Glenn Harrell

The Moliterno  is injected with black truffles and mushrooms after aging for 75 days. “This is a real holiday cheese,” says Harrell, admiring the rich, dark vein of truffles. Once I began experiencing these wonderful cheeses, it was like being in the middle of a good book you don’t want to put down. We sample three different goudas—aged six months, three years, and five years—the second of which bears strong notes of caramel and almonds. (Harrell instructs me that the true pronunciation of gouda is how-da.) Next I am treated to heavenly Brillat-Savarin triple crème brie. Then Harrell asks me point blank: “Do you like stronger cheeses?” Things are about to get serious. He serves up a Berthaut Affine au Chablis; it’s runny and pungent. “It’s a soft cheese from Burgundy, washed with Chablis—it gets very strong with age,” imparts Harrell. My impression: It’s like no other cheese I’ve tasted. I feel like I need to invent a new adjective to describe it properly.
By the pound, the goudas run about $20; all the others range from $30-40. The store, which also has a row of tables on the other side of the semi-open kitchen, is open daily and has expanded its hours for the holidays. Please visit www.saycheeselosangeles.com for details. As I’m leaving, Harrell apologizes for not having his “absolute best” holiday cheeses in yet. Hardly feeling cheated, I leave Say Cheese with a broader understanding of the diverse properties of a staple of the Yuletide season.

2800 Hyperion Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
323-665-0545
www.saycheeselosangeles.com

Monica May and Kristen Trattner

But the only thing I’m thinking of when I pass through the doors is the four words that should never be spoken—let alone eaten—in the same mouthful. Maple. Glazed. Bacon. Donut. My poor taste buds experienced waves of confusion, wonder, remorse, and lust as I succumbed to the gooey spell of this guilt-inducing confection. Monica’s Chicken Pozole—a hearty, comforting stew that captures the flavor of winter in Los Angeles—is “garnished” with a half-avocado rising out of the bowl like a verdant mountain. See Monica’s Chicken Pozole recipe at www.hmonthly.com. The menu also pays homage of sorts to the neighborhood’s checkered past with items that include Smac & Cheese (with roasted tomatoes and bread crumbs) and the 5c bag (brioche cinnamon toast). Tantalizing burgers and sandwiches abound, but several dishes outstrip conventional diner mentality. Standouts are the catfish with corn cakes and pecan sauce and an avocado that is stuffed with pinquito beans, red peppers, squash, corn, and cilantro. Prices are reasonable (most dishes are in the $8 – 10 range), and the restaurant is vegetarian-friendly, with several options available to meatless eaters.

Nickel Diner is open Tuesday – Sunday for breakfast and lunch 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They reopen for dinner from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Mondays. Where else can you get the full flavor of downtown L.A. brought to you by people who
actually live there?

524 South Main Street
Los Angeles, CA
213-623-8301
www.nickeldiner.com

-Jason Dean

544 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 213.891.0900
www.watergrill.com

CHEF David LeFevre’s Oyster and Shrimp Cornbread Stuffing

Yield: 8-10 servings

1 loaf cornbread (recipe at www.hmonthly.com)
1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil (if needed)
2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp. salt
1/4 tbsp. black pepper
2/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
18 oysters, shucked, drained, and chopped
12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Crumble cornbread and spread on trays and bake in oven, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool bread in trays on racks, and then transfer to a large bowl.
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.
Cook onions, celery, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper in fat in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with cornbread, then stir in bacon, parsley, butter, shrimp and oysters. Drizzle with stock, then season with salt and pepper and toss well.
Transfer stuffing to a buttered shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.

