dineLA 2012: Craft LA (top pick, every time)

Call me a cynic, but there are only a few things you can count on in life, with absolute certainty - and most of them are not good: death, taxes, the cockroach-like endurance of celebrities-without-cause. The good ones are few and far in between - but one of them is dineLA at Craft.  I know I can count on a great meal and great time at Craft, every time.

It's become a matter of course, for Ms. Sassy and I, to do dineLA at Craft together.  So this year we again took advantage of their generous offer to do the dineLA deals on Saturdays (when everyone else is observing only the 'set' days of Sunday-Friday weeks, some less than that - skimping on the Sundays).

This year's meal started with an amusing amuse: two shots of parsnip and apple soup. This tasted like butternut squash soup, but not as fibrous nor sweet - a very light, refreshing yet satisfying way to kick off the meal.

I of course went for the cocktail with an herbal twist: Century City Mule once again, which at first tastes a little medicinal, and grows on you as flavors open up in the drink.

We couldn't get enough of the bread (yes, even their bread basket is amazing) which tasted freshly baked and were nice, hefty, rustic artisanal pieces - white and pumpernickel. 

One of the many reasons why we love dineLA at Craft so much is because of their generosity - most people may offer 2-3 options for each course.  Craft has 3 options for starters on the menu AND SERVES THEM ALL for the table to share.  The first of these was the Chicken Liver Mousse Pate, farm egg and crispy shallot.  It's like what they say about 'just knowing' when you've found 'The One'. It doesn't matter who else is in the room - it's like you are the only two in the world.  That's what it felt like between me and this starter - it was love at first sight and bite.   

I pretty much love liver anything - but this mousse was light and airy in texture and bold and earthy in flavor.  Its creaminess was well counterbalanced with fluffy-crumbly scrambled egg bits and skinny fried rings of shallots for crunch.  It's chicken liver mousse like I've never had before - and I fell hard and fast for this one.

As second starter, we received a Winter Greens salad with gorgonzola and walnuts.  I'm not a salad fan, so not the best judge but Ms Sassy loved this.

Our third starter is Laughing Bird Shrimp with blood orange and fennel.  These shrimp seem to be a bit firmer and a darker pink than the shrimp we're normally used to seeing - I think I prefer the more common shrimp for its sweetness and more tender meat and coloring, but was glad to have tried this.  The fennel was served up in beautiful smooth ribbons that reminded us of paparadelle and gave the dish sort of a shrimp over pasta effect, visually.  A fun dish kicked up a notch with sweet citrus blood orange reduction.

For my main: Skate Wing parsnips and swiss chard.  As a rule, when I see skate wing on the menu, I jump on it as fast as I can - because it doesn't happen often, at least not in LA.  I love this tender, juicy cut of fish with its unique 'muscle' structure (narrow strips that break away with the slightest flick of the fork) - and Craft's execution was the first I've had it sort of lightly pan fried for a crisp, nicely salted exterior that highlighted, by contrast, the soft, flaky interior all the more.  Nice, clean way to serve up the fish and let its natural deliciousness shine.  The presentation, in a single-serve copper pan, was beautiful as well.

I loved my skate wing, but when I tasted Ms Sassy's Liberty Farms Duck Confit green lentils and kumquat I wished I had the stomach and wallet capacity to have a second main dish.  The duck came bone-in, was so tender it could bring grown women to tears (theoretically, of course) - and the creative use of kumquat infused it with instantly addictive blends of sweet, tart and just the slightest bit of bitter.  Green lentils were the perfect foil to the whole thing - adding pleasing crunch.  Beautiful dish.

We also of course got a side to share of Roasted Vegetables (not noted on the dineLA menu online - so sort of a bonus!) - I'm not a big fan of veggies but pretty much inhaled the brussel sprouts, potatoes, purple baby carrots and mini spring onions (the only thing I didn't really like was the squash, which was too fibrous).

Sadly but predictably, our meal eventually arrived at an end, but as expected, meals here always end on a high note. Our dessert was Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake Tangerine Marmallata and Rosemary Almonds.  The citrus was refreshing after the heavy gorging, and the consistency of the cake was interesting - as it sounds, it was creamy but light and spongey at the same time.  The tangerine marmallata and pieces of fruit added a gorgeous pop of color on the side along and punctuated the subtler flavored cake with bolder sweetness and tanginess.  Add rosemary almonds for crunch and a bit of herbal savory flavor and you've got a perfect dessert.

