Bikini Girls With Machine Guns

Sometimes I find good things by chance---it's maybe my restaurant radar.For about 25 years I lived in Hermosa Beach and the closest town to the south was Redondo. And for some weird reason I will always associate Redondo Beach with the Patti Smith song. Anyway, in a week of utter futility (not going into details) I was encamped in a hotel on PCH. First night of arrival I was absolutely dead tired and looking for a place to eat. Normally LA/CalMex bores the hell out of me but the closest place for anything was Ortega 120, a half block away. So, I entered and found this groovy restaurant bar and dining room decked out in post-punk and Mexican kitsch decor---you know, like skulls and stuff. As it turned out the food was really good. So good that I came back two nights later.

Apparently this restaurant is renowned for its tequila and margerita drinks, but as I drink neither I wouldn't know. But the food was damn good. On my first night I ordered carnitas enchiladas in a chile verde sauce. Two nights later I came back for the chile rellenos. Also really, really good. For some reason New York hasn't figured out Mexican yet, although Chicago has.

And here I have to ad lib that Arizona has made the chimichanga its official state food. If there is a more podunk state in the lower 48 I don't know which it could be. At least in the deep south they know how to cook. For the uninitiated, a chimichanga is basically a deep fried burrito.

On my final night in Redondo I crossed the border into Torrance in search of something Korean. The South Bay is blessed with wonderful Asian restaurants, most of which are located in strip centers, which never discourages me. So I found Yang San Park on Hawthorne Blvd and was in no way disappointed. I ordered a hearty kimchi pork stew, which of course came with six plates of other stuff. It was wonderful.

So if you are in the South Bay I'd give both of these places a nod.

Buffalo Frog Wings

Through the Food Buzz “Tastemaker” program I received a sample of the new KC Masterpiece “Buffalo” marinade. As I’m a big fan of their products I was trying to think of something new and weird to do with it. About a year ago I was dining in one of my favorite restaurants, now defunct and ordered up a plate of these delicious frog legs that were prepped in such a way that they formed into what I refer to as frogsicle pops. So, I’ve recreated something close to that here but cranking it up a bit.

Ingredients:
12 frog legs
3/4 cup KC Masterpiece “Buffalo Marinade”
¼ cup superfine flour such as Wondra
½ cup panko style bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, clarified
Canola or grapeseed oil for frying
Hot sauce of your choosing; I like Crystal
Blue cheese or ranch dressing (cold) to accompany along with a relish tray of carrots, celery and radish.

Instructions:
This is the tricky step; using a very sharp knife cut into the tendons and trim off the meat along the lower portion of the leg. There’s not much. This is called “frenching”. What this will do is cause the meat, when it’s sizzling hot, to ball up like a lolly-pop.
In a wide flat Pyrex tray pour the buffalo marinade, add the frog legs. Make sure they are well coated. Cover the tray with cling wrap and allow to rest refrigerated for 30 minutes to one hour. Turn once or more during that time period.
When you are ready to cook heat up the oil in a deep dutch oven or fryolater. It should be at least 375F.
While the oil is heating dredge the “wings” in Wondra followed by panko. One by one drop them into the hot oil. DISCARD the marinade.
When the wings are sizzling hot remove them and place on a rack to drain.
Heat up the clarified butter in a sauté pan. Add the wings and season to taste with hot sauce---keep at hand at the table. Serve immediately with your condiments.

Crazy, Silly, Happy

Because I spend a lot of time traveling I frequently make startling discoveries in unlikely places, like say, Irvine, CA. I've now been back to the Diamond Jamboree shopping center about 10 or 12 times and it still knocks me out with its crazy Asian vibe. I love it. I adore it. It's located at Alton Parkway and Jamboree although it's easier to enter from the Von Karman side. If you are flying into John Wayne it's only a short detour from Hotel Terrace (Dyer Rd at 55).

You can find a fantastic Korean grocery in HMart, a dim sum parlour at Capital Seafood, a noodle shop at Ajisen (see photo, that's where that crazy, transgendered version of Bob's Big Boy greets you) and especially a totally amazing bakery, 85° C (as in centigrade). The latter always has a long line running out the door. Once you figure out the system, you get in line to get enter, grab a tray and some tongs, pick out pastries that will make you swoon, and get in another line to pay for them.

Each time I go back to Diamond Jamboree it becomes a new, exciting experience. A few nights ago I was dining at the bar at Tokyo Table and two Asian-American guys working in commercial real estate sat down next to me. Great dinner company. One, Tony, gave me a long list of places to dine in Orange County. They also insisted on sharing their sake with me. Did I say I love this place? I can't wait to return because I always discover something new.

