Ritz Bites

Centeno & Co. working hard at the Lazy Ox, Little Tokyo

Devoted followers of chef Josef Centeno were thrilled to hear news of the Lazy Ox Canteen, his eclectic -- forgive the cliché, but it does describe his style -- casual neighborhood restaurant that recently opened on the edge of Little Tokyo. Centeno finally has full leeway to call the shots in the open kitchen, with an extensive menu and blackboard specials that showcase his vision of a multi-ethnic, neo-urban cuisine where just about everything is available, everybody's welcome, and so much is possible.

Glowing filaments in oversized dangling light bulbs dialed down to a tolerable, intimate level (think Varnish) set the atmosphere in the rough-hewn wood surfaced room. As per what these times call for, it's an earnest, down to earth sort of deal compared to Opus, Centeno's former glossy, splashy place of cooking residence next to the Wiltern. Location of this one is a little odd and why anyone would want to eat outdoors there baffles. Yet thankfully the food ethic remains the same. Centeno's work gets into contrast: colors, textures, flavors. All done in a way that tells you this is a guy who loves to have fun experimenting in a this-might-be-interesting-and-cool-and-tasty way, and not for the sake of trickery, show, or gimmicks. Deciding what to order was hard. When we did finally set on our choices, they came out really fast and almost all at once, and some lukewarm.

Centeno especially has a way with fried foods, much to the dismay of my cholesterol level. I had no idea what to expect with the crisp broccoli leaves; we were served deep fried battered flat greens that took up more room in my stomach than necessary, but I can't say I've ever had anything like them. Fries were killer (more on that later at Squid Ink). Pomegranate seeds gave a terrific tart crunch to soft beds of chicken liver crostini. Crisp quail served with fennel and apple salad was a highlight, and given its demure size I recommend it to anyone who should stay away fried fowl but is jonesing for something in that genre. Fat corona beans, pickled shallots, and rapini cover any sort of carbonized intensity the charred octopus might have had, but not to the overall detriment of the dish. Rich, gamey intensity of cavatelli with braised oxtail and rutabaga appealed the least, and the pasta component seemed incidental. A butter crunch salad with radicchio, satsumas, golden beets and thin sliced lettuces could've used a little more bite. Nice bonus that most of the dishes we ordered incorporated shades of green, orange, and magenta. Who doesn't love color-coordinated food?

Desserts of roasted Gala apples and a light tangy lemon trifle are modestly priced at $7. Single-digit dessert prices in restaurants of this quality seemed to becoming extinct, although we might be coming back to that again. Score one more for Lazy Ox, which also has an extensive wine and beer list.

So Centeno groupies, rest assured. He'll be at the Lazy Ox for a while (he's also a partner in the business), and it looks like he's got the motivation and space to plod along, work hard, and share the results. I'll be back to face those tough ordering decisions again, next time starting with the many things cooked under a brick.

Lazy Ox Canteen
241 S. San Pedro
Little Tokyo
(213) 626-5299

Object fetish: Dyson Airblade at Tavern Brentwood

The details to be admired in the newest Goin/Styne restaurant venture, Tavern, are many. And that Angeleno sandwich with cavolo nero, artichokes and burrata is phenomenal, as are the soft choco chips cookies from the Larder.

But good GOD, do I love the hand dryers in Tavern's crazily disorienting quasi-coed bathroom!

Henry swears he's seen the Dyson Airblade in a few places around town, even if he can't recall any specifically. Last week was my first encounter with the magical piece of equipment.

I had to look like an idiot for a few seconds to figure out where to put my hands, but then just a few more short seconds later they were completely dry. Being more of a Miele vacuum girl myself means I generally think the Dyson designs are too tricked out, but the Airblade is so completely awesome. If anyone is in need of ridiculous gift ideas for me, maybe it's time to consider that hand vac. Now if only Dyson made home model hand dryers.

Neo-crunchy: The Hazelnut Kitchen, Trumansburg, NY

If you were tell people who grew up in a very-small-town-outside-of-what's-already-a-small-town that their hometown probably has the best restaurant in the area, they might not believe you. Particularly those who have since moved away from said very small town. I imagine a lot of our friends from Trumansburg, NY, which is a few miles away from my husband's charming hometown, will have that reaction.

But the good people of Trumansburg, the "progressive yet rural community" that houses many small organic family-run farms and such, are lucky to have the Hazelnut Kitchen around. (The quoted description above of T-burg comes from the restaurant's website.) Part Americana cafe, part sophisticated bistro, and part venue for encouraging locavore-ism, it's a friendly, delicious restaurant I'd be absolutely thrilled to have in my big city neighborhood. It likely would be packed all the time. Instead on a Thursday night it's a low-key, quiet, well-worn but not at all shabby room with high ceilings, wood booths, an open kitchen and checkerboard floors -- the space was the funky town diner for many years -- with a smattering of happy customers and a couple of loud crazy toddlers running around (our fault).

Hazelnut Kitchen is the next logical step for the post-Moosewood generation who have come to expect the legacy of Chez Panisse and some classical techniques in this type of neo-crunchy context, versus meals that make you feel like you just "ate the lawn," as my father in law would say. Which isn't to dis the original wonderful institution of which my fabulous cousin David is still a part.

