Every week involves a steady stream of food, drinks and people. Of course not every taste or conversation is post-able, but the range of experiences is usually pretty amazing. Lucky me. Discover highlights from May 21 – 27, 2012, some of which will help to fuel full posts.
May 23, 2012 – John Kelly Chocolates co-founders Kelly Green and John Kelson built on the success of their Hollywood production facility and retail space with the debut of a Santa Monica location on ritzy Montana Avenue, which sells several varieties of truffle fudge.
May 24, 2012 – E.K. Valley, a colorful Culver City restaurant specializing in Oaxacan and southern Mexican cuisine, included a barbacoa taco with a massive corn tortilla cradling black bean puree, baked beef marinated in guajillo salsa, crunchy cabbage strips, and a sidecar of spicy, smoky serranito salsa.
May 24, 2012 – I followed David Chang’s appearance at the UCLA Science and Food lecture series with a meal at Nong La Cafe, which has a compact menu, a contemporary space on Sawtelle, and plenty of pho.
May 26, 2012 – The perpetually underrated Blinkie’s Donut Emporium was nearly sold out when I arrived at 10:15 AM, but they still had plain glazed donuts and a premium apple fritter with cubed fruit and crisp, caramelized crusts.
May 26, 2012 – Mark Reynolds and Mark Venus parked The Jolly Oyster trailer at Ventura’s San Buenaventura Beach and serve Pacific and Kumamoto oysters, which they farm in Baja, and customers have to shuck themselves.
May 26, 2012 – I found former Square One chef-owner Jason Tuley manning a wood-burning, brick-lined pizza oven outside of Corks. He was previewing Anchor Woodfire Kitchen & Bar, which should debut in August in Santa Barbara’s Hotel Indigo. He and co-owner Michael Glick of LA Specialty Produce also plan an Anchor in San Francisco, followed by a wood-grilled taco concept in downtown L.A.
May 27, 2012 – I punctuated a Griffith Park hike with Hoy-Ka Thai Noodles in Thai Town, including a namesake rice noodle soup with sliced chicken breast, ground chicken, and chilies.
May 27, 2012 – Helen Springut, Alex Davis, Rives Borland and Dave Watrous gathered craft beer pros to Barbara’s at the Brewery for the inaugural meeting of Brew Something LA, a society that encourages crafty dialogue, supports the community and of course allows beer-fueled friends to drink together. The first meeting featured kegs from El Segundo Brewing Company and Monkish Brewing.
May 27, 2012 – It was all hands on deck, and both thumbs in the air, for chef Ricardo Zarate at the friends and family preview of Mo-chica version 2.0., which has a more contemporary setting than the Mercado La Paloma original, an expanded menu and full liquor license.
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