Andy Gavin's Blog, page 133
November 7, 2014
Shiki Lunch Squared
Restaurant: ShikiBeverly Hills[1, 2]
Location:410 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.310-888-0036
Date: August 26 & October 30, 2014
Cuisine: Japanese
Rating:Some of the best sushi I’ve had in a while!
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Shiki Beverly Hills recently replaced Enoteco Drago in the primo Canon Dr space right in the heart of Beverly Hills. It features extremely Japanese seasonal ingredient focused kaiseki and sushi. The space is elegant and modern, really not that different than it was as Drago.
ChefShigenori Fujim...
November 5, 2014
Beijing Tasty House
Restaurant: Beijing Tasty House
Location:172 E Valley Blvd.San Gabriel, CA 91776.(626) 573-3062
Date: June 20, 2014
Cuisine:Beijing Chinese
Rating:Tasty!
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The bounty of Chinese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. They open all the time in almost every type of regional Chinese cuisine. Beijing Tasty House fits in the inclusive style of the capital, which sucks in cuisine not only from right around it but from central and western areas like Szechuan.
2002 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millés...
November 3, 2014
The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Title:The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Author:Patrick Rothfuss
Genre:High Fantasy
Length: 35,000words, 160(sparse) pages
Read: October28-19, 2014
Summary: Unique.
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and The Wise Man’s Fearare Patrick Rothfuss’ excellent “normal” high fantasy novels. The brand newSlow Regard is a novella set in the same world, featuring a minor character (Auri, the fey girl at the University). Thisintriguing little book sits completely aside from the main series of novels. But it should not be re...
October 31, 2014
Trimbach Republique
Restaurant: Republique[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036.(310) 362-6115
Date: October28, 2014
Cuisine: Modern Bistro French
Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service
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Back to Republique again? Well, it seems in 2014 half the serious wine events are here. Possibly it’s because Sommelier Taylor Parsons is so good. In any case, tonight’s tasting is a serious vertical exploration of Trimbach Close St Hune, one of the world’s most rarefied dry Rieslings. T...
October 29, 2014
The Little Door Santa Monica
Restaurant: The Little Door Santa Monica
Location:246 26th Street.Santa Monica CA 90402. 310-210-8064
Date: October5, 2014
Cuisine:Vaguely French
Rating:Tasty and Cute
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The Little Door has been a midtown institution for around 20 years, and my wife and I even celebrated there the night we got engaged. Now they’ve moved west into my hood, taking over the old Villetta (and before that Chez Mimi) space across from the Brentwood Country Mart.
The patio here is lovely. It’s always been one of the cutest...
October 27, 2014
Oceans of Wine
Restaurant: 41 Ocean Club
Location:1541 Ocean Avenue.Santa Monica, CA 90401.(310) 566 – 3870
Date: October22, 2014
Cuisine: New American
Rating:Blast of a night
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41 Ocean is a members only private club located in a historic 1920s building on Ocean Avenue. The Hedoniststook it over in classic style and wewere treated like Pharoes (to quote Yarom). After dinner, the gangenjoyed cognac or ports and cigars on their balcony overlooking the ocean. A truly epic night.
Our table is lovely.
Tonight’s special...
October 23, 2014
Szechuan Everywhere
Restaurant: Chuan’s
Location:5807 Rosemead Blvd.Temple City, CA 91780.(626) 677-6667
Date: October21, 2014
Cuisine:Szechuan Chinese
Rating:Great flavors, not ultra hot
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I love me someSzechuan, and surprisingly, so do a lot of others becauseSzechuan places have become all the rage lately.
Chuan’s is the latest Chinese chain to open a Southern California output, like Meizhou Dongpo in the Century City Mall.
The interior is actually styled and casual but cute. They have a private room too which we ate...
October 21, 2014
Ramen is all the Rage
Restaurant: Daikokuya Santa Monica
Location:2208 Sawtelle Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90064.(310) 575-4999
Date: October13, 2014
Cuisine:Japanese Ramen
Rating: First rate noodles
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In LA (and possibly elsewhere), ramen has just exploded. It’s gone from this obscure specialty and grad student food to multiple streets with multiple ramen joints each with hour long lines!
Sawtelle is the undisputed Asian lunch spot on the Westside and Daikokuya, despite being “below Olympic,” slumming with the likes of Starbu...
October 17, 2014
Yanbian Nights
Restaurant: Yanbian Restaurant[1, 2]
Location:4251 W 3rd St.Los Angeles,CA90004.(213) 383-5959
Date: October15, 2014
Cuisine: Yanbian Chinese
Rating: Great food, incredible deal!
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Yanbian is an autonomous prefecture in the borderlands between China and Korea. But like any place, it has its own regional cuisine, and LA, being rich in Asian culture has at least onerestaurantspecializing in the area. My Hedonist group has been going here 1-2 times a year forever, but this is my second visit.
This Kore...
October 15, 2014
Outlander – Real Men Wear Kilts
Title: Outlander
Author:Diana Gabaldon
Genre:Time Travel Romance
Length: 642pages
Read: October3-13, 2014
Summary:long but good
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I’ve been meaning to read Outlander for years. Part time travel, part historical fiction, big best seller… it’s also fundamentally a Romance (cough). This last gaveme pause, but finally, after checking out the show (to be reviewedlater) I bit the bullet.
It’s funny how bestselling series drive against the current of writing “shoulds.” This book is long. It’s detailed. The...
