Alexander's Steakhouse: A Best dineLA Deal and Fine Dining Experience in Pasadena

It's been a while since there has been a dineLA menu that has really been surprising to me, that is both an exceptional deal and with exciting dishes.  Alexander's Steakhouse did that and more, and is now one of my favorite restaurants in the city, both for and beyond dineLA.

But let's start with the dineLA dinner - as this is the last day of the Summer rotation of dineLA, and you still have a chance to experience Alexander's fantastic six-course prix fixe! (It was so epic that I've already repeated a visit within two weeks.)

The fine dining experience kicks in right from the start with an amuse bouche of uni dashi panna cotta topped with negi (a Welsh onion).

Course 1: the first of two options is their signature Hamachi Shots with smooth clean slices of sashimi in shot glasses, with dashi gelee, avocado, thinly chopped radish for light crunch and ponzu. A refreshing and tasty start, especially on a hot summer night.

Option two is the Passmore Ranch Sturgeon terrine, with dash buttermilk, and dollop of caviar.  Decadent, but the terrine is a bit firm.  I definitely preferred the hamachi shots.

Course 2: option one was the incredible Tartare of Beef with marrow cream, smoked carrot and bleu cheese. If this wasn't a fine dining establishment I would have picked up my plate and licked it: every element was the definition of luxury: from the rich, flavorful beef to the luscious cream made with bone marrow for maximum umami.

Option two was Dry-Aged Beef Tataki with barley miso, argan oil and horseradish.  Though I loved the beef tartare, the tataki held its own as another starter option as well.

Then came the bread bowl.  I've always thought that what a restaurant puts into their bread bowl speaks to the core of their passion for their work.  If they don't treat this as a token, obligatory thing - if they put care and heart into even this detail, then you can expect them to put heart and care into every other aspect of your experience as well, from food to service.  And Alexander's bread bowl is one of the finest I've had in LA - so much so that if they opened a bakery tomorrow, I would readily commit to frequent visits even just for their bread (and #foodgasm worthy trio of butters).

In this bowl: hokkaido brioche, squid ink bread, caramelized onion and garlic cheese rolls.  The hokkaido brioche was a warm fluffy cloud of deliciousness that brings me back to my childhood fav (Hong Kong natives may get the reference to Panash's hokkaido bread).  The rolls had just the right amount of cheese, at just the right balance of chewy and crisp.

Then there were the butters, in order of our unanimous favorites: Italian beef fat whipped butter with pieces of dried beef mixed in; honey butter served in a bone segment; Straus butter with sea salt. I wish they would sell the whipped beef butter to us by the tub because I would just spoon it all day.

Then came the dish, course three, that really distinguishes Alexander's from all other steakhouses: many would just focus on the quality, cuts, and cooking of their steak, and push out the standard sides with a few other appetizers on their menu.  Alexander's positions themselves as a fine dining steakouse with Japanese influence, and their pursuit of perfection shines through not only in the decidedly far from standard dishes on offer beyond steak, but their creativity in taking even those dishes to the next level.  Course three was between corn soup and chawanmushi topped with sea urchin - so we pretty much all chose chawanmushi.  Not only was it one of the smoothest, lightest steamed egg custards in recent memory, I loved the combination of corn puree in the egg itself, as well as kernels on top for bursts of juicy crunch and sweetness; the bright orange tongue of uni adding mouthwatering brininess; and sorrel gel for hint of herbaceousness.

Course four was the salad course, and we chose between Heirloom Tomato and Little Gem & Romaine.  Even with the salad courses Alexander's chooses not to slack, but to innovate:  The tomato salad came with melon, goat milk, makhani sauce and toasted bread.  The Little Gem was made with anchovy miso dressing, furikake and fennel for umami and fresh crunch.

then came the star attraction: course five was a choice between quantity and quality: Dry-Aged Greater Omaha Prime T-bone at 18oz, or Kagoshima A5 Wagyu at 3oz?

For me, it was wagyu or nothing.  With all the preceding courses and dessert still to come, I didn't need to go for quantity as steak doesn't taste good the next day anyway - and the last time I had been to Alexander's, their Miyazaki A5 was the best steak I had ever tasted in my life.

Plus, the same size of Kagoshima on the regular menu runs for $98 - so getting this same dish for dineLA ($115 for 6 courses total including the steak) is an incredible deal.  This was perfectly marbled, exquisitely flavorful steak and one no foodie should miss especially during dineLA.

