great birthday trip to la

I never fail to have a wonderful time when I visit Brendan in LA, as you know from former posts of our adventures in food and more!  Brendan had some great things planned . . .we went to The Broad museum in downtown LA, a private collection of modern art not to be missed.  The Broad is a beautiful building right next door to another gorgeous piece of architecture, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the LA Philharmonic---designed by Frank Gehry.  After your museum tour, take the tram down the hill to the Grand Central Market for a food court extravaganza!  We opted for old school Chinese--egg foo young!

The adventure continued with a great dinner at Lares Mexican in Santa Monica.  We saw Ocean's Eight while we were there, and it is a fun must see, especially for all the clothes and jewels!  Try breakfast and a sidewalk table at Sweet Butter, stop at Nespresso in BH for a fabulous salmon platter and visit the incredible mall at Westfield Century City, which features 3 stories of Eataly, an all Italian emporium filled with every Italian food and beverage delight you could possibly imagine---try the Roman pizza, known for its distinctive chewy, bubbly crust---we selected the prosciutto with green olives . . . words can't describe.  Brendan is a great griller and we enjoyed ribeyes and filets on grill the last night!

new year's eve at e & o kitchen and the shelton theater

Brendan came into town for New Year's Eve and as always we had a wonderful time.  We didn't have to go far to have a lovely evening right on Union Square.  We started with dinner at E and O Kitchen and Bar on Sutter Street and if you haven't been, make a plan to go--the atmoshere is casual chic, the food is divine Asian fusion with great cocktails--even housemade ginger ale and they have a great happy hour from 3-6, Mon-Sat.  Really nice, you could order directly off the regular menu on NYE--dinner included ahi tuna tartar, pad thai noodles with gulf white prawns, wood roasted black cod on water spinach and of course a very tender shaking beef with tomatoes, chilis and watercress.  We only had to travel a block to the Shelton Theater for a super hilarious, well priced comedy show called "Cheaper Than Therapy".  This long standing club in the heart of downtown SF has a cool downstairs bar and will definitely remind you of a below street New York bar.

bluff cove olive oil and vinegars in la

I was recently in LA and my dear friend Brendan turned me on to the most exceptional olive oil and vinegars in the area--Bluff Cove Olive Oil Company.  I am obsessed with the Black Mission Fig balsamic and the Spanish Picual extra virgin olive oil--perfect to dress delicate arugula or marinate chicken--black cherry balsamic is my next puchase--your bottles are filled on site from a huge selection of organic imported oils and vinegars.

la, food and the pageant of the masters

Just got back from a wonderful visit to LA with my dear friend, Brendan Eisan.  It was a belated birthday celebration for me and an early birthday celebration for him.  One of our adventures included going to the amazing living art show, The Pageant of the Masters, in Laguna Beach.  Laguna Beach is a artsy beach town 2 hours south of LA--yes the traffic was awful getting down there--but worth it.  Part of the world-renowned annual Festival of the Arts, the festival's highlight is The Pageant of the Masters.  The festival was started after the end of the depression as a means to draw business back to the art colony at Laguna Beach.  The Art Association struck on the idea of a summer art festival, to be held the week following the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in hopes that visitors would travel south to Laguna Beach before journeying home.  A smash hit at the festival was the Living Pictures show created by artist and vaudevillian Lolita Perine. She dressed local residents in costume and seated them behind a makeshift frame.  In 1935 Roy Ropp, a local construction worker, realtor and amateur artist, expanded Perine’s concept and developed the performance into its present-day format---A ninety-minute stage show of “living pictures” – incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater and professional orchestra complete the amazing performance. 

