Image
  • Writing
    • Andy Gavin: Author
    • About my Novels & Writing
    • All Writing Posts
    • The Darkening Dream
      • Buy the Book Online
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Untimed
      • Buy Untimed Online
      • Book Trailer
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Scrivener – Writer’s Word Processor
    • iPad for Writers
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Books
    • Book Review Index
    • Favorite Fantasy Novels
    • Andy Gavin: Author
    • The Darkening Dream
      • Buy the Book Online
      • Sample Chapters
      • Short Story: Harvard Divinity
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Untimed
      • About the Book
      • Buy Untimed Online
      • Book Trailer
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Games
    • My Video Game Career
    • Post Archive by Series
    • All Games Posts Inline
    • Making Crash Bandicoot
    • Crash 15th Anniversary Memories
    • World of Warcraft Endgames
    • Getting a Job Designing Video Games
    • Getting a Job Programming Video Games
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Movies
    • Movie Review Index
  • Television
    • TV Review Index
    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    • A Game of Thrones
  • Food
    • Food Review Index
    • Foodie Club
    • Hedonists
    • LA Sushi Index
    • Chinese Food Index
    • LA Peking Duck Guide
    • Eating Italy
    • Eating France
    • Eating Spain
    • Eating Türkiye
    • Eating Dutch
    • Eating Croatia
    • Eating Vietnam
    • Eating Australia
    • Eating Israel
    • Ultimate Pizza
    • ThanksGavin
    • Margarita Mix
    • Foodie Photography
    • Burgundy Vintage Chart
  • Other
    • All Posts, Magazine Style
    • Archive of all Posts
    • Fiction
    • Technology
    • History
    • Anything Else
  • Gallery
  • Bio
  • About
    • About me
    • About my Writing
    • About my Video Games
    • Ask Me Anything
  • Contact

Archive for September 2012

N/Naka Birthday

Sep28

Restaurant: N/Naka [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 3455 S. Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034. 310.836.6252

Date: September 14, 2012

Cuisine: Modern Kaiseki

Rating: Awesome

ANY CHARACTER HERE

I first went to the amazing Omakase only N/Naka last summer. After a bit of a hiatus the Foodie Club returns. Now bear in mind that this lovely restaurant has only a set menu (they offer it in two sizes, plus vegetarian) but the talented young chef Ms. Niki Nakayama has whipped up an entirely different meal (with similar structure) every time we’ve gone!


The setting is elegant, minimalist, and very Japanese.

This time around we went with wine pairings. Sommelier Jeffery Stivers just a fantastic job with these and even more so given the difficulties in pairing Japanese flavors with wine. Very little red wine works (good Burgundy with some dishes) and with a small number of people so many courses are hard to pair by bringing bottles.

Our first pairing: French Sparkling Wine, Domaine Rosier ‘Cuvee Jean-Philippe”, Blanquette de Limoux, France  2010.


Saki Zuke (A pairing of something common and something unique) – Fanny Bay Oysters that have been butter poached and are wrapped in a bird’s nest of crispy Maui Onions and is topped with fresh Uni from Santa Barbara, a leaf of baby Red-veined Sorrel and a Flower of Pansy both of which are from Niki’s garden, a dusting of onion powder and sits in on a sauce of spicey Russet Potato and Dashi and a gelee of Sanbaizu (a combination of mirin and dashi).


This is a vegetarian or fish substitute. I’ll indicate these with VS:

On a Bed of Julienned Crispy Bull’s Blood Beets sits Norwegian Smoked Salmon along side of Junsai (water shield), topped with a shochu Crème Fraiche, Chives, a Flower of Pansy, Gold Leaf and a Puree of Roasted Nasu (Baby Japanese Eggplant).


Verdejo, Martinsancho, Rueda, Spain  2010.

Zensai (Main seasonal ingredient presented as an appetizer)


Seared scallop, a Sauce of Yuzu Pepper, Roasted Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes,a chip of Bull’s Blood Beet, Micro-mache.


Maine Lobster on top of Flower and Herb-infused Rice Paper, Sauce of Tamal (head of Amaebi).


Olive Oil Poached Ono from Fiji on a sweep of White Corn Coulis.

A Cucumber roll that is stuffed with Canadian Snow Crab and Unagi (Freshwater eel), Onion Sprouts and topped with a gelee of Sanbaizu. This was amazing, with a light smoky flavor.


Goma Dofu – Sesame and Green Tea Tofu topped with a tie of Green Asparagug and Konbu Dashi.


The no shellfish variant.


Olive Oil Poached Ono from Fiji on a sweep of White Corn Coulis, a Sauce of Yuzu Pepper, Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes, a chip of Bull’s Blood Beet, Micro-mache.


A Daikon Roll of with Hirame (Halibut) and Ponzu.


Tasmanian Sea Trout that is pan-seared along with fresh Lemon.


Pinot Blanc, Dopff and Irion, Alsace, France  2008.


Modern Zakuri (A modern interpretation of sashimi) – Tartare of O-toro of Big Eyed Tuna, White Scallions, topped with Caviar of American White Sturgeon, Uni Butter, Soy Reduction, Chives and Konbu Dashi.


VS: no uni butter.


Roero Arneis, Giovanni Almondo “Bricco del Ciliegie”, Piedmont, Italy  2011.


Lobster Shinjo – A Mousselin of Maine Lobster in a Broth of Momotaro Tomato, Fennel Root and Dashi topped with Fennel Root and Chive.


Once the soup has been added.


VS: Kurodai Suimono – Pan-seared Kurodai (Black Snapper) that is stuffed with Mitsuba and is in a Yuzu Dashi Broth.


My favorite sake: Sake Junmai Ginjo, “Shichida” Tenzen Brewery, Saga, Japan.


In the glass. It tastes like licorice.

Otsukuri (Sashimi) –  Toro of Big Eyed Tuna, Kumomoto Oyster with Ponzu, Live Hirame (Halibut) from Jeju, Korea, Kanpachi (Amberjack Tuna), Tai (Japanese Snapper), fresh sweet shrimp from Santa Barbara, all served with Freshly Grated Wasabi, Ponzu and Niki’s Special Soy Sauce.


Toro of Big Eyed Tuna, Live Hirame (Halibut) from Jeju, Korea, Kanpachi (Amberjack Tuna), Tai (Japanese Snapper), freshly Grated Wasabi and Niki’s Special Soy Sauce.


Muller Thurgau, Kurtatsch Cortaccia, Alto Adige, Italy  2009.

Agemono (Fried dish) – Tempura Pompano along with the Crispy Bones with Multi-colored Peppers, Scallions and a Sauce of Sweet and Sour Dashi, Butter Lettuce Leaves.


The fish is cooked table-side and then wrapped in this lettuce.


To taco-like effect.


Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine de Laurier, Languedoc, France 2010.

Yakimono (Grilled dish) – Hotate Yaki – Live Diver Scallops from Boston grilled in their own Shell with the Roasted Liver, Shiso Leaf, Shiitake Mushroom, Yuzu Zest and Dashi.


VS: On a hot rock sits roasted Nasu (Japanese Eggplant) that has been cored out and filled with Maguro of Big Eyed Tuna, Shiso Leaf and Miso.


Greco di Tufo, Villa Mathilde, Campania, Italy  2010. This is a volcanic white wine (DOCG) from near Mount Vesuvius.


Shiizakana (Not bound by tradition, the Chef’s choice dish) – Spaghettini with Black Abalone from Monterey, Pickled Cod Roe, Shaved Italian Summer Truffles, Garlic, Soy and topped with Daikon Radish Sprouts. An unusual, but truly unworldly pasta.


Someone doesn’t like abalone.


VS: Spaghettini with Mentaiko (Pickled Cod Roe), shaved Italian Summer Truffles, Garlic, Soy and topped with Daikon Radish Sprouts.


