Ray's and Stark Bar at LACMA

These lights are an urban icon and are a very recognizable sight of LACMA (los angeles county museum of arts)

I recently had the opportunity to be introduced to another unique aspect of LACMA: 

LA's Water Sommelier!!!

Martin Riese is the general manager of Patina Group's restaurant Ray's and Stark Bar. He is also a fine expert in something very important that we partake in everyday. Drinking water!!! I have heard of wine sommeliers but a water sommelier was very unusual to me, as i'm sure it is to many LA natives. But it is quite common in Europe, where one can find water pairings on a restaurant menu.

My guest and i were treated to 3 different types of water. Martin gave a us a brief introduction on growing up in Germany and how traveling influenced his love of finding different types of water and how differently water can taste from the next glass. 

The first water served was Voss, which is pretty common now in LA as an "expensive, fancy" water

next to the average bottled purified water. Next was Iskilde from Denmark which turned out to be our favorite- it was light, and refreshing and had a slightly sweet after taste. The last was a carbonated water from Spain called Vichy Catalan. This one was very "strong" in that, it was very very bubbly with a strong oceanic taste- salty. For a more extensive look at their water menu :

http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurants/133/menus/Rays-Tasting-Water-menu.pdf

Their bread and butter was lovely. The bread having a crunchy exterior and soft delicious interior. 

We had a sampling of their asparagus soup, which was so tasty with a hazelnut topping!

Their fried oyster appetizer was delectable as well, served with a spicy, tangy sauce and lemony frisee.

For my main dish, i had their Anglonotti del Plin, which was a truffle rice stuffed pasta with hazelnuts and arugula. The hazelnuts offered a nice crunch. It was a heavier dish, but a good portion. 

My guest was looking forward to trying their pork belly, but they had just run out . So at the recommendation from our lovely waitress, he got the lamb belly dish which was very good. The yogurt sauce paired perfectly with the spicy sauce on the lamb. The cucumbers and pomegranate were a nice refreshing side to the heavy meat. The pita bread was nice, but perhaps could have even been served plain. 

There were about 5 different options for dessert, including a warm butter rum cake i was eyeing. We opted to share the Chocolate dish, which came with three pieces of chocolate encased passion fruit mousse, served over cookie crumbles and passion fruit coulis. 

The staff is exceptional and the food is delicious. With indoor and outdoor seating, Ray's is a lively place to have a relaxing meal after a day exploring LACMA, checking out the nearby GroveLA or a nice wind down after work.  :)

Dine LA at the Capital Grille

Dine LA is one of my favorite times of the year.  Get a three course meal for reduced price- the best way to try new places out or go back for your favorites. 

This year, i wanted to revisit a place i first went to through the dineLA deal a few years ago- The Capital Grille at the Beverly Center. Since then, i have gone a couple more times and also their Costa Mesa Location and have grown quite fond of this steakhouse! 

This time we opted for their Lunch menu from Dine LA.  ($25)

I chose the clam chowder starter with the sirloin steak and cheesecake dessert. 

Started off with their AMAZING fresh brewed ice tea. (this tea has spoiled me from regular ice tea)

I love their bread rolls and i appreciate the LARGE pad of butter they provide :) 

 

Their clam chowder is really delicious- creamy and plenty of clam chunks. 

 

Their sirloin steak was cooked nicely- a perfect medium rare and tender. But if i pick my favorite steak i have had here so far, it would be their kona crusted sirloin. I'm usually a big bone in rib eye fan, but their kona steak is so flavorful that it's more memorable than some good ribeyes i've had. 

My date had their signature cheeseburger which was delicious with a side of their truffle fries.

Their expresso cake is pretty rich, so i was happy with my choice of cheesecake this time, which is cute and a perfect size. I love how it has a bruleed finish which makes it a little more exciting than plain cheesecake.

Mastros is probably still my top steakhouse in LA, compared to Mortons, Ruths Chris, Flemings- The Capital Grille is my favorite. Their service is always excellent and each visit is always a pleasure. 

Jidaiya Ramen and Iccho Restaurant

One of my favorite things about the Southbay area is the abundance of small asian restaurants. 

I recently visited two japanese owned restaurants that reminded me of my visits to Japan. The first being a place in Gardena called Jidaiya.

A friend of mine told me that she had tried Jidaiya's version of the famed Ramen Burger. Once i found out that they serve Melon Soda Floats, i knew i had to try this place out! 

We ordered one of their ramen burgers (served only after 2pm), an order of their Tonkotsu Ramen and a melon soda float. Their UFO shaped Gyoza looked good, but we did not order it this time. 

The ramen burger is different from the NY version in that it comes with chashu slices instead of a hamburger patty. It came with two ramen noodle "buns", lettuce and a mild spicy sauce. I usually cannot eat spicy foods, but i enjoyed this burger without my mouth being on fire. 

