When you have the distinguished privilege of judging three consecutive Los Angeles Cupcake Challenges you learn a few things about cake’s little sister.

First, ENOUGH WITH THE BACON. We get it, it’s savory’s most gluttonous item baked into and atop a gluttonous frosted cupcake! Whoa. Awesome. That was so unique… in 2009. And if you are going to go the bacon route, you better make sure it’s well done, almost chip-like. If I’m handed one more undercooked bacon topped-cupcake, I’m going to throw it back in your face.

Secondly, where the hell are the sprinkles? In the entire 2012 CC, there were maybe two cupcakes decorated with sprinkles. Cupcake bakers – do not forget your roots. Third, it is almost impossible to properly bake the cake of hundreds of mini-cupcakes. However, the best bakers always find a way.

And, finally, just because you’re being original with your Challenge entry does not mean you have a free pass for it to suck.

My five favorite 2012 entries below prove my case…

4. Chocolate Salted Caramel – The Cake Mamas – Despite the fact I’ve probably had way too many salted desserts after the past two years, the richness of the chocolate, caramel and salt in this cupcake really surprised me. The sea salt caramel brittle atop and some mini chocolate chips added just prior to baking raised this cupcake above the competition.
 

3. Chocolate Bourbon – Wonderland Custom Cakes – Whoa! Major bourbon taste. And I love bourbon. Wonderland does it right – a dark chocolate Valrhona cake with a bourbon cream cheese frosting and a bourbon ganache.
 

2. Chocolate Wasted – Frosted Heaven Cupcakery – The only disappointing thing about this decadently chocolate cupcake is the name – which may or may not be a reference to the horridness that was “Grown Ups.” That aside, in a competition chock full of chocolate cupcakes, Frosted Heaven Cupcakery’s was by far the best. Valrhona cake, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate buttercream topped with mini Valrhona crunchy chocolate balls.
 

1. Evil Twin – Wonderland Custom Cakes – I can’t tell you how much it hurts me to admit Pasadena once again provided the LA Cupcake Challenge with its top entry. Two years ago it was Polkatots’ Lucky Charms cupcake and this year it’s Wonderland’s mischievously delicious Evil Twin, the perfect combination of a moist jalapeno-carrot cake with a sharp cheddar frosting. It’s next available at Wonderland on Friday, 2/24, so mark your calendars: “Drive to Pasadena. Eat amazing cupcake. Order an extra one for Mike. Bring to his house.”
 

Read more of Mike’s daily food musings on UnemployedEater.com or follow him on that Twitter thing @UnemployedEater…

PHOTO: Blurry pizza.

Obsessive foodies in general can be insufferable, with the best pizza snob subset maybe among the most annoying. (You know who you are–56 Yelp takes after just couple of weeks of being open.) I don’t mean the regionalists–Chicago vs. NYC vs. California argument–but the gourmand types who wax poetic about this or that particular pizza, about how transcendent this particular triangle of cheese and flour is over all other triangles of cheese and flour. It’s pizza, people. Apart from a public school lunch or a supermarket freezer box it’s usually fine even when it’s “bad”, as the saying goes. Enter 800 Degrees into the fray, toeing the lines between fast, affordable and quality ingredients with au courant Neapolitan-style pies in a new spot in the retail roulette wheel that is Westwood Village.

»continue reading 800 Degrees–Neapolitan Pizza in Westwood

Earlier in the year, this was published on Eater:

“Fujin’s chef partner Elmer Komagata opened LA modern French restaurants Chabuya in 1987, and Truffles in 1989. He recently returned to LA after successfully operating a ramen restaurant in Cancun for eight years during a 14 year Mexico stint. Prior to opening Fujin in West Covina, the chef consulted on Yamada-ya’s menu and imported premium regional sake.

