In all the hub bub over Nancy Silverton's new Farmers Market spots, Short Cake and Single Origin, there hasn't been much mention about the place that occupied that corner for the thirty years previously.
Thee's Continental Bakery low key bakery that made just about everything, from croissants to rolls to sweets. There are people who swore by their hamburger and hot dog buns as the best in town. I personally loved the tres leches cup, a parfait version of the Latin American treat. They also did a mean chocolate marzipan log, great florentine cookies and petits fours.
Thee's wasn't fancy by any stretch of the imagination and it was about as unpretentious as you can get. Often staffed by a lone counter person who was also baking, its memory serves as an amusing contrast to the massively staffed Short Cake/Single Origin.
Thee's wasn't a culinary destination (I rated it as second tier in my "Ultimate Guide" to the Farmers Market a few years back), but it was a nice corner of the market and one that I'll miss even though I'm a fan of its replacement.
Showing posts with label Farmers Market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farmers Market. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Short Cake/Single Origin: More Nancy Silverton at the Farmer's Market
I recently reviewed Nancy Silverton's Short Order burger joint at the Third and Fairfax Farmers Market. Since then, Silverton has ordered a pastry/coffee shop as well.
Located where Thee's Continental Bakery used to be, Short Cake/Single Origin is really a single stand with two names (much like the Cognescenti "pop up" at Proof Bakery). While I was underwhelmed by Silverton's burgers, her pastries, unsurprisingly, are spot on. I'm already addicted to the chocolate bear claw, and I love the brunette, a sort of blondie (not a brownie or a blondie, but a brunette, get it?) with pine nuts and a sprinkling of thyme.
The coffee at the Single Origin side gives a welcome shot of third wave aesthetic to the tired Farmers Market coffee scene. Single Origin uses Verve coffee from Santa Cruz and brings a real third wave cuppa' to Third and Fairfax, which is more than welcome.
Unlike Short Order, which I found underwhelming, these establishments are an excellent addition to the Farmers Market and worth a trip on their own accord.
Short Cake and Single Origin
LA Farmers Market
Third & Fairfax
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Good Burgers Great Spuds: Short Order at the Farmers Market
Short Order is the new Nancy Silverton burger spot at the Third and Fairfax Farmer's Market. It features a fairly slim menu of grass fed beef burgers as well as pork, lamb, tuna burgers. A brunch menu will be added in January. And they are working on too sister establishments: Short Cake - a bakery and Single Origin - a coffee bar.I tried the Frisee Lardon Raft, an open faced burger topped with frisee dressed in a light vinaigrette, lardons and a fried egg. The components were all very good, but the burger didn't come together. It felt like an egg on top of a salad on top of a burger, not a single composition. I also sampled the patty melt with pimento cheese sauce, which was good but not any sort of revelation.
I liked these burgers, but they didn't blow me away, and when you are paying $14 for burgers during an LA burger renaissance, you expect greatness.
Now, the "Short Order Spuds" were a different story. These fabulous nuggets are tater tot sized, deep fried potato chunks (including skin). You can get them with a sour cream and chive dipping sauce or with truffle salt. Fried to a golden brown, the shape of these things (almost like mini-potato skins) maximizes the surface area giving you plenty of crunchy crust. They are highly addictive. I could have eaten a much larger serving than the little pail.I'll probably head back to Short Order, but I may just get a beer and some spuds.
Short Order
6333 w. 3rd st. (The Original Farmers Market at Third & Fairfax)
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes - Post Updates
One of the peculiarities of the new media is that reviews stay on-line forever. Someone who Googles a restaurant or whiskey might pull up a review from years ago. Unfortunately, the world of dining is not as static as the world of archived internet reviews. Now that I've been at this blog for a few years, I have a number of reviews which are outdated. The worst problem is restaurants that have gone downhill. (Why is it so few places seem to get much better over time?) A few months ago, I voiced my sadness at what had gone awry with the previously excellent Luck Devils, but I can't do that for every place I review, so I thought I would catalogue a few of the places that have changed, mostly for the worse, since I sung their praises.
Shanghai Restaurant. A year after my review of this San Gabriel Square Shanghainese, the food quality seemed to have dropped. The menu was the same, but the flavors just didn't have the same spark. I have heard that there have been some recent changes, hopefully for the better, so it may be worth revisiting.
Moishe's Village. As part of my tour of the Third and Fairfax Farmers Market, I gave a top tier ranking to this spot. While it calls its dishes boerek, but they are really closer to Georgian khachapuri, similar to an egg and cheese calzone. When I first visited, these were fresh and delicious, but since then, I've found the offerings lackluster with uneven flavor; perhaps they are using a different kind of cheese which resulted in a product with weaker flavors.
Crumbs Bake Shop. When the Crumbs shop first opened in Beverly Hills, I really enjoyed their cupcakes, though I did find them a bit too sweet. Fast forward around 18 months and there are five Southern California locations, the sweetness has gotten way out of hand and general quality has suffered. The actual cake in the early days was quite good, but now, for the most part, it is just a content-less vehicle for the overly sweet toppings.
