The much awaited Kosher Subway has finally opened and having eaten there a number of times I think I have the good and the not so good down pat. For those who aren’t aware, Subway is located on Pico and Crest right next to AAA flag and banner 1 block west of Pico Deli and 4 doors down from Jeff’s Gourmet. I mention those two establishments as they are the ones that operate in the same market as the new Subway and are probably the ones that will lose the most business to the new Subway - at least initially.
The concept is pretty simple, you tell the first guy behind the counter what bread you want (white or wheat – baked fresh on site) and what meat you want. He slices the bread and takes the meat you have chosen out of neat little pre-packed bags and passes your selection to the next guy that puts on the desired vegetable toppings and sauces. He passes it to the next guy that wraps it up and passes it to the guy at the register. Very smooth operation with a good flow. The line moves and they crank out a ton of sandwiches really quickly. Circa would do well to hang out there for a while and study the people flow.
As far as the meat selection, they have hot meats like meatball marinara (very good) and shwarma (not particularly good) and they have meats that need to be hot like chicken teriyaki (bland and a bit gross looking) and steak (could not bring myself to order it uggggh). The ones that need to be heated are thrown into their turbo toasters that heat up the sandwiches really quickly. My recommendation would be to toast whatever sub you order. They have the all the regular cold cuts that I am guessing are the standard Rubashkin deli meats that you get anywhere like salami, bologna, corned beef, roast turkey, roast beef, etc.
The greatness of Subway is that you can completely customize your sandwich (or wrap or salad – not sure who is ordering those). Being that the guy is making it right in front of you, if you want extra lettuce, tomato on only one side, onions on the other side, bbq sauce, honey mustard, chipotle mayo, salt and pepper, oil and vinegar – no problem. The fact that they offer 6 inch as well as 12 inch sandwiches along with double meat options is also a big plus. From a pricing standpoint I find them more affordable then both PKD and Jeffs (although PKD could argue that they put more meat in their sandwich and Jeffs could argue that they use a better quality product in their sandwich). The sandwiches that I would order again are the meatball, turkey, spicy Italian and hot pastrami.
There are a few negative aspects to Kosher Subway with the most prominent being the lack of parking – they have a total of 3 non-handicap spots in their lot. When Pico Café and the Nagila gift shop have twice the number of spots that you have, it’s a problem (don’t even think of parking there as you will be towed!). The in-store dining is very uncomfortable. It has a cafeteria feel which wouldn’t be that bad if there wasn’t a line of people snaked along the wall right next to you starring at your sandwich trying to figure out what you chose, asking if the hot pastrami is good, yada yada. Speaking of the line, it is huge at almost all times of the day right now (not at 9am Yaak, I know). The idea is speed – and they are really quick once you get to the counter – but waiting for 25 minutes just to get to the counter defeats the purpose. You cannot call in an order and just come to pick it up so for now there is no way around this issue (it has been rumored that there will be 2 additional Kosher Subways opening up in the area so this would help).
Once the novelty wares out, I think most people will go back to Jeff’s and PKD for the reasons those places have been so successful for this long. PKD is still the only real deli in the area, you can sit down for a proper lunch and the food is good. Jeff’s has a much broader range then Subway does (sausages, burgers, deli, salads, soups, etc), the food is delicious and fresh (no microwave steak) and if you don’t want to wait you can phone in your order. That being said, if you are running to a ballgame or the park and want to pick up something quick, Subway is a great choice.
FYI – In addition to their well priced lunch menu, Prime Grill currently has 3 amazingly priced Prix Fixe lunch specials so if you have been staying away because of the price, now is the time to go. Two examples are for $12 you get a salad, burger with fries and a scoop of ice cream or for $16 you get a soup or salad, BBQ short rib sandwich with fries and a scoop of ice cream. The current specials will be replaced on November 15.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Prime Grill Revisited
As many of you know, I reviewed the Prime Grill after eating there the first week they were open to the public and gave them a lousy write-up. I felt that they deserved another shot so I gave them another try this past Tuesday night. The main dining room was completely full so rather then sit in one of their side rooms we sat outside in the cabanas. This was a great move and I would suggest to any of you that are going to PG to sit outside. The tent is heated and the setting feels quiet and intimate. Our waiter was a very polite and helpful French gentleman named Patrick.
For starters I had the “wagyu sliders”. These are two mini-hamburgers supposedly made out of steak and they cost $25. Don’t order these, not that good and certainly not worth the money. If you want to try something different, the “chef’s signature roll” is a sushi roll that has thin Asian flavored cooked meat draped over the rice as opposed to fish served with a ginger sauce drizzled over it. I thought it was fantastic. My wife’s salmon crunch roll was also quite good although we could have done without the assorted tuna sampler.
Prime Grill has a different steak that they feature as a special for each night of the week (in addition to their standard menu) and on Tuesday it’s their “Delmonico” steak. One of the things I find amazing about the Prime Grill is that they have about 8 steaks on their standard menu plus an additional 5 specials for each night of the week and all of them are different variations of a rib-eye steak. The “Delmonico” is PG’s version of a steak made famous by Delmonico restaurant in New York during the mid 1800’s. It’s about 2 inches thick and very marbled. It seemed to be lightly breaded and fried or broiled. It was juicy, flavorful, and completely delicious – one of the best pieces of meat I’ve had in a long time. For $49 it’s pricey but really worth it. It comes with 4 large homemade onion rings which were similar to the ones from Jeff’s (as opposed to the regular steaks that come with fried onion slivers) but without much flavor. Patrick our waiter brought us a wine sauce and a béchamel sauce but the steak didn’t need them.
For desert I was going to have the sorbet but when Patrick told me that they had a “milles feuille” (not sure how to pronounce it so I just call it Napoleon) as the special for the evening I had to order it (as a rule, if there is a custard type desert available, I’m getting it and this includes any crème brulee, pot de crème, flan, pudding, etc). The Napoleon was excellent – it had thin layers of soft pastry layered with custard and it didn’t have that nasty, sweet icing layer on the top that the bakery versions always have. My espresso was disappointing but alas, most restaurant espressos unfortunately usually are.
(as a side note, I have an espresso machine by Nespresso in my office that makes delicious, consistent cups of espresso every time I use it. The machine costs $350 and the cost per shot is approximately 52 cents. It never ceases to amaze me when I go into restaurants that have commercial espresso machines that cost thousands of dollars and they can’t put out a product that’s half as good as what I make in my office. Drop the fancy copper wall unit and pick up a Nespresso machine at Bloomingdale’s! At $3.50 for a shot of espresso they’d still be making a pretty nice profit margin. AArrrrgggggghh!!!)
Our overall meal was great. The service was efficient, the food was very good and the ambiance was pleasant. The one negative thing I need to mention is the cost. Our meal for 4 people came out to $504 including tip and we didn’t order bottled water or a bottle of wine (we had 3 glasses). I have come to the conclusion that while Prime Grill is certainly the nicest kosher restaurant in the local LA area, it’s unfortunately just not in my budget.
For starters I had the “wagyu sliders”. These are two mini-hamburgers supposedly made out of steak and they cost $25. Don’t order these, not that good and certainly not worth the money. If you want to try something different, the “chef’s signature roll” is a sushi roll that has thin Asian flavored cooked meat draped over the rice as opposed to fish served with a ginger sauce drizzled over it. I thought it was fantastic. My wife’s salmon crunch roll was also quite good although we could have done without the assorted tuna sampler.
