LEVENDE EAST, Oakland, CA

The good thing about living in LA and having to fly into the Oakland airport on a regular basis is that Suni can pick me up and whisk me away to a nearby hotspot that would normally be a bit far for dinner. We've tried several places in Oakland, Berkeley, and other surrounding areas, and most recently stumbled upon Levende East in downtown Oakland. This "wine and small-plates" restaurant was dark, sexy, and exactly what I needed to unwind from a long week of work.

roquefort stuffed dates/fried spanish chorizo

Stuffed dates being one of our newest discoveries, we were anxious to try Levende's version. The chorizo added a nice salty and spicy kick to the sweet date and intense Roquefort. It was interesting that the chorizo was served alongside the dates and not stuffed in them, but this way we were able to taste all the components separately, and then see how they blended together perfectly.


indian spiced mini lamb burgers
onion chutney/cumin yogurt sauce/pickled cukes

These little lamb sliders called out to us, even though I'm not a huge fan of lamb. But I must admit, they were very tasty, and the wonderful Indian spices made me temporarily forget that I was eating a cute baby sheep.

guava BBQ glazed babyback ribs
mashed japanese sweet potatoes/rocolla/chalula & honey vinaigrette

These just sounded so good. The guava BBQ sauce was sweet and rich, which is why the peppery taste of the rocolla was essential to the dish. We devored them so quickly that we forgot to ask for more sauce on the side.

mac & cheese
applewood smoked bacon/sage

How could we NOT have the mac and cheese?

chocolate peanut butter pie
oreo cookie crust/caramel whipped cream

I begged, pleaded, and Suni finally gave in and let me order the chocolate peanut butter pie. I'm hoping that one day he develops a similar love for peanut butter (or even just a tolerance for it), but it wasn't at this dinner. He took one bite and proclaimed it too peanut-buttery. Of course, not all was lost as that just meant more for me.

CUT, Beverly Hills, CA

When my New York-based cousin Eric and I discovered our mutual love for food, I was even more excited when he told me that he and Rhonda would be coming to LA for 1 night and that we would go out somewhere amazing. He did his research, and decided that Wolfgang Puck's trendy CUT steakhouse at the Beverly Wilshire was worthy of our all-out dinner splurge. Of course, Suni didn't think twice about making a special trip down to LA to attend. After all, what is 700 miles of driving compared to a good steak? Cousin Lauren also joined us, which meant more dishes to try and more laughs. Needless to say, the 5 of us had a blast.

Pink Lady & Fuji Apple Salad, Fennel, Red Endive, Medjool Dates, Marcona Almonds, Parmesan
Rhonda's starter was the lightest and most refreshing of the bunch. Shreds of crunchy, sweet, and tart apples blended nicely with the bitter endive and fennel. Nutty parmesan and sweet dates rounded out the dish.

Bone Marrow Flan, Mushroom Marmalade, Parsley Salad

Although this is known as one of the "must have" starters, I [Andrea] wasn't quite brave enough to order it myself - so I was delighted when Eric did. After swooning over his first bite, he spread some on a piece of toast and passed it across the table. Trying not to think about what it really was, I took a bite and promptly melted in my chair. SO good. Suni didn't even want to entertain the idea of taking a bite (after all, we are talking about eating bone tissue), but I think I enjoyed it enough for the both of us.

Blue Fin “Toro” Tuna Tartare, Wasabi Aioli, Ginger, Togarashi Crisps, Tosa Soy

It's a challenge to take classic (almost passé) tuna tartare and make it interesting. But Cut succeeded with their version, which was beautifully presented and full of flavors and textures. I think Lauren was quite satisfied.

Maple Glazed Pork Belly, Asian Spices, Sesame–Orange Dressing, Bartlett Pear Compote

On a pork belly kick, I didn't think twice about ordering this as my starter. Compared to Craft's, this was juicer and meatier, although Craft's had the wonderful crispy exterior. I'm definitely torn. But it was fantastic and I reluctantly passed it around the table so others could share in my joy.

