Johnnie's Pastrami

Having heard off and on about Johnnie's Pastrami for awhile now, I decided to check it out for lunch since I just happened to be in the neighborhood. I've definitely heard mixed reviews about Johnnie's pastrami sandwich, everything from "tasteless", "gristly", "cold" to "lean", "juicy" and "tasty." There didn't seem to be a middle ground, but than that can be said about how we all tend to view food in general. We either like something or we don't.

Even before looking at the menu, I liked the feeling of Johnnie's as I walked inside. It was a classic diner to the max. There were brown vinyl booths, green vinyl counter seats, a jukebox you could feed quarters to and I even liked how the pies were stacked in this cylindrical glass container. A pie for every taste, whether it be Mom's apple pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie or peach pie!

Once I ordered at the counter, I opted to sit at one of their outside patios, specifically where the fire pit was blazing away. Upon sitting down, I was served with a silver bowl of chunky pickle slices. Generally, I like pickles, but I didn't care for these too much. They weren't very crunchy and tasted bland.

Soon, the Johnnie's Deluxe Pastrami Plate I ordered was placed in front of me. For a minute, I stared. Don't get me wrong. I was hungry, but there's no way I would have been able to finish everything on that plate. I didn't even try. Half of the sandwich ended up going home, but the other half I enjoyed there.

When I took my first bite, I honestly felt like I was eating air. Sounds funny, huh? In comparison to the pastrami I've had in the past at Langer's, The Hat's and other noted pastrami restaurants, which tend to be meatier, denser, more chewy, more peppery, Johnnie's pastrami was definitely lighter and leaner than I'm used to. Johnnie's pastrami was also more moist as opposed to how oily pastrami meat can get sometimes. The moistness is probably due to the fact that Johnnie's pastrami is steamed. It took a couple more bites before I realized that I was actually enjoying the sandwich.

What I noticed about Johnnie's pastrami is that it's just a different eating experience from a Langer's or The Hat's pastrami sandwich. While I think Johnnie's pastrami lacked a much needed peppery/zingy flavor, I was quite taken with the lean, tender and moist quality of the meat and I liked how the half sandwich I ate didn't leave me with a heavy feeling, that sometimes happens when you eat a sandwich with greasier meat.

Now would I choose a Johnnie's pastrami over a Langer's or The Hat's pastrami? Not necessarily. It just depends on what my tastebuds are craving and when they're craving flavor, sometimes only Langer's or The Hat will do, but if I want something lighter and leaner and am willing to make the trek Westside, than Johnnie's may just have to come on top.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594547549603/

Johnnie's Pastrami
4017 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 397-6654

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Capital Seafood

In February, Capital Seafood was the second place I visited as a part of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Compared to Triumphal Palace, which was the first in the series, Capital Seafood is all about the carts. No ordering off the menu at this ornate Dim Sum Palace.

Instead, it's a rush to arms - literally, as you try to wave down as many speeding carts as possible. When you prevail, you almost want to do a little happy dance. But do you? Heck no. That would take too much time from getting to the next cart coming down the pipeway.

Anyway, enough trash cart talk, let's get on to the food. For the outing at Capital Seafood, we tried out 15 different dishes. We had the standard fare of shrimp har gow, egg rolls, pork shau mai, spare rib, which were all quite tasty. However, there were some items that I personally never had at Dim Sum before so I'm going to speak to those specific dishes.

First, other than Chinese broccoli slathered with oyster sauce, I rarely see other veggie items at Dim Sum, but12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. Compared to Triumphal Palace, which was the first in the series, Capital Seafood is all about the carts. No ordering off the menu at this ornate Dim Sum Palace. Instead, it's a rush to arms - literally, as you try to wav this time around, our group picked up a record two non-Chinese broccoli items. One of them seemed to be a plate of pickled baby cucumbers. I wasn't sure what the other veggie dish was, but it reminded me of nopales. Both veggies had a great crunch and really added a fresh new dimension to my dim sum experience.

Speaking of crunch, something else I tried for the first time was a deep fried taro and pork dumpling. The deep fried taro coating reminded me of French fried onions and I really enjoyed the reedy crispy texture in my mouth. A couple of other things to note were the pineapple chicken bun and the mango shrimp. The pineapple was actually more of dried powdery substance on the top of the bun itself, which I didn't think added anything to the chicken bun. In fact, maybe, if there was pineapple mixed in with the chicken, the pineapple chicken bun would have been more appetizing, but as it was, it was dry.

