Archive for the 'Culver City' Category

A-Frame – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published by Gastronomer on March 29, 2012 in Asian Fusion, Culver City, Hawaiian, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 9 Comments

I found myself on the west side of town last Monday night following a photo shoot at Sotto. Rather than hop in my car and make the long drive home at the tail end of rush hour, I convinced my friends and fellow Eastsiders, Nastassia and Diep, to meet me for a bite to eat. Our destination this evening was A-Frame, stop number two on the Roy Choi Express. Choo choo.

While Chego dishes up “refrigerator food” in a fast-casual setting, A-Frame is a full-service “modern picnic” channeling the aloha spirit.

Chefs Jude, Chris, and Fernando on the beats. Beth on the sweets. Picnic! – @RidingShotgunLA

There’s usually a long wait due to the restaurant’s firm no reservation policy, but the crowds were mellow tonight, so our party of three was seated immediately.

Carrying on the picnic theme were communal tables, do-it-yourself silverware, and perfectly sensible enamelware. Diep loved these little touches, which made the place feel cozy and comfortable.

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Santouka Ramen – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on August 23, 2011 in Chain / Multiple Locations, Culver City, Japanese, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 8 Comments

It’s ninety degrees outside and close to eighty inside, which explains why I’m having a difficult time finding the words to describe a bowl of noodle soup at the moment. My creative juices are primed to wax poetic about something cool and creamy, but instead I must focus on something hot and steamy. This is a writing exercise in mind over matter.

But then again, the ramen served at Santouka is so good that it defies typical cravings. I’ll take a bowl even when the temperature’s soaring and pearls of sweat are dripping off my brow. Weather like this calls for only the worthiest of noodle soups, and Santouka’s ramen fits the bill.

The Astronomer and I visited the westside outlet on a gray and cloudy evening. Even though it was thirty minutes before closing, the food court was still packed with Japanese food goers. The longest line was at Santouka, of course.

Santouka was founded over twenty years ago by Hitoshi Hatanakain. He opened the first shop in Asahikawa on the northernmost island of Hokkaido. There are currently seven Santouka locations stateside and many more in Japan.

Santouka offers several varieties of ramen, but the signature bowl is the shio or salt ramen. The broth is made from a blend of pork and seafood stock, and according to a fella who goes by the monicker Ramenaiac, an extra layer of oil is added to the soup to keep heat from escaping. The result is a mild and creamy broth seasoned just so with salt.

Atop the bowl were bamboo shoots, woodear mushrooms, a single pickled plum, a slice of fish cake, sesame seeds, scallions, and tender cuts of chashu (pork).

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Fraîche – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published by Gastronomer on January 3, 2011 in Culver City, French, Italian, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 14 Comments

Ben Bailly, one of my favorite chefs in Los Angeles, recently left his post as the executive chef of Petrossian in West Hollywood to helm the kitchen of Frîache in Culver City. Chefs move up the ranks and change jobs every day in L.A., but rarely do I feel compelled to check out their new digs straightaway. However, with Chef Bailly things were markedly different.

Chef Bailly is something of a culinary darling among me and my food blogging comrades. Aside from being a very good chef, he always goes above and beyond to make us all feel like our sites, photos, and commentaries are more than just silly hobbies. This mutual respect between diner and chef has garnered him a fiercely loyal following, myself included. It’s kind of amazing how far a little kindness will go on the Internet. [Take note, Red Medicine.]

The Astronomer and I, along with the lovely Diana Takes a Bite, dined at Fraîche a month after Chef Bailly took over the kitchen and revamped the rustic French and Italian menu. Diana arrived moments before we did and was sipping on a cool glass of wine when we greeted her at the table. She was careful not to nibble on the bread, butter, and olives until I had taken a proper photo. Whatta gal!

Even though we were planning on a booze-free meal, sommelier Paul Sangoletti insisted on providing cocktails and wine pairings for our party. We started off with three market-driven libations featuring (left to right) beets, red grapes, and basil. The grape-infused concoction with vodka and elderflower syrup was too strong for me, but the ones with beets and basil were just right. Sipping on seasonal cocktails makes drinking feel so virtuous!

