Fish Shack Bling: BP Oysterette in Santa Monica

BP Oysterette on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica reminds me of the fish shacks I love in New England,a few notches more upscale with valet parking. Since BP Oysterette doesn't take resos, call ahead and see what the wait is like before you go. That's what I did, on and off for a couple of weeks. I called to see if there was a wait and finally went only when it was empty (I refuse to wait in line).

The bar is the place to sit, even better when sipping Watermelon Sake. You can see all of the action happening there, and by that I mean food action (thankfully no cheesy bar scene at BP Oysterette).

BP Oysterette got packed pretty quick.

Today's Ceviche tasted better than the presentation.

Grilled Artichoke with Old Bay Aioli looked better than it tasted.

Linguini with Clams, whole, fat littlenecks in a red sauce. Hit the spot.

So much to choose from. Next time I'm doing it up with oysters and a Lobster Roll.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

BP Oysterette

1355 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 576-3474

Lunch in Beverly Hills: Wolfgang's Steakhouse on Canon

What an excellent burger I had at Wolfgang's for lunch last week. The beef was cooked to perfection and served on a grilled sesame bun with cheddar cheese. You can't see the onion rings on the dish. Just trust me and order them no matter what.

Wolfgang's Chopped Salad (of all things) was fab. All of the vegetables were chopped up tiny, a little larger than the famed Leon Chopped from La Scala, yet just as good. The corn kernels, peas and avocados certainly stood out against all the other chopped veggies. Taste and texture, Wolfgang's got it right with their chopped salad, with portions big enough to share.

I couldn't resist snapping a pick of starlet Marley Shelton. I admit, I didn't even know who she was, my husband Win alerted me. It looked like Marley and her friend were having a steak and mashed potatoes. Every time I've been here I always had Wolfgang's mouth-watering, dry aged steaks (aged 28 days). Glad to know other things are just as good.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

Wolfgang's Steakhouse

445 N Canon

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 385-0640

New York's T Salon Opens in Los Angeles

The well established T Salon from New York is now open in Los Angeles at the same mini mall as M Cafe de Chaya on Melrose. With a focus on environmental sustainability, T Salon on Melrose is so West Coast. Major thumbs up to their lighting made from recycled tea bags; floors, ceilings and shelves from bamboo, cutlery from potato, corn plastic straws, recycled biodegradable cups, the list goes on...

We have the founder's grandson to thank for getting New York empressario, Miriam Novalle, to open on the West Coast. She wanted to be closer to him (and her daughter). We Angelenos are the ones that benefit.

There's over 300 unique tea blends, all of which are T Salons own, with many on tap (note: they're liberal with tastings). As I write this I'm drinking the Tranquility Tea, cozy as a down comforter, with chamomile flowers, rose petals, mint, cinnamon bark, marigold, ginger, bay leaves and basil.

Grilled Almond Butter and and Blood Orange Cranberry Chutney is a healthy version of a peanut butter and jelly, served on a whole grain ciabatta. Win was more than satisfied with it for dinner, and would gladly have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.

The Red Quinoa with fennel, pistachio and pomegranate was exquisite as were T Salon's homemade salad dressings. Salmon was fine, not as amazing as the other stuff. Sadly, I did not take a photo of the Ginger Bread, dangerously good and fresh out of the oven, we gobbled it up before we could take a photo. We're definitely going back for more.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

T Salon

7111 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

(323)954-8327

Pleasure Palate loves Heritage Square

Abby from Pleasure Palate asked me to post this. Heritage Square Museum is one of her favorite museums. San Antonio Winery is having a fundraiser next Saturday. Tix can be purchased by calling Heritage Square Museum at (323) 225-2700.

Heritage Square Museum 40th Anniversary Fundraiser

Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
San Antonio Winery
737 Lamar Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Tickets are $125.00

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

Alli411's Chili Addiction

Ken Oringer and his entourage stopped by Chili Addiction 3 times in one day when he was in town recently. Owner Johnny would not divulge the secret to his homemade mustard (which incidentally I'm addicted to). I won't be surprised if I start seeing their mustards and hot sauces in gourmet markets like Joan's on Third and Froma. I know what I'll be giving away for the holidays:

Mustards: Bavarian, Hot & Sweet, Dijon, Mellow Yellow

Hot Sauces: Death Wish, High Voltage, Krakatoa, Spontaneous Combustion, Grim Reaper

I feel a little bit guilty because I've been (practically) keeping my Chili Addiction to myself peeps. I mean, I wrote about it when I discovered it at the beginning of the year, but haven't given you many details, that is, up until now.

