Phillipe The Original - Los Angeles

Just two blocks from Union Station, Philippe The Original is the home of the French Dip sandwich, which was created here in 1908. This cavernous sawdust floored joint is agreeably retro in feel, right down to the wooden clock advertising "Veterinary and Livestock Services."

Get your sandwich (Beef, Pork, Lamb or Turkey) double dipped - the roll is quickly dipped in au jus gravy, the meat so meltingly tender a baby could eat it. (My preferred sandwich is a double dipped pork with jack cheese.) All the side salads are great in that unassuming diner style, low key but surprisingly complex.

The Philippes' mustard is GREAT. It's oddly identical to my Grandmother's, a much beloved family condiment of great renown.

The pies are delicious too. My favorite being the coconut cream, with banana cream pie a close second. The coffee here is 9 cents (.55 cents for that newfangled decaf.)

If you ever want to feel like you're eating in an Edward Hopper painting - this is the place.

Address: 1001 North Alameda Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Asian Noodles in Los Angeles

Asian Noodles

I recently discovered this place while eating across the street at the Spring Street Smokehouse.

I went back to Asian Noodles the next day, expecting pho, or pad thai, or chinese curry noodles. I was pleasantly surprised to find this was a filipino joint, on the edge of Los Angeles' historic Filipinotown district.

The seafood noodle soup I had was delicious, a clear broth with noodles and generous portions of shrimp, mussels, squid, and some sort of white rolled "leaves" of seafood which I couldn't identify. I thought it better not to ask, at least until I'd finished. I learned this when I was traveling in Asia - if I like it - eat it all and then ask what it was...
The bao bun had a braised pork inside as opposed to the roasted pork as you fund with Chinese dim sun, and was tenderer and juicier.

Asian Noodles -

643 N. Spring St., Los Angeles
213-617-1083

Hours: Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Anchor Oyster Bar, San Francisco

Whenever I am in SF, I seize the chance to go to the Anchor Oyster Bar in the Castro. This cozy marble and tile oyster bar has been dishing up spectacularly fresh seafood for thirty years.

This time I had a mixed half dozen oysters, Kumamotos and Blue Points, and an amazing fresh artichoke ravioli in a lemon cream. It was topped with easily a half pound of fresh crabmeat. The ravioli's were artfully striped with squid ink, and the lemony richness of the cream sauce made a perfect foil for the crab and artichoke.

Go early if you want dinner, as there is usually a significant line of hungry diners waiting to get in after about 6 pm. Singles or deuces cans sit at the beautiful old marble bar and happily slurp down their oysters.. (I highly recommend the kumamotos - sweet and briny, a perfect taste of the ocean in each tiny shell.

Anchor Oyster Bar
579 Castro St
San Francisco, CA 94114-2511

Phone: (415) 431-3990

Chada Thai - in Chico CA

This is the shrimp with vegetables & red curry at Chada Thai, in Chico California. It came with a vegetable soup and some fried sweet potatoes. The vegetable soup tasted like the diner classic, with a delicate Thai overtone. The shrimp curry is really, really good, as bright and fresh as anything I had in Thailand.

This is a spectacularly good Thai restaurant, if you're ever in Chico near the CAL State Chico campus be sure to stop in.


Chada Thai
117 W. 2nd St., #B (downstairs, under the bagel shop.)
Chico, CA 95928.

(530) 342-7121

The Perfect Mango

My partner and I are going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for Christmas.

Though the glories of spending the holidays basking on the beach are compelling, envisioning the food experiences the journey will offer preoccupies me.

The most beguiling of these is the memory of "The Perfect Mango", which I had on the beach there several years ago.

The gringos around me shuddered when I invited the vendor lady over, horrified that I would eat something bought from a stranger on the sand.* They recoiled in horror when she asked if I wanted chili and I said "Claro que si!"

