Ottolenghi at animal

What do you call it when you know everything about a person and that person has no idea you exist?  Oh, stalking.  I don't remember where I first read about Yotam Ottolenghi, but that name pulled me in immediately.  I tried to make sense of it:  last name is definitely Italian, first name sounds Hebrew.  I want more info.  (I was similarly intrigued when I first of Adriano Goldschmied.  What can I say?  I love a pizza bagel.)

Needless to say, I got a little stalky.  I started scouring the internet for information.  I learned that Chef Ottolenghi is an Israeli of Italian and German descent, with a grandma who recreates her own little Tuscany there, down to the imported espresso she drinks every morning (though I am partial to the Elite brand instant coffee served in yellow mugs ubiquitous in Israeli households, I can't begrudge Ottolenghi's Italian grandmother her real-deal coffee).  I also learned that with head chef Sami Tamimi, a Palestinian who, like Ottolenghi himself, is a handsome young gay man in stylish nerd glasses, he owns a series of vegetarian restaurants in London, with huge spreads of irresistible baked goods and menus based on fresh seasonal vegetables, prepared simply to bring out their best.

There was so much to love here, and in the sunny vegetarian recipes that Ottolenghi posts on the Guardian, with their constant nods to Italian and Middle Eastern Mediterranean cuisines, that in my head I entertained ideas of going to London just so I could try his restaurant (and take pictures, and blog about it, obvs).  The food, and the stories, resonated with me in a very personal way.  So, when I found out Chef Ottolenghi was hosting a dinner right here in Los Angeles, at beloved animal, I jumped on it.  Five courses, all vegetarian fare, eached paired with wine.  (Note: four of those five were rosés, two of which where sparkling.  Wine for a summer night after my own heart.) 

goat cheese ravioli with turmeric and pink peppercorns

The preparations were simple -- not unlike the kind of food I like making for myself on a weeknight -- but were executed really well, with perfectly fresh ingredients.  Plates were easy to deconstruct.  Nothing was trying to be meat.  Really, nothing was trying to be anything other than what it was.  All of the dishes came from Ottolenghi's new vegetarian cookbook, Plenty, and for each dish, the focus was a vegetable: eggplant was cooked over open fire until it was totally soft and smokey, zucchini grilled, and tomatoes roasted to bring out their sweetness (the latter for a dish called 'tomato party'.  Who doesn't love a tomato party?), or left raw -- after all, in some cases it's best not to mess with natural beauty.  Flavor was heightened with a variety of cheeses, lemon zest, toasted nuts, and torn fresh herbs.  Everything tasted bright and alive.

tomato party!

Having said that, I have to admit: the food left me wanting a little.  Somehow the dinner's presentation -- small, sparse plates -- didn't meet up to the festive abundance you see in images of the restaurants.  Though a salad of watercress, orange blossoms, and toasted pistachios seemed to bounce off the plate with flavor, this kind of fare is a little too delicate overall to satisfy on its own.  (Fortunately, we knew a place across the street.  Please don't tell Chef Ottolenghi that we topped off his meal with a big bowl of fries at Golden State.)

milk pudding with toasted coconut and almonds

But maybe the real prize here is the chef himself: he's totally charming in person, and as you see in the notes above every recipe in his book, he's also chatty and generous with stories and tips.  We discovered that his sister lives in the same suburb of Tel Aviv as my uncle, and he mentioned to us that he went to Joan's on Third that day for lunch, and Joan wouldn't stop feeding him (she must have been thrilled at the chance to indulge in her motherly overfeeding instinct).  This latter fact makes perfect sense:  she probably sensed a kindred spirit in this Italian by way of Israel who came from London all the way to Los Angeles to teach us a thing or two about vegetables. 

Happy Birthday to Golden State

Monday night at Golden State was pretty much like any other night at Golden State.  You walk in, you're greeted with earnest warmth, you invariably run into someone you know, and mouthwatering food, Scoops ice cream, and a ridiculously good beer list are all at your disposal.  Except last night, the kitchen guys relinquished the grill so that Mexicali Tacos could take over, and instead of burgers, they were vending cachetadas, vampiros and other awesome/exotic combinations of grilled tortillas, melted cheese and copious amounts of meat (more details on the food here).  After all, it was a celebration:  The Golden State turned two years old on Monday!

