Grub Street Los Angeles

Handsome Coffee Roasters Soft-Opens With Deal on Beans

Hadley Tomicki — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

How very handsome of you...]]> SinoSoul reports that Handsome Coffee Roasters has finally emerged from out of the vaporware file to soft-open in Downtown, with a hard-opening expected next Wednesday. A wood-heavy glass box of a space sports a central bar of white tile, along with a Probat roaster, communal tables, and swashbuckling cups. Vaulting it above the typically hyped new gourmet coffee shop, an ongoing deal finds any bag of beans, even at the top-of-the-line, available for just seventeen bucks until the grand debut.

Handsome Coffee Roasters: Soft-Opening Pictures [SinoSoul]

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Filed Under: caffeine combat, downtown, handsome coffee roasters, openings, tony chen

"Bloody" Bill Annesely Is Back, Cooking at Boardner's and Planning Atwater Cafe

Hadley Tomicki — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Bill, about to get bloody]]> Driving across Sunset, we'd often wondered what happened to William "Bloody Bill" Annesely, the British hunt-your-own, nose-to-tail toque who came to L.A. from New Orleans and popped up briefly in 2009 with a Spanish tapas restaurant in West Hollywood with plans to open a Cajun 'cue joint called Fatty's. According to management, Hollywood's ancient Bukowski hang, Boardner's, is looking a little bloodier these days, as Annesely recently jumped aboard as the Hollywood bar's new executive chef. What's being served?

]]> There's good news for anyone who missed the chef's touch with Spanish eats, as Bill is putting many of the same dishes we enjoyed at his pop-up onto the menu here, revisiting his quail-egg topped morcilla and barbecue ribs, along with introductions of bacon-wrapped scallops, tandoori chicken wings, and Thai-style ceviche. Annesely will use his stint at Boardner's as a staging ground for a project named Bon Vivant Market & Cafe he's planning to open in Atwater Village with Boardner's owner Tricia La Belle.

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Filed Under: atwater village, boardner's, bon vivant market and cafe, hollywood, tricia la belle, william annesley

Beverly Blvd. Shedding Its Cobras and Matadors Flagship

Hadley Tomicki — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Cobras & Matadors]]> Steve Arroyo's tapas bar, Cobras and Matadors, was a bit of a drinking-and-dining, small plates game changer when it first opened on Beverly in the mid-aughts, with partners including Maynard James Keenan from Tool. The brand's expansion to both a Los Feliz and Park La Brea-adjacent location were a little less ballyhooed, however, though Arroyo had little cause for concern, seeing as he's half of the original partnership that launched the vastly more successful Umami Burger empire.

]]> Squid Ink reports that Cobras will finally close its flagship location this Monday, while Arroyo stays busy with his taco joint, Escuela. No word yet on whether Arroyo, who helped turned the Hollywood Blvd.-coiled Cobras into an ambitious Umami with an attached Japanese salary man's beer bar, is holding on to the space for a new concept.

Via Instagram: Steven Arroyo to Close Cobras & Matadors [SI]

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Filed Under: closings, cobras and matadors, maynard james keenan, steve arroyo, umami burger

Apparently, Californians Are Totally Cool With Drinking Poopy Water

Hadley Tomicki — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:30:00 GMT

We may never look at a drop of water the same again]]> Dropping a story that makes us feel more than a little disgusted with our Southern Californian selves, The New York Times reports that several water-treatment plants from San Diego to "areas around" L.A. are treating the crap out of waste water, then introducing it back into local water supplies. In other words, there are people among us drinking formerly poopy water and not really raising a fuss about it. The pot-to-potable practice, once referred to as "toliet-to-tap" in San Diego, is more widely accepted in Singapore under the Orwellian label "NEWater." And lest the rest of the country wants to laugh at Cali's crazy new dookie diet, be warned: It may very well be coming to a parched town near you. [NYT]

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Filed Under: potent potables, water treatment

Michelle Obama Targets Military Obesity; The Inventor of Lemonheads Dies

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:30:00 GMT

• Michelle Obama is bringing her focus on nutrition to troops, since "obese Americans in the military are a national security hazard," as this article says. Ouch. [Reuters]

