Chefs Susan Feniger (left) and Mary Sue Milliken teach a cooking class at Border Grill in downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Rory Owen Delaney.

Have you been to a cooking class at Border Grill? If you haven’t, then you’re missing out on a truly fun and informative time. Remedy your situation by attending Salsa 101 taught by none of that than chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the original Two Hot Tamales and two Top Chef Masters contestants.

While enjoying a multi-course lunch with signature cocktails, you’ll learn the essentials of creating salsas that you can incorporate into a variety of dishes, including soups, salads, barbecue and even dessert. You’ll learn lots of cooking tips from Milliken and Feniger, such as how the ends of cucumbers are bitter; how you should sharpen a knife at a 15 degree angle and always wipe it off immediately after cutting citrus; how you should cut fish against the grain just like beef; how onions have the most sugar of all vegetables, which means they will oxidize immediately if put in a food processor; and much more.

You’ll also get to take a recipe booklet home so you can recreate what you learned at home. Good food, good company, good take-aways — what more can you ask for?

Salsa 101 & Beyond with Mary Sue and Susan

Saturday, June 2, 2012
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Border Grill Downtown LA
445 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Call (213) 486-5171 for reservations.
$75 per person

Lobster "Mac and Cheese" at Ra Pour

When I think of restaurants in the Inland Empire, chains come to mind. But Ra Pour, a high-end restaurant and bar in Rancho Cucamonga’s Victoria Gardens retail complex, has changed the way I think about dining in the I.E. (there are still a lot of chain restaurants, though).

Ra Pour, the jewel in restaurateur Karim Webb’s crown, is helmed by Executive Chef Greg Stillman, a French Laundry and Patina Restaurant Group alumnus, so right off you know you’re getting a quality meal. However, the combination of a high-end eatery with a club-like after-hours feel, including live music that makes conversation tough, is a bit strange. But given the area’s other options, Ra Pour is probably one of your best bets.

I was recently invited to try out dinner and brunch here, and I was mostly pleasantly surprised. Drinks were fine, and food was better — even excellent at times. Dinner standouts included the Crispy Pork Belly, served with greengage plums, poached rhubarb and crushed marcona almonds, which was cooked perfectly and had a subtle sweetness. The Lobster “Mac and Cheese,” with butter-poached Maine lobster, mascarpone-enriched orzo and a parmesan crisp, is an elegant take on the traditional dish. Pizzas are good, and the tempura mushrooms are a nice twist on the usual fried appetizer.

Chicken and Waffles

As for brunch, the Chicken and Waffles with fried chicken tenders, a Tabasco reduction, maple syrup and candied jalapeno atop a malted waffle, is to die for. It’s a must, and you can get it at dinner, too, so get it. The Yogurt Parfait with blueberry compote, fresh mixed berries, yogurt and granola isn’t over-the-top sweet, which makes it a nice light breakfast option. The Duck Confit Hash with beets, potatoes, bacon, herbs and poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce (the sauce wasn’t listed on the menu, by the way) was really heavy, so you might want to split that dish. There’s also live jazz music at brunch, if you like that kind of thing.

See more photos from Ra Pour:

Further reading:

Ra Pour: Elevating Rancho Cucamonga by Gourmet Pigs

Note: These meals were hosted.

Pastry Chef Rebecca West's pastries

Brunch is normally a weekend occurrence, but sometimes it’s nice to have breakfast foods at lunchtime during the week. You can do that at Luca on Sunset in West Hollywood, where brunch is served until 3 p.m. daily.

Chef Luca Giorgetti, who grew up in a Tuscan farmhouse, offers a slew of healthy breakfast items (no butter and little salt), including omelets, scrambles, breakfast and croissant sandwiches, pancakes, French toast, smoothies, juices and many other dishes. And Pastry Chef Rebecca West makes some amazing pastries (these, of course, contain “just enough” butter), including the flaky croissants used in Giorgetti’s sandwiches.