Food wise, we did well!  We had a delicious dinner in Laguna at Tortilla Republic, with salsa verde chicken enchiladas, pork fajitas and great guacamole. Saturday night, birthday dinner at Pace on Laurel Canyon--cedar grilled salmon and molten chocolate cake.  In LA, Sunday brunch at the Little Next Door, featured a wild mushroom/gruyere omelette and creamy potato gratin with coconut cheesecake to finish. For casual lunch in Sherman Oaks--- 8oz Poke. Build your own poke bowl with a variety of fresh fish, sides, sauces and toppings.  My poke bowl was a ridiculous amount of fresh ahi tuna poke and spicy tuna on baby greens with rice, wonton chips, avocado, cucumber and seaweed salad for $10.95??  I dream of a repeat every day!

thanksgiving at the house of prime rib

This Thanksgiving Brendan and I went to the House of Prime Rib for our 'fix'.  As many of you know, it is one of our favorite restaurants, and although it is not something to eat everyday, it is at least a couple times a year indulgence and worth every darn fat gram and calorie.

Let me explain.  This temple of old school deliciousness located at 1906 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco was established in 1949 and has been turning out near exacting meals ever since.  Specially selected cuts of beef, salt packed and roasted off to perfection are served with warm loaves of sourdough bread, a house salad tossed (well, spun) table side, creamed spinach, baked potatoes with all the toppings, Yorkshire pudding and pan au jus---all for one reasonable price!  If you have the room, finish with the creme brulee.  This year, Brendan I are giving thanks for many things---but included in that is an enduring friendship with wonderful time shared at a landmark restaurant that also continues to stand the test of time.

cafe midi and laurel hardware in la

No trip to LA is complete without a couple of good restaurant sightings and this recent trip was no exception.  Brendan took me to lunch at an unique spot on Le Brea, Maison Midi and Café Midi.

You enter through a wonderful store, Maison Midi, chalk full of retro home décor, tabletop and kitchen/dining goodies worthy of any Parisian mercantile.  In the back of the store is a charming French bistro called Café Midi. The menu boasts no less than 49 different salads, each more interesting than the next, dozens of sandwiches and burgers and of course a selection of croques-monsieur--I had the tuna and avocado croque-monsieur, smothered in melted Gruyere--the ultimate French toasted cheese!

Brendan and I celebrated his birthday at another interesting store transformed into a restaurant called Laurel Hardware on Santa Monica in West Hollywood.  The original hardware storefront gives way to a cool club/dining room with outdoor patio seating in the back.  Highlights included the lollipop sprout salad with avocado and pumpkin seeds, the beef cheeks, so tender you could cut them with your fork, and the thin crust pizza--we had the homemade sausage with rapini and red onions--all washed down with organic cucumber vodka, fresh juiced watermelon and lime.

hacienda el coyote restaurant in cabo san lucas

 

 

 

I went to Cabo earlier this month with my friend Brendan and stayed at his parent's fractional, the Monte Cristo Estates at Sunset Beach.  As usual, it is the most peaceful and relaxing week, with a little sun, a good book and lots of exploring all the delicious food around town. We have our favorites, like Lolita's, La Fonda, and the taco stand with the marinated pork that is to die for, but I have to tell you about a place I tried this year where the food was as delicious as it was beautiful--Hacienda El Coyote.

 

The restaurant features a tequila bar to the side, an interior dining room that has a pond running through it and an outdoor covered patio. You are gently serenaded by traditional singers, the service is excellent, waiters use tray service and silverware is quietly changed between courses--but the place is comfortable and not stuffy and the prices modest.

We started with thick homemade chips with guacamole and three amazing salsas.  I moved on to the house salad, an eye catching mix of lettuce with corn, pepita seeds, beans, black olives, cranberries, cotija cheese dressing, garnished with a crisp cheese wafer.  Brendan's corn chowder was silky smooth, perfectly seasoned and had the most delicious garnish--a little dumpling filled with huitlacoche (a corn fungus similar to mushroom--they were also served as an entree stuffed in crepes and topped with poblano chile sauce--next time!)  My entree--a juicy piece of marinated pork topped with grilled cactus, spring onion, chorizo and re-fried beans served with warm house made tortillas.  A stop for ice cream cones topped off the balmy night!

beso hollywood and more . . .

Had a great time in LA recently, visiting my best friend, Brendan and helping him celebrate another great birthday.  (Last year we went Las Vegas).

