No. 219: A Few Favorite Foie Gras Dishes Around Town...

While a good amount of my food-loving friends are up in arms about the impending foie gras ban come July 1st (which may not even be enforced rigorously,) I can't bring myself to muster much of a reaction. Sure, I don't care for a government entity telling me what I can and can't eat--but foie gras is such an occasional indulgence for me that I probably won't miss it if it really disappears from the menus here. Besides, I can always hop to a neighboring state if my craving is that strong!

Nonetheless, given how it's been foie gras this and foie gras that for the past month (not to mention endless foie gras tasting menus popping up all over L.A.,) I figure now's a good a time as any to reflect on some of my recent favorite foie dishes. And if they are truly gone for good, at least I'll have a tasty memory to cling on to.

Foie Gras Rice Bowl @ The Playground 

One of the most interesting preparations of foie I've had in recent memory, it's served in a hybrid fried-rice/bibimbap style--with a umami-loaded, soy-based sauce and a composed arrangement of assorted veggies and notably, pineapples. I was skeptical about the fruity addition but in fact, it did the heavy lifting for this dish--adding some bright acidity and much-needed sweetness to this bowl, which tasted a bit too rich & salty otherwise. And the composed structure of this dish made it fun for me to try different combos of ingredients.

Oh, I should also mention that they have an AWESOME beer selection, both bottles & drafts!

Seared Foie Gras w Gingerbread, Rhubarb & Cherries @ WEST Restaurant*

Asides from an amazing penthouse-level view, they did a splendid job on a fairly classic preparation of the dish, a perfectly-seared lobe with delightful complements. The tart rhubarb and cherries offset the deeply, savory fattiness of the liver, and the flecks of gingerbread added fun little highlights of sweet-spice aromas here and there. Lastly, the microgreens added not only color appeal, but also provided a light & bright flavor respite between bites of all those rich textures and flavors.

And while this particular dish isn't on WEST's "Au Revoir Foie Gras" tasting menu; the menu does take the ingredients to some unusual territories - such as foie gras ice cream with roasted peach & rhubarb crisp and a foie gras parfait PB & J.

Foie Gras Biscuit @ Animal

Whereas my first two highlights are playing on differing, even contrasting, flavor and textures -- my final favorite is unapologetically rich all the way, with the lobe atop a biscuit drenched in maple-sausage gravy. Rather trying to entice the diner to take some time to play around with different components, this dish simply screams "dig in!" And it is a glorious combination of sins - a fluffy mound of carbs swimming in a creamy gravy (which, for me, hits that perfect flavor trifecta of salty, sweet and spicy!) And of course, the crowning glory of that wonderfully charred foie. (And with any luck, I hope to give this dish one last go tonight!)


Ok, so if the ban is for real, I will maybe miss foie a little bit! Let's just hope next time I go to Vegas the servers won't give me weird looks for demanding a foie rice bowl or over biscuits & gravy.

No. 147: Thankfulness for Cupcake Tour around L.A.

Photo courtesy of TaraMetBlog

As I have confessed before, cupcakes aren't on my top list of sweets -- with my fair share of "misses" from an off-ratio of frosting to cake, and more than one instance where the cupcake isn't finger-friendly, defeating their purpose as a portable dessert. Even after judging 40 or so of them at the Cupcake Challenge earlier this year, I was left with an ambivalent aftertaste.

But thanks to bloggerprom committee comrade Tara (of TaraMetBlog and LA Cupcakes Meetup) and GM Chevrolet, I was invited check out four of L.A.'s finest cupcakeries as part of their "Best of Tours" campaign to promote their vehicles.

Needless to say, with the unfortunate rain, we bloggers were lucky that we got to be driven around -- if it was up to our less-than-professional driving skills against the torrential rain and the other extra-rabid L.A. drivers, we'd probably just park our butts at Crumbs (our first cupcakery stop) and scrounge for food around that area, like 9021Pho! Come to think of it, that sounds pretty good for rainy weather, but I digress...

Shortly after entering Crumbs, we were greeted with smiles and, more importantly to a bunch of lunch- and maybe breakfast-skipping foodbloggers, bags of cupcakes in a myriad of flavors, generously offering coffee and "any cupcake flavor not in the bag" to boot, to which Caroline eagerly replied "ELVIS!" (because she wanted the PB & banana cupcake, not because she saw an impersonator or apparition.)

I opted for a cookies 'n creme-style cupcake with chocolate cake and topped with half an Oreo, which def. taste like one of my fave ice cream flavors. Sweet but not sickening so, and the frosting:cake ratio was pretty spot-on, though I wish the cake itself was less crumbly after I peeled off the wrapper. But what I can say, the bakeshop IS called Crumbs!

After a good 15-20 minutes enjoying our cupcakes and hot coffee, we made the two walk block down to the infamous Sprinkles, where Tara and her colleague picked up the cupcakes while we stayed outside since their shop interior is so teensy-tiny. Feeling a bit chocolated out from the previous half a cupcake, I opted to balance things out and got the vanilla one here -- even though the Red Velvet, with not-so-signature dot, seems to be first to go.

Next stop, SusieCakes, which I remembered from the Cupcake Challenge as being too sweet for my liking, but willing to give another try since Tara said it's her fave. I got the Strawberry cupcake to-go after Tara mentioned that Martha Stewart endorsed it, saying it was "DA BOMB" (Ok, maybe not in those exact words.) Being sugared out, I didn't eat this on the spot, but when I did get around to it later, I do have to concede to the frosting's deliciousness. And I agree with Natassia from Let Me Eat Cake in that it tastes a like a yummy strawberry starburst, minus the annoying teeth-stickiness of that chew.