It was good to be there.  I've felt like a part of Golden State since the very beginning.  I was there at Jason's mom's house, when Samir made the very first incarnation of The Burger, and then expected us to put into words how delicious the thing was in focus-group-esque questionnaires that helped determine the menu that the cafe still offers today. (We also got a taste of the legendary beer affogato:  Jolly Pumpkin's dark ale, mulled with spices, reduced to a syrup, and poured hot over Scoops brown bread ice cream. Unholy good.)

When they painted the outside of the shop, I dragged myself out of bed and up Fairfax to come take photos.  I hung around during back-and-forth with contractor after contractor.  Over months, I heard every detail of city codes, regulations, and licenses, and began to wonder if the restaurant would ever open. 

Open they did, and I was there the first night (pictured above).  It became my go-to when I was hungry for food and socialization.  I could walk the three blocks from my apartment and know I'd be among friends.  Jason would chat about beer, I'd get updates from Jim as he went from newlywed to homeowner, to dog owner, to dad, and when they were busy, Rene would entertain me between grilling burgers with his absolutely nonsensical conversation.  I even did a stint behind the counter one afternoon!  After my first taste of the Golden State Salad, I chided Jason and Jim about my new least favorite thing amidst a menu of knockouts.  We almost got in a fight that day, but now it's our joke:  they threatened to name it after me, and now every time I go in there, they offer me a Sassooni Salad.

When I did a blog mash-up with Food Marathon, taking him through my hood, I made sure gstate was on the itinerary.  We were greeted there by my dear friend Nick -- Jim's brother visiting from New York, and after a bunch of other friends showed up still reeling from dinner at animal, an after-hours dance party erupted in the place.

Jim and Jason kindly contributed to No Cookie Left Behind the last 2 years (though they had to hold down the fort at the restaurant during the actual event); they've been nothing but supportive.  They hooked me up with bake sale contributor Kristin Feuer of Bakelab (back when it was Laurel Avenue Bakery) after she brought them a box of cookies, unprompted, to sell at the restaurant.   And after the 2009 bake sale, satisfied, but totally spent from a full day of bake sale action, nothing felt better than plopping down in their familiar dining room, sipping a cold beer, and watching the Lakers beat the Magic in the playoffs. 

It's pretty amazing.  A couple knuckleheads don't have a mite of experience with restaurants, but have excellent taste and undeniably keen intuition.  And within 2 years, their place is named one of Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential Los Angeles Restaurants. Though I don't live in the neighborhood anymore, the Golden State is essential to me, too, and for me it's also a source of great pride in my friends.  Here's to many more beers, many more burgers, and many more years of success for Jim, Jason, and the Golden State Cafe.

--
Golden State Cafe is located at 426 N. Fairfax Ave., 1 1/2 blocks north of Beverly.

Happy 75th Farmer's Market!

This week marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of Farmers Market, my home away from home on Third and Fairfax. While I'm sad to have missed the Taste of Farmers Market event Tuesday night (which, oddly, no other blogger seems to have attended either), I did drop in to catch a few minutes of their early morning birthday party yesterday. A quaint event, with Farmers Market 'royalty' like the adorable Phyllis Magee sharing memories on a stage built in the parking lot, a bunch of local kids doing a card stunt, a drill team, and a marching band.

Showing trademark hospitality, there were self-serve coffee jugs and cupcakes for attendees -- was I in cosmopolitan Los Angeles or in Mellencamp-small-town America? Hard to say, which is precisely why we love the Farmers Market (and the LA Times agrees, beautifully).

There are lots of festivities all week, check it out here! And if you care about such things, there is currently a special edition of the Larchmont Chronicle available at the Farmers Market right now, filled with stories, interviews, and factoids from the all the market's vendors (not to mention some answers to the mystery of the adobe). Lots of sweet history.

