Huckleberry: Live blogging Los Angeles

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Last year I live blogged my week in SF with links to all of my favorite food destinations (See: http://foodcraveblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/worldcrave-san-francisco.html?m=1). This week I am back on the west coast visiting my best friend, Martie, and I will be live blogging all of the delicious food I discover. Hope you'll join me on the journey!

For breakfast today, we are in Santa Monica at an adorable cafe called Huckleberry. It reminds me of a local version of Le Pain Quotidian.

To order you walk up to the counter and place an order. It is almost impossible not to be tempted by the array of fresh salads and baked good arrayed before you. The breakfast offerings are mainly egg based, ranging from simple breakfast sandwiches to elaborate vegetable and meat bowls topped with fried or poached eggs.  

To share Martie ordered us a side of carrots, boldly stating they are the best carrots she has had. I have to say I agree. Unlike most cooked carrot dishes, which are overly sweet, these carried a savory note. They were lightly roasted and topped with an unlikely combination of avocado, cilantro, caraway seeds and a light lemon infusion. They were both refreshing and decadent at the same time. 

As my main, I ordered a quinoa bowl topped with market fresh vegetables and two sunny side up eggs. The vegetables included roasted butternut squash and caramalized onions. 

I mixed the whole thing up to spread the egg goodness all around. If I made this dish myself, I might add something green and something red, but I can't really complain. For such a healthy breakfast, this was packed with flavor.  

Martie went with eggs poached in a tomato lentil stew. She compared the dish to shakshuka- the formidable middle eastern eggs baked in tomato sauce and topped with feta cheese. Her only complaint was that the sauce was a tad sweet. This was definitely one of the heartier options on the menu, but didn't leave her feeling uncomofortably full. 

Since breakfast we have been strolling around the Santa Monica downtown. I have to admit I understand the appeal of the Cali lifestyle. 

Until dinner time!

Liz

Chaplin: Den of Ramen

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Chaplin popped up on the food scene several months ago, taking over the space formerly held by Burma on 9th & P NW. Like the name suggests, Chaplin is designed in celebration of the silent film star Charlie Chaplin. The restaurant reminded me of a trendy French space with tons of red and black and huge murals on the walls. They also had Charlie Chaplin films projected on the wall, silently of course.

 I arrived late and by the time I joined my friends had all ordered drinks. The drink menu has an extensive array of cocktails, ranging from classics like mules and old fashioneds to more creative and unique offerings. I sampled a few of my friends' choices and settled on a ginger-inspired cocktail. We all found the drinks tasty, but a bit heavy on the ice.

We started with a broad sampling of the appetizers, including edamame, steamed buns- both chashu pork and tofu, tori karagae- Japanese fried chicken, and the beef gyoza. Edamame is pretty hard to mess up and it did not disappoint.

 

The steamed buns were served with a sweet barbecue sauce and crunchy slaw. They were delicious, but coming with only one large bun per order, they were difficult to share.

 

 

The dumplings seemed to be a highlight of the menu, but they seemed a little generic to me. There was a whole list of dumpling options, including "dumpling shooters" to chase a shot of whiskey. I personally would love to see more creative dumpling flavors or sauces. My fellow diners seemed to enjoy them more than me. 

 

 

The star of the night, and what Chaplin is quickly becoming known for, was the ramen. The menu has 9 ramen options, including 3 vegetarian options. This is, by far, the widest ramen selection I have ever seen. While there is something to be said for specializing in a particular style of ramen broth or noodle, I have to say we all loved the broths we tried. Between the group we tried three different ramen options. 

 

 

I was immediately enticed by the Thai inspired ramen, the Chaplin A.S.S. I don't know exactly what that stands for, but I do know this ramen was delicious. It featured a coconut milk broth and chicken as the meat. It was less like a traditional ramen, and more like drinking the delicious broth of a Thai curry. My only gripe: it was missing the classic egg. How can you have ramen without egg? I was slightly annoyed that I had to pay extra for this add-on, but it was worth it. 