-Jason Dean

At the ripe old age of 21, Robert Arbor was living in Hong Kong when he met a young Vietnamese girl from New York who would shape his dreams in ways he couldn’t have imagined. Following his future wife back to New York City, with no expectations of what he would do with himself, he quickly went from job to job until he settled into being the only French student (at the time) at the French Culinary Institute. Once word got out to the Francophile foodie community, he was quickly embraced by a battalion of restaurants and invited to work at a bevy of kitchens only to discover that the grueling hours taxed his domestic bliss.
“I never got to see my wife, so I took a job in corporate dining and was left with my afternoons free. I did what every Frenchman would, I looked for a café to enjoy a simple café au lait and read the paper. I quickly discovered that none existed outside of the sterile midtown hotels or late night boites, so I got the idea to open my own place, and the original Le Gamin was born in 1992 and soon expanded to Little Gamin on Waverly Place in the West Village.”
Robert shopped in the new local green markets for the freshest jams and baked goods and soon attracted a loyal following of customers who ultimately demanded he stay open beyond his strict 8am to 5pm schedule. He served up a simple menu of his signature tasty crêpes, tartines, toasted baguettes with fresh jams, butter, and croque monsieurs accompanied by piping hot espressos. Le Gamin quickly evolved into full-fledged café enterprise and the menu grew to include new hallmark items like steak au poivre and fresh mussels. Gradually he expanded his locations to include 23 different iterations across the city and even expanded to Boston.

He soon became the king of crêpes for his signature dish that he served all over town. “At one point, I had a booth at the Grey Line terminal, the restaurants and I sold crêpes out of a converted old elevator shaft with just window service on West Broadway. On Saturday afternoons I had line down the street, and a restaurant right around the block where they could sit, it was funny!”
But over the years, Robert’s dream to find a comfortable spot to enjoy a light meal and a hot café au lait was overwhelmed as each lease came due and NYC rents couldn’t sustain the little cafés. Le Gamin lives on today with one location in Hudson, NY, one in Manhattan, and one (opened with a former customer) in Brooklyn. In fact, two years ago Robert grew restless again and decided to research what it took to open a traveling Le Gamin, and after a year of leg work, Le Gamin Mobi was born.
Now you can find Robert deep in West Chelsea on West 25th Street between 10th and 11th serving light café fare for tourists visiting the galleries and hungry local office workers alike. He’s often hired to take Mobi and his crêpes to film sets in and around Manhattan and he is also available for private parties. Weekends find him in the green market at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn where he’s once again connected with local farmers and purveyors to provide his loyal customers with fresh fare that can only be described as
charming and delicious.
Follow Le Gamin Mobi:
www.legaminmobitruck.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/legamintruck
www.legamin.com

Ever had an amazing idea at four in the morning after a night of partying? Have you ever actually remembered that idea when you wake up the next day? And now, the million-dollar question: Did you turn that idea into a business reality that went beyond your wildest expectations within a month? Most of us can answer yes to the first question. Yes to question #2 shows you have remarkable resistance. And if you can honestly say yes to the million-dollar question, then you, along with Kogi co-founder Mark Manguera, may have already made your million or you’re on your way.
A few months ago, Mark came home from a night of clubbing inebriated, hungry, and broke. With $10 in his pocket, he headed out to the local taco truck at 4am and as he was munching away thought, “Wouldn’t this be amazing with Korean barbecue?” Mark’s love of Korean barbecue started with his wife and business partner Caroline Shin, who is Korean (and also happens to be Food and Beverage Director at the Four Seasons). Yet Mark isn’t too fond of the traditional Korean barbecue restaurant experience and he asks, “Why pay 40 bucks and smell like smoke for something you can cook yourself?”
And so the Korean barbecue taco truck was born. The team behind the concept: Mark of course, along with wife Caroline, sister-in-law Alice Shin and good friend and Chef Roy Choi (ex Chef at Rock Sugar). They launched just after Thanksgiving, with all of Mark’s savings (just under $5,000) and a donated taco truck. “Kogi” (actually a Korean national dish which means “meat”) has taken off like wildfire. The food is good, it’s cheap (between $3 and $7) and it’s mobile. As Mark says, “This taco symbolizes L.A. in one bite!” It’s got the flavor of Korean barbecue and the portability of a taco.
The Kogi truck started parking in front of nightclubs all over L.A. as hungry, late-night partiers stumbled out to sample Kogi’s delicacies: Korean short ribs, spicy barbecue chicken, spicy pork, and even tofu tacos (after all, this is L.A.) . Soon truck diners were twittering and texting their friends to let them know the truck’s location. The result: long lines and great sales. “Kogi and social media cannot be separated,” says Roy Choi. After two months, they needed a second truck (launched in February), more routes, and longer hours. Soon after, nightclub owner David Reiss invited Kogi into his kitchen at the Alibi Room in Culver City and now Kogi has a brick and mortar location too. These days, the Alibi Room – a nightclub lounge that never saw business before 10pm – is packed at 6:30 every night for Kogi Barbecue happy hour.
So what’s next? Definitely more trucks—possibly many more trucks. Who ever thought the words viral and taco would compliment each other so wonderfully? Like taco and barbecue…

