Monthly Archive for October, 2011

Son of a Gun – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on October 31, 2011 in Los Angeles, Mid-City, Restaurant Review and Seafood. 11 Comments

I like to visit restaurants that are “so-hot-right-now” after they’ve had a chance to cool off a bit. This sentiment isn’t popular among fellow food bloggers (ahem, Kevin and Darin), but I can’t deny that I like my restaurants worn in and comfortable, like an old pair of sneakers.

Some eight months after Son of a Gun opened its doors, my friend Lien and I made our way there for dinner. Whereas chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo focused on nose to tail cooking at their first restaurant, Animal, this follow up effort draws inspiration from coastal seafood shacks.

The 55-seater was packed when Lien and I walked in on a weeknight. We were expecting to be relegated to the communal table since we didn’t have reservations, but were fortunately given two seats at the bar after waiting for twenty minutes. While sharing the communal table would’ve been festive and cozy, Lien and I preferred the relative seclusion the bar offered.

Since neither of us had eaten here before, we ordered a mix of Son of a Gun’s most popular dishes and ones that read interestingly on the menu.

The first dish to arrive was the lobster roll ($7). Stretching three-inches long, the sandwich contained hunks of lemon aioli-dressed Maine lobster tucked into a buttered and toasted roll. Finely chopped chives and potato chips provided the finishing touches.

Lien and I split the roll down the middle. We were prepared to order another serving if necessary, but it turned out that a bite and half each was all that was needed to take in the rich and creamy sandwich.

Continue reading ‘Son of a Gun – Los Angeles’

Stella Rossa Pizza Bar – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Published by Gastronomer on October 28, 2011 in Italian, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), Pizza, Restaurant Review and Santa Monica. 7 Comments

Pizza dates are the best. Whether with a friend or lover, a feast of pies all but guarantees a hearty spread, fair prices, and best of all, leftovers for breakfast.

The Astronomer and I headed to Stella Rossa Pizza Bar in Santa Monica for our latest pizza date. Though barely six months old, the restaurant has made quite an impact on the city’s pizza scene. In fact, one old school restaurant critic even declared Stella’s pizzas some of the best in the world.

The restaurant’s open kitchen is headed by Chef Jeff Mahin, a Cal grad who’s worked in some mighty fine kitchens including L2O, The Fat Duck, Nobu, and Arzak.

The key to Stella’s stellar pizzas is the dough. Made from milled flour from the San Joaquin Valley, filtered water, sea salt, and fresh yeast, the dough rests and ferments for thirty hours in special jars.

To start, The Astronomer and I shared the prosciutto plate ($12.95) from the “For the Table” section of the menu. Pork products from La Quercia never fail to make me weak in the knees, and these silky slices of prosciutto rossa were no exception. The Astronomer and I were also taken by the amazing house-made bead dipped in Olave olive oil from Chile. All in all, this was a killer starter.

Continue reading ‘Stella Rossa Pizza Bar – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)’

Vietnamese Steak and Eggs at Quán Lệ Hồng

Published by Gastronomer on October 25, 2011 in Bo Luc Lac, Bo Ne, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese. 10 Comments

Much to The Astronomer’s dismay, traditional steakhouses just aren’t my thing. While I can appreciate a slab of meat as much as the next carnivore, I’d rather sink my teeth into noodles, fried chicken, sushi, and the like whenever we eat out. However, there is one worthy exception to my general sentiment: Vietnamese-style steak. It’s hardly the tenderest cut or preparation, but the flavors and fixings make it impossible to resist.

An expat magazine pointed The Astronomer and me to Lệ Hồng, a popular steak shack hidden away in Phú Nhuận District. We came for lunch and dined amongst local office workers, as well as a dozen motorbikes because the dining room doubled up as a parking lot.

Each order of steak comes with a simple side salad made of iceberg lettuce, pickled shallots, sliced tomatoes, and cilantro sprigs. The vegetables are lightly dressed in a vinaigrette made from white vinegar.

Continue reading ‘Vietnamese Steak and Eggs at Quán Lệ Hồng’

Saigon Classics: Goat Three Ways, Coconut Ice Cream, and Vietnamese Fried Chicken

Published by Gastronomer on October 23, 2011 in Chicken, Dessert, Restaurant Review, Saigon, Unique Meats and Vietnamese. 7 Comments

Somewhere near the top of my list of must-eat restaurants in Saigon are Lau De 304, Công Trường, and Su Su. The first specializes in goat prepared a myriad of ways, the second serves the dreamiest ice cream ever, and the third fries chicken in a most unique fashion.

Old haunts like these are meant to be revisited with old friends, so we reserved these beloved spots to dine with Hawkins, a southern gentleman who came to live in Saigon by way of Georgia. It had been much too long since we broke bread with our friend.

One of my favorite dishes at Lau De 304 is the grill-it-yourself goat (de nuong). The meat is served raw and thinly sliced with a charcoal brazier. The grill’s fiery temps cook the meat in snap. Then, it’s dunked in a fermented tofu sauce for extra pow. Grill, dip, eat, repeat—that’s how we do.

The next dish to arrive was fried goat in a tangle of lemongrass threads (de xoi xa). This preparation turned the goat’s flesh slightly crispy, with a distinct lemongrass essence.

Continue reading ‘Saigon Classics: Goat Three Ways, Coconut Ice Cream, and Vietnamese Fried Chicken’

GIVEAWAY: Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

Published by Gastronomer on October 20, 2011 in Giveaway. 239 Comments

The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook features 2,000 of the magazine’s greatest hits—hits that belong in the repertoire of any cook who cares about recipes that work. When Christopher Kimball launched Cook’s Illustrated in 1992, he envisioned a cooking magazine unlike any other—one where a mad-scientist approach to developing recipes would result in dishes that would never disappoint. These recipes have now been gathered into a landmark cooking reference that spans appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, poultry, meat, yeasted breads, cookies, cakes, and much more.

In addition to foolproof recipes, the book highlights the test kitchen’s most ground-breaking work, such as why you should reach for a skillet rather than a wok when stir-frying; the best way to thaw meat; how to accurately test meat for doneness; why you should brine beans for best results; and more. With 2,000 recipes spanning every dish you’d ever want to make, the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook will keep both novice and practiced cooks cooking for a lifetime and guarantees impeccable results.

“Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook” Giveaway

I have ONE copy of the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook to give away to ONE gas•tron•o•my reader. To qualify for the giveaway, please leave a comment with your name and email address in the appropriate fields, and your answer to the following question: What is your favorite cookbook? For two more chances to win, follow me on Twitter (@GastronomyBlog) and/or on Facebook. Then, leave additional comments on this post to let me know.

I’ll be using a random number generator to choose the winner. All entries must be received by Friday, October 28, 2011 at midnight PST. Good luck! ** The contest is over. The winner is Kristin. Congrats! **