Monthly Archives: August 2014

Wheat and Sons

31 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by in Anaheim, Eating and Drinking by city, Wheat and Sons

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8/2/2014

This place continues providing high quality meat and delicious, reasonable food in the Anaheim Packing House.

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Grass Fed Coulotte with Smoked Beluga Lentils, Romesco, Heirloom Tomato and Snap Pea Salad
This was a flavorful steak and went very well with the earthy beluga lentils and sweet heirloom tomatoes. The snap peas were not only visually appealing, they were delicious also.
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Suckling Pig Cuban
This sandwich was a combination of tender suckling pig, ham and pickle. It was a little too salty for me and I think, I prefer their porchetta to this one.
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Pork Chop
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Very flavorful, porky and tender and a great buy at $10/lb.

Gjelina Take Away

28 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Gjelina Take Away (Venice), Los Angeles area

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7/26/2014

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Heirloom Tomato Salad and Zucchini Salad
I chose the heirloom tomato salad and it was very flavorful due to the fragrant basil. I thought the tomatoes were a little overripe though. My husband really enjoyed his zucchini salad. It had heirloom tomatoes and was marinated in a herby, tasty dressing.
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Brisket Banh Mi
Pickled Red Onion & Carrots, Cilantro, Jalapeño Vinegar, Aioli, Baguette
We always get this delicious bahn mi. The brisket was very tender and flavorful and had a nice kick from the jalapeño vinegar. The cilantro and carrots added flavor and crunch. A very satisfying sandwich.
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The dining area!!!
If you are lucky, like we were, you can eat at the counter inside. For the rest, you have to dine alfresco on the side of the GTA.

Breakfast at Republique

24 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Los Angeles area, Republique (Hancock Park)

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7/26/2014

Chef Walter Manzke and his pastry chef wife, Margarita, are the owners of Republique restaurant. We have experienced chef Manzke talent in the kitchens of Bastide and Church and State before.
chef Mazke and his wife took over Campanille restaurant space last year and turned it to Republique restaurant. They have a large spread of baked goods in the morning and since this was our first time, we ordered a little too much. Next time we will try their brunch menu.

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They asked us what we wanted to drink and suggested a large French press!! That was enough coffee for four people. Next time we stick to small.
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Cheese and Tomato Croissant
This was a unique and tasty croissant, but if you are a vegetarian you will be surprise to find bits of ham tucked in there.
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Nectarine Brioche
Juicy nectarine was the perfect partner for the luscious custard.
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Pain au Chocolat
I don’t know why recently we always end up with over baked pain au chocolat. How hard is it to monitor the oven? A very disappointing experience.
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Hazelnut Paris Brest
This was good, but I was hoping for more prominent hazelnut flavor.
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Berry Crostata
My husband picked this one and loved it. I thought the base of the crostata was too soft, but we enjoyed the mixture of the flavorful berries and the custard.

Lunch at Pizzeria Mozza

21 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Mozza, Newport Beach

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7/20/2014

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Rucola, Funghi & Piave
Since we have had every salad on the menu, except for this one, my husband suggested we give this salad a try.
It was the most boring salad on their menu. It was basically an arugula salad with tasteless shaved crimini mushrooms and thankfully the very flavorful piave cheese. Piave is an Italian cow’s milk cheese from the Veneto in northern Italy. It is very similar to my favorite, Parmigiano Reggiano.
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Meatballs al Forno
The meatballs were packed with flavor and were seated on the delicious pool of marinara sauce. It also came with two perfectly grilled and delicious bread pieces.
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Pane Pomodoro
Early Girl tomatos, Speck, Burrata & Pickled Ramps
This was my favorite dish. The tomatoes were very ripe and sweet. speck had a great smoky flavor and burrata added creaminess to the perfectly crisp bread.
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Peaches and Cream Gelato Pie
Greek Yogurt, Peach Compote, Belli e Brutti
The Greek yogurt gelato was very nice and tart. Peaches were sweet and balanced the tartness of the yogurt. The brutti cookies gave a nice chocolaty crunch to this dish.

Trois Mec

14 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Los Angeles area, Trois Mec (Hollywood)

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7/17/2014

This year I chose Trois Mec for my birthday dinner. Of course it was not an easy task. First you have to register on their website. Then, about ten days prior to the date you plan to dine, you have to purchase tickets for your desired day and time slot. I was nervous the morning of, but luckily I purchased my tickets and was excited to try this place. Trios Mec means “three guys” and is a joint effort between Chef Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo. Every diner as they entered the restaurant was greeted by the whole kitchen staff saying, “Bonsoir”. It reminded me of the greeting at Shin-Sen-Gumi.

