No. 216: Foodventuring in Torrance

This past Sunday I was invited to check out the new brunch menu @ Lazy Dog Café. Since it's all the way out in Torrance, I decided to make a daytrip out of it and check out a few to-try spots (and revisit some longtime favorites) in one fell swoop.

To start the day right, I brunched with Gourmet Pigs, Diana Takes a Bite & Gilmour Eats at Lazy Dog, a Southern California mini-chain with a contemporary American menu that has a few ethnic touches here and there (there was a whole section for wok'd entrees, and the brunch menu featured a Hawaiian Fried Rice & Chimichangas.)

Even though we were supposed to try the new items, the thing that caught my eye the most was the Sunny Side Up Pizza, so that's what I ordered. And I'm thankful for it -- I liked the best out of the four brunch items I tried (ok, five if you count the sweet potato tater tots with roasted chili aioli -- also delicious!) The crust was crispy yet substantial, topped with just the right amount of garlicky oil, stretchy-gooey cheeses, sundried tomato, bacon and still-runny eggs (and I daresay a vegetarian can get just as much pleasure omitting the bacon portion of this pie.) And one pizza proves worthy enough for two meals, I wound up doggy-bagging half of it!

Also impressive is the Lazy Dog line of beers, most of which are brewed by Firestone Walker Company. Fiona and I shared their sampler of six, and I personally loved their red beer the best (so much that I got another taster glass of it!) If beer isn't your thing, other worthwhile brunchy drinks include their sangria trio, bacon bloody mary & of course, mimosas!

Even though we had brunchy desserts in the form of blueberry pancakes with maple-bacon butter, Fiona and I couldn't resist the opportunity to visit Patisserie Chantilly -- one of our favorite bakeries specializing in Japanese-French pastries (generally more delicate in texture, less sweet, and often with East Asian flavor influences -- think green tea mousse cakes and black sesame cream puffs.) Of course, don't do what I did and take a photo of the beautiful pastry case, turns out it wasn't allowed and I got scolded for it--you can check out their pretty creations @ their web gallery.

We opted to share a trio of sweets, the Goma Blanc Manger (a fancy sounding sesame dessert that I cheapened by saying it had the texture of panna cotta or sweet silken tofu, but tasty nonetheless), the Chantilly Fromager (a less-dense, less-sweet cheesecake) and the Othello (basically a dark & white chocolate mousse cake with a layer of sesame paste... and our favorite of the 3.)

Have filled up on brunch & dessert carbs, I decided put those calories to good use with a picturesque hike in the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve--having heard that they have some beautiful trails and that it leads you straight to the coastline...

...and it did indeed made for a gorgeous stroll, even if I got myself a little lost on all those forked trails -- turning an intended two hour excursion into a three-and-a-half hour affair.

Parched and possibly overheated, I opted to cool down at 1321 Downtown Taproom Bistro in - big surprise - Downtown Torrance. And lucky for me that I made it in time for their happy hour (4-7p daily), with most beers on tap for $2 off the usual price and about a dozen starter dishes that are discounted too.

Since I'm in the South Bay, I paid a little geographical homage with Strand's Beach House Ale, a slightly hoppy amber that's plenty refreshing. To help wash that down, I tried their Downtown Meatballs, a fluffy and flavorful veal-pork blend that's served with some zesty Creole mustard, peppery arugula and Asiago shavings. A nice substantial, but not too heavy, bite to go with the beer. And for good hydration & caffeine measure, I followed up with a goblet of Bootlegger's Black Phoenix. 

For my final stop of the night, I opted for another longtime Torrance treasure: Ichimi Ann Bamboo Garden in the Rolling Hills Plaza, well-known for their premium soba and udon noodles and above-average tempura.

So it's little surprise that I got the zaru soba & tempuradon combo. And it was as sublimely delicious as I remembered.

From the toothsome, slightly nutty flavored noodles, mildly accented with green onions, fresh wasabi and a soy/dashi-based dipping sauce.

To the impeccably light and crispy tempura dressed with a drizzle of delicate teriyaki sauce.

Finishing up by turning the remaining leftover rice into a porridge with the water that the soba's been cooked in.

And that wrapped up for a day & early evening well spent (and well fed) -- though it left me wondering why I don't come to Torrance more frequently. As it stands, I already can't wait to return to this area and check out more spots, as well as giving another go-around for all of the above.

