Truxton's American Bistro

I hadn't seen Brook in awhile, and met up with her for lunch one weekday. Since I had never tried it, I wanted to give Truxton's Bistro a shot (last time I had tried to eat there, it was completely bogged down with a party, and we never even got to be seated - no one ever showed up at the front - a huge negative, there always should be someone greeting, right?) I decided to give the place another chance, after all, there were a lot of people there, that's at least a good sign right?

Scanning the menu, I noted that a lot of the menu items were pretty pricey, but I was still willing to try, if anything to check out the quality. Of course, my usual drink order...

A nice frosty arnold palmer, very welcome on that hot day.

Brook got a meatball(?) pizza, I think it was meatball anyways. The other toppings included red bell pepper, onion and a slight dusting of parsley. The pizza crust was impressive, very thin but still managed to keep all the toppings secure and didn't bend under the weight of itself when picking up a piece. Brook only ate like, a quarter of this, and saved the rest, it was rather big.

I got a turkey club sandwich, with sweet potato fries. I think I got this mainly because this would be Owen's order of choice if we were to go again, and I wanted to gauge how good his order would be, plus I wanted to bring half of this home for him, as he was sick that day (yes, he's sick a lot...a lot of headaches :( ) I remember enjoying the sweet potatoes a lot, as they were crispy, well seasoned and the perfect fry size. The sandwich itself was made of fresh carved turkey breast, a pleasant surprise (I dislike the water packed stuff but have come to terms with it when served this at restaurants, Owen DETESTS water packed turkey and will completely reject a sandwich if it contains it), good mixed baby greens and tomato, with bacon, but I could be wrong as this was awhile ago. This was a very decent sandwich, however, very pricey (I think it was around 12-13 for the sandwich, and an extra dollar or two for the upgrade to sweet potato fries.)

The atmosphere was nice and very busy, I'm sure a neighborhood restaurant is very welcome around these parts, in terms of variety (oddly, there are 3 Mexican restaurants within spitting distance of each other around here...). The price point is a bit high for my taste, but I can see myself coming here once and awhile.

UPDATE: I went here again with Owen and my parents this past week, to get some breakfast. I had gotten a breakfast burrito, with chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, pico de gallo and cheese. My side dish was fresh fruit (I had a choice of potatoes but went with fruit.) Owen got their french toast, my parents got scrambled eggs and toast, and bacon, and snacked off each others' and my plate. The food was pretty good, the fruit was very sweet and my mom really liked my breakfast burrito. However, one thing was driving me nuts - there was this annoying loud squeaky noise whenever the servers went through the door to the kitchen, which was very often. I know it was a little thing but it bothered my experience enough to ask the server to fix the squeak, which didn't happen during the busy morning rush. I hope they fix it by the time I go back next time.

Truxton's American Bistro
8611 Truxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90045-3910
(310) 417-8789
www.truxtonsmaericanbistro.com

Mozza to go

Whew, finally a moment to catch up on posts! Thanksgiving vacation is such a blessing.

I was eagerly awaiting the opening of Mozza to go - so exciting to be able to get the amazing pizza at Pizzeria Mozza in a take out window instead of at the restaurant, which is usually very crowded and busy. It's also nice to be able to call them beforehand and have the pizza ready right when I walk up...it's great! The nice part of this very small space is the products you can get, here's a wall of stuff you can buy from Mozza to go...

Dry pastas, canned tomatoes, really high quality products available for purchase. I even hear you can buy soap that they make from their used cooking oil. Sweet!

Bryan tried the Pizza alla Benno: Speck, pineapple, jalapenos, mozzarella & tomato. Bryan's not a picky eater but he loved this enough to want to go back a few days later, and get the same pizza. Once he likes something, he usually sticks with it always. Note the delicious bubbly edges on the crust - one of the best things about Mozza pizza!

I got a Coach Farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions, garlic & bacon pizza. The leeks and scallions added a nice fresh contrast to the creamy goat cheese, and the saltiness of the bacon and mellowness of the roasted garlic. A perfect pizza? I might have to submit this one up for a nomination, for sure.

I got this pizza to go for Owen, his favorite Fennel sausage, panna & red onion pizza. The house made sausage, laced with fennel, with delicate red onion strands, it really stands out as a classic favorite with high end ingredients.