No Reservations. Finally some good news. After watching the first season of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, I slammed it as contrived and over-written, but in the years since, it has become one of the best food shows on TV. It took Bourdain a little while to catch his stride, but once he did, he managed a balance of food exploration, humor and political commentary that you won't find on any other cooking show.
There are surely more places I've reviewed over the past two years that have changed, for worse and hopefully for better, and there are countless others that have closed their doors. Alas, even as I was writing this entry, I read that Disney has changed their beloved corn dog, and not for the better.
As a blogger, all I can do is write in the moment, and then turn and face the strain.
Shanghai Restaurant. A year after my review of this San Gabriel Square Shanghainese, the food quality seemed to have dropped. The menu was the same, but the flavors just didn't have the same spark. I have heard that there have been some recent changes, hopefully for the better, so it may be worth revisiting.
Moishe's Village. As part of my tour of the Third and Fairfax Farmers Market, I gave a top tier ranking to this spot. While it calls its dishes boerek, but they are really closer to Georgian khachapuri, similar to an egg and cheese calzone. When I first visited, these were fresh and delicious, but since then, I've found the offerings lackluster with uneven flavor; perhaps they are using a different kind of cheese which resulted in a product with weaker flavors.
Crumbs Bake Shop. When the Crumbs shop first opened in Beverly Hills, I really enjoyed their cupcakes, though I did find them a bit too sweet. Fast forward around 18 months and there are five Southern California locations, the sweetness has gotten way out of hand and general quality has suffered. The actual cake in the early days was quite good, but now, for the most part, it is just a content-less vehicle for the overly sweet toppings.
No Reservations. Finally some good news. After watching the first season of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, I slammed it as contrived and over-written, but in the years since, it has become one of the best food shows on TV. It took Bourdain a little while to catch his stride, but once he did, he managed a balance of food exploration, humor and political commentary that you won't find on any other cooking show.
There are surely more places I've reviewed over the past two years that have changed, for worse and hopefully for better, and there are countless others that have closed their doors. Alas, even as I was writing this entry, I read that Disney has changed their beloved corn dog, and not for the better.
As a blogger, all I can do is write in the moment, and then turn and face the strain.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Quickies
Animal
I went back to Animal recently, just for more of the marvelous poutine, but also tried some other desserts, both of which were very nice. My favorite was the chocolate pudding, a rich, dark pudding topped with an inch of whipped cream in a glass jar (from appearances, we guessed an old yogurt jar). Great stuff. We also had the doughnuts with apple filling in an apple/caramel sauce. It's hard to beat piping, hot doughnuts.
Third & Fairfax Update
The Farmers Market now has a selection of real farmers selling goods. I've seen local Farmers Market stalwarts Ha's Apple Farm and Soledad Goat Cheese as well as a few others. There are just a few, but it's nice to see some real farmers at the original Farmers Market.
Breadworks is a new bakery at the Market which replaced The Bread Bin. It's just as mediocre as the old place.
I went back to Animal recently, just for more of the marvelous poutine, but also tried some other desserts, both of which were very nice. My favorite was the chocolate pudding, a rich, dark pudding topped with an inch of whipped cream in a glass jar (from appearances, we guessed an old yogurt jar). Great stuff. We also had the doughnuts with apple filling in an apple/caramel sauce. It's hard to beat piping, hot doughnuts.
Third & Fairfax Update
The Farmers Market now has a selection of real farmers selling goods. I've seen local Farmers Market stalwarts Ha's Apple Farm and Soledad Goat Cheese as well as a few others. There are just a few, but it's nice to see some real farmers at the original Farmers Market.
Breadworks is a new bakery at the Market which replaced The Bread Bin. It's just as mediocre as the old place.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Ultimate Guide to the LA Farmers Market
Well, I did it! A little more than a month ago, I pledged to visit every food stand in the Third and Fairfax Farmers Market, and I'm proud to stand on the proverbial aircraft carrier and say, "Mission Accomplished." Below are a few notes about my mission followed by a complete summary of my findings. My more detailed reviews are available here.
How did I do it?
My mission was simple, eat at every stand in the Farmers Market: old favorites as well as places I'd never gotten around to trying. However, I did not include chains (Starbucks, Johnny Rockets, Pinkberry) or restaurants in the adjacent properties (Marmalade Cafe, Morels, etc.). I also excluded the second floor sushi restaurant Kado; this was to be about the places occupying the actual Farmers Market property.
For the past six weeks, I ate at the Market two to three days per week, sometimes more. Often, I would have more than one meal a day (or at a time) at the Market and, whenever possible, I would drag friends along to help increase my sampling possibilities. For stands I had never tried before, I tried to sample a variety of dishes, including specialties.
I ended up going to 34 different food stands/restaurants. Of those, 10 were places I had never tried before.
It was an interesting experience and gave me some small sense of what it must be like to be a professional food critic. Fun, but also tiring.
How did I rate them?
