Postings Index

Below is an index of places I've visited, recipes I've made, products I've tried plus miscellany food-related rantings, organized by category, then alphabetically:

Foodventures
3 Square Café + Bakery (Venice) - June 2008
561 Restaurant (Pasadena) - October 2006
Adams Avenue Grill (San Diego) - September 2008
Air Conditioned Bar (Santa Monica) - March 2008
Amarone Kitchen & Wine (West Hollywood) - August 2008
Artisan Cheese Gallery (Studio City) - March 2007
Athenaeum at CalTech (Pasadena) - October 2008
Auntie Ems (Eagle Rock) - March 2008
~ revisit - September 2008
Bazaar (Mid-City) - January 2009
Beacon (Culver City) - February 2008
BLD (Los Angeles) - April 2007
~ revisit - December 2008
Border Grill (Santa Monica) - September 2007
Boule Atelier (Beverly Center area) - March 2008
Breadbar (Century City) - December 2008
Breadbar (West LA) - December 2008
Bowery (Hollywood) - October 2006
Cafe Surfas (Culver City) - October 2006
Campanile (Los Angeles / Hancock Park) - May 2007
Celadon (Farmer's Market area/Fairfax) - March 2007
Chat Noir (Costa Mesa) - November 2006 (converted into Savannah Supper Club by management)
Circa 55 (Beverly Hills) - February 2008
Citrus at Social (Hollywood) - December 2008
Colorado Wine Company (Eagle Rock) - October 2008
Copa d'Oro (Santa Monica) - February 2009
Daikokuya (Downtown / Little Tokyo) - November 2007
Daisy Mint (Pasadena) - January 2009
DB Brasserie (Las Vegas) - October 2008
Dining by Design (Pice-Union) - September 2008
Dolce Enoteca (West Hollywood) - October 2006
Eat. on Sunset (Hollywood) - May 2007
El Rocoto (Gardena) - December 2008
Duke's (Huntington Beach) - November 2006
Edison Bar/Lounge (Downtown L.A.) - February 2007
Elite Restaurant (Monterey Park) - May 2007
Famima!! (Pasadena) - October 2006
FIG (Santa Monica) - February 2009
Firefly (Las Vegas) - October 2008
Ford's Filling Station (Culver City) - February 2008
French 75 (Burbank) - December 2006
Geisha House (Hollywood) - October 2006
Ghetto Gourmet (Los Angeles, Silver Lake) - December 2006
Grace (Los Angeles, Beverly-La Brea-Fairfax) - February 2008
Hokkaido Fair (Torrance) - September 2008
Il Fornaio (Pasadena) - November 2006
Il Moro (West L.A.) - October 2007
Izakaya Zero (Huntington Beach) - February 2008
J & J Restaurant (San Gabriel) - January 2007
Joe's (Venice) - December 2008
Jin Patisserie (Venice) - September 2008
Jinpachi (West Hollywood) - September 2008
Jazz Cat Cafe (Alhambra) - October 2006
Kiss My Bundt (Mid-City) - September 2008
LA BBQ Fest (Santa Monica) - September 2008
LA County Fair (Pomona) - October 2008
LA Mill (Silver Lake) - April 2008
~ revisit - September 2008
~ revisit - February 2009
LA Winefest - July 2008
Larkin's (Eagle Rock) - April 2007
Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon (Pasadena) - December 2007
Lu Din Gee (San Gabriel) - February 2007
Lucky Baldwin's Delirium Pub & Cafe (Sierra Madre) - October 2006
M Cafe de Chaya (Mid-City) - March 2008
Magnolia (Hollywood) - October 2006
Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market & Patio Café (Malibu) - October 2007
Mode (Downtown) - December 2007
Napa Valley Grille (Westwood) - February 2008
Nickel Diner (Downtown) - January 2009
Nkechi African Cafe (Inglewood) - December 2008
O-Bar (West Hollywood) - November 2006
Opus (Los Angeles, Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown) - October 2006
~ revisit - December 2006
Orris (Westside / Sawtelle) - November 2008
Palm Terrace (Newport Beach) - February 2009
Pinkberry (all over LA) - April 2007
Pizzeria Mozza (Hollywood) - January 2007
POP Champagne & Dessert Bar (Pasadena) - December 2008
Providence (Los Angeles) - April 2007
~ revisit - January 2009
Quan Hop (Garden Grove) - December 2008
Red Pearl Kitchen (Huntington Beach) - November 2006 (Now Izakaya Zero - also reviewed, see above)
Red White + Bluezz (Pasadena) - November 2006
Riva (Santa Monica) - February 2009
Royal/T (Culver City) - November 2008
Sage (Newport Beach) - February 2007
Spago (Beverly Hills) - December 2008
Spitz (Little Tokyo) - February 2009
Santouka (Torrance) - September 2008
Savor the Season (Downtown) - September 2008
Scarlet Tea Room (Pasadena) - March 2007
Scoops (Los Angeles) - February 2007
~ revisit - April 2007
Sensi (Las Vegas) - September 2008
Shojin (Little Tokyo) - January 2009
Siem Reap (Long Beach) - December 2008
Silverlake Wine (Silver Lake) - February 2009
Skooby's (Hollywood) - February 2007
STK (West Hollywood) - February 2009
Sweet Divas Cottage Bistro (Brea) - December 2006
Table 10 (Las Vegas) - October 2008
Tagine (Beverly Center area) - October 2007
Take a Bao (Century City) - December 2008
Tamale Festival (East Los Angeles) - November 2006
Tamale Festival (Indio) - December 2006
Tampopo (Rowland Heights) - January 2008
Taste (West Hollywood) - March 2008
Terra (San Diego) - August 2008
Traditions by Pascal (Newport Beach) - November 2008
~ revisit - January 2009
Traxx (Downtown) - December 2007
uWink (Woodland Hills) - May 2007
Violet (Santa Monica) - November 2006
~ revisit - March 2008
Vosges (Las Vegas) - January 2009
the Waffle (Hollywood) - March 2008
Whale and Ale (San Pedro) - September 2008
Wheatberry (Pasadena) - October 2006
The Whisper Lounge (The Grove) - February 2008
Wonton Time (Alhambra) - November 2007
Zenshuji Soto Mission (Los Angeles, Downtown) - November 2006

