"Beer: The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

“Alright brain, I don’t like you and you don’t like me, so just get me through this exam so I can go back to killing you slowly with beer.”

            - Homer Simpson

Growing up, my exposure to beer consisted of being handed a room temperature can by a friend, or at a party, sometime during my teenage years.  I can’t remember the type, but it was most likely purchased because it was the cheapest (which meant more could be bought).  Stomaching this foul tasting beverage was only accomplished because it was the thing to do.  Luckily the times have changed.  I am no beer expert and am new to the world of artisan beer.  However, I have come to enjoy the wide variety of craft beers that allow one to find a beer they truly enjoy the taste of.   These days, the world of craft and artisan beer has been a growing trend among LA bars and restaurants. 

What is craft beer?

            Well... The Brewers Association (BA), a trade group of over 1,000 brewers, defines it as a small, independent, and traditional brewer.  The key to the definition is that beer production must be less than 2 million barrels per year to be considered a craft brewery.  Microbreweries are defined as producing less than 15,000 barrels annually. 

            While looking up those definitions, I came across an interesting fact that is seen by looking at the statistics for beer sales on the BA’s website.  Although overall beer sales are down in the US for the first half of 2010, the craft brewing industry has increased in terms of volume produced and retail profits.  It seem that other people like me are being enlightened to this new world and will likely find it hard to go back to stomaching the mass-produced, watered down, light pale ale or lager that took our beer virginities. 

FO

            Father’s Office is where I was first exposed to this new world of beer.  In fact, I think I was still using my trusty old fake ID when I was first brought here by some friends.  This small bar in Santa Monica offers over thirty varieties of beer from around the world.  With so many choices it can often be hard to find the right beer by just choosing from the menu of names.  When in doubt you need only to ask the bartender for advice.  These guys and girls know their beer.  Christina Perozzi, author of “The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer,” was one of the bartenders here before going on to write her book. 

While the beer selection is quite amazing, it seems that it is the combination between the beer and the most amazing hamburger I have ever tried that keeps bringing me back.  There are a few caveats, this place will not serve you a Corona or Budweiser, will not provide you with ketchup for any part of your meal, and there are no substitutions or modifications to the burger.  Do not let this turn you off. 

Yes it seems very haughty, but the atmosphere here is not and this should not detour your from the food.  A nice Belgian beer brewed in a Trappist Monestary by monks, an Office Burger (a medium rare patty, caramelized onions, arugula, and gruyere cheese served on a French roll) from the chef in the kitchen, and some sweet potato or shoestring fries with aioli dip is about as good as it gets.  Here are some of my go-to Belgian beers to get you started: Tripel Karmeliet, Chimay, Allagash, and Duvel are some of the offerings I have come to enjoy. 

           

There are also a few other establishments that have come to also specialize in serving only craft beers.  Wurstkuche is an exotic sausage grill located in the historic Arts District of Downtown LA.  Feeling a bit exotic?  How about a duck, rabbit, alligator, or rattlesnake sausage?  Too much?  Well, you can’t go wrong with any of their other gourmet sausages made from pork, chicken, beef, and turkey.  Library Ale House is another craft beer bar that is located on Main Street in Santa Monica.  Although the food cannot compete with FO or Wurstkuche, this place knows good beer and has a great ambience.  8oz Burger Bar on Melrose and the Venice Ale House in Venice are two establishments that have opened up recently.  Both of these places have a great selection of beers and tend to specialize in serving artisan beer from American craft and microbreweries.  I haven’t spent much time at either of these places so look for a dedicated blog in the future. 

            “Alright, alright now.  You’re overstimulated, let’s get some beer in you and then it’s straight to bed.”

            - Marge Simpson

Trio

Hello, World

Who doesn’t enjoy great food?  In a city like Los Angeles, with so many diverse offerings, you can often find yourself paying for a meal you just did not enjoy.  We have all done it, reached for our wallet to pay the bill, all the while trying to figure out if the meal you just ate was even meant for human consumption.  It can be overwhelming trying to distinguish the good from the bad.  For me, I enjoy finding food that leaves a lasting impression on my taste buds long after I leave.  

