I hear you but Katz’s also subcontracts out the smoking of their pastrami.
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I agree that I understand the disappointment but I am okay w/ what Langer’s (and Katz’s) does.
I am sort of speaking out of my a$$ (as in, w/ little knowledge) w/ the following, but I assume that making pastrami and other deli meats consistently and at that volume requires an operation that is dedicated to that as its main (and perhaps only?) job. So it’s not ultimately super surprising that Langer’s “outsources” it (b/c, when you go there, Langer’s is clearly “only” a restaurant).
And since the vendor that supplies Langer’s won’t see to me individually, it’s not like I can access it. I assume that Langer’s also might have its own unique specifications that the supplier won’t use for anyone else (except to @hppzz, apparently… 
).
I assume this b/c I was a Bon Appetit video where one chef says that the meat supplier for his burger follows his specifications, so there’s no way in hell a regular person can replicate his burger, starting w/ someone as fundamental as the raw patty itself (which comes pre-weighed and separated into individual patties).
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That’s correct. For example, Langers is navel pastrami, other places could be brisket which RC sells for cheaper. They could also vary in the number of days spent in brine from 3-5 days and the spices. They do lots of other meats specifically for other restaurants as well including the capocolla for the godmother.
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Didn’t realize there’s a Giamela relation to RC provisions. That’s wild.
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This is probably beyond the scope of this discussion but is that total brining or an additional few days? Just asking because one year I didn’t plan ahead and did less than 7 days cure for our corned beef and it had a stripe of brown in the middle. That’s also for the point end of the brisket. I don’t know how much that varies from navel in thickness
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Looking at various pastrami recipes I see from three days to four weeks in brine.
All the brines at RC are injected into the meat via machine
so would imagine that it speeds up the process significantly so I think it’s total number of days
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Strolled into Marché Moderne on a whim.
Had been snacking most of the day so all I had room for was steak tartare, a cocktail, house epi bread, wine, and dessert.
Hit Fogo de Chao (Brea) for the salad bar lunch. @js76wisco there is plenty of hearts of palm for your chowpup. Caipirinhas remain excellent. The salad bar seems smaller than BH and Irvine, but they did say that Brea (like BH) has charcoal grills.
The fried plantains seem healthier than before…they do not have the deep caramelized color I’m used to and they were pretty starchy instead of being sweet.
Excited to have this as a HH option in the area. Service was good, but it does seem like they are still trying to get their groove on.
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I wanted to make that! Hoping to catch this tho
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Classic!
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Finally! One full day of unqualified “successful” eating. 
House of Juju (Morro Bay)
We’ve passed this place multiple times in our multiple visits, but, for some reason, it always seemed to be closed. The place gets good reviews, so I’ve been wanting to try it.
Very respectable overall. I ordered the burger (Juju Bleu) medium rare, but it came out more like medium. No matter; it still tender and tasty. Server mentioned they use Harris Ranch meat. Clam chowder had a sprinkle of paprika (I think) and tasted heavily of bacon (which I didn’t mind).
I could smell the fish (in a good way) in partner’s snapper sandwich just bringing it up to my face. Nice to have this lighter option.
Sichuan Kitchen SLO pop up (SICHUAN KITCHEN SLO - Home)
This was a totally unexpected (and delightful) find.
Decided to go to the holiday light show at SLO Botanical Gardens and was intrigued by one of the food vendors:
The chef (who seems on the younger side, which, at my age, means anyone in their early/mid 30s or younger) has an interesting story. He was traveling in Nepal, met his now-wife (who is from the Sichaun province) there, got “stuck” there for a period during the pandemic, and now is in SLO doing a Sichuan pop up.
Ordered the dan dan mian and (chicken) spicy wontons. When we asked how spicy the default “setting” was, he mentioned it’s not very spicy and that he could increase the heat (which he asked him to do).
The 2 dishes were very good. As in, I would be happy to eat this, even in the SGV. And I would be seeking it out and putting on a regular rotation where I live in West LA.