I wish I lived closer to this place so I could actually order delivery from here. Mozza to go is a welcome addition to my "special treat" take out rotation. Oh, I also got a butterscotch budino to go as well, I forgot to take a picture of it cuz I scarfed it down too quick...I think it tasted even better because I was in my PJ's instead of in the crowded restaurant. Do yourself a favor and try some takeout from this place!

Mozza to Go
6610 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-297-1130
http://www.mozza2go.com/

Vito's Pizza

On the suggestion of fellow foodblogger LA Pizza, whom I met at the Jinpachi foodbloggers event, he mentioned the best pizza he's had in LA is at Vito's Pizza in West Hollywood. I was so curious I had to give it a shot, right before our flight back to the bay area for our upcoming Alaska cruise with my family. I figured it was a good "eat while packing" type of food.

I called in beforehand to place an order for pickup, even though they do delivery I've resigned myself to the fact that practically no one delivers to our apartment, and I assumed they wouldn't deliver from West Hollywood to LAX area. The only size they offer is a large, so I went along with it, and ordered a Garibaldi. (more on that later.) A simple drive down the street from work, and into their lot parking (score! I love that I didn't have to deal withi parking at all!).

Inside Vito's, admittedly there wasn't much room, but cool huge printouts of pictures of Vito himself, a kid running down the street - all conjuring up feelings of "the old world" Italy that this pizza harks itself from.

My pizza wasn't quite done when I got there, but I was politely offered...twice!...to "have some pop while I'm waiting". That was really nice of them, I mean it costs them practically nothing and I'm still giving them business. I noticed they had slices in their display - maybe next time I'll try something different!

As my pie was finished, I wanted to take a picture, and the lady at the front offered to get Vito himself to pose with his masterpiece! He was so nice, gave me a high five! and glad that he had gotten a good recommendation for his pizza.

Here he is, Vito, in all his glory, with my pizza that I happily dug into when I got home.

And here's the closer view of the pizza. This is seriously good pizza, really really close to the New York style slice that you can hardly get out here in LA . The Garibaldi pizza is a fresh tomato basil pizza with sliced meatballs and usually comes with jalepenos, but I told them to omit those (Owen stays away from too many jalepenos). Again, this is a masterpiece of a pizza. It's like eating one of the best spaghetti and meatballs, but instead of pasta, it's on a slice of amazing crust, wasn't too thin so all the toppings would slide off, but not too thick where after you had one slice you felt bloated. The crust was so light I didn't feel bad at all eating two slices, and didn't feel overly full. This is a must try for anyone who likes pizza NY style, but really, anyone who likes pizza in general. Thanks for the suggestion John!

846 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone: (310) 652-6859

Pizzeria Mozza

Every foodblogger in LA seems to need a Pizzeria Mozza post. I was certainly excited the first time I went, and even the second and third time I went, it still felt like a special occasion. However, every single time, I had been really nervous to take pictures, as we were sitting so close to the people next to us (they really pack us in there, like sardines), and I would feel too self concious to start snapping away. However, finally, during this last trip to Mozza, we were seated way in the back, me next to a wall, and I finally felt comfortable enough to take out the camera and snap a few shots, so my Mozza post can finally be written...it was fate.

This time around, I had gotten street parking, but other times I had been running late, and had to use their extremely ridiculously priced valet parking (I think 8 dollars is the service charge?!!) I mean, yeah, it's LA, yeah, parking is hell, but yipes. Just yipes. That's like...a price of a lunch already, and that's before you even walk through the door...

Walking into Mozza, everything feels so...cozy. Good and bad way to describe it. It's a tiny space, so, as I mentioned before, they really have to pack in the tables and chairs, and why it's so dang hard to get a reservation here. The coziness factor is heightened by the color of the walls, a dark orange, which is easy on the eyes. Wine bottles crowd the walls, people crowd the floor, it's all a jumble, and usually hopping.

Once seated at the table, a few breadsticks are always placed in front of us. They kinda stave off the hunger but what I really want is a big old slab of bread...but I guess we should wait for the pizza. They also ask if you want sparkling, still or filtered tap, and we usually go for the tap. They fill a bottle of it and leave it at the table, which you can use to fill your own glass (if the waiter doesn't get to it first to fill your glasses for you.)