 

 

One of my friends opted for the Miso. As the name suggests this broth was miso based and had pork belly as the star meat. She described it as light, flavorful, and not too salty. Liz has since returned and has become a huge fan of this broth. She recommends adding butter corn and an egg. 

 

 

The last ramen we sampled was the Tan Tan Men. This was closest to a tokotsu-style ramen - a rich milky broth with complex depth of flavor and a comfortable level of heat for those who can't handle a ton of spice. The richness comes from the two types of pork- ground and pork belly- making this one a meat lovers dream. 

 

Overall, we loved Chaplin and have each returned many times since our first meal here. Another added plus, they are one of the few ramen spots that takes reservations in the area!

 

 

GCDC Grilled Cheese Bar

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GCDC, a grilled cheese focused sandwich shop, opened on Pennsylvania Avenue about a year ago. Liz and I checked it out back in mid-2014, and have been back a few times since. And in true 2015 fashion I'm keeping with my New Years resolution of catching up on back logged blog posts!

We met for lunch at the fast casual restaurant and quickly decided on our lunch fair. I opted for the Buffalo Blue because, surprise surprise, I'm somewhat buffalo-chicken obsessed. This sandwich had blue and cheddar cheeses, buffalo sauce, and chicken on tradition white bread. It was simply divine. The cheese was melted to perfection and the sauce and chicken sang through, not being over powered by the cheese. 

Liz opted for the French Onion. Tenpted by promises of soft and dense challah bread, sweet caramalized onions, and sharp Gruyere cheese, it was an easy pick. She liked that, for a grilled cheese sandwich, it was not greasy or oozing with cheese. Some might find that aspect disappointing, but Liz liked that it wasn't overwhelming with grease and fat. 

We shared a side of tater tots and a cup of the small tomato soup. The soup was perfectly acidic. A great compliment to the melty stars of the meal. The only disappointment was the portion of tots. We felt it was a bit on the small size, and come on, the more tots, the better! 

The ambiance in the space was appealing. The staff was friendly and informative. GCDC also serves dinner and a happy hour that features shared plates of various varieties--cheese,charcuterie, and even salads! They also have an extensive cocktail and beer list, and a good selection of wine. Happy hour is 4-6:30 pm Monday-Friday. We'll be back to check out the evening vibe in this great lunch spot!

 

 

Paella for a Party

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First off, Happy New Year!  This year I am resolving to throw more dinner parties.  I am kicking it off with this Paella recipe that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.  I am also going to go to the gym in the mornings...no, really. 

Most of the time, I am the kind of home cook that looks for recipes that don't require me to restock my pantry with obscure or random ingredients.  I save the super complicated dishes for the experts.  But every once in a while, you have to make paella. 

For me, making paella was a massive investment - both in dollars and in time.  First I had to find the perfect paella recipe.  Of course no recipe reminded me exactly of my Spanish study-abroad host-mother's, so I had to combine a few different versions I found online.  I was also cooking for pescatarian friends, so I omitted all of the meat and made this an entirely seafood version.  Then I had to find all of the component parts.  I ordered this paella pan - so I could make enough for leftovers.  

For the ingredients, I had to travel to a couple of groceries and shop online to get what I needed -- but it was worth the effort.  Here's what I used:

3 cups of Calasparra Rice (higher in starch than regular white rice) 

12 cups of seafood broth [mixture of clam juice and seafood stock] 

1/2 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined 

1/2 lb clams - scrubbed clean and dried

1/4 lb calamari - cleaned, ink sak removed, and cut into small rings

1/2 vidalia or yellow onion - diced

3 garlic cloves - minced 

2 pinches of saffron

1 Tbsp tomato paste 

2 tsp smoked paprika 

1/2 cup of frozen peas 

extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp kosher salt 

First, saute the shrimp in a small pan. Season the shrimp with salt & pepper and place directly into the pan with the olive oil.  Cook until pink halfway up the shrimp.  Don't cook the other side. Remove the half-cooked shrimp from the pan and set aside for later. 