Back to the kids; the little ones have NO idea how good they have it there. The grilled cheese on thick country white bread with sesame crust plus two sides combo was truly exceptional, and easily would cost twice as much than its modest $6.50 elsewhere. Us adults wound up polishing off the sandwiches after the tots filled up on fries and peas.

We also loved the delicate fluffy pea flan that was redolent of spring in the area and served with a refreshing radish, asparagus and minty salad. The pork chop special with okra, both sauteed and served under the chop as well as with a couple battered and fried pieces, was a major tone shift, but perfectly prepared and full of flavor. I didn't finish the tart with local beets, potatoes, local goat cheese, and chunky that was heavy on the pepper because dessert was an absolute must. How could I refuse apple bourbon strudel with ice cream on a bed of creme anglaise, and hazelnut butter cake with fresh plums integrated into the cake, creme anglaise, and hazelnut ice cream?

So should you ever happen to be passing through Trumansburg, Ithaca, or anywhere in a 30 or so mile radius, this is the spot, folks.

53 East Main Street
Trumansburg, NY
607.387.4433

Coming to a home near you: Mozza To Go

Because we're on vacation in New York and Ithaca for a couple of weeks and I don't have much time to post, I'll just cannibalize my own Squid Ink LA Weekly post about the latest forthcoming addition to the Mozza Empire. Cheers! Yay! Etc.

Adventures in urban architectural agriculture and stupid bodily injuries

Traipsing around the rooftop garden known as SYNTHe near 8th Street just west of the 110 involves a lot more than just looking at pretty vegetable and herb plants. It requires watching your step, and overall engaging in an intense yet oddly soothing sensory activity. I knew the urban garden at The Flat apartment building and Blue Velvet restaurant was architect-designed, but I expected something along the lines of rows of pretty planting beds; what you get instead is hundreds of hand-installed galvanized metal panels painstakingly shaped into curvilinear forms that undulate into varying heights and widths. (The underside of the structure, which will transport you to a high school football field or parade route, is worth checking out, too.)

De LaB's well-organized garden party today featured the site's architect Alexis Rochas, an instructor at SCI-Arc, who explained components of the design process and fascinating subtle details, like how the soil contains different densities so that the structure can efficiently support the weight of the plants while most efficiently using water and other resources. It even includes tiers of lawn that will be left to let brown once the root system is soft enough to be suited for outdoor seating. A perfect example of form-follows-function. This is an awesome trend we should see a lot more of, since we truly have no excuse to NOT encourage this type of urban agriculture in Los Angeles.

I would have stayed for the lunch at Blue Velvet that followed, which featured foods cultivated six floors above, had the sharp corner of the fancy mod glass and steel door not gouged out a little chunk of my foot (and scraped my new pretty Miu Miu flats, dammit). I stopped the bleeding, then bailed in pain and a soured mood.

Unfortunately after all that exposure to clever aesthetic ingenuity, and treading so carefully on the rooftop, I left feeling foolishly accidently-prone and resenting at least one feature of contemporary design.

750 Garland Street
Downtown L.A./Central City West

Golden State Café: Great for the Little Dudes, too

The Golden State Café on Fairfax is smack dab in the heart of what J. Gold referred to as the "Dude District" in his Animal review. For those who aren't familiar with this exact location, it's historically L.A.'s second Borscht Belt (after Boyle Heights). Who would have thunk skater shops, galleries, and bakeries peddling braided challah and hamantaschen would stand side-by-side along Fairfax between Beverly and Melrose. Yet change-phobes, fret not: that strip still gently evokes the smells and grime of Essex Street as much as ever.

Gaggles of skater guys, along with their Bettys and some regular folk, can be seen eating food from the straight forward menu of locally sourced sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and beer/soda on tap at the Golden State, along with Scoops gelato. But it's unwittingly become something co-owners (and fellow alums of my high school) Jason and Jim didn't explicitly intend: a great kids' restaurant. It happens; just ask the management at Fred 62.

My Little Dude and I have started a fun ritual of going for lunch at G.S. after Plummer Park dates on Wednesdays when he's had a good workout and is ready to chow. The super casual spot with honestly exposed building materials (concrete, brick, steel) works perfectly for us. Walk up to the counter to order, then wait a few minutes for plates of Let's Be Frank dogs with hot delicious fries and romesco for dipping, and a lovely BLT for mom. Maybe with an order of tangy Persian cucumber salad, too. Meanwhile, we can people watch, or stare at ESPN playing on the flatscreen during the down times.

And next comes the main event: after pawing at the freezer case that teases, good behavior is rewarded with Scoops ice cream.

Apparently I'm not the only parent who's latched onto the Golden State's kid-appropriateness. Jason says on some weekend afternoons the cafe "looks like a day care." (And it's not even Swork!) But it's a fine balance between fun and chaotic, so selfishly, I hope Wednesdays remain relatively kid-light.

