Mixology on Main Street: Areal Opens in Santa Monica

If you've stopped by Harvard & Stone and Black Market and wondered where Rich Andreoli and Mia Sarazen are, the answer is Santa Monica.  Andreoli created the cocktail program at the new Areal and brought in Sarazen as his partner behind the bar.  Areal is located in the longtime home of World Cafe, so don't be surprised if you see several confused patrons enter the bar wondering what happened or where they are.  If they try one of Andreoli or Sarazen's cocktails, they will know that intentionally or not, they have come to the right place.

Fans of mezcal will enjoy the Single Village Fix pictured above which contains mezcal, fresh lime juice and pineapple gomme (syrup).  I couldn't resist talking a (rather large) sip before snapping the photo.  The smokiness of the Del Maguey Vida mezcal and the citrus of the lime and pineapple make a robust balanced but refreshing cocktail.

The White Wedding, pictured below, may appear like a tall glass of sweet but looks can be deceiving as the base of the drink is white whiskey, the term for unaged whiskey.  Fresh lime juice, maraschino, Chartreuse, tonic and creole bitters round out the ingredients.  I am not a fan of quinine, but the tonic did not predominate.  Another balanced cocktail; the Chartreuse binds all the flavors together.

Cocktail Menu

The Lily: Reposado tequila, fresh lemon and lime juices, agave, grapefruit soda.

Moskow Mule: Vodka, ginger, fresh lime juice, soda water, bitters.

East Side Fizz: Gin, fresh lime juice, mint, cucumber, soda water.

Cameron's Kick: Scotch, Irish Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, orgeat.

Anejo Old Fashioned: Anejo tequila, agave, bitters, grapefruit essence.

Secretariat: Bourbon, pistachio honey, walnut liqueur, sweet vermouth, lavender bitters.

Negroni: Gin, Carpano Antica, Gran Classico.

Corpse Reviver: Gin, Lillet, Cointreau, lemon juice, absinthe rise.

Original Sazerac: Cognac, bitters, sugar, absinthe rinse.

Infante: Bianco tequila, fresh lime juice, orgeat, rose water, nutmeg.

Single Village Fix: Mezcal, fresh lime juice, pineapple gomme.

White Wedding: White whiskey, fresh lime juice, Maraschino, Chartreuse, tonic water, creole bitters.

Areal: 2820 Main Street, Santa Monica.  Phone: 310.392.1661 | Website: www.arealrestaurant.com

Milo and Olive: Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan's Pizzeria Opens in Santa Monica

Santa Monica based restaurateurs Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan of Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry and Sweet Rose Creamery have opened their latest outpost in their burgeoning Santa Monica constellation, Milo & Olive.  The restaurant, named for their one year old son, first opened two weeks ago serving breakfast and pastries and began serving pizza this past Thursday.  The close proximity of the restaurants is reminiscent of Danny Meyer's collection of restaurants from Union Square to Madison Square Park in Manhattan.  The chef is Evan Funke, who still helms Rustic Canyon, but is at Milo & Olive full time as it gets off the ground.

In addition to pizza, the menu contains sections for "veggies and grains", fish, meat and salads.  The restaurant only has two eight seat communal tables and an eight seat bar that faces the kitchen, so be prepared to sit with others.  On Sunday evening there was already a wait for a table and takeout, so this is not a hidden find.

Free Range Chicken Meatballs from the meat section of the menu are served in a roasted tomato sauce with arugula on top.  The chicken meatballs are moist and flavorful but the secret weapon in this dish is the tomato sauce.  It is spicy in the best way, with a pleasing ting to it but not a blow your tastebuds effect.  I sopped up the remaining sauce with some of the pizza crust.  If Milo & Olive bottled this sauce, I would buy it.

Chef Funke recently came back from a three week trip to Italy where he tried thirty pizzas as well as dozens of other dishes.  One thing he learned was that in pastas that do not use cheese, bread crumbs are often used to the same effect.  Funke applied this technique to his Fusilli with eggplant, black olives, sweet peppers and toasted bread crumbs.  The bread crumbs act almost as an aged parmesan, providing  a textural contrast to the pasta.  The fusilli noodles themselves were the longest I have ever eaten.  The pasta, a long curlicue, is like a rotini on steroids in that the length can be a foot long, and the curls trap the sauce within them, ensuring every bite has depth of flavor.