Pinot Noir, Ampelos Cellars “Fiddlestix Vineyard”, Santa Rita Hills, CA  2008.


Niku (Meat Course) – American Wagyu from Washington State Rib-cap Steak with a Canele of Russet Potato Mashed, Nanohana (Broccoli Rabe), Roasted Carrot with a Ponzu Demi-jus American Wagyu from Washington State Rib-cap Steak with a Canele of Russet Potato Mashed, Nanohana (Broccoli Rabe), Roasted Carrot with a Ponzu Demi-jus.


VS: Pan-seared Ono from Fiji that sits on a sauce of Yuzu Cream and topped with a fresh Yuzu Foam and paired with Micro Mache, a Chip of Bull’s Blood Beet and fresh Lemon.

Sunomono (Salad)  – On thinly sliced Baby Cucumbers from Nki’s Garden along with a Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato is marinated Hirame (Halibut) with Ponzu.

On the side is: Yuzu Sake, Yuzu Omoi, Yamamoto, Japan.


Sake Suijin, Asabiraki Brewery, Iwate, Japan.


Fresh ginger.


Shokuji One & Two (Rice dish – Sushi) – Tai (Japanese Snapper); O-toro of Big-eyed Tuna.


Wild Aji (Spanish Mackrel); Amaebi (Sweet Raw Shrimp).


VS: for the shrimp, halibut I think.


VS: Yellowtail or similar.


Seared Toro and Fresh Uni (Sea Urchin).


So good it deserves a close up of the Uni.


And the seared toro.

It’s worth noting that this time around, IMHO, the sushi had really improved. The above flight, while small, was sublime.

Soba Noodles served with Freshly Grated Wasabi and Konbu Dashi.


Closeup of the sauce.


Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Delas, Rhone Valley, France  2010.


Dessert – A creme brûlée on the left and a passionfruit hollowed out with added cream and those asian gelatinous dessert cubes.


Close up of the brûlée.


And the passionfruit. This was stunning. I love passionfruit and creamy desserts and this was so good I sucked the desiccated husk.


Artisan Hojita tea.


A special bit of red Italian passito.


And Ice Cream of Dark Chocolate with freshly whipped Cream and Organic Fresh Raspberries (for my father’s birthday).

N/Naka really is a very special place. All the meals I had here were spectacular (here for the first, here for the second, third here, fois gras). The place keeps getting better and better. This is thrice wonderful because often one finds a slight bloom to come off a place on repeat meals. I’ve recently eaten at two Jose Andres set menu restaurants where the menu barely changed in eight months, but at N/Naka everything is seasonal and constantly rotating.

Try it!

Click here to other LA Japanese restaurants.

Jeffery Stivers

Related posts:

  1. N/Naka Reprise
  2. Knocked out by N/Naka
  3. Food as Art – N/Naka
  4. N/Naka – Farewell to Foie
  5. Food as Art – Takao
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, Japanese, Japanese cuisine, Kaiseki, Los Angeles, N/Naka, Niki Nakayama, Sushi, Wine

The Dark Knight Rises

Sep26

Title: The Dark Knight Rises

Cast: Christian Bale (Actor), Christopher Nolan (Director)

Genre: Comic Book

Watched:  September 22, 2012

Summary: Unrelenting dark

_

According to Box Office Mojo, the latest Batman film cost $250 million dollars to make. Some of these effects are understated, but this is certainly one of the largest scale movies in a long long time. Not only are there a bewildering array of main characters (many played by top actors), but the notable secondary roles are legion. Plus, the entire city of Gotham (New York reimagined) joins the cast. This is a big city movie that really feels like it’s in the big city.

It’s also dark. Unrelentingly and violently dark.

The plot itself is baroque to say the least. Lots of characters, lots of heroes, lots of villains, lots of ambiguity. Our main heavy, Bane, is a creepy truck of a man hidden behind a bizarre gas mask. Unlike the Joker, he has absolutely no sense of humor. He is, however, fairly frightening. His motives, even by the end of the movie, are cryptic. This is one of those stories where the villains have a ton of different plots in the works which serve mostly to set up grandiose scenes. I had the same feeling about the Joker’s machinations last time around. This year, the end goal, destroying Gotham with a nuclear bomb, sort of negates all the intermediate steps. Bane and crew seem to live by the mantra: “the journey is more important than the destination.”

This journey seems to involve taking over the city and creating an atmosphere of terrifying martial law. Plus locking Batman, who like all superheroes in their second or third film, is losing his powers, into a mysterious hole in India. There, because the existing six or so villains weren’t enough, he is visited by the shade of Ra’s Al Ghul.

Plot aside, it’s a very good film, bordering on great (if you like this sort of thing, and I do). The Hans Zimmer soundtrack is so dark and bombastic that it smooths over 99% of the problems, lending an epic quality to the whole proceedings. I’m not understating matters, as in Inception, the score is vital here. It creates the mood. It sells the scale. And there are some showcase crazy over-the-top scenes here. The opening with the airplane is pretty impressive, particularly as it tilts back and the wings rip off. Very Inception like, but taken to the next level (although I like Nolan’s more intellectual mind-bending prior film slightly better).

In TDKR, the acting is, for the most part, excellent. Bane is creepy, if a tad flat. Staples Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neesen deliver their usual slam dunks. Even in the midst of that star studded firmament, newcomers Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Blake/Robin) and Anne Hathaway (Selina/Catwoman) deliver with feisty charisma.

Overall, the film draws upon the Batman mythos and reinvents itself with a dark nihilistic 21st century zeitgeist. Stripped of camp, free of post-modern self-reference (which The Avengers is packed with), shorn of sentimentality, I’m not exactly sure what we’re left with. But Christopher Nolan pulls it off.

Spectacle is delivered.

For more Film reviews, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Dark Shadows – Why?
  2. Near Dark – The Hurt Coffin
By: agavin
Comments (25)
Posted in: Movies
Tagged as: Art, Batman, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Comic book, Comics, Hans Zimmer, The Batman, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros

Sotto – Sicilian & Sardinian Scents

Sep24

Restaurant: Sotto [1, 2, 3]

Location:  9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035  310.277.0210

Date: September 13 26, 2012

Cuisine: Sicilian and Sardinian Italian

Rating: Bold flavors, off to a great start!

_

While LA is packed with Italian restaurants, Sotto is fairly unique in embracing a rustic southern Italian style. This isn’t your old school Sicilian or Neapolitan American either, but the hearty traditional fare of Italy’s Spanish and Moorish influenced regions. I’ve been here a number of times before, but it’d been a while, and the place is good, so it was time to return.


The loud but chummy interior.


The menu.


Parker 91, “The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a fresh, vibrant offering bursting with dark cherries, violets, underbrush, minerals and sweet toasted oak on a medium-bodied frame. The wine reveals terrific balance in an energetic, focused style, with firm yet ripe tannins. The finish is long, clean and refreshing. This is a gorgeous effort from Loacker.”


“Marinated sardine crostini {English pea macco, pickled onions, mint}.” Really tasty mix: a sort of caprese with fish and it works perfectly.


“Mixed greens and shaved beet salad {wheatberries, lemon vinaigrette, Fiore Sardo}.”


“Grilled mackerel in scapece {cauliflower, cured lemons, crispy buckwheat, pesto pantesca}” This was a delicious fish dish.


“Eggplant involtini al forno {tomato passata, burrata, breadcrumbs}” It’s hard to ever go wrong with baked eggplant, cheese, and tomatos, and this was no exception. Yum!


Parker 94, “The 2005 Shardana is an awesome Carignano endowed with exuberant dark fruit, smoke, licorice, sage, rosemary and tar. This is a fairly big, masculine wine with great intensity, depth and roundness. It needs another year or two in bottle for the tannins to settle down. The Shardana is formidable, though, and a terrific choice for hearty cuisines.”


