Republique: Power to the (Food Loving) People

With the pedigree that comes from working in the kitchens of some of the world's greatest chefs, from Alain Ducasse to Ferran Adria, and rising to fame locally with Patina, Bastide, and Church & State, AND the longstanding community connection that comes with one of the most beloved, beautiful and historic venues in LA, Walter Manzke had the burden of great expectations riding on his shoulders in opening République.

The bistro with a focus on 'casual elegance', highlighting local ingredients elevated with a global approach, took over the space that once housed Charlie Chaplin's office, then the original La Brea Bakery, and Campanile: and we were glad to see that the breath-taking rustic grandeur of the space is preserved, with just the right amount of personal touches by the Manzke husband and wife team to make it their own (black and white floor tiles, furniture built by chef Manzke's father...).  They even kept the lovely fountain from the La Brea Bakery/Campanile era, but moved it appropriately outdoors.  A night out at Republique still feels like an intimate event, in some neighborhood gem of a restaurant in some off-the-beaten-path, yet ever so familiar venue that could just as well be in Italy/Spain/France.

Mims, not usually a fan of sea urchin, was so enthralled by the place that she agreed to check out the Eggs on Toast ($16) Santa Barbara uni, soft-scrambled eggs, with me.  Perfect tongues of fresh Santa Barbara sea urchin laid gently over fluffy chicken eggs scrambled with chives, which in turn sat atop crisp, freshly baked slices of baguette*.  The concept of egg on egg is not groundbreaking, but it's an absolute stroke of genius to pair uni (sea urchin gonads) with scrambled eggs - why didn't everyone do this?! Simple, yet brilliant. The dish also definitely turned Mims into a believer in one bite.

*Oh, don't miss out on Margarita Manzke's awesome bread - to avoid food waste Republique has a policy to only bring the complimentary bread to your table on request.  Whatever you do, if you're a lover of a good pre-dinner carb-loading - make sure you request this!

We can never resist a good beef tartare, and jumped when we saw one on the menu: Grass-Fed Beef Tartare ($18) tarragon aioli, pickled red onion, potato chips.  While this isn't the only place in LA to serve beef tartare with potato chips (Flores does it too), it's pretty much the best iteration we've tasted, with the crispy, fresh fried chips the perfect foil for the tender, velvety bites of beef - barely dressed to let the lovely natural flavors shine.  Also loved the plating: the way they stood the potato chips up made them look like some fantastical underwater forest.

Every dish so far had gotten our vote for some of the best things we've ever tasted...and then came the Charcuterie Board ($24) - which simply says "serves one to four" but with the generous portion sizes, we were convinced would actually feed 6 average sized adults.

We got pretty 'food-drunk' on the delirium-inducing deliciousness of every single element on this board - all house made - so much so that we couldn't even remember what the server said each item was - I only vaguely recall venison and liver somewhere in the charcuterie.  Trust me though, every single bite on this board was amazing.

If I had to choose a best of meal, however, my pick would be hands down the Duck Liver Mousse with pickled asian pear.  I don't think I've ever encountered this pairing - and it's absolute genius. This may be as close to the richness of foie that we can get in the city after the ban.  And loved how the soft juicy crunch of the asian pear balanced perfectly with the earthiness of the mousse - and how that ever so slight element of acidity helped to cut through it all without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the pear and duck liver.
 

We didn't want the charcuterie board to end, and seriously stuffed ourselves to the outer limits of human stomach capacity.

Yet we still had coming up: Risotto Nero ($19) with aquerello carnaroli, mediterrenean octopus, manila and razor clam.  This was a gorgeous presentation of vibrant pops of seafood against a stark backdrop of black rice.  The octopus, clams all tasted as if they were just recently plucked from the ocean.  Our only reservation about this one, was that it wasn't as full of flavor as we had expected - though it may have something to do with this being overshadowed by the flavors of the incredible charcuterie.  If we had had the risotto first it might have been possible that this would have also made our list of favorites.

All in all, République lived up to the hype for us: they have our vote as a great new place for 'special occasion dining' without the stuffiness. 