Not sure what happened but we didn't get the listed Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart as a second dessert choice - instead we got two giant scoops of ice cream - vanilla and grapefruit? - which tasted fresh made and delicious. 

Not one to skimp, Craft again goes above and beyond for dineLA with two more items after dessert: the first is a plate of housemade caramel popcorn and cookies.  Poppycock, this is not - the popcorn tasted like it just came off the pan, minutes after the caramel cooled - with the perfect sprinkling of salt for a nice interplay of sweet/salty.

The second 'bonus' item is a bag of fresh housemade, perfectly toasted granola!  This is like a gourmet party favor bag - so that you can relive memories of the dining experience the next day over breakfast.  Loved this.

All in all, another fantastic meal at Craft.  Though the items are not on the regular menu, if you estimated based on the closest items - you'd have saved about at least $22.50 per person!  Huge deal - this is the one I point to for the naysayers every year who make blanket statements about how dineLA's not for foodies / don't really provide great deals.

Don't worry, I'm not going to get on my soapbox again like I did with last year's dineLA about how other restaurants can learn from Craft on how to do dineLA right and meet the intended objective of creating loyal customers.  Been there, done that.  Suffice it to say that every time we're back at Craft, it gets more and more crowded.  And it's first on our list every time dineLA or a special occasion (like Ms Sassy's birthday fetes) rolls around.

Thank you Craft for yet another wonderful experience - we will see you again soon! 

[For other fab dishes at Craft LA, see photo album from Ms. Sassy's birthday party on my Facebook page]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks regular menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
_____________________________________________________________

Craft Los Angeles 
10100 Constellation Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067
Ph: 310.279.4180
dineLA - $44 dinner
Parking:  Self-parking in structure by 2000 Century Park E free with restaurant validation; Valet parking $8
Website: craftrestaurant.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations
______________________________________________________________________

Craft Los Angeles - dineLA Done Right

Craft restaurants have always been a favorite of "Ms. Sassy"'s - a perfect combination of consistently delicious food, lovely settings and staff who personify hospitality.  Whenever Ms. Sassy's birthday rolled around, we knew we would be in for a night of fabulousness - two years ago it was at Craftsteak in Vegas, this year it was at Craft LA on the patio. 

So naturally Craft popped to the top of the list when it came time for this year's dineLA - and it was one of the best experiences ever (thanks to Ms. Sassy for scoring us the best deal ever in the history of dineLA! More on this later! :))  I would go so far as to say that Craft should be the role model for others participating in Restaurant Week.

A few high-end dineLA restaurants had been mincing their deals, with lower-end offerings on menus that boiled down to "beef or chicken" dinners, and/or not offering dineLA deals on weekends when they'd rather fill space with customers paying 'full fare'.  While I absolutely understand the economics of this, I also know dineLA was designed to be a citywide marketing tool - the concept is to bring in new customers by availing them of a sampling of your offerings at an introductory price, for a very limited time.  So if you put out a menu that's going to put people to sleep, or make it hard for people to get to it, you might as well not do it at all - because you're (A) not accurately representing what your restaurant's about and/or (B) sending mixed messages / generating frustration versus goodwill by putting something out but making it hard for people to actually try it.  For the cost of presumably just ingredients and labor, you get the machinery of dineLA's marketing and publicity teams driving traffic to you - so wouldn't the smartest thing to do be to put your best foot forward?

Craft is an example of a restaurant that totally 'gets it' - and whom we expect to continue to rave about for years to come.  Here's how Craft shows others how to do it right:

Craft LA is usually closed for business on Sundays. But dineLA event dates run Sundays-Fridays.  So what does Craft do?  They offered their dineLA menu on Saturday, so customers who don't live/work in the area can still get a chance to enjoy the experience.  (Thanks Ms. Sassy for discovering this!) Class act. 

When we arrived, we got the same high level of service we always got at Craft group restaurants - with all the trimmings as well, starting the meal with an amuse bouche of polenta, celery, creme fraiche and a crunchy flash fried tomato.  And throughout the meal we saw the same exquisite level of attention to detail and many other pluses that made us fall even more in love with Craft.

The dineLA menu had listed three starters "for the table" - before we arrived I assumed that meant "choose one of the three" and we get to share that?  To our excitement, the server clarified that we get ALL THREE starters to share between the two of us!  And they seemed like full size starters to us!

The first starter was King Salmon Tartar avocado and spiced almonds.  It was a generously portioned plate of lush salmon with creamed avocado, counterbalanced by what I thought were heirlom tomatoes and spiced almonds for crunch.  Ms Sassy doesn't even normally like salmon, much less raw, but she enjoyed this one. 