March as I Left It

April is not the cruelest month, it's really March. Ask Caesar. We spent most of March traveling to places you don't want to visit. With a mouth full of rocks (Foreign Legion term)we set out for Arizona. Our trip was bookended by airports bearing the names of right wing icons; out of John Wayne into Barry Goldwater and back again.

Before departure left car with sister and had dinner at Lucca in Irvine which was actually really good. Armandino Batali salumi with La Quercia prosciutto. Lucca is located in a shopping center in Irvine. Given that Irvine has no real city center that's not surprising.

In the morning Pierino was off to AZ. Picked up a Nissan something or other from Hertz and drove straight to Tucson. Dinner at Sullivan's was not so bad. No complaints---yet. Late Monday it was back to Phoenix, the Vortex of Evil. We camped out in Chandler, a hotel in an office park with nothing but chain restaurants in the vicinity. So we set off to a restaurant which we've blogged before, Anise. To our shock and horror it was closed. Another victim of Maricopa County's bizarre politics. This state is populated by anti-immigrant know-nothings who control the state legislature. When they're not smashing their cars into each other they're passing laws establishing an official state gun!

During a week of seriously bad meals we enjoyed lunch with a very dear friend who owns a bookstore in Tempe. She'd spent the morning with a "legislator" pushing for the state to collect sales tax on on-line purchases. These libertarian chuckleheads don't get the fact that it might bring in $65million in revenue to a state with more than 14% unemployment and massive debt. Meanwhile the governor is spreading urban legends about headless bodies in the desert and their convention business has all but disappeared thanks to stupid anti-immigrant laws.

Pierino got serious sticker shock upon returning his Nissan Whatever. We had a decent weekly rate from Hertz but there was an additional 50% in taxes and surcharges on top of the base rate!! Checked with Hertz and only one of the charges was their's and it was fairly minimal. Everything else was Maricopa/Arizona surcharge and then tax on the surcharges. Why is the state losing tourists and conventions? Because they are IGNORANT HOE HANDLES that's why. And they balance it out with bigotry and patriotism.

Upon return to Los Angeles Pierino was able to meet his good friend Kim, author and editor, and escort her to dinner for her birthday weekend. Kim had the misfortune of spending her birthday in Anaheim for work reasons. Despite what the sign say's, it's not the happiest place on earth. So, off to AOC for appetizers and then an unbelievable dinner at Providence. Problem was both of us wanted to order the same things. There were two indecently delicious amuse-bouches course which we can barely begin to describe. One was a "Screwdriver Bubble" which looked like a raw egg. There's your molecular gastronomy in action. Kim and Pierino both chose the Chitarra Pasta with Sea Urchin which was heartstopping. And after, they brought out a little birthday offering for Kim. Michael Cimarusti of Providence is up for a Beard award for Best Chef, Pacific.

Pierino returned to Paso Robles long enough to prepare St. Patrick's Dinner for the Oak Creek Commons commoners. Pierino cast it as French Patrick's Day; vaguely Irish dishes with a serious French twist.

Barely up for air, we swam (almost literally) back south. Worst rain on Hwy 101 that we've seen in twelve years, at least. More cars smashing into each other or into inanimate objects. A sporty looking car that had zipped by us wound up crunched against the median a few miles ahead.

Closed the month with a visit to our tax guy. After that, we had to indulge in a couple of glasses of pastis and a meal cooked with friends. Our appetizer course turned out well; "The Red and the Black"(pictured). This was roasted red pepper stuffed with black quinoa and aioli as a condiment.

And then it was April...

The Passenger in Chelsea

Tree lighting week in Manhattan. A week we would avoid if we didn't have to visit there for work. Pierino has booked a nice hotel room down in Chelsea for four nights. Our flight is delayed by an hour and half. However our bag is wheeled out first with a thank you note from TSA inside. Then we are whisked into Manhattan by a driver from Coughingstan. Must be why we came home sick.

Midnight arrival at our corner, 8th Avenue and 22nd. The sign reads GEM Hotel except that it's anchored above a vacant retail space. Fortunately the hotel itself was actually one door away on 22nd. Boutique hotel room in the "Ascend" collection. You don't ascend very far because it's only five stories. Our small room with European style fittings has a view of the Empire State Building with the Hanukkah lights on.

