rad burgers at the counter in santa monica

my friend and i met up with brian for lunch at the counter in santa monica the other day for burgers. i have to admit i was a bit sceptical when we first walked in to the counter, it was pretty noisy, it was full of all the hip west-la types you'd expect, and there was some kind of film crew setting up. the decent reviews brian had sent me convinced me to look past all of this and focus on their unique ordering system, involving a burger checklist where you get to spec out your perfect burger. for my inaugural visit i kept it simple and checked the boxes for a tilamook chedar cheese third pound burger with bacon and pepperoncinis. my buddies didn't get too adventurous either, except brian went with grilled onions (bleh) and stephan went with a veggie patty. we also got an order of fries, although immediately after ordering, we were kicking ourselves for not getting the half fries, half shoestring onion things plate, as the fried onion things looked delicious, definitely a must if you're into that kind of thing. the tasty fries arrived shortly after sitting down, and they disappeared quickly as we waited a good while for our burgers. once the burgers arrived though, it was clearly obvious that there was a reason our burgers cost three times what you'd spend at mc donalds. piled high with tasty condiments on thick patties of good-looking beef, i knew we were in for something good. you know when you get a burger at some place, and the meat is decent and all, but it's not really beefy? and the burger kind of rests on the strength of the condiments? well this was nothing like that. the beef at the counter is top-notch stuff, flavorful and juicy, the perfect companion to the fresh condiments. each one of us enjoyed our burgers but all shared the universal complaint that the shredded lettuce doesn't really work, especially on a burger of this height. it just ends up helping the layers to slide around and you squeeze the burger down to get it in your mouth. other than that though, very good stuff, definitely worth checking out.

The Counter
(310) 399-8383
2901 Ocean Park Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405


mmm... yummy fries...



brian's burger, under those nasty grilled onions is some delicious bacon


my burger with pepperoncinis,

Coldstone

Coldstone Creamery
aka Coldstone Mountain
aka Cold Mountain.
Locations throughout Los Angeles and the world (insert evil laugh)

Sorry about the lame inside joke, its really just Coldstone Creamery. Getting back to ubiquity for a moment, these franchises are becoming just that, with a new one opening up on Glendale in Atwater, all we need now is some decent bagels and we got ourselves a decent little Westside enclave.

Anyway, I've never really "gotten" Coldstone. The ice creams are mediocre at best. The whole mix-in process leaves the mediocre ice cream half melted by the time you get to it and the mix-ins themselves run the gamut of medicrity from gummy bears to sprinkles to reece's peanut butter cups. The experience is degraded further by the acrimoniously sung songs when you leave them a tip. I'm torn whether to tip and make them (and I) suffer or not tip and let them retain some dignity for a few more minutes. Sometimes I'll try to sneak in a tip when they're not looking. Note to corporate headquarters: really, nobody enjoys that singing. Its just awful.


What's this?


A closer look
Cotton candy flavor ice cream. Nothing you eat should be that color. Not even otter pops.


Hot fudge
on the side for better ratio control.


Our melted concoction
Not really sure what was in this, but it was a compromise for 4 people. And a great way to save money at coldstone. Rather than ordering 4 different items, agree on 1 and get a quart. Its only $1.50 more than a pint. Which is only $1.00 more than a medium. Or in coldstone speak, a "loves it". How Paris Hilton. ugh. So, as you can tell, I've been to Coldstone more times than I care to admit. Even mediocre ice cream is better than no dessert at all. The peeps that have been dragging me to this little slice of suburban hell shall remain nameless, but now my true feelings have been exposed.

Cafe Brazil

Cafe Brazil
10831 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034

We've eaten at the Cafe Brazil many many times and have always enjoyed the food. Some object to ordering at the counter but I find it refreshing not to have to deal with a waiter every so often.

I decided to be adventurous (for me) and try something on the special menu. Feijoada (recipe) caught my eye mainly because it was described as pork stew. Who doesn't love a pork stew? Maybe people that don't like pork? Anyway, Feijoada is a traditional black bean stew and it seems that Cafe Brazil serves it quite authentically.

My pot of stew was served with white rice, collard greens and farofa (which is a seasoned manioc flour). I would later discover that feijoada is not just pork, there is smoked sausage and some recipes call for beef as well. I'm pretty sure this recipe also had beef in it.

Overall I was expecting the meat to be softer, tenderer and much less salty than it was. Quite a disappointment. The meat tasted as if it had been grilled for way too long and just thrown in with the beans with no stewing actually taking place. A very big disappointment since I've enjoyed every other meal I've ever had there.
Luckily everyone else enjoyed their meals and in the future I will probably stick with the more basic items on the menu. The grilled chicken, fish and steaks are always good and judging by how quickly everyone's plates were cleaned, I'm guessing they were as good on this night as on any other night.


grilled steak
Looks mighty delicious to me.


grilled chicken
Always a favorite, served with a flavorful rub and the omnipresent rice, black beans and plantains.


grilled fish
'Ubiquitous' seems so ubiquitous these days so I went with 'omnipresent'. But really, the rice, beans and plantains are an integral part of so many South American cuisines that the ubiquity is really unavoidable.

