Crumbs for Cupcakes

There's no "Cronut" here on the West Coast yet, but several places are making a croissant & doughnut hybrid so I decided to try the "Crumbnut" at Crumbs Bakery. Since this bakery originated in New York, I figured they probably had the best chance of making a Cronut facsimile.

There was only one left when I went in at 2pm so I saw that as a good sign, and the Crumbnut itself looked enticing.

Cutting it in half showed all the layers of the croissant like interior. Biting into it I was relieved to find it neither too greasy nor too sweet, but I was dismayed with its slightly salty aftertaste. It's not supposed to be a savory and sweet pastry like the Kouign Amann. I found this a confusing taste combination because the saltiness did not enhance the flavor as salt does with caramel, instead it detracted from what could have been a good breakfast pastry.

I had to try some of their cupcakes, especially after giving away several party packs with 12 mini cupcakes in assorted flavors for $24 to friends for their birthday. They have "Colossal" cupcakes that truly live up to their name, enough for at least 2 people to share, or the regular sized classic ones that I got this time. The Blackout is chocolate cake filled with fudge mixed with vanilla custard, topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting and chocolate crumbs drizzled with chocolate.

It's one of their "signature" series with extra frosting in the center. The cake itself was moist, richly chocolate and delightful. I prefer the chocolate ganache of La Provence's chocolate cupcakes, but for those who like less densely rich, more creamy frosting, this would be a good choice.

The Going Coconuts, a coconut cake filled and frosted with coconut cream cheese frosting topped with toasted coconut, was my favorite. I remember trying the coconut at Sprinkles, but I hated its dry dense texture. I loved the Crumbs Coconut cupcake; it was perfect!

Just the right amount of vanilla frosting with toasted coconut on a tender moist cake. I might have been able to eat one of the "Colossal" sizes of this one :)

Maybe everyone should stick to what they do best. Crumbs makes wonderful cupcakes in flavors ranging from cannoli to s'mores. If I ever go back to NYC I will try the actual Cronut at Dominique Ansel's Bakery, but I will pass on trying anymore facsimiles.

Seoul Sausage Company is So Good

The idea is simple, make Korean inspired fast food. Kogi did it, but Seoul Sausage Company has done it with their own twist and style. Having won the Food Networks Great Food Truck Race #3 (A certificate is prominently displayed by the food pick up area), these guys know how to cook, market, and serve their clientele.

The small storefront off Sawtelle has been open less than a year, but there are already regulars and lines out the door. The vibe is funky Asian, with hip music, kitschy anime toys, and a minimalist decor; you have a choice of eating at a stand up counter inside, nabbing one of the 8 seats at the picnic table outside, or taking your order to go. All the food is either wrapped in paper or delivered in paper boxes. This is an eco friendly place, but with their seven item menu and limited space, do not expect them to cater to your whimsical preferences.

I tried nearly half the menu, starting with their most popular ball, the Flaming Ball with DMZ sauce for $3. It's a fried ball of rice, kimchi, cheese and served with a spicy dipping sauce.

If you like the Italian arancini di riso, this is a spicy Korean version. It was great plain without the sauce, but if you want to add a bit of spicy creaminess, the DMZ sauce is a great accompaniment.

Because it's called the Seoul Sausage company, I had to try one of their sausages, so I went for the Galbi for $7. I was a bit apprehensive when I saw them pour a line of wasabi mayo onto the bun, but it wasn't too much and it added just enough viscosity.

I was pleasantly surprised by the "relish" of diced kimchi at the bottom of the roll, and the bread had just the right amount of "toothiness" to make this a great sandwich. If you love sausages, you will love this version!

One of their specialties is the "Da KFC" served with a kimchi cornbread and pickled daikon radish for $8. A mix of both light and dark meat with a slightly sweet "BBQ" sauce on the bottom of the box, this tasted like a cross between Japanese karage and Chinese sweet and sour. It is an addictive version of KFC, and in this case, I have no qualms about being addicted:)

I thought the cornbread was half the box, but it turns out, it covered more chicken! There was no way to finish this after eating the ball and tasting the sausage, so I saved it to reheat for another meal.

Their menu offers Poutine and Spam, which are both low on my list of cravings, but if their versions are as good as what I've tasted so far, they may convert me.

