Toddrickallen is heading for some of the planet’s best style and food destinations: Paris, Milan, Naples, and the Amalfi Coast. Stay tuned for blogs from some of our favorite restaurants, markets, patisseries, and food halls. Au Revoir Los Angeles!
With all the new bakeries popping up across town, it’s easy to overlook the hidden gems. One such place is Jin Patisserie in Venice. Hidden behind a high fence is a tranquil garden of escape from the city. There hardly is a lovelier place in LA to sit for afternoon tea than here. The petit sandwiches and pastries are always wonderful. Christine is masterful at her craft. Her macarons shine, the gateaux perfect. But I most love Jin for the amazing chocolates hand-crafted with rare steeped teas and Asian flavors. They are extraordinary and are always the perfect gift.
1202 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Venice, CA 90291-3366
(310) 399-8801 www.jinpatisserie.com
OK, I have to confess, I have not stopped dreaming of the Earth Burger at Umami Santa Monica since I had my first one a couple of weeks ago. Dense, moist, deeply satisfying; I’m obsessed. It differs from the other veggie burgers out there. It isn’t rice based like most which leave one feeling like they’ve eaten a cinderblock. Umami’s version is made with edamame and mushroom so it has a meatier texture. Topped with white soy and truffle oil aioli, ricotta, cipollini onions, lettuce, and tomato, this is a burger of legends. You can appreciate the skillful blending of flavors to achieve umami, the fifth or savory taste (after sweet, salty, bitter, sour). Here the truffle oil becomes a player in a symphony flavors, not the usual overuse and the resulting petroleum backnote that ruins many a dish. The sum of the parts blend harmoniously into a mouth-watering whole. And don’t get me started on the indescribably delicious ‘cheesy tots’, house-made tater tots which are crispy on the outside and pillowy-moist on the inside with a hint of cheese. Umami Burger Santa Monica is a magical combination of outstanding food, attentive and speedy service (ask for Kitty), and ocean breeze-fanned patio. What could be better on a balmy summer evening?
Umami Santa Monica @ Fred Segal (and other locations throughout the city)
500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 451-1300 http://www.umamiburger.com/
Sunday-Thursday 11am to 11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-12am
Clockwise from top left: Earth Burger, ‘Cheesy Tots’, Tempura Onion Rings
Do you ever dream about the bavette cacio e pepe at Osteria Mozza and wonder how they produce such perfection rivalled only in Italy? Well, now’s your chance if you hurry. This Thursday, July 1st, the Scuola di Pizza at Mozza2Go has just announced a pasta class. Unfortunately it’s only demonstration, no hands-on, but what a great chance to find out how to make the goat cheese ravioli with 5 lilies. Reception starts at 6:30 and class begins at 7:00. $150 per person. Class size is extremely limited so act fast. Call 323.297.1133 for reservations
742 N. Highland Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone: 323.203.0500
After a delay of about a week for the opening, Millions of Milkshakes is set to foist its celebrity concoctions on unsuspecting Westfield Fox Hills Mall patrons starting tomorrow. Keeping fingers crossed, the grand opening is scheduled for Friday.
Layla Cafe at 11906 W. Wilshire, near Bundy in West LA is in its soft opening. Behind the coolest giant swinging door is a quiet oasis serving healthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern salads, sandwiches, grilled items, and nibbles. Open from 10am to 12am daily.
Layla Cafe
11906 W. Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 310-2999
If you hurry, you just might be able to make the newly added pizza class at Scuola di Pizza. It’s this Thursday night, June 24th. There is a 6:30 reception with a 7:00 start. Cost is $150 and seating is very limited. Call 323.297.1133 for reservations.