Sunday we sleep. Meet a colleague for lunch at Katz's Deli for Matzoh Ball soup. By evening it's beginning to get really cold. So around 5:00 Pierino heads out the door toward a restaurant over on 7th Avenue. But on the chilly walk he notices a small restuarant at the corner of 8th and 20th, Le Trois Canards which sounds vaguely familiar. It was familiar because it had recently moved to this location from a few blocks away, one in which we had dropped in before way back when. We figured we'd check out the menu. Unfortunately the door was locked. But suddenly we were admitted by the lovely Samira who it turns out would be working all stations including the bar in the tiny dining room. As usual we order a glass of wine at the bar and see that the menu is perfect for a cold, winter night. Forget 7th Avenue!

First course, steaming garlicky escargots in their own natural shells so that you have to use those clamp thingies to pry them out. This was followed by a delicious tarte au cepes, spilling out good stuff including escarole. Pierino is a happy man especially after chatting with Samira, international woman of mystery. Before we leave Samira smuggles some extra biscotti out of the kitchen, which he sticks in his pockets along with the remaining half bottle of sparkling water. Unfortunately (not so really unfortunate, in the end), at about 2:00 a.m. Pierino wakes up realizing that he has left his bag hanging on the back of his chair. And he has an early train to White Plains in the morning.

So, after an 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. schedule of trains and meetings we go back to Le Trois Canards to retrieve our stuff. Once again greeted at the door by Samira. So we hang out for another glass of wine until they are ready to lock the doors. We discuss the films of Pontecorvo (The Battle of Algiers)and Fellini (La Dolce Vita)and then adieu.

And it's still stinking cold.

On our last night in Manhattan where else would we go? Doh! Back to Trois Canards. It's only two blocks away. This time we ordered their superb Onion Soup Gratinee. Now that will warm your bones when it's 18F outside. Au revoir Samira. Until the next visit.

I am the Passenger

"I am the Passenger I ride and I ride..." ...and I ride and I fly and I drive... "And everything looks good tonight, Everything was made for you and me..."And I ride and I fly and I drive "And everything looks good tonight..."

And I meet interesting people in train stations and airport lounges and most often restaurant bars where I arrive by my ownself with a book. Over four days in New York I met a choral student from Beijing, two antique dealers, and a beautiful restaurant server with a fascinating personal history: Moroccan/Algerian; grew up in Alsace. Her Moroccan father was recruited into the French Army and covertly assisted the Algerian rebels and had to sneak out of Algeria in 1962, escaped to France and raised his family. Meanwhile, observed in flight; a middle-aged Indian woman in an opposite seat playing a video game on an IPad which seemed to involve shooting down birds flying past, as well as blowing up buildings. I don't make this stuff up

AZ: The Good, The Very Bad, and the Horribly Ugly

I try to find something good everywhere I travel. Usually I succeed. In this case, I was bunkered in Chandler, AZ and with a little research turned up Anise, a Vietnamese restaurant on Dobson. Located in a strip mall (yeah, please name a Vietnamese restaurant in the western US that isn't), they ought to be a destination for anyone (like Pierino) stuck down there. The food is great. The charming Kim and Anne work the front of the house and will even order for you if you ask their advice. We went with that plan on our second visit. They make lovely, clear broths, which I think is the toughest to get right. Combined with crab meat, well...

Not everything in AZ is so charming right now. I happened to be there on the day that the district court blocked most of SB 1070. Now, could I just say that immigrant labor is the backbone of the restaurant and hotel industry in the state as well as most of North America with the exception of Guam and the Palin Territories. These people risk death walking through the desert just to wash dishes, cook and change the sheets in your hotel room. And you want to keep 'em out? Tell me why!

I was listening to KJZZ (an NPR affiliate) at the time that the decision came down. This was a local show with AZ callers (please remember that these people don't know that you are supposed to stop for red lights). Of course they were all offended and predicted that this will lead to a Republican sweep in November. They could be right. But what these morons won't accept is that the most conservative Supreme Court in 40 years will uphold the distict and circuit court decisions. Including Chief Justice Roberts? And then, what's your come back?

I heard one woman caller on KJZZ say, "when was the last time you saw an American [aka white] teenager working at a McDonald's?" How about they're too effing lazy to apply! Do you really think that Effing Ronald McDonald discriminates against white American teens? Shit, they grew up on Happy Meals, but it doesn't mean they want to work there. But these same idiots are also opposed to raising the minimum wage. You can't have it both ways.

And now for the decidedly ugly. I checked out of my hotel and was en route to the airport thinking that I had missed, for once, what is an all too familiar sight on Arizona roadways. That would be the ghastly car crash. Well, I didn't have to travel very far on 10 North to see the signs that access to I17 was closed. When I got there I could see why: in the connector lane a pickup was flipped over with the cab crushed. This happened to be a rainy morning. There are worse things than missing your off ramp. But hey, people in AZ will risk death to do that. And their thing about red lights? It means "Stop" not "speed up!"