Southern California Coastal Day

Sometimes going to the dentist is a great excuse to take a break, especially when the trip involves only routine maintenance and the dentist is Washington Dental in Tijuana. I went early in the middle of the week and was done and back across the border by 1 PM, so I took the opportunity to stop in La Jolla for lunch and some shopping :)

My former favorite restaurant in La Jolla Village, Acqua, no longer exists, so I wandered around looking for a place with a view. I ended up at the perennial favorite, George's. The top deck was packed, and the lower level was only open for dinner, so I ended up in the much calmer and equally beautiful middle level. When I walked in there was only one other table, but by the time I left the place was packed. I was glad I came "early" enough to get an oceanfront table with this gorgeous view*.

Since the middle level is technically the bar (even though there were kids there because they serve food), one of the menu items that caught my eye was a half bottle of 2009 Montelena Chardonnay for $58. I had never seen wine from this famous** winery on any menu, so I was tempted, but the combination of a half bottle, plus having woken up at 5AM to drive, and having a 2 hour drive ahead was too dangerous!

The special of the day was a yellowtail ceviche which was beautifully presented. Unfortunately the chips were greasy even though they were freshly made, and the ceviche itself left much to be desired compared to places like Flores. The main flavor was citrus and the fish was cut in strange long stringy pieces. Adding some of the spicy condiments helped tremendously. The service was excellent, even after the place got full, my waitress still kept every table serviced. I would say come for the view and some drinks, and perhaps the Niman Ranch burger, which looked fantastic.

Before leaving I had an espresso at George's to fortify me for my drive north, and even though it came with perfect accompaniments, it came lukewarm. Oh well, the view alone was worth the stop.

After my day in La Jolla, I met a friend at Del Mar's Taste of Thai. My friend has a gluten allergy, so Thai food is one of the cuisines he can enjoy. We shared a spicy rice noodle with beef and compromised on a heat rating of 5 (I wanted an 8, he wanted a 3). It was a delicious and ample serving, with tender slices of beef and not at all greasy (many places add so much oil to keep rice noodles from sticking that the plate looks like an oil slick).

The spicy duck was equally well executed, with robust flavors. We opted for a 5 heat rating on this dish too, but I thought it tasted more like a 3 (since my friend is a regular and always orders this dish, I think they made it for his taste:).

Even though I was only gone for a day, it felt like a week-end away, so I would gladly go to the dentist again for another "holiday"!


*All the photos from this post were taken with my new Xperia Pro phone, an early birthday present from the ever generous @John8600, merci Jean:)

**Made famous by the movie "Bottle Shock" and as the first California winery to win in a blind tasting against French wines in France. One of their bottles is in the Smithsonian :)

Paul Martin's Round 2

I went to Paul Martin's last year to meet a friend who just had a baby, and I went back this year because she had another :) I started with one of their spicy house made Bloody Mary's for $10, but because my friend is breastfeeding she opted for an Arnold Palmer. I loved the zing of this freshly made cocktail and it was a great way to start off an afternoon!

I chose the special of the day, which was fried chicken with either salad or soup and ice cream. I was very hungry, but when the huge salad arrived my face must have shown my surprise and my waitress said, "Yes, you'll be taking some of the fried chicken home", warning me that all their portions were equally abundant. The salad was nicely dressed and included some cherry tomatoes for color.

The ample portion of fried chicken with buttered mashed potatoes was definitely enough for two meals! The good thing was that the chicken was moist, crisp, and well seasoned, so I was happy to eat it and looked forward to eating it again for another meal. Yes, I ate the skin, and yes, it was delicious! *

My friend wa craving protein, so she ordered the pulled pork sandwich with regular fries. It came with cole slaw and fried onion rings on a freshly made bun. She finished her entire meal, but then being a working mother with two young children burns calories better than any exercise program. Our entire bill including tax and tip was about $70.

Since I barely ate half my fried chicken, the waitress kindly waited awhile to bring out my ice cream dessert with two shortbread cookies. I shared with my friend since I could barely manage even a spoon of each just to taste the flavors. The chocolate was my favorite of the trio, but none of it wowed me. If I were to have this kind of dessert I would go to Paciugo just a few miles away in Hermosa Beach.

I think I'm pretty lucky to have had a meal with my friend who has two children under the age of 3 at an adult restaurant without her children....maybe it's time to go buy a lottery ticket :)

* Why would anyone order fried chicken and NOT eat the skin unless it was badly made?

