September 2017 Weekend Rundown

Post your September 2017 Weekend here. :slight_smile:

We started with…

Connie & Ted’s

This weather feels like the perfect time for some chilled seafood. I really appreciate the variety and selection Chef Michael Cimarusti & company offer on any given day.

Ginger (Housemade Ginger Syrup, Lime, Soda):

While their “Ginger” is also a fantastic Cocktail, you can order it virgin, and it makes for a refreshing, cool drink to start the day. :wink: Connie & Ted’s actually grinds up Ginger and makes this Ginger Syrup from scratch (so it’s not just mass-produced Ginger Beer or something). Excellent! :slight_smile:

Rhode Island Coffee Milk (The Official State Drink of Rhode Island, with Selvarey Cacao Infused Rum):

This was a nicely balanced drink, deep Coffee flavor, sweetened and lightly creamy. :slight_smile:

A Dozen Fresh Raw Oysters (King Caesar (MA), Clevedon (NZ), Cali Rock (CA), Beau Soleil (NB), Glidden Point (ME), Sweet Grass (PEI)):

Fantastic! Connie & Ted’s continues to serve some of the freshest, most interesting varieties of Oysters around town. As before, their shucking is also great (no random shards of Oyster shell).

My favorites were the Beau Soleil (New Brunswick), which were so briny and meaty, and the Sweet Grass (Prince Edward Island). :slight_smile:

Clam Chowder - Rhode Island Clear:

I love all 3 varieties of Connie & Ted’s Chowders, but I think when their Rhode Island Clear is on point, it’s definitely my favorite. :wink: True to its name, it’s relatively clear, broth-like, with some porkiness from the Ham / Backfat, and light brininess from the Clams. :slight_smile:

Hokkaido Dog (Hokkaido Scallop Sausage, Onions, Smoked Mustard):

I finally remembered to order this recommendation from @beefnoguy, and it looks like it’s back on the Specials Menu. :slight_smile:

This is really unique: It looks like a Hot Dog, but when you bite into it, it gives way to a super tender, delicate mouthful of Hokkaido Scallops (no filler). :open_mouth:

It’s delicious, but maybe it’s too soft in some ways… mentally I was prepared for some snap in the casing and a “Hot Dog” of some sort? But after moving away from that thinking, it was just a tasty way to enjoy Hokkaido Scallops. :wink: :smile:

Potato Salad:

I had to order this for @bulavinaka. :slight_smile: This is a creamy, classic tasting version of Potato Salad, nice and chilled and delicious.

Wilted Spinach (No Bacon):

We had to get some greens in here somehow. :wink: I love their Wilted Spinach (ordered with No Bacon). For QPR it’s pretty good, considering how much Spinach shrinks down when cooked, this is easily 2 - 3 bundles of Spinach cooked down in this serving.

Joanne’s Fish & Chips (Batter-Dipped Cod, Tartar Sauce & Chips):

At this point, Connie & Ted’s version of Fish & Chips are our favorite version in L.A. Crispy, light batter. Not too oily, perfectly cooked Cod within, moist and flaky. Not overseasoned. It’s just everything you want from a great Fish & Chips. :blush:

Fries:

We’ve been really paying attention to the Fries we’ve been getting at various places this past year, and after the 7th - 8th visit(?), Connie & Ted’s Fries are not to be missed. Seriously some of the best Fries in L.A.! :heart:

It’s double-fried, has that great crunch to the exterior yielding a fluffy potatoey interior. And it’s always cooked to order (piping hot). So good! :blush:

Connie & Ted’s remains that great, relaxing place to while away a Brunch / Lunch (or Dinner). Chef Michael Cimarusti’s devotion to getting sustainable seafood and just his love of seafood in general is on display here.

Connie & Ted’s
8171 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Tel: (323) 848-2722

14 Likes

@Chowseeker1999 Looks fantastic! I think Chef Cimarusti prefers using the 2-day Kennebec potato method that Ludo Lefevbre uses for his own French fries. Did they have Island Creek oysters? Those are my all-time favorites…a perfect balance of creamy, meaty, and briny.

1 Like

Thanks @attran99. :slight_smile: I don’t recall Island Creek, but I wasn’t looking for them either. :sweat_smile: I will definitely try and order them next time, thanks.