Kobe Steak Sashimi, Spicy Radishes


Suni here. Were it not for Andrea's relentless foodie influence, dishes associated with the words sashimi, tartar, or RAW would be nowhere near my end of the table. I actually surprised myself ordering this starter, but I figured if I'm going to engage in a raw meat experiment, why not make it Kobe at CUT. Of course, now I'm ruined. The seasoning and texture of the steak was amazing, and I found myself nearly scooping up every last piece before sharing. I'd definitely order this again.

New York Steak
U.S.D.A. PRIME, Nebraska Corn Fed, Dry Aged 35 Days


And if there weren't so many other interesting meat options on the menu, I'd be ordering this New York steak again, too. Normally I'd go for a ribeye, but I was just too intrigued by our server's description of this flavorful cut. This was by far the best seasoned steak I've ever had, and it has me wondering what sort of magic Wolfgang cooked up for the other aged steaks on the menu. My wallet isn't so thrilled, though. Go figure.

With the following sides...
Potato Tarte Tatin
Creamed Spinach with Fried Organic Egg
Sautéed Autumn Greens, Garlic
Matsutake Mushrooms


Mushrooms, Potato, Greens & Spinach...in that order. The mushrooms just complimented the salty steak well, and the potato was an interesting change from more traditional potatoes. The greens were tasty on their own, and the spinach was really just typical creamed spinach to me. This meal was really about the starts and the steaks. And now, back to your regularly scheduled Andrea...

Petit Fours

We were so full that we decided to skip dessert (although if it were just Suni and I we would have found room). But it was a good thing since their tray of petit fours was substantial enough to qualify as a dessert.

The verdict? Cut definitely lives up to the hype. Not only was the food fantastic, but the service was arguably the best we have ever experienced - or at least tied with Daniel in NY. And to top it all off, the icing on the cake was getting to meet the master chef himself.

RUSTIC CANYON, Santa Monica, CA

SUMMER BEER BASH

While Andrea has taken over most of the blogging duties lately, I haven’t let her touch this one. Beer is my territory, and THIS MUCH beer is my responsibility to [finally] write about. While a number of you (Andrea included) might sample a craft beer or microbrew and typically respond, “It tastes like beer”, there are plenty that have already discovered what I love about beer. Beer is as varied as wine in flavors and complexity, and it can pair well with all sorts of foods. Below you’ll find the foods and beers that the chefs and beer experts and Rustic Canyon decided to pair for their Summer Beer Bash.

Summer salad of watermelon, feta, wild arugula and soaked walnuts with lemon and olive oil
Biere De Blanco: Craftsman Brewing Company

As expected, a lighter beer with citrus qualities is paired with a salad. The salad combines the sweet, nutty, and tangy flavors which welcome the cool rush of the Biere De Blanco to finish it off.

Fried green tomatoes and burrata with heirloom tomato relish
Red Barn Ale: The Lost Abbey

For me, this was too much tomato, not enough burrata. That’s likely why I knifed off little slivers of the tomato to eat with the sauces on the plate. There was nothing wrong with the beer, however, which cut the tomato with richer, hoppy flavor.

Mussels steamed in beer with preserved lemon and chili flakes
California Ale: Telegraph Brewing Company

The mussels in this dish really just served as a rich textured vessel for the substantial chili and lemon flavors, which was fine by me. Combined with the starchy garbanzos, this dish seemed to coat my mouth with flavors that really needed to be washed down with a good beer. The California Ale is the richest beer among these first courses, which was a nice contrast to the sharp sting of the lemon-heavy mussels.

Craftsman IPA

Beer as a palate cleanser. Awesome.

Beer braised short ribs with chantrelles and creamed polenta
Biere De Mars: Craftsman Brewing Company

Once again, braised short ribs and polenta. Do short ribs ever come served WITHOUT polenta? To be honest, I don’t remember much about this dish. Given how many times we’ve had a version of this dish served to us, I was likely done with short ribs by the time this dinner rolled around. What I do remember is that of the beer pairings, this seemed the most out of place. The beer was good, but the short ribs didn’t make me FEEL like drinking a beer.