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Pitfire Pizza – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published by Gastronomer on January 15, 2010 in Chain / Multiple Locations, Culver City, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), Pizza and Restaurant Review. 14 Comments

Sitting in rush hour traffic on the 110 freeway this evening, I had second thoughts about trekking from Pasadena all the way to Culver City on a weeknight for the soft opening of Pitfire Pizza. Sure, I had read and heard fantastic things about their pies, but as the minutes ticked on by, I began to wonder whether it was worth braving such horrific traffic.

Thankfully, my mood was instantly lifted the moment I stepped into the local chain’s latest outlet. Even with most of the walls still covered in plywood, the restaurant’s upbeat vibe could not be denied—the fire-engine red pizza oven lit up the room and revitalized my weary spirit.

Paul Hibler and David Sanfield, two veteran Hollywood caterers, opened the original Pitfire Pizza in North Hollywood in 1997. Since then, the market-driven pizzeria has expanded its reach to Downtown, West Los Angeles, and most recently, Culver City. Chef Andy Lopez heads up the kitchen at the newest branch, while Lawrence Rudolph mans the front of the house.

Architect Barbara Bestor transformed the former Shakey’s Pizza Parlor into a modern and comfortable space with an industrial-chic feel. I was excited to scope out the restaurant’s olive grove and garden, which is located near the front entrance, but the moonlight wasn’t bright enough this evening. With access to herbs and tomatoes steps away from the kitchen, it is clear that Pitfire is committed to freshness and seasonality.

According to FoodGPS, the bright red Mugnaini oven burns a combination of red oak and fruity woods like apple and cherry. As a result, a unique essence is imparted into each pizza creation.

By the time The Astronomer and I arrived on the Pitfire scene, our friends Sook and D Takes a B were already noshing on their third servings of roasted vegetables and sixth slices of pizza. We quickly grabbed some plates and started piling on the goodness.

Pitfire’s pizza is a cross between Neapolitan- and New York-style. I started off with a slice of the Margherita ($9.50), a true test of any pizzeria’s chops. My slice contained an oozy hunk of fresh mozzarella, a gentle smear of tangy tomato sauce, a bit of torn basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. The mellow, thin, and pleasantly charred crust allowed all of the top-notch toppings to shine.

The Astronomer’s favorite pizza of the evening was The Burrata Pie ($9.95) with burrata cheese, tomato sauce, wild arugula, caramelized onion, hazelnut, and pesto drizzle. The combination of rich, gooey cheese and snappy, spicy arugula proved too tempting for my dear boy to resist.

Another winning pizza was the pepperoni ($9.75) with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Think: margherita but with a meatier and more savory kick.

My favorite of the evening’s selection was the Field Mushrooms pizza ($9.95) with fontina cheese, creme friache, mushroom jus, and flat leaf parsley. The balance between the decadent cheese and earthy mushrooms was just about perfect.

Finally, we topped off our pizza feast with chunky chocolate cookies. Made in-house twice daily, these jumbo cookies had everyone, especially Diana and Sook, swooning and smiling. Note to self: Grated semi-sweet chocolate performs worlds better than ordinary chips when it comes to cookies.

Pitfire Culver City will officially open in about two weeks.

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Pitfire Artisan Pizza
12924 West Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90066
Phone: 424-835-4088

Ludo Bites 3.0 at Royal/T – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published by Gastronomer on December 2, 2009 in Asian Fusion, Culver City, French, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free) and Restaurant Review. 28 Comments

He’s baaaack! And dare I say, even better than before. After a three-month hiatus, Chef Ludo Lefebvre has returned with the third installment of Ludo Bites, his highly-anticipated guerrilla-style pop-up restaurant. [Read about the second installment here.] This time around, Chef Ludo has teamed up with Culver City’s Royal/T—the city’s first Japanese-style cosplay café.

The thirteen-day engagement officially begins tonight, but the cool cats at Fooddigger managed to arrange an exclusive pre-grand opening tasting. I was fortunate enough to snag a seat, granting me the opportunity to sample Ludo’s bites 24-hours before the general public. It’s no secret that being first feels good. Real good.

