I hope you don’t mind that I’m writing about one of fall’s most delectable delights on the first day of winter. Seasonality is hardly important when considering apple cider doughnuts this good.
While in upstate New York this past September for an American Chinese food symposium, The Astronomer and I made a pit stop at Wright’s Farm to partake in the quintessential autumn ritual of apple picking, followed by apple cider doughnut eating. The joys of East Coast living…
We spent Thanksgiving out on the town for the second year running. Last year, The Astronomer and I slummed it at House of Pies in Los Feliz because June was stuck in the NICU. This year, we wined and dined at Bouchon in Beverly Hills. What a difference a year makes!
I’ve wanted to experience Thanksgiving at Bouchon ever since reading about Thomas Keller’s Thanksgiving Feast in Saveur last year. I made sure to make reservations early, because even at $80 a head and with a limited menu, the holiday gets booked up quickly.
Everyone at the table, especially June, loved the fantastic pain d’epi to start. The perfectly spreadable butter made every bite even better.
For those who are totally turkey-, cranberry sauce-, and stuffing‘ed out, meet Adana, a J-Gold recommended spot in an unlikely corner of Glendale. Sarah and I stopped in for lunch a few weeks back and ate our weight in superb Middle Eastern cooking.
Every meal at Adana begins with a basket of pita bread and pita chips. Both are addictive, especially when the hummus hits the table.
Lunch started with a fattoush salad ($9.99), a bed of verdolagas (also known as purslane) adorned with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, herbs, feta cheese, and pita chips dressed with lemon and oil. Sarah liked this plate o’ greens very much.