Friendsgiving

I know we're all over Thanksgiving now and Christmas is all the rage and all that.  

But you know, Thanksgiving just went by too fast this year.  

It's one of those things where it feels like it happened 

yesterday and also 2 years ago all at once...you know how that is.

Well this year, Brian and I started a new Thanksgiving tradition:  Friendsgiving!  

It turns out our apartment is exactly long enough 

to fit three 6-foot tables end-to-end, 

which is all you need to squeeze 20 people in for dinner :)

I got a little overly excited about decorating all harvest-y

and even went to the Flower market downtown the day before.

And I broke out the gold spray paint,

which you should know by now is my #1 secret weapon.

Also, thank goodness for the Dollar Store.

But the best part really was having everyone in one place, together.

It's been hard in LA to get a group together,

and I miss having that sense of cohesion,

so this was just absolutely perfect.

So many people I love, who finally got to meet each other!

The best.

And, I made a turkey for the first time!

Win.

Deborah the turkey.  She was delicious.

Well done, friends, well done.

Fridays at the LACMA

I have a new favorite thing to do on Fridays.

It involves wine, picnic blankets, live music, and art.

Does it get any better?

I'd heard about Fridays at the LACMA before,

but due to my AWOL ("always west of Lincoln") inertia,

I had never gone until last Friday.

And it was wonderful.

Brian and I headed out after work,

picked up some wine at Ray's & Stark,

pulled up a seat on the grass,

and hung out and listened to an awesome jazz concert.

I know nothing about jazz,

but I loved listening, and watching all the other people get really into it.

There was even a group of people behind the stage

doing what I can only describe as "interpretive dance."

It was awesome.

I wanted to join in (I'm embarrassing like that),

but Brian was having none of it.

We even got to see the sold-out James Turrell exhibit

(thanks to a friend who got us tickets),

which I can only describe as trippy and completely mind-blowing.

What a genius that guy is.

We followed it up with a dinner at Angelini,

which I have already proclaimed to be 

the best Italian restaurant I've been to stateside.

Brian agreed, so now it's super official.

All around, last Friday was one of those days 

that the effort of planning and going really paid off.

I was just so happy I went and saw and experienced.

There really is a lot out there,

east of Lincoln.

I Went on Vacation and Forgot to Tell You

(Sorry.)

{Tovehallerne in Copenhagen}

Every time I visit a new place, I take something home with me.  

Traveling changes me, and sometimes I'm surprised by what ends up sticking.  

In Paris, it was the fashion.  The women in Paris made me want to dress like them.  I brought home a new sense of appreciation for a chic pair of black skinny pants, and a well-tailored blouse.  This time, in Scandinavia and Iceland, it was the food.  Fish to be exact.

Sunday at the farmer's market I found myself reaching for bundles of fresh dill to sprinkle over the sole I planned to make that night (amazing recipe btw), and the fact that I never used to cook with dill before seems so strange and distant to me now.  Last night I made tuna salad based on a sandwich I had at The Laundromat, a diner/cafe/bar/laundromat in Iceland.  It included apples, sweet relish, and curry -- none of which I would have added to tuna prior to this trip, and none of which I will ever omit from tuna salad again. (Trust me, subbing these for the usual mayo and boiled eggs is the best face lift your sandwich will ever get!)

Catching myself changing the way I live here in LA because of things I've experienced halfway around the world fills up my heart.  I love the idea that my life has hidden pieces of my adventures scattered throughout, so that once in a while, I'll do something or say something that reminds me of that day in Paris, or Turkey, or Iceland, when I least expect it.  And I'll realize that I've changed.  

That's what traveling is all about. That's why I'll never get enough.

My Next 78 Meals

Last week, LA Weekly came out with its yearly list of "99 essential L.A. restaurants."  I've been to 21 of them.

Only 21?!

I've got some work to do!  First on my list:  ink., Rivera, and Salt's Cure.


