2 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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4 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

What is old is new againThe age of the classic is back

One of the recurring themes of Los Angeles’ culinary scene is that what

is old is new again. We are reminded that the golden age of classic din-

ing, wines and cocktails is back. In fact, it never actually left.

The intimate setting of a bar and restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard, where

one might have bumped into Bogey or Fitzgerald in the ‘20s or ‘30s, is alive and

thriving. There is only one place on the planet where you can order a classic mar-

tini that GQ magazine named the “Best in America”. That place is Musso and

Frank Grill, page 20.

Celebrating its 50 for 50 Golden Anniversary, LACMA will feature such clas-

sic artists as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, mixing it up with newer masters

like Andy Warhol and David Hockney. We remember “Urban Light” creator,

Chris Burden, and are sure you will find the upcoming Burden exhibit “Ode to

Santos Dumont” uplifting, page 14.

You will also find articles on local neighborhood bars where you can shoot

the breeze, some pool or a game of darts.

We have included a golden era hotel restaurant tucked away in the foothills

surrounding the La Quinta Resort that has been open since 1926. There you can

order a perfect French 75 mixed the same way it was served to Gable, Hepburn

and Bacall. Morgan’s in the Desert continues a rich tradition of fine dining and

exquisite service, page 9.

Going out of the zip code this year, we’ve offered several options for readers

to explore. We also covered the movies, Hollywood Bowl, Dodgers and the L.A.

Zoo to name a few of the events and attractions that the city has to offer.

But most of all it’s about the food. It’s always about the food. L.A. has been

named a top West Coast food city by Zagat. So dive in and let’s eat!

Michael and Karen Villalpando

Publishers

photo by Michael Jilg

Down on the bayou in Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, with shrimp boats passing by, we embarked

on a culinary tour of New Orleans to share with our readers for the 2015 Dining and

Entertainment magazine. When you visit the establishments you find inside, please mention

you read about them here. Bon Appetit!

The Park Labrea News & Beverly Press are weekly newspapers publishing since 1946.

The Dining & Entertainment magazine is a special edition, publishing on June 4, 2015.

5150 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 330 P.O. Box 36036, Los Angeles, CA 90036

323.933.5518 • www.beverlypress.com

kAREN VILLALPANDO

Editor & Publisher

Founded 1946

MICHAEL VILLALPANDO

CEO & Publisher

Contributing Writers: Jill Weinlein, Jon Jilg, Brad Barker, Tim Posada, Edwin Folven,

Jonathan Van Dyke, Luis Rivas, Rebecca Villalpando, Gary Twinn

Special thanks to Tim Posada for graphic design and layout.

Drago Centro, Faith & Flower pg. 6

Wine Tasting with Jon & Brad pg. 8

Morgan’s in the Desert pg. 9

Scratch Bar, smoke.oil.salt pg.10

Tart pg.12

LACMA pg. 14

Hollywood Bowl pg.16

Pink’s pg. 18

Musso & Frank Grill pg. 20

PERCH pg.22

LA Zoo pg.24

Neighborhood Bars pg.26

Ray & Stark’s Bar pg.28

The Movies pg.30

The Dodgers pg.34

The Greek Theatre pg.36

L’Assiette pg.38

EB’s at the Farmers Market pg.40

SECO pg.41

Spare Tire pg.42

Dong Il Jang pg.43

Pampas Grill pg.44

Jose Andres The Bazaar pg.45

Church & State pg.46

Plan Check pg.47

Ventura County pg.50

Farmers Market pg.52

Pierpont Inn pg.53

Recipes pg.54

New Orleans pg.56

On the coverPhotographer extraordinaire, Andrew Kitchen, selected the Vista Hermosa

park overlooking Downtown L.A. for

our cover shot. This happened at a mo-

ment’s notice, when the original cover

shot was not cleared for publication at

the last minute. Andy’s vision enabled

us to give you a memorable cover for

this year’s Dining and Entertainment

Special Edition. Thank you to our mod-

els, Emily Villalpando and Michael Jilg,

and a heartfelt thank you to Andy

Kitchen for your hard work, keen eye

and determination to get the shot. photo by Grant Kitchen

Today’s Specials...

6 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment

Celestino Drago is an icon among restau-

rateurs in Los Angeles. Since 1979, he

has cooked in kitchens from Santa Mon-

ica to Beverly Hills and Downtown. His flagship

restaurant, Drago Centro is located in the City

National Bank Plaza on Flower Street. The

atrium style dining room with floor to ceiling

windows offers a grand view of downtown and

the ideal setting for celebrating a jubilant occa-

sion. A far cry from the trendy urban gastropub

scene, Drago Centro brings classic elegance

back to dining.

Start with a glass of champagne and try the

shrimp carpaccio, thin gently pounded opaque

bites of sweet crustacean with olive oil pearls.

Or opt for the chef’s tasting menu featuring yel-

low tail crudo, followed by a descontructed

nicoise salad with poached egg, seared tuna,

olives and tomatoes. The creamy yolk combines

with a slight dash of citrus coating the tuna in a

rich and comforting dressing.

Linger over the Nebbiolo Burlotto while en-

joying the short rib ravioli with brown butter and

sage. Celestino’s venison loin with heirloom

risotto cake and smoked tomato fonduta sur-

passes all expections, showcasing his finesse

and creativity.

A new spring lunch menu has just been intro-

duced offering lighter fare, like seared octopus

and beef tartare for appetizers, light salads and

half orders of pasta. For those with a heartier ap-

petite, full pastas, pizzas, fish and carni dishes

are also available.

The l’insalata di gamberetti is entreé sized,

with delectable bite-sized shrimp, romaine, cab-

bage and chick peas with a green goddess dress-

ing. The flavors are spot on and an abundance

of shrimp make this salad a substantial entrée.

The hankerchief pasta with lump crab and

arugula pesto is a popular dish with juicy crab

and a garlicky pesto. It’s a lighter pasta, perfect

for lunch.

Affable restaurant manager Micha Reyniers

directs his staff in a professional manner, ensur-

ing that service at Drago’s is top notch.

Whether it’s a special occasion or a business

lunch, Drago Centro is an ideal destination. This

enchanting restaurant serves classic Italian cui-

sine with Celestino’s personal touch.

525 S. Flower St., Los Angeles. (213)228-

8998. www.dragocentro.com.

DRAGOC E N T R O

photos courtesy of Drago Centro

Pasta dishes are Celestino Drago’s specialty. The summer version

of the orecchiette is prepared with chicken sausage, caperberries,

peppers, and garlic foam.

Celestino Drago

This upscale restaurant in the Water

MarkeTower combines the downtown

of old (circa 1920s) with the flashy so-

cial scene it is today. The dark green glassware

and metal plates – reminiscent of a bygone

time – harness the era while the

cuisine and edgy music tie the

restaurant to the present.

Soaring ceilings with crystal

chandeliers add to the Gatsby-

esque atmosphere, with booths

hugging the sides, and four-top ta-

bles down the center aisle.

Executive chef Michael Hung

and sous chef Huy Nguyen inte-

grate their collective talents to

produce interesting dishes. The

celery root kolrabi with housemade ranch

dressing, fennel and sesame seed is a refresh-

ing dish, perfect for a summer lunch or a light

starter for dinner. Deviled jidori eggs topped

with Korean chili and kimchee are a zesty take

on the tried and true version. A main stay on

the menu – and for good reason – is the oxtail

agnolotti with bone marrow butter, Asian pear

salsa and beef tendon chicharrones. Hung’s

deep brown sauce is remarkable with intense

flavors touching on sweet, salty, rich and del-

icate. Crab risotto capitalizes on the briny sea

salt. Confit duck leg benefits from crisping in

a wood oven. The special dish of

the evening was Nguyen’s “pho

gras”, fusing his mother’s Viet-

namese noodle soup with his own

creative flair – and the incredible

addition of foie gras.

Sommelier Jared Hooper has

curated an excellent wine list and

expertly pairs each dish. Touraine

sparkling rosé from the Loire Val-

ley is ideal with oysters on the

half shell. Sancerre pairs mar-

velously with crab risotto and a Palmina Neb-

biolo by Steve Clifton is the perfect

accompaniment to the oxtail agnolotti.

Saunter into Faith and Flower where the

1920s melds with today. Order a classic cock-

tail or glass of bubbly and let the evening un-

fold. 705 W. 9th St., Los Angeles, CA 90015.

(213)239-0642. www.faithandflower.com.

Faith & Flower

photos courtesy of Faith & Flower

By kAREN VILLALPANDO

by Karen Villalpando

8 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

By BRAD BARkER AND

JON JILG

For this year’s column,

we attempt to answer the

age old wine tasting

question: Does more expensive

wine generally taste better? Our

course of action was to visit

three local wine retailers to help

us select wines at three different

price points: under $25 ($),

under $50 ($$), and under $100

($$$). Each shop would help

us with one California varietal

and we would subject the entire

portfolio to the discerning

palates of our regular Tuesday

night wine tasting group known

as the Padres Panel (also

known as the Cork Dorks in

some less charitable circles).

Cabernet Sauvignons from k&L

Wine MerchantsWhen Dan Maas heard

about the theme for our tasting,

he enthusiastically offered to

help us with selections made

from California’s premier red

varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon.

At under $25, he selected the

2013 Martin Ray from Napa

Valley ($24.99). Most of the

grapes were grown in the

renowned Stags Leap District

of Napa Valley and the Caber-

net is blended with a little Mal-

bec and Petite Sirah to add

complexity. Dan’s under $50

selection was the 2010 Amici

from Napa Valley ($43.99). In

the heavyweight division, just

barely qualifying, is the ex-

tremely limited 2003 Hourglass

from Napa Valley ($99.99).

Pinot Noirs from Domaine LAThis is a terrific little wine

shop that focuses on smaller

production wines from the

United States and Europe. An-

thony Cailan was very happy to

help us select California wines

made from the fickle red grape,

Pinot Noir. 2013 Eono from

Sonoma Coast ($19.99) was

Anthony’s entry level choice.

This wine is produced by noted

importer/distributor Amy At-

wood whose wine making phi-

losophy includes using native

yeasts and neutral oak. 2012

Domaine de la Cote from Santa

Rita Hills ($44.99) was An-

thony’s selection for the under

$50 category. Finally, the 2011

Hirsh from West Sonoma Coast

– San Andreas Fault ($63.99)

was chosen as the heavy hitter.

Chardonnays from

Monsieur MarcelWe like visiting Marcel’s be-

cause there are plenty of places

in the Farmers Market to grab

some lunch. One can work up

quite an appetite picking out

wines. While the emphasis

here is on wines from France,

and although we visited when

the resident wine expert, Kyle,

was not available, we managed

to select some California

Chardonnays at each of our

three price points. 2013 Ca’

Momi Napa Valley ($14.99)

was our ($) pick. This wine

sells for $22.00 on the winery’s

website, so Marcel’s price

looks like a bargain. With only

65 cases produced and aged for

10 months in neutral oak, we

chose the 2013 Ser Monterey

County ($39.99) for our ($$)

contestant. Lastly, a wine that

everyone in the Panel has al-

ready tasted, the 2011 Far

Niente Napa Valley ($69.99)

was our most expensive entry.

This wine does not go through

malolactic fermentation so it

promises nice bright fruit clean

balanced acidity.

The TastingThe Padres Panel is an infor-

mal tasting group of friends

who get together every week to

enjoy wine. Generally, folks

bring whatever wine they want

(bagged of course) and we

spend an hour or two trying to

guess what’s in each bag – what

grape(s), what region, and the

vintage. We’ve been doing this

for years and have tasted thou-

sands of wines.

We were a confident group

before the tasting began. After

all, how difficult can it possibly

be to tell the difference between

a Cabernet costing $100 and

one costing only $25? Turns

out, it was a lot tougher than we

thought!

We tasted the Chardonnay

flight first. The wines were of

similar hue and were stylisti-

cally very similar, but with con-

siderable variation on the nose.

As soon as we tasted and

smelled the entire flight our

confidence was gone. This was

not going to be easy. By far, the

wine we liked most garnered

six first place picks and a single

second. When it was revealed

as the least expensive of the

flight (2013 Ca’ Momi Napa

Valley - $14.99), we were all

stunned. We were equally

flummoxed when the wine we

preferred least turned out to be

the most expensive (2011 Far

Niente Napa Valley - $69.99).

Certainly we would do better

with Pinot Noir. The entry

from Santa Rita Hills would

clearly stand out from the other

two from the Sonoma Coast. It

didn’t. The consensus favorite

turned out to be the 2012 Do-

maine de la Cote from Santa

Rita Hills ($44.99), receiving

four firsts, two seconds and a

single third vote. Averaging our

scores for the most and least ex-

pensive wines yielded an ab-

solute tie! We were getting

crushed.

Finally, we tackled the

Cabernet flight featuring a

$100 bottle with 12 years of

age. Slam dunk? Well, almost.

We all agreed that the bottle

that turned out to be the most

expensive, the 2003 Hourglass

from Napa Valley ($99.99),

was our overall favorite. Re-

garded as a close second, was

the 2013 Martin Ray from

Napa Valley ($24.99). There

When wine tasting, does $$$ = NNN ?

Our resident wine experts are back

to help you with your summer selections

Jon Jilg and Brad Barker

The Cabernets

The Pinot Noirs

The ChardonnaysSee next page

Ifirst wrote about Morgan’s in the

Desert at La Quinta Resort and Spa

about three years ago. The headline

was “Dreaming of a Return,” in which I

recalled a recurring dream of being in a

1920s club, sipping champagne and list-

ing to jazz. My dream came true a few

weeks ago when we returned to Mor-

gan’s to celebrate our anniversary.

Morgan’s in the Desert is an elegant

hacienda with its rustic wood beams,

high ceilings and comfy chairs and

sofas. The resort opened in 1926 after

Walter H. Morgan purchased 1,400

acres of land 120 miles east of Los An-

geles. He and architect Gordon Kauf-

man designed and built a small

grouping of casitas and a main lodge

and called it “La Quinta”, meaning

“The Inn”. Morgan designed the resort

to lure Hollywood elite to this desert

oasis. He succeeded, as noteworthy

guests included Bette Davis, Clark

Gable, Katherine Hepburn and later

Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

Now the Waldorf Astoria resort

boasts updated rooms and suites,

championship golf, Spa La Quinta,

world-class tennis and award-winning

dining.

Three-time James Beard winner,

chef Jimmy Schmidt, whose team in-

cludes Chef de Cuisine Brian Recor,

maître d extraordinaire and restaurant

manager, John Healy, and knowledge-

able sommelier, Lisa Tussing, work to-

gether to ensure your evening at

Morgan’s is nothing less than superb.

Start with a vintage cocktail, like a

rosemary salty dog with Nolets gin,

pink grapefruit juice and fresh rose-

mary or perhaps a classic martini or

French 75. Morgan’s shakes theirs with

cognac instead of gin, just the way I

prefer.

We began with a dozen oysters

topped with a blood orange granita, a

lovely amuse bouche with our cock-

tails. Healy prides himself in amassing

bottles from small batch vineyards, al-

lowing us to enjoy two chardonnays by

the glass, the 2012 Neyers from

Carneros, and a 2012 Pfendler from

Sonoma Coast. Both were excellent

with the Neyers being slightly more

acidic than the smooth Pfendler. We

enjoyed the wine with the wagyu beef

carpaccio garnished with a watercress

and baby artichoke salad. The beef

could stand alone on this

dish, yet the salad added a

depth of flavor.