The reason for coming to Milo & Olive for dinner is the pizzas.  Funke said that not only each region, but often each town would have its own style of pizza making, and as such he has not sought to emulate any particular style but rather make his own sui generis type.  His pizzas cook for approximately eight minutes in the oven; these are not the 90 second quick cooking with intense heat pies.  Arugula, farm egg and anchovies can be added to any pizza for a small surcharge.  When presented with the option of a farm egg, it behooves a diner to take advantage.

The Margherita pizza ($14) (above) was made with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil, olive oil, sea salt and the aforementioned egg.  The egg was runny, which made for good spreading across the pie.  The crust held up with no limp center to the slices.  The sauce was less spicy than the marinara used on the chicken meatballs and the cheese was lightly sprinkled on top.  This is a pizza pie I can recommend and is my new favorite west of the 405.  As a bonus, the restaurant is open until 11 pm seven nights a week, which is a boon to the neighborhood.

Note that there is no signage, so look for the line of hungry people and a blue oven you can see through the plate glass windows.

Milo & Olive: 2723 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica. Phone: 310.453.6776.  Website: miloandolive.com

In Pursuit of Excellence: Josiah Citrin's New Cookbook

Josiah Citrin, the Executive Chef at Melisse, wrote and published his first cookbook, In Pursuit of Excellence.  The book is over 200 pages of photos and recipes from Citrin's kitchen.  Melisse has long been considered one of the top restaurants in Southern California and the Santa Monica restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars in their most recent Los Angeles guide.  Melisse opened over twelve years ago in 2009, and the chef, a Santa Monica native, is there daily supervising and creating dishes.

The phrase "In Pursuit of Excellence" started out as a sign in the Melisse kitchen "to remind me, to remind my staff, to remind everybody here what we are trying to achieve: excellence," Citrin explained.  He continued that whether people cook recipes directly out of the book or whether they are inspired to try a new technique by one of his recipes, any idea that he can share to help readers make a better meal is a success.

In Pursuit of Excellence is out of stock at Amazon.com but is available for purchase at Melisse for $45.

Melisse: 1104 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica.  Website: http://melisse.com/

Wilshire is a delight

Wilshire Restaurant is a standard bearer for New American cuisine in Santa Monica.  The restaurant which is known for its beautiful back patio has also been known for the talent in the kitchen.  Longtime executive chef Andrew Kirschner left earlier this year and was replaced by rising star Nyesha Arrington, who had been the Executive Chef at Caché.  Previously she had worked with Josiah Citrin at Melisse and at Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas.  Arrington is becoming known to a wider audience through her participation on the current season of Top Chef, now airing on Bravo and the formal announcement of her position as Executive Chef coincided with the announcement of this season's cast of cheftestants.

I recently had dinner at Wilshire with a friend in the restaurant business and we shared much of the menu.  Several of the highlights are pictured below.  Overall the food was approachable and tasted good.  This was not tweezer food, although it was attractively plated.

The Heirloom Tomato Salad with burrata was served with aged balsamic.  The combination of fresh heirloom tomatoes with burrata can be a cliche, but if it is executed well, like at Wilshire, it can remind you of why it is so popular.  Arrington lets the quality of the ingredients shine through; my dining companion and I fought for the last forkful of cheese.

Maggie's Farm Caesar Salad is another take on a classic, with large crisps of toast standing in for the croutons and with white anchovy.  The parmesan gave it a pleasant salty tang.

Cool pate with preserves and warm toast fresh out of the oven is always welcome on my table.  The pate was creamy and unctuous and the fruit provided a pleasant acidity as a counterpoint.

Whole fishes are a favorite of mine and the Whole Grilled Branzino was no exception.  The light fish was served with a fennel salad and typical of Arrington's style was prepared simply and well executed.  A squeeze of lemon and we happily devoured the whole fish, including the cheeks.

