So – you probably know the popular guys in town. You know, the guys featured in every mainstream blog; the culinary varsity equivalents. But here’s a few guys you may not have heard of. Their names are Gev Kazanchyan & Dave Watrous (Beachwood BBQ & Brewing). Both men have full day jobs, but they also dedicate their spare time to being stellar craft-loving human-beings. Luckily for us, they’ve managed to bring their love of craft beer to the mainstream (through local beer programs across the city); and a few weeks ago, to charity. To kick off LA Beer Week, the Dionicess IX paired with chef/author Randy Clemens (The Sriracha Cookbook), and the talented Matt Biancaniello of Library Bar at Steingarten LA. (I should add that only Matt & Dave could marry beer & cocktails in such a melodic way.) All proceeds went to Real Medicine Foundation. (‘Real Medicine Foundation provides humanitarian support to people living in disaster and poverty stricken areas…’) The result was a splendid Friday afternoon. Here’s a recap.

Above: The ‘Risottopop’. An arancini lollipop cooked with hazelnuts, Parmesan and crispy fried sage.

Above: The food paparazzi.

Above: “The Lambic Pentameter,” consisted of white balsamic, basil, strawberries, elderflower liqueur and Drie Fontinien Spirit of Armand. The Drie is a rare distilled Lambic from Belgium that had never before been poured in the US. The cocktail was finished off with an unbruised basil leaf. T’was perfect.

Below: The “Don’t Let This Get Your Goat, Just Figure It Out”. Beautifully ripened figs & herbed Chevre.

Above: The ‘Hop and the Hound’. It was a Cabot Clothbound cheddar with yuzu marmalade, pickled habanero, and mirco greens. The habanero packed quite the punch, but luckily, I’m Mexican so I could handle the challenge.

Below: ‘The Currrent, Currant Attraction’. This dish had a dollop of cous-cous, almonds, dried apricots, and herbs – all in a bite-size cucumber cup. This may have been one of my fave snacks. It was robust and light at the same time… and it left me wanting more.

Above: ‘The Calabaza Gazpacho’. This lightly chilled soup consisted of heirloom pumpkins, yams, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It was also topped with a fried parsnip, all of which, went down my belly so smoothly. I need to learn how to make this recipe for casa Mora.

Above: And the last dish, ‘The Upside Down Deconstructed Umami Milkshake in 2 Stages’. And, as FoodGPS so aptly put, a ‘deconstructed upside down beer float featuring candy cap mushroom-infused bourbon with natural maple flavor, which appeared in Scoops ice cream, served over Intelligentsia coffee-infused Cynar, Belgian Tripel reduction and cassis, with a maraschino cherry plugging the center passageway. Clemens came up with a real teeth rattler for his finale, titled “Brittle Me This, Brittle Me That,” a super sticky (and spicy) pecan brittle with Aleppo pepper, molasses and vanilla.’ The brittle was a bit too chewy for my taste, but a lot of people seemed to enjoy it. My favorite part of dessert was the cocktail. It was an experience in itself. The bourbon and ice cream went so well together and the maraschino cherry was homemade – none of those Chernobyl red cherries so many of us are used to. #goodstuff

Below are the ladies and gents that pulled this event off. Kudos to you! And to you at home, if you feel so inclined to donate to the Real Medicine Foundation this holiday season, please do. It’s a great cause and your support is much appreciated by those less fortunate. Donate here. Now go on, be a giver!

Steingarten LA

(310) 441-0441

Greetings fellow foodies, gourmands, and uncouth lovers of all things delicious,

My first article and event coverage for the lovely ladies of Uncouth Gourmands was on the recent launch of the restaurant Picca Peru by Chef Ricardo Zarate (of Mo-Chica and a Food and Wine’s Best New Chef of 2011) & the acquisition of the highly acclaimed mixologist, Julian Cox, for the opening of their upstairs bar, Picca Mezzanine.

Picca Peru is nestled at the edge of Century City on W. Pico Blvd, a stretch of unassuming buildings in a two-story townhome converted into restaurant and bar. “Unassuming” is the word I would say best describes my first impression – the valet service, glittering lights and noises of a bustling restaurant sounded out of place in the quiet location – but its warm, red facade was inviting and the space was small enough that it retained the intimacy of its townhouse origins.