Food Blog Mashup: The All Kinds of Yum Food Marathon

A food blog mashup: two food bloggers come together to eat, meet, and take awkward photos in restaurants. One provides the premise -- that's Food Marathon, with his flights through several eateries in rapidfire succession; the other provides the location -- Fairfax Avenue, where I could offer Food Marathon a taste of my neighborhood, all within a block's walk.

Food Marathon likes to keep some anonymity on the web, so we'll refer to him as FM from here on in. Since FM already had covered West Third Street with another favorite local blogger of mine, I suggested Fairfax. And since the offerings on Fairfax lend themselves to late night noshing, we decided to make it a night owl's food marathon. In a gametime decision, we nixed Chameau, since, despite its delicious Moroccan fare, there actually is a limit to how much I can eat in one night. This left us with three stops: Canter's, Animal, and Golden State.

We met at Canter's Delicatessen, immediately got past the potential weirdness of a blind meeting over nothing but food (guess it's not that weird to us anyway), and got down to business. We ordered four items, all noteworthy for the restaurant: corned beef on rye, known as some of the best in town, the humble waffle, which LA Magazine named the best in the city in 2005, the meticulously composed fruit cup, and an egg cream -- a throwback to FM's childhood Canter's visits.

As we ate, we talked -- not just about food, though it was a popular topic. FM's made it a point to get to know as many local food bloggers as he can, and it was eye opening to me to learn what a network our city has developed over the many years. He also told me about his idea for a different kind of food mashup -- taking items from different restaurants, and combining them to make new dishes -- all while sandwiching some corned beef between a couple waffle wedges, as if to demonstrate his point.

All well and good, but it was time for the next stop. FM handed off our leftovers to a homeless guy outside Canter's, and we stepped over to the bar at Animal. It was here that our mashup would soon take on new meaning, but we didn't know that yet. What we did know was twofold: Joe's doughnuts and the bacon chocolate bar. The latter has been the talk of Animal since its opening -- the old schtick of the two dudes that are such meatheads they even put pork in their dessert. And it was all you'd expect: rich and chocolatey, with that winning salty-sweet-smokey combo. But the other dessert, Joe's doughnuts, completely stole the show. I'd had them once before, and was excited to share them with FM. And to eat them again myself -- these doughnuts are incredibly delicious. They come freshly made and warm, three fluffy orbs, in a pool of dark caramel sauce.

It was as we were leaving the restaurant that one table caught our eye for two reasons: I saw a guy I met at 11 in 11 (talk about food marathon), FM saw an old high school friend. Both were the same guy. This one table brought the mashup full circle, as social circles merged unexpectedly. FM caught up with a couple more schoolmates as I chatted with another 11 in 11 compatriot; they all mentioned their plan to go to Golden State after their dinner, and then Jon Shook, whom I'd first met through Golden State's Jason Bernstein at Animal's soft opening, came out and told us how well the restaurant was doing in the late night hours. Exactly why we were there!

We let our friends carry on with their dinner though, as we still had to get to Golden State ourselves. I walked in immediately elated: Golden State is home turf for me, and in addition to owners Jim and Jason, two of my best friends, Rachel and Nick -- Jim's brother, in town from New York to check out the new place -- were also hanging out. Though I was hoping that FM might see the place for more than his first impression of "Scoops comes west", we really couldn't eat anything substantial at this point. So, he got Scoops. And I got wine. And we chatted with my friends. Jason and FM talked shop, Jim told us the history of the Canter's fruit cup (apparently an old schoolmate of his has made a documentary on the topic), ice cream flowed, and -- I hope -- good times were had.

But eventually, every great mashup must end. FM said his goodbyes, and I hung back at Golden State a little longer. At some point the rowdy crew from Animal made their way in and a dance party ensued, with my friends and FM's friends rocking out together in the middle of the now-closed restaurant. Welcome to my neighborhood, Food Marathon. This is how we do things here.

--
Here's Food Marathon's take on the night.

Canter's Delicatessen is at 419 N. Fairfax.
Animal is at 435 N. Fairfax.
Golden State is at 426 N. Fairfax.
All of these spots are between Beverly and Melrose.