The first of our appetizers - shrimp and melon. Owen really likes this one, as we had it the first time we went to Mozza. The flavors are really punchy and fresh, and everything works harmoniously together. You really feel the mastery of Batali here - his detail in mixing things together, things I wouldn't necessarily eat in the same dish - shrimp, melon, red onion, basil, mint, red pepper flakes. It's so simple, yet kicks you in the pants when you first take a bite. The shrimp is perfectly steamed here - nothing is worse than overcooked shrimp - and soaks up all those sweet and tangy melon-y juices. Really good, a must try.

A favorite of mine, probably not so much Owen's, is bone marrow. Three big honkin' pieces of cow bones, roasted, with the marrow warm and gooey, with softened garlic, salt, and two pieces of grilled toast. This so fun to construct - using the little fork, scraping some marrow onto the toast, mashing a garlic clove into it, maybe a little of the parsley salad, a sprinkle of salt and then the bite into the toast...just...essence of meat, great flavors and textures. It's no wonder most cooks love this stuff. I admit though, I liked this better when I had it with Jay, as one of the marrow pieces had a HUGE glob of fat in it (kinda gross when I bit into some, ugh, and worse when I scraped it out, and it congealed into fatty nastiness on my plate), and Jay was eating his full share of his half. Owen mostly only ate a bit of the marrow, but ate his full slice of toast, thusly I had way too much marrow and not enough toast to spread it on. And when there's TOO much of a good thing...well, it's just not as good. In any case, if you've never tried bone marrow, I highly suggest it.

Finally our pizzas arrived at the table. This one has Prosciutto, basil, fresh mozzarella, and olive tapenade. I thought this would be the winner, initially, but it was an odd mix of flavors. When Owen was eating it, he mentioned that he got a sudden reminder of eating bubble gum. And it WAS kind of like eating bubble gum - the fresh mozzarella added that chewy texture - I think what it was is that the toppings weren't really baked on here, they seemed to have baked the crust and then added the fresh toppings on top, so there was an odd temperature difference, and no crisp to the prosciutto. The tapenade was a huge mistake here, I thought, it really didn't add to any of the meaty flavors of the rest of the pizza. I mean, bad pizza is still pizza (as I was discussing with an afficionado of pizza,) but it was just a bit of a letdown. The crust was still good as usual, that billowy texture, the crunch on the outside, pleasing and yielding insides.

This pizza fared much better, it was a bacon, goat cheese and leeks pizza. This is what I'm talking about, all the ingredients BAKED in the OVEN, so it's melty and hot and mingles with the crust. It was a good salty mix of flavors, with the leeks that helped mellow out the rest of the punchy flavors of goat cheese and bacon. This was definitely a winner.

The most amazing thing is this butterscotch budino, what can I say that hasn't been said before? Even though I am not the biggest butterscotch fan, this dessert, I sometimes long for this dessert. It almost feels light, even though it's super decadent. Flecks of maldon sea salt dot the top, which add depth to what otherwise would probably be too sweet. The top caramel layer is the sweetest part, but the budino itself is just pure creamy goodness. The little pine nut rosmary cookies on the side are a decent accompaniment, but it pales in comparison to the overwhelming awesomeness of the budino.

I like this place lots, and it's quite a treat, but I admit the prices are a little steep for pizza, not to mention PARKING. But it is noteworthy, and an LA experience. Do yourself a favor and go if you haven't already.

