Archive for the ‘Restaurants’ Category
I’m not Italian, but that’s my go-to comfort food and pasta tops the list. At Terroni in downtown Los Angeles, the pasta is made fresh daily on site. There’s little else that can offer such solace when it comes to food.
Terroni is located in a cavernous space that once housed a bank. The ceiling seems to reach several stories. Sculptures hang overhead, a boar’s head and art adorn the wall, the open kitchen surges with activity and the dining room is very contemporary given the historic roots of the building.
Bread is brought to the table in a brown paper bag. It’s old world and clever at the same time. Plus, the bread is soft with a chewy crust. We start with Arancini di Modica. The spin on these rice balls, besides the artful way they’re plated, is the cheese and hearty ragu. There are three of us and four arancini. We’re polite about it, but wish we didn’t have to share the fourth.
I order Maccheroncini Geppetto, which was difficult to say, but easy to eat. The rigatoni-like pasta was suffused with a tomato-based sauce featuring homemade sausage, garlic and fontina. The sausage had a nice spice kick easily absorbed by the pasta. I tasted the Spaghetti al Limone, which was like a lemon grove. Olive oil and parmigiano were part of the mix, but lemon was the overwhelming essence.
The restaurant is beautiful and likely to be noisy when busy; fortunately, it wasn’t on our visit. I enjoy good conversation with my comfort food.
Terroni Downtown
Four Plates
802 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles
There’s nothing unusual about a restaurant banning credit cards, but the opposite is true at Brand 158: no cash. Even more unfamiliar is the concept of no tipping. That’s right, no tips, Zilch. Nada. While these atypical policies are hard to embrace; the real news is the quality and creativity of the food augmented by attentive servers.
Brand 158’s menu emphasizes ingenuity. Pastas, pizzas, salads, sandwiches (mostly, but not exclusively, wraps) and entrees including salmon, beef tenderloin and lamb are among the offerings at lunch and dinner.
More than a dozen variations of pizza are offered, and 158’s are imaginative departures from popular standards. Arugula is no longer necessarily a noteworthy topping, but it assumes some of its lost grandeur when blanketing caramelized pears, Italian Coppa salami, and pistachios on a white cheese sauce. The abundant toppings make it a difficult to eat this pizza with your hands, although the wheat crust could certainly have met the challenge of not folding under pressure. The pears, by the way, are pure genius.
Lobster Brioche featured what the menu described as “homemade mini brioche.” The light, yeast rolls were actually “branded” with B158, and with chunks of fresh lobster, lemon and dill provided the equivalent of lobster salad sliders. This came with a side of potato chips, which I usually ignore. These placed equal weight on their namesake – and were difficult to disregard.
Serving portions are large and it’s tempting to want to clean one’s plate. However, leftovers were a treat later.
Brand 158
Four Plates
158 S. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, Calif.
The distinction between a dining experience and consuming a meal is more than semantics. At Alma, Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant in America 2013, it’s an obvious dissimilarity.
Consider: the five- or seven-course menu are the only choices. Although asked about dietary restrictions, none were tested to see how they’d be resolved. For example, the New Zealand lamb is cooked to medium rare. If that was an issue, we were told, a substitution would be made. It was the chef’s way or not at all. Ultimately, the lamb, only a heartbeat away from a baahh, was melt-in-your mouth rich and tender enhanced by an almond milk sauce and new potatoes. Wait, I’m jumping ahead.
The repast comes with snacks: one-bite morsels worthy of larger plates. Mega-flavors are infused in pint-size portions. The first two snacks were previews of the creativity and range of textures/tastes awaiting our palates. My favorite was the quarter-size English muffin topped with burrata, uni and caviar. One bite wasn’t enough.
The meal featured smoked cod with Myer lemon and asparagus sauce; root vegetable soup poured over an egg yolk and Shitake mushrooms; octopus; the aforementioned lamb; and white chocolate semi-freddo with grapefruit and bitters. The final snack was a warm, glazed lemon curd-filled donut hole.
Alma is inconspicuous; our server was vibrant and knowledgeable. The open kitchen is the size of a walk-in closet. Six chefs with varying duties choreographed a meal that will never be replicated. There’s no real menu.
The experience was enjoyable and enlightening; I ate everything. Still, it’s unlikely I’ll return. In a few weeks Alma will only offer a nine-course menu, further reducing the choices.
Alma
Four-and-a-half Plates
952 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, Calif.
A bistro is most often associated with Europe. It’s typically a small, neighborhood eatery emphasizing good food in a casual atmosphere. Except for the first part of the definition, Union An American Bistro in Castle Rock fits the bill, but the effort is strained – and it’s difficult to explain why. The service is great, the menu vast, and the beautiful wood floors and brick walls create a contemporary, albeit noisy, ambiance. Yet, Union lacks a sense of natural ease with itself. Maybe it’s the menu.