Here's the list in full, with the ones I've been to crossed out in case you're interested:

A-Frame

Alma

Angelini Osteria

Animal

Attari Sandwich Shop

Bäco Mercat

Bar Amá

The Bazaar

Bestia

BierBeisl

Bludso's

Cacao Mexicatessen

Canelé

La Casita Mexicana

Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas

Chichen Itza

Chung King

Cole's

Coni'Seafood

Cube Cafe & Marketplace

Din Tai Fung

Eva

Father's Office

Fred 62

Gjelina

Golden Deli

Go's Mart

Il Grano

Guelaguetza

Guisados

Hatfield's

Ha Tien Quan

Hawkins House of Burgers

Hayat's Kitchen

El Huarache Azteca

Huckleberry

The Hungry Cat

ink.

Jar

Jitlada

JTYH Heavy Noodle II

Kang Ho Dong Baekjong

Kiriko

Kiyokawa

Kogi Truck

Krua Siri

L&E Oyster Bar

Langer's

Little Dom's

Lucques

Ludo Truck

Lukshon

Mariscos Jalisco

Matsuhisa

Meals by Genet

Mélisse

Milo and Olive

Mo-Chica

Musso & Frank

Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa

Nickel Diner

Night + Market

Oinkster

Osteria Mozza

Pann's

Pa-Ord Noodle

El Parian

Park's BBQ

Philippe the Original

Picca

Pink's

Pizzeria Mozza

Playa

Pollo a la Brasa

Providence

R&R Soul Food

Ración

Red Medicine

Ricky's Fish Tacos

Rivera

Rocio's Moles de los Dioses

Salt's Cure

Sapp Coffee Shop

Savoy Kitchen

Sea Harbour

Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood

Soban

Son of a Gun

Sotto

Spago

The Spice Table

Superba Snack Bar

Tacos Leo

The Tasting Kitchen

Tavern

Tsujita LA

Vincenti Ristorante

Wurstküche

Zam Zam Market

Valentine's Day

This was our 8th Valentine's Day together, and probably the most stereotypical one to date --

complete with roses, chocolates, wine, and a dinner date.

I usually eschew all of that typical, cliche romance,

but this year, it just kind of happened.

And it was lovely.
Sometimes you just need a cheesy date night, you know?

(Plus, I got to re-wear the Payless heels I bought for Vegas.  Win!)

P.S.  We had dinner at the new Venice restaurant, Barnyard, and it was delicious!  I would highly recommend it!

The Tasting Kitchen, Take 2

Remember when I wrote about the Tasting Kitchen waaaay back in one of my very early posts?  And I told you about how we let the waiter pick out our whole meal, and about how the food was so good and it was such a great date place?

Well.  I was right.  You should believe me.

Brian and I went back again as a sort of [really] belated 2nd anniversary dinner.  We did the same thing where we let the waitress design our meal, which, I have decided, is truly the best way to dine.  The whole eating out experience feels so much more luxurious when someone else makes all the decisions for you!  Someone who actually knows what goes on back there in the kitchen!  It's like a mini brain vacation.

Anyway, I'll keep it short because I already told you all about the place last time, but let me just say:  ORDER THE PASTA WITH VEAL AND OLIVE PESTO.

Thank me later.

Life's a Beach (on Saturdays)

I knew I moved to the beach for a reason.  Saturday reminded me why.

Hope you all have a festive Cinco de Mayo!  Have a marg (or 3) for me!

The LACMA & Ray's

Last Sunday, Brian and I took his parents out to the LACMA for lunch and some art browsing.  It was a gorgeous LA day -- perfect for an outside lunch at Ray's!

Everything we tried at Ray's lived up to the hype.  The chile appetizer and the steak were two of my favorites!  Oh!  And Tabatha was eating a few tables away!  Gotta love a reality-show celeb sighting :)

{loved these giant kitchen sculptures!}

Ktchn 105

Whew, last week a busy one.  Lots of work to be done!  But after a short trip up to Santa Barbara on Saturday and an awesome Superbowl party at our friends' house on Sunday, I'm back to feeling like Ashley, human, rather than Ashley, litigation associate.

