ShopEatSleep

I had been meaning to try FIG Restaurant in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica since it opened early last year, so when I was invited to dinner there, I jumped at the chance. The restaurant’s seasonal, farm-to-table concept sounded good — how could a place that places its emphasis on fresh local ingredients not sound good? The good news is this philosophy isn’t just lip service: Chef Ray Garcia knows his ingredients, and his kitchen can really cook.

Keep Reading

Pal Cabron‘s cemitas poblana just may be my new favorite sandwich. I had the pork cemita, which is a hearty sandwich made with a thin, breaded piece of pork, thinly sliced head cheese, avocado, onions, Oaxacan string cheese, another cheese called queso panela, chipotle and an herb called papalo, all on an egg roll that was obviously designed to hold up to the mountain of ingredients in this sandwich. The chipotle might be a tad spicy for some, and it was for me, though I thoroughly enjoyed the fire in my mouth.

Pork cemita

Keep Reading

I was a little weary about accepting an invitation to a hosted dinner at Kabuki, the small West Coast Japanese restaurant chain, because, you know, it’s a chain. But I said to myself, “Self, don’t be so critical. Have an open mind.” Since I had been to a Kabuki only once years ago, I decided to give it a chance. And I was pleasantly surprised by some of the dishes, and not surprised by others.

Keep Reading