Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

17 Jan 2019

Smosh Town – Pasadena

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When the sun sets over Gabriel’s Automotive on Pasadena’s north Hill Street, the folks at Smosh Town pop up and pop out smashed burgers. I caught wind of this illicit burger stand on Eater, and fortunately both The Astronomer and June were game for a late-night street-side burger run.

Smosh Town is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 PM until sellout. There are only two burgers on the menu: the Smosh Town Classic with raw onions, cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup, and The O’s Way with grilled onions and all the fixings. Both are priced at $7 and are made with Wagyu beef. We ordered two of the latter and waited a solid 30 minutes for our food.

Peering into the open “kitchen” provided a fine diversion. So, that’s how smashed burgers are made…

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Potpourri

10 Jan 2019

You’re Invited: Banh Chung Workshop | Lunar New Year 2019

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You are invited to the 7th Annual convening of the Banh Chung Collective! For the past six years, Diep Tran has gathered a group before Tết (Vietnamese New Year) to make these banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice parcels filled with shallots, mung beans, and pork. The event is open to the public for the first time and we would love to have you join us. Check out previous festivities here: 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018.

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Potpourri

07 Jan 2019

The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Bites of 2018

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It’s difficult to reflect upon 2018 without first acknowledging two events that shook me to my core: the passing of Jonathan Gold and the closing of Good Girl Dinette. It was a deeply sad year for those who root for the good guys, and truth be told, I’m not sure things will ever be the same. Still, I can appreciate the terrific meals that I had the privilege of sitting down to this past year.

Thank you for reading Gastronomy these past twelve years. And without further ado, here are the 10 best dishes that I ate this year…

Double HiHo Cheeseburger at HiHo Cheeseburger in Santa Monica, California

Made with 1/3 pound of house-ground, mustard-grilled beef, the burger’s fixings included American cheese, ketchup, onion jam, lettuce, and house-made pickles, all on a house-baked bun.

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Foie Gras Halva at Bavel in Los Angeles, California

There’s much to love about the entire menu at Bavel, but the “Foie Gras Halva,” a smooth and rich paté prettied with date paste, black sesame, and coarse salt, is on a whole ‘nother level.

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