Anyway, we've got a lot to catch up on, at least in the food world!  Thanks to my friend, Stefanie, I discovered another great brunch place!  (This city is full of 'em, I swear.)  This one is Ktchn 105.  Have you heard of it?  Maybe you have, but have you been able to find it?  That is a totally different question.

{love the logo}

Ktchn 105 is both too cool for vowels and too cool for signs.  And I love that about it.  Say what you will, but I'm easily impressed by anything remotely secret, hidden, or underground.  Marketing ploy or not, it totally works on me.  So obvi, the yelp reviews had me at "unmarked."

So.  You arrive in a warehouse district just east of downtown.  It's not exactly shady, but it's not exactly un-shady.  You park on the street and start searching for address numbers.  Good luck.  I just hope you find the random apartment building with the gated parking lot and the Ktchn 105 sign stuck to it.  Maybe you should plan for a few extra minutes of searching time.  Ha.

Once you're in the parking lot, you'll see a random piece of furniture with assorted towels on it (so unclear).  Go toward it.  Where there are towels, there must be food (...or something).  Just around the corner is a darling patio (we all know that's my favorite dining accessory, right?).  Nothing beats brunch in the sun.

And the inside is pretty cool too.  It's got that industrial vibe that makes you think, man, I want a chalkboard wall in my kitchen.  (Just me?)  The kitchen is open to the entire space, and so is the bar.   There is something comforting about seeing someone prepare the food you're about to stuff in your mouth eat.  And they have cooking classes here (because it's so cool), so the open-kitchen thing makes sense.

 

OK.  The first thing you have to do is order a Bloody Mary.  I don't care if you're hungover and you don't like spicy things and tomatoes aggravate your acid reflux.  (Ew.)  Just do it.  If you don't absolutely love their Bloody Mary, I'm not sure we can be friends.  Maybe don't tell me.  This bloody gives the Bloody accessorized with scotch egg and crab claw at Ramos House a run for it's money.

I ordered the special that day -- a cornmeal waffle BLT with maple syrup.  It reminded me of the pancake lasagna I had that one time at Eric Greenspan's pop up at Tart, and I loved that it was both savory and sweet.  Solves the eternal brunch dilemma and all that.  Plus, food like this makes me smile :)  (They also had scrambles and french toast for the more traditional breakfast eaters.)

This is my new go-to spot downtown.  It's a keeper for sure.  Just don't forget to make a reservation (it's required)!  And don't forget they're only open on Saturdays and Sundays!  Because, you know, they're elusive like that.  (OMG I love it.)

FarmShop

One Saturday morning, Brian and I decided to venture outside our little corner of Santa Monica in search of a worthy brunch.   FarmShop, we decided, was where we'd go.  We arrived at the absolutely charming Brentwood Country Mart, sat down at the bright, rustic-modern FarmShop dining room, and decided it had been a good choice.

Then our morning went from lovely to UNbelievable.  In the sense that I had to double triple check that I wasn't dreaming.

Me to Brian:  What are you ordering?  Savory or sweet?  Sweet or savory?  I'm starving.  How is that possible after what we ate last night?  Ohmygosh everything looks good.  And I love these napkins.  Oh, what about the frittata?  Was that bacon on that plate that just passed by?  I want that.  Or maybe sweet?  Pancakes?  Oooh that lady's purse!  Ok, food.  Ummm...I don't know, you decide.

Brian to Me (after completely ignoring all of the above):  (in the voice of Leslie Mann as the sister in Knocked Up)  I think I'll have some fucking Freeeeench Toast.  

(Play this.  It's only 10 seconds.  It's important, I swear.)

I look up.  A small blonde woman, hair swept up in a bun--jeans-boots-cape-sunglasses--walks right behind Brian.  Could it be?  No, it can't.  I look back again.  No.  I look again.  Yes.  YES IT IS HER.  

YES LESLIE MANN AKA THE FRENCH TOAST LADY JUST WALKED BY RIGHT AFTER BRIAN DID HER FRENCH TOAST LINE IN HER FAKE DRUNK VOICE FROM KNOCKED UP.  