Lazy Dog Café

3525 West Carson St.
Torrance, CA

310.921.6080

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Patisserie Chantilly

2383 Lomita Blvd.

Lomita, CA

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1321 Downtown Taproom Bistro (site oddly defunct at the moment)

1321 Sartori Ave.

Torrance, CA

310.618.1321

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Ichimi Ann Bamboo Garden

2537 Pacific Coast Hwy #A

Torrance, CA

310.784.0551

Dr Chocolate w Vosges, Trader Joe's and TAPS

Spring may be here, but that doesn't mean I'm not making my regular Dr. Chocolate appointments. Here's a recent few that I've eaten (and one case, drank!)

Vosges' Banana Victoria Bar

Cost of Session: $6.99 for a 3 ounce bar

Physician Marketing: "Grenadian nutmeg is freshly grated into dark chocolate before roasted walnuts and dried organic bananas from the big island of Hawaii are combined to create the Banana Victoria Bar. The flavors are reminiscent of pain d'epices, a French spice bread often served at the holidays. But, you will likely become so enchanted at first bite, you will be indulging in this bar year round."

Patient's Notes: An evolved version of their (now discontinued) Organic Habana bar, I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor & aroma of this one - a nuanced mix of banana bread and gingerbread - against a backdrop of smooth, rich dark chocolate and the occasional pieces of nuts and bananas. The predecessor's flavor profile (chocolate with plantains) was enjoyable, but the nutmeg & walnuts definitely kicked it up a notch.

My only gripe is that the banana pieces has a tendency to become taffy-like and stick to your teeth if you just let the chocolate melt on your tongue. And picking through my teeth for stray sticky bits isn't exactly something I want to do during my session.

Likelihood of Rebooking An Appointment: 8/10, the flavor is lovely but it's a bit of a hassle to deal with the banana pieces; there are other Vosges' bars that I enjoy more without the mess factor.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries

Photo credit to Elliot Plack

Cost of Session: $3.49 for 8 oz. bag

Physician Marketing: "Our dark chocolate covered powerberries start with centers of real fruit juice. Pieces made from the juices of acai, pomegranate, cranberry and blueberry, all known for their nautural powerhouse antioxidants and other nutrients. They are then enveloped in smooth dark chocolate, creating a flavorful confection that is sweet, tart and rich taste sensation all at once."

Patient Notes: Great for everyday appointments, they are not-too-sweet with juicy centers (reminded me of Gushers, but way less cloyingly syrupy.) And with all those berries wrapped up in the mix, I can almost feel less guilty indulging in these bite-sized morsels. Until being brought back to reality with their nutrition facts labels (180 calories for a handful.)

Oh yeah, it's also best to just chew into these choco-berry bits - it was a tad bit waxy when I tried to let it melt in my mouth.

Likelihood of Rebooking an Appointment: 9/10, yes - it has an overhyped 'health halo' but they're not that pricey and tasty overall.

TAPS Mocha Stout

Cost of Session: Went during their happy hour, so $4 for a 10-12oz. glass (looks like a tulip-flute hybrid)

Physician Marketing: "An Oatmeal Stout brewed with lactose (milk sugar), oats, three different types of chocolate added at three different stages of the brewing process, and a custom blend of Brazilian and Nicaraguan coffees from Costa Mesa's Portola Coffee Lab. Medium-bodied, roasty and chocolatey, finishing very smooth. (6.8% ABV)"

Patient Notes: Every now and again, I can go for a drinkable session -- and the Mocha Stout definitely fits that bill of getting me buzzed in more ways than one. This brew was a wonderful balance of contradictions, infused with deep chocolate and coffee flavors without being bitter at all, and a texture that tastes smooth and rich without being particularly hefty or heavy. And from taste alone I wouldn't have guessed it was almost 7% ABV, making this a dangerous appointment indeed.

Likelihood of Rebooking an Appointment: 10/10, pretty much a must-order anytime I see it offered on a beer menu or when I'm near either TAPS location. Especially since it's a limited-edition brew that's going to be around for only a few more weeks (and one I really hope they'll bring back again!)

No. 215: Foodventurous Travels - San Diego Daytrip

My friends and I went on one of those 'just because' daytrips to San Diego earlier this month, and while we didn't check out anything new foodwise, it was pleasant to re-visit some of my favorite spots. Moreso given the unexpectedly sunny-yet-breezy weather down there.