• The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is suing major beer makers and even local beer stores for allegedly contributing to chronic alcoholism within the tribe. [AP via HuffPo]

• R.I.P. to the inventor of Atomic Fireballs and Lemonheads, Nello Ferrara; in addition to making our childhood sweet, the man was also evidently an "impulsive singer." Aw. [USAT]

]]> • Not only are single-cup brewers less than cost-effective, but if you own a Tassimo T-disc brewer, it's being recalled for causing burns. [NYDN]

• Why did Hawthorne's former mayor steal that commercial food mixer that got him in such hot water? He wanted to make pizza, of course! [CBS]

• Remembering Port's, West Hollywood's long-gone bar and restaurant, where a typical night may find Antonioni, Coppola, Kinky Friedman, and Oliver Stone having a meal. [The Daily Meal]

• Learn hot to make desserts from The Gothic age at The Getty in early March. [LAT]

]]> Filed Under: mediavore, health concerns, lemonheads, michelle obama, nello ferrara, oglala tribe, port's, r.i.p., south dakota, tassimo, the getty

Virbila Nearly Overdoses on Bäco Mercat; Gold Gets Deep on Josef Centeno

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Baco time!]]> Bäco Mercat kicks so much ass that even S. Irene Virbila admits she's fond of the Downtown restaurant (but only in that two-and-a-half-stars kind of way). After fumbling her way through Skid Row, she asks "what's not to like" about Josef Centeno's new digs, continuing, "The food is gutsy and delicious, the prices moderate and you can drink...well too." She compares the chef to Pierre Gagnaire and thinks David Chang could appreciate his bäzole, finding herself unable to leave without trying a bunch of great-sounding dishes she didn't necessarily come for in the first place. The critic concludes, "At Bäco Mercat, I get the idea Centeno is cooking just what he and his friends like to eat, so much the better for the rest of us who want to savor his quirky global cooking." [LAT]

]]> A champion of almost all things Centeno, Jonathan Gold writes, "If Bäco Mercat were any more of the moment, it would be a Pinterest page devoted to Tumblrs of itself, so that restaurant and metarestaurant could devour one another like Jung's famous snake swallowing its own tail." Wow, we'll have what he's having. Looking at the menu, he notes that it, "reads almost like a graduate exam in culinary poststructuralism, mixing flavors from Italy, France and western China, Georgia (U.S.) and Georgia (Eastern Europe), Tuscany and Peru," while digging on his "spectacular" "deconstruction of pate en croute." Then he flips his lid for the banana cream pie. [LAW]

Pho phenom Golden Deli has expanded to a new Temple City space, but it's not necessarily what you've come to expect at a place J. Gold claims he's "been locked in to my same basic order since Reagan was in the White House." With an ordering system chipped off Chipotle's block, Gold finds "the new Golden Deli may be a tick or two less polished than the original," but also finds "the plates are nicer, and the chicken curry with baguette is first rate." [LAW]

A displaced Texan is looking for Tejano breakfast tacos and actually sort of stumps Mr. Gold. After telling us about a Robert Rodriguez cooking demo that could "reduce Guy Fieri into a whimpering puddle of gel," he points the longhorn to Nick's Taste of Texas in West Covina, where you won't find machacado or breakfast tacos, but can make your own. [LAW]

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Filed Under: the other critics, baco mercat, golden deli, guy fieri, jonathan gold, nick's taste of texas, oh sherry!, s. irene virbila, temple city, the gold watch, vietnamese, west covina

Operations at gr/eats gr/inding To a Halt on Monday

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:03:00 GMT

Gr/eats]]> Squid Ink reports that Sawtelle's gr/eats will close this Monday, possibly to be replaced by another entry in the thickening tsukemen ramen scene. gr/eats was opened seven years ago by Eric Nakamura, editor of Asian-American pop-culture fetish mag and pricey toy and cool book store chain, Giant Robot, adding a third base of operations for the rag on this Japanese-restaurant row. Not a bad run, really, for a risky brand expansion from print to pan. The restaurant announces on its website that a special menu is now being served at a decent 20% discount for its final days. [Squid Ink]

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Filed Under: closings, eric nakamura, giant robot, gr/eats, ramen brahmin, west l.a.