Sette Bello in the Marina

Ever since Antica Pizza left the Marina, I've been in Napoletana pizza withdrawal. The nearest VPN (certified Napoletana pizza made with ingredients and methods approved by the association from Naples) was Settebello in Pasadena. I just couldn't convince myself that the drive through down town traffic and then into Pasadena for pizza was worth it. I was thrilled when I saw that Settebello was going to come to the Marina in the same (newly rebuilt and redesigned) center that used to be Antica's home.

Settebello opened a few weeks ago and the space both inside and outside is comfortable and casual. Servers are young and helpful, even though the fine details of orders and specials haven't yet been refined. One one occasion I was asked if I wanted peppers and Parmesan, on another not, whereas I was asked how many slices I wanted my pizza cut into, but on another occasion not. I also heard the chef explaining to the bartender what chard was and how it was spelled as he described one of the specials.

The pizza that is the litmus test for a truly great Napoletana Pizza is the DOC Margherita, made with Crushed Tomatoes, Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil for $14, this 12 inch pizza is the classically simple staple for purists. This was a very good version, but it wasn't as good as Antica's. The flavor of the tomatoes needed a bit more zing (adding red peppers helped) and the crust, although perfectly thin and chewy, needed a touch more salt. Since  I was not asked how many slices I wanted on this order, it was cut into four huge slices. The pizzas here are meant to be eaten with a knife and fork, so keep that in mind if you are used to thicker crusts that you can hold in your hands.

I came back for another visit and since the signature pizza the Settebello, I ordered it and got Crushed Tomatoes, Pancetta, Wood Oven Sausage, Roasted Mushrooms, Toasted Pine Nuts, Mozzarella, Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil for $14. In this case the lack of salt in the crust worked well since the pancetta and sausage both had enough to create a great balance of flavor. This signature offering was great, a hearty yet refined combination of meat, cheese, mushrooms and the interesting crunch of roasted pine nuts. Whereas I easily ate the Margherita in one sitting, two slices of the Settebello (this was cut into six) was plenty for my lunch.

I don't often eat pizza (you will see this makes only my 7th pizza post on this blog) but having VPN Settebello close by means that when I do get a craving, I won't have to make a trek to Pasadena :)

Fantastic Flores

Life has a way of bringing people and places back into your life, and Flores is bringing people back to the former Sawtelle Kitchen space. It has also brought back the owner to the building that used to show his father's art. Everything in this place has evolved, from the clean design to the fresh flavors on the menu. It's still a casual neighborhood place, but that is about the only thing that has remained from its former incarnation.

I came for lunch and was impressed with the airy patio spaces, the larger outdoor space has a warming fire pit for cooler evenings. They've only been open for about a month, but there were already "regulars", an excellent sign for a new place.

I had the beef brisket sandwich which came with a side salad for $14. The beef was tender and moist with nice earthy flavor, but the meat was not heated through and the cold fat (which you can see in the picture) detracted from this otherwise great sandwich. I ended up taking out the slices of meat and cutting away all the fat before putting the sandwich back together to eat. I told my waitress that the temperature was a bit off and she relayed the information to the chef, Rob, who came out later with a complimentary dessert and an apology. He explained that it was the first day they were serving this sandwich so the staff had not gotten it perfect yet. This kind of honesty and service only made me want to go back (which I did later in the week).

The side salad added a nice light counterpoint to the rich meat and I was glad there was a knife since the leaves were left intact.

On a dinner time visit with a friend, the menu had so many wonderful dishes we wanted to try them all. Arriving at about 7:30 pm, they were already out of the softshell crab sandwich, the deviled eggs with crispy pig's ear, and the branzino special! That helped us narrow down our choices, but we learned later that the chef actually sent out for more eggs later that night to make more of the deviled eggs :)

We shared everything, so we started with the kanpachi ceviche young thai cocunut, lime and grapefruit for $14. The neighboring table said that she could have eaten three orders of this, and we agreed that this could have been a meal with a bigger portion. The flesh of the fish was so firm and fresh that the citrus flavors that ringed the bowl were all that was needed to bring out the best of the fish.

I ordered the kale salad with anchovy, radish, and fennel for $12 because I love kale and white anchovies, but I found this dish a bit too heavily coated with Parmesan.

