December 18, 2010 Off

farm:table (San Francisco: Tenderloin)

//// By in 04: SF+Bay Area, Favorite Food Entries

We found a very lovely breakfast joint near the scary Tenderloin district in San Francisco called farm:table. This European style breakfast place is very small  and only features seasonal menu with quirks and personality….sounds like a instant Potatomato favorite already.

farmtable
farmtable
farmtable
The kitchen is small but open!
farmtable
farmtable
Communal Table.
farmtable
farmtable
Quince Pulled Pork with a Soft Egg $8.50 Very Good!
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Sweet Potato Hash with Cheddar 7.50  So good!

The menu is your usual flair and the tasty food is cooked with heart. I love this place, it’s what my ideal breakfast place is like. I wish there’s something like this in LA…

farm:table
754 Post St (between Jones St & Leavenworth St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin

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December 16, 2010 6

26 Beach (Venice)

//// By in 14: Marina del Rey

I drove by this SoCal mansion looking restaurant called 26 Beach for years and never checked it out. It was until my boyfriend told me about them being known for their burgers (#1 in LA!?). I was skeptical (and biased) at first but I gave it a try. It turns out to be one of the strangest, most confusing but fun experience I have (and only in Los Angeles indeed!)

26 Beach

The interior matched how I would expected from the exterior: chandelier, classical Italian with a SoCal sunshine vibe to it. No matter how you see it, this is a dining setting for upscale, old-school Italian food. Instead, they have a huge menu of Californian (fusion) cuisine and a big list of ‘craftsmen’ burgers as their signature feature.

Their latest addition to the menu from their Japanese chef is…Sushi Burger! It sounds a bit too tacky to work…

26 Beach

One of which, is the California Roll Burger- Angus 1/2lb patty with avocado, crab meat, pickled ginger, wasabi mayo, lettuce, tomato on brioche. It is gigantic!

26 Beach

A cross-section of this monster. My skepticism was dispelled once i bite into it.Wow the flavor works. The basic are perfect: fluffy broiche and juicy beef patty. The real crab meat gave a wonderful texture and flavors, while the pickled ginger added a clean sweetness to every bite. The seaweed flakes enhanced every bite with its aroma. It’s interesting and delicious! A minor complain is that I would prefer less mayo, but that’s my own preference.

26 Beach

My boyfriend got a Spicy Tuna Burger, it’s stronger tasting and blends more with the patty and brioche than mine. However we wished we had shared one.

Since these burgers are huge, it’s a challenged to eat them fast. I noticed the burger deteriorate fast (ie: the avocado started to get mushy and broiche is soaked), but that’s always been the problem of burger.

The other items on the menu seems like the usual Southern Californian cuisine and they have a huge menu for brunch…that makes them a good neighborhood place for the westsiders. But now with their sushi burgers this place has became a LA oddity that’s worth checking out.

26 Beach Restaurant
3100 Washington Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90291

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December 13, 2010 4

Ludo Truck

//// By in 21: Food truck

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It’s a pity I’ve never managed to try any of the restaurants Chef Ludovic Lefebvre worked at before (i.e. L’Orangerie, Bastide) but I’ve heard of his reputation and have seen him on Top chef Masters/Iron chef. We also missed all the LudoBites pop up events due to my busy schedule this year. At least we managed to try LudoTruck, a gourmet fried chicken truck. It’s interesting that an acclaimed chef decide to do fried chicken food truck! How tasty can fried chicken be right?

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Look there’s Ludo right there (guy on the right)! Good to see that he actually oversee the truck in person.

The Strawberry-Watermelon was refreshing and good.

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Honey-Glazed Garlic Wings
Delicious! Skin is crispy and I love how light the batter was. Love the honey glaze too, perfectly sweet.

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Provencal Pepitte – Juicy boneless chicken balls prepared over three days. Infused with rosemary and herbs de provence.
I love this very much! Juicy and great flavors. They have good textures (spring-y) and love the seasoning.

My co-worker got the Chicken Strips. I’m not a big fan of chicken breast so I would probably not order it. My co-worker likes it and said the meat was moist inside. All the chicken comes with a sauce.

Overall the fried chickens are very good indeed but the portion is quite small. To get full you have to order sides or combo and the prices do add up. For the sides, there are choices of Honey Lavender Biscuits, French fries and Ludo Slaw. I got the slaw which was pretty good but I wish I got the the biscuit instead. I also wish we could choose more than one sauce for the chicken. It’s not cheap for a food truck, so it’s good to go on a day when you feel generous. But I definitely appreciate how good and fresh the food is.