And there goes her husband, who happens to be Judd Apatow (nbd).

LIFE WIN.

So that happened.

But besides providing me with my second favorite celeb sighting ever (this is still my first fave), FarmShop totally delivered in the food department.  Like, can we talk about that scone?  Yeah, the herb goat cheese one.  I don't think I knew what a real scone was supposed to taste like until I had that one.  Generally I think of the scone as the muffin's thinner, more uptight stepsister.  But you guys, believe me when I tell you that this scone was like a biscuit and a croissant and a cheese plate combined-- flaky, buttery, salty, savory deliciousness.  I had the frittata with burrata and wild mushrooms and it was hearty, earthy and just the right amount of cheesy.  Oh, and the French toast didn't disappoint either!  Thanks for that one, Leslie; you made my day.

Oscar's Cerveteca/Take 2

Remember when I said Oscar's was...disappointing?  Well, after some controversy in the comments section, and a personal invite from Oscar himself to give the place a second shot (I'm kind of a big deal around here...jk), I made it back to Oscar's last Saturday.  I walked over with Brian and Leslie (that friend of mine who just moved to L.A.), figuring that if the food still left much to be desired, we could always go across the street to the mysterious Mexican place that looks like a liquor store but could really be a sketchily delicious meal waiting to happen.

But there was no need to venture anywhere this time.  Things have changed at Oscar's -- fewer iPod Touches, better food.

First change -- they have these little fold-up tables on the inside now so when you wait, you can at least have a place to put your drink now.  Oh yeah, they have those now, too -- drinks.  Wine and beer, hooray!  So that's a second change.

{beer!  and chicken empanadas that really were just vehicles for that unreal mayo}

Third change -- the menu.  Some items are the same, like the Southern burger (we didn't order that one again), but there are some new additions that turned out to be really tasty, like beer-battered shrimp with a citrus butter sauce.  So butter-drippingly good that it comes with a towelette, and you'll need it!

Last time, I thought the fish tacos were bland and underwhelming.  But this time, the pork tacos were so flavorful, soaked in a spicy, tangy sauce.

And the corn on the cob smothered in butter, chili powder and parm?  That smile says it all.

It was truly a fab dinner.

Hats off to you, Oscar's, for changing my mind!  I'll be back again soon!

Broome Street General Store

Thanks to this charming Silverlake establishment, you will never again have to make two stops to pick up your fried chicken and your Keds.

The Broome Street General Store is a one-stop hipster shop.  As I'm sure has become quite clear to you, I am way too square to run with the hipster crowd.  But as a (self-proclaimed) semi-professional eater, I know enough to know that where hipsters go, there is usually good food.  So of course, when I heard that the Silverlake kind have been flocking to this shoppe (I just like it better with two p's and an e), I followed.

And I was not disappointed.  There was GOOD food.  Fried chicken, to be exact.  Yes, every Friday, the Broome Street General Store sells a fried chicken lunchbox deal that comes with two giant portions of the best ever fried chicken, a tomato-peach-burrata salad, and a dense dark-chocolate brownie, all made by Cube.  The chicken was crispy, not too greasy, and had a spicy kick; the salad was fresh and light (well, it tasted light, despite the massive amount of burrata), and made me feel less like a teenage boy while eating my fried chicken.

{would you like some deep-V tees with your imported fig preserves?}

The brownie was good (it's hard to screw up a brownie, really), but the gourmet homemade Oreo made by Cake Monkey Bakery in LA stole the show for me.  The cream had an almond flair to it, and it is now on my list of most favorite desserts (the one in my head).

{when I grow up, all I want is to own spices like this, and have room to store them}

Also, you should know that the couple who runs this store is perhaps the cutest foodie couple I have ever met.  The wife gave us samples of chocolate-covered almonds because she said they were just so outrageously good that we had to try them, and she had the cutest short haircut, kind of like Lisa's here.  And her husband (aka my favorite fried chicken man) gave me a few restaurant recommendations to try out, including Blair's across the street (which my friend, Leslie, already tried and said was amazing)!