The mango shrimp, which was rolled into a sesame topped wrapper, on the other hand, was really good. The sweetness of the shrimp and the slightly tart, juiciness of the mango were a perfect combo. I'd actually climb over carts to make sure that this dish hit my table.

After having gone through 13 Dim Sum dishes, we even managed to fit in dessert. One was the green tea ball and to be honest, I don't remember what it tasted like, but I'll never forget the sight of this glowing alien green ball on my plate and I think it tasted okay, too. Then then there was the dreaded (for some) durian pastry. Durian is known as the "stinky fruit" and is a definite acquired taste, but being a durian lover, any form it comes in, I'm happy to partake in.

Overall, I really enjoyed the food at Capital Seafood. Not only were there things I've never tried before, they also tasted great. Since new and good don't always go hand in hand, I really do look forward to checking out Capital Seafood another time to see what else this restaurant has to offer.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594561005651/

Capital Seafood
755 W. Garvey Avenue
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 282-3318

Portuguese Pastry Tasting at Natas Pastries

Last January, I set up a pastry tasting where we got to sample a total of 8 different pastries. 3 were savory and 5 were sweet. Before I even talk about the pastries we sampled, I have to say that when first walking into Natas, it was like I was at "Pastry Disneyland"

When you looked at the display case, the pastries were so beautifully presented, that you'd think that they were fake and when you saw that prices were between $2 to $3 for even the prettiest of the pastries, it almost felt like you were in a Pastry Twilight Zone. After pinching myself, I realized that everything was for real and honestly, if I didn't already know that I was going to be sampling 8 pastries, I would be hard-pressed to choose which ones to try.

Anyway, on to the tasting. We started off with the savory pastries which included:

Pasteis de Bacalhau - Cod Cakes (Portuguese version of crab
cakes),

Croquetes - Seasoned Ground Beef and Portuguese Chorizo

Rissois - Shrimp and Crab Turnover

While all three of them were good, my favorite was the Cod Cake. Considering that cod fish is pretty mild in flavor, I was amazed that the Cod Cake was the most flavorful of the three options. I also liked how flaky the fish was. Apparently, the Cod Cakes are a favorite of many because that's the item that Natas runs out of the most.

Now on to the sweet pastries which included:

Malassada - Portuguese Donut/Sugar Ball

Nata - Portugal's Signature Pastry. Creme Brulee type Filling in Puff Pastry

Mini Pyramid - Portuguese Brownie Made with Belgian Chocolate and Marzipan

Mini Queijada - Mini Cheese Cake made with Ricotta Cheese/Cinnamon in Puff Pastry

Mini Pasteis de Coco - Coconut Lemon Mini Cupcake

For me, the Mini Pasteis de Coco wasn't too memorable. The only thing that I stuck in my head is that it needed to be more lemony. I also didn't care too much for the Mini Pyramid, probably because I'm not much of a marzipan fan.

I enjoyed the remaining three sweet pastries a lot. The Malassada was light and fluffy and just had the right amount of sweetness without being too sugary.

I liked how the filling of the Mini Queijada had a light creamy texture and the cinnamon flavor really came through. The pastry was also nice and flaky.

But my favorite of the remaining three was actually the Nata itself. Like the Mini Queijada, the pastry was golden-flaky and the custard filling was absolutely delicious. I could almost taste it. It was creamy and I almost hated to swallow it because I was enjoying the texture and the flavor so much.

What was nice about having this sampling is that afterwards, I purchased items that I hadn't tried already to take home and believe me, those pastries were also quite good. I only wish Natas was closer to me, but I actually think it's worth the drive no matter what part of town you're coming from.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594507614097/

Natas Pastries
13317 Ventura Blvd. # D
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(818) 788-8050

Canadian Cafe or My Love Affair with Poutine - CLOSED

I've in love with Poutine. Sounds almost pornographic, huh? But damn, I really am in love, in lust, in everything that is downright delectable about the food known as Poutine.

So you may be asking, what has me so hot and bothered? Simply, poutine is a French-Canadian food that consists of brown gravy poured over French fries and white cheddar cheese curds. No processed cheese or cheese sauce here!

