The Skinny Critic

Fukuburger Hollywood

Watch out LA... There may be a new "best" burger in town. I got to stop in today and try what I must say was a really, really delicious burger. 

Plus the space is modern, hip and fun. Located on the Cahuenga corridor, they are making quite the statement by opening just a block down from Umami, and I think that statement is, "We're bringing it!" 

They serve beer, wine and sake and will be making some really interesting cocktails out of these normally unhindered alcohols. Today I tried a beer with apple sake, and although I am not normally a beer drinker, I loved how the sake lightened up the beer and gave it a hint of apple! 

I tried the fuku burger and the chicken katsu. Both were awesome. I asked for ketchup before even biting into the burger (as I unabashedly am a ketchup fiend) and took my initial bite with no ketchup. To my surprise and delight this burger needs no extra sauce. It's perfect just the way it is. I particularly fell in love with the bun. Super soft and oh by the way, it's made in house. So are all their sauces, as like I said, they are bringing it. 

The chicken sandwich was also awesome. It came with a hefty helping of slaw, which gave it the perfect crunch. And again was served on that magical bread. Yum. 

Fries were great as well. They have a special secret seasoning that was oh so good and were served with ketchup and their special sauce. 

There will be 6 burgers, plus a gourmet sausage and a rice bowl. 

They officially open on Tuesday. Burgers are $8 and pitchers of beer can be had for $15... Quite the deal if you ask me! Plus they'll be open til 4am.

Fukuburger 1634 N. Cahuenga Blvd. 

Lexington Social House

Lexington Social House has been getting quite a lot of buzz since its debut just a week or so ago. The location is right in the middle of the action, off of Hollywood and Vine.  It's definitely more of a late-night crowd, as at it starts to get busy around 9.  The outside area is perfect for lounging with friends.  Their beautiful bar gives way to fantastic cocktails, so we started with a few as we looked over the menu.

As I am a non-bourbon drinker I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the "Lexington" cocktail. Earl-grey infused woodford reserve bourbon with honey, lemon juice and orange bitters.  It was surprising light and refreshing. Another great cocktail was the "wicked" with gin, lime juice, simple syrup, lavender bitters, and a cucumber water ice cube. I loved this cocktail. Next time I want to try the "after school special," which is like a grown up peanut butter and jelly - but I was told it's pretty sweet.

Chef Mette Williams is not only incredibly personable, she can cook too. She's spent time at some of my favorite restaurants, including CUT and Spago, and is know running the show at Lexington. While the menu is still getting it's footing, there were a few dishes that were stellar. To start the sweet pea agnolotti is delicate and buttery. It's made with house-made ricotta and mushrooms and shows that Chef Mette definitely picked up Puck's agnolotti skills while at Spago.

As many other reviews are noting, the confit pork belly is also well done. A cabbage apple salad and orange cardamom gastrique brings a freshness to the otherwise fatty pork. The crab salad is another good choice and although the crab was a bit salty in spots, it came atop a piece of fried asparagus with slices of oranges and micro basil.

Mains were great - the star of the show.  Scallops were perfectly prepared and the best I've had in a while. Served with caramelized cauliflower, preserved lemons and raisins, they were rich and satisfying.I will definitely be ordering this dish again.

The pork was also a winner. Roasted pork rack with braised baby fennel and apple compote was tender and sweet.

Desserts were a little hit and miss.  The brown butter chocolate chip cookies on the cookie plate were pretty phenomenal.  Warm, gooey and a little salty, they really hit the spot.  The only problem was the other cookies just couldn't compete! The brownie a la mode was surprisingly small and not as moist as I would have liked. Carrot cake was fun with a canelle of frosting on the side.  We practically licked the plate!

Lexington Social is a great new addition to Hollywood. There is a great mix of atmosphere, cocktails and food, and considering how new the space is I can only assume it will get better.