Prime Grill has a different steak that they feature as a special for each night of the week (in addition to their standard menu) and on Tuesday it’s their “Delmonico” steak. One of the things I find amazing about the Prime Grill is that they have about 8 steaks on their standard menu plus an additional 5 specials for each night of the week and all of them are different variations of a rib-eye steak. The “Delmonico” is PG’s version of a steak made famous by Delmonico restaurant in New York during the mid 1800’s. It’s about 2 inches thick and very marbled. It seemed to be lightly breaded and fried or broiled. It was juicy, flavorful, and completely delicious – one of the best pieces of meat I’ve had in a long time. For $49 it’s pricey but really worth it. It comes with 4 large homemade onion rings which were similar to the ones from Jeff’s (as opposed to the regular steaks that come with fried onion slivers) but without much flavor. Patrick our waiter brought us a wine sauce and a béchamel sauce but the steak didn’t need them.
For desert I was going to have the sorbet but when Patrick told me that they had a “milles feuille” (not sure how to pronounce it so I just call it Napoleon) as the special for the evening I had to order it (as a rule, if there is a custard type desert available, I’m getting it and this includes any crème brulee, pot de crème, flan, pudding, etc). The Napoleon was excellent – it had thin layers of soft pastry layered with custard and it didn’t have that nasty, sweet icing layer on the top that the bakery versions always have. My espresso was disappointing but alas, most restaurant espressos unfortunately usually are.
(as a side note, I have an espresso machine by Nespresso in my office that makes delicious, consistent cups of espresso every time I use it. The machine costs $350 and the cost per shot is approximately 52 cents. It never ceases to amaze me when I go into restaurants that have commercial espresso machines that cost thousands of dollars and they can’t put out a product that’s half as good as what I make in my office. Drop the fancy copper wall unit and pick up a Nespresso machine at Bloomingdale’s! At $3.50 for a shot of espresso they’d still be making a pretty nice profit margin. AArrrrgggggghh!!!)
Our overall meal was great. The service was efficient, the food was very good and the ambiance was pleasant. The one negative thing I need to mention is the cost. Our meal for 4 people came out to $504 including tip and we didn’t order bottled water or a bottle of wine (we had 3 glasses). I have come to the conclusion that while Prime Grill is certainly the nicest kosher restaurant in the local LA area, it’s unfortunately just not in my budget.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Best of Kosher in LA!!!
Rather then talk about one particular restaurant, I though it would be fun to compile a personal “best of” list of Kosher foods, restaurant dishes, etc. that I think are great. Try out my picks and see if you agree.
Best (restaurant) at what they do
1) Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage – New Yorkers drool over this LA jem. I can’t think of a bad thing they make
2) Fish Grill – there’s a good reason why there are now 3 of them, such a simple concept – grill super fresh fish over real coals (not gas) and complement it with quick tasty sides
3) Pat’s – best run restaurant I’ve ever seen. Want to substitute something? No problem. Send it back? No problem. Awesome desserts, friendly service. David is amazing. If only they'd update the menu a bit more...
Dessert
1) Pat’s Chocolate Decadence – I’m not a huge chocolate guy but this is hands down the best desert in town, nothing is even close including dairy
2) Pat’s Chocolate Bread Pudding – amazing, ask anyone who has had it
3) Pat’s Strawberry Tart – I know it doesn’t seem fair but Pat’s sweeps the category
Meat / Steak
1) Tierra Sur (winery) Aged Ribey – If you taste it, you know it is different then any other kosher steak in SoCal
2) Pat’s Baca Grande – When it’s good, this prime rib for two is awesome. The onions and 3 dipping sauces are perfect additions
3) Shilo’s ribeye – solid, solid, solid
Pizza
1) La Pizza – arguably the best kosher slice in America, New York doesn’t come close
2) Pizza Maven – damn good pizza, perfect crust, ample cheese, could use a bit more flavor
3) Shalom Pizza – read my review
Pasta Dishes
1) Pat’s Bolognese – a delicious homey dish that will make you feel like curling up next to a fire place
2) Milk n Honey cheese ravioli in pink sauce - my wife’s obsession, very tasty
3) Pizza Station Baked Ziti – you might think I’m crazy but it is very good, with crusty cheese generously coating the top and a tasty marinara sauce inside
Sushi
1) Café Bonjour crunchy white fish roll – mortgage brokers drive from West LA weekly for this dish, need I say more?
2) Shanghai Caterpillar Roll – takes forever but is worth the wait
Kosher Markets
1) Kosher Club – best shopping experience, wide aisles, good meat section, best wine selection in the city
2) Western – best and freshest meat
3) Elat Market – possibly the cheapest produce in the country
Israeli Restaurant Dish
1) On Fire Grill Shakshuka – I’ve had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Freakin delicious!
2) Haifa Beef Shishlik – tender chunks of beef flame broiled to perfection, not sure why nobody else makes it as good
3) King David Shwarma – generous ratio of lamb to turkey, you’ll think you’re at the bus station in Tel Aviv
Fish
1) Fish Grill Sea Bass – my favorite from a menu where you can’t really go wrong
2) On Fire Grill Mahi Mahi – super fresh, lightly seasoned, fish they way it was meant to be eaten
3) Fish Grill Fish n Chips – classic, shmeared with tartar sauce it is soooo good yet soooo many points
Bagel
1) Bagel Factory
2) La Brea Bagel
3) Western Bagel
Danish/Pastry
1) Delice Butter Croissant – not consistent (the owner attributes it to the weather) but when they are good, there is no better pastry in LA
2) Elat Custard Danish – very large amount of custard on soft pillowy pastry
3) Schwartz Cinnamon Crumb Danish – not to be mixed up with their other cinnamon danish that isn’t that good, only available on select days, must be fresh
Chinese Dish
1) Kolah Farangi Sesame Chicken – delicately battered in sweet sauce that is not nauseating
2) Shanghai Diamond Mandarin Chicken – delicately battered in slightly spicy sauce
3) Shanghai Diamond String Bean Beef – typical stirfry in brown sauce but the string beans are great without any of the annoying vegis you find in Chinese dishes
Burger
1) La Gondola Mushroom Onion Burger – a delicious ½ pound patty overflowing with sautéed mushrooms and onions. Add some ketchup and mayo and you’ll be rocking
2) Pat’s Burger – perfectly shaped, consistent, juicy. It could be on TV
3) Greta Burger OB”M – thick patty topped with a sunny side up egg and spicy harisa, it is missed by many
Salad Dressing
1) Pizza Maven Green Dressing – possibly pure nostalgia but I’ve never had another dressing like it… what makes it green???
2) Circa Balsamic – thick, creamy, tasty… could be bottled and sold at retail easily
3) Pizza World Creamy Italian – tastes a bit like tehini, very original flavor, excellent on cheese topped salads
Appetizer
1) La Gondola Avocado Egg roll – so good that numerous other restaurants copied them yet theirs is still by far the best (sorry Chani)
2) Shanghai Garden Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cup – doesn’t sound good but tastes great. It’s kind of a lettuce burrito filled with tasty chicken and hoisin sauce. Atkins friendly.
3) Bonjour Stuffed Mushrooms – deep fried and covered with mayonaise, a total artery clogger
Chicken Soup
1) Bravo Bistro – first time I had fresh chunks of juicy white meat chicken that were added to the soup after it was made, incredibly good
2) Magic Carpet – kind of odd for a Yemenite restaurant to excel at such an Ashkenaz dish but it is one of their signature dishes
3) La Gondola – solid soup made the real way, no mix or cubes in this puppy
I’m gonna end it here as there is more then enough to generate a few comments and I need to get to bed. Enjoy.
