World Cup of Yum

Hikers, Bikers, and Bakers

Hikers One day I had plans to hang out with my good friend, Sheana. She had seen a flyer for a pie contest that was happening that morning. Pie was one of the first things Sheana and I bonded over, especially for breakfast! But it was another beautiful day in sunny Southern California, so we…

Rosemary Walnuts

I try not to buy chips, because I will sit and eat the whole bag in one sitting. So I like to make a batch of these Rosemary Walnuts, which are a healthier snack that satisfies my craving for salt and crunch. It’s also a good way to use up leftover walnuts when I make…

Mexicali Taco Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #10 I should start by saying that Mexicali Taco suffered the fate of being the third feed stop in just a few hours on our 3-restaurant Gold Dig for the day. So it probably doesn’t get a fair shake when it comes to my assessment of the place, given that we were pretty…

Baco Mercat Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #9 Baco Mercat has a very LA bar feel – dimly lit with high exposed-pipe ceilings. It also has tasty food, in particular the Baco, which is the signature flatbread sandwich invented by chef-owner Josef Centeno. Several of the Josef Centeno Group restaurants make appearances on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list,…

Langer’s Deli Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #8 Langer’s is a NY-style deli… only it’s in LA! It has been around for something like 70 years, and it’s safe to say it’s something of an LA institution. Jonathan Gold actually said “Langer’s servers the best pastrami sandwich in America.” Wow, BOLD statement… so of course it makes Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best…

Tasting Kitchen Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #7 Tasting Kitchen is one of the few restaurants on the westside that appears on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. In his words, it is “not cheap”. None of his westside picks seem to be. Nonetheless, the wait for this place is long. We decided to go without a reservation, and were told they…

Sqirl Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #6 Sqirl is a tiny minimalist space. A few white counters and blackboard menus on white tile walls. There’s also a small patio seating area, but it wasn’t open when we went. Everything in the place looks clean and fresh. Owner Jessica Koslow is one of the biggest names on the LA food…

Sapp Coffee Shop Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #5 Sapp Coffee Shop isn’t really a coffee shop. It’s a Thai restaurant. Perhaps they prefer to call it a coffee shop because “restaurant” might seem a bit high-brow, which this place is not. It’s more of a local hole-in-the-wall. With the deceiving name I might never have even checked this place out,…

Petit Trois Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #4 Petit Trois is a French bistro by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. It is a regular on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. Jon and Vinny have a handful of restaurants all within about a 3-mile radius in the Fairfax area. In addition to Petit Trois, there is Animal, Son of a Gun,…

Coconut Milk Chicken

I once had stewed chicken at a Caribbean restaurant, and was blown away. I asked the waiter how it was made, and he said that the key was browning the chicken in brown sugar, and then stewing it in a coconut milk and tomato sauce. Well yeah, of course that’s going to be good. I’ve…

Ultimate-Pucker Lemon Bars

Cookbook Club – Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook For June’s Cookbook Club, we used the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook by Amelia Saltsman. I chose the Ultimate Pucker Lemon Bars. Go to my Cookbook Club site to see all the Farmers’ Market food people made for the event. For now – my dish! This recipe…