This has been a long week. I don’t know about you, but I think after a while work and life really just tire you out if you’re not exactly where you want to be. For those who are always wanting to be on the move - growing and getting to the next level - complacency becomes a toxin. So for tonight, rather than reporting on animators or ads or cool artsy events around town, I’m going to sit back and be a bit more introspective.

I decided to use cooking as an attempt to distract myself from life and to turn a Saturday night spent alone into a relatively fun evening. Earlier in the week, I decided on the dish — veal saltimbocca and pommes de terres sautees (or saltimbocca di vitello if you want to be a literalist.)  

So through the magic of Yahoo!, I found a simple recipe and was on my way. It involved several supermarkets and butchers to get the handful of required ingredients. Most items came from my local Trader Joe’s, but for the proscuitto di parma, I went to Bay Cities on Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica. After a failed attempt to get veal from Von’s, then Victor’s Meat (Culver City), I sucked it up and went to Whole Foods and basically bent over for 2/3 of a pound of veal scallopini. “Whole paycheck!”

After nearly 90 minutes of cooking (mostly the potatoes), the dish came out extraordinarily! Here’s a picture below. Frankly, the freshness of the ingredients, particularly the proscuitto really gave it a boost. I also used about 1/3 a cup of good wine in the sauce, which always makes a different. (I am finishing glass #3 right now). Speaking of wine, I paired my delicious feast with my second favorite white wine, Conundrum. It is a California blended table wine. Runs about $28 on average. Trader Joe’s seems to sell it less these days but Vons goes as high as $35. For the veal recipe click here. I added some fontina cheese between the veal and prosciutto and that really hit the sot. For the potato recipe click here. 

I think there’s something refreshing about just cooking something new and slightly challenging. It’s also a great way to procrastinate from other activities you should be doing. Will tomorrow be a bit better? Maybe. Maybe not. It’s tough standing still and not always moving forward. So cooking sometimes is great because you get to create. When everything’s done, at least you pushed yourself to stretch your normal boundaries.

One of my favorite places to eat in the South is the world-famous Cracker Barrel. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders recently shot part of their TV show there because they adore the food so much! Here’s a clip from their episode. Remember, next time you’re anywhere from Texas to Illinois, make sure to get some eggs, country ham, and grits…. only at Cracker Barrel!

Some of the best pizza, salad, and pasta in LA are located in a small, family-owned pizzeria in the heart of historic Palms, CA right by the 10/405 interchange off National. Mama’s Original Pizza is located on 3311 Motor Ave. Not only has this historic venue been crancking out pizzas for years, but the building itself used to be an old fire house. In fact, some of the classic Laurel and Hardy episodes were shot there. The decor is vintage and beautiful, featuring old Coke signs and stained glass windows.

Mama even whips up some daily specials! The salads are all massive and frankly taste quite unique compared to most of the fodder you’ll find around LA. If you live in Palms or the nothern part of Culver City, Mama even delivers! I recommend two pizzas: the Godfather and the classic Marguerita. I also love the Chicken Capri pasta dish!

For more information, visit Mama’s website or call 310-204-6262.
Mon-Sat: 11a - 11p  (or earlier)
Sun: 11a - 10p

I discovered my new favorite thai restaurant last week. It’s called Nakkara. It’s located at 7669 Beverly Blvd, about a block north of The Grove near Fairfax and Beverly.

The decor tries a little too hard, but the staff is friendly and the setting is cozy and minimalist. There’s a bit of a weird new-age music thing going on, but I was digging it. They also project movies on the back wall which is also a bit odd, but frankly, once all the other tables left, I appreciated that they put the Lakers postgame on just for me.

The food is the best Thai i’ve had in LA and in the Valley. The seafood pad thai was a nice twist on an old favorite. The softshell crab curry was also extraordinary. As a fan of duck, I also enjoyed the peking duking wraps as a starter. I also tried the calamari which was fresh and tender, and almost as good as Gladstone’s.

Street parking was easy, but valet is also available for $4.50. The only con to this place is that despite its attempt to be a little more upscale, it doesn’t have a liquor license. So it’s BYOB. But who doesn’t have a bottle of pinot grigio in the trunk of their car anyway

Next time you’re craving some good Thai cuisine, make your way to Nakkara!

www.nakkaraonbeverly.com

I love Sunnin Lebanese Cafe! It’s a small hole-in-the-wall just a few blocks northeast of DUCK. It’s nestled in between Santa Monica Blvd. and Westwood Blvd. They serve outstanding Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine. It’s slap yo grandma in the face fantastic!

It’s basically counter service for kebabs, salads, shwarma, and more! I recommend the chicken shwarma wrap and the fried potatoes appetizer. The salads are all outstanding. I’d avoid their fountain sodas though; they always taste a bit weird… can’t quite put my finger on it.

I’ll be honest: I was a bit of a food snob and avoided this place for the longest time. It looked a bit dingy. But boy was I mistaken. It’s one of the best in LA (though I am partial to the Falafel King by SMC)!

So next time you’re having a craving for a great wrap, be sure to stop by Sunnin’s (www.sunnin.com) and forget about Zanku Chicken!

I found this restaurant on Los Angeles magazine and decided to give it a try on a lazy Thursday evening. It is located on Pico Blvd. by Hauser where is in between Fairfax and La Brea. The seeds for Bloom Cafe grew out of the friendship between two French restaurateurs in L.A., Arnaud Palatan, who used to own the French restaurant Pastis, and Jean Louis Bartoli of Louis XIV. Bloom Cafe is like a friendly neighborhood cafe where you can just hang out with your friends on a Sunday morning without putting ur best outfit on. However, it is still nicely decorated and has a minimalism type of feel. The lighting is great and the view to the kitchen is visible. Walls are full of interesting photographs with a theme. The pizza is one of the kind. (at least for someone who is not into pizza all that much). The thin crust and unconventional toppings make their pizza stand out from everywhere else. They do serve other dishes like pasta, sandwiches and salad.