Fred 62: Beyond a 24 Hour Diner

The list you always need to remember is the list of late night eateries. Better yet, 24 hour ones! If you're in Los Feliz and looking for a late night diner, look no further than Fred 62, which is open 24 hours and serves much better and much more interesting food than your typical diners.

You can even get something healthier and lighter like this Asian inspired noodle soup dubbed "Noo Deli" ($9): vermicelli noodles, "Thai town vegetables", spicy lemongrass broth, sriracha, peanuts, hoisin sauce, cilantro, green onion

Although I'm usually skeptical about ordering something like this at a diner, the manager told us this is what he eats all the time, so we tried it. Indeed, it was a very comforting, if a little spicy, bowl of noodle soup with fresh vegetables and tons of great flavors.

Not all of Fred 62's menu is available 24 hours but lucky for you, the Noo Deli is. Fred 62's version of Farm to Table is a play of TV dinners, with menu items called The Partridge Family, The Lisa Simpson, etc. The TV dinners are available from 5-10pm daily.

I got the Lisa Simpson ($13), which is naturally vegetarian: tajine tofu scramble, Moroccan tomato sauce, chickpea fritters, green olive tapenade, couscous

This is another healthy alternative and we couldn't get enough of the chickpea fritters!

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Grainivore: A Tiny Singaporean Join in Koreatown

The name Grainivore certainly doesn't sound like a Singaporean restaurant and who knows why they decided to open up in Koreatown, but there it was. Grainivore is a tiny joint (there is extra seating in a back room, which is connected by an alleyway) serving up combo Singaporean meals on paper plates.

You first choose between steamed rice, chicken rice, or coconut rice. Then, there are four protein choices: Hainan chicken, barbecue pork, shrimp paste chicken, and beef rendang. All the combos are $6.99 except beef rendang costs $2 extra.

The place closes at 8pm and when I came around 7pm they were out of the pork and Hainan chicken, so I ordered the beef rendang on coconut rice. All the combos come with a salad with peanut dressing.

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Beer Dinner at Kings Row Gastropub With Smog City Brewing Co

King Row Gastropub in Old Town Pasadena has launched a monthly beer dinner series, starting with local Smog City Brewing Co earlier this month. The five course dinner, paired with five beers, was quite a deal at $30 per person! The dinners are limited to 30 people and will take place in a communal setting. We had the owners of Smog City coming out to talk to us about the beers as well.

The theme for the Smog City dinner is Smoke and Beers, in which all the dishes have something smoked in them.

There was an amuse bouche of taro chip topped with salsa crudo of melon, mint, cantalope, and beans - all of which were smoked.

The first course was a Smoked Gouda with Porter honey, fresh beer bread, cornichons.

I really liked the beer bread but thought they too thick in proportion to the cheese. I loved the porter honey, though. This course was paired with Lil Bo Pils.

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Three Jerks Filet Mignon Jerky and Launch Party

by: @gourmetpigs and guest blogger Bryan Tsunoda @bstunoda

Three Jerks Jerky, made with 100% filet mignon, was some of the best beef jerky I've had. "Jerky" brings to mind the tough, chewy stuff you get at the grocery store, but Three Jerks' is very tender. At the moment they come in three flavors: Original, which is a tad sweet, Memphis BBQ which is surprisingly spicy, and Chipotle Adobo (I originally expected this to be the spicy one, but don't be fooled by the BBQ).

Photo courtesy of Three Jerks Jerky

Three Jerks Jerky held a launch party and I sent guest blogger Bryan to cover it for the blog. Here's his post:

Three Jerks recently held their launch party at SHOREBar in Santa Monica and I had the great opportunity to experience the event. SHOREBar is located on Channel Road just east of Pacific Coast Hwy in Santa Monica. It has a cool atmosphere, is dimly lit, and has a modern design. A DJ kept the music lively that evening.

Three Jerks, which is located in Venice, was started by three friends: Daniel Fogelson and Jordan Barrocas (the third is no longer with the company). After meeting them, I can attest that they are definitely not jerks. In finding the best possible taste experience, they finally decided to use filet mignon due to it having the least amount of fat. In addition, Three Jerks uses no nitrates or preservatives, making their jerky a much healthier alternative (be sure to refrigerate after opening, though).

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Chianina Steakhouse: A Rare Breed in Long Beach

Before, if you had asked me where to eat in Long Beach, I would have no answer. But now, Chianina Steakhouse has moved in and will soon be bringing the rare cattle breed to their menu. Chianina is an Italian breed that is the largest and one of the oldest breed of cattle in the world.