Eric Greenspan's New Menu Concept Inspired by Meson G

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:40:00 GMT

"Get in my belly!"]]> Eric Greenspan opened Tim and Liza Goodell's Meson G as the Melrose restaurant's first executive chef back in 2004, paving a path with an innovative procession of fastidiously constructed small plates. Eight years later, the chef is returning to the cooking he engaged in at Meson G before quickly passing the reins to Josef Centeno. Greenspan is introducing a new menu concept at his own Melrose restaurant The Foundry, in collaboration with Nick Russo, recently promoted to chef de cuisine. It's not just another seasonal update, but a concept change that finds casual service mingling with a new line of shared plates that dare to get exploratory on diners, influenced by the chef's old job. What's going to be served?

]]> The new menu breaks the small plates down into categories: Earth, sea, land, uniquity, classics, and sweets, in addition to nightly tasting menus. The dudes are letting their freak flags fly in sea dishes like lox knish with creme fraiche and apple saffron marmalade, along with a shellfish chowder with Tabsaco espuma, plus earth dishes of sweet potato spaetzle with wild mushrooms and pine nuts, and a charred wedge.

An "uniquity" dish of blood sausage with cheddar Guinness risotto somehow sounds more normal by comparison, though uni crostini is the kind of freak that will bring us out for a night. And we know what you're thinking, but HELL NO, grilled cheese will not be ignored, as Greenspan plans to offer his tallegio and raisin bread staple with apricot capers under the classics category where his burger also awaits.

The Foundry promises that all of the shared plates will be priced under $14, while the five-course tasting menu will come in at $45 sans a dram. Check out Greenspan and Russo's first menu, and an example of one of their tasting menus, below.

MENU

E a r t h
Baby Beets ricotta / brown butter / balsamic 8
Baby Carrots grapefruit / edamame / tofu 9
Sunchoke Soup black kale / parsley / deviled quail eggs 4 ea
Sweet Potato Spaetzle pine nuts / parmesan / maitake mushrooms 8
Charred “Wedge” Salad blue cheese / grape / olives / garlic 7

S e a
Shellfish Chowder tabasco espuma / oyster crackers 7
Arctic Char blood orange / rapini / parsnip puree 12
Prawns romesco / sweet potato / lime 11
Lox Knish apple saffron marmalade / crème fraiche 3 ea
Tuna Sashimi caperberries / radicchio / honey mustard 7

L a n d
Braised Beef Short Rib goat cheese polenta / gremolata 12
Pork Belly scallion pancake / black vinegar gastrique 4 ea
Duck Confit Gratin chestnuts / gnocchi / fresno chili / gruyere 8
Skirt Steak plaintain mufungo / chimichurri / grapefruit 14

U n i q u i t i e s
Blood Sausage cheddar guiness risotto / pears 8
Chicken skewers heart, liver, breast / quince / capers 3 ea
Sea Urchin Crostini fennel / celery root / bacon 4 ea

C l a s s i c s
Grilled Cheese raisin bread / apricot caper puree / tallegio 9
with short ribs +3
Foundry Burger winter condiments / Hawaiian bread / onion ring 14
Potato Soup bacon and leek bread pudding / gruyere / egg 11
Fried Chicken butternut squash waffles / maple bourbon syrup 3 ea
Foundry Tots blue cheese fondue / violet mustard 5

S w e e t s
Apple Crisp cheddar streusel / sour cream 5
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding banana / peanut butter sauce 6
Earl Grey Crème Brulee candied lemon / honey scones 3 ea

Tasting Menu
45
with wine pairing- 65

Tuna Tartare
miso squash puree / scallions / ponzu

Onion Risotto
red onion marmalade / grano padana

Duck Breast
brussel sprouts / sweet and sour onions

Braised Beef Short Rib
carrot caraway puree / radish

Earl Grey Crème Brulee
candied lemon / honey scones

]]> Read more posts by Hadley Tomicki

Filed Under: menus, eric greenspan, hollywood, josef centeno, meson g, nick russo, the foundry

Walter Manzke Lending a Hand to Short Cake's Lunch Menu

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Manzke]]> Good news for anyone who can't wait for Walter Manzke to open Downtown's Republique (which might be everyone by now). Nancy Silverton's Short Cake is soon to release a full lunch menu, featuring a selection of savory tartines designed by a power-trio including Silverton, Short Order chef Christian Page, and Manzke himself. Currently, the bakery offers lunch items like savory scones and crossaints, quiche with bacon, leek, and comte, and bun bread pudding with spinach and 'shrooms, while gluten-free items are also coming Short Cake's way in the near future.

