Pliny in the Corner

Finally, a more than worthy brewpub in the Los Angeles area. The Blue Palms Brewhouse, located in the Hollywood and Vine vicinity right next to the Music Box Theater. My hats off to these guys who have the balls to turn a deaf ear to those clamoring to have Budweiser or Miller on their tap. Respect, Respect. Great beer selection on tap and a Firkin tapped each week to boot. The bartender is very knowledgeable about beers and very engaging once you start talking about beers. You can feel there is passion for beer in this place, and I like that.

To start I had to try their Firkin beer, Stone Smoked Porter with American Oak  5.90% ABV, an American Porter.   Served at celler temperature a little warmer than usual with very little to no carbonation.  And pumped at the bar directly from the cask to your glass.

The rich robust beer goes well with my  Brew Burger, Kobe beef patty with  Gruyere and some onion rings.  Delicious but I had mine cooked medium and the burger turned out a little drier than what I wanted.  

Next I got their Oktoberfest special, Schönramer Gold Fest Beer 6.00% ABV, a German Märzen, served in a majestic looking bottle emblazoned with metallic gold tones and a coat of arms.  The beer pours golden color with a billowy head that easily subsides.  The nose is citrusy, hoppy, and a little grassy.  The taste is a strong hoppy floral taste in the beginning then with a lemony sweetness in the back and very little bitterness.  Mouthfeel is between light to medium,  and with good carbonation.  This beer could be drank all night on Oktoberfest.

To finish I had some Pliny the Elder 8.00% ABV, an American Double IPA, this is from the private growler of the owner.  The beer pours light orange with a decent white head that subsides easily but clings to the glass with very nice lacing. The nose is sweet citrusy hops and huge floral notes.  The taste is like an MMA match strong bitterness up front that give you a kick followed by a punch from the hops, just when you are back in you corner you are doused with bucket full of orange peel,  pine, and malts that is smooth and silky.   Ding-ding.  You go back in cause you want some more of that!   My favorite Double IPA.

Blue Palms Brewhouse

6124 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA, 90028
phone: (323) 464-2337

Monks and Mussels

The Bowery is located in the heart of Hollywood around Sunset and Vine, accross the street from the newly updated Palladium.  I went there with a "Belgian Beer" friend.  I love the white ceramic tile facade in front.   Inside, it is cramped and very cozy, where you would literally be rubbing elbows with the young trendy crowd,  the shiny tin roof is a stand-out.   

Moule Frites, Steamed mussels and French fries .  The mussels are cooked with leeks, garlic, white wine, tomatoes and saffron.   So I ordered some to pair with a Trappist Ale, Chimay Red.   What a disappointment,  the mussels were not fresh, there was a fishy sardine taste and smell to it.  Mussels are not supposed to smell like that.  And to make matters worse that the mussels were pathetically small, and the  meat inside was shriveled.  Well, at least I had a really good beer on hand and some really good Shoestring French fries.  

Chimay Red is a Dubbel Trappist Ale 7.00% ABV,  only a few Belgian beers can be called Trappist, meaning it is brewed within a Trappist monastery.   A Dubbel is when double the normal amount of sugars is added to the beer making process, more sugars for the yeast means more alcoholic by products.  The beer pours in the chalice a turbid coppery orange color with a creamy head that easily subsides.  The nose is sweet malty, fruity apricot, and spicy with hints of cloves.  The mouthfeel is light medium creamy, smooth on the tongue, with little carbonation.  The taste is complex subtle malty sweetness, doughy yeastiness, fruity astringence with some floral undertones in the back,  and light bitterness in the end.  A very drinkable beer.  

My friend got the Charcuterie Plate,  two kinds of cheeses, chicken liver mousse,  three types of cured meats,  crusty baguette slices, preserved olives, and some almond nuts.  Suffice to say, I was envious.  Despite the outstanding service we got,  I shant be back soon.  The next day, it was on the news that, someone got shot a block away at past 2 am.  Luckily, we were already home by then.

