Yup, its still about the Ground Beef & Pickle Tacos @ Mas Malo

Mas Malo, the "badder" DTLA sequel to the popular cantina in Silver Lake has a prime location, on the ground floor of the building that houses Seven Grand on 7th Street.  The space is a former jewelry store and has double height ceilings and is landmarked.  I was recently invited to check it out and was able to sample several of the dishes and cocktails.

Overall the dish I recommend most is the signature dish of the establishment, the ground beef and pickle taco.  It is filling, and at only $4 is a value.  The ground beef, pickles and shredded cheese is a homage to the classic cheeseburger.  Stuffed into the fried shell and dipped into the Serrano salsa it is surprisingly delicious and a crowd pleaser.

To share, the Chicken in Mole Poblano ($16) is also quite good.  The mole sauce is rich and complex and not overly sweet.  While it may not be at the level of Guelaguetza, this is a dish I can heartily recommend and would order again.  It is hard to not dip your chips into the mole; always the sign of a successful sauce.

The Medicina Latina with a chili salt rim was a highlight of the beverage menu.  I thought the other cocktails I sampled were just ok.  As they have 200 tequilas and mezcals on the list, exploring the deep list may be the optimal way to go.  Unfortunately Mas Malo doesn't have sangrita to accompany the great tequilas.

You can reserve their tequila vault for tastings or private dinners.  This room was literally one of the vaults used by the jewelry store decades ago.  The huge glass and steel door is impressive and leads to a small room with walls lined with bottle after bottle of tequila and mezcal.  The selection inside could inspire one to dig a tunnel underground and come up inside the vault, just to get to try them all.

Mas Malo carries the full Del Maguey line of mezcals, including the Pechuga, made with chicken breast.  The photograph below is but part of one wall of the tequila vault.  Reserving the vault for a tasting may be the best way to enjoy Mas Malo; it will certainly impress your friends.

Whether you are looking to sober up before or after a Seven Grand visit or are planning on having dinner and sampling the full menu, Mas Malo is a beautiful comfortable space with reasonable prices and a nice vibe.  The ground beef and pickle taco has some ineluctable quality that just draws me in.  Some things just can't be explained; they need to be experienced.

Mas Malo: 515 West 7th Street, DTLA | 213.985.4332 | http://masmalorestaurant.com

Little Bear Awakens from Winter Hibernation

In the DTLA Arts District, across the street from Church & State Bistro, Little Bear opened earlier this month in the former home of Royal Clayton's Pub.  The Belgian Beer specialist is a bar and cafe and has sixteen selections on tap as well as an extensive bottle list.  The food menu tends toward gastropub options.

One of the signature food items is the gougeres which come with either sous-vide pork belly, duck confit or fried oysters inside a gourgere, sandwich-style.  They come three to an order and are different than any gougere I have ever seen before.  Expect to find sandwiches as well as dishes like duck confit and the Belgian classic of waterzooi on the menu.

I enjoyed several of the draught beers but the best beer I sampled was the Jandrain-Jandrenouille VI Saison, which is available by the bottle.  Ryan Sweeney of Verdugo Bar and Surly Goat curated the beer list.  Sweeney is one of the best beer-men in Southern California and has relationships with breweries such as Russian River that are loath to take on additional accounts, so he brings access as well as expertise to the table at Little Bear.  The list is a mix of beers from Belgium and Belgian-style beers from California breweries such as The Bruery (their Wanderer is pictured below) and North Coast.  The most interesting selections are on the bottle list, so bring some friends and try a few large format bottles.

The bar has been busy thus far, so plan on a wait for a seat unless you arrive on the early side.

Little Bear: 1855 Industrial Street, DTLA. 213.622.8100 | littlebearla.com

Small Plates Large Taste at Fleming's in DTLA

Fleming's Steakhouse at LA Live in Downtown LA recently launched a small plates menu as well as a limited edition private label wine, the 46 Diamonds Toscana 2009.  The restaurant already had a traditional appetizers, salads and steaks format to the menu, but the addition of small plates enables grazing or feasting, depending on your mood and the occasion.