To find out where the truck is now:
kogibbq.com/
twitter.com/kogibbq/
For bricks and mortar tacos,
visit The Alibi Room:
alibiroomla.com/home.php
12236 Washington Blvd. L.A. 90066

by Caroline Schweich

It all started about a year and half ago, when Tyler Wilson (then 21) sat on the beach in Santa Barbara with his cousin Joseph Pitruzzelli (25 at the time), and together they came up with their grandiose gourmet sausage and beer concept. I don’t know about you, but I know a ton of people who’ve come up with some pretty groovy ideas on some pretty beautiful beaches, but these guys actually did it: Raised the money, tasted thousands of sausages from around the world, found the perfect location, worked their butts off and there you go: the first and only sausage restaurant of its kind in L.A.: Wurstküche.

It’s the “other” downtown (about as far from the LA Live concept as you can get), many call it the “real” downtown, on Traction and 3rd. And this place is all about sausage and beer. Some of it sounds a bit scary like rattlesnake or alligator or buffalo sausage, but no worries if you’re not feeling quite so adventuresome; there’s also Bratwurst, Italian, and vegetarian sausage. My  favorite sausage was the rattlesnake and rabbit with Jalapeno peppers and you can bet that was a first for me. Feel free to taste a few beers from over 20 on tap before you place your order. I’m not even a beer drinker and I was impressed by their selection of Belgian and German beers. Then off you go down the corridor to the back room: a relaxed space with several family style dining tables and a big bar. The sausages were amazing, grilled to perfection and the Belgian fries were delectable complete with about a dozen different dipping sauces to choose from (and at $.75 for each additional sauce, you can go for it). The vibe is friendly and relaxed. There’s nothing but sausages, fries, and beer at refreshingly reasonable prices, served by friendly faces. Wurstküche is open for lunch and dinner with a back patio beer garden opening soon.

Welcome to the neighborhood, boys!

L.A. isn’t exactly the city that never sleeps, but thanks to its newest acquisition, Kitchen 24, late night dining just got a lot more fun.

Kitchen 24 is definitely unique to the City of Angels – dare I say, even a little New York? The restaurant is similar to the Big Apple’s infamous Cafeteria, while offering a more upscale experience with even less fuss. 

The wall-to-wall booths and bar stools are undeniably retro, but this one-of-a-kind diner would rival any Hollywood hotspot – the chandeliers are made of silverware and the servers sport pink pants and polo Ts. As if that weren’t enough, the restaurant features a full-bar with an amazing list of specialty cocktails, as well as a DJ spinning an eclectic mix of classic and contemporary hits Thursday through Saturday night. 

As the name would suggest, the menu offers an impressive array of new takes on old favorites 24 hours a day (dinner is only available from 5pm to 2am). From egg dishes to an Ahi tuna burger, no craving will go unsatisfied. The sweet potato fries are killer and the Smac and Cheese is out of control, combining cheddar, mascarpone, and gruyere with
peas and a basil herb crust.

The service was fantastic and the entrées were surprisingly fancy in presentation at a more than affordable price. The meatloaf came wrapped in a savory pie pastry, topped with mushrooms, green beans, and tomatoes, and the sides were mysteriously as good as the main event. Even the veggie burger was homemade from spiced garbanzo beans. 