I divided the Market stands into three tiers using the following criteria:
TOP TIER: A great find. A place worth a special trip to the Market.
SECOND TIER: A good place. Not worth a special trip but a place that you might want to try if you happened to be at the Market.
THIRD TIER: Places that I would not go to again. Not necessarily bad (though some were), but generally unexceptional.
Of my new tries, two made it into the top spot, but most were relegated to the third tier.
Without further ado, here is the complete list with a few brief comments. New tries have been marked with an asterisk(*).
TOP TIER
Bob's Coffee and Doughnuts - LA's best cake doughnuts and apple fritters
Country Market* - Funnel cake of the gods
Du-Par's Restaurant - Great pies, pancakes and the last great Monte Cristo in LA
The French Crepe Company - Tasty Crepes, sweet and savory
Littlejohn's - The best toffee around and other tasty candies
¡Loteria! - Mexican, great chilaquiles and queso fundido, avoid the bland tacos
Moishe's Village* - Boerek (Turkish pizzas), get it with fried eggs
Monsieur Marcel's - Best fondue in town
Pampas Grill - Brazilian churrascaria
Patsy D’Amore’s Pizza - Real NY style pizza
SECOND TIER
Bennett's Ice Cream - Decent homemade ice cream
The Gumbo Pot - Cajun food, po-boys, jambalaya, etc.
Moishe’s - Lamb ka-bob and other Middle Eastern fare
Singapore’s Banana Leaf - Paratha with Curry sauce is the go-for dish
Thee's Continental Bakery - Good cookies and pastries
Tusquellas Fish & Oyster Bar - Fish & chips
THIRD TIER
The Bread Bin - Eastern European sweets
Bryan’s Pit Barbecue - Dry, underseasoned barbecue
Charlie's Coffee Shop* - Basic diner food with a homey atmosphere
China Depot - The better of two Chinese steam table stands
Coffee Corner* - A small selection of pastries
Deano's Gourmet Pizza* - Pizza and pastas
Gill’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream - Soft serve
Kokomo - New school diner food, interesting in theory, boring in fact
La Korea - Basic Korean food
Magee's Kitchen* - Carving station meats and old-time Mexican dishes
Market Grill - Cheeseburgers and fries
Peking Kitchen* - The lesser of two Chinese steam table stands
Phil's Grill* - Basic Jewish deli fare done competently
The Salad Bar* - My choice for worst place in the Market -- lackluster salads and cold sandwiches
Sushi A Go Go* - A small step up from Ralph's sushi bar
T&Y Bakery - Cakes and pastries that look better than they taste
Ultimate Nut and Candy - Flavored popcorn and candies
Ulysses Voyage - Unexceptional Greek sit-down restaurant
For more complete reviews, see my original postings, cataloged here.
There you have it, another exercise in my obsessive completionist tendencies and the Ultimate Guide to the Farmers Market.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Farmers Market: Third Tier
You've seen the best, now here's the rest. The unexciting, uninspired and just plain bad. Unfortunately, most of my new tries ended up on this list. I guess there was a reason I hadn't been going to all of those places.
Charlie's Coffee Shop
I would love to recommend Charlie's. It has a great old-time diner ambiance, even though it's only a stand. The staff is friendly, not in the corporate "Hi my name is Joe and I'll be your server" way but in a genuine and empathetic way. Breakfast regulars abound and are greeted with a knowing, "Hey Bruce, the usual?" The place exudes the small time old school charm that is the best of the Market. Unfortunately, I'm a food blogger, not an atmosphere blogger, and the food at Charlie's is pretty unexceptional. Sure they do up a fine French Toast and a decent breakfast, but nothing to rave about. Still, go by and breath in the atmosphere.
Magee's Kitchen
Magee's is the original FM food stand, dating back to early in the century when the Market really was occupied by farmers selling goods and they needed some sustenance. Magee's has a two prong menu, one with carving station type meats (corned beef, roast beef, etc.) the other with very old school Mexican (enchiladas, tacos, etc.). Neither are very good, but they do make a mean horseradish, which you can buy by the jar.
China Depot and Peking Kitchen
The Farmers Market is bookended by these old school, steam table Chinese eateries with their one, two and three item plates of fried meat nuggets with bright, sweet sauces. If you must have Chinese at the FM or have that odd hankering for orange chicken, go to China Depot, on the east side of the Market, which does this genre decently. Peking Kitchen, whose logo is suspiciously similar to that of Panda Express, gets no stars in my book.
Kokomo
The dishes on the menu of this souped up diner are good in concept, but the execution is lacking. I had food there that was both poorly seasoned and poorly cooked. Ten years ago, I might have put Kokomo in the second tier, but the quality has definitely declined since then.
Ulysses Voyage
Ulysses Voyage, the Greek sit-down restaurant at the back end of the Market, has its defenders, but I'm not one of them. On my most recent visit I reconfirmed my earlier impressions...they offer a wide variety of fairly bland and unexceptional Greek classics. If I want hummous and kabobs, I'll go to Moishe's.
