Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

20 Feb 2014

HomeState – Los Angeles (East Hollywood)

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Briana Valdez’s HomeState has been garnering a whole lot of buzz since opening late last year. It seems that everyone’s ears perk up at the mention of queso and Frito Pie. Mine certainly do.

Ms. Valdez, who moved from Austin to Los Angeles in 2000, previously worked at Bouchon in Beverly Hills.

I made my way here on a quiet Sunday with my favorite Texan in tow. After growing up in Austin, Esme knows her Tex Mex and barbecue, and I wouldn’t have wanted to dine here with anyone else.

Fun fact: Esme blew my mind sometime back in 2003 (while we were studying abroad in Rome) when she informed me that a barbecue isn’t a barbecue unless there’s brisket. Needless to say, the grilled hot dogs and hamburgers of my youth did not constitute a proper barbecue.

The adorably appointed dining room was totally packed during our visit. We placed our order at the front counter and grabbed a table outside, and the bulk of the spread was brought soon after. A few forgotten items took a bit longer.

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Restaurant Review

18 Feb 2014

Cafe Artist – Garden Grove

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I’ve been thinking a lot about Pok Pok’s Vietnamese fish sauce wings since my trip to Portland last fall. The perfect marriage of crispy chicken and potent nuoc mam, these unforgettable wings left my fingers sticky, my lips lacquered, and my stomach craving more.

Since jetting off to The Beaver State whenever a hankering hits isn’t very practical, I am on a mission to find a local source for similarly delectable wings. First stop: Cafe Artist in Orange County. This spot came recommended to me by Anh, a Gastronomy reader.

Located in the same Little Saigon strip mall as Vien Dong restaurant, Cafe Artist is one of the most popular quan nhau (watering holes) in the neighborhood. The place opens at 1:30 PM and stays bumpin’ till late.

The Astronomer and I, along with my friend Anne, came in for lunch and snagged a table on the patio. I’d heard that it gets loud and smokey once the regular crowd files in, so I was quite pleased that we had the place to ourselves at this hour.

We ordered five dishes between the three of us and managed to finish them all. First up was a hefty platter of oc len xao dua ($11.99), ~~cockles~~ sea snails simmered in an irresistible lemongrass, red curry, and coconut broth.

As instructed by our waitress, we sucked with all our might to release the cockles from their shells. Mmm! Bowls of steamed rice were requested to make good use of the fabulous broth.

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Restaurant Review

14 Feb 2014

Eatalian Cafe – Gardena

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With my girlfriend Kellie coming from Santa Ana and me in Pasadena, a lunch date in Gardena was logistically sound since it was approximately halfway* between our respective starting points. After debating a few Hawaiian and Japanese restaurant options in the area, I selected Eatalian Cafe for our meetup. Pasta. Forever.

Eatalian Cafe brings a slice of Italy to an industrial stretch of Gardena lined with manufacturers and repairmen. Owner Antonio Pellini initially planned to transform this former textile factory into a production facility for fresh cheeses, gelati, and baked goods; however, the sheer size of the space was so grand that a dining room was built into the plans.

Here at this cavernous temple of Italian cuisine, pastas, sauces, gelati, breads, and pastries are made fresh every morning.

Joining our party were The Astronomer and Kellie’s sis—the more the merrier.

To start, we shared the Emilia, grilled vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, onion, yellow and red bell pepper) topped with Parmigiano Reggiano and aged balsamic vinegar ($8.50). I loved the cheese’s salty granules, but the vegetables could’ve been smokier.

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