But now, the cocktails: Julian Cox is a cocktail lover’s god — he manages the programs at Playa and Rivera and has launched more than his fair share of successful custom beverage menus. Dressed neatly in a collared shirt and bow-tie with slicked back, “Dapper Dan” hair, his old-fashioned apron and pointed goatee completed the retro look, not a hair or thing out of place but for his very-much-alive non-stop activity behind the bar.

While Julian Cox made magic behind the bar, I was lucky enough to meet the illustrious Shawna Dawson of Sauce LA, who pointed out the vintage bar-ware to me and urged me to simply “watch him.” I watched and learned that I must be a mixology amateur because I had almost no idea what was going on behind that bar – I was like Harry Potter in Potions class, trying my best but . He may not be a professor, but he has started teaching intensive training programs for customized mixology everywhere he goes, and clearly I would not make the cut.

I went ahead and tried three of the six cocktails: The Viceroy, The Sound of Silence, and the East India Trading Company. While I’ve had some layered cocktails at artisanal bars like Las Perlas, the cocktails at Picca Mezzanine were like finding the source of a spring, albeit a deliciously alcoholic one. After a few sips of The Viceroy, a bright-tasting blend of rich cognac, pisco italia mosto verde (code for Peruvian Pisco Brandy), sherry, lemon juice, orange peel, gran classico bitter and a pinch of salt, I started to lose track of all the things Cox was grabbing and mixing – in the end, I simply enjoyed the mixing of liquors with food, which included some skewered duck livers, grilled salmon and other Peruvian-style dishes with each drink. Every cocktail was rich in flavor and challenging for my as-of-now decidedly underdeveloped palate. I left that night feeling less gourmand and more uncouth (so I guess that makes me a proper UG), but I was invigorated by the craftsmanship of Julian Cox.

And I knew two things for sure: that I wanted to have my palate challenged by cocktails again, and that the next time I ventured into mixology, I’d arrive as an admirer rather than as a stranger. (ALL PHOTO CREDIT: PICCA)

(310) 277-0133

I’m not going to lie, when my friend asked me to join her for Happy Hour at BoHo, a gastropub on Hollywood & Highland, my eyes definitely rolled. But I put my pride aside… After all, I wanted to hang out with my friend, Stephanie. However, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of culinary prowess.

There I was, in the main vein of tourist dystopia. I briefly contemplated walking away, but I shrugged off any presuppositions and marched in. A bubbly blond waitress greeted me with a friendly smile and I told her who I was there to meet. She again smiled and motioned me to my friends. I thought to myself, ‘Hey that wasn’t so bad. At least she didn’t treat me like a disposable tourist!’ By the time I sat down, the table had already ordered a few dishes – none of which I had. I ordered a dish, the burrata salad. My companion ordered the spicy burger and I expected nothing of particular noteworthiness to come out. But I did ask for a beer list. (After all, this is a gastropub, right?) The beer list perked up both ears. An Old Rasptin (my favorite)! An Allagash! A Stone Porter! I was immediately excited.

The dishes were impeccable. Incredulous and in disbelief, I decided to verify and went back the following week. Much like a first love, my heart told me one story but my mind told another. I thought to myself, ‘this couldn’t possibly be replicated!’ It was. Here’s the delicious photographic tour of my noms.

Above: A pint of Old Rasputin in a chilled glass; life doesn’t get better than this. Then there was the bacon mac and cheese. The pasta was al dente and the sauce unctuous and creamy, in that good way that only butter/bacon can produce. The pork chop was pan seared then finished off in the oven. The rich balsamic glaze was definitely rendered with pork chop bits and touched me like a good man would: with delicate assertion. The dish was paired with braised Brussels sprouts & the entrée was complete. #swoon.

The owner, Adolfo, came to the table and shook my hand. (He was making the rounds to every table so I knew his greeting was genuine.) He took great care to ask me what I liked, to which I replied, ‘cheese!’ He surprised me and sent out a piece of his best Manchego. It was class all the way. Next up was a sampling of my table mate’s appetizer, the tuna tartar. Again, it was sound and the quality of tuna at its best.

The Burrata cheese salad was next. I was little turned off by the messy presentation but I proceeded. It was damn good. Burrata has a short shelf life. Like any cheese really, the minute it’s exposed to oxygen it starts dying. This particular Burrata was on its first day. The tomatoes were ripe and the balsamic added a needed astringency. Quality goes a long way with me and I was moved.

Then there was dessert. Dessert was paired with apropos beers. How wonderful is that? We enjoyed the presence of a warm bread pudding and a strawberry shortcake; paired with a Speedway Stout and an Allagash, respectively. I felt like a Greek king, pleasured and sated. I’ll definitely be back.

