Trader Joe’s 50 buck chuck?
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Happy Pi Day!
Laroolou x Pearl River Deli x Amboy triple bang
Calamansi cream pie
Snickerdoodle thiccies
Classic Double (cooked by Sergio, check out the sear! and the fries were excellent as well)
Wonton noodle soup w/ charsiu
Bun ga nuong
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I stayed pretty local this weekend.
Cluck2Go (Roland Heights)
Solid Hainan Chicken Rice! Granted the chicken is not as sublime as our beloved Chef @JLee , but the quality is very good. The HCR dinner set can comfortably feed 3 people (might have to buy an extra rice if your crowd loves rice) with spicy marinated cucumbers, broth, pickles, and sauces. The Hainan noodle soup was a hit with my noodle soup-loving chowpups.
Half & Half Express
It’s still my favorite boba joint…and I had a hankering for boba.
Portofino (Brea)
Pizza and chicken Marsala to celebrate a family birthday. Chef Roio always treats us well.
Strong Water (Anaheim)
Tiki cocktails to go. It’s been real fun to order drinks and have garnishes and the pebble ice included. I hope to-go cocktails never end.
Ola Mexican (Long Beach)
Rolled in early to celebrate a birthday with cocktails and snacks. The table outside was great and at opening, there were not many people at all. Margaritas are fantastic…the food, not so much. Even their chips were too greasy, so they were fried at a too low temp or not drained before getting an aggressive douse of Tajin.
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Not much text b/c, well, I’m tired. ::sigh::
Finally tried La Morra!!!
Just delightful. I could’ve done w/o so many guindilla peppers, but the pickling did add a necessary tartness. The pizza was luscious w/o being a gut bomb. I ate half a pizza and didn’t feel weighed down at all. 
Eagerly looking forward to the next trip.
Partner was hoping for some dessert afterward, so we literally went next door to Little House Confections (https://www.littlehouseconfections.com). Didn’t realize until I read the box that a portion of the income goes to a diff charity each month:
Many of the pastries are made w/ olive oil (but not the choc chip cookie), and the lavendar and rose cookies are gluten-free.
The snickerdoodle is… exceptional. Dare I even say it hits the platonic ideal of such a cookie?
Lavender cookie is only lightly floral (thankfully), and the texture is actually quite good. Quite tender but still holds together decently. Some chew. Nicely done.
Rose cookie had, IMO, no discernible rose flavor.
The choc chip cookie is good but not, IMHO, elite level (@rlw ). It’s somewhat cakey, and the chocolate is distributed in such a way that one side basically had almost all the chocolate. Chocolate didn’t seem that smooth-melting in my mouth. Still, if you like a cakey choc chip cookie, this is a good one.
Owner (or perhaps that I presume is the owner) gave us a sample of the “bomb ass” apple cake (which is a bit bigger than bite sized). She said it’s her favorite. Very tender, moist w/o being gooey. Apple flavor not terribly strong. Not sure if the sanding sugar was flavored w/ something b/c it was light brown. The texture is marvelous.
Skip the pop tart.
Prices aren’t cheap, but at least some of your $ is going to a good cause. Would be happy to try her cakes.
I was thinking of driving to Atwater Village for Wanderlust (since I’ve never been) and then realized there was a branch just up the street.
It’s good, but Sweet Rose is still my favorite (outside of Leo’s gelatos). Good QPR b/c even the half scoops are a decent size. Japanese neapolitan (matcha, black sesame, caramlized hojicha), blueberry dlderflower, mango sticky rice, vietnamese rocky road.
Flavor were all very good, and, TBH, they so intense that I don’t think I would’ve wanted a full scoop of any of them. The individual flavors of the neapolitan were good (aside from the black sesame not having any discernible black sesame flavor at all… or just being totally overwhelmed by the other 2 flavors), but matcha and hojicha don’t really complement each other, IMO. Likewise, if you’re looking for intense (or any) chocolate in your rocky road, the coffee (which is the predominant flavor) may be a little jarring (although I very much enjoyed it, and you shouldn’t be surprised at the coffee, given the name). I also thought the ice cream was a bit gummy. Glad I tried, wouldn’t refuse it if someone offered it to me, but not a place I’m dying to return to.
Does anyone know what makes Swedish candy Swedish, aside from names that resemble Ikea furniture? This place is near Wanderlust and seemed to be doing decent business.
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There is a Sockerbit on the LES near Bleecker St Pizza and Pearl Oyster Bar. My kids and wife loved this place. Basically a better version of the buy per lb candy, mostly of the gummy type. I think their spin on the gummy stuff was natural sugar and no high fructose corn syrup. Don’t quote me.