Lexington Social House 1718 Vine St. (323) 461-1700

Cupcake Challenge Los Angeles

The LA Cupcake Challenge has come and gone again.  This time I went prepared! I showed up with my extra-large tupperware, with one of my best friends who is also a cupcake fanatic, to the ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel. We were quite strategic about the whole process. As you can imagine, people get a little aggressive when there are over 30 different cupcakes up for grabs. So we created a base camp for our large tupperware and made our rounds, ballot card in hand.

It's really a fantastic deal - $40 for over 30 cupcakes.  But the people that go to this event take their cupcakes VERY seriously.  At the table we choose for our "basecamp" people were meticulously picking apart cupcakes, spitting out the ones that were bad and praising the ones that were good.

Affter collecting all 32 cupcakes, we sat down ready to hash it out.

Let's cut to the chase: which cupcakes were worth eating? A few of my favorites included My Delight Cupcakery's Late Night Breakfast - it had fried chicken in it. I know, I know, fried chicken has absolutely NO place whatsoever in a cupcake, but let me just say, it worked...really well. My Delight also did a red velvet cupcake that was pretty perfect. The rest of the crowd agreed as My Delight took first place in all 3 categories! Best traditional, best original and best overall. For best original, Jus mini took second place with the josephine cupcake and frandise pastries took third with candied sweet potato. For best traditional, hansen's cake took second with their bridal white cake and double D took third for their chocolate zin. And finally for best overall, my delight took first place with late night breakfast, candied sweet potato from frandise took second and josephine took 3rd.

A few of my favorites that didn't win were Sugar babies cupcakery breakfast at tiffanys (vanilla) as well as their PB&J. Their PB&J was the perfect combination of salty and sweet.  Salted caramel chocolate from Goodie Girls was also fantastic.

A few major disappointments included magnoila's s'more cupcake (dry) and Double D's root beer float cupcake - just wasn't a great combination for a cupcake.

It's always a fun event and I walk away with more than my fill of cupcakes. My question is where were all the other bakeries? Sprinkles? Susie cakes? Yummy? Vanilla?

To find out about next years event visit: Drink-Eat-Pay

 

My new guilty pleasure: Go Burger

I just found my newest guilty pleasure: Go Burger, the latest burger joint from the people behind BLT Steak. It may look like your average burger joint - booths and plasmas with all the games on, but let me assure you it is not. Not only is the burger juicy and flavorful, their milkshakes make this a destination in themselves. Now I find myself a little torn. First, I am the "Skinny Critic" and I promise you I won't be skinny for long if I frequent places like this. Second, how am I to expect anyone else to be skinny if I tell them how amazing Go Burger is?! Everything in moderation!!

I went to Go Burger with my best friend and we split everything right down the middle. We ordered the classic burger, which is 100% black angus beef and added caramelized onions and gruyere cheese. It also came with lettuce and tomato.  The kitchen was nice enough to split it for us and it came with two pickles and a little side of rather bland cole slaw.

This burger was right it all the wrong ways...it was dripping onto my fingers, the bun was soft but crispy on the outside. The caramelized onions were sweet and the gruyere cheese was salty. It was great.  But, I only had half so that we could try a few other things.

Jalapeno poppers to start were also delicious and something very unique.  A whole jalapeno is cut in half, loaded with cream cheese, deep fried and served with a chipotle sauce.  They were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

We also ordered a side of sweet potato fries, because you can't have a burger without fries. They were thickly cut and moist on the inside.

They have some very creative milkshakes at Go Burger. The twinkie boy has vanilla ice cream, twinkies and caramel syrup.  The cookie monster has chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and chips ahoy cookies. I actually had the best milkshake of my life last night. Better than shake shack. Better than In-&-Out...ok you get the point.  We had the red velvet cupcake shake. OMG!! It was so freaking amazing.

Vanilla ice cream was blended with half a red velvet cupcake then topped with whipped cream and conversation hearts and half a cupcake!! It was soo good. The only bad news is that this milkshake is a special and might not be available the next time I go in.  I told the manager they should really consider adding it to the menu as it was the best thing of the night.  It actually was the best thing I've had all week.  Ok need to go to thy gym now...