“Casarecce {braised lamb ragu, egg, pecorino}” The pastas here are fantastic with a really chewy homemade mouth feel.


“Fileja calabresi {nero di seppia, cherry tomatoes, peperoncino}” This seppia pasta was terrific, sweet, briny, and really chewy.


“Margherita {tomato, mozzarella, basil, EVOO}” Classic woodfire pizza.


“Salsiccia e friarielli {sausage, rapini, mozzarella, chilies}” Even better, with meat!


“Grilled lamb blade steak {white beans, calabrian chilies, almond salmoriglio}” The lamb was good, but the beans underneath were even better!


“Whole-grilled orata {braised artichoke acquasale, olive-pistachio vinaigrette}” A really nice fresh grilled fish.


The dessert menu.


“Cannoli Siciliani. ricotta, orange marmalade, pistachios, chocolate.”


“Bittersweet chocolate crostata. hazelnuts, salted rosemary caramel.”

The menu is fairly consistent here, with perhaps only 10-15% turnover in the year since I last visited. The food is hearty and delicious, with bright seafood Mediterranean flavors. A LOT of flavor! The only place I’ve been in LA that is similar is Hostaria del Piccolo.

For my first review of Sotto, click here.For my another of my reviews of Sotto, click here.

Or for a review of Drago, another Sicilian restaurant.

Related posts:

  1. Sotto – Sicily con Sardo
  2. Seconds at Sotto
  3. Sicilian Style – Drago
  4. Upstairs 2 – Modern Tapas, Lots of Wine
  5. Fraiche Santa Monica
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Pecorino Sardo, Restaurant, Sicilian cuisine, Sotto

Debt: The First 5,000 Years

Sep21

Title: Debt: The First 5,000 Years

Author: David Graeber

Genre: History/Economics

Length: 544 pages

Read: Sept 9-17, 2012

Summary: Mind blowing!

_

I’m a multi-disciplinary thinker and I read a lot about history, so I consider most people mistaken when they assume the complexities of the modern world are new and unprecedented. Certainly there are remarkable changes occurring, like the internet, but most existing institutions are grounded in historical ones and human nature hasn’t shifted a millimeter.

Occasionally, I’ll read a book that sheds a broad swath of light on the big patterns that have given rise to our world. Guns, Germs, and Steel was one of these. Repetitive and over-simplifying it was, but it touched on something primal in the human condition: what the author called “history’s broadest pattern.”

Debt deals with another: the very basis of value and obligation, which are at the root of what we vaguely call economics.

The first half of this book blew my mind. It places debt at the very core of what it means to live in a human society. It torpedoes a number of fundamental economic assumptions, and then promises to lay out a history of the institution. I was left with the feeling that if I persevered through all 544 pages a great secret would be revealed, an Eleusinian Mystery of sorts. The second half didn’t quite fulfill on this promise, but that doesn’t change the fact that anyone interested in politics OR economics OR being human should probably read this book.

Insights include Graeber’s attack on the “myth of barter.” Generally, economic theories assume that money arose to deal with the fact that barter was awkward. Debt argues that barter societies never really existed, and that credit and virtual money always dominated human interactions before the arrival of coinage (roughly 600 BC). This I buy 100%. In my readings about the pre-coinage ancient world (mostly Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia) it has long been clear to me that “money” existed, if only on paper (achem… clay tablet). Heck, writing, and therefore history itself, was invented as a tool to record debts. The earliest documents are all ledgers: “so-and-so owes the temple fifteen chickens and thirty-two bushels of grain” and that sort of thing. Early civilizations usually converted productions into one or more virtualized “money” currencies, like bushes of grain (not so coincidentally called shekels!). Few lugged piles of grain or weights of silver around with them, they merely agreed to the common value of various goods in these units. Therefore: money!

Graeber makes mind opening points about the relationship between debt, money (which is often about exact measurement of debt), the state, and human politics and freedoms. States were/are fundamentally military and money exists in no small part as an expediency to supply the army. He questions again and again the assumption that “everyone should pay their debts” and points out that really translates to “everyone should pay their debts unless they are holding the gun.” This leads to tackling and exploring the conditions that lead to that most unpleasant and also long-lived of human traditions: slavery. His discussion of the relationship between “human context” and the lack of it being a prerequisite for chattel slavery is alone worth the price of admission.

He also explores the incredible tie between debt and morality. Our relationship with God is usually even couched in credit terms: reckoning, redemption, and so on.

Much of the middle of the book explores four big periods of history. 1) the pre-coinage credit kingdoms of the remote ancient world 2) the axial empires of middle antiquity (600BC – 600AD) 3) the middle ages and 4) the modern imperialist era. He points out that these periods oscillate between credit and bullion based economies. He also argues that we have recently moved into a new 5) credit economy. I’m not, myself, sure that the current period isn’t more of an evolution of the imperialist/capitalist stage, but anyway.

However, Graeber is not without bias. He appears to despise the coinage ages and glorify the credit based ones while I see things as more of a progression. He is perhaps right that the “axial age” (600BC – 600AD) was dominated by bullion/military/slavery economics and a tremendous scale of warfare. But he seems to ignore the subsistence living of the prior and middle ages and the wild cultural and population growth allowed by the expanding axial economy. He seems to have a love affair with the middle ages, particularly in their Eastern incarnation (read the Caliphate period). Don’t get me wrong, I have a bit of an Arabian Nights fetish myself, but this was not a time and place free of human misery. Far better that Western Europe during the dark ages, sure, but we all knew that (or should have).

In the later stages of the book, when discussing the Imperialist and modern eras, Graeber remains fascinating, but grows a bit confused and political (in the sense of having an axe to grind as opposed to discussing politics, which are, after all, fundamental to the work). I’m not sure where he leaves us, in our world of debt imperialism and mandatory expansion, but he certainly provides tremendous food for thought. His is a keen mind that resists carving culture, history, and all that into neat little bundles. Civilization is a messy knot. More scale, more people, bigger cities, bigger armies, it all requires infrastructure. Resources must be moved, systems must be invented, the machinery of state and the greed of individuals must be fed. Where does it all end? Who owes whom?

Find out about my own books, here.

Or for my full list of book reviews.

Related posts:

  1. Naughty Dog – 25 Years!
  2. Drago New Years
  3. Ultimate Pizza – New Years
By: agavin
Comments (8)
Posted in: Books, History
Tagged as: 000 Years, David Graeber, Debt, Debt: The First 5, History

A Second Trailer for The Hobbit

Sep20

Today brings us a new trailer for The Hobbit!

[youbtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e0com3eJDkE]

Related posts:

  1. The Hobbit Trailer
  2. New Last of Us Trailer
  3. Game of Thrones – Season 2 Episode 1 Clips
  4. Game of Thrones – Season 2 Trailer
  5. The Hunger Games Trailer
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Movies
Tagged as: Bilbo Baggins, Lord of the Rings, Movie Trailer, Peter Jackson, The Hobbit

Untimed Characters

Sep19

My upcoming novel, Untimed, features an amusing cast of characters, so I gathered up their likenesses into a rather oddball “family” album which can be found here.

Longshot: Shoot first, ask questions later

Related posts:

  1. Untimed – Out on Submission!
  2. Untimed – Logo Faceoff
  3. Untimed – Meet the Tocks
  4. Untimed – The Second Cover
  5. Untimed Cover Reveal!
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Untimed
Tagged as: Art, Dave Phillips, Fiction, Illustration, novels, Untimed

Tomato Night at Il Grano

Sep17

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: September 12, 2012

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Italian to die for

_

After my stellar birthday meal at Il Grano, and with the closing of Drago, Il Grano has become one of my favorite westside Italians. Every Wednesday through the summer and early fall the restaurant has “tomato night,” where a crazy bounty of the fruits are used in every conceivable dish.


