Mid-City Moroccan: Chameau

I'm a late convert to Chameau, the Moroccan restaurant with the industrial-chic facade on Fairfax, but a convert I am.

Chameau has a hip, modern decor, full of dim lit colors and camel representations (chameau is French for camel). They specialize in traditional Moroccan cuisine: lamb, tagines, couscous, everything you need to pretend you're in Casablanca.

Appetizers were very good though not outstanding. A nice, if standard merguez sausage was served on a delicious hummous. Pan-fried, herb stuffed sardine was tasty. Duck bastilla with almonds and cinnamon, while good, was a bit too sweet.

The highlight of our meal was the various lamb entrees. Almond crusted lamb with orange sauce was my favorite. The lamb was perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and nicely seasoned. The creamy orange sauce, while a bit too sweet was a nice counterpoint.

The braised lamb shoulder with prunes and pistachios had a nice, gamey, lamb taste.

Couscous was excellent, much more flavorful and better textured than other versions I've had. It was almost al dente in that you could make out the individual grains which gave it a pleasing texture.

The dessert bastilla was fun, a ring of berries sandwiched in a crisp, cinnamon sprinkled pastry, drizzled with cream and topped with whipped cream. I love their whipped cream, which is somewhat sour, probably made from creme fraiche instead of heavy cream, or maybe with some added sour cream. It made for a fabulous sweet/sour interplay.

Cinnamon flan was also well executed and topped with that same whipped cream.

The warm, flourless chocolate cake, however, was atrocious. This thing has been on every menu in the world for at least ten years now. Don't serve it unless you can get it right.

All in all, a great meal at one of our few local Moroccan spots. Next time, I will have to try a tagine.

Chameau
339 N. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 951-0039

Italian Butter

Parmigiano Reggiano Butter is an Italian butter produced by Delitia. It is made from the cream that is left over in the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. A cultured butter, it weighs in at 83% butterfat. The only ingredients are cream and cultures.

This is a fabulous butter. The culture comes out in the cheesy smell, but not the taste. The flavor is subtle and creamy, with notes of straw and hay. Usually, I'll add salt to an unsalted butter, but this one stands on its own.

Delitia Parmigiano Reggiano butter seems to be fairly available at gourmet stores. I picked it up at the Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Whiskey Wednesday: A Rye That Comes in Handy

Okay, bad pun, but a good whiskey! Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey is an offering from the antiques collection of the Buffalo Trace distillery. Unfiltered and bottled at barrel strength (my bottle is 67.4% abv), Handy is essentially the cask strength version of Baby Saz.

Tasting this rye reaffirms my beliefs that Buffalo Trace is one of the best distilleries out there and that the rye comeback is in full swing.

Handy has huge flavor. It has a beautiful, intense ryeness along with some honey-like sweetness and caramel creating a wonderful whiskey, at once spicy and sweet. And its finish just keeps on giving rye-spice. It's strong yes, and I suppose it could take some water, but I preferred it at full strength. This will be added to my list of all-time favorite ryes, a distinguished list indeed.

I purchased my bottle for around $55 at K&L, though I don't know if they are still in stock as anything from the Buffalo Trace antiques collection flies off the shelves.

The Real Gordita: Golfo de Fonseca

Thanks to Taco Bell, millions of Americans think that a gordita is a taco made with something called "Mexican flatbread." Those of us who have been to Mexico, of course, know that a gordita is a thick corn tortilla, hollowed out and stuffed with any number of ingredients. In most versions of the gordita in Los Angeles, the tortilla shell is deep fried.

The gordita is a relative of the Salvadoran pupusa. While they are similar, a gordita is cut open and stuffed after it is fried, whereas for pupusas, the ingredients are stuffed into the raw masa and the whole thing is cooked together.

It is perhaps for that reason that there are a number of Salvadoran restaurants that offer gorditas as well as pupusas. Now, normally, I would not order a Mexican specialty at a Salvadoran restaurant. Rule number 7 of good eating is that when you go to a restaurant that purports to serve two types of cuisine, choose something from the lesser known one, as that is probably where the owners come from. Usually this will be a variation of Central American cuisine and Mexican or a variation of Asian cuisine and Chinese. For instance, if you see a sign that says Mexican and Salvadoran, the family that owns the place is probably from El Salvador, but cooks some Mexican food because they know people like it...same with Thai/Chinese. If you want the house specialty, get the Salvadoran or the Thai.

However, every rule has its exception, so when I heard there were great gorditas at Golfo de Fonseca, a Salvardoran place on 6th Street east of Union, I gave it a shot.

These were indeed good gorditas. The huge heavily fried tortillas are stuffed to the brim with savory fillings. I had mine with al pastor, seasoned, barbequed pork, which was juicy and well-spiced. There aren't that many gorditas to be had in this part of town and these were certainly better than most I've had.

