franklin avenue hits din tai

see what franklin avenue has to say about our fave, din tai.

pho cafe sign design contest.

For some reason, I've decided that Pho Cafe needs a sign. Let's have a design contest. Well, its not really a contest since there wouldn't really be a winner or anything like that. Anyway, Pho Cafe really does deserve some sort of sign since it is a pretty decent place to get some pho. I actually prefer trekking out to Pho 79 in Alhambra since they have a larger selection and the food seems quite a bit tastier. But inside the stark minimalist interior, Pho Cafe does serve a pretty good bowl of noodles.

and remember, pho kim if he can't take a joke...

email your sign designs to brian@lemonchicken.com












here's my entry into the design a sign fun....


edit: look at this, the entries are already flooding in!


eric busts some chrome for pho


gregg hits the silverlake rocker look right on the money.


bang takes the sign to a new level (literally)


bang with another eye catching sign.

another new link

check out the enhanced restaurant health ratings on RestaurantWatch.com.
This is a pretty nice addition to the existing LA county site.

a new link

Here's a link to some interesting recipes. I can honestly "crazy" Noah is the one of the least crazy people I know.

check it out

grillN N washN

Outdoor Grill
12630 1/2 Washington Place
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Well, since we're on the topic of barbeque here...
I had another middling barbeque experience, this time at the outdoor grill. Before moving to LA, the thought of getting a decent meal and getting a decent car wash at the same time and place never occured to me. And when I first moved to LA, I was admittedly aprehensive of some of the car wash/dining establishments.

Several years later, the concept is still not that high up on the list... but Outdoor Grill isn't too bad for lunch. I thought the ribs were pretty good. The sauce was a little on the sweet side. My biggest problem was with the tri-tip sandwich. The tri-tip was a little dry and a lot bland. The bread was very uninspired and its white-bread-like softness was not enough to hold up to the large amounts of sauce needed to add moisture and taste.
For some tips with the tri-tips, check out the junkie. Its been a while, but from what I remember, he cooks up a mean tri-tip.
Ribs... pretty good
tri-tip... not so good
car .... very shiny and clean


A promising tri-tip sandwich with macNcheese and potato salad.


Those ribs are lookin' pretty tasty


Shiny after a much needed bath.


Did not live up to the promise...

Baby Blues Bar-B-Q

Baby Blues Bar-B-Q
444 Lincoln Blvd.
Venice
(310) 396-7675

LA Dining and the BBQ Junkie teamed up for an afternoon of pork, beef and pudding. Overall, all the pieces were there, but they just didn't seem to quite fit together. I don't think any of us entirely hated the experience, but as you'll see below, none of us are too keen on returning.



combo plate #1. long ribs, catfish and pulled pork




combo plate #2. brisket, short ribs, and shrimp




particularly delicious corn




a better look at those shrimp




creamed (?) spinach




banana pudding-like lard product??



here's a little chat about our meal together:


