Nancy Eats L.A.

I'm in L.A. for work. I've never been here before. I've been told the food is here is really good and so far it is!

[nancyeatsla]

21 Choices, Pasadena

I had heard great things about 21 Choices when I told locals that our August sublet is in Pasadena but I was still skeptical. My thoughts about frozen yogurt can be best summed up by the character Michael in The Good Place. “There’s something so human about taking something great and ruining it a little so that you can have more of it.” In other words: go ice cream or go home. However, this is no ordinary frozen yogurt. If you hadn’t told me I probably wouldn’t even know it was frozen yogurt and not ice cream. Plus with mix-ins like potato chips and brownies it’s pretty clear the goal of the place is not some half hearted attempt at being healthy. Think artisanal, soft serve Coldstone.

21 Choices offers 6 daily “choices,”their soft serve frozen yogurts and sorbets. They seem to have 3 staples-chocolate, vanilla and plain yogurt- and more creative an ever changing rotation of more creative concoctions like circus animal cookie and peanut butter s'mores. Guests can have the froyo on its own OR opt for one of their 21 mix-in combinations like “Oreo Cookie Magic” (oreos, cookie dough and rainbow sprinkles) or “Chubby Hippo” (brownie, pretzels, caramel sauce and sea salt). You can also add or subtract ingredients or create your own (their selection of toppings/mixins is huge although frustratingly not listed anywhere in the store). They’ll even give you a spoonful to taste before they ring you up to ensure that your dessertsnack is tailored to your exact preferences.

You may notice I did not share what I ordered and that is because I have been three times. (Don’t judge me. It’s hot and ice cream is delicious.)

Their sizes are small, medium and large and they are GENEROUS. The small is a lunch-sized meal unto itself. Luckily I discovered the secret menu of tres small which translates from French to “human portion size.”

By the time you get there, I assume I’ll be a regular so tell them Nancy sent you.

[nancyeatsla]

Guest Post! Mike reviews Slaters 50/50 in Pasadena

On Tuesday Nancy came back from a meeting in "The OC" (as the locals call it) and was really hungry. I didn't want anything very fancy so we decided to go to Slater's 50/50 in Pasadena, a burger place that makes their burgers with a 50% bacon 50% beef blend. 

Unpopular opinion - I think people have a weird bacon fetish. Bacon is good, everyone knows that, but I think bacon wrapped everything is weird and I draw the line well before we get to bacon salt. Also, I'd prefer if you did not put bacon in my bloody mary. I'm not sure I was sold on this 50/50 burger/bacon blend idea. 

We started with an order of the crispy brussell sprouts, which were tossed in mustard, balsamic and bacon. They were fine, but not great. I don't think I had a single bite that could be classified as crispy and in fact thought they were a little soggy. But the flavor profile was interesting. 

They had a really excellent beer selection. I ordered a Arts District Cowboy Curtis - a smoked porter. I'm a fan of smoked beers and really enjoyed this one. Nancy got the Tangerine Express by Stone - she said it was great. We really like very different things in beer. 

Nancy ordered the BLTA Chicken Sandwich and added mushrooms. That's not a burger. Also worth noting that the "A" as in Avocado was actually Guacamole. I guess BLTG didn't focus group very well? Nancy said it had a good char and was juicy. 

I decided to be really healthy and embrace the California clean eating thing. I got the Beer-cheese and chili burger. It was topped with Fritos. It was delicious. I didn't think the bacon blend was overwhelming. In fact, I don't think I even noticed it. The burger was just a good tasting burger. 

This place isn't going to win a Michelin star anytime soon, but I'd totally go back for a good burger and a beer. 

[nancyeatsla]

The Stinking Rose, Beverly Hills

When my Facebook friend (and former South Dakota State Senator) Angie Buhl O’Donnell told me recommended a garlic themed restaurant in LA I knew we had to go. Believe it or not it’s been a culinary goal of mine to try garlic ice cream ever since I had encountered such a restaurant in Tallin, Estonia during my study abroad. My travel-mates were intrepid enough to explore Eastern Europe but apparently not enough to go to a garlic-only establishment for dinner and we wound up getting pizza instead.