 Our server let us know that the steak is purposely underseasoned, to allow us to custom salt it to our individual tastes.  They dropped off a lovely wooden square containing 6 artisanal salts.  Of these, Kala Namak was the most intriguing, as it somehow evokes flavors of steak and boiled eggs (triggered by sulphur???)

As palate cleanser: compressed watermelon with mint and cantaloupe granita.  Super refreshing and one I could picture being a massive hit at any summer/ bbq party.  If only they sold this to us too!!

Course six was dessert: Sweet Corn Brulee with blueberries, cornflake crunch and creme fraiche ice cream.  While I appreciated the unusual combination of corn with a classic french dessert, the execution was lacking for me.  Overall it felt a bit more heavy than I wanted - it would have been more on point if the creme were slightly less dense, the torched sugar crust a bit more delicate, perhaps the whole portion size scaled down - but tasty nonetheless.

Just when we were rubbing our bellies and loosening belt buckles with satisfaction, more tasty treats arrived to close out the meal: the first was a playful tower of cotton candy. 

Then a tray of mignardises including macarons, truffles and pastry puffs rolled in rice puffs.  

Aside from the main menu, some optional add-ons that I would recommend (if your stomach capacity allows, for you will be full just on the dineLA menu alone): Alexander's creative take on the classic Mac 'n Cheese, using udon noodles, four kinds of cheeses in a decadent Mornay (manchego, cheddar, camembert and parmesan), and truffled panko crumbs.

Or go for the Truffled Potatoes for your carbs.



Also, I should mention that Alexander's is one of few steakhouses in LA that has an incredible craft cocktail program, headed by Erik Lund at the attached Bull and Barrel bar. Celery is my favorite so far, made with tequila, celery, lime, serrano, with a salt rim: a refreshing savory / spicy drink that exemplifies the creativity that runs through every plate but through every glass.  Arrive early for dinner, and hang out at the bar if you are into whisky - Erik will likely have a bottle or three of hard to find whiskeys for you to taste.  As in, he actually goes to invite only whisky barrel auctions to score spirits you may have never even heard of.

All in all, an amazing experience and deal, and I would definitely return again soon, for dineLA or any other special occasion!

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 6.5 bites  
Presentation - 6.5 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience -  6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (4 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

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Alexander's Steakhouse

111N Los Robles Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
Ph: 626.486.1111

Website: alexanderssteakhouse.com/pasadena  
Parking: valet $8, or park in public structure at Union & Euclid across from City Hall: $4-$5 flat rate depending on day and time of visit

Look for reservations, and points, at OpenTable
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Channel Your Inner Katniss / Geena Davis FREE Saturdays with Pasadena Roving Archers

Saturday and Sunday mornings are sacred.  Usually for Ultimate Non-Morning People like yours truly, it's dedicated to catching up on sleep sorely missed during the hectic work week.

But, some things are worth the sacrifice - mostly involving my favorite four letter words: food and free.  Occasionally, I will make another exception for 'adventure'.

When I first heard about Pasadena Roving Archers (from a fellow diner at Petit Trois) - a volunteer group who offered lessons, including all equipment on loan, for free every Saturday morning, I thought it was too good to be true.

Being both a Geena Davis (fascinated by her achievement beyond acting - a Mensa member, gender in media activist, and Olympic semi-finalist in archery!) and the more obvious Hunger Game fan - I was excited to go check this out with fellow foodie and (way more of an) adventure-lover @jennybawel

Lessons start at 8:30am, but since it's free and space is limited, we heeded others' warnings to get there early - arriving at 7am to stand in line.

Around 8am, they started processing people in small groups of about 7-8. First, we had to sign the requisite waivers.

Then they test for participants' dominant eye before fitting us for equipment.  Apparently, your 'dominant eye' is the one you use to aim - and that has no correlation to whether you are right or left handed.  They test for this by having us hold our palms up and out, thumb and index fingers crossed to form a triangular 'hole', held up to our faces and looking through at the coordinator.  The coordinator then calls out whether each of us are right or left eye dominant, and hands us a red or white casino-style chip accordingly.

We then head to the equipment line, where we are fitted with:

• A small piece of leather with rope (this is for your string pulling hand, to prevent your fingers from getting worn down)
• A padded arm guard, to prevent the bow / string from banging against your arm/elbow
• A quiver to carry your arrows around
• Four arrows (not the sharp, speared head kind intended to do damage - they're round tips for amateur sport)
• A bow that has the arrow rest etc. set up on the side that corresponds to your dominant eye, per your earlier test!

A verbal overview is given so we knew what to expect from our time there.

Apparently the Lower Arroya Seco Park range has 28 targets, set up 'like a golf course'.  The PRA has spread their passion for the sport from this venue since 1935! For the beginner's session, team leaders take their small groups and stay at one station to teach and let us practice.