426 N. Fairfax Ave.
Fairfax/Dude District
(323) 782-8331

What's up with Palate decor, Citrus hours?

The Los Angeles food blogging community doesn't need another long ranty post about Palate Food + Wine in Glendale. We all know it became an instant hit with good reason, since it's a concept that totally satisfies our seasonal, creative desires, budgetary issues and need for down-to-earthness that the zeitgeist requires. Every dish I've had there, from scallops with clever citrus accompaniments to chicken rillete pot to pig trotters to pork belly to orange panna cotta to fabulous cheese plate (pictured), hits the mark.

First meal at the bar we had stellar service and meticulously prepared cocktails by the skilled bartender Antoine. Second meal was in the main dining room, but next time will be in the back wine room because that hot pink lighting hurts. Palate is so spot on in so many ways, but it's prime material for a Top Design makeover challenge. Presumably the incredible antique bar from Chinatown was jettisoned to make the transition from Cinnabar to Palate complete. Understandable. I don't think, however, that comically over-sized urns spilling over with fake grapes and those lights do the trick. It's not fun kitsch or rock n' roll, it's just weird. Sorry to be Debby Downer here.

On the other end of the design spectrum at Citrus at Social Hollywood, every interior detail is highly attended to. Lots of bacon-filled rich snacks at the bar made for a nice Friday night repast. I hear, however, its hours are now erratic? And their emailing list sign up seems to be non-functional, or they don't deign to keep just anyone in the loop. Might this mean Michel Richard will again be a totally DC-centric chef? Even if Chodorow is a bitch of a boss to answer to, something about that feels sad and wrong.

Back to basics: Taylor's Steakhouse

When it's 2008 and a local restaurant has been around since 1953, urgency isn't an issue unless it faces the wrecking ball. Such was my rationale for putting a visit to Taylor's Steakhouse on 8th Street on the back burner for so long. Why rush to step back in time?

But chasing the Next Big Thing gets tiring and annoying, and sometimes I want to sit at a big tables with tufted Naugahyde round booths or wingback chairs and eat huge plates of simple classic, unfussy American food. All the better for a good game of armchair sociology. (I wonder if a certain actress was doing more period restaurant research while we were there.) That, folks, is what Taylor's delivers. My dad thinks it's the "Canter's of steakhouses," i.e. shabby and bad. I think he must have ordered wrong and missed. Which can easily happen at Canter's too, so maybe he has a point.

Obviously I'm not providing secret tips here or any insight into a new culinary trend in Los Angeles. Just reminding people out there that it's O.K. to get back to basics, even if it's not always sustainable or organic. But it can be really fun, and tasty. Especially if you take our friend M.O.P.'s recs and order the prime rib with horseradish cream and cottage fries. I recommend a martini with olives, along with the creamed spinach and onion rings, and bring your own special bottles of wine ($12 corkage) since the list is adequate but unexciting. Pretty good value, too; try eating for under $50 per person at Cut or BLT, eh?       

Taylor's Steakhouse
3361 West 8th Street
Koreatown
213.382.8449

Downtown opening: Urth Caffé, now with fewer douchebags!

Or so we hope, since we count Urth's food and coffee among our guilty L.A. restaurant pleasures. At least they'll be DBs of perhaps a different variety than at the WeHo, BH and Santa Monica locations. And then let there be an official moratorium on the word "douchebag."

Anyway, when visiting Josh in his fab new digs at the Barker Block, we got free cappuccino Italia and lemonades. That's because Urth Caffé on Hewitt in the "Artists'" Loft District -- a factually obsolete neighborhood designation -- opens Monday. Just like most restaurant openings, it's been just a tad delayed. The brick pseudo industrial and Deco building with fancy tile work houses a full baking facility and a lot of Urth's operations, which should help hedge against this location's failure.  Stylistically it's a nice departure from Urth's other spots.

Soft opening is this Monday the 27th, and the official Grand Opening shindig is Sunday, November 16th from noon to 7:00 p.m.

Urth Caffe
451 South Hewitt Street
Downtown 90013
213.797.4534
 

Farewell to Florent...

My professional training and experience is entirely based on the fact that urban neighborhoods change. I accept and celebrate how things come, things go. Such are the endlessly fascinating and complicated cycles of city life.

Still, I'm really sad that Florent is no more.

Back in May, we received the best treatment I've ever had with kids in tow, anywhere. Crayons and coloring pages were brought to us, drinks were served in plastic cups (a moment of the practical trumping the environmental), frequent attention was paid to make sure we had all we needed.

The food satisfied young and old(er) alike. And relatively speaking, James was shockingly well-behaved; he stayed at the table the entire meal, which these days is unheard of. He somehow knew to not totally ruin the meal. My friend Rosanna hung in with us like a champ.

Did Florent Morellet envision his namesake all-hours restaurant as becoming that dreaded of all phrases, "kid friendly"? Of course not, but he stuck to restaurateursim as its best -- responding to the needs of his customers, whether outrageous drag queens or rowdy small kids. Florent evolved alongside the neighborhood it helped define, for better or for worse.

Just like other things associated with Florent, its loss will be felt for some time, even if physically the place will remain.