Your senses already come alive as soon you see the waitress walking your way with your Poutine basket. Listen in anticipation to the basket as it softly lands on the tabletop before you. Feast your eyes on the small curl-edged chunks of the cheese curd as it starts to melt onto the surface of the golden French Fries. As the cheese melts more, feel the French Fry stretch its ooey-gooey cheesy way as you pull it from the basket to your mouth.

Taste the crispness of the fry that's partially cloaked with melted cheese that's still hanging off the fry's edge as you're biting into it as well as the subtle, rich "meaty" flavor of the brown gravy that coats both fry and cheese together. Finally, hear yourself give a sigh of utter joy, not only because you just devoured something tasty, but also because you get to do it over and over again until you're completely satisfied.

Wow. I think I need a cigarette and I don't even smoke!

I wish that the "foreplay" I experienced with the Poutine was a sign of even more exciting things to come from my meal, but alas that wasn't to be. Perhaps, anything one eats after Poutine would just be too anticlimactic anyway to enjoy, but I did try.

Unfortunately, the burger in my Canadian Bacon Cheeseburger was overcooked, dry and overall, a real buzz kill. The pastry of my Butter Tart was buttery, but not very flaky. At least the golden raisin filling was fairly tasty.

It's too bad that the lunch that started off with a BANG! ended with a whimper. Trying out other items at a later visit may get me better results, but for now, my relationship with the Poutine is the start of a great love affair. Perhaps, it can be for you as well?

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594558975889/

Canadian Cafe
125 East Colorado Blvd
Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 303-2303

Dinner at Ruen Pair

It's always strange to be in a position where you're not going to give a restaurant the type of acclaim that it has gotten from other reviewers, even more so (and which happens on a regular basis), to give any type of review really based on just one visit. After all, visiting a restaurant more than once allows you the chance to explore the menu and to sift through the ordinary to hopefully find the spectacular.

True, I could have asked for recommendations for the best dishes to order, but for me, a restaurant's true success is not based on just a few dishes that will blow your socks off. Instead, it should be measured by a meal where the majority of the dishes you have ordered will put that happy smile on your face afterwards and make you want to come back the very next day, just because the food was THAT GOOD!

So now we come to my review of Ruen Pair, which has gotten quite a few raves, but for me, ranged from an okay to a good, if not exceptional eating experience. Our meal that evening consisted of 10 different dishes. I should note that I was with a group of other diners, so not all the choices may have been ones I would have made, but you have to take the hand you're dealt with and run with it.

We started off with a spicy soup which had shrimp, mushrooms, lemon grass, lime juice and fresh chili. The soup was wonderful. It had really good heat that balanced well with the sweetness of the shrimp and sour tartness of the lemon grass and lime juice.

From there we went to the Papaya Salad, which I did hear a lot of good things about and it didn't disappoint. The combination of flavors and textures between the fresh papaya, the crunchy green beans, the tartness of the lime juice and just everything combined made for a great eating experience.

Then came the Stir-Fried Morning Glory, which I found slightly bitter and not so unappealing. Soon followed two chicken dishes. One chicken dish had a really great sauce that was on the side which I liked a lot. The other chicken dish, though visually appealing, wasn't very memorable, so I can't speak to it.

Then the clams came which according to the menu was in a mild spicy sauce with mint. I actually thought that putting "mild" and "spicy" together to describe a sauce seemed a little odd. Wouldn't such opposing flavors cancel each other out? I did actually enjoy the clams, although I felt we were a little ripped off since not all the clams actually had meat in them. That didn't sit well with me.

Following the "clamless" clams came two other uninspiring dishes: chinese broccoli with stir-fried pork and a bland chicken dish that was sauteed with vegetables.

The meal finally ended with my favorite dish of the evening and one I might even return to Ruen Pair to have again. That dish is the Black Egg Sauteed with Chili and Basil. Honestly, we had no clue what a black egg was, but we were so curious that we ordered it.

When it arrived at our table, you could barely even see the eggs peeking from the dark green of the fried basil, but once you did, it was almost shocking to the eyes. The inside of the egg were all these different shades of black, gray and even olive green. It actually didn't look that appetizing, especially when compared to all the previous, more colorful dishes.

Once I got over the shock, I took a bite of egg and the fried basil together and surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. I liked the crispy texture of the fried basil and the combo of that peppery basil, the heat of the chili and the strong hits of flavor coming from the egg yolk made for a very flavorful eating experience. Now that dish did put a smile on my face.