We started off with a brunch at Urban Solace, a North Park restaurant serving up contemporary American fare with a few eclectic twists. For the table, we shared the buttermilk cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting and pecan butter sauce. While decadent, I'm surprised that this roll doesn't taste particularly heavy. The butter pecan sauce wasn't too sweet, and the frosting was whipped to an almost cloud-like frothiness.

And even though I didn't feel particularly guilty from sharing that cinnamon roll, I opted for a light brunch entree, an arugula/endive/radicchio salad with avocado, grapefruit, hazelnuts, goat cheese and roasted garlic vinaigrette with some grilled shrimp. And overall, a very enjoyable salad that maintained an incredible of balance of flavors and a fun mix of textures from all those components, and the garlic vinaigrette wasn't overpowering at all; in fact, there were only wisps and tinges of its pungency.

Perhaps more impressive are their cocktails. I had the pleasure of trying The Big Apple with Leopold Brothers' NY Apple Whiskey, Campari, Apple Cider, Lemon and Bitters. It might look almost too sweet and fruity on the menu, but it's definitely not - the Campari's herbal bitterness definitely tempered the other ingredients, and the cider is more about the bubbles than sugar, making this a delightful daytime sipper.

Following brunch, we took advantage of the lovely day to trek in and around Balboa Park, starting off at the Museum of Photographic Arts -- a cozy, intimate space with a few carefully-curated collections, though I was amused at the irony of them forbidding any photo-taking inside.

This was followed by a leisurely stroll through the El Prado, a brief pause at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion for a free concert and finally, The House of Pacific Relations' International Cottages where there was a pre-St. Paddy's Day music & dance festival from the House of Ireland (along with a slew of other exhibits, performances and food/drink samples from the other houses.)

After the trot about the park, we decided it was high time to check out a brewery, and opted for the Lost Abbey, where we tasted a few of their eclectic, Belgian-inspired brews (along with some California-esque beers from its more mainstream sibling, Port Brewing.) 

Before leaving, I wanted to snap up a bottle for their Carnevale (my current fave of their line,) but that ran out so I opted for the peppery, spicy Red Barn Ale instead.

With the sun slowly sinking below the horizon, we dove back down to San Diego proper to dine at Craft & Commerce, a fairly new restaurant & bar that does beers & cocktails (and of course, beer cocktails) pretty well. Having had our fill of brewskis already from Lost Abbey, we opted mostly for the latter, though I simply couldn't resist Curieux's siren call and got the Up in Smoke (nearest one in photo above,) where the Jim Beam-aged beer is mixed with Islay Scotch, fuji apples and lime, and the peaty smokiness was a much welcome addition to the fruity & oaky notes. Equally delicious was conbon's Lay Lady Lay (farthest one in above photo) with Raspberry Lambic, Champagne and Ginger -- surprisingly not too sweet and the ginger's spiciness definitely amplified the fizzy fun.

Still not quite out of my salad craze, I got the citrus & avocado salad with fried goat cheese, marcona almonds, jicama and citrus vinaigrette. The dressing was sweeter than the one @ Urban Solace, but again, this was a fun fiesta of different flavors & textures. I particularly love how the small spheres of goat cheese croquettes lent a slight decadence to this dish.

While we wanted to try their roasted marrow; that went out so we opted for the broiled oysters that wound up being sensational; the meat was succulent, velvety and briny and I loved the crisped up seaweed topping on it.

All in all, it was time & money well spent . . . and I can't wait to dive down again another day trip of eats, drinks and adventures.

More photos from flickr set here.

Urban Solace

3823 30th Street 

San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 295-6464

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Lost Abbey 

155 Mata Way #104  

San Marcos, CA 92069(800) 918-6816

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Craft & Commerce

675 W. Beech St. 

San Diego, CA 92101

(619) 269-2202

St. Patrick's Brunching . . .

Last week I posted a sneak peek of the cocktail I'm serving for a St. Patrick's brunch with friends, so I figure I might as well blog about the brunch I whipped up for the occasion too.