Bryan’s Pit Barbecue
This place smells great, so take a deep sniff...and keep walking past the dry, bland meats at this poor excuse for a barbeque pit.
Deano's Gourmet Pizza
Middling pizza and pasta.
La Korea
Basic Korean standards. You really want Korean food? Drive 15 minutes east and you'll have hundreds of choices.
Sushi A Go Go
One small step up from the Ralph's sushi bar.
Phil's Grill
Basic Jewish deli faire done competently but not spectacularly.
Market Grill
Burgers and fries...nothing special.
The Salad Bar
Only if every other food stall in the market burned to the ground would I consider another meal at The Salad Bar, which serves lackluster salads and sandwiches. There was absolutely nothing to recommend the $8 tuna fish sandwich, which pretty much anyone I know could have done better at home. The exotic tropical juices were sickly sweet and the pathetic salad bar looked like something out of the early '70s...this place was a huge bummer.
Next week: The Final Tally
Charlie's Coffee Shop
I would love to recommend Charlie's. It has a great old-time diner ambiance, even though it's only a stand. The staff is friendly, not in the corporate "Hi my name is Joe and I'll be your server" way but in a genuine and empathetic way. Breakfast regulars abound and are greeted with a knowing, "Hey Bruce, the usual?" The place exudes the small time old school charm that is the best of the Market. Unfortunately, I'm a food blogger, not an atmosphere blogger, and the food at Charlie's is pretty unexceptional. Sure they do up a fine French Toast and a decent breakfast, but nothing to rave about. Still, go by and breath in the atmosphere.
Magee's Kitchen
Magee's is the original FM food stand, dating back to early in the century when the Market really was occupied by farmers selling goods and they needed some sustenance. Magee's has a two prong menu, one with carving station type meats (corned beef, roast beef, etc.) the other with very old school Mexican (enchiladas, tacos, etc.). Neither are very good, but they do make a mean horseradish, which you can buy by the jar.
China Depot and Peking Kitchen
The Farmers Market is bookended by these old school, steam table Chinese eateries with their one, two and three item plates of fried meat nuggets with bright, sweet sauces. If you must have Chinese at the FM or have that odd hankering for orange chicken, go to China Depot, on the east side of the Market, which does this genre decently. Peking Kitchen, whose logo is suspiciously similar to that of Panda Express, gets no stars in my book.
Kokomo
The dishes on the menu of this souped up diner are good in concept, but the execution is lacking. I had food there that was both poorly seasoned and poorly cooked. Ten years ago, I might have put Kokomo in the second tier, but the quality has definitely declined since then.
Ulysses Voyage
Ulysses Voyage, the Greek sit-down restaurant at the back end of the Market, has its defenders, but I'm not one of them. On my most recent visit I reconfirmed my earlier impressions...they offer a wide variety of fairly bland and unexceptional Greek classics. If I want hummous and kabobs, I'll go to Moishe's.
Bryan’s Pit Barbecue
This place smells great, so take a deep sniff...and keep walking past the dry, bland meats at this poor excuse for a barbeque pit.
Deano's Gourmet Pizza
Middling pizza and pasta.
La Korea
Basic Korean standards. You really want Korean food? Drive 15 minutes east and you'll have hundreds of choices.
Sushi A Go Go
One small step up from the Ralph's sushi bar.
Phil's Grill
Basic Jewish deli faire done competently but not spectacularly.
Market Grill
Burgers and fries...nothing special.
The Salad Bar
Only if every other food stall in the market burned to the ground would I consider another meal at The Salad Bar, which serves lackluster salads and sandwiches. There was absolutely nothing to recommend the $8 tuna fish sandwich, which pretty much anyone I know could have done better at home. The exotic tropical juices were sickly sweet and the pathetic salad bar looked like something out of the early '70s...this place was a huge bummer.
Next week: The Final Tally
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Farmers Market: What's for Dessert?
Along with its diverse selection of food stands, the Farmers Market is filled with sweet shops of every description. As a man with a sweet tooth the size of an eclair, I've eagerly exposed myself to all of their wares as part of my quest to master the Market.
TOP TIER
Littlejohn's
Littlejohn's old-fashioned candy shop should have a warning posted in its window: "Once you eat our toffee, you may never be able to eat any other toffee again." Littlejohn's toffee is so good that it has absolutely ruined me for other toffee, the only exception being See's. LJ's toffee is a sweet, buttery smooth, crunchy concoction that doesn't stick in your teeth. Coated with the traditional chocolate and nuts, it's the butter that comes through the most, and who doesn't love butter? This stuff is one of the most addictive foods I've eaten. No matter how much I buy, I never seem to make it through a sitting with any left.
The peanut brittle, a related species, is also excellent and I love the chocolate and caramel coated homemade marshmallows. Littlejohn's is a true LA treasure that shouldn't be missed.
