Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

17 Jun 2010

Buy Me Some Garlic Fries and Dodger Dogs…

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I avoided eating a Dodger Dog last season out of fear that doing so would cause The Astronomer’s beloved St. Louis Cardinals to lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the Dodgers swept the Cards in the Division Series with me consuming only team-neutral concessions, I vowed to eat whatever my heart desired the following season. Superstitions be damned.

We returned to the ballpark last week to witness some regular season play between the Dodgers and the Cards. With the sun slowly setting in the distance and cheery fans sporting their brilliant Dodger blue, my appetite was piqued for greasy stadium fare.

During the first inning, The Astronomer and I shared an order of Gordon Biersch garlic fries ($5.75). What makes these spuds super special is the abundance of minced garlic and parsley bits coating each shoestring. Every bite delivers an intense garlicky hit that’s dreadful for one’s breath, but oh so good for one’s soul. I’m not much of a sports fan, but I will gladly tag along to any event where these fries are served.

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Restaurant Review

16 Jun 2010

Tender Greens – Los Angeles (West Hollywood)

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If things go according to plan, the entire city of Los Angeles will be amped up on sugar and good spirits this weekend courtesy of the Eat My Blog charity bake sale. This time around, we’ve teamed up with Tender Greens in West Hollywood. It might seem strange to hold a gluttonous event at such a virtuous venue, but I assure you that it all makes perfect sense. After all, what better way to counteract the damage of downing a dozen cupcakes than by consuming a plateful of organic greens afterwards? Guilt assuaged.

While scoping out Tender Green’s space last week, I went against my carb-loading ways and ordered a salad for lunch. I could’ve eaten local albacore tuna, barbecue chicken, or even flat-iron steak, but decided to step completely out of my comfort zone and went with The Happy Vegan ($10.50). I have never felt more like a stereotypical L.A. gal than I did that afternoon eating a vegan salad in the middle of West Hollywood. At least I didn’t have a small dog with me.

The platter was comprised of four different salads—farro wheat with cranberry and hazelnuts, quinoa with cucumbers and beets, green hummus, and tabouleh. A pile of romaine leaves, along with a large house made crouton, rounded out the plate. Each salad struck a nice balance between healthy and tasty, but my favorite was the the green hummus. I haven’t a clue what’s in there besides lots of chickpeas, herbs, and garlic, but my oh my, was it moreish to the max. I washed it all down with a most refreshing mint-infused lemonade.

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Now Closed

15 Jun 2010

The Manila Machine – Los Angeles

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The Manila Machine, Los Angeles’ first and only Filipino food truck, debuted last Thursday night at Downtown’s Art Walk. While it’s usually not a good idea to check out an eatery on its first night of service, I couldn’t help myself in this situation. In addition to being the first to introduce Pinoy cuisine in mobile form, The Manila Machine is also the first truck to be owned and operated by bloggers! My friends Nastassia Johnson of Let Me Eat Cake and Marvin Gapultos of Burnt Lumpia are the two talents behind the project. To show my support and admiration, I just had to be present for their inaugural service.

The Manila Machine’s menu is straightforward and full of crowd pleasing fare. There are freshly fried lumpias (Filipino egg rolls), pan de sal sliders made using traditional Filipino bread, and a slew of island-inspired desserts. Marvin heads up the savory side of the menu, while Nastassia handles sweets. The truck will also be selling a number of specials each day, including soups and stews.

The Astronomer and I hadn’t eaten any Filipino food since our visit to Manila and Palawan nearly two years ago, so we were more than ready for a potent hit of Pinoy goodness.

We started with an order of lumpiang Shanghai ($2), which was served with a well-balanced sweet and sour sauce. Filled with seasoned pork, carrots, and ginger, the egg rolls were deep-fried to golden perfection. [Marvin, you’ve come a long way since the days of regularly burning lumpias!] (more…)