Along with the Irish-Italian-American, I also had bottles of Killian's Irish Red Ale & Guinness Extra Stout on the ready. And to give the on-time guests something to nibble on while waiting for latecomers, I bought a loaf of Irish soda bread (which apparently has its own preservation society) and some Kerrygold tub butter. Normally I don't keep salted butter around the house, but the salted, creamy Irish butter worked well with the dense, sweet & raisiny bread (and it didn't hurt that Fresh & Easy was having a buy one, get one free promotion either.)

Along with the bread, I also put out some "crunchy greens" of pistachios and wasabi peas.

After everyone arrived, I started tossing my Emerald Isle Salad. Like the "crunchy greens", its homage to Ireland is in name only, being a hodgepodge of different greenish ingredients (spinach, butter lettuce, scallions and pistachio with a wasabi-lime dressing [recipe below]) I originally wanted to throw in some avocados too, but found out the ones I had on hand weren't quite ripe enough yet. Nonetheless, it was tasty and sophisticated at the same time with a myriad of different flavors and textures building upon each other, binded with a dressing that's delightfully tart, a little sweet with just a tinge of sinus-opening pungency from the wasabi and mustard.

For the main course, an Irish Beef Stew (originally intended to be a lamb stew, before I discovered that my local markets sold out of the stewing cuts of lamb...) and, a slightly truer homage to Ireland, Roasted Garlic-Rosemary Potatoes. The stew recipe is pretty basic and super easy... I simply browned two pounds of beef with a little salt and pepper, then tossed that in with bite-sized pieces of celery, scallions and carrots. Then I added a cup of broth and some herbs (rosemary, thyme and oregano) and let it simmer overnight in a slow cooker on the low setting. Lastly, a sprinkle of curly parsley & scallions for a little color and fresh flavor right before serving.

For the taters, I pretty much followed this CHOW recipe with just a few minor tweaks and had fantastic results (crispy, well-seasoned exterior and fluffy starchiness within.) And since both came out piping hot, it was a much appreciated entreé for my friends who drove through the cold & rain for the occasion.

Originally I intended to make some Irish Whiskey truffles for dessert but the ganache didn't quite set in time so I went for a quick sweet fix, Guinness Stout Floats. And one seemed to mind, if the empty goblets afterwards were any indication.

So there you have it, a St. Patrick's Day brunch that provided lots of comfort, yet thrown with little effort -- in tune with my party hosting style. I'm glad to squeeze one final use out of that slow cooker before the warmer days of Spring return, and I definitely plan on remaking that dressing for future salad 

Lime-Wasabi Dressing (simply combine and whisk away!)

4 oz. extra virgin olive oil

1 oz. rice vinegar

juice & zest of 1 lime (preferably organic, since the skin is used)

1 teaspoon green wasabi powder (alternatively, 2 teaspoons wasabi paste)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon brown sugar

a few dashes of freshly-cracked pepper

Recipe 31: Irish-Italian-American

I know, I know... tomorrow green beers and Irish car bombs will be all the rage for St. Patrick's, but instead of a drink that's (artificially) green to the point of frightening or one that's as crazy un-PC as hell, why not celebrate it with a little class? You can go easy-but-chic (and brunch friendly) with a Guinness Black Velvet, or in my case, the Irish-Italian-American . . . a Manhattan twist utilizing ingredients from the three distinct-yet-intertwined cultures and traditions.

Of course, since it *is* St. Paddy's -- feel free to have a little fun and name this drink after your favorite Irish-Italian-American (here's the few I recalled & tweeted from the top of my head)

Ingredients:

2 oz Irish Whiskey (Jameson or Bushmills would be fine, but I opted for John L. Sullivan since I found out that it's aged in Bourbon barrels, whimsically taking the Irish-American theme another level... and the bottle looked pretty awesome too!)

1 oz Italian Vermouth (Punt E Mes for me, since it's a nice balance of sweet & bitter with a real nice herbacious depth)

2 dashes Gary Regan's Orange Bitters (though Peychaud's would fit the American theme too)

1 ripe strawberry (A Luxardo or brandied cherry would work fine too if you want to keep it classic, but I loved how the sweet scent of the strawberry eases out the spicy edge of this drink... and gives you something light & refreshing to nibble on afterwards)

Directions:

1. Chill the cocktail glass, preferably with ice water.

2. Combine the whiskey and vermouth in a mixing glass, add a few ice cubes (the larger the better to minimize dilution) and stir gently for about 10 seconds

3. Strain into cocktail glass and add 2 dashes of bitters

4. Garnish with strawberry and enjoy!