Country Market
Owned by Thee's Bakery, the Country Market, located in the middle of the FM, bakes up cookies, cinnamon buns, apple dumplings and other baked treats, but their true calling is funnel cakes. These cakes are to fairground funnel cakes what a high end molten chocolate cake is to a Hostess Cupcake, a creature so vastly superior that it does not appear to be of the same species. The funnels are handmade with great care and topped with a mix of homemade fruit topping (no canned glop here) and fresh whipped cream. The cake is perfectly fried, crunchy on the outside, chewy within. This was a new try for me but it immediately bolted into a regular stop. The best funnel cakes I've ever tasted, bar none. It's like the fair, but so much better.
Bob's Coffee and Doughnuts
In my Doughnut Roundup last Spring, I named Bob's as the best cake doughnut in town...get a caker glazed, with powdered sugar or even plain. They also do the best apple fritter in town and have excellent glazed doughnuts as well.
SECOND TIER
Thee's Continental Bakery
Thee's offers good croissants, cookies and sweets. I'm a particular fan of their tres leches cup, a parfait spin on the traditional Latin American "three milks" cake (though I wish they'd leave out the cherry pie filling glop). I also like their marzipan logs and little chocolate mousse filled Florentine cookies. I would pass on their cakes though, which tend to be dry and uninteresting.
Bennett's Ice Cream
Competent homemade ice cream. If you have an ice cream hankering, it will suffice, but nothing to write home about here.
THIRD TIER
Gill’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream
The best thing about Gill's is their old-fashioned soft serve, which you can get dipped in chocolate. If you are ever craving Dairy Queen or the old Fosters' Freeze, this may be your best bet. For hand scooped ice cream, go to Bennett's, Gill's no longer makes their own ice cream, but uses Dreyer's and Thrifty, which are no great shakes (excuse the pun).
T&Y Bakery
Everything looks great, but that's about the only redeeming quality of this little bake shop.
The Bread Bin
Eastern European pastries...too much dough, not enough flavor, and I'm not a fan of their bread either.
Ultimate Nut and Candy
Does the world really need 15 varieties of flavored popcorn? I'm inclined to say no. Even the traditional caramel and butter toffee corn here is overly candy-coated in a way that uncomfortably sticks to your teeth. The other candies are just so-so.
Coffee Corner
A small selection of unexceptional pastries.
Honorable Mention: Magee’s House Of Nuts
Technically, I suppose, Magee's isn't a sweet shop, it's a...nut house, but I have to mention this house of nuts and homemade nut butters. The main attraction for me is the peanut butter machine, displayed for all to see as it churns fresh peanut butter. There is something hypnotic about the way it slowly and monotonously swirls; round and round it rotates with such smooth, fluid motion making me fall into a peanut butter induced hypnosis. I could stare at this thing for hours...it's like peanut perfection.
The PB itself is good with a strong peanut flavor, bordering on sweet...but, as advertised, it's just peanuts, and it needs salt...after all, who wants to eat unsalted peanuts?
Next week: We begin the Third Tier of Farmers Market eateries
TOP TIER
Littlejohn's
Littlejohn's old-fashioned candy shop should have a warning posted in its window: "Once you eat our toffee, you may never be able to eat any other toffee again." Littlejohn's toffee is so good that it has absolutely ruined me for other toffee, the only exception being See's. LJ's toffee is a sweet, buttery smooth, crunchy concoction that doesn't stick in your teeth. Coated with the traditional chocolate and nuts, it's the butter that comes through the most, and who doesn't love butter? This stuff is one of the most addictive foods I've eaten. No matter how much I buy, I never seem to make it through a sitting with any left.
The peanut brittle, a related species, is also excellent and I love the chocolate and caramel coated homemade marshmallows. Littlejohn's is a true LA treasure that shouldn't be missed.
Country Market
Owned by Thee's Bakery, the Country Market, located in the middle of the FM, bakes up cookies, cinnamon buns, apple dumplings and other baked treats, but their true calling is funnel cakes. These cakes are to fairground funnel cakes what a high end molten chocolate cake is to a Hostess Cupcake, a creature so vastly superior that it does not appear to be of the same species. The funnels are handmade with great care and topped with a mix of homemade fruit topping (no canned glop here) and fresh whipped cream. The cake is perfectly fried, crunchy on the outside, chewy within. This was a new try for me but it immediately bolted into a regular stop. The best funnel cakes I've ever tasted, bar none. It's like the fair, but so much better.
Bob's Coffee and Doughnuts
In my Doughnut Roundup last Spring, I named Bob's as the best cake doughnut in town...get a caker glazed, with powdered sugar or even plain. They also do the best apple fritter in town and have excellent glazed doughnuts as well.
SECOND TIER
Thee's Continental Bakery
Thee's offers good croissants, cookies and sweets. I'm a particular fan of their tres leches cup, a parfait spin on the traditional Latin American "three milks" cake (though I wish they'd leave out the cherry pie filling glop). I also like their marzipan logs and little chocolate mousse filled Florentine cookies. I would pass on their cakes though, which tend to be dry and uninteresting.
Bennett's Ice Cream
Competent homemade ice cream. If you have an ice cream hankering, it will suffice, but nothing to write home about here.