The small plates include Sliced Filet Mignon on shiitake mushroom risotto, Lobster Tempura and Filet Mignon Skewers among several others.  My dining companion and I opted for the New Zealand Petite Lamb Chops with pistachio mint pesto and polenta fries.  The lamb chops were petite as advertised, just the right size to pick up with your hands and eat.  There is no dainty in a steakhouse; no morsel should be wasted.  The polenta fries were nice and crispy and the chops had a pleasant lamby flavor and were cooked medium rare as asked.

Ahi Tuna Skewers with wasabi aioli, sweet tomato vinaigrette and homemade wonton chips are another highlight of the Small Plates menu.  The tuna is lightly seared and is served with the just spicy enough wasabi aioli.  This dish is not for those who shy away form sushi.  The tomatoes were a nice addition to the plate but I didn't feel the wontons added much beyond a crunchy element to the dish.

The Porterhouse was a special on the night of our visit and as Fleming's is a steakhouse at heart, it made sense to get to get the porterhouse so we could try both the tenderloin and the strip.  The steak was served peppered and was cooked rare to medium rare.  We methodically attacked the steak, like a well thought out military campaign.  There was nothing left but the bone when we were done.  Our waiter informed us that the porterhouse can come in multiple sizes.  Some diners have eaten a size twice that of the one we split, all by themselves.  The allure of a well cooked prime steak is hard to resist.

Chiptole Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese is a recommended side.  Breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, the mac & cheese is pleasantly cheesy, although nobody is going to call this version cheese and macaroni.

A real treat is the limited edition Sangiovese house wine that Fleming's partnered with Il Borro Winery's Salvatore Ferragamo (yes he is related to his namesake, the footwear maker was his grandfather) and Nicolò D’Afflitto.  The 46 Diamonds Toscana was modeled after Ferragamo's flagship wine Il Borro.  Only 350 cases were produced and the wine is exclusive to Fleming's.  The Toscana went marvelously with both the lamb chops and the steak.

Each year Fleming's partners with a winemaker on an exclusive bottling; past winery partners have included Mondavi.  This year's Toscana 2009 is ready to drink now.  It is a lush Super Tuscan style wine with strong fruit forward notes while not veering into the sweet zone.  Alas due to the limited production, this is a enjoy while you can item, as when it is gone, it is gone.

This visit was hosted.

Fleming's at LA Live: 800 W. Olympic Blvd, DTLA. Phone: (213) 745-9911.  Website: www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Le Comptoir at Tiara Cafe: Gary Menes Amazing Pop-up

Gary Menes, the talented and peripatetic chef has alighted for a spell at Tiara Cafe, hosting his pop-up restaurant Le Comptoir during dinner service when the restaurant is otherwise closed.  The 12 seats at this restaurant are at the counter, hence the name of the pop-up.  The experience of dining at the counter is intimate as you can watch the chefs prepare your meal while you sit side by side with your fellow diners.

I had first heard of Chef Menes from Jo of My Last Bite who raved about his cooking.  I never made it to Marche or Palihouse when he was there and finally managed to taste his food for the first time on a recent Friday evening at Le Comptoir.    The menu is 5 courses for $46 and is vegetarian.  Diners have the option of swapping out one course for foie ($18 supplement) and another for meat ($5 supplement).

The meal began with an amuse of beet above lime pudding.

The house-made bread was excellent; this is not a restaurant for carb-phobes, as the bread is all but irresistible with a great crust. 

1st course: Corn soup: sierra gold potato, french shallot, corn veloute, farinette, yogurt, celery.  The corn veloute was remarkable.  One of my favorite dishes of the year.  I love corn and the consistency of the soup was wonderful with the sweetness of the corn shining through.  The tableside service of the pouring of the soup was also dramatic and reminiscent of restaurants like Jean Georges.  The best soup I have had in a very long time.