Baked goat cheese in pastry with wild honey
Lost and Found Ale: The Lost Abbey

Of all the dishes, this cheese and honey combo was my favorite. The sweetness of honey with the rich saltiness of the cheese all baked into a pastry? Can’t go wrong there. Also, I’m quickly becoming a fan of The Lost Abbey brewing company, and the Lost and Found Ale, red and hoppy, is my favorite.

Oatmeal stout cake with porter ice cream
Oatmeal Stout: Telegraph Brewing Company
Stock Porter: Telegraph Brewing Company

This just makes sense, doesn’t it? Two types of beer go into the dessert complemented by a glass of each beer. Even though, at this point, the sheer VOLUME of beer was threatening to overwhelm any appetite I had left, I still managed a sip with each spoonful of dessert. A winning combo.

Overall, I enjoyed every beer, and most of the courses. However, I wasn’t thrilled with all of the pairings nor the AMOUNT of pairings. A beer with the starter/salad and then a beer with the main course would be perfect for me. Any more, and beer and food will be fighting for space in my belly (which isn’t a great feeling). I have to applaud Rustic Canyon for giving everyone an opportunity to really experience a variety of pairings and demonstrating how versatile beer can be. It’s not just for BBQs and football games anymore.

VIOLET...again, Santa Monica, CA

Although we always strive to try new places to post on our blog, we really enjoyed our initial visit to Violet and wanted to return for their Sunday Night Dinner special. On Sunday, Violet features a seasonal 3-course menu for $25. With 2 selections for each of the 3 courses, we were able to order one of each and thus try everything. In addition, they offer the option of adding a $10 bottomless glass of wine - we didn't hesitate of course.
white onion soup thyme

This soup was a pleasant surprise and a first for us. It had the rich onion flavor of classic French onion soup, but was smooth and creamy. A perfect dish to warm us up on a chilly evening.

wild rocket cherry tomato, ricotta, balsamic

This salad was simple, but the refreshing flavors were a nice contrast to the rich soup. The wild rocket, fresh ricotta, and sweet tomatoes reflected the "seasonal" element of the summer dish.

creamy carnaroli risotto mushroom, roasted shallot

We were of course excited that mushroom risotto was part of their special Sunday menu. This risotto was unique in that it was made with Carnaroli rice, which is superior to the more common Arborio. I was able to tell the difference in texture, as each grain of Carnaroli is more plump and firm than the traditional Arborio.

grilled skirt steak, eggplant caviar, red wine

Although weary of any dish with "eggplant" in the name, the highlight of the dish surprisingly turned out to be the eggplant caviar that was resting underneath the tender and perfectly seasoned steak. However, it was more a chunky puree than a caviar, since it didn't have any sort of fish taste at all. Instead of asking for clarification from the staff, we simply concentrated on enjoying the great combination of flavors.

manchego sheep's milk cheese honey

For dessert, one of the options was a cheese course. Normally, (and unfortunately) we usually have to pick between cheese and a more traditional dessert - and the traditional usually wins. However, this menu gave us a chance to enjoy both. And sharp manchego with sweet honey? Can't get much better than that.

coconut charlotte

We were a bit worried when our server placed this down on the table. Not general fans of coconut, we were relieved when we were told that it was made with coconut milk and not with coconut flakes. But then one look at it and out first thought was that it was going to have the consistency of flan (again, not big fans). But instead this dessert turned out to be a nice surprise and we polished it off quickly. It was light and creamy, yet dense enough to avoid any flan-like resemblance. Definitely a winner and a refreshing end to a fantastic meal.