This blog will be about my adventures in trying to find the best places in LA to eat on any budget.  Cheap to expensive.  With so many choices, in a city as large as LA, there are many excellent options in every price range.  The food trends are constantly changing as new restaurants attempt to fill an empty niche.  In a city like this, culture is often reflected in these changing trends. 

A current phenomenon that has been hitting LA are the swarms of “gourmet” food trucks.  It may seem odd to some who wonder how food trucks can be appealing to anyone since they are most infamously known as “roach coaches”.  I know that some of you are thinking that you would never eat from a truck, but trust me.  I was one of those people until I experienced the phenomenon known as Kogi BBQ.  Kogi was one of the first to hit the LA scene by offering flavorful food at low prices.  Ranging from $2 a taco to $5 for a pair of sliders.  On any given night Abbot Kinney in Venice has many different trucks offering food of every variety.  Even though I frequent Kogi when it is in my neighborhood, I am still skeptical about some of the other offerings.  Fish Lips is just one example.  Although I have heard some good things, I just cannot stomach the idea of eating sushi from a food truck (especially one called “Fish Lips”).

Another hot trend that has been growing in LA recently is craft beer bars.  These places specialize in offering a wide variety of beers from around the world.  (I should offer a bit of advice: don’t ask for a bud light or anything of the like, you run the risk of being laughed all the way out of the place.  Talk about an awkward moment.)  With that out of the way, Father’s Office and Wurstkuche are currently among my favorite places for some artisan beer and flavorful food.  Fathers Office has been around for a long time and is most famous for their “Office Burger.”  Now this isn’t your normal American cheeseburger.  This is a gourmet burger that just melts in your mouth.  Wurstkuche is a newer place that opened up in the arts district of DTLA.  The outside is almost non-descript but you enter into a very modern and sleek interior.  I remember being very impressed by the design the first time I went, it reminded me of being in New York.  I really enjoy restaurants can make your feel as though your able to go somewhere or change cities by simply walking through the front door.

My love for food came from my parents.  I was practically born in a restaurant, well not exactly born.  But I lived in one for the first six months of my life while my parents started up the place.  They started this restaurant together, but alone they opened and sold five total before meeting.  As a result, while growing up I have been exposed to some good cooking both at home and while dining out. 

What else?  Lets see… I have a passion for food but my real love is dessert.  I have been a known sugar addict since I was a little kid and am seeking help.  But to be honest, I look forward to finding some great desserts for this blog. 

            I will chart my experiences over the next few months as I continue to discover some of the amazing food this city has to offer.  While the majority of this blog will be reviews, I will try to also take the time to review the culture of food in LA.  I hope that taking the time to think critically will inspire me with ideas and insights for starting my own restaurant.  I look forward to tasting some amazing food and having some great experiences as I write this.

Profile

While searching for similar blogs, I came across many devoted to food in Los Angeles.  “Los Angeles Foodie” stood out from the rest for its similarity to what I envision my own blog to be.  The site is devoted to reviewing Los Angeles restaurants, from coffee shops to fine dining, with an emphasis on the “classics.”  The site describes itself as “devoted to a special kind of eatery.  They go by many names- grandpa restaurants, time machines or, simply, classics.”  However, it goes on to state that there are also new restaurants opening that are worthy of being included for review.   

            Unable to find information about the author, I turned (or should I say clicked) to the short post about the blog in general.  The blog was started in January 2008 but only posted a couple of entries every other month.  From the beginning of 2009 until current, the blog has consistently had about two to four blog entries per month.  Although I was not able to find this blog’s technrati.com rank, each of the blog entries had an average of two to three comments (an indication that there is some interaction with readers). 

            The restaurant and food reviews on LA Foodie are very detailed.  One of the more recent entries from August 2010 is a review of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, CA.  This post is a great example of a clear and concise method of setting up a review.  The post is divided into five different categories: details, summary, the place, the food, and the service.  The details are at the top of the post and include general information like the business hours and address.  The summary is a short paragraph that sets the stage for the rest of the review.  In it, the blogger gives a slight history and expresses his reason for reviewing this particular restaurant.  Under the section titled “The Place,” a short description of the restaurant’s atmosphere and chef.  Then we get to the main course of the review, the section about the food.  This review uses seven pictures of the food items tasted and offers a short description of each.  The last part of the review is a blurb about the service, “Our chef was funny, helpful, attentive, and excited about every aspect of the meal."  This review is easy to understand but seems to lack any type of scholarly or professional content.  You get what you see for the most part. 