I'm also glad to find out I'm not the only who's overloaded with sugar. Lindsay of the LAist relented to a La Salsa burrito to get some much needed salt and proteins--smart girl!

Last, and I will say least, was Vanilla Bake Shop - which I had prev. positive moments of, most recently from their being featured at the Casa Del Mar dessert buffet brunch. But that quickly turned sour when we entered and started bringing out our cameras ready to take shots, when an enraged-looking manager stormed out from the back and screamed "NO PICTURES!" Now, I'm aware, and have respected, no photo policies at other places (see: Bourbon & Branch in SF) particularly when *politely requested* instead of angrily-demanded to do so.But, whatevs -- maybe she had a stressful day or a bad run-in with a photographer in the past. However, just as I was about to mentally forgive and forget, she comes back out again to say "NO SAMPLES EITHER!" . . . which we didn't even ask for, so needless to say it made for a WTF moment. So I placed my order and was read to just get out of the store when I heard a toilet flush and noticed the restroom door! The mischievious gremlin in me took over . . .

. . . and I took a photo of their cupcake with the toilet in the background, partly to show them what I think of their policy and how they're enforcing it, but mostly for hilarity's sakes. Extra funny points that I just happened to have ordered, by pure coincidence, a dark brown bittersweet chocolate cupcake!


But despite that bummer of a final stop, overall it was a great experience to taste and compare so many cupcakes. Right now I'll say Crumbs and Susiecakes tie for my faves, but hard to compare since it was a chocolatey vs. fruity cupcake (which of course means I gotta make some return trips to do a little more R&D.) And of course, thankful to be participant of such a cool idea, all the while wishing with other bloggers that they'll take this "Best of Tours" idea for a multi-stop drinking excursion, when having a driver would really be a boon.

And following Lindsay's lead, Caroline, Shelley and I swung by The Golden State some much needed real food in the form of sandwiches and burgers, and they served one of the better BLTAs I've had in a while (w arugula, aioli, avocado and lots of glazed applewood bacon) w a refreshing cabbage slaw lightly dressed with a vinaigrette . . . and some beers too.


Other reports on the Cupcake Best of Tour:
Caroline on Crack whose "Elvis!" screams I'll take with a grain of saltLet Me Eat Cake fell into a cupcake comaBurrito-eating Lindsay pits these four with two more local cupcakeries for the bestPretty sandy feet tried on her wedding dress AFTER the cupcake tour... bravo!Happy Go Marni loves the cakes and the ride (Transformers edition Camaro,) only thing missing for her: Shia LaBeoufAnd of course, organizer Tara's got it down in her blog too!And more photos from the trip on my flickr here.Crumbs Bake Shop9465 S Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA(310) 550-9811Sprinkles Cupcakes9635 Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA(310) 274-8765SusieCakes Bakery11708 San Vicente Blvd.Los Angeles, CA(310) 442-2253Vanilla Bake Shop512 Wilshire Blvd.Santa Monica, CA (310) 458-6644The Golden State426 N Fairfax Ave.Los Angeles, CA(323) 782-8331

Mini Foodventure #111: The Golden State Cafe (Fairfax District)

Since my friend and I was in the area for another event, we decided to swing by The Golden State on their opening day to check out the very well buzzed eatery. (Disclaimer: co-owner Jason Bernstein - seen below working the tables - was one of my co-workers before he took on this project and mad props to that just for that alone!)

Arriving around 9:30 - 10 p.m., this place was still really packed and we had to stalk for empty tables after placing our orders. The menu is pretty limited but looks carefully chosen: assorted dogs and sausages from Let's Be Frank, a pretty eccentric and somewhat rare selection of wines and beers, about a half-dozen sandwiches and a few sides to boot - but not your everyday stuff, with items like jidori chicken breast sandwich with plum tomatoes, wild arugula, aioli, balsamic and parmesan (and as the name suggests, this place is dedicated to utilizing and showcasing local ingredients to highlight the state's offerings.)

I got the burger that was gussied up with arugula, bacon and white cheddar and served in a brioche bun. It was cooked a level or two lighter than I requested (a medium-rare/medium instead of medium-well) but was delicious nonetheless, juicy and meaty with a light bitter-peppery bite from the arugula (great swap-out from the more-common iceberg or leaf lettuce!) The fries, served with a hazelnut romesco sauce, were delicious too with its distinct potato-y flavor and wonderful crisp.

My friend liked his hot dog too (with grilled pepper and onions plus aioli), the fried sweet potato wedges were a bit more iffy--came out really limp and mushy, even if though they were well-seasoned and tasted great the garlic aioli dip. Probably because of the lower starch content in sweet potatoes, which means they won't hold up as well when deep-fried naked (the reason why many sweet potato fries elsewhere are breaded.)

We also checked out two beers, the rare Allagash Curieux from Maine and the Brother David's Triple Abbey Ale -- both very distinctive but the latter seemed to work better with the food we ordered since it had a smoother, crisper edge.

Of course, we had to get some of Tai's custom crafted ice creams; I opted for the pear-sauvignon blanc that was not very winey but still refreshing. My friend loved his Kahlua-caramel, liking it even better than his up-till-then favorite Scoops flavor (horchata).

And it's little surprise that someone else was stalking our table as we were finishing our scoops, so we ate and made our way out pretty fast; overall, it's a hip, welcome new place to the Fairfax area and it strikes a nice middle ground between the pricier Animal and the greasy-spoon-deli vibe from Canter's. Here's hoping they do well and that I can still find parking next time in the not-too-distant future.

What Do Others Say?
Eating LA considers it a fresh Fairfax addition
Alli411 is simply lovin' the nice owners, the great prices and the exotic gelato.
And nice preliminary reviews from the 'hounds too

The Golden State
426 N Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 782-8331
http://thegoldenstatecafe.com/