Angelini Osteria

Our friend Cindy turned 60 yesterday. Ever since she heard that Giada de Laurentiis loved the Lasagna Verde at Angelini Osteria she has been wanting to go. Never mind that I have told her many years ago how good it was.....she had to hear it from Giada. So it was only natural that we celebrate her birthday there.

First and foremost, I had forgotten how friendly the staff are. Hearing these Italian men speaking to each other made you feel like you are in Italy. Service was great. Gino our main server was very helpful and attentive. If we needed something else and Gino was not right there, someone else was more than willing to cater to our needs; unlike certain restaurants wherein you'd have to wait for your particular server to ask for something.

There were 6 of us so we all decided to share 3 appetizers.  We ordered the Red Beets with Mixed Greens and Burrata, Braised baby Artichokes with Olive Oil and Onions and a Fig Gratin with Gorgonzola and Saba Sauce. In case you don't know what Saba is; it is a grape must reduction and has a sweet taste. All 3 salads were truly delicious but the Fig was everyone's favorite. The melted Gorgonzola with the sweetness of the fig and the sauce were synchronous.

Five of us ordered the Lasagna Verde "Omaggio Nonna Elvira"  (green lasagna) with beef and veal ragu. All I can say is Thank God for Nonna Elvira or this lasagna may not have been created! It is as great as I remembered it to be.  It was unanimous; all thought it to be heavenly. It was served with crispy greens; it may have been spinach which was a nice touch. Our vegetarian friend was quite happy herself ordering the Pumpkin Tortelli with Butter, Sage and Asparagus. I had a bite of it and if I were vegetarian, I would have been hooked on this dish. I had to have a little (??) Parmesan on my lasagna and they happily grated some; no attitude as if wanting to say: " How dare you, it's perfect the way it is."  The people working there actually like each other and are happy to be there.

The next time we go, we will have to order the Whole Branzino Roasted in Sea Salt. I have had this in the past and it is the most delicate fish with fantastic flavors that one could order. They fillet the fish right in front of you.

Dessert time....five of us had desserts. One passed as she thought she was getting too fat! We will have to leave her home next time. The birthday girl and Sujata had the Mascarpone which was the best I have ever had with strawberries and red wine. It was so light it was like eating cotton candy. Sandi had the Torta della Nonna; custard pie with pine nuts. This was my least favorite. I guess you really have to like custard. It was too rich for me. My brother had the Affogato Gelato drowned in a shot of espresso. That was o.k. but nothing to write home about. My dessert was Crostata Ciocco, Budino chocolate lover's delight. Come to think of it, I forgot to offer anyone a taste of it. I ate the whole thing!

All in all, everyone had a great time including the birthday celebrant. Happy 60th to
Cindy!

Angelini Osteria is located at 7313 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles. They are open for lunch and dinner.

Chocolate Napoleon

I am hoping you get to read this blog today, July 13, 2013.  The reason being is that you have only tomorrow to take advantage of consuming the Chocolate Napoleon at L'Amande Bakery in Torrance. This is the special for this weekend.

It looks like a snow-covered plateau as it is loaded with powdered sugar. This Napoleon is just as good as the regular Napoleon or the Salted Caramel Napoleon (my favorite) depending on your preference. If you like chocolate, this is guaranteed not to disappoint.  It was flaky as ever and the chocolate was perfect. Some chocolates are too sweet or too bitter. This was neither. I took some home and had it for dessert. The key to these flaky desserts is never to close the container it comes in. You have to leave it wide open in your refrigerator; that way it stays super crisp. Like I mentioned before, the best way to eat them is by hand. Think of eating an ice cream sandwich; that's how you handle them.

If you miss the trip to L'Amande this weekend, don't despair, watch for the re-run or better yet, call them up and make a request.

L'Amande Bakery is located at the Rolling Hills Plaza by Trader Joe's and Rite-Aid in Torrance.

Chili Corn on the Cob

Went to Whole Foods yesterday to get some cole slaw.  I ended up ditching the idea when I saw the Corn on the Cob that looked exciting. There were 2 kinds: one with pesto and the other one was made with mayonnaise, chili flakes and Parmesan cheese. The key work was Parmesan; so I bought 3 of them for the 3 of us.

I came from L'Amande Bakery to get some baguettines to make pastrami sandwiches.  My friend Amy gave me a bag of very good pastrami so I thought I should get the best ingredients to go with it. I started out with some Japanese mayonnaise, a little mustard and a lot of tomato jam which my other friend Mertz, made for me. It was the best sandwich ever! Sweet and a bit tangy and salty at the same time.