Spinach croissant sandwich

The spinach croissant sandwich is tasty, with its scrambled eggs, spinach, fontina cheese and bell pepper sauce. I prefer it to the breakfast sandwiches with omelet-style eggs, which I find to be too much. Giorgetti said he treats eggs like pasta and thinks about how to incorporate flavor that way, and he hits the mark with the 3 Mushrooms omelet, which is filled and topped with a combination of porcini, shitake and cremini mushrooms.

3 Mushrooms omelet

The chicken hash is another good option. Made with tomato sauce and topped with organic eggs and basil pesto, the chicken is a healthier twist on traditional hash.

Chicken Hash

Let’s go back to the pastries. The almond croissant and chocolate brioche are excellent, and the blueberry muffin is deliciously packed full of fruit. On the savory side, the sweet potato biscuit with speck is ultimately satisfying. All the pastries are so well made that you should be happy with any one of them (or two, or three).

Blueberry muffin

Sweet potato speck biscuit

Further reading:

Perfect Croissants and More for Brunch at Luca on Sunset by Gourmet Pigs

The Best Pastries in West Hollywood by estarLA

Note: This meal was hosted.

B-Wing Salad at Veggie Grill. Photo by Brian Goodman.

Growing vegan restaurant chain Veggie Grill continues to surprise me. The first time I ate there, I was skeptical of its food because I’m not a big fan of faux meats, but Veggie Grill’s menu manages to please crunchy granola vegans without alienating meat eaters. Now the restaurant has added tasty new items to its menu, including hearty dinner plates and a crab cake sandwich — yes, seafood!

The crab cake sandwich is a revelation. Made from soy and wheat products, the “crab” tastes real, even in terms of texture. Topped with tangy tartar sauce, pickles, tomato, lettuce and red onion, the sandwich is uniquely satisfying among vegan menu items.

Crab cake sandwich

Other new dishes that I enjoyed on a recent visit include the B-Wing Salad (pictured above) with buffalo “wings” over lettuce, avocado, celery, roasted corn salsa and ranch dressing; the VG Rollers with blackened “chickin’,” cabbage, Santa Fe spread and tomato salsa rolled in grilled flour tortillas, and served with salsa and chili on the side; and for dessert, the Chocolate Pudding Parfait with chocolate sauce, crushed cookies, walnuts and VG crema (which is made from soy milk).

VG Rollers

Chocolate pudding parfait

I was not as won over by the new “homestyle” plates. While I applaud the effort to create more hearty dinner-friendly dishes, these just didn’t do it for me. The Crispy Chickin’ Plate with a fried chickin’ steak over cauliflower mashed potatoes topped with porcini mushroom gravy and steamed kale on the side was fine, but it was a little too heavy and could have used more mushroom flavor. The Urban Plate, a gluten-free option, with blackened tempeh, caramelized onion and a portobello mushroom cap with steamed kale and tomato and avocado salad on the side was also fine, but it’s not something I would ever order for myself. My dining companion liked it a lot, though, so to each his/her own. The Blackened Chickin’ Plate with papaya salsa, steamed kale and quinoa pilaf was my least favorite. Also, what’s with the plethora of sesame seeds on the steamed kale? I love kale, but you just end up with a mouthful of sesame seeds.

The other new sandwich option, the Buffalo Bomber, features crispy chickin’ tossed with spicy Buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, tomato and red onion. While I liked the buffalo chickin’ salad, I thought the sandwich version had too much buffalo sauce. But if you like buffalo sauce, then this could be the sandwich for you.

All in all, I’m pleased with Veggie Grill’s new menu items. Though I’m still in love with its Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ (as a wrap, not a sandwich), I would definitely branch out and order a crab cake sandwich. It tastes so close to the real thing!

All photos by Brian Goodman.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Tunapica at Asia de Cuba

The Mondrian hotel in West Hollywood is known for its sleekness, especially its ultra-stylish Skybar. What else would you expect from Sunset Boulevard? And its Asia de Cuba, a Philippe Starck-designed Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, is no exception. But this sleek eatery isn’t just all style; there’s substance behind that pretty face.