Since they are raising and breeding the cattle, the Chianina steak won't be available at the restaurant until March or April, but lucky for me they had butchered one for a preview dinner so we could try it!

More on that later, as there are plenty of other things to eat here. Our dinner started with a cup of buttery lobster broth.

Next is a Beet and winter root vegetable salad with mâché, almonds, raisin ($14)

I'm used to having my beets sweet and with creamy cheese like burrata or goat cheese instead of the slightly tart dressing here, but everything was fresh.

I loved the Dungeness crab with jicama, avocado, micro cilntro, Meyer lemon, Fresno chili

The dungeness crab is hidden inside the rolled avocado. Sweet crab, creamy avocado, and a light heat from the chili.

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PizzaRev Brings DIY Pizzas to Van Nuys

By: guest blogger @iam_robot

If you spend much time in the busy intersection of Van Nuys/ Burbank Blvd, you have probably run out of lunch options. For me, once a week trip to Chipotle or Jersey Sub is probably more than enough & after a while, everything on the menu tastes the same.

Tucked in a busy strip mall with mom and pop businesses & other fast food joints, PizzaRev officially opened their Van Nuys location last Friday.

With its hip & modern décor, PizzaRev is offering artisanal pizza where you get to pick your own ingredients for an all-inclusive $7.99 (there are some premium ingredients that come with an extra charge)!

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Two Upcoming Food Events Not to Miss!

It's been a while since I've announced upcoming events. Apologies, I'm trying to keep up! 

But, there are two coming up in February and March that you should definitely keep in mind. 

The first is on Sunday, February 23 (4-8pm): Cochon 555

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This is the sixth year for Cochon 555 and this year there will be 7 chefs from Los Angeles and Las Vegas competing, each using a different breed of pig from a different ranch. The full lineup and info is available here, and it includes Ray Garcia from Fig, Lindy & Grundy, Jet Tila from The Charleson, Christian Page from Short Order and more.

Besides the pork, there will be a bourbon punch competition, a bourbon bar, dessert from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, a cheese bar from Rogue Creamery and La Brea Bakery, and more booze.

Tickets are $125 for general admission or $200 for VIP early admission (plus fees) and can be purchased here.

Where: Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
When: Sunday Feb 23rd, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

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The second is LA Weekly's sixth annual food event, now dubbed The Essentials, on Sunday March 9th

The event coincides with the publication of their 99 Essential Restaurants special issue and you'll be able to find some of their restaurants during the event!

New participating restaurants this year include Sqirl, Chi Spacca, HomeState, Bucato, Horse Thief BBQ, Star King BBQ, Bestia, while there are old favorites like Starry Kitchen, Animal, and Jitlada. Get the full lineup here.

Coffee and booze sponsors include Handsome Coffee Roaster, Clover Juice, Pinnacle Vodka, and more.

Ticket for The Essentials is one of the cheaper ones for food festivals in Los Angeles, going at $45 for general admission (1pm admission) and $65 for VIP admission (12pm admission - sold out now, sorry!). Tickets can be purchased here.

Where: LA Mart in Downtown LA, 2nd Floor
1933 Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
When: Sunday March 9th, 2014

Wine and Cheese Pairing at Miramonte Winery in Temecula Valley

Miramonte was one of the beautiful wineries I visited in Temecula, with an outdoor seating area overlooking the valley and vineyards.

Miramonte opened in 2001, but they hired a new winemaker in 2008. The new winemaker is a UC Davis alum who used to work at Argyle in Oregon (great sparkling wines). His experience has brought gentler nuance to the wines. Miramonte has 9 acres which are all planted with Rhone varietals (Temecula Valley is said to be very similar to Rhone) and they have started planting some varietals from Argentina and Portugal.

We had a nice little pairing outside, with the fine breeze and beautiful view. The pairing showcases some items from their food boards, from cheese to tapenades.

The 2012 Grenache rose was paired with Spanish manchego and strawberries. The cheese made the wine less astringent.

Their 2012 Rousanne was paired with Apricot Stilton, poached peach, habanero infused olive oil. The wine had notes of apple and under-ripe pineapple. I didn't like the Rousanne at first because it was buttery, but it became much better with the pairing.

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Recipes + Chatting with Food Stylist Susan Spungen

Did you see all the cute food characters in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2?? Like the slider spiders and hippopotatomus? Well, if you want to recreate those to impress people (or kids), here are some recipes from food stylist Susan Spungen:

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New Head Bartender Ben Scott, American Single Malts at Messhall Kitchen

Ben Scott used to bartend part time before going corporate, but he soon hated the corporate life and returned behind the bar. He's been working at Messhall Kitchen since they opened. Now that Erik Lund has moved on to Republique, Ben heads the bar program at Messhall Kitchen.

