Citrus at Social Hollywood

Commit this word to your memory: gougers. Gougers are French cheese puffs. They are like delicious bite-size popovers stuffed with a mild cheese and they are heavenly. Just one of the many heavenly creations at Chef Michel Richard's Citrus restaurant at Social Hollywood. Chef Richard won a James Beard award, so the bar was set high. And he met our expectations. The menu is inspired california-french flair, well-prepared, well-plated and oh so tasty. The crab toast was sumptuous, to die for. The onion tart's texture was a bit too mushy for our liking. And for dinner, the table ordered the 72-hour braised short rib, the lamb, a gorgeous poached lobster, and lobster burger served with giant french fries fried in clarified butter. Sinful.

Of course, my personal highlight was the dessert. In addition to the gourmet kit-kat bar, we also ordered the orange souffle. Now I know me some souffles. This souffle was the most technically successful I've ever had. Foamy, rich, luscious texture in the middle with just the slightest crispy top. Cutting it with my spoon was like cutting through air. Very flavorful. It was a party in my mouth.

Yes the scene is very Hollywood, the music at the club next door is unbelievably loud, the waiters are probably better actors than they are waiters, but all is forgiven when the food is this good.

Good Steak at Bistro Laurent Tourondel

I dream of them. Popovers! Those flaky puffy hollow bread rolls common in the East Coast are made to perfection at BLT Steakhouse. It is step one in this overall sensational steakhouse experience. We started with giant popovers, a nice blend of textures, crunchy on the outside and chewy, warm and buttery on the inside. Next came a roasted beet salad, not amazing, but satisfactory.

Then we chose the jumbo lump crab appetizers served with house-made cocktail sauce from their raw bar. Then came the centerpiece. The Rib Eye, seared to heavenly perfection in buttery sage goodness, served with a whole roasted garlic and marrow and bone (if you're courageous). We had asparagus and green beans for our sides, both prepared perfectly. Crunchy buttery hot flavorful veges to support and enrich the steak-eating experience.

The service was excellent, the food was robust in flavor, plentiful in portion and gorgeous to look at it. One of the better steakhouses in Los Angeles. Highly recommend. If not, just for those popovers alone!

CRAFT not so crafty

I was so excited to visit Tom Colicchio's restaurant Craft. I've been a fan of his since watching Top Chef. I figure he knows what the hell he's talking about. It took me $213 to learn that celebrity chefing is all hype. Our meal was boring. Ron's NY Strip steak was decent at best. Although the cut of my braised beef short rib was good (all meat, no fat), the marinade was ho hum. It tasted like a mediocre bourginion at best, without any subtle flavor of anything. We also had for appetizers quail in a wild blueberry jus which was fine. And our spinach salad was saved by the thick slices of bacon in it. The food was prepared well in a classical sense. But there was nothing special or memorable about the flavors. The price we paid for this meal was not worth the bland dining experience.

And the music they played- we were going to slit our wrists with our steak knives. Dreary slow songs from unrecognizable musicians who all sounded like James Taylor knock-offs.

To be fair, there was one dish that was a home run. We ordered the donuts for dessert. They did manage to perfect a donut. Crispy on the outside, gooey and chewy on the inside. Served with a chocolate mousse, vanilla bean creme fraiche and an apricot lemon jelly. We were so pleased to be having donuts for dessert. But as for the meal, there are better steak houses in Los Angeles for less strain on your wallet. Not recommending!

Boucheron in Napa Valley

This local French restaurant is packed every day. The crowded restaurant has an authentic French bistro feel. Fresh seafood menu everyday and French brunch staples.

Next door is the Boucheron bakery where I went to town on my favorite cookies, french macaroons. The fifteen minute wait was worth it. I had chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch and pistachio macaroons. And they were all delicious. They also have fresh bread and cookies and sandwiches.

Julia's Kitchen Napa Valley

Ode to Julia Childs - the British chef who made chefography into a celebrity culture in America. Julia's Kitchen in Napa Valley honors the spirit and recipes of the late Julia Childs. The menu carries a few of her timeless recipes. My meal here was memorable. To start with, before you even dine at the modern restaurant, you take a walk around the 3 acre garden in front of the restaurant. A stroll among fruit trees and vegetables reinforces the mission behind Julias- to celebrate and utilize the freshest of ingredients. The restaurant and garden are on the grounds of the COPIA institute, an education facility focusing on the study and history of food and wine.

Once inside, we started with berry martinis, dined on succulent lobster salad, Julia's recipe for duck with cherry jus on forbidden Chinese black rice, and pan seared rib eye. We finished with flavorful espresso drinks and a strawberry shortcake. The meal was divine.

Comida de Puerto Rico

I ate my way through Puerto Rico. Que delicioso! Highlights:

Ceviche House: Puerto Rican/Peruvian restaurant. We had delicious warm crispy empanadas, octopus ceviche and skirt steak. Our favorite of the house was the mussel appetizer. Green mussels topped with cool chopped onions, tomatoes, herbs, sea salt. So simple and so good.

Horned Dorset Hotel for lunch located in the city of Rincon: We tried a Puerto Rican staple called Mofongo which is mashed plantains under a stew of some sort.

Deli de Espana: A local Spanish deli/bar/bakery with delicous meat pies, sandwiches and pastries.

Profiteroles at Chaya Venice

Is your favorite dessert profiteroles? With a chocolate sauce and fresh whipped cream? Well here you go!