Best (restaurant) at what they do
1) Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage – New Yorkers drool over this LA jem. I can’t think of a bad thing they make
2) Fish Grill – there’s a good reason why there are now 3 of them, such a simple concept – grill super fresh fish over real coals (not gas) and complement it with quick tasty sides
3) Pat’s – best run restaurant I’ve ever seen. Want to substitute something? No problem. Send it back? No problem. Awesome desserts, friendly service. David is amazing. If only they'd update the menu a bit more...
Dessert
1) Pat’s Chocolate Decadence – I’m not a huge chocolate guy but this is hands down the best desert in town, nothing is even close including dairy
2) Pat’s Chocolate Bread Pudding – amazing, ask anyone who has had it
3) Pat’s Strawberry Tart – I know it doesn’t seem fair but Pat’s sweeps the category
Meat / Steak
1) Tierra Sur (winery) Aged Ribey – If you taste it, you know it is different then any other kosher steak in SoCal
2) Pat’s Baca Grande – When it’s good, this prime rib for two is awesome. The onions and 3 dipping sauces are perfect additions
3) Shilo’s ribeye – solid, solid, solid
Pizza
1) La Pizza – arguably the best kosher slice in America, New York doesn’t come close
2) Pizza Maven – damn good pizza, perfect crust, ample cheese, could use a bit more flavor
3) Shalom Pizza – read my review
Pasta Dishes
1) Pat’s Bolognese – a delicious homey dish that will make you feel like curling up next to a fire place
2) Milk n Honey cheese ravioli in pink sauce - my wife’s obsession, very tasty
3) Pizza Station Baked Ziti – you might think I’m crazy but it is very good, with crusty cheese generously coating the top and a tasty marinara sauce inside
Sushi
1) Café Bonjour crunchy white fish roll – mortgage brokers drive from West LA weekly for this dish, need I say more?
2) Shanghai Caterpillar Roll – takes forever but is worth the wait
Kosher Markets
1) Kosher Club – best shopping experience, wide aisles, good meat section, best wine selection in the city
2) Western – best and freshest meat
3) Elat Market – possibly the cheapest produce in the country
Israeli Restaurant Dish
1) On Fire Grill Shakshuka – I’ve had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Freakin delicious!
2) Haifa Beef Shishlik – tender chunks of beef flame broiled to perfection, not sure why nobody else makes it as good
3) King David Shwarma – generous ratio of lamb to turkey, you’ll think you’re at the bus station in Tel Aviv
Fish
1) Fish Grill Sea Bass – my favorite from a menu where you can’t really go wrong
2) On Fire Grill Mahi Mahi – super fresh, lightly seasoned, fish they way it was meant to be eaten
3) Fish Grill Fish n Chips – classic, shmeared with tartar sauce it is soooo good yet soooo many points
Bagel
1) Bagel Factory
2) La Brea Bagel
3) Western Bagel
Danish/Pastry
1) Delice Butter Croissant – not consistent (the owner attributes it to the weather) but when they are good, there is no better pastry in LA
2) Elat Custard Danish – very large amount of custard on soft pillowy pastry
3) Schwartz Cinnamon Crumb Danish – not to be mixed up with their other cinnamon danish that isn’t that good, only available on select days, must be fresh
Chinese Dish
1) Kolah Farangi Sesame Chicken – delicately battered in sweet sauce that is not nauseating
2) Shanghai Diamond Mandarin Chicken – delicately battered in slightly spicy sauce
3) Shanghai Diamond String Bean Beef – typical stirfry in brown sauce but the string beans are great without any of the annoying vegis you find in Chinese dishes
Burger
1) La Gondola Mushroom Onion Burger – a delicious ½ pound patty overflowing with sautéed mushrooms and onions. Add some ketchup and mayo and you’ll be rocking
2) Pat’s Burger – perfectly shaped, consistent, juicy. It could be on TV
3) Greta Burger OB”M – thick patty topped with a sunny side up egg and spicy harisa, it is missed by many
Salad Dressing
1) Pizza Maven Green Dressing – possibly pure nostalgia but I’ve never had another dressing like it… what makes it green???
2) Circa Balsamic – thick, creamy, tasty… could be bottled and sold at retail easily
3) Pizza World Creamy Italian – tastes a bit like tehini, very original flavor, excellent on cheese topped salads
Appetizer
1) La Gondola Avocado Egg roll – so good that numerous other restaurants copied them yet theirs is still by far the best (sorry Chani)
2) Shanghai Garden Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cup – doesn’t sound good but tastes great. It’s kind of a lettuce burrito filled with tasty chicken and hoisin sauce. Atkins friendly.
3) Bonjour Stuffed Mushrooms – deep fried and covered with mayonaise, a total artery clogger
Chicken Soup
1) Bravo Bistro – first time I had fresh chunks of juicy white meat chicken that were added to the soup after it was made, incredibly good
2) Magic Carpet – kind of odd for a Yemenite restaurant to excel at such an Ashkenaz dish but it is one of their signature dishes
3) La Gondola – solid soup made the real way, no mix or cubes in this puppy
I’m gonna end it here as there is more then enough to generate a few comments and I need to get to bed. Enjoy.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Better then Nagila???
Pizza
Kosher pizza in Los Angeles isn't a very interesting topic. All the places have been opened forever or they are new but suck. Everyone has his or her preference, I know. However, I recently discovered a local slice here in Pico/Robertson and I'm completely hooked. Whereas before, I never found myself craving Nagila for dinner or popping into Pizza World on my way home from dropping the babysitter, I now find myself doing both of those in relation to my new obsession.
Of course I am talking about Shalom Pizza, home to the best kosher slice of pizza in LA (I do not include Valley Village in LA). I lived in this neighborhood for about 6 years, seeing this place and always thinking, "there's that gross looking Persian pizza place next to Haifa, I wonder who would eat there?" I'm not really sure how I ended up trying it out, I think it was a Sunday, I had the kids and was coming from LaCienega park when I decided to meet Chaim Woolf and his kid for lunch. Chaim doesn't like to drive (he's a walker) and it's a block from his place so we met there. As I ate the first slice it hit me "this is damn good pizza!" I continued to systematically inhale about 4 slices, savoring the sweet tomato basil sauce, the salty cheese and biting down on the perfectly crunchy crust. I soon came back, this time meeting Benny Forer with his kid and again I was floored by how good this pizza was. Now I'm constantly coming up with excuses and trying to convince my wife that we should take "the kids" for pizza. As far as my kids are concerned, they don't understand why we don't go to Nagila anymore.
For those of you who have never been to Shalom Pizza, as mentioned before it is a very small place next door to Haifa restaurant (home to the best kosher beef shish kebab in LA) near Pico and Shenandoah. The décor has not been updated in about 20 years by my estimation. The owner is a super nice guy; not sure what his name is. He told me that he learned how to make pizza from an Italian pizzeria owner in New York 30 years ago and I totally believe him. All the pizzas are made by hand the traditional way not by some machine. He makes his dough every evening and lets it rise overnight in the fridge never resorting to frozen dough. He uses the best chalav yisroel 100% mozzarella cheese for his pizza, never adding Cheddar or Monterey Jack as some less reputable places are known to do. He will not sacrifice the quality of his product to save a few bucks. Whereas the pizza at Nagila tastes commercial - perfectly consistent, never varying in taste or texture - each pizza from Shalom has its own personality. One time that I had it, it was a bit salty. The owner attributed it to the freshness of the cheese (he said that as the cheese ages the flavor mellows). He does his best to make his customers happy. As an example, one guy (probably a New Yorker) asked him to make the crust extra thin, no problem – try that at Nagila. If he sees you with a child he won't make the slice too hot so your kid can eat it right away. Overall, what makes this pizza special is the amazing crust. It is crunchy on bottom but soft and almost fluffy above that and has a hint of sweetness. The edge also known as the “cornicione” has perfectly inconsistent bubbles that are light and airy and make eating the end crust my favorite part of the meal.