Generally, first impressions are a big deal to me when I eat at a restaurant. If I don't overwhelmingly like a restaurant the first time I visit, I won't go out of my way to go back anytime soon. But given that Ruen Pair has gotten so many kudos from some of you, I'd be willing to come back again.

So for now, it's neither thumbs up or thumbs down, more like thumbs sideways. While this review of this particular meal I had wasn't that stellar, perhaps a second visit will match up to what the high expectations I had going into this restaurant in the first place.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594547451577/

Ruen Pair Restaurant
5257 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 466-0153

"Dim Sum of the Month Club" at Triumphal Palace

January became the start of my 12 month odyssey checking out a different Dim Sum restaurant a month all over LA County. My trip started last month with Triumphal Palace in Alhambra.

Triumphal Palace is one of the Dim Sum restaurants where dim sum is ordered off a menu versus getting them off runaway carts. This is only my second experience with ordering off a menu and I have to say that I really prefer it that way. With carts, it sometimes feels like you're a mad dog rushing after a speeding cat. You either catch it or you get completely left behind. Now how frustrating is that? At least, with a menu, you'll definitely get what you order eventually. Anyway, on to the food.

My dim sum that morning consisted of 15 various dishes. Of the 15, there are two I would never order again. One was the House Special Dumpling in Supreme Soup Stock. I didn't taste the soup so I can't speak to it, but that Special Dumpling was definitely not that special. It was rubbery. Enough said.

I also didn't fare well with the Shanghai-Style Dumplings. With them being referred to as Shanghai-Style, I was expecting "juicy" dumplings, but I should have lowered my expections because there was really no broth to be found.

Of the 10 left that were savory options, 4 stood out for me. One was the Rice Noodle with Hot and Sweet Sauce. I loved the duality of sauce flavors and I liked the fact that the noodles weren't sticky-starchy and had a nice smooth eating texture to them.

Second was the deep fried chicken wings. The skin was golden and crispy and the chicken had a tanginess-hotness to it that I liked a lot. Third was the deep fried shrimp in seaweed roll. Deep fried seaweed is quite crunchy and when combined with deep fried shrimp, it's quite easy to enjoy every bite of this fun pairing.

Last was the Sticky Rice in Lotus Wrap. The rice was moist and had just the right consistency of being "sticky" without being over done. As for the flavor, I appreciated both the sweetness of the rice as well as the savory aspect of the meat and sauce that was part of the rice.

As for the 3 desserts we shared, one item caught us by surprise. We ordered a "Sweet Sesame Ball" and was expecting the round sesame-coated bread balls with some kind of sweet bean paste and got something not fitting that description.

Instead, what came to us were these three "dough-like" spheres coating with something powdery and inside was more of a runny black bean liquid. Interesting flavor, but not what we were looking for.

Overall, when looking at my Dim Sum experience at Triumphal Palace, I'd say that our Dim Sum choices were for the most part, good solid dishes. While I did have my favorites, there wasn't anything in particular that would make me want to take a special Dim Sum trip back to Triumphal Palace at this point.

Perhaps a second visit with different menu choices will garner me a better culinary experience, but for now, Triumphal Palace wasn't quite the triumph for me just yet.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594513194427/

Triumphal Palace
500 W Main St
Alhambra, CA 91899
(626) 308-3222

Dots Cupcakes (City Mouse) vs. Violet's Cakes (Country Mouse)

This past Saturday, I went cupcake sampling in Pasadena, first at Dots Cupcakes followed by Violet's Cakes. After experiencing both within an hour of each other, the best analogy I could come up with to describe the whole experience was that of the City Mouse vs. the Country Mouse.

In one corner, you have Dots Cupcakes, which to me was the City Mouse. The storefront looks pretty sophisticated. The building is pink with a brown awning and that same color scheme is utilized for their company logo. Inside, the cupcakes are presented through these white cut-outs, which strangely enough reminded of the cells within a beehive where the honey is deposited. Perhaps something subliminal is happening? As for the interior of the cup cake shop, it was orderly. Everything was in its place.

As for the cupcakes themselves, they were quite pretty looking and when put into the box with the brown and pink polka dotted tissue paper, they made a nice presentation. I took home some for a chocolate potluck I was having that evening, but before I left, I went ahead and tried two cupcakes at the shop, or at least half of each one.

