LA Loves Alex's Lemonade

For those of you who don't know yet, I am now the new Dine intern at L.A. Magazine. I've been helping with the online restaurant database and also blogging on the Digest blog. It's been great fun and I'm super excited for what's to come.

One of the biggest perks so far, was being able to attend L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade this past Sunday. I really had an amazing time. The weather was perfect, and the venue was beautiful, with the stately mansion at Culver City studios acting as the backdrop to the event. (some of Gone with the Wind was filmed on those steps!) The food was great, with a lot of out-of-town chefs I wouldn't normally get to experience.

Lemonade was definitely present in its traditional form and in boozy variations. Red and white checkered table clothes were thoughtfully placed on the green lawns in front of the mansion for those who wanted to have a little picnic. Grilling seemed to be the popular method of cooking, and it did get a little smokey at times, but it only added to the outdoorsy, picnic-y ambiance of the event.

The best thing about the event though, was how genuine everything felt. The event benefited Alex's Lemonade Stand which raises money to help fund research in the battle against childhood cancer. Cancer is something that a lot of people can relate to. I know my life was just recently touched by cancer, and it's not an easy thing to deal with. Listening to Suzanne Goin and David Lentz talked about how they were inspired to put this event together was beyond touching. I'm not gonna lie, when Alex Scott's parents talked about their daughter's strength and courage in battling her cancer, I teared up a bit.

The live auction that followed was actually very entertaining. I enjoyed it for two reasons: 1) the items being auction all involved food in one way or another (i.e. an underground tour of L.A. eateries with Jonathan Gold, a day with Alice Waters in Chez Panisse's kitchen, a dinner for 12 cooked by some of the best chefs in town...) Of course these things were going for thousands of dollars which puts them a little out of my budget, but it was fun fantasizing nonetheless and 2) the crowd was very enthusiastically participating in the auction. It's always great when you get something in return for giving to a good cause.

L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade 2010

Here are pictures of all the delicious bites we sampled that day.

Giada De Laurentiis

The Food Network [Los Angeles]

"pasta ponza"

Pasta topped with crispy prosciutto bits and breadcrumbs--simple, but the pasta was Giada-brand pasta!

Paul Kahan

blackbird, Avec, The Publican [Chicago]

"ham in hay"

Delicious house made chorizo with ham hock that was cooked in hay to give it a grassy, earthy flavor. It was topped with fresh farmer's cheese, apple slices, and dandelion greens. The chorizo was amazing!

Tony Keene

Gordon Ramsay at the London [West Hollywood]

"caramelized scallops with cpaer-raisin purée"

One of our favorite of the day. A tender piece of sweet scallop was crusted in crispy little rice puffs? on top of a creamy cauliflower purée.

Susan Spicer

Bayona [New Orleans]

"grilled rosemary shrimp with artichoke bread pudding

In hindsight, I should've enjoyed this dish more. It was too early in the day and I was too busy trying to plan out the best way to eat everything there. The shrimp was whatever, but that artichoke bread pudding was something else. I would kill for that recipe.

Judy Rodgers

Zuni Cafe [San Francisco]

"marin sun farms hamburger on rosemary focaccia"

We told ourselves we wouldn't finish the entire burger because then we'd be too full, but it was just so juicy and the home made pickles were so good, we ended up eating the entire thing...

Maria Hines

Tilth [Seattle]

"pete knutson's sock eye salmon, caper aïoli and niçoise oil"

This was tasty. You could definitely taste the brininess of the capers in there. I might have went back for another of these...

Johnathan Sundstrom

Lark Licorous [Seattle]

"wood grilled wagyu skirt steak with chimichurri and green tomato relish"

Good but nothing too special. I did enjoy the green tomato relish though.

Jonathan Waxman

Barbuto [New York]

"farmers market vegetables with grand aïoli"

I absolutely adored the "Zen" chef when he was on Top Chef Masters, but really Jonathan Waxman? Really? Just some raw vegetables with dip?

Chris Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco [Phoenix]

"seasonal antipasto"

Sadly, no pizza was to be seen. Although I guess it's hard to make a pizza outdoors...

Joseph Manzare

Globe [San Francisco]

"chicken robata with serano chili yuzu koshu"

Good but it was chicken and it just tasted like chicken. I could've used more yuzu koshu.