Her hands flickered over her basket, choosing a perfectly ripe one, and she staked the chosen mango on a skewer. With a few flicks of her knife she expertly carved it into a flower. She poured hot sauce over it, shook a bit of salt on it and then dusted it with chili powder. She gave it to me with a few pieces of lime in a paper cup.

It was one of the most incredible things I have ever eaten. Tangy and hot, the voluptuous softness of the mango's yielding flesh set off by the lime and chili. The sweet salty hotness ran over my chin, setting my lips tingling; simultaneously invoking and quenching thirst.

It was the first time I thought about the profound similarities between Mexican food and Thai cooking - lime, chili, tropical fruits. The interplay of Hot - Sweet - Sour - Salty are core elements of both cuisines.

______________________

* I've eaten street food all over Mexico and Asia, and never gotten sick. A doctor friend told me - if it has to be peeled it's ok, likewise if it is boiling or fried. Also look at the general cleanliness of the booth or cart - does it look clean? He also suggested steering clear of lettuces and vegetables which have to be washed in water. This advice has served me well in my travels.

Lunch on the Train...

This is a corner of the pallid salad I had today on an Amtrak train. The iced tea was fresh brewed and very good though. Alas - they no longer cook to order on Amtrak, which I remember fondly.

Speaking of Amtrak food memories - do you remember the chicken salad sandwiches with chunks of pickle they used to serve on Amtrak? They were surprisingly good.

Boldly Casual Cuisine?

In Florida last month, I drove past a restaurant which described itself as featuring "boldly casual cuisine."

(Notice I said "drove past..." - I'd rather go hungry than eat in place which describes itself in such a meaninglessly bizarre way...)

What exactly is "boldly casual cuisine", anyway?

The image that flashed into my mind of a lamb chop wearing a patterned sport coat has been disturbingly hard to shake though...

Goodland Grind & Gallery

At the far end of a dusty main street on the high plains of Kansas lies Goodland Grind & Gallery. This is a classic local coffeehouse, with local music events, artists work on display, home baked pasties and sandwiches, and very good coffee.

It's in a beautiful old building, with a painted tin ceiling inside, and a nice outdoor patio on the left side.

Goodland is a remote place, in the part of the state Truman Capote said Kansans called "out there." Its presence shows how far we've come in this country. What a change it is that now you can get a decent cup of coffee nearly anywhere. *


Goodland Grind & Gallery
1530 Main St
Goodland, KS 67735
Phone: (785) 890-7690

* Still hard to get a good cup of coffee in Missouri, in my experience.

Arthur Bryant's, Kansas City, MO

I consider myself extremely fortunate among coastal dwellers, because this is the fifth time I have been privileged to eat at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, MO. (Calvin Trillin often calls this the single best restaurant on the planet.)

Not being a big brisket lover, and unable to eat ribs due to orthodontia; I opted for the burnt ends sandwich - and it was utterly spectacular. Smoky and sweet, with a crunchy richness and a lingering mildly hot finish.

Great people watching here - perhaps the most integrated place I've ever been in the Midwest.

(Ok, it's the only truly integrated place I've ever been in the midwest.)

Everyone is slightly hushed, as befits a temple; united in awed reverence for the piles of smoky perfection slathered in the incredible sauce, which Jane Stern calls "nearly a soul food curry." It's not a bad description.

The walls are lined with photos of celebrities and politicos eating with Arthur. (Curiously, they're all Democrats.) Hmmm.....


There's a photo of a bottle of his famous bbq sauce atop the actual south pole. There is also the famous cartoon of St Peter greeting Arthur at the pearly gates -
.

The cartoon from the Kansas City Star that ran with his obituary always makes me want to burst into tears..

Lynn's Paradise Cafe, Louisville, KY

Two eggs and bacon with biscuits and cheese grits.

On my drive from Boston to LA I stopped into Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, KY. (Louisville being right on the way.)

Lynn's is a riot of pure retro-southern kitsch, with the bonus of also having very, very good food.

If the B52's dropped a lot of acid and opened a restaurant, it would be a lot like Lynn's.

