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Monthly Archives: May 2009

May 11, 2009

La Grande Orange Cafe: All Aboard for Brunch in the ‘Dena

I love brunch soo much that I could have it for every meal of the day. That’s why I was more than delighted when the PR girls representing La Grande Orange Cafe in Pasadena invited me as well as other food bloggers — Lindsay of LAist, estarLA, Shop Eat Sleep and “Harlow Quinn” of Eater LA — to a media dinner that showcased the restaurant’s brunch fare. Brinner, if you will.

It was a brilliant idea that was made genius by a complimentary metro train ride from Union Station to LGO which is located at Gold Line‘s Del Mar stop in a reconverted train station in the ‘Dena. Apparently this former Santa Fe Depot, built in 1935, used to be the hub before there was even a Union Station. Now the building houses an airy dining room, kitchen, bar and outdoor patio.

We walked in and were directed to a large table in front of the kitchen. The lighting was warm and low as if the room was lit by candles. The crowd enjoying their dinner seemed mostly comprised of an older, affluent-looking set. Kinda odd if only for the fact that the music playing over the sound system was stuff like Beck. Two turntables and a microphone.

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles, Recipes

3 Comments

May 8, 2009

Mother’s Day Brunch: How To Finally Be Your Mom’s Favorite

Mommie+Dearest+Birthday.jpg

As the daughter whose Mother’s Day present to her mom will surely arrive three days late, I know for sure I’m not the favorite. But if you’re lucky enough to have your mom live in the same city as you do, you can still save your good standing by treating her to a wonderful brunch or dinner this Sunday.

BLVD 16 at the Hotel Palomar $35 buffet-style brunch with bottomless mimosas/Champagne
For moms who are as indecisive as you are, treat her to the buffet at BLVD 16 where she can choose from fennel-cured organic salmon; Spanish omelets; house-made granola and yogurt parfaits; and a selection of freshly baked fruit Danishes, pain au chocolate, croissants, muffins, and more. And did I already mention the bottomless mimosas and Champagne? Maybe Mom will be your designated driver? Reservations: (310) 474-7765.

Boa Steakhouse $45 champagne with three courses ($35 no champagne)
This fancy steakhouse is serving up more than steak at its Santa Monica and Hollywood locations. Choose from mini smoked salmon and potato croquettes with wild arugula salad; sautéed halibut with chorizo-potato hash; Boa Eggs Benedict with Black Forest ham, house-smoked turkey, poached eggs, and hollandaise served on a split pretzel croissant; and Bananas Foster French toast. Mmmm, that last one sounds divine. SM reservations: (310) 899-4466. Hollywood reservations: (323) 650-8383.

Border Grill $35 for three courses
For a spicy brunch, Border Grill is serving up Mexican-style brunch with dishes like Dungeness Crab Benedict with chipotle hollandaise and crispy serrano ham and Spiced French Toast dipped in cinnamon anise batter with meyer lemon glaze. For dessert, choose from the intriguing-sounding tequila upside down cake with flambéed spiced pineapple and Mexican coffee profiterole. And be a good son/daughter by treating your mom to a White Peach Mimosa or a Border Basil Drop hand muddled with rum, fresh basil, lemon, and a splash of soda. Reservations: (310) 451-1655

Corkbar $35 brunch
Before a stroll through MOCA, stop at this downtown wine bar/restaurant for hearty brunch of quiche, Eggs Benedict or banana-stuffed French toast and a decadent Champagne soup (strawberries, liquid chocolate and basil). Coffee, tea and a glass of Champagne, Mimosa or Bellini included! Reservations: (213) 746-0050.

Foundry on Melrose $39 three-course brunch
Enjoy a beautiful spring Sunday with your mom by brunching on The Foundry on Melrose’s outdoor dining room. Moms will receive free champagne and a rose. The menu is unusual with starters like chicken confit and potato hash with violet mustard or pea soup with Serrano ham, buttermilk and ricotta crepes, onion soubise. Entrée choices are fried Jidori chicken with goat cheese waffles, squash and tomato marmalade or brioche French toast with crispy pork belly, bourbon maple syrup and fruit compote. Dessert is light with a choice of yogurt parfait or chocolate cookies. Reservations: (323) 651-0915.