Neal Frazer

Grace [Los Angeles]

"whole pig in a box"

Definitely my favorite bite of the day. I wish I'd gotten a picture of them carving the whole pig. The meat was super flavorful and the mustard potatoes that accompanied it was delicious. I could've eaten an entire bowl of that stuff. The purple sauce that topped the dish was also very interesting. I'm not sure what it was, but look how cute Neal Fraser's daughter looks while piping on the sauce. I don't like kids but she was just too adorable.

Michael Tusk

Quince [San Francisco]

"quail and chicory salad with quince mostarda"

This was also another highlight of the day. The quail was delicious and the slightly sweet quince mostarda was great with it.

Donald Link

Cochon [New Orleans]

"assorted link sausages with chow chow and cochon's abita beer whole grain mustard"

These sausages were spicy!

Marc Vetri

Amis, Osteria, Verti Ristorante [Philadelphia]

"lamb mortadella sandwich with ricotta and honey"

While the ricotta and honey with nuts was interesting in a sandwich, it wasn't enough to overcome the fact that it was just a sandwich.

David Tanis

Chez Panisse [San Francisco]

"mexican crudité"

Really Chez Panisse? You too? Raw veggies and fruit?

Russel Moore

Camino [Oakland]

"boudin blanc with homemade sauerkraut"

Another sandwich I wasn't very interested in.

The Hungry Cat brought amazingly fresh oysters and shrimp. I may or may not have eaten more than my allotted share of oysters. It was oyster heaven.

Nancy Silverton

Mozza [Los Angeles]

"gelato bar"

Mint chocolate chip, espresso, meyer lemon, pistachio, passionfruit, vanilla, salted caramel, oh my! All the flavors were amazing. I know because we tried almost every flavor. Sadly, I was most excited about passionfruit, and that was the one they ran out of. The tangy, yogurt-y meyer lemon was my favorite out of the bunch.

Zoe Nathan

Huckleberry [Santa Monica]

"beignets with hot chocolate"

These were the best beignets I've ever had. Light and airy on the inside, crispy and sugar-crusted on the outside, it was like a warm cloud of deliciousness. The hot chocolate on the side wasn't necessary, but it added a nice touch.

Christina Olufson

Tavern [Brentwood]

carrot cake, salted caramel macarons, "Snickers" bar, chocolate chip cookies, s'mores, pumpkin cupcakes"

Tavern's spread of desserts took my breath away. The salted caramel macarons were the best I'd had on this side of the Atlantic. So amazing! The s'mores built from an incredibly crisp graham cookie, chocolate, and brulée homemade marshmallow were better than any s'mores I've ever had. The "Snickers" bar had a layer of peanut-y feuilletine on the bottom that was ridiculously good. The variety of desserts offered was spectacular, but it was the flavor and execution of each little bite that really impressed me.

Yeah...I definitely had too many desserts that day and I definitely took too many pictures of the macarons.

There were plenty of celebrity sightings that day--chef and non-chef. I'm not usually one to ask for pictures with celebrities, but we couldn't resist one with Giada! Oh and that kid from Modern Family...

I can't wait to love Alex's Lemonade some more next year!

Taste of the Nation: Los Angeles 2010

This was my first year attending Taste of the Nation, and it definitely will not be my last. I was impressed. The event was so well organized--there was no scramble for food, definitely no scarcity of food, and the whole atmosphere resembled that of a communal picnic of epic proportions under sunny blue skies. My kind of scene. Sitting underneath a tree in the grassy shade with a frisbee plate full of food prepared by some of the best chefs in L.A. is my kind of paradise.

I tried my best to pace myself, but I could hardly contain my excitement from the minute I entered the grounds to the very last bite I ate. Needless to say, I spent the entire three hours grabbing and trying every thing I could, eagerly moving from one booth to the next. I also tried to save desserts for last so that I would at least have some kind of order to my consumption--it worked except as a result, I missed out on certain things...such as Mercantile's homemade oreos. I will be ditching this technique next year. Who says dessert has to come last?