The sweet corn that had a bit of a kick to it was so good. I popped it in the microwave which made some of the Parmesan melt.....hhmmmm...I could have eaten 2 easily. Thank God, Whole Foods is nearby.

Obika at Century City

Obika Mozzarella Bar is a great place to have your various mozzarella tastings. My last visit here was just a couple of months ago. See previous blog:
http://solittlethyme.blogspot.com/2013/05/obika-mozzarella-bar-ristorante.html

I was up at the Westfield Century City mall today to return something at Bloomingdale's.  Of course I timed it so that I would be there around lunch time. At 11:30, I went by the food court and nothing looked enticing. This was after I already made up my mind that I would eat at Obika. So I naturally ended up at Obika. It was good timing as it was still pretty empty when I got there. I looked at the menu and all I knew was that I wanted some Burrata but didn't know which to order. My server, Jordan came to the rescue and helped me decide.

I ordered from the antipasti menu. The Bruschette with 4 different toppings. One was topped with plum tomatoes and olives, a spicy sausage, mozzarella di Bufala with roasted peppers and Burrata with anchovies. Jordan also informed me that if I wanted to skip one of them, I could double up on another. Perfecto....had 2 of the Burrata with anchovies. The Burrata was soooo creamy and almost sweet with the olive oil and the salty anchovies gave it that nice kick.

All I can say is that this was a perfect lunch and the bonus was I felt great not feeling guilty for once. Obika is located on the 2nd floor of the Westfield Century City Mall at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., in Los Angeles.

Ad Hoc Fried Chicken at Bouchon

I have received monthly emails from Bouchon advertising their Ad Hoc Fried Chicken and I have read about their famous lemon-brined buttermilk fried chicken.  Needless to say, I have been wanting to see what I have been missing. The question was: Would $38.00 bring happiness?

I got 3 friends and my brother to help answer the question. We got there and shortly after we were seated, they served some warm bread with a creamy butter. I don't know why butter almost always taste better in restaurants. We all ordered the chicken; no deviation. 

Everything was served family style. A nice wedge salad was brought out with what looked and tasted like buttermilk dressing. The salad was not overdressed nor underdressed; it was appropriately dressed.  They also served cheddar biscuits which were delicious with some gravy. The  seasonal side dish was okra; braised in tomatoes and bacon, this was a disappointment. It wasn't bad but it just didn't do anything for anyone of us. I would have preferred other side dishes they served in the past like mac & cheese or corn.

The chicken was indeed very good.  It was really crispy outside, no hint of any grease and the inside was plump and juicy as can be. It was not "to die for" but it was better than most I have had; better than Ludo Lefebvre's buttermilk chicken. I also thought it could have used some sauce.  My brother wanted banana ketchup and I could have had some honey.

For $38.00, we were happy though we could have been happier; we got a lot of food with lots of left overs.  So yes, it was worth it and yes I recommend you try it but wait till Okra season ends. They used to offer this deal on the first Monday of each month. They now added another Monday.  For a Monday, the restaurant was packed with people eating fried chicken.

After dinner we exited through the bakery and lo and behold, they were still open. There they were....3 Kouign Amanns sitting waiting to be picked up.  I bought the last 3. If you haven't had them, it is worth the trip especially if you get them early in the morning. Thomas Keller is still the King of Kouign Amanns. See my previous blog on this pastry.
http://solittlethyme.blogspot.com/2011/11/paris-at-bouchon.html

Bouchon is located at 235 N. Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills, California.

Bacon and Greens

Don't you just love the sound of this salad?  It's not greens with bacon, it's bacon with greens.... and Bacon is the starring role of this hearty salad. 

L'Amande Bakery in Torrance added this to their menu a few weeks ago and it has been a hit.  The salad has an abundant amount of apple wood bacon, (cooked to perfection) pistachios, and shaved Parmesan cheese in a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  It is served with a slice of their fresh baguette.

This is the type of salad that when you're done, you won't feel like going for a sandwich to further fill you up.

That's assuming you clean your plate; like I did.

Not Your Everyday Apple Pie

Though it's not your "everyday apple pie",  I could have this apple pie everyday.  This was another creation of Ana at L'Amande Bakery.

This apple pie was so simple yet so delicious. The crust and topping were buttery as expected. The apples were nice and tender and the Vanilla Bean Sauce is what sent me to heaven! 

You will have to wait and see when these apple pies will be available. Check your local listing for the coming attractions. L'Amande Bakery is located at 2553 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Torrance, California.