I haven’t explored much of the rest of his menu – his baked ziti, which is served with a small piece of baked pizza dough, is good although he needs to leave it in the oven a bit longer (I like the cheese to be a bit brown and crispy on top). The calazone that I tasted was made from the same delicious, slightly sweet dough that his pizza uses and comes with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I don’t really understand why he sells egg rolls but apparently the school that he supplies liked them so he added them to his menu.
I urge all of you to go and try Shalom Pizza as you will not be disappointed. Shabbat Shalom.
Kosher pizza in Los Angeles isn't a very interesting topic. All the places have been opened forever or they are new but suck. Everyone has his or her preference, I know. However, I recently discovered a local slice here in Pico/Robertson and I'm completely hooked. Whereas before, I never found myself craving Nagila for dinner or popping into Pizza World on my way home from dropping the babysitter, I now find myself doing both of those in relation to my new obsession.
Of course I am talking about Shalom Pizza, home to the best kosher slice of pizza in LA (I do not include Valley Village in LA). I lived in this neighborhood for about 6 years, seeing this place and always thinking, "there's that gross looking Persian pizza place next to Haifa, I wonder who would eat there?" I'm not really sure how I ended up trying it out, I think it was a Sunday, I had the kids and was coming from LaCienega park when I decided to meet Chaim Woolf and his kid for lunch. Chaim doesn't like to drive (he's a walker) and it's a block from his place so we met there. As I ate the first slice it hit me "this is damn good pizza!" I continued to systematically inhale about 4 slices, savoring the sweet tomato basil sauce, the salty cheese and biting down on the perfectly crunchy crust. I soon came back, this time meeting Benny Forer with his kid and again I was floored by how good this pizza was. Now I'm constantly coming up with excuses and trying to convince my wife that we should take "the kids" for pizza. As far as my kids are concerned, they don't understand why we don't go to Nagila anymore.
For those of you who have never been to Shalom Pizza, as mentioned before it is a very small place next door to Haifa restaurant (home to the best kosher beef shish kebab in LA) near Pico and Shenandoah. The décor has not been updated in about 20 years by my estimation. The owner is a super nice guy; not sure what his name is. He told me that he learned how to make pizza from an Italian pizzeria owner in New York 30 years ago and I totally believe him. All the pizzas are made by hand the traditional way not by some machine. He makes his dough every evening and lets it rise overnight in the fridge never resorting to frozen dough. He uses the best chalav yisroel 100% mozzarella cheese for his pizza, never adding Cheddar or Monterey Jack as some less reputable places are known to do. He will not sacrifice the quality of his product to save a few bucks. Whereas the pizza at Nagila tastes commercial - perfectly consistent, never varying in taste or texture - each pizza from Shalom has its own personality. One time that I had it, it was a bit salty. The owner attributed it to the freshness of the cheese (he said that as the cheese ages the flavor mellows). He does his best to make his customers happy. As an example, one guy (probably a New Yorker) asked him to make the crust extra thin, no problem – try that at Nagila. If he sees you with a child he won't make the slice too hot so your kid can eat it right away. Overall, what makes this pizza special is the amazing crust. It is crunchy on bottom but soft and almost fluffy above that and has a hint of sweetness. The edge also known as the “cornicione” has perfectly inconsistent bubbles that are light and airy and make eating the end crust my favorite part of the meal.
I haven’t explored much of the rest of his menu – his baked ziti, which is served with a small piece of baked pizza dough, is good although he needs to leave it in the oven a bit longer (I like the cheese to be a bit brown and crispy on top). The calazone that I tasted was made from the same delicious, slightly sweet dough that his pizza uses and comes with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I don’t really understand why he sells egg rolls but apparently the school that he supplies liked them so he added them to his menu.
I urge all of you to go and try Shalom Pizza as you will not be disappointed. Shabbat Shalom.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Shilo's
Sept. 15, 2006.
The décor is very nice. While the lights were a bit bright, and the weeping wall a bit noisy, they really did a great job with what they had to work with. The tables are super close to each other (think Le Marais downstairs) but it’s understandable as they are going to need to squeeze every cent out of that place to cover their costs. There is definitely a French touch involved as seen by the little things like rocks in the urinal, rose petals on the tables, etc.
The service was okay considering it was opening night. They certainly have a lot to work on. Some of the issues like menu knowledge will come with time however there is no excuse for bullshit answers that we received from our waiter - if you don’t know the answer to a question ask someone who does (more on this to follow).
The food was excellent and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. We ordered 4 appetizers and all were delicious. My mushroom ragout (I’m still not sure what a ragout is) was a delectable medley of wild mushrooms sautéed in a veal stock. If you are a fungi lover this is for you. Dalia got the foie gras (of course she had to order the most expensive thing), which is served, with mini toasts and fig. She loved it however she wished they had given her some more of those mini toasts. If you order it, either conserve some of the warm on the outside, cold on the inside La Brea bakery baguettes that they serve the table or ask for some more of the toast pieces. By the way, the bread was served with the usual herbed margarine and a really good olive spread (mild in flavor not harsh like the one at Pat’s). Shana got the “vegetable napoleon” basically a stack of roasted vegis - good but nothing special. Mordechai’s heirloom tomato dish was spectacular. There were four large slices of yellow and red heirloom tomato surrounding a half avocado filled with some sort of bell pepper thing marinated in balsamic vinaigrette. The whole dish was amazingly simple yet soooo tasty.
At this point our meal was going very smoothly - much smoother then the meal of the Persian couple sitting 2 inches away from us. They had ordered the Chef’s prix fixe menu, which at $47 is a real bargain. You get a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and desert - pretty good deal. When the kitchen sent out their steak prior to their salad and appetizer, they were a bit confused. (Mordechai later discovered that the reason the kitchen got so messed up was because the coupled ordered only 1 meal figuring they could share it and save the money…). When our entrees were brought out, they had no idea which plate belonged to which person. This was a problem as 3 of us ordered the 28-day dry aged ribeye, each at a different level of doneness (on a side note, we were wondering how a new restaurant could serve steak aged on the premises for 28 days on opening night. When asked about this, our genius waiter assured us that everything is kosher and that the rabbi was there every day - huh? I know, doesn’t make any sense). Furthermore, they put the sauce directly on the steak even though our waiter assured us that it would come on the side. I got lucky and ended up with my medium steak - broiled perfectly (dark brown crust on the outside, soft and pink on the inside) albeit with the wild mushrooms sauce on the meat instead of on the side. Unfortunately, Shana’s rare steak with the wine sauce went to Dalia and her medium steak with truffle sauce went to Shana. Mordechai’s sliced flank steak (there is a French name on the menu but it escapes me) was replaced by another ribeye, served with the peppercorn sauce. There is a choice of 4 types of potatoes - twice baked, roasted fingerling, garlic mashed or fries that come with your entree. Our waiter assured us that the fries were homemade - not the frozen type you get at Jeff’s but alas, he was wrong again. Dalia enjoyed the twice baked and Mordechai’s fingerlings were quite good. My fast-food fries were certainly a disappointment. In summary, there is a new best steak in town!