The alternate selection for the first course is the foie gras terrine.  It was rich and spread nicely on the bread but given a choice between having the foie or the soup, I'd choose the soup.  I never thought I'd say that corn soup wins over foie, but Chef Menes has a way with vegetables and soups and it would be a shame to miss whatever soup he makes that evening.

2nd course: A signature dish at the pop-up is the Sunny Side-up Egg with young lettuce, herbs and sorrel jus.  The lettuce and butter arrive first and then a hot pan sizzling with the egg inside.  We were instructed to add the butter then the herbs and lettuce and mix together.  I enjoyed this but I found that by the time I added all of the ingredients, the yolk had solidified due to the heat of the pan.  I am not sure if that was the intent or not, but I recommend mixing up the yolk when this dish arrives so you can experience it still runny.

Lettuces, herbs, butter

Egg in pan

Complete dish

3rd course: Cauliflower, faro picolo, grapes, leeks, apples.  Again this dish is deceptively simple.  A vegetarian dish with grains, sweet apples and grapes and the roasted cauliflower.  There was a lot of flavor on the plate, including the dramatic leeks.

4th Course: Wagyu filet and 72-hr braised short rib, hearts of romaine, carrots, forbidden rice, currant relish.  ($5 supp).  The charred romaine had a great texture and the wagyu, both filet and short rib was dripping with intense flavor and richness.  The carrots added a note of sweetness to the dish and enlivened the plating as if they were monoliths on the plains of my plate.

5th course: Sourdough donut holes, cinnamon sugar, nutella, candied walnuts.  I didn't love the sourness of the donut but did enjoy the nutella.  Again the plating is just so.

There is an optional four course wine pairing for $24 and otherwise your only other decision is whether you want the soup or the foie, and the meat or the vegetable, which on the evening I was there was blue hubbard squash, brussels sprouts, dried cherry marmalade, smoked scallions, santa barbara chanterelles, spanish padron peppers.

Le Comptoir is open Thursday - Saturday and has three seatings nightly, at 6 pm, 8 pm and 10 pm.  Reservations can be made by emailing lecomptoirla@gmail.com
Follow Chef Menes on Twitter @garymenes

It has already made Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential Restaurants.  Le Comptoir may be ephemeral, but it is well worth finding.  Get while the getting is good, else you will have missed out.

Tiara Cafe: 127 E. 9th Street, between Main and Los Angeles Sts., DTLA

Patina Alumni Reunion Dinner and Party

On Wednesday November 2nd, Patina Restaurant is having an all-star alumni dinner in which several of the most prominent alumni of Joachim Splichal's flagship restaurant come back for one night to cook a multi course feast.  Walter Manzke, Eric Greenspan, Octavio Becerra, Michael Otsuka, Theo Schoenegger, and David Feau will all be back in their old stomping grounds in their chef's whites.  Current Patina chefs Tony Esnault and Sarah Koechling as well as Splichal himself, will all be whipping up signature dishes.  The dinner is $150, all inclusive.  Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant.

A more affordable way to join in the celebration is the after-party at Kendall's Brasserie, for which tickets are only $30.  Oysters, pinot and pork products are all on the menu, along with some quality time with the talented crew of toques.  If you have spend much time with chefs, you know they can likely drink you under the table, so come and relax and share some wine.  You might even challenge Chef Manzke to a oyster eating contest?  Why not?  Life is good.

Reservations: (213) 972-3331.