Go Burger 6290 Sunset Blvd. (323) 327-9355

The power of the review: AMMO

In picking up any local paper you can almost always find a review of nearby restaurants. Sometimes it's just news of a new place opening and other times it's much more than that-a detailed description of the food, the service, the atmosphere and the people behind it all.  What's incredible is the power that a review has. Many a chef has been known to scorn food critics and bloggers alike for exposing their art. Food for these chefs is extremely personal and often the one reviewing is not gentle - rather the opposite and seems to be itching for attention with the way they will rip one place apart and praise another.

Despite the tone of the opening paragraph, I do believe there is still much to be found in a review and it is up to the reader to do a bit of due diligence and make sure that the writer is not maybe a cousin to the owner and that others seem to like what the chef is putting out as well. By means of the internet this is easier than it may seem...look up a restaurant online and you are sure to find a plethora of reviews. Often they will be all over the board, but if you read between the lines, you are able to find whether or not a place is worth trying.

A recent review of Ammo by the LA Times had me looking into a restaurant that I've probably driven by a hundred times but never tried. S. Irene Virbila called the food at Ammo "deeply satisfying" and if that wasn't enough, she goes on to say, "Ammo is one of the very few restaurants where everything works together to create a seamless experience — the food, the unpretentious industrial design, the easy, understated service, the sophisticated music, the alluring wines." How could one not want to try it after reading such bold statements? Especially from Virbila, who is not one to easily compliment.

So I did a little research and found that Ammo seemed to be getting pretty solid reviews from a lot of people, so it didn't appear Virbila had a steak in the matter.  I also found on Ammo's website that they are sourcing most of their ingredients from local farms. They use seasonal ingredients and change the menu frequently based on what's fresh and available.

Ammo has been in the same unassuming spot on Highland Ave. since 1992 and is perhaps at it's best now, 18 years later. 

I checked out Ammo and was more than pleased. Food was rather simple and fresh. The menu was seasonal and focused. It definitely did not disappoint. The hen was just as wonderful as Virbila had promised. Done in the wood burning oven with a stuffing of corn pudding, bacon and a golden raisin and pine nut relish. A rustic dish with so much flavor.  I didn't enjoy the mussels with english peas, white wine and saffron quite as much as Virbila did, but another standout for me was the fat asparagus done in the wood burning oven with asparagus and burrata.  So now I will go on to further the power of the review and spread the good word about Ammo.

Food critics are not the only one's with the power of the review. Anyone who gives an opinion about a restaurant is giving a review. Food critics may do it with a bit more background and more details but they are really just sharing the same thing: an opinion.

AMMO 1155 N Highland Ave. (323) 871-2666

District on Sunset-a delightful surprise

I''ve been meaning to check out District for a few weeks now as it seems like a property that values the details. It's neighbor, The Mercantile, is already a local favorite (of mine and many others) and I was excited to see what Chef Kris Morningstar would put out for dinner.

We stopped in late last night after a movie.  The place was half full on a Saturday night and surprisingly filled more towards the end of our meal-around 10:30pm.  The dark interior has a rather downtown New York type vibe and vintage lights, and a 100 year old bar imported from Paris that makes the place feel likes it's been there forever.

We were seated on rather uncomfortable chairs-the kind with hard rusted metal backs that are seated just a bit too high and make you feel like you need to hunch over. A quick glance over the menu seemed to promise we were in the right place for good, seasonal food. Cocktails include "vintage classics" and "market fresh drinks" so we tried the strawberry Caipirinha and the tequila with ginger beer and jalapeno. 

After asking the waiter for recommendations we ordered a few small dishes to start. House made dinner rolls come out warm with truffle butter and a sweet, soft center.

Our waiter insist we try the pork meatballs with clams in a curry broth and all though I hesitated because I thought it sounded like a weird flavor combo, this ended up being my favorite dish of the night. The broth was so good, we asked for a spoon so we could eat it like a soup once we'd finished the clams and meatballs.  I'd come back to District for this dish alone...it was excellent.