Los Angeles Magazine.

Blairs, Cliff's Edge, Edendale Grill, and Mexico City. The 4 restaurants listed in the "Los Feliz/Silverlake" portion of the Dining section. This has me quite concerned for several reasons. It really makes me question the validity of the rest of their reviews. Out of those 4, the only restaurant I haven't been to is Blairs, mainly because every friend that has visited has given less than stellar reviews. The other three are all huge disappointments when it comes to the food.
Is it that there are no good restaurants in Los Feliz/Silverlake? Is it that Los Angeles Magazine only reviews upscale restaurants? Maybe I shouldn't even be reading Los Angeles Magazine. The cover of this month's issue is touting doggie day spas and doggie yoga. Shouldn't that be warning enough? Am i really such a glutton for punishment? The magazine rated Zeke's Smokehouse up in Montrose a great place for ribs, and I'll probably go. I guess I am a glutton after all.

La Parrilla

While I'm on the subject of Mexican food, I just remembered to post these pics from La Parilla. This'll be short and painless, I promise. The three things you need to order here are the fresh guacamole, the molcajete azteca, and the fresh hand-made tortillas (which come with the aforementioned molcajete). The other items are also quite good but very standard issue. You can get a combo plate with a taco and an enchilada at any Mexican place...
La Parrilla has three locations, the one in Boyle Heights is by far the best.
2126 Cesar Chavez Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90033-1823


guac



molcajete
panela cheese, cactus, and lots of meats served in an extremely hot bowl.


fresh hand-made tortillas
Those flat round things you can buy in a grocery store just won't taste the same after you try these.


see what i'm saying?
good, but not special

Pueblo Viejo formerly Zumaya's

Mini-review (no pics, sorry)
We're on a roll here, hitting a couple of great Mexican restaurants in a row. Zumaya's has been bought by (I'm assuming) the family that owns Pueblo Viejo in Van Nuys. Why else would you change the name of a restaurant you've just bought? We were assured that new owners wouldn't change the menu, and I think that's a good thing.
My chili verde was delicious, just the right amount of spice. This was a welcome discover after the "worst chili verde ever" that I had at El Conquistador. The chili relleno was also quite good. Unfortunately, it wasn't the amazingly freshly fried treat I was hoping for, but I understand that a proper relleno really only has about 2 minutes of optimum deliciousness once out of the fryer. The sauce for the relleno was much better and authentic than the sauce at La Cabanita. Overall, a quiet little place with very authentic food and actually a very distinct, excellent margarita. No chips were harmed during the entire meal.

Pueblo Viejo
formerly Zumaya's
5722 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

How'd I miss this?

Our friends over at LARitz pointed out this article in the LA times about the bacon wrapped dates at AOC. Someone at the Times is seriously into bacon right now. My new best friend!

More Bacon.

The LA Times food section has a great story about bacon. Of course any story about bacon in a great story in my opinion. After our bacon wrapped dates at AOC last night, this article proved even more interesting.

AOC is A OK

A trip to AOC is always a treat for us. I'm fairly confident when I say that it's one of the better restaurants in LA, and surprisingly one of the better values. But I'll get back to that "value" theory in just a second.
Obviously reservations are required and honestly for any decent restaurant, you should just go ahead and make them. It's a lesson thats taken me 10 years to figure out, but just make a phone call before you go. Just make sure its 2 weeks before you go in the case of AOC.


Understated sign, a sign of what was to come.

We arrived 12 minutes late for our reservations and were seated promptly with no fuss or attitude. Typically, the seating is crammed upstairs, and tables for 2 feel like tables for 6 with 3 sets strangers. Somehow we pulled some strings and got the corner table and didn't have to involve any strangers in our conversation. The service was prompt, friendly and efficient the entire evening. Our waiter knew the menu like the back of his hand and answered even our most specific questions.

The menu here consists of three pages; cheeses; charcuterie, salads, fish and meat; and the wood-burning oven page. Offering a melange of European inspired dishes served tapas style, AOC is an excellent place to sample many different tastes. I should also point out that the wine list is vast and varied. We had a delicious Cabernet Franc by the carafe, but we could have spent $475/bottle on wine if we wanted. Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that you don't have to spend outrageous amounts of money for a decent wine at AOC. Serving by the glass, carafe, or flight also makes it easy to pair several different wines with several different dishes. How very chez pim of you... This also leads back to the inevitable defense of using AOC and "value" in the same sentence. The reasonable wine list combined with the tapas-sized dishes allows you to order a fairly diverse selection at a reasonable price. While certainly not inexpensive, I wouldn't eat here every night or anything like that, but the price is more than reasonable for the "upscale" experience.



Roasted dates, parmesan and bacon
An unexpected treat, the three flavors form a complex blend that made me rethink how versatile bacon really can be. Small complaint, there was a little too much bacon grease when served.


fava beans with labne, mint and grilled flatbread
This also was a great starter, seemingly simple ingredients mixed together to form such unexpected tastes really impresses me. Labne is a greek yogurt concoction and adds a nice texture and taste.


