April Weekend Rundown (2016)

Garlo’s Aussie Pies tonight. I had an idea to do a taste test btw Garlo’s, Aussie Pie Kitchen, and Pie-Not, but I was feeling too lazy to drive all the way to Costa Mesa today. Well, and I guess to Santa Monica (which is all of like 3 mi away)… :wink: But I’ve been to Aussie Pie Kitchen 2-3 times b/f and have a pretty good memory of their food.




Pictured are the beef stroganoff pie and a spinach/cheese/potato roll. Total cost was a little over $11. I think the taste is fine for the price, but I’d rather spend that much on a single pie at Aussie Pie Ktichen (which I think you could pretty easily do).

The Garlo’s pie is cheaper but also smaller (4.5" across the top; I think the Aussie Pie one is at least 6", but I’m not a size queen, so…). Crust isn’t as flaky or tender. The filling for both the pie and roll was pretty mushy. Should a stroganoff have chunks of beef? This sort of did, but it was almost more like pulled pork w/ a lot of thick (and salty) sauce. And, truth be told, the pie wasn’t really tall enough to accommodate larger chunks. Mushrooms were hard to identify, too.

The potato masks the flavor of the spinach and the cheese.

But, for a college kid on a budget, this place is filling and relatively inexpensive.

Edit: Garlo’s and Aussie Pie Kitchen are pretty different animals, actually (which is reflected in the price). Garlo’s is clearly a mass-produced product. The dishes you get a Aussie Pie Kitchem make you feel like you randomly stumbled into home of a very good chef…

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If Garlic Knots are your thing. The Heights Deli and Bottle Shop in Lincoln Heights on Broadway have the best of the bready variety (The winner in the city is still the one at Milo and Olive)

–Dommy!

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A better one I have not found. It’s like a liquid flan… SO GOOD.

–Dommy!

Tlayudas are one of those things that in theory are good but always seem to come up short on expectations. I love them, they are just like a giant nacho. But sometimes the Tlayuda is more stale than crisp. The cesina tough. The chorizo greasy.

So that is why it has taken me a while to get over to Tlayuda L.A. on Santa Monica for when I get the craving. A meh Tlayuda always seemed to do to scratch that itch. So I never made the effort to had over, until today…

Well, their Tlayuda was anythng but MEH. The Tlayuda was actually crisp! And held on the toppings very well! They had two salsas to top the Tlayuda, one green which was bright and spicy But a lightly spicy red which was wonderfully roasted in flavor. The two together sprinkled on top was wonderful. The best thing was the toppings. The chorizo was wonderfully flavorful without being too greasy or rubbery. We ordered Chicken and Cesina (Pork) and both were not only flavorful but extrodinarily tender. I don’t recall EVER having this tender and juicy meats on a Tlayuda. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing!

We also tried their Enchiladas Verdes (Essentially using the same spicy bright meat salsa.) which was okay. And their cafe de olla (Which like so many is missing the pilloncillo ;/) and won’t be ordering again sadly. However, we LOVED their Tamarindo. Fresh tasting with a unique lemony twist. The service was very warm and friendly. We look forward to trying their Mole Enciladas and perhaps asking if next time they can add an egg on top of the Tlayuda. It seems like they would be game.

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Gorgeous.

I tried a Tlayuda at Monte Alban awhile back, and I didn’t like it for the reasons you listed. Not in that area often, but will try Tlayuda LA if I’m there…

mian: very tasty bowl of noodles. beef noodle a little oily. pork noodle subtle but good. the dumplings/wontons/whateverthehelltheyare in chili oil delicious.

bulgarini: first time. fuck me running, that pistachio.

p.s.
dommy, are tlayudas traditionally crisp? i seem to remember maybe being served one
you kinda tore pieces off and rolled up into little tubes to shove in your mouth.

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Milo & Olive!

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If a Vietnamese fish sandwich is your type of thing, I love the Vietnamese Sardine sandwich at Viet Noodle Bar on Pico in SaMo… Not much of a fan of their Pho but that sandwich is great.