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December 10, 2010 1

Le Petit Creperie (Mar Vista)

//// By in 11: West LA

I’ve been very busy at work and was very behind in our updates. Being a lover of French crepes, it’s always a pity that there weren’t more authentic creperie in LA. As I was strolling around the Mar Vista neighborhood, to my surprise a new (6 months) creperie has opened up.

"Le Petit Creperie""Le Petit Creperie"
The small space has a casual, but rathe generic retro French vibe  (with Amelie’s soundtrack). The french press coffee and lemonade are both very good! I love the herb pots adorned at each table too.

Their savory crepes are divided into two categories: traditional (egg, ham, mushroom, cheese) or specials (with varieties of ingredients such as sausage, eggplant, olive tapenade, etc).

"Le Petit Creperie"

From Les Specialites: Jambon Fume et Asperges (Proscuitto, Asparagus, Arugula, Toasted Pine nuts, Parmesan Cheese). Very yummy! Their savory crepes are made with buckwheat, they have a lovely nutty bite.

"Le Petit Creperie"

From the Les Traditionnelles: Champignons & Fromage (Portobello, Oyster Mushroom, Gruyere, Garlic & Shallots). So simple, subtle but oh so good. Mushroom lovers rejoice!

"Le Petit Creperie"

Of course we have rooms for sweet crepes. Nutella and Banana. Nutella can do no wrong. The sweet crepes are soft and perfectly made!

It took awhile for our crepes arrive (a busy Sunday brunch hour), but the wait was worthwhile. I’m glad LA has an authentic French crepes place. I wish the decor has a bit more character (more vintage baskets, unique antiques, etc).

Le Petit Creperie
3809 Grand View Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066

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November 16, 2010 4

Chic Wine Bar (Wilshire Vista)

//// By in 07: Mid-Wilshire

With great neighbourhood gems like Bloom and Paper or Plastik cafe, Wilshire Vista has become an area we go to a lot. Another great gem on this stretch of Pico Blvd is Chic Wine bar, a place that defines what a great neighbourhood hangout should be: good vibe, good food and good price.

Chic Wine BarChic wine barChic wine bar

At first I wasn’t sure what kind of place Chic Wine Bar is. Californian? French?  It’s call a wine bar but besides some small plates and cheese, their menu offers mostly standard bistro fares (i.e. steak, fish, pasta..etc etc). I like that all the entrees are under $20.

As soon as I walked in I knew I would like this place a lot. I love the cozy interior and all the awesome vintage french movie posters on the wall! (I’d like to take Alphaville home, thanks)

Chic wine barChic Wine Bar

Sangaria, a special drink of the night.  Small plate: Salmon & Avacado Tartar with meyer lemon vinaigrette, pink peppercorn. Fresh with just the right acidity and flavor. The pairing of the fatty meaty fish with the creamy fruit can get quite filling.

Chic Wine Bar

Fennel and Pear Salad with Shaved Parmesan, Prosciutto and Croustille. This is a special of the night. The light pear flavor and the crunchy fennel went well with prosciutto (I’ve never had it crispy like that before!). It’s a very simple dish that left me a strong impression.

Chic wine bar

Beef Bourguignon, a bistro classic, hearty and tasty. The beef was very tender.

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Trout Almondine – I’m always fond of fish cooked with almond. Simple classic dish that’s cooked well.

Chic Wine Bar

Special of the night: Roasted Lamb with a Fig and Sherry Wine sauce served with Asparagus and Purple Potato Ravioli. The sauce was fruity and delicious, however the lamb was a bit tough. The Purple ravioli were sweet, lovely!

Chic wine barChic wine bar

Chocolate mousse and espresso.

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The bathroom wall is plastered with menus from restaurants all over the world, definitely worth to check out!

I’ve gone back few times already and so far I’ve enjoyed all the dishes I had there. They’re all classic dishes that’re perhaps not widely inventive but are well executed with very reasonably prices. I like that they have lots of daily specials and themed nights (ex: “moroccan night’, ‘Prime rib Wednesday’ ). I think “Wine bar” is a misleading title as it’s definitely more like a bistro. Check it out if you live in nearby neighbourhood!

Chic Wine Bar (323) 525-0234
5545 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

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