1 Like

Sunny Blue

It feels like Omusubi weather as well. :wink:

Shiso Ume Omusubi (Shiso Leaf + Japanese Plum Rice Ball) w/ Brown Rice:

We would’ve liked a little more Shiso Leaf flavor, but it was pretty tasty, and I love that they can make it with Brown Rice. :slight_smile:

Wasabi Tsukudani Omusubi (Pickled Konbu with Pickles, Wasabi Rice Ball) w/ Brown Rice:

Their Wasabi Tsukudani is one of my favorites: I love that tartness and crunch from the Konbu and Pickles and the burst of Wasabi spiciness, like a good Horseradish! :smile:

Their Nori (Seaweed) wrapper was crisp. Delicious!

Sunny Blue
2728 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Tel: (310) 399-9030

Also at:

12608A Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Tel: (310) 751-6306

Attari Sandwich Shop (Revisit)

It was time for a revisit already, thanks to @bulavinaka and @J_L’s recommendation for their Ab-Goosht Stew. :slight_smile: But first, I had to try their…

Baghali Polo (Stewed Lamb Shank with Dill & Lima Bean Rice):

Having tried a variety of Baghali Polo recently, I was really curious to see how Attari’s version turned out. First, the Lima Bean and Dill Rice was merely OK. It wasn’t bad, but it was clumpy (like it was reheated), the Dill and Lima Bean flavors were muted, and it just didn’t sing. :frowning:

The Lamb Shank itself wasn’t stewed long enough, so it was a bit tough and meaty, not that tender, and the flavors and seasonings barely penetrated the meat.

Overall, this was better than Shaherzad’s version, but Shamshiri Grill’s version is definitely much better.

Ab-Goosht (Friday Only) (Persian Lamb Stew):

But we were here for the Ab-Goosht (served on Fridays only), and it was pretty tasty! :slight_smile: When it first arrived, I wasn’t sure how to eat it, but asking our waitress, she said that you can take a bit of the Lamb meat “mash” and add it into the PIta, add some Herbs and then dip it into the Lamb Soup, or just eat the Lamb mash with Herbs and dip the Pita into the Soup and take a bite of that.

It sort of reminded me of eating Barbacoa de Borrego with Lamb Consomme. :smile:

The Pita was what @bulavinaka warned us about: It is indeed pretty weak (mass-produced version). It’s this type of cold, semi-stale, mass-produced hockey puck that made the Pitas as Ta-Eem and Tel Aviv Grill so outstanding (the complete opposite).

But looking beyond that, a bit of the Mint, some Onion, some of the Lamb mash and that Lamb Soup was really tasty! :slight_smile: Thanks again @J_L @bulavinaka.

Attari Sandwich Shop
1388 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel: (310) 441-5488

http://atarisandwiches.info/

5 Likes

After a tough week at work I had a bit of an ice cream bonanza last night. Went over to Salt & Straw around 9pm in Venice, and there were probably 150 people in line, around the block. Of course, I’m not one of them, so I just walked straight up to the front and bought 3 pints of their new fall Flavors: California Honey Rocky Road, Peach Crumble Bars, and Apple & Sidecar Dougnuts. I am not ashamed to say that I housed a lot of this. In any event, the best of the bunch was the peach crumble bars. The flavor is described below, but basically it is rich, spiced coconut ice cream with peach crumble bars and caramel running through it.

I did not take a picture of ice cream I ate at home, but here is a website link for each of the flavors:

https://saltandstraw.com/flavor/california-honey-rocky-road-2/

I remain amazed how Salt and Straw achieves its textural contrasts. No other place even comes close to, on one hand, achieving a nice, firm, silky ice cream texture while the toppings/mix-ins in the middle remain impossibly moist/unfrozen. They deserve all of their success.

5 Likes

Some late night pho with tendon.

I asked for less noodle. The broth was fantastic. The tendon was melty and soft, like firm gelatin.

My first time trying tendon. The texture is not to my personal taste, but my friend said it was good.

Pho Show, Culver City.
http://www.phoshow.net

2 Likes

Thanks for enjoying g C&T’s potato salad on my behalf. Was wondering how I gained a few extra pounds with no explanation for it…

2 Likes

That lamp soup is so wonderfully concentrated. I think it actually tastes better than the mash!

1 Like

Apple Pan boysenberry cream and pecan pie…

3 Likes

Beet and egg sandwich at Dune. Delicious. This is at the new Venice location, which opened today. Big nice space. Was empty (odd location), but I think in time it will get popular.

5 Likes

All that talk about Al-Watan in the other thread made me realize that I haven’t been there in a year or so.

Chicken Charga:

Seekh Kebab:

Garlic Naan:

Lamb Biriyani:

Also got the Nehari which I forgot to take a picture of.

Everything was as great as before. The naan was fluffy, chicken was moist with nice crispy skin, nehari was rich and hearty, the seekh kebabs were juicy, and the biriyani was spicy and very good (although my favorite is still Zam Zam’s).