My eggs were perfectly scrambled on the griddle, the generous serving of thick cut bacon done just right, and the cheese grits were great, not to runny, and cheesy without being overpowering. The biscuit (two of them actually) was a bit cake like, but very good. (That may be a Louisville thing, I don't know...)

On the way out be sure and check out the bear sculpture spray painted with an Elvis jumpsuit in the parking lot.

This is one wacky-good breakfast.

Lynn's Paradise Cafe

984 Barret Ave. Louisville, KY (502) 583-3447

Monday-Friday 7:00am-10:00pm Saturday-Sunday 8:00am-10:00pm

Grandpa's Cheesebarn, Ashland, OH.

This is the roast beef and swiss sandwich with garlic pickle and vidalia onion mustard at Grandpa's Cheesebarn in Ashland Ohio.

If you're ever driving thorough Ashland Ohio by all means stop. They have a vast selection of locally made cheeses and meats. The horseradish cheddar is particularly good.

White Turkey Drive in - Connaught, OH

It is my dearest hope to return to the The White Turkey Drive In, in Conneaut, Ohio for lunch.

Tragically, it is closed after Labor Day, so I am reprinting this entry from my trip east at the beginning of the summer. It makes sense, as this is the quintessential summer experience. Besides, outdoor seating and the five feet of snow they often get in these parts don't mix well.

This place was founded in 1952, and hasn't changed one bit since. It was by far the most charming and atmospheric of the joints I visited on this trip, and had shady picnic tables out back surrounded by a beautiful perennial garden.

I had the the turkey sandwich called the "Large Marge." (No, it's not named for the lesbian ghost trucker in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, but for the restaurant's original proprietress.)

I can only describe the sandwich as a "pulled turkey" sandwich. It is startlingly like North Carolina BBQ, but made with white meat turkey instead of pork. It was topped with bacon and American cheese. It was delicious, and very vintage-y in character as you'd expect from the looks of this place. It was accompanied by a delicious real milkshake, freshly made and with globs of vanilla ice cream still slightly unblended. The onion rings were good, but of the crumb breading type popular in the Midwest which is not my favorite. (My mother's onion rings were arguably the gold standard, closely followed by those at Liam's on Nauset Beach in Orleans Mass on Cape Cod.)

This place was so sweetly retro-Americana that I was nearly moved to tears while waiting for my sandwich. (I'm funny that way.)

I suddenly understood the much vaunted charms of the Midwest. I confess that this has previously largely escaped me.



Plus the state flag of Ohio is a pennant, the only one in the US, which is way cool.

Eckl's Beef on Weck, Orchard Park, NY

While driving cross country I have resolved to not eat at any chain restaurants, no fast food, and no mass market commercial cooking. Instead I will seek out more "old school" road food.

The first night of my trans-continental oddessy, in Buffalo, NY I am confronted with an embarrassment of riches. A choice between the Anchor Bar - (the original home of the eponymous Buffalo Wings) or Eckl's Beef on Weck.

I briefly entertain the idea of having buffalo wings for breakfast, so as to be able to try both, but Buffalo Wings are something of a nightmare to eat with braces, so off to Beef on Weck it is. Besides "Eckl's Beef on Weck" is a throughly enjoyable phrase to say aloud, so I am compelled to say it several times on the way to the restaurant.

The somewhat appalling photo is Eckl's Beef on Weck sammich - tragically underlit for the cellphone camera. It was much more attractive that it looks in this photo...

Eckl's is an unassuming white building in a decidedly residential neighborhood. A sign outside simply declares "Eckl's." In these parts no further explanation is necessary. A small brass plaque on the side of the building announces: "House Of Eckl - established 1934." Inside it is cozy and dark in a paneled suburban rumpus room sort of way. At one side of the dining room is the stainless sandwich assembly and slicing area.

A weck (Kummelweck actually) is a salted roll often described as pretzel bread, but it's much softer than that would lead you to imagine. It is also seeded with ground caraway seeds.