Asia de Cuba has always been a destination restaurant, but with a new cocktail menu and a revamped dinner menu by Chef Troy N. Thompson, there’s even more reason to visit.

The menu offers a bevy of shareable plates, including a host of ceviches such as wild salmon with salted avocado ice cream, spicy coconut milk, bird’s eye pepper and black lava salt, as well as shrimp and snapper with watermelon confit, Vietnamese red chili, garlic, jalapeño and shaved coconut. The Tunapica, a tuna tartare dish served picadillo style on stacked wonton crisps with Spanish olives, black currants, almonds, coconut and a soy-lime vinaigrette, is a nice twist on the usual tuna tartare and shares well. Other standouts include the pan-seared jumbo sea scallops, which come with plantains and habañero corn crema (I personally like the plantains and scallops better separately); the calamari salad with crispy squid, chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory, radicchio and sesame orange dressing; and the braised oxtail and kimchi steamed dumplings with spiced calabaza threads and mango ponzu.

Shrimp and snapper ceviche

The new cocktail menu also includes drinks made for sharing, including those for two and punches for the whole table. The guava punch, though on the sweet side, is a good choice with white rum, dark rum, Crème de Peche, fresh lime and guava juice. Watch out for the made-for-two Cuban Missile, a potent concoction of brown rum, aged rum, white rum, honey rum, Cherry Heering, Angostura bitters, orange juice and lemon juice.

If you’re looking for a dependable drink, go with a classic mojito, which is well-balanced here with lots of lime and little syrup. If you’re looking to be a bit more adventurous, try the Hemingway Thyme with aged rum, fresh lime, maraschino, cane syrup, grapefruit twist and thyme foam, or the Chili Passion Caipirinha with cachaça spirits, muddled lime, raw sugar, passion fruit purée and a of dash Sriracha.

Trio of mojitos

Chili Passion Caipirinha

See more photos:

Note: This meal was hosted.

Maple Leaf Rag at AMMO

AMMO, that cute restaurant that has occupied a spot on a quiet strip of Highland Avenue for 16 years, is known for its seasonal items. Now it’s offering a new mixology program and bar menu designed by mixologist Jason Robey (formerly of Michael’s in Santa Monica and New Heights in Washington, D.C.) and Chef B.J. Munoz, respectively. Don’t miss the Maple Leaf Rag cocktail made with Black Maple Hill bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, bitters and burnt rosemary. The combination of bourbon and citrus is one of my favorites, and the addition of rosemary gives it an herby, savory kick. As for the food, try the grilled cheese sandwich with Emmental cheese and caramelized shallots on country white bread for a satisfying bite.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich at AMMO

Note: This meal was hosted.

New Orleans

Last week I visited New Orleans for the first time. How an Honorable Kentucky Colonel like me hadn’t been to a city exuding so much Southern charm boggles the mind. Fortunately, I was able to redeem myself when the Tulane University Environmental Law Summit invited my documentary “Toxic Soup” to screen at its conference and flew me in to do a Q+A after the movie.

The first food I scarfed down was in Metairie at Radosta’s. Metairie is a 10- to 15- minute drive from New Orleans proper. Now, Radosta’s might seem like a random first stop, but I should explain that I was staying around the corner at my friend’s house, so it made plenty of sense, especially after I woke up with an empty belly following a red-eye flight.

Radosta’s doesn’t look like much from the outside. Actually it looks like a liquor store, which it is. There are neon beer signs hanging on the walls, as well as the requisite animal head — or two or three. But there’s also a bitching deli, cold ice tea and plenty of seating. I went in around 11:30 a.m. and there were around 30 other customers, but I had no problems getting a seat. The roast beef and shrimp po’ boys are supposed to be killer at Radosta’s, but I hate shrimp. I was feeling spicy so I went with the spicy sausage po’ boy, which was also recommended. It was seriously spicy, and I could only eat half of it because not only was it spicy, it was huge.