***On Twitter, Gourmet Pigs said I needed to try the veal sweetbreads at BoHo. It was off the menu. *Fingers crossed* that they bring it back.

6801 Hollywood Blvd. #411, Los Angeles - (323) 465-8500

Up until a few years ago, Vibiani spent his whole life in Italy. Therefore, it is evident that his thoughts, personality, humor, and ultimately, cooking style are shaped by that geographical space in south-central Europe. From a character perspective (and a culinary standpoint), attention to detail and playfulness are Vibian’s resounding qualities. Below is a look at some of the things we sampled. (Here’s Abby’s review as well.)

Below: Pancetta-wrapped shrimp filled with gorgonzola served over parmesan polenta & sauteed spinach.

Above: Fiona, of Gourmet Pigs, with Fabio. Below: Pesto potato dumplings, basil pesto, pine nuts and Parmesan. #perfectlycooked

Above: Oil-poached Escolar in light olive oil. Below: Herb marinated rack of lamb served with glazed pistachio nuts. These were my two favorite dishes!

Above: Homemade trofie pasta, duck sausage, caramelized fennel and Parmesan cheese Below: Pistachio-encrusted individual cake served with vanilla gelato & Homemade cannoli ricotta, chocolate chips, dusted with powdered sugar. Viviani may now be my favorite Italian.

All courses paired with: Santa Margherita Prosecco, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Riserva. The wines were a good complement to the dishes. And it looks like I’ll be picking the Chianti up at my local grocery store from here on out. ‘For 14 consecutive years, it was voted by Wine and Spirits Magazine as the most popular imported wine, red or white, served at top restaurants.’ #welldeserved

Firenze Osteria 4212 Lankershim Blvd Los Angeles, CA 91602
(818) 760-7081

The spacious open floor plan is one block away from PCH, there’s not one apathetic hipster in sight – and the food is, dare I say, interesting & actually quite tasty. It left such an impression on me that I’ve been back three times since!

There’s a discrete healthiness to the True Food Kitchen. I found the dishes to be full, well-constructed, and all with that light robustness that leaves you satisfied – without hating yourself afterwards. (I feel that way a lot after I eat too much pork products.)

Some of the dishes ordered were: the Tuscan kale with Parmesan & breadcrumbs, the veggie crudités, the roasted chicken w/ English peas & basmati, the grilled salmon,  dairy-free chocolate pudding with pistachios, and the strawberry rhubarb crisp. Everything was in perfect order. From the food to the service; everything was seamless & simple – even despite the overwhelming mania of the crowd. The kale salad topped my list. The raw leaves were enzymatically cooked in lemon juice, but possesed a strangely seared flavor to them. They were lightly coated in olive oil and finally topped with crunchy bread crumbs & grated parmesan. A def #mustorder.

Served over ice, the crudite was large and in charge but fresh & icy cold. The sauces were a bit loose for my liking but held up as good companions to their first course mates. The drinks were also a notable mention. Like the food, the TFK’s drinks throw solid punches in the ring – especially in this mixology-induced city we’re living in. Verdict: Guiltless Delight.

395 Santa Monica Pl # 172 Santa Monica, CA 90401-3471 (310) 593-8300 AND

Fashion Island
451 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 644-2400

Sometimes my mind craves nothing more than the retrospective imagination of the Jazz Era. Under my desk, I so often find myself tapping my foot to the stirring rhythm of gospel, soul and blues on Pandora’s Ray Charles’ station. The Ray Charles’ algorithm has introduced me to the vocal stylings of one Mrs. Barbara Morrison. Morrison has played with a respectable, if not legendary, group of musicians in her day (Ray Charles, James Moody, Etta James, Tony Bennett & Keb’ Mo, to name a few).

Much to my excitement, I heard that she would be singing in the Fedora room at First & Hope this Saturday! I hope to see y’all there. I’ll be the one wearing fringe, scarfing down the famous First & Hope’s Mac/Cheese, jolting my foot up/down and grooving to the chorus of Barbara’s soul. Here’s a link to the Facebook event page. Be there or be square.

P.S: I’ll leave the indie music at home.

710 W 1st St Los Angeles, CA 90012-2442
(213) 617-8555

A weird sense of identity had kept me off the radar recently, so when this GNO opportunity presented itself, I quickly jumped on-board. My friends, all of whom are in their 20s, posses an extraordinary level of perception and sensitivity. (Meet Nadia, Rebecca and Lily.) We talked lust, love, life and cocktails. The agenda was to start at The Edison and to end with the best steak in town, Fleming’s.