First up was the Pina Colada Cupcake. They definitely did not skimp on the coconut portion of this cupcake and that coconut was quite good, moist and with just the right amount of chewiness. According to the website, the coconut was supposed to be toasted, but that didn't seem to be the case. As for the "Pina" in this cupcake, it went AWOL, unless the pineapple flavor is supposed to be really subtle. I think that calling this a Pina Colada Cupcake was quite a misnomer and calling it a simple Coconut Cupcake would have been more accurate. Based on it being called a Pina Colada Cupcake, I was disappointed, but thinking of it as just as a Coconut Cupcake, I was able to like it better.

Following this so-called Pina Colada Cupcake, came the Red Velvet Cupcake. I was definitely more pleased with this second offering although not necessarily wowed. While I liked this cupcake better than the first, I think the cake part should have been a little sweeter, but perhaps that was done on purpose because of the cream cheese frosting. When tasting that cream cheese frosting by itself, I found that it was actually pretty sweet, but when eaten with the cupcake, everything came together fairly well.

I found that the actual cake part of both cupcakes were a little dryer than I would have liked, but at that time, it was fine. What I found interesting is that when I had the other halves of these cupcakes much later on in the evening, both of them were even drier than when I first got them. I just took a couple of small bites of each and threw them out.

From Dots Cupcakes, I made a trip down the road to Violet's Cakes and by just looking at the entrance, you already got that "Country Mouse" feeling. When entering the shop, you'll see a lot of hustle and bustle in the open kitchen behind the counter and on either side of of the shop, one table had some crafty stuff that the owner apparently was using to make something crafty and the other table had flyers and business cards on top of it.

When looking at the case, it was even more obvious that the Dots Cupcakes and Violet's Cupcakes were night and day. Violet's cupcakes were a little smaller and had that homey, just baked in the kitchen with grandma look whereas Dots Cupcakes looked like they could have been made by a Pastry Chef.

I was quite disappointed with Dots, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Violet's, but let me tell you, Violet's did not disappoint and in fact, surpassed expectations. The two that I decided to sample were the banana cupcake with dark chocolate frosting and their French Toast cupcake.

The banana cupcake had great flavor. It actually reminded me of good banana bread. Unlike Dots' Pina Colada Cupcake which seemed to be missing the "Pina", I could taste the banana in Violet's banana cupcake. Isn't that as it should be? Also, that dark chocolate frosting was so creamy, so filled with chocolate goodness, that I could have had it by itself without the cupcake.

As for the French Toast cupcake, wow, I loved it. I can't tell you that it tasted exactly like French Toast because it didn't have that eggy flavor/texture you'd might associate with this particular breakfast treat. However, you could really taste the spicing in this cupcake that could be associated with French Toast like cinnamon, allspice and/or nutmeg and when you top it off with a creamy, maple frosting, I was in cupcake heaven.

Unlike the Dots Cupcakes, I finished up both Violet's cupcakes without even a thought. Not only did both have great flavor, I also found both cupcakes to be moist unlike their drier counterparts at Dots. I also brought home cupcakes from Violet's for my chocolate potluck and actuallly had one left over. When I had that leftover cupcake the next day, it still tasted just as good and the cake was just as moist.

While Violet's may not have the City Sophistication of Dots, what they do have is dreamingly delicious cupcakes. In the end, pretty presentation will only go so far if the flavor isn't there and Violet's cupcakes definitely have that flavor.

Dots Cupcakes
400 S. Arroyo Parkway
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 568-3687
http://www.dotscupcakes.com/

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594534732170/

Violet's Cakes
21 E Holly St
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 395-9821

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594534739934/

"Nicaraguan Feast" at El Gallo Pinto

Last January, I set up a 12-course sampler dinner at El Gallo Pinto in Azusa and my oh my, was it delicious. We started off with their Mondongo Soup, which owner, Jose, makes himself every weekend. This particular dish is a Nicaraguan specialty and apparently, Nicaraguans will drive for miles to for this soup because it reminds them of home.

The Mondongo Soup is a hearty tripe soup with chayote, corn, yuca and other ingredients and after doing some research online, I found out that many Nicarguans value it because they feel that the soup has healing powers. I actually really enjoyed this soup and considering that it was a cold evening, it really hit the spot. The broth was rich and flavorful and just really warmed me inside and out. The only thing that put me off a bit was that the tripe. It could have been cut in smaller chunks. They were just too big to eat in one bite.

