Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

12 Mar 2012

FIG Restaurant – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

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VOSS, the fancy shmancy water company that serves its wares in sleek glass bottles, recently held a media dinner at FIG Restaurant in Santa Monica to get the word out about its 31 Days to Make a Difference campaign.*

Other than the fact that we were poured Voss water and were joined by representatives from the company, the focus this evening was squarely on Chef Raymond Garcia and the stellar food coming out of his kitchen. Subtlety is everything in situations like these.

Chef Garcia’s menu is built around seasonal ingredients and simple preparations. Every plate this evening was inspired by and composed with what Chef found at the local farmers market.

The first course, which was comprised of a gently poached Glaum Ranch hen’s egg with truffles and asparagus, gave us a glimpse of spring’s impending bounty.

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Now Closed

10 Mar 2012

UMAMIcatessen – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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I’m not the kind of gal that usually frequents a restaurant during its soft opening, but when I heard that there’d be fried-to-order doughnuts at UMAMIcatessen, I had to make an exception. Doughnuts are my rapture.

UMAMIcatessen is located on a stretch of Broadway that’s lined with fluorescent-lit stores selling jewelry and poofy quinceanera dresses. Some might find this part of town a bit iffy, but I’ve been stuck in the suburbs for so long that I couldn’t get enough of its grit.

I came in for an early dinner last Thursday night along with my friends Nastassia and Darin. The space was humming but not busy, so we were seated promptly at a table fit for four. By the time we left a few hours later, the entire room was packed with a line outside the door. News of fried-to-order doughnuts spreads quickly, I guess.

UMAMIcatessen, a genius creation of restauranteur Adam Fleischman (Umami Burger, Red Medicine, 800 Degrees), is widely referred to as a “food emporium.” Really though, its just a regular restaurant with a more-varied-than-most menu.
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Restaurant Review

08 Mar 2012

Discovering Downtown One Bite at a Time: Grand Central Market, Chinatown, and Olvera Street

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The weather in Los Angeles was even more gorgeous than usual this past weekend, so The Astronomer and I spent much of it outside soaking in the sunshine. On Saturday afternoon, I curated an urban hike through downtown that included plenty to see and eat.

Our first stop was at Grand Central Market, a bustling place where people gather to eat, meet, and shop. The energy inside was palpable, and everything gleamed with deliciousness.

After perusing the aisles, hemming, hawing, and gawking, we finally chose to sit down for a bite at Sarita’s Pupuseria. Here, the Salvadoran specialty made of thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheeses and meats is made from scratch and griddled to order.

Our pork- and cheese-stuffed pupusa ($2.50) arrived after a ten minute wait. A watery tomato salsa and curtido, a lightly fermented cabbage slaw with red chilies and vinegar, were available at the counter for us to garnish as we pleased.

The warm pupusa was crisp and golden on the outside and oozed with cheese and shredded pork within. Even with the curtido and salsa curbing the pupusa’s richness, one was more than enough for the two of us. It was muy rico!

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