Eating Los Angeles
29th October, 2023
I left an England being drenched with Autumn rain, the gardener in me grateful with a new garden just planted at the cottage, and the sun lover in me grateful to be leaving. We’ve only recently landed in LA after a decade on the East Coast, Steve’s job as a commissioner at the Food Network bringing us here. The huge blue skies have been almost unfaultering, beach life is lovely (if no closer than in London traffic considered) and we’ve eaten very well. Sharing here some seasonal treats and new treasures found over the last week.
I’m a huge Nancy Silverton fan, I imagine us friends. She’s a face that seems forever similing and the very best of food sensabilities. Until that friendship blossoms, I’ll keep enjoying her restaurants here and the lovely Pizzeria Mozza in London. Steve picked me up from the airport late last Friday and we stopped by Triple Beam Pizza (Nancy’s does Dominos) for an Acorn squash, Mozzarella and Cacio di roma cheese pizza, the generous slug of honey and crushed red pepper flakes icing the cake. With the bottle of natty rose, LA loves natty, it marked a delicious reunion and the start of a tasty week.
Canyon fast became my favourite coffee shop locally, around the corner in Echo Park. It is beautifully designed, has an endless stream of faces to marvel at, and their coffee is always spot on. Their Afternoon Decaf is the best tasting decafs I’ve got my hands on; we’ve been enjoying it all week.
I am easily distracted. Good sleep and eggs for breafast help, but I hadn’t got as far as eating when I started researching where to have dinner. Before i knew it I was in a bagel hole. I’d consumed an Eater LA article of the best places in town for bagels, and had decided that Courage Bagels was first stop on my day off. Located on Virgil Avenue, opposite lovely Sqirl which has sprouted significantly since I was last there, this place was a buzz. These bagels were exactly as I like them, cooked to blistered perfection (“burnt’ everything meant a clever balance of bitter sweet), with a light and springy crumb. Cream cheese, zaatar, olive oil and the tastiest tomatoes, it was the prettiest second breakfast I could have asked for.
Great White is one of those spots that capture exactly the spirit of LA that I dream of on wet days in London. It’s just off the boardwalk in Venice, is run by beautiful tanned people in a beautilful neutrally decorated room, the food is bright and crunchy and mostly virtuous. It makes an excellent spot for weekend brunch, and as it turns out so to does a Watermelon Shandy. Freshly pressed watermelon juice, lager, lime and chilli salt rim. So good, surprisingly.
Date night was to the recently opened Queen Street, around the corner in Eagle Rock. West coast oysters, followed by a couple of big plates to share (reluctantly at the idea, but relieved when it came to is as both really good). Swordfish served with a really good crab rice - hearty, lovely. And a plate of chicken with a salty yuzu glaze and the very best hand cut frites, the two married with a bright and spicy aoili. Inspired by Charleston they say, and it did remind me of the excellent Leon’s Oyster Shop, it felt perfectly west coast to me. The front of house team were amazing, and can’t wait for another date night at Queen Street.
Other notable moments: Bubs & Grandmas Onion Breakfast and their amazing olive and almond salad (biggest bowl of perfectly marinated olives with plenty of crunch and toasted almonds), steak tartare bruschetta at Bacetti, immunity booster from Erewhon (2 did the trick!), Rosie P’s Pale Pink rose from Municipal Winemakers Funk zone spot in Santa Barbara. etc etc!