Starter #2 was the Wild Arugula baby beets and smoked goat cheese - I don't normally love salads but thought the light arugula, punctuated by pickled baby beets and some crumbles of goat cheese for textural and flavor contrast, was a nice refreshing way to whet our appetites for the meal ahead.

Starter #3 was my favorite: Sonoma Pork Terrine Warren pears and purslane - terrines are typically rectangular slabs, but Craft presented them beautifully in thin rounds.  This dish was texture and flavor perfect - the interplay of well seasoned meat with rich, flavorful fat was elevated with a sweet/spiced pear mostarda and purslane.  I was sad that Ms Sassy didn't really enjoy this (only because she doesn't like pates in general) but happy that this meant more for me.  I scarfed down every last bite.

For her main, Ms. Sassy chose the Diver Sea Scallops heirloom beans and lemon - which came in a nice baby cast iron pan.  We ended up sharing all our plates so I got to taste this one as well - the scallops were perfectly seared with a crisp outer layer giving way to an interior that is so tender it could make you cry. (Yes, do note that you just get two scallops, so those with bigger appetites, take that into consideration) The heirloom white/purple beans were great as well for a nice texture contrast.

My choice of main was Rainbow Trout roasted market peppers & cilantro as I didn't want to repeat the scallop dish (on dineLA site they listed White Sea Bass) - to be honest, I ordered this with fingers crossed it would not just be a white fish filet with some veggies on the side.

I guess I forgot where I was - Craft would not do that to me!  The fish came SKIN ON, lightly seared to a crisp, the way I like it - and beautifully presented in a copper skillet.  My only note was that I would have wanted the roasted peppers to be just a tad less salty so that I can taste the natural flavors a bit more.  Otherwise a delicious dish.

In addition to all the above, we also got a trio of Side Dishes mixed and served in a baby copper skillet for the table - which featured roasted butterball potatoes, assorted mushrooms, and market onions

The potatoes were perfectly cooked and tasted like they had been marinated in the meaty juices of the mushrooms for days - the rich flavors were evenly infused.  The market onions' contribution was a nice counterbalancing sweet/slightly bitter bits of tenderness.

Dessert #1 was our favorite, Steamed Apple Pudding cider sabayon & braised apples.  This was a change from the posted dineLA menu (originally Butternut Squash Pie) but we weren't complaining - the 'pudding' was warm, soft, fluffy and cake-like, with a sweet caramel-ly syrup poured over and some I think graham cracker crumbs sprinkled on top so you get just the slightest bit of crunch with your 'pudding'.  The ever so slightly tart cider sabayon and thin half-moons of braised apple were the perfect finishing touches. This dish was too sophisticated to be comfort food - but it was definitely one that hits you to your core - food that tastes like it can heal everything that went wrong with your week before you set foot at Craft.

Dessert #2 was more playful, a Peanut Butter Semifreddo banana bread & chocolate (banana bread was unexpected bonus, not listed on dineLA site!).  The bigger orbs are peanut butter ice cream fried and breaded with a nutty outer shell.  The banana bread came in the form of baby muffins perched on a mound of melted chocolate that tasted to me like warm nutella.  Deliciousness all around!

To 'gild the lily' in a good way, we ended the meal with Mignardises - chocolate cookies and peach pates de fruit.

Though the dineLA items are not all on the regular menu, if you tried to calculate based on comparables and averages, you would be saving at least $22 per person with the dineLA deal.

AND because Ms. Sassy is savvy as well as sassy - she prudently submitted her considerable stash of OpenTable points for a voucher a bit after dineLA was announced. and received her $50 certificate just in time to apply it to our meal.  Our server ever so kindly accepted the certificate without any hassle, which brought our per person cost before tip to just under $26!!!! Definitely the best fine-dining meal deal ever!!!!

And to top it all off, with our bill our server also handed us each a bag of handmade, fresh granola to take home courtesy of Craft.  Then let us know where we can get our (self) parking validated (at front desk)!

(The restaurants referenced at the top of this post may say, wow that was a big revenue loss for Craft...but I would argue it was a big win: for returning customers like Ms. Sassy and I, it was a rewarding experience for us that continues to fuel affinity and loyalty - Ms. Sassy spends a lot of money each year on her birthday bash at Craft group restos, as well as dinners throughout the year, so this is her one savings event (done more for the benefit of this lil budget food blogger than hers - thanks Ms. Sassy!) that made us happy (and most importantly for Craft will keep the big-spender of the pair) coming back.  For new customers, having this experience makes them see Craft as a place that sets a high bar for themselves without the snobbery to their customers - and makes it more likely for them to convert into regulars, and to spread good word of mouth, the best form of marketing you can get (for a relatively low cost of just food and labor).  And I would hazard to guess that the $ spent on marketing and advertising year round far exceeds the $44 +$50 = $94 dollar per pair of customers converted during dineLA. But that's just my two cents, restaurants are going to operate however they want to.).