Following the Mondongo Soup came the Nactamale, which is basically a tamale that is steamed in banana leaves with about 14 different ingredients including capers, olives, raisins, rice, potatoes, onion, mint, marinated pork, jalapenos, etc. According to the owner, the banana leaves are more than just simple wrappers, they actually are important in adding flavor to the tamale. The Nactamale had a lot of different "tastes". There was sweet from the raisins, a little salty from the olives, a kick from the japalenos. It felt like an adventure eating it because you never got the same bite twice.

Following the Nactamale, came an appetizer platter that included fried marinated pork, green and ripe plantains as well as gallo pinto. Gallo Pinto is a mixture of fried rice with onion and sweet pepper and beans boiled with garlic and is a definite must have anytime you come visit El Gallo Pinto, this dish's namesake. Also with the appetizer platter came the Vigoron, which is yuca, cabbage, tomatoes and deep fried marinated pork. There's really nothing fancy about these dishes, but for being basically fried foods, they were good.

Mincemeat, the dish that followed wasn't anything to write home about. Basically, this dish is chopped boiled beef with bell peppers and onions. I had it before and wasn't too impressed with it the second time around. It still had the same problem. It's actually a pretty bland dish, even when you squeeze lime on it. It didn't really come to life until you mixed the Nicaraguan salsa with it and considering that the Nicaraguan salsa is a mixture of sour orange juice, onions and peppers, you can see why it added a lot of great flavor.

On to the chicken that was covered with an olive, caper and a tomato-based sauce. A very tasty dish which had a nice hit of saltiness from the capers and olives; yet, wasn't overwhelmed by them. Then then there was the whole boneless tilapia fish cooked with onions and bell peppers with a tomato-based sauce flavored with vinegar and bay leaf. The sauce was wonderful. I liked the acidity of the tomatoes mixed with the sour flavor of the vinegar.

Still we press on to the home stretch where we end with the fried green banana chips, the shrimp in special sauce and two desserts, the bunelos and the rum cake. I can't for the life of me remember what was in the sauce for the shrimp, but it was quite good. I remember it being a little spicy, but than I could be wrong. I'll have to go back and try it again.

As for the desserts, I really liked both of them. The bunelos are deep fried pastries stuffed with yuca and cheese with caramel sauce poured over them. You can never go wrong with caramel sauce plus with yuca and the cheese not being really sweet, the caramel made this dish seem more like dessert.

The rum cake was also really good. I honestly don't remember if I tasted any rum, but I just liked how moist the cake was and how the sauce just permeated its pores. Yummy!

Overall, there are definite things I'd try again and others I'd skip over, but in general, I'd say it was a pretty good meal and when you add that it's a family-owned, family-run restaurant where the owners really take care of their customers, I'm always very happy to dine there and recommend El Gallo Pinto to anyone who's interested in trying Nicaraguan Cuisine.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594511362488/

El Gallo Pinto
5559 N Azusa Ave
Azusa, CA
(626) 815-9907

Scarlet Tea Room

For those of you who have never been to the Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena, I encourage you to make a visit. Just standing in front of the entrance, you already get a sense of something unique when you're faced with a red shimmery door. Once you enter, you're transported to an elegant space with a gold and cream color scheme and when you look up, you'll see beautiful crystal chandeliers.

Once you're seated, owner, Karen, comes out to tell you what to expect with the Scarlet Tea Ceremony. Her descriptions of the delectable treats to come really raised expectations and believe me, we weren't disappointed.

The Scarlet Tea Ceremony consists of five courses:

- signature sorbet
- fresh homemade curd with lemon curd, seasonal preserves and signature "Scarlet" cream
- assorted tea sandwiches (4 for each person)
- assorted mini desserts
- strawberries Romanoff
- choice of loose tea

We start off with a beautifully red or dare I say "scarlet" strawberry-orange sorbet, which had a nice hit of tartness and also a great consistency, not too icy, not too slushy. What a great way to cleanse your palate for what was to follow.

Along with the sorbet, tea service began and for our large group, we had three different teas to choose from. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of the teas, but we had a black tea, a green tea and a decaffeinated herb-infused tea.

Soon we all ooohed and aahhhed as the tiers of scones and sandwiches started arriving at our tables. Everyone reached for the scones and what heavenly creatures they were. I liked that they still had a bit of the crumble factor; yet, the bread had some good moisture to it and wasn't as dry as a dessert. The lemon curd that came with the scones was so good, I could have inhaled it and the cream, oh that whipped cream, was light, fluffy, fresh and just so divine.