            One of the entries from March of this year is a comparison of LA’s top ten hamburgers.  The reason I enjoyed reading this post was because it included information on many of the historic hamburger joints in LA that made it into the top ten.  Places like Apple Pan and Father’s Office are some of my own favorites and it was good to see them included in this blog.   

Although this blog shares some similarities to my own idea for a blog, I will hopefully be able to diversify my topics from only reviews.  It seems that the audience of this blog will naturally be other LA residents that are searching for new restaurants to experience.  I feel that by including other topics related to the restaurant/food industry, I may be able to create a more academically stimulating blog.  It seems that the nature of LA Foodie, by only being reviews, does not appear to foster much interaction with it’s readers.

           

Voice Critique

            I seem to have come up short in my search for a food blog with voice that conveys a strong persona.  While searching I have realized that there is a plethora of food blogs that follow an almost standardized form of reviewing restaurants.  Although not bad, many of the blogs out there did little to grab my attention.  When I came across Famished L.A., it seemed to stand out from the masses.  Written by Michael Kaye, it was created to chart his experiences as a self proclaimed “foodie.”  Although his latest entry does little for his foodie reputation it seemed to grab my attention as a humorous read.

            “The Filet-O-Fish Virgin.”  The title can be deceiving at first glance, almost passing for some type of French food dish.  It takes Kaye a paragraph and a half to lead into the subject of this post, McDonalds.  Not really the subject any respecting food connoisseur would even bring up.  His justification:

Call it masochism or morbid curiosity- or even just the fact that it was now seasonally discounted- but on this dreary day I walked over to a local McDonald’s thinking that by walking I was doing this the ‘healthy’ way. 

He follows this with a picture of a “Filet-O-Fish” ad adorned in the front of a McDonald’s window.  The poster itself could make some people sick. 

            The laid back nature of this blog and the author’s sense of humor can be seen throughout the many different posts.  He jokes that Tum’s should use the McDonald’s poster as an ad to increase sales.  After giving a negative review (Big surprise!), he ends by asking:

            “Can I interest you in some TUM’S?”

Yes, this post has nothing to contribute to the world of food reviews.  However, it serves its purpose of breaking up the monotonous feeling of other food blogs by going the humorous route.

Ok, so this entry got my attention.  I went searching through the other posts in search of more insight. 

While the McDonald’s review demonstrates the blog’s laid back nature, Kaye attempts to demonstrate his ability to give more serious and thoughtful reviews.  His reviews, like that of Rib Ranch, are informal (almost too informal):

The menu is broken into BBQ sandwiches (I’m morbidly curious about the pastrami), salads, and ‘deluxe’ sections.

Parentheses are used to insert or highlight this author’s personal thoughts.  At times, however, his reviews seem to leave the reader questioning whether or not the review was positive or negative.  His review of Brent’s Deli in Northridge, CA is just one example. 

Brent’s is still an undertaking indeed.  You have to mentally and physically prepare yourself for driver’s off their meds, fight your way onto a waiting list where you will proceed to wait and wait…finally seated you’ll be waiting some more.  Just remember that the food will come and you will be content.

Do I really want to go to this place?

While it seems I failed in my attempt to find a blog with a strong voice that I enjoyed, I did learn from this experience.  No one wants to take food advice from someone that leaves him or her questioning their ability to write with enthusiasm about the subject.  It seems that if a food blog is too laid back or informal, it seems to lack the ability to get me excited about trying something new.  The overall voice of this blogger seems to detract from the subject.  After reading through the different posts, it seems as though my opinion of this blog changed.  While at first the review of the “Filet-O-Fish” served to draw my attention, the author’s informal writing style did little to build my trust in his reviews.  This became even more glaring as I read through his choices of restaurants to review.  His review of Auntie Marie (otherwise known as Marie Callender’s) is just another example of this blog’s uselessness.  After all, good food should be interesting. 

            I hope that my blog will be able to mix the informal with the sophisticated, to create a voice that engages the senses in similar fashion to excellent food.  Reading Famished L.A. made me realize the need for balance between being formal and informal in the world of food and restaurant reviews.  This has also become apparent in the LA restaurant scene.  Many of the cities top fine dining restaurants would be crazy to enforce a dress code.  Sophisticated food, with informal and engaging atmosphere, seems to be the current trend among even the most successful fine dining establishments. 

The Freak Show

            Whenever a friend from out of town comes to visit LA, Venice Beach is always a popular sight seeing destination.  It is always fun to watch people go through culture shock as they experience the Venice Beach freak show (by that I mean the entire scene that takes place on the boardwalk).  Having grown up in the area has afforded me a certain level of acceptance for all the crazies but also allowed me to seek out some of the great food this area has to offer. 

            Abbot’s Pizza Company is as much of a Venice icon as the infamous boardwalk.  No matter how well known they have gotten, their gourmet pizzas are always a good choice for a meal or a snack.  The original location on Abbot Kinney still embodies the laid-back-beach-town-feel while the rest of the street has emerged as one of LA’s trendiest destinations.  To be honest, I enjoy getting a slice and people watching on this busy street.  True to the culture in Venice, APC does stuff a bit different as “Home of the bagel crust pizza.”  The “Bianca” is a tasty combination of red onions, fresh sliced tomato, Mozzarella cheese with olive oil, garlic, Ricotta, and Basil on a garlic pesto sauce.  Truly amazing.  Want something a little spicy?  The “Spicy Chicken” combines Tequila lime marinated chicken, Jalapeno and Mozzarella cheese on a bed of tomato sauce (not too spicy, but make sure to order a drink!).  Also, the fact that they are open until 11 has come to the rescue of my late night food cravings on many occasions. 

            The Firehouse in Venice is a neighborhood restaurant and bar that is a favorite among the locals.  True to its name, this place is almost impossible to miss.  Located on the corner of Main Street and Rose Avenue, this place originally opened up in the late 80s as a diner before adding a full service bar.  As the name indicates, this restaurant is located in an old firehouse that served Venice during a time when horse drawn carriages were used as fire engines.  The food choices are so diverse that it would be extremely hard to not find something that satisfies whatever cravings you may be experiencing.  Although the trend has been in recession as of late, The Firehouse has served the meatheads (otherwise known as bodybuilders) that flock to the world famous Gold’s Gym only a block away.  They even have a specific “body builder” section to the menu.  There is nothing like eating breakfast next to a guy whose arms weight more than my entire body, not to mention the spandex!  But I digress.  The food is always great and most of the menu focuses on healthy and fresh choices at very reasonable prices. 

            Gjelina on Abbot Kinney has been generating a lot of buzz lately.  This is really apparent by the fact that getting a reservation is something that must be done a week or two prior to get in at a reasonable time.  Word on the street, aside from serving up some amazing food, is that the service can be a bit bitchy (for lack of a better word).  I have heard this from multiple friends who also enjoy this restaurant but I have yet to encounter such attitudes while dining here.  Helen, from “I’m Hungry and Proud of it,” recently reviewed Gjelina and also mentions being aware of this reputation.  So I guess there may be some truth to it somewhere.  Do not let it detour your from enjoying some of the best food this city has to offer.  It would truly be a shame for your taste buds to miss out on this experience.  They offer a large communal table that is available for walk-ins, but unless you have some time to wait it is most likely easier to think ahead and make reservations.  Everything I have tried here has been amazing but I must point to the Gruyere Pizza as a stand out item.  Just thinking of the Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, fromage blanc, and topped with a healthy amount of arugula has me reaching for the phone to make another reservation.  Seriously, don’t miss out!

            While searching for similar blogs, I came across a few devoted to food in Los Angeles.  “Los Angeles Foodie” stands out from the rest for it’s similarity to what I envision my own blog to be.  The blog states, “Eating the stuff you like” under the title.  The site is devoted to reviewing Los Angeles restaurants, from coffee shops to fine dining, with an emphasis on the “classics.”  The site describes itself as “devoted to a special kind of eatery.  They go by many names- grandpa restaurants, time machines or, simply, classics.”  However, it goes on to state that there are also new restaurants opening that are worthy of being included for review. 

