the spice table, the last connection

missed connection ads are usually written in this manner:

"i saw you standing there in the bread aisle at ralphs looking smoking hot in a short leopard print skirt. we made eye contact several times as my hand hovered over the wonderbread. call me maybe?"

in about 2 days, after december 31st to be exact, another missed connection ad will probably be sent out, but this time, dedicated to bryant ng's eatery, the spice table. i can imagine it sounding a bit like this:

"i kept running across you at little tokyo. your sexy interior and your old fashion brick exterior really intrigued me. i sat down for a bite, but now you're leaving? where ya going? tell me baby?"

oh those feisty southeast asian bites, best paired with beer since the offerings leans a bit salty and a tad spicy.

grilled bone marrow ($10)

sambal fried potatoes ($8)

char kway teow ($16)

beef rendang ($19)

crispy quail ($18)

the spice table cheeseburger ($13)

final dinner service at the spice table will be december 31st and for $75 per person, you can indulge in a final ayce meal of sorts from 8pm to 12:30am. if you can't catch them on new year's eve because of some popping plans you've already made, perhaps drop by within the day or two before this particular dining experience becomes a missed connection for you.

Spice Table
114 S Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 620-1840
http://www.thespicetable.com/

price:  $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

hog it up at black hogg

don't let the innocent facade fool ya. black hogg in silverlake is capable of serving you a gazillion calories at one sitting. open wide, loosen your belt, prepare to gorge, it's a good thing.

in preparation for the fat-a-thon, do get yourself some darjeeling republic of tea ($4). the tea is fragrant and lacks sweetness which won't add too many calories to your gut busting meal there...i think.

or a ginger beer ($4), another non alcoholic option for those who want to order beer without the requisite buzz...but why? :(

 

the uni toast ($8) was tasty though the delicate flavors of this dear sweet uni competed mightly with the scallions. a uni purist enamored with the delicate sea flavors of this creature may find that it lacked an uni presence, but since i will order anything uni, then i had to try it. what? uni on a hobo's shoe? sure, one order please.

 

the spicy chicken liver toast ($8) with a chicken skin cracklin' on its cap. or how about raise the chicken cracklin' sail because this little liver toast ship is about to sail into yo' mouth! yes, i was really thinking that. i really did.

the infamous popcorn bacon ($8) were little fatty pork nuggets encased in a crust with a side of maple crema for your dipping pleasure. you will either clap your hands or clutch your heart after you take your first bite.

 

roasted bone marrow with corn tortillas ($10). never had marrow wrapped in a tortilla, but why not? 

  

the lamb burger ($17) was juicy. the fries were perfectly thin and crunchy. match made in heaven? definitely. a fat angel totally made this one happen.

the meal ended with a carby bread pudding ($8). sticky and decadent.

 

my dogs also had a bite of black hogg. the sweet little sighs and grunts we heard while they worked the bone marrow bone like a crunchy lollipop probably meant they plan to write a good review for black hogg on yelp after they are done.

bronx going to town.

lucy working the bone luge.

overall, black hogg is a nice addition to silverlake. they reopened with a wine and beer menu which makes a whole lotta good when you're fisting fried things left and right. corkage is $19, but if you eat there tuesday-thursday, wines bought from silver lake wine means no corkage fees! so don't forget to have that silver lake wine sticker on your bottle and pop some of that popcorn bacon in yo mouf.

Black Hogg
2852 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA  90026
(323) 953-2820
blackhogg.com

price:  $$
verdict:  tasty, try it!

the hart and the hunter and three pounds later

if you want to gain three pounds in one sitting, and love every bite of it, then the hart and the hunter located in the palihotel is the place to do your pants tight...errr, i mean right. chef-owners kris tominaga and brian dunsmoor really whacked this one out of the ball park with their soulfully delectable twist on southern cuisine.

start with the chicken cracklins and hot pepper vinegar ($4). sweet baby jesus they were crispy and flaky, perfection when you splash a bit of the spicy pepper vinegar on a skin or two. order one...no two! trust me.

the butter biscuits and condiments ($6) were sinful discs of flaky awesome. you knew with every bite that you should stop, but can't and won't.

the la quercia country ham, bread and butter pickles ($10) was tasty but unnecessary if you're balling on a budget.

the fried chicken livers ($10) maintained a delicate balance of savory and sweet. the bits of apple were a sweet touch and it tricked me into thinking it was healthy. i'm gullible.

the smoked trout with avacado toast ($11) was delightful. flaky fish on avacado toast, two of my most favorite things in the world.

the chopped steak, bone marrow, and grilled toast ($16) was a bit of a miss for me, only because i start to cringe once i see puddles of blood forming.

hanger steak with soft grits ($21) was FA-BOO-LOUS. tender steak and flavorful grits, a must order people!! do it!

low country shrimp boil with andouille sausage, corn and potatoes ($22) reminded me a lot of my one year stint in louisiana. solid flavors all around.

 

fried green tomatoes with herbs ($13) was a tasty favorite. tart in just the right places, salty in others.

roasted brussel sprouts ($6) to add a little charred greenery to the meal.

sprouting broccoli ($7) cuz we respected the green side of the food pyramid.