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Filed Under: christian page, nancy silverton, republique, short cake, walter manzke

Mon Ami Gabi Expanding to L.A.?

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:10:00 GMT

Mon Ami Gabi, at Paris Resort and Casino]]> Eater reports a little convoluted conjecture that Kristofer Keith and punny hospitality company, Lettuce Entertain You, is bringing the Mon Ami Gabi (AKA the not-bad bistro inside of Vegas' Paris Casino) chain, to West Hollywood's 3rd Street. Keith's under-construction project is taking over the defunct Rama Thai space, while Mon Ami Gabi shares Chi-town roots with LEY, who reportedly already operate a few locations of their own. Here's hoping against all reality that Mon Ami Gabi engages in a tete-a-tete with nearby Monsieur Marcel, breeding L.A. its first Mon Cher Ton Ton (yeah, right). [Eater]

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Filed Under: rumors, kristofer keith, lettuce entertain you, mon ami gabi, monsieur marcel, spacecraft, west hollywood

Clifton's Cafeteria Gets Its Old Face Back

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:05:00 GMT

Owner Andrew Meieran outside of Clifton's original facade, unveiled yesterday]]> Yesterday, the original facade at Clifton's Cafeteria was revealed for the first time since the sixties. A large crowd gathered Downtown to watch the removal of unsightly aluminum grates that have long obscured the eatery's first face, and possibly hoping for some sort of Geraldo Rivera-esque reveal, a la Al Capone's vault. Although the cafeteria's resemblance to Soviet-era architecture has been crushed, the unveiled facade ended up not looking much like the glamorous front we've seen in old photos. Instead, many of the windows had been filled in with concrete, in what The L.A. Times notes is earthquake-proofing installed in the late eighties. But new owner Andrew Meieran will clear those away, too, in the months to come, as part of his multi-(read, MULTI) million-dollar renovation of the historic, forest-themed cafeteria that plans to include an upper level bakery, as well as a titanic, booze-slinging tribute to our long-gone Tiki culture.

Clifton's Cafeteria reveals original facade, hidden for 50 years [LAT]

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Filed Under: trimmings, andrew meieran, clifton's cafeteria, downtown

The Habit Hits The Road, Mobile Burgers Starting at $1,200

Hadley Tomicki — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:15:00 GMT

The Habit Truck]]> Santa Barbara-born charbroiled burger chain The Habit is getting gassed up, having grown to 50 SoCal stores in the last 43 years. Today, the company officially launches a food truck in L.A., bringing its burgers to a city ringed by Habit locations, but bereft of the burgers in its most central stretches.

]]> The good news finds a state-of-the-art truck looking pretty slick, with digital menu boards and a bumping sound system, though the bad news finds The Habit truck planning to avoid your neighborhood entirely, instead making itself available only for reservations at private functions, office parties, human sacrifices, and events. Minimum starting price for charbroiled burgers on delivery? $1,200! Suddenly, a day spent driving down El Segundo's way no longer seems so costly. Reservation inquiries for The Habit food truck can be made at 949-851-8881, while more details can be found on the chain's website.

