Maxim Gorin, co-founder of LifeLine Ambulance in Los Angeles County, is both a licensed emergency medical technician and an experienced financial professional. He began his EMT training as a precursor to opening the customer-focused business, which transported its first patient on July 4, 2002. Maxim Gorin’s previous career in the financial services industry enabled him to bring that skill set to his work in developing LifeLine, which he grew from a six-person, two-vehicle operation into a widely recognized service provider covering several Southern California counties with a fleet of more than 100 ambulances. The company continues its focus on working with the most up-to-date and sophisticated medical equipment on the market.
Maxim Gorin attended Los Angeles Valley College, where he majored in economics and business. While stationed with the United States Army at Colorado’s Fort Carson, he took classes in business and finance at Pikes Peak Community College. Before his honorable discharge with the rank of private first class in 1999, Maxim Gorin had served in tank units not only at Fort Carson, but also near the Korean Demilitarized Zone at Camp Casey.
After leaving the Army, Maxim Gorin began his career in finance with an early position at Primerica. As a Primerica financial advisor, he worked to educate consumers on the best ways to manage their money, live debt-free, and save for retirement. Recruited to the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company after a meeting with a senior partner, Maxim Gorin worked with that firm to help customers save for children’s college educations, craft employee health-benefits plans, and achieve other vital personal and corporate goals. While with MassMutual, he earned the right to sell both life and health insurance and obtained series 6 and series 63 securities licenses. The latter requires demonstration of wide-ranging knowledge of the student’s own state’s securities laws, rules, and regulations.
Maxim Gorin is currently applying to study at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.
As one might expect from a restaurant of this name, Toast Cafe offers toast in a variety of preparations, along with numerous coffee options. The menu also includes decidedly unique fare, including the pizza de tortilla.
Toast’s pizza de tortilla consists of pizza toppings baked on either a whole-wheat or a white tortilla. Options range from the simple, like the Margarita Tortilla with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, to the complex, like the cheese-and-vegetable-laden Chef’s Pizza. The pizza de tortilla menu also provides opportunities to discover more unusual dishes, including the Tuna Pizza and the Green Pizza, which merges the flavors of goat cheese, feta cheese, pesto, and more.
The pizza theme continues in the toast section of the menu, with the Bagel Pizza. Toast also offers bagels and lox with capers and onions, while its build-your-own bagel starts with a Jerusalem bagel and lets customers pick a cheese, a sauce, and two vegetables as toppings.
In June 2014, the LA Street Food Fest held its fifth annual Summer Tasting Event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Billed as an “adventure park for foodies,” the event brought together world-famous chefs from across the globe, as well as some of the most beloved food trucks from the Los Angeles area. Attendees had the opportunity to sample dishes from nearly 100 street food vendors and street-inspired dishes from some of LA’s top restaurants.
For one all-inclusive ticket, attendees enjoyed free, all-you-can-eat samples from a wide variety of restaurants and street food stands. Guests could also sip on a cold beer or sample a signature cocktail from one of the five “Caroline on Crack Approved” bars. In addition to placing guests alongside some of the most respected food critics in the city, the Summer Tasting Event encouraged attendees to vote for their favorite food items in the Street Food Cook-Off.
Marmalade Cafe, a favorite dining spot for Maxim Gorin, strives to offer an excellent in-house experience at its locations throughout the Los Angeles area. But those who want to bring the service and food of Marmalade Cafe to an event have an option as well: Marmalade Catering.
Event catering has been a part of Marmalade Cafe’s business since it opened its doors. Its full-service catering provides everything needed for a successful event, from serving staff and private chefs to rental equipment and entertainment. Marmalade’s catering menu includes entrees like beef Wellington and spiced Moroccan chicken breast, as well as platters of cheese and vegetable crudités and hot appetizers like Southwest empanadas. Desserts such as Bundt cakes and brownies are on offer, and Marmalade makes a variety of soups and salads for events as well.
Organizers looking for a less-formal option from Marmalade have choices too. Its Marmalade To Go drivers bring fresh food to corporate lunches throughout Los Angeles, and customers can drop by the restaurant’s Santa Monica location for boxed lunches and more. To find additional information, visit MarmaladeCatering.com.
Run by two friends who wanted to create a restaurant in Hollywood where local, organic food was affordable, Blu Jam Cafe has been serving customers on Melrose Avenue since 2006. The restaurant has expanded over its eight years in business, opening new locations and a catering operation. Its chef has also posted some of his recipes online.