Thank you Craft for yet another wonderful experience - you're a class act through and through and we will see you again soon! 

[For other fab dishes at Craft LA, see photo album from Ms. Sassy's birthday party on my Facebook page]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks regular menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
_____________________________________________________________

Craft Los Angeles 
10100 Constellation Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067
Ph: 310.279.4180

dineLA - $44 dinner
Parking:  Self-parking in structure by 2000 Century Park E free with restaurant validation; Valet parking $8

Website: craftrestaurant.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations
______________________________________________________________________

Breadbar LA - Dream Team Lineup at Ibaraki Benefit

Breadbar had been testing ground for arguably the pioneer of pop-up restaurants in LA, Ludo Lefebvre with his original Ludo Bites leading the way just a few short years ago.  This past Monday, Breadbar took the concept to a whole new level with a one-night-only, blinding line-up of culinary luminaries from Michael Cimarusti (Providence, Water Grill) to Hiroyuki Urasawa (Urasawa) to Walter Manzke (Church & State, Bastide), serving up a five-course meal to benefit Ibaraki prefecture, hometown of Breadbar head chef Noriyuki Sugie, which was devastated along with so many others in the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

This night represented the ultimate pairing: gods and mortals coming together to create/experience amazing food while giving back to those in need, nourishing their bodies and souls at once.

I felt incredibly lucky to be there at all - reservations had filled up quickly mere minutes after word spread about the event.  By the time I called them at pretty close to the crack of dawn that day, there was already a waitlist of 72 people ahead of me.

Perhaps by divine intervention, I received a call just days before the event with the best news, that by some miracle I had made it into the earlier seating - I quickly pulled "Foodie Mentor", who I knew would appreciate this level of culinary genius, to go with me.  I couldn't believe that I would get to experience Urasawa, Cimarusti and Manzke in the same meal (along with David Myers of Comme Ca and Sona, and Ramon Perez from Sona, and Noriyuki Sugie from Breadbar) - all for a price I can actually afford - $110 (+$30 for wine pairings)!

The food was absolutely breathtaking - and I feel like nothing I say can do the actual dishes justice, but they are so beautiful I feel more compelled than any other meal I've had in the past few years to share:

First up was a trio of amuse from the host chef:

Noriyuki Sugie (Breadbar LA) Canapé
Pumpernickel, Aged Lard, Artichoke Barigoule, Caramelized Eel, Sansho Pepper
Wine pairing: NV Jean Philippe, "Brut, Blanquette de Limoux," Languedoc, France

The translucent pieces of aged lard were deliciously salty, and counterbalanced by the firm but yielding pieces of pumpernickel bread.  The tender artichoke hearts with foam were a nice light 'chaser', followed by the spoonfuls of caramelized eel, which was a refreshing take on unagi with a natural, crisp sweetness (versus the typical sauce, which I personally find sickeningly sweet).

What's a meal at Breadbar without of course, bread - and we got a heaping basket of amazing bread between the canape and 1st course.  I pretty much took hold of the edges of the basket, and inhaled its contents whole.

Next up was the highly anticipated Urasawa course:

Hiroyuki Urasawa (Urasawa) Tartar Duo
Hokkaido Scallop & Salmon Roe, Shitake Mushroom
Toro & Osetra Caviar
Takuan, Scallion
Wine pairing: Hananomai Sake "Katana" Junmai Ginjo, Japan

This course came playfully plated with two spoons, the better for us to experience all the flavors of its contents come together in one bite. 

The tuna spoon consisted of toro (fatty tuna belly), osetra caviar and what I think is diced radish on top for the slightest crunch.

The scallop spoon had ikura (salmon roe) which presented an unfamiliar texture and taste than others I've had - it was super sticky and pungent - with an aftertaste that reminded me of bottarga (which I love).  Perfect when combined with the smooth, velvety and mild hokkaido scallops - which tasted like clean, deep ocean, and grounded with a sliver of earthy, meaty shitake mushroom. 

