A-Frame

Culver City has become an LA hot spot.  With SONY Studios located in the heart of Culver City's downtown core, only the best restaurants manage to stay afloat while catering to the film industry elite.  While Culver Blvd. is a great area to peruse for wining and dining, I would like to point your attention to the new and upcoming restaurant row of Culver City: Washington Blvd.

Stationed by the corner of Centinela Ave., several restaurants have become the buzz of the town; most notably, The Outdoor Grill, Waterloo & City and Corner Door.  Today, I'm going to focus on A-Frame - a Korean inspired restaurant where sharing plates are encouraged and utensils are optional.

I came to A-Frame in a group of four people, which gave us the option of trying several dishes.  The first of which was kitchen fries: wedges of purple potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes with kimchi sour cream and sea salt.  I found this dish to be a balanced blend of sweet and salty, in addition to innovate.  I can see the chef's storyboard introducing a classic American side dish with a Korean inspired potato choice and dipping sauce.  I would definitely order this dish again.

Kitchen Fries ($7)

The next dish my comrades and I shared was the heirloom pickles.  I'm a huge fan of pickles, and found this dish lacked adequate "pickling".  I felt that the vegetables needed to be soaked in vinegar and salt for longer; however, my friends felt that they were salty enough to enjoy in large quantities.  I would give this dish a rating of a B, giving you the option to decide if its worth ordering or not.

Heirloom Pickles ($7)

In an effort to eat something a bit healthier, our next course was the veggie nest.  True to its name, the veggie nest has brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, root vegetables, cauliflower, mushrooms, toasted bread crumbs, spicy carrot vinaigrette and celery root puree.  On the surface, it doesn't sound unappealing if you enjoy being a herbivore, but I found this dish to be very unappetizing.  I don't know if it was the vinaigrette or the puree, but it tasted bitter and creamy...in my opinion, an unsavory combination.  In addition, the presentation is very off-putting, almost reminiscing bird regurgitation.  In all honesty, its like an overexposed photo: the vision is there, but the product lacks finesse. This was the only dish during my dining experience that I truly disliked, and would not suggest ordering.  

The Veggie Nest ($15)

Last but not least, we ordered beer can chicken.  This was definitely our favorite dish overall.  The beer surprisingly keeps the chicken very moist, while infusing a subtle flavor of hops and ale.  I particularly enjoyed the crispy skin rubbed in herbs.  Definitely worth ordering again, and eating in slow motion.

Beer Can Chicken ($22)

I felt A-Frame was an excellent choice for dinner for groups.  I enjoyed most of the dishes, and feel that the veggie nest could improve with some modifications on the presentation and sauce.  Consider making A-Frame your new rendezvouz spot, avoiding the crowds from Culver Blvd.  Watch out Costco...people have a new reason to shimmy down to an animated Washington Blvd.!!!

Website: http://aframela.com/new/

Junior's Deli

Every Sunday morning, my father used to take me and brother to Junior's Deli.  To be honest, I never truly loved Junior's until now.  Looking back, Junior's was like going to see family.  I always assumed that it would be there forever, and surely took it for granted.

My dad would order lox with cream cheese on a bagel, with a cinnamon roll on the side.  I never really cared for the main course, but I was crazy for that sugary pastry of goodness with melted butter.  As if that wasn't enough, the other dish I looked forward to was the appetizer: a bowl of pickles with sauerkraut.  I know that salt and sugar does not make for a healthy breakfast, but the child inside screamed for this weakly mismatch made in heaven.

My brother and I would usually share scrambled eggs with hashbrowns, with a bagel on the side.  We had a masterful way of hiding any nutritious food under the orange slice on the plate.  If we missed breakfast, we would get good ol' fashioned turkey sandwiches or pastrami.  Look, we didn't come here for our health - we came here to nourish our souls with carbs.

Soon enough, tradition was forgotten and Junior's was a distant childhood memory.  Every now and then, I would meet up with my dad or my brother to revisit our past, but Junior's was put on the back-burner.  It wasn't until this weekend when I heard Junior's was closing its doors that I had this sudden rush of nostalgia that brought tears to my eyes.  After fifty years since opening in the Westside, how could my old stomping grounds be closing?