The Ribeye with tempura onion rings was a fitting end to our meal.  The beef was nicely rosy, medium rare as asked, and deep in flavor.  The crunch of the onion ring was quite good and this onion ring had none of the grease that is so often found in versions of the dish.

Sitting in the back patio at Wilshire is a real pleasure, especially as the food matches or exceeds the setting.  There can sometimes be a scene in the front bar lounge area, but when you step outside onto the patio, it is like leaving Los Angeles behind.  Arrington stopped by our table and she mentioned that she has brought on many new purveyors and farmers whom she had relationships with from her prior experience working at Citrin's restaurants.  I look forward to seeing the menu continue to develop.  I have a feeling that Arrington's profile will grow in this town, mostly from her cooking but also from her television appearances where her genuineness comes through.

So request a table on the patio and have a leisurely dinner.  Relax, you will be in good hands.

Our meal was hosted.

Wilshire Restaurant: 2454 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica.  Phone: (310) 586-1707.  Website: wilshirerestaurant.com

First Impression: Pizzeria Stella Rossa

Los Angeles is in the midst of a pizza renaissance.  In the past few months we've seen a ton of openings such as Mother Dough in Los Feliz, Urbano in Downtown, Sotto in West LA and Stella Rossa in Santa Monica and more are to come including a pizzeria from Adam Fleishman of Umami Burger.  The opening of Pizzeria Mozza in November of 2006 began the wave, which appears to be cresting this year.

Jeff Mahin, pictured above, is the pizzaiolo at Stella Rossa.  The restaurant on Main Street in Santa Monica shares an entrance with M Street Kitchen, in the former La Grande Orange space.  Mahin has a fine dining background, cooking most recently in Chicago at L2.0, a restaurant which shares the same owner as Stella Rossa.  During a recent meal sitting at the bar in front of the pizza oven, Mahin seemed affable and calm.

The crust on the Margherita pizza had a good consistency with nice crispness, but it was a tad too thick for my taste.  When I lifted up a slice, there was no droop at all, it remained flat like a cracker.  The tomato sauce was the weakness for me in that I found it bland.  More herbs would have suited it better.

The mushroom pizza was more successful, perhaps because it did not have the tomato sauce.  The Shaved Mushroom pizza had gruyère cheese, melted onions, black truffle, torn parsley, rosemary, thyme on it in addition to the eponymous shaved mushrooms.  The fragrance of the truffle was evident.  I had some of the leftovers for breakfast the next day and they were better than they were at dinner.  Such things may be mysteries of the universe or the crust may have changed consistency in my refrigerator.  We will never know but I am glad for the end result.

FYI, Stella Rossa is loud, so don't go for an intimate conversation.  I think Jay Weston was smoking crack when he claimed that Stella Rossa serves the best pizza in town, perhaps the world.   Who knows what kind of mushrooms were on his pizza.  It wasn't even the best pizza I had last month, which was Urbano.

Stella Rossa: 2000 Main Street, Santa Monica.  Phone: (310) 396-9250.  Website: http://stellarossapizzabar.com/

Notorious FIG

FIG in the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica is a restaurant that isn't shy about proclaiming its focus on local and seasonal ingredients.  The bottom of the menu lists which produce is "just arrived," peak season," and "coming soon."  When I dined here on Friday, Chef Ray Garcia was away at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, so I hoped for the best.  On a previous visit, for my birthday last year, I found the cuisine to be competent but boring.  Nothing got me excited to take another bite.  I am happy to say that on this visit, the food was well seasoned, flavorful and had my party eating with gusto.

We began with a sampling of charcuterie and cheese (above) which was a gift of the house.  A dining companion of mine had hosted an event at the hotel several months ago and the rest of us were all the fortunate recipients of this thank you.  The pork eaters in our group laid waste to the meat, including a spreadable salami, while I enjoyed the various cheeses.  A fun way to begin the meal.

The Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait was a big winner.  Decadent and served with warm toasts and fig marmalade.  Spreading a little marmalade on the toast and then a thick layer of the parfait was rich and delicious.  There were smiles all around the table with this dish.