Radosta's

Radosta's spicy sausage po' boy

After Radosta’s I drove into New Orleans and ended up in the French Quarter at Café Du Monde for some beignets. The place was packed with people sitting under the fans drinking coffee, eating pastries and carrying on. There was also a longish line of ten or more people waiting for take-out. Café Du Monde puts the beignets in a white paper bag that’s full of powdered sugar. The trick is to shake the bag so that your pastries are good and sugary. The donuts were dense, and I felt full after eating only two of them (they come in threes).

Cafe du Monde

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

For dinner I went to Mother’s Restaurant. I got there just after 5:00 p.m. as recommended. The red brick restaurant has an inviting feel to it, with the requisite autographed celebrity photo wall, a large open kitchen and a blackboard menu. As for the grub, the fried chicken and shrimp are notorious, but the chicken takes 25 minutes to make, and you know how I feel about shrimp. Instead, I ordered the roast beef po’ boy. The roast beef sits on top of mustardy pickles and cabbage, which really complemented the meat’s flavor and made for a tasty, tasty po’ boy. Again, the portion size was humongous and I could only get through about two-thirds of it before I waved the white towel.

Mother's Restaurant

Mother's roast beef po' boy

My only gripe with Mother’s was that the staff could have been a little less standoffish. When I pay $15 for a sandwich I don’t want a complimentary side of attitude. But the food is damn good, which is why when I wandered past Mother’s a few hours later the line was spilling out the door.

The next day, I went out boozing with a local. If you’re looking for a good bar with live music, check out Circle Bar. The place is tiny and has a cool circular foyer where bands set up and jam. I saw The Ripe, an Austin, Texas, outfit and drank two Maker’s Marks on the rocks at $7 a pop.

After Circle Bar, I went to Half Moon Bar and got a chicken Philly sandwich to soak up some of the bourbon, then washed it down with some PBR. After I put some more food in the tank, it was off to The Saint Bar in the Lower Garden District where a Brazilian DJ was spinning dance music.

So if you like good food, good booze and good times, consider New Orleans for your next vacation. And although I probably gained about 10 pounds in three days, it was well worth it. I’ll go on a diet when I’m dead.

Photos by Rory Delaney.

Chef Ben Bailly shows off his lamb cheeks. Photo by John Ales.

Is third time the charm for Ben Bailly? Bailly recently joined Cliff’s Edge as executive chef, where he was brought on to revamp the menu after stints at Petrossian and Fraiche Culver City. Cliff’s Edge is Bailly’s third restaurant since arriving in Los Angeles, and his food complements the Sliver Lake location nicely. The menu is elevated but not stuffy, which seems to speak well to the discerning hipster neighborhood.

During a recent visit to Cliff’s Edge, I enjoyed both the cocktails and the food. I really liked the Bitter Pill (Zaya 12 year rum, Fernet Branca, brown sugar, fresh lime juice, egg whites, orange oils), which had great depth of flavor. The Gold Rush (Buffalo Trace bourbon, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, orange oils) and Question Mark (Bols Genever gin, lavender simple syrup, fresh grapefruit and lemon juice, Peychauds bitters, flamed grapefruit oils) were also winners, mostly because I love the bourbon-citrus combo as well as lavender in general.

As for the food, the Whipped Ricotta with lavender (again!), honey and olive oil is a must to start. It’s fluffy, creamy and fragrant. The Crispy Polenta served with mushrooms, egg, and Pecorino Romano cheese, as well as the Seared Scallops with lebne yogurt cheese, cauliflower, Vadouvan spice and salsa verde, are solid savory options.

The Skate Wing served with sunchokes, brown butter, pine nuts, lemon and capers was hands-down my favorite main dish. It was reminiscent of a fish and sunchoke dish that Bailly served at Fraiche that I also enjoyed. The Lamb Cheeks with celery root purée, rapini and hazelnut gremolata is another good choice.