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My wife looooooves Sockerbit. They have a ton of interesting gummies that are incredibly sour and flavored with real fruit and sugar, and some cool salty licorice, among lots other things.
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Also hit up La Morra this weekend - maybe the most perfectly engineered pizza I’ve had though didn’t full satisfy. They deserve more business - we ate in the car and didn’t see anyone else for half an hour.
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Entering the pizza fray: Bulgarini!
Leo (who hails from Rome) is about to install his wood-burning pizza oven on the patio in 2-3 weeks. He’s previewing a Roman-style kitchen oven version of his mushroom and potato pizza at Bulgarini Gelato this week. The wood-fired stove version of these pizzas should be even more ridiculous. #RememberIlRomanista
And if that wasn’t enough reasons to go, the Tamai Family Farms strawberry is currently available and it’s bonkers good…
Got a kilo of Pistachio, Almond & Chocolate to go… #BuyItByTheKilo
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Getting a kilo makes it sound so much more dangerous and illicit.
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FTC BALLERZ 4 LIFE.
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1 kilo is only 2.2 pounds. That’s only 35.2 oz. 
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From last weekend: I picked up dinner from Danielle de Porres. This is a revisit for me since I tried de-porres in January.
I got one salad, two orders of the roast pork/stew that each was accompanied with sweet potato and rice, and one slice of carrot cake.
The salad was good, and I particularly enjoyed the vegan cashew dressing. I prefer an underdressed salad, so held most of it back to dress my vegetables later in the week. My dining companion and I both highly enjoyed the pork, and the rich, fully spiced broth. There was a hot green salsa on the side that was out-of-this-world. Like not since the hot sauce from African Chop Truck have I had daydreams like ways to squirrel away month long stashes of a side sauce.
The carrot cake was dry, but I like the rest of the food so much from there I’ll try different desserts next time I order.
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Busy week of take-out and dining out… So much great eats in our city right now!
Ji Rong Peking Duck (San Gabriel)… Splendid presentation for take-out: All de-boned, skinned, and ready for the handwrap frenzy at home! And it’s not just their duck that’s great. Definitely get the duck soup, which is a marvelous, surprisingly light duck broth. Don’t sleep on their Shanghai-style spareribs as well as their special sautéed crab-flavored mushrooms - Perfect with a hot fluffy bowl of rice!
Shamrock McFlurry, to celebrate St. Paddy’s. But the best “green” dish is yet to come…
Ristorante Marino (Melrose)… Under the canopy by the old olive tree, the outdoor area here feels wonderful and relaxing. Chef Sal’s farmers market English pea soup is the very essence of spring itself. I wish I could drown in a tub of this. Fantastic tuna crudo with sea salt, chives and arugula are to die for also.
Northern Cafe (Monterey Park) keeps on doing its thing by shaping large lumps of dough into Q-laden bowls and plates of noodles, Northern Chinese style. The clear beef broth makes for a perfect lunchtime bowl. And the “big plate of chicken” remains messy, spicy heaven…
Macheen pop-up at Milpa Grille (Boyle Heights) - Taco with pollo y mole blanco, garnished with pomegranate in a blue corn tortilla is my “huge bite” of the week. It is straight up delicious as hell. Chef Jonathan Perez is really kicking his menu (QR code provided in photo) up a notch here, but don’t worry - The breakfast Macheen burrito is still way killer.
Brooklyn Pizza Co. (Boyle Heights) - Just across the street from Milpa Grille, this is one of the most bang-worthy joints in the city right now. Try the O.G. pepperoni slice (greasy cup alert!), of course. However, I was most impressed with their esquites pizza, which combines the spirits of both coasts, with each bite just chock full of flavor.
Shunji pop-up at Yamakase (West LA)… Shunji-san’s back in town from Japan. His current iteration of bara chirashi with shirauo, kinmedai, isaki, hotaru ika and myoga simply blew my taste buds out of the water. Can’t wait for his new location in Santa Monica to open.
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Two pizzas were available on the day I went (see my first Bulgarini photo)…
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They are now seating inside at J Zhou. Tables are spaced apart. I’d estimate capacity is at half of pre covid. We actually would have preferred to sit outside but they were not seating outside even though the tents and tables are still there.
The food is still great and it’s the first dim sum we’ve had in over a year. This is the most hot sauce we’ve ever received here
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So, as I mentioned in the bagel thread, after my failure, I went to El Conchinito for their semi-famous Cuban sandwich.
They had a nice little outdoor patio built into the parking lot. Only allowing outside dining.
I’ve had this bookmarked for years after hearing on the news that they won a contest at the International Cuban Sandwich Festival, for best Cuban sandwich in the “traditional” category, beating out a ton of well-known competitors.