We had the Queso Fundido without the chorizo and I am not sure what the point was of this dish.  Melted chese and some housemade tortillas.  Uninteresting and one dimensional.  Perhaps the chorizo was required in order for this dish to work.  A rare miss.

The Braised Tongue with tomatillo and breakfast radish was another success.  It was like melt in your mouth brisket.  We ordered this dish based on a recommendation from Vxronica and boy was she right.  This was not a dish I would have likely selected otherwise.  The radishes were a nice crunchy textural contrast to the soft braised tongue.

The Duck Rillette had a similar presentation to the foie and chicken liver.  Stick to the foie and chicken liver as once you have had that, this is a pale imitation.  Although I thought it was just OK, others at my table made quick work of it.  There is something fun about food presented in mason jars; it feels rustic.

Buffalo Mozzarella with Hand Mashed Pesto was tangy and the pesto was top notch.  It has been a while since I have had mozzarella served like this; lately burrata seems to dominate menus.

The pièce de résistance of our dinner may have been the Cote de Boeuf for Two.  This monster of a prime steak was aged for 32 days before being cooked.  It had real beefy flavor and was big enough for several of us to share.  To accompany it we shared the Asparagus with paprika and lemon, the Brussels Sprouts, the French Fries, and Bordeaux Spinach.  It was cooked medium, as asked, although with some redder slices, which I availed myself of.

We were too full for dessert.  This meal won me over and I'd certainly return without reservations.  I am chalking down my prior visit to an anomaly.

Note:  When I went to retrieve my car from the hotel valet, they could not find it.  It took them a frantic forty minutes of searching to find it in their overflow lot, by which time my dinner companions were long gone and I had to cancel the drinks plans I had for afterwards.  I spoke to the manager of the hotel this week and he apologized profusely.  This was not the fault of the restaurant but just be aware when you valet your car at the Fairmont that it may not come back in a timely manner.

FIG: 101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica. In the Fairmont Hotel.  Phone: (310) 319-3111.  Website: www.figsantamonica.com

Asparagus Steps Into the Spotlight for Its 15 Minutes

As Spring has arrived, the bounty available at our local farmers markets has expanded and there are more varieties of tasty (and healthy) seasonal fruits and veggies available to us here in Southern California.  This week restaurateur Michael McCarty of Michael's restaurant in Santa Monica will be hosting a Market Meet-Up on Wednesday, April 27th that will focus on all things asparagus.

During these monthly meet-up events, McCarty invites participants to his eponymous restaurant to begin the morning with some fresh baked goods before strolling together to the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers’ Market to learn more about what seasonal produce is available, as well as his tips and tricks for navigating the market and selecting the best ingredients. The walk is a scant two blocks, so no need to worry that you have to hike to earn your breakfast.

At the Farmers' Market, McCarty will show you around, introduce you to his favorite farmers, and demonstrate his "top secret" methods of picking the best ingredients. Following the market visit, you will walk back for a late breakfast featuring the monthly ingredient, which as stated above is Asparagus.  After munching away on some tasty asparagus dishes, you'll get the recipes too so you can replicate them at home.

So what dishes will McCarty be whipping up for your pleasure?  You'll begin with the Multiple Tastes of Asparagus: Pickled Pencil Asparagus with Chives Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pickled Ginger Asparagus Soup with Toasted Pistachios.  That is followed up with Seared Halibut: with Asparagus Ravioli, Zuckerman Farm’s Jumbo Green Asparagus and Dutch White Asparagus, Grilled Asparagus Beurre Blanc.  Not too shabby a way to begin your day.

The event costs $60 per person and for that you get hot out of the oven warm cinnamon rolls and cappuccinos, the market tour, breakfast with Michael and a copy of his cookbook as well as recipes to take home. Some vino will be poured to pair with your breakfast.  It all begins at 8:30 am on Wednesday morning at his restaurant, so be there bright eyed and bushy tailed to celebrate asparagus.

