L.A. edition
L.A. is fun and full of inspiration, ranging from quirky to elegant. Hot dogs to caviar.
We spent a weekend exploring the best food we could find. Including Caviar with Banana Pancakes and an epic long rib by David Chang.
Stories run deep in Los Angeles. From historical restaurants, eccentric artists, dreamers and visionaries to over the top opulence-everywhere you turn there is a story to be told. Read about L.A. below and in our journal.
Pink's Hot Dogs began as a push cart in 1939 started by Paul and Betty Pink. It's a landmark. We couldn't get through all of the dozens of dogs on the menu, but the 10 or so we tried were really, really good. Totally recommend. Also no one is too cool to take a pic in front of the hot pink building!
Read Britt St. Clair’s take on her food obsession, hot dogs!
Recipes inspired by our favorite Los Angeles restaurant, Musso and Frank
BRAISED and SMOKED LONG RIB inspired by MajorDomo .
The king of large format meats, David Chang inspires us, as he always does.
LITTLE TOKYO
In 1885, former seaman from Japan, Charles Hama opened the now-closed Kame Restaurant. By the early 1900s, the issei (Japanese immigrant) population boomed from just 3,000 residents to 10,000 people, resulting in an explosion of Japanese-owned shops and restaurants and becoming Little Tokyo. Many of the shops and restaurants are still there and thriving. There are only 3 official little Tokyos in the U.S., all located in California. The L.A. district was named a National Historic Landmark District in 1995
Yamazaki Bakery in Little Tokyo is run by the world's largest bread baking corporation and has been family owned and run since 1948. The tiny unassuming shop always has a line out the door for their melon pan, savory buns, confections and loaves of bread baked into perfect cubes.
Speaking of Japanese Americans making L.A. great, Jim and Miyoka Nakano opened Donut Man in 1972 as a way of using extra berries from a neighboring field. The idea is simple: gorgeous local berries, simple donuts, simple glaze, extraordinary outcome. The tiny shop needs to produce donuts around the clock to keep up with demand. We visited the second location (of two) which is housed in the 100 year old Grand Central market. While waiting in line you can watch the production. It's mesmerizing.
Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery. Plus, more than you ever wanted to know about celery by Chef Britt St. Clair.