The burger "instructions" was to save a 1/3 of the burger and drop it into the bowl of chicken broth they serve as a side. A bit on the greasy side- however i did enjoy the novelty of it. 

The Tonkotsu Ramen was yummy, but i like my ramen with sesame seeds and there was none. 

(my favorite is still Hakata Ramen)

A very popular izakaya place in Torrance is Iccho at the Rolling Hills Plaza. It's always packed and there is usually at least a 30 minute wait. What makes this place popular is that it offers a variety of food- from traditional izakaya offerings like yakitori, asparagus bacon to unusual ones like bacon cheese kochi, popular sushi choices and friendly teriyaki combos as well. 

Food is good, prices are decent and service is friendly (although it can be hard down to track someone if you need something when they are busy).

Jacksons Food and Drink Tasting Dinner

My first blogger post on my LA food adventures is on a great little restaurant in the South Bay area of El Segundo- Jacksons Food and Drink. After posting hundreds of reviews of restaurants on review sites, the restaurant contacted me that i was invited to preview their upcoming new menu items!!!

I was very excited to be part of an intimate group of bloggers treated to such hospitality from the owner Chef Scott Cooper and his wife Sharon who dined with us along with Eric who coordinated the lovely dinner. It was a great experience to get to talk to Sharon about their background and to hear from Chef Scott the inspiration behind each dish we were being served. I was also delighted that fellow blogger hello kitty twin Jenn G was in attendance as well!

Us bloggers and our guests were treated to a generous 5 course tasting menu starting with a nice bowl of corn chowder- perfect for the chilly night.

The soup came with roasted pasilla chiles which gave it a spicy kick (a little too spicy for me!) and queso fresco. I loved the corn kernels and bits of cheese that gave it a good heartiness. The soup was paired with a glass of Villa Sandi Prosecco wine which was a very nice light wine to start the evening.

Salad came next. Plated very nicely on a rectangular plate, the salad was packed with goodies.

Baby beets and greens, mandarin orange slices, candied pecans and goat cheese. The dressing was a very light citrus vinaigrette. I usually avoid goat cheese at all costs, so i was a little hesitant, but the cheese was absolutely the perfect choice- a creamy, light version of goat cheese that was more feta-ish rather than crumbly funk. Jackson has opened my eyes and made me a fan of goat cheese- gasp!!!
The wine pairing here was with a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Before our third course, we were given an additional treat of Chefs creation of Tomato Soup.
He wanted a really tomato tasting soup- and very tomato-ey it was! Only a bit of chicken stock was added and dressed with lovely bites of light croutons and a dab of sour cream. It was a very thick soup, having the texture that would go great as a sauce for a pasta dish or dipping sauce for bread. I would buy cans of this and use it as a sauce if i could.

The first entree was a seared seabass dish served with braised and grilled fennel, and couscous. The sauce it was served with was AMAZING. Chef Scott mentioned he's a sauce guru and it showed in this very flavorful sauce. The couscous was a nice substitute for a rice side. It was flavored with garlic and was very delicious. The fish itself had a nice sear but didn't do anything for me if it was eaten alone. The fennel was i think soaked in a Pernod sauce which i didn't care for (not a fan of licorice flavoring).
This dish was paired with a lovely Flora Springs Chardonnay which was my favorite since it reminded me of a moscato.

The second entree was milk-braised pork chops- it came plated very different than what i had imagined in my head. The pork was very soft and served in chunks in a very rich homestyle gravy. A nice bed of creamy polenta gave the dish a very hearty, home cooked feel. I think a nice small side of vegetables would balance the heaviness of this dish if served as a full side main entree.  The fried sage garnish was a nice touch. The pork dish was served with a glass of Clos du Val Pinot Noir (red).

The dessert was the item written on our menu that i was most curious about. The word BACON had popped out to me immediately, as i'm a big fan of bacon desserts! Chef Simon's creation of a crazy indulgent bread pudding was pretty awesome- almonds, bacon, toffee bread pudding topped with a maple whipped cream--- it was eye popping and button popping as we finished our meal with such a sweet treat.

On top of that, we were offered lattes and cappuccinos (Intelligentsia)!

Service from our server Wade and the wait staff was excellent. The restaurant itself is very beautiful. It has a very cozy feel without feeling cramped. We sat next to the warm fireplace at the long wood table, perfect for a nice small group. There is also a bar section where you can watch the game- ideal for a happy hour visit! Happy hour is M-F 4pm to 6:30pm.  Weekday lunch starts at 11am and i hear that weekend brunch for the new year is in the works. You can check out their menu at their website  www.jacksonfoodanddrink.com
I had previously come here on a whim after watching a movie at the Arclight Theatres next door. The miso cod fish, filet mignon risotto and tagliatelle pasta dish were yummy.

I hear the butternut squash soup is excellent!
Thank you @hellojacksons for a wonderful evening!!!

Check out my friend Jenn's take on this special night at@ hellokittyfoodie.wordpress.com