Our instructor was super patient and informative - after running through basics on parts of the bow and arrow and of course safety rules, we were taught to line our arrows up, aim, and let 'em fly! (Before arriving at the course, I was apprehensive about having such poor aim that I could possibly injure people far off from target - but the boards are pinned on hay bales set with their backs to a hill, so there's no chance of mistakenly shooting someone with an arrow!)

We spent about an hour taking turns shooting in breakout groups.  While at first some of us (ok, mostly me) were so off that arrows rebounded off the headboard - over time everyone improved with tips and adjustments from the instructor.

I liked that you didn't need to be athletic to do this - it's more about form, and controlling your movements.  Also, there is a lot of instinct involved as you can't really just aim the arrow straight at bulls eye - no matter what you do it's going to have a slightly curved trajectory, up, then down and over. So you just have to adjust, mainly lower than you'd expect, hold your bow arm steady while you pull the string back with the other, and gently let go - until you get it to land in the right area.  And once you get it, repeat and try to be consistent.

I felt like a kid on Christmas morning the first time I actually hit a color on the target board - there was something strangely satisfying about the combination of raw energy, alignment of every part of your body, the visceral connection with your bow, arrow and environment, and the feeling, motion and sound of the arrow cutting precisely and swiftly through the air to penetrate your target.

The thing that I also absolutely loved about the experience with PRA - our instructor, like others in the group, a volunteer there just for the sheer love of the sport and desire to share his enthusiasm for it.  In fact, his whole family is part of the club, and his daughter taught another small group at the station right next to ours! 

After our small group lesson, we were taken to the main range, where first we got to see what it feels like to shoot side by side with other archers from other groups.  Of course there are safety measures in place - everyone stands at a chalk line, and no one is allowed to retrieve arrows until the whistle sounds three times!

Just before we end our session, there is a fun contest where volunteers stuff dollar bills in balloons and attach them to target boards.  Then archers line up in groups and attempt to be the first to pop the balloons.  Winners get to keep the money!  (So proud of @jennybawel for winning one - so she was actually 'up' for the day by a $1, ha!)

The instructors are also great sports about helping us take photos after the session was over.  Once you've completed the early morning intro lesson - they hand you a certification card that allows you to come back at later times for other lessons / practice (at 9:30am on Saturdays) - donation encouraged of $5 which includes equipment on loan!!

The Pasadena Roving Archers are a charity organization and do operate with donations only - so please be sure to contribute what you can into their collection box on the picnic tables afterwards!

For those not willing to get up so early on a Saturday morning, even for this fun free activity - there are other companies / organizations around the city that offer archery classes at later start times, and sometimes at a cost.  I haven't tried any of the other ones yet, but I can confirm that what other reviewers have said about PRA is definitely true - nothing beats learning from people who are just purely passionate about the sport and eager to share it with others.

Thanks PRA for an amazing time - I'm adding you to my list of reasons to love LA - I'll definitely be back soon to practice!!

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Pasadena Roving Archers
Lower Arroyo Seco Park
415 South Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena California

Website: rovingarchers.com

Parking: free in open air lot inside park
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626 Night Market: Second Chances: Taste of Asia in Pasadena

626 Night Market: I had a feeling it might be a bad idea when I saw the date for the inaugural event: April 14th.  What self-respecting and accordingly superstitious Asian would endeavour to hold the first of what might be a very significant event on a date containing not one, but two number fours? (The word for "four" in Chinese sounds like the word for "death" - hence two fours equal double death.  Alternatively, Cantonese may read "four one four" as daring death or taking a gamble.) But there was at the time, nothing else I was aware of like it in LA - an event that ambitiously attempted to recreate the experience of outdoor markets filled with delicious street food and vendors peddling their wares in the streets of the 'far east' (aka 'home' for the sizeable population of Asian immigrants in LA).

The concept that held so much promise was an epic fail - it was a miracle no one got seriously hurt. Usually large turnout is a good thing, but when as poorly executed as that first time - with an estimated 30,000 people showing up for an event that felt like it was planned for hundreds - there were some serious risks of anything from a stampede to fire hazards. I'm not going to rehash the grievances here, if interested check out my recap of what went wrong

But organizers saw, between the firestorm of largely angry feedback, the huge demand for an event of this type - and to their credit, pulled themselves up off the ground quickly to give it a second run: in a matter of months they were to fix all the major things that went wrong the first time - and to launch a PR campaign letting everyone know that they heard the feedback and have really addressed every key issue.  For most, it was too late - they'd been burned badly once and weren't going to stick their hands on the stove again.