Pickled veggie slices (takuan) were provided on the side atop a shiso leaf - a nice bit of acidity to cut through the preceeding rich ocean flavors, elevated to a new level when wrapped with the unique flavor of the shiso leaf.

The next course elicited audible gasps around the room:

Michael Cimarusti (Providence)
Soymilk Panna Cotta, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, Geoduck Clam & Fresh Wasabi
Wine pairing: Epiphany 2009 Riesling Santa Barbara County, CA

Chef Cimarusti created a gorgeous work of art that was as beautiful to behold as it was to taste.  Impossibly smooth but light, pristine as untouched snow on Christmas morning soymilk panna cotta - whose consistency reminded me of the classic Chinese dessert 豆腐花 ("dau fu fa" or tofu custard) without the syrup, lined the bowl.  This was topped by uni (sea urchin) that was perfectly structured, with a distinct brininess to counterbalance the melt-in-your-mouth, mild-flavored panna cotta. Pansies and other beautiful flower petals were strewn over the mound, adding vibrant color while lending levity to the piece; squid-like slivers of geoduck clam, crispy rice balls, circles of radish and cucumber contributed crunch for textural variety.  Lastly, there was a sprig of what we thought was dill adding visual interest to the whole thing. In the wake of so much destruction caused by natural disaster, this dish celebrated the beauty of nature: it was in one word - divine; making me happy to be alive and fortunate enough to experience such an creation of absolute beauty, even if just once in my life (no, I am not sparing with hyperbole at all).

The next dish was another one we couldn't wait to try, despite its deceptively simple description:

Walter Manzke (Le Saint Amour, Church & State, Bastide) Santa Barbara Prawns Thai Curry, Spring Pea
Wine pairing:  Jean-Marc Brocard, 2009 Petit Chablis, Burgundy, France

A nice progression from the clean flavors of the preceding dish, Chef Manzke's masterpiece brought heat in the form of a light textured thai curry broth poured over a plump, juicy Santa Barbara prawn, which sat atop a layer of spring pea custard and was accompanied by a side of caviar.  Chef Manzke's skillful control of the elements of this dish ensured that the incredibly fresh texture and ocean flavors in the prawn were augmented, not overwhelmed, by the rich flavors in the curry and custard.

Gems from the sea gave way to a solid course of beef:

David Myers (Sona) - Charcoal Akage Beef, Mautuke Tempura, Tsukemono
Wine pairing: Fat Monk 2009 Pinot Noir, Central Coast, CA

The seared meat medallion was accompanied by fried mushroom and some sort of radish - while the crispy rice balls make a cameo as well.  I've never tasted mushroom charred to this degree yet completely juicy in the center and not powdery even in the blackened bits.  A lovely course.

For the finish:
Ramon Perez (Sona) Sakura Cream, Black Okinawa Sugar, Alpine Strawberry, Cherry-Blossom Yogurt-Sorbet

Wine pairing: Mizbasho Sparkling Sake "Pure,", Gunma, Japan

Flowers were threaded through several courses in this meal - and makes a big appearance in the grand finale in the subtly sweet and floral cream pudding made from sakura petals, topped by adorable, exquisite little alpine strawberries and a cherry-blossom yogurt-sorbet.  The preserved cherry blossom that served as edible garnish was an interesting touch for this course, both visually and in adding a strong kick of flavor as  our last bite.

To close out the evening (and make way for the next seating) - each chef made a brief speech and plea to help Japan, encouraging diners to bid in the silent auction and to purchase specially designed fundraiser tees.  Before departing, mignardises were served at the counter opposite the bar - consisting of green tea macarons, bite-sized marshmallows, and chocolates.

All-in-all, it may have cost more than I would normally want to splurge on a meal ($110 each person plus $30 wine pairings). But a steal for the caliber of chefs and dishes that was part of the experience - I would never have any glimmer of hope of tasting the genius of a Urasawa creation otherwise! Definitely one of the best meals I've had in LA - and to make it even better, it's all for a good cause!

So in the spirit of continuing support for Japan - please don't stop with your donations, Japan still needs your help.  Give to Red Cross here (choose option for funds to go to "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami").

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 6.5 bites
Originality - 6.5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6.5 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
___________________________________________________________________

Breadbar LA
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067
Ph. 310.277.3770

Website: breadbar.net
Twitter: twitter.com/breadbar_la
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Grill 'Em All Truck - Breadbar Hatchi Truck Stop Pop-Up 8 Dishes 8 Dollars

Malls are steadily looking to transform into more than just a place to shop.  With complexes like Century City and Santa Monica Place at the forefront of the 'culinary evolution' - from aspiring dining experiences on rooftop terrace to high end food courts serving global fare - mall dining has its gaze firmly affixed on becoming more than mere utilitarian pit stops to refuel during marathon shopping sprees, but destinations /events that garner attention from gourmands.  There is still a lot of work to be done before they can achieve that goal - but as someone used to experiencing fine dining in malls in Hong Kong, I for one am cheering on their efforts.