I also loved the bakery counter, where you can just get some of Margarita Manzke's pastries or delicious desserts (the ones that don't come with ice cream anyway) to go.  That's what I opted for one night when it became apparent that there wouldn't even be room for a single diner to slide up to the bar (but GM Christian was incredibly nice and apologetic about it, a rarity for a LA 'hotspot' - a manager who actually cares about every customer! After hearing that I'd driven from West LA in the rain, he did his best to accommodate, personally packing my dessert to go, and even throwing in a free baguette - and no, I absolutely never once mentioned the blog and never asked for anything extra.  This level of care made me even a bigger fan of Republique than I was after the first visit!).

***Much has been made about the 3% "Healthy LA" surcharge tagged onto every bill - which will go towards health care coverage for restaurant staff.  Whether it would have been more customer friendly to work that into food prices, versus bringing something that's usually 'behind the scenes' into front of house, will likely continue to be a topic for debate - but suffice to say here that you can, if you feel strongly about it, as stated by the restaurant take the 3% into account when calculating your tip (taking it out of your total tip).

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 6 bites  
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience -  6.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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République

624 S La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

Ph:  323.938.1447

Website: republiquela.com

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Sycamore Kitchen: Hatfield Pastries Half Price Starting 4:30pm Daily!

Hatfield's, the restaurant, has been on my To Do list for forever, yet somehow I still haven't made it there.

But just down the street, in a far more casual, laid back "urban bakery-eatery" by the same power-couple-chefs Quinn and Karen Hatfield, I could pop in for a quick, affordable bite.

The space is industrial-rustic, which does give it a 'colder' vibe even in the perpetual SoCal sun on the patio - not a soothing place to linger for hours chatting with friends or people watching, but a comfortable enough spot to grab quick pastries and coffee.

Last week, on a Saturday afternoon, I stopped by close to closing due to sheer laziness - which will no doubt be repeated many times in future since it was rewarded by a fantastic deal!  Apparently, starting at 4:30pm every day that Sycamore Kitchen is open, all their pastries are 50% off til closing (5pm).  Makes sense as a quality control measure, as the pastries won't keep til the next day anyway.

So, I kicked off with a Oatmeal Brown Butter Scone ($3 regularly) , and an Apple Galette washed down with a glass of  Vanilla Cafecito ($3.75).

I had actually been looking forward to trying the sour cherry buttermilk scone, and settled for the oatmeal brown butter only because they were out of the sour cherry one - I should know by now not to settle for substitutes, but the oatmeal scone was too grainy in texture for me.  The apple galette was tasty, but not as buttery and flaky as the foodgasm-inducing ones at Chaumont.

As I was headed to San Antonio the next day for work, and foresaw lots of heavy Tex Mex in my future, I decided to temper all the carbs with a pay-it-forward detox Market Salad ($13). 

Sycamore Kitchen is known for their pastries, but since I only had a day in LA between two almost back to back business trips, I decided to give the salad a try.  It came in a giant bowl with pears, apples, golden beets, mix of leafs - I loved the taste of every element, which were farmers market fresh - except for the parsley which added a slightly overly pungent herby flavor.

But because I couldn't pass up the 50% off deal, and knowing it would be slim pickings the next day at LAX for gourmet pastries - I stocked up on the signature Salted Caramel Pecan Babka Roll ($3.50), and two mini Brown Butter Date Mini-Bundt Cakes ($2.75 regularly)

The babka is much lauded across the board by critics and blogs as far as I'm aware, but it was much too heavy of a sugar bomb for me - I am a much bigger fan of the lighter, more subtly sweet mini-bundts. 

All in all, the pastries were not mind-blowing, but very good for the price (and especially after 4:30!) and I will be back to try other things from the extensive pastry case next time I'm in the neighborhood!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5 bites  
Presentation - 5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience -  4 stars
Service - 5 stars
Overall experience - 5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 90% 

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Sycamore Kitchen
143 S La Brea Ave  Los Angeles, CA 90036
Ph: 323.939.0151
Website: thesycamorekitchen.com

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Neveux Artisan Creamery & Espresso Bar: Where You Need to Go for Great Ice Cream Mid-City

I haven't really shopped on this stretch of Melrose since college. Nowadays, though the budget hasn't much improved since then - I'm more likely to be closer to the less...edgy...side, not at all shopping for designer-wear - but for farm fresh eats or amazing food by artisanal producers like bacon bread pudding by Creme Caramel LA at the Melrose Farmers Market. 

