eatplusdrink:

SUPERBONARA

There are few things in my life that I actually crave.  One of them is a double double with cheese, spread and light onion with animal style fries and a small coke.  Another is the freshest sushi at least once a week.  And the other is a really good carbonara about once every couple of months.

My quest for great carbonaras has been a rather lengthy one. One that started out in Manhattan in the late 90’s.   Places like Po, Gradisca and Lupa have always been on my short list consistently offering the traditional, delicious and expected carbonara. In Chicago, there’s RPM and San Francisco – SPQR and Locanda Osteria.  Here in Los Angeles, Fraiche, Enoteca Drago and Angelini Osteria (lunch only) offer their versions of a carbonara which I do truly enjoy.  And lastly Vito’s on Ocean Park in Santa Monica makes a valiant attempt, but far from the “out-this-world-make-me-crave” attempt that I’m looking for (I just happen to like the old school feeling of the interior).

And then there is Superba.  Critically acclaimed, written up in about a gazillion epicurian media outlets with an Eater proclaimed best chef of 2012 recognition in Jason Neroni.  I first experienced Superba about a month after it opened.  It was divine and the vibe was ultra-cool and relaxed.  I enjoyed everything from the Porchetta di Testa with Pastrami on Rye and Dill Pickles to the Fried Duck Egg with Patatas Pravas (fancy for fried potatoes) with drizzled truffle vinaigarette and tuna prosciutto.  Dinner was topped with delicious s’mores - a chocolate pudding, graham cracker and smoked marshmallow glass jar of heaven.

But it was really the carbonara from Superba that left an indelible mark on me.  It’s a craver.  And I can’t shake the habit.  Home-made smoked bucatini pasta that is thick and fresh.  The egg is meticulously poached at an exact 55.7 degrees Fahrenheit in a device called an Emergence Circulator.  Plus if you happen to be at Superba on a Thursday night, your chances increase that you may be eating an egg hatched that very morning from Eclectic Acres in Menifee, CA.  Of course I cannot forget to mention the chunks of salty pancetta.  Every single time I’ve had this dish, it is consistently good – really really good.  Not one thing wrong and everything right about this carbonara.

Greatest thing about it is that I have plans with my regular Superba dinner partner this Monday night which will of course include satisfying one of my 3 cravings.

Liezel’s Rating: Worth Going Back Over and Over

SUPERBONARA

There are few things in my life that I actually crave.  One of them is a double double with cheese, spread and light onion with animal style fries and a small coke.  Another is the freshest sushi at least once a week.  And the other is a really good carbonara about once every couple of months.

My quest for great carbonaras has been a rather lengthy one. One that started out in Manhattan in the late 90’s.   Places like Po, Gradisca and Lupa have always been on my short list consistently offering the traditional, delicious and expected carbonara. In Chicago, there’s RPM and San Francisco – SPQR and Locanda Osteria.  Here in Los Angeles, Fraiche, Enoteca Drago and Angelini Osteria (lunch only) offer their versions of a carbonara which I do truly enjoy.  And lastly Vito’s on Ocean Park in Santa Monica makes a valiant attempt, but far from the “out-this-world-make-me-crave” attempt that I’m looking for (I just happen to like the old school feeling of the interior).

And then there is Superba.  Critically acclaimed, written up in about a gazillion epicurian media outlets with an Eater proclaimed best chef of 2012 recognition in Jason Neroni.  I first experienced Superba about a month after it opened.  It was divine and the vibe was ultra-cool and relaxed.  I enjoyed everything from the Porchetta di Testa with Pastrami on Rye and Dill Pickles to the Fried Duck Egg with Patatas Pravas (fancy for fried potatoes) with drizzled truffle vinaigarette and tuna prosciutto.  Dinner was topped with delicious s’mores - a chocolate pudding, graham cracker and smoked marshmallow glass jar of heaven.