Neighborhood Nibbles

Mid-city West is getting fun (as much as I still wretch a little when I say Mid-city West)! To wit:

L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook: Meet Me at 3rd and Fairfax. Someone (namely Joann Cianculli) did the footwork and collected recipes from nearly every stall at the iconic Third and Fairfax Farmers Market, in addition to fun anecdotes about the 75-year-old market. I live a half-block away from the Farmer's Market, and it has been my own backyard/dining room for the last seven years. So, I love this. According to Eating LA, I will finally learn the secret behind the awesome mee goreng at Singapore's Banana Leaf, and get Nancy Silverton's hailed spec for ground beef from Huntington's Meats for perfect hamburgers, plus recipes from Lotería, The Gumbo Pot, Magee's, and more. And according to Tasting Table, there was a book signing at Anthropologie Thursday night. Hopefully they still have some signed copies on hand this weekend!

West Third Street Spring Stroll. These little Third Street events are always nice, but now that the weather's getting warmer, it's the perfect time for one. Hopefully they'll offer some good valet parking events like they did for the last one, but even if not, discounts, specials, and refreshments mean people will be out walking around. Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3.

[photo: westthirdstreet.com]

The Changing Face of Fairfax Falafel

Eat-A-Pita has been shut down for a while now, but earlier this month, they tore down the entire structure. I had been holding out the unlikely hope that someone else would take over that space and keep the cool outdoor patio intact. I always enjoyed lounging out there, cheesy Arabic pop wafting in the background, chowing down gut-bomb falafel. But it's gone, and I'm a little sad (despite the sweet grafitti on the wall behind the lot). According to Dave, who lives on Genessee and is deeply embedded in the Fairfax Village community, condos are coming in. But what does he know?


Meanwhile, a little further up Fairfax, we now have Pita Bar and Grill, in the space that used to be Shula and Esther's. I never went to Shula and E's, though I hear they did decent malawach and cholent, but maybe there's just not as much demand for gritty/ma-and-pa/characterless kosher spots on Fairfax anymore? The new place has some serious professionally scripted signage, and seems to always be closed when I stop by, so all I could get was a picture through the bars. Anyone been here? Is it any good?

Golden State Thursday!

If you're reading this and it's dark, that means tomorrow. If it's light, get yourself to 426 N. Fairfax for Golden State's opening day. We checked in with them when they were building, and I wrote about them here, but I've been obsessing pretty much every day in between. Constantly checking in with Jason and Jim (Jason Bernstein and James Starr, the owners of the place, are dear friends), stopping by to see progress, picking up a rad gold-foil-on-black g-state tshirt, listening in as they negotiated with contracters, then hearing the saga of codes and inspections and rules and fees.

And now, it's a real restaurant! So excited! A casual place in my neighborhood where I can go for a beer, for Scoops, for delicious and reasonably-priced food, all in a gorgeous industrial space, run by my own friends.

But beyond the personal connection, what's wonderful about this restaurant is how deeply entrenched it is in its surroundings, the Fairfax Village neighborhood. On one wall hang old black-and-whites of what the neighborhood used to look like: during the soft opening Saturday night, Jason's mom pointed out the The Budapest Restaurant in one photo. Formerly located in the spot where Largo was formerly located, it was a frequent dinner spot for her family. The owner of the Golden State space is the father of one of Jim and Jason's high school classmates. The art on the walls is by local artists who also happen to be personal friends. The sign outside the shop was painted by Norm Maxwell, the owner of the gallery next door, whose storefront Jim and Jason painted in return. There is so much heart in this place.

So, starting tomorrow, get yourselves to the Golden State! And tell them I sent you.

The Golden State is at 426 N. Fairfax, between Oakwood and Rosewood. Call them and tell them you already miss them: 323 STATE-31

Items of Note

More real stuff coming, but this is real stuff too.

1. These are two trees on my street. Aren't they pretty?

2. This is an Ascaso espresso machine. I am desperately in love with it. Anyone have 700 dollars burning a hole in his or her pocket?

Shoot, didn't think so. (PS, this model is called The Dream. Fitting.)


3. This is 2 photos of The Golden State, taken by Tasha of Blackburn and Sweetzer. Almost ready for prime time, this hub of beer and sausage and Scoops is. She chatted a bit with Jason and Jim, the owners, last week. Check it out, along with more pictures, here.