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They didn’t bother changing the sign for this restaurant and use the old pizza place’s sign. That might create confusion for some diners.
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On their website, they state that you can park anywhere in the lot, but your only option is valet at $7.
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Buckwheat Popcorn
This has become their signature snack and rightfully so. Very crunchy and crisp and an addicting snack.
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Herb Tart
A nice refreshing salad.
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Tater Tot
We really enjoyed this cheesy snack.
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Garlic Bread
This snack has gotten a lot of love in the reviews I had read, but I preferred the previous snack to this one.
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Dijon Crème Brûlée
This was my favorite snack. A very unique take on Crème Brûlée by using Dijon mustard. A great combination of sweet and heat from the mustard.
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Fluke, Peas, Umeboshi, Lime
My favorite course of the night. The very fresh fluke was seating on a delicious pool of lime, dashi and poppy seeds. The peas added some texture and the very ripe blackberries a touch of sweetness. Cilantro added a nice aromatic, herby note. As you can see in the picture, the Umeboshi (Japanese salt plums) were missing from this dish. Maybe they were out or they forgot about it.
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Tomato Pulp, Charred Eggplant, Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, Smoked Tomato
The sweet tomatoes and the charred eggplant was a nice base for the very delicious jamón ibérico de bellota.
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Radish, Burnt Bread, Fromage Blanc, Furikake
This dish surprised us the most. Some of the radishes were pan roasted and others were sliced very thin. The lushness of the Fromage Blanc was a great partner for the slightly bitter radish. The burnt bread added a little smokiness and my favorite, lemon Tuiles, a nice sweet and sour deliciousness to the dish. A very memorable dish.
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Veal Belly, Crispy Artichoke, Parmesan
I am not a big fan of fatty meats, but for the most part enjoyed this dish. The veal belly was flavorful and was cooked right. I thought the crunchy artichokes gave a nice texture to this dish, but combined with the olives and the parmesan, it was a little too salty and one dimensional for my taste. I think they needed something sweet to balance all the saltiness in the dish.
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Strawberry Cake, Meringue, Chantilly
This was a big dessert!! I enjoyed the strawberry cake and the very tasty Chantilly. The strawberries were at their peak and were very delicious. I thought the meringue was too sweet for my taste and I could not finish my dessert due to that problem.
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Mignardises
canelé was good, but we have had better ones. they were not as crunchy on the outside as I like them. The melon candy was refreshing.

It was a nice experience and I am glad we tried it, but I would not rush back. As we were being seated, I mentioned how excited I was to dine there on my birthday. The server said, Oh today is your birthday!! And that was it. The least he could have done, was to say happy birthday. Unfortunately good service is a dying art!!

LACMA

11 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in Art & Architecture, Los Angeles Area

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Expressionism in Germany and France: From Van Gogh to Kandinsky

The exhibition featured Post‑Impressionist, Fauvist, and Cubist paintings by more than 40 artists.

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Christian Rohlfs, Nude, 1911
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Henri-Edmond Cross, Bather, 1906
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Vincent Van Gogh, Arles: View from the Wheat Fields, 1888
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Paul Signac, Samois, the Bank, Morning, 1901
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Maximilien Luce, The Pile Drivers, 1902-3
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Théo van Rysselberghe, Beach at Low Tide, Ambleteuse, 1900
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Cuno Amiet, Portrait of the violinist Emil Wittwer Gelpke, 1905
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Erich Heckel, Sand Diggers on the Tiber, 1909
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Henri Matisse, Nude Study in Blue, 1899-1900
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Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Gartenstrasse Early in the Morning, 1906
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Maurice de Vlaminck, The Farmer, 1905
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Henri Matisse, Open Window Collioure, 1905
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Othon Friesz, The Canal at Anvers, 1906
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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Dodo at the Table (Interior with Dodo), 1909
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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Dance Hall Belleveu/Houses in Dresden, 1909-10
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Max Peschstein, Beach at Nidden, 1911
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Emil Nolde, Ship in Dock, 1910
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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto and Maschka Mueller in the Studio, 1911
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Vincent Van Gogh, Pollard Willows at Sunset, 1888
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Wassily Kandinsky, Arabian Cemetery, 1909
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Alexei Jawlensky, Fairy Princess with a Fan, 1912
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Alexei Jawlensky, Red Blossom, 1910
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Franz Marc, Stables, 1913
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Heinrich Campendonk, Harlequin and columbine, 1913
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Lyonel Feininger, Sleeping Woman-Julia, 1913
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Robert Delaunay, Red Eiffel Tower, 1911-12
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Max Pechstein, Still Life with Nude, Tile and Fruit, 1913
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Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Apples, 1893-94
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Max Pechstein, The Big Indian, 1910
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André Derain, Boats in Chatou, 1904-5

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John Altoon Jazz Players, 1950
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Untitled, 1960
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Untitled (Haircut #2), 1965
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Untitled From the Sunset series, 1964-65
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Untitled, 1964, Lettering by Ed Ruscha

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Edward Biberman, Abbot Kinney and the Story of Venice, 1941

Fala Bar

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Fala Bar, Los Angeles area

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7/17/2014

I love falafels and make a pretty good ones myself. When I heard there is a new falafel place on Melrose, I had to try it.

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Fala Me to KALEifornia
Lemony kale, Garbanzo Beans, Quinoa, Purple Cabbage, Shredded Carrots, Avocado, Sunflower Sprouts, Micro Greens, Lemon Wedge, Hummus
This salad as a whole was very bland and could have used a big squeeze of lemon to brighten things up. The lemon that came with the dish didn’t do the trick.
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Fala Plate
Four Original Falafel Balls, Hummus, Tahini, Israeli Salad, Quinoa Tabouli, Seasonal Garnish
In this dish you could choose four falafel balls from the original, crunchy, spicy or sweet potato flavors. My husband chose the original and it was surprisingly lemony and delicious. The Israeli salad and quinoa tabouli were pretty good. I liked this dish much better than mine, because it was more balanced and not as bland.

I asked for a sample of their Baba Ghanoush. It tasted just like Hummus!! I didn’t taste any smoky eggplant, that Baba Ghanoush is famous for. If you look at their online menu, they don’t list the ingredients for Baba Ghanoush. If I ever want a falafel in this area, I will stop here again.