Ever since I discovered Chili Addictions Ive been addicted to it. Chili Addiction Chili is a staple in my fridge I get a bunch of it to go just about every week. My fave is the Prime Rib. I never tire of it. Love so many flavors though, Maui Wowi, Deep Rich Red. I even like the one for vegans, Raw Fusion, made of tomatoes, peppers and garlic, good as a spread.

Owners Johnny Kovin and Rick Foster take great care in creating everything on the menu, including their signature sausages (Ken Oringer's mom could not believe that someone made sausages as good as her son). Johnny is the Picasso of chili, and constantly comes up with mulit-layered flavors; nothing ordinary about the food that he creates.

Oh yeah, I can't forget the corn bread muffins. So here's what I do: I heat up a muffin and a bowl of chili separately then crumble the corn muffin over the chili. It is satisfying in taste, healthy, and pretty low in calories (a major bonus).

Chili Addiction has a booth at the Farmers Market every Sunday (look for the long line of people on Cosmo Street). Chili Addiction has developed such a following that they're opening up their first restauranton La Cienega where Boule used to be. I'll keep you posted. Until then, catch them on Sundays or have your order delivered by calling (310) 203-1793.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

Chili Addiction

(310) 203-1793

www.chiliaddiction.com

New Restaurant Opening Soon

408 N. La Cienega Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Chili Addiction at the Hollywood Farmers Market

1603 Cosmo Street

Hollywood, CA 90028

Paella Coconut Pyramids: Recipe Included

The homemade paella at Antonietta's birthday celebration over the weekend really hit the spot, but the real treat was her son Andy's Coconut Pyramids that he made for us.

He generously agreed to share the recipe and even hand wrote it for you to download. Thanks Andy (and Thunder)!

Just in case you can't see the recipe from your computer, here's the text:

Coconut Pyramids

2 Egg whites

5 Ounces sugar

5 Ounces chopped coconut

Whisk egg whites until stiff. Fold in sugar and coconut. Put in small pyramids onto a baking sheet. Cook at 275 until golden brown.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

It's About Time: Thyme Cafe & Market in Santa Monica

No need to start rolling your eyes at the thought of another gourmet marketplace, Thyme Cafe & Marketplace on Ocean Park and 16th, just across from Adam's Middle School in Santa Monica is a mini Joan's on Third (and I mean that in the best way, as a huge compliment).

The Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Sauteed Mushrooms and Herbs on Grilled Sourdough Bread hit the spot for breakfast. As did the Caramelized Onion Tart for lunch, Turkey Sausage Lasagna and Sugar Snap Peas (with black sesame seeds) for dinner, and both the the Lemon Bar and Ginger Cookie for dessert (I was going to take a photo, but ate them instead).

It was convenient to go there for breakfast and take lunch and dinner home. Win really missed out. Sorry honey, we'll go there soon (he was out of town).

I really wondered about the Turkey Sausage Lasagna, not really something I typically order. You can purchase it by the slice or in a huge container for a party for $45. I thought to myself "The lasagna better by darn good for that price". It was. Full flavored sausage, layers of gooey cheese, major taste, Thyme Cafe's Turkey Sausage Lasagna sets a new standard.

The old saying "You can't judge a book by it's cover" comes to mind when I look at Thyme Cafe & Market's website. In this case don't judge Thyme Cafe & Market by its website, which looks like a fancy catering company (it seems to be all that too). Inside it's casual, comfortable and tastefully decorated (pun intended), an old world minimalistic vibe.

There's a small selection of gourmet goodies, many that I have in my kitchen, including Zoe Extra Virgin Olive Oil (awarded "Best Choice" and Fruitiest Oil" by the New York Times).

There were tons of people, even on day three. They're already planning on adding another register. Double thumbs up for Thyme Cafe & Market.

Thyme Cafe and Market

1630 Ocean Park Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

(310) 399-8800

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

I'm Cravin' Salad Pizza: Abbot's Pizza Co. in Venice

Every now and again that perfect combination of quality ingredients in a weird food combination come along that wows me. The Salad Pizza at Abbot's Pizza Co. in Venice is one of them.