We should have finished our meal here and been on our way but we made the costly mistake of ordering dessert. All the desserts are prepared fresh by Le Palais bakery - need I say more? My espresso was okay (I make a better one in my office).
Overall, we had an extremely satisfying meal. The costs are on par with Pat ’s and LaGondola but the food and dining experience is similar to eating at the winery restaurant. I am certainly going back to try some more of the menu - the rack of lamb in particular looked really good. Shiloh’s has brought the first real fine dining steakhouse to LA. It’s about freaking time!
The décor is very nice. While the lights were a bit bright, and the weeping wall a bit noisy, they really did a great job with what they had to work with. The tables are super close to each other (think Le Marais downstairs) but it’s understandable as they are going to need to squeeze every cent out of that place to cover their costs. There is definitely a French touch involved as seen by the little things like rocks in the urinal, rose petals on the tables, etc.
The service was okay considering it was opening night. They certainly have a lot to work on. Some of the issues like menu knowledge will come with time however there is no excuse for bullshit answers that we received from our waiter - if you don’t know the answer to a question ask someone who does (more on this to follow).
The food was excellent and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. We ordered 4 appetizers and all were delicious. My mushroom ragout (I’m still not sure what a ragout is) was a delectable medley of wild mushrooms sautéed in a veal stock. If you are a fungi lover this is for you. Dalia got the foie gras (of course she had to order the most expensive thing), which is served, with mini toasts and fig. She loved it however she wished they had given her some more of those mini toasts. If you order it, either conserve some of the warm on the outside, cold on the inside La Brea bakery baguettes that they serve the table or ask for some more of the toast pieces. By the way, the bread was served with the usual herbed margarine and a really good olive spread (mild in flavor not harsh like the one at Pat’s). Shana got the “vegetable napoleon” basically a stack of roasted vegis - good but nothing special. Mordechai’s heirloom tomato dish was spectacular. There were four large slices of yellow and red heirloom tomato surrounding a half avocado filled with some sort of bell pepper thing marinated in balsamic vinaigrette. The whole dish was amazingly simple yet soooo tasty.
At this point our meal was going very smoothly - much smoother then the meal of the Persian couple sitting 2 inches away from us. They had ordered the Chef’s prix fixe menu, which at $47 is a real bargain. You get a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and desert - pretty good deal. When the kitchen sent out their steak prior to their salad and appetizer, they were a bit confused. (Mordechai later discovered that the reason the kitchen got so messed up was because the coupled ordered only 1 meal figuring they could share it and save the money…). When our entrees were brought out, they had no idea which plate belonged to which person. This was a problem as 3 of us ordered the 28-day dry aged ribeye, each at a different level of doneness (on a side note, we were wondering how a new restaurant could serve steak aged on the premises for 28 days on opening night. When asked about this, our genius waiter assured us that everything is kosher and that the rabbi was there every day - huh? I know, doesn’t make any sense). Furthermore, they put the sauce directly on the steak even though our waiter assured us that it would come on the side. I got lucky and ended up with my medium steak - broiled perfectly (dark brown crust on the outside, soft and pink on the inside) albeit with the wild mushrooms sauce on the meat instead of on the side. Unfortunately, Shana’s rare steak with the wine sauce went to Dalia and her medium steak with truffle sauce went to Shana. Mordechai’s sliced flank steak (there is a French name on the menu but it escapes me) was replaced by another ribeye, served with the peppercorn sauce. There is a choice of 4 types of potatoes - twice baked, roasted fingerling, garlic mashed or fries that come with your entree. Our waiter assured us that the fries were homemade - not the frozen type you get at Jeff’s but alas, he was wrong again. Dalia enjoyed the twice baked and Mordechai’s fingerlings were quite good. My fast-food fries were certainly a disappointment. In summary, there is a new best steak in town!
We should have finished our meal here and been on our way but we made the costly mistake of ordering dessert. All the desserts are prepared fresh by Le Palais bakery - need I say more? My espresso was okay (I make a better one in my office).
Overall, we had an extremely satisfying meal. The costs are on par with Pat ’s and LaGondola but the food and dining experience is similar to eating at the winery restaurant. I am certainly going back to try some more of the menu - the rack of lamb in particular looked really good. Shiloh’s has brought the first real fine dining steakhouse to LA. It’s about freaking time!
Prime Grill
December 5, 2006.
The much-awaited Prime Grill has formally opened to the public. We ate there on their second night and had an interesting but ultimately painful dining experience.
Our reservation was for 7:30pm. They had us wait in the bar/lounge area, which is beautiful, while our table was made ready. We ordered some drinks, which were okay ($15 for a berry martini, $16 for a shot of Talisker). For whatever reason, they do not allow you to transfer your bar tab to the restaurant tab so if you are enjoying a drink before eating you need to close out before going to sit down for dinner.
We were seated in the main dining room around 8pm. Even once the room was completely full, it was fairly quiet and didn’t feel like the typical kosher restaurant where you can’t hear yourself think. We put in our order for appetizers and asked the waiter to come back for our entrées as we were having difficulty choosing. They were not able to accommodate the request due to the confusion it might cause in the kitchen so we were rushed to come up with our mains as well. The women were brought little stools for their handbags - very classy touch.
The menu itself is extensive, some sort of steakhouse/Asian fusion style that is similar to the owner’s other locations in New York. For the most part we stayed away from the Asian part of the menu as we were there for steak.
We should have gotten the hint that the meal would take longer then expected when we waited 20 minutes for our appetizers. The steamed salmon dumplings that I ordered were substituted for fried beef dumplings (the waiter told me they were out of the salmon and offered me the beef option). I was a bit annoyed at the fried thing but figured, might as well go with it. They were horrible. Cohen’s frozen crepelach are superior to the dish I received. They were out of beef jerky so we substituted it for their homemade sausages, which were average. For some reason, they left the higher priced jerky on our bill (something we didn’t realize until today). The chicken tenders are the same little pieces of schnitzel you can get at La Gondola or Pats but with less meat, not worth the $12. The steak and scallion roll were little nubs of chewy soy flavored meat wrapped around some green onion. Nope. Our best appetizer was the duck confit spring rolls. The wrapping was delicate and crispy and they were stuffed with tasty duck that had been slow cooked in its own fat. The accompanying dip tasted like cranberry ketchup. On a spring roll meter of 1 to 10 with 1 being Chicken Chow and 10 being Abigail’s stuffed brisket egg roll, these were a 7. Our friend had the chicken minestrone soup and said it was delicious.
A team of 4 waiters and busboys removed all the plates and extraneous cutlery in one fell swoop. When I returned to the table from the restroom (very clean, incense smelling, fancy soap, printed napkins that feel like cloth but no rocks in the urinal) my napkin had been neatly folded for me. This was all very cool. Another busboy then proceeded to sweep off all crumbs from the table leaving us with a perfectly clean surface with which to enjoy our mains. Here came the problem. Our mains were not arriving. We waited and waited until maybe 40 minutes later they brought out our steaks.