{hungrily awaiting my chicken}

If you're in the Silverlake area and you haven't been here for the Friday chicken, get yourself there!  And maybe pick up an antique tea set while you're at it (they have those, too).

Oscar's Cerveteca

Remember how much I loved Venice Beach Wines?  Well, my dining experience at Oscar's Cerveteca, which was opened by the same people of Venice Beach Wines success, was not like that.  And it makes me so sad to say that because I really had my hopes up.  I wanted so badly for Oscar's to be my favorite neighborhood wine bar's equally-awesome beer counterpart.  Plus, Urban Daddy raved about it.  So I expected at least a smartly hipster vibe, affordable but sophisticated bar snacks, and a great selection of booze, and at most, my new favorite place ever.

Turns out Oscar's right now offers only the hipster vibe (kind of), although to be fair, the booze selection cannot yet be criticized since they haven't gotten their liquor license.  (But can we talk about that?  I mean, why would they open at all without it?  And it just seems unfair that they didn't publicize the fact that they hadn't gotten their license yet.  No one likes to sit down to order after waiting for half an hour, only to realize they're limited to beverages of the virgin variety on a Friday night.)

Anyway, I ordered the fish tacos, and to be blunt, they sucked.  They were bland.  No spice, no salt, no lime.  And the fish only came fried.  Why, Oscar's?  Why would you not at least offer a girl a lime and some form of chipotle-flavored condiment for her fish tacos?  It was so bad that it was inexplicable.  Brian got the Southern Burger -- piemento cheese and a fried green tomato.  It's hard to screw up a burger, but what Oscar's did was not really a screw-up, it was just...bland.  Again.  The tomato was skimpy and soggy, the bread was plain, the meat was ordinary.  The potatoes were tater-tots, and at least the frozen ones have salt.  Over it.

At first I thought maybe it was just me, or just that night.  I mean, the place has 5 stars on Yelp.  But then I asked another friend who had gone there what she thought of it, and she said exactly the same thing.  So I think I'm right and Yelp is wrong (this wouldn't be the first time, I must say).  I still feel kind of bad for saying it because of my love for Venice Beach Wines, but I wouldn't want you to go there and then blame me for not telling you, so here it is.

Sorry Oscar's, but you've disappointed me; I'll be next door, hanging out with your sister.

Tart (Eric Greenspan's Pop-Up Menu)

Pancake lasagna.  Need I say more?

(No, but I will.)  If you're not drooling yet, let me tell you a little bit more about this delicacy from Tart's Pop-Up Menu by Eric Greenspan (the chef who started The Foundry on Melrose).  It starts with a fluffy pancake layer on the bottom.  Then a layer of fennel sausage - a little sweet, a little spicy.  Then another layer of pancake, followed by a layer of smokey, crispy bacon.  Then (you guessed it), a layer of pancake, with another layer of sausage.  The layers are all held together with a maple bechamel sauce (yes, mapel bechamel!).  Top with a layer of egg, smother in melted cheese, and you've got perfection.

Everything you're imagining in your mind came true.  It delivered.

{also, I got new shoes yay}

The best part about this dish?  It solves the perpetual brunch question: sweet or savory?  It's sweet, it's savory, it's salty, it's spicy, it's bready, it's cheesy, it's eggy.  It is the physical manifestation of BRUNCH.

The worst part?  It was only featured at Tart for the 3-day pop-up menu period, and I have no idea where you can get this elsewhere.

So if you are ever lucky enough to find this on a menu near you, order it for God's sake.

And if you're ever at Tart, (although I must note that it is in the most random location ever) order the regular bloody Mary (not the Spa one - turns out grapefruit juice does not belong in a bloody), and prepare to be knocked on your behind.  Oh, and also make sure you've got your hippie/hipster vibe on (remember what I said about the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs and not wearing shoes?  Tart is kind of like that, but friendlier).

P.S. Sorry for the iPhone pics - I left my camera at home, and Brian obvi doesn't have any cool iPhone pic apps on his device (and I obvi don't have one of my own)!