Gordon Ramsey at the London

Prix Fixes rock! They say if you want to sample a restaurant and get the best value, you should make a reservation at lunch time. Crowds are smaller. You'll get a table easier. My foodie friend Alex Woo and girlfriend Whitney Friedlander (I call them WooWhit) invited me to join them for lunch at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant at The London in West Hollywood.

I don't know what's going on with the ambiance and decor there. It looks like your grandmother's powder room. But who cares? The food was so flipping good. My tastebuds were screaming in delight. Add to that, the service was impeccable and it was a screaming deal! For $35, you get an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. The views of the Hollywood Hills were nice and the service was very attentive. It was the best $35 I'd spent in a while.

Our table's hits were the sea scallop appetizers, beef filet and kobe short rib entree, smoked rainbow trout and asparagus risotto with double cream and parmesan and marscapone cheese. And for dessert, the pineapple souffle with Thai curry ice cream was the standout. Although applause to the Valrhona chocolate fondant for its rich flavor and the grapefruit sorbet for its summery refreshing taste.

A Gordon Ramsey menu, views of Hollywood, great food. You can't lose here.

French Macaroons at Figaro Cafe

I've never met a cookie I didn't like. But if I had to pick my favorite cookie, a French macaroon would be at the top of the list. I became obsessed with these delicate delectables on a trip to France. Macaroons are a staple of French bakeries. They have a brittle outside shell and a soft gooey inside with some type of flavored jam or creme. It's difficult to find French macaroons in LA. Paulette's Macaroons (www.paulettemacarons.com) specializes in just macaroons and is run by a real French lady. But I found her cookies too overpoweringly sweet. The best roons I've had in LA are at a neighborhood brasserie and bakery in Los Felis called Figaro Cafe (www.figarobistrot.com). Their macaroons come in pistachio and strawberry and they're delicate and delicious. Figaro also has wonderful traditional pastries like croissants and truffles.

Akasha Culver City - American Grill with Indian Influence

Ron and I visited Akasha on a busy Saturday night. I loved the space- exposed beams and concrete walls. Very modern and chic. The food however, was hit or miss. The hit of the night was Ron's turkey burger. It was a hefty thick burger dotted with globs of red peppers- very flavorful and fesh. It's too bad everything else was a miss. Akasha prides itself on organic fresh ingredients. The dishes are clean and simple. But, you can still be clean and simple and tasty. The fries were dry. The table bread, although hearty with seeds, was dry. My onion and tomato tart was too much tart, not enough veges. And the arugala salad surrounding it was over-salted. My punjabi mung bean and rice bowl was fun but under-seasoned. Healthy, but bland. The biggest blunder was the mac and cheese. It is a sin to mess up such a favorite of mine. And although it looked like it should have tasted good, I could barely taste the cheese at all. Perhaps I ordered wrong. I may have to give it another shot to try some other dishes. The curried cauliflower, South Indian salmon and the scallops sound good. But if they screw that up, I'm done with you Akasha!

Eagle Rock Decent Vietnamese Food

Had a quick meal at a neighborhood Vietnamese joint. The place was pretty authentic. They had all the basic staples of the food of my people like pho, spring rolls, rice dishes, vermicelli bowls, sandwiches and even fresh squeezed orange juice and three color dessert. I ordered the vermicelli bowl with BBQ pork and crispy egg rolls. While the noodle and julienned veges were fresh, I thought the pork was over marinated and the texture was too chewy. The dessert was tasty, but they should have served it with traditional shaved ice instead of small ice balls. The spring rolls and BBQ chicken sandwich were decent. I'd recommed Lemongrass if you're in the mood for cheap decent Vietnamese.

Special Tasting Menu and Chef Tour at Roy's Los Angeles

March 20th, 2008

A meal of epic proportions. Unforgettable gastronomic orgasms. Maybe the 5th best night of my life ever. Ron and I went to Roy's downtown to meet one of my culinary heros, the owner of Roy's Restaurant chain, Chef Roy Yamaguchi. Roy's is a staple of Hawaiian fine dining, combining flavors of Asia with local farming on the islands. He is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of his first restaurant. He went on a nine-city tour, and this night, he came to LA and created a divine meal. It was such a treat, a milestone in my foodie hall of fame. His kampachi sous vide was one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. Succulent, juicy, tender, melt in your mouth goodness. And the dessert sampler- the five elements of aloha, sent me into a tailspin of joy and delight. Mango flatcake, coconut ice-cream, passionfruit truffle, macadamian nut florentine cookie, banana flambe. I closed my eyes and had a dream I was on a magic carpet ride cruising by chocolate waterfalls and diving into a bed of coconut flakes. I live for experiences like this. Once in a lifetime. Blissful. Grateful to be alive. Grateful for all of my senses.

AMUSE BOUCHE
Carlsbad Aquafarm Raised Abalone
Tamago, Cha Soba, Sudachi Beurre Noisette
Perrier Jouet Grand Brut

FIRST COURSE
Kona Kampachi Sous Vide
Carlsbad Clams, Black Mussels &
Hawaiian Chile Pepper Water
Jacob's Creek Riesling

SECOND COURSE
Alaskan King Crab Duo
Greek Olive Roasted Crab Leg &
Pesto Crab Cake
Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

THIRD COURSE
Aka Miso Colorado Lamb Loin
Weiser Farms Heirloom Potato &
Oden Vegetables, Garlic Soy Jus
Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz

FOURTH COURSE
Five Elements of Aloha
Sandeman Tawny 20 Year Old Port