There’s Thai, Mexican, Italian; there’s blackened, sticky, grilled, roasted; there’s flatbread, salads, sandwiches, entrees. And, there’s too much cleverness: salmon tots, poke tuna nachos, jalapeno bratwurst burger. In the end, the more traditional fare is what we found appealing: a Bacon Cheeseburger, the Cobb Blackened Chicken Salad, Chicken Salad Club Sandwich and Salmon with Risotto.
Again, the service was exemplary: attentive and no trace of judgment in our request for substitutions or alterations to our decisions. Further, we never felt rushed to order or to eat even though there was a wait for tables.
The flakey salmon was the perfect vehicle for the velvety dill sauce augmented by fresh ground pepper. The risotto was creamy and the bits of smoked applewood bacon provide texture – and, well, you can’t go wrong with bacon.
I usually drive past Castle Rock to or from Denver. Although I may not return to Union, it made me realize the town offers more than the fast food places visible from the interstate.
Union An American Bistro
Three plates
3 Wilcox St.
Castle Rock, CO
It may not be quite fair to draw attention to the Manitou Brewing Co.’s limited food menu: only six items. However, neither would it be quite right to dismiss the dishes altogether. In its defense, MBC is focusing on the brew part of its name; four beers are brewed on site and a dozen others are “guest beers.” In fact, more extensive food offerings should be available in early April.
MBC has been open since early March after months of preparation. The décor features corrugated tin ceilings, seat backs made from old barrels, and trim work from Waldo Canyon Fire-burned trees. Midday early in the week the place is ghost-like, but it’s unlikely to stay that way for long.
The five sandwiches and Hummus of the Day skillfully reflect the kitchen’s potential. The Bacon Brisket Sandwich is a festival of flavors. Anything with bacon is bound to be a winner, but add caramelized onions and it’s the jackpot. The addition of cheese is interesting and perhaps unnecessary. The brisket itself was not as tender as what’s found in true barbecue joints, but it was possible to overlook thanks to the vinegary zest of the house beer BBQ sauce.
Caramelized onions and mushrooms ruled the Mushroom, Onion and Swiss Panini. This was essentially a grilled cheese sandwich elevated far beyond its lunch standard status.
The menu states that the limited items may change or even disappear as new plates emerge. If anyone from MBC is reading: please keep what you have!
Manitou Brewing Co.
Four Plates
725 Manitou Ave.
Manitou Springs, CO
The menu at McGinty’s Wood Oven Pub identifies the restaurant as “A Touch of Ireland in Colorado!” This is no delicate light-handed touch, though. It’s as if every day was meant to celebrate St. Paddy. The odd thing is that it works.
Nearly every menu item is a spin on something Irish: from appetizers heavy on cheese, the color green and stout to the entrees, including the pizzas, also known as “Patty Cakes.” But first, back to the appetizers. We ordered the Brick Oven Brie served warm, but not gooey, so it spread easily over pieces of flatbread, slices of pears and apple. The star of the plate was the fig jam which complemented the smooth, creamy brie. We were amused, but not tempted, by the Hun Lee O’Connor: egg rolls filled with corned beef and cabbage.
Since it was lunch I didn’t want anything very heavy, the Fields of Anthenry Salad seemed a nice fit. The large plate of field greens was difficult to eat; and maybe having a second dish with brie was not the best choice, but the honey mustard vinaigrette provided a nice zip. The salad was an impressive combination of flavors and textures.
The menu also features an array of sandwiches, several soups, the aforementioned pizza, as well as pizza pot pies.
Although we weren’t there on St. Patrick’s Day, it was close enough so we ordered Guinness with Chambord. The combination, while sublime, transported us, but not necessarily to the Emerald Isle.
McGinty’s Wood Oven Pub
Three-and-a-half Plates
11115 W. Highway 24
Divide, CO
As I stood in line reading the menu boards, I couldn’t help asking myself why I’d never visited Smiley’s Bakery and Café before. While enjoying my breakfast, that question re-surfaced. In the past few weeks several friends have mentioned Smiley’s; up ’til then it wasn’t on my radar. I understand why some may have been keeping it a secret but am grateful I know about it now.
Although the menu features traditional breakfast fare such pancakes, eggs, French toast, and freshly-baked goods, it doesn’t stop there. Specials include Shrimp and Sausage Grits, Buttermilk Biscuits with Gravy, and Crawfish and Andoulle Sausage Etoufee. Even the standard items get special attention. Consider Spinach Walnut Pesto with Scrambled Eggs or the Cajun Crabcake Omelette, which evoked effusive – and loud – praise from the man at the next table.
