.

unlike many good sushi restaurants, r23 has good art on their brick walls, chairs designed by frank gehry, and for some reason there is always a seat at the sushi bar. the first time i came to r23 was before i lived downtown. i was working around the corner, and i had given up on our caterer, so i ordered some take out. i was hooked. i often order yellowtail belly from a new place in order to judge whether or not they have good fish, and their’s was like butter.

tonight was no different. i was so excited to eat their yellowtail i forgot to take a picture before digging in, so that is why there is only one piece, and you can’t quite see it glisten, like butter does when it is warm.

yellowtail belly

albacore

anago

new zealand oysters

scallop

red snapper

red snapper

spanish mackerel

spanish mackerel

i always finish with uni, and ask them to put a little shiso leaf underneath. it’s my dessert.

uni

it was absolutely delicious. nutty and creamy with a touch of citrus. perfect.

my chef tonight was the very same when i came my first time years ago. he declined when i offered to buy him a beer, so i’m not sure we will be chums like kenji and i, but he does make beautiful works of art just the same.

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al’s breakfast: a review

June 2, 2011 //
2

it was the fall of 1989, i was a freshman at the university of minnesota, and i needed a part-time job. i had a couple friends who worked at a small diner near campus in dinkytown called al’s breakfast. little did i know how this place would help affect, influence, teach, and form me into who i am today. sometimes i think the experiences i had, knowledge i gained, and friendships i made at al’s taught me more than anything i learned in college, and not the least of which was how to cook.

i worked on and off there for the next 7 years. even when i moved away and came home for holiday visits, i would go in for breakfast and they would need someone to pick up a shift. i’d take it, not for the money, but just to be apart of the al’s experience again. needless to say, every trip i make back to minnesota, i make sure i get into al’s at least once. this past weekend was no different.

al’s has one long counter with 14 stools. that’s it.

customers queue up behind those sitting at the counter and wait until a place opens up, with the first person in line to be sat first. the exception being if a ‘single’ opens up and more seats aren’t opening up soon, you are allowed to sit prior to those in front of you, but always refer to the employees behind the counter for direction. they will have no qualms telling you how things work, especially if they haven’t had their coffee yet.

there is one grill in front, and one 4-burner stove in back, with a cook at each. there is one dishwasher, and depending on the day, one or two people working the counter. there is no oven, microwave, or freezer. to say this place is small is an understatement, and storage is non-existant, so food is prepped as it used. the vegetables are fresh, which means not only are your mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc cut up in small amounts to be stored and used as needed, it also means hash browns are made from boiling potatoes and hand grating them, and the corned beef hash is made from those very same potatoes. the menu has changed very little over the years (even the prices rarely go up), and consists of the usual eggs, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, bacon and sausage. there is toast, but no bagels, muffins, or other pastry items. they keep it to the basics and do it well.

i order my usual 1/2 bacon benny with a side of corned beef hash, and coffee.

to this day, i have not found anywhere that does hollandaise as good as it is done at al’s. they make it in such big batches, so scaling down the recipe would be difficult, but i did find a recipe from tyler florence on foodnetwork.com that comes close (minus the cayenne and add more lemon juice).

if i am not completely full, i will order a short short whole wheat wally blue, which in translation is one whole wheat pancake with walnuts and blueberries. your order is written on a small pad in front of you, in an al’s shorthand of sorts, and is yelled out to the front cook. the shorthand can vary from person to person, but if the cook needs a reminder of the order, they can just take a mere glance at the pad and know what they need to make.

in 2004, al’s was given a james beard award, and it hangs proudly behind the counter, to the left of the cash register, near the plastic dinosaurs, above the condiments, and among the many pictures, foreign currency, and knick knacks accumulated throughout the years.

a few years ago they were on an episode of diners, drive-ins and dives which will give you a better feel for what it’s like inside al’s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQR2FNc9P8I

when i went in this past weekend, i was happy to see my old boss, one of the owners, doug grina at the front grill.

he gave me a big, wet, sloppy, salty kiss over the counter and we caught up between him barking out orders to the back room and cooking hash browns, pancakes and of course my delicious 1/2 bacon benny, and side of cbh.

i often still recognize regulars. on this day it was the cranky guy who always ordered the 3 egg israeli, and john (an old friend of the owners) who comes in the back door, pours himself some coffee, chats with customers and employees, helps out a bit delivering plates, and most likely gets a free breakfast in exchange for a nice addition to the communal tip bowl.

doug and his business partner jim have been the owners since before i started working there, well over 20 years ago. both of their sons, who i remember as just wee lads and are young adults now, happened to be working there that day too. doug’s daughter has also done some time behind the counter. as i was just about to leave, doug’s wife susan, who also worked at al’s in the era that i did, showed up with a friend. i did a double take it had been so long, but it was so nice to see her. as my friend and i slipped out the front door, i can only hope they were able to take our seats, because i didn’t notice if there was anyone in line ahead of her, and relatives and friends don’t get special privileges. they would have to wait just like everyone else.

my visits to al’s will always remind me of the many memories and friends i have there, but that day it showed me that al’s not only runs in the family, it is family. a very big family.

EDIT: due to the covid19 virus, al’s has been struggling and trying to stay afloat, and if it isn’t apparent, this place means a lot to me, but also to a lot of other people, and it is a dinkytown and american institution. please donate to the gofundme page set up for them here: https://gf.me/u/ybbvfi

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cole’s vs. philippe’s: a french dip review

May 21, 2011 //
0

it has long been argued who is the originator of the french dip sandwich: cole’s pacific electric buffet or philippe the original? both were established in downtown los angeles in the year 1908, and both claim to be the original. philippe’s website claims it wasn’t invented until 1918 when,

while making a sandwich, Mathieu inadvertently dropped the sliced french roll into the roasting pan filled with juice still hot from the oven. The patron, a policeman, said he would take the sandwich anyway and returned the next day with some friends asking for more dipped sandwiches. And so was born the “French Dipped Sandwich,” so called either because of Mathieu’s French heritage, the French roll the sandwich is made on or because the officer’s name was French. The answer is lost to history.”

whereas cole’s website doesn’t tell a story, but still lays claim. regardless who invented it, i was curious as to who does it better?

i only live a few blocks from cole’s and have had their pastrami french dip a few times, but never the one from philippe’s. before going to moca’s art in the streets exhibit for my second time, a few of us met at philippe’s for a late lunch. i thought this will be the test. i had been once before in my early days of living in los angeles, way before living downtown, and definitely before i knew of the debate, but i seem to remember i just got a turkey sandwich.

you place your order from one of the ‘carvers’ at a counter (similar to katz’s in nyc, but less deli and more diner) and they make your sandwich right in front of you. there is sawdust on the floor, booths or short stools at communal tables to sit at, and often before a dodgers game you will see quite a few fans (including the opposing team) come in to get food.

as it turns out, they don’t have pastrami at philippe’s, so i ordered the beef, with a side of macaroni salad and a pickle.

it was probably twice the size of cole’s, and they pre-dip the roll in the jus, instead of putting it on the side. my first bite told me it was way too salty, and i didn’t like the pre-dipped aspect. frankly, it just makes the bread soggy. i liked the quality of the meat, but it was too thickly cut for my taste, and halfway through, i was wishing they offered half sandwiches, or at least the jus on the side so i could take the rest to go without it being a mushy mess later. the pickles were good, nothing spectacular, but the macaroni salad was delightful, reminding me of something my grandmother once made.

since they didn’t have pastrami at philippe’s, that meant i had to go back to cole’s and try their beef in order to do a direct comparison. so, the next day i got on my trusty steed and biked over for lunch. (side note: sit at the bar. it is the only place i have received decent service. the bartenders are really knowledgeable and very nice. the table servers are either really understaffed or just bad at their jobs.)

i ordered the original (beef) french dip, otherwise known as the little dipper, and a side of spicy garlic fries. one pickle wedge is complimentary, extras are $.91.

the only difference between the little dipper and the big dipper is the amount of meat they put on the bread. the loaf is the same size. they also have a skinny dip, which is half a dip with a side of fries. fyi, the fries come in a basket and are big enough to share. happy hour from 3-7p has the skinny dip for only $5, but i seem to remember the portion of fries is smaller and not in a separate basket.

i have to say even though cole’s beef was good quality and sliced thinner than philippe’s, it was a bit bland. perhaps it was just in contrast to how salty philippe’s was, or maybe that the pickles and fries at cole’s are extremely spicy in comparison, but i wont order it again. i prefer the pastrami, which has the right amount of flavor, thinly sliced meat, and jus on the side. although, i must say i enjoyed the macaroni salad at philippe’s as a side compared to the fries at cole’s.

philippe’s wins a price comparison hands down at $6 for the sandwich, $1.20 for a side of macaroni, and $1.10 for a whole pickle. cole’s little dipper is only $6.38, but in order to come close to how much meat is on philippe’s you’ll have to order the big dipper (and still doesn’t have as much meat as philippe’s) which is $9.11. a side of fries goes for $3.19. personally, a little dip or half a big dipper is enough for me especially with a side, but if quantity is important, you’ll have to pay for it.

so, as far as which beef french dip is better? philippe’s is too much meat, too salty, and soggy, whereas, cole’s is sparing on the meat and bland, but at least the jus is on the side, and i could always add salt. i guess i’d vote for cole’s, but i’ll stick to the pastrami, and swing by philippe’s for a side of macaroni salad.

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wurstküche: a review

May 13, 2011 //
5

after a small group of us went to see art in the streets at the geffen contemporary at moca today, we headed over to wurstküche for lunch. it was a short walk and good for a group. you order at a register, so there is no worry of splitting up the check, and there are huge communal tables with benches that can fit groups of almost any size. i was hoping since it was close to 2p on a friday afternoon that it wouldn’t be too crazy busy, and thankfully as we turned the corner the line had barely creeped out the door. believe me i have been there plenty of times to know if the line is down the street you can be waiting upwards of an hour or more depending how long it is.

the nice thing is that when you eventually get in the door there is usually some nice person to hand out menus and take drink orders, so you can enjoy a cold beverage while perusing the menu. it is fairly simple, basically sausages, belgian fries and beer, but there are many options from which to choose. they have over 20 sausages, 4 toppings, 10 dipping sauces (for the fries), and 40+ beers (mostly belgian and german). not to mention, a few wines and several non-alcoholic beverages as well. you will find it helps to know what you want before you reach the register. not only does it make the line move faster, but it seems to keep those behind you who are regulars from tapping their impatient foots, and huffing a bit. (i kid.)

i usually order the rattlesnake + rabbit with jalapeño, and sauerkraut as a topping, but for some reason i was thinking about changing it up a bit and trying something i hadn’t had in a while like the duck + bacon with jalapeño. well it must have gotten into my subconscious enough, because that is what arrived at the table. i don’t even remember ordering it, but i am so glad i did, because it was a reminder to try new things and not always go with the status quo.

i also ordered a small fries, called a klein, with the chipotle aioli and blue cheese walnut and bacon dipping sauces. one sauce comes with the klein, and 2 come with the groot (large), but i can never decide between them, so i order them both if i get the klein. they have 5 different kinds of mustard, as well as ketchup, at the tables. i prefer the whole grain, but now having tried the duck again, i would probably try a different topping like the onions and sweet peppers and go with the honey mustard. regardless, it was still juicy and delicious.

(as a side note: i have been here in the past and have gotten a sausage so well done that i had to send it back, and they did so happily. twice. not in their defense, because there is no way they should have sent a sausage out that well done, but it was an extremely busy night, and the staff has always been really friendly and accommodating. the owners often walk around, talk with the guests, and bus tables.)

for beer i decided on the blanche de bruxelles, a witbier, which normally pairs really nicely with the buttery mildness of the rabbit sausage that i usually get. although, the duck was pretty rich, so next time i order it i might go for something like a bitburger or spaten pilsner. the staff all seem very knowledgable and would most likely be able to tell you what beer might suit a certain sausage, and if they aren’t too busy (which is almost never), they have been known to give tastes of beer just to make sure it is what you want. this will happen more at the back bar than the front register, being that those pesky regulars are breathing down your back to hurry up and order. (another joke.)

be aware that this is a hip, happening, popular place, so the music can be a little on the loud side, and the line can be ridiculously long, but it rarely disappoints. it is a stylish but casual local neighborhood hang out that isn’t pretentious, but rather it feels very inclusive. i have seen all sorts and types there. perhaps it is the large open room, with warm wood tones, or the shared common tables, but the vibe is social and friendly to everyone. perhaps it is simple as what they have put on their FAQ page:

“Q: Are children and grandparents allowed?

A: Absolutely, the more diverse the crowd the better.”

as were were finishing up, at the next table a college aged kid wearing usc shorts was helping what seemed to be his 90+ year old (great?) grandmother maneuver into her bench cane in hand, and i thought it seems as though they mean it.

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lazy ox canteen burger: a review

May 12, 2011 //
0

the first time i went to the lazy ox canteen was before the los angeles times food critic s. irene virbila gave it a 3 star review well over a year ago. i was really impressed with everything, and have been meaning to go back ever since. it is only 2 blocks from my loft, and i go by it often, but it is almost always busy. today i happened upon it pre-lunch rush and i was craving a burger, so i bellied up to the bar, which i often do when eating alone, and ordered their 8 oz grass-fed beef burger medium.

it was topped with cantal cheese, butter lettuce, onion, pickles and mayo on a grilled poppy seed bun. it came with a side of thick(ish) cut fries, as well as, green peppercorn mustard and a dipping sauce that i couldn’t quite place the flavors, but i’m thinking it was a tomato red pepper aioli. the fries were ok, but i prefer mine with some crisp to them and a bit thinner.