Pizzeria Mozza
641 N. Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 323.297.0101
So what’s going on at the new Thai restaurant across the street from Urth on Main in Santa Monica? That sign in the window announcing the Thai trinkets store’s impending conversion to a vegan restaurant has been up for quite a while. Well, according to Latree the owner, the restaurant has been postponed due to a conflict with the city of Santa Monica. It appears that building is lacking a proper cover for its electrical panel. While this doesn’t sound like a giant problem, the only company that manufactured the covers is long out of business. A makeshift cover was installed and this is the reason the city won’t grant the permit. Latree has been very patient and has already done much of the conversion, but she doesn’t expect any action from the city until later this year. Her future menu lists a variety of noodles, curries, appetizers, and fried rice made with fresh, healthy ingredients.
Looks like they still have a way to go if they’re going to make it for a July/August opening, but check out the Freshii website for its menu of salads, wraps, soups, and breakfasts that calculates your calories as you make your choices. With restaurants throughout the US, Canada, and the world, they offer a concept menu of fresh foods that you customize to fit your lifestyle. Find Freshii on the corner of San Vicente and Gorham (under Chin Chin) in Brentwood. Find the menu here http://freshii.com/menu.php
The Westside sugar rush continues unabated…
With locations in the City of Commerce and Huntington Park, it appears that La Monarca Bakery is heading west. Signs have gone up at 1300 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica (formerly Frogo Yogurt) announcing its impending arrival. The menu lists an assortment of pan dulce, cakes, savory pastries, ice cream, and coffees. See it here at http://lamonarcabakery.com/en/pdf/MONARCA-MENU.pdf
A quirkily dressed but none-the-less effervescent Jennifer Love Hewitt lit up the bar at Culina in the Four Seasons Beverly Hills on Saturday night.
It looks like a crepe chain, La Crepe Parisienne, that started in Mexico is going into the vacant storefront at 563 Camden in Beverly Hills, next to Teuscher. The only other location in the US is in New York on Spring St. The online menu lists a variety of sweet and savory crepes prepared upon demand, as well as Illy coffee and “healthy bottled beverages”. Check out the menu at vivelacrepe.fr/
Stop the presses! This just in from a very reliable source: You know that cavernous space in the Brentwood Country Mart that I referred to in a previous post as the “carcass of the City Bakery”? A very reliable source has informed Toddrickallen that work has begun on “Thomas Keller’s casual cafe/bakery and produce market.” Could this be the elusive Bouchon Bakery that Keller has been alluding to building in LA for some time now? I stopped by this afternoon and sure enough, there are signs up stating that you can no longer walk through the space and there was ample evidence that work had begun. If you listen carefully, you just may be able to hear westsiders exude a collective gasp of disbelief at their good fortune. You can glimpse what’s likely to be coming at Bouchonbakery.com.
With the original in West Hollywood, it looks like Millions of Milkshakes is getting ready to open next week in the Westfield Fox Hills Mall. Expect the usual designer milkshakes made with over 50 different toppings. I’ll think I’ll steer clear of the Linsay Lohan though…
A reader sent news of soba cooking classes in Santa Monica. Soba is my go-to noodle of choice. Whenever I return from 99 Ranch Market or the Japanese supermarkets on Sawtelle, inevitably I bring back a supply to last a few months. It’s earthiness stands up to heavily flavored sauces (such as a curry) and sparkles in lighter soy-bases sauces. Or try substituting it for the traditional pizzoccheri in an Italian pasta of cubed and sautéed potato, cavolo nero, butter, parmesan, red pepper flakes, and toasted bread crumbs. If you’ve every had the opportunity to have had fresh soba, then you know that these classes are a great opportunity. They even offer vegan soba cooking classes!
Soba and Japanese Home Cooking Workshops:
Beginner to expert soba noodle classes with gluten-free offerings, Japanese market tours, knife skills, vegan dining, and more.
Locations and tickets online at mazumizu.com.
After leaving Red O the other night, the doorman handed us a business card which states that they are “coming soon” to Santa Monica, although I’ve been unable to confirm this anywhere.