All steaks were accompanied by a tomato mush and some crispy onion slivers. The waiter kind of expects you to order sides (I felt a bit pushed into ordering them). The caramelized onion “sauce” that I ordered for $2 was a bowl of lukewarm sautéed onions similar to what they put on your hotdog at Jeffs when you ask for grilled onions. There was no “sauce”. The waiter never put in the order for the sautéed Asian peppers so they brought us another steamed garden vegetables for free. They brought 3 additional sauces that showed up after we had all finished most of our steaks. The actual meat was solid. Unfortunately the menu doesn’t tell you what distinguishes each steak from another and the waiter doesn’t either (“his contribution was the Angus is the best and the Reserve is the second best”, huh?). Size is part of it but they all have different names and prices that mean nothing like Park Avenue, Reserve Cut, Ladies Cut, Prime Grill Filet. They are all rib steaks, which adds to the confusion. The menu states “all our meat is hand picked and either dry aged for 32 days or wet aged for 45 days….” Okay, which ones are dry aged and which ones wet? They don’t tell you. I got the Ladies Cut, an average 16 oz ribeye not nearly as good as the one from Shilo’s. The Reserve seemed juicier although it was much smaller. Why was it better, dunno. The Black Angus was excellent but at $60, way overpriced. They were out of the Bison which was supposed to be the evening’s special.
After all this you would think that dessert would be something great. They had 3 offerings. Fruit plate, assortment of sorbet and molten chocolate cake. The assortment of sorbet was actually one scoop of raspberry sorbet for $12. The molten chocolate in the words of one of the diners was “not as good as the one from La Gondola” which you can purchase frozen and any kosher market. Need I say more? The desserts were certainly a disappointment. They claim to make everything in-house so hopefully these will improve with time.
An interesting note - I saw a friend who is in the meat business eating there last night (he waited almost 2 hours for his food!). I asked if he is supplying them and he is for some of their meat. The rest of it they bring in from New York. I asked if it’s all Rubashkin and he seemed to think that the stuff coming in from NY is Meal Mart. Can you spell Satmar Shchita? Uh oh.
To sum it up, the Prime Grill is certainly the nicest looking kosher restaurant in Los Angeles. The décor is special and you could comfortably bring any non-jewish client or colleague there without shame. The food is really the same as the one in New York. I had forgotten how much I wasn’t impressed when I had eaten there a few years ago. I would still take Abigails or Le Marais over PG any day. With time their kitchen should work out it’s kinks and things will speed up however with things the way they were last night, I would not go back for a very long time.
One last note I want to add is that after going to PG, a restaurant in a family of restaurants, run by experienced people in the trade you would think that they have the system down and yet they don't. It makes me personally that much more impressed with Pat's where the food might not be amazing but they are consistent and with a packed house every night, they crank it out effortlessly.
The much-awaited Prime Grill has formally opened to the public. We ate there on their second night and had an interesting but ultimately painful dining experience.
Our reservation was for 7:30pm. They had us wait in the bar/lounge area, which is beautiful, while our table was made ready. We ordered some drinks, which were okay ($15 for a berry martini, $16 for a shot of Talisker). For whatever reason, they do not allow you to transfer your bar tab to the restaurant tab so if you are enjoying a drink before eating you need to close out before going to sit down for dinner.
We were seated in the main dining room around 8pm. Even once the room was completely full, it was fairly quiet and didn’t feel like the typical kosher restaurant where you can’t hear yourself think. We put in our order for appetizers and asked the waiter to come back for our entrées as we were having difficulty choosing. They were not able to accommodate the request due to the confusion it might cause in the kitchen so we were rushed to come up with our mains as well. The women were brought little stools for their handbags - very classy touch.
The menu itself is extensive, some sort of steakhouse/Asian fusion style that is similar to the owner’s other locations in New York. For the most part we stayed away from the Asian part of the menu as we were there for steak.
We should have gotten the hint that the meal would take longer then expected when we waited 20 minutes for our appetizers. The steamed salmon dumplings that I ordered were substituted for fried beef dumplings (the waiter told me they were out of the salmon and offered me the beef option). I was a bit annoyed at the fried thing but figured, might as well go with it. They were horrible. Cohen’s frozen crepelach are superior to the dish I received. They were out of beef jerky so we substituted it for their homemade sausages, which were average. For some reason, they left the higher priced jerky on our bill (something we didn’t realize until today). The chicken tenders are the same little pieces of schnitzel you can get at La Gondola or Pats but with less meat, not worth the $12. The steak and scallion roll were little nubs of chewy soy flavored meat wrapped around some green onion. Nope. Our best appetizer was the duck confit spring rolls. The wrapping was delicate and crispy and they were stuffed with tasty duck that had been slow cooked in its own fat. The accompanying dip tasted like cranberry ketchup. On a spring roll meter of 1 to 10 with 1 being Chicken Chow and 10 being Abigail’s stuffed brisket egg roll, these were a 7. Our friend had the chicken minestrone soup and said it was delicious.
A team of 4 waiters and busboys removed all the plates and extraneous cutlery in one fell swoop. When I returned to the table from the restroom (very clean, incense smelling, fancy soap, printed napkins that feel like cloth but no rocks in the urinal) my napkin had been neatly folded for me. This was all very cool. Another busboy then proceeded to sweep off all crumbs from the table leaving us with a perfectly clean surface with which to enjoy our mains. Here came the problem. Our mains were not arriving. We waited and waited until maybe 40 minutes later they brought out our steaks.
All steaks were accompanied by a tomato mush and some crispy onion slivers. The waiter kind of expects you to order sides (I felt a bit pushed into ordering them). The caramelized onion “sauce” that I ordered for $2 was a bowl of lukewarm sautéed onions similar to what they put on your hotdog at Jeffs when you ask for grilled onions. There was no “sauce”. The waiter never put in the order for the sautéed Asian peppers so they brought us another steamed garden vegetables for free. They brought 3 additional sauces that showed up after we had all finished most of our steaks. The actual meat was solid. Unfortunately the menu doesn’t tell you what distinguishes each steak from another and the waiter doesn’t either (“his contribution was the Angus is the best and the Reserve is the second best”, huh?). Size is part of it but they all have different names and prices that mean nothing like Park Avenue, Reserve Cut, Ladies Cut, Prime Grill Filet. They are all rib steaks, which adds to the confusion. The menu states “all our meat is hand picked and either dry aged for 32 days or wet aged for 45 days….” Okay, which ones are dry aged and which ones wet? They don’t tell you. I got the Ladies Cut, an average 16 oz ribeye not nearly as good as the one from Shilo’s. The Reserve seemed juicier although it was much smaller. Why was it better, dunno. The Black Angus was excellent but at $60, way overpriced. They were out of the Bison which was supposed to be the evening’s special.
After all this you would think that dessert would be something great. They had 3 offerings. Fruit plate, assortment of sorbet and molten chocolate cake. The assortment of sorbet was actually one scoop of raspberry sorbet for $12. The molten chocolate in the words of one of the diners was “not as good as the one from La Gondola” which you can purchase frozen and any kosher market. Need I say more? The desserts were certainly a disappointment. They claim to make everything in-house so hopefully these will improve with time.
An interesting note - I saw a friend who is in the meat business eating there last night (he waited almost 2 hours for his food!). I asked if he is supplying them and he is for some of their meat. The rest of it they bring in from New York. I asked if it’s all Rubashkin and he seemed to think that the stuff coming in from NY is Meal Mart. Can you spell Satmar Shchita? Uh oh.
To sum it up, the Prime Grill is certainly the nicest looking kosher restaurant in Los Angeles. The décor is special and you could comfortably bring any non-jewish client or colleague there without shame. The food is really the same as the one in New York. I had forgotten how much I wasn’t impressed when I had eaten there a few years ago. I would still take Abigails or Le Marais over PG any day. With time their kitchen should work out it’s kinks and things will speed up however with things the way they were last night, I would not go back for a very long time.