Michael's: 1147 Third Street Santa Monica, CA 90403 www.michaelssantamonica.com

Reservations: (310) 451-0843

Artisanal LA Comes to Santa Monica this Weekend

Artisinal LA will be hosting their Spring Show at the newly revamped Santa Monica Place this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.  The event, a celebration of local craft food and beverage makers will include chef demos, expert panels, talks on craft beer and local honey and opportunities to shop and learn.

The location is a 50,000 square foot space off of the 3rd Floor Dining Deck at Santa Monica Place.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.  A full list of participants is here, but be sure to look for the hand crafted pizzas from Mystic Pizza LA and don't miss Library Bar head bartender Matt Biancaniello's market fresh cocktails demonstration (Saturday at 1 pm).  Sunday's highlights include a butchering demonstration and a local craft beer panel.

There will also be an opportunity to get a sneak preview of "The Market" at Santa Monica Place and the vendors there before next month's grand opening.  In addition to getting to shop and learn, attendees can nosh at two cafe areas, one from Intelligentsia and the other from the soon to open Daily Dose.  The icing on this delicious cake is that some of the proceeds will benefit St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, which brings hot nutritious meals to homebound senior citizens in Los Angeles.

A Garden Grows in Your Glass: Michael's Restaurant

Michael's Restaurant in Santa Monica was one of the originators of California cuisine and focuses on the seasonal bounty available locally here in Southern California.  Founder/owner Michael McCarty still aims to provide his customers with the freshest ingredients simply prepared to let them shine.  Now he has brought that same approach to the cocktails at his restaurant.  Michael's hired bartender Jason Robey to revamp the cocktail program and the restaurateur has such faith in the new program that he has reconfigured the restaurant to devote the entire interior space to a lounge setting with small bites and cocktails and with the garden functioning as the primary dining room.

Robey, most recently of Bar Kitchen in Downtown Los Angeles and Les Deux in Hollywood, has created a list of cocktails that emphasize the local produce, with lots of infusions and other house made ingredients.  I was recently invited to a media tasting to sample the new cocktails and bar bites.  I joined forces with Daniel of Thirsty in LA to try the full range of drinks and food.

The Regional Export is made with Jefferson Reserve Bourbon, Kelt VSOP Cognac, orgeat, vanilla simple syrup, lemon and egg white.  It is frothy and sweet but not overly so.  This take on the whiskey sour was a pleasant beginning to the tasting.

My personal favorite was the Karai Karai as it is spicy with a citrus tang.  It is made with Yamazaki 12 yr Single Malt Whiskey from Japan, Jalapeño-Bell pepper simple syrup, lemon, grapefruit and basil, with jalapenos floating in it as a garnish.  There was no denying the spiciness of this drink, even if the visible Jalapeño wasn't enough of a clue.  I am a big fan of the Yamazaki and it stood up well to the potent pepper.

The Schipol Layover is made with Bols Genever, Cynar, lemon juice, avocado honey and grapefruit juice.  The avocado honey, a new ingredient to me, is made with honey from an avocado grove and does not involve any avocados proper, although the honey tastes different than traditional honey.  The name of this cocktail is a tip of the hat to the Genever, as it refers to the airport in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, where Genever is the national drink.

The Mary Rose is a mixture of Cranberry-Ginger Tito's Vodka, vanilla simple syrup, lime, and garnished with charred rosemary.  The charring of the rosemary adds a dramatic element to the cocktail.  When Daniel and I first got to Michael's, we saw Joel Black flaming some rosemary and the scent carried to us.  The cocktail itself did not have a lot of depth.

The final drink on the introductary list is the Big Red Hat, which is surprisingly yellow, not red.  The cocktail is made with Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, lime juice, lemon clove simple syrup, fresh lavender, and finished with a grapefruit foam.  The Big Red Hat is refreshing and light but with a backbone and strong citrus elements.  Each of the drinks is $12.

The new cocktail menu coincided with the launch of a new bar bites menu.  The options include Yellowtail Crudo ($12), Duck Prosciutto ($10), a Slider Duo ($12), and Sage & Lemon Popcorn ($8).