But there is a hidden gem for foodies here on the 'grittier' side of Melrose: Neveux Creamery serves up some fantastic ice cream in unusual flavors like Cinnamon Date Tahini, Rosemary Butterscotch, Blueberry Chevre, Honey Lavendar, Strawberry Balsamic, etc. 

Made from Straus Creamery ice cream base, but baffling-ly not a fact that's promoted anywhere on their site or in their PR efforts back in 2011 when the store opened (the only vague reference is to owner Leo Neveux being inspired by popular artisanal ice cream shops Bi-Rite and Humphrey Slocombe in San Francisco, which also use the Straus Creamery base).  

Given the high quality, artisanal production and fresh flavors - I actually think Neveux would have been more at home on the stretch of Melrose that's closer to Sweet Lady Jane, ink. and ink.sack.  It would fit right in if they had ever wanted to host a stall at Melrose Farmers Market.  But possibly because it's in a more...grungy...part of the neighborhood, I feel like unfortunately it gets a little lost with its immediate audience. 

I don't really know much about the science or technique behind good ice cream - but what I do know is that Neveux ice creams taste to me smoother and creamier than most in the city. I'm still partial to gelato and addicted to Gelato Bar & Espresso Cafe in my own neighborhood, but when it comes to ice cream Neveux is a new go to for me.


On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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Neveux Artisan Creamery & Espresso Bar
7407 1/2 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Ph: 323.951.1002

Parking: meters on Vista St.

Website: neveuxartisancreamery.com
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The Hart and the Hunter: Bountiful Brunch at the Palihotel

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing was the name of the pop-up in Venice, now closed (not to be confused with the recently opened permanent restaurant of the same name), whose chefs birthed The Hart and the Hunter.

Both restaurants' names seem to have their origin in Aesop's fables. I have not had the opportunity to get the scoop from chefs Kris Tominaga and Brian Dunsmoor on how these intriguing fables apply to the culinary realm  - so I may be completely over-reaching here.  But the fable of The Hart and the Hunter is about a deer who was admiring his own reflection: in particular, his 'noble' antlers, and despising his unsightly legs, when a Hunter approached and shot an arrow his way. While the Hart's legs nimbly carried him nearly out of line of fire, his antlers got caught in some low hanging branches, which allowed the Hunter to catch up with him. The moral of the story? We often despise that which is most useful to us.

My guess as it applies to food: in an uber-image-conscious town, where often (for non-foodies anyway) it's more about what NOT to eat, could the guys mean that we often despise ingredients (like animals with fat, butter, etc.) that make food not just something you consume to be alive, but a reason to stay alive, and to enjoy it?  And that basically, we should be celebrating, not despising because it is what fuels our lives (and souls)?

On a sunlit Sunday before the holidays, dorkyfoodie and I decided to go check out The Hart and the Hunter for brunch, which they had just started serving that weekend.

Nestled inside the chic-lodge-style Palihotel on Melrose, The H&H is a tiny nook of a space whose layout is more laid back cafe than buzzing hotspot of a restaurant that it is. There is the counter in the very back where you place your order, then go to seat yourself in the front dining room,

whose walls are covered in pale blue tiles, in a yet airy space awash in sunlight, with a few carefully decorative items to evoke the hunting theme - like the bronze deer centerpiece at the communal table, and the 'gold' rabbit statues at each of the 'booth' tables.  

I rarely drink coffee (love the smell and taste, but unfortunately prone to caffeine headaches) but couldn't resist when I saw Handsome Coffee Roasters beverages being served...by the barista from Handsome Coffee Roasters.  Dorkyfoodie got a mocha, and I got the Eggnog Latte - both delicious, and served in massive bowl-like mugs. 

The food here has been described as Californian meets modern Southern fare.  At brunch you can order from either the Breakfast or Brunch menus: both feature a few fan favorites from dinner, so if you're not one for crowds or long waits, brunch may be the way to get your fix of select signature items.

