Brief trip report -- some hits and a miss

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
1

Blew into town for a brief visit a few days ago. Highlights, mostly based upon FTC recommendations:

– Pescado Zarandeado at Mariscos Chente, mid-afternoon: Sergio was in the house, along with a waitress, and us. No one else. The snook was great, as were the camerones in cheese, garlic, and sour cream sauce.

– Maple Block Meat Co.: Brisket, half lean, half fatty. Excellent, but we would go with all lean next time. The smoked peewee potatoes with creme fraiche were also very good, as were the smoked nuts.

– Mashti Malone: Saffron/rosewater ice cream was really good, but the orange blossom/rosewater was even better. Intense floral flavor.

– Akasha: The onion rings were a good snack.

– Bludso’s: Another snack – Nicole Rucker’s Mexican Lime Pie was very tasty.

– Langers (to go, by-the-pound): Pastrami & rye (of course). Excellent as always. Along the same lines as at Maple Block, we ordered “lean” this time, and it was just fine that way – it just saved me from trimming the excess fat when making our sandwiches.

– Wurstkuche: Outstanding sausages and frites (Arts District location). Best frites we’ve had in town so far.

Speaking of frites, we also paid a visit to Petit Trois: Frites were good (not as good as Wurstkuche), but the Big Mec was not even meh. The chef was so heavy-handed with the Worcestershire sauce in the “Bordelaise”, that any other flavors that might have been present were covered up. As for the french onion soup, although it was a beautiful presentation with a nice crust, the broth itself was almost flavorless. I sent it back, because FOS is supposed to taste good, not just look good. Great baguette though.

9 Likes
2

Agree on the Big Mec. I did not even like it, let alone love it.

1 Like
3

I sent mine back - it was blasphemous. Will never go back to Trois Yuck…NEVER.

4

The Big Mec and Fries will send you on a one way ticket to Cedars Sinai. That was the most gross I ever felt after a meal. I was hoping for a Rainbow Umbrella Fruit Cup vendor and a gallon of water to flush out the weeks worth of sodium intake.

1 Like
5

Thanks for the warning (and @JeetKuneBao @Haeldaur). I saw that Big Mec on a few articles and had bookmarked it. Really glad I never went.

2 Likes
6

Keeping in mind your description of the frites on another thread (“absolute atomic salt bomb”), we asked them to go easy on the salt. They were only very slightly too salty – I can only imagine what they would have been like otherwise.

I was also concerned about the FOS being too salty, since it so often is anyway. Surprisingly though, it had very little salt, and very little flavor period. We won’t be back --and probably wouldn’t anyway, even if the food were great. The “seating”, which consisted only of tall bar stools, was too cramped and uncomfortable.

7

Thanks for the recap!

I was in Mariscos Chente the other night, and, like you, at first, I was the only table. I was glad to see several other tables fill up before I left though. I hope they make it. The Marlin tacos are tops for me. I can’t get enough of em.

And I’m a bit surprised to hear all the grande hate for Petite Trois in this thread. Granted, I haven’t had the Big Mec. But I thought the omelette was killerrrrrrrr.

2 Likes
8

i’ve only had the tartare, the omelette and the baguette and i liked it all at Petite Trois. i’ve never even considered the Big Mec cuz it looked like an abominable amount of grossness.

2 Likes
9

Thank foodness. We were going about every other week when Sergio returned. I’ve been waiting for the crowds to return as well. Nadda. I think the busiest it’s been when we’ve gone is two to three tables occupied.

We haven’t been in about six weeks now. Driving by often, the lights appear to be off, giving me the impression that they’re closed, only to notice the kitchen lights are on.