Chef/owner Sal Marino has some kind of mega tomato garden in his backyard where he grows approximately a 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in staggered progression (some have slightly different seasons). Here you can see just a few of them. I’m not even a tomato fan but I have to say they look gorgeous!


This spectacular Barbaresco comes from my cellar. Parker gives it 93, “The classic 1997 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is evolved and flamboyant. A medium ruby/garnet color with an amber edge is followed by a sweet perfume of black cherries, tobacco, leather, spice box, licorice, and tar. Full-bodied, with a creamy texture, superb concentration, and an exquisite finish.”


Fresh bread and olive oil. The pottery is evidently by the chef from Mori sushi!


First course is a pretty straight up Neapolitan pizza with arugala and… you guessed it… fresh tomatoes.


Then two sorts of gazpacho made from single varieties of tomatoes. Here is the garnish, which includes that dark stuff made from olives.


This green one is “Green Zebra.”


Since the GZ is an extra tart tomato, this made for a great gazpacho with a bracing vinegar  flavor.


This variant was made from a red heirloom instead, I can’t remember which one.


A “carpaccio” of heirloom tomato, raw red snapper, and burrata. Il Grano uses only sushi grade fish!


Fresh wild blue fin tuna tartar (not yet fully extinct) with arugala and those lovely yellow and red puppies.


A tomato, arugala, burrata salad. As you can see, tomato haters should stay away from Wednesday.


Seared sushi grade Saba (Japanese Mackerel) with a green tomato slurry and roasted micro tomatoes. The fish was spectacular, with no fishy notes at all, and paired really nicely with the acidic slurry.


“Faux tomato.” While this is actually made from a number of tomato parts, it’s not a “real” tomato, but a construct with an artificial skin and a tomato mouse inside.  Interestingly, I had a very similar dish at Calima in Spain. That one used an avocado “soup” and shrimp, but was otherwise nearly identical. It was good either way!


A cheese manicotti (homemade) with a very Neapolitan fresh tomato sauce. Yum!


Spaghetti vongle. The classic Neapolitan and clams. Not so much tomato but this was amazing with a nice heft to the pasta and a satisfying clamminess.


Fresh Carolina grouper, simply cooked (salt and pepper) with tomatoes. This fish was melt in your mouth.


Fried zucchini blossom with what has to be one of the best tomato purees I’ve ever had.


A bit of filet minion with the same sauce and some rappini. The dark stuff on top are sun dried and perhaps smoked tomatoes that had an almost ham like quality to them.


Tomato dessert!

Sal’s maniac grin and he literally whips it up.


This is a tomato sorbet made in the same manner as The Bazaar’s liquid nitrogen signature drinks.


And the result, topped with ground olives. Not your usual dessert and halfway between sweet and savory. The texture was that ultra-smooth one that comes from liquid nitrogen freezing.

While similar in format, Tomato Night shows a different palette for Il Grano. Everything was executed in spectacular fashion. Sure, I’m not a total raw tomato lover, so perhaps I prefer a more “normal” meal, but these were some of the best tomatoes I’ve ever had. Two of the people at the table were tomato fiends and were in heaven. And I love when a restaurant can keep mixing it up. If you like higher end Italian cooking (and who doesn’t?) you should absolutely rush over here. Make sure you get a tasting menu. I don’t think appetizer and entree selected off the regular menu would do the place the justice it deserves. I’m sure the dishes would be great, but this cuisine is about more than just two notes.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long journey through Northern Italy.

Related posts:

  1. Il Grano part 2
  2. Il Grano Birthday
  3. Friday Night Heights – Shabbat Dinner
  4. Hostaria del Piccolo – Pizza + Pasta
  5. 2Amys Neapolitan Pizzeria
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbaresco, Chef, Dessert, Gazpacho, Green Zebra, heirloom tomato, Il Grano, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, pasta, Santa Monica California, Spaghetti vongle, Tomato, Wine

Fully Baked – Euro Pane

Sep14

Restaurant: Euro Pane

Location: 950 E Colorado Blvd. Ste 107. Pasadena, CA 91106. (626) 577-1828

Date: September 2, 2012

Cuisine: Bakery

Rating: Solid trendy bakery food

_

Euro Pane is a highly rated little bakery/restaurant in Pasadena. They serve simple breakfast/lunch fare in the modern New York style.

The interior is stylish, although the seating is limited and leans toward the backless.

The menu.

Even better, the pastry cabinet. You can see the popular macarons over on the right. I didn’t try them this visit.

“Pain aux Chocolate (Chocolate croissant).”

“Beet salad.” This was a nice take on this ubiquitous dish.

“Prosciutto, brie cheese, arugula, flatbread.” The bread itself (barely visible below) was chewy and sweet with an almost cornbread like vibe. The overall salad-like effect of the thing was very tasty.

“French toast.” There is real Creme Chantilly back there too.

“Chocolate tart.” Very dense and classic little pastry.

Overall, Euro Pane did a nice job. People rave about the egg salad sandwich here too. It looked good, as did the salmon flatbread. If you are out East and in the mood for some upmarket bakery-lunch fare, the place is solid.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Maison Giraud at Last
  2. Maison Giraud
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bakery, Beet, Colorado Boulevard, Euro Pane, French Toast, Macaron, Pasadena, Pasadena California

Jak & Daxter Q&A

Sep12

What was the original concept for the game and how/why did you come up with it? Was it a deliberate attempt to create a PS2 mascot to rival Crash?

Of course we wanted the J&D franchise to be as big (or bigger) than Crash. And while this didn’t come to be, it was certainly our goal. The formulation of new game ideas involves two aspects: genre and style.

As to gameplay genre: On the PS1, good looking free roaming 3D seemed impossible. The machine lacked any hardware sorting or clipping, and had a relatively low polygon count. Plus, the AI challenge of creating a camera that didn’t leave players puking was extremely daunting. So we locked down the viewpoint to improve graphics and focus on traditional Donkey Kong Country style gameplay.

But with Mario 64, Miyamoto showed that free roaming was possible, albeit on the N64 and with no small dose of camera frustration. By the time we began Jak & Daxter (January 1999) newer games like Banjo-Kajooie vastly improved the playability. Clearly, on the PS2, full 3D could be great.

Did you draw inspiration from anywhere in particular for the game’s look and feel?

With regard to style: With Crash we enjoyed enormous worldwide success in no small part due to our collaboration with Sony’s worldwide producers. So for J&D we set out to create a character and environment that merged elements from worldwide cultures. You can see the result in Jak, who is a hybrid of western cartoons and eastern manga.

We asked every Naughty Dog artist to spend a couple of days sketching concepts for the look of the game. We threw these on a giant table and picked elements we liked as a group.

It was an ambitious title for its time – what were your biggest challenges in realising your original vision? Was it a rocky development?

Like every first on a system Naughty Dog game, Jak had a rocky development. First of all, the PS2 was ludicrously difficult to program, particularly in those early days when no workable examples or libraries existed. On top of that, I made the audacious choice to write the entire game in a programming language of my own design called GOAL, creating a brand new compiler and debugger from scratch. In addition, to realize the ambitious graphical goals we invented a roster of brand new technologies: several different level of detail systems, perhaps 10 rendering engines, seamless loading from DVD, advanced runtime physics, and joint animation systems to rival the offline tools. It was really really crazy and basically took us about 20 months just on the engineering side before the engine was able to produce the kind of levels we wanted.

Can you tell me more about the mooted 3rd character and why it was axed?

There never were any serious plans for a third character. But we had more ambitious plans for Daxter in the beginning. He was supposed to be able to hop off your shoulder and run around and do stuff. That didn’t happen until the second game. Same with the vehicle stuff. We squeezed the racer in, but barely, and we had much more aggressive plans for it.

