Author Archives: Carina Ost
For the last two years, Uncouth Gourmands has been my life. For the last year and a half, I have shared my Uncouth Gourmand adventures with you. Josie and I were inseparable and I still cannot go to any event in LA without people asking where my other half or partner is. It is a role that I have loved because I have met so many great people in the food, restaurant, PR, blogosphere and Twitterazzi worlds. I have lived in LA for the last 6 years, long enough for me to attend both college and grad school and really …
If your definition of hot tamales are those chewy cinnamon candies, then you are missing out and Mama can teach you a thing or two. Mama’s Hot Tamales is located in MacArthur Park and is part of the neighborhood revitalization effort, and it is clear that there is a ton of life in this place. You walk into this two room cafe and see hand-painted chairs, murals, and, of course, mama. This outing was organized by The Minty, and last Saturday, 6 of us gathered at the front table to really get to know what mama was cooking up. The …
This was initially going to be a post about another one of The Minty’s awesome crawls. This was the Near Eastside Fish Taco Crawl. On this sunny afternoon in April, more than 10 of us were in the Silverlake area trying 5 different varieties of fish tacos in search of the best. I can tell you about each place and show you pictures of their tacos, but there is one fish taco that more than stole the show and that is Ricky’s. So this time around, we will skip to the good stuff and ignore the rest. First though, on …
I was the Editor-In-Chief of my high school yearbook and part of this job was selling senior ads from the parents of soon-to-be graduates. Of course, I made my mom buy an ad for me and I remember her writing I am so proud of you blah blah blah and then, “I hope you find great sandwiches and hot cement in LA.” Since then I have lived in LA for 6 years and I have found some great sandwiches. One of my uncouth gourmand icons is Liz Lemon and this quote may be the most profound thing I ever heard …
Carina with Chef Lauren DeMartin and The Bikini Chef I have said it often but I absolutely LOVE hotels. In fact, second to only restaurants, they are my favorite places to be. Both of these places offer me retreat, service, and a place of excitement. I am transported and become Carina in my best form: calm, happy, and with my senses totally turned on. As a neurotic young woman I am rarely out of my head until I set foot into a nice hotel and/or restaurant. I was invited by The Barry Group to see the two new restaurants in …
Alright folks, I have 3 great deals to report and one great story to tell. First, I will talk about the event that is closest to our heart. There are a ton of food events in LA, my wallet and my waistline know this all to well, but there is one event that was without doubt our favorite. Taste of the Nation LA is so undeniably fantastic! We volunteered last year, met great friends, ate great food, met some amazing chefs (where almost of our pics in the “Chefs” section came from) and we helped out a great cause. When …
There are certain LA restaurants that are just icons. While I have very little interest in going to places like Spago, I am very interested in their former head chef, Mark Peel. This man has done it all from Spago to Chez Panisse but Campanile is something all his own. After visiting Tar Pit (the newest Mark Peel creation) for the second time last week while on a date I realized that it was about time that I visit Campanile for a proper meal. By the way, if you went to Tar Pit when they first opened the menu and …
Our PR Intern, Lea, is quite the little Minx. She is a sorority girl that is a week away from her college graduation. She is the new lifeblood of the UG office, as she comes in with stories of her escapades and makes Josie and I blush with excitement and jealously. I got an invite from our friend Hanh to a media dinner and since Josie was going to a play I asked Miss Lea to join me. Lea was heartbroken after she learned that she was not invited to her parent’s anniversary dinner, god forbid they have a romantic …
Many of us in the food blogosphere all carry around the same Canon s90 camera but very few of us actually know how to use it. There are several exceptions to this rule and one of my favorites is Julian aka DJJewelz. He uses the same camera as all of us, no Photoshop, and always manages to take beautiful pictures. Sure he has the artists’ eye but he also knows simple shortcuts for better pictures. My new friend Nastassia, of Let Me Eat Cake, and I were both talking at the Latin American Dessert Crawl about how in awe we …
We have written about Checkers and their Thursday happy hour called FOUR for a long time, but it is truly our favorite weekly deal. The man on the left, Tyler, takes care of the drinks and the man on the right, Chef Todd, handles the food. They have fine-dining expertise and skill that is made affordable so you can easily indulge to your belly’s content. They offer four plates and four drinks for four hours (from 4p-8p) on Thursday for $4 each. It is the deal of the century. Last week after John Kelly Chocolates and before the Sexy Singles …