That was precisely the reason.  It was my old stomping grounds.  I rarely visited Juniors on my own, unless it was for chicken noodle soup or bagels.  Juniors was like family to me.  I valued its presence, but I took this restaurant for granted.  Junior's has been a pillar for Jewish families in the community, and today I would like to take a moment to thank them for a childhood filled with warm memories and full bellies.  Below are some photos I took on their last night before closing there doors to the public.

The Saul family hopes to re-open the deli in the near future at a more affordable location.  In this case, I truly hope it's not goodbye...but see you later.

Ramenya

After years of eating nana's chicken noodle soup, I've come to realize it is truly is the best cure to a common cold.  The warm tingly feeling you get as you slurp down tender noodles soaked in a flavorful broth makes you forget for just a moment that your body is throbbing with pain.  Now that I don't live with my parents, nana's chicken noodle soup is  as hard to come by as a free dinner.  Luckily, I have Ramenya in West Los Angeles to treat even the worst of ailments.

Ramenya offers several varieties of ramen soup, but my all-time favorite is the aji ramen.  Its packed with garlic and onion, which is the perfect remedy for your weak immune system.  The ramen is cooked al dente, which is preferable to the usual soggy noodles found in other establishments.  As a bonus, the hostess with serve you a fresh batch of ice-tea at no charge.  It's not exactly a free meal, but for $10, its practically a steal.

There are several ramen shops in the area, but this one ranks supreme.  I especially like the little to no wait time and tons of available parking spaces.  For all of you that keep kosher or halal, Ramenya is the only restaurant in Little Osaka that uses a chicken-based broth instead of pork.  Given all of the benefits, this is exactly what I need in my moments of weakness!

3 Square Café

It's not called Foursquare, its named 3 Square Café.

That's interesting.  Because it's not rated four stars, it's worth three stars on Yelp.

I've dined at 3 Square Café a couple of times, hoping that the next experience will be tastier than the last.  I definitely like the food the parent company (Röckenwagner Bakery) puts out, but this restaurant doesn't seem to tweet my twitter or pace my facebook.  It just bugs my blog.

My culinary journey launched with the avocado fries with fire-roasted salsa.  It's one of those items thats sounds better than it actually is - a reconstruction of salsa and guacamole that charges you $7.00.  Nice to download once - silly to save it on your desktop.

Next was the pretzel burger with caramelized onions and swiss cheese ($9.50).  Pretzel burgers are hard to come by, so I had to take the opportunity to jump on it.  I wouldn't say the burger was bad, but in a town where you're competing with Umami, Steingarten, and countless other burger joints, a $10 burger better be good.  Unfortunately, I found this burger to be on the dry side and lacking sufficient flavor in the bun.  This is where an alert box would pop up on my computer to tell me something went wrong.

The main bit of the show was a flat iron steak with purple potatos and salad ($19.95).  This dish was actually pretty good, but is only offered ocassionally as a special.  It went well with the wine the waitress offered me, which is definitely a plus.  

Looking back on my experience at 3 Square Café, I would definitely give it another shot if they improved some of their dishes.  They have excellent presentation and creativity, but they need to work on the flavor.   3 Square Café has a great selection of beer and wines to compliment the German-Californian cuisine, and are located right along Abbot Kinney which makes for good people watching.  I don't want to wipe them from my hard drive just yet!  

I should mention, their sister restaurant Röckenwagner Santa Monica Bakery makes exceptional baked goods.  I would definitely recommend their souffle cakes!

Intelligentsia Coffee

#WHATSHOULDWECALLME : Trying to sleep after drinking too much coffee (click here)

Let's be honest.  You know you probably need to cut back on the coffee to avoid looking like this pup.  But, let's keep it real.  Coffee shops like Intelligencia make it too hard to do that.

For those of you who saw The Green Hornet (2011) starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou, you'll remember that Kato's coffee was more than a just a drink (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0ELX1UYKiQ).  It was an art form, speaking to the senses from all angles.  Similar to that are the espresso drinks at Intelligentsia. Think of it like the scene from The Green Hornet:

[Enter into Intelligentsia]

You smell the slightly toasted arabica beans right when you walk into the cafe.  (Its slightly sweet, with notes of brown sugar and chestnut.)  

Your ears start to buzz as the espresso machine is fired up, and the beans begin to grind.  

Once the milk is poured into the cup, you admire the barrista for their intriqate skill at latte art.  

