Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

08 Apr 2019

Joy – Los Angeles (Highland Park)

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On a recent Sunday afternoon, Diana and I met up for a late lunch at Joy in Highland Park. This newish spot on York Boulevard is the second restaurant from Vivian Ku of Silverlake’s Pine & Crane. Judging from the line snaking out the door and the happy faces gathering about, the restaurant is resonating well with the neighborhood.

The long line of eager eaters moved impressively fast, and we were at the front before we knew it. After narrowing the field to four dishes, two teas, and a dessert, we settled into a table to await our order.

Dishes hit the table not long after. The Spicy Shrimp Wontons ($6), delicate parcels swimming in chili oil, were straightforward and good.

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Now Closed

18 Mar 2019

Tartine Bianco – Los Angeles

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Dining at a brand new restaurant has its pitfalls, namely slower than optimal service and a kitchen working out kinks, but it also has its thrills. When a late-night OpenTable search yielded prime seating at the less-than-two-week-old Tartine Bianco, curiosity got the best of me and I immediately took the plunge. So, following lunch at Pikunico, I returned to ROW DTLA the same day for dinner. #targetdemo

The all-day restaurant inside of The Manufactory was humming along when my girlfriend Thien and I arrived. It took a while for us to be seated even with reservations, but that was to be anticipated given the circumstances.

Similar to the original San Francisco location, the menu here is largely comprised of smørrebrods and tartines served on Tartine bread. Unique to the Los Angeles location are flatbreads from Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco fame. We started with a flatbread topped with honey, ham, and rosemary that was utterly fantastic.

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Potpourri

11 Mar 2019

EMPOWER 2019: Reporting the Stories of Asians in America

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The Kollaboration EMPOWER Conference is a two day event at the Japanese American National Museum where aspiring Asian Americans of all ages and professions gather to learn directly from some of the community’s most inspirational professionals. At EMPOWER, attendees will be able to explore a variety of creative career paths, industries, and best practices to apply to making their dreams a reality. This unique experience will bridge communities, generations, industries, and innovative minds.

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