First off, a word about the decor. Outside it looks like a TGIFriday’s with valet parking and inside it looks like a heavily themed Italian trattoria one might expect to find in Disneyland completed with tables sectioned off by black and white curtains and a 1950′s soundtrack. They also have garlic bulb hats to borrow or purchase, a fact that Mike is lucky I only discovered on the way out.

Now for the food. We started with the Bagna Calda which is spreadable garlic cloves in olive oil and butter served with the house made focaccia. While delicious, I was expecting a more complicated flavor and felt like it was something I could easily make at home. I was not in love with the bread although Mike liked it a lot.

THEN for the main course. I got the garlic noodles which are fresh made fettuccine (WITH GARLIC IN THE DOUGH) in a “parsley, paprika, butter sauce” to which I asked them to add chicken and mushrooms (the latter of which were not presented as an option but they happily complied without an up charge). OH MY GOD YOU GUYS IT WAS SO GOOD. I love a good plate of pasta, particularly fresh and with a lot of stuff in it and boy did this deliver. The pasta was cooked to the exact right firmness and flavored expertly (it doesn’t hurt that I love garlic.) It was the perfect plate of pasta. Mike had a steak with mashed potatoes that I found unremarkable. 

Finally, of course I had to order the garlic ice cream even though I had eaten every scrap of my delicious pasta and was beyond full. Unfortunately I think they scooped the ice cream into martini glasses (with a caramel sauce they called a mole...OH what Aron Sanchez would do with that one) at the beginning of the evening and put them all back in the fridge so the texture was not ideal for ice cream. Even so the flavor was...eh? I guess there is a reason that it took me nearly a decade to find garlic ice cream again; it’s not that good. I mean it definitely tasted like garlic but I think I just flew too close to the sun in my hopes of tasting a combination of my two favorite foods. 

Overall verdict: Honestly I would go back just for the delicious pasta and to see what other gems are on their menu. I’ll let you know how that goes.

[nancyeatsla]

Blue Plate Oysterette

After discovering both that I would be paying for dinner and that I would allow him to eat oysters, Mike changed our plans and decided instead of more taco trucks we should go here.

We had a half dozen oysters, the mouth watering highlight of which were the large, creamy “Sunset Beach” (I ordered two more as a kicker) followed by tuna tartare and lobster tacos. The tuna tartare was pretty standard but good and served on a garlic buttered bruschetta that while also very good, was richer than I was expecting and I gave most of mine to Mike. In an attempt to scale back the chazdom of our California eating experience I inquired if we could get the lobster tacos without cheese to which, to my total surprise, our waiter responded that without the pepper jack cheese the dish “gets really weird.” REALLY? Are these tacos going to hit on my mother? Start talking about overthrowing the government? Put their hand on my thigh when I thought we were just friends?

We decided not to risk it and got the tacos with the cheese on them after all. In defense of the server’s comment, the “pepper jack cheese” was more of a truffled cheese sauce, the kind you would find on (also on the menu) fancy mac and cheese and (to paraphrase the Big Lebowski a film I have not stopped referencing since I got out here) really tied the dish together. The tacos had crispy shells, which I have not seen elsewhere in CA and generous fillings of high quality lobster, which I appreciated. The dish was indulgent on multiple fronts. It was exactly what I imagine I would want as drunk food at a fancy beach hotel. We were not drunk or at a hotel but it was still pretty delish.

BPO

[nancyeatsla]

Bonita Taco Truck, Santa Monica

We decided to walk down the pier and try some different taco trucks for dinner. We got the carnitas, asada and shrimp (which to my surprise turned out to be fried) tacos. They were pretty good but no Azteca Original. The truck was, however, playing a song called “I love you more than tacos” which is now in strong contention for our wedding song.

[nancyeatsla]

La Brea Bakery

Warning: Post full of controversial breakfast opinions.

I love Michael dearly but having to rely on him for transportation in a fairly unwalkable city has been sapping my strength. To wit, we’d been up since 8:30ish this morning but didn’t sit down for breakfast (or coffee) until about 11:45. Needless to say by the time we sat down at La Brea (also a Nancy Silverton joint) I was hanckry. Hancrky enough to order two breakfasts immediately upon arrival.

La Brea has both sit down and take out and we opted for a hybrid, ordering from the take out menu and sitting at the chairs on the patio outside.