THIRD TIER
Gill’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream
The best thing about Gill's is their old-fashioned soft serve, which you can get dipped in chocolate. If you are ever craving Dairy Queen or the old Fosters' Freeze, this may be your best bet. For hand scooped ice cream, go to Bennett's, Gill's no longer makes their own ice cream, but uses Dreyer's and Thrifty, which are no great shakes (excuse the pun).
T&Y Bakery
Everything looks great, but that's about the only redeeming quality of this little bake shop.
The Bread Bin
Eastern European pastries...too much dough, not enough flavor, and I'm not a fan of their bread either.
Ultimate Nut and Candy
Does the world really need 15 varieties of flavored popcorn? I'm inclined to say no. Even the traditional caramel and butter toffee corn here is overly candy-coated in a way that uncomfortably sticks to your teeth. The other candies are just so-so.
Coffee Corner
A small selection of unexceptional pastries.
Honorable Mention: Magee’s House Of Nuts
Technically, I suppose, Magee's isn't a sweet shop, it's a...nut house, but I have to mention this house of nuts and homemade nut butters. The main attraction for me is the peanut butter machine, displayed for all to see as it churns fresh peanut butter. There is something hypnotic about the way it slowly and monotonously swirls; round and round it rotates with such smooth, fluid motion making me fall into a peanut butter induced hypnosis. I could stare at this thing for hours...it's like peanut perfection.
The PB itself is good with a strong peanut flavor, bordering on sweet...but, as advertised, it's just peanuts, and it needs salt...after all, who wants to eat unsalted peanuts?
Next week: We begin the Third Tier of Farmers Market eateries
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Farmers Market: Second Tier
We continue our comprehensive review of the Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax with the second tier. These may not be my very favorites, but they are decent places that will do in a pinch.
Tusquellas Fish & Oyster Bar
Fish and chips are the mainstay of Tusquellas, and they do a competent version. The fish is crispy and the fries have a nice chewy texture, though the accompanying cole slaw is fairly flavorless. They used to do a nice fish/oyster combination, but that seems to have disappeared from the menu.
The Gumbo Pot
Having lived in Louisiana for a couple of years, I love Cajun and Creole food. Uncle Darrow's was my mainstay back when they had a little sandwich shack on Venice Boulevard, but since that closed, there's not much in the way of Cajun food east of the 405 and north of the 10. The Gumbo Pot, the lone Cajun contender is popular, but for me, always seems to disappoint. The po-boys are made from lackluster bread, and while the cornmeal battered oysters are good, there aren't nearly enough of them on the po-boy. The gumbo and jambalaya are passable but nothing to write home about, and the alligator is mostly a good novelty dish. I still go from time to time because, as I said, it's hard to find good Louisiana food in LA, but it mostly makes me dream of real Cajun food.
Singapore’s Banana Leaf
Another relative newcomer, Singapore's Banana Leaf may be the only restaurant in LA claiming to serve Singapore-style food. A combination of the flavors of India, Thailand and Indonesia, my favorite dish at Singapore's Banana Leaf is the Roti Paratha, fried Indian bread served with an awesomely flavorful curry sauce. I also enjoy the Cane Juice which has a wonderful sugar cane taste.
Moishe’s
Moishe's dishes out standard Middle Eastern fare...falafel, hummous, kabobs, etc. Nothing thrilling, but all done fairly well. Their best dish is the lamb kabob, which is perfectly cooked and well seasoned.
Next week: Sweet Shops of the Farmers Market
Tusquellas Fish & Oyster Bar
Fish and chips are the mainstay of Tusquellas, and they do a competent version. The fish is crispy and the fries have a nice chewy texture, though the accompanying cole slaw is fairly flavorless. They used to do a nice fish/oyster combination, but that seems to have disappeared from the menu.
The Gumbo Pot
Having lived in Louisiana for a couple of years, I love Cajun and Creole food. Uncle Darrow's was my mainstay back when they had a little sandwich shack on Venice Boulevard, but since that closed, there's not much in the way of Cajun food east of the 405 and north of the 10. The Gumbo Pot, the lone Cajun contender is popular, but for me, always seems to disappoint. The po-boys are made from lackluster bread, and while the cornmeal battered oysters are good, there aren't nearly enough of them on the po-boy. The gumbo and jambalaya are passable but nothing to write home about, and the alligator is mostly a good novelty dish. I still go from time to time because, as I said, it's hard to find good Louisiana food in LA, but it mostly makes me dream of real Cajun food.
Singapore’s Banana Leaf
Another relative newcomer, Singapore's Banana Leaf may be the only restaurant in LA claiming to serve Singapore-style food. A combination of the flavors of India, Thailand and Indonesia, my favorite dish at Singapore's Banana Leaf is the Roti Paratha, fried Indian bread served with an awesomely flavorful curry sauce. I also enjoy the Cane Juice which has a wonderful sugar cane taste.
Moishe’s
Moishe's dishes out standard Middle Eastern fare...falafel, hummous, kabobs, etc. Nothing thrilling, but all done fairly well. Their best dish is the lamb kabob, which is perfectly cooked and well seasoned.