Fraiche $30 three-course brunch; $45 four-course dinner
Who says that it just has to be brunch? At this Culver City restaurant you can either treat her to a brunch of smoked salmon salad, Crab Benedict and ravioli. Or a dinner of albacore tartare, Monkfish Françoise and quail. The kicker is the dessert. Chocolate profiterole for brunch or milk chocolate tart for dinner? Reservations: (310) 839-6800.

Lago $39 three courses, $54 four courses ($22 additional for wine tasting pairing)
If Mom loves the vino she’ll love this menu paired with a wine tasting menu. It starts off with giant calamari stuffed with market bell pepper risotto and lemon-thyme foam paired with Prosecco Brut Zonin. Then there’s the chicken lasagna matched to Sangiovese, La Carraia 2006. For entrees, decadent choices are grilled swordfish or roasted lamb top sirloin. Reservations: (310) 451-3525.

Riva $35 three-course brunch, $55 three-course dinner
This restaurant by the sea offers up a brunch of crudo of albacore, roasted salmon trout and braised short rib hash. Dessert options have something from everyone with choices like strawberry cheesecake, Nutella tart and a cookie plate. For dinner, enjoy a trio of crudo, baby pig (!) in porchetta and seared quail. Dinner desserts choices include the pineapple upside down cake and hibiscus panna cotta. Reservations: (310) 451-7482.

Royal/T Cafe four-course tea: $22 “Royal Mom” and $25 “High Tea”
Your mom will feel pretty fancy with Japanese maids serving her tea. And all mothers will get a free mimosa at the start of their meal. If you decide to buy your mom’s present on the spot, there’s the Royal/T Mother’s Day Gift Set ($19.50 cup and saucer) where you get a free bag of organic espresso coffee or loose leaf tea with every purchase. Reservations: (310) 559-6300.

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles

1 Comment

May 7, 2009

Captain Kirk’s Cocktails: Star Trek Specialty Drinks at ArcLight Hollywood

Like I mentioned in the weekend roundup, there are still some tickets available for the 21+ screening of Star Trek at the ArcLight Hollywood. But if you miss that one, it shouldn’t stop you from missing out on the crazy Star Trek specialty cocktails ($8.50 each) the ArcLight bar will be serving up for the movie. They’ll be available for two weeks starting tomorrow. If these sweet-sounding cocktails don’t do it for you, order up something else from the full bar to toast Kirk and the gang.

Captains Cooler: Spiced rum, melon liqueur, orange juice and sweet & sour topped off with a splash of Sprite

Warp-Tini: Blend of Xellent vodka, Pama liquor, sweet & sour with a dash of grenadine

The Starship Stinger: Served as a shot — Xellent vodka, Blue Curacao, a splash of coconut, topped with Bacardi 151

ArcLight Hollywood
6360 W. Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)

Categories: Cocktails, Los Angeles, Nightlife

2 Comments

May 7, 2009

This Weekend: Fancy Food Warehouse Sale, Sexy Paperdolls, Dude Bowling

You know what I’m really looking forward to this weekend? Craft Beer Fest LA!! Mmm, beeer. Online tickets are already sold out but you might still be able to get in at the door ($30 cash only). If you don’t make that beertastic event, maybe these will interest you. BTW, my list of what to do with your mom for Mother’s Day goes up tomorrow.

Thursday, May 7

Star Trek 21+ Screening at ArcLight Hollywood
Yes, unbelievably there are still a few seats available for this opening day boozy screening of Star Trek. Don’t laugh, I’ll have you know that Rotten Tomatoes gave the prequel ST 95%. Sounds like it’s going to be a good one. Order up your cocktails at the bar and enjoy them during the show. Hmm, what would Kirk drink? Jack on the rocks? Alien Sex on a Beach? And Spock? A gin martini?