The Bowery

6268 Sunset Blvd. (@ Vine)

Los Angeles, CA 90028

(323) 465-3400

Food & Grog

Named after "Her Majesty's Ship" the Bounty, immortalized in Nordhoff and Hall's 1932 novel "Mutiny on the Bounty".  HMS Bounty is located in Koreatown right accross the now demolished Ambassador Hotel where Robert Kennedy was shot.  And right next to what used to be the Brown Derby converted into a strip mall.  Ramon  who started working as a teenager at the place as a dishwasher now owns and operates the place.  A real  "American Dream" success story, the previous owner Gordon Fields even paid for his English lessons.

The HMS Bounty is as rich in stories and history as the novel.  My favorite story is that Sir Winston Churchill regularly went here for a nightcap while staying at the Ambassador Hotel.  This place is a throwback to Old Hollywood, you can almost relive the era while sitting in one of their red booths.  The dimly lit interior, the nautical theme complete with portholes on the wall, and thick hardwood beams on the roof, adds to the process.  You can even choose the exact booth where Churchill used to sit. 

I sat in one of the booths sipping a Dirty "Gin" Martini  while waiting for my dinner, and listening to oldies music from the jukebox that still plays the old 45s.

Their Ribeye Steak is great and always consistent, I've been coming back here for years and I am never disappointed.  

HMS Bounty

3357 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 385-7275

Bleu Morning

Located along San Pedro's main thoroughfare, Gaffey street,  is a really nice restaurant called Omelette and Waffle Shop.   The staff is great really friendly.  The crowd is diverse,  from high school kids to retirees.  And the menu is excellent.  

I got the first one on the list, Bleu Cheese Burger Patty and Eggs.  The burger patty is topped with melted bleu cheese and sauteed spinach.   I like ketchup on my eggs, as you can see.   The dish is simply amazing, blew me away.   I'm coming back to try other stuff on their menu.

Omelette and Waffle Shop

1103 S. Gaffey St.,

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 831-3277

*Open only until 2 pm

Route 66 Diner

I found myself in a diner along  Route 66 in WLA on Santa Monica called Cafe 50's.   The place is not easy to miss with it's blaring red neon signs outside.  Inside is a real throwback in time,  their signs, equipments, and decors look authentically 50's.  There's even a phone booth inside.  I also saw some vintage-style postcards for sale.

I had Corned Beef sandwich, Fries, and a Root beer with a complimentary side of Coleslaw and a slice of pickle.  The sandwich was delicious and huge.  I had to take home half.

Cafe 50's

11623 Santa Monica Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 479-1955

Tall Ships and Clams

I had time to have lunch on Friday, but had to get back to work.  I knew the Port O'Call was having their annual Lobster Fest,  I didn't want to deal with the crowd, and opted to go to Fisherman's Seafood for lunch.

 

Surrounded by aquariums of live seafood the people working in the place were all busy chopping onions and potatoes.  I managed to distract one of them to order some Steamed Clams.  He took a bunch from the aquariums to cook.   I also got some French fries and a beer.  The whole spread looked delicious.

The Steamed Clams were so fresh and delicious I had to ask for a spoon to get all of that wonderful clam juice.  He added some ginger, when he steamed my clams, which I did not ask for.  I was glad he did.  The clams came with some lime wedges, butter, and chili sauce, which I did not use.  I liked it "as is".  I did use the lime wedge on my Corona.  The fries went really well with the clams, crunchy and buffered the briney saltiness of the clams.

Everything cost me around $ 18 and change.  Kind of pricey.  And here is the view from where I was eating.  I can even see some of the Tall Ships in the distance.  Makes you want to eat more.  Too bad I could not stay longer,  had to get back to work.

Fisherman's Seafood Restaurant

950 Sampson Way 

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 519-7333

Naja's Place: 88 Beers on the Wall

If you know what cerevisaphile means you probably know about Naja's Place in Redondo Beach. A mecca for beer lovers in LA, the place is located along the International Boardwalk.

There are about 88 beers on tap and more selection in bottles.



To start I had some Green Flash West Coast IPA 7% ABV. When the Brits started sending beer to India as a colony they found that the Pale Ales did not travel very well in the train or ship going there. Even now, the Bass Pale Ales in the US is not as good as in the UK where it is brewed. So they created the IPA's (India Pale Ale) with a generally a higher alcohol and hops content, a brewers weapon against spoilage in lieu of refrigeration.

This is a very good IPA, nice foamy head and dark amber color very lacy; the nose is hoppy, citrusy, floral, with hints of pine; the mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation, the taste is strong on hops with some sweetness that balances the bitterness.

