Juancho’s: Tex-Mex Bastion in Ontario, Calif.
Posted on February 4, 2010, by Gary McCarty
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I’m not Guy Fieri, nor is this Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but I do enjoy the off-the-beaten path culinary finds as much as the iconic host of Triple D–and the food in these places as much as the refined masterpieces of a Bouchon.
I’m speaking here of Juancho’s in Ontario, Calif., which shares a parking lot with a San Antonio Winery tasting room, whose parent is the oldest (and only still-operating) winery in Los Angeles proper.
On my first visit, on a rainy Friday, I ordered up a Pescado platter–filets of white fish with beans, rice, salad and guacamole. Yum, a divine delight.
On my second, I enjoyed a more traditional Tex-Mex plate of Chilaquiles with fried eggs, rice and beans. Still good, but not the same culinary level as the fish.
All in all, I’d give Juancho’s three out of four Guy Fieris for value, comfort, food and down-home-iness.
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An Family Opens ANQI in South Coast Plaza
Posted on January 26, 2010, by Gary McCarty
I confidently mention the An family name in my title, but to be honest, until I stumbled upon the family’s ANQI Gourmet Bistro and Noodle Bar inside Bloomingdale’s at the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif., I had never heard of them.
Now it turns out they have a chain of restaurants, two by the name of Crustacean (Beverly Hills and San Francisco), along with another in San Francisco and the just-opened ANQI. All are dedicated to serving classic Colonial Vietnamese-French cuisine except for the bistro, which is a hybrid affair (note my Japanese dashi-based repast described below and pictured above). I took a dinner menu home, and it looked to be as much Japanese as Vietnamese, along with some interesting things like their Chorizo Corn Dog.
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International Wine Festival in Hollywood a Bit Disappointing, But Hollywood Always a Treat
Posted on January 24, 2010, by Gary McCarty
I guess I didn’t do my due diligence on the International Wine Festival held last night, Saturday, Jan. 23, in Hollywood, Calif.
When I received a half-price notification for the event from Gold Star, I figured, "Hollywood and wine (pun not intended), who can pass that up?" Turns out, I should’ve.
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Bouchon in L.A.: Reviewer Appears to Get It Right
Posted on January 20, 2010, by Gary McCarty
I was happy to find a review in today’s Los Angeles Times Food section of the Thomas Keller bistro in Beverly Hills named Bouchon, the same as the Keller Bouchon I sampled recently in Los Vegas.
Now, I never know if the Times reviewer, who goes by the name of S. Irene Virbila (either spell the S. out or drop it, I say), knows whereof she writes. I’ve been to other restaurants to which she’s awarded three stars and never found the excitement–or culinary accomplishment–she did. However, when she writes of Keller’s “commitment to excellence and unflagging attention to detail,” she’s right on. I sampled that in the basic vinaigrette on my house salad in Vegas. Bouchon is definitely three starsr.
One note about the L.A. location–there’s no Bouchon Bakery there yet, so I doubt you get the same warm baguettes that keep coming to your table as they do in Las Vegas. Still, you can’t go wrong at a Keller restaurant, I’d say.
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Bouchon: Judging Thomas Keller by Bread and Vinaigrette–and Savoring the Perfection
Posted on January 15, 2010, by Gary McCarty
For the holidays (actually, after the holidays), I managed to spend exactly one day in Las Vegas, which didn’t include a stay-over–daylight only. That meant, if I wanted to sample the food at one of the many celebrity chefs’ restaurants on the strip, I had to do lunch, and not all of them serve lunch.
I was at the Venetian, so I had my choice of Mario Batali (tried his places twice), Wolfgang Puck (tried his food in Los Angeles), and Emeril Lagasee (whose food I’d never sampled). I was about to do lunch (as they say in El Lay) at Delmonico (whose menu did not turn me on) when I spied a sign for Bouchon, a French Bistro by famed French Laundry chef Thomas Keller.
Unfortunately, Bouchon didn’t serve lunch, but this being a Saturday, it did offer weekend brunch. I’m not much of a brunch fan, so when I got there, I opted for the raw bar, which of course wouldn’t give me much in the way of original dishes with which to sample Keller’s cuisine. I ordered a half-dozen oysters, a salad and, as it turned out, two delicious glasses of wine.
The oysters were fine, but didn’t show off any Keller technique except in the selection, but the servers also brought me a French sourdough baguette fresh from the bakery. It arrived hot with a jar of soft butter and ketchup (ketchup in a French bistro–sacre bleu!). I must say, it fulfilled Jacques Pepin’s definition of the perfect meal–great bread and great butter. C’est magnifique!
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Happy Gingerbreading from Aureole’s Jennifer Yee
Posted on December 21, 2009, by Gary McCarty
Charlie Palmer is including videos in his latest e-mails to his subscribers. One features Aureole New York City pastry chef Jennifer Yee demoing how to make a gingerbread house for the holidays. Enjoy!
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‘Top Chef’ Season Six Reunion Airs Tonight
Posted on December 16, 2009, by Gary McCarty
I never got a chance to weigh in on last week’s results, but let it suffice to say that I’m sick of egomaniacs winning Top Chef. First Hung, now Michael Voltaggio. How many people did they throw under the bus for their grand honor?
If you didn’t get enough ego battles during the series, Bravo tonight is airing Top Chef Reunion, in which Robin evidently takes aim at her many critics among the contestants.
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Catching Up With Brodard Chateau and Vietnamese Cuisine–It Pays to Listen to Those Who Know
Posted on December 15, 2009, by Gary McCarty
I first visited Brodard Chateau, a Vietnamese-inspired restaurant in Garden Grove, Calif., about a year ago.
At the time, I compared it in my mind to the great food I’d enjoyed at Le Colonial in Chicago a few years back, which I considered the finest food I’d tasted in America, if not anywhere. You never know, however, because it’s so easy to get carried away with your judgments on a one-stop visit.
Thus, when I revisited Brodard Chateau this past Saturday, I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially as I waited at the bar for my friend to arrive.
I poured over the menu and saw a lot of stuff that looked pretty Western. The bartender, who later turned out to be our waiter as well, was able to introduce me to some traditional Vietnamese fish dishes. The first he recommended was the Chilean Sea Bass and the second “Sizzling Sole.”
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Top Chef Las Vegas to Be Crowned Dec. 9
Posted on December 8, 2009, by Gary McCarty
After an incredible season, Wednesday night is the season finale of Top Chef Las Vegas. It has all come down to three chefs in the dramatic season finale. The final three–Kevin Gillespie, Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio–compete along with some twists and surprises to determine who will be crowned the winner of Top Chef. Will it be one of the Brothers Voltaggio? Or will Kevin show the judges some winning Southern cooking?
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A Train Wreck? ‘Top Chef’ Airs Finale Part I Tonight
Posted on December 2, 2009, by Gary McCarty
On tonight’s episode of Top Chef, the final four chefs have arrived in Napa to battle it out for the title of Top Chef! But when their first challenge has them preparing a dish while on a moving train, the chefs feel the pressure and get a little bit nauseous!
And for the elimination round, the chefs must pull together dishes for an entire 300-person party with limited time and resources. Will the chefs overcome the curveballs and put out their best work to make it to part two of the finale?
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