How close to your original concept was the finished game?

Very close. We wanted to put you into this beautiful fully rendered fantasy world and yet to allow full interactive exploration. We wanted no loading, elaborate storytelling, a camera you didn’t need to manually control, and both classic platform and vehicle gameplay.

Which element of the game are you most proud of, and which element, if any, do you feel fell short?

I’m both most proud and most torn over GOAL, my custom language and development environment. This ended up being so much harder than I thought, and is certainly the most sophisticated programming I’ve done in my career. In the end it was pretty awesome, although not without its quirks. I’m also supremely proud of our completely load-free seamless-world . We were the first to do this (I even have a patent on it!), and few have attempted since. It was a lot of work! And let’s not forget Jak’s control, which I personally programed. Jak has really good control, as good as any game ever. His animation is incredibly fluid, yet he is supremely responsive to both the player and the environment. Even basic elements of his control system were written and re-written a dozen times.

How would you like the first Jak & Daxter to be remembered? What has it brought to the medium of video games?

The single most important thing that J&D brought to the medium (and there are countless smaller things) is its consistent and complete integration of the game and story elements. This comes to full fruition in Jak 2, and continues peerlessly today in newer Naughty Dog games like Uncharted. Jak has a detailed and involved story, but it’s never a semi-interactive movie, it’s a video game! The storytelling does not come at expense of the gameplay.

Which of Naughty Dog’s big PlayStation characters – Crash, Jak & Daxter, or Nathan Drake – is closest to your heart, and why?

Crash and Neo Cortex are my favorites, and I also have a really big sweet spot for Daxter (who is such a hoot). The Uncharted characters are awesome too, but I can’t take any responsibility for them, so the connection isn’t as personal. And don’t get me wrong, I love all of my babies, even back to the forgotten ones like Keef the Thief, but really Crash’s wicked orange grin melts my heart, and Cortex is who I secretly wanted to be… If I were a cartoon 🙂

This interview was originally posted here.

If you liked this post, follow me at:

My novels: The Darkening Dream and Untimed
or the
video game post depot
or win Crash & Jak giveaways!

Latest hot post: War Stories: Crash Bandicoot

Related posts:

  1. Jak & Daxter Collection
  2. Jak & Daxter Return
  3. Jak & Daxter Retrospective
By: agavin
Comments (57)
Posted in: Games
Tagged as: Daxter, Jak, Jak & Daxter, Playstation, Sony, Video game

Hedonism at Esso

Sep10

Restaurant: Esso Mediterranean Bistro [1, 2]

Location: 17933 Ventura Blvd. Encino, CA 91316. 818-514-6201

Date: September 6, 2012

Cuisine: Syrian

Rating: Really delicious and authentic flavors

_

What do you get when you mix 25 people, 30+ bottles of blockbuster wine, and over 20 courses of homemade Syrian food?

Pure hedonism. And a hangover. Despite the later, what follows is another epic food and wine event. The venue is Esso Mediterranean Bistro, which is a hole in the wall in an Encino minimall right next door to my Kosher butcher. I’d never been here before but they serve up first rate Syrian fare and offer an selection of unusual dishes. The menu is here but the online menu doesn’t have all the interesting stuff.


It was quite the table. The compressed perspective of the lens doesn’t do the scale any justice.


Parker 92. “The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvee de Reserve is a gorgeous wine that captures the essence of Chardonnay in the Cote des Blancs. Pure, wiry and wonderfully expressive, the Cuvee de Reserve flows gracefully with layers of varietal fruit from start to finish. This shows superb clarity, depth and polish, particularly at the NV level. The current release is 65% 2007 and 35% reserve wines from a solera cuvee that contains 15 vintages. Roughly 2/3rds of the fruit comes from Mesnil, while the rest is from Cramant, Avize, Oger and Chouilly.”


“Hummos. Chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and spices. Topped with extra virgin olive oil and parsley.” This was some great hummos, and very fresh. But I still like Sunnin’s a little better because of the lemony garlic tang.


“Pita bread,” of course.


The 1985 Chateau Thieuley Blanc. You wouldn’t think a 27 year-old white Bordeaux would even be drinkable, but this was very good: a stoney minerality and a surprising amount of remaining fruit.


“Moutebbel (Baba Ghannouj). Roasted eggplant mixed with sesame sauce, garlic, and lemon juice. Topped with extra virgin olive oil.” A very fine example, with pleasant smokey flavors.


Parker 95. “The Donnhoff 2005 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spatlese trocken is expressively, diversely, and hauntingly floral, featuring as well inflections of citrus rind, peppermint and lavender. On the palate, this is pure, opulently rich, serene, free of any roughness, a glycerin-rich, slick pool of orchard fruits underlain by citrus, with hints of cherry pit and peach kernel and an ineffable sense of mineral matter. A long, bitter-sweet, persistently floral finish enhances the uncanny sense of weightlessness in this amazing wine. It confirms Donnhoff’s observation that his 2006s “have density yet also charm” and seem slim, despite their richness and regardless of what their analyses might lead one to believe. “I knew already twenty years ago that Dellchen had this in it. But now, the competition has gotten very tough for Hermannshohle,” he says laughing, but in complete seriousness. I would plan to follow this for up to 15 years.”


“Mohammera. A spicy mix of walnuts, bread crumbs, paprika, pepper paste, and pomegranate juice.” I love mohammera, and have even made it. This particular one was quite spicy with a really nice zing. It made an amazing pairing with the Donnhoff Riesling above (and none of the other wines, haha).


The party rocks on.


Parker 92, “This dark-colored wine has a nose reminiscent of stony blackberries, brambleberries, and smoke. This rich, powerful, expansive, pasty, and concentrated wine offers loads of cassis and black cherries in its flavor profile.” Despite Parker’s faint praise, this wine was drinking spectacularly. It had mellowed out into the beginning of that Burgundy mature phase.


“Stuffed Grape Leaves. Grape leaves stuffed with calrose rice, walnuts, onions, and spices.” I love these in general, and these specifically were particularly delicious.


Parker 91, “The Jadot 2005 Charmes-Chambertin epitomizes the dark, almost somber side of the vintage, which seems somewhat out of character for this site. A bitter side to black cherry fruit and low-toned meatiness characterize both the nose and palate, with a firm chalkiness and tactile notes of pungent brown spice informing a bitter-sweet and rather austere finish. But there is no denying the sheer intensity or length on display , and one would have to revisit only after 3-5 years, I suspect, to see whether more complexity and finesse had developed. This represents a blend of wine from three different sources, and possibly they have simply been reluctant to cohabitate.”


“Moujetderreh. Lentil with bulghur and sauteed onions.” I’ve never had this dish, and it was amazing. The pleasant soft texture combined with a really lovely flavor.


“The 2008 Pinot Noir (made from a Calera clone) exhibits a dark ruby hue as well as notes of plums, blueberries, brioche, flowers, raspberries, and pomegranate. Medium-bodied, fresh, and lively, it should drink nicely for a decade.”


“Tabouleh. Parsley, tomatoes, onions, bulghur (cracked wheat), mint, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.” From the parsley oriented school of Tabouleh.



Parker 96, “All five of Turley’s 2008 Petite Syrahs (they do not spell it “Sirah”) are extraordinary, and I could probably write the same tasting notes for each. My favorites include the Hayne Vineyard and Library Vineyard, followed by the Pesenti Vineyard, which shows more chalky graphite characteristics. They all possess huge aromas of blackberries, blueberries, and ink, massive fruit concentration, enormous body, and a lot less alcohol than the Zinfandels (a character of this varietal). Readers who purchase any of these cuvees should forget them for 10 years, and drink them over the following 25-30 years. They will handsomely repay the investment in patience.”