I order my roast beef sandwich medium rare, and it arrives a few minutes later. It is closer to what I would describe as raw. I am one of those who finds beef mildly distressing at the best of times, so this presents a minor challenge*, but my trepidation fades on the first bite. It is spectacular - the beef literally melts in your mouth, and the salt and caraway provide the perfect foil for the extremely tender beef. I recommend eating the sandwich upside down, as the salt crystals and caraway seeds have a more exciting effect when placed tongue down...

Eckl's Beef on Weck -
4936 Ellicott Rd
Orchard Park, NY 14127

* I find it exceedingly odd when people won't eat things they don't like. I believe in trying things several times, and then once more just to be sure.... When something I don't particularly like is presented to me, I generally eat it anyway, in the interests of both politeness and anthropology.

Provincetown Library at Sundown.

Provincetown Library at sundown. Nothing whatsoever to do with food, I just loved the way the light looked on the newly restored steeple.

Well, it is near Mojo's, which has great fried clams, so there's the tie in...

Our Annual Chili Cook Off

Last Sunday I spent the afternoon at my club's annual chili cook off. We had ten different community organizations enter. The chili's ranged from two vegetarian ones to a classic beanless cubed beef. (No Chili Colorado though, which surprised me.)

One of the more interesting ones was called “cosmic consciousness." It was made by the guru from our friendly neighborhood Gay Tantric Ashram. (This is in Los Angeles, remember.) It had a curry overtone and slight lingering ginger undertones. I know it sounds weird, but it was delicious!

I think that what struck me the most was how tremendously varied people's palates are.

There was general agreement as to which were the best, a wide range of opinion on the middle ranges, and nearly universal agreement on the worst.

There was one that I spat out, fearing dire consequences if I swallowed it. (I spat as discreetly as I could, since I was judging the chili's.) That particular chili had the distinct aroma of an open sewer line. (Other judges described it as tasting like vomit, and smelling of a bus station restroom.)

On counting the ballots for “crowd favorite” I was stunned to find two ballots cast for the aforementioned vile chili.

Apparently, there really is no accounting for taste.

The Breakfast I wish I was Having....

Ok - into each life some drab meals must fall. Today I'm in an airport motel with my breakfast choices limited to two vending machines. A bag of cheez-its and a root beer was on the breakfast menu today.

At least I can dream about this one from two weeks ago. A poached egg on top of Parmesan dusted stone ground yellow grits, a few spears of asparagus and a pat of butter.

Sure beats the cheez-its.

Quinessential Diner Burger @ Rhonda's Diner in East Providence

Ryan and I visited his friend Michael in Providence, and he took us to his Aunt's Diner, called Rhonda's in East Providence. This lurid looking photo is of the burger and fries - which were GREAT. (for some reason the lights in the diner frizzed out the white balance on my cellphone camera, creating this lurid photo.) The burger was perfectly cooked, and came with very good fries.

Cynthia's Beet Salad

Today Ryan and I had lunch with my brother Adam and his wife Cynthia. She made this delicious composed salad, with beets and grapefruit. it was inspired by one they had in a restaurant in Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. It tasted every bit as good as it looks!

Beloved restaurant - Yuca's Tacos, Los Feliz

I've been back in Los Angeles for a week. My friends and family know that my love affair with LA has been slowly fading for a few years now. I have to say I've recently had something of a rapprochement.

LA is arguably one of the best food towns in the world, the sheer diversity of the city make it a very exciting place for both eaters and cooks.

While leaving the Cape in August is heartbreaking, on this trip I have been reminded of some of the things I love about LA -

Among them is Yuca's tacos, which is just around the corner from me. Opened in 1976 by Jaime and Socorro Herrera, it is now run by their daughter Dora with her Mom. This unassuming taco stand won the James Beard Award in 2005 in the category “America’s Classics”.

The tacos de carnitas are incredible. The beans are rich and smooth with a creamy mellowness that far exceeds expectations of what a cup of beans should be. Soccoro's Yucatan tamales are great, but you have to get there early on Saturday, before they are all gone.