The Tokyo-born chef previously worked at Paris’ Trois Marches and Le Petit Bedon, both two Michelin star recipients. At Fujin, Komagata applies 30 years of stock making experience to two distinct types of broth: tonkotsu “milky white” and shang tang “crystal clear.” Each bowl of tonkotsu ramen contains the essence of a pound of bones which yields ramen soup so thick it jiggles like Jell-O. The chasu found in the ramen? Steamed, sliced, then bruleed before serving. Corn for the miso butter corn ramen is served on the cob, with a knife, after grilling; the hanjuku tamago, found in both ramen and bowls of pork belly rice over rice, is a “matter of pride” for the chef. Playfulness is even extended to the anime dragon painted on the wall (being ridden by a baby, as inspired by Son Goku).

Three different types of noodles (custom percentage of water, flour type, and cutting blades) are made for Fujin Ramen. The noodles are then paired to three distinct types of ramen: Hokkaido, Nagasaki,and Taiwanese. Yes, here one can find Taiwan’s most famous bowl of noodle soup as interpreted by a French trained Japanese chef.”

Still, none of that says much about the ramen. The tonkotsu is a 6-bone mix (including chicken feet! Yummers!), simmered for 8 hours. Noodles are sourced from Myojyo, just like the other SGV fave, Foo Foo Tei.

The tonkotsu broth is opaque. Frosted, if you will. The chicken stock based “crystal clear broth” shangtang (menu description / transcription, not mine) is available after 5:30pm, and is offered in “Raijin, Shang-Tang, Ma-Bo, and Niu-Lo-Men” forms.

»continue reading Fujin Ramen — Whenever En Route to San Manuel

Full disclosure: I ate a lot of crap in Twenty-Eleven. Too much. Like the Furby, most of it was soon forgotten. Fortunately though, like Dakota Fanning, some of the dishes live on. In fact, some of them were so good I sort of wish I didn’t brush my teeth, so I could still taste their remnants in the far corners of my mouth. That sounds creepy, but you know what I mean…

With this in mind and in keeping with the tradition inaugurated last year, I present the top eleven things I devoured in the Los Angeles city limits under $11. In 2011.

((NOTE ON LIST: 2011 MUST HAVE BEEN FIRST YEAR IN WHICH I TRIED SAID FOODSTUFF AND $11 OR LESS PRICE BEFORE TAX))

11. Szechwan Long Beans at Nick + Stef’s – To say most of America’s great steakhouses’ side order menus are a little long in the tooth is an understatement. Here’s potatoes. More potatoes. Even more potatoes. Here’s potatoes with cheese! That’s what makes Nick + Stef’s so special. On top of hearty meat cuts, they offer the most eclectic steakhouse side order menu in town. The star: the Szechwan Long Beans, perfectly roasted with a slightly spicy sauce and those beautiful pink peppercorns could make anyone, man or woman, love pink for a dinner’s length.

10. White Chocolate Caramel Blondie from Embrace Sweets – Embrace Sweets does brownies better than anyone in LA. Their hiddem gem? The brownie’s slutty stepsister, the Blondie.

[[ALSO SEE: 5 Questions With Embrace Sweets]]

The list continues below…

»continue reading The Unemployed Eater’s Top 11 LA Foodstuffs Under $11 of 2011

Hey Ryan,

Happy birthday. Hope Long Beach is still treating you well. Have you been to At Last Cafe? I had dinner in K-Town at an all pork belly restaurant and it was amazing. Don’t know what it’s called, you know how Korean restaurants have long and hard to pronounce Korean names which makes it hard to remember. It was on Western, at 8th.

Hope all is well!

Best,

Mac ‘n Cheez Mair

 

NAME: Don’t know what it’s called
LOCATION: Western, at 8th.
REVIEW: Amazing.

It is good form to make eye contact while toasting.

» Get Toasted Food Truck (Facebook)

Forewarning: yes, this is crafty corporate concept pizza. It’s not as glaring of an oxymoron when the corporation in question is Lettuce Entertain You, aka, LEYE. In addition to operating such monstrosities as Big Bowl, and Ben Pao — ex-Chicagoans currently trying to “Escape from LA” can cringe… now — LEYE also operates Everest and L2O. Everest was just listed as the 10th most expensive restaurant in the US, and L2O received 3 whopping Michelins this year. Between Everest and L2O, LEYE claims four stars. What does this have to do with Sella Rossa? LEYE owns Stella Rossa, Stella’s Executive Chef Jeff Mahin and sous Patrick Costa are both from L2O.