We had his birthday dinner at Beso Hollywood, co-owned by Eva Longoria.  It is a very cool space located right in the heart of tourist mecca on Hollywood Boulevard, one block off of Vine.  The place, with it's huge high ceilings and dimly lit glass fixtures feels smoky/noir, a bit of another era, especially with the cool booths and diamond tuck upholstery.

Food was delicious, we started with Eva's guacamole, continued with lamb rack w/rosemary and pepito paste and sea scallops with truffle oil mashed potatoes and pomegranate sauce.  We ended with a deconstructed banana split.  The restaurant gets more interesting later in the evening, when the bar scene turns into a full blown night club, very LA.

The weekend continued with a great off, off production at the Ruby Theater at the Complex on Santa Monica called Geeks vs Zombies.  This wacky production about the end of the world was great fun and had a packed house on Saturday night.  On Sunday, we drove down to Malibu and had a delicious lunch at Malibu Seafood, Market and Cafe.  This casual outdoor picnic table spot features really fresh seafood--our fish and chips perfectly cooked and washed down with fresh lemonade.

You know we couldn't go without a Mexican fix, and Brendan has found an amazing new taco place on Beverly at Stanley called Escuela Taqueria.  A simple concept--a small menu with daily original combinations of mouth-watering tacos.  Think braised beef short ribs with dill pickle, shrimp with chorizo or pork belly with pickled onion.  Add sides of rice and beans and voila!  Yum.

fresh food highlights trip to cabo san lucas

One of the things I have enjoyed the most over the last few years is the visit to Cabo each May with Brendan as a guest of his parents at their place at the Montecristo at Sunset Beach. This last visit was no exception.  The weather was mild, the Pacific blue and gorgeous and of course, the food delicious; we dined at all our favorites, Felix, Salvatore's, and of course La Fonda. We also found a new local restaurant to add to the list called Lolita's.  The newly updated menu of this very casual, open air family restaurant features a big grill where local seafood and steaks sizzle.  The salsas (and the prices) were the best of the trip.

We also had a lovely home cooked dinner one beautiful evening with our own sizzling ribeye steaks, grilled zucchini, vine tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella salad with green onion vinaigrette and baked potatoes topped with rich Mexican sour cream.  And of course, we started the meal with Brendan's exceptional guacamole.  Mexican produce and dairy really do make a meal!  Thank you Bob, Barbara and Brendan for another wonderful trip!

franchino, north beach

I know I'm guilty--tending to go back to my favorite restaurants over and over.  And why not?  There is a reason you like them, the service or the food or whatever feels good, tastes good, stays the same. But sometimes you have to remember there ARE other restaurants, other neighborhoods out there to be revisited and that is exactly what happened when Brendan and I started out last week and said "let's go to North Beach!"

North Beach is an absolutely charming neighborhood with steep hilled residential areas (but with the views), very little parking, but with walking distance to a load of sweet bars, cafes and trattorias like Mario's, Rose Pistola, and  family style Capp's Corner, to name just a few.  Lot's of old school Italian menus are available up and down the street and as we wandered down Columbus we spotted Franchino, a little wedge shaped space that looked like it could have been dropped in from NYC, with a menu that read like mama's comfort food and the family/owners to match.

 You are greeted at the door by, of course, Franchino, with an exuberant buon giorno and nearly immediate seating although the place appears packed. It only takes a minute to figure out that his wife and two daughters are waiting on the tables. They were most accommodating with Brendan's craving for a penne with a meaty bolognese sauce, and succulent chicken Marsala. It is not often that I find one of my favorites, a truly homemade beef cannelloni with an excellent ragu. We were not celebrating anything, but I could have lied after I saw the incredible birthday platter delivered to the table next to us.  Maybe next time.

new year's eve at maya

Alot of you know that in the hunt for great Mexican food, Brendan and I have fallen for the delicious food at Maya.  Maya, located at 2nd and Harrison in SF, has a warm, inviting interior, loads of windows, a semi-private dining area, full bar and room to dance.  And they really excel at modern Mexican.