But it was really the carbonara from Superba that left an indelible mark on me.  It’s a craver.  And I can’t shake the habit.  Home-made smoked bucatini pasta that is thick and fresh.  The egg is meticulously poached at an exact 55.7 degrees Fahrenheit in a device called an Emergence Circulator.  Plus if you happen to be at Superba on a Thursday night, your chances increase that you may be eating an egg laid that very morning from Eclectic Acres in Menifee, CA.  Of course I cannot forget to mention the chunks of salty pancetta.  Every single time I’ve had this dish, it is consistently good – really really good.  Not one thing wrong and everything right about this carbonara.

Greatest thing about it is that I have plans with my regular Superba dinner partner this Monday night which will of course include satisfying one of my 3 cravings.

Liezel’s Rating: Worth Going Back Over and Over

Superba

533 Rose Ave, Los Angeles 90291

(310)399-6400

Open: Mon-Thur 6:00p-10:30p, Fri & Sat 5:30p-11:30p, Sun 5:30p-10:00p  -  Sat & Sun Brunch 10:30a-2:45p - Thur & Fri Lunch 11:30a-2:45p

Reservations

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Flynn McGarry’s Winter Menu

I know I haven’t written my review yet of this culinary wunderkind but here is a little video his team created from that event.  If you get really close to the screen, squint your eyes just so and cock your head to one side, you might be able to see me sitting along the window.  Good luck.

eatplusdrink:

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

I’ve written a number of good to great reviews so far and you may be saying to yourself that I seem to like every restaurant I go to.  Well, I played rope a dope with you a bit.  I wrote great reviews of a few of my favorite restaurants so I stacked the deck a bit.  That is now over.

Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill has been written up a good bit and all of the reviews were quite good so I had high expectations.  My Mom and I stopped in right after lunch time to grab a quick bite and check it out.

First off, the waiters and waitresses have these slightly bondage style uniforms that at first seem really fun but slowly just appear trashy.  The space is large and although there were some fun looking low tables and large chair areas, they sat us right on the railing looking out to the casino.  Our waiter started out fun and brash but quickly veered off into weird and annoying.

We ordered the Little Piggy Deviled Eggs and I have to tell you I’m a deviled egg fan so I liked it.  It had this fascinating vinegar taste to it that very much reminded me of London.  My mother did not like it at all.

The sliders were next and they were fabulous.  Cooked just right.  Not much more to say there.  Then the inevitable happened.  Rubbish.

I love corned beef so I had high hopes for the Dublin Corned Beef Brisket Sandwich.  It came out in a sourdough bread bowl covered with cheese.  Inside were corned beef chunks in sauerkraut but I’m loathe to call it beef because it was so fatty, it was almost inedible.  My mother was not impressed.

I hate to end on a low note so I will give Gordon props for picking his bartender.  I had a Mother’s Ruin (gin) that was downright lovely.  Unfortunately though, this is what I call a “no reason to go back”.  Thank goodness Ramsay’s Steak the next night was much better.

Heather’s Rating: No Need to Return

Flynn McGarry’s Winter Menu

I know I haven’t written my review yet of this culinary wunderkind but here is a little video his team created from that event.  If you get really close to the screen, squint your eyes just so and cock your head to one side, you might be able to see me sitting along the window.  Good luck.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

I’ve written a number of good to great reviews so far and you may be saying to yourself that I seem to like every restaurant I go to.  Well, I played rope a dope with you a bit.  I wrote great reviews of a few of my favorite restaurants so I stacked the deck a bit.  That is now over.

Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill has been written up a good bit and all of the reviews were quite good so I had high expectations.  My Mom and I stopped in right after lunch time to grab a quick bite and check it out.

First off, the waiters and waitresses have these slightly bondage style uniforms that at first seem really fun but slowly just appear trashy.  The space is large and although there were some fun looking low tables and large chair areas, they sat us right on the railing looking out to the casino.  Our waiter started out fun and brash but quickly veered off into weird and annoying.

We ordered the Little Piggy Deviled Eggs and I have to tell you I’m a deviled egg fan so I liked it.  It had this fascinating vinegar taste to it that very much reminded me of London.  My mother did not like it at all.

The sliders were next and they were fabulous.  Cooked just right.  Not much more to say there.  Then the inevitable happened.  Rubbish.