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@CiaoBob awesome!

I didn’t realize Viet Noodle Bar opened up in Santa Monica. Sweet! :slight_smile:

I went to their original location a few years back when… was it Thi? or others on our old board recommended their fresh-made Soy Milk. I enjoyed their Fish Banh Mi back then.

And this new location seems great, next to Shunji and Valentino. How did I miss that? LOL.

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@linus Tlayudas are a little bit like pizza napoletana. The tortilla starts out crisp, but the weight and moisture content of the toppings soggify it pretty quickly. A mark of a good a Tlayuda is how long the tortilla stays crisp after serving.Tlayuda LA was good in that respect.

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Thanks for the great tip, @CiaoBob! I do love sardine sandwiches; I used to get them at Banh Mi & Che Cali when I drove to the SGV more often.

I didn’t know there was a Viet Noodle Bar on the Westside. This is welcome news for me, and I’m definitely trying their sardine sandwich!

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thanks for the info.

Went there for lunch today - really great Go Fish Mi. Spicy and Tangy and Fish-y. Yum. Good baguette too.
Thanks @MaladyNelson

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Yep! Tlayudas are made with a rustic masa, fire toasted and rubbed with pork fat. So they should have a crisp element. Most of the time they are sold to restaurant in bulk and get stale very quickly. So that is what initially appealed to me about Tlayuda L.A., even if they did buy them from a vendor, they probably go through them quickly. Which appears to be the case because yesterday a table of Oaxacan food newbies came in and attempted to order a Tlayuda each… LOL!! Thankfully the waitress was gracious in her honestly they hold back… LOL!!!

–Dommy!

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So glad that you enjoyed your Go Fish Mi, @CiaoBob! By the way, I was perusing the Viet Noodle Bar menu, and they have a fish sandwich that’s very similar to the Go Fish Mi - a variation on cha ca la Vong. It’d be interesting to see which version is better.

Aestus (Santa Monica)
They offer a pre-fixe Italian Sunday Supper for $45 for 4 courses. Dinner opens with a charcuterie board with (I think) sopressata, olives and roasted red peppers, speck, caciacavallo, and burrata. While I was there, I noticed that they get some of their cheese products from Gioia in South El Monte. The charcuterie came with fresh-baked salted focaccia bread. Second course was a simple Italian greens salad with lots of grated parm on top…simple and yummy. Third course was a choice between housemade cavatelli pasta with pork ragu, pan roasted branzino, and roasted chicken. Since our party was large enough, we were able to try all the dishes. Most of us ordered the highly recommended pasta, and it was divine! Rich and hearty ragu over perfectly al dente fluffy handmade pasta.


Sorry, didn’t take pictures of the other entrées. But I will say that the branzino was well-cooked with super crispy skin and some amazing balsamic greens. The chicken was perfectly cooked…my son said that the skin was so crispy and that he loved it. Everyone was happy with their choices.
Dessert was a choice of affogato or ricotta cheesecake. Get the cheesecake. It’s light and fluffy and rich all at the same time and topped with macerated blackberries.

We went along with the suggested Barolo to pair with dinner. It worked out very well with the pasta dish.
Service was attentive and excellent. Glasses were refilled without request.
Thanks to @honkman for the rec.

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I think the Banh Mi one is quite a bit better: much more aggressively flavored, plus better bread and veggies, even more fish.
I stick with the sardine at VNB.

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Good to know, @CiaoBob! I thought the cod sandwich from Banh Mi was nicely seasoned too, and the bean sprouts added some lightness and crunch. Can’t wait to try the sardine sandwich at Vietnam Noodle Bar.

Tacos Tu Madre Westwood, Pastrami & Egg Breakfast Burrito, Chorizo, Egg & Potato Breakfast Burrito plus I had 1/2 a chorizo left so I just added eggs and it was even better.

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Dai Ho

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