Halloween Is Frightfully Fun in Downtown LA

Casey's Irish Pub

You may have heard that a holiday approaches.  So before you get your costume and drink on, it pays to know where you can enjoy the appropriate spooky ambiance, if that is the vibe you seek.  Yes, Halloween is on Monday night and to celebrate the sacred evening and share the spirit of competition, eight of the 213 Group's bars in Downtown LA are competing as to who can create the ultimate Halloween experience.  On Tuesday night I set out with illustrious panel of judges who visited all eight in a single evening to determine which bar could generate the most zombie spirit.  We were picked off one by one by creatures of the night and only a few of us including ThirstyinLA lived to tell the tale.  If you see my fellow judge FoodGPS, watch out, he may be after your brains.

Each establishment was given the same amount of money to work with, which was certainly a bigger challenge for Casey's as it is the largest space including an outdoor patio, than for several of the smaller sized establishments such as Cana Rum Bar.  Each bar was challenged to decorate their space in their chosen theme, to include zombies wherever possible, to have the employees dress up in theme and to offer a punch for only $5 through Monday evening.

Dexter's Kill Room

The winning bar will not be revealed until Monday night, but there is some serious coin on the line as 213 impresario Cedd Moses has decreed that the winning bar will get to keep the profits from this Saturday night.  Not only that but one lucky undead will receive airfare anywhere in the U.S.  Zombies in Hawaii anyone?  Who will the Most Valuable Zombie be?

The most disturbing decor of the evening was certainly at Tony's Saloon in the Arts District.  Customers can sip on Etorphine Vodka Chloride punch while they try and escape the plastic wrap.  You can struggle but you will not be able to free yourself as the bar has transformed itself into one of Dexter's kill rooms from the Showtime series Dexter. The punch is named after the drug that Dexter injects into his victims to immobilize and incapacitate them.  The blood spattered plastic wrapped environment is completely transformative.  It felt like a different establishment.  I escaped via the pizza establishment, but barely.

Smoke billowing from an unseen fog machine welcomed us to the underground lair of Casey's Irish Pub.  Cobwebs galore covered the entire bar and the zombified bartenders included Amy Winehouse.  Both a Jameson and a glass of their Bloody Zombie Punch will likely be needed to calm you down as the hungry, I mean helpful, zombie staff surrounds you.

Some of the best punch you can find in downtown, any night of the year, is at Cana Rum Bar.  Allan Katz's Fiending Frenzy was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented, served out of a crystal punch bowl.  The voodoo threatens to put a hex on all who enter but the punch itself may be the antidote to the curse.

Fiending Frenzy at Cana

Sympathy For The Devil, the smoke fizzing punch at Broadway Bar was eye catching, as were the wild paintings on the wall, reminiscent of the Haunted Mansion.  Several customers there could have been in the running for the Most Valuable Zombie (I'm thinking of Lorenzo and Hello Kitty), if only they surrendered and joined the 213 Empire.

Sympathy for the Devil (Broadway Bar)

Golden Gopher unnerved us all.  The theme of zombified fairy tale characters was disturbing to say the least.  Whether it was Pinocchio was a bloody long nose or Snow White oozing flesh, this felt like a sick John Waters and David Lynch collaboration.

The Undead Horde packs a punch at Seven Grand.  The staff in tartan kilts, zombie makeup and not much else were not shy about butting their booze where their rotting flesh is. The Horde is made with Devil's Cut Boubon and may be their way of separating you from your brain.  The corpses in bodybags hanging from the balcony outside complete the terrifying experience.

Cole's Red Car Bar is serving the Dead Rose Punch, which may involve a dead rose petal on top, to seal your doom, while at Las Perlas, Jalisco Punch is on tap.  The Day of the Dead lasts all weekend long there as the tasty Tequila based cocktail works its way through your bloodstream.

You don't have to wait until Monday night to experience this fright fest.  Just mosey on downtown, put on your costume and enjoy.  But remember to always have a getaway plan.  You never know when the zombies will strike and the smell of the punch and brains may lead them right to you.