We started with the Smoked Trout ($5) a perfect example of how the dish titles here may be deceptively simple - while the food is anything but. Incredibly fresh, tender smoked fish is layered with fresh avocado, capers, herbs and pops of pink pickled onion for a complex yet unfussy interplay of smokey, salty, sweet, sour, juicy, crunchy deliciousness - on hefty pieces of bread.
This dish is held up as a crowd favorite, and justifiably so - it's also a great portion size for $5.

Next up was something from a category I normally despise: salads, but ended up like The Hart, learning otherwise. Thankful dorkyfoodie was there to school me. Roasted Cauliflower & Brussel Sprouts, Arugula, Golden Raisins, Turmeric Vin ($8) - which was supposed to be served with almonds, but the chef wasn't happy with the almonds they had that day, so they asked if they could substitute hazelnuts instead, which worked perfectly. There was slices of radish in there too for a different type of crunch.  I was so in love with this dish I couldn't believe there was no seafood or meat in there. It really just tasted like The Best of Mother Nature - every element tasted like it was just plucked from the ground moments before it ended up on your plate - elevated with skillful hands, playing with textures and flavors until the perfect balance was achieved.

Then another crowd favorite and The Dish that You Cannot Leave H&H Without Trying: the again simply named: Biscuits and Condiments ($6).  These might be the best (buttery-est, golden-brownest, flakiest, lightest yet most substantial, most flavorful) biscuits I've ever had.  And the accoutrements that come on the plank with them are also fantastic - pimento cheese, persimmon preserves and honey/maple butter.  Of the three, my favorites were the honey/maple butter and persimmon preserves. Everything though again tasted farm fresh.

With the score at 3 for 3 'on target' thus far, we couldn't wait to try the Grilled Steak Bowl, Roasted Vegetables, Arugula, Salsa Verde ($12) - which closed out the meal in top form.  It was a celebration of nature's bounty, in a beautiful real china bowl (have I mentioned how much I loved the very southern formal diningware?).  The steak was perfectly cooked (medium/medium rare), super flavorful, and in perfect proportion to the amount of roasted veggies. Underneath them was a bed of farro and super juicy mushrooms : grains to catch the rich juices from the steak and veggies, and mushrooms to add element of earthiness and sweetness. We almost wanted to lick the bowl clean.

Unfortunately we loved the main meal so much we didn't leave enough room for dessert, but H&H does have a nice selection of pastries which I would love to try when I go back - from apple dumplings (with option to go East Coast style with cheddar!), lemon bars and more.

We walked off our meal - no, not in the nearest forest, but the jungles of Melrose vintage boutiques and wildly festive Christmas sweaters -then swung back to hang out and chat on the narrow but relaxing open patio outside H&H for a while, glutted and self-satisfied that we (at least for the time being) can keep ourselves from bemoaning what's perceived as lacking, but revel in all that we have, and are.  Awesome time and I hope to be back again very soon!!!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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The Hart and The Hunter
Palihotel 7950 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles,CA 90046
Ph: 323.424.3055

Parking: Street meters

Website: thehartandthehunter.com
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Eggslut LA: ACME Foodporn

When I first heard about Eggslut truck, I was a bit turned off by its name. Such a gratuitous marketing gimmick, I thought.

But the truck was co-founded by Chef Alvin Cailan, who had worked in the kitchen of critically acclaimed MB Post with Michelin-starred chef David Lefevre (previously of Water Grill), and sounded like one of those passion projects that is only temporarily on wheels - until the idea incubates, heats up and hatches a brick and mortar down the line.  After reading that even Ruth Reichl stopped by while in LA and raved about it, I decided it was time to give it a try. Even if it meant waking up at the crack of dawn to hit up the truck, parked pretty much every Monday to Friday 7-11:30am in front of Coffee Commissary on Fairfax, on my way to work if I take the longer route.

Once I had a taste last week, I realized the appropriateness of the name. It's eggs, 'done every which way' (their quote is "wet, hard, and on top of everything"), indiscriminately offering all who desire it, indescribeable pleasures that you'll want to experience again and again. (Ok somebody please stop me, now.)