Entrées at Morgan’s are

divided between the com-

posed plates and the a la carte

steak house items. The hal-

ibut with beluga lentils and a

pesto sauce was buttery and

moist. Chef Schmidt’s lamb

tenderloin with asparagus

and chanterelle mushrooms

combined a light, slightly

Asian sauce with the hearty

cut of meat. The Zellmer

Ranch wagyu steaks are se-

lected exclusively for Mor-

gan’s. Add a steak crust of

crisply parmesan or Maytag

bleu cheese to create your

own entrée. For sides, you

can never go wrong with the

five cheese macaroni gratin.

If you’re looking for some-

thing on the lighter side, the

asparagus pasta with Meyer lemon,

parsley and wagyu beef bacon gremo-

lata is outstanding.

With our entrées, we selected a wine

I’ve only found at Morgan’s, the Robert

Foley The Griffin, this time a 2012

blend. We had the 2009 bottle here

three years ago, and I haven’t found it

since. It was equally as lovely as before

and paired well with our dinner.

Lingering over dessert of a choco-

late tart with sea salted caramel ice

cream and almond brittle, we remarked

about the welcoming and personable

staff at Morgan’s. It feels more like old

friends returning for a visit.

If you are in the mood for lighter

fare of appetizers and drinks, Morgan’s

is more than accommodating. Cozy

chairs and sofas provide casual seating

to enjoy artisanal cheese and charcu-

terie, crispy Cochella artichokes and

flatbreads with cocktails.

After a fabulous meal accompanied

by exceptional wine from Morgan’s

treasure trove cellar, relax to the croon-

ing tunes from the piano man as he

sings standards from Frank Sinatra,

Nat King Cole and Andy Williams.

Yes, “that’s life,” just as Sinatra

would’ve imagined. 49-499 Eisen-

hower Dr., La Quinta, CA 92253.

(760)564-7600. www.morgansinthe

dessert.com.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 9

were several tasters who felt that at this price point, this wine should be pur-

chased and laid down for consumption after a couple more years of bottle age.

ConclusionOne thing that would be easy to conclude from this experiment is that the

panel doesn’t have a clue what we’re doing. Alternately, we suggest that the

relationship between cost and quality is far more tenuous than we all origi-

nally thought. Once the price gets above $15 and certainly after you travel

north of $25, there are terrific wines at any price point. You, dear reader,

just need to find the wines that are enjoyable and represent value to you!

k & L Wine Merchants 1400 Vine Street Hollywood (323) 464-9463

Domaine LA 6801 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles (323) 932-0280

Monsieur Marcel 6333 West 3rd Street Los Angeles (323) 939-7792

That’s Life & other standards at Morgan’s in the Desert

Wine TastingFrom page 8

Firsts Seconds Third

6 1 0

1 5 1

0 1 6

4 2 1

2 1 4

1 4 2

4 2 1

3 4 0

0 1 6

Chardonnay Flight

2013 Ca’ Momi - Napa Valley ($14.99)

2013 Ser - Monterey County ($39.99)

2011 Far Niente - Napa Valley ($69.99)

Pinot Noir Flight

2012 Domaine de la CoteSanta Rita Hills ($44.99)

2013 Eono - Sonoma Coast ($19.99)

2011 Hirsh - West Sonoma Coast 'San Andreas Fault' ($63.99)

Cabernet Sauvignon Flight

2003 Hourglass - Napa Valley ($99.99)

2013 Martin Ray - Napa Valley ($24.99)

2010 Amici - Napa Valley ($43.99)

By kAREN VILLALPANDO

photos courtesy of La Quinta Resort & Spa

The entrance to Morgan’s reflects the elegance of what awaits inside.

10 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment

Smoke.oil.salt celebrated its

one-year anniversary in April

with a 10-course dinner pre-

pared by executive chef Perfecto

Rocher.

Hollywood producer turned

restaurateur Stephen Gelber, along

with Umami founder Adam Fleis-

chman, Lee Weinberg, and hospital-

ity expert Jason Berkowitz opened

this cutting-edge Spanish restaurant

on Melrose, with Rocher as the en-

gineer of this powerhouse Spanish

locomotive.

The aroma of wood burning on

open flames envelopes the two din-

ing areas – one side is more formal

for an intimate dinner, while the

other side offers communal tables

for people to share food, sip wine

and socialize.

Gelber has been collecting a vari-

ety of Spanish wines through the

years, and offers some of his fa-

vorites on the menu.

Diners rave about Rocher’s cod

croquette, beet gazpacho, and

smoked spring onions with a salbitx-

ada sauce made with almonds, pep-

pers, garlic, tomatoes, red wine

vinegar, parsley, olive oil, salt and

pepper.

His caramelized cauliflower and

artichokes with hazelnuts, garlic and

spicy chili is a vegetarian’s delight,

while the skillet of cubed fried pota-

toes with slices of Serrano ham,

chorizo sauce and topped with a

fried egg is a heartier dinner option.

Inspired from the sea are dishes

like smoked octopus and a cocktail

of marinated oysters and mussels.

Rocher uses an aromatic wood-

fire grill to cook quail; whole sea

bass; butcher’s filet of Iberico pork;

and dry-aged New York steak.

Culminate the evening with a

Catalan custard with passion fruit

ice cream. Muy Bueno!

On Sunday, the restaurant offers a

prix-fixe four-course paella dinner

with an optional wine flight pairing.

$$- $$$ 7274 Melrose Ave.

(323)930-7900.

smoke.oil.salt By JILL WEINLEIN

photo courtesy of smoke.oil.salt

Perfecto Rocher is the

engineer of this

Spanish influenced

locomotive.

One of the coolest culinary experiences in

LA is dining in the kitchen at Scratch Bar

and watching the talented chefs prepare a

multitude of imaginative dishes. Chef Phillip Fran-

kland Lee prepares innovative plates with an artistic

flair. He divides his time between the kitchen at

Scratch Bar and managing his vegetarian restau-

rant, The Gadarene Swine.

There are only a few seats in the kitchen, so re-

serve a few weeks in advance. The dining room or

bar seating has plenty of space to

enjoy a multi-course “chef choice” din-

ner with either six, nine or 12 interest-

ing plates.

On the a la carte menu, tantalizing

plates of sea urchin, branzino, filet

mignon, duck leg, octopus, rib eye,

lamb and foie gras are offered. The

popular sourdough bone marrow, pic-

tured, is always a home run.

Save room for dessert made by chef

Lee’s beautiful wife Margarita. Wine,

sake and sparking wines are served.

Open nightly at 5 p.m. 111 N. La

Cienega Blvd. (310)289-8010.

photo by Jill Weinlein

Reserve a spot in the kitchen to watch chef Phillip Frankland

Lee demonstrate his innovative culinary skills and enjoy a multi-

course chef’s dinner. photo courtesy of Scratch Bar

Scratch Bar By JILL WEINLEIN

12 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Sunday brunch at Tart has been a popular

destination for locals. To “splash”

things up this summer, the management

at Tart is inviting brunch guests to jump into

the swimming pool at the Farmers Daughter

Hotel with your clothes and shoes on and they

will take 50 percent off your bill. Now that’s

a fun way to spend a Sunday!

After completing the redesign of Tart at the

Farmers Daughter Hotel on Fairfax, owners

Peter and Ellen Picataggio started renovating

the hotel rooms. The decor in both the hotel

and restaurant is upscale farm-theme filled

with colorful art. Ellen is passionate about

supporting local artists and displaying their

beautiful creations throughout the restaurant

and hotel.

They also hired a new chef and manage-

ment team: Executive Chef Keith Shutta, Di-

rector of Food and Beverage John Monaco

and Michael Spencer, the General Manager of

the property.

Prior to coming to Tart, Shutta worked in

the kitchens of Shutters on the Beach, Hotel

Casa del Mar, Patina Restaurant Group and

Montage Hotels and Resorts.

Shutta revamped the menu offering new

seasonal farm-fresh dishes, like the whimsical

jar of pickled vegetables with a snap. His

Brussels sprouts are tossed in a chili vinai-

grette, lime crème with a sunny-side egg on

top.

Another popular dish is the fried pig ears

served hot-wing style with with tabasco,

grilled lime, celery and ranch dressing.

Two plates worthy of sharing are the crispy

Splash!into TART this summer

By JILL WEINLEIN

chicken legs cooked slowly for three to four hours, confit-style

and topped with a spicy Tennessee whiskey sauce. The butter-

milk fried chicken and waffles are doused with a tabasco-

maple butter sauce. The chicken is marinated in buttermilk,

cayenne, paprika, garlic and onion powder, then fried crisp and

sprinkled with sea salt – delicious!

Come for Sunday brunch and sip orange punch from their

signature punch bowl or have a few bottomless mimosas or

Bloody Mary’s.

If you’re feeling brave, jump into the pool – a staff member

will give you a towel and knight you a “Pool Warrior”. You

may want to bring a change of clothes to brunch and wear

shoes that you don’t mind getting soaked.

The outdoor dining area – or porch – is an inviting area to

dine with friends on a warm summer night. If you stay late,

drink a little too much, or are too tired to drive home, go into

the lobby after 11:30 p.m. and request a Sleep It Off Barn Rate,

50 percent off the regular room rate.

Hotel guests enjoy free wi-fi, complimentary caramels in

the business center, glasses of sweet tea and free barbecue po-

tato chips during the day. A complimentary whiskey tasting is

offered at 5 p.m. and the lobby cookie jar is always filled.

Artisan clothes, jewelry, ties and gifts hand picked by the

owner are for sale in the gift shop.

Once you experience Tart for the first time, you will want

to come back to the farm often. $$ Open from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.

115 S. Fairfax Ave. (323)556-2608.photos courtesy of TART

Strawberry French 75

This fruity twist on the classic is perfect for summertime entertaining.

2 oz of gin – Hendrick’s (infused withboth cucumber and rose) pairs nicelywith the strawberry in this cocktail1 lemon, squeezed (roughly 2 table-spoons)2 teaspoons simple syrupDry sparkling wine or Brut Champaign Strawberries

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker,muddle one to two ripe strawberriesAdd gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and

ice. Shake vigorouslyDouble strain liquid into chilled Cham-paign flute.Top with sparkling wine, add lemontwist and place a sliced strawberry onthe rim for garnish

Summer’s Bounty Pimm’s Cup

Serve this colorful cocktail in a largewine goblet so the fresh ingredientsshine (pictured right).

4 oz Pimm’s #11 oz fresh lemon juice1 oz simple syrupfresh blueberriesfresh strawberries1 lemon slice1 lime slice1 orange slice1 long horizontally cut strip of cucum-berSplash of club soda

Combine all ingredients in a large wineglass and mix so berries add color.Garnish with fresh mintVariationOmit simple syrup and add Ginger Ale

Summer cocktails

Immerse yourself in art and enter-

tainment this summer at the Los

Angeles County Museum of Art

(LACMA), where masterpieces,

music and movies come together to

create unforgettable experiences.

LACMA turned 50 this year, and

gifted art is at the center of the golden

anniversary celebration. The exhibit,

“50 for 50”, runs through Sept. 13 in

the Resnick Pavilion, featuring paint-

ings, sculpture, tribal art and contem-

porary pieces. Visitors can view works

by masters such as Edgar Degas,

Claude Monet and Miguel Cabrera

alongside works by contemporary

artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein

and David Hockney. The one-of-a-

kind exhibit was made possible

through gifts from benefactors such as

Lynda Resnick and Marc and Jane

Nathanson. The works will be added

to the museum’s collection to be en-

joyed by generations to come.

Art and L.A. history combine on

June 7 with the opening of an exhibit

by Noah Purifoy (1917-2004), a

founding director of the Watts Towers

Art Center who created art from col-

lected items following the 1965 Watts

riots. Purifoy is considered a pivotal

postwar American artist who inspired

many of his contemporaries.

On July 5, Christian Marclay’s “The

Clock” returns to the museum. The

piece is a 24-hour

montage con-

structed from

thousands of mo-

ments of cinema

and television his-

tory depicting the

passage of time. It

also keeps visitors

on schedule, serv-

ing as a function-

ing timepiece.

A stop for photographs at artist

Chris Burden’s “Urban Light” is a

must when visiting LACMA this sum-

mer. The iconic piece is an assemblage

of more than 200 vintage street lamps

ranging in height from 20 to 30 feet.

The cast-iron light poles were installed

in 2008 and are a fixture on Wilshire

Boulevard. The restored antique street

lamps are solar-powered, and illumi-

nate summer nights in front of the mu-

seum’s BP Grand Entrance.

LACMA is also paying homage to

Burden — who passed away on May

10 — with an exhibit titled “Ode to

Santos Dumont”, which runs through

June 21 in the Resnick Pavilion. It is a

performance piece comprised of a

scaled down dirigible that takes flight

in 15-minute intervals, and travels in a

60-foot circle.

No visit to the museum is complete

without walking under artist Michael

Heizer’s “Levitated Mass”, a 340-ton

towering boulder above a subterranean

walkway that provides a unique view-

point of the relationship between na-

ture and art.

The cool sounds of the Jazz at

LACMA series will be held every Fri-

day at 6 p.m. The hot rhythms of the

Latin Sounds series will also resonate

every Saturday at 5 p.m. through

Labor Day Weekend.

Movie lovers are covered this sum-

mer at LACMA, with classic films,

documentaries, new releases and ret-

rospectives shown in conjunction with

the museum’s partner, Film Independ-

ent. The museum invites families to

join the fun at free programs held on

Sundays, June 7 through 28, at which

parents and children can participate in

interactive art projects focusing on the

museum’s golden anniversary celebra-

tion.

Dining options by the Patina

Restaurant Group offer guests grab-

and-go salads, snacks and lattes at the

LACMA Café and C+M (Coffee +

Milk). Ray’s & Stark Bar serves field-

to-table gourmet cuisine. Its Mediter-

ranean-inspired menu includes dishes

prepared in a wood-burning oven and

grill. Seasonal cocktails, wine, artisan

beers and spirits are also available.

Whether it’s art, music, film, food

or fun, LACMA has something for

everyone. With a diverse schedule of

programming that is always evolving,

every visit to the museum offers some-

thing new.

LACMA is located at 5905 Wilshire

Blvd. For information, call (323)857-

6000, or visit www.lacma.org.

Looking forward tothe next 50 years at

LACMA By EDWIN FOLVEN

photos courtesy of

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

16 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

There are as many different ways

to enjoy the iconic Hollywood

Bowl as there are different

music acts gracing its stage this sum-

mer.

“Whatever the tradition is, it’s very

important to the individual who comes

there every year,” said Gail Samuel,

executive director of the Los Angeles

Philharmonic Association. “It’s a night

under the stars, and we are lucky in

L.A. to have great weather that you can

count on every year. It’s such a broad

range of programming and I think

everyone can find his or her perfect

bowl experience.”

Music fans are encouraged to bring

their own food and drinks for picnics

— lay out a blanket and enjoy the open

space at the venue. There are also gour-

met food and concession options that

can be ordered in advance and served

at the box seats.