Picture Gallery below; addresses at the bottom:

Cole's Red Car Bar

Las Perlas

Jalisco Punch (Las Perlas)

Golden Gopher

Seven Grand

Tony's Saloon: 2017 E. Seventh St., DTLA.  Phone: (213) 622-5523
Casey's Irish Pub: 613 S. Grand Avenue, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 629-2353
Cana Rum Bar: 714 W. Olympic Blvd, STLA.  Phone: (213) 745-7090
Broadway Bar: 830 S. Broadway, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-9909
Golden Gopher: 417 W. 8th Street, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-8001
Seven Grand: 515 W. Seventh St, 2nd Floor, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-0736
Cole's Red Car Bar:118 E. 6th Street, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 622-4090
Las Perlas: 107 E. 6th St., DTLA.  Phone: (213) 988-8355

Justin Pike is LA's Best Bartender

In the second annual Table 20 LA's Best Bartender competition, The Tasting Kitchen head bartender Justin Pike was named the champion.  The finals were held at Elevate Lounge in Downtown LA and a panel of notable judges including King Cocktail Dale DeGroff, last year's winner Matt Biancaniello of Library Bar, pastry chef and Top Chef Just Desserts judge Johnny Iuzinni, Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza, Marcos Tello of the Varnish and president of the LA chapter of the USBG, and Jessica Gelt of the LA Times decided the winner.

LA's Best Bartender winner Justin Pike (left) with Devon Tarby

The results were:

1st Place: Justin Pike, The Tasting Kitchen
2nd Place: Joe Brooke, Next Door Lounge
3rd Place: Devon Tarby, The Varnish
4th Place: Brian Summers, Harvard & Stone
5th Place: Daniel Zacharczuk, Bar Kitchen

In addition to the ceremonial crown, which was passed from Biancaniello, Pike won a trip to Tales of the Cocktail and a billboard with his picture announcing his championship will go up on Monday October 24th at the intersection of Wilshire & Sweetzer.

The Judges Panel, from left: DeGroff, Tello, Iuzinni, Gelt, Lopez

The competition, now in its second year, was organized by Table 20 and sponsored by Karlsson's Gold Vodka.  Each finalist had to prepare six cocktails for the judges in only twenty minutes.  Three of the cocktails had to be classics, two were up to the bartender and one had to incorporate Karlsson's.  Attendance was high and several hundred spectators crowded Elevate Lounge to watch the competition and try the cocktails.  The attendees voted on their favorite cocktail and the winner was Brian Summers's Blues in Orbit, with Karlsson's Gold Vodka, fresh lemon juice, mango juice, chipotle syrup, and a celery salt rim.

Judges Lopez & Biancaniello

The only drawback to the event was the long lines for the drinks from the public bar (the competitors were making drinks for the judges only, not attendees) and the rapidly diminishing quality of those cocktails at the public bar.  Master of Ceremonies Dan Dunn kept the event moving smoothly and once the winner was announced, the attendees decamped to the Varnish for an unofficial after party.  If you didn't come to this year, plan on it for next year.

Second Take: Ilan Hall Develops the Menu at Urbano Pizza

Last month Ilan Hall, the chef of The Gorbals in downtown LA and the winner of season 2 of Top Chef, has joined Urbano Pizza Bar, the downtown pizza spot that opened this summer to positive reviews.  At Urbano he has partnered with Chef Josh Moser on expanding and revamping the menu (he is still at The Gorbals as well).

Hall is excited to be working with the huge oven, saying "you have a lot of freedom with a wood burning oven.  We want to use the oven as much as possible.  There are two ovens and we can't just be using the wood burning ovens for pizza."

He has changed the flour to a higher gluten blend, which makes the crust of the pizzas crisper.  Hall and Moser have also been using leftover pizza dough to make open-faced sandwiches.  Below is the meatballs with warm pizza bread, which was delicious.  The meatballs are made with all beef and the sauce was full of flavor.  It is great to see pork-free meatballs on a menu.

The margherita pie ($12) is made with fresh mozzarella, hand crushed tomato and petit basil.  The pie was well executed.  The crust was firm enough and the sauce again was good; I would have preferred just a little more of the mozzarella cheese.

