Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Downtown

15 Jun 2013

L.A. Weekly’s Tacolandia: A Sneak Preview with Mo-Chica, Tamales Elena & Coni’Seafood

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My friend Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet L.A. is curating a taco-fueled food fest next Sunday, June 23rd called Tacolandia. Held from noon until 5 PM at the Hollywood Palladium, Tacolandia promises a stellar line up of the best taqueros from Los Angeles, Orange County, and Baja (a complete list of participants below). In addition to terrific tacos, and lots of them, Tacolandia will include music and a tequila garden! I can’t think of a better way to spend $20 and a Sunday afternoon, really.

Last Saturday, Bill coordinated a taco tour for a group of friends and food writers to highlight three of Tacolandia’s talents. This cross-town jaunt took us to Downtown Los Angeles, Watts, and Inglewood, where each restaurant provided a sneak peek of the dish they’ll be preparing for the event.

The first stop on the #Tacolandia media blitz was Ricardo Zarate’s Mo-Chica for a Peruvian-Mexican mashup.

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Restaurant Review

13 Jun 2013

Marugame Monzo – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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I fell hard and fast for Marugame Monzo’s made-from-scratch udon noodles. As a testament to my infatuation, I haven’t dined on sushi or ramen while visiting Little Tokyo since the shop opened a few months back. It’s been pure, unadulterated affection for these chubby darlings from the start.

According to a write up by Miles Clements on the subject, the man behind the magnificent noodles is the restaurant’s general manager Kenji Tateishi. Marugame Monzo is his first stateside restaurant after training in Japan.

The process of transforming a hunk of tough dough into slurp-able strands is simply mesmerizing. The glass-encased workshop guarantees that nearly every seat in the house has a stellar view of the magic in progress from start to finish.

I was seated near the front door on my first visit and at the bar on my second. The latter’s so-close-I-can-almost-taste-it access was much preferred.

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Restaurant Review

10 Jun 2013

ICDC (Ice Cream, Doughnuts and Coffee) National Doughnut Day Preview at BLD – Los Angeles

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Los Angeles played host to numerous National Doughnut Day celebrations last Friday, but the only ticket in town that really caught my eye was the ICDC (Ice Cream, Doughnuts and Coffee) preview at BLD. Slated to open later this summer or early fall, ICDC was inspired by the Wednesday night Doughnut Shoppe that Pastry Chef Mariah Swan has hosted for years at Grace and BLD restaurants.

ICDC, which is currently in the midst of construction, will be housed next door to BLD. Once the shop is up and running, the menu will feature eight doughnut flavors daily. Unlike traditional doughnut shops where wares are left to sit all day, ICDC’s creations will be fried to order and decked out with gourmet glazes and ice creams.

Joining me for the 5-course doughnut tasting ($15) were my friends and fellow sweet seekers Alice, Stassi, and Diana. According to Mariah, the doughnuts served this evening won’t appear again until ICDC opens its doors for business.

The first doughnut served was the Cereal Milk Glazed, a warm, airy, yeast-risen ring iced with a sugary syrup steeped in Honey Nut Cheerios. Garnished atop were bits of Rice Krispies treats made from house-made cinnamon marshmallows. Good morning, Sunshine!

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