The most unique, and pretty much its signature dish, is: Thee Slut ($8) a soft-boiled, coddled egg atop potato puree topped by grey salt and chives - served up in a glass jar.  Eggs and potato have gone together - forever - but the two breakfast staples I have never seen served up like this, and never at this unexpectedly high quality from a truck.  The egg was literally perfectly cooked (how can they achieve the precision needed in what tastes like a 63 degree egg on a truck?!!!) and absolutely transcendent, when the liquid gold yolk runneth over into the buttery potato puree below, with the chives and grey salt softly punctuating the lot with extra kicks of flavor and crunch. 

The beast with two backs indeed.  Lots of fellow foodies have reported the correct way to savor this proof-of-a-higher-being, is to break the yolk, then plunge the accompanying toasts down through it to the potato below, to end up with a bit of everything on the toast.  I had been so distracted by the flavors and textures of what was in the jar, that I completely forgot about the toasts - so will have to try the 'proper' way on my next visit (and there will be many - I've never been a morning person, but Eggslut may just change my life...ok maybe not.  But it will be commute-route-altering...)

Aside from Thee Slut, eggs are also served in various breakfast sandwich-burgers, creative egg-centric takes on familiar dishes like "Notcho Slut" (gourmet nachos with eggs) and in daily specials.  The day I went, one of the specials was Mushroom Tartine ($8) soft-scrambled eggs served open faced on French loaf with diced cremini mushrooms, roasted grape tomatoes, parmesan & chives.  It was over for me the minute I read that on the menu board: I had to get it (lust: check. pre-meditated gluttony: check).

The presentation was beautiful, and again, the quality of every element was shockingly high caliber for a food truck.  If you put this on an unmarked plate and brought it to me next to another unmarked plate of eggs from Farmshop - I would venture to say that I really don't know if I would be able to tell the difference based on quality.

The cool thing about Eggslut's 'regular' location that I want to note, is that it's right in front of Coffee Commissary: it's a perfect pairing not only in terms of each providing breakfast staples that the other lacks - but also that Coffee Commissary has some nice seating both inside the cafe and outside on the patio - which Eggslut clients...I mean customers...can also use. 

So unlike other food trucks where you have to eat standing up on the sidewalk, perch at makeshift bar height tables, or go ghetto fabulous with seats made of overturned buckets -  you can actually enjoy a leisurely breakfast in a nice setting with real tables and chairs.  IF you don't have to rush off to work, that is.  I didn't wake up early enough that morning, and had to run back to the office, so I took my food to go.  But not before picking up a coffee from Coffee Commissary.  Again, I am not at all a coffee connoiseur, so no idea how good this coffee ranks among others in the city, but to me The Cuban ($4) was super fragrant, smooth, with subtle spices that went really well with the luscious egg dishes.

The other thing I should mention is, if like me you want to just 'swing by' and pick up breakfast from Eggslut - note that they make every item to order (hence the insanely delicious bites), so don't expect to be able to complete anything at the speed of a drive by.  It took about 10 minutes for a 2-dish order.  SO worth the wait, and with Coffee Commissary right there you can just use that time to get your drink order in - but just something to plan for, if you've got places to go and appointments to keep.

All I know is - I'm hooked, and can't wait to make my way back to Eggslut for more. Don't let the name throw you off - the food is absolutely legit.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 5.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 100%
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Eggslut LA
In front of Coffee Commissary Mondays to Fridays 7-11:30am
Location varies on Saturdays - see Twitter for updates
Twitter: @eggslutla
Website: eggslut.com

Coffee Commissary
801 N. Fairfax Ave., #106, Los Angeles, 90046
Website: http://coffeecommissary.com/
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Susan Feniger's STREET: Kaya Toast and Bottomless Bubbly

Seems like I've had street food on my mind a lot this past month.  And while Susan Feniger's STREET isn't the first place I would actually think of (as I grew up in HK and love authentic street foods - one would expect at STREET, foods adjusted for the American palate) - over the years the majority opinion with fellow foodies seems to have been that food is overpriced and underdelivers on taste.  With the exception of Kaya Toast, which I was told is delicious (though still pricey).  So when my friend 'Curses' pinged me about a Bloomspot deal - $40 for brunch and  bottomless champange cocktails for two - I thought that was a sign that it's time to experience it first hand. We figured we'd get our money's worth in drinks alone!

