Moving Day

Moving Day

Going to recuperate from the move at an Air BnB and then move into a new place after the holiday :)

Return to Le Pain Quotidien

I'm slowly beginning to go back to all the places I went to regularly pre Covid 19, but I must admit that I still prefer eating at outdoor patios, so Le Pain Quotidien in Marina del Rey was an easy breakfast choice. The jars of house jam are now individual containers, and the servers all wear masks. 

I was so impatient for my first sip of oat milk cappuccino that I forgot to take a picture before I sipped :)

One of the mornings when I wanted something light, I chose the fruit, granola and Greek yogurt parfait with perfectly ripe berries, tasty crunchy granola, and a rich smooth Greek yogurt.

Their breakfast sandwich is a nice brunch choice.

The classic ham and cheese omelet served with their organic bread and side salad

or their mushroom and goat cheese omelet are for the days when something more substantial is needed. I have never been able to finish their omelets, but I always make a valiant effort! My favorite server, Ashley, had just returned from Senegal so we caught up on what we had been doing during the last 18 months in French! It made me nostalgic for the Pain Quotidien outposts in Belgium (original) and Paris. It was a good appetizer for traveling to Europe again....

Hatchet Hall

Hatchet Hall has inhabited the space it occupies for 6 years, but I did not make the 3 mile trek to eat there until this week-end. 

The huge patio opens at 5pm, and since they do not take reservations, if you wish to be sure to score a seat, arrive at opening time to eat a very late lunch or early dinner. By the time it was 7pm, there was a line down the block. Keep in mind that with new Covid-19 rules effective next week allowing more capacity, you may find it easier to get a seat in either the indoor covered patio, the outdoor open patio, or the indoor space.

I went for a birthday celebration on the outdoor patio at 5pm on a perfect Southern California blue sky 72F afternoon, and even with a bit of a breeze, the warmth from the last rays of sun made it feel like it was a late afternoon brunch.

My dining companions ordered mocktails, one of which was enjoyed and the other found too sweet. We shared every plate, so we told them to send them out as they were done. First up was the Garden of Little Gem wedge with creme fraiche, tomatoes and lardons for $15. It was a refreshing way to start the meal and everyone loved the decadent lardons that were like finding treasures in the salad. 

The birthday guest loves lamb so we got the lamb sirloin with tonnato, salsa verde, and breadcrumbs for $33. A squeeze of the grilled lemon on top gave the meat a nice acidic zing that made this one of the crowd favorites.

I asked the waitress what she would choose if given the choice of the pork chop or quail and she said the pork chop, so I went with this paprika and fennel grilled chop for $35. The meat was perfectly prepared, still juicy and just barely well done, but the seasoning was very light and I ended up dipping the slices in the lamb salsa verde for some extra flavor. It was a very generous portion, easily enough to share, especially when ordering other dishes.

I loved the sautéed bloomsdale spinach with green garlic and lemon for $12. I could have easily eaten this side by myself.

Everyone loved the trout almondine with brown butter and almonds served with green beans for $27. This was a huge portion, and if we had not all been very hungry, we could have easily skipped one of the other proteins and just eaten this with some vegetable sides. We also got the grilled asparagus with pine nuts and lemon for $17, but I was too busy eating to take a picture :) As an asparagus lover, it satisfied my desire for a vegetable, but I found it a bit bland and expensive for 4 stalks, which is probably why I forgot to take a picture of it...

Since it was a birthday celebration, we got the strawberry rhubarb crisp with pecans and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for $15 to share. It was neither overly sweet nor overly memorable.

Please note that they add a 20% gratuity to all checks, so you do not have to tip more on your check unless you wish. Overall we enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere, but for an average of $90 per person without alcohol, it was a bit pricey. The ingredients were all top notch, and after being sequestered for over a year, being able to share a meal on a nice patio close to home in celebration of a special occasion made it all worthwhile.

Newport Seafood

My friend Georgia and I always celebrated her birthday with lobster, but with Covid 19, we had to settle for a remote greeting and a gift certificate. Since we are now both vaccinated, we ventured out to Newport Seafood, which is now open for indoor dining with masks and social distancing rules still in place. I had never been, but Georgia had, so the birthday girl got to choose the restaurant and the menu :)

We had the beef Loc Lac, basically a sauté of tender beef plated over raw onions, 

pea shoots with garlic

and their renowned small (4-5 lb) house special lobster.

