Category Archives: California

Red Medicine [2] and Bestia, Los Angeles CA

Given my affinity for handmade pastas and pretty much anything cooked in a wood-burning oven plus a a memorable meal with my family at ‘All Angelo (RIP) a reservation at Ori Menashe’s Arts district hot-spot, Bestia, was secured even before … Continue reading

Posted in Bestia, California, Coffee, Dessert, Food, Gnocchi, Ice Cream, Italian, Los Angeles, Pizza, Pork, Red Medicine, Truffle, Vacation

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant, Rosemead CA

The Gist: No Website! The Why: Living in Ohio and moving to Phoenix my opportunities for good Dim Sum are limited and given the fact that this trip to Los Angeles would be my very first by car I wanted … Continue reading

Posted in California, Dessert, Food, Los Angeles, Pork, Rosemead, Sea Harbour, Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant, Vacation

Alma, Los Angeles CA

The Gist: http://www.alma-la.com/ The Why: Truthfully, prior to the Kings announcing their game I didn’t even know Alma was an official restaurant rather than the Ari Taymor’s pop-up I’d read about months earlier when planning a previous visit to the … Continue reading

Posted in Alma, Bread Basket, California, Crab, Food, Ice Cream, Los Angeles, Tasting Menu, Truffle, Vacation

Industriel, Los Angeles CA

The Gist: http://industrielfarm.com/ The Why: Going into LA on short notice for a noon-time game I wanted a space that was open continuously from brunch to dinner so as not to require reservations or require any rush to get there … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, Breakfast, California, Coffee, Croissant, Food, French Toast, Industriel, Los Angeles, Pork, Truffle, Vacation

Two Sweet Days 25-Years in the Making, Los Angeles CA

A fan of the Los Angeles Kings ever since my aunt and grandfather took me to see the purple and gold play at Joe Louis Arena during the 1987-88 season it goes without saying that the 2012 NHL playoffs were … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, Bread Pudding, Breakfast, California, Coffee, Cornbread, Croissant, Dessert, Food, French Toast, Glendora, Ice Cream, Los Angeles, Macaroon, Proof, Santa Monica, Semi Sweet, Short Cake, Sweet Rose Creamery, The Donut Man, The Nickel Diner, The Sycamore Kitchen

Animal, Los Angeles CA

For my final meal on this trip to Los Angeles I decided to finally accept the hype and make a reservation at Animal. As I’ve not been living under a rock for the last three years I was obviously aware … Continue reading

Posted in Animal, California, Coffee, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Los Angeles, Pork, Sweetbreads, Vacation

Jitlada, Los Angeles CA

I’m from the Midwest. More so than that I am from Northwest Ohio and have spent the better part of the last 12 years in the center of “average America” where Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Pepsi test market their newest … Continue reading

Posted in California, Food, Jitlada, Los Angeles, Vacation

LQ @ SK White Truffle Dinner, Los Angeles CA

During my last visit to Los Angeles I took the advice of some “foodie” friends and visited Bistro LQ, the then-home of Chef Laurent Quenioux and his utterly fearless brand of cuisine; it was a meal that resonated a long … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, California, Crab, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Laurent Quenioux, Lobster, Los Angeles, LQ, LQ @ SK, Pork, Starry Kitchen, Sweetbreads, Tasting Menu, Truffle, Vacation

Gjelina and GTA, Los Angeles CA

I’d admittedly heard some mixed things about Gjelina in the year since my last visit to Los Angeles – most of them describing a restaurant that is pretty much jam packed from noon till midnight serving good, sometimes even great, … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Pudding, California, Dessert, Food, Gjelina, Gjelina Take Away, Gnocchi, GTA, Los Angeles, Pizza, Vacation, Venice

Providence [2], Los Angeles CA

While I certainly wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth I was blessed with a good head on my shoulders and a strong worth ethic that has afforded me some great opportunities, not the least of which has … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, California, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Los Angeles, Macaroon, Pork, Providence, Truffle, Vacation