The Yellowtail Crudo arrived as three Chinese spoons of yellowtail sashimi topped with citrus, micro greens and sea salt.  These were light and tasty. Below, the Duck Prosciutto is served on top of crostini with arugula and pickled citrus.  The duck was good but the portion size feels small.

My favorite of the Bar Bites were the Duo of Sliders: one with Foie Gras and Market Berry Mostarda and the other with Wagyu Beef and Shaft's Blue Cheese.  These little sliders were rich and just a couple of bites each but full of as much flavor as a full size hamburger.

I'd agree with Daniel's assessment that the popcorn is the least interesting option, as it didn't taste of either sage or lemon.  The sliders and the yellowtail are attractive options to munch on while you enjoy Robey's new cocktails.

At $12 each, Robey's produce focused cocktails are fairly priced and it is great to see Michael's continue to evolve and extend its innovations from the plate to the cocktail glass.  The roof of the restaurant is being planted with produce for the bar program, so this summer expect some exciting things.  Robey is not afraid of spicy, even in Santa Monica, which bodes well for fans of well crafted cocktails.  Another big plus for the program is its setting as Michael's is relaxed but lively.  McCarty himself was there on the night I visited and he is enthusiastic about the changes.  It is commendable that McCarty is not afraid of making changes.  I recommend you check it out for yourself.

Michael's: 1147 3rd Street, Santa Monica.  Phone: (310) 451-0843.  Website: http://www.michaelssantamonica.com/

Satisfying but not soulful: SUGARFISH by Nozawa

SUGARFISH, the chainlet of sushi restaurants owned and created by Chef Nozawa, the infamous sushi nazi of Sushi Nozawa.  Nozawa is known for his warm rice style sushi, his fanatical following, as well as being well ahead of the curve on refusing substitutions and modifications.

Unlike his flagship on Ventura Blvd, the SUGARFISH chain, with outlets in Downtown LA, Marina Del Rey, Brentwood and Santa Monica, does not have a sushi bar.  All the preparation is done in the kitchen.  The menu is simple with three pre-set combinations accounting for most of the menu, which reads "Almost everyone orders one of the three Trust Me’s; however, you are welcome to order a la carte."  The three combinations are known as Trust Me, Trust Me Lite and The Nozawa, which are the medium, small and large of the menu.

I opted for the Trust Me, which included Edamame, Tuna Sashimi, Albacore & Salmon sushi, Yellowtail and Halibut sushi, Toro hand roll, Yellowtail hand roll (subbed for a crab hand roll).  The items came out in 5 courses, beginning with the edamame and the tuna sashimi (above).  The sashimi was in a sauce and was a nice start to the meal.

The nigiri portion of the meal began with the albacore and salmon sushi (above).  The albacore was sauced with ponzu and the salmon had sesame seeds on top.  The salmon was especially good.

The second nigiri course was yellowtail and halibut.  (above)  These like the previous fish were of good quality but did not elicit the joy of exceptional sushi.  The final courses were the toro roll and the yellowtail roll.  The waiter initially suggested forgoing the toro roll in favor of the yellowtail, but when I told him I couldn't eat the crab roll, I got to try both of the previously mentioned rolls and the toro was superior.

SUGARFISH is handy if you are looking for a quick meal or with indecisive people, as the menu makes most of the decisions for you.  They were flexible about my not eating shellfish, happily substituting the yellowtail roll for the crab hand roll.  They served the nigiri two orders at a time, so you could eat them while the rice was still warm, which I appreciated as so many restaurants serve the entire order of sushi at once to patrons seated at tables.  The pricing was fair for what was delivered, with the Trust Me priced at $28.50.

The drawback to SUGARFISH is that the fish is good but not exceptional.  There is also no opportunity for the interaction and subtle (or not so subtle) feedback with the sushi chef, so your meal can evolve to your taste.  It is impossible to build up a relationship with a sushi chef over several visits, as the sushi chefs are in the kitchen.  I enjoy seeing the fish in the case, seeing the chef make the sushi as well as getting to speak with the chef; at a sushi bar for me these are all essential parts of the experience.  There is something sanitized about the experience at SUGARFISH, which likely appeals to many, but not me.  This lack of soul doesn't make me want to go back and put it in my rotation.  If I am in the neighborhood and need a quick sushi fix, then I can see stopping in at SUGARFISH, but I would not go out of my way to return.