The meal was pricey but the gift of a 30+ year friendship enjoying great food and wine is priceless. 

First Time at Little Fatty

I've been meaning to try Little Fatty since they opened, and I really have no good reason why it took so long, but like many delays in life, the ultimate point is to eventually having the experience. Even now during the last phase of Covid restrictions, it is still mainly my preference to pick up food. Their online ordering system circumvents the apps which eat away at their margins so I gladly drove to their little window and got my hainan chicken fix for $15 which had the most delicious chicken fat rice that

came with ginger scallion sauce and delicious crisp pickled cucumbers.

Since I am still in search of my favorite beef chow fun, I tried theirs for $16. It was a generous portion, but although their meat was good quality, I found the dish a bit lacking in flavor and too oily.

I am glad to finally try Little Fatty and would go back for some other dishes, so there will be a follow up post :)

Pann's Patio

Slowly getting back out to eat, so for my 2nd post Covid meal out, I opted for the patio at Pann's. Originally I was planning to go to Lunetta, but they were packed (a great sight to see), so instead I made a short drive down the packed 405 (seemed like everyone was on the road today just like any pre Covid 19 Sunday) to join a friend for brunch.

The owners live across the street from me, so it was a chance to not only support a neighbor, but also enjoy some company in a very airy, well spaced out patio. It was also a time to indulge in some fried goodies, and of course that included a side of bacon:)

Their cole slaw and potato salad would fit right in at any Sunday picnic

and their tuna melt with a great pickled jalapeno pepper and pickle is the kind you would make at home if you had the time and ingredients to do it properly.

I came for the fried chicken wings and since it had been so long since I've had non curbside pick up orders, I got some onion rings too; a reminder that some freshly fried fragile foods are best when eaten as soon as possible. Of course I had to get some spinach too just to be a little healthy ;) 

I finished everything except the biscuit and one wing drumstick, so it was handy to have the plastic serving containers double as take out trays. Hmmm that reminds me I still have that biscuit and wing in the fridge....

 

First Meal at Restaurant since Covid 19 @ Kagura

Now that I am fully vaccinated (2 weeks after my second Moderna shot), I finally ventured out for my first meal since February of 2020 at Kagura in El Segundo. I felt a bit like an invalid who had been bedridden for over a year, being a bit wobbly as I tentatively took my first steps back into familiar territory. 

I found the Covid 19 protocols are in place with hand sanitizer, face masks, and separated dining areas. I was willing to order to go if there was any problem, but I was relieved to find everything was strictly health conscious. I chose Kagura as my first post vaccination restaurant because of their very private separate booth areas and the security that provided even pre Covid 19. Some thing are different now with drink menus posted and separate mini single servings of soy sauce and hot sauce rather than multi use larger tableside ceramics or glass containers.

The service was lovely as usual with the same servers they had preCovid, all wearing the same kind and professional demeanor with excellent service. From serving tea, salad and miso soup to delivering the main gozen lunches of sushi and miso black cod. It was wonderful to go out to eat with a fellow food lover who had also been housebound the past year; it felt as if we were released from prison on the same day to enjoy life as we had known it before our confinement :)

 

2 Grilled Salads & 2 Great Sandwiches To Go

It's been over 1 year since I've been out to eat, but curbside take out from my favorite places has given me a much needed break from constantly cooking:) Assembling great salads is as time consuming as preparing a mise en place for Chinese stir fry; the preparation takes 5 times longer than the actual assembly. 

Two of my favorite salads are the grilled chopped salad for $17 from Lunetta and the grilled mushroom salad for $15 from Metro Cafe. Both use quality fresh vegetables and each dressing perfectly compliments the mix, from the vinaigrette for the chopped salad to the balsamic for the mushroom salad.

Clark Street Bakery was already sold out of all their marvelous sourdough by the time I got there, so I opted for the roasted turkey pesto with aged provolone, arugula, and avocado for $15

and their Italian tuna with mozzarella, heirloom tomato, arugula, and pickled jalapenos for $13.