Red Medicine, Beverly Hills CA

I was warned about Red Medicine by no less than three people that it wasn’t that good, that the service was awful, that it was overpriced, etc – yet on the other hand I had it on good word from … Continue reading

Posted in Beverly Hills, California, Coffee, Croissant, Dessert, Foie, Food, Los Angeles, Pork, Red Medicine, Vacation

ink., Los Angeles CA

As it turns out Michael Voltaggio has achieved quite a bit since I first encountered his cooking at The Bazaar by Jose Andres shortly after its opening in 2009 – and when I say ‘a bit’ I clearly mean earned … Continue reading

Posted in California, Coffee, Food, ink., Los Angeles, Pork, Vacation, Waffles

Breakfast and Brunch, Los Angeles CA

More or less the moment I received my flight confirmation to LAX I started planning my meals and despite the fact that “meals” were provided at the three day conference I was certainly not in town for that sort of … Continue reading

Posted in Amandine, AOC, Bar Bouchon, Beverly Hills, Bouchon Bakery, Bouchon Beverly Hills, Bread Pudding, Breakfast, California, Coffee, Cornbread, Croissant, Dessert, Food, French Toast, Glendale, Ice Cream, Los Angeles, Pork, Portos, The Nosh, Vacation, Waffles

Ancillary Eats, Los Angeles CA

No sooner had I returned from Chicago than I was repacking my bag for the city of angels and although this trip was prompted more by business than by pleasure a fortuitous clinic schedule allowed me to tack on a … Continue reading

Posted in Bhan Kanom, Bread Pudding, Breakfast, Cake Monkey, California, Coffee, Croissant, cupcakes, Dessert, Fonuts, Food, French Toast, Groundworks Coffee, Joan's on Third, Los Angeles, Pizza, Pork, Stella Rossa, Truffle, Vacation

Plum, Oakland CA

…despite the urging of my dinner companion at Commis I simply could not justify the expense of a dinner at Coi during this trip to San Francisco; I’d simply heard too many mixed things from too many trusted palates and … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, California, Dessert, Food, Ice Cream, Oakland, Plum, Pork, San Francisco, Vacation

benu, San Francisco CA

To say I went into benu with high expectations would be an understatement – this was a meal I was so excited about that I literally could not wait to visit and after back-to-back disappointments at Commis and Meadowood plus … Continue reading

Posted in Barbeque, benu, California, Coffee, Crab, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Pork, San Francisco, Tasting Menu, Truffle, Vacation

The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena CA

My trip to Paris in April led to a renewed faith in the United States Michelin Guides; having dined at six 3* temples of gastronomy and four 2* establishments during our nine days in town I found that on the … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, California, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Lobster, Meadowood, Napa, San Francisco, St. Helena, Sushi, Tasting Menu, The Restaurant at Meadowood, Vacation

Redd, Yountville CA

I’m not one to bluff or pull punches and with that stated I’ll simply state my first visit to Redd was a disaster – it was so bad that the bait n’ switch menu and awful service led to me … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, Bread Pudding, California, Coffee, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Pizza, Redd, Vacation, Yountville

Commis, Oakland CA

Sunday would be a day of small bites, baseball, and both old friends and new as the day began at 4:45am with a run through the hills of Oakland followed by a shower and a quick drive into the Mission. … Continue reading

Posted in Bread Basket, California, Commis, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Oakland, San Francisco, Tasting Menu, Uncategorized, Vacation

Atelier Crenn, San Francisco CA

I love food, I love the arts, and given my choice I prefer the more freely flowing and less constrained versions of each – it is probably why artists like Dali, chefs like Gagnaire, and bands like Mars Volta all … Continue reading

Posted in Atelier Crenn, Bread Basket, California, Dessert, Foie, Food, Ice Cream, Pork, San Francisco, Vacation