[14:26] *** biglou201 has been invited to the group chat.
[14:26] *** Bangford has been invited to the group chat.
[14:26] *** biglou201 has joined the chat.
[14:26] *** Bangford has joined the chat.
[14:26] biglou201: hot
[14:26] lemonchicken2: hello everybody
[14:26] Bangford: hey friends
[14:26] lemonchicken2: welcome to the round table discussion of
[14:26] biglou201: hi y'll
[14:27] Bangford: baby blues bbq on lincoln (in venice)
[14:27] lemonchicken2: ah yes, located at 444 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
[14:27] lemonchicken2: Now that we've had some time to simmer.... lets open the discussion up
[14:27] biglou201: http://www.goodeatsusa.com/BabyBluesBBQ/
[14:28] lemonchicken2: I'll start by recapping our ordering strategy
[14:28] lemonchicken2: The three of us ordered two combo plates in order to sample as much different barbeque as possible
[14:29] lemonchicken2: On one plate we had baby back ribs, shrimp and pulled pork
[14:29] lemonchicken2: on the other we had beef brisket, long ribs and catfish
[14:29] lemonchicken2: luis, what was your favorite and why?
[14:29] lemonchicken2: we'll get to the sides and desserts in a moment
[14:30] lemonchicken2: bang, same question to you
[14:30] biglou201: I really liked the baby back ribs
[14:30] biglou201: I felt, and this may sound blasphemous, were tastier than the spare ribs
[14:31] biglou201: they also were a bit smokier than the spare ribs
[14:31] biglou201: Secondly, I would nominate the catfish
[14:32] Bangford: yes i agree
[14:32] Bangford: i'm not normally a ribs person, but the baby back ribs were juicy and flavorful
[14:32] biglou201: I wasn't even thinking about catfish, until we ordered the combos
[14:32] Bangford: w/o being overly fatty and chewy
[14:33] biglou201: a pleasant surprise
[14:33] lemonchicken2: I really enjoyed the long ribs. Interestingly, I found the texture of the long ribs to be quite nice, with the meat falling off the bone quite readily and easily
[14:33] Bangford: yes ordering two "Big Blues" was a great idea
[14:33] lemonchicken2: It was indeed.
[14:34] lemonchicken2: Any issues or complaints?
[14:34] lemonchicken2: Obviously we all have some, or this just wouldn't be any fun
[14:34] Bangford: yeah the 'memphis style 'long bone' ribs had an awesome crispy outer layer of caramelized sauce and meat
[14:36] Bangford: what did you two think about the 'baby blue bayou' rilled shrimp?
[14:36] *** Your previous message has not been sent. Reason: Maximum length (232) exceeded. You can recall the last message typed with Ctrl-Up or Up, depending on settings.
[14:36] biglou201: looking over the pictures, I remember the mac and cheese was really good
[14:37] biglou201: really cheesy
[14:37] Bangford: yes with blue cheese?
[14:37] biglou201: there was something special in there
[14:37] lemonchicken2: My biggest complaint, while not a complete dealbreaker, was the temperature of the pulled pork and brisket.
[14:37] lemonchicken2: Both arrived ice cold. I actually enjoyed both, but would have enjoyed more if served at least a few degrees above room temperature
[14:37] lemonchicken2: sorry, i interrupted
[14:38] lemonchicken2: I think its best if we dont ask what was in the mac and cheese. it was delicious and lets leave the fattening ingredient list out of it
[14:38] biglou201: the pork and beans, which is the same thing as beans only with pork included, were cold as well
[14:38] lemonchicken2: bang, what was your biggest disappointment?
[14:39] Bangford: ...and i thought the shrimp were sometimes overly bitter from the charbroiling process
[14:39] lemonchicken2: and maybe a touch rubbery from being slightly over grilled
[14:39] Bangford: they were better when i smothered them with some of the bbq sauce
[14:40] biglou201: let me just say the the waitress was very enthusiastic about the meal. she knew exactly what to order. that really helped
[14:40] Bangford: yes she was chatty and perfectly borderline hoochie for a bbq joint