I had a hard time 1) picking out the pictures to use in this post because I took SO MANY that day and 2) deciding how to organize the whole thing. Do I present the restaurants and dishes in alphabetical order? From favorite to least favorite? In order of consumption? In the end, I went with the last option, namely because it allows me to relive the day, bite by bite, as I write this post. I figure, my appreciation of each dish was also affected by how late or early in the day I had it. Obviously as the day went on, I went from hungry to being ridiculously full. So here we go :)

Taste of the Nation: Los Angeles 2010

@Media Park in Culver City

XIV

hamachi tartare, nuoc cham gelee, caramelized lapxuoug, peanut caramel powder, compressed cucumber

braised and grilled Piedmontese beef cheeks, lime hoisin glaze, summer corn foam, micro cilantro

These were my first bites of the day, and they didn't disappoint. The beef cheek was tender and the hamachi dish was the best variation of raw fish I had all day. Both had an asian flair and they began the trend of a piece of braised meat on some kind of creamy base and that of overly sweet preparations.

Public Kitchen & Bar

watermelon, creme fraiche, tomato

duck & fennel sausage with foie gras, pink muscat grape/apple slaw

Public Kitchen & Bar is a new gastropub taking over what used to be Dakota in the Roosevelt Hotel and what they offered at TOTNLA was a preview of what's to come. At first I thought the creme fraiche was burrata, but sadly it wasn't. The watermelon itself was refreshing but, I'm not sure I loved this. The other dish was a duck sausage that tasted like italian sausage--probably because of the fennel. I didn't really get much foie gras in it, but the grape apple slaw was a nice touch.

Moonshadows

spicy tuna tartar

Not a fan of this--for an event like TOTNLA, stomach space is precious real estate and this tasted too much like something I could get at any fusion sushi place. It seemed to be a lot of people's favorite. The tuna was indeed very fresh, but the seaweed salad overpowered the fish just like it does everything else. There wasn't really anything all that exciting about it, other than the wasabi creme that burned all the way up my nose.

The Foundry on Melrose

grilled cheese

I finally got to try some of Chef Greenspan's famous grilled cheese. We hovered over this booth for a while, eagerly anticipating the gooey cheesiness frying up in butter. It didn't disappoint. The cheese was wonderfully melty and the bread was perfectly crusted. I'm not sure what kind of cheese it was but it reminded us of brie, and the bread had slightly sweet raisins and some nuts. I piece I ate only amounted to a quarter of an actual sandwich but it was rich enough to be satisfying...not sure I could finish an entire one.

Westside Tavern

short rib with caramelized onion, horseradish creme fraiche

Westside Tavern's offering was so good it surprised us. It didn't look or sound like much, but it was so well prepared. Sitting on top of a crispy crostini, the unassuming piece of short rib was melt-in-your mouth tender, the caramelized onions so amazingly sweet, while the horseradish balanced the whole bite.

Napa Valley Grill

Sweet Corn Agnolotti with La Quercia Pancetta

I didn't eat these two...my friend had an odd expression on after trying the tomato gelée so I figured I'd pass on it. Apparently the corn agnolotti was pretty standard. They were visually appealing though...

Bottega Louie

torchon foie gras with organic apple gastrique & marcona almond brittle

heirloom tomato, watermelon & feta salad

The torchon foie gras was my first favorite bite of the day. I loved how airy and crispy the little round of bread was, how seductively creamy the foie gras was, and how together, with the crunchy bits of almond brittle and sweet drizzle of apple gastrique, the whole thing made me swoon. I think I ate at least four of these throughout the day. I would've had more but they might've looked at me funny. The poor tomato, watermelon, feta salad couldn't to live up to the foie gras torchon. I think if it hadn't been sitting next to that little piece of perfection, it would've gotten a lot more attention from me. Even still, I thought the salad was a nice refreshing combination, and it's something I'm planning on repeating in my own kitchen this summer.

Nobu

miso marinated black cod with butter lettuce

I don't understand all the hype about Nobu's miso black cod. Sure, maybe he's the one that made it popular here in the U.S. but heck, that doesn't make his the best. And to be honest, miso marinated fish is not difficult to prepare. I thought it was too sweet. My mom does it better ;)

Mercantile/District

braised octopus, potato salad

pork belly, pickled watermelon rind, grits

I think out of all the restaurants at TOTNLA, Mercantile had the most offerings. Other than the octopus and pork belly, they had a passionfruit sangria, some kind of beer, a homemade oreo, and some other sweet dish. I only got to try the octopus and pork belly. Both were actually pretty good. The octopus was very tender, though slightly overwhelmed by the heavily seasoned potato salad underneath. The pork belly was deliciously fatty and the grits were nice and creamy. Again, a meat and creaminess combo.