To find the recipes, visit www.blujamcafe.com. Look for the “Kamil’s Kitchen” link, which will bring you to the restaurant’s blog. Once there, you’ll start seeing recipes from as far back as 2011.
Some of the recipes come with little personal touches from Chef Kamil. You can find, for instance, “my wife’s favorite veggie recipe,” a seared zucchini dish flavored with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, then sprinkled with cheese. Or you can read a recipe for shrimp ceviche that was contributed to KCET in 2012 to help locals prepare menus for Cinco de Mayo. Vegans can find a kale recipe suitable to their diet, while budding chefs in search of American classics can reproduce Kamil’s chicken soup and okra recipes.
Commissary Provides a Unique Vegetable-Based Dining Experience
Located at the Line Hotel in the heart of Los Angeles’ Koreatown, Commissary represents the fourth and final restaurant concept from chef Roy Choi. Nestled comfortably inside a beautiful glass greenhouse, Commissary focuses primarily on dishes involving fruits and vegetables, but falls short of calling itself an actual vegetarian restaurant. Like many of Roy Choi’s other establishments in the Los Angeles area, Commissary uses locally sourced ingredients and pays tribute to people and families working on the farms.
One of the most unique aspects of Commissary is the menu, which includes simple, hand-drawn pictures of vegetables and other items in each dish. Guests have the opportunity to match vegetables and sauces or select from dishes such as radishes with butter, grilled corn with crushed red chili pepper, and grilled radicchio and romaine with bacon. The drink menu is crafted by Matt Biancaniello, who uses fruit and vegetable inspirations to create cocktails such as “gin and juice” with fresh carrot, watermelon, beet, or apple juice.
One of the most eagerly anticipated restaurants among Los Angeles foodies, Roy Choi’s hot pot restaurant, known simply as Pot, offers a truly unique dining experience. Before launching Pot, Choi gained fame in the Los Angeles area for Asian fusion foods such as hot dogs with kimchi and galbi tacos.
Located inside Koreatown’s boutique Line Hotel, Pot provides a chance to sample a plethora of new flavors in a fun atmosphere. The experience begins when you open the menu, which looks like a newspaper and features a giant picture of an old Burmese woman smoking on the cover. Most of the restaurant’s fresh takes on traditional Korean dishes come in traditional Korean hot pots. If the hot pot stuffed with hot dogs and ramen noodles doesn’t capture your interest, you might want to try out the kimchi fried rice with a soft-cooked egg in the middle. For dessert, retreat to the Pot Cafe or Pot Bar in the hotel lobby.
Szechwan Impression - Authentic Chinese Food in Alhambra
Recently, Szechwan Impression opened its doors on Valley Boulevard in Alhambra, California. Each day, a long line forms outside the doors as diners eagerly await a taste of the restaurant’s modern Sichuan cuisine. The chef behind Szechwan Impression came from a five-star hotel in Chengdu, China, and now serves up all the familiar flavors of the Sichuan style. Many of the restaurant’s dishes fall on the milder end of the spectrum, making them accessible to Western palates.
At Szechwan Impression, standouts include a fried rice cake with soy powder and liquefied black sugar, flash-fried Chinese greens, and pig’s ears smoked like traditional Sichuan bacon. The restaurant cooks only 20 orders of bon bon chicken each day, served pale with Sichuan pepper or red with spicy chilies. If you miss out on the bon bon chicken, consider the shredded pork with garlic, a delicate dish with perfectly balanced flavors. More adventurous diners will also find a number of exciting dishes, such as Big Mouth Zizong Ginger Frog.
La Fonda Antioquena - Delicious Colombian Food in Los Angeles
Located in the heart of Los Angeles, La Fonda Antioquena serves authentic Colombian cuisine made from the freshest ingredients. The restaurant’s owner, Germán Rodriguez, rises early each morning to claim the best ingredients and oversee the preparation of dishes based on guarded, secret recipes. Don Germán worked as a waiter at La Fonda Antioquena for eight years before he assumed the restaurant’s ownership. With this experience in waiting tables, he ensures that the restaurant meets only the highest standards of service.
The restaurant’s kitchen prepares many Colombian favorites acclaimed by expats from that country, as well as Los Angeles visitors and residents. These dishes include chicharron, deep fried pork rinds; pasteles de yuca, a dish similar to a tamale and made primarily of yuca; and arepas, a maize-dough flatbread. Traditional entrees include pollo al ajillo, churrasco, and sancocho de pescado. Individuals new to Colombian cuisine should opt for the banedja paisa, a traditional dish that combines many typical foods from the country on a single plate.