“It is an iconic venue and for me it

starts with more than 90 years of his-

tory and the kind of artists who have

performed there,” Samuel said, noting

the likes of The Beatles, Pavarotti,

Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald have

graced the stage. “You kind of never

know when you go what is going to be

that great moment, but the summers

tend to be full of them.”

While many adore the Hollywood

Bowl for the picnics and up-close seat-

ing, just as many enjoy the bargains to

be had a little further back. On Tues-

days, Wednesdays and Thursdays,

music series featuring the L.A. Phil or

various jazz musicians serenade

crowds — and also include 300 seats

for $1.

“That’s the experience of the bowl,”

Samuel said. “It’s beautiful, you can

look down on everything as the sun

sets and you’re back there in the trees.”

The Hollywood Bowl, located at

2301 N. Highland Ave., is the summer

home to the Los Angeles Philhar-

monic. The venue was constructed in

the Daisy Dell site and designed in the

image of hillside amphitheatres in

Greece and Rome. It opened in 1922,

and today it has a capacity of just under

18,000.

The varying Hollywood Bowl expe-

riences are very much based on the

seating arrangements of the venue.

Box seats have canvas-collapsible

chairs in groups of four or six, sur-

rounded by wooden partitions. Super-

Seats are stadium seats molded for

comfort, with build-in cup holders.

Bench seats extend to the back of the

theatre.

While the audience enjoys itself,

musical artists find themselves en-

chanted.

“When that place is full there is

nothing like walking out there on stage

for an artist,” Samuel said. “Because it

is such an historic place and everyone

knows what the venue looks like, for

artists it’s such a marker for their ca-

reers. It can be very overwhelming.”

The L.A. Phil plays approximately

half of the concerts presented at the

Hollywood Bowl. Beyond that,

Samuel said the lineup places an em-

phasis on pleasing the most people.

Recent upgrades to the venue in-

clude a sound system overhaul and the

installation of high definition video

screens on either side of the stage. All

the benches have been replaced.

This year, the box seat areas were

completely redone with new metal and

wooden sidings, new tables and chairs

and a full refurbishment of the concrete

and flooring.

A busy concert schedule begins in

June with The 37th Annual Playboy

Jazz Festival, which includes perform-

ances with Herbie Hancock, Eddie

Palmieri Afro-Caribbean Jazz Band

and Aloe Blacc. Other season high-

lights through September will include

Journey, Ed Sheeran, Basement Jaxx,

Smokey Robinson (as part of the pop-

ular July 4 Fireworks Spectacular with

the L.A. Phil), Harry Connick Jr.,

Death Cab for Cutie, John Fogerty, Sh-

eryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Diana Krall

and more.

“I’ve never taken anyone to the Hol-

lywood Bowl who doesn’t absolutely

love it,” Samuel added.

Hollywood BowlThere’s nothing quite like a summer night at the venerable venue

Image courtesy of the Hollywood Bowl

The Sound of Music Sing-a-long has been a crowd favorite at the Bowl for years.

This year’s event on June 26 will celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary and will fea-

ture costumes and interactive fun for thousands of fans.

“When that place is full

there is nothing like

walking out there on stage

for an artist.”

Gail Samuel, executive director Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

By JONATHAN VAN DykE

photo courtesy of Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

18 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment

On the heels of its 75th anniver-

sary celebration, Pink’s Hot

Dogs near the corner of La

Brea and Melrose is ready for summer

with classic hot dogs and hamburgers

that are relished by everyone.

Pink’s has stayed true to its roots

since 1939, which is one of the reasons

it’s a favorite destination for Angelenos

craving tasty chili and delicious hot

dogs. Visitors often make it a first stop

when they arrive in Los Angeles.

“It’s one of the top tourist destina-

tions in Los Angeles. A lot of people

say, ‘New York has the Statue of Lib-

erty, and L.A. has Pink’s,” said Richard

Pink, son of the stand’s legendary

founders, Paul and Betty Pink. “A lot

of people say before they go to their

hotel, they go straight to Pink’s”

Richard Pink operates the stand with

his wife, Gloria, and sister Beverly

Pink. The family environment is one of

the hallmarks of Pink’s Hot Dogs,

where guests are greeted and served by

familiar employees, many of whom

have worked at the hot dog stand for

decades.

Gloria Pink said summer is a busy

time for Pink’s, and with National Hot

Dog Month just around the corner in

July, she expects business to be siz-

zling. Pink’s offers 35 different types

of hot dogs and a dozen different ham-

burgers, and routinely creates new va-

rieties to tempt hot dog lovers’ tastes.

In the weeks leading up to Inde-

pendence Day, the America the Beau-

tiful hot dog is very popular. It’s made

with a 12-inch jalapeño sausage topped

with pastrami, bacon, lettuce and

chopped tomato.

“It’s a huge sausage, one of the

biggest you’ve ever seen,” Richard

Pink said. “A lot of people order that

for Fourth of July. Everybody loves it.”

In addition to variety, Pink said the

secret to longevity is having a consis-

tent product, and theirs is a “very tasty

hot dog and very tasty chili.” It also

doesn’t hurt to have an iconic stand

that invokes a nostalgic feeling of step-

ping back in time to 1939, when hot

dogs were 10 cents.

Pink’s has served millions of people

from all walks of life, and is a hot spot

for Hollywood celebrities. Jay Leno

and Steve Martin are regulars. Bruce

Willis reportedly proposed to Demi

Moore at Pink’s. More than 150 photos

of celebrities adorn the stand’s walls,

and many have hot dogs named after

them. The Martha Stewart Dog is a

nine-inch stretch dog with relish,

onions, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut

and bacon.

The Emeril Legasse Dog is a nine-inch

stretch dog topped with mustard,

onions, cheese, jalapeños, bacon and

coleslaw.

While Pink’s has made its home on

La Brea Avenue just north of Melrose

Avenue for 75 years, the Pink’s brand

is growing. Pink’s recently opened in

Hawaii at the Sea Life Park on the is-

land of Oahu, and at the Seaquarium in

Miami. Plans call for Pink’s Hot Dogs

to open in the Philippines in Septem-

ber.

Catering is a big part of the business,

and Pink’s hot dogs, hamburgers and

chili are available for parties, social

events, benefits and business outings.

Gloria said Pink’s recently catered

Quentin Tarantino’s birthday party, and

routinely serves television productions,

such as “Criminal Minds” and “Hot In

Cleveland”.

“The Travel Channel just came out

and will feature us on a show called

‘Delicious Destinations’,” Gloria said.

“They were looking for iconic places

and featured our bacon wrapped chili

dog.”

Richard Pink invites everyone to

partake in the fun at Pink’s this sum-

mer, and as the faithful customers can

attest, the season is one of the best

times to enjoy a unique L.A. tradition

that can only be experienced at Pink’s

Hot Dogs.

photo courtesy of Pink’s Hot Dogs

Pink’s started serving hot dogs near the corner of La Brea and Melrose in 1939. This photo,

circa 1941, shows their spartan early years with just a push cart and few amenities.

photo by Jose Martinez

The Pink family still owns and operates the iconic hot dog stand, which now has locations

in Miami, Ohio, San Diego, Las Vegas, Connecticut and Hawaii. Above, Beverly, (left) Richard

and his wife Gloria Pink invite you to try one of their famous hot dogs.

By EDWIN FOLVEN

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

20 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Back in the heyday of early Hollywood, you

could have walked into Musso and Frank

Grill on Hollywood Boulevard and seen

celebrities like Marilyn Monroe or Charlie Chaplin

alongside some of the most well-known writers like

F. Scott Fitzgerald or William Faulkner. Picture them

sharing a corner booth, perhaps enjoying a porter-

house steak and one — or two —of the restaurant’s

famous martinis, which GQ Magazine once called

the best in America.

Hollywood celebrities continue to dine at Musso

and Frank, including Johnny Depp, Scarlett Johans-

son, Jack Nicholson, Nicolas Cage and the Rolling

Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The restau-

rant is equally as welcoming to the rest of us. In fact,

that’s one of Musso and Frank’s strongest attractions,

according to general manager Andres Airoldi.

“We treat everyone the same way. We don’t give

special attention to celebrities, and they like that, “

Airoldi said. “We have kind of a hidden parking lot

off the boulevard and we have a back entrance, which

is a big deal for them.”

Arguably, nothing in Hollywood is more iconic —

save for the Hollywood Sign or the Hollywood Walk

of Fame — as Musso and Frank Grill, or simply

known as Musso and Frank.

Its nearly-unchanged menu for close to a century,

its old Hollywood ambiance and its history are hall-

marks of the nearly century-old establishment.

Frank Toulet and Joseph Musso, aided by French

chef Jean Rue who created the original menu, opened

the restaurant in Hollywood in 1919. Rue stayed with

the restaurant for 53 years as its first executive chef.

In 1927, Musso and Toulet sold the restaurant to

two Italian immigrants, Joseph Carrissimi and John

Mosso, who later moved the restaurant next door to

6667 Hollywood Blvd., where it stands today, with

the Carrissimi and Mosso families continuing as

owners.

The restaurant’s allure may be attributed to its

Back Room, located a few doors down from Musso

and Frank. Opened in 1934, the Back Room was

famed for its well-known writer and Hollywood elite

patrons. After years of guests, such as William

Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Raymond Chandler,

William Saroyan, T.S. Elliot, John Steinbeck, Aldous

Huxley and Dorothy Parker, the Back Room’s lease

expired. However, the New Room — where the

restaurant’s bar, booths and tables are — was mod-

eled directly after the Back Room, and has been open

since 1955.

Today, as it was since the beginning and through-

out the Golden Age of Hollywood, Musso and Frank

stands as a permanent part of Tinsletown’s history

and cultural landscape.

The restaurant has stood

the test of time, in fact,

thriving in the highly-

competitive redevelop-

ment of Hollywood —

with new neighboring

bars, restaurants and

venues saturating the

boulevard.

“We’re basically a

landmark. We’re a desti-

nation. People have been

coming here for

decades,” Airoldi said.

The concentration of

development and more

people moving into Hol-

lywood has kept the

restaurant popular and

successful, Airoldi

added.

“You can walk basically anywhere, kind of like

downtown L.A. You can walk to Cahuenga and Vine”

Airoldi said. “It’s getting more of a neighborhood

feeling that it didn’t have before,”

Many of the restaurant’s customers have been

coming to Musso and Frank for 40 to 50 years, and

they love that the menu has not changed, Airoldi said.

But there’s a newer generation that is quickly falling

in love with this iconic restaurant.

“And now we’re attracting a younger demographic

because there’s this thing about being a historic land-

mark, young people are starting to appreciate that,”

he said.

The restaurant’s executive chef, J.P. Amateau, is

the third executive chef in Musso and Frank’s history.

“We’re mainly a steakhouse. But like any other

steakhouse, we have a wide variety of fish and

seafood,” Airoldi said.

Musso and Frank features several specialty dishes,

such as Sauerbraten and corned beef and cabbage,

among other dishes.

“We’re a little bit eclectic. We have chicken pot pie

on Thursdays. We also have a wide variety of pasta,

so there’s a little bit for everyone,” Airoldi said.

Musso and Frank also has had a long history of

keeping employees for decades. Many of the waiters

have been working at the restaurant for over 40 years,

according to Airoldi.

Airoldi said that due to its legacy and success the

restaurant might – with Airoldi repeatedly emphasiz-

ing the “might” – expand the brand of Musso and

Frank.

“There are a lot of people interested in taking the

brand to Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.

But it’s not definite yet,” Airoldi said.

Musso and Frank is located at 6667 Hollywood

Blvd. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday through

Saturday. For reservations, call (323)467-7788.

For information, visit mussoandfrank.com. photo courtesy of Musso and Frank Grill

The early days at Musso and Frank, circa 1920.

photo by Luis Rivas

Skillful bartenders have been shaking martinis at Musso and Frank Grill since 1919.

22 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

P e r c hThe perfect place to enjoy 5 O’Cocktails

The ultimate spot to bring out-of-

town guests for drinks and din-

ner is perched on the rooftop of

a historic art-deco building in down-

town Los Angeles.

As the sun goes down, business pro-

fessionals grab a beer or cocktail be-

fore dinner and are treated to

spectacular 360-degree views of Los

Angeles while sitting at tables on the

patio or near a blazing fireplace.

Skilled bartenders craft cocktails

like Lolita, Writers Block, My Fair

Lady and Penicillin. Bubbly wines

from Spain, California and France are

offered, as well as an interesting wine

selections from California, Washing-

ton, New Zealand and France.

Chef Gerardo Benitez’s menu fea-

tures hors d’oeuvres, small plates and

entrées with a French flair. Popular

dishes include baked Brie, steak with

frites, truffle poutine, scallops, rabbit

ravioli and a variety of fromage and

charcuterie with sour cherry mustard

and raisin-walnut crostini.

The grilled octopus appetizer is sea-

soned with vaudovan, a blend of spices

that is a French derivative of an Indian

curry masala with shallots and garlic.

The dish arrived with a small fennel

citrus salad, juicy campari tomatoes

and a dollop of crème fraiche.

For entrées, try the flat iron steak

with bordelaise sauce and truffle

cheese fries. The pan-roasted salmon is

a generous piece of moist fish served

on a bed on flavorful smoked eggplant

puree and vegetables Provencal with

tomatoes and onions.

Surf and turf skewers are served

with a creamy Béarnaise sauce. Classic

French onion soup is topped with the

traditional brioche crostini and Gruyere

cheese.

Save room for the orange cardamom

creme brulée paired with an after din-

ner drink of Muscat de Saint Jean de

Minervois. The Valrhona chocolate pot

de creme with berries and a sprinkling

of fleur de sel or the white chocolate

bread pudding drizzled with a Bourbon

caramel glaze will satisfy any sweet

tooth.

Perch would be great for a birthday

brunch or bridal shower. The brunch

menu offers an assortment of scones,

muffins and croissants served with

honey butter and jam. Brunch entrées

include French toast, smoked salmon

Benedict, crab Benedict, shrimp

scampi, and the Perch burger served on

a brioche bun. Champagne is $34 to

$200 per bottle, and diners may create

a mimosa or bellini with a carafe of or-

ange juice or peach puree for an addi-

tional $5.

Open Monday through Friday at 4

p.m. for Happy Hour and at 5 p.m. din-

ner is served. On weekends, Perch

opens at 11 a.m. for brunch and later

dinner service. Live music and a fes-

tive bar scene keeps this place open

until 2 a.m. on weekends. Guests must

be 21 years and older after 9 p.m. $$

448 S. Hill St. (213)802-1770.

photo courtesy of Perch

Sunday afternoons at Perch are perfect for leisurely sipping Bloody Marys and mimosas

with fantastic panoramic views of Downtown L.A. Below, Emily was in need of a chilly

Chelada after a somewhat bumpy elevator ride to the top of Perch. If the elevators seem

rickety, rest assured; they are attended to regularly, according to management.

Bloody Mary Mix Recipe

by Brent Falco, Cole’s

1 15 oz. canned tomatoes*

3 32 oz. cans tomato juice

9 teaspoons meat rub (sea salt, rosemary,

thyme, pepper)

3 ounces of Tabasco sauce

9 ounces of Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces pickle juice 3 teaspoons

horseradish

3 teaspoons celery seed,

NOT celery salt

3 teaspoons Lawry’s seasoned salt

Combine the ingredients and blend it up

until you get the texture you want.

Let the mix sit 24 hours so the seasoning

and full flavor come through.

Rim a 16 oz glass with seasoning mix.

Add ice, your favorite vodka, a squeeze

of lemon and lime and 6 oz. of Bloody

Mary mix. Season with equal parts of

sea salt, cayenne, celery seed. Garnish

with a celery stalk and a spicy pickle.

*Expand or reduce proportionately for

the amount of mix you want.

Chelada

To make a Chelada, pour 4 oz. of

Bloody Mary mix over ice in a rim sea-

soned glass. Fill with a lager beer, Co-

rona works best. Add an extra dash of

Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, and

a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!photo by Michael Villalpando

By JILL WEINLEIN

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24 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

You don’t have to leave the city

to visit exotic locales this

summer, such as the rain-

forests of Central and South America,

the fertile plains of Africa, the dense

jungles of Asia and the unique land-

scapes of Australia.

It only takes a trip to the Los Ange-

les Zoo and Botanical Gardens, where

animal habitats and special programs

open new worlds and offer extraordi-

nary experiences.

“The L.A. Zoo is one of this city’s

best places to visit during the day, and

it’s even better at night,” L.A. Zoo

spokesperson Laura Stegman said.

“We’re going to be sizzling — in the

coolest sense of the word — with six

events which are perfect for date

nights, family nights or just good fun

nights.”

The summer fun kicks-off on June

20 at 6 p.m. with the 45th annual

“Beastly Ball”, a fundraiser offering

guests the opportunity to stroll through

the zoo for after-hours viewing of ani-

mals, sample fare from some of L.A.‘s

top restaurants, and dance the night

away to live music.

This year’s Beastly Ball will honor

outgoing Councilman Tom LaBonge

and the 99 Cents Only Stores. Singer,

dancer, producer and philanthropist

Lance Bass, of the group ’NSYNC,

will receive the Greater Los Angeles

Zoo Association’s (GLAZA) Tom

Mankiewicz Leadership award for his

longtime support of the zoo. Tickets to

the Beastly Ball are $1,000 per person.

For information, call (323) 644-4753,

or visit www.lazoo.org.

Friday nights are also heating up

with the “Roaring Nights at the Zoo”

summer music series, offering live

music, zookeeper talks and close-up

encounters with the animals. Musical

line-ups will take the stage on Fridays,

June 26, July 24 and Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.

Food trucks will satisfy guests’ ap-

petites, and full-service bars will offer

libations. General admission is $20.

Music and animals come together

on Saturday, July 11 beginning at 6

p.m. at “Family Jam at the L.A. Zoo”,

with entertainment for all ages. Young

visitors can get up-close with some of

zoo’s smaller animals, and embark on

after-hours “adventures” while view-

ing habitats and exhibits. Food trucks

will keep energy levels up, and fami-

lies can dance to live music. Adult tick-

ets are $20; $15 for children.

Craft beer enthusiasts will have

something to cheer about on Friday,

Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at the 5th annual

“Brew at the Zoo”, where guests can

sample the best from 35 local craft beer

producers and microbreweries, as well

as pub-style food. Zookeeper talks, en-

counters with the animals tours, live

music and more round out the evening

for visitors 21 and over. Advance tick-

ets are $50; $55 at the door if available.

Designated drivers will be admitted for

$25.

“Where else but the L.A. Zoo can

you munch on foods like gourmet

tacos or other great choices, and listen

to bands and entertainment of all kinds

while chatting with our keepers and

visiting our animals after hours?”

Stegman said.

Every trip to the zoo offers eye-

opening experiences, and throughout

the summer, its more than 1,100 ani-

mals will be center stage. Habitats

ranging from LAIR (Living Amphib-

ians, Invertebrates and Reptiles) to the

Campo Gorilla Reserve and the Chim-

panzees of Mahale Mountain to the

Rainforest of the Americas are open for

exploration. Visitors can get up close

with an Indian rhino and the Asian ele-

phants, and walk among orangutans in

the Red Ape Rainforest.

Young children will have a summer

they will never forget with visits to the

Winnick Family Children’s Zoo, and

the botanical gardens are perfect for a

walk among more than 800 different

plant species. The zoo’s flamingos —

one of the largest flocks in the world

— always put on a colorful show.

GLAZA members receive discounts

on tickets and events. The Los Angeles

Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located

at 5333 Zoo Drive in Griffith Park. For

information, call (323)644-6042, or

visit www.lazoo.org.

photo byJamie Pham

Bring the family to the zoo on July 11 for “Family Jam at the L.A. Zoo” where visitors can interact with small animals and groove

to live music.

It’s going to bea wild summerat the L.A. ZooBy EDWIN FOLVEN

At “Brew at the Zoo”,

guests can sample the best

from 35 local craft beer

producers.

photo byTad Motoyama

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 25

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26 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

When Johnny Rocket’s in the his-

toric Farmers Market closed last year,

Sean and Fara Faridnia inquired about

opening a German-style restaurant. As

soon as they received approval, Sean

took over the construction and design

concept to create a lively indoor and

outdoor beer garden in Los Angeles.

His vision was to create a restaurant

similar to Ludwig’s in Munich, Ger-

many, yet with a California twist. Con-

struction took 9 months, building a new

kitchen, large bar area, indoor dining

rooms, and appealing patio for al fresco

dining.

During the restaurant’s first few

weeks in operation, they served bottles

of beer to guests and asked each guest

to sign their bottle. The staff collected

the bottles and had them made into light

fixtures hanging from the ceiling inside

the VIP dining rooms.

What attracts people to Ludwig’s is

the all day Happy Hour on Mondays

and Tuesdays. Guests sitting in the bar

can enjoy libations for $5.

The full bar offers a variety of classic

cocktails, tap and bottled beer and wine.

A VIP table on the patio can be reserved

if guests call ahead and order their

choice of beverage. The staff will have

bottles ready and iced by the time

guests arrive.

Sean hired two talented chefs to

serve authentic German and American

dishes. Some of the most popular items

are the schnitzel topped with an egg

and the Ludwig burger. The charcu-

terie and cheese plates go well with

one of the 20 German, Belgian or do-

mestic beers on draught. They also

offer 30 bottles of beer and red and

white wine that pair nicely with the

Wurst sampler offering a variety of

sausages.

Another great starter is the huge

German pretzel lightly salted and

served with four different dipping

sauces.

The menu has a variety of burgers

and sandwiches served with warm Ger-

man potato salad made with pee wee

potatoes, bacon-mustard vinaigrette,

frisee, and wilted spinach.

The bar stays open until the early

morning hours on the weekend. The

kitchen stays open until 10:30 p.m.,

however the bar offers finger food until

closing with beef sliders, garlic fries,

onion rings, cheese quesadillas, flat

breads and hot wings. All are $5 or

under. 6333 W. 3rd St. Ste. 706

(323)556-6679.

The Miracle Mile’s favorite neighborhood bar is Little Bar, located at the in-

tersection of 8th Street and La Brea Avenue, for the past 10 years.

Bar owner, Angelo Vacco, refers to the Little Bar as the bar away from home.

“It’s like your bar back home — wherever that may be, Washington, D.C.,

New York, Baltimore or Texas,” Vacco said.

Max Boyer, has been a regular at Little Bar for two and a half years.

“It’s been my favorite bar ever

since,” Boyer said. “Although I

live in Hollywood and work in

the San Fernando Valley, I keep

coming back. The bartenders are

the main reasons. They love their

job and care about their cus-

tomers.”

The bar has a rustic aesthetic,

complete with regulation dart

boards, vintage art, a tin rocket

sculpture, a wall of license plates

and the bar’s centerpiece – a mer-

maid swathed in bright neon. The

locals have become regulars at

the Little Bar, especially for the

bar’s Saturday night trivia. Con-

testants can win prizes, drinks

and gift cars by answering trivia on cinema and TV history and current events.

Although the bar doesn’t have a kitchen, it works with local restaurants, which

deliver to patrons directly at the bar. Patrons can order from Rocco’s or Apollo-

nia’s Pizzera on Wilshire Boulevard, El Burrito Jr on South La Brea, Berri’s Café

on 3rd Street and many more.

Happy hour is Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with $5 drafts, wines

or well drinks. Sunday is happy hour all day.

Little Bar is located at 757 S. La Brea Ave., just south of Wilshire Boulevard.

It’s open daily, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. For information, visit www.littlebarlounge.com.

Little Bar

Ludwig Biergarten

Fun, friendly neighborhood barsBy LuIS RIVAS

By JILL WEINLEIN

photos by Luis Rivas

photo by Jill Weinlein

photo courtesy of Ludwig Biergarten

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 27

28 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

“Water is the most important beverageyou can drink,” said Martin Riese,the General Manager of Ray’s &

Stark Bar. We all know that, however this certifiedwater sommelier from Germany is an expert on waterand the TDS (Total Dissolved Solid) in water. “The higher the TDS, the more minerals and

health benefits. There are so many wine, beer andspirit options in restaurants, why only one or twowater options?” Riese said.At Ray’s & Stark Bar they offer an extensive water

menu. There are bottles available to enjoy fromCanada, Denmark, Fiji Islands, France, Germany,Italy, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and theUnited States. One of the bottles is Beverly Hills 90H20, a water

Riese helped create. He brought two distinctive blue90H20 bottles to our table to sample. The TDS ishigher than other American waters and it offers apure, no chlorine smell.Spain is the winner of bottled water offering health

benefits with their Vichy Catalan offering a stagger-ing 3,052 mg per liter of TDS. That’s almost a fulldose of several key minerals your body needs includ-ing calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicar-bonate, fluoride and silica. Riese’s water menu is easy to read with a photo of

each bottle and a rating scale for sweet to salty andsmooth to complex. He also shows the sodium, mag-nesium and calcium content. Who knew water could be so fascinating? Martin

Riese sure did. He is on a mission to educate the pub-lic about water.Ray’s and Stark new executive chef Viet Pham of-

fers innovative plates that can be paired with designerwater, wine, beer or cocktails.

Cooking in a few of Joel Robuchon kitchens be-fore Joachim Splichal hired him, Pham is right athome cooking at LACMA’s fine dining restaurantnext to the vintage lamp posts of “Urban Light”.Pham’s culinary approach combines classic Frenchtechnique with bold flavors. His dishes are museumquality in their artful presentation, especially hishanger steak with a swirl of green garlic puree and

brush of beef jus decorating the white plate with awood grilled steak, roasted summer squash and reedthin asparagus.My favorite dish is his black-as-midnight squid

ink pasta made with a special Italian pasta makercalled a chitarra, giving the fresh noodles a specialtexture. It’s cooked in a lemongrass and ginger waterbefore topped with whole bake blistered Sungoldtomatoes, bits of crab, garlic, Calabrian chili, RedBoat fish sauce and Thai basil. This dish elevatesyour senses to a new level with a hint of sweetness,an essence of citrus and the saltiness of the sea.His fluke (a flatfish or flounder) dish offered the

quintessential summer flavors. Fluke is a mild fishthat Chef Pham cures with kombu, a Japanese kelp,before slicing it thinly on a plate. He garnishes thewhite fish with green strawberries, kumquat, pricklypear and green almonds.Be sure to order the rhubarb crumble with salted

caramel ice cream or the banana bread pudding withcaramelized bananas and a scoop of cognac vanillaice cream. Both are terrific.Brunch is Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to

3 p.m. Lunch is weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.Dinner is served nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. The Baris open until 11 p.m. The restaurant is closed onWednesday.New Jazz Nights on Fridays offer three courses

for $35 and four courses for $45. The dinners coin-cide with a jazz performance at LACMA nowthrough the end of summer.Park for free in the LACMA garage after 7 p.m.

Early birds who brunch before 11 a.m. receive com-plimentary parking when each person spends $20 ormore during brunch. Parking is located on Sixth St.at LACMA Way, one block north of Wilshire Blvdand one block east of Fairfax Ave. $$ 5905 WilshireBlvd. (323)857-6180.

Ray & Stark’s BarWater, wine & jazz

photo courtesy of Patina Restaurant GroupLobster tartine with green Tabasco aioli, fine herbs, red onion and Old Bay gaufrette – an ideal summertime dish – willbe served all day on a special menu from June 22 through Aug. 3.

photo courtesy of Patina Restaurant GroupToad in a hole is a brioche bun, poached egg, ham, truffle sauce, crispy potatoes, chives served for Saturday and Sunday brunch.Pair it with one of their signature cocktails, if you’re desiring something more than their designer waters.

BY JILL WEINLEIN

New Jazz Nights on Fridays offer threecourses for $35 and four courses for $45.

with a jazz performance at LACMA now through the end of summer.

30 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

SequelizingSummer

By TIM POSADA

Istill remember the joy of midnight screenings. Thelines. The anticipation. The bragging rights whenyou see it first. One special viewing stands out. It’sOct. 2, 2009 –– “Zombieland” at midnight. Duringthe trailer for a reboot of “A Nightmare on Elm

Street” four words grace the screen: “From producerMichael Bay.” United in common cause, an uproar of dis-sent drowns out the sound of Freddy scaring on-screen vir-gins. We didn’t forget Mr. Bay’s most recent film,“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, and we all felt ob-ligated to voice our displeasure with anything and anyone

...or how Ilearned to

quit my midnight

movie habit

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 31

connected to that terrible sequel.

Summer was the ideal time for mid-

night screenings. No more. They’ve

transitioned into multiple showings as

early as 6 p.m. on Thursday. Gone is

that singular audience watching to-

gether, laughing together, catching all

the subtleties together.

Of course it couldn’t last. Only a

choice few can enjoy a midnight

screening. I still love it, but I’m sure

plenty of you cringe at the thought of

getting home after 2 a.m. The big

screen no longer belongs to teens and

20-somethings. My community had to

die for many others to partake in the

joy of popcorn fun. I can live with that.

That’s just how summer flicks impact

me.

However, it’s difficult to stay de-

pressed. If I ever feel nostalgic for

something I’ve lost, I need look no fur-

ther than any given weekend from May

to August for a familiar story. Summer

is sequel season after all. My comrades

might be spread out, fragmented in re-

clinable chairs at all times throughout

the evening, but I’m sure they’re fist

pumping at the sight of a new “Mad

Max” film. They might even laugh

alongside me during “Pitch Perfect 2”,

if only as an homage to how good the

first one was.

But our metaphysical

bond loosens at the mere

mention of “Terminator

Genisys” (July 1) thanks to

the many liberties it plans to

take with a canon that dates

back to 1984. An aged T-800

(Arnold Schwarzenegger ) cares for

Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from

birth and somehow her son, John

(Jason Clarke), returns to the past as a

Terminator himself.

Skynet should probably win if such

a robotic concept is the best Warner

Bros. can muster up. But who am I kid-

ding – I’ll see it just to get out of the

heat. And I’m a glutton, for both food

and punishment.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” released

to worldwide success, but can “Ant-

Man” (July 17) surf the high of Marvel

Studio’s world-building empire? Or is

this guy just too smalltime for mass ap-

peal? The idea of Paul Rudd as a su-

perhero is enticing enough, and if they

tap into the absurdity of the character

and his name – Ant-Man – we’re in

good shape.

It would be easy to bemoan “Juras-

sic World” (June 12), but Chris Pratt,

as Owen Grady, training a team of rap-

tors to take down a new monster, only

a cotton candy machine in the lobby

could make that premise better.

I’m perhaps more confused by

“Magic Mike XXL” (July 1). Why

would Channing Tatum bother return-

ing to the man-meat stage? And now

“Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” is

back with chapter 2, “The Green Des-

tiny” (Aug. 28). Only one returning

character, Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu

Lien, and no director Ang Lee attached

–– we’ve apparently waited 15 years

for a sequel no one wants.

What about all those horror sequels

we should expect? You’ve got the

photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Top: The Termintor is back. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his classic role

for a fourth time. Bottom: Emilia Clarke plays Sarah Connor, the role origi-

nally played by Linda Hamilton.

Main: Chris Pratt stars as raptor

trainer Owen Grady in “Jurassic

World”. Inset: Bryce Dallas Howard

is Dr. Claire Dearing, who decides to

splice DNA of dinos, creating a new

breed of monster roaming the park.

(photos courtesy of Universal Pictures)

See next page

32 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

potentially eerie “Sinister 2”

(Aug. 21) and “Insidious 3”

(June 5). The latter is about to un-

dergo a substantial cast turnover.

Either that means magic or indif-

ference. Don’t stay on the edge of

your seat to find out.

Despite the usual dose of skep-

ticism, I remain faithful to Tom

Cruise’s action endeavors, so

“Mission: Impossible – Rogue

Nation” (July 31) is sure to hit all

those blockbusting notes: chase

scenes, shoot outs, oneliners,

cool gadgets. And like its prede-

cessor, your eyes will bleed at the

IMAX showing. Don’t forget,

Cruise does his own stunts –

being cray-cray has its perks.

For that matter, even “Ted 2”

(June 26) could turn out well.

Ever the optimist, summer time

brings with it hope for something

fun despite the many times we’ve

all been hurt. What can I say? I’m

a hopeless romantic.

That midnight movie lover

isn’t gone. He still hopes beyond

hope that something new

emerges from all those recycled

ideas. And he just hits the earlier

showing with friends who need

to be up for work the next day.

Visual effects change, actors

age, directors retire, studios

merge. Now, the midnight show-

ing is a thing of the past too, but

summer sequels are forever, like

the growing dozens of gray hairs

invading my scalp. I’ll just have

to stay young through Tom

Cruise’s impossible stunts.

photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Your favorite demented teddy bear, Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and his best bro John (Mark Wahlberg) are back

for another round of crass humor and juvenile antics “Ted 2”.

photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Paul Rudd prepares to get small as Marvel’s tiniest superhero,

Ant-Man.

photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/The Weinstein Company

Left: Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt shows no signs of slowing down in “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” as he continues his long tradition of performing his own stunts, including

hanging off a plane in the sky. Right: Michelle Yeoh returns as Yu Shu Lien in the “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” sequel nobody knew or expected to arrive 15 years later.

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34 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Carved into the hillside of Chavez

Ravine, Dodger Stadium will be rock-

ing this summer as the Los Angeles

Dodgers defend their National League

West title and strive to make their mark

on the historic franchise in front of

56,000 adoring fans.

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is lead-

ing a powerful and deep lineup that in-

cludes fan favorite Yasiel Puig and

newcomer Joc Pederson, along with twin

aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke

dominating from the mound.

The new ownership, with several

years under its belt, is striving to make

the fan experience just as good as the

on-field product, officials said, and

they’ve made major headway.

“If your image of Dodger Stadium

is just this parking lot and some sta-

dium, you really need to hit the reset

button,” said Janet Marie Smith, senior

vice president of planning and devel-

opment.

During the past few years, Smith has

overseen $150 million in renovations

to Dodger Stadium, which includes ex-

panded concourses, new standing

room and game views, completely re-

defined restrooms, new retail and con-

cessions, new scoreboards and

remodeled clubhouse areas.

“As we have done the renovations

around the stadium, one of my jobs

was to shake off the dust on our

archives and really tell the story of the

team — from the East Coast to the

West Coast and what did that mean for

Los Angeles, the pioneering things the

Dodgers have done over the years,”

Smith said. “We tried to combine the

best of the old with the best of the new,

and really build on the entertainment

quality. We field a competitive team,

but we also want it to be a place where

it is just plain fun to be.”

Electronic upgrades allow for Wi-Fi

Internet and a larger number of LED

screens around the stadium. The park-

ing lots and public transit areas include

new lighting for improved safety.

The Lexus Dugout Club has under-

gone the most changes, renovated for

the first time since 2000. Upgrades in-

clude increased dining room capacity,

new interior décor, additional food op-

tions, new built-in cooking locations, a

new carving station and buffet, new

desserts and premium cocktails, en-

larged and enhanced televisions, San

Antonio Winery products and more

Dodgers memorabilia.

New ballpark food includes La-

sorda’s Meatball Marinara Specialty

Fries, Lasorda’s Meatball Marinara

Cone, L.A. Taqueria’s Carne Asada

Specialty Fries, Tender’s Spicy

Breaded Chicken Sandwich, Fried

Dodger Dogs and Extreme Loaded

Dogs — along with new nacho loca-

tions and expanded beer choices fea-

turing Anheuser Busch’s full product

line and local craft selections.

“We try to make it so it feels com-

fortable and fun to get there early and

stay late,” Smith said. “And Dodger

Stadium is as electric as it’s always

been.”

Game ticket prices range from $12

to $100-plus. Parking costs $10 online

in advance or $20 at the stadium. For

information, visit www.dodgers.com.

Dodgers match winning team with a grand slam fan experience

Friday, June 5 vs Cardinals, 7:10 p.m.

Saturday, June 6 vs Cardinals, 7:10 p.m.

Sunday, June 7 vs Cardinals, 5:08 p.m.

Monday, June 8 vs D-backs, 7:10 p.m.

Tuesday, June 9 vs D-backs, 7:10 p.m.

Wednesday, June 10 vs D-backs, 7:10 p.m.

Wednesday, June 17 vs Rangers, 7:10 p.m.

Thursday, June 18 vs Rangers, 7:10 p.m.

Friday, June 19 vs Giants, 7:10 p.m.

Saturday, June 20 vs Giants, 4:15 p.m.

Sunday, June 21 vs Giants, TBD

Friday, July 3 vs Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Saturday, July 4 vs Mets, 4:15 p.m.

Sunday, July 5 vs Mets, 1:10 p.m.

Monday, July 6 vs Phillies, 7:10 p.m.

Tuesday, July 7 vs Phillies, 7:10 p.m.

Wednesday, July 8 vs Phillies, 7:10 p.m.

Thursday, July 9 vs Phillies, 7:10 p.m.

Friday, July 10 vs Brewers, 7:10 p.m.

Saturday, July 11 vs Brewers, 7:10 p.m.

Sunday, July 12 vs Brewers, 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28 vs Athletics, 7:10 p.m.

Wednesday, July 29 vs Athletics, 7:10 p.m.

Friday, July 31 vs Angels, 7:10 p.m.

June

July

HOMESummer

Schedule

photo by Juan O’Campo / courtesy Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger Stadium undergoes major renovations aimed to improve the fan experience, insiders say, including better Wi-Fi access, increased dining room capacity and more food options.

By JONATHAN VAN DykE

36 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Singer-songwriter Damien

Rice opened the Greek

Theatre this year on April

24 with full Irish gusto, regaling

the crowd with story after story

that sent laughs throughout the

sold-out 5,000-seat venue.

During the course of the per-

formance, Rice and the crowd

became more and more com-

fortable with each other, as is

prone to happen in the open-air

and intimate theatre.

The musician took requests,

implored the crowd to sing

along in a three-part medley and

even borrowed a coat from an

enthusiastic fan. At the end of

the night, Rice struggled to wipe

away a smile as he sang another

sorrowful tune to the rapt crowd,

which howled with delight.

This is how you start a sea-

son, Nederlander Concerts representa-

tives said, and this is why the Greek

Theatre is magic.

“It doesn’t get better than to be able

to see live music under the stars, nes-

tled in the trees in the park,” said Na-

talie Caplan, artists liaison for the

Greek Theatre. “The environment, it’s

a beautiful outdoor setting where you

feel like you are in the middle of

nowhere even though you’re steps

from the city.”

The Greek Theatre is located in

Griffith Park at 2700 Vermont Ave. It

is a city-owned property, run by Ned-

erlander Concerts since 1975, although

the city is slated to run the venue itself

next year. The venue, which opened in

1929, was built in a spot chosen for

natural acoustics from the park’s natu-

ral canyon. The Greek Theatre has

5,900 seats nestled in the hillside and

the stage includes its original 1920s

Greek columns.

The Greek Theatre

“The fact that it is such an intimate

venue, you don’t have that huge dis-

tance from the artists and you feel that

intimacy with the other fans,” Caplan

said. “They want that connection with

the other people in the venue and with

the artists and The Greek lends itself to

that.”

When Caplan talks about the expe-

rience and human element of the staff,

she could very well be telling the story

of Zeke Naranjo, who is the floor staff

manager for the venue. He has worked

his way up to the position during the

last 29 years.

“One thing first: I love being around

people,” Naranjo said. “We’ve never

had any problems with any of the pa-

trons who come to see the shows.

Everyone enjoys themselves. We spe-

cialize in customer service. Patrons

who come over and over again, they

know my staff by name. Everyone is

like family here.”

Nederlander Concerts CEO Alex

Hodges said he has heard The Greek

frequently referred to as the “magical

musical forest.”

“The live music coming off the

stage and through the systems at The

Greek, with the trees and the way it is

laid out, it’s a magical experience,” he

said. “And all the fans seem to echo

that.”

This year’s lineup has been

scheduled with a diverse concert-

going audience in mind: The Piano

Guys, Little Dragon, 94.7 The

Wave’s Soulful Summer (WAR, Los

Lonely Boys, Malo, Tierra), Robert

Plant & The Sensational Space

Shifters, The Doobie Brothers, In-

grid Michaelson, Peter Frampton

and Cheap Trick, Little Big Town,

Ben Folds, Pokémon: Symphonic

Evolutions, Willie Nelson, KOST

103.5 Summer Concert Series Pres-

ents: Under the Sun Tour (Sugar

Ray, Uncle Kracker, Better Than

Ezra, Eve 6), Jim Gaffigan, Wilco,

Blondie, Colbie Caillat, Social Dis-

tortion, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and

more. Ticket prices average $56.

“These concerts are something

everyone can enjoy,” Naranjo said.

“You have concerts for the elderly, the

middle-aged and the younger ones. It’s

beautiful at night, and no matter where

you sit, you can see the show and you

are never far from the stage.”

For information, visit www.greek-

theatrela.com.

‘The Magical Musical Forest’

A summer lineupthat would makethe gods smile

By JONATHAN VAN DykE

“It doesn’t get better than

to be able to see live music

under the stars, nestled in

the trees in the park.”–Natalie Caplan

Greek Theatre artists liaison

photo courtesy of the Greek Theatre

The Greek Theatre, located at 2700 Vermont Ave. in Griffith Park, is city owned and will be operated by the city next year.

38 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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When L’Assiette’s chef and

owner Jacques Fiorentino

opened his restaurant on

Melrose Avenue, he hoped it would be

well received by locals. Word got out

that the restaurant grills tender steaks

and serves the best frites in town.

Chefs make them daily with an

eight-step process before arriving pip-

ing hot at each table. The potatoes are

cooked in beef tallow or peanut oil for

vegetarians.

In the beginning, L’Assiette served

three entrées with the most popular

being the Prime Nebraska Coulotte

steak prepared sous-vide. A black truf-

fle sauce is added for an additional fee.

Guests loved the dining concept of

a second helping of beef and a piping

hot tray of freshly made frites added to

their plate.

L’Assiette recently launched a lunch

menu featuring pescetarian and vege-

tarian-friendly dishes as well as the

coulotte steak on an open face baguette

and a steak salad. Guests can add a

fried egg or Raciette cheese fondue on

the lunch options.

Now they have salad with sous-vide

chilled salmon, chopped little gem let-

tuce, goat cheese, almonds, and citrus

balsamic vinaigrette. There is also

salmon on a freshly-baked baguette

with choice of salad or pommes frites.

Another new item is portobello frites

with marinated grilled portobello

mushrooms.

Night owls enjoy L’Assiette’s late

night menu featuring “demi” sizes of

the restaurant’s namesake dish with

steak frites. The poutine L’Assiette is

Coulotte steak covered with L’Assi-

ette’s signature sauce and topped with

roasted goat cheese.

They offer a steak sandwich and a

sorrel soup served with baguette toast

points.

Fiorentino also offers desserts

worth every calorie. The beignet-style

profiteroles are filled with ice cream

and topped with hot chocolate sauce

for dessert. The fudge brownie has a

sprinkling of sea salt and the Mari-

anne’s Amaretto cake is made from a

family recipe.

L’Assiette offers a great steak in an

elegant setting at a much more reason-

able price than most steak houses —

plus diners get seconds. Open daily at

5:30 p.m. $$ 7166 Melrose Ave.

(323)274-2319.

L'Assiette

Steak & fritesBy JILL WEINLEIN

photo courtesy of L’Assiette

Steak frites is Coulotte-cut, Nebraska beef and hand-cut frites that undergo an eight-step

process that takes a day to prepare and are the main attractions at L’Assiette.

photo courtesy of L’Assiette

Father and son, Jacques and Marc Fiorentino

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 39

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Family Style Korean RestaurantFeatured on

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40 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

323-962-19006263 Leland Way, Hollywood, CA

90028(one block south ofsunset, just east of

Vine)www.offvine.com

offvinerestaurant@sbcglobal.net

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Los Angeles has seemingly been

overwhelmed by gastropubs,

microbreweries and over-

priced mixology bars that have many

people asking, “Whatever happened to

our humble dive bars?”

I began contemplating this question

a few months ago when the Power-

house bar closed its doors on Highland

Avenue near Holly-

wood Boulevard. After

moving from London

to L.A. years ago, I

found the classic Amer-

ican bar to be every-

thing I’d seen on movie

screens or in my fa-

vorite TV shows — dimly lit, a touch

of neon, sports on TV, a jukebox and a

bartender who called you by name and

knew what you wanted as soon as you

walked through the swinging door.

In recent years, I’ve had the privi-

lege to oversee 326 and EB’s, the beer

and wine bars of the Original Farmers

Market, corner of 3rd and Fairfax. I be-

lieve EB’s is quite possibly the last bas-

tion of those bygone L.A. dives.

With its close proximity to The

Grove, Farmers Market has its share of

upscale eateries, and the popular Bar

326 will soon undergo a major renova-

tion and will specialize in beer and

wine from local Los Angeles breweries

and wine makers (a true farmers’ mar-

ket of beer and wine).

But EB’s Bar is still the place to

find old-time Hollywood nostalgia.

The joint is named after E.B.

Gilmore, who not only built the Orig-

inal Farmers Market in 1934, but was

also behind L.A.’s first

professional ballpark

— Gilmore Field.

EB’s presents live

music every Thursday

through Saturday at 7

p.m., and for those

who prefer a more

cerebral evening’s drinking, “Trivia

Tuesdays” are hosted by Tony Roy

every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m.