Next week: Sweet Shops of the Farmers Market
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Best of the Farmers Market
For my big Third and Fairfax roundup, I'm dividing the food stands into three tiers. The top tier are the very best, places worth a special trip to the Market. The second tier are very good; maybe not worth a special trip, but good choices if you happen to be there. Third are the rest..the unexceptional and unexciting.
This week is the top tier. These are my very favorites, the old standbys I rely on most and a new try that impressed me. I'm still tasting, so this list isn't complete and more may qualify for the top tier (and sweet shops will be handled in a separate post). They are listed in no particular order.
Monsieur Marcel's
This French Bistro started as a small cheese kiosk and has expanded into a full-on restaurant with its own seating and a gourmet market. This French bistro makes the best fondue in LA. They have a traditional Gruyere based fondue, which is good, but the highlight is their signature Fondue Savoyarde which includes other more flavorful cheeses such as Morbier and Roquefort. I also enjoy their moules frite and their croque monsieur. Take pains, though, to avoid their adjacent gourmet market of the same name which is vastly overpriced.
Moishe's Village
This stand, specializing in Boerek, was a new try for me but one that will definitely enter my pantheon of staples. No, Boerek was not that movie about that guy from Kazakhstan. It is a Turkish pastry served at a stand adjacent to the original Moishe's Middle Eastern stand. It's similar to a rectangular pizza, topped with cheese and your choice of toppings...I can't get enough of the egg. Two eggs, sunny-size up are fried onto the dough. The soft whites and fluid yolks mesh with the cheese and dough to create a delicious doughy, cheesy, eggy delight. I also enjoyed the spinach and cheese as well as the interesting sides like Swiss chard tzatziki and white beans in tomato sauce. As far as I know, Moishe's Village is the only place in LA where you can get this particular, pizza-like version of Boerek (as opposed to the Armenian meat pies of the same name available in Hollywood).
¡Loteria!
I was a late convert to the Mexican stalwart at the center of the market, and I still think this Mexico City style snack shop tends to be a bit overrated by reviewers, but that may be due to the dearth of good Mexican in this part of mid-city. They make a whopping eleven different type of tacos, but I find their pre-made fillings to be generally underseasoned. Their mole is popular, but it pales in comparison to the excellent Oaxacan moles you can get at numerous locations a mere ten minutes away. However, their chilaquiles (a breakfast dish consisting of fried tortilla chips with sauce) are some of the best in town; I like them with the tangy salsa verde. They also make an excellent version of queso fundido (Mexican fondue) topped with chorizo, which is a dish that's not easy to find in LA. And they do a great nacho plate, of all things, though sometimes the plate could use a few more minutes under the broiler.
Patsy D’Amore’s Pizza
In a city in which good pizza is a scarcity, Patsy's tends to fly under the radar, but this FM stalwart (with mandatory photo of the owner mugging with Frank Sinatra) consistently pumps out good, thin crust New York style pies. The toppings ain't much, so stick with plain cheese.
Pampas Grill
A relatively recent entrant into the FM, Pampas Grill puts a fast food spin on the Brazilian churrascaria. All of the traditional elements are part of the Pampas buffet: the massive salad bar, the scrumptious cheese breads, fried yuca, feijoda (black bean stew), and of course, the meat. Pampas has all the traditional churrascaria cuts: picanha (garlic beef), alcatra (sirloin), lamb leg, bacon wrapped chicken and sausage (pet peeve: why can't I find chicken hearts at any LA currascaria?) The food is good and it's a lot cheaper than you will pay at any sit-down currascaria.
The French Crepe Company
This creperie dishes out sizable crepes, both sweet and savory. The white flour creates a result that is more akin to a thin, dense pancake than a traditional French buckwheat crepe, but the results are still delicious. For savory, I love the Raclette, prosciutto and cornichon crepe...it's especially good when drizzled with some of their dijon mustard salad dressing. For sweet, I like the Grand Marnier, or just the plain crepe filled with butter and sugar and topped with whipped cream.
Du-Par's Restaurant
I've written before about the great pies at this newly rehabbed diner which anchors the west side of the Market, but Du-Par's is more than just pies. The light fluffy pancakes are an LA institution and they make one of the last great Monte Cristo sandwiches.
So that's my best of the best so far. Next week, I will post my second tier. Meanwhile, I'm still trying stands; so far, I've tried 27 over the last two months. I have only two more to try that I've never been to before and three I need to revisit because it has been a while since I sampled their wares.
Onward and upward...
This week is the top tier. These are my very favorites, the old standbys I rely on most and a new try that impressed me. I'm still tasting, so this list isn't complete and more may qualify for the top tier (and sweet shops will be handled in a separate post). They are listed in no particular order.