Next, heat the seafood broth in a large pot until simmering.  I used 4 cups of clam juice and 8 cups of seafood stock.  Add a pinch of saffron to the simmering broth.  Because the calasparra rice is so high in starch, you need 4 cups of broth per 1 cup of rice.  Keep this pot simmering until you've made the sofrito-more on that next.  

Then break out the paella pan (or your largest frying pan).  Your first step is to make what is referred to as the 'sofrito' - a mix of onions, garlic, tomato paste, and paprika.  Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat the pan over medium heat.  Saute the diced onion until transluscent.  Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant - about 30 seconds.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn - it cooks quickly!  Add in the tomato paste, kosher salt, paprika, and an extra pinch of saffron here for good measure.

Add the rice into the paella pan with the sofrito and stir until the sofrito has coated the rice.

Then slowly (and incrementally) add the liquid to the paella pan. I was worried about overflow, so I added about 3-4 cups at a time and cooked it down a bit to make room for the next batch. 

Once you've added all of the liquid to the paella pan, cook the rice over medium-high heat. DO NOT STIR the rice at this point.  The goal here is to create the "soccarrat" - the caramalized crust on the bottom of the pan that adds tons of flavor and gives the rice its famous crispiness.  I know it is against all of your instincts, but seriously DO NOT STIR the rice.  Let it be for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.  

While the rice is cooking, steam the clams. Place 2 inches of water in a sauce pan, add the clams into the water, and cover.  Bring the water to a boil and cook the clams until the shells open up. Throw out any clams that did not open.  

Once the liquid is almost entirely absorbed into the rice, it's time to add the seafood and the peas.  Nestle the steamed clams and the peas directly into the rice and cook for another 8 minutes. 

Finally, add the raw calamari and shrimp into the rice -- placing the shrimp cooked side up. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is completely pink and cooked through. 

Stand back, admire your hard work, snap some intagram pics to show off, and then dig in!  

Alive Juices Review

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Image Courtesy of Alive Juices

 
A few weeks ago, Alive Juices reached out to us to see if we'd be interested in sampling a variety of their fresh pressed juices. As an avid juicer myself, I jumped at the opportunity. Each day, I make a fresh juice in my Vitamix; this juice is rich in fiber and does not lose any of the content of the fruit or veggie. Alive Juices, in comparison, are made with a masticating juicer which presses the fruit and vegetables to release the liquid from them. The theory is that the the grinding of the Vitamix causes the fruit/veggies to lose their vitamins and minerals, whereas the masticating juices allows them to retain the nutrients.




I was excited to compare and contrast the experiences. The juices were delivered fresh to my door in adorable mason jars. A word to the wise: make sure you have the juices delivered to a location where you will be present to promptly refrigerate them.  Alive delivers to residences and companies in the DC area.

Now for the flavor reviews. Each Alive Juice is made with a base of the 'Big 4': apples, ginger, garlic, and lemon. Some of the juices tasted more similar to one another than others as the Big 4 flavors were particularly dominant.

The first juice (Big 4, cucumber, celery, spinach, cilantro) actually tasted as if I was drinking a Thai dinner that had been pureed and juiced. In a good way! It was crisp and clean with a good hint of cilantro. This juice was one of my favorites. 

Juice flavors #2 & #4

The second juice (Big 4, carrots, mint) was surprisingly very sweet. Though it was delicious, I couldn't really taste the mint. But, the ginger came through especially strong in this juice.

Juice flavor #3

The third juice (Big 4, romaine lettuce, celery, parsley) was still sweet but had an herby undertone. The color on this juice was less appetizing compared to the other juices. This might not matter to some, but I find that if I like the color of my juice, it's more appealing to drink. The flavor of this was similar to the others, but again it had a more savory than sweet flavor.

The fourth juice (Big 4, carrots, beets, kale, cilantro) had a fantastic deep red color. It sported a tanginess that I found refreshing and different than the other juices. I often find that when I juice with kale in the Vitamix, the flavor is very overwhelming and the consistency is much thicker than normal. With the pressed juice I didn't find that and this juice masked the strong kale flavor.