 

 
the cheddar grits ($6) was WAAAAAYYYYY tooo over the top though. it's like i licked paula deen covered in grits, oy. i would skip this one.

the desserts by pastry chef sarah lange was a huge hit, another reason to loosen the belt, sit back, and revel in the sweet sugar rush that is sure to follow.

the lemon ice box pie ($6) was my absolute favorite. loved the tart flavors and that burst of iciness from it's partly frozen center.

chocolate pudding with ginger snap cookies ($6) was also a gastranomical homerun. simple but flavorful.

my husband really loved the sticky pumpkin cake with pecans ($6), a perfect reminder of the holidays that just past.

the warm apple dumpling and hooks cheddar ($6) was tasty, but the cheddar notes were on the light side.

the chocolate peanut crunch cake ($6) was intense. non chocolate lovas need not apply.

the meal was indeed a tasty treat for anyone who loves bold flavors. and if you start off with the chicken cracklins and end up with the lemon ice box pie, you're going to be a-ok regardless of what happens during the course of your meal.

The Hart and the Hunter
7950 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA  90046
(323) 424-3055
http://www.thehartandthehunter.com

price:  $$
verdict:  omg, i love it! 

sqirl kitchen is da jam

my dogs like to chase squirrels. their mother (me), like to eat AT sqirl. sqirl kitchen that is. it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from where i live and jessica koslow, owner and jammin' jam maker makes some darn good food...and it doesn't suck that G & B coffee is there as well. nope.

space is limited so we went early and snagged a little spot to the side. although it was cold, a nice hot cup of latte ($4.50) made us feel real toasty inside.

the hubs ordered an old skool breakfast ($9). it's a basic egg, bacon, and toast plate.

he also got the chicken, vegetable, and rice soup ($7) which was soul warming and hearty. not a bad way to combat l.a. cold weather...and yes, i'm freezing at 53 degrees.

i ordered the B4 santa rosa plum chutney, baserri sheeps cheese, with an egg ($8). OMG. if you enjoy savory sweet flavors, you should really get this. i would totally order this again, and again, and again.... *sigh*

and of course, i had to bring home a jar of freshly made wild blueberries and tarragon jam ($12). nothing like a little sweetness to slather on some boring toast when you're home.

great job jessica! i've been a fan of your food since your guest appearance at canele. much congratulations to your successes!

Sqirl Kitchen
720 North Virgil Ave #4 
Los Angeles 90029
(213)-394-6526
sqirlla.com

price:  $$
verdict:  tasty, try it!

heywood melts my cheesy heart

if you worship melty cow excretions between two slices of carbs, then let me point you towards a temple built for grilled cheese sandwich worshipping in silverlake....say "hey" to heywood peeps. although relatively new to the neighborhood, it is a delightfully cheesy addition to the silverlake food scene and caters wonderfully to cheese lovers, vegans, and those with gluten free diets.

each grilled cheese sandwich order comes with a side salad and a small container of their house spiced tomato soup which is creamy, crunchy, and superbly dippable. they should really consider selling the soup by a cup or bowl. totally tasty.

the first sandwich we consumed was the heywood ($11) which consisted of 2 year aged english cheddar, carmelized onion confit spread, and sourdough bread. it was deliciously buttery, had explosive flavors and a beautiful crunch. i really loved dipping the sandwich into the tomato soup.

but dear lord, the bon appetite brie ($11) will make you weak in the knees. this sandwich has triple creme french brie, cinnamon infused raisin bread, organic fig jam, and is topped with raspberry sugar crystals. it is definitely on the sweeter side, but is fragrant as heck and the brie cheese addition makes it a luscious bite. this is a definite must order if you love brie and sweeter flavors.

i'm looking forward to more pilgrimages to this grilled cheese temple. and since it has really late hours particularly on fridays and saturdays, i can worship there till the cows come home.

Heywood
A Grilled Cheese Shoppe
3337 1/2 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-1522
heywoodgrilledcheese.com

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

eating at fat spoon with a fork

if you walk down 1st street in little tokyo in search of eats, it is obvious that the bell of the ball is daikokuya. just check out the throng of people huddled around the perimeter waiting for their name to be called just so they can slurp down a bowl of hot ramen. although daikokuya is absolutely worthy of waiting till the end of time, sometimes hunger dictates you to eat sooner rather than later so enter rebound option #1, FAT SPOON which is located RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

fat spoon is a curious little establishment headed by michael cardenas (lazy ox canteen), chef hiro fujita, and company. before entering their quaint little shop, i definitely had high expectations and really wanted this rebound to work out. we enthusiastically ordered four dishes for our noshing pleasure to be shared amongst a company of three.

since i am such a sucka for risotto, the seafood tomato risotto ($12) was a must order for me. unfortunately, i was greeted with mushy textures and bland flavors. if there was ever an urge to offend the kitchen by asking for salt, this would be the time to do so. skip.

the uni with mushroom pasta ($14) was underwhelming as well. again, the pasta was bland and would benefit from seasoning whereas the uni was too delicate in this particular dish to exert its presence which makes me question their inclusion. i definitely need to search for a more impressive uni pasta dish in l.a.!

i was also underwhelmed by the pork cutlet curry ($10) which had a curiously strange texture that bordered on being slightly rubbery. the curry was also mild and one noted which is a complete departure from the usual complex flavors of japanese curry. absolutely disappointing.

alas, we did hit upon ONE dish that night that was surprisingly tasty, the tarako pasta ($10). the salted cod roe added bursts of briny flavors to the pasta which melded quite nicely with the creamy sauce. the creamy sauce was so addictively tasty that my sister spooned the sauce onto her portion of the drab uni pasta. this dish was the first one at our table to be polished off and i would definitely order again.

overall, fat spoon did not shine. in my opinion, their lackluster flavors do not present any threat to daikokuya, the hottest chick on 1st street. although i've been told that their mini corn dogs and uni croquettes are to die for, i do not know if those fried items and the tarako pasta can seduce me back to its doors given the vast eating options we have available to us in our city.

Fat Spoon
329 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 621-7890
http://fatspoonfood.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight