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Eastside Food Bites Featured on Refinery 29
Sep 28 2011
This is pretty exciting! Eastside Food Bites was featured on Refinery 29 (one of my favorite sites) this week as one of “The Best LA Food Blogs to Bookmark Now.” I’m humbled to be on a list with such an esteemed list of bloggers including The Gastronomer, who I truly admire.
Thanks to writer Natalie James, who also write Fashion Intel, a idol-worthy blog itself.
-Valentina
Silver Lake: BOMB! Salads at the Farmers’ Market
Apr 12 2011
UPDATE: BOMB! Salads is now BOMB! Foods, but you can still find them in the Silver Lake Farmers’ Market.
When Rowan Moore Gerety wrote me, he had two questions: a.) had I tried Tacos La Fonda in Glassel Park and b.) did I know about his salad stall at the Silver Lake Farmers’ Market. The answer to both questions was no, but I was easily lured by his description of BOMB! Salads—fresh salads made to order with produce purchased on the spot.
Sign me up.
Every Saturday until 2pm, Gerety and his business partner, Jesse, (who’s taking over while Gerety is away on assignment in Mozambique) whip up salads, soups and mashed potatoes from scratch. The menu and ingredients change depending on what’s in available at the market. On my visit, I tried two salads: one with chopped broccoli, julienned apples and cilantro (pictured above) and another with curly kale, gold beet, dandelion and cucumbers. Both were really delicious with a light dressing of sunflower with lemon and yellow mustard on the kale and green pea and peppercorn on the broccoli salad. The crunch factor of both salads (super fresh!) was a plus, and the plate-sized portions were a fair deal for $6.
Street Food Mondays: Antojitos de mi Abuelita
Mar 16 2011
Last summer I had a dramatic mole experience at the 3rd Annual Feria de Los Moles. Well, a few actually, but the most pivotal of all happened when I sunk my teeth into a succulent piece of pork souped-up in Pueblan mole verde from Antojitos de mi Abuelita. “Divine” is the only word that accurately describes the moment.
And the only word that can describe the moment I found out that the North Hollywood food truck would be showcased at the last installment of Street Food Mondays is “YAY!” It was enough to make me leave my house on a Monday night. Hosted by Street Gourmet LA’s Bill Esparza and Evan Kleiman of KCRW’s Good Food, Street Food Mondays brings the city’s best street food to Kleiman’s Angeli Caffe in the form of a 3-course meal.
Downtown LA: Sampling the Piazza Menu at Zucca
Feb 28 2011
Downtown LA is the last major obstacle between me and home on my daily west-to-east commute. Already battered by the indignities of the Santa Monica Freeway, I usually ditch the 110 and weave my way through the city streets instead. However traumatizing, this drive has proven a great tool for bringing restaurants to my attention.
One place I drive by and wonder about a lot is Zucca, so I was excited when I got an invite to try out the Italian restaurant’s new Piazza menu. The main perk of this al fresco service (menu is served on the patio) is that the large selection of small plates—antipasti, oven-fired pizzas, salads and pastas—are fairly inexpensive. Nothing over $12, all day from 11:30 to 9pm.
Food for Thought: Favorite Foodie Posts of the Week
Nov 12 2010
These hot pickled peppers were a Cuban sandwich garnish made by my friend and all-around great chef Kevin McAfee. You can indulge in his talents at Café Stella in Silverlake.
Thanks to all the new ESFB subscribers, Facebook friends and Twitter followers. If you want to join in the fun, click one of the links. In the meantime, here are my favorite food articles of the week:
Eating LA has a question: Can the Lazy Ox Canteen be all things to all people?
The Minty is showing off some savory pics from her DTLA Mac & Cheese Crawl.
Jonathan Gold wants us all to stop with double-entendre-laced ball talk. Yuck, I agree.
Tuna Toast makes me swoon with an “unctuous” pig’s head bolognese. Where’s mine?
-Valentina
McVities Digestives: Weird Name. Spectacular Cookies.
Oct 14 2010
When my mom went on a UK trip recently, the one thing I begged her to bring me back was McVities Digestives. I’m not usually one for packaged cookies, but these break the mold. Because they’re made with wholemeal, the texture is grainy in a thick graham cracker sort of way, and the subtle sweetness (also reminiscent of graham) is accented perfectly by a thin layer of smooth milk chocolate on the bottom—or dark chocolate if you’re so inclined. I swear, I could eat the whole package in a day, but we’ve been rationing them to make them last longer.
I fell in love with this perfect little cookie the first time I went to London, and they’re a must every time I visit. Sure, you can get them at most of the British stores like The Tudor House in Santa Monica, and I’ve even seen them at Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena. But, I don’t know, I prefer to pretend that you can’t.
I want them to remain illusive little cookies you have to fly 12 hours to get.
-Valentina
Food for Thought: Favorite Foodie Posts of the Week
Aug 13 2010 Italian Sub from Fidel’s Pizza in Highland Park.
- Denny’s goes too far with their horrifying Mozzarella Stick Melt, and Squid Ink calls ‘em out.
- In happier fried food news, the Gastronomer has located the “World’s Best Corndog.” .
- Echo Park Now has the scoop on Mooi’s new breed of vegan pizzas.
- Tes at Home shows us how to make Thai style corn fritters. Tes is the best!
- Food, She Thought gives us a look at opening night at Villains Tavern.
Eat well, and have a great weekend!
-Valentina
Eastside Goes to Chicago: Tortas, Caldos & Churros at Xoco
Aug 11 2010
We had to wait in line for an hour. It was worth it.
This summer we took a low-key vacation, visiting family in the Midwest. Our first stop was Chicago, which is such a great food city and one the few places with good Mexican in this part of the country. Okay, it’s the only place.
My main Chicago food goal was to try one of Rick Bayless’ restaurants. So focused, we were, that we pretty much stepped off the plane and into the around-the-block line at XOCO, Bayless’ ode to Mexican street food.
Until you actually get your food, the XOCO experience is torturous, with the line situated so that you’re forced to gape at the sidewalk diners already relishing crusty tortas, meaty caldos (soups), “bean-to-cup” chocolate and churros that you want to reach out and grab. I did my best to focus on the menu, but trust me, narrowing it down was no simple task.
Farewell Cupcakes: Bye, Bye Blueberries
Jul 23 2010
The blueberry guy at the farmers’ market broke the bad news to me last weekend. He said blueberries are almost over for the season. “Noooooooooo!” I cried. But to no avail. He told me it’s at the point were for ever one he picks, he throws away five. Sigh.
I thought I’d pay tribute to the little superfruit with a recipe for Berry Cupcakes. I think they’re so cute, and they’re really easy to make. Plus, they garner a lot of “oohs” and “ahhhs.”
All I did was follow the white cake recipe I found on the Food Network. Then, I just pushed a few blueberries into the batter and baked.
For the frosting, I follow this Luscious Strawberry Frosting recipe. Then I just garnished with a blueberry on top. Easy, and it’s still not too hot to run the oven!
-Valentina