Monsieur Marcel's
This French Bistro started as a small cheese kiosk and has expanded into a full-on restaurant with its own seating and a gourmet market. This French bistro makes the best fondue in LA. They have a traditional Gruyere based fondue, which is good, but the highlight is their signature Fondue Savoyarde which includes other more flavorful cheeses such as Morbier and Roquefort. I also enjoy their moules frite and their croque monsieur. Take pains, though, to avoid their adjacent gourmet market of the same name which is vastly overpriced.
Moishe's Village
This stand, specializing in Boerek, was a new try for me but one that will definitely enter my pantheon of staples. No, Boerek was not that movie about that guy from Kazakhstan. It is a Turkish pastry served at a stand adjacent to the original Moishe's Middle Eastern stand. It's similar to a rectangular pizza, topped with cheese and your choice of toppings...I can't get enough of the egg. Two eggs, sunny-size up are fried onto the dough. The soft whites and fluid yolks mesh with the cheese and dough to create a delicious doughy, cheesy, eggy delight. I also enjoyed the spinach and cheese as well as the interesting sides like Swiss chard tzatziki and white beans in tomato sauce. As far as I know, Moishe's Village is the only place in LA where you can get this particular, pizza-like version of Boerek (as opposed to the Armenian meat pies of the same name available in Hollywood).
¡Loteria!
I was a late convert to the Mexican stalwart at the center of the market, and I still think this Mexico City style snack shop tends to be a bit overrated by reviewers, but that may be due to the dearth of good Mexican in this part of mid-city. They make a whopping eleven different type of tacos, but I find their pre-made fillings to be generally underseasoned. Their mole is popular, but it pales in comparison to the excellent Oaxacan moles you can get at numerous locations a mere ten minutes away. However, their chilaquiles (a breakfast dish consisting of fried tortilla chips with sauce) are some of the best in town; I like them with the tangy salsa verde. They also make an excellent version of queso fundido (Mexican fondue) topped with chorizo, which is a dish that's not easy to find in LA. And they do a great nacho plate, of all things, though sometimes the plate could use a few more minutes under the broiler.
Patsy D’Amore’s Pizza
In a city in which good pizza is a scarcity, Patsy's tends to fly under the radar, but this FM stalwart (with mandatory photo of the owner mugging with Frank Sinatra) consistently pumps out good, thin crust New York style pies. The toppings ain't much, so stick with plain cheese.
Pampas Grill
A relatively recent entrant into the FM, Pampas Grill puts a fast food spin on the Brazilian churrascaria. All of the traditional elements are part of the Pampas buffet: the massive salad bar, the scrumptious cheese breads, fried yuca, feijoda (black bean stew), and of course, the meat. Pampas has all the traditional churrascaria cuts: picanha (garlic beef), alcatra (sirloin), lamb leg, bacon wrapped chicken and sausage (pet peeve: why can't I find chicken hearts at any LA currascaria?) The food is good and it's a lot cheaper than you will pay at any sit-down currascaria.
The French Crepe Company
This creperie dishes out sizable crepes, both sweet and savory. The white flour creates a result that is more akin to a thin, dense pancake than a traditional French buckwheat crepe, but the results are still delicious. For savory, I love the Raclette, prosciutto and cornichon crepe...it's especially good when drizzled with some of their dijon mustard salad dressing. For sweet, I like the Grand Marnier, or just the plain crepe filled with butter and sugar and topped with whipped cream.
Du-Par's Restaurant
I've written before about the great pies at this newly rehabbed diner which anchors the west side of the Market, but Du-Par's is more than just pies. The light fluffy pancakes are an LA institution and they make one of the last great Monte Cristo sandwiches.
So that's my best of the best so far. Next week, I will post my second tier. Meanwhile, I'm still trying stands; so far, I've tried 27 over the last two months. I have only two more to try that I've never been to before and three I need to revisit because it has been a while since I sampled their wares.
Onward and upward...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Meet Me at Third and Fairfax: The Farmers' Market Challenge
I've loved the old Third and Fairfax Farmers' Market since I first visited it as a teenage tourist in LA. When I moved to LA, ten years ago, I lived in Park La Brea, so I was within walking distance of the FM and spent ample time there in the last years of its pre-Grove existence. In fact, my oldest daughter's first trip outside the house after coming home from the hospital was for a lunch at the FM.
In a world of carbon copy food courts (do people still say "carbon copy" or does that just date me?), Cheesecake Factories and fast food, the FM is a breath of fresh air, Starbucks and Pinkberry notwithstanding. It has a vast array of eateries encompassing a number of genres and ethnicities in a casual, old fashioned market setting.
Over the years, I've sampled many of the wares at the FM and have many favorites, but there are some, both old and new, that I just have never gotten around to. I pledge, here and now, to cure that shortcoming. By the end of the year, I will dine at every food stand at the Market and review them here.
I'll start with my old stand-bys, move to my stand-away-froms and close up with the brand new tries. I will ignore the few chains and the mediocre food at the adjacent Grove shopping mall, as well as the newly adjacent restaurants, such as Marmalade Cafe, which are really more Groveish. This will be the old-school FM food stalls.
Next week, I'll begin with some of my favorites, the top tier of Farmers' Market dining.
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