Before I get into the food let me share a controversial opinion: cold brew coffee is bullshit. It tastes like watered down bitter grape skins and it should be illegal to serve me cold brew when I asked for iced coffee. At very least it should be like when your order Diet Coke and they have to make sure you are okay with Diet Pepsi (and who is?). Luckily I have chosen our settling in period to throw caloric caution to the wind so I was able to salvage my morning beverage by drowning it in whole milk.

Controversial opinion number two: granola is a scam. I’ve been wanting a yogurt parfait for breakfast since our arrival partially because it (along with avocado toast) is what I imagine Californians eat for breakfast and also to combat the empty calorie carbohydrate onslaught of the past few days. I ordered the yogurt parfait which consists of thick Greek yogurt, blackberries and blueberries and a separate small cup of granola. Generally I am anti-granola-- not because I dislike it per se but because the faux health food industry has been so successful at passing it off as healthier than what it is, which is crumbled up cookies. Usually I eschew the optional granola because yogurt parfaits are sweet enough but these berries and yogurt were tart and unadulterated in a delightful way that I found the granola a welcome accompaniment. I guess I should have given the 5-star chef the benefit of the doubt that her parfait would be better balanced than Pret A Manger.

Mike got the BELT sandwich and I also got the breakfast croissant (eggs, bacon and a slice of cheddar) which on top of the yogurt was too much food. The sandwiches were above average, the highlights respectively being the bright and fresh tomato and the extra sharp cheddar cheese.

After I had calmed down from my hanckriness I considered that we had perhaps not ordered the most representative dishes since La Brea is in fact a bakery. Luckily Mike asked me to get a road pastry for our day trip to Santa Monica and based on the barista’s recommendation, I ordered a slice of lemon pound cake. Even though I was already very full from too much breakfast the two bites I had were perfection and much more in line with what I had expected from other Nancy. The loaf is devoid of poppyseed or icing neither of which I missed in favor of bold flavors of lemon zest, and sweet but not too sweet and moist but not sticky cake.  We will absolutely be back for the bread and other pastries another day.

[nancyeatsla]

Day 5: Pizzeria Mozza, Hollywood

The neighborhood called Hollywood is nothing like what I’d pictured. I imagined mansions, movie studios, glitter and lights everywhere plus fancy women in evening gowns with opera gloves that look like sleeves. Basically, I’m an idiot and have no right to make fun of people who ask me if everything in New York is like Sex and the City or Seinfeld. (Actually, it’s a little like Seinfeld).

Anyway, I was not super into the idea of Pizzeria Mozza because a New Yorker does not come to LA to eat pizza. Also, it is partially owned by Mario Batali who once showed up clearly unshowered in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt to a formal event I was staffing. However, Pizzeria Mozza is also partially owned by Chef Nancy Silverton who has going for her the fact that she has a beautiful first name and that she is the only person to have an episode of the stupid, self-important show Chef’s Table who I did not want to punch in the face. Plus I figured Mike probably wouldn’t let me get sushi three days in a row. 

Mike and I got the arugula and mushroom salad, which was very simple but also perfectly balanced and delicious. We shared the goat cheese, leek and bacon pizza which was...eh. Mike liked it more than I did. For something billed as “the best pizza” it was neither best nor pizza, but more like a heavily topped flatbread. We had the cherry and almond crostini with mascarpone which was my favorite part of the meal (h/t Nancy Silverton, who is a pastry chef.) 

I wouldn’t send you away if you were going there but I wouldn’t go again.

Pizzeria Mozza

[nancyeatsla]

Day 5: In-n-Out Burger

Why did no one warn me this place was a veritable mosh pit?  I was expecting a literal in and out McDonalds type ordering experience but it was more like the line at Shake Shack on acid.

Mike got a double double, I got a cheeseburger with grilled onions and we shared the animal-style fries. The burgers 100% lived up to expectations and were well worth the wait. I’ll skip the fries though next time. 

[nancyeatsla]

Day 5: Starbucks, Simi Valley

Okay don’t worry I am not going to post on here every time I go to get some chain coffee. I added Starbucks in here because I have been really digging these Drago Money on Honey dark chocolate caramels with sea salt on the outside that they’ve been selling. Quick recommendation to check them out! 