Can’t Beat a Good Bistro - Monsieur Marcel’s Authentic Culinary Wonder
Los Angeles’ dizzying array of dining options makes it a gourmand’s paradise, but sometimes it can be hard to find the perfect example of a given cuisine with so many restaurants from which to choose. Authenticity can be hard to come by in a market saturated with “fusion” and “hybrid” cuisines, and the urban playground of Los Angeles makes each restaurant feel a part of some greater whole in the cityscape. Luckily for those who want to escape from Los Angeles, Monsieur Marcel offers an easy portal to France by way of Lyon.
The original restaurant, located at the Fairfax District Farmers Market, grew out of a desire to bring French flavor and terroir to Los Angeles. Owners Stephane and Katy Strouk started their food business with a modest creperie in the Farmers Market in 1993; 20 years later, their two Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market and Restaurant locations have become the toast of the town, with glowing reviews from Zagat and Los Angeles Magazine. Come for the authentic French ingredients and dishes, including a famed croques-monsieur and other bistro fare, and stay to enjoy the fine wines from the Bordeaux region.
Some of Los Angeles’ Most Impressive Seafood Restaurants
Los Angeles is home to some of the most innovative and inspiring seafood restaurants in the country, including both established destinations and edgier hotspots. Providence falls into the former category; the restaurant has consistently won accolades for serving artful seafood dishes in an upscale, yet unpretentious atmosphere. For something a little more relaxed but every bit as delicious, diners can turn to Ricky’s Fish Tacos or Fish King, which has perfected the combination of seafood market and restaurant. Fisherman’s Outlet also offers a setting quite different from the traditional white tablecloth restaurant. Diners must shout their order across several people in a bustling settling, but those lucky folks get rewarded with piles of fresh seafood at very low prices.
For raw options, you may want to check out Water Grill, which has a great raw bar complete with craft beer selections, or La Cevicheria, which offers page after page of traditional and non-traditional ceviche options. The most popular ceviches include concha negra (bloody clam) or the Peruvian style with shrimp, squid, snapper, octopus, and aji pepper.
New Los Angeles Restaurant Highlights - Smoke Oil Salt
In a stroke of good fortune for Spanish cuisine enthusiasts in the Los Angeles area, newcomer Smoke Oil Salt recently opened its doors on Melrose Avenue. Under the guidance of Chef Perfecto Rocher, the restaurant offers a wide range of Spanish dishes from Valencia and beyond.
Although Smoke Oil Salt features a number of traditional Spanish dishes, it’s not necessarily a tapas restaurant. Small plates include sea urchin flan with caviar, a charcuterie of Iberian meats and cheeses, roasted wood-fire eggplant, and a chilled almond sherry gazpacho. When it comes to seafood entrees, popular dishes include smoked octopus or scallops a la planxa. The restaurant also serves meat entrees such as farm-raised lamb chops and wood-fire grilled butcher’s filet iberico pork.
True to its roots, Smoke Oil Salt offers an extensive selection of Spanish wines and beers. Diners can also order the refreshing cava cocktail or rich sherry cocktail.
Los Angeles, Al Fresco - Enjoying LA’s Outdoor Eating Options
While writers and travelers have long pined for Paris’ sidewalk cafes, any serious foodie knows that Los Angeles is the capital of the outdoor dining scene. With its sunny weather, the city all but demands patio seating. While the meals may be the same as those served indoors, millions of cheerful diners have found that food simply tastes better when enjoyed under Los Angeles’ open skies.
Not surprisingly, ocean-view patios, which necessitate a drive beyond Los Angeles proper, are in high demand. Restaurants like the high-class Nikita Malibu and Marina del Rey’s exciting fusion destination Paiche offer incredible views of the Pacific Ocean along with some of the region’s finest dining. Others will want to travel to Rivabella in West Hollywood, where delightful Italian cuisine is served along with excellent views of the Sunset Strip. The best pasta to be served al fresco, however, can be found at Bucato in Culver City, while Korean barbeque fans will want to visit Chosun Galbee, where the comfortable patio serves as a performance space for the servers.