 

Cheesy rice agnolotti was another shining star with crispy arugula, hazelnuts and porcini sauce. The pasta was so creamy it melted in your mouth.

 

Scallops were probably my least favorite dish of the night...they were cooked properly but paired with shaved vegetables that were all rather bitter.

 

Our final dish of the evening was an entree of rabbit roulade. Another recommendation from the waiter, this was interesting, but I don't think I'd order it again. The rabbit meat was almost at a ground meat consistency, which isn't my favorite. It was plated over a bed of morels, which I love, but didn't really seem to do much here.

 

Overall, the service and ambiance were fantastic. It was so nice to be able to walk into a restaurant and just sit down without a long wait or attitude-rather rare when there is good food in LA. Will definitely be taking friends and returning to District very soon.

District 6600 Sunset Blvd. (323) 962-8200

Best of Califonia Tent Event at K&L this Saturday!

K&L is definitely one of the best wine stores in LA. Their prices are unbeatable and often much lower than other well known stores in the area (I won't name names)...and their selection is top notch.  This Saturday they will be pouring some of the best wines California has to offer at their tent event honoring a store manager who passed away last year after a courageous battle with cancer. 

There is little that sounds better than sipping on wine on a beautiful Saturday afternoon from producers like L'Aventure, Tablas Creek, Caymus and Seghesio. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased here. 

1400 Vine Street Hollywood, CA, 90028

I likey Umami!

I've heard about Umami for a while now. But being the Skinny Critic, burger joints are not places I frequent. I figured it'd been long enough and I needed to see for myself if Umami was all that it was made out to be. There are 3 locations and I arrived with 3 friends around 6pm on a warm Sunday night to the one well hidden on Cahuenga in Hollywood.

 

I was anticipating a long wait, but to my delight most of the tables were empty. We choose a spot and begun to study the short and narrow menu.  They have several cocktails-all quite unique, like a Cherry Coke with grenadine, a cucumber margarita and and Apple flavored cocktail that tasted more like candy than a drink.  All they have is burgers, and frankly if you don't want a burger I don't know why you'd come here. There are about 6 different burgers on the menu and a few specials everyday.

The "Kombu" meals are ridiculously reasonable and come with burger, a alcoholic beverage and a side of fries or onion rings all for $17 or less.  Super cheap for LA.  The only problem is there are no substitutions...whatsoever. So if you want kombo meal #1 that comes with the Umami Burger, side of fires and a nakhon beer BUT you want sweet potato fries instead of regular fries, you are sol.

Kombo #2 ended up working out quite well for me. It included the pork and stilton burger (a burger with port caramelized onions and blue cheese), a side of sweet potato fries and a glass of carmenere red wine.

Presentation is obviously quite simple. And the burger wasn't nearly as big as I expected it to be. It was a perfect size. The other burger I tried was the Umami, which has a parmesan crisp, caramelized onions, ketchup, portobella mushroom. This burger was good too, but just not as good as my port and stilton.

Sweet potato fries were pretty standard, but the regular fries were surprisingly good-almost reminiscent of McDonald's fries and everyone knows McDonald's are the best.  

Service was a little spotty, which from other reviews I gather is quite common here. Our waiter forgot our fries and it took asking 3 times to get waters.  Oh well...

The burger was so good that I'll definitely be back.

Umami Burger 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd. (323) 469-3100

LA Cupcake Challenge...it was a challenge!!!

What do you expect to see at a cupcake challenge? Lots of sugar and pink frosting. One thing you don't expect to see is Bacon. However I saw so much bacon at the cupcake challenge that it deserved it's own category. I didn't quite understand the name of the event until after I attended. How does one attempt to taste 40 different cupcakes in one sitting? And to fairly judge, shouldn't one try all the cupcakes?  I don't know if I ate ALL the cupcakes but I did sample most of the cupcakes. 