Check it out if you're in LA - Yuca's is at 2056 Hillhurst Ave. in Los Feliz, CA 90027

Spinach & Raddichio Salad with Soy - Lime marinated Rib-Eye

This is a pretty lousy photo (cellphone) of a very good salad we had for dinner last night.

It's fresh spinach & raddichio, orange bell pepper and thinly sliced grilled rib-eye marinated in the juice of two limes and a tablespoon of tamari soy sauce. The dressing had mango - chili vinegar, a dash of soy and a few drops of sesame oil to beef up the flavor of the olive oil. It was really good!

The Garden, Freshly Mulched

There is something so satisfying about gardening, to work at something and see growth as the result. It evokes similar feelings as cooking does for me.

Obviously there is the connection of both of them being acts of nurture - intrinsically satisfying in a "soul feeding" kind of way.

I spent the morning mulching with eel grass from the beach. If only everything in life could provide such a tangible sense of accomplishment.

PS: I have the first cucumber of the season getting cold in the fridge as I write this. I'm going to run it through the mandoline, making paper thin slices and drizzle it with rice vinegar and fresh dill.

Yum!

- Will

Barlow's Clam Bar - Bourne Mass.

Barlow's Clam Bar is on Rt 6 in Bourne, overlooking the Cape Cod Canal. It's a great "last stop on the mainland " on the way to the Cape. I just discovered this place a few years ago. They do a very good lobster roll, one avoiding all the more common pitfalls. They also have lobster "photo ops" where you can stick your head though and be photographed as a giant lobster - which is a big hit with the two to four year old set.

A few worlds on the lobster roll -

It MUST be on a New England style hot dog roll, ideally split and buttered, and toasted to a golden brown on the grill. A hamburger bun is NOT ok, nor is (gasp) a bulkie roll, a grotesque perversion of the New England classic common to expat New Yorkers. (The Bulkie is way too chewy, and overpowers the lobster meat with its floury-ness.)

All that goes into the lobster roll is lobster meat* and a leaf or two of lettuce, ideally Boston lettuce, but butter lettuce will do in a pinch. Romaine is icky in this context, and Mesclun way too gourmet, and thus liable to incite ridicule. A generous gob of Mayo is traditional (and yummy) but may be omitted by the phobic. It is usually served in a white cardboard sleeve, and may be accompanied by fries, onion rings or chips.

If the lobster has been too salad-ized with the addition of celery or God forbid scallions the proprietor should be spanked early and often.

Barlow's meets all these criteria, has a great view of the canal. It is just about two minutes south of the Sagamore bridge on the West side of the canal. It's a good deal too, at $2-3 dollars less than most places over the bridge, and it includes fries. (I remember when Lobster rolls were $4.99 on the Cape. Sigh!)

* A good lobster roll won't be all claw meat, but a generous mix of the whole beast.

My Best Omelette Yet!

Last night for dinner I had a very nearly perfect omelette. I used to make three egg omelettes, but on Alton Brown's suggestion I switched to two, as the eggs coat the pan and cook up faster. (The eggs cook through before the outside is too brown.)

Alton also says that using a super gourmet pan reserved only for eggs is totally unnecessary; I have to say I agree.

My sidekick David and I have been having an omelette renaissance since watching Alton's omelette episode, and David's five dollar aluminum pan from Target has worked great. (It does have a nonstick coating, which gives me the heebie jeebies a bit...)

I made the omelette with two free range local eggs, just laid that morning. It included a tiny amount of un dyed cheddar cheese. I cut four cherry tomatoes from the garden in half and pan sauteed them with asparagus tips and a few tiny bay shrimp.

A dash of tarragon on top, and good Lord it was good!

My Step-Father was coming for dinner, so I also did a side of asparagus roasted in a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of reggiano cheese to round out the plate.

You know what?

I can report that it's true - you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs...

- Will