Rivera

tortillas flor de calabaza

Rivera's tortillas were a revelation. I never used to be a fan of corn tortillas, but that's because I never knew they could be SO GOOD! They were amazing. Another favorite bite of the day. They were not only delicious, but also incredibly gorgeous. I love pressed flowers, and they're even better when they're edible :) If you've never had Rivera's tortillas get your ass downtown and try them NOW. Don't wait like I did. That green guacamole butter smear on top was also very tasty--creamy and spicy.

Akasha

pulled Niman pork on pretzel rolls with slaw & pickles

grilled market vegetable salad

I had heard that the best thing at Akasha was the pulled pork sliders. Sadly, they were dry and completely unremarkable. Grace/BLD was offering a similar pulled pork sandwich and theirs was much juicier. I took a picture of the salad just because. I didn't have any of it. Salad just really wasn't on my list of must-eats.

Culina

burrata with peperonata and Manni estra virgin olive oil "Toscano"

I grabbed this without thinking and it turned out to be a delight. I think it may just be because I love burrata.

FIG

FIG dog with bacon habanero marmalde, cheesy comte fondue and fritos

Taco dog with all-beef weiner, slow-braised carnitas, guacamole, creamed rajas, homemade escabeche, thinly-sliced radish, sesame seed bun

So basically, I got bullied into taking a hot dog at the FIG booth. I wanted one of the FIG frisbees to use as a plate--ingenious, I know--but they wouldn't give me one without taking a hot dog. In retrospect, I'm glad the dog was forced upon me because later on in the day, they ran out of the taco dog. It was actually very good. It was just...a WHOLE hot dog. Where am I going to get the stomach space for that? How much food did I already consume? How much MORE am I going to eat? One day, I will visit the FIG hot dog cart just for a hot dog and enjoy it on an empty stomach. But really, the flavor combination of carnitas, guac, and the awkwardly large slice of sweet and spicy pickled carrot actually worked pretty well on top of a hot dog instead of a taco shell.

Fraiche

albacore tuna tartar, harissa aioli, potato chips

Tasted like potato chip with some creamy dip...honestly, could not really tell it was tuna.

Bistro LQ

soy milk white chocolate ice cream, america caviar

macarons--pistachio, black sesame, lemon, salted caramel, chocolate

chilled porcini soup, mirabelle coulis, foie gras chantilly/espuma

I wasn't a big fan of Bistro LQ's offering at The Gold Standard and really didn't enjoy the similar tapioca-like dish they at had TOTNLA. Their sweets, on the other hand (namely the macarons) I loved. The minute I saw the macarons out of the corner of my eye, I made a beeline for them. The miniature sized macarons were pleasant in texture and not too cloyingly sweet. The salted caramel macaron, especially, was delectable. Luckily, I got the last one :) The pistachio were also very good. I didn't get to try the chocolate but considering how the other ones were, I'm willing to bet the chocolate ones were great as well. Bistro LQ also had a little cone of white chocolate ice cream with caviar. It sounds like a great idea, but I really didn't end up getting much from the caviar. The little cone it came in tasted like a buttery langue de chat. It could potentially be a great flavor combination--if only it had been more forceful.

Border Grill/Ciudad

cochinita pibil tostaditas

yellowtail ceviche

I love the Border Grill truck--it's only the only food trucks I get excited for. The bite-sized tostaditas were tasty but nothing too special. The best part was being offered a tostadita by Susan Feniger herself. Love her! The second offering was apparently a yellowtail ceviche, but I didn't eat very much of it. I was excited to see the bits of pig's ear but the whole thing just had a weird taste that didn't agree with me.

Comme Ça

tomato gazpacho with strawberry sorbet and shaved foie gras

Shaving foie gras seems to be getting more and more popular nowadays. My friend Andrew informed me that it was actually David Chang of Momofuku who started doing it. Although Comme Ça's gazpacho looked like it just experienced a foie gras blizzard, I didn't get much foie gras flavor out of it. It was, however, interesting and I enjoyed the combination of the sweet strawberry sorbet with the acidic tomato gazpacho.

Hatfield's

horseradish dusted braised short rib on smoked potatoes

creme fraiche cheesecake with blueberry compote

I finally got to try some Quinn and Karen Hatfield's creations, and they were nothing short of amazing. Hatfield's short rib was one of the best preparations of short rib I've ever had. Definitely one of my favorite bites. From what I understand, this is a dish that is currently on their tasting menu. They meat was perfectly cooked--just look at that beautiful pink color! The potatoes also added a nice smokey layer to the entire dish. And the dessert! This cross between a delicate cheesecake and smooth panna cotta, sitting on top of a sugary graham cracker, and finished with a blueberry compote was the best variation of cheesecake I've ever had. I know, I've already announced quite a few favorites but this is another one of my honest-to-god favorite bites!