The dining room was narrow and cozy, with a modern vibe brightened up with a skylight overhead. We got seated right away, and noticed a nice energy in the space with a full house of people who seemed to be enjoying their meals.  Good sign, right?

As an amuse bouche, we received a tray of puffed rice clusters with black currants and interesting spices that we thought might have included cardamom - like an Asian interpretation of rice krispies squares. 

Then it was down to business: with the Bloomspot deal, we get access to bottomless sparkling cocktails ($15 per person on regular brunch menu), AND you get to pick whatever you want from the sparkling cocktail menu (you don't have to stick to just one 'flavor' for the meal)!.  I was excited that STREET makes their cocktails with purees, and fresh fruit - and the flavors were a bit more unusual (not just what everyone else was serving with brunch: mimosas (OJ) or bellinis (peach)).  We started off with Scarlet sparkling wine with fresh cranberry compote, and Noire Bubbles with blackberry and lemon twist.  Based on the colors of the drinks, we actually thought the darker one (to the right in the photo) would be Noire and the pink colored one would be Scarlet.  Our server let us know it was the reverse.  We both ended up liking the taste of the lighter one (Scarlet) better - it was more refreshing where the Noire had an aftertaste.

Then on to the food! With the Bloomspot deal, we get a starter to share and then our choice of entrees.  The starter that day was Croatian Apple Fritters ($11 on regular menu) which apparently comes with whiskey cider sauce and apple butter served with homemade pork sausage - for our deal the dish came sans sausage.  We were expecting the fritters to taste fresh fried, with a crunchy cinnamon-y shell and soft, steaming hot doughy interior - instead it was a bit chewy with a too thick shell.  We did enjoy the instantly addictive flavors in the whisky cider sauce, though the apple flavors didn't really come through for us in the butter - and it was so light that we thought it was sugarfree whipped cream at first.

Time for another round of cocktails (with us both being lightweights, we were sort of testing our limits that morning!) The Beijing Bellini is made with lychee and subtly sweet and refreshing. Curses wanted her own full serving of Scarlet, but for some reason the second time around it was a lot lighter, and clear - maybe they forgot to add the cranberry puree?  Around this time it was nice to see the chef herself making her rounds at the tables - love that, unlike some celebrity chefs around the city, she is actually at her restaurants making sure guests are enjoying themselves.

Then the moment of truth - for my entree, I wanted to finally try the infamous Kaya Toast ($11 on regular menu).  I had just been in Singapore this past holiday, and was fortunate enough to get to try the kaya toast at its original creator's cafe chain, Ya Kun - I loved their coconut spread and was interested to see how STREET's interpretation would compare, and hopefully to find a place to satisfy my cravings once I run out of the little jars of spread I brought back from my trip.  I was especially curious since STREET's kaya toast is described as "a uniquely STREET experience toasted bread spread thick with coconut jam; served with a soft fried egg drizzled in dark soy and white pepper". 

The verdict: Yes, STREET's kaya (coconut jam) is very different from Ya Kun's. Where Ya Kun's is subtle, light, and translucent, STREET's kaya is whitish in color, much more robust, creamier and a lot sweeter with much more pronounced coconut flavor.  STREET also serves theirs with much thicker slices of toast - the whole thing actually worked really well together.  Especially when dipped into the runny yolk of the sunny-side up egg, along with the soy sauce and pepper.  I liked the use of dark soy, which has the consistency of balsamic vinegar and is sweeter than regular soy. Altogether, very big on flavor and absolutely delicious. 

That said, at the end of the day it's still toast with jam, and one egg - so would I go back for it at $11?  I would say: I was very happy with the Bloomspot deal ($20 per person - $15 for bottomless sparkling cocktails = $5 for food including fritters and toast), and think I'd be very inclined to return the next time a deal rolls around. Or if I ever have a bit of extra wriggle room in my budget, I'd splurge at brunch again with the toast and cocktails.

We couldn't leave without another round of cocktails (hey, the fruit quotient means antioxidants which means it's good for you, right? And alcohol kills germs so...win-win?) Our last pair of cocktails were Mucho Mango fresh mango juice and Sparkling Psidium pink guava and fresh lime.  Both were fresh tasting (I'd say they almost taste like Izze drinks - carbonated juice, but that give you a buzz) and a nice last taste in terms of beverages.