 

The categories were traditional, original and overall. Each bakery made two cupcakes and usually if one cupcake was good-they were both good. One of the pleasant surprises was the double chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake from Sweet E's. I don't know how they managed to get that cookie dough flavor in the frosting but it was wonderful.  Plus I've never had a cupcake with a real cookie dough flavor so bravo for that alone. Cupcakes couture's Little miss Shortcake was nice and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness an a meringue on top as an extra bonus. Fairy cakes pumpkin white chocolate was yummy as was their vanilla bean almond dream. 

 

Whipped cream frosting was more pertinent than I would have liked and doesn't stand up well to the sweet little cakes beneath them. My big question is, where were the bakeries that claim to be the best in LA? Sprinkles, Susie Cakes, Yummy Cupcakes?  Fools for not claiming their bragging rights at the Renaissance this Sunday...but with 40 cupcakes to try, I doubt many noticed their absence. 

 

Osteria Mozza wine dinner with Joe Bastianich

I was really looking forward to the wine dinner at Mozza. They have wine dinners at least a couple times a month and I'd always wanted to try one.  At $95 per person, not including tax and tip, it's a rather expensive evening...but one that I hoped would be well worth it.  

My friend Brittany joined me and we arrived at 7:30 for dinner. Dinner was in the back room, a beautiful setting with mahogany bookshelves and a table adorned with fresh flowers. We were started with Prosecco and passed Hors D'Oeuvres of bread sticks wrapped with prosciutto, chicken liver on crostini and little pork rillettes.  There was a little mingling and the staff at Mozza was very friendly and accommodating. Around 8pm we sat down and began a tasting of Joe Bastianich's wines. Joe is an owner of Mozza and partners with the famed Mario Batali. I was eager to see the wines Joe would be opening and even more eager to get some advice on a trip to Italy I am taking this summer. I want to explore food and wine regions and thought he would be the perfect person to make recommendations. 

Joe stood at the front of the table of about 30 of us and began to discuss Italy, the best region for food and wine in his opinion (I must say I agree).  Our first tastings of the night were from Friuli: Bastianich Friulano 2007. Medium bodied, it had a wonderful mineral flavor that I loved.  The other white was the Bastianich Vespa Bianco 2007 - known for its complexity and longevity, I think this wine will drink better in years to come. These wines were paired with prosciutto and mozzarella...after all you can't eat at Mozza without mozzarella. 

A simple dish that lets the ingredients speak for themselves, this was a great pairing to the Friulano. 

Our next wines were the La Mozza "I Perazzi" Morellino di Scansano 2007 - mostly sangiovese and the Brandini Langhe Rosso 2004 - a blend of nebbiolo and barbera. These were paired with my favorite dish of the evening, agnolotti with burro e salvia (butter and sage). I'd never had this dish before at Mozza and it was perfect and delicate...perhaps a little too delicate for the wines, but still wonderful.

They also served a garganelli with wild boar ragu, but the presentation of the ragu left something to be desired. It seemed like a simple bolognese and bored me after a few bites. Garganelli is also not my favorite pasta. 

 

Our next wines were Brandini Barolo 2005, which was the all organic wine of the evening and La Mozza Aragone Tuscan IGT 2006.  These were paired with braised beef with polenta and horseradish gremolata. The meat was wonderful and tender but the polenta surrounding it was bland and heavy. It reminded me of cream of wheat...and I don't  really like cream of wheat with my beef. 

 

Dessert came with 2005 Bastianich Tocai Plus, a lovely dessert wine with just the right amount of sweetness. The pre-dessert was montasio cheese with pear walnuts and wild flower honey.  Then for dessert came the torta della nonna with pine nuts and three different types of honey.  The tart was creamy and heavenly-one of the best desserts I've had at Mozza.

  

Overall it was a very nice evening. Unfortunately the host, Joe Bastianich seemed rather exhausted and checked out before I got to ask him for advice on my trip to Italy...oh well. I was a little disappointed that the menu consisted of things off the regular menu...I thought Matt Molina was going to be making dishes to be paired specially with the wines. But it's always fun to sit with others who share a similar love for food and wine and that was what the night was about...