Surrounded by bars and clubs, the innovative eatery is certainly ideal for the late-night crowd, offering a much better alternative to after hours than L.A. has seen before. While the 2am-4am rush might be too much for the average patron, there is something to be found for everyone without worrying about a reservation. Wind down from a night on the town or stop in anytime for a cocktail and a side of bacon – K24 sets a new standard in eating out when the rest of the city goes to bed. 

www.kitchen24.info

1610 N Cahuenga Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90028

The owners, Ray and Frank Lopez, have taken a very small space and designed it perfectly for intimate dining or maximum capacity. The interior dining area is light and airy, with casually elegant decor and a bar just perfect for sidling up to. An outdoor terrace is precipitously close to the sometimes busy Hyperion Avenue, but is soundproofed by an attractive enclosure giving the place a real urban flavor, almost like a Parisian café.

The restaurant is green offering a globally diverse menu, but chooses to support local farmers (mostly California & Oregon), fish markets, and wineries by primarily using their products. Executive Chef Steven Brown makes time to shop every day for the restaurant at a myriad of Farmers’ Markets including a weekly pilgrimage out to Tutti Fruitti Farms in Lompoc, guaranteeing the freshest ingredients. Everything but the sorbet is made from scratch and the result is mouth-watering.

Chef Brown has embraced the culturally diverse Cal-American style of cooking to create a dinner menu that is a full of culinary delights. Here is a sampling of the treats that await at this fabulous eatery: The heirloom salad is a crisp and surprisingly robust treat. Chef Brown’s short ribs are an amazing, full-bodied experience with a sauce so thick it is described by the chef himself as “decadently chocolate-like”. The escargot is especially succulent; it literally melts in your mouth. The popular SiLa Bouillabaisse is a spicy kick-in-the pants, deliciously irresistible. Deserts like the pistachio gelato cake and lemon cheese cake are a sweet wrap-up to the perfectly conceived entrees. A wonderful Rosé (the new Pinot Noir according to Chef Brown) is the perfect accompaniment to many of the entrées and there’s a full wine and
beer list available.

SiLa offers a special SunSet menu on week nights between 5-7PM which includes a salad, entree, and desert for just $25.00. You can also come by to chill at the bar where you will feel welcomed and at home.

If you are tired of the usual Asian Fusion or Southwestern dining experience in L.A. come to SiLa Bistro for something that’s a little French, a little Californian and a lot delicious. www.sila-bistro.com 

www.sila-bistro.com
2630 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angele

Coming up on their 10-year anniversary, Vermont Restaurant and Bar in Los Feliz has reason to celebrate. And so do the many guests who have made it their home away from home over the years. If you don’t know this neighborhood haunt, do yourself a huge favor and head over there as soon as possible. I’m not kidding, this is one of the best dining experiences Los Angeles has to offer! The owners Michael Gelzhiser and Manuel Mesta are an integral part of the magic that takes place here; they have made it a welcoming haven to unwind and celebrate life’s more special moments – and as Michael puts it, “We feed not only the appetite here but the soul.” Set in the beloved old Sarno Bakery building on Vermont Avenue in the hub of Los Feliz, Vermont has become a cornerstone of the area. The adjacent bar area has become a popular late night spot and the patio in front offers great people watching throughout the day and into the evening. You can also look forward to their new outdoor lounge area (and from the sounds of it vast) which will include dining, music, and dancing. (Coming soon!)

Okay onto the food: The best thing I can say about the food came from one of the customers who wrote Michael a moving letter; knowing he was close to death he chose Vermont to be one of his last meals. Now, I know that might sound maudlin and depressing and all, but I have to say, if I could choose a last meal, this would be it. You might remember Chef Laurent Quenioux from Bistro K. He’s truly amazing and I promise you I never utter the word sublime, but his cooking is just that. My personal stand out list includes: the fried calamari with a slightly spicy roasted pepper aioli, the hand cut ahi tuna, the monkfish, the braised lamb shank, the braised duck, and the double cut saltimbocca-style pork chop. And for desert, the chocolate chip bread pudding was my personal favorite, but I have to say the crunchy chocolate fondant looked very tempting. Did I mention that as you bask in the canopy of light that is Vermont, you won’t be afraid when you get the bill? Have you headed over there yet? Vermont: 1714 Vermont Avenue (323) 661-6163 www.vermontrestaurantonline.com