Then I had some Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale 6.2% ABV. My brother intoduced me to this beer when we had a beer tasting at his place.

The beer pours brown with a nice white head and nice lacing. The nose is definitely hazelnut, and tasted of sweet malty caramel with hazelnuts, and a little bitterness. Delicious. The mouthfeel is medium with some carbonation. An easy to drink beer especially with dessert. This is one of my favorite brown ales.

To finish I got some Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier 5.4% ABV.

This is a wheat beer, yeasty and turbid, with medium golden color and foamy white head with very little lacing. The nose is citrusy, with wheat malts and a hint of fruitiness and cloves. The taste is definitely on the sweeter side with doughy yeastiness and lemony tones. The mouthfeel has some good carbonation and some creaminess. A very drinkable beer specially for summer and with spicy foods.




Great bar and great beers to enjoy with some conversation and a nice view of the sunset in the backdrop of the marina.

Naja's Place
154 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 376-9951

Cassell's Burger Buffet

Right smack in the middle of kimchi and bulgogi paradise of Koreatown is an easy to miss place, Cassell's Burger. It's also easy to miss that the "Hamburger" sign painted on the window is missing an "R".



Inside is a cafeteria style line where you order by the number and how you want you burger cooked, where "23 medium" means you'll be getting a 1/3 pounder cheeseburger cooked medium in a monstrous double broiler. 33 is an upgrade to a 2/3 pounder.


You then go through the "buffet" line to add your condiments of choice: ketchup, mayo, mustard, thousand island dressing, Roquefort dressing, pickle relish and slices, onion, beefsteak tomato, and lettuce. There's also some potato salad, cottage cheese, pineapple chunks, and pear halves for sides. It's all about customizing.



Kind of sloppy but I made it stacked and fully dressed. The beef patty is ground fresh daily using Prime USDA beef. The mayonnaise and salad dressings are made in-house. The burger is delicious.


The Cheese burger, fries, and medium drink set me back $11 and change. If I had a Cassell's 23 Medium in my left hand and an In-n-Out Cheeseburger animal-style in my right hand and I could only keep one, I will gladly hand you my left hand even if it's double the price. You can't really compare both, it's a matter of preference.

I guess the whole appeal of Cassell's Burger is that it reminds people of burgers that mom used to make elevated to the nth degree. Simple, straightforward, using great ingredients.

Cassell's Hamburgers
3266 W. Sixth St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 480-8668

Chicken and Waffles

I had always been wanting to go to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles for quite some time now, never really had the chance. Last week, I was in Long Beach on my way to San Pedro. It was already past 12 pm and I was hungry with Fried Chicken in my mind. I remembered there is a Roscoe's branch near Atlantic and Broadway which was perfectly along the way to San Pedro. So target was set and I was off. The sign was huge so you really can't miss it, parking was across the street with lots of space. There was some kind of Jazz club on the right side when you go in and the main dining area is on the left.





I got the Scoes #2 Fried Chicken 2 pcs and 2 Waffles $ 10.40 and requested the gravy on the side, I wanted to try the chicken with out the gravy first. The waffles were crunchy outside and soft inside, there was really nothing special about it a bit bland for my taste.




The chicken was very good really crunchy skin and moist meat inside. The gravy added more dimension to the chicken almost like a feeling that the chicken is melting in your mouth. The whole dish made sense the sweetness of the waffles and maple syrup, contrasting with the saltiness of the chicken and gravy. I found myself going back and forth. For days, was thinking about how much I liked the food there that I came back a second time.




This time I tried the Lord Harvey $ 11.90, Half a chicken smothered in gravy and onions, grits and biscuit. I have never had grits before so I wanted to try it and I know biscuits are great with gravy. I didn't ask for the gravy on the side this time.




The grits came with a small cup of butter, I assumed you pour this on the grits which I opted not to. The grits was kind of mushy and bland there was no "corn" taste that I expected. I suppose this was something you eat to fill you up. The biscuits were great when I mixed some with the gravy. After I finished a couple of pieces of chicken the rest were already soggy which was what I was avoiding the first time. Next time I'll keep it on the side.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles
730 E Broadway,
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562)-437-8355