There is a mandatory 16% service charge, which is unusual in the US, except for large parties.  I am not sure why they do this; perhaps it is part of their drive to simplicity and removing yet another decision from the diners.  This is less than I normally tip, but if that is what they want, then so be it.  SUGARFISH is not the place for diners who wish to be in the driver's seat.

SUGARFISH: 1325 2nd Street, Santa Monica (& 3 other locations).  Phone: (310) 393-3338.  Website: www.sugarfishsushi.com

Chandni: Vegetarian Indian in Santa Monica

Chandni is a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Santa Monica that offers a bargain all you can eat (AYCE) buffet at lunch for only $7.39.  The buffet is limited (4 dishes plus salad, rice, naan bread and dessert) so if you need a large variety this isn't the buffet for you.

What it lacks in variety, it makes up in service.  The servers continually brought out fresh naan to the table and refilled our water glasses without prompting.  The level of service was the highest I have received at a buffet and they didn't attempt to upsell me and my dining companion on anything either.  When we had finished our meal, they let us know that dessert was included (all that and dessert too for $7.39?) and so we went back to the buffer to get some rice pudding.  It was situated in front of the salad and both of us had assumed that it was salad dressing, but a small bowl of rice pudding was a sweet way to end the meal.

Even after we had paid the check and had dessert an employee came by to be sure we didn't need any more naan.  They do not have the traditional tamarind and coriander chutneys on the table but if you ask, the waiter will bring you some.

My two favorite offerings were the carrot and pea dish and the potato in yellow curry dish.  There was ample food and the buffet was frequently refreshed.  It lacks the wide variety of dishes available at Bawarchi or the other Culver City Indian restaurants, but those restaurants typically do not have waiter service and are not all you can eat.  I consider Chandni to be a when in the neighborhood option for good, inexpensive, quick and reliable food.

Chandni also has free parking in back.

Chandni: 1909 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica. Phone: (310) 828-7060. Website: chandnivegrestaurant.com

Glibert's El Indio - Old School Mexican in Santa Monica

Gilbert's El Indio has been in the same location on Pico Blvd and 26th Street in Southeast Santa Monica for over 30 years. It is a casual restaurant that specializes in Cal-Mexican with enchiladas, tamales, burritos, quesadillas etc. Gilbert's does not take reservations and is cash only.



Meals at Gilbert's begin with homemade chips and salsa. The chips are often warm, straight out of the fryer. A signature touch is the pickled carrots which are served with the chips and salsa. These are shown on the right in the photo above.



At Gilbert's the prices are reasonable and the portions are large. The chicken enchiladas (pictured above) are covered in gooey cheese, are messy and quite tasty. This is not the place to look for the healthy or diet options.

For especially large appetites, the burritos are oversized, especially the Extra Super Mule, which is described as "beef, chicken or pork, with beans, avocado and lettuce burrito topped with melted cheese, tomato, chili ortega, and our tasty verde sauce, all served on a bed of rice." The margaritas are served in jar style cups and are also very reasonable.

I am continually amazed by how quickly the food comes out of the kitchen, invariably only about five minutes after you order. The service is friendly and quick, the chips and salsa are continually replenished and it is a homey family owned restaurant environment. Gilbert's does not claim to be authentic regional Mexican cuisine; it is happy doing what it does well, California Mexican in a comfortable ambiance at a fair price. Gilbert's also has its own free parking lot. The entrance to the restaurant is in the back, from the parking lot.

Gilbert's is open from 8 am - 11 pm, 7 days per week, and stays open til midnight on Friday & Saturday nights. It serves breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Gilbert's: 2526 Pico Blvd @ 26th St in Santa Monica. Phone: (310) 450-8057. Website: gilbertselindio.net

Angeleno Magazine's Chefs Night Out

On Sunday night, Angeleno Magazine hosted their 8th Annual Chef's Night Out at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica. The setting was the beautiful outdoor courtyard, the centerpiece of which is a large fig tree that is more than a century old. The event was sold out and hundreds of foodies and Angeleno subscribers mingled in the warm afternoon and evening, munching on food from many of the city's best chefs.