Recipes
Adolescent, Half-Baked Mac 'n Cheese
"Christmas Coffee" Pecans
Chocolate Dipped Macaroons
Coffee-Nut Brownies / Cafe au Lait Glaze
Cranberry-Orange Rice Krispies Treats
Dessert Pizza
"Kobe Beef" Noodle Soup
Pear-Almond Bread Pudding with Spiced Pear Sauce
Rose Ginger Shortbread Cookies
Spiced Brown Butter Sauce
Tangerine Vanilla Panna Cotta
Triple Citrus Drop
Wonton Sundaes

Ask LA/OC Foodie
Where to Sell Chocolate in L.A.? - September 2007
Chocolate/Wine Pairings - October 2008

Tasty Miscellanies
Where to Get Your Wine Tasting On All Week Long - February 2009
Joy of "Cooking" - January 2009
Drinkventure with LearnAboutWine's Palate Builder Class - December 2008
Coffee Talk with "God in a Cup" Author - December 2008
Martin Miller's Master Competition in New York - November 2008
I Can't Believe It's Not Turkey . . . - November 2008
Sweet and Simple NYC Dining Thoughts - November 2008
Weekend of Food & Wine for the Plebes - September 2008
A ginny drinkventure at Bar Keeper in Silver Lake - September 2008
Lessons Learned from my Vegetarian Stint- April 2008
Foodventure Sins of 2007 Series - December 2007
~ me
Fire & Spice . . . but is everything nice? (Kettle Chip People's Choice '08) - December 2007
LA/OC Foodie Goes to Vegas - September 2007
Oink oink... (Monterey Park Chinese New Year Festival) - February 2007
Mmm... Skooby's *hic* (Skooby's Hot Dogs, Hollywood) - February 2007
Help Chefs Help Farmers (Freeze Relief Charity Event) - February 2007
I voted for Pat Buchanan Flavor . . . Oops! (Kettle Chips People's Choice '07) - January 2007
Got Listeria? A Foodventure No One Wants (Jamba Juice) - December 2006
Frozen Shumais & Gyozas (Ajinomoto) - November 2006
My Cheating Thanksgiving Menu - November 2006
Best $5 Bottle of Wine I've Ever Had . . . (Covey Run Gewurz) - Octobeer 2006
Cracking the Chocolate Cache (Vosges Chocolates) - October 2006
The Providence Fund - October 2006

FAQs, etc...

For the few of you who actually wanted to know more about me & this blog . . .