The grilled prawns with cajun spice and lemon aioli for $16 were some of the best prawns I've eaten in the past year. The lemon aioli was so thick and rich, it was almost like lemon curd. I found the prawns delightful with just a squeeze of lemon. The cajun spice was not overpowering or too subtle, and the prawns were just barely done so they were still succulent. Like the ceviche, I could have made a meal of two orders of this dish.

The beet and stone fruit salad with pistachios, citrus, and sumac for $10 was a perfect summer salad with local ingredients that could convert a non salad eater.

The chicken liver bruschette with beetroot, cherries and bacon for $12 was a hearty luxurious serving. The cherries added a new slightly tart and slightly sweet highlight to the rich chicken liver, so if you like chicken liver, this version will make you smile.

The chef came by and offered a complimentary dessert (even though we had already ordered two desserts). This is the lemon Posset, with almond and cognac for $10. The Meyer lemon rind and the alcohol (not cooked off, so this dessert is only for those over 21) added zest to the granita and made this dessert a fairly light way to end a meal.

The macaron ice cream sandwich with strawberries was made with vanilla ice cream (you can see the flecks of vanilla in the photo) and if you love macarons or ice cream, this dessert combines both with some strawberries for color and texture. It's a pretty big sandwich, so you might want to consider sharing.

My favorite dessert was the fresh fruit with yogurt espuma and vinegar caramel for $12. I ordered this to try vinegar caramel and now I am hopelessly addicted. I think I would eat the vinegar caramel by the spoonful if they sold it by the jar! For those of you scratching your heads wondering what vinegar caramel tastes like, imagine a slightly tart caramel, like a thick passion fruit flavored sauce.

It's great having places close enough to walk to in the neighborhood, but it's even better when it's a fantastic food destination like Flores.

Bastille Day in Paris

Happy Bastille Day!

If you're in Paris this week-end the Girls Guide to Paris (men can click on it too:) will give you all the events happening in the capital.

Fantastic Feed and N'Ice Cream

The good thing about living close to the beach but not AT the beach is that I don't have to suffer the throngs of people who descend on the week-ends, I don't have to deal with cars blocking my driveway ("for just a minute"), and I can enjoy virtually marine layer free blue sunny days. Can you tell that I am glad I no longer live at the beach? All this being said, it's still fun to GO to the beach. Just like it's fun to rent a convertible even though you may not enjoy owning one (yes, I've been there and done that too).

So when friends came in from out of town who also used to live at the beach, we went to the beach! Venice's Abbot Kinney was a funky artsy area before all the high end hipsters, but the "revitalization" has added some great places to eat in addition to what used to be the only good place to eat, Joe's.

Feed Body & Soul has a beautiful facade, a covered patio, and that rarity that makes it worthy of a visit even on Summer week-ends, an adjacent valet parking lot.

We sat on the patio and since we all wanted to taste everything, we decided to literally taste three dishes by each eating a third of a plate and passing it on to the next person.

The crabcakes with a habernero sauce on a bed of organic greens with avocado was not as spicy as it sounds, but rather a lightly spiced salad that highlighted fresh crab. If you are a crabcake lover, you will be pleased with this choice.

The sesame crusted seared ahi with micro greens, wheatberries and a wasabi sauce was done perfectly rare. If you don't like tuna tartare or tuna sashimi, do not order this, but if you do, this is a whole grain version of a dish you might find in a sushi restaurant. The wasabi sauce was quite spicy, so be forewarned.

My favorite dish was the one I ordered, the wild salmon on a bed of quinoa with spinach and a pea shoot sauce. The fish was perfectly cooked, the greens and grains moist and tasty, and I would have definitely eaten all of this dish without sharing!

The portions were not huge and our total for the three of us including tax and tip was about $90 without drinks, but for the atmosphere and the food, this is definitely worth the price for the quality of ingredients.

We went across the street for dessert at N'Ice Cream. They make their gelatos and sorbets fresh every day from ingredients that are organic in other countries but have not been certified as organic in the US. If you love creamy gelato, this is the place to go in Venice. In Hermosa, I prefer Paciugo, but for a place closer to me and with excellent flavors, this is a great find. Prices are about the same starting at $4 for a single serving. I chose the pistachio, a very creamy version made with imported Italian pistachios.

One friend got the maple and it tasted as fresh and creamy as my pistachio.

The third person of our trio chose the chocolate which was soooo chocolaty that I my one bite taste was enough to satiate me!

Maybe next time we'll rent a convertible when we go to the beach :)