10:40pm. $12. ArcLight Hollywood, 6360 W. Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Friday, May 8

Epicure Imports Open Warehouse Sale
Stockpile your cupboards with all the fancy French goodies you can at this foodie paradise of a warehouse sale. Valrhona chocolates, truffle oils, French cheeses, charcuterie and of course imported wines at warehouse prices. I’m bringing my cooler!

Friday 1:30-6pm, Saturday 9:30am-2pm. Epicure Imports, 6900 Beck Avenue, North Hollywood (map). (818) 985-9800.

Burlesque Paper Dolls Booksigning at La Luz de Jesus Gallery
Miss Mindy will be signing Miss Mindy’s Sassy Paper Doll Bonanza, her book of burlesque paper dolls, at this Los Feliz Gallery. Barbie’s got nothing on these naughty 2D babes. “Live, sexy girls” are promised to attend this shindig and collectible Sandee Standee display figures will be given away.

7pm. La Luz de Jesus Gallery 4633 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Feliz (map).

Lebowski Fest Bowling Party
OK, I admit it. I haven’t seen The Big Lebowski in its entirety but this Lebowski-dedicated bowling party sounds like a hoot. There will be special guest appearances of Dude proportions, as well as trivia, costumes and, naturally, bowling. If you really want to see the movie, there’s a movie party the night before at the Wiltern.

9pm. $27.50. Cal Bowl, 2500 E Carson Street, Lakewood (map).

Saturday, May 9

Buttercake Cupcake Meetup
I keep meaning to make these cupcake meetings because they sound so delicious and fun and this one is no exception. Check out the new Buttercake BakeryWeHo location along with other cupcake fiends. The store’s owners are inviting the group to try their mocha, butter cream, peanut butter, coconut, chocolate and red velvet cupcakes. Maybe pick some up for yo mama for M Day!

1pm. Buttercake Bakery, 8616 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). (310) 855-0770.

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles, Movies, Nightlife, Recreation, Shopping & Sales, Sweets

2 Comments

May 6, 2009

Afternoon Delight: Beer and Chocolate Pairing at Sidebar

Dionicess IV- Beer & Chocolate Tasting and Pairing.JPG

“Heyyy, you’ve got your beer on my chocolate!” “WTF? You’ve got your chocolate in my beer!” Doesn’t sound like the makings for a yummy treat? You could find out at the Dionicess IV — Beer & Chocolate Pairing event at Sidebar in Glendale Saturday the 17th. There are limited spots available for the two seatings of this unusual tastings/pairings event, that’s why I’m telling you about it now. You’ve heard of wine and cheese tastings and wine and chocolate tastings but come on, never really these two!

Enjoy five artisanal beers paired with fancy custom-crafted chocolates. Yes, I, too, was skeptical at first until food writer and event presenter Gev Kazanchyan gave me the rundown of the menu.

Some of the beers include Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Smoked Porter and Stone Levitation Ale. Mmm, Smoked Porter. The pours will be in 3-ounce tasting glasses that were made especially for the event. And since it will all amount to about 15 ounces (less than two beers) it’ll be smart to take a designated driver. For chocolate, you’ve got decadent delights from Mignon Chocolate like a marzipan saffron dark chocolate, Madagascar vanilla chocolate and a dark chocolate truffle dusted in raw cocoa to name a few. Man, I’m salivating just writing this.

Tickets are $29 with all proceeds going to Real Medicine Foundation, which provides humanitarian support to people living in disaster, post-war, and poverty stricken areas.

You can either attend the 1-3pm seating (me and estarLA are doing this one huzzah!) or go to the 4-6pm seating.

EVENT: SUNDAY, MAY 17 at 1-3pm or 4-6pm

Sidebar
1114 N Pacific Avenue
Glendale, California 91202 (map)
(818) 241-4542

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles, Sweets

Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar: Wine for Commitment Phobes

Ever go to a wine bar or restaurant and read the wine list and just don’t know what exactly you’re looking at? Sure, you know what Syrahs and Chardonnays are but will that Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2005 taste good just because it’s the priciest glass of red on the menu? Fortunately you won’t have that issue at the Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar that just opened up in Santa Monica last week. Because there they have those very nifty self-service Enomatic dispensers.