Ben has a thing for American single malts and he's built quite the collection at Messhall. Japanese whiskies are huge right now but they're hard to get, so he thinks American single malts will be the next big thing. Having tasted a lot of them, Ben says that California single malts tend be chocolatey, and I found this was certainly the case with Ouroboros from Lost Spirits.

Compared to the Montana or Texas whiskies, St. George's (also from California) was the mildest. He's also got his hands of some Exclusive Malts bottle. A 30 year old scotch? Don't mind if I do.

Other than the single malts, don't miss the cocktails as Ben has made some interesting additions! The Paris, Texas is a riff on a Champs Elysees made with Balcones Rumble, chartreuse, lemon ($12)

What is Balcones Rumble?
It's a liquor made with honey, turbinado sugar, and dates. Balcones wanted to make a peaty whisky but peat was too expensive to make an affordable bottle. Well, what is there plenty of in Texas? Texas shrub!

Not only did that give it the smokiness they wanted, now they have something that is exclusively Texan.

For a surprise, try Vinny the Chin. The recipe of 2 oz Cynar, 1 oz rye, and a half spoon Amaro Nonino sounds like it would be a bitter drink, but Ben had learnt a trick. He stirs a lemon peel in the drink and the oil from the lemon brings it out from a tight drink to one that is sweet, while still tasting of celery, without using any sweetener.

I got a little taste of the Rich Man's Old Fashioned (125th anniversary Four Roses bourbon, sugar, bitters - $30).

If you need a little something to soak up the alcohol, you can't go wrong with the Pig & Pickles (crispy pork belly and house pickles, remoulade, $8) which is certainly one of the best fried pickles I've tried (granted I haven't tried that many).

Don't miss their barrel aged cocktails, as well. I recommend Death Benefits ($15), made with Kilchoman scotch, gin, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, bitters, and lemon (aged over "many moons")

I ended on a creamy note with the Tiger Milk (aged cachaca, ginger, coconut cream, whole egg, kaffir lime, $12)

Tastes like a vacation

You can come to Messhall Kitchen for many reasons, like $15 burger and bourbon (or beer) on Mondays or $1 oysters on Tuesdays or all night happy hour on Throwback Thursdays, but next time, also stay to try the great cocktails and the impressive collection of single malts!

MESSHALL KITCHEN

4500 Los Feliz Blvd
 Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 660-6377
messhallla.com

Valentine's Day Menu + A Revisit to Baleen Kitchen at PortofinoHotel,Redondo Beach

While Baleen Kitchen, hidden inside the Portofino Hotel, is relatively unknown to those not living in the South Bay, it tends to be to go-to special occasion restaurant for Redondo Beach locals. I personally had only been for lunch more than 2 years ago but remembered liking it. For Valentine's Day, they've put together a 5-course menu for $85 ($115 with wine pairing). I got to taste three of the menu items as a preview.

There will be an amuse Bouche of Shaved tuna, chili tapioca, lime sorbet

The lime sorbet added a really nice texture and temperature contrast to the dish.

Grilled maitake salad, avocado, haricot vert, heirloom tomato

I like how the focus on the dish is still the salad, with maitake accompanying each bite. The crisp vegetables combined with the earthy mushrooms get your appetite going. The other appetizer option is the Peekytoe crab cake.

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Xian Wei Dinner Series Elevates Regional Chinese Flavors

Chinese food has long been cornered into the "cheap food" category, but 19 year old Luther Chen tries to fuse his fine dining culinary training with the regional Chinese cuisines that he tasted when he was traveling through China. The Xian Wei (which is the equivalent of "umami" in Chinese) is a dinner series taking place at Luther and partner Kenny's home in San Pedro (they will also soon launch a Chinese food truck called Shaokao). Curated by blogger Clarissa Wei, the underground dinner promises a journey through "5 courses, 5 regions". The next dinner is taking place on Saturday, February 8. The suggested donation is $75 and you can reserve a spot here. 

Luther Chen

I tasted the menu during a Saturday afternoon. My lunch started strong with an amuse bouche of 30 second microwave sesame cake, one served with sesame salt, the other served with fermented bean curd

The sesame cake is light, sweet and fluffy. Surprisingly the savoriness of the fermented bean curd complemented it quite well. This was inspired by an El Bulli dish which was a black sesame cake with miso.

There is a wine pairing for $35 but we're hoping that Xian Wei will start opening it up to a BYOB or partnering with a local wine store, in the spirit of supper clubs!

The first course is Sichuan pickles (daikon, cucumber, wood ear mushroom, sichuan peppercorn vinaigrette, sesame sand)

This was a great starter, as well, with the pickled daikon and the spicy vinaigrette getting your palate going.