BREADBAR is one of the trailblazers, with its focus on "artisanal bread in the classic tradition of French breadcraft...inspired by the French bakers of past centuries, and updated with a contemporary American taste." Combining "tradition and innovation with a passion for good eating", Breadbar first made headlines with Ludo Lefebvre's game-changing pop-up concept at its 3rd street location a few years ago.  It's since progressed to Hatchi guest chef series at its Westfield Century City location. The latest in the series, "Hatchi Truck Stop", featuring food truck chefs the last Thursday of every month, rolled into BREADBAR this past week.
"Hatchi," which means 'eight' in Japanese, has the original idea of offering diners eight inspired small plates priced at $8 each as a one-night-only engagement, smartly driving 'urgency to try'. Guests have to order a minimum of 4 dishes each including alcoholic beverages. This needs to add up to a minimum of $32 (which is almost 'one unit of Mozza') - so I did look over the list of trucks carefully before making my reservation for opening night.

The "gastrotruck" kicking off the series is Grill 'Em All, Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race" winner. Grill 'Em All, helmed by Chef Ryan Harkins and Chef Mathew Chernus, is known for its rock 'n' roll persona backed by a menu featuring (I heard) incredible burgers and other comfort foods.  I actually didn't watch the show and was drawn purely by the menu items described for BREADBAR's Hatchi Truck Stop opening night, which included such Pavlovian words as "truffle", "foie gras", and "poutine". 


A big fan of food trucks as incubators for up and coming talent, who just may not be funded yet to launch their own brick and mortar venues - I see food truck chasing as sometimes involving both an element of rooting for the underdog and the thrill / vanity of discovering new talent. So I was excited about the Hatchi Truck Stop series, as it gives food truck chefs run of a full kitchen to exhibit their skills at producing higher end fare.

Tucked in the back of Century City, by escalators leading to AMC Theaters, BREADBAR has a cosmopolitan vibe that you would expect to see in a bustling neighborhood in Manhattan or San Francisco.  I loved that they went with modern / sleek vs. the expected rustic, in line with the traditional bread-making techniques they are marketing.

"Designer" agreed to check this event out with me, and when we arrived Thursday night, we were promptly seated at the communal bar-height tables on the 'patio'.  Menus were already waiting for us at each spot.

To meet our minimum, we each ordered 3 dishes plus a cocktail.  In terms of drinks, BREADBAR was featuring signature microbrews from Humboldt County's Lost Coast Brewery.  Not a big beer fan, I went with the Elderflower St. Germain cocktail ($10), which unfortunately reminded me of what you would get if you hand-squeezed several moist towelettes into a glass, except the citrus is orange instead of lemon.  Designer went with an interesting cocktail made of ginger beer, beer and fresh sprigs of mint ($10) - this was refreshing but not mindblowing and not something we would crave.

My first dish was Beer And Cheese Soup ($8) - with Frisee, Lardon, Bacon Vinaigrette.  Seemed like the chefs were having fun with the traditional pairing of soup and salad.  Beer with cheese in soup was a new combination for me and I was excited to try it.  I did like this soup - which had an interesting consistency that was at once creamy and 'sticky'.  The mix of savory and sweet was also interesting as well, and I love the quick toss of herbs on top for texture contrast. 

As for the frisee salad, much as I love bacon, this couldn't save the salad from being as washed out as an 80s' rock star.  The bacon vinaigrette did not come through at all in taste, the frisee was barely dressed, and the lardon bits though tasty were also a bit on the dry side - so that the whole thing did not come together cohesively.  I ended up just picking at all the bacon bits and leaving the rest.

Designer's first dish was Deconstructed Cleveland Polish Boy ($8) - Wild Boar Sausage, Blue Cheese Slaw, BBQ Pulled Pork, Cleveland Stadium Mustard, Steak Fries.  This was probably the most unappealing presentation of the night - I am not even going to repeat what Designer described it as, but it has to do with 'presents' you will often find on the sidewalk in neighborhoods with irresponsible pet owners. 