I love corned beef so I had high hopes for the Dublin Corned Beef Brisket Sandwich.  It came out in a sourdough bread bowl covered with cheese.  Inside were corned beef chunks in sauerkraut but I’m loathe to call it beef because it was so fatty, it was almost inedible.  My mother was not impressed.

I hate to end on a low note so I will give Gordon props for picking his bartender.  I had a Mother’s Ruin (gin) that was downright lovely.  Unfortunately though, this is what I call a “no reason to go back”.  Thank goodness Ramsay’s Steak the next night was much better.

Heather’s Rating: No Need to Return

eatplusdrink:

Bespoke Post

I am in love with Bespoke Post and the product isn’t even targeted at me or my demographic (whatever that is at this point).  But it’s that good.  

What do they do?  Bespoke Post puts together themed boxes with sweet products from cool brands.  If you don’t like a box, you can kip it free of charge.  

The cost? $45 a month and the value of the box is $70-$130.

What’s in it? A few of the boxes I’ve received are in the shots above.  Coffee, charcuterie, salt…many boxes revolve around some type of food, wine or spirit.  In December I received the MOST amazing, custom made for Bespoke Post wine decanter I’ve ever seen.  I use it as often as possible and amaze everyone. 

Why you have to have it? I have had more conversation starters because of these boxes than you can imagine.  I actually opened one box in the middle of a dinner party just to show everyone how awesome it was.  It’s worth the $ in spades.

What do you need to do?  Click HERE and sign up.  It’s that easy.

Koala Bottle

I love that he decided life was too short to “just go to work every day” and figured out a better product.  Awesome!

LOVE THIS!  Brenda, please say hello the next time I’m in!

fkknbrenda:

This is where I work.

Thats my Chef, Charlie Parker.

I cant begin to describe how much I love working here, and how much I’ve learned.

:D <3

Bespoke Post

I am in love with Bespoke Post and the product isn’t even targeted at me or my demographic (whatever that is at this point). But it’s that good.  

What do they do?  Bespoke Post puts together themed boxes with sweet products from cool brands. If you don’t like a box, you can kip it free of charge.  

The cost? $45 a month and the value of the box is $70-$130.

What’s in it? A few of the boxes I’ve received are in the shots above. Coffee, charcuterie, salt…many boxes revolve around some type of food, wine or spirit. In December I received the MOST amazing, custom made for Bespoke Post wine decanter I’ve ever seen. I use it as often as possible and amaze everyone. 

Why you have to have it? I have had more conversation starters because of these boxes than you can imagine. I actually opened one box in the middle of a dinner party just to show everyone how awesome it was. It’s worth the $ in spades.

What do you need to do?  Click HERE and sign up. It’s that easy.

Eat+Drink now has an Exclusive Offer/Newsletter sign-up button!  It’s in the top right hand corner of the site.  Just click HERE, add your email and we will selectively send you “no-one-else-can-get-these” type of exclusive offers from Los Angeles restaurants and ultimately from food, wine, spirits and entertaining creators and service providers. Spread the sign-up button around as the more people we have signed up, the bigger, better and more exclusive our offers will become!!  Soon you will saunter into a restaurant, whisper “Eat+Drink” to the host and be summarily escorted to your own private table that no one else even knew existed….eat on!  

eatplusdrink:

Rao’s at Caesar’s in Las Vegas

I recently spent a long weekend in Las Vegas.  Like most Southern California residents, I end up there a couple times a year.  It’s the playground of Los Angeles.  This particular trip had been scheduled for months and months as a present for my aunt to see Celine Dion in concert - one of her favorite performers.

We had a weekend scheduled full of food and shopping and chit-chatting and gambling - well, only two of us gambled so the other two ate and drank more (I was one of those two).  

Our first big meal was at Rao’s - the Las Vegas outpost of the New York City Italian food mecca.  I’ve never eaten at the one in New York but it’s apparently impossible to get in to and because of that, I think many dismiss the food as less than spectacular.  I really think Italian food is all about how it makes you feel and who you’re eating it with.  That’s why this dinner was extra special because I could share it with my half-Italian mother and aunt - both great cooks in their own right.