Though I absolutely hated the way the first event was run, I did want the concept to succeed - especially after finding out that this was a passion project started by a small team of three, a husband, wife and friend, not some faceless corporation that failed to meet basic standards of public safety. And the second time round they had a smart social media strategy, with clear postings of event info to reassure people it was safe to give them another try.  There were maps of the vendors this time, showing thoughtful design to spread food-seekers out, clear directions to the event, including public transportation (the Metro was just a block away!) and where to park.   

Since admission was again free - and given the changes that they've said/shown they've made - the only possible risk in my mind was massive crowds again to test my patience.  And I was ready to give them one more chance - deciding that I would go early to try to avoid reenactment of that insane sea of humanity.

I arrived around 15 minutes before the official start time in late afternoon - while vendors were still getting set up.  It felt like the calm before a possible storm of the century - everything seemd to move in slow motion, with graceful fluidity.  I was able to do a quick round to check out all the stalls of food on offer, and come up with a game plan of which I wanted to hit once vendors were given the ok to start serving.

There were volunteers teeming everywhere you looked - in very visible red t-shirts - presumably to conduct crowd control as needed.  Yes they were high school/college kids, but at least they had plenty of identifiable 'staff' to help as needed vs zero that we could see last time. So far so good.

There were hard to find foods that I really wanted to hit up last time, but didn't get to, so I made a beeline for those booths this second time.  At the top of my list?  Dragon Whiskers candy - a cocoon like candy from ancient Chinese times, made by a shi fu on site live, pulling the silk-like threads made from honey and glutinous rice flour, and wrapping them around stuffings of peanuts, sesame and/or coconut, the traditional way. Loved these and bought two packs of the mixed kind with all three stuffings in one. (Shi fu is sometimes at Hawaii Super Market in San Gabriel - he didn't have a set schedule to share but I guess next time you're in the area it's worth checking to see if he's there:

Hawaii Supermarket 120 E. Valley Blvd.San Gabriel, CA 91776)

During my hunt for Hong Kong street treats, a lady firing up skewers of lamb Xinjiang style with cumin and chili over a coal trench stopped me dead in my tracks.  At three juicy, flavorful and fresh grilled skewers for $5, these were a great deal and definitely added to that street food vibe. I also loved supporting indie cooks like these folks, who take these as opportunities to showcase their stuff in hopes that they will be able to gain a following and eventually pursue their dream to have their own restaurant!  Plus, part of the coolness night markets is that element of in-the-moment-discoveries, checking out foods/things you might not normally have access to.  So, I loved this and many of the other stalls at this second 626 Night Market for those reasons.

Then I found my favorite stall of the event!!!  "Hong Kong Street Snacks" - another independent food producer without a current shop.  They were Mandarin speakers, and I didn't get to ask where they were from, but they had a pretty good grasp of classic Hong Kong street foods! 

Their Curry Fishballs (no, not gonads, but fish meat shaped into spheres) served on skewers out of a communal pot - took me back to my carefree grade school self, back when people had no issues with eating food from hawkers selling them from carts literally on illegal street corners - and health, hygiene, food safety were secondary to food that tasted the more delicious, the more it flew in the face of possible serious illness.  They sold from carts so that they could quickly roll away when they see a cop.  I used to love 'poking fish balls' from these carts on my way home from school.  It'd been so long since I'd had these - the ones at 626 Night Market tasted authentic, though legal, and definitely brought back happy memories.    

At the same stall they also served "Pig Rice Noodle Rolls".  These are rice noodle segments in a hoisin and chili sauce.  I wasn't impressed with the flavors or textures of these so much.

Another favorite Hong Kong street snack is the Gai Daan Jai - Hong Kong Egg Waffle: basically a special batter put in a hexagonal waffle mold with egg shaped compartments vs the more familiar squares in American ones.  In Hong Kong, these are usually served from illegal carts by street hawkers - and every child of the 80s grew up with these - another afterschool snack fav - and love them to death.  The ones at 626 Night Market were a little soggier than I liked and could have been a little more sweet, but delicious in the context of you can't really easily find these around LA proper! Apparently you can get them at Tasty Garden in the SGV - so that's been added to my To Do list.

There were also some interesting drinks served at the market: Momocha had a great iced tea with longan (a tropical fruit much like lychee), goji berries.

Though I was hyper focused on food, I think everyone who was there that afternoon stopped to admire this ginormous, gorgeous dog that was walking its owner round the event ;).  It's the biggest dog I'd ever seen with an Asian!