On New Year's Eve they offered a four course meal with party hats, champagne toast and dancing to a DJ for $60.00 per person. So, along with our friends, Chris Gill and Larry Sepe we booked the 8:30 seating. The tables were decorated with black and silver balloons and the generous menu featured several choices for each course.

I started with the tacos de pork belly, a melt-in-the-mouth 12 hour marinated pork belly taco topped with pickled habanero/red onion relish and ancho salsa.  Brendan and Larry ordered an equally tasty treat, tacos de langosta, with poached lobster topped with avocado, black bean puree and chile de arbol rouille.  Next up, I had the sopa de langosta, a lobster chipolte bisque with roasted corn/crab truffle dumplings.  The guys enjoyed a salad of field greens, pear, caramelized walnuts, blue cheese and radish-chile de arbol vinaigrette.

The entrees were large portions that ranged from a vegetarian option to filet mignon. The camarones azteca, a sauteed shrimp dish with a tequila-lime marinade, huarache stuffed with black beans and a chive-goat cheese crema fresca was a great choice as was the piramide de filete, a tower of grilled filet mignon with grilled tomatoes, sauteed onions, black bean puree, guacamole and crispy tortilla strips.

I enjoyed the tequila bread pudding with raspberry Cabernet sorbet, Brendan had the chocolate tres leches cake with pear, vanilla bean ice cream and cinnamon creme anglaise.  Chris and Larry chose the banana stuffed empanadas with walnuts and coconut ice cream.  We were close enough to the Embarcadero to head out after midnight and watch the incredible fireworks.

la fonda, cabo

I got back from Cabo a couple of weeks ago, and once again had a wonderful time with Brendan and his dear parents. We have had dinner every visit at a place called La Fonda, every time with great anticipation because you knew you were going to get a great meal of exceptional quality in a charming setting. With that said, I just had to put a shout out about La Fonda and list it in my personal hall of fame as one of the best restaurants------you fill in the rest.

Located on Miguel Hildalgo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, this hacienda styled restaurant has indoor and outdoor dining, a comfortable but upscale feel, and a variety of authentic dishes not seen on some menus geared toward more American tastes. The cream of poblano soup garnished with pumpkin blossoms is outstanding and Brendan considers the pibil ( pork stew) the best he has ever had. If you are a meat lover and dying for a fix, this is the place for you, with dishes like ribeye steak in whiskey adobo sauce, or Kurobuta pork chops with a light mole, plus a full bone of beef short rib simmered in a pan sauce that will bring tears to your eyes, and the best (and very unique) chiles rellenos, an ancho chili stuffed with mashed plantains and cheese. They really pride themselves on the use of top quality meats and produce and the presentation of the dishes is beautiful but not overly stylized. All in all, world class.

hot la restaurants firenze and the counter

I was in LA a couple of weeks ago and Brendan and I had a couple of amazing culinary experiences. We had a lovely dinner at Firenze, a Northern Italian cuisine restaurant headed by former Top Chef contestant Fabiano Viviani. This warm space with an open kitchen, live music and private dining area delivered some exceptional food. First up was the fritto misto with calamari and zucchini complemented by the house made bread with a delicious garlicky tapenade. A salad of baby greens with Chianti soaked pears, goat cheese and candied walnuts was amazing only to be topped by the short rib stuffed raviolis laced with a creamy melted taleggio sauce.

I can't wait to go back for rabbit with black olives and a burrata salad with roasted mushrooms with pine nuts. The choices are unique and mouthwatering. The other hot spot in LA we visited is The Counter. This LA phenom is a franchise that has a line out the door. What is is the hook? A stylish interior, clean and modern, a hip bar that eases the wait for a table and a extensive choice of options for the perfect burger. Sit down, take a pencil and fill in the options--included is 100 percent Angus beef, cheese, four toppings, sauce and bun. The combination onion strings and french fries come with 2 sauces and are outrageous.

Another delicious visit to LA. Also a happy birthday to Kevin Alpert, you are the best. XXX, D.