Pictured above are Michael Voltaggio, formerly of the Langham, and Ludo Lefebvre of LudoBites. Voltaggio served a market peach and burrata dish that involved dehydrated? peach on top of the creamy burrata. Lefebvre served a gazpacho which was described as an heirloom tomato smoothie, squid ink vodka gelee, seaweed tartar. Voltaggio's dish was the most interesting and unique preparation of the evening.

Below are four of the most talked about dishes of the evening. First is the Loup de Mer "En Ecailles" with heirloom tomatoes and cucumber-basil from chef Josiah Citrin of Melisse restaurant in Santa Monica. This was the best dish I tasted all evening. The skin of the loup de mer was crunchy and the whole dish was bursting with flavor.



The Cauliflower panna cotta with Transmontanus caviar from Chef Ben Bailly of Petrossian was another highlight of the evening. The panna cotta was so light and creamy and the salty roe atop provided a literal pop to the dish. Serving it in the caviar tins was also a visually arresting touch.



The beef tartare crostino from Angelini Osteria had black truffles shaved on it in front of the attendees. There was a large audience in front of the chef generously shaving the black truffles onto the crostini.



Voltaggio's dish was served in tulip shaped glasses that had to be held once picked up because they did not have a base. The "peach" had a nice crunch to it, in contrast to the smoothness of the cheese.



Below is a scene of the party in full force:



Ben Bailly (below left) and Josiah Citrin (below right) both made some of the signature dishes of the evening. Aside from the food provided by restaurants such as Josie, Wilshire, Street, 9:30 at the W Westwood, Fig, Comme Ca, Hatfields and many more, there were signature cocktails from Oxley Gin and a variety of wineries represented. The evening benefited LA's Best, an organization which provides supervised after-school enrichment programs for the youth of Los Angeles.



Don't forget to buy your tickets early next year as this year the tickets sold out!

Reddi Chick: A Westside Institution

Reddi Chick is a Santa Monica / Westside institution, and has been located in the Brentwood Country Mart since 1979 (according to the country mart website). Their specialty is baskets of rotisserie chicken over french fries. Generations of westsiders have grown up on their famous "chicken baskets." Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, the owners of the new Sweet Rose Creamery also in the Brentwood Country Mart, mentioned to me that they ate at Reddi Chick literally hundreds of times while growing up in the neighborhood.

They have other things on the menu but almost everyone gets a chicken basket as the fries come hot right out the the fryer and then some seasoned salt is added. The chickens are rotating on rotisseries right in front of you and they get tremendous turnover. The line can appear long but it rarely takes more than 10 minutes to order and usually less than five. The chicken is juicy and part of the appeal is the little cups of ketchup and bbq sauce provided with your order. Reddi Chick BBQ provides wet napkins because this is the kind of spot where your hands are going to get very dirty. A chicken basket and a soda is about $10 + tax.

I am not sure what goes into the bbq sauce, but it is addictive, both for dipping the chicken and the fries. Part of the charm of Reddi Chick is sitting on the patio of the Brentwood Country Mart and relaxing. You order at the counter, step over to the left and shortly thereafter your tray of baskets is placed in front of you. Customers bring their food to their tables; there is no waiter service. Reddi Chick is popular with families and kids, so expect to see a bunch of them around.

If you are getting your order to go, it is more economical to order a whole chicken and a side of fries than to get multiple chicken baskets. Pictured above are chickens waiting to be cut into pieces and placed in baskets of golden fries.

Free parking is available in the Brentwood Country Mart parking lots. There are many parking attendants who are vigilant about people only going to the mart (there is a Starbucks and a Yoga studio next door on San Vicente, both of whose customers are notorious for trying to park for free in the BCM lot).

Reddi Chick is located in the Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St. (just South of San Vicente). Phone: 310-393-5238. No website.