I’ve never heard of Yuko Kitchen or Monta. Thanks for the info. Borek sounds delicious…
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Thanks for your kind words, @bulavinaka! One of my goals this year is to learn how to take better pictures.
I think Blue Bottle will get enough traffic in Culver City - just judging by the constant throng of SoulCyclers. It’s almost like their watering hole. It is true that they have stiff competition in the third wave coffee arena in CC. Just an aside, I do wish that Cognocenti had a wider selection of Proof Bakery goodies, so I don’t have to make the trek to Atwater Village. Yes, Blue Bottle is a nicely designed space, and there’s a loft area upstairs with lots of light. It’s fairly easy to access. There’s street parking and two lots, although one was closed this weekend.
@paranoidgarliclover, Yuko Kitchen is a California-style Japanese restaurant that’s on Wilshire between Fairfax and La Brea - right around the corner from Milk Jar Cookies. They’re a favorite with Angelenos of the health-conscious persuasion. Also, they have outdoor seating with lots of greenery.
Monta Factory is an Armenian dumpling joint - very tiny. I saw two ladies making the dumplings by hand. There was a recent write-up in the LA Times, but I do recall a few CH’ers being fans of their manti. The family behind Monta Factory makes manti from scratch. Are these dumplings better than grandma's?
Blue Bottle Coffee
The Platform/Hayden Tract
8830 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
https://bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/hayden-tract
Yuko Kitchen
5484 Wilshire Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-4020
http://www.yukokitchen.com/menu/
The Monta Factory
1531 E Washington Blvd
Pasadena, California
(626) 398-1525
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Drago has one of the best wine programs in town.
Geez you did some serious driving.
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Julie’s Kitchen is all about food photos. She’s on Instagram. Not sure if you’ve heard of her but you might like her style.
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i really likd their list. its rare these days to find so many options around the fifty dollar mark, and they had a lot of bottles for less than that.
while its interesting to see so many bottles from all over that country, italian wine remains a mystery to me. i dont think i know anyone with any kind of real mastery over the vastness that s italian wine.
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Ha ha, I do drive a lot on the weekends! I also went to Koreatown, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake today. A lot of times, my husband stays home because he knows I’m gonna crisscross the Greater LA area.
Thanks for introducing me to Julie’s Kitchen! Her photos are very nicely composed. I just started following her on IG.
I went into Tabachines Cocina for a nightcap because it’s right by where I’ve been staying. Some really nice stuff on the wine list including (speaking of Italian wines) the Vignalta Colli Euganei “Sirio” dry Muscat by the glass. Ate nothing since I’d already been to Luv2Eat and Papilles Bistro, but I could see into the kitchen and wished I had some appetite, looked like there’s a depth of knowledge and experience that you might not guess from the menu.
Melisse also has a list that includes many $50 bottles. Some very interesting drinkable ones at that, not just some token $50 put in.
VACA in Orange County also has a nice predominantly Spanish list where most of the wines are in the $30-50 range.
But I agree, so many restaurants these days are too intent on making their profit through the wine list. If you do find a $50 wine on that trendy restaurant list it’s because the wine is really only an $8-10 wine.
There are too many grape varietals in Italy. I concentrate my efforts in Piedmont with an occasional nero d’ avola and frappato from Sicily.
ah, ta for the italian advice.
not surprised vaca – which sounds like a cool place – has a wine list like you describe. ive always felt spanish wine is a bargain for the quality you get.
for me, toros and priorats are a steal, and rose txakoli, though not necessarily the cheapest, are the best tasting pinks and good value for money.
Albariños are one of the best QPR whites I can think of and I can’t recall ever having a bad one.
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Yep!! That is why they are so popular everywhere the Lebanese have made a footprint. Brazil has their own version as well. But There is something about the Yucatecan pickled onion that just completes the dish.
–Dommy!
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This post has taken a whole new level!!!
We take all our fosters to food aventures with us. This is the look of a Shepherd that knows he’s getting Pizza Bones for Breakfast! ;DDD
Happy birthday to your kids!! We both love Corgis and are thinking about signing up to foster for the local rescue. We just are a bit gunshy about getting on the horse and learning another breed… LOL!! It’s easier to stick to our crazy Shepherds because we know what to expect… LOL!!!
OMG!! I just read your other post. Does your wife run Stumpy Dog Rescue!! World Collide!! :DDD
–Dommy!
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HA! We were at Yuko Kitchen yesterday too. Love that place. They do Sushi Burritos RIGHT. :DDD
–Dommy!
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@Dommy Good to hear you’re a Yuko Kitchen fan too. I haven’t had their sushi burritos - only the ones at Jogasaki. I’ll have to give the Yuko ones a try, but it’s hard for me to get something other than a salad or a rice bowl.
Nice picture of your pup at Delicious Pizza!
Dropped by Yellow Fever today for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were doing a fundraiser for Pug Nation Rescue of LA. Chef Kelly Kim kindly included us in the festivities as we had our dog with us. We ended up with a box of homemade dog biscuits and two small bags of organic dog food.
I ordered the Shanghai Bowl, but with tofu sausage. I really wanted to love this bowl since they were so welcoming. However, it fell a little short of the mark for me. The bowl was supposed to have kung pao sauce and shiso leaves, but I couldn’t taste either of them. I think the problem was that I expected it to be spicy with that mala numbness. It was more like Westernized teriyaki sauce. My husband enjoyed his bowl much better. He ordered the same one, but with braised pork belly and an egg roll. I did appreciate the copious serving of bok choy though. Next time, I’ll stick with the Californian, their vegetarian bowl. I’ve had great meals there previously, so I guess I ordered the wrong thing.
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