Solociccia

It took me about five years to read Heat in its entirety: JY lent t to me while in culinary school, and I retuned it a few months ago--3 years after his return! Yikes. Though the time it took me to read belies the fact, I really enjoyed the book. Not being a cook or "foodie" by any stretch of the imagination, I nevertheless appreciated the insight into kitchen hierarchy and Buford's humorous, self-deprecating tone.

The things I read about in Heat seemed so far off that I didn't make the connection between the names of places in the book to the names of places on my Italy itinerary until we were there and chatting with Dr. Bob, the trip organizer, on the first night in Florence. Turns out we were going to Panzano, and going to eat at Dario's restaurant. Whoa!

We had some time to stroll around the town before dinner so many of us visited Dario's butcher shop. It was wild: wine for everyone, which Dario himself poured from a large bottle in one hand to a stack of glasses held in his other hand. One side of his shop is more like a buffet: a spread of fresh bread and Chianti butter, various meats, peppers and jellies for sale, and an iron cow, divided into cuts. Through the window in the refrigerator door were visible huge hanging cuts of beef. On a cutting board in front of his meat counter was a cutting board on which stood an herb-stuffed roast and pepper jelly. Dario was both entertaining and serving customers; it was wild.

[cheers in the butcher shop]

[rosemary + bread]

[Dario's spread]

[stuffed meat + pepper jelly]

[got beef?]

The scene was no less calm at his restaurant, Solociccia ("Only Meat").  D and I (late for having strolled around the town a bit more) were separated from our group by the ginormous butcher block that held the night's portion of meat for the entire restaurant, about 50 people. We sat with a young Italian couple, celebrating thee second anniversary (her English was really good; turns out she's studied for a while at UCLA); a couple of gals from Belgium; and some Canadians and Americans further down the table. Turns out some of the staff was international, too, having corme to apprentice with a master (as had Buford). By the end of the night the grappa was free flowing and everyone was friends.

[beef sushi]

[only meat]

[medium rare]

My favorite was the first course, a tartar described as, "beef sushi." I'd never eaten raw beef before and was a bit wary, but it was infused with herbs and olive oil and was surprisingly delicious. The Chianti butter--lard with salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary--was served alongside baked potatoes instead of spread on bread as in the butcher shop, and was infinitely more enjoyable when melted in the warm potato flesh. To top it off we had olive oil bread and espresso (I didn't touch the grappa).

It was a pretty awesome meal. I enjoyed the showmanship of the experience and the great taste of all that meat. But I've been back three weeks and still haven't had any beef.

The Counter

The burgers at The Counter are pretty good, but sometimes -- especially when I'm super hungry -- I just don't want to deal with all the choices (too many items, too many checkboxes, too many rules). So I ended up ordering the Tuesday special, made of a quartet of beer and slider pairings:

From left to right (quoted from their menu, with a couple of corrective grammatical points added by me):

1.  Hefeweizen: Unfiltered beer with smooth wheat flavor and a light, crisp bite. | Burger: Beef mini, brie, organic mixed greens, julienned basil, tomato, apricot sauce.

2.  Brown ale: A well-balanced brown ale with roasted malt notes and a nice hop flavor.  It pairs nicely with the bold flavors of the mini-burger. | Burger: Beef mini, thinly shaved celery, bleu cheese, fried onion strings, buffalo wing sauce.

3. Pear cider: Tangy aroma with a distince pear taste and lively mouth feel.  | Beef mini, herb goat cheese, raosted apple, prosciutto, balsamic reduction.

4. IPA: This India Pale ale has a medium malt character with a crisp hop flavor.  It counterbalances the spicy flavors of this mini-burger. | Beef mini, lettuce blend, roasted corn and black bean salsa, Jalapeno Jack cheese, freid jalapenos, chipotle aioli.

I liked the last pairing the least, IPA having too much of a bite for my taste.  The very different sliders were examples of choices to make for regular-sized burgers at future visits, and the pairings were quite thoughtful.  Four diminutive glasses and mini-burgers doesn't look too filling, but add an order of 1/2-french 1/2-sweet-potato fries and it's more than enough.

Have you been to your local Counter lately?  Try it out on a Tuesday!

 

Hangin' out

Back from a spontaneous night out with my dad and bro, as documented here courtesy of Instagram:

It was my Dad's first time on Metro Rail and I daresay he enjoyed it! His round trip fate cost less than it cost my bro to park when he met us in town--score. We ate at my second choice restaurant because the place I really wanted to go is now closed--boo. It was fun nonetheless, and topped off by a crowded Yogurtland stop (coconut, mango, and plain, with graham crunch cereal, mochi, and fruit).

It's good to hang with my guys every now and then. :)

Eating out: Malo

t seems that Monday nights are good ones for the gals to get together. We knew we were meeting up for dinner, but emailed back and forth about it up until it was almost time to meet!  Is this what happens when four of five gals have iPhones?!  What will happen if/when I get mine?! In any case, we ended up at Malo, in Silverlake, for taco night.

MyKo picked me up from the office so we got there way ahead of the other gals.  So of course we headed to the bar for happy hour margaritas!  They don't take reservations and don't seat until the entire party has arrived, so we continued to hang out in the bar until everyone came.  We sat upstairs where the decor is sparse but warmed by the exposed brick walls.  Lots of gal-talk and catching up.  Good times for all.

I had grilled chicken, carne asada, and ground beef with pickles (!) tacos.  They were all delicious!

[entry table]

[downstairs dining area]

[taco, taco, taco]

Looks like there's another location coming to DTLA, which means another venue on the happy hour roster!  Orale!

Aunty Em's

ar from being a new-to-me restaurant, Auntie Em's is an old favorite.  A friend of mine knows the owner, and after sampling some of the red velvet cupcakes we decided to check out the menu as well.  This was a few years ago, before AE's became really famous and the wait was less than 15 minutes.  After a couple times of having to wait upwards of 30 minutes, the frequency of our visits decreased.

It was really by chance that DC and I stopped by for lunch last weekend; we were intending to go elsewhere but passed by and saw that there was no line outside.  Seating was immediate -- did you know they have a back patio area now?  Perhaps it's a new addition for the summer, or to meet the demands of their growth.  It was nice to be outside, sheltered from the sun, and not facing the noise and traffic of street-side dining.

[from patio, looking in]

[caprese scramble]

[veggie quiche]

The food was just what we needed: savory yet simple; with coffee and iced tea, respectively, it was an enjoyable summer lunch.  Have you had your Auntie Em's lately?

Good Girl Dinette, Part 2

hicken pot pie was ordered (just like I said I would), and every last bite consumed.  It was worth the 30-minute wait (order first, then go around the corner to get drinks!) -- the crust "floated" over the dish, and the "pot pie" part tasted hearty and curry-ish. Definitely "American diner meets Vietnamese comfort food."  

[chicken pot pie]

My friend ordered the eggplant noodle salad -- which was also devoured.

[eggplant noodle salad]

We even had a chance to meet the chef, Diem, whom I recognized from having read the GGD blog.  She was working hard at serving and bussing; she has an extremely firm handshake.

Yes, I'd say my second visit here was quite successful.  Yum!

Villa Sombrero

Who doesn't love a good margarita?  And after hearing from two different friends, on different occasions, that this little restaurant served the best margaritas in Los Angeles, I had to check it out.  So I did.  And it did not disappoint.

That was a few years ago.  Since then I've returned several times: for gals' nights; catchup nights with old friends; birthdays; and even hey-let's-have-an-early-happy-hour afternoons.  All good times.

Of course I was among the many disappointed to find out that it had closed -- as rumor had it, due to losing their lease to another restaurateur.  The new restaurant wasn't too popular, and within months Villa Sombrero was back, same wait staff, same bulky chairs, same guacamole-making station, and -- of course -- same margaritas.

When we discovered that some good friends were moving abroad, it made sense to have a bon voyage dinner at Villa Sombrero, especially because said friends were moving to a country where Mexican food is hard to come by.  Our circle of friends came out for a super evening of quality time together.  Just like our college days.

[viva villa sombrero!]

[strawberry margaritas, blended and on the rocks]

[fresh, fresh, guacamole]

I had two margaritas: strawberry and peach.  They actually mash and muddle real fresh fruit into the margarita, no artificial flavorings at all.  Delicious.  And deliciously strong.  Make sure you have the guacamole, as well as a meal, if you're going to have two drinks here.  Or make sure, like me, that you're not the one driving.  Luckily, there are many pregnant ladies in my circle of friends these days, who are the default designated drivers.  Thank goodness!

Eating out: The Kitchen

Dinner with my gals at The Kitchen in Silverlake.

Another restaurant serving locals delicious comfort food.

Great company.  Great catching up conversation.

A lovely evening.

Apologies for the terrible (3mp camera) pics.

[mac + cheese to share]

[sheperd's pie]

The buttermilk fried chicken is what people come for and rave over, but since I'd had it at Memphis Cafe not too long before, I decided to chicken out (ha ha) and go for the shepherd's pie instead -- which was very hearty and yummy.  The other girls ordered beef stew and turkey burger.

Another thumbs-up restaurant!  Highly recommended!

Eating out: Folliero's

As we were leaving Good Girl Dinette, a restaurant piqued our interest.  Couldn't quite make out whether the first letter was a "T" or a "P" -- the windows behind the sign made it hard to see, and we were in a moving vehicle.  But soon enough, Google and Yelp were consulted, and the restaurant was a definite for the "To Go" list.

[serving highland park since 1968]

Folliero's looks small on the outside, but is larger once you're inside.  The decor is simple, quaint: exposed brick walls adorned with old pictures of the neighborhood, dim lighting, salt + pepper and parmesean + pepper shakers at each table.  It was a packed night; there were four groups ahead of us!  But the wait was worth it:

[parmigiana di melanzane; garlic bread; gnocchi]

[margherita]

And it was totally affordable.  Downright cheap, even.  Our waiter was very pleasant; it looked like a lot of the patrons weren't first-timers by any means.  This restaurant is now definitely on the Visit Again list!

Three for three: not bad, innit?

I'm totally up for recommendations, too, so speak up, these ears are open!  Bon appetites!

Eating out: Memphis Cafe

I've known SarahG for years and have not been to one of her shows.  Decided to change that.  So: made plans to head down to the Anti-Mall (click link to The Artery) and see her work.  Also made plans to hang out with a dear old friend, who suggested dinner at Memphis Cafe.  In a word: delicious!

This place has been around for 15 years.  How could I not know about it while I was in these parts during my college years?!  Well, better late than never, I suppose.  But I suppose I can more readily afford it now, and have a drink along with the meal to boot.  So: better later than sooner, after all!

[memphis cafe interior]

[pulled pork sliders]

[buttermilk fried chicken]

I loved the casual hipster vibe, the mid-century decor, the open kitchen, and the sweet patio we spied on our way out -- that's where wi'll eat next time.  

Oh yes, there will be a next time.

Eating out: Good Girl Dinette

These days I have been catching up with friends and thus eating out much more often than usual. I am doing my best to break my creature of habit and try new places.  It's nice to have adventuring friends to lure me out of my comfort zone!  Last week alone I went to three new (to-me) restaurants. I thought I'd share here. (Looks like another Summer Project, no?!)

G+J (my bro and SIL) introduced me to Good Girl Dinette.  They were excited to hear that I was going, said I'd really enjoy it, it would remind me of Mom's cooking.  I liked the look of the restaurant,with its yellow mid-century chairs and exposed brick wall; I also liked the tagline: "American diner meets Vietnamese comfort food."  I would have liked to see some art on the wall, something besides the chalkboard, but I think the austerity is part of its style.  I can dig it.

[grandma's pho]

[slow-roasted pork baguette]

[beef stew]

I've had a lot of Vietnamese food in my life, from mom's kitchen, family get-togethers, hole-in-the-walls, to casual and fine dining restaurants.  GGD is definitely different from any other Vietnamese restaurant I've been to.  But honestly, I thought it was all right.  My friend thought the pho good and loved the baguette, but I was less than impressed with the beef stew.  It had a pretty thick layer of fat over it and was a bit too cinnamon-y for my liking.  (Of course, I was comparing it to my mom's beef stew, into which she adds tendon and potatoes, and which we eat with baguettes.  So maybe I'm biased... ) Also, the on-choy was way too savory; all I could taste was soy sauce (which, experience has taught me, is way too potent; I usually stir fry with several cloves of garlic, smashed, and a dash of salt).

Although I was a little disappointed, I would totally go there again.  Besides the liquor store around the corner and no corkage, I'd like to try some of the other dishes that G+J have ordered, especially the pot pies and homemade sodas.  I truly appreciate that GGD goes to great lengths to buy ingredients from local farmers and informs customers by writing where they got what on their blackboard.  It's a little gem in an area that I'd like to explore more of in the days ahead.

Graduation weekend

Since we had such a good time wine tasting over Memorial Day weekend, and I knew we'd be nearby again for my brother's graduation, I suggested to my family to head up a day early and relax before going to the Saturday ceremony.  Everyone agreed, and a family road trip was born.

We only went to two wineries, but that's cool.

[melville vineyards]

We got to spend time doing other things, like walking around Solvang (where we stayed) and watching the US vs. UK match.

[team usa]

The weather was gorgeous at graduation.  We spread a blanket on the lawn and relaxed.  And then were lucky enough to catch our grad at both processional and recessional.

[congrats]

We ended the night with a lovely dinner at Tupelo Junction on State Street (I hear the Bloody Marys are good, but I can only vouch for the blackberry mint mojito) before the long ride home.

[cheers!]

I was beat after just two days: traveling with family is always adventuresome, always yielding funny stories and good memories.  Thanks for giving us a reason to do the road trip, brother -- and congratulations!  Time to go job hunting...