Although most people do not associate Los Angeles with high-quality seafood, one new restaurant looks set to change that belief. Located at the end of the Malibu Pier at 23000 PCH, Malibu Pier Restaurant & Bar plans to open its doors just in time for summer 2014. Under the leadership of Lark Creek Restaurant Group and executive chef Jason Fullilove, Malibu Pier Restaurant & Bar will offer a wide range of gourmet seafood dishes with locally sourced ingredients. Some of the most intriguing dishes include fisherman’s stew with PEI mussels, wild octopus and saffron pasta pearls, spot prawn corn dogs with violet mustard, and mini duck sausages braised with sweet peas.
Just across the pier, Malibu Farm cooks up a number of more casual food items, such as grass-fed hamburgers, fish tacos, vegan Cobb salad, and grilled chocolate cake. The Malibu Farm Pier Cafe also serves beer, wine, and a host of specialty cocktails.
The Taste Food Festival Returns to Los Angeles This August
The Los Angeles Times recently announced its annual festival, The Taste, which will celebrate great food throughout Southern California. The festival will take place over Labor Day weekend in the back lot of Paramount Pictures Studios. In 2014, five events will comprise The Taste. Each will include specialty drinks, unlimited tastings, and live demos.
On Opening Night on Aug. 29, The Taste will introduce the chefs and bartenders featured throughout the weekend. People will also have the opportunity to meet The Times’ Food staff.
The following day, Field to Fork will offer a look at seasonal dishes that utilize ingredients grown in Southern California. On Saturday evening, Dinner with a Twist will celebrate the iconic dishes served by restaurants throughout the city.
Sunday Brunch will pay homage to the classic meal with delicious breakfast and lunch options, as well as traditional brunch cocktails. Flavors of L.A. will close out The Taste with a look at the international flavors represented by chefs in the city.
Individuals can learn more about the festival at LATimes.com/TheTaste.
Possessing the largest population of Taiwanese Americans in the United States, Los Angeles has dozens of excellent Taiwanese restaurants. Some of the restaurants specialize in specific foods like stinky tofu or courses such as dessert. However, for individuals who want a wider spectrum of Taiwanese flavors, several options exist.
Tofu King offers many cheap lunch options. The most popular dishes include stinky tofu and the fatty pork over rice. The latter dish features braised pork belly over rice soaked in pork juices. Stir-fried “A” choy, a Taiwanese lettuce, provides a perfect complement.
For higher-end food, individuals may want to try Cafe Fusion, which serves several traditional items, such as baked milkfish and a soup that combines bitter gourd, pineapple, and pork ribs. The restaurant is also known for its lobster salad, which is tossed with fruit and kewpie mayonnaise.
Pine and Crane changes its menu based on the season and the vegetables available. One of the owners comes from a noodle-producing family, so dishes like dan dan noodles and beef noodle soup remain clear stars on the menu.
True to its motto, “Breakfast is everything,” at Bea Bea's, breakfast is king. Located on North Pass Avenue in Burbank, California, Bea Bea's offers diners a plethora of breakfast options, including breakfast burritos, waffles, omelets, five types of Eggs Benedict, and 20 pancake varieties.
For the kid in everyone, Bea Bea's serves sweet treats such as the Chocolate Tuxedo (pancakes with brownies, chocolate chips, and mascarpone whipped cream) and the Sugar Rush (waffles with vanilla ice cream and banana flambé), along with a range of other sweet waffles, crepes, and pancakes. For the more health conscious, Bea Bea's offers whole-wheat French toast and pancakes, yogurt parfait with fruit, and several egg dishes, such as the Veggie Veggie Scramble and Garden Omelet. Many of the dishes are available vegan or gluten free. In addition to breakfast, the restaurant serves burgers, sandwiches, pastas, and salads.
Bea Bea's is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, with online ordering available.
The Future of LA Dining - 2014’s Hottest Restaurants
A true paradise for gourmands, the ever-growing popularity of the Los Angeles foodie scene means that new restaurants and exciting flavors pop up all the time in the city. So far, 2014 appears to be no different, and numerous excellent eateries have positioned themselves as the next best thing in the city.
Many critics have heaped praise on restaurants like Mud Hen Tavern, which has outstanding bar food and a friendly atmosphere, as well as POT, the playfully named restaurant specializing in hot pot dishes in a warm Korean style. Meanwhile, the former-newcomer-turned-veteran Alma, which The New York Times suggested was a reason in and of itself to visit LA, continues to innovate with a new prix fixe menu.
Meanwhile, perhaps the most interesting new restaurant to land in L.A. is Maude, the brainchild of Curtis Stone, where the monthly prix fixe menu is based entirely around a single, central dish.