“Hmmm. is that raw liver on the table?”



Parker 93, “This outstanding Tuscan producer has been exceptionally consistent over the last decade, so it is not surprising that the 1990s performed brilliantly. I recently had the 1985 Sammarco, largely because a subscriber had written to say it was falling apart. From my cellar, the wine remains remarkably youthful. Revealing no amber color, it offered a sensational nose of lead pencil, cassis, and new oak, as well as a gorgeously rich, powerful palate.”

Now we begin to dig deeply into the Rhone with a trio of Beaucastels and a number of other goodies.

1995 Les Cailloux. Parker 94-96, “1995 was a powerful vintage for Brunel. The Cuvee Centenaire remains a young, promising wine offering notes of licorice, cedar, vanilla, and sweet black currant/cherry fruit presented in a full-bodied, virile style.”

2001 Beaucastel. Parker 96, “Beaucastel has been on a terrific qualitative roll over the last four vintages, and the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape (which Francois Perrin feels is similar to the 1990, although I don’t see that as of yet) is a 15,000-case blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the balance split among the other permitted varietals of the appellation. This inky/ruby/purple-colored cuvee offers a classic Beaucastel bouquet of new saddle leather, cigar smoke, roasted herbs, black truffles, underbrush, and blackberry as well as cherry fruit. It is a superb, earthy expression of this Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. Full-bodied and powerful, it will undoubtedly close down over the next several years, not to re-emerge for 7-8 years.”

2005 Beaucastel. Parker 93-95, “Medium to deep garnet colour. Aromas of dark cherries, raspberry compote, cardamom, black truffles and a touch of star anise. The palate is full bodied, richly fruited with medium to high acidity and a medium+ level of grainy, slightly chewy tannins. Concentrated with a good compliment of structure to hold it up. Long peppery finish.”


2008 Beaucastel. Parker 90-94, “The 2008 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape is one of the few outstanding wines produced in this vintage. More evolved than Beaucastel’s wines tend to be, it reveals a healthy dark plum/ruby color, notes of licorice, meat juices, smoked game, black currants and garrigue, medium to full body, silky tannins, good freshness, surprising depth for the vintage and a long finish.”


“Kebbe Nayye. Fine minced raw beef, cracked wheat, onions, parsley and spices. Topped with extra virgin olive oil.” A very unusual dish. This is a kind of steak tartar. Soft and slimy in texture, it was very mild in flavor.


Parker 94-96, “Chapoutier’s 1998 Barbe Rac is close to full maturity. It exhibits an abundance of Provencal herbs intermixed with new saddle leather, kirsch, framboise, and spice box. The intoxicatingly heady, complex aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, lush, succulent style of wine with a relatively high alcohol/glycerin content and loads of fruit. This wine is drinking terrifically well after going through an awkward stage about two to three years ago.”


“Kibbe Balls (5 pieces). Lean beef balls mixed with bulghur (cracked wheat), stuffed with ground beef, and onions.” Meat torpedo, and not the Spinal Tap version. These were amazing.


John really puts the effort into opening…


“The 2012 Dasani.” Just kidding.

The 1983 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle!

Parker doesn’t love it, and the attack was a little weak, but it was still a lovely wine. “Although impressive early in life, it has taken on less than positive characteristics. The dark garnet color revealed substantial amber at the watery edge. The aromatics revealed scents of ground beef, coffee, cedar, dried herbs, tobacco, and damp earth. The wine was noticeably astringent, medium to full-bodied, harsh, and forbiddingly backward and austere.”


“Ras Naanah. sautéed meat with lemon, mint, garlic.” This stuff was amazing, one of my favorite dishes (and I loved most of them). This is essentially like spiced hamburger and it has a bit of sumac juice on it which really livened it up.


“Peat and black tea smokiness along with nutty piquancy in the nose of Baudrys’ 2007 Chinon La Croix Boissee lead to a palate with blackberry and Maine blueberry fruit matrix and an invigorating crunch of their seeds that allies itself beautifully to the aforementioned smokiness and pungency as well as to shrimp shell reduction on a firm but polished palate and a long, vivacious, saliva-inducing finish. This is a wine of rarified complexity, beautiful now but worth following for another several years.”


“Stuffed eggplant. Sprinkled with parsley and walnuts. Stuffed with ground beef, rice and spices.” Perfectly done, they basically melted apart.


The hedonistic life has its perks!


Parker 95-96, “Deep garnet-purple in color, the Old Bastard Shiraz reveals aromas of spice, blackberries and black cherry compote with a gentle undercurrent of underbrush, dusty earth, game, spice cake and smoked bacon. Full bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, it has an abundance of savory / earthy flavors with a good backbone of lively acid and medium to firm velvety tannins, finishing long.”

“Shekh Meghsy. Squash stuffed with ground beef. Topped with fresh tomato and served with rice and yogurt.” These were also spectacular, even if they do look a tad like dog turds.


Inside was this delicious ground meat mixture.


“This estate’s second wine, the 1996 Pavillon du Chateau Margaux, may turn out to be one of the most delicious examples the property has made. The wine is forward, sexy, round, and generous, with gobs of black fruit and a subtle dosage of new oak.”


“Raw sheep liver with spices.” My least favorite dish. Essentially someone called the Haruspex and then ran off with the tools of his trade. The liver was actually very flesh, and I do love it generally, just not necessarily bleeding on the plate.


“1975 Round Hill Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.”


“Moussakaa.” Always one of my favorites, although this one looks like French onion soup!


But inside are some of the classic elements: spiced meat and eggplant. Very good, although I prefer it Greek style with the Béchamel. Love me my Béchamel.


Parker 97, “The 1990 Barolo Pajana is the first wine Clerico produced from this vineyard. It is also one of the most positive surprises in my recent tastings of the vintage. In 1990 Clerico made this Barolo using only the old portions of the vineyard, and that may be the reason the wine has aged so beautifully. Richer, rounder and softer than the Ciabot Mentin Ginestra, the 1990 Pajana is just superb in a sumptuous, enveloping expression of ripe, dark fruit. Tobacco, cedar, sweet spices, roasted coffee beans and plums are just some of the nuances that emerge from this full-bodied, intense Barolo. Clerico’s 1990 Barolo Pajana is a gem!”

Still young and bracingly tannic!


“BBQ Quail.” Really tasty, although perhaps a tad overcooked.


Parker 96+, “The 2005 Syrah Obsidian Vineyard is from Knight’s Valley. This is steep hillside vineyard stuff with a dense, dark purple color, a phenomenally rich nose of brioche, acacia flowers, blackberry, and blueberry jam intermixed with some white chocolate and perhaps hints of fig and truffle. The wine is spicy, full-bodied, incredibly opulent, and thick, even unctuously textured, with great purity and richness. Moreover, the glycerin and viscosity cover up some huge tannins. This is an amazingly big, thick wine, but it still cascades over the palate like a waterfall.”


“Frog legs Aleppo style.” Yum. If you can ignore the amphibian factor (ribbit!) Kermit tasted great. Like a fish chicken blend, incredibly juicy, and with lots of garlic.


Ribbit!

“One of the vintage’s most profound wines, the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul has a dense purple color as well as a glorious nose of blackberries, licorice, smoke, and some roasted meats and dried herbs. Amazingly opulent, even voluptuous, with extraordinary purity, a huge tactile impression on the palate, but not heavy by any means, this is a stunning Chateauneuf du Pape from ancient vines made with 95% Grenache and the rest Cinsault and Syrah. Production is about 8,000 bottles, and the wine is bottled after spending its entire life in epoxy-lined tanks, so what one gets is the essence of the three separate terroirs it comes from – Les Serres, Guigasse, and La Crau.”


“Liver Kebab.” Basically they grilled up our raw chunks. Also not my favorite as it was pretty chewy.