Whereas Ludo’s former haunt was a casual neighborhood eatery, Royal/T is a multifaceted space with a café, shop, and art gallery. The art-covered walls and funky maid get-ups give Ludo Bites 3.0 a deliciously different vibe.

Currently on display at Royal/T is “In Bed Together,” an exhibition curated by Jane Glassman. The collection features 50 works by 50 different artists that have been selected by 50 art professionals. “In Bed Together” showcases an array of different art forms including paintings, drawings, mixed media, sculptures, videos, photography, and performance art.

After sipping some bubbly and chatting with my blogging brethren, we were seated in a glass-walled room toward the back of the gallery. In addition to the usual tables, chairs, and place settings, the room contained a curious-looking white tent. Understanding the heartache that food bloggers experience in dimly lit dining settings, Ludo’s wife and right arm (wo)man Krissy invested in a photography light box! Amazing times a zillion.

Due to the diminutive size of the kitchen, Chef Ludo and his sous chefs plated each course within the gallery.

The first of nine courses was a pretty little dish of barely cooked scallops, brown butter, pineapple, and a mysterious “black powder.” Now, this is the kind of food I love to eat—light, refreshing, and complexly flavored. Props to “The Glutster” for figuring out that squid ink made the “black powder” possible.

Next, we moved on to a bowl of warm bread soup accented with a Gruyère marshmallow and a beauteously poached egg. Made from Bread Bar’s rustic loaf, the soup tasted toasty and familiar. The egg and “cheese” jazzed up the bowl from top to bottom.

The third course, a foie gras beignet, nearly did me in with its unparalleled richness. Fried dough is naturally quite decadent—add to it two full ounces of Hudson Valley foie gras and you’ve got a downright lethal combination. The celery root remoulade tried its darndest to reel in the dish’s intensity but couldn’t quite manage to strike a balance.

The foie gras beignet was appropriately followed by a simple squid preparation featuring chorizo oil, kimchi puree, eggplant “paper,” and pickled red onions. I ate this one with my fingers, swiping the squid in each of the sauces and biting off a piece of “paper” to finish. The kimchi’s kick and the squid’s supple texture were my favorite components.

Drawing inspiration from his new space at Royal/T, Chef Ludo created a Japanese udon dish with veal, kombu dashi (kelp stock), enoki mushrooms, and a sesame seed miso paste. The deeply savory broth enveloped the entire dish, creating an outstanding noodle soup experience. Chef Ludo’s talents aren’t limited solely to French and modern American cuisines; this man can do Asian cooking too!

For the fish portion of our meal, we were served a delicate fillet of wild striped bass with garden vegetables and aioli. Whereas Chef Ludo’s creations are usually quite bold in the flavor department, this one was subdued. The only item that really popped on the plate were the florets of purple cauliflower.

The final savory course of the evening was a superbly tender hunk of hangar steak coupled with crunchy escargots, baby corn, bok choy, and a black olive mole. Everything on the plate tasted fantastic, but it was the parsley-crusted escargots that I was particularly fond of.

Instead of a traditional cheese course, Chef Ludo prepared a tart using Fourme d’Ambert, one of France’s oldest cheeses with pungent notes similar to blue. The flaky tart was paired with pears bathed in beet juice and a swathe of honey balsamic.

The final course of the evening was a chocolate cake floating in an ocean of frothy coconut sorbet. While I’m usually not a chocolate dessert lover, this one managed to woo me in with its refreshingly light flavors and textures. Pink peppercorns and a coffee caramel provided the finishing touches.

Thank you to FoodDigger (Brian, Marshal, and Will), Ludo, and Krissy for an amazing feast! And thank you to my fellow gastronomers for providing great company: Caroline of Caroline on Crack, Kevin of Kevin Eats, Danny of Kung Food Panda, Elina Shatkin from the LA Times, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, H.C. of LA and OC Foodventures, Javier of Teenage Glutster, Josh of Food GPS, Lindsay William-Ross from LAist, Liz of Food She Thought, Sonja of The Active Foodie, and Rachel Hirschfeld, of Les Dames d’Escoffier and Petriarch.com.