Arroz negro with squid and saffron aioli
The Arros negro, from the wood-burning oven page, was served extremely hot from a cast iron skillet and was amazing. The density of the sauce was matched by the denseness of the flavors. Saffron aioli was a nice subtle touch that layered nicely on top of the squid.


brandade fritters with meyer lemon aioli
Salted cod was never so good. In all honesty this ended up being the least successful dish on the menu. It was prepared properly, served hot and crispy (which is important with fried foods) but just overall reminded us both of fish sticks. Yes, they were covered with a delicate coating that was crisped to perfection. Yes, the brandade was blended nicely and the fish was tasty yet mild at the same time. I guess the concept was a little too close to childhood memories. The fried lemon slices were interesting but did compliment the meyer lemon aioli nicely. I dont think I've ever used "aioli" so much in a review. This is more indicitive of our selections rather than the menus offerings.



hazelnut brown butter cake with caramel ice cream
Look at it. Just look at it. I hate to bring her up, but Cynthia and her blackberry cobbler are so 2001...


the view from our secluded table upstairs

La Cabañita in Glendale

Cute sign huh? A block south of the quaint and bustling Montrose shopping district on Honolulu St, La Cabañita is a delicious surprise on an otherwise unpromisingly quiet stretch of Verdugo Road, deep in the 818.

On a Saturday night, this neighborhood joint is packed. Without reservations (they don't take any for parties of 5 or less) we hangout at the large white-tiled bar for about 15 minutes, where I promptly get hammered. Awesome chips are crispy yet slightly chewy and obviously made in-house. I rapidly recover from an empty stomach. Service is unobtrusive and amicable.

Here's what we had:
Chiles en nogales. Stuffed with meat, raisins and nuts, these chiles come with a sweet creamy sauce. Although novel and intriguing, this sauce was perhaps a bit much for the savory pepper stuffing.


Chile Rellenos. (no pic) The egg batter around these were so light and fluffy we doubted their existence at first. Delicious!

2 orders of Carnitas:

These were the winner that night. Served with homemade flour tortillas and guacamole, the bite-sized chunks of meat were perfectly crisply to the touch and incredibly tender and juicy upon further mastication. Felt guilty eating these for some reason.

mysterious side of stewed beans:

Not sure about this side, a sort of soup of refried beans with bits of pork and herbs floating inside.

I definitely want to La Cabañita again, maybe check out the lunch specials and then go for a stroll in nearby downtown Montrose. A word of warning for the vain, and those on romantic dates, the restaurant and bar are extremely overlit-- so just in case you are seated anywhere near track lighting, I'd would recommend hats with brims. Or lightly tinted glasses. Just in case.

Worth mapquesting:
La Cabañita
3447 North Verdugo Road
Montrose, CA 91208
818-957-2711

dumpling master

In our neverending quest for a more thorough understanding of our obsession with dumplings, I proposed a dumpling crawl to our crack team of reporters. (When I say reporters, I really mean eaters). Anyway, this plan was met with some skepticism, and so begins a somewhat regular feature on dumplings. As you may or may not be aware of and you may or may not really care but my current (and long standing) favorite is Din Tai Fung Dumpling house in Arcadia. Over the past few months there seems to be a copius number of articles in various publications. With a small mental list of contenders to the throne and a blog sorely in need of updating, we set off to see who could unseat Din Tai. A loose idea of what we're exploring

Our first contender, hailing from Monterey Park, with the catchy name of Dumpling Master was just a few miles east of Los Angeles. As you can see from the ornate sign, the profits have not been poured back into the company...


Neatly tucked away in a small strip mall.


Extending the brand...

While I certainly admit that we didn't have the full Master experience as evidenced by our collection of three photos, the selection of dumplings on the menu does not seem as wide and varied as expected from an establishment named Dumpling Master.

First out of the chicken were these perfectly crisped chicken dumplings. The wrappers are thicker and more substantial than many others and all the better for it. The chicken is mixed with what we believe to be a mixture of green onions and chinese cabbage. Definately a delicious concoction and according to Los Angeles Magazine a quintessential example of northern Chinese cooking.

pan fried chicken dumplings

I enjoyed but didn't love the scallion cakes. The multiple layers of this thin chewey dough tasted as a tad bit floury. It was uncannily similar to some thicker flour tortillas I've eaten. My only other experience with scallion cakes is from the deceased Mandarin Deli in Little Tokyo and those were always crispy on the outside and lighter to the tooth than the Master's rendition.

scallion cake

There are two types of steamed pork dumplings on the menu at DM. unfortunately we ordered the standard dumpling that was similar to our first dish of chicken dumplings. These didn't have the benefit of being pan fried but were still pretty darn good. Again, the northern Chinese spices and flavors made for a unique and tasty dumpling.

steamed pork dumplings


Overall, I would say Dumpling Master is worth a visit if you're in the area. At the very least get a bag of very reasonably priced frozen dumplings to go. You'll be glad you did, especially if you've got a bag of those weird dumplings from Trader Joe's in your freezer like we do.
The reigning champion of dumplings is safe for at least another week.