Parker 100! “There are 1,800 cases of the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee du Mon Aieul (100% tank-aged Grenache). It represents an awesome naked/virginal expression of Grenache from three vineyard parcels planted in sand, clay, and limestone soils. After tasting this wine on five separate occasions, I can state with certainty, it has the most saturated color of any Mon Aieul produced to date. Moreover, its perfume of blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, licorice, roasted meat juices, and lavender is incredible. Full-bodied power, a multilayered mouthfeel, tremendous purity, and awesome concentration put this wine in a class by itself.”


“Ourfa Kebab. Grilled Italian eggplant between chucks of ground beef.” These were amazing. You pick off the smoky skin and eat the beef with the eggplant mush. Delicious!


I’m being watched.


“1982 Schlofs-Bauer Ice Wine Pinot Gris.” Mature, amber, and fantastic.


“Ashta. cream pistachio syrup.” I could have eaten about six of these. So up my dessert alley. I love soft creamy things (don’t take that the wrong way). There was some rose water in here too which I adore.


Parker 94, “The 2010 Corton-Charlemagne is pure class and elegance. Soft, floral notes meld into nuanced, finessed pears and apples in this feminine, gracious Corton-Charlemagne. Deceptively medium in body, the wine nevertheless possesses gorgeous depth, richness and power. A closing blast of fruit informs the pointed, vibrant finish. This is a gorgeous wine with plenty of promise. The Corton-Charlemagne is made from a blend of Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix fruit, approximately two-thirds and one-third respectively.”


“Baklavah.” A mix of different pastries. These were fine, but aren’t my favorite type. I like them drenched in honey and flavored with rose water!


“Fresh watermelon.” Really good watermelon too. Very sweet.

Overall, just amazing. I’ll have to hit this place up sometime for lunch and/or drag my brother-in-law and family (who live like two blocks away) over there. A totally epic combination of food, wine, and people.

For more crazy Foodie Club meals, click.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Hedonism at Saddle Peak Lodge
  2. Memorial Day Pig
  3. Hedonists at STK
  4. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  5. Fraiche – Ultimo Wine Dinner
By: agavin
Comments (6)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, Eggplant, Encino Los Angeles, Esso, Esso Mediterranean Bistro, Foodie Club, hedonists, Hummus, liver, Olive oil, Pita, Restaurants and Bars, Syria, Syrian Food, Ventura Boulevard, Wine

The Last of Us – 15 min of Gameplay

Sep08

Naughty Dog has just released a 15 minute gameplay video, so check it out while you wait for the game itself.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzLHYk11aVI]

It’s really interesting how the gameplay has evolved from Uncharted, and how faithful this new style is to survival films. Watching, it has that slow burn tension that is characteristic of Zombie movies. It’s incredibly cool how realistically responsive the AI mobs are to your presence and actions. Good stuff.

Related posts:

  1. The Last of Us – E3 Gameplay Coverage
  2. New Last of Us Trailer
  3. New Naughty Dog Franchise – The Last of Us
  4. Stake Land – Vampire Zombie Scramble
  5. Diablo 3 Opening Cinematic
By: agavin
Comments (10)
Posted in: Games
Tagged as: Artificial intelligence, Gameplay, Naughty Dog, Playstation 3, Sony, The Last of Us, video

The Counter

Sep07

Restaurant: The Counter

Location: 2901 Ocean Park Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 399-8383

Date: August 25, 2012

Cuisine: Burgers

Rating: Food Coma!

_

For some reason LA has a love affair with the burger shack. It really does. We have tons of them, and at every economic level. The Counter is one of those middle/high end attacks on the genre, offering totally custom burgers. Not only do they have a lot of options on the bun but there are relatively updated takes on the traditional “accompaniments”: shakes and fries.


The inside is both modern and harkens back to the 50s.


These are some of the special menus. The full menu is here. It includes the exhaustive burger customization grid.


“Banana Split Shake. Vanilla ice cream with stawberries, banana & caramel, topped with chocolate syrup.”


“Caramel Java Malt Milkshake.” The shake was out of this world. True, it’s not really hard to make a great shake. The secret: good ice cream and lots of it, but this one rocked. I’m still feeling it four hours later.


“The fifty-fifty: sweet potato fries and crispy onion strings.” Fries were good too. These sweet potato ones in particular.


Chipoltle, BBQ, and ranch sauces. The later two were particularly excellent in combination with the fry.


“Kids grilled cheese.”


“2/3 pound beef burger with blue cheese, bacon, and chili on a pretzel bun.” I didn’t order right. The chili on the side thing didn’t totally work for me. And I should have gone for the nice looking caramelized onions and a more goopy cheese.

Overall, this was all very tasty, but I can feel my arteries clogging. I also like Umami’s funkier take on the whole burger concept, but The Counter was good too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Umami Burger at UMAMIcatessen
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: burger, Burgers, Cheese Burger, fries, Los Angeles, milkshake, Santa Monica California, The Counter

Untimed Cover Reveal!

Sep05

I just received the final version of the Untimed cover painting by Cliff Nielsen. I’d thought Cliff knocked The Darkening Dream cover out of the park (it’s even won a number of awards) but this one is on fire.

The art above, cool as it is, isn’t intended to be a complete composition. This is a book cover painting, and so there is extra space to work with around the central figure as well as fairly monochromatic areas for the titles and to the left for the back cover (paper edition). I crop different sections out of it as needed for different uses, such as the banner above or the current front cover composition to the left. The logo and text composition aren’t set in stone yet, either, I’m still noodling on them.

You’re probably wondering who the hell the clockwork man is. Meet Rapier. He’s nearly indestructible, dresses in time appropriate blue uniforms, carries a sword, and kills time travelers on sight. History is his playground. He can be anywhere or anywhen. And no one has a clue what he or the other Tick-Tocks want. Which is all a bit of a bummer for our time traveling protagonist, Charlie.

The scene above is inside the church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London, in the year 1725. At the time, a young Ben Franklin worked there (oddly enough, the building was used as a print shop). When Rapier gets in on the action, the paper is literally hot off the presses!

Be sure to leave your thoughts on the new cover in the comments!

Vote on logo options here, check out some interior illustrations, or

read more about the story of Untimed.

End Game: Tick-Tock TLC

Interior illustrator Dave Phillip’s version of the same scene about two minutes later – when things go from bad to worse!

The old stock photography cover I did myself

Related posts:

  1. Untimed – The Second Cover
  2. Untimed – Logo Faceoff
  3. Untimed – Out on Submission!
  4. Untimed – Meet the Tocks
  5. Cover Commission
By: agavin
Comments (11)
Posted in: Untimed
Tagged as: Andy Gavin, Art, Cliff Nielsen, Cover, Cover art, layout, London, Stock photography, Time travel, Untimed

Kiriko Days – a la Carte

Sep03

Restaurant: Kiriko Sushi [1, 2]

Location: 11301 Olympic Blvd #102, West Los Angeles, CA 90064. TELL (310) 478-7769

Date: August 21, 2012

Cuisine: Japanese / Sushi

Rating: Very nice!

ANY CHARACTER HERE

It was Tuesday, and I’d just gotten back from a month of entirely Croatian meals, so I felt the burning need for sushi.

Kiriko filled the bill with its unassuming storefront on the corner of Olympic and Sawtelle, right next to the Yakatori place.


I’ve been here three times before, but always ordered the Omakase. This time I decided to get some of the more interesting dishes off the menu.


“Miso soup with fresh Nori seaweed.” This wasn’t interesting, but it was good.


“Soy marinated fresh salmon egg with grated daikon radish.” I love Ikura and this was a slightly different take on it. Really quite delectable with a nice soy/brine flavor.


“Shrimp and vegetable pot stickers.” Both temperature and spicy hot, they had that yummy pan fried thing going.