How did this blog get started?
I have been contributing food-related articles to my college & grad school papers - after I graduated, my only food-related writings are short freelance pieces that didn't allow me to really go in-depth about the places I go to -- so I started this blog for that purpose, to write about food for as long as I care to. Also a great way to make good, consistent use of my digi-camera (Sony Cybershot 3.2 megapixels, rather klunky and old by today's camera standards but pretty reliable).

What's up with you and food?
I've always had a mild obsession with foods--one of the few things that evokes & utilizes all five senses--from its appearance and shapes, to that memorable aroma, to feel of its texture in your mouth and the sound created with each bite and swallow, and of course - the taste of it all. Thankfully, all that was nurtured by my family -- most of whom worked in foodservice in some capacity (from waitstaff to cooks to chefs & restaurant managers and co-owners.)

I also have spent a few years working in foodservice (primarily "front-end" jobs - server, cashier, host, caterer - but had a hand in food prep & kitchen "back-end" work as well) and an adventurous home cook (when I have the time/energy/money.) I don't know if this gives me any more experience, knowledge or insight, but it does make me appreciate the effort that goes behind every great food product a whole lot more.

Who pays for all your foodventures?
Unless explicitly noted otherwise (e.g. "the restaurant asked me to sample for free . . ." or "another writing gig paid me to eat . . ."), all my food posts are paid for by me and that's about 95% of the case (which is where my full-time and freelance jobs come in handy.)

Of course, if you want to help out - feel free to click on one of the few ads that are scattered about this blog.

What's the difference between a foodventure, mini foodventure, special foodventure, etc.?
Foodventures are probably going to be most common on this site, usually multi-course meals that I have time to take photos of and dissect and make evaluations of.

Mini foodventures tends to be a good deal shorter than the regular ones and are unrated, mainly because I haven't eaten a lot or hung around there for only a short time, so I don't feel confident making a well rounded evaluation of the place. These are usually places where I only had 1-2 plates of food, or if I forget to jot notes & bring a camera.

Special foodventures are event-based (special tastings, food festivals) - either one-time or recurring. These, too, are unrated -- since even for recurring ones, the next time around could be significantly different than what I experienced.

There will also be occasionally some recipe times which is just that: at-home foodventures I've created for myself (they're always at least a little original - even if adapted from a recipe I've encountered elsewhere.)

Do you retroactively update/edit your blog posts?
If I find out about significant updates (the food company closed down, restaurant changed menus, etc.) - I try to, but I imagine as my list of foodventures grows -- it'll be harder for me to keep track of all my posts. So really, I can only guarantee that my posts are accurate @ the date it went live. If you want to give me an alert/update about a place I previously mentioned, feel free to leave a comment in that post (which gets e-mailed to me.)

How often do you go out to eat?
I try to keep it about twice to three times a week. Sometimes more.

What do you cook at home?
My reliables are salads, pasta and canned soups which I like to dress up with all sorts of fancy extras - candied walnuts, homemade vinaigrettes, heirloom tomatoes, parmigano reggiano, etc. Being single and eating solo, I also have a fondness to easy-to-make one-dish meals that I can re-heat for tomorrow's lunch.

For potluck & entertaining, I usually make and bring desserts -- something I definitely love but rarely have a chance to make for eating alone (as grocery ingredients tend not be individual-friendly.)

What are your favorite foods?
1) Curry fried rice
2) Baked mac 'n cheese
3) Gnocchi
4) Artisanal chocolates... the more unique the flavor the better!
5) Raw (or near-raw) seafood dishes; tartar, sashimi, crudo -- you name 'em, I'll eat 'em

...drinks?
1) real hot cocoa (made with milk & bars/chips, not water & powder)
2) artisanal cocktails
3) failing that, a manhattan or gin & ginger ale (dash of bitters and olives, please!)
4) coffee (black) or espresso
5) teas - particularly green / spiced chais / floral-scented

...restaurants?
no one favorite, really (and especially since I'm always pursuing new eats). But I have a mental list of reliables when I'm in the mood for something in particular.

May I use/reference your material?
I would prefer things not taken verbatim w/o attribution, but otherwise - feel free to use & reference my writings for any non-commercial purpose. A heads-up by commenting or emailing me would be appreciated too. (see below for e-mail addy) - link backs are definitely appreciated too.

picture of yourself?
maybe one of these days... though I notice a tendency for LA/OC food bloggers to not have identifiable photos of them posted up ;)

Got more questions? - feel free to leave a comment or send an e-mail (foodie.h.c(at)gmail.com)