One last note I want to add is that after going to PG, a restaurant in a family of restaurants, run by experienced people in the trade you would think that they have the system down and yet they don't. It makes me personally that much more impressed with Pat's where the food might not be amazing but they are consistent and with a packed house every night, they crank it out effortlessly.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Bravo Bistro
As of Oct. 2007, this restaurant is no longer kosher. Dan
When it comes to kosher dining, one’s expectations vary based on the type of establishment you are going to. As an example, when I go to a quick serve place like Fish Grill or Jeff’s (to name two of the better ones), I expect tasty food that is priced well, a clean environment and fairly quick service. When I go to a fine dining establishment eg. Prime Grill or Pat’s, I expect to pay a lot more but I also have much higher expectations for all the variables that go into fine dining such as selection, service, aesthetic surroundings, wine selection and very important but highly overlooked - the dessert.
This being said, my latest foray into kosher food writing takes us to a new place that opened about a week and a half ago. When I say new, it is newly kosher but has been an existent bar/bistro for a long time. I’m talking about the new Bravo Bistro located 1 block east of LaCienega on the south side of Wilshire Blvd. From what I can tell so far, Bravo and it’s new owner Stephan Memmel are doing a lot of things right and I think it will be a very nice addition to the ever-increasing number of kosher restaurants in LA.
The first piece of information that I need to put out there is that Bravo is certified by Rabbi Yehuda Bukspan and is opened on Shabbos when the theatre next door is open. This was a contingency in the lease that Stephan could not get around. He assured me that for the shabbosim that he will be opened on, he would have a mashgiach and an agreement with a non-Jew to sell the profits.
As far as the restaurant is concerned, the actual space is really cool. They have a full bar with old-fashioned wooden booths around the walls. The ceiling is made of geometric metal plates and they have a walk-in wine room. The actual menu is simple and unoriginal, remember though, this is a Bistro, not a full blown restaurant. The main revenue from this place is supposed to come from the bar. Their steak (which they call “prime rib” even though it’s just a rib-eye steak) is a 12 oz rib eye that uses Uruguayan meat from Rubashkin. They charred it on the outside, which gave it a very nice contrast in its flavor - charred and peppery on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. Even though the meat is Uruguayan, it is corn-fed like the American meat we are used to as opposed to the Argentinean meat that is grass-fed and much tougher. They offered us a choice of sauces; the mushroom that we chose was bland and didn’t look very appetizing at all (it looked a little like a bowl of phlegm with brown specs in it, I know nasty). Their hamburger was excellent, juicy, cooked right and served on a small bun made by Delice bakery. At first the small bun bothered me (it’s weird to see the patty jutting out like a flying saucer) but when I was done, I really liked the fact that I ate less bread. I also like that he isn’t using the Old Country packaged junk that so many of our local places use. Their grilled chicken with mushrooms and spinach felt healthy and tastedgood although it was a bit too oily. I went straight to the Entrées, astheir appetizers (they call them Tapas) are really weak. They have avocado egg rolls that are not nearly as good as the ones from LaGondola or Pat’s. The “Fire Bravo” are the avocado egg rolls filled with salmon and spinach instead of avocado. The dipping sauce for both tasted the same, kind of like a watered down soy sauce. I was craving the honey cilantro dip from La Gondola. Stephan told me that the appetizers are really geared towards people having drinks at the bar who want to munch something. Their carrot soup was very good - not overly sweet and it was a broth - not the mushy, baby-food stuff they give you at the bagel factory.
The best part of this place aside from the super cool bar is their desserts. This brings me back to what I started on at the beginning, where there are so many upper class places out there that do a nice job overall yet when it comes to desserts they totally suck (think Prime Grill, Shilo’s, La Gondola, etc, etc). My wife always says that she can’t understand why any restaurant can’t make at least one great dessert. Bravo makes homemade crepes, bread pudding and Crème Brule. None of these are particularly difficult to make yet they taste really good and make you want to go there. The Crème Brule is decent, maybe a 6 on a scale of 1 - 10 but still enjoyable (for me, crème brule is like pizza, it’s always good). If it was a bit thicker and dryer it would get higher marks from me. The bread pudding is not as good as the one from Pat’s but it comes with a fudgy chocolate sauce drizzled over it that was fantastic and you need not order it 45 minutes beforehand. The crepes were delicious - try the fresh berries with whipped cream, yum.
In closing, Bravo Bistro is a quaint little place that you can go to for lunch or dinner or just for drinks and dessert. None of the food will blow you away but everything is tasty and the owner is a genuine nice guy. Hank the waiter/bartender/runner/busboy, does a good job and while you might wait a little while for your food, at least you can have a cocktail or scotch to help the time pass by.
When it comes to kosher dining, one’s expectations vary based on the type of establishment you are going to. As an example, when I go to a quick serve place like Fish Grill or Jeff’s (to name two of the better ones), I expect tasty food that is priced well, a clean environment and fairly quick service. When I go to a fine dining establishment eg. Prime Grill or Pat’s, I expect to pay a lot more but I also have much higher expectations for all the variables that go into fine dining such as selection, service, aesthetic surroundings, wine selection and very important but highly overlooked - the dessert.
This being said, my latest foray into kosher food writing takes us to a new place that opened about a week and a half ago. When I say new, it is newly kosher but has been an existent bar/bistro for a long time. I’m talking about the new Bravo Bistro located 1 block east of LaCienega on the south side of Wilshire Blvd. From what I can tell so far, Bravo and it’s new owner Stephan Memmel are doing a lot of things right and I think it will be a very nice addition to the ever-increasing number of kosher restaurants in LA.
The first piece of information that I need to put out there is that Bravo is certified by Rabbi Yehuda Bukspan and is opened on Shabbos when the theatre next door is open. This was a contingency in the lease that Stephan could not get around. He assured me that for the shabbosim that he will be opened on, he would have a mashgiach and an agreement with a non-Jew to sell the profits.
As far as the restaurant is concerned, the actual space is really cool. They have a full bar with old-fashioned wooden booths around the walls. The ceiling is made of geometric metal plates and they have a walk-in wine room. The actual menu is simple and unoriginal, remember though, this is a Bistro, not a full blown restaurant. The main revenue from this place is supposed to come from the bar. Their steak (which they call “prime rib” even though it’s just a rib-eye steak) is a 12 oz rib eye that uses Uruguayan meat from Rubashkin. They charred it on the outside, which gave it a very nice contrast in its flavor - charred and peppery on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. Even though the meat is Uruguayan, it is corn-fed like the American meat we are used to as opposed to the Argentinean meat that is grass-fed and much tougher. They offered us a choice of sauces; the mushroom that we chose was bland and didn’t look very appetizing at all (it looked a little like a bowl of phlegm with brown specs in it, I know nasty). Their hamburger was excellent, juicy, cooked right and served on a small bun made by Delice bakery. At first the small bun bothered me (it’s weird to see the patty jutting out like a flying saucer) but when I was done, I really liked the fact that I ate less bread. I also like that he isn’t using the Old Country packaged junk that so many of our local places use. Their grilled chicken with mushrooms and spinach felt healthy and tastedgood although it was a bit too oily. I went straight to the Entrées, astheir appetizers (they call them Tapas) are really weak. They have avocado egg rolls that are not nearly as good as the ones from LaGondola or Pat’s. The “Fire Bravo” are the avocado egg rolls filled with salmon and spinach instead of avocado. The dipping sauce for both tasted the same, kind of like a watered down soy sauce. I was craving the honey cilantro dip from La Gondola. Stephan told me that the appetizers are really geared towards people having drinks at the bar who want to munch something. Their carrot soup was very good - not overly sweet and it was a broth - not the mushy, baby-food stuff they give you at the bagel factory.