The Testa Verde pizza ($13) is one of the more unusual pizzas I have tasted in that it uses Irish cheddar as the base.  There is no tomato sauce on this pie.  Instead, baby spinach and herbed ricotta as well as the aforementioned cheddar are the toppings.  The cheddar was surprisingly good, mellower than I was expecting and I preferred this pie to the margherita.

Hall and Moser's collaboration is bearing fruit and they have been experimenting with putting more and more dishes into the wood burning ovens, including potatoes, lasagna, artichokes and corn.  The wood used in the ovens is almond wood, which is reasonably priced, less smokey and doesn't pop.

My favorite pie is the Mushroom Ricotta pizza with mushroom oil, eggs and bottarga.  The eggs are runny and delicious and ample enough to coat the pie.  The mushrooms are enhanced by the mushroom oil and the whole concoction is a decadent pie worth going out of your way for.

If it is on the menu when you go, a visit to Urbano is not complete without trying the Nutella dessert, pictured below.  It is made with fresh pizza dough with carmelized raw sugar, sweet ricotta with cream, sweetened and creamed nutella.  I am not a dessert guy, but I'd happily have this on a regular basis as it is not too sweet but the chocolate comes through.

All in all, Hall has rounded out the offerings at Urbano, enhancing the pizzas and expanding the menu with fun and approachable offerings.  There is a happy hour from 5 - 7 pm with six dollar margherita pizzas and four dollar draft beers, both of which are great deals.  Urbano is a great addition to the downtown dining scene and at dinner it is easy to get a table.  At lunch they also offer pizza by the slice, which is priced at $6 for two slices.  Tables are communal.

My visit was hosted.

Urbano Pizza: 630 W. 6th St @ Hope St, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-1900.  Web: www.urbanopizzabar.com

Tequila 101 at PS 612 on October 3rd

Public School 612 in Downtown LA will be hosting an introductory course on Tequila, aptly entitled Tequila 101 next Monday, October 3rd.  The class will be taught by Enrico Caruso, who was recently mentioned in this publication.  Tasting five tequilas and a Serrano Margarita sound like the kind of education I can heartily approve of.  The cost of the class is $35 and includes a tequila tasting as well as a selection of signature snacks from PS 612.

Alas the course credits in the PS 612 educational series are non transferable to USC or UCLA.  Reservations are required and can be made by phoning the restaurant.

Public School 612: 612 S. Flower St, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 623-1172.  Website: www.publicschool612.com

BlackBoard Eats Prix Fixe Menu @ The Nickel Diner

Blackboard Eats is celebrating its second anniversary by partnering with The Nickel Diner top create a special 3 course dinner for only $30 including wine, beer or soda.  To put the party hat on this deal, the first 20 people who redeem the BBE code at the Nickel Diner get their meals for free, which is something worth blowing your party horn for.

You can get your code here at BlackBoardEats: http://www.blackboardeats.com/sp/nickel-diner-downtown-los-angeles

The BBE Old School "Frim Fram Menu":

Appetizers (choose one)

Vegetarian white bean soup

“Smac and cheese”

Fried chicken drumette in maple-bacon jam

Fruit and nuts salad

Double-stuffed artichoke

Entrées (choose one)

Chicken and dumplings with Frim Fram sauce

Grilled flatiron chimichurri steak

Vegan sloppy Joe

Buttermilk-brined pork chop

Salmon

Dessert (choose one)

Root beer crème brûlée

Homemade ding dong

Salt peanut cake

Red velvet cake

Cheesecake plate

Choice of wine, beer, or soda

You should hurry if you want to be one of the lucky 20 diners who get their meal on the house.  If you end up at the Nickel Diner otherwise, Monica's Chicken Pozole is my favorite dish on the menu.

The Nickel Diner: 524 S. Main St, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 623-8301.  Website: www.nickeldiner.com