For the other entree, Curses chose Chicken + Waffle Croquettes ($12) with homemade waffles, braised greens, poached eggs, and spicy maple sauce.  Not really sure where the 'street' food came into play in this dish (was it the asian flavor with addition of strands of scallions?), but overall the taste and textures did not live up to the promise in the presentation.  The waffle was definitely not fresh made, very chewy on the verge of rubbery and cold.  And flavorless. Poached eggs were passable but the whites were a bit leathery. Braised greens were forgettable.  The spicy maple sauce was the only surprise of the dish and the best element in it - it was delicious.  This one is not one we would repeat, and we were very glad Curses got her money's worth in drinks.

All in all, we were glad we got to try STREET and its infamous kaya toast, which was very good - along with the delicious sparkling cocktails.  But we were definitely glad we went with the Bloomspot deal in hand - otherwise we may have perceived the experience very differently.

[For more deals like this one, check out my Get More Bites Outta Your Budget page, and follow me on Twitter for to the minute finds!]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 5.5 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $$ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 60% (when there is a deal)

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Susan Feniger's STREET
9016 Mission Drive Rosemead, CA 91770
Ph: 626.286.3370

Parking: Meter parking on Highland

Website:
OpenTable: Look for reservations (and points!)

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dineLA 2012: Campanile

Despite our respective monikers, "Ms. Sassy" and I are reverse of what you'd expect when it comes to food - I'm the bold adventurous one and she's into the classics, well executed.

Craft is a given for us every time dineLA rolls around - but this time we decided to do an additional meal together.  Ms Sassy's always had good experiences at Campanile - so despite the menu being on the 'classic' side, I agreed to check it out.  Afterall, places / dishes become classics for a reason, and when done well, they can be amazing.

The humble looking entrance, tucked into a non-descript stretch of La Brea, belies the rustic grandeur of the space and decor - which made us feel like immediately like we had stepped into a different world.

Vaulted ceilings, stone arches, fountains, and even a live acoustic guitar player/singer made us forget for an hour or two, where we were - we were transported to some historic stone-carved venue in the Italian countryside.  It would have been appropriate to order wine, but neither of us are big wine drinkers so we went with cocktails.  

Ms Sassy started with a Grilled Endive Salad baby frisee, goat cheese, spiced walnuts, pomegranite vinaigrette which she loved.  Not being a big salad fan, I didn't taste this one.

My choice of starter was a no-brainer: Black Truffle Risotto wild mushrooms, sottocenere.  Sottocenere is probably my favorite cheese in the world - a semi-soft, smooth and nutty-flavored cheese infused with truffle flavor and covered with a gorgeous grey rind made of edible vegetable ash.  Every time I've had Sottocenere it's been transcendent - so I was excited to see it as an ingredient on the menu, but wasn't sure the best use of it was to work it into risotto (you lose the lovely textures of the cheese, though the fragrant truffle flavors do come through in the rice). I think my disappointment with the risotto was probably a result of high expectations - it just didn't blow me away like I wanted it to.

We both ended up with the same entree: Braised Beef Cheeks funghi misti, butter roasted carrots, parsley pesto - the meat was tender, juicy and cooked well - but again to reference a cliche - just isn't the stuff dreams are made of.  Perhaps it was something in the sauce that I was looking for - like a good Boeuf Bourguignon, perhaps its wine-soaked flavors or just something to really capture the nose, tastebuds, and imagination.

One of the reasons Ms Sassy wanted to check out Campanile for dineLA was for the dessert: Guiness Stout Cake caramelized honey ice cream, caramel sauce - this was a tasty dessert with a hefty yet light Guiness soaked cake with the beautifully colored caramelized honey ice cream reminiscently of the 'head' of the dark colored beer.

The desserts were the most exciting part of the meal for me - I loved my Chocolate Caramel Cashew Tart with banana anglaise, whipped creme fraiche! The chocolate tart was just the right density and perfectly portioned, smoothness punctuated by crunches of cashew.  Banana is a time-tasted pairing with chocolate and I liked the slight twist here with it being used in creme anglaise as sauce.  Loved.