While there are 2 Ex-Chicagoans helming this “pizza bar”, do not expect Chicago pie shenanigans. I despise deep dish, I hate almost everything from Gino’s East/Lou Malnati’s and Pizzeria Uno/Dos/Tres/etc. After chatting with chef Mahin, it is clear he wants the pies to transcend categories, to serve a higher purpose, if you well. If Alice Waters moved to SoCal and had to make pizza, without her favorite wood burning oven, Stella Rossa’s deck oven baked pie might be something she’d produce. SM’s pie skips the Caputo 00 but uses sea salt, filtered water, live yeast, and Santa Monica farmers market sourced ingredients, natch. The result, born from months of scientific — Chef Mahin has a math degree from Cal — dough and yeast testing, is unnervingly good.

Serious Eats did a nice blurb in July (shortly after my visit) and aptly covers the most important points of Stella Rossa. What it didn’t do, was provide insight into Chef Mahin’s philosophy. This is a corporate chef who left his post to sling pie in a far away land. His sous chef, wearing a 3 Michelin star tattoo on his left bicep, migrated to LA also to sling pie. When asked how he dealt with transition, Mahin stated plainly: cooking is cooking. »continue reading Stella Rossa, Santa Monica: Michelin Powered Pizza

Venice High School acknowledged its Centennial tonight with a screening of the 1978 film Grease, starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing and the late Jeff Conaway. The unmistakable significance of both the high school’s longevity and its place in Grease history was a special energy in the air that brought out Venice neighbors and alums and friends of friends with blankets to the football field. We waited for the sun to go down so we could all sing “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and wonder after the accomplishments of Travolta and Newton-John amid the peak of innocence of the salad days of 1978. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Jamba Juice had a presence at the back of the field, but the sheer idea behind a road stove notoriously entitled “The Greasy Wiener” went hand-in-hand with its parental advisory change to PG-13, mostly to the chagrin of those who blushed at Greased Lightning being called a Pussywagon and other things parents probably didn’t remember. But hey… Grease is the word. I had no idea the bleachers on the northwest end of the field are where Danny Zuko and the T-Birds sing “Summer Nights”, but thanks to the Class of ’11, a clearly-marked photo-op is what they were tonight. The establishing shot of “Rydell High” could not have been any more obvious to alums and students, and all gave a spirited round o’ applause for VHS upon first sight of the landmarks.

»continue reading “Grease” Sing-A-Long at Venice High, June 24, 2011

Waffle Chix, Westwood.
Lunch, 6/20/11.
Waffle & Chicken Breast combo plate, $8.75.
Side of Mac & Cheese, $4.50.
Apple Crumble desert, $5.95.
Coffee, $2.50.
Subtotal, $21.70.
Total inc. tax & tip, $27.86.

Mac & Cheese and Apple Crumble shots below.

»continue reading Waffle Chix, Westwood

BoHo v1 had a rather tumultuous ride as Arclight’s neighbor for a year and a half. First, a GM, or 2, was fired. Then the starting free spirited chef left because he couldn’t do whatever it is that he wanted to do. Through it all, BoHo carried on with its gastropubby fare which almost everyone seemed to have enjoyed, to a certain degree. No matter the food, no matter the chef swappage, everyone could always count on BoHo’s 2 dozen rotating craft beers, one of the first (of the second wave in LA) to have such a well-curated list.

No one quite believed BoHo would re-open after the planned October 2010 closure, but it managed to stay remain open, with its bottomless mimosa weekend brunches and all, all the way til Feb of 2011. With an obvious will to survive, it was no surprise BoHo returned to biz at its new digs only after a month of closure.