Juice flavors #5 & #7

The fifth juice (Big 4, romaine lettuce, bokchoy, collards, fennel) was the toughest to swallow, literally. This one was very strong and bitter. It was more challenging to drink in the morning and I think would be better off in the evening.



The sixth juice (Big 4, cucumber, swiss chard, mint) was 'earthy' and had an almost dirt-like taste. Though this might sound off putting, I didn't mind this juice. It was actually a welcome change to the super sweet offerings of the other options.

The seventh juice (Big 4, red cabbage, parsley, watermelon) was sweet with a strong watermelon flavor on the front-end with a hint of parsley on the back. Best way to describe this one is a watermelon jolly rancher.



The eighth juice (Big 4, squash, cilantro, pineapple) was fairly tart. I also found that this juice had the most unique flavor of all 8 juices and the Big 4 flavors came through the least. I'm not convinced pineapple was used in this juice--it tasted more like grapefruit!

If you're looking to get started with juicing or do a cleanse, I would recommend Alive Juices. Not only are they a local company, but they also provide a great product at an excellent value. If you're looking for juices with minimal sugar, Alive Juices now also makes all of their juices available with no fruit.

 

Donburi and the AdMo Revival

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For those of you who spent your youth and/or your college days in DC, I hope you will share in my excitement in what is looking to be a serious revival for the once-diminishing Adams Morgan neighborhood.

 

In college, Adams Morgan was THE place to go out. But in those days it was all Tom Toms, the Reef, and Adams Mill - none of which have existed for quite some time now. Probably for good reasons. When I graduated from GW, Adams Morgan was the natural place to move for budding young (but underpaid) professionals. Over the course of that year (2007-08), and in the years since then, AdMo started to slip. I moved to New York and then back to DC in 2011 to find a flourishing restaurant scene in Shaw and Logan Circle, but a mostly undesirable Adams Morgan.

I admit that over the last 3 years I had pretty much given up on AdMo. But recently, with the opening of Sakuramen, Pop's Sea Bar, Johnny Pistola's and now Donburi, my faith in Adam's Morgan has been restored.

 

Donburi is literally a hole in the wall, but it has the most unbelievable rice bowls topped with goodies like sashimi salmon, fried chicken or pork, or eel. A friend of mine described these as "Japanese comfort food", and I totally get why.

The set up is simple. You wait for a seat at the counter. When one opens up, you place your order with the hostess and then wait for the chefs to assemble your bowl.

 



 

Amanda and I decided to first share the Sakedon, which comes topped with sashimi-style raw salmon and the Karaegedon, with fried chicken.  We sat down and were mesmerized by the orderliness of this tiny kitchen. The cooks move at lightening pace making bowls for in-house diners and take-out orders at the same time.  Amidst what should be chaos, there is a jovial atmosphere. The chefs joke with one another as they cook and assemble the ingredients, and seem genuine about sharing their creations with the diners. 

 

If you are like me, and crave really good (affordable) sushi but have yet to find that place in DC, then you are going to be excited to know that the Sakedon is the best sashimi I have had in DC. Hands down. My jaw literally dropped when I saw the size of the pieces of salmon the chef used to top my bowl. Not to mention the quality of the fish, which was super fresh and tasty.

Next we tried the Karageadon. This was a generous serving of crisp and super juicy fried chicken marinated in mirin and soy for jam-packed flavor, then topped with pickled daikon radishes, jalepeno peppers, shredded nori, and a partially-cooked egg. If you've been reading this blog, you'll know that I think everything is better with an egg on top. For the true experience, stir all of these ingredients together -- it is the ultimate umami bomb.  

 

 

 

 

The food was amazing at Donburi, and I would have happily paid top dollar for the amazing sashimi and other rice bowls. But the best part is, you don't have to. On average the bowls cost $10-12, making it a budget-friendly option. I can't wait to go back and try the Katsudon (fried pork) and the Ebidon (shrimp).

Welcome back, Adams Morgan!