Several items caught my eye, but I couldn’t resist the Sweet Potato Pancakes. I ordered a single because most plate-size cakes are more than I can eat in one sitting. Smiley’s pancake was certainly filling, and I would have been sorely tempted to eat more thanks to the flavor depth of the sweet potato with its whisper of nutmeg. A side of bacon created the right balance of sweet with savory. The homefries on my husband’s plate were inconsistently cooked: some crunchy with no soft middle and some perfectly executed. His was otherwise satisfied with his meal of eggs and sausage.
While I have no excuse for the past, I plan on returning to Smiley’s to make up for missed meals.
Smiley’s Bakery and Café
Four+ Plates
323 N. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, CO
The Chipotle formula for selling freshly-made burritos is increasingly commonplace. What may be unusual, however, is finding a fast Mexican eatery with authentically good food. Azada Mexican Grill makes the grade with its “Build Your Burrito” menu.
Six meats, including grilled chicken, shredded pork and carne asada are offered. I couldn’t decide between shredded beef with green chile sauce or the Rojo, pork in red chile. I was offered samples of both, although that only made the decision more difficult since both were abundant in flavor. Sensing my inability to choose, I was asked if I wanted to sample anything else. I did, but I suspected it would only hamper my decision-making abilities.
Ultimately, I opted for the Rojo. Azada makes its own flour tortillas, which are also sold by the dozen. These are just the right density to contain the contents of a burrito, but not pita-thick. A choice of Mexican Rice and Cilantro Lime Rice, refried or whole Beans are part of the package, as are several salsas. The tender pork in piquant red sauce rendered a salsa superfluous. I did ask for a dollop of sour cream to temper the subtle kick of the sauce.
Breakfast burritos and a handful of entrees are also available.
Not only is the food fresh and delectable, but the staff is friendly and solicitous. Orders are placed at the counter and burritos are made as you wait. Still, the staff checks to ensure everything is fine, all of which sets Azada apart from the pack.
Azada Mexican Grill
Four Plates
16 E. Bijou
Colorado Springs, CO
Brunch is one of those meals I really enjoy but don’t often have. I like the possibilities it implies: sleeping in, a combination of breakfast and lunch foods, the likelihood of not eating much later in the day, and it’s usually shared with friends (or family, which recently was, in fact, one in the same)
The Pincho Factory is recognized in the South Florida area for its fresh all-beef burgers. I didn’t try one, but Pincho deserves accolades for its brunch offerings. These include inventive twists on traditional morning fare: Nutella Waffle, Banana Bread French Toast (above), Red Velvet Pancakes, Steak and Eggs, and a Bacon Wrapped Omelet. A handful of sandwiches are available, as was a special: Vaca Frita Toston, which was a spin on the Cuban Ropa Vieja.
Here’s the description on the chalkboard at the place-your-order counter. Cuddled is not the word I would have used, but I was hooked at slow braised. The shredded beef, which practically melted in my mouth, was dressed with a subtle but tangy cranberry sauce and nestled between hamburger bun size fried plantains (below). It was an unusual but successful combination of flavor and texture.
The four-egg omelet boasted 12 slices of bacon sounds like an invitation to a cardiac arrest. A bacon basket effect was created by weaving the pieces together for the omelet, which was covered with lettuce and tomato. At least it looked somewhat healthy.
Ah, brunch!
Pincho Factory
Slightly More Than Four Plates
Four Plates
30 Giralda Ave.
Coral Gables, FL
All I knew about Peruvian food had to do with potatoes; it has around 4,000 different varieties. After dining at CVI.CHE 105 in Miami, I know a little more. 
Let’s start with the restaurant’s namesake: ceviche, raw fish in citrus marinade. The acid from the citrus, “cooks” the fish. It didn’t seem right not trying an order, but it was difficult to know which among the dozen or so options to choose. Our server recommended the evening’s special: a mix of shrimp, squid and snapper in three different sauces. The first was a pesto cream sauce, the second a yellow pepper sauce and the third a red pepper sauce with a slight kick. Each layer of flavor was like a perfect dance partner to the firm succulent pieces of fish.
The large menu was filled with mostly unfamiliar dishes. I opted for Beef Stew Frijoles con Seco. This deconstructed stew featured three stacks of fork-tender beef between thick slices of potato and carrot all smothered in a rich brown sauce of onions and peppers. The frijoles (beans) were earthy and creamy.
I came close to ordering Lomo Salteado (steak with yellow peppers and onions), but at least got to taste it. Sautéed pieces of skirt steak were lightly coated with soy sauce and had a depth of flavor usually found in thicker, more expensive cuts of meat.
The restaurant is lively and popular. As the night wore on the number of those waiting for tables kept growing.
CVI.CHE 105
Four Plates
105 N.E. 3rdAve.
Miami, FL
The Blue Page Special 