“Halibut tempura wrapped with shiso leaf and ume plum, served with sea salt.” Really yummy, like Japanese fish and chips. The fish was tender and soft without being mushy but it was the sisho that really sold it.


The salt as advertised.


“Homade smoked wild salmon sashimi plate (sockeye and king).” The one on the left tasted like lox, the right more just like fantastic salmon. Pretty darn awesome.


“Fresh albacore from oregon sashimi.” With a ponzu and garlic chips. Also pretty melt in your mouth amazing.


“Sea urchin and sea salt ice cream with salsa fresco gazpacho.” Now this is different, but good. The soup is a fairly straight up gazpacho flavor and the “ice cream” really WAS ice cream, made from Uni! Interesting combo and very refreshing.


“Seared kinki snapper with shiso pesto sauce.” The fish was incredibly tender and not fishy at all. Very interesting and delectable flavor/texture thing going on.


“Seared blue fin tuna with truffle butter flavor.” Wow! This was like Wagyu beef, but it was tuna. Pretty awesome.


“Anago seared sea eel sashimi with ume sauce.” The eel is blow torched and has a nice char to it, and the sauce is sweet and sour. Very interesting. Still, I might prefer the traditional BBQ eel, but this was very good.


“Seared scallop sushi.” Yummy, yummy. Also I like my scallop totally raw best.

This was my best meal at Kiriko (and all were good). Ordering off the menu allowed us to try some unusual things (like Uni Ice Cream!) and it really worked out. Inventive stuff. Good stuff. It’s really nice to see a chef being creative with sushi/sashimi and not following exactly in the Matsuhisa mould.

I wrote up a couple other meals at Kiriko or

Click here to see more LA Sushi posts.

Related posts:

  1. Kiriko Sushi
  2. Sushi Sushi Sushi
  3. Mori Sushi – A Top Contender
  4. Food as Art – Sushi Sushi
  5. Sushi Zo
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Asian, California, Ikura, Japanese, Japanese cuisine, Kiriko, Kiriko Sushi, Nori, Omakase, Sashimi, Sushi, Uni, Uni Ice Cream, West Los Angeles
Watch the Trailer or

Buy it Online!

Buy it Online!

96 of 100 tickets!

Find Andy at:

Follow Me on Pinterest

Subscribe by email:

More posts on:



Complete Archives

Categories

  • Contests (7)
  • Fiction (404)
    • Books (113)
    • Movies (77)
    • Television (123)
    • Writing (115)
      • Darkening Dream (62)
      • Untimed (37)
  • Food (1,764)
  • Games (101)
  • History (13)
  • Technology (21)
  • Uncategorized (16)

Recent Posts

  • Eating Naples – Palazzo Petrucci
  • Eating San Foca – Aura
  • Eating Otranto – ArborVitae
  • Eating Lecce – Gimmi
  • Eating Lecce – Varius
  • Eating Lecce – Duo
  • Eating Lecce – Doppiozero
  • Eating Torre Canne – Autentico
  • Eating Torre Canne – Beach
  • Eating Monopoli – Orto

Favorite Posts

  • I, Author
  • My Novels
  • The Darkening Dream
  • Sample Chapters
  • Untimed
  • Making Crash Bandicoot
  • My Gaming Career
  • Getting a job designing video games
  • Getting a job programming video games
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • A Game of Thrones
  • 27 Courses of Truffles
  • Ultimate Pizza
  • Eating Italy
  • LA Sushi
  • Foodie Club

Archives

  • May 2025 (3)
  • April 2025 (4)
  • February 2025 (5)
  • January 2025 (3)
  • December 2024 (13)
  • November 2024 (14)
  • October 2024 (14)
  • September 2024 (15)
  • August 2024 (13)
  • July 2024 (15)
  • June 2024 (14)
  • May 2024 (15)
  • April 2024 (13)
  • March 2024 (9)
  • February 2024 (7)
  • January 2024 (9)
  • December 2023 (8)
  • November 2023 (14)
  • October 2023 (13)
  • September 2023 (9)
  • August 2023 (15)
  • July 2023 (13)
  • June 2023 (14)
  • May 2023 (15)
  • April 2023 (14)
  • March 2023 (12)
  • February 2023 (11)
  • January 2023 (14)
  • December 2022 (11)
  • November 2022 (13)
  • October 2022 (14)
  • September 2022 (14)
  • August 2022 (12)
  • July 2022 (9)
  • June 2022 (6)
  • May 2022 (8)
  • April 2022 (5)
  • March 2022 (4)
  • February 2022 (2)
  • January 2022 (8)
  • December 2021 (6)
  • November 2021 (6)
  • October 2021 (8)
  • September 2021 (4)
  • August 2021 (5)
  • July 2021 (2)
  • June 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (11)
  • March 2020 (15)
  • February 2020 (13)
  • January 2020 (14)
  • December 2019 (13)
  • November 2019 (12)
  • October 2019 (14)
  • September 2019 (14)
  • August 2019 (13)
  • July 2019 (13)
  • June 2019 (14)
  • May 2019 (13)
  • April 2019 (10)
  • March 2019 (10)
  • February 2019 (11)
  • January 2019 (13)
  • December 2018 (14)
  • November 2018 (11)
  • October 2018 (15)
  • September 2018 (15)
  • August 2018 (15)
  • July 2018 (11)
  • June 2018 (14)
  • May 2018 (13)
  • April 2018 (13)
  • March 2018 (17)
  • February 2018 (12)
  • January 2018 (15)
  • December 2017 (15)
  • November 2017 (13)
  • October 2017 (16)
  • September 2017 (16)
  • August 2017 (16)
  • July 2017 (11)
  • June 2017 (13)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (3)
  • February 2017 (4)
  • January 2017 (7)
  • December 2016 (14)
  • November 2016 (11)
  • October 2016 (11)
  • September 2016 (12)
  • August 2016 (15)
  • July 2016 (13)
  • June 2016 (13)
  • May 2016 (13)
  • April 2016 (12)
  • March 2016 (13)
  • February 2016 (12)
  • January 2016 (13)
  • December 2015 (14)
  • November 2015 (14)
  • October 2015 (13)
  • September 2015 (13)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (16)
  • June 2015 (13)
  • May 2015 (13)
  • April 2015 (14)
  • March 2015 (15)
  • February 2015 (13)
  • January 2015 (13)
  • December 2014 (14)
  • November 2014 (13)
  • October 2014 (13)
  • September 2014 (12)
  • August 2014 (15)
  • July 2014 (13)
  • June 2014 (13)
  • May 2014 (14)
  • April 2014 (14)
  • March 2014 (10)
  • February 2014 (11)
  • January 2014 (13)
  • December 2013 (14)
  • November 2013 (13)
  • October 2013 (14)
  • September 2013 (12)
  • August 2013 (14)
  • July 2013 (10)
  • June 2013 (14)
  • May 2013 (14)
  • April 2013 (14)
  • March 2013 (15)
  • February 2013 (14)
  • January 2013 (13)
  • December 2012 (14)
  • November 2012 (16)
  • October 2012 (13)
  • September 2012 (14)
  • August 2012 (16)
  • July 2012 (12)
  • June 2012 (16)
  • May 2012 (21)
  • April 2012 (18)
  • March 2012 (20)
  • February 2012 (23)
  • January 2012 (31)
  • December 2011 (35)
  • November 2011 (33)
  • October 2011 (32)
  • September 2011 (29)
  • August 2011 (35)
  • July 2011 (33)
  • June 2011 (25)
  • May 2011 (31)
  • April 2011 (30)
  • March 2011 (34)
  • February 2011 (31)
  • January 2011 (33)
  • December 2010 (33)
  • November 2010 (39)
  • October 2010 (26)
All Things Andy Gavin
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
Programmed by Andy Gavin