The night started at The Edison. The girls had their first 35 cent happy hour drink from 5-7. (Yes, I said 35 cents!) I sat this drink round out but managed to gush about my new man crush. You know, the kind of relationship you have with man that exists only in your mind – as  acting on it wouldn’t be as satisfying as it is in your head.

Above: Fleming’s French Onion Soup – A mix of salt, cheese, and meaningful broth. I highly recommend it.

Above: I’m gave up alcohol for lent but luckily my GNO pal (and UG Creative Director), Nadia, took one for the team. She tried the Fleming’s new skinny cocktail, the Tickled Pink, and was very much impressed. (See recipe here.) Nadia hates her cocktails too sweet so the Tickled Pink was a nice departure from the sugary concoctions you get at most places.  For her, it was light and strong.  I should also note that this cocktail weighs in at an impressive 99 calories!

Above: Fleming’s Mac & Cheese. Below: Bone-in fillet mignon – There are simply no adjectives to describe how amazing this steak is. It needs no sauce, no sides. An umami speed-ball. Period.

Speaking of pals. To me, a thinly sliced piece of raw meat is a friend. I love carpaccio and I love the Fleming’s edition at that. There’s a sharp mustard nuance in there & together with the capers and parmesan crisp, the dish is worth every penny.
You might ask, how does a GNO end? With dessert or course (or many). Our favorite was the key lime pie. It extraordinarily light, clean and tart.

*How would you like to treat your girls to GNO? Well enter our contest on Facebook. Deets to come. Good luck!

Fleming’s Steak House: 800 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles (213) 745-9911

Above

Background: In general, dates should be fun. Unfortunately, as a result of some unfair cosmic twist of fate,  sometimes we find ourselves across the table from some freak (aka the ‘awkward dater’). It’s then that you immediately start to question your life because the universe has just sent you one big f*ck you. But you continue to eat, smile and try to play nice – as you have some bad karma to atone for. To be fair, the ‘awkward dater’ falls into a subcategory. The category is ‘I’m sure you’re cool… but we’re categorically incompatible’. And while he/she may not be on the bottom list of offenders, the experience is overall a waste of your time. <Don’t shake your head at me, you know exactly what I’m talking about.>

Hence, fun dates are good. Awkward dates, however, are not. Luckily, if the meal is good then the whole experience is not a total loss. Below you will find a photo evidence of such an occasion. Scarpetta: Beverly Hills.

Scarpetta serves high-end modern Italian fare. CIA graduate, Chef Scott Conant, prepares light but robust Italian dishes with flair. Above: Truffled beef crudo with cured egg yolk and hazelnuts.

Above: Tuna ‘Suchi’ with truffles. Below: Venison lion with polenta dumplings and dried cherry reduction.

The cheese plate was packaged in a very Italian manner, on a marble slate with small bites. It was the perfect end to a good meal.

I’m a firm believer in the following equation: p (pleasure) = f (food) * l (laughter)

A few weeks back I recall a famous sociologist saying that significant events emerge from idle conversation; from different people sharing the same space. I think restaurants are a perfect example of such a theory. Case in point: The Hudson in WeHo.

I admit – The Hudson’s Yelp reviews were pretty good, so a part of me really wanted to hate it. However, I pushed down my initial judgments and sat down & waited for my friend, Sterling. I think many of us still have this deluded (and antiquated) view of WeHo. WeHo has come to embody: colorful, gay, and the trendiest of trendy. This time around, I saw the city differently. From a damn good happy hour filled with giggles to observing its citizens on a bustling weekday – I was familiarized with the qualities that make this city, overall, so rotundly complete.

Here’s the rundown: Situated on Sunset & Crescent Heights, The Hudson’s tagline is: ‘Your new neighborhood watering hole‘. The Hudson has a Laurel Tavern feel minus the valley crowd. I was seated in plain sight of the door and I can safely say that the crowd is about equal parts people-watch-worthy and wallflower. The place reminds you of an old cottage in the woods and the staff is super friendly as well. Happy Hour is from 4-7P with a late night HH rendition from 10-2P; draft beers $3, bar food $6. Dinner and brunch menus also look try-worthy. I guess that means I must return. *Woe! Woe!*

1114 North Crescent Heights Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046 (323) 654-6686 ‎ thehudsonla.com