Once we made short work of our scones, we started digging into the sandwiches. There was quite a variety so not one person had the same exact four sandwiches. For my selection, I had the roasted red pepper and olive tapenade, egg salad, ham and cheese and proscuitto and roasted red pepper sandwiches. While I found the egg salad sandwich uninteresting, my other three choices had lots of great flavor. My favorite was the roasted red pepper and olive tapenade sandwich. Sometimes tapenade can be too salty, but this one was just right and complimented well with the sweetness of the roasted red peppers.

After our sandwiches, out came the tray of mini desserts. They all looked so colorful and delectable, it was hard to choose. After sampling the lemon sponge cake, the pistachio cake and one of the smaller candy coated cakes, nothing really wowed me. While all the cakes were moist, there was something missing. Up to that point, we experienced many different tastes, tart, savory, buttery, salty (a good kind), but the desserts seemed a little bland in comparison.

Finally, at the end of the tea ceremony, we were treated to the strawberries Romanoff, which is a dessert consisting of strawberries that were soaked in a citrus liquer mixed with whipped cream that was light, creamy and delicious- a perfect end to a wonderful tea.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Scarlet Tea Room from the service to the food to the ambiance and I would definitely make a return visit.

To see all the pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594481416119/

Scarlet Tea Room
18 W Green St
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 577-0051

Leaf Cuisine - "In the Raw Trio"

Every time I tell people who don't live in LA about "Raw Cuisine", I usually get the "Only in California (or LA)" comment. For those of you who don't know specifically what "Raw Cuisine" is, please read on.

A raw food diet consists fully of foods which have not been heated above a certain temperature. The maximum temperature varies among the different forms of the diet, from 92ºF to 118ºF. Raw food diets may include raw fruits, raw vegetables, raw nuts, raw seeds, raw unpasteurized dairy products such as raw milk, raw meat, raw eggs, and raw honey. Those who follow a raw food diet typically believe that the greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits.

Having never experienced "Raw Dining", I thought that it was time to check out some restaurants that specialize in that kind of non-cooking. :) My first experience happened last month at Leaf Cuisine in Culver City.

Standing outside the grass-green painted building that housed Leaf Cuisine already made me feel like I was around a more "natural environment." When you walk in, you can see that the restaurant interior boasts of the earth's colors: green, brown, orange. There was just something very soothing about the restaurant space and the laidback vibe, along with the counter person with his orange bandana seemed fitting for what Leaf Cuisine is supposed to be about.

My meal started off with trying a mock salmon nori roll. The salmon was like a creamy pate and in this case was made up of avocado, carrots and sprouts. The roll did have a "salmon" taste to it, but just a taste. I actually think that the carrots lent itself to the sweetness of salmon meat, which is why you "taste" the idea of that salmon without eating the actual salmon. I actually enjoyed these rolls and would order it again if I had a chance.

Following the salmon nori roll, I had the raw slaw which is made up of cabbage, carrots, herbs & a creamy seed cheese dressing. In retrospect, there wasn't anything that unique about this salad. Coleslaw consists of raw veggies anyway. The veggies were great. I really like the crunchiness of this salad; however, the dressing had a vinegary taste and after taste to it that I disliked a lot, so I barely even made a dent in it.

For my main entree, I had the Veggie Sunburger Wrap. First off, I really liked the kale leaf wrapper. The leaf was dense, hearty and had a nice bite to it. The sunburger itself needed a bit more work. According to the menu, the "meat" of this burger should be crispy on the outside due to it having been dehydrated. That crispness was lacking. Now if it had been fried.....but of course, that wouldn't happen at Leaf. As for the flavor, I liked the nuttiness of the veggie burger, but felt like it needed something to crank it up a notch. Not sure what. Just something more.

Dessert was the Oraweo Pudding. Yummy! Now this was a good pudding. The menu mentioned this pudding as being a gooey mess of coconut cream, cacao nibs and chocolate and they weren't kidding, but it was a gooey mess that really took care of my sweet tooth without drowning it.

In general, my foray into "Raw Cusine" wasn't a resounding sucesss, but it wasn't an abject failure either. Generally, it was hit or miss for me at Leaf Cuisine but it may be a homerun somewhere else, so time to check out some more "Raw" restaurants.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594494869999/

Leaf Cuisine
11938 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA, 90066
310-390-6005
http://www.leafcuisine.com/