After the drink is given to you, the heat from the cup transfers into hands signalling your brain that it's time to enjoy this marvelous cup of happiness.

[Exit with smile on face]

Intelligentsia has been voted #1 coffee shop in Los Angeles time and time again. Clearly, it's no surprise that you walk out of this place happier than you did walking in! The lines can build up quickly (especially with hipsters, hippies and the like), so chassé down to a location near you! http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/locations

Sunnin Lebanese Café

Patience is Beautiful
الصبر جميل

In Arabic, there is a proverb that says “patience is beautiful”. After years of digging for succulent chicken kebabs and tender strips of shawarma, I have alas found the perfect Middle Eastern restaurant in the Westside. Hidden down the street from Persian Square, Sunnin Café truly caters to the most aromatic of palates at an affordable price. Alas, you don’t need to travel as far as Beirut to get a taste of Lebanon.

Shish Tawook (Chicken Kebab)
Chicken breast marinated with garlic grilled on a skewer served with rice, salad, garlic sauce and pita bread ($15.00)

Combo Grill

One skewer of beef kebab, chicken kebab, and kefta Kebab served with hommos, rice, salad and pita bread ($18.00)

In comparison to other Middle Eastern restaurants in the neighborhood, I feel like Sunnin Lebanese Café makes me feel like I'm eating in someone's home. It's not as exquisite as Mezze or Cleo, but it sure is tasty! I usually forgo the rice and double up on the salad because of their excellent lemon mint vinaigrette. If it's your first time, I strongly suggest the combo grill for a taste of everything!
 

For more information, please visit their website at http://sunnin.com/?/home/  Parking is available on the street and in their parking lot.

Fig & Olive

Whenever DineLA rolls around, I always jump at the opportunity to try new and innovative restaurants at a more affordable price.  Despite the difficulties in choosing a restaurant, this year I've focused my interests on none other than Fig & Olive.  After President Obama held a fundraiser there last fall, I've been dying the know what the fuss is all about!

My experience began with a tasting plate of extra virgin olive oils.  Sequenced from light to dark, each oil shared a story of its origin and history.  Perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt like I had traveled from the South of France, to Italy, and then Spain in a matter of a few minutes.  Fascinating.

CHEESE ($19)

served with fig & olive walnut tapenade & marcona almonds

For my first course, I indulged myself in an artisan cheese selection featuring fromage de chevre, gorgonzola dolce, robiola, manchego and roccetta.  I found this assortment to not only be tastefully pleasing to the tongue, but also pungently delicious to one's sense of smell.

PENNE FUNGHI TARTUFO ($18)

cremini mushroom, black trumpet, parmesan, parsley, scallion, white truffle olive oil

For my second course, I found this vegetarian pasta anything but bland and tasteless.  The cremini mushrooms burst with intense flavor as the white truffle olive oil shines through its pores.  I would coin this dish as simple and elegant.

I wrapped up dinner with a desire to satisfy my sweet-tooth.  For my last course, I had a DESSERT CROSTINI ($9) assembled with amarena cherry, mascarpone, and pistachio shortbread.  While the name sounds exciting and decadent, I found it to be flirting on the sweet side with too much sugar.  Next time, I hope to have a better experience by indulging in Andrew's Tasting and Sharing Plate featuring my choice of the following 4 Bite-Sized Desserts: Maple Crème Brulèe, Warm Marzipan Cake, Dessert Crostini, Chocolate Pot de Crème, Crunchy Praline or Raspberry Sorbet.  

Fig & Olive is nothing short of a Mediterranean wonder.  As founder Laurent Halasz puts it, “At FIG & OLIVE, I want to highlight our menu’s core ingredient of olive oil, which we use in place of butter in our dishes. From a sweet and delicate olive oil from the French Riviera that pairs well with a Steamed Lemon Sole Papillote to an assertive Spanish Picual or a Tuscan olive oil that holds its own with Seared Salmon with Fennel and Green Olives, and a green-fruit Provence olive oil that we serve with a Green Apple Sorbet. Our cuisine along with an elegant white, green and terra-cotta décor immerse our guests into the essence of the Mediterranean region in which I grew up.”  If I had to choose, I would put Fig & Olive as one of the top five restaurants in Los Angeles.

Fig & Olive is located in West Hollywood on 8490 Melrose Place.  For more information, please visit http://www.figandolive.com/