March 31, 2008
As the groom, I didn’t get overly involved with the wedding details. But I did insist on one thing: We were going to serve pie, because most civilized people prefer pie over cake. Even if they didn’t, I prefer pie over cake, and I actually had a say in this matter.
I only mention this because I enjoyed the Salt-and-Sake event last week at 3 on Fourth in Santa Monica even more than I expected. Why? Chef Daniel Snukal served up a bonus dessert: His mom’s blueberry pie. As a pie buff, I gave it a big thumbs-up. The key? Not too sweet. Snukal confirmed my conclusion. “No sugar in the crust,” he said.
But I digress. The night 
was a primer on sake conducted by Gekkeikan, and I needed the education. My sake knowledge was at the kindergarten level. They opened by pairing Zipang sake with some albacore. I’m not sure about the linguistics, but the Zipang definitely had some zip. It sparkled like champagne. I’d try it again.
The next sake, Haiku, was served with fluke. The Haiku reminded me of vodka. I’m not a huge vodka fan, so I found this variety to be the least appealing. I didn’t dislike it, but the Haiku just wasn’t calling my name.
I liked the third sake, Horin, much more. It didn’t hurt that they matched it up with a tasty cut of kampachi. Anyway, I guess my sake sensibility was improving on the fly because Gekkeikan’s on-site expert Satoru Ito said this was the company’s signature brew. It had a hint of licorice, but the flavor was subtle, nothing like the bowling-ball force of ouzo. Ito said Horin is never chilled and neve
r mixed. Sure. I never would have thought to do either.
The final sake selection, Nigori, was unfiltered. Almost as thick as a milkshake, the Nigori was like a creamy ale laced with rice pudding. That description might not sound all that appealing, but the Nigori pulls it off. The heft of the Nigori was needed to keep pace with its food partner, waygu beef cooked on a salt rock. It was rich and tender, something you could really sink your teeth into. The Nigori was the liquid equivalent.
This bit of night school was worth my time. I think it moved me up from kindergarten to second grade.
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Los Angeles, Santa Monica, brew, pie, sake, salt | 
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Posted by grubtrotters
March 26, 2008
I tasted steaks at both extremes of the tenderness scale at Boa Steakhouse in Santa Monica tonight. I started with the 2-oz. premium Japanese Wagyu appetizer. It’s a cashmere sweater of a steak — soft, smooth, expensive and wonderful. For the main course, I ordered the certified organic, grass-fed New York strip, the yogi of steaks, if most yogis were not, uh, vegetarians. (I’m a carnivorous yogi myself. The guilty but happy kind.) Decidedly leaner and firmer, the steak was still full of juicy flavor, seasoned perfectly, and you get to feel good knowing it’s better for your health and the earth.
Rounding out the meal were asparagus and fresh yellow and red beets bought this morning at the Santa Monica’s Farmer’s Market. This was my fourth trip to Boa, and I can never skip my favorite dish on the menu, the goat cheese baklava with pistachios, black truffles and frisee. It’s just so rich and divine.
I enjoyed my grub with a nice glass of Spanish Tempranillo, a 2005 Dominio De Eguren Protocolo. On Sundays, all bottles and half bottles are half price. While super-chic Boa is one of LA’s hipper steakhouses, it’s situated right across the street from the beach, and you might just find a few grains of sand on your leather seat.
Boa Steakhouse, 101 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; 310-899-4466.
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Innovative Dining Group, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, outdoor dining, steak | 
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Posted by grubtrotters
March 26, 2008
Seems LA restaurants have noticed the economy is tanking. Table 8 on Melrose feels your pain. It’s offering diners “Recessions Concessions,” a three-course prix fixe meal from chef Govind Armstrong for just $38 on weekdays. Optional wine pairing is an extra $18. Those who prefer the bar scene can order an “Inflation Libation,” a glass of wine or a beer with two lounge menu items for $20.
Here’s a look at the “Recession Concessions” menu choices:
Appetizers
Local baby oak lettuces with feta, roasted beets, sweet onions, black olive oil 
Pan-roasted baby broccoli with confit potatoes, flaked salt cod and parsley hollandaise
Kobe beef carpaccio with celery root salad, treviso and truffle aioli
Entrees
Grilled baby chicken on short rib hash and cipollini onion jus
Olive oil poached sea trout with shaved artichoke salad and caramelized onion mash
Estancia grass fed rib eye with pea tendrils, potato puree, roasted baby carrots and pearl onions
Desserts
Vanilla panna cotta with honeyed blueberries
Dulce de leche chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream
Table 8, 7661 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; 323-782-8258.
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Govind Armstrong, Los Angeles, Table 8, budget | 
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Posted by grubtrotters
March 26, 2008
The Viceroy’s poolside back patio in Santa Monica is as swank as it gets on the West Side. And we’re big fans of Whist Chef Warren Schwartz’s eclectic palate and focus on seasonal local ingredients from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. But the $8 valet fee and lengthy gourmet lunches have always kept busy business midday diners at bay.
Not any more. Whist has revamped its lunch menu and is now waiving the $8 valet fee. I was invited to a media lunch and checked out the new menu today. It’s a lot lighter, with a focus on salads and sandwiches. In fact, the first six items on the menu, everything from roasted chicken to fish tacos, can be ordered as a salad or a sandwich for $16.
It’s all very LA. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of heft for those who want to indulge. I shared a charcuterie plate with delicious duck prosciutto, Italian Bresaola, Serrano ham, and three cheeses: Gouda aged 26 months, a creamy Pont L’eveque and Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog from fresh goat milk.
Next I sipped tomato and zucchini soup with cream and basil oil. Yum. I finished with a fresh avocado and crab salad. OK, so I didn’t actually finish there. I had to try the Meyer lemon pound cake with Greek yogurt, Stoli vanilla and berries. With a group of nine, our server struggled a bit to remember who ordered what. But as Arnold would say, “I’ll be back.”
Whist, 1819 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica; 310-260-7500.
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Posted by grubtrotters
March 24, 2008
If Jenny had invented Frosted Flakes, they would be coated with salt, not sugar. That’s why she is practically delirious after learning that two Los Angeles restaurants 
will be hosting salt-themed events.
Of course, we would expect nothing less from a company called Saltistry.
Its Salt Party promises treats such as Duck rillette, crusty bread and Preserved Lemon Salt, and Albacore tataki on Himalayan Salt Plate with ponzu. The event is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 31 at Food Court LA (8334 W. Third Street, Los Angeles). Tickets are $25 and available at the door.
The other saline affair, Salt and Sake, will be at 3 on Fourth in Santa Monica. Expected offerings include Himalayan Salt-seared Asparagus and Wagyu Beef, and House-made Potato Chips with Citrus Salt. The tasting is $45 per person with an optional $35 special prix fixe dinner afterwards. Call 310-395-6765 for reservations. It starts at 6:30 p.m. on March 26 in the restaurant’s “Upstairs” section (1432A Fourth St., Santa Monica, CA 90405).
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Posted by grubtrotters
March 22, 2008
We have sampled horse in Tokyo, kangaroo in Australia, armadillo in Guatemala and camel in Qatar.
We have feasted at Le Bernadin in New York and One Market in San Francisco.
But we’ll never turn down a chili dog from Mustard’s Last Stand in Evanston.
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Posted by grubtrotters