Except the new location is… wait for it… Hollywood & Highland! Commence collective groan… now. That’s right, BoHo went from being one movie theater’s neighbor to another, except the new one’s in an Egyptian themed mall in the middle of Hollywood. Go ahead, groan again, BoHo’s restauranteur Adolfo Surya doesn’t mind. He brought on a new chef, kept the same excellent beer menu, and hopes tourists (as well as local yokels) will appreciate affordable small batch brewed beer in a cozy environ.

Wesley Pumphrey, the new chef, has worked at Craft and Bazaar, 2 perennial LA faves. Here at BoHo, he’s using Wolfgang Puck designed/built wood-fired pizza to toss out some fantastic pizza/flatbreads. While the menu isn’t exactly the same as OG BoHo, the essence of its fare remains. The fantastic onion soup has disappeared, but a Hawaiian-esque tuna tartare, fully evocative of poke, has subbed in nicely. Moules frites here is solid as well, and offered with both grilled toast along with frites, making the broth all the more dunkable (not a word). Out of the pizzas, there is no doubt the Spaniard, with the sweet roasted piquillo peppers and sweet onion marmalade countering the properly salty manchego and chorizo, will be amongst the greatest hits here. From the mains, the salmon is rather well executed, though it sang the same sweet tune as several other dishes in the mains and apps.

Happy hour of $5 drafts and food bites is already back at BoHo, making it the best craft beer pub, dollar for dollar. On weekends, bottomless mimosas & bloody marys are back as well; now we just need to await the return of the brunch menu.

BoHo 2.0
4th Floor, next to The Grill
6801 Hollywood Blvd #411
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323)465-8500
Validated Parking $2 for 4 hours

Congratulations to the cities of Allen and Frisco, Texas, both of which opened the doors of their very own In-N-Out Burger on this day. It is with this news and the spirit of benevolence that we now offer tips to all flesh-eating denizens of the Lone Star State.

Now Texans, we have little doubt you’ve been inundated with tips from former Californians prior to ingesting your virgin Double Double and never-frozen side of fries. Further, a quick Google has likely yielded photos of 100×100 troughs and an abundance of those not-so-secret “secret” menu items. Maybe even some ambiguous “burger coin” chatter? Still, chances are high that you have yet been tipped to the Secret Secret In-N-Out Menu. And given that likelihood, here it is again as scribed in its original glory by Victor circa 2006 and revisited now, today, for you, May 11, 2011, Year of our Texas Burger. Here we go:

While we mourn the recent passing of the matriarch of the In-N-Out empire, we can use the occasion to exclusively reveal the Secret Secret In-N-Out Menu without fear of reprisal. Wander into your favorite In-N-Out and ask for any one of the below items. If the cashier pretends to not know what you are talking about, give them a knowing look in the eye and little nod so they’ll know you’re cool and hook you up.

The Cold Karl – A generous dollop of chocolate shake ice cream coiled atop an open-faced pair of buns.

The Monet – An inverted paper employee hat filled with 32 oz. of burger dressing, topped with pickles floated on the surface.
»continue reading The In-N-Out Secret Secret Menu, Revisited For Texas: North Texas Gets Two Inaugural In-N-Out Burger Locations Today

The full name of this joint is Ricos Marisco El Rey del Maz. No kidding. How’s a gringo s’pose to remember that?

The crowning of Mexicali Tacos as LATacos.com 2011 champ begs the question: what if you do not like carne asada? What if your parents always took you on vacations in La Paz and all you want is a single fried fish taco, without trekking up to Hollywood-adjacent? What if you’re a fashion blogger in… God forbid… Alhambra? With a hankering for fish tacos?

The answer is clear: Ricos Tacos, in East Los Angeles.

Chances are, it’ll be open. In fact, it’s almost always open. There are no trick hours. This truck doesn’t have a twitter account, it doesn’t have blogger groupies. What it does have, is the underbellies of East LA passing through, collecting your Sangria bottle, your hecho en Mexico Coca Cola, just as you finish.

