Potential Gold

Fried Chicken at BLD

Every Tuesday night at BLD in Los Angeles you can try some of the best Fried Chicken.  Mike and the rest of the chefs at BLD make one of the best Fried Chicken dinners I have ever had.  It will cost you about $25 for the meal + bev, tax and tip but it is WELL WORTH IT.

I can't say how long the special Tuesday Night fried chicken will last and I'm not sure if it's permanent, so try it while its still there.

BLD for Brunch - Los Angeles

Another stop on Justinians quick weekend tour was Sunday Brunch - actually - it may have been Saturday Breakfast at BLD on Beverly Boulevard near Fairfax.

We arrived at BLD around noon and found a nice table ready for us on the sidewalk, just what we wanted.  The restaurant was busy as all the tables in the dining room were full of people devouring their salads, pancakes and egg dishes.

(Wow...look at all those Fra' Mani offerings - I really had such a great experience there...)

Another look at the menu and I decided on the Huevos Rancheros.  Limor chose a Frittata and Justin, the poach.

Justin is a true fan of poached eggs and a true fan of pork and luckily for him they put it together on a menu!

These eggs were really good but the only shitty thing about this dish was that the bread or brioche used was days old and hard as a rock.  Not something I would expect and not something of the norm for BLD so it may have just been Justin's bad luck.  The Pork was braised very well and the Potatoes BLD does with the Spanish Chorizo is simply amazing.

Father's Office - Los Angeles - Best Burger & Sweet Potato Fries

Father's Office!

My friend Justin was in town the other week - he was visiting from Minneapolis and needed to get some real, good food into him FAST.  One of our stops on that weekend was to Father's Office in Santa Monica.  After hearing all the hype and rave reviews, we had to try it for ourselves.

To the bar we went because there aren't any servers to take your order.  After a short line, we were helped by one of the friendly bartenders.  For a beverage, Justin was ok with water as the night before we visited Tokyo Delves and anyone who is familiar with Tokyo Delves knows that you can't leave that place sober unless you're the DD.

The bartender helped me choose a glass of Great White from Lost Coast Brewery.  This beer resembled the Hoegaarden which I like so much.

For a snack we ordered the amazing sweet potato fries which are served in a mini shopping cart with a small side of strong blue cheese dipping sauce.  My beer went really well with this.  As we waited for our burger, we took in the atmosphere and had a few laughs.

We arrived at Father's Office at around 5 PM on a Saturday so in my opinion there weren't too many people there, and it wasn't a problem to order and get your food.  It's pretty simple - you order at the bar and get a plastic number - your food magically appears at your seat in a few minutes.

I didn't get the vibe that they don't want you there or that it's a foodie only type of place.  Its much more of a neighborhood bar type of place.  Simple and easy.  If we had bigger appetites, we would have ordered much more food.  Although the prices or above market average, it seems like you really get quality stuff.

Our burger arrived and it looked so good.  It was not what I was expecting.  The oval shaped burger was already cut in half which made it much easier to share.  The meat was cooked medium just the way we ordered it and after the first bite, it was very very good.

I can see how people say that this is the most amazing burger and bla bla bla but in my opinion, the burger was very very good - executed to the dot and I'm sure its exactly what the chef is trying to put out.  The bun was fresh and tasty - it was more bread then a bun - the meat was juicy and well seasoned.  The arugula was tatsty and added the right flavors that worked overall.  The blue cheese was on the money - not too much or overbearing and not too little - all of it was just right.

I can't wait to get back to Father's Office.  I want to go more hungry, and with more friends as it seems like a really fun place to let loose and have a good time with great beers and very tasty food.

Pizza Research Institute (Eugene, Oregon)

On my short visit to Eugene, this was one of the most memorable spots I stopped in at.  The PRI is truly a one-of-a-kind establishment.  The person I was in contact with whom I assumed is the owner, was wearing flip-flops and a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and an apron - happier then hell about making and selling great pizza.

I went in just to take a quick taste and the stay lasted about an hour.  From the handwritten menu on the wall I had a choice of about four or five pizzas available that day.

Jo Federigo's Restaurant & Jazz Club (Eugene)

On a recent trip to Eugene, one of the most memorable dishes I enjoyed was the Seared Scallops with Miso and Cucumber Salad prepared by the chefs over at Jo Federigo's Restaurant and Jazz Club in Eugene, Oregon.

The scallops were sweet and buttery and the miso with cucumber was fresh and appetizing - I would have stayed for more but the Lakers were playing and I had to go watch the game...

Pahlmeyer 2002

Not a bad bottle of wine.  This photo was taken at a friends house.

Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles

(Please excuse the "red" pictures - you'll understand if you've been to Roscoe's before)

Roscoe's is a legendary establishment.  Being around for many years, they are obviously doing something right!

Yes, this was my first visit to Roscoe's in my 18+ years living in Los Angeles.  I will definitely return and I actually look forward to the next visit. 

What I really crave is the waffle.  I thought the waffle was made very well.  There was a good spiceiness to the batter made with cinnamon and a few other ingredients for sure.  The syrup seemed standard issue Sysco but that was good too. 

The chicken was fried very well and the seasoning of the fry was great.  The meat was nice and moist.  I ordered a dark meat plate with two waffles.  It was a good choice.  Omer and Limor both ordered the classic Breast and Waffle plate. 

The Best Baguettes in Paris (2008)

The verdict is in...

The two bakeshops below scored highest in a blind tasting at the Chambre Professionnelle des Artisans Boulangers-Pâtissiers, located on Quai d’Anjou (on Île Saint-Louis), in Paris, France.  On February 12th, 143 artisans brought their freshly baked baguette to the contest.

A few were automatically rejected due to size and weight conflicts between what was allowed and what wasn't.

The winner this year, from a Tunisian background, is Anis Bouabsa, 28, who won the Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris 2008.

He can be found at:
Au Duc de la Chapelle

32, rue Tristan Tzara

75018 Paris

Tel: 01 40 38 18 98

In second place this year was Fabrice Pottier; another young baker who supplies Alain Passard's restaurant, L’Arpège - daily!

Just Added

I love this coffee - in Hebrew it's pronounced "ness kahfe" and it is either made using steamed milk or hot water.  This is an instant coffee which is just great.

The second photo is of a Meyer Lemon with two Japanese Yuzu in the back.  Both products were purchased from the Monterey Market in Berkeley while I was up there for New Years.

Farmer's Market

From Last weeks trip to the farmer's market on Laurel Cyn. and Ventura Blvd.

I Won, I Won!

I never win anything...ever...but I guess when the cause is a positive one then luck is on my side.  Pim and a great group of bloggers have done it again. 

This year we raised over sixty-thousand dollars to help the UN World Food Programme.  People from all over donated gifts and prizes to those who donated.   I tried to give a salami but I didn't make the deadline.  There's always next year to give back.

So, I won a dinner for two at Manresa in Los Gatos care of Pim's Blog and the staff at Manresa (I think!).

Thanks!!

The Cannard Farm

Fennel

Identita Golose

The 2006 Identita Golose has been summed up in English translation by Alberto of IlForno.  Use the link to find his writings.  In my opinion, Identita Golose is one of the most important food forums happening in the world and this second forum (the first was last year) hosted some of the best chefs of the world including Wylie Dufresne from NYC's WD-50 and Pierangellini of Gambero Rosso on the Tuscan shore.