The Chocolate Torta is what you should order for dessert. At once light, smooth and decadent, this cake is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve had in a while. I don’t normally order the chocolate cake at restaurants, but I would definitely do it here.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Remember Les Deux, that bastion of douchey Hollywood clubbery? Now it’s a sophisticated restaurant, Sadie, with a proper food and drink menu designed by Executive Chef Dave Schmit and Director of Spirits Giovanni Martinez. After its brief stint as gastropub Les Deux Estate, which was respectable, Sadie feels like what this space always should have been: elegant but laid back, a respite from the craziness of Hollywood.

I visited Sadie recently, and I was overall very pleased with my meal. My dining companions and I started with a bevy of cocktails from Martinez, whom I highly respect as a mixologist. My favorites were the Pontchartrain (bourbon, 10 year tawny port, house-made grenadine, fresh lemon juice, absinthe rinse), La China (lychee black tea-infused Avion Silver Tequila, fresh lime juice, organic agave syrup, Velvet Falernum) and Kentucky Ninja (Japanese single malt whisky, bourbon, fresh lemon juice, lavender-infused wild honey, Peychaud’s bitters rinse). Even the drinks that I didn’t like, such as the White Monk (white pepper- and cardamom-infused Dolin Blanc Vermouth, Silver tequila, Castilian bitters, Benedictine rinse), had a delicate balance to them that I appreciated. For the record, my friends really liked the drinks that I didn’t, and I respect their opinions, so I can safely say that these differences were a matter of taste and not poor execution.

As for the food, the mains were standouts. I ordered the Roast Jidori Chicken Breast, which came with spaetzle, Brussels sprouts and heirloom cherry tomatoes served in mustard-y pan sauce, that was extremely satisfying. I would order it again in a heartbeat. I also had tastes of the Fresh Spinach Pasta with mushroom ragout, tomatoes and parmesan, as well as the All-Natural Scottish Salmon served with broccolini, leeks, peas and herb butter. Both dishes were tasty. Where our dinner fell short was with the flatbreads, whose toppings were fine but whose bread was over cooked. The salads were rather unremarkable, especially the Gem Salad. However, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwich that we had for dessert was delicious, and I don’t even like PBJ!

Sadie is a great addition to Hollywood. Good food, good drink and good atmosphere. Make sure to sit on the back semi-enclosed patio — it’s gorgeous.

Further reading:

Delicious Bites and Top-Notch Cocktails in Elegant Sadie, Hollywood by estarLA

Note: This meal was hosted.

Mezze offers just what you would think — small, sharable plates of Mediterranean food. And what food it is! It’s flavorful and fun, and Mezze’s location, a semi-open space with an indoor tree (you’ll just have to see for yourself), complements the menu nicely. You can almost forget that you’re on La Cienega Boulevard a stone’s throw away from the Beverly Center.

My favorite “side” dishes at a recent dinner were the beet salad with chickpeas, sheep’s milk yogurt and haloumi cheese, and the Nantes carrots with harissa and lebne yogurt cheese. Both items were well-balanced and flavorful, especially the carrots.

The more substantial dishes really impressed me; I even liked the lamb in the Hashweh Risotto, which came topped with fried lemon, and I don’t normally like lamb. The shawarma made with brisket, amba (a tangy mango condiment) and house pickles are fun and satisfying. The white bass, with sea beans, cauliflower and coriander, was perfectly cooked and seasoned.

My favorite dessert was hands-down the Date & Ameretti Parfait with mascarpone and Turkish coffee — and I don’t normally like dates, either! The mix of textures and different types of sweet, but not too sweet, flavors was surprising and delightful. I would definitely order it again.

As for the cocktails, these were more hit-or-miss for me. The Baharat Milk, with Barbancourt rum 8 year, Remy VS cognac, Baharat (spiced) milk and pistachios, was delicious though heavy, but the George Dickel Pickle, made with whiskey, mustard seed, lemon, celery, pickle and serrano pepper, was not my taste at all (though Esther of estarLA liked it). You win some, you lose some. No matter; I’ll be back for the food.

Note: This meal was hosted.