PIZZERIA MOZZA, Los Angeles, CA

Just next door to Osteria Mozza lies another one of Maria Batali and Nancy Silverton’s creations. Although more casual than the Osteria both in food and ambiance, Pizzeria Mozza still focuses on fresh ingredients and classic Italian flavors. Their thin crust, Naples-style pizza is the main attraction, with about 15 different versions. The pizzas are baked in 700 degree ovens, which results in a wonderfully puffy crust that is crispy in some spots, chewy in others, light, and airy. You really need to try it to get the full effect.


Fried squash blossoms with ricotta Having enjoyed our lobster-stuffed squash blossoms at Jar, we didn’t hesitate to order these as our starter. They were light, crispy, and the ricotta oozed just perfectly. They got our taste buds warmed up and ready for the main attraction.

Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio & thyme

Really. . . what's not to like about this combo? Woodsy mushrooms, 2 kinds of cheese and some herbs. Simple, high quality ingredients that blended together perfectly.

Coach farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions & bacon

We decided to get a bit fancier with our next selection. The strong goat cheese was balanced nicely by the sweet caramelized leaks and salty bacon. Definitely a winner, and it was a nice contrast to the more mild mushroom pizza above.

Butterscotch Budino

On another visit to Pizzeria Mozza, I broke down and ordered the butterscotch budino as many veterans had recommended. Silky, creamy, rich, sweet, and topped with a wonderfully thin layer of caramel with a sprinkling of sea salt. A must-order, even for people who aren’t crazy about butterscotch

OSTERIA MOZZA, Los Angeles, CA

Ok, we admit it – we’re suckers for celebrity chef restaurants. Especially Food TV chefs. So when we heard that Mario Batali was opening up a restaurant in LA, we anxiously awaited the chance to try his cuisine again, having had such a great experience at Babbo in New York. However just like Babbo, it was almost impossible to get a reservation at what had become LA’s newest hotspot. 2 hours after the reservation lines opened, I finally got through and was able to secure the next weekend spot available – which was almost 1 month later. Needless to say, we had high hopes and expectations for Batali's latest culinary endeavor.

An Italian Amuse Bouche:Stuzzichini with basil, sundried tomato, mint pesto and olive

The highlight of Osteria Mozza is the free-standing, marble Mozzarella Bar in the center of the restaurant. Here, chef Nancy Silverton, founder of La Brea Bakery and Campanile, takes classic Mozzarella, Burrata, Bocconcini, Strachiatella and many other variations of mozzarella and creates a wide array of interesting small plates . So we were excited when our Amuse Bouche turned out to be one of her mozzarella creations.

Burrata with bacon, marinated escarole & caramelized shallots

Burrata has become one of the hottest ingredients this summer and is popping up on upscale restaurant menus all over the country. This young Italian cheese is essentially fresh mozzarella stuffed with cream, which oozes onto your plate when you cut into it. This sweet and incredibly creamy cheese is the highlight of the Mozzarella bar, and what better way to try it than on toasty bread with bacon and caramelized shallots. The explosion of flavors and texture in each bite was incredible – the creamy, silky cheese, salty bacon, crunchy bread, sweet onions, and slightly bitter escarole. The only difficult part was trying to get each component of the dish in every bite without burrata dribbling down our chins.

Orrechiette with sausage & Swiss chard

Much easier to eat than pronounce, the orrechiette pasta with sausage, swiss chard rivals the Burrata with its mixture of flavors and textures (it's all about the breadcrumbs spooned on top!). While less of the this dish dribbled down our chins-we actually used silverware for this course-it was no less mouth-watering. Even with the sausage, it was a relatively light course, and the saltiness was a nice contrast for our other dish for this course:

Fresh Ricotta & Egg Raviolo with browned butter

Ricotta and...egg? It's not a combination I've had anywhere but a breakfast omelet, but it worked. This raviolo (the singular of ravioli?) was rich and sweet while the orrechiette was lighter and salty. We tore through this dish particularly quickly, not only because the sweet ricotta and brown butter was pleasant after so much bacon and sausage, but also to preserve the texture of the dish before the hot plate cooked the yolk solid!