my first bite into the burger indicated that it was too salty, and the cheese was quite strong, both of which i might have looked over, if this wasn’t how my burger looked like in the middle:

ok, that isn’t the best picture, but it was over done, and on the verge of being well done. as you can see, all the juices were on my plate. i wanted them in my burger.

i even showed the manager manny castillo what my ‘medium’ burger looked like, just to alert him that perhaps simply his grill/oven is too hot? i can’t imagine his chef doesn’t know what ‘medium’ should look like. it seemed as though he agreed, and was about to get me another, but i said that it was fine and that i would finish it. honestly i was so hungry i didn’t want to wait, but in the end i didn’t finish it, and regret not asking him to bring me another. live and learn.

this will not keep me from going back to the lazy ox, but it will probably keep me from ordering the burger again.


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the malibu inn: a (so-cal) review

May 11, 2011 //
6

after going to my first power yoga class in santa monica this morning, i walked outside to a beautiful day. it was barely 70° and the sun was shining bright. i got on the freeway heading home, and for some reason instead of continuing east i exited, and headed back west and up the pch. i was thinking that i rarely get to the westside and i love driving up the coast, plus i was also hungry and figured i would see something along the way that peaked my interest. i turned off at the malibu inn. i had read recently after an ownership change, and a bit of a shut down, that they had re-opened with top chef runner-up angelo sosa as a consulting chef. that was enough of an endorsement for me. i wasn’t a huge fan of mr. sosa on the show, but it was apparent that he had talent, and i was interested to see the menu.

if you are not aware, the malibu inn has a bit of a history in the music business, not the least of which was that neil young was part owner back in the day when it was called the crazy horse saloon. i remember being astonished about some of the groups that had played there over the years, including one of my favorites tom petty, as well as, kid rock, the plimsouls, and eric clapton. as the article in malibu patch states,

“think of ‘miserlou’ the greek folk song rocked up into a surf music classic by dick dale. now imagine a malibu super group playing ‘miserlou’ at the newly renovated malibu inn: eddie van halen on guitar, mike d and/or tommy lee on drums, bob dylan on rhythm guitar and sting on bass—or maybe flea, but he puts the bass down and picks up a trumpet to blow that ripping little horn solo.”

perhaps it is not exactly what i think they are going for, but i believe this is what the new vamped malibu inn wants to be and absolutely should be. below the malibu inn sign it simply states: vintage mood. epic food. i truly hope that is where it is going, because in this day and age it is rare for us 30-40+ year old music and food loving people to find somewhere with both of our tastes in one. don’t get me wrong, i love a lot of music coming out these days, and would really dig hearing the black keys play the malibu inn, but many of us really just want to hear a good bar band, that plays good music and have some good food on a weekend night, or any night for that matter.

today i came in for lunch and sat out at the outdoor bar. i ordered the fish tacos.

the fish was way too salty. the flavor and spice beyond that was good, but i probably wouldn’t order this again unless i were to tell them ‘no salt’. also, i would have liked more citrus, like a squeeze of lime, especially with the fish being grilled. if it were breaded, the creamy and spicy guacamole would have been sufficient. it was served with thick potato chips that were also laced in salt. perhaps a nice light salad of greens or simple slaw?

as an after thought, i ordered their buffalo wings (crispy), because i have a penchant for wings, but i wasn’t impressed. they were not warm (temperature), though they did have good heat (as in spice), ultimately i specifically asked for them crispy and the skin and outer layer were soft. both of the buffalo and the roquefort dipping sauces were delicious and very flavorful, but i personally didn’t like the execution.

having worked in the restaurant industry for many years i understand getting off on the wrong foot. also, my bartender albert, who was awesome and attentive, informed me that they had recently let the executive chef go and this new one was just getting up to speed. i will give them a second chance, for no other reason than to try other things on the menu that sounded interesting like the pulled pork sandwich and smack n cheese. oh, and they have tater tots!

on my way out, i used the restroom which had the most awesome wallpaper:

i stuck my head into the men’s room to see if they had pin-ups as well, but was surprised to see:

a very tasteful use of women made out of flowers (if you look closer).

i don’t remember the interior much from the many years back that i had come into the establishment, but there were definite improvements:

the best thing was that just outside the ladies room, there was a picture of maxwell caufield, the star of grease 2.


by the by, i will be seeing the screening of grease 2 thanks to devil’s night drive-in this saturday night and packing a picnic dinner. (post to follow)

what an awesome (so-cal) day!

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