[nancyeatsla]

Day 4: Teishokuya of Tokyo (TOT), Little Tokyo

We found ourselves in Little Tokyo yet again, but no dice on the revolving sushi. This time it was only a 45-minute wait but not everyone has the unbridled locomotive sushi lust that I do. Instead we went to TOT with the intention of getting Ramen although that is not what we wound up ordering.

We started with vegetable tempura which light, crispy, non-greasy perfection. Mike got the tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and I got a combo that consisted of delicious seaweed broth udon noodle soup and unagi don (broiled eel over rice). Ha! You can take the girl out of the revolving sushi restaurant but you can’t take the something, something...I basically ate sushi anyway.

It was delicious as has been everything in this neighborhood. Another A+ California dining experience. 

[nancyeatsla]

Day 4: Cafe Demitasse, Little Tokyo

I got to meet a Facebook friend in-person who I had not seen since 2006 when she led the volunteer recruitment portion of the first campaign training I ever attended. I didn’t ask her if I could post about her, so I won’t go into details but she is a BFD and I was so happy to get her advice and hang out with her. 

ANYWAY her scheduler suggested this coffee shop in Little Tokyo that turned out to be not only convenient but awesome. It is really cute and has outdoor seating with outlets and great people watching. I worked out of there most of the day and had two different types of iced tea which were great plus they have some some cuban coffee with mint situation that I did not try but smelled amazing and seemed really popular. 

BUT the showstopper was the loaded baked potato scone that had leeks, bacon, cheddar and even some sour cream baked on top. It was so good, you guys. The most fully formed and complicated flavors I have ever had in a savory baked good. Can’t wait to go back to try more of their pastries. 

Cafe Demitasse

[nancyeatsla]

Day 4: Taco Azteca Original

In my mind the way you can tell if a city is a good food city is not by the fine dining but by the hole in the wall places. We just googled “best tacos in Glendale,” a random neighborhood in which were looking at a sublet, and this place did not disappoint. 

Between the two of us we tried the carnitas, pastor, chicken, fish and carne asada tacos all of which were excellent but my favorite was the fish. We also had the “shrimp cocktail” which is really just gazpacho with shrimp. 

Highly, highly recommend. No website but the address: 143 S Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91205.

[nancyeatsla]

Day 3: Hama Sushi, Little Tokyo

If left to my own devices and given an unlimited budget, 70% of my diet would consist of sushi and sashimi. Our AirBnB roommate told us about a place in Little Tokyo that has conveyor belt revolving sushi which is a dining experience on my culinary bucket list. This is not that place though because we got there and there was an hour and 45 minute wait. 

Instead we walked down the block and stumbled into Hama Sushi. THIS is where I begin to think that LA might live up to its claims as a food city. If you can just walk into a place on the street by accident and it is this good that’s a very positive sign.

Hama Sushi has a very straight forward, limited sushi menu and it was all delicious. We were seated at the sushi bar as were most guests, and ordered just ad hoc from the (very friendly and personable) chef. Wow. I don’t know if DC has just lowered my sushi bar (ha!) but this place was phenomenal. Everything was excellent, including the daily special of Golden Eye snapper. 

Also the sushi bar seating made for excellent eavesdropping on weirdos. 

So far, so good, LA. 

Hama Sushi: 347 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

[nancyeatsla]

Day 3: Urth Caffe, Pasadena

So when I said I am out here for work, I meant Mike is out here for work and I am out here looking for some. Consequently I have been having quite a few coffee meetings, this one at Urth Caffe. I loved that this place had a huge tea menu all of which you could get made as iced. I had the earl grey and it was refreshing and just complicated enough with a slight spiciness to it. Tea, Early Grey, Cold. We also had a Napoleon that was good, but way too large to finish. 

Our new sublet is in Pasadena and I will definitely be going back go try more tea.

Urth Caffe

[nancyeatsla]

Day 2: Commissary Coffee, Burbank

This place was everything I would imagine a coffee shop in Burbank, California to be. I’m pretty sure I was the only person in there not working on a screenplay. While we were in there I had a croissant and a bahn mi sandwich both of which were good but not spectacular. However it was a super-fun and very LA-feeling place to work.

Commissary Coffee

[nancyeatsla]

Day 1: Poke Bar

We got in pretty late on Tuesday night and just wanted something to eat. Mike found a fast casual poke place near our AirBnb which was okay, not great but I like the idea that fast-casual make your own poke is a thing here.