Even better though was a plate of that Salvadoran staple, yuca y chicharron. The yuca was beautifully fried, crisp on the outside, tender within, like a perfect steak fry. The trick to perfect Salvadoran chicharron is making it crisp and juicy without being greasy, and this dish exemplified that concept. The generous serving is topped with curtido (cabbage slaw) and a few sprigs of watercress. This was among the best executed versions of this popular dish I've had, ranking up there with Los Chorros in Inglewood.

So go for the gordita, but don't miss the yuca and chicharron.

Golfo de Fonseca
1618 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 483-7245‎

Comida Chilango at La Cabanita

It's hard to fathom that there is a great, authentic Mexican restaurant nestled in the northern suburbs of Glendale. A few blocks down from the small main drag of Montrose lies La Cabanita, which for years has been one of LA's best locales for Mexico City style food.

Known as Chilangos within Mexico, the denizens of Mexico City have a similar reputation to those of Manhattan: urban survivors who move seamlessly from subway to subway and effortlessly negotiate the rigors of life in a giant metropolis. The 18 million person megaopolis that is Mexico City ain't LA and it certainly ain't Montrose.

The food of Mexico City is a refined melding of the regional cuisines of the various people who have come to the capitol from around the country. It offers a range of well done Mexican dishes: juicy carnitas, tender rajas and other favorites.

But my favorite things at La Cabanita are the variations on stuffed chilis, the most pleasing being the chilis en nogada, a charred, un-breaded chili, stuffed with a sweet mixture of chicken, raisins, nuts and spices, topped with an absolutely luscious, sweet, creamy walnut sauce. Chili rellenos are also excellent and there are three or four other varieties.

The soups are another strength of La Cabanita. At one time, entrees came with a soup starter, but now you have to order soup separately, which you should. Cream of corn is a velvety-smooth sweet corn soup with crumbled Mexican cheese on top. This is one of my favorite soups anywhere; it captures the pure essence of fresh corn, and is smooth and creamy without feeling weighted down with cream. The carrot soup is also excellent.

I can't think of anything I've had at La Cabanita that has been disappointing. Even the sides...the chips and salsa and the fresh, handmade corn tortillas, are excellent. So order whatever you like and wash it down with some of their fabulous sangria.

La Cabanita
3447 N Verdugo Rd
Glendale, CA 91208
818-957-2711

Whiskey Wednesday: LA's Best Whiskey Bar - The Daily Pint

I've complained fairly regularly that Los Angeles is short on places to drink quality whiskey. I can count on one hand the number of bars or restaurants that stock more than ten single malts. The opening of Seven Grand downtown gave us the first new bar in quite a while to have a substantial collection, but even Seven Grand's hyped whiskey list pales in comparison to a dingy bar in Santa Monica with great chops for Scotch...the Daily Pint.

Set on Pico Boulevard near the intersection of 23rd Street, right next to the Lazy Daisy cafe is the Daily Pint. Whereas Seven Grand is all kitchy, hipster simulacrum, the Daily Pint reeks of authenticity. It's medium sized for a bar, with a couple of tables, a few pool tables and a row of seats along the bar. As you sit at the bar, a long wooden shelf over your head is filled with Scotch bottles.

The Daily Pint has what I estimated to be a couple hundred Scotches, including a number of independent bottlings. There was an impressive range with a little something for everyone, though the Islay selection was less prominent than that of other regions (not a single Bruichladdich on the menu). Still, there was plenty to choose from, the atmosphere was relaxed and the bartender was attentive and polite without being overbearing. Prices range from as low as $8 for Sheep Dip (a vatted malt) to as high as $95 or $100 for older offerings.

In addition to malts, the Pint has a vast selection of beers on draught (it is the Daily Pint after all, not the Daily Dram) and a fifteen or so Irish whiskies, which is more than you'll find at most places.

If I had to pick between the Pint and Seven Grand, I'd definitely go with the Pint for both selection and atmosphere. I hope to return soon.

The Daily Pint
2310 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-7631

Park's Place: Park's Barbeque

With this post I firmly jump into the corner of those who have sung the praises of Park's BBQ. Park's, on Vermont south of 9th Street, is among the best Korean Barbeques around. Nearly everything about this charcoal grill contender was superb.

The Kalbi at Park's (#3 on the menu) is amazing. The big, thick cut short ribs explode with juice. They are thick and rich, fatty but not so much that you feel like you are just chawing on a big hunk of fat, which can happen with kalbi. It really is the perfect kalbi.

The panchan is also delicious and varies some from the standard. There is a creamy potato salad with raisins as well as a sweet potato salad, a dish of marinated, sliced potatoes and a variety of pickles, greens and other more standard panchan all of which are excellent.

The service at Park's also stands out, particularly in comparison to other Korean BBQ places which tend to have a, how should I say, laissez faire attitude about service. In contrast, Park's servers were friendly, attentive and helpful.

Park's definitely sets a new standard for my neighborhood's most popular cuisine.

Park's Barbeque
955 S. Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 380-1717