Is the fish as delicate as those at Best Fish Tacos Enseneda? Probably not. Is it as expertly fried as Ricky’s? Probably not. What you get are 2 fish filets, gently fried to the shade of Fish-O-Filet, for $3. Wrapped in the rather large corn tortilla, the fried filets, topped with rather thin crema and cabbage, present a hand-to-mouth challenge; hence Team Ricos provides forks. And if you’re lucky, you can find the napkin box to complete the eating process. Most locals ask for “con chile”, but the chile hot sauce is (again) rather thin, and presents minimal burn, so don’t go “sin” on it. Other popular choices are the cocteles, and the gigantuan paper plateful of various marisco on tostada.

There’s hardly a place to properly eat these floppy plates of seafood, even if you’re not Mimi Sheraton. Thankfully, the El Super supermarket’s parking lot is merely steps away, as is the equally fabulous Cemitas Tepeaca.

Ricos Tacos (Marisco El Rel del Maz)
(by El Super)
430 N Indiana St
Los Angeles, CA 9006

– SinoSoul.com

The 2nd 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational: Cherish The Cheese

The LA culinary scene is great, but if I eat one more pork belly sweet potato hiramasa short rib foie gras terrine beet salad, I may regurgitate. Every once in a while you just want to say fuck it, give me a goddamn grilled cheese sandwich. And that is what makes the annual Grilled Cheese Invitational such a refreshingly joyous event. Every year, hundreds–both professional and amateur–put their grill cheesing skills on display for the hungry public.

Don’t get me wrong. The GCI is weird. Really weird. There is cheesy poetry. Something called “Cheese Calling.” Some dude named the “Mayor of Cheese.” There’s even a “Dr. Cheese.” Then there are the sandwiches themselves, which vary from the basic to the downright friggin’ odd (frozen carmelized Twinkie grilled cheese, anyone?).

One could argue though that the event’s eccentricity is what makes the GCI so special. Annually, jocks, dweebs, foodies, kids, parents, chefs, home cooks and Goths congregate over their love of bread-butter-cheese. The 2011 GCI was no different. Even though it has rapidly expanded from its intimate initial incarnation in founder Tim Walker’s apartment into a 7,000-8,000 attendee, major-sponsored downtown movie studio parking lot bacchanal, it still very openly lets its freak flag fly.

It started all about grilled cheese and it remains all about grilled fricking cheese. There are four categories: Love, American Style (only white bread, orange cheese and butter), The Missionary Position (any type of bread, butter and cheese), The Kama Sutra (savory in nature, any type of bread, cheese and additional ingredients, but the sandwich must be at least 60% cheese) and The Honey Pot (sweet in nature, any kind of bread, butter, cheese and additional ingredients, but must be at least 60% cheese).

Photo gallery & Mike’s winning pick below.

»continue reading Grilled Cheese Invitational Photos, Results & Judge’s Field Report

WHAT NOW?

The Sandwich Spot
(Nor-Cal sandwich franchise; Santa Monica satellite)
3101 Ocean Park
Santa Monica

WHY VISIT?

I’ve been to this joint more than a few times now, and at this point I will comfortably declare that the sandwiches are worth the slight sticker shock. I’m told the bread is flown down from upstate, on the daily. Further, very few things about the sandwich resemble the plastic mold (and taste) of a certain international chain’s $5 footlong (those are available three short blocks down Ocean Park). Westside lunchers, stop waiting in line for your MSG fix at Bay Cities Deli and get yourselves over to Ocean Park for a Roseanne’s or Sandman with Swiss, with everything. “Crunch bread” advised. If you’re doing it right, the total cost should clock in around the same as your average curbside food truck meal – aka, just under one Hamilton. Note that this is a lunchtime joint more or less, but you might ask about the advertised “comedy night” if that’s your bag. (Personally, I can’t wait to flee this part of town once work lets out.)

WHAT AMBIANCE?

Comedy LPs ranging from Joe Piscopo to Bill Cosby adorn the walls. Clearly somebody’s a fan of the live prepared routine. Drink machine is self-serve. A mysterious black curtain beneath the drink machine will draw your eye; whatever you do, don’t peek behind the curtain. »continue reading Under $10: The Sandwich Spot (Santa Monica)