The pulled pork was actually incredibly juicy and rich in flavor, and possibly the best dish of the night.  The rest of the plate fell flat on stage - the sausage, which had so much potential with its exotic sounding meat, was not exotic at all in flavor - there just wasn't much flavor to be had, period.  The mysterious sounding 'stadium mustard' was also lackluster in the flavor department.

We both got the Poutine ($8) - Fried, Duck Confit, Gravy, Mozzarella based on the description.  I've yet to take my brother up on his offer of an authentic poutine 'tour' in Montreal, but I've liked all that LA has to offer so far, and was excited to see this on the menu at the BREADBAR event.  I liked this dish for the most part - the duck confit and gravy was rich, tender and flavorful - the fries served hot and crispy.  My only note was for the mozzarella - I know that poutine by definition involves cheese curds, but the mozzarella bits had a consistency that was a bit too rubbery for our taste - they were just short of the rubbery-ness of little erasers on the ends of pencils.  It would have been nice to get fresh mozzarella bits in as their own interpretation of the dish. A solid dish overall though, and a great deal - the portion size was generous and we could have eaten this as an entree.  As it is, we were able to take leftovers home.

Based on the description, the dish we were most excited about for the night was the Pierogi ($8) - "Stuffed with Pate de Foie Gras and Portobello Crimini Mushroom, Truffle Sour Cream", which includes a few of my favorite foods / ingredients on earth! We *almost* spent all 3 of our required dishes on the Pierogi.  Unfortunately, this turned out to be probably our least favorite dish of the night - the pierogi wrapper was thick, chewy and crusty on the edges, tasting like it came from a bag of frozen dumplings that has sat in the freezer far past its expiration date. Foie gras, best known for its luxurious, decadent, rich texture - did not have its signature features highlighted, but was instead a broken down, jumbled mess that is a mere shadow of its original state.  There was neither richness of texture nor taste.  The asian-inspired sauce was oily overkill, overwhelming any subtle flavors that might have been lurking in the pierogi filling.  I thought at least that we could enjoy the truffle sour cream - but was disappointed when we found we could not taste any hint of truffle flavor in the cream.


Even if we had room for dessert after all these dishes, we were too disappointed in the quality of our savory dishes to throw any more money into the meal.

All in all, while I applaud in concept BREADBAR's support of up and coming chefs with these pop-ups, and will undoubtedly be back for others in future - this particular event with Grill 'Em All Truck was not what I had anticipated.  And this out of all the food trucks listed is what I would most look forward to trying (I'm already addicted to Coolhaus and chase it down far too often).  Knowing that Grill 'Em All Truck's specialty is really burgers - I would still be up to try one the next time they roll into my neighborhood, but as far as more ambitious dishes go - I would say they still have several miles to go before they get 'there', if that is even their goal.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 4.5 bites
Presentation - 4.5 bites
Originality - 4.5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 5 stars
Overall experience - 4.5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 65% 
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Breadbar LA
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067
Ph. 310.277.3770

Hatchi Truck Stop - last Thursday of the month March through December 2011

Website: breadbar.net
Twitter: twitter.com/breadbar_la

OpenTable (get points!):  Look for reservations
Eligible for Westfield Century City Dining Rewards program - bring receipts within 7 days to mall concierge for registration
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Ummba Grill - Not Your Mother's Brazilian Churrascaria

"Brazilian Churrascaria" once a novel concept to American diners, has become the familiar in recent years - the words immediately conjur up an image of a traditional dining room, with servers making their rounds at each table offering giant skewers of meat that are carved directly onto your plate on request - as much as you can handle, until you reach the point where you can barely stretch out an arm to turn the red/green indicator over, signalling that you need to stop (at least for a while). 

Ummba Grill brings a new take on Brazilian Churrascarias, doing away with the all you can eat, brought to your table concept that leads to inevitable over-gorging, and streamlining service to two types:
(1) You can choose from their ready-made selection of entrees and hot/cold side dishes in a buffet-style line - but pay only for what you take, by weight - or (2) order a la carte items from the menu.  The other innovation was to put a chic yet casual space in a shopping center setting, and offer Brazilian entertainment on Sundays with music and dancers.

'Bicycletta' and I had passed by Ummba Grill many times on our way to the AMC Theater at Century City, and was always intrigued by the concept, the chic lounge style space on the terrace, the Brazilian dancers in full feathered garb - as well as the banners advertising Happy Hour specials.  Emboldened by my recently scored Restaurant.com certificate (for $25, which I bought for $2 during their promotion for 80% off original price of $10), and its requirement for $50 minimum food purchase - we decided to check it out with 'Lindyhopper' last Sunday evening during the Happy Hour window, to further stack up the savings, and order anything we wanted on the menu.