Beef Brasato with polenta and horseradish gremolata

Although the pastas were the highlight of our meal, the braised beef was fantastic in its own right. The tender and succulent beef was served on a bed of polenta, which soaked up the rich au jus. Caramelized onions and meaty wild mushrooms added even more heartiness to the dish, making it the ultimate comfort food for a cold winter day. Of course, LA doesn’t have many of those so I’m not going to wait until then to enjoy this dish again.

Osteria Mozza - Take Two

Having had an overall great experience at Osteria Mozza, I decided to drag my friend Yana with me a week later for another round. I knew that she would force me to try the more unusual items on the menu, and boy was I right.Having had an overall great experience at Osteria Mozza, I decided to drag my friend Yana with me a week later for another round. I knew that she would force me to try the more unusual items on the menu, and boy was I right.

Grilled Octopus with potatoes, celery & lemon

First off, only click on this picture if you aren’t eating while reading this blog. Second, if the lighting wasn’t dim and I had actually seen what I was eating, I don’t think I would have been so brave. But Yana decided to order this based on the rave reviews and I’m not one to shy away from trying something new. A forkful was put on my plate and I reluctantly took the plunge. I chewed, pondered, and waited for some sort of weird flavor to hit my taste buds. Nothing. It tasted like chicken . . . really. Not a good thing nor a bad thing - it was what it was. Yana loved it, while I decided that one forkful was enough to feel proud of my sheer bravery.

Burricotti, braised artichokes, pine nuts, currants & mint pesto

Our second starter was definitely more tame, but still something that I would not necessarily have ordered myself. I’m much more of a bacon-cheese-onion type. Although I think I ultimately prefer the one Suni and I had, this was definitely a close second. Wonderful combination of texture and flavors. And as you can see, beautifully presented.

Agnolotti, burro e salvia

You already know of my new obsession with agnolotti, and the desire to try theirs was the main reason why I wanted to come back to Osteria Mozza. Filled with tender meat and accompanied with a sage butter sauce, it was delicious. However, I think I prefer the sweetness of Spago’s sweet corn agnolotti as just a matter of preference. Of the 4 pastas that I tasted at Osteria Mozza, I think my favorite was the orrechiette with sausage & Swiss chard – I still salivate when I think about it.

Spaghetti with clams, pancetta & Fresno chile pesto
This was Yana’s pasta, but she generously gave up a bite so that I would have something to blog about. Light and wonderfully spicy, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of flavor in this dish. Again, not something that I would normally order but it was quite tasty.

Olive oil gelato with rosemary cakes

Sometimes you just have to forgo a chocolate dessert in the name of something different and unique. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but the idea of olive oil gelato and rosemary cakes really sparked my interest. Besides being beautiful, this was a wonderfully complex dessert. The flavor of the olive oil and rosemary was dramatic, and went really well together. It’s hard to describe beyond that - you’ll just have to try it yourself.

CRAFT, Century City, CA

The opening of Craft has been a much anticipated event for Los Angeles foodies, and has been the talk of the town all spring/summer. With the success of Top Chef and the growing fan base, more and more people couldn’t wait to try out Tom Colicchio’s new restaurant. The fact that I watched the place being built right outside my office window only contributed to my eagerness to check it out once in finally opened

Amuse Bouche:
Blue Crab Gougère

This bite-sized treat was a perfect start to our meal. The blue crab was topped with a light and refreshing cucumber onion mixture, which was very tasty. However, I am still confused why they called it a Gougère , since a Gougère usually contains cheese. It was still good so we forgave them.

Pork Belly & Madras Curry

I was told by many that Craft’s pork belly was a must have, and since neither of us had any idea what it even was (I purposely waited until after we tried it to Google it, and was delighted that it’s not a pig’s stomach after all) we decided to give it a try. Now I’m hooked. As much as I try to be creative with my reviews, I can't describe it any better than this one blogger did on Chowhound.com:

Shortly, our appetizer arrived. Five pieces of … fried tofu? I thought I got pork belly? I shrugged and cut into a block. Just to describe how this dish looked, the near-perfect rectangle of pork’s outside was browned as if deep-fried, with a bit of skin on one end. When I cut into it, a creamy interior exposed itself, ready to be consumed.