[14:40] lemonchicken2: borderline??
[14:40] lemonchicken2: lol
[14:40] Bangford: except she blew it with the banana pudding recommend
[14:40] biglou201: yeah, more hoochie than hooters
[14:41] lemonchicken2: but indeed perfect for a bar-b-q joint
[14:41] Bangford: well, she's trying to sell $22 plates of meat hello
[14:41] lemonchicken2: yes, lets discuss those prices
[14:41] biglou201: when she said it was "the shit" i thought that it was going to be good
[14:41] Bangford: what did she say about the pudding
[14:41] Bangford: that's right!!!
[14:41] biglou201: the prices
[14:41] biglou201: were kinda crazy
[14:42] lemonchicken2: typically a 1 meat plate would be say $12. then 2 would be $15 and three would be maybe $18
[14:42] Bangford: the pudding was like eating what seemed like sweetened crisco
[14:42] lemonchicken2: if i ordered that plate for just myself, I would have expected much more for $22
[14:42] lemonchicken2: yes, the pudding was a disaster
[14:42] biglou201: yeah, but without the sugar
[14:42] lemonchicken2: but we were promised a free pudding on our next meal there
[14:42] Bangford: i don't think i'm going back
[14:43] Bangford: unless that have a lunch special
[14:43] lemonchicken2: she did seem genuinely upset about the pudding
[14:43] biglou201: i'm glad she didn't charge us for it
[14:43] lemonchicken2: i also am not planning on returning.
[14:43] Bangford: that was nice
[14:43] lemonchicken2: i should point out that its 444 SOUTH lincoln
[14:43] biglou201: somehow I think we ended up paying for it anyway
[14:43] lemonchicken2: which puts it pretty far away
[14:43] lemonchicken2: lunch was definately not cheap
[14:44] lemonchicken2: perhaps we should have stuck with the sandwiches
[14:44] Bangford: no, i'm glad we ordered a huge variety of food
[14:44] lemonchicken2: those looked pretty delicious and were "only" $8-$9
[14:44] biglou201: WAIT, big disappointment.... no alcohol
[14:44] lemonchicken2: BYOB is good sometimes
[14:44] lemonchicken2: to save money for your $22 plate of meat
[14:45] biglou201: yeah, the sandwiches looked like the good lunch choice
[14:45] lemonchicken2: unless of course the meat was as cold as ours
[14:45] lemonchicken2: so let me see if i got this right....
[14:45] lemonchicken2:
pros: ribs, baby back ribs, spicy bar-b-q sauce
[14:46] lemonchicken2: cons: cold meat, questionable pudding
[14:46] biglou201: but you think about it, $23 per person was steep considering there were 3 of us, 3 drinks, 2 entrees and one dessert (which was free)
[14:46] lemonchicken2: pros: mac and cheese, corn on the cob with lime and cheese
[14:46] Bangford: and no booze
[14:46] biglou201: corn on the cob was good
[14:46] lemonchicken2: cons: price
[14:47] lemonchicken2: decor: lets not forget that
[14:47] biglou201: East-L.A.-corn-cart good
[14:47] lemonchicken2: wow, high marks from lou!
[14:47] Bangford: but w/o the east l.a. prices
[14:47] biglou201: for the corn
[14:48] Bangford: yes exactly
[14:48] Bangford: decor was...ok
[14:48] biglou201: no complaints about the ribs, but the baby backs would be the recommendation.
[14:48] Bangford: wall art consisted of large nagel-esque portraits
[14:49] lemonchicken2: you know for the money.... we could have almost bought a weber smoker and some meat
[14:49] biglou201: LOL
[14:49] lemonchicken2: but no sides or pudding
[14:49] biglou201: pudding or paste?
[14:49] lemonchicken2: cool whip and a banana?
[14:49] Bangford: more like oleo and a banana
[14:49] biglou201: the waitress did apologize for the pudding
[14:50] Bangford: true
[14:50] Bangford: thanks for a great chat
[14:50] biglou201: yeah, thanks
[14:50] lemonchicken2: thanks for taking the time out of your busy day
[14:51] biglou201: hot, look forward to the post
[14:51] Bangford: have fun editing this ;)
[14:51] Bangford: good eating to you both
[14:51] lemonchicken2: no editing!
[14:51] biglou201: http://homepage.mac.com/XXXXXXXX/XXXXXXXXXX.html (edited)
[14:51] lemonchicken2: lol
[14:51] biglou201: for XXXXXXXX (edited)