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A Sauvignon Blanc Dinner with Brancott Estate at Soho House

Sauvignon Blanc makes up 70% of all the wines produced in New Zealand. Brancott Estate was the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes in Marlborough, back in 1975, and they seek to keep breaking ground with their new Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand sauvignon blancs are typically fruit forward and drank within the first 2 years. Their prices range no more than $30-35, in comparison to French sauvignon blancs which can go for $120-150. Brancott Estate and a few other pioneering wineries are now trying to make sauvignon blancs that are more about the structure and complexity, and can be aged, which is atypical for New Zealand.

I got to taste some of these wines and compared them to the French ones during a private dinner held at Soho House. Great food, great wine, and a beautiful view of Los Angeles.

2010 is the first vintage of Chosen Rows to be released to the world (it will be released this year), and as such, we compared them to all 2010 vintages of two other New Zealand and two French wines.

Photo courtesy of Brancott Estate

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Go Greek Yogurt: A Greek Yogurt Bar in Beverly Hills

Combining the popularity of Greek yogurt and Pinkberry, Go Greek Yogurt provides a place in Beverly Hills to get authentic, imported Greek yogurt with various toppings. The yogurt is flown in directly from Greece.

There are three options for the Greek yogurt, based on the fat content. The most authentic one is 10% fat but you can also get a 2% or a nonfat Greek yogurt.

The 10% obviously tastes the best, but the 2% is still smooth and creamy. I can't eat the Greek yogurts they sell at the grocery stores without adding something to it, but this one I can eat by itself. The yogurt is stored in terracotta bowls, and when you order some to go they will also pack it up in terracotta pots. I want to get one just as a souvenir!

Before moving on to the toppings, don't miss the two most important sections: the preserves and honey. They have authentic preserves that the Greeks eat with their yogurt, including carrot, sour cherry, and rose preserves.

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Vegan Sunday Suppers and Carnivorous Comforts at Willie Jane (Venice, CA)

Los Angeles vegans rejoice, Willie Jane has started a 3-course Meatless Sunday Suppers for $26 pp. Chef Govind Armstrong does have vegetables and herbs growing at the urban farm next door, Cook's Garden, so you can imagine how delicious and fresh his vegetables will be.

I tried out the vegan supper one night, and dinner started with a Hearts of Palm and Vegetable "Crab" Cake, miso remoulade, edamame hummus

This was vegan? Chef Armstrong got the flavors and textures of crab cakes right on point with the hearts of palm. I couldn't even tell it was vegan, and it was in fact better than most crab cakes I've had!

Many people love Govind Armstrong's shrimp and grits. At least for the entree, you can try his grits. The entree is a plate of Anson Mills grits with romanesco cauliflower, "chorizo" aioli, cabbage chip

It's hearty full of flavor - you won't be missing the meat with the mushrooms around in this dish.

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Newport Beach Restaurant Week Menu: Great Maple at Fashion Island

Newport Beach Restaurant Week starts today, January 17, and goes on until January 26. I took the chance to explore some Orange County eats, since I'm not there much, and tried out the Restaurant Week menu at Great Maple Libations and Seasonal Plates, located inside the Fashion Island. The Great Maple will have a 3-course dinner menu for $30.

After driving to OC in LA traffic, we needed a refreshing cocktail to calm down! Lucky for us, the cocktails here were pretty good.

We started with the gin drinks. I had the Midnight Pineapple with cucumber and caramelized pineapple.

I like that the drinks here weren't too sweet. This was refreshing and hit the spot after the long drive.

Newport Sunrise Cooler made with G'Vine gin, basil, grapefruit, lime, Cointreau

The appetizer choices included Crispy calamari, lemon caper mayo, chili flakes, olives

The salty olives in the calamari were a great and unexpected addition. More fried calamari should come with olives!

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Game Meats at Burger Lounge

Did you know Burger Lounge has a rotating burger series made of game meats? The aptly called "Game Changer" series featured burgers with bison, boar, and elk.

I'm blogging late in the game (ha!) so we already missed one, the Grass-fed Bison Burger which ran from October 2013 – November 2013. The $10.95 was served on the signature Lounge Bun (there's a gluten free bun option) with blue cheese, pickled onion, and roasted garlic aioli. 

For those looking for leaner meats, bison is a great burger alternative.

You still have time to try the second one though, which runs through the end of January. The Wild Boar ( $10.95) is served with crispy onion rings, smoked mozzarella and house-made BBQ

This was my favorite of the three burgers, being the juiciest one. Plus, it's topped with crispy onion rings!

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