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Filed Under: truckin', burger time, the habit

U.S. Trans-Fat Consumption Dips by 58%; 10 Lbs. of Cocaine Found in Food Packages at LAX

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:00 GMT

• Good news: The amount of trans fats Americans consume dropped by 58 percent from 2000 to 2009. [Your Life/USAT]

• A mysterious case of food poisoning afflicted 700 people who attended a political rally in Mexico. Could it be a case of sabotacos? [CNN]

• Sang Yoon describes why "braising isn't boring" in a special cooking class for The Times. [LAT]

• A Spanish mother and daughter on their way to Austria were caught at LAX with ten pounds of cocaine hidden inside of packages of chocolate syrup and salad dressing. [NBC]

]]> • New mom Beyonce is out of confinement after having her daughter, hanging at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club, among other spots. [NYP]

• Aries want meat, Libras like buzzy new eateries, and other things astrological signs say about restaurant tastes. [HuffPo]

• People will downsize their restaurant portions if the server offers them the option; maybe soon we'll be able to say "under-size me"? [Salt/NPR]

• Larry Guidi, the former mayor of Hawthorne, has been sentenced to one year's probation and 100 hours of community service for stealing a commercial food mixer. [CBS]

• A Long Island caterer is accused of preparing Kosher and non-Kosher meals in the same kitchen, which is strictly forbidden under Jewish dietary law. Oy. [ABC News]

]]> Filed Under: beyonce, clifton's cafeteria, crime scenes, hawthorne, health concerns, kosher, larry guidi, mexico, sang yoon

How to Do Michael's on Six Bucks a Night

Hadley Tomicki — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:38:00 GMT

Michael McCarty]]> Did anyone foresee the day when we'd be getting six-dollar anything at Michael's? Santa Monica's original, moneyed farm-to-table restaurant is introducing a new all-evening happy hour this month that highlights a new menu of six-buck bites from chef John-Carlos Kuramoto and six-dollar drinks designed and executed by bar-raiser Jason Robey, who is growing his own herbs and fruits on the roof for these libations. The dishes stress Michael's connections with farmers, using Jidori for a plate of chicken wings and waffles and root veggies from Weiser for a radish plate, and Robey's cocktails include a "cocktail of the month" with handmade touches like a Makers Mark bacon reduction and esteemed spirits like Del Maguey's La Vida mescal (did anyone forsee the day when we'd be getting six-dollar anything with Del Maguey?). Served from Monday through Friday, from 5:00 P.M. until closing, the new menu launches February 21st and can be seen below in its entirety.

]]> "ALL NIGHT" HAPPY HOUR MENU
All items (except oysters) $6

BITES

Truffle-Thyme Frites

Burrata on Crostini,
Bacon, Endive, Caramelized Onions

Weiser Farms Radish Salad
Cucumber, Crispy Shallots, Yogurt Vinaigrette

Roasted d'Anjou Pear, Serrano, Mint, Saba

Jidori "Chicken and Waffle" Wings,
Bourbon-Aged Maple Syrup, Chili Salt

Crispy Sweetbread "Poppers"
Whole-Grain Mustard Aioli

Duck Confit Rillettes, Saba, Watercress

Oysters ($3 each) with Seasonal Mignonette

DRINKS

Featured "Cocktail of the Month"
The "Rickey"
Vodka or Gin, Fresh Lime, Soda

Beer
Amstel Light
Stella Artois
Bass Ale

Red
Campos de Luz, Garnacha, Spain 2009

White
*Chateau d'Eau, Sauvignon Blanc, VdP d'Oc, 2009

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Filed Under: the happiest hours on earth, jason robey, menus, michael's, mixocalypse, santa monica, weiser farms

Silo's Vodka Revivalists Now Revisiting Sliders Trend

Hadley Tomicki — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Still much better than the more shaved ice]]> Leave it to the owners of a vodka bar to resuscitate sliders, a trend that overtook the city almost as many years ago as vodka did the same. Brigham Yen reports that Downtown's Silo Vodka Bar is expanding to the space next door to open a new restaurant named Silo's Sliders. The news finds former Ford's Filling Station and Tart chef Gustavo Rodriguez now cooking at Silo and bringing the new mini-burger concept to the neighboring Flames Mediterranean Grill space, which will be given a Silo-compatible look in the weeks to come. The vodka bar, meanwhile, is proposing an outdoor patio that should make Seventh Street jump even more if approved, while Downtowners are championing the development as a positive step for the Historic Core, especially in the wake of Clifton's renovation. [Brigham Yen]

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Filed Under: empire building, clifton's, downtown, ford's filling station, silo sliders, silo vodka bar, tart