Of course, no Asian night market would be complete without stinky tofu.  I know it's blasphemy, but I'm not a fan - so skipped this stall.  It was amusing seeing non-Asians who enter within a 2-mile radius of this booth get instantly hit with a "WTF?!?" look on their face.

I was also getting full, and sad not to have room to try some of the booths like Mama Musubi (love spam musubi!) - though I figure spam musubi is relatively easy to make at home, even for someone who doesn't really cook all that much (i.e. at all, these days).

Other things I didn't get to try: red bean cakes, fresh grilled on-site.

To cool off in the crazy Pasadena heat, I had to try an iced treat that I'd never heard of before: Tofu Fa in iced ginger syrup with peanuts and dates.  It was like a cross between shaved ice, Chinese dessert soup and the traditional Chinese dessert of silken tofu in simple syrup - with toppings of peanuts and dates for crunch / bursts of sweetness.  Loved.

Though I was cautious in attending during the earlier portion of the event (in the afternoon), so that it wasn't technically a 'night' market experience, I definitely had a great time and left satisfied. The event has a lot of potential - you can never of course fully capture something as in their home country, but this is a great option for a 'staycation' activity at a fraction of the cost.  Could you get a lot of these foods in the SGV?  Yes, but this is like Asian focused food fest / street fair - where you get to sample many things in one place.  And it was a collection of good food at an event that didn't charge me admission - what more can an Asian ask for?

The turnout didn't reach the levels of insanity of the first event - but Round 2 was largely considered a success.  And organizers are already back with Round 3 - venturing soon further east to Arcadia, and expanding to two days: October 20 & 21st (as reported by LAWeekly).  Venue is Santa Anita Park.  Save the date(s), and if you were turned off by that first event - judging by the comeback in July: give the event a second chance!

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626 Night Market  
July 28, 2012
Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena, CA

Website: 626nightmarket.com

Next event:
October 20 (3pm-12am) & October 21 (3pm-10pm)
Santa Anita Park infield
285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007
(Enter through Gate 5 or 6 off Colorado Place)

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Artisanal LA Holiday Pop-Up 2011: Pasadena Edition

Three things you need to know before reading this post: I love Artisanal LA - for supporting the community of local, sustainable food producers / vendors and for the lovely edible / food-related surprises they've provided at previous shows (I've been to three).  I dislike Pasadena - it's a city that seems to think it's 'made it', when it's still full of mediocrity.  I am such a fan of the former that I repressed my feelings on the latter in order to support, this past weekend for their holiday pop-up shop.  Oh and a fourth note - any comments below, I say with love, because I want Artisanal LA to thrive and continue to be a strong platform for people to discover talented craftsmen & women who are passionate about their chosen focus.

In contrast to venues for past Artisanal LA shows like Cooper Design Building and Santa Monica Place, this year's venue - Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena - is small and...unpolished (though it's an art gallery), and a bit lackluster. On the positive side, you can see this as 'authentic' and getting back to the 'heart' of community. As a whole, on the negative side, this venue and move away from aesthetics does detract from what Artisanal LA had so successfully done with previous shows, to elevate/showcase local artisans as talented masters of their craft, offering legitimate and actually much better alternatives to mass produced goods - breaking through the often unmerited stereotypes associated with 'garage operations'.

But the venue was not reflective of individual vendor offerings, and I was very excited to see a few fan favorite artisans return to the show, and to check out their impressive / delicious new edibles.

Plush Puffs was back with fun on-the-spot marshmallow toasting stations (tealight burners) - with holiday fav flavors like gingerbread marshmallows.  They also had an eye-catching, giant marshmallow cake (yes, it's all one piece!) on display.  These would make a fun and unique cake for kids of all ages (yep, even those in their thirties...) - they are $23 each and Plush Puffs will take custom flavor orders.

SQIRL had me since last Artisanal LA, where their Nagami Kumquat Chamomile jam changed my perspective on jams forever.  Jams don't have to be sickly sugary, sticky, food coma inducing messes - but can be incredibly refined, nuanced and beautiful translations of the freshest fruits, flowers and herbs that local farms have to offer.  Owner/chef Jessica Koslow creates unique flavor combinations driven by what's in season (so unfortunately I won't be able to get another jar of that crazy delicious translucent gold kumquat chamomile jam for a while...). 

Since the last show, Jessica has found a wide and loyal following - she now supplies Nancy Silverton's (of Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza fame) newly opened Short Order at the Original Farmers Market, AND opened a space of her own in Silverlake!