Sure it's not a completely novel idea, greens are common nowadays, especially with gourmet pizza (Gjelina's Arugula Pizza comes to mind). This is different and here's why.

First off, they take a traditional New York Pie crust, nothing fancy shmancy, gourmet. Then they layer a chopped, mixed green, onion, tomato and basil salad on top of a sour cream and olive oil base, top it with Feta cheese and sliced avocados.

The real genius comes in the composition of the pie. The salad and toppings are arranged in such a way that the slice is easy to eat with your hands; the salad part isn't messy and doesn't fall off the slice. The end result is pure satisfaction from a quick slice with bonus points from getting my healthy veggies.

Side Notes: Abbot's Pizza Co. is known for it's bagel crust. Their salad pizza has regular crust, although I think it might be even better with the bagel crust. The vibe is super-casual here, with small tables inside and out for a quick slice. There's also another location in Santa Monica on Pico Blvd.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

Abbot's Pizza Co.

1407 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Venice, CA 90291

(310) 396-7334

1811 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

(310) 314-2777

Oh Please Forgive Me

My dear peeps:

Please forgive me for not posting for oh-so-long. Frankly I've been working really (really) hard on other stuff. I'm still here though and committed to eating and blogging and to you, my dear readers. I've discovered some great eats and will be posting again, many times a week. Thanks for understanding.

The photo is of Squeaky our cat. Isn't she cute? She likes to hide and sleep in between pillows. She's here now in my office as I write this and says meow (which sounds more like a squeak, hence her name).

Cheers!

Alli411

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

Reverse Holiday Psychology: Bottega Louie A Respite Downtown

This post is dedicated to Ace L. on Yelp (who incidentally will be starting an art webzine/blog soon). She wanted me to write more (hey I do too). Thanks for the request Ace, this one's for you. (I know, sounds like I'm going to sing a song now.... La, la, la. Nah.

Happy Labor Day and happy September for that matter. I'm in front of my computer this Labor Day, at least for the morning. The best part about being in Los Angeles during the holidays is how easy it is to drive places with NO traffic, at least to the places I'm going. I use reverse psychology on holidays. Instead of going to popular spots (the beach, amusement parks..), I go where most people spend their working days. Downtown Los Angeles, for example.

Bottega Louie on South Grand to be exact. Let me start by saying (well writing) that if I lived in Downtown Los Angeles I'd be at Bottega Louie every day. Love, LOve, LOVE the vibe there. It reminds me of a combination of places, France with all the brass and gilt, which, by the way, really works there with the open setting and super high ceilings. My yoga studio in Paris had a similar vibe, just about everything in Paris is so chic. What Bottega Louie really reminds me of a cafe I used to frequent when I lived in Madrid, at the Circulo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Center), where Pablo Picasso used to take painting classes. The cafe used to be an elegant club, now any one can have a drink or nosh on tapas; it's a great place for conversations and people watching.

Win and I grabbed a ficelle (a thin version of a baguette), cookies and a drink at Bottega Louie. We ordered it from the Gourmet Market (their name for the prepared food section) instead of the sit down menu, then sat down at a table near the bar. The Imported Ham and Swiss Ficelle had butter, not mayo, just like in France. YUM! That with Boyland Grape Soda (made with pure cane sugar), a Chocolate Chip Cookie and Sugar Cookie really hit the spot. Win liked his Saucison Ficelle (dried sausage). I was so into my eats that I didn't try his.

Bottega Louie was a former Brooks Brothers store, really big, a small giant. All I had was my iPhone so I only took a few snaps. The place is worthy though, of a photo shoot. I couldn't help taking a photo of Airline Chicken Saltimbuca ready for take out. Based on the sandwich and baked goods that I ate, I bet it's way better than airline food, and for that matter many places in Los Angeles. Oh, just one thing that wasn't perfect, the music was blasting. Maybe it was where we were sitting, or just that day. I would have preferred the tunes be cranked down a notch or two.

Found this article useful? Mention Alli411 in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support!

Bottega Louie
700 South Grand
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 802-1470

Circulo de Bellas Artes
C/ Alacala 42 (Gran Via & Princesa )
28014 Madrid Spain
(+3491) 360-5400