For those who do not know, a Cuban sandwich consists of ham, sliced or sometimes shredded roasted pork, Swiss cheese, slightly sour dill pickles, and mustard on cuban bread that is buttered on the top and pressed. Then they slice it lengthwise on a diagonal. Well, that’s the Miami version. Tampa they use salami. For me, it’s not the type of sandwich I would ever say, “wow I got to go get me a Cuban sandwich today.”
I lived in the Tampa Bay area for a couple years as a kid, and lived in Miami where at 15 years old, I actually started my culinary career (LOL - JK) making Cuban sandwiches and medianoches at a popular spot at a busy mall. so I have eaten a few in my day and made them for the Cuban community.
This was pretty right on for a Miami version. The bread texture seemed more like that for a medianoche but not sweet. Everything was balanced as it should be. Not piled high, the pickles and mustard nicely pronounced but not overpowering. All the flavors blended perfectly. Slight little hint of garlic from the pork.
This was exactly as I expected and definitely the closest to an authentic Cuban sandwich I’ve had in ages, though I really have only had them at a few places including Portos.
I need to go there and try the rest of the menu. Looked great and watching the food go by… damn.
Cross posting in the Best Cuban Sandwich Thread
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Catching up over the past few weeks!
Ototo
The shrimp and scallop okonomiyaki was my favorite thing on Ototo’s menu in the before times, especially with the presentation having it served on a hot cast iron plate. After having honed my own preparation during the summer closure, I was eager to revisit it in takeout form. Let’s just say that while I really like mine, Chef Namba’s is better. It’s gooier and thicker throughout (how I prefer all pancake-like foods) and studded with big pieces of shrimp and scallop make it a delight to eat. The okonomiyaki comes designed to be finished at home, so you can put as much kewpie Mayo on it as your heart desires.
Valle
While on the pricier side of the taco menu, I really enjoyed the grilled fish tacos enough to go back and get them again as an excuse to try more of the menu.
Taqueando Fest x Tuetano Taqueria
I’ve been missing the birria train, and with so many options I thought I’d put it into Bill Esparza’s hands to deliver an elite experience–and boy did he ever–by bringing in Chef Priscilla Curiel of Tuétano Taquería in San Ysidro.
Not only is the tender, deeply flavored stewed beef an incredible bite on it’s own, it’s elevated by an amazing tortilla. While it didn’t come with the consome that accompanies many birria tacos (you have to order it separately so my b) I used that as an excuse to light my mouth on fire with the luxurious salsa secca. Tuétano Taquería is known for serving roasted bone marrow along with their tacos (a little too rich for what I was looking for this time around, but something I’d add on return to try) and is in residence at the space fka Church and State alongside Ricky’s Fish Tacos.
Iki Ramen
Picked up the regular Kaisen Don which comes with tuna, salmon, kampachi, scallop, ikura, spicy tuna, and crab on a bed of sushi rice. The flavor is great and the fish super fresh (and I appreciate the addition of crab and spicy tuna) but the cuts were quite thin and I wish I had ordered a couple more items. Next time.
Rubie
I’ve sung Chef Gian Scott’s praises over on the Caribbean food thread and took one last swing by for the smoked chicken as his pop up at Sqirl came to a close. Everything was on point and you could tell he was pulling out all the stops as he was wrapping up his run. I’m really looking forward to watching his career and seeing where he takes Rubie next!
Sqirl
I also snagged a couple pastries left in the case–a carrot ginger scone and a slice of kiwi buttermilk pie. I enjoyed both, and it’s a reminder that for all the warranted negative attention they were jammed up with, they do still make some compelling bites.
Hayato
Still the GOAT. In a stunning upset, the black cod was this month’s best bite.
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Try their lechon asado. It’s really good!
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Time to play catch up!
Wexler’s
My semi-regular bagel and cream cheese with lox came open faced this time.
Some assembly and slicing required, but still great as always.
B Sweet
We enjoy Big Boi and finally got around to trying their dessert shop. I wish we started coming here earlier, but then again our health is probably better for it.
We got a whole ube cheesecake in celebration of a birthday. The color is stunning, and I like that it’s not too sweet. The cream cheese frosting is a nice creative touch.
The key lime pie is insanely good! You could serve this at Mozza and it would not be out of place.
I like the bread pudding a lot, although it isn’t something I need to back for. We got the banana chocolate flavor, and the number of available choices is also a little overwhelming.
Sushi Tsujita
I normally don’t seek out DineLA, but the $35 sushi lunch seemed like a killer deal.
Eight pieces, plus the excellent soup and chawanmushi.
Some good cuts, although they are understandably on the smaller side. The ika was the highlight for me this day. The tamago is normally very good, but this time it seemed unusually wet. Still, a much better value compared to the $50 option.
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