I fell in love with her latest - Candied Orange Rinds & Wild Fennel ($12).  My mom is into little snacks to go with tea - and the modern, clean designs make these ideal for gift-giving.  And then of course I had to have one for myself.  Other amazing new items: Gravenstein Apple Butter and Blenheim Apricot. 

I was also happy to see Creme Caramel LA -owner/chef Kristine is another amazing artisan and makes the fluffiest, tastiest, buttery bread puddings.  I brought their bacon bread pudding and apple crumble bread pudding to Thanksgiving dinner and there were audible, delighted moans around the room.  Everybody wanted to know where to get it.

And of course their namesake creme caramels - these have perfect, medium density with light sweet flavors balanced by intense liquid caramel topping.  Kristine is always coming out with new and creative flavors - including green tea white chocolate, and ube maruno! - and for this show they brought their recently debuted Mexican Chocolate Creme Caramel, which has rich chocolate flavors that have a little bit of heat from their blend of spices.

Glad Creme Caramel has also seen success at local farmers markets (Melrose Place Sundays!) and people could get their 'fix' outside of the Artisanal LA shows!

Jenkins Jellies was another returning vendor - its marketing as devilishly delicious as its 'Hell Fire Pepper Jelly', a combination of hot and sweet with its use of habanero peppers in sweet jelly, perfect served with cream cheese on a cracker.

Another great returnee: Cast Iron Gourmet - Rashida's small batch, handmade bacon, Pork Nuts ($6) - corn nuts made with bacon fat - Bacon Crack ($6) - chunks of cooked pork belly packed for snacking - and Bacon Gold ($10) straightup lard that will add amazing gourmet bacon flavors to any dish - were all on hand. 

And it looks like they will be offering "bacon makin class" soon - should be fun!!

So on to the newbies - afterall, a big part of the fun of Artisanal LA is being introduced to new talent and edibles!  My first purchase was at Fruit & Flour, who offered pies of all sizes, from single serving, adorable little flower-shaped pies in flavors like Pear & Cardamom to larger pies (which you can also buy by the slice) like Honey & Persimmon ($4/slice).  I am not normally a fan of the texture of Persimmons, which I find fibrous/powdery...but these slices were smooth, like apples in apple pie but a tiny bit firmer, ever so lightly sweetened with honey, with a delicious buttery, flaky crust. 

They are not at farmers' market or retail yet, but I'm crossing my fingers for them!

Another new vendor I was excited to see is Mother Moo Creamery.  I've been wanting to check them out, but never seemed to find a good time to trek out to their Sierra Madre store - so I was really glad to be able to sample their organic, made daily ice creams at the show!  Salted Chocolate was probably my favorite - though as I arrived late in the day, the ice cream had melted a lot and so I was tasting more for flavor and not for consistency.  Their Corn Flake ice cream was creative and something I definitely want to try at their shop sometime, putting it on the calendar for the new year!

 Culture Club 101 surprised me on several levels.  I'd never heard of a 'food club' beyond those subscribe & get a box of something or other delivered every month ones - but apparently you have to pay membership dues in order to access their products for purchase (I think they said $25 a year). 

Their mission is to promote and educate about the tradition and health benefits of cultured (lacto-fermented) foods, offering lectures and films at their Pasadena location.

With an open mind, I tried their fermented carrots & jalapeno - unexpectedly tasty, even for someone who isn't really a fan of carrots.  The mix of tangy/tart witih spicy, coupled with fresh crunch - was well balanced and would make for a great snack food.  Don't know that I would pay a membership fee - but it was definitely a delicious sample and I hope to see their products available at other events or at farmers market.

Another vendor that, like Jenkins Jellies, was able to back up clever marketing with delicious food - was Earl's Gone Wild.  My favorite bite from them was Earl Jam - jalapeno jelly - the balance of heat and sweet was pitch perfect, the spiciness made its presence known but didn't have a 'burn', the jam overall was sweet. 

They also have all natural "California Barbecue Sauce" and bbq seasonings.

Upstairs above the gallery, Altadena Urban Farmers Market vendors peddled their wares.  Highlights below:
Baker's Mark, a catering company, sampled some of their handcrafted, cane sugar sweetened sodas - Cherry and Sarsaparilla.  I tried the Cherry and loved it - I know I say this a lot but I don't like food/drinks that are sickly sweet, which is why I don't normally like cherry flavored soda, but this one tasted like it was made from real cherries and with a fresh and natural, carefully restrained sweetness.

Jabberwocky Smooth Jerk sampled jamaican jerk and bbq sauces on pork tenderloin and pulled pork.  The jerk sauce was delicious, tasted slow cooked with sophisticated layers, not callously doused in spice.  I first sampled this at Eat Real Fest in Culver City and remembered liking it.