Since we were there during Happy Hour (Mon-Tues all day, Wed-Sun 4pm-7pm) - this meant we could also get specialty drinks for $5 (with a few exceptions, like the Mediterrenean Capirinha) and 1/2 price appetizers (all except sliders), wines and beers.

I had the regular Capirinha ($9 regularly), while Lindyhopper and Bicycletta had sodas.  It was the start of the cold weather in LA, so we sat inside at the marble tables, though being right next to the fire pit did not help make us any warmer.

We couldn't wait to get our hands on food both to warm up and to see how it all tastes - but were having a difficult time narrowing down choices from the appetizer menu as everything looked good.  Then we realized since we were within the Happy Hour timeframe, we could actually just go crazy with ordering whatever we wanted! 

We finally decided on four plates to share, family style, so that we could sample more dishes.  The first was the Salmon Croquettes with Garlic Aioli ($8.95 regularly).

The croquettes were attractively presented as a set of two sitting on a splash of aioli, flavorful with a crispy outside and a flaky, warm filling of salmon.  The aioli was balanced and well proportioned to the croquettes, so as not to overpower them.

Next were the Shrimp Empanadas with avocado tomatillo salsa ($8.95 regularly) - which came two to a plate, and had fairly large and tender pieces of shrimp inside.  The pastry shell was flaky, but could have been served at a slightly hotter temperature (though perhaps we were just affected by the cold weather - and the dining area is sort of an open space leading out to the bar on the terrace).

Our third appetizer was the Coxinha - fried balls stuffed with chicken ($8.95 regularly) - served up on bed of mashed potatoes with a few greens and cherry tomatoes.  Between the two 'fried balls' appetizers we had in this meal, I preferred the Salmon Croquettes, but may be a bit biased as I am not a fan of chicken, at all, in general.  Though, this one tasted more like tuna than chicken.

Our last appetizer was the Fried Polenta ($7.95 regularly) - which looked like oversized fries topped with shredded parmesan cheese and herbs (parsley?).  Interesting way to serve polenta, and I liked the combination of the crispy outside with the crunchy / mealy inside.

For our entree, all three of us ended up choosing the Picanha ($15.95) - 4-5 slices of top sirloin with Brazilian special seasonings plus two side dishes.  Temperature was a big part of experience...and unfortunately on the day of our visit, everything on the plates were just too cold. 

Our side dishes were also lackluster:  Three Cheese Macaroni (fairly bland and not rich and creamy enough in texture) - two orders, Brazilian Garlic Rice (garlic flavor was too muted for our taste), Feijoda (black beans with chunks of beef - single note in flavor), Plaintains (got cold too quickly, wasn't crisp on the outside nor soft on the inside), and Mashed Potatoes with Arugula (could be a little more rich and creamy).

That said, this is better than your average mall meal, though I would have been sorely disappointed if I had paid full price (and in my mind of course I am still comparing the quality of the meat to other Brazilian churrascarias I had been to in the past - which were fall-off-the skewer, amazingly tender, juicy and flavorful). 

One other point of disappointment was in that we missed the "Brazilian Sundays" Entertainment - there are supposed to be dancers every Sunday 4pm-10pm - but from 4pm til 7pm when we left, there was no entertainment to be seen.   That would have been a highlight and part of a unique experience that one would not expect at a shopping center - and would have justified the prices and average tasting food. 

That said, we left satisfied with the value that we got from the meal, only because of all the compounded deals - with the happy hour pricing for all appetizers and my specialty drink, and the application of the $25 Restaurant.com voucher (which I paid $2 for during a promotion) - the total cost came to  $66 including a 20% tip ($64 + $2 for the Restaurant.com GC) for three people.

On top of all this, I signed up at the mall concierge for Westfield Century City Dining Rewards - each food purchase at the mall, whether it be at the dining terrace, any of the other eateries around the mall, or any of the food stores (e.g. See's Candies) can be recorded by the concierge within 7 days of purchase.  Once you accumulate $500 in receipts on the above, you can earn a $25 reward certificate to spend as you like at the mall.  So, my meal was not only fairly low cost, I also earned $64 towards the total needed to get a $25 reward certificate!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5 bites
Presentation - 5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 5 stars
Overall experience -  bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 80%

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Ummba Grill (Westfield Century City)
10250 Santa Monica Blvd # 200A, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Ph: 310-552-2014
Website: ummbagrill.com

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