All in all, we had a great time, and enjoyed the ambience.  The food was good, but not a meal that I would crave or make me want to go back to Campanile to try their regular menu.  Though lots of people whose opinion I respect recommended that I do just that - go for their regular offerings which are fantastic.  And I may at some point - but, based on the dineLA meal which was supposed to provide a glimpse of what the place has to offer...and that their regular menu pricing is on the higher end - I would probably only go back when dining with others who are more into the classics or if our primary focus is the setting.  For my money, for fine dining I would rather go to a place like Providence that inspires with every bite.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks regular menu)
Probability of return visit - 80% 
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Craft Los Angeles 
624 South La Brea Avenue  Los Angeles, CA 90036

Ph: 323.938.1447

dineLA - $44 dinner
Parking:  Street parking on La Brea

Website: campanilerestaurant.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations
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dineLA 2012: The Capital Grille

I never really crave steak.  It's one of those foods that I don't constantly think about having, but when I have a great one I would truly enjoy it and think about why I never think of having things like that.

For dineLA my friend 'Lindyhopper' - an uber carnivore - sold me on the amazing deal at The Capital Grille (which she goes to every time dineLA rolls around) which offers for $34, a 3-course meal that features a cut of steak that is normally $45 on its own on the regular menu! (The total estimated savings for everything is about $39!!!!!)

We had been at The Capital Grille just before the holidays for an event, which left us with two learnings: (1) we needed to go back for steak asap (their steak sliders were almost life-changing) (2) events like the one we went to were good for takeaway gifts - we paid $10 and each got a $50 gift card to The Capital Grille!  The dining room was wonderfully old school steakhouse - dark woods, dark booths, white linens...

As for the food - we weren't about to waste a course on salads, so we both went for the Clam Chowder.  This soup really highlighted how different Lindyhopper and I are (and still able to be friends for this long - love it!) - we both noted how there were "so many clams" in the soup, but for Lindyhopper this really meant "too many clams" while for me that's what made the soup wonderful (are you crazy Lindyhopper?  You can never have too many clams!)

For our main, we both went for the big ticket item, Bone-in Kona-Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin with Shallots and Butter ($45 on regular menu). Was this the best cut of beef I've ever had in my life?  No - and it was no Kobe nor Wagyu beef either.  But, I had mine cooked medium rare, and when the plate arrived I think it was nearly the size of our heads!  Aside from size, we were also impressed with the flavors of this dish - the shallots and creamy butter sauce was instantly addictive - I wanted to pick up my plate and lick it.

With the meal you get to choose one side each - but they do not skimp on the portion size - we had enough of the mashed potatoes and creamed spinach to get stuffed and then to take the remainder home! 

For dessert, they didn't have the flourless chocolate espresso cake that night, so offered a gigantic slice of Chocolate Hazelnut Cake instead.  The cake and cream were both lovely - tasted like nutella with cake, perfectly paired with the calmly flavorful creme anglaise. Fun to see a Pirouette stick for decor.

Lindyhopper got the creme brulee. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was a relatively large custard with perfect and delicate sugar crusting that tasted freshly torched.

All in all, a nice meal in a classic joint, with a fab deal that we wouldn't have been able to afford outside of dineLA.

It was also fun checking out the towering wine lockers at the lobby as well - for a moment we imagined what it would be like to visit a place like The Capital Grille so much that you would pay for your own space to store your own wines - so highroller that you get a bronze plaque with your name on it.

Then we came back to reality and were grateful that we had such a great deal on dinner, and were able to not only use one of our gift cards to knock $50 off the bill, but to stack the $5 Amex statement credit, hotel points on my credit card, and points toward an OpenTable certificate.  All that AND FREE valet parking!!! 

I'm not sure I would crave this, but enjoyed it very much while I was there - overall the 3 courses were fantastic and at a great deal!

[For more of my dineLA picks and deal breakdowns, see my post here.]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 90% (for next dineLA) 
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The Capital Grille
8614 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Ph: 310.358.0650

Parking: Complimentary valet parking next to restaurant

Website: .thecapitalgrille.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations
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