I stabbed it with my fork and thought, “bottoms up!”

Oh.

My.

God.

This was the ultimate expression of porktastic ecstasy. The inside was literally dissolving on my tongue upon contact and the fullness of the fat was completely coating my mouth. It was as if the world had struggled and toiled to perfect the perfect method of cooking pork belly and every iota of energy expended to create this had culminated in this rectangle of animal gold. The dish came with sweet-and-sour dates and a madras curry sauce but they were practically superfluous, although good (by themselves and with the pork, but I preferred the pork by itself).

My girlfriend gasped across the table. I thought she had stepped on a bug or was choking but one look into her eyes and I knew.

This was ludicrously good.

Corn Agnolotti & Speck

After my experience with Spago’s corn agnolotti, there was no way that I was going to pass up another chance at pure ecstasy. And since Suni didn’t go to Spago’s with me, he needed to try my new food obsession. Craft’s version was served in a beautiful copper pot, and topped with speck (a type of prosciutto). Although I would rank Craft’s agnolotti just below Spago’s, it was fantastic and we will definitely get two orders next time so we don’t have to share it. This was by far Suni’s favorite dish of the night, and now, since he’s joined me in my obsession, I am going to make it in my next cooking class so I will be able to make it for him.

Wagyu Skirt Steak with Marrow and Soy Bordelaise
We decided not to spring for the $95 Kobe rib eye and instead opted to share the Kobe skirt steak. This was our first taste of Japanese Kobe steak (as opposed to a Kobe burger, which is quite different), and it was definitely very interesting. This type of meat is incredibly rich, buttery, and almost gamey. It was served with a wonderful soy based sauce, with a hint of rosemary. When we ordered the dish, we just saw the words Kobe and Skirt Steak and really didn’t read the rest. So when it came served with a mysterious white thing on top, we both didn’t know what it was. Thinking it was some kind of onion or potato, I took half and proceeded to eat it with a piece of steak. My first thought was that it tasted like the burnt part of a marshmallow roasted over a fire. Still unsure of what it was, I prompted Suni to try it. Right then, as Suni was about to take a bite, a server came by and I made the mistake of asking what it was. Bone marrow. To no surprise, Suni immediately put it down and gave a priceless look of utter disgust. Needless to say, I don’t think we’ll be ordering marrow again any time soon.

Potato Gratin
This was by far one of the best potato gratins that I’ve ever tasted. Probably made with a quart of cream, Craft’s version was silky, creamy, and just plain amazing.

After-dinner Amuse Bouche:
Cucumber Soup with Cantaloupe Sorbet and Watermelon

This light and refreshing after-dinner amuse was a perfect palette cleanser after our rich and heavy steak and potatoes. The cantaloupe, watermelon, and cucumber flavors complimented each other nicely, and it left us refreshed and ready to take on our next course.

Salty Chocolate Tart with Hazelnuts and Sorbet

Although we’ve tried countless chocolate desserts, the addition of course salt was a unique and welcomed addition. The chocolate tart shell tart was filled with a rich and creamy mousse, and sprinkled with large chunks of salt. Every bite that contained a bit of salt changed the flavor profile completely. And I must say, the combination was fantastic. The sorbet, caramel sauce, and sprinkle of hazelnuts added even more to the dessert, and the result was a dish full of a variety of flavors and texture combinations.

Petit Fours:
Lavender Marshmallow and Chocolate Pecan Bark

Although stuffed beyond belief, there’s always room for petit fours. The chocolate pecan bark was good, but nothing compared to the amazing chocolate tart that we had just finished. The lavender marshmallow was definitely…interesting. The texture was great, but to me it tasted more like something you would put in a bath tub rather than a dessert. Not that it was awful, just not our cup of tea. Full marks for originality though.