Mori Sushi

That's right people, no letters just a fish. Mori is not for the curious passerby, but for the sushi cognoscenti, and for the weary seekers of a great lunch deal.

From the immaculate fish to the hand-thrown ceramic platters handmade by owner/chef Morihito Onodera, everything at Mori is carefully considered and clearly a labor of love. I've treated myself to omakase dinner prepared my Mori-san himself at the bar a couple of times, but due to the average $100/head price tag (and my new mortgage) its been a while.

Lucky for us Westside worker drones, Mori offers a variety of lunch bento box combos that range from $8-15. They include salad, miso soup and hot tea. Today my friend KJ and I go wild and do the $15 deluxe. It starts with a lovely salad of baby greens tossed in a yuzu/soy/daikon dressing.



Then the bento, starting from the top left: TV-perfect Tuna and Red Snapper sashimi served with sea kelp and shiso. The wasabi that accompanies this is freshly grated so it has a distinct vegetable-like taste. You won't find that at the food court. Next an assortment of Shrimp and veggies in a light airy tempura. Below, a sweet eggloaf that serves a nice counterpoint to the fried cod. And finally, one of two daily specials is the scary sounding, but totally unfishy, pickled sardine. Its quite tasty and seved with a garnish of raw green bean. From KJ, I barter a bite of the other daily special: butter-sauteed calari with oyster mushrooms. Its savory and perfectly al dente.

A shot of the handthrown soy sauce vessel:


We finish off with a scoop of homemade chocolate icecream with walnuts, and hot green tea. Its a perfect end for a meal of quality ingredients thoughtfully prepared, and graciously served. For $40,including tip, we get a wonderful eating break from the lunchtime microwave and all things mediocre.


Lunch includes flattering natural lighting and original art on the walls.


Mori Sushi
11500 Pico Blvd (at Gateway)
West L.A. 90064
310 479 3939
lunch 12-2, dinner 6-10

gr/eats

gr/eats is a cute little cafe, with parking, on the bustling Japanese strip of Sawtelle Blvd in West L.A. With Orris, Hanoi Cafe, Mizu 212º, Sawtelle Kitchen, Hide Sushi, and Asahi Ramen all nearby, this place has got some competition. Opened by the guys behind Giant Robot the magazine and the stores, gr/eats benefits from having good connotations right from the start.

Inside, the space is minimal and white bright, with adorable wooden cherry blossom wall decorations and a giant Ai Yamaguchi girl. Its the artist that did the equally adorable but freakishly expensive $60 limited-edition shu uemura face cleansing oil.


From the laser printer menus, Suzie orders the $10.50 Seared tuna sandwich with avocado, and i get the $8.50 Angus burger with watercress, caramelized onions and Jarlsberg cheese. Both come with a delicious medley of fried things, the usual potatoes strings but also yams and bananas. This fried concoction is fresh, delicious and naughty. Our sandwiches were adequate, but it was the fries that made us very excited.


I order a Birch beer just to see what it is, turns out the packaging with the pressed glass letters is really nice. Tastes like root beer but a little sweeter.

We also order spring rolls stuffed with shrimp and slivers of cucumber. They taste fresh but the mystery sauce they come with is uninspired, like watery soy with little pieces of peanut floating in it.


Creme brulée is unavailable today, because "the machine for the top of the tart is broken" (mini blow torch, perhaps? I could not understand the waitress) So we ordered the vanilla ice cream with caramelized banana and plum chunks. But like all of the food at gr/eats it was tiny, though delicious and adorable. KAWAII!!

By the time we leave at 1pm (we got there right at noon when the opened) the place is packed. The lone waitress looks exhausted. Turns out today is get a free gift with any meal day, so we get to pull a gift ticket out of the box to redeem next door at GR2. (the 2nd Giant Robot store)

I end up winning a Matador Records Compilation CD and Suzie gets a Tony the Tiger Kubrick. I impulse buy a Sasquatch T-shirt.

So...gr/eats is cute. We want to come back and get some of the more adult sounding things like Sea Bass with Pesto that seemed too complicated for lunch.

gr/eats
2050 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Lunch $40 (with tip) for appetizer, sandwich, drinks and dessert

clementine

1751 Ensley Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024

A surprisingly good spot for lunch. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera during my first visit, but I'm assuming I'll be back again soon. My first visit was during grilled cheese month. You have to respect any place willing to devote an entire month to grilled cheese.


edit: its been a month and a half and still haven't been back. also haven't made a post in over a month and a half. I'll be trying to rectify that over the next few days.