Heat level was just right. Not really much in the way of lip numbing specifically, which, TBH, is just fine by me. Portions were quite large. Wontons, which chef had mentioned beforehand, are quite small (but the overall amount was generous). Partner thought there were warming spices in the wonton. I detected something usual like… cumin? Whatever it was, it was a nice variation.
I sometimes find dan dan mian a bit unpleasant to eat b/c, by the time I’m almost done w/ the noodles, the chili oil seems to be overly (and unpleasantly) floral. Not here; the taste was consistent throughout, and there was good complexity.
Mushrooms and braised meat are a bit sweeter than is my preference, but that’s a nitpick. The chili oil (chef specified it was NOT chili crisp) used a lot of mushrooms. Flavor was good, but biting into a firm (if small) chunk of mushroom was a bit odd.
Hope they find success b/c the food is absolutely worthy.
There was a donut trunk at the event, too (Crave Mini Donuts). No pics, but they were very good. Light, not oily, and just the right size (the size of a donut hole, but still a conventional donut shape). Do other places do mini donuts? I find these much more pleasant to eat than a full-size one…
Will post food and thoughts about the Madonna Inn later…
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Photo dump b/c I’ve been swamped at work (and, while I’ve largely caught up, I need to sleep… Zzz…).
Madonna Inn. Is it Baroque Barbie? Too too? A feverish Alpine candied dream? It is all of the above.
I’ve never had pineapple in my turkey salad, and, after having eaten it, I can firmly say that pineapple doesn’t add anything. Monte Cristo was good. The carrot cake itself was fine, but the frosting was SO STIFF. I don’t know what the heck is in it, but you could honestly use it for spackle (in terms of texture; taste was fine).
You have to experience it, if you’re in the area. I feel so sorry for the waitstaff here. They are total pros, and I cannot imagine what kind of decompression is necessary after a shift here.
Nate’s on Marsh in SLO for NYE. I thought the place was a Michelin-starred, chef-driven place. It is neither of those.
There was a noticeable red stain (tomato sauce?) on the tablecloth when we sat down (and it was where you’d put the menu or table setting, so it was in a pretty obvious place), and a faint oil spot next to it. Service was very good and took care of it quickly, but I didn’t really enjoy the place, even though the food was fine (and maybe even quite good).
When the server asked me if I wanted a protein w/ the pasta, I was a bit… surprised. Not sure quite how to explain it, but I feel like the menu and the service is aspirational, which made the protein upsell seem… crass? I also didn’t love being shoe-horned into a corner spot w/ little space to move (seriously, I don’t think an older person would’ve been able to fold themselves into my seat), so maybe that put me in a bad mood. I dunno… the whole place just felt a bit disingenuous to me.
While the food and price are very fair, I honestly think this place is a skip, personally.
Frankie and Lola’s in Morro Bay
I think this place closes by the early afternoon (but don’t quote me on that). Chilaquiles w/ housemade salsa (and housemade chorizo???) was very, very good. Not exactly what I think of when I think of chilaquiles, but very satisfying nonetheless. Partner’s eggs were fine, I think (I focused more on my food… Heh). Would return.
Babydudes closed until Feb!!! Argh!!! I’ll try them one day…
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I had stopped in one year during mid-day just before lockdowns and a large all womens senior choir was performing holiday songs in the back of the dining room for a luncheon. We were sitting at the bar and had the whole place to ourselves aside from that luncheon in back. That was a amusing experience to say the least.
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Wasn’t the first In-N-Out in Baldwin Park (LA County)?
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The HQ is in Irvine but yes the OG is in Baldwin Park/LA County.
Yes. I thought I edited the post. Sorry! I think someone else corrected me too and I keep forgetting to fix my mistake haha
I googled him but who is this max person in relation to the food world? I know that Google showed that he is from the real estate and that he appeared in Hayato’s or Brandon’s stories like once if I remember correctly.
Nothing negative, just honestly curious since I just heard about this person, but I never dug deep into who this person is.