Bar 210

POM spherification

thai shrimp skewer

"grown-up" snow cone

The POM spherification literally popped and started fizzing in my mouth. I appreciate that the carbonation made it different from all the other spherifications I've had. It was in one word, fun. The "grown-up" snow cone had vodka, cucumber, and something else and was interesting. However, I can't say I'd want an entire cone of it. The cool smoke from the liquid nitrogen billowing out from the stand mixer definitely helped me cool down though. It was hot that day! The thai skewer I also wasn't very fond of. The shrimp was only okay.

Mar'sel

barbequed beef bahn mi with house pickled vegetables and chili aioli

California avocado salad, fresh hearts of pal, persian cucumber, yogurt, lemon and dill

I wasn't interested in this bahn mi and from what I heard, it wasn't all that great...

Osteria Mozza/Pizzeria Mozza

vanilla panna cotta with mized berry compote and biscotti

I wanted to love Mozza's panna cotta, but I really didn't. The flavors were kind of bland and the nutty biscotti didn't help it. I wish they'd brought some kind of cheese...maybe mozzarella?

Sprinkles Cupcakes

vanilla, black and white, red velvet

I can't resist Sprinkles cupcakes as it is...bake them miniature size and I'm even more in love. They were so cute! Of course, I got the red velvet and ate it in two bites even though at this point, I was already stuffed. I think I actually prefer them miniature sized. The frosting to cake proportion was perfect for me.

Patina

marinated hamachi, cucumber vinegar, avocado, granny smith apple

crispy chocolate hazelnut, chocolate mousse

I took one look at the chocolate-colored square and just knew it would be a chocolate hazelnut concoction. I was right. It was basically just a square of chocolate hazelnut mousse on top of a crispy feuilletine. Good but nothing mind-blowing. The marinated hamachi, however, was served on this adorable wooden spoon. Yes, I kept the spoon :) it was too cute. I also love when they break out the tweezers haha. The hamachi itself was good and all the announced flavors were there but they were just a little disparate. I don't think they were working together harmoniously.

Eva

charred beef, grated radish

We walked by Eva's booth and Mark Gold was munching on a Riviera tortilla topped with his charred beef. So what do we do? Do the same thing of course! It was the best improvisation we did all day. So good. Eva's beef wasn't fussy at all--hibachi grilled instead of, for example, cooked sous vide--but still wonderfully tender while maintaining the integrity of the meat itself. It was a very good piece of unadulterated beef.

Ford's Filling Station

lamb burger with wild arugula, spicy tomato chutney and melted Wisconsin hook's baby blue

I was already too full by this point so I only had a bite of this. Fairly good. I thought the blue cheese complimented the lamb very well, but I'm not sure I'd want an entire burger.

BLT Steak

shortrib tortelli "caramelles," sweet corn, chantrelles, summer truffle

This was good, but I wasn't gushing over it. I actually had the tortelli with some of Kerry Simon's grilled skirt steak and I think that added a little more flavor to the whole bite. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of Simon LA's offering. First fail of the day.

Lago

housemade parmesan gelato with market grape tomatoes "caprese-style" and 12-year balsamic vinegar

By this time, we were getting close to 4 o'clock and most of the restaurants were either out of food or just starting to pack up. Despite the melted gelato, Lago's offering was actually pretty interesting. It was very much like a caprese salad dressed in a cool, cheesy soup.

Lucques/AOC/Tavern

olive oil cake with citrus and pistachio aillade

Initially, I wasn't in love with this olive oil cake. However, after a few bites, I realized I actually liked it a lot. The texture reminded me of cornbread, probably as a result of the use of semolina flour, and it was soaked in a fragrant olive oil. The pistachio that topped the little cake was probably the best part of the whole thing. The fresh tangerine segments added a burst of citrus.

Intelligentsia Coffee

cappuccino

We ended the day with a cup of coffee from Intelligentsia. It was not only beautifully poured, but also simply one of the best cappuccinos I've ever had. Smooth and dreamy, not harsh at all, I wish I could have a cup of cappuccino like this every day.

It was a great food-filled day, and I can't wait until next year's TOTNLA!