There is no pretense at EB’s Bar,

just friendly staff, TV sports, music

and the most affordable prices in town

(everything is $4 for happy hour from

3 to 8 p.m.).

EB’s is located in the Original Farmers

Market at 6333 W. 3rd St.

For information, visit www.farmers-

marketbars.com or www.facebook.com/

farmersmarketbars.

photo by Dawn Laureen

Rock supergroup, the International Swingers, rocks out at EB’s.

By GARy TWINN

EB’s Bar is still the

place to find old-

time Hollywood

nostalgia.

Gary Twinn

EB’s knows Rock ‘n’ RollInternational Swingers

frontman Gary Twinn

reflects on how one bar –

EB’s – continues to serve

as sacred ground for

Hollywood’s music scene,

old and new

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 41

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The newest addition to the Smith

Brothers’ restaurant dynasty

stands out for its unique twist

on new American cuisine and its si-

multaneously relaxed yet upscale envi-

ronment with a stylish, modern feel.

SECO offers a variety of seating op-

tions. Sit comfortably in the contempo-

rary interior dining room, or enjoy the

cozy outdoor seating area that’s perfect

for a sunny day or a pleasant evening

by the welcoming fire pit. If you’re in

the mood for lighter fare, belly up to

the polished bar and enjoy a dozen oys-

ters on the half-shell and a handcrafted

cocktail. SECO offers an array of dif-

ferent oysters daily — such as Naked

Cowboy and Blue Point — at market

price. The bar also features several

craft beers on tap including Craftsman

1903 Lager and Stone IPA.

The cuisine at SECO utilizes the

highest quality ingredients in dishes

that are both innovative and quintes-

sentially Californian. While Pasadena

offers many staple options for lunch-

eon dining, lunching on the patio at

SECO is both idyllic and a nice change

from the sometimes monotonous

menus of other spots. Start with a glass

of rosé and order the stuffed shishito

poppers as a small, flavor-packed, bite

to begin a leisurely lunchtime meal.

The peppers, traditionally found in

Japanese restaurants, are prepared with

multi-ethnic flair and filled with spicy

chorizo and goat cheese, lightly fried,

and garnished with Manchego and a

tangy remoulade dipping sauce.

The menu at SECO features several

wood-fired pizzas that are perfectly

sliced for sharing. Try the classic caprese

pizza or the pizza pollo with smoked

chicken, fire-roasted red peppers, and

goat cheese. My personal favorite is the

pizza bianco, an updated white pizza

topped with sautéed leeks and roasted

garlic, adding depth of flavor without in-

cluding grease. The fresh burrata gives

the pizza a creamy element, while the

white cheddar adds a flavorful, salty

tang. The inclusion of fresh basil cuts

through the richness of the pizza with its

crisp, herbaceous flavor.

SECO also offers a wide range of

delicious entrée salads, including clas-

sics like the Chopped Salad alongside

new combinations like the shrimp and

pear salad, which includes arugula,

frisee, spicy peanuts, and delicious

lemon-tarragon vinaigrette. I ordered

the kale salad because I wanted to try

SECO’s take on the latest food trend

that seems to appear on every restau-

rant’s menu. While many kale salads

suffer from being boring, under-

dressed, and bitter, SECO’s kale salad

is unique, tender, and oddly addictive.

The kale is finely chopped with cab-

bage and tossed with a chiffonade of

mint, jalapeno, green apple, and

peanuts in a refreshing honey-soy

vinaigrette. SECO’s Asian-style ap-

proach eliminates all bitterness from

the kale and the mild heat from the

jalapeno keeps diners coming back for

another bite. I suggest ordering the kale

salad as a crisp green side to share or

S E C ONew American cuisine

By REBECCA VILLALPANDO

photo courtesy of Smith Bros. Restaurants

See SECO page 48

42 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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The eclectic décor at Spare Tire

centers around a full-size croc-

odile hanging on the wall. Sil-

ver, pewter and gold painted tires, an

interesting black and white mural and

posters of Marilyn Manson, Rolling

Stones, Jim Morrison and the Ramones

add to the whimsy created by owner

Paul Boettcher.

Executive Chef Isaias Peña’s sum-

mer menu offers a multitude of inter-

national flavors, including 14

gluten-free plates like grilled pork belly

lollipops on long skewers served with

a citrus gastric;

squash blos-

soms stuffed

with goat

cheese and an

interesting pro-

sciutto and fig

stuffed quail

with a sherry

pan sauce.

"I focus on dishes I likes to eat. I

have also included more gluten-free

and vegan dishes," he said.

For heartier fare, try the chicken and

waffles stuffed with gorgonzola and

bacon and served with a rosemary

syrup. The pub burger with smoked

cheddar and bacon is also an excellent

choice.

From the sea section on the menu,

Isaias creates octopus carpaccio, seared

scallops with black gnocchi, pan seared

halibut with a purple cauliflower puree

and New Zealand green mussels

cooked in Alagash Belgian white ale

with orange, garlic and butter.

Try Spare Tire’s wood-fired pizzas

– there are at least ten different pies,

such as the banh mi with pork belly,

peanut sauce, mint, carrots, cilantro

and bean sprouts.

My favorite variety is made with a

delicious fig jam as the sauce, then

topped with prosciutto, red onion and

arugula. The saltiness of the prosciutto

and sweetness of the fig jam is a dyna-

mite combi-

nation.

On the

lighter side

is the heir-

loom farro

salad with

roasted but-

ternut squash,

black truffle,

and boschetto

cheese, topped with

greens and aged balsamic

vinegar.

Spare Tire pours 20 draught

beers, 20 varieties of bottled and

canned beer, and wine by the bottle and

glass.

At the full bar, they’re mixing up

classic cocktails like Rob Roy, Man-

hattan, Old Fashioned, Dark and

Stormy and a variety of mules.

The lunch menu has a multitude of

entrées, salads and sandwiches that in-

clude a Thanksgiving sandwich,

Chicago Italian beef on a French roll

and

a beer

battered fish

filet.

Spare Tire Kitchen &

Tavern is open for lunch, happy hour,

dinner and late-night snacks from

11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday through

Saturday; and from 11:30 a.m. to mid-

night, Sunday through Wednesday. $$

5370 Wilshire Blvd., (323)525-2618.

Rolling down the Miracle Milewith Spare Tire

The proscuitto and red onion pizza on a fig

jam spread topped with arugula is one of

Jill’s favorites at Spare Tire.

(photo by Jill Weinlein)

JILL WEINLEIN

Executive Chef

Isaias Peña

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 43

Korean barbecue has been a mainstay in Los Angeles for years, yet many

residents in our city have never been to a Korean restaurant, including

my octogenarian father. I recently enlightened my dad by treating him

to an authentic lunch at Dong IL Jang in Koreatown.

Since 1979, owner Roy Kim and his parents have been serving their authentic

dishes to Angelenos in a friendly and respectful atmosphere.

Walking into the restaurant, my father admired the koi fish pond by the front

door and remarked how professional the servers looked in their chocolate brown

uniforms with a starched white collars and aprons.

We sat in a booth with a covered gas burner insert in the table and exhaust fan

hood above. Our server, Ms. Song welcomed us with a friendly smile, and gave

us a few recommendations. She thought we would like the Dohl Sot Bibimbap

bowl and a glassy potato noodle dish called Chap Chae.

Before our entrées arrived, another server brought us the traditional Korean

banchan - side dishes served family

style. With chopsticks in hand, we nib-

bled on housemade kimchi (fermented

cabbage), seasoned bean sprouts,

sautéed spinach, Korean pancakes, and

radish in a red sauce. The little bowls

offered a variety of rich with scented

flavors.

My father loved the Bibimbap

served with white rice in a hot stone

pot with namul (sautéed and seasoned

vegetables), beef, gochujang (chili pepper paste), and soy sauce. An egg yolk is

added on top for flavor and protein.

The slightly sweet Chap Chae noodles arrived with thin strips of stir fried veg-

etables and meat.

There are exotic dishes on the menu, such as thinly sliced beef tongue, beef

intestine, tripe and hot spicy squid. The seafood pancake made with egg, green

onions, calamari and jalapeños give it a slight kick.

At the end of our meal, Ms. Song brought us two glasses of rice punch, very

refreshing and not too sweet.

As we walked out to the front door, Roy stopped us and asked if we had a

nice lunch. My father replied, “I really like Korean food. It’s delicious.”

The restaurant is open for lunch at 11 a.m. with specials ranging from $10.95

to $15.95. Dinner is served until 10 p.m. $$ 3455 W. 8th St. (213)383-5757.

korean food at its finestBy JILL WEINLEIN

photo by Kaitlyn Yoo

Traditional Korean banchan – or side dishes – accompany the beef to be self-cooked.

photo by Kaitlyn Yoo

44 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

The Gumbo Pot“Best Gumbo in Town”

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Visitors getting off the tourist

buses that stop daily at the

Farmers Market roam through

the stalls searching for something won-

derful to eat. Many stand in line with

locals at Pampas Grill.

Francisco Carvalho and Caesar Bre-

laz opened the Brazilian restaurant in

2001 to bring churrascarias at the

Farmers Market.

Churrascarias cuisine is from the

southeast region of Brazil where the

South American cowboys reside in the

Pampas region. This area offers plains

with large cattle ranches and is the re-

gional cuisine both men grew up eat-

ing. They wanted to share the spices

and seasonings with Los Angelenos.

The duo developed a self-serve ca-

sual restaurant where diners select

items from the salad bar and are

charged by the pound before sitting

down to enjoy the food.

The salad bar offers hearts of palm,

hard-boiled eggs, broccoli,

corn, and tomatoes. Pre-

pared salads include a Cae-

sar salad, eggplant salad,

string bean salad and pasta

salad.

There is also a selection

of hot dishes that include

fried yucca, black beans,

garlic rice, mashed potatoes,

chicken stroganoff, zuc-

chini, friend plantains, col-

lard greens, linguine pasta

and beef stew.

Be sure to order Carvalho’s fresh

and hot cheese bread. It’s his grand-

mother’s recipe baked daily.

Next, guests select from the Chur-

rasco menu, large pieces of meat bar-

becued over an open charcoal fire pit

sprinkled with rock salt.

“It takes about three months to train

a chef for Pampas Grill,” said Car-

vahlo. “The best of those chefs not

only cook but they carve as well. Not

everyone can do both well. The

carvers work hard to serve meat the

way our customers want it.”

Some of their best sellers include top

sirloin, Brazilian sausage, spicy

chicken thighs, garlic chicken drum-

sticks, sirloin cap and pork loin. The

garlic beef has an abundance of garlic,

and the chicken breast is marinated in

citrus juice, garlic and fresh herbs. The

carvers slice the meat based on your

desired cooking preference.

Pampas Grill offers two desserts, a

flan and passion fruit mousse. Both are

made in house.

Pampas Grill has two locations.

6333 W. Third St. #618 (323)931-1928

and 3857 Overland Ave. (310)836-

0080.

photo courtesy of Pampas Grill

Pampas Grill provides authentic Brazilian food, from seasonings to churrasco-style cooking.

An ‘express way’ to Argentina

Pampas GrillBy JILL WEINLEIN

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 45

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Open24 Hours

Try one of our Delicious, New Burgers!

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As a pioneer of culinary small plate fare or tapas paired with unique cock-

tails prepared table-side, José Andrés has earned an impressive list of

awards including, "Outstanding Chef" by the James Beard Foundation

and GQ Magazine Man of the Year. His molecular gastronomy, which uses ad-

vances in culinary science, creates new exciting flavors and textures.

The interior of The Bazaar inside the SLS Hotel offers a large bar area and

two dining rooms. The Patisserie is a pink dessert palace with numerous glass

retail display cases selling interesting items. It's a marriage of Los Angeles chic

with Las Vegas glitz designed by Philippe Starck.

Andrés popular and whimsical tapas include the American stur-

geon caviar served in paper-thin pastry cones, and a Caprese style

plate with sweet cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls that burst

with a liquid gel. The red and white colors on a swirl of emerald

colored pesto offer an eye-catching presentation.

A mixologist with his elegant wheeled cart of liquid nitrogen

visits tables to make specialty vaporing cocktails with a theatrical

flair.

Andrés is known for his Jamón Serrano Fermín board layered

with slices of dry cured ham with lightly toasted bread topped with

a delicious tomato jam. Pair this plate with a flute of champagne

to enhance the spicy flavors.

His salads include long strips of peeled green apple with fennel,

Manchego cheese, and chopped walnuts.

From the sea, the kitchen makes Japanese tacos filled with grilled

eel, shiso, cucumber, wasabi and chicharron and succulent seared

scallops with a distinctively smooth Romesco sauce.

Tender Loup de Mer is served with celery root puree and sea

beans and succulent shrimp sautéed with garlic.

The dessert menu is one of the most extensive I have ever seen,

offering a variety of chocolate bonbons and cookies, walnut brownies and milk

chocolate mousse cake, along with chestnut or chocolate cream puffs.

The Bazaar is filled with so many gastronomical delights that you will want

to come back again and again. 465 S. La Cienega Blvd. (310)246-5555.

By JILL WEINLEINWelcome to José Andrés’ The Bazaar

photo courtesy of Jose Andres The Bazaar

Andrés is known for his Jamón Serrano Fermín board

layered with slices of dry cured ham.

46 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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Talented chef Tony Esnault at

Church & State is one of my fa-

vorite chefs with his personable

style and attention to detail. His focus

on ingredients and presentation contin-

uously pleases his diners.

Sitting near the kitchen, we watched

Esnault orchestrate the kitchen, in-

specting each dish and meticulously

perfecting the plating before handing it

off to the server.

The tables are close together creat-

ing a lively, bustling atmosphere with

brick flooring and white tile walls.

Twinkling lights strung from one cor-

ner to another adds to the celebratory

environment. Built in 1925, this gor-

geous space once had trains pull up in

the back with goods for the National

Biscuit Company, where Nabisco

products were made. The white tile and

glass wall in the back are remnants of

the loading dock.

Esnault is known for his beautiful

puff pastry escargot with garlic butter,

like mini luscious soufflés in a classic

egg cup. The charcuterie plank offers a

variety of meat from organic farms that

don't use antibiotics or hormones.

His chicken liver mousse is made

with Mary's Chicken organic liver, ap-

ples and cognac. It's buttery smooth to

spread on a slice of French baguette.

The thinly sliced cured pork belly is

made with rosemary, thyme, onion and

black peppercorn. Esnault simmers

pork with vinegar, garlic and parsley

until it’s tender and comes off the bone

for over a week to make head cheese.

The pork rillettes are slowly cooked

pork confit with garlic and onions. The

country pate is made with duck, pork,

cognac and green peppercorn.

The duck prosciutto is dried for two

weeks, resulting in a deep rich color.

The various meats are accompanied by

pickled carrots, cornishons, yellow and

purple cauliflower, watermelon radish

turnips and housemade mustard.

The charcuterie pairs well with an

organic Beatrice et Pascal Lambert,

Cabernet Franc, Chinon wine to bal-

ance the richness of the meat.

Known for his colorful tartes, try his

English pea tart with mint, carrots,

onion, garlic and goat cheese on thin

flatbread. The verdant array of spring

delights offered earthy flavors and pro-

vided a buttery, flaky texture.