Taking a needed break to from cooking was well worth the change of pace. It also gave me a taste for an eventual return to dining out as Covid 19 cases drop with vaccinations rising in California. I'm salivating at the thought of seeing my servers again in all my favorite dining spots.

 

Colossus Bread 2021

My first post about this small bakery in San Pedro was written right before the world changed, and I'm happy to report that some good things are still around to keep us going until we are able to share bread with others as we did before March of 2020.

It was a pleasure to find that good sourdough has survived the pandemic, and they have pivoted to make it easier to place and prepay before you arrive at their window, so you can just pick up your goodies when you arrive. They also have a few items on display if you are lucky enough to get there early. They practice social distancing, have hand sanitizer, use tongs to gather the pastries, and wear face masks.

I got a chocolate chip cookie for the first time here and it was so good I think next time I will pick up a few as a reward for the trek down to San Pedro :)

Ela Greek Curbside

Ela Greek Eats is one of the places I have not patronized since the pandemic hit, so I made it a point to get some curbside food and check in on how they were doing. I was relieved to find they are busy with several people waiting, picking up, or ordering at 1pm during a weekday. Everyone behind the counter wore masks, but depending on the clientele, some were not spaced and some were.

I got the falafel bowl with tzatziki and quinoa and salad, that ended up being my favorite of all the items I ordered! The salad was fresh and the falafel were light and crisp.

The spanakopita was very good, with flakey filo and a spinach and feta filling.

The chicken exohiko was drier than the last time I ate it here, with less mushrooms, carrots, and celery, and more chicken, slivered nuts and pesto. The chicken itself was moist, but I preferred the creamier version they served pre pandemic.

The moussaka was redolent with nutmeg and spices, a comfort food if ever there was one, topped with bechamel and potatoes, filled with eggplant and zucchini. This was easily enough for 2 servings.

Bludso's Curbside

It's nice to have choices when it comes to cravings, especially when the choices are good ones. I live near Maple Block, but sometimes I crave Moo's Craft, and  it's been awhile since I've had Bludso's, so I tried their curbside pick up since they don't deliver to my area.

Great Covid 19 protocol; simply park in one of the designated spots in front, call with your name, and they will bring your order out with masks and delivery to the trunk of my car. Since I was not going to make the drive for only one meal, I got a full rack of pork ribs for $33, a pint of collard greens for $10, and 2 pieces of cornbread for $5.

Everything was as delicious as the delivery and in house meals I've eaten previously, with the added bonus of having great food in the fridge for several meals! Definitely worth the drive, and definitely get more food than you can eat so that you can enjoy the flavors again the next day :)

Vegetarian Simpang Curbside

Simpang Asia serves Indonesian food at 2 locations with the warm hospitality of Southeast Asia. I've written about them before, in this post from 2019 when I first dined in at their Palms location, and this post in 2020 when I ordered delivery.

This time I ordered curbside pick up and got a vegetarian feast of tahu tempeh goreng for $7.95 with garlic tofu and tempeh.

My favorite salted fish fried rice for $12.50

vegetarian kwetiaw goreng for $10.95

and delicious garlic string beans $9.50

The hearty combination was enough for 2 meals, but I only ate one at a time :)

Moo's Craft BBQ Curbside

My enjoyment and appreciation of Moo's Craft BBQ Curbside reminded me that when you love what you do, you should share it with others. I am very grateful they share their expertise and passion with people outside their family. BBQ is one of those skills I do not possess. I can grill, but I do not have the passion, nor patience, for the perfection I have tasted. 

I was a regular at Smorgasburg pre Covid 19, so when they began offering orders for curbside pick up in DTLA, I was relieved to learn that not only had they pivoted to survive the pandemic, but that I could (selfishly) get some of my favorite BBQ. The process is easy as long as you can plan your pick up at least a week before you want to eat. It's a very efficient system where you prepay, set a pick up time and literally drive in front of the pick up site. Just tell the person at the front your name and the company you are getting your food from, and they will bring it to your trunk.

I saw on their social media that they had beef ribs, so I preordered one, with some brisket, ribs, and coleslaw. As usual, their pickled red onions and pickles came with the order and I made a feast out of the platter for several meals! Don't hesitate to order "too much" food because you will find that "just one more bite" can turn into two or three and leftovers can be wishful thinking when you are really hungry :)