You may know Rao’s by their famous pasta sauce that is sold at many grocery stores across the country.  I didn’t even realize we use it all the time!

We started it all off with the Fritto Misto which was a little unusual because it included shrimp, cod and little julienne zucchini along with the calamari.  I LOVED the calamari.  The rest I could do without but my mother really enjoyed the cod.  I was the only one who really wanted the Caprese Salad and I ate almost all of it myself.  It was exactly what I’d expect at a good Italian restaurant.  

On to main courses, we shared the Veal Milanese with the Hot & Sweet Cherry Peppers that normally come with the Veal or Pork Chop at our waiter’s recommendation.  He said it would be spicy and it was!  Tere loved it, the rest of us just kept trying to cool off our tongues.

We also split three pastas: the Shells with Ricotta Sauce, Penne Vodka and  the Rigatoni Filetto di Pomodoro.  You can see all the details to them in the menu.  All three were very good although I really liked the Shells with Ricotta best - that ones a keeper!

We didn’t take any time for dessert as we ran out for the Celine Dion concert but we went out after at Serendipity 3….stay tuned!

Heather’s Rating: Worth Going Back

Teen Chef Makes Debut at Beverly Hills Restaurant

I’m so at this on Wednesday and will ABSOLUTELY blog about the experience!!

He has cooked for more than 120 people at a time, worked in top restaurants across the country, and entertains 12 people at his home monthly for an 18-course meal. These accomplishments may seem like the work of a veteran chef, but this cook is only 14 years old.

Flynn McGarry will be taking his talents to BierBeisl, an Austrian restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 30 where he will cook a 12-course meal for 40 people - an event that is already completely sold out and costs $160 a person.

“The chef at BierBeisl is super nice and said, ‘Whatever you need, I’ll help you cook,’” McGarry said. “It was a natural thing, and it works with the restaurant’s schedule and is a lot easier to do it in a restaurant. I am going into this a lot more confident than other dinners. I started working on this [Thursday], running around town getting supplies. It is a week process, which people don’t really realize.”  Read More

Rao’s at Caesar’s in Las Vegas

I recently spent a long weekend in Las Vegas.  Like most Southern California residents, I end up there a couple times a year.  It’s the playground of Los Angeles.  This particular trip had been scheduled for months and months as a present for my aunt to see Celine Dion in concert - one of her favorite performers.

We had a weekend scheduled full of food and shopping and chit-chatting and gambling - well, only two of us gambled so the other two ate and drank more (I was one of those two).  

Our first big meal was at Rao’s - the Las Vegas outpost of the New York City Italian food mecca.  I’ve never eaten at the one in New York but it’s apparently impossible to get in to and because of that, I think many dismiss the food as less than spectacular.  I really think Italian food is all about how it makes you feel and who you’re eating it with.  That’s why this dinner was extra special because I could share it with my half-Italian mother and aunt - both great cooks in their own right.

You may know Rao’s by their famous pasta sauce that is sold at many grocery stores across the country.  I didn’t even realize we use it all the time!

We started it all off with the Fritto Misto which was a little unusual because it included shrimp, cod and little julienne zucchini along with the calamari.  I LOVED the calamari.  The rest I could do without but my mother really enjoyed the cod.  I was the only one who really wanted the Caprese Salad and I ate almost all of it myself.  It was exactly what I’d expect at a good Italian restaurant.  

On to main courses, we shared the Veal Milanese with the Hot & Sweet Cherry Peppers that normally come with the Veal or Pork Chop at our waiter’s recommendation.  He said it would be spicy and it was!  Tere loved it, the rest of us just kept trying to cool off our tongues.

We also split three pastas: the Shells with Ricotta Sauce, Penne Vodka and  the Rigatoni Filetto di Pomodoro.  You can see all the details to them in the menu.  All three were very good although I really liked the Shells with Ricotta best - that ones a keeper!

We didn’t take any time for dessert as we ran out for the Celine Dion concert but we went out after at Serendipity 3….stay tuned!

Heather’s Rating: Worth Going Back