Bay Area Holidays - a retrospect

I've been seriously behind on my postings...so here's a quick post that's basically going to quickly go through my food adventures when I went back home to the Bay area for the holidays. I had some great food and I wanted to at least point these places out...at least, before the next holiday season comes around!First stop, St. John's Grill. I came here with almost all my immediate family members, and chowed down on some of the best burgers I've ever had. This is one of the places that I really wish they had in Southern California. Unfortunately, there's only one St. John's. And this is it.
Garlic fries will give you a kick start in the head...or in the gut. This plate of heaven is loaded with garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese and crispy - not oily - fries. The skin of the potato actually adds a really nice texture to each fry.
More bar food...fried zucchini rounds, with ranch sauce. Fried goodness. Enough said about those. These onion rings are to-die-for. Battered, fried, crispy, golden, sweet. Everything you want in a onion ring.
Owen went all out with his bacon-guacamole burger. Juicy meat, creamy avocado and thick bacon. Can't get any better thaDid I mention that on Saturdays, St. John's burgers are half priced?? Here's a blown out flash close up. Gotta work on my camera skills. I had a mushroom swiss burger. It was soo filling, I didn't even eat half of my burger. I think I filled up on fries. I guess the burgers USED to be bigger...although maybe it's better that they're smaller now...less gluttony. Each burger comes with a bag of Lay's original potato chips. I don't think any of us opened one. But we saved all of them (ew the bags were covered in burger grease) and took them home for later. Waste not want not!!!Next up with Frankie, Johnnie and Luigi's. We went to the original location in Mountain View. Great place, I've been to the other location closer to my house, but this is the ORIGINAL!! These are what was left of a plate of Ravoil Compare - Breaded cheese ravioli, deep fried, served with a chipotle-ranch sauce. The plate that came to us had more ravioli, but everyone took one before I remember to snap a picture. The plate was practically licked clean 2 minutes after taking this picture.
Horribly blurry picture of bread. This bread is awesome, (white, good crust, carby, warm) but what makes this an amazing bread is the butter herb spread. It's soft, light as air, easily spreadable, and completely delicious. We were warned not to eat too much of it because we had this coming up...
A MASSIVE beautiful pizza. This is the Stromboli, holding the holy trinity of meats - Sausage, pepperoni and salami, with some mushrooms thrown on there for good measure. The sausage is amazing, not that fake crap from Domino's or Pizza hut. It's freshly made, huge chunks of meat with great flavor. This pizza is meat-coma inducing. The crust is great too - chewy, crunchy, flavorful.
We also got a Fresh Tomato, Basil and Garlic pizza to balance out the Stromboli. I thought it was a great choice and really highlighted the perfection of the bread.
During Christmas break, I went to Rosie McCann's, an Irish Pub restaurant to meet up with some old friends. I ordered some garlic fries for the table. This was not as good as the garlic fries I got from St. John's during Thanksgiving break, but they were still of decent quality and consumed quickly.
Here's a crappy picture of Krang's California Chicken burger. Grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, rabbit food and fries. He seemed to enjoy it.
Here's an extremely blurry picture of Jay's Irish Nachos. I think Irish nachos are Jay's favorite comfort/junk food, because I remember him ordering irish nachos often at THE ROWS (Carrows...the only 24 hour restaurant open close to my house in San Jose.) back in high school. Basically, Irish nachos are just like regular Mexican nachos...but instead of tortilla chips, they use sliced baked/fried/extreme potatoes. They're sinfully good.
Chris and I decided to be good and split a plate of Wild Salmon fish and chips, with wasabi mayo. If anyone knows me, they know that I love wasabi infused...anything. So the wasabi mayo was great. The fried fish was alright...it had a crispy panko-crumb outside. I prefer the thicker batter type of fried fish, like from King's Head, but this wasn't bad. I liked the salmon itself, which was a decent cut of fish. The fries were alright. Slaw was edible but I don't really love slaw. Saved the WORST for last. Vicky and I met up and had a quick bite at The Village: California Bistro and Wine Bar. For a trendy space and dark mood lighting, the food was completely lacking. I got the Crispy Monterey Calamari with Garlic Aioli. The word to describe this was: Whatever. Not special, not outstanding, but not completely unedible. I've had better, but I've had worse. I guess I was just hoping for...something more special.
Vicky chose the Curried Seared Tofu - "Lightly Breaded & Seared Tofu, Jasmine Rice, Bok Choy, Garlic, Carrot & Tomato, Thai Red Curry Broth, Bean Sprouts, Peanuts". This was totally and completely lacking of flavor! How could anyone mess up tofu! AND to use curry, and to not even infuse the tofu with something so flavorful as curry...lame! For a 15 dollar vegetarian plate, this was supposed to be knock your socks off, but instead it was a waste of bean curd. Shame on you "The Village". (Doesn't help that the restaurant is named after an M. Night Shymalan movie. I hate his movies. And his ego.)

I had a great time during the holidays - it was good to get away for awhile. How I miss the bay area.