            Although there is no information of the blogger’s identity, it can be inferred from the writing that he/she is a local Los Angeles resident.  I tried finding a post about the author, but was only able to find a short post about the blog in general.  The blog was started in January 2008 but only posted a couple of entries every other month.  From the beginning of 2009 until current, the blog has consistently had about two to four blog entries per month.  Although I was not able to find this blog’s technrati.com rank, each of the blog entries had an average of two to three comments.  Indicating that there is some outside traffic.   

            The restaurant and food reviews on LA Foodie are very detailed.  One of the more recent entries from August 2010 is a review of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, CA.  This post is a great example of a clear and concise method of setting up a review.  The post is divided into five different categories: details, summary, the place, the food, and the service.  The details are at the top of the post and include general information like the business hours and address.  The summary is a short paragraph that sets the stage for the rest of the review.  In it, the blogger gives a slight history and expresses his reason for reviewing this particular restaurant.  Under the section titled “The Place,” a short description of the restaurant’s atmosphere and chef.  Then we get to the main course of the review, the section about the food.  This review uses seven pictures of the food items tasted and offers a short description of each.  The last part of the review is a blurb about the service, “Our chef was funny, helpful, attentive, and excited about every aspect of the meal”.  This review is easy to understand but lacks any type of scholarly or professional content. 

            One of the entries from March of this year is a comparison and ranking of LA’s top ten hamburgers.  The reason I enjoyed reading this post was because it included some information on many of the historic hamburger joints that made it into the top ten.  Places like Apple Pan and Father’s Office are some of my own favorites and it was good to see them included in this blog.   

Although this blog shares some similarities to my own idea for a blog, I will hopefully be able to diversify my topics from only reviews.  It seems that the audience of this blog will naturally be other LA residents that are searching for new restaurants to experience.  I feel that by including other topics related to the restaurant/food industry, I may be able to create a more academically stimulating blog.  It seems that the nature of LA Foodie, by only being reviews, does not foster much interaction with it’s readers.

            

Hello World

    This is for people that like good food. In a city like Los Angeles, with so many diverse offerings, finding delicious food can sometimes be overwhelming. Myself, I enjoy finding those places that make the eating experience truly memorable. This blog will be about my experiences in trying to fulfill that search. With so many choices in a city as large as LA, there are many excellent choices in every price range. The volatile nature of the restaurant business is always creating new offerings that attempt to create their own niche. Cultural changes are also responsible for the changing trends in the food industry. An example is the current economic recession that has given birth to a trendy food truck industry. 


    I hope to cover everything from the rising trend in craft beer bars to the wide variety of food trucks; some of the old school LA classics to the more expensive fine dining choices. Places like Father’s Office and Wurstkuche are just some of the examples of places doing it right. Gjelina on Abbbot Kinney is another restaurant that is serving some amazing food. How about something quick and cheap? The original gourmet food truck, La Isla, has been serving amazing Mexican food on Rose Ave. in Venice for years. Although it will often get overlooked, it is a gem that that many of the locals cherish. Finding some great desserts to satisfy my sugar addiction is something I am looking forward to with this project. Currently, I am really enjoying Sweet Rose Creamery for their homemade gourmet ice cream. The salted caramel with a pinch of sea salt on top has got be tried to fully appreciate the tasty combination. 


    As for myself, I have basically grown up in a restaurant. I spent the first six months of my life living above a restaurant my mother and father were opening. Both of my parents had previously opened and sold other restaurants before meeting. In fact, after roughly thirty years, all five are still open today; quite an accomplishment in this business. As one would guess, they both share an appreciation for food and restaurants that has been influential on myself. 


    This blog will chart my experiences over the next few months as I continue to discover some of the amazing food this city has to offer. While the majority of this blog will be reviews, I will try to also take the time to review the culture of food in Los Angeles. I am currently considering attempting to open my own establishment and hope that taking the time to think critically will inspire me with ideas for starting my own restaurant. I look forward to tasting some amazing food and having some great experiences as I create this blog.