ShopEatSleep

Schaner Farms Duck Egg at Sadie

The menu at Sadie, the newish restaurant that took over the old Les Deux space in Hollywood, has been revamped by consulting chef Mark Gold. The food was good to begin with, as I’ve already told you, but it’s been taken up a notch by Gold, who has a loyal following at his own restaurant, Eva.

If you’re going to check out the new menu, make sure to start with the Schaner Farms duck egg, which is prepared sous vide and served with spring garlic, English peas and radish. The dish is a revelation. I would go back just for that egg. The pork belly, with yuzu kosho, soy and green garlic, is another good starter option. You should definitely share this dish, as it is a substantial piece of fatty pork (in the best way possible, of course).

As for the mains, the linguini and clams, with littleneck clams, lemon and tons of garlic, should satisfy you, as should the Wild Alaskan Halibut served with artichoke, smoked bacon and onion relish. My only real complaint is the disappearance of Chef Dave Schmidt’s original Sadie chicken dish, which was nicely roasted and came with a delicious mustard-y concoction of spaetzle, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes. The chicken dish that Gold served at my tasting didn’t hit the mark for me, but it seems to have been replaced on the menu by a fried version, which should be much better if it’s anything like his fried chicken at Eva.

Peychaud's Ice Cream and Sanbitter Float (left), Fernet and Chip Ice Cream and Mexican Coke Float

The cocktails remain largely the same, though some tasty additions have been made, including the Fernet and Chip Ice Cream and Mexican Coke Float, which I prefer to the more bitter Peychaud’s Ice Cream and Sanbitter Float, though I know lots of people who like the Peychaud’s Bitters version better. In any case, whatever you order from mixologist Giovanni Martinez’s bar is sure to be good. Trust.

Further reading:

Spring at Sadie: New Chef, New Menu, New Cocktails by Gourmet Pigs

When Bitter is Sweet by Tasting Table

Spring Into Sadie by The Fussy One

Note: This meal was hosted.

Huevos Polenta at Playa Rivera

When I first heard that Chef John Rivera Sedlar was opening Playa Rivera restaurant in the old Grace space on Beverly Boulevard, I jumped for joy. I love Sedlar’s food (and Julian Cox’s cocktails) at Rivera downtown, so having one of his eateries closer in proximity to where I live is really a treat.

Elegant, hearty and delicious, Playa Rivera’s brunch is a great choice for a casual-but-elevated meal. I had the pleasure of having brunch here with Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Lindsay of LAist and Esther of estarLA, and we had a well-rounded meal complete with cocktails and a chat with Sedlar himself, who happened to walk in just as we were leaving.

Keep Reading

Fig pizza

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Osteria La Buca is donating a portion of its proceeds earned through the end of October to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to support breast cancer research. Because many of the restaurant’s friends and family have been affected by this disease, they decided to team up with Komen and painted the exterior of the eatery pink to draw even more attention to the cause.

So you have one more week to eat here for a good cause, or go anyway because the food is good! Some of the dishes I enjoyed at a recent media dinner were a pizza with multi-colored cherry tomatoes, figs, a leafy green (kale, I think) and mozzarella cheese; asparagus spears topped with parmesan and a fried egg; osso buco risotto; and tiramisu.

Tiramisu

Asparagus spears with parmesan and egg

Note: This meal was hosted.

This past weekend will go down in L.A. food history as The Weekend That Was The Clusterf*ck Known As The L.A. Street Food Fest. Don’t get me wrong — I thought it was a great idea, and I enjoyed myself while I was there. But as is the case with so many first-time events, there were problems, though I guess things could have been worse.

Keep Reading