The other thing I loved about their booth: a QR Code 'wall' where you can scan to receive recipe downloads!  Loved that - who said handcrafting artisans can't also be tech savvy?!

Viking Biscotti also had an impressive showing (visually anyways), with reps in nordic garb and biscotti molded into holiday themed icons like trees (planted with paper flags).

Also at the show: Homegirl - you may know Homeboy from local farmers market where mainly breads are sold.  Apparently the non-profit was started by a kind-hearted priest who believed in second chances, saw the opportunity to help reintegrate juveniles and former convicts into society by giving them job training and something to take pride in (a piece of their own business), and invested his own money in it.  With the success of Homeboy, there is now Homegirl.  A truly inspiring example of community support and power of food to bring people together.  In addition to baked goods, Homegirl also offered preserves, teas and spices.


Another highlight of past shows have been the spectacular workshops (e.g. mixology by Matt Biancaniello of Library Bar, whole hog butchery demo by Lindy & Grundy).

This show's workshops were sponsored by the Institute of Domestic Technology, and held in the Annex wing of the art center - namely in their ceramics studio. 

While I wished workshop info posted earlier to enable better planning (I had dinner plans and ended up having to miss Mother Moo Creamery's demo on lemon sorbet making, booooo!) I was happy to be able to attend the Mariposa Creamery Cheese-making one. 

Steve Rudicel, gold-medal award winning cheese-maker, showed us how to make a mold-ripened goat cheese at home.  It was interesting to hear about the science behind cheese making, with the bacterial and enzyme (rennet from cow stomach) interactions needed and how they work to get from milk to wheel of cheese with a fairly precise timeline.  Steve also gave tips on best suppliers of milk available to the public (Summer Hill, Straus).

All in all, an enjoyable afternoon for the low price of $5 (includes tote bag (by Whole Foods) for first 500 pre-sale ticket purchasers, and a KIND almond cashew flax bar).  It wasn't my favorite of the Artisanal LA shows I've attended - the venue (i.e. scale/vibe/energy) and quantity and quality of new vendors & offerings were not as mind-blowing as past shows, and the purchases I left with were mainly from those I already love (and can now buy from elsewhere). Granted, those new to the show and who might not have tried the 'returnee' products probably had a different / eye-opening experience. 

Until next time!

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Artisanal LA
Sunday, December 11th 10am-6pm
Armory Center for the Arts
145 N Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103

Website: artisanalla.com

Twitter: twitter.com/ArtisanalLA

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Maison Akira - dineLA Royal Flush in Concept, Full House in Execution

Aside from Petrossian, Maison Akira was the restaurant I was most excited to check out during dineLA Restaurant Week, based on the menu (foie gras and truffle in the starter, sea bass, king crab and lobster in the entree, and an interesting sounding 'nougat glacee'), impressive credentials of Chef Akira Hirose (who studied under Joel Robuchon and worked at L'Orangerie, the Ritz and the Penninsula), and the website (looked very refined, an elegant setting to house true haute cuisine).

It seemed like a sure bet at 'only' $44 - so I asked "Designer" to come along on a Thursday night, thinking it would be a great way to finish off this round of dineLA.

On arrival, it was clear the venue would not exactly align with the look and feel effused by the website - on a small street off the far end of Colorado, past the main strip of restaurants and shops, Maison Akira is in an unassuming red brick building several doors down from "Sushi of Naples" (a hybrid sushi restaurant / sports bar offering all night happy hour and a rowdy crowd). 

Stepping inside, the decor felt stale, a little French countryside with - in Designer's words - a hint of "Solvang".  The main dining room was tightly packed with tables, with a red tapestry print curtain on the back wall loosely drawn over a floor to ceiling mirror typical seen in small hole-in-the-wall venues to make the room appear larger.  A stained glass piece featuring a cottage hung on one wall - those are perhaps the main elements that made the space feel so "Solvang".

Brushing perceptions of the decor aside, we remained hopeful the meal would be fantastic, given the mouth-watering descriptions and the impressive pedigree of Chef Akira Hirose, and the fact that the restaurant was filled to capacity on a Thursday night.

Arancini Amuse Bouche

We were happy to see at the top of our dineLA menu that the prix fixe deal would be offered through Sunday October 17th - we could come back on the weekend to check out the dishes we didn't order that night (and perhaps even add the wine pairings for an extra $24)!