The three-beet salad is arranged ar-

tistically with red, golden and candy

striped beet towers. Crisp beet chips

are wedged into bright white goat

cheese and a slice of thin toasted

baguette balances on top.

One of my favorite dishes on the

menu is the Coq au Vin braised for

By JILL WEINLEIN

Experience seasonal rustic French

cuisine with Church & State

photo courtesy of Church & State

The classic dish, bouillabase, is quintessentially French with a bountiful serving of seafood.

See Tony Esnault page 48

known for his colorful tartes, try his English pea tart with

mint, carrots, onion, garlic and goat cheese on thin flatbread.

The verdant array of spring delights offered earthy flavors

and provided a buttery, flaky texture.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 47

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��� �"��!�����$�%�!���#& ���%�!������%������� ���� �

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Chef Ernesto Uchimura's pas-

trami nosh piled high with

double smoked pastrami and

topped with melted Swiss cheese, kim-

chi mustard, pickles and a fried egg,

served sunny-side up is one of my fa-

vorite sandwiches in Los Angeles.

He takes contemporary gastropub

food to a new level when paired with

Plan Check's beers, Japanese whiskey,

creative cocktails and fun atmosphere.

Reclaimed wood, a chalkboard

menu, Restoration Hardware-style

high table-tops with stools and a large

front window are trademarks at each

location.

Since chef Uchimura is of Japanese

and Argentinean descent, he grew up

in a home with diverse cooking styles,

as his mother prepared Argentinean

specialties, while his father created

Japanese dishes. His heritage inspires

him to infuse Japanese seasoning into

some of his dishes, as well as make his

own Kimchi mustard, innovative

ketchup leather, and unique kim-

cheese.

His beer nuts are sweet and salty

with a hint of wasabi and his creamy

baked crab dip is spiked with a dyna-

mite sauce, masago, charred tomato

and nori seaweed.

Uchimura presents many of his

dishes in a whimsical way. His exotic

veggie chips are served in a little fryer

basket with a side of creamy avocado

dip. He also makes a clever decon-

structed pickled candy stripe beet salad

with pomegranate molasses, and olive

oil drizzled on whipped goat cheese

and peppercress, a peppery relative to

watercress.

People drive from all over Los An-

geles to sink their teeth into a blueprint

burger served with smoked blue cheese

and luscious pig candy – glorified

slices of caramelized bacon.

From 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through

Plan Check Kitchen + Bar Japanese and Argentine? yes, and it works

Friday, the downtown Los Angeles and

Fairfax Plan Check Kitchen + Bar hosts

a shift change happy hour featuring $2

off all draft beers and cocktail specials.

At the downtown location, bar-

tenders make a $6 Old Fashioned with

Slow & Low Rock and Rye to sip with

new exclusive bar fare. Guests order

tacos hamburguesa; baked oyster

Rockefeller; and a plate of beast fries

with schmaltz onions, bacon spread

and Americanized cheese.

Both downtown and the Fairfax lo-

cations offer a $6 Tropical Daisy drink

with jalapeño infused tequila with a

choice of blood orange or mango juice.

The menu has pimento grilled cheese

and bacon with green chiles; a South-

ern fried chicken sandwich with Jidori

chicken, yam preserves, smoked milk

gravy and pickled okra.

Be sure to finish with a plate of airy

cruller donuts with slices of banana and

sprinkled with sugar.

At the Sawtelle location, happy hour

is from from 3 to 6 p.m. with $2 off

drafts, well drinks and $4 off house wine.

Open seven days a week from 11:30

a.m. to closing. $$ 351 N. Fairfax Ave.

(310)288-6500, 1111 Wilshire Blvd.

(213)403-1616 and 1800 Sawtelle

Blvd. (310)444-1411.

photo courtesy Plan Check Kitchen + Bar

Plan Check serves a smoky fried jidori chicken smoked milk gravy, yam preserves and spicy

pickled okra. Fried chicken also comes on a sandwich with spicy green pimento cheese, duck

breast ham and pickles.

By JILL WEINLEIN

48 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

FOOD is FRIENDS

FOOD is PASSION

FOOD is LOVE

Ca’Breais FOOD

346 South La Brea AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90036Tel: 323.938.2863

www.cabrearestaurant.com

three days in red wine, herbs, salt and pepper. Try the Loup de Mer simmered in

an exquisite fennel jus with a subtle aroma of anise. It is plated with a tender

fennel bulb, scallions, blistered cherry tomatoes and khaki colored Castelvetrano

olives to provide a salty balance to the sweetness of the fennel.

Desserts include a cheese

plate that offers sheep cheese

from Corsica that is strong to the

nose and a Swiss cow cheese

that offers a nutty flavor. There

is also a wooden plank of sweet

desserts prepared by the new

pastry chef Joseph Kim. The

lemon tart made with freshly

squeezed lemons and served

with lime infused cucumber

slices and lime coulis sauce was

light, fresh and so satisfying.

Another delicious dessert is

the chocolate sorbet with pieces

of espresso meringue that were

so light and airy, almost evapo-

rating on the tongue.

Dining at Church and State is

always a pleasure. Make it a habit!

$$-$$$ Open for lunch Mon-

day through Thursday starting at

11:30 a.m. Open for dinner Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. Dinner on Saturday

and Sunday begins at 5:30 p.m. 1850 Industrial St. (213)405-1434.

photo courtesy of Church & State

Executive chef Tony Esnault continues to focus on

lighter French Mediterranean dishes at Church &

State using fresh local, seasonal and sustainable in-

gredients.

Tony Esnault of Church & StateFrom page 46

SECO - Smith Bros. latest creationFrom page 41

adding shrimp or salmon or another protein to make it a main dish.

SECO features several sandwiches exclusively for lunch and adds other more

traditional entrée options for dinner. Try the ahi tuna sandwich with wasabi aioli,

tomatoes, grilled onions and field greens with balsamic vinaigrette. The airy bun

with crisp crust is the perfect vehicle for the generous portion of fresh ahi and

the surprising twist of wasabi in the aioli makes the dish especially flavorful.

Whether you are

enjoying a business

lunch, a bar snack or a

casual dinner, the

farm-fresh, high qual-

ity of the ingredients

takes SECO’s new

American cuisine to

the next level. While

SECO features the

high-quality service

and fare we’ve come

to expect from Smith

Brothers’ restaurants,

it does so in a chic yet

relaxing environment

that sets it apart.

SECO is open daily

from 11:30am and features a special bar menu and reduced price libations during

their social hour between 4:30-6:30 p.m. daily. Can you say street tacos, mini

pizzas and discounted IPAs? I’m in. SECO is located at 140 S. Lake Ave. in

Pasadena, CA. Complimentary valet parking is available at Smitty’s Grill, on

Shoppers Lane, located only a few doors from SECO.

photo courtesy of Smith Bros. Restaurants

The patio at Seco is bright and sunny or warm and cozy de-

pending on the time of day – or year.

50 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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Ventura County

All aboard for a fun excursion –

Trains, planes, whale watching, wine tasting and a cold beer. No, this isn’t

a promo for a summer movie blockbuster. It’s just some of the many

things for visitors to do and see in Ventura County.

First stop, Fillmore, a historic and charming small town about 45 minutes

north of Los Angeles.

The Fillmore & Western Railway Company is a fully-functional railway com-

plete with weekend train rides, murder mystery rides and trains to nearby Santa

Paula and other destinations. The scenic routes travel through California’s citrus

belt on the railway’s most iconic and historic trains.

“Guests can come by on Saturdays for the weekend scenic excursions to Santa

Paula. We also work with local schools for weekly field trips to the Fillmore Fish

Hatchery,” said Fillmore & Western Railway Company representative Tresa

Wilkinson. “It’s fun for the whole family.”

Fillmore & Western Railway’s main attraction is its Saturday afternoon scenic

excursions, with trains going to Santa Paula and Loose Caboose shop where you

can find an eclectic assortment of gifts, antiques and local honey. Aboard a re-

stored 1928 Diner Car, enjoy dinner service from the a la carte menu. Although

the train departs at noon, try to get there early as it is first come, first seated. The

first stop is Santa Paula, where train riders can visit up to three museums or shop

in downtown Santa Paula. The second stop is the Loose Caboose.

For adults, tickets are $25, $23 for seniors, $15 for children ages 4 through

12, $10 for children 2 and 3, and free for children 23 months and under.

Officially recognized as the Fillmore & Western Railway Company in 1996,

the railway has been popularly featured in film and TV productions, such as ap-

pearing on the Food Network, “Get Smart”, “Mad Men”, “NCIS-Los Angeles,”photo by Luis Rivas

By LuIS RIVAS

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 51

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5969 Melrose Ave. (corner of Wilcox)(323) 467-7124

www.vineamericanparty.com

– just an hour from the city“True Blood” among others.

The murder mystery dinner train ride pulls on to the tracks on selected Satur-

day nights year-round and departs 6:30 p.m. and returns at 9:30 p.m. Each murder

mystery dinner train ride comes stocked with a full bar. Guests are served a three-

course dinner of fresh garden salad, bread and butter and choice of prime rib au

jus with a baked potato or chicken cordon bleu with sauce, rice and vegetables

or blackened pork chop with sauce, rice and vegetables. Coffee or tea and dessert

are included. Audience participation is key in solving the murder mystery, but

not required.

The murder mystery lunch train rides are also scheduled on selected dates with

varying themes. The lunch performance is more comedic than the dinner. The P.

Maxwell Production troupe performs while guests enjoy the Fillmore & Western

Railway Company’s signature Orange Blossom Chicken three-course lunch.

A perfect day trip for the entire family to drive from Los Angeles on a Saturday

afternoon and experience a relaxing train ride through 100-year-old citrus and

avocado groves of the Heritage Valley.

For a complete list of train rides and itinerary, visit www.fwry-blog.com.

A good place to recharge is at the local gastropub and brewhouse, Anacapa

Brewing Company in downtown Ventura. Guests can enjoy a variety of brews

which may include the crisp Pissy Pelican Pale Ale, the light-bodied Seaward

Golden Ale, a rich, dark Benyhana Espresso Stout, a medium-bodied Santa Rosa

Red or the full-bodied Pierpont IPA.

Guests enjoy a full menu of different styles of burgers, including the Scorcher

Burger with ghost pepper cheese, BBQ pulled pork or the spicy Newport sand-

wich made with homemade buffalo wing sauce, salmon teriyaki salad or the

golden ale battered fish and chips. The gastropub works closely with local farm-

ers in Ventura County to supply visitors with the freshest locally-grown produce.

Heritage Square is located in the oldest section of Oxnard where many of the

city’s founding families once lived. Enjoy wine tasting at Rancho Ventavo’s tast-

ing room, located in the Scarlett House, one of the oldest Victorian homes in Ox-

nard, built in 1902. Rancho Ventavo winery exclusively produces red wines,

including cabernet sauvignon and franc, merlot, syrah and petite sirah. Their

most popular wine is the 2006 Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon/syrah blend.

Be sure to try La Dolce Vita, for dinner. The restaurant offers guests a unique

fusion of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine with antipasto and tapas, such as co-

photo by Luis Rivas

Anacapa Brewing Company is a fully operational brew house, restaurant and bar in down-

town Ventura. Stop in to taste some of the brewmasters latest pints.

See Whale watching page 52

52 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

conut shrimp with spicy apricot

sauce, pumpkin ravioli topped with

gorgonzola cream sauce, sage and

walnuts, and zuppa, pasta and piatti,

such as veal scaloppini marsala or the

seared Ahi tuna served rare over

risotto or jasmine rice with baby bok

choy, drizzled with lemon aioli.

Include in your weekend getaway a

visit to the Channel Islands National

Park in Ventura and go on a whale-

watching tour with Island Packers.

With comedic commentary by the cap-

tain, guests enjoy the sights at sea, such

as dolphins, gray whales, sea lions and

the Anacapa and Santa Rosa islands. If

whale watching doesn’t float your boat,

visitors can also go on kayaking excur-

sions and other special trips.

In nearby Camarillo, visitors can

explore the Southern California Wing

of the Commemorative Air Force mu-

seum located at the Camarillo Airport

just west of the 101 Freeway. Some

of the aircraft on display are the F6F-

5 Hellcat, which was known as the

‘Ace Maker”; a P-51 Mustang, “Man

O’ War”, a C-45 “Bucket of Bolts”, a

T-6/SNJ and the Curtiss C-46 F

“Commando” Transport.

In addition to the aircraft, the mu-

seum has an extensive collection of

exhibits, uniforms, antique weapons

and ammunition, post cards, radio

equipment and other war-time

relics.

Ventura County has it all: muse-

ums, historic attractions, scenic out-

ings and relaxing adventures. Visit

www.visitventura.com.

Whale watching & moreFrom page 51

The Original Farmers Market, corner of 3rd and Fairfax, presents the return

of its free “Friday Night Music Series” running through Friday, Aug. 28.

The series includes a performance by The Jazz Leaders, composed of Dr.

Bobby Rodriguez, Ryan Cross, Billy Mitchell, Paul Kreibich, Rickey Woodard

and Bobby Matos, on Friday, June 5; followed by a tribute to Motown music

with Otis Hayes, a seasoned jazz musician who has toured with James Brown,

The Temptations and Martha Reeves, on Friday, June 12.

Orquesta Charangoa performs its Cuban Charanga music on June 19, followed

by the western swing sounds of The Lucky Stars on June 26; Nina Lares’ jazz

standards on July 3; and Dakota’s Centennial Salute to Ol’ Blue Eyes — a Sinatra

tribute — on July 10. Bluesman Gino Matteo will perform on July 17; Bad Hag-

gis with Eric Rigler performs on July 24; and Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto

Amistad performs salsa music on July 31. The series continues with the Califor-

nia Feetwarmers on Aug. 7; Ethio Cali on Aug. 14; SideWynders on Aug. 21 and

Incendio on Aug. 28.

The series is held every Friday beginning at 7 p.m. on the West Patio stage.

The Original Farmers Market is located at 6333 W. 3rd St. For information, call

(323)933-9211, or visit ww.farmersmarketla.com.

Farmers Market sizzles with

Friday Night Music series

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 53

Live Music !

Free Admission!

Enjoy a taste of the Bayou!

Bring the whole family!

FATHER’S DAY CRAWFISH B

OIL

sat., June 13 2-5 pm

2560 S. Lincoln Blvd. Marina del Rey

Northeast corner of Lincoln & Washington Bl.

310.306.GUMBO310.306.4862

www.uncledarrows.com

The Pierpont Inn is an historic clas-

sic craftsman architectural hotel

located just off the 101 Frwy in the

heart of Ventura.

Built in 1910, it has served as an

oasis for travelers on their journey up

and down the California coast.

Roads were rougher then, and the

automobiles were not equipped with

the comforts of today. Guests could

count on a home cooked meal, com-

fortable accommodations and a warm

welcome from proprietor, Josephine

Pierpont.

Today The Pierpont Inn continues

its tradition of being a warm and wel-

coming place. While much of the hotel

remains the same, additional rooms

and an annex have been added over the

years. The Inn is a perfect location for

corporate meetings, weddings, recep-

tions and quiet getaways.

They host winemaker dinners and

offer seasonal specials in the lively

restaurant. Austen’s serves classic and

innovative American cuisine. Try the

habanero lime sea bass, a flavorful fish

with a zesty yet sophisticated finish.