I first heard about “Enomatic” when the Ugo Wine Bar, formerly Vinum Populi, opened up in Culver City two years ago. And it works exactly the same way here: purchase your debit card at the register and then go around from tap to tap choosing wines and tasting 1-ounce pours til your debit is…tapped out. But what makes wine tasting great at Pourtal is that, not only is it located just off 3rd Street Promenade and across the street from Spanish wine bar Bar Pintxo, but the tasting categories (aka “tasting tours”) are not intimidating and actually fun.

When I had attended a sneak preview of the bar the night before it opened last Thursday, the categories displayed on flat screen TVs hovering over the wall of dispensers included “Three’s Company” for three-varietal blended wines, “Pinot Envy” for non-Pinot wines with Pinot characteristics and GenuWine Worldy Wines “where the old world and new world collide.” Each tasting tour comes with a flyer containing the descriptions of the eight wines.

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles, Nightlife

3 Comments

May 4, 2009

Cinco de Mayo Drink Specials Roundup

If you still don’t know where to get your drink on for Cinco de Mayo, check out the following festive venues. Arriba drink deals!

Border Grill in Santa Monica has a very gourmet Cinco from 4 to 10pm, with $3 ceviche shots, tacos and chili poppers as well as $5 green corn tamales, poblano quesadillas and beef brisket taquitos. To quench your thirst, order up $4 house margaritas, sangria and mojitos. Downtown sister Ciudad will be offering up the same drink special selection from 4-7pm but for $4.50.

Casa Downtown is the only place where you can party down with Lucha VaVoom‘s famed luchadores. Bring your own luchadore masks and vavoom to live music by Grand Performances. Cocktail specials all day and night include $5 margaritas and sangria as well as $3 Modelo. Those who want family-style margaritas at their table, order a bottle of Milagro tequila with a pitcher of agave and lime juice made fresh tableside for $100.

Halo Nightclub, formerly Ritual-White Lotus-Crush, in Hollywood will be celebrating the alcoholiday with a DJ, live dancers and an open tequila bar from 9 to 10pm. Do your tequila shots on the outside garden patio or light up your cigarillos in the smoking area with the retractable roof.

Malo in Silver Lake is opening an hour early (4pm) for the occasion with chips and salsa free all night at the bar. Score free happy hour hard shell tacos (available only at the bar) by telling the bartender that you’re “With Proximo.” Drink specials include $5 1800 Silver Margarita (no mix here, fresh ingredients only), $7 for a “Kick Your Ass!” Margarita or, for the truly hard-core, enjoy 1800 Anejo neat for $8.

Ortega 120 in Redondo Beach has got the mariachis as well as a happy hour from 4 to 6pm with $2-$2.50 tacos (depending on whether you get chicken, steak or shrimp). To toast the holiday, partake of Cabo Wabo drink specials from 6 to 8pm and $5 house margaritas all day.

Provecho Restaurant in Downtown has the happiest drink specials with $5 Cazadores margaritas, $3 Dos Equis and Tecate cervezas and $2 Mezcal shots. For sustenance, there’s also $5 tacos. But if you’re looking for entertainment, not only will they have the ubiquitous mariachi band but burlesque dancers and luchadores.

Rush Street in Culver City boasts that it has the “largest Cinco de Mayo party on the Westside.” And with all-night ice luge tequila shots, a live mariachi band from 7:30-9:30pm and Tecate beer pong on the outdoor patio, it definitely sounds like quite a fiesta. DJ AC will be spinning from 9:30pm to close. Specials include $1 tacos from 5-8 pm; drink specials and Sauza Senoritas all night. If you get way over your head with the celebrating, not to worry. Rush Street will make sure to get you back home safely — free van rides home til the AM!

However you choose to celebrate, be safe, amigos!

Posted on LAist.

Categories: Cocktails, Dining, Los Angeles, Nightlife

1 Comment