7 Likes

Matiki Island BBQ :heart_eyes::heart_eyes::heart_eyes:

Beef reeeebs plate with double mac, one scoop rice

IMG_3785

Houstons

Thai steak salad - pretty tasty

IMG_3796

Belcampo 3rd St

Double fast burger

Carnitas El Pareja (Fontana)

Tacos dorados sesos

Carnitas surtido

Torta ahogada con costilla

10 Likes

I kind of did this at home tonight…

1 Like

I’m dying to try Matiki. At Trader Sam’s every week, but it’s just been too hot to drive off-property.

In my head, I am trying to imagine how long it would take to acquire the ingredients and execute the salad. lol

If you like beef back ribs, it is definitely worth the hot drive.

Also, Tacos San Pedro next door has amazing beef flautas. :raised_hands:

2 Likes

Labor Day Weekend 2017 was a veritable cornucopia of random eating…

First: A (non-food) visit to the newly re-opened Angels Flight in DTLA:

Surprisingly authentic Köttbullar med gräddsås (Swedish meatballs with cream sauce), at Ikea Carson: The Ikea pizza was truly meh, but the Chowpup found it edible.

BBQ at home: I attempted elote at home - mixed results. The Brazilian salt rub prime bone-in ribeye turned out spectacularly, though.

Tomato ramen (extra chashu, extra noodles), tuna poke bowl, French fries, kurobuta sausages, and watermelon & mint agua fresca, at Yumeya Ramen: The tomato ramen hits the spot for lunch on a hot day.

Thrifty black cherry ice cream cone: A simple yet glorious reprieve from this hot, sticky weather.

Hey, guess what I found at the store?

Grand Marnier crêpe from Crêpes Dusigne, at Mar Vista Farmers market: So loaded with booze that I needed a Lyft home from the Farmers Market. Merci, Dusigne-sensei !! (the man is a true badass who also teaches judo)

A bucket of the Ad Hoc fried chicken, from Bouchon Bakery: Really tasty! It is on the expensive side for fried chicken, but nevertheless this bucket delivers - Delicious.

(Not pictured: Northern Cafe in Westwood Village - The cold seaweed garlic appetizer and their Beijing-style meat pies remain extremely strong on my regular rotation.)

10 Likes

I had everything for the dressing and marinade in my pantry. Getting all of the greens took about 20 minutes. Prep and assembly didn’t take more than an hour. Incorporating the steak will add some time for marinating, cooking, etc. After thinking about it, I will definitely do it again. Yes it’s time consuming, but I like spending time in the kitchen with my wife, so it’s a win/win for me.

1 Like

Friday - Tsubaki.
After it got the nice mention in the LA Mag piece, http://www.lamag.com/mag-features/best-japanese-food/ , I was hoping they would hit it out of the (Echo) Park but found it just OK. If I lived closer maybe it would get into a rotation but not worth driving by so many other great izakaya for.

Sat - Rossoblu, 3 rd visit, keeps getting better and better
Fantastic all the way around. I missed this one the first (or second) time around: MOM’S MINESTRA NEL SACCO - Parmigiano Reggiano Dumplings in a Bag, Beef and Chicken Broth. Bowl slurping greatness. Also loved - ILARIO’S GRIGLIATA House Sausage, Belly-On Pork Chop, Pork Jus. Steve is amazing with pork.

Sunday - Taste of LA: Flavors of LA evening.
Have skipped the Taste for years due to previous atrocious lines. But this year lines were not bad and the food was awesome. Highlights: Baroo (kimchee toast, summer noodles/veg), Luv2Eat (Crab Curry), Holbox (Octopus Taco), Pasta Sister (bolognese spaghetti) , Surf and Turf Burger), Tacos de Mantarraya (El Coraloense), Estrella (Beef cheek gnocchi)

5 Likes

Oh, how funny. That was my dad’s fav flavor at Thrifty’s growing up (dad is still alive, I just don’t know if he still likes the flavor).

I’ve heard that Ikea’s Swedish food is actually surprisingly good. Didn’t they used to (or perhaps still do) a lobster bake?

My own contribution to the rundown is the butternut squash + fried sage crumble w/ passionfruit froyo from Sweet Rose Creamery. Too lazy to post a photo (although I did take one). Passionfruit was pretty intensely flavored (IMHO) and held up well against the butternut squash. BTW, in case you (generic you) didn’t know, you can get a double mini (instead of regular double scoops)! Bwahahahahahaha!

3 Likes