After placing our orders, we were presented with an amuse bouche - a single arancini with vegetable slaw and balsamic emulsion.  The risotto was bland, but we overlooked that as it was afterall free, and kept an open mind for the upcoming three course dinner.  "Designer" was also off to a happy start with her Pomegranate Kir Royale - a great and fruity variation of the classic cocktail.


Grilled Duck Foie Gras and Poached Free Range Egg
on Toasted Brioche in a Port wine Truffle Sauce

The dineLA starter I selected of course had me before I even set foot in the restaurant - Grilled Duck Foie Gras and Poached Free Range Egg on Toasted Brioche in a Port wine Truffle Sauce.  As this offered the best 'fine dining' experience of the starters, Designer also ordered this for her appetizer.

Foie Gras is often tricky to get just right - you can overwhelm the already rich texture and flavor by oversearing the steak to give it a too thick/pungent 'crust', or serve it either too hot (causing it to lose structure) or too cold (not bringing out the flavors enough).

Maison Akira gets it right, serving the foie at just the right temperature to bring out its rich flavors, and grilling it just enough to give a slightly crisp outer layer, nicely offsetting the creamy interior.  It was all beautifully plated as well.  My only minor notes are about the accompaniments - the poached egg felt a little loose and unstructured, and the yolk did not have a lot of natural flavor.  The brioche also could have been served at a slightly warmer temperature (to work more cohesively with the warm foie and egg instead of being a mildly distracting cooler afterthought).  Overall though, as the foie is the central focus, and was well executed, I would give this dish a high ranking for the meal.


Duo of Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass &
King Crab Ravioli in a Lobster Emulsion

Designer and I both chose the same entree - Duo of Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass & King Crab Ravioli in a Lobster Emulsion.  We were ready to be blown away - but unfortunately the fish was unevenly cooked (overcooked in some places and undercooked in others), the ravioli was dry and relatively flavorless, with a thick and too-chewy wrapper that didn't taste freshly hand-crafted, and the King Crab in such small pieces that you couldn't discern whether it was fresh, or to relish its flavor.  The Lobster emulsion was a light drizzle and we could not really taste it (the ravioli definitely could have used more liquids).   The quinoa sitting underneath the sea bass was a saving grace, infused with flavor and with an even al dente consistency. 

We were surprised by the entree, which should have been the crowning piece of the meal - but perhaps the chef was having an 'off' night. 


Warm Apple Tarte with Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

For dessert, Designer and I finally decided to diverge.  She ordered the Warm Apple Tarte with Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  The apples tasted fresh and the ice cream smooth with specs of real vanilla bean - but the tarte could have been served at a hotter temperature to tease out the apple / cinnamon flavors more intensely - and the pastry was a bit hard to cut through, where we had expected a buttery, flaky, warm crust to showcase the fruit.


Nougat Glacée in a Raspberry Sauce

I went with the Nougat Glacée in a Raspberry Sauce, as the Ile Flotant just sounded like a meringue drowned in sauce - and I'm always down to try anything I am not familiar with. The Nougat Glacee turned out to be one of the most originally presented and delicious desserts I've had in LA.  The ice cream is shaped into a slab resembling a piece of nougat candy, riddled with fruit and nuts throughout.  The balance of smooth ice cream with crunchy candied nuts and sweet, chewy dates was perfect.  You could then dip spoonfuls of this mix in the raspberry sauce or eat it with the poached fig on the plate to add more fruity flavor / another burst of subtle sweetness.  This dessert was lovely, light and refreshing after the relatively heavy meal. 

All in all - the 'sure bet' turned out to be a bit of a gamble - luckily "Designer" is a close friend who doesn't mind experimenting with new places with me, otherwise, anyone looking to bring a guest they are trying to impress would be taking a risk with some elements of the experience. 

Maison Akira was good in three areas - starter, dessert and attentive service.  The two outliers were decor and the entree - if you and your guest don't put so much focus on ambience as part of the overall experience, you'd be fine - but as dining is a about the holistic experience for me, Maison Akira is not at the moment a place I would personally trek out to Pasadena to make an evening of.  If I happen to be in the area already, then I may stop by for a drink and foie or dessert.  And as for the sea bass - there is a similar dish on the regular tasting menu for $34 - again, at that price I would rather have a nice night out at a place like Beso or Osteria Mozza.  We hadn't tried any of the other three entrees on the dineLA menu, they may be perfect, but we can't speak to it, that would be something for others to take a chance on!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5 bites
Originality -  5 bites
Ambience - 4 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 5 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 70%
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Maison Akira
713 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101
Ph: 626.796.9501
Website: maisonakira.net
OpenTable: Look for reservations
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