The best part of this place aside from the super cool bar is their desserts. This brings me back to what I started on at the beginning, where there are so many upper class places out there that do a nice job overall yet when it comes to desserts they totally suck (think Prime Grill, Shilo’s, La Gondola, etc, etc). My wife always says that she can’t understand why any restaurant can’t make at least one great dessert. Bravo makes homemade crepes, bread pudding and Crème Brule. None of these are particularly difficult to make yet they taste really good and make you want to go there. The Crème Brule is decent, maybe a 6 on a scale of 1 - 10 but still enjoyable (for me, crème brule is like pizza, it’s always good). If it was a bit thicker and dryer it would get higher marks from me. The bread pudding is not as good as the one from Pat’s but it comes with a fudgy chocolate sauce drizzled over it that was fantastic and you need not order it 45 minutes beforehand. The crepes were delicious - try the fresh berries with whipped cream, yum.
In closing, Bravo Bistro is a quaint little place that you can go to for lunch or dinner or just for drinks and dessert. None of the food will blow you away but everything is tasty and the owner is a genuine nice guy. Hank the waiter/bartender/runner/busboy, does a good job and while you might wait a little while for your food, at least you can have a cocktail or scotch to help the time pass by.
Berri Good
Berri Good is a new chalav yisrael, frozen yogurt place on Robertson that is run by 2 nice Israeli guys. They seem to have modeled themselves after the non-kosher asian yogurt chain called “Pink Berry”. Their fro-yo is not what you would be accustomed to if you ever ate at Toppers or TCBY (I have never been to either of those places, I’ve only heard…). Rather then taste like soft serve ice cream, this stuff actually tastes like yogurt that is slightly sweet and has a hint of lemon flavor. They have a slew of toppings including many fresh fruit ones such as pomegranate seeds, blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, etc. It is a healthy, refreshing treat that will be appreciated by women or others who like yogurt. Regardless of what the Israeli will tell you, it is not for kids. They will throw it on the ground and start screaming for Carvel. Personally, I’ll take the fat free, chemical loaded (how else does it get so creamy???) vanilla soft serve at Carvel. My wife will be going to Berri Good.
They also offer a make-your-own-salad concept like Circa and a make-your-own-sandwich like… I don’t know. Skip it. Go to Circa and come here for desert if you want. Their salad choices are weak, the bottled dressings are bottled dressings (someone needs to tell them that Walden Farms Blue Cheese dressing is NOT chalav yisrael) and the sandwich idea the guy gave me - mozzarella, avocado, hard boiled egg and tuna, toasted panini style just sounded gross. Their whole-wheat baguettes are good but that’s about it.
That’s it for now.
They also offer a make-your-own-salad concept like Circa and a make-your-own-sandwich like… I don’t know. Skip it. Go to Circa and come here for desert if you want. Their salad choices are weak, the bottled dressings are bottled dressings (someone needs to tell them that Walden Farms Blue Cheese dressing is NOT chalav yisrael) and the sandwich idea the guy gave me - mozzarella, avocado, hard boiled egg and tuna, toasted panini style just sounded gross. Their whole-wheat baguettes are good but that’s about it.
That’s it for now.
Circa at Schwartz bakery
A few months ago Schwartz’s moved from their old, cramped, dump of a location to a beautifully renovated space that used to house the center portion of Kotlar’s and later Kol Tuv markets. They placed the bakery along one side of the space with nice modern showcases and have set up a “Circa” on the other side. For those who don’t know, “Circa NY” is a fast-food place in New York that specializes in healthy lunch fare such as the make-your-own-salad concept and soups. They also do customized personal pizzas and gourmet sandwiches. The Hecht brothers figured the concept works in New York so why not LA. My initial thought is that they have a major hit on their hands although it needs some work. I’ve been there twice and the salad concept, while amazingly simple, is fantastic. They charge $5.75 for a bowl of lettuce (romaine or mixed greens) that includes 3 additions from a vast array of vegis and proteins. For 50 cents more you can keep adding things - and trust me you will add things - and you end up with a delicious albeit pricey salad made to your exact specs. What makes this concept so good (and hard to knock off I think) is the dressings that they offer. All 9 choices are delicious. The only thing lacking on the dressing side was a low-fat choice and I assume that they’ll remedy that. I particularly like their balsamic and creamy garlic selections. Their soups are somewhat unoriginal and not as good as the ones from the bagel factory but they are very good. I ordered the onion but they also had vegetable, mushroom barley and a few others. The onion soup was too peppery the second time I had it and they put Parmesan cheese in instead of mozzarella (gruyere is not easily found chalav yisroel). This is BAD and I hope they change it. I get that it’s cheaper but ground Parmesan does not belong in my onion soup.
They are set to expand to a full menu that will include omelets, pancakes, pizzas, etc. I’m a bit fearful that this will seriously drag down their service, which is not silky smooth to begin with but at least guys will be able to eat there without having to check their manhood. In closing I have a few recommendations for the Hecht brothers who have been very open to suggestions from their clientele.
1) As mentioned, stop putting Parmesan cheese in the onion soup, step up anduse mozzarella 2) Include a roll, bagel, olive stick or some sort of bread item along witha soup. The bagel factory does this and you should too, g-d knows you should be able to get them at a decent price :) 3) Make a buy-up to include a small soup with your salad kind of like acombo deal at a burger joint. I am not satisfied with only a salad but I don’t necessarily want a large soup to go with it. Get the small sized cup (again check the bagel factory) and offer it for an extra few bucks. 4) Stay humble and don’t take things personally. I had a friend that opened a bakery café a while back who would take any criticism of the restaurant as a personal attack. You’re new at this so you’re going to screw up but that’ s all part of the business and most of us want you to succeed.
If the last one sounds a bit personal, it is. The Hechts are young guys in our community and I hope this experiment works out. I think it will, being that all our wives will be eating there all the time and their very successful bakery already covers a good portion of the overhead. We’ll do improvement suggestions for Schwartz’s bakery another time.
They are set to expand to a full menu that will include omelets, pancakes, pizzas, etc. I’m a bit fearful that this will seriously drag down their service, which is not silky smooth to begin with but at least guys will be able to eat there without having to check their manhood. In closing I have a few recommendations for the Hecht brothers who have been very open to suggestions from their clientele.
1) As mentioned, stop putting Parmesan cheese in the onion soup, step up anduse mozzarella 2) Include a roll, bagel, olive stick or some sort of bread item along witha soup. The bagel factory does this and you should too, g-d knows you should be able to get them at a decent price :) 3) Make a buy-up to include a small soup with your salad kind of like acombo deal at a burger joint. I am not satisfied with only a salad but I don’t necessarily want a large soup to go with it. Get the small sized cup (again check the bagel factory) and offer it for an extra few bucks. 4) Stay humble and don’t take things personally. I had a friend that opened a bakery café a while back who would take any criticism of the restaurant as a personal attack. You’re new at this so you’re going to screw up but that’ s all part of the business and most of us want you to succeed.
If the last one sounds a bit personal, it is. The Hechts are young guys in our community and I hope this experiment works out. I think it will, being that all our wives will be eating there all the time and their very successful bakery already covers a good portion of the overhead. We’ll do improvement suggestions for Schwartz’s bakery another time.
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