We thought we’d check out the hot new restaurant Red O on Melrose in the beautiful new basket-like building that used to house old Moustache Cafe space. Of course there’s no way to get a rezzie at this point, but the reservationist told us to show up and avail ourselves of the copious space at the two bars. Well, apparently she must have told everyone in LA county and perhaps half of Orange county the same thing because by the time we got there, “They were at capacity.” Or so stated the icy and officious door man. We were curtly told we could wait and since we were the first in an increasingly long line of people waiting, we decided to wait. And wait we did. 45 minutes. Even when we pointed out to the doorman that many people had left and we could see that the side bar was almost empty, he kept to his line, “We’re at capacity.” Oh well. Many had it worse than us. Others who had been sent away to put on more suitable attire were sent to the back of the line when they returned. And many people with reservations were turned away when they arrived in shorts (as it should be). Tempers flared around us but we kept our cool and continued to wait. Eventually the doorman warmed up and was actually a nice guy. Finally we were rewarded with two seats at the front bar. Curiously, we noticed that the communal table and back bar were about 25% occupied. Oh Well. The interior was bright, breezy, tropical meets north African with many small niches and corners to sit. Unfortunately, our seats at the bar were next to two black leather swings which were irresistable to the many women who obviously went to the Linsay Lohan School of Charm and kept swinging into us. The barman was friendly and helpful and gave us prompt service despite the demanding club-scene ambiance. The wine list was quite good and we settled on a Falanghina. However, when we asked the barman what was vegetarian on the menu, his face fell. Turns out, not much. A sum total of seven items, mostly nibbles and snacks. Even many of the things that appeared to be vegetarian contain lard. Now, we’re not naive about Mexican food, but this is LA. Hot chef Rick Bayless, fresh from his recent White House state dinner, clearly has put together a complex menu. Everyone around us were raving about the dishes so we decided to go ahead. We started with the guac and chips, about as standard as you’d get anywhere. We moved on to the Red O salad, a mixture of lettuces with garlic-lime dressing, wire-thin crisps of tortilla, and pickled onion. Again, very good, but nothing over the top. Next came the queso fundidos, with its pile of mushrooms on top, served with warm corn tortillas. Warm, cheesy, comforting, we liked it best when combined with the mushroom soft tacos, which were mixed with beans. Everything was very good, but clearly vegetarians are an afterthought here. The scene was great, the crowd beautiful, the service good, the food ok. Would we kill ourselves coming back? Probably not. Oh well.
Red O/Restaurant
8155 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.655.5009 redorestaurant.com
Have you ever been driving through Orange County and wondered, “Where in the Hell am I going to eat?” A great place to keep tucked into your mental rolodex is David Myer’s casual Italian restaurant Pizzeria Ortica. Centrally located at South Coast Plaza, it’s a breath of fresh air. The interior is bright and sunny and the staff friendly and helpful. But it is the food that shines here. The Roman artichokes with ricotta salata were buttery and rich. The wood-roasted vegetable with buratta and basil oil, while a little too heavy on the peppers, especially shishito, was still a satisfying and creative starter. The pizzas here are stellar. They start with a 300 year-old starter (a ‘biga’), hand stretch the crusts, top, and bake in a wood-burning oven. The results are fantastic; moist, malty, crispy, and burnt in a few spots. The margherita was excellent, but the Milanesa stole the show. Topped with fontina, asparagus, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a fried egg, it was a perfect balance of topping and crust. I love a fried egg on pizza. You often see this in France. When the egg is cut, the yolk oozes over the pizza and creates a rich carbonara as it cooks slightly adding complex character. The entire table agreed that this was one of the best pizzas we’d had in a while. Pizzeria Ortica is well worth a visit. Although David Myers may be having some difficulties north of the border, in OC he’s still thoroughly in control.
Pizzeria Ortica
650 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714)445-4900
A reader excitedly spotted Border Grill Truck in Hawthorne. Unfortunately for them, they were not open for business but instead appeared to be undergoing a repair. Men working on the truck explained that it was undergoing a conversion to make it run on cooking oil. Hopefully a greener Border Grill Truck will be back up and running soon!