Steaks, burgers, pastas and salads – all

fresh and expertly prepared – are also

on the menu. Relax and unwind with

your favorite glass of wine, cocktail or

craft beer while sitting by the window

and enjoying the ocean view. Austen’s

is the quintessential California experi-

ence.

postcard courtesy of Pierpont Inn

The back of the postcard reads, “The Pierpont, an inn of very unusual distinction, over-

looking the Pacific Ocean on the main automobile road between Los Angeles and Santa

Barbara.” The Pierpont Inn is located at 550 Sanjon Rd., Venura, CA. (805)643-6144.

www.pierpontinn.com.

By MICHAEL VILLALPANDO

photo courtesy of Pierpont Inn

The view from the inn’s lawn overlooks the Pacific Ocean in Ventura, CA.

54 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

RecipesBoozy Berries and Cream

3 cups of quartered strawberries¼ cup white dessert wine2 tablespoons of granulated sugar1 8 oz. container of mascarpone cheese2 tablespoons of Chambord3 tablespoons of half and half1 passion fruit¼ cups of chopped pecans2 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons brown sugarA pinch of sea salt

Cut up strawberries and place in a glass-serving bowl. Add the ¼ cup of icewine and 1 tablespoon of white granulated sugar. Set aside and let the straw-berries macerate.In an electric mixing bowl, whip the mascarpone cheese with Chambord, halfand half and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar until fluffy and smooth. Do notover mix or it will become paste-like.Put the Chambord cream into a piping bag and cover the strawberries withsmall pillows of cream.Next, put the chopped pecans into a small saucepan on high heat with the brownsugar, butter and sea salt. Stir constantly with wooden spoon until small bubblesstart to gather on the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Pour the pecan caramelonto parchment paper to cool.Cut open the passion fruit and scoop flesh out. Place in a small bowl and mixaround until the fruit is broken up.Garnish the top of the strawberries and cream with the candied pecans andpassion fruit and serve immediately.

It’s really yummy! by Emily Villalpando

favorite summertime

White Bean Salad

2-15 oz.cans of white beans*1 cup of Italian parsley½ cup olive oil2 tablespoons of drained capers4 filets of anchovies1 cup of quartered radishes¼ cup of chopped Kalamata olives¼ cup of apple cider vinegar½ cup lemon juiceSalt and pepper to taste

Puree together the parsley, capers, anchovies and olive oil in a food processor.Pulse until it creates thick paste. Pour the parsley paste into a large bowl. Whiskin the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Next, strain the white beans and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Addthe Kalamata olives and radishes. Mix until all the beans are covered.Cover with saran wrap and leave in a cool place for an hour. We think it’s bestserved at a cool room temperature. Season with a little salt and pepper and asqueeze of lemon to give it a freshness just before serving.

*Variation: substitute 1 can of white beans with garbanzo beans

Enjoy!

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 55

In the Farmers MArket • 3rd & fairfax • 323.939.9728www.Ulyssesvoyage.com

Great Greek Dining!Enjoy a romantic greek dinner on our patio

among the olive trees & twinkling lights!

our show-stoppping Saganaki “flaming cheese”

Grilled salmon salad

FFuullll BBaarr ,, BBrreeaakkffaasstt,, lluunncchh,, ddiinnnneerr

56 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

Celebrating 60 in

New OrleansW

eather is a hot topic in

New Orleans and it

seems that when we plan

a visit, a weather incident

is occurring. Last fall, Tropical Storm

Karen (not me) was set to hit town. Last

April, we were met with the threat of

Southern Soaker 2015. But magically,

we dodged the weather both times. The

Southern Soaker turned out to be noth-

ing more than Spring Sprinkles.

Our adventure was to celebrate my

husband’s 60th birthday and we had a

full agenda. Our first stop was Superior

Seafood’s happy hour for 50¢ oysters

and cold NOLA Brewing Company

beer. Gulf oysters taste unlike oysters

from other coasts. They’re bigger,

briny, more flavorful and a dozen

won’t set you back $30. This would be

the first of many dozens we consumed

over our five-day vacation in New Or-

leans. Superior Seafood has superb

hospitality and it’s just plain fun.

www.superiorseafoodnola.com.

Exploring the neighborhoods – or

parishes – of the city was our goal. To

venture beyond the French Quarter and

into various parts of the city and soak

up the local culture was our motto. We

drove to the township of Jean Lafitte

on the bayou and spotted a live alliga-

tor. Popping into a bait shop, we in-

quired if they served lunch. “Nope, but

we’ve got cold beer.” Well, that will do

just fine.

We also drove to City Park, where

the New Orleans Museum of Art

(NOMA) is located, as well as the Be-

stoff Sculpture Garden. NOMA is the

city’s oldest fine arts institution con-

taining a permanent collection with

more than 40,000 works. The sculpture

garden holds more than 60 sculptures.

Other attractions at the park include

Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, an

18-hole golf course, mini golf, the

Train Garden and kayaking.

The park is bordered by cemeteries,

which in New Orleans are above

ground, exposing the elaborate stone

crypts and mausoleums for people to

explore. The cemeteries have come to

resemble small villages and have been

nicknamed the “Cities of the Dead”.

Audubon Park, across the street

from Tulane University, is another

jewel of the city. Spanish moss covers

the tree branches and hangs down pro-

viding beautiful canopies. A jogging

path encircles the park, always lively

with runners and walkers. A golf

course sits in the center, and beyond

that lies the New Orleans Zoo. There

is also a bird sanctuary attracting

dozens of species.

One of the main attractions when

visiting New Orleans, however, is the

food. We meticulously planned our

culinary adventures and made reserva-

tions well in advance.

We have previously dined at three of

chef Donald Link’s restaurants: Co-

chon Butcher, Herbsaint and Peche.

This time, we anxiously awaited our

experience at Cochon, Butcher’s big

brother. The restaurant’s namesake

means “pig” and the team led by chef

de cuisine, Matthew Woodall, takes

full advantage of the whole hog.

We started with a round of appetiz-

ers including wood fired oysters, pig’s

feet with peanuts, pickled strawberries

and a strawberry glaze, and pork cheek

served over creamed corn. At our first

bites, we knew we were in for an ex-

ceptional evening.

The creamed corn was the perfect

texture – not too thick and heavy, per-

fectly complementing the succulent

pork cheek.

Woodall encouraged us to be adven-

turous, so we opted for the special of

the evening – a whole pig’s tail. Crispy

chicharron on the outside with tender

meat inside, the tail was interesting to

see, resembling a whip, but oh, what

flavor and texture. Michael said it was

possibly the best thing he’s ever eaten.

Other dishes I would recommend

are the rabbit and dumplings, a house

specialty, with roasted turnips and

sage. The taste and aroma were mag-

nificent. Woodall’s mac n’ cheese is

creamy and delicious with an irre-

sistable crust made crisp under the

broiler.

Woodall’s Southern hospitality

matches the sweetness of his desserts:

butterscotch pot de crème, lemon

meringue custard and rhubarb ice

cream. You’ll find excellent and friendly

service by a well-trained staff. A jovial

night was had at this Link Group star.

www.cochonrestaurant.com.

Walking around the city all day al-

lowed us to splurge for dinner. And we

took full advantage. Emeril’s is cele-

brating its 25th year. His namesake

restaurant, housed in the Warehousephoto by Michael Villalpando

The whole pig’s tail at Cochon is a sight to behold, and even better to eat.

By kAREN VILLALPANDO

photo by Michael Jilg

Historic Jackson Square faces the Mississippi River and is surrounded by historic buildings,

including the St. Louis Cathedral.

Park Labrea News/Beverly Press June 2015 Dining & Entertainment 57

district, is highly popular and reserva-

tions are necessary. The cuisine is clas-

sic New Orleans in a sleek,

contemporary environment.

After a complimentary amuse

bouche of pork belly and other tasty

tidbits on a spoon, we started with

Emeril’s famous barbecue shrimp –

which aren’t grilled shrimp – a signa-

ture dish. Succulent Gulf shrimp are

coated in a lemony, garlicky caramel-

hued sauce, which has gained its color

from Worcester, seasoning and slow

simmering. You will savor every bite!

Another terrific appetizer is the beef

Carpaccio with crème fraiche,

Choupique caviar, soft egg, ice wine

vinegar and crisp potato, melding mar-

bled beef with even more sophisticated

ingredients.

For entrées, Michael and I shared

Emeril’s whole truffle fried chicken for

two, presented on a wood cutting board

with all the fixings. What a scrump-

tious extravagance! I have never tasted

fried chicken like this. The chicken is

sous vide with truffle and then battered

and fried. The fixings are all the accou-

terments you would find in a crab boil

– corn, mushrooms, Andouille sausage

and yes, crawfish. Wow – the consum-

mate New Orleans dish!

The whole roasted daily Gulf catch

that evening was flounder, marvelously

prepared. Andouille crusted drum, a

Gulf fish, has been on the menu for 25

years and it has Emeril’s stamp on it –

BAM! Glazed pecans and a Creole

Meuniére top the chargrilled fish.

Memorable shrimp and grits rounded

out the entrées enjoyed at the table. We

selected a Ramey Chardonnay and a

Shannon Cabernet from Healdsburg,

allowing everyone to pour what best

matched his or her food. A sweet end-

ing of banana cream pie shared by the

table completed a perfect evening. At

Emeril’s, it’s not only about the food,

it’s about the entire experience. Add

this to your itinerary when you go to

NOLA. www.emerils.com.

On Saturday, Tulane University was

hosting their annual Crawfest, an event

that is free for students and faculty and

only $10 per person for locals and

guests. Crawfest is an all-day festival

celebrating the mudbugs, as they are

affectionately referred to, with live

music, contests and all the crawfish

you can eat. Held on the quad at Tulane

with two stages for live bands perform-

ing throughout the day, the event

served more than 20,000 lbs. of craw-

fish.

However, there are only so many

crawfish you can eat. So we ventured

to Magazine Street, home to eclectic

shops, upscale boutiques, restaurants

and watering holes. But today we were

out for one place and one thing – Dat

Dogs.

We contacted our friend, Constan-

tine Georges, proprietor of Dat Dog,

prior to the trip. He would be out of

town, but assured us we would be in

good hands with Bill DiPaola, his gre-

garious CEO. Bill is a New Orleans

transplant, by way of New York, and

he knows his dogs. The creative pow-

erhouse behind Dat Dog NOLA, Bill

strives to invent the most outrageous –

yet magnificently delicious – dogs and

sausages. Take the bacon werewolf

dog, a Slovenia sausage topped with

bacon, sauerkraut, dill relish, grilled

onions, tomatoes and Creole mustard.

Or opt for the sea dog, which isn’t a

dog or sausage but a tender on-the-in-

side, flaky on-the-outside cod filet.

Better yet, try the alligator dog, a

sausage of alligator meat, topped with

your favorite fixings. On the side, there

are plenty of options, but go for the

crawfish etouffee fries – fries smoth-

ered with the yummy Cajun, stew-like

dish. Fork required.

On tap is the NOLA Brewing Com-

pany Hopitoulas, a great IPA, and

plenty of other selections, plus a full

bar. A lively patio scene is great for

watching sports and listening to the Dat

Dog danceable playlist. If you’re not

here, you may have FOMO (new col-

lege term – “fear of missing out”). So

don’t miss out – go to Dat Dog! They

have three New Orleans locations.

www.datdognola.com

We took a break from eating and

wandered down Magazine Street and

photo by Michael Jilg

The sculpture garden at City Park has more

than 60 imaginative pieces.

photo courtesy of Commander’s Palace

The shrimp and tasso dish is accented with pickled okra and five pepper jelly. It’s spicy,

savory and a new twist on the common barbecued shrimp.

58 June 2015 Dining & Entertainment Park Labrea News/Beverly Press

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did some window-shopping. Since it

was Michael’s actual birthday, April

18, we went into Goorin Brothers Hat

Shop and purchased a dapper Gatsby

or Flatcap made of Italian linen. We

didn’t realize then how appropriate the

gift would be, since we are paying trib-

ute to the era in this magazine.

The decision of where to hold the

birthday celebration was easy – not

just IN the Big Easy, but at the one and

only Commander’s Palace. Executive

chef Tory McPhail presented us with

the most memorable meal last fall, we

had to return to commemorate this spe-

cial occasion. And that’s what Com-

mander’s does best – make memories.

From the moment we entered, we were

given red-carpet service, as are all

guests who dine here.

Seated in the Garden Room, we

started with a selection of salads and

appetizers, like the turtle soup, a Com-

mander’s classic. Its rich, golden broth

is both comforting and extraordinary.

A bowl of that, please.

McPhail’s shrimp and tasso Henican

combines sweet Gulf shrimp with

pickled okra, pepper jelly and Crystal

hot sauce – a Louisiana original.

Grilled crawfish with lemon gnocchi

tosses crawfish tails chargrilled with

spring legumes, edamame, asparagus

tips, herbs and lemon whipped Creole

cream cheese gnocchi. We shared these

apps as we sipped cocktails of

Sauzerac, Champagne and French 75.

Moving on to entrées, chef offers

dishes such as pecan-crusted Gulf fish,

seasonal crispy soft shell crab and his

acclaimed lacquered quail. I’ve en-

joyed it with a chicory lacquer, but he’s

also known to do it with sugarcane.

Filet of beef and a cowboy cut rib eye

are great selections. However, if you’re

all-in, order the chef’s menu of three to

six courses. Why not? You’re here to

indulge!

The sommelier suggested outstand-

ing wines, like the Faustino Tinto Gran

Riserva, 2001, a rioja from Spain. The

wine list is a tome, so ask the somme-

lier for assistance. The Leviathan red

blend is another excellent choice.

Dessert at the Palace is phenomenal.

Bananas Foster flambé will take you

back to a time when waiters prided

themselves in their craft, preparing a

tableside sweet course with aplomb.

Commander’s bread pudding and

crème brulée are classics. Let’s put a

candle in something and sing! This was

an epic night. Michael went home with

a souvenir signed menu, yet again a

memory in the making from Comman-

der’s Palace. www.commander-

spalace.com.

In the Convention/Warehouse Dis-

trict is Grand Isle, a casual place to

relax and enjoy good drinks. With a

menu that offers everything from fancy

fish dishes to fried calamari, there is

something to please all in your party.

Chef Ryan Haigler grew up around

shrimp boats in South Carolina and is

eager to show his guests his deep

knowledge of Southern cooking. Start

with some oysters on the half shell,

then move on to the fried calamari with

the garlic aioli or sesame vinaigrette –

both are delicious. Be impressed by the

fresh fish of the day – like swordfish so

tender and tuna thick as a steak. Chef

Ryan rocks it with original recipes you

wouldn’t expect at a more casual loca-

tion. The Bloody Marys are excellent

and Hopitoulas is on tap! A full bar and

an oyster bar are waiting to serve you.

575 Convention Center Blvd., New

Orleans, LA. www.grandislerestau-

rant.com.

Alas, it is time to depart. Hot dang

if we didn’t find the best places to visit

this time! We’ll be back for more – Re-

becca still has two more years at Tu-

lane! Go Green Wave!

photo by Michael Jilg

Crawfish etoufee fries, bacon werewolf dog, hot bratwurst - what more could a girl want?

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