4. This is another pair of photos taken by Tasha. She's good, isn't she? This time, it's of the Norm Maxwell Gallery, which is also on Fairfax, next door to the Golden State. She talked with Norm, the owner of the gallery, presumably around the same time she talked to Jason and Jim. He features urban art: some local, some international, some affordable, some pricey. I'm really excited about what he's bringing to Fairfax. Check out Tasha's post, with lots more photos and lots more from Norm, here.


5. This was the spread at Din Tai Fung (the new space, which is quite bright and modern and pretty!), last Sunday morning. Lots of amazing dumplings obviously, but see that near-empty plate of fried rice in the corner? Yeah, the reason it's empty? Because that humble mix of rice, scallions, and egg is magically delicious.

Dumplings are tasty, but they can be deadly. Thank goodness they come with instructions!

6. This was a wonderful winter night. Local friends and visiting friends, drinks in the lounge at Casa Del Mar (which is to say couches, fireplace, cozy), and a heated game of Apples to Apples. When it's cold outside, laughing keeps you warm.

7. This is a painting by Ryan Callis. You can find it right now at Taylor De Cordoba gallery on La Cienega. Inside the slit, it says "It's OK". Which, in fact, is true.


Okay, I think that's enough items for today.

Oh wait, one more! Check out the timestamp on this post. Friends, it's 1234-time! Go on, sing the song!

--

The Golden State is at 426 N. Fairfax Blvd., between Oakwood and Rosewood, and might be open by mid-February?
Norm Maxwell Gallery is at 430 N. Fairfax, just north of Golden State.
Din Tai Fung is at 1108 S. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia. Note that this address is for the original restaurant. The new space is just around the corner, behind the original. If you're going for weekend dumplings, get there before they open: a line forms.
Hotel Casa Del Mar is at 1910 Ocean Way in Santa Monica.
Taylor De Cordoba is at 2660 S. La Cienega in Culver City. Ryan Callis' works are on display there until February 14, but pretty much all of their artists are great.

A Work in Progress

Last Sunday, Jason Bernstein called with the classic Jason opener.

"Tannaz Sassooni, what are you doing right now?"

I was in my PJ's, still in bed, IMing with a friend, but quickly threw on some clothes, grabbed my camera, and walked over to the restaurant -- I know what's good for me. Jason and our friend Jim Starr are opening The Golden State -- a new restaurant in the old Nova Express space on Fairfax -- and they were in the middle of some serious building.

When I got there, someone was replastering the storefront -- it was still half black, half white, while someone else was up on the roof, installing something really big. Jason and Jim are still haranguing with contractors, but the place is coming together.

If you use your imagination a bit, you can see how the aesthetic -- a clean white space marked by one brick wall, exposed roof beams, and a few geometric asymmetries -- will complement their simple but not dumbed-down menu (designed by chef Samir Mohajer) that includes sausage sandwiches, a burger you will not believe, Scoops (!!) ice cream (the Golden State will be the only place you can get Scoops outside Tai's original store in East Hollywood), and an awesome beer and wine list -- just the kind of spot our neighborhood needs.

I don't ask when the place is going to open anymore, because if there's anything I've learned from Jason and Jim, it's how close to impossible it is to go through the hoops necessary to open a restaurant in this town, but it's coming together in the next few months. Start getting excited now.

a little angel on the concrete wall out back, compliments of neighboring artist (and owner of the property), Harry Blitzstein

[more here at Eater LA]
[and more photos here]

Brussels Sprouts: A Public Service Announcement

I've been having a really hard time finding Brussels sprouts, but I found them! The Hollywood Farmers' Market was slim pickings on Sunday -- in fact, all that typical fall stuff, like sweet potatoes and squashes was sort of slim, and the abundance of corn, strawberries, tomatoes in the middle of November was just depressing. Whole Foods had some, but not that many, and of course they were crazy expensive, and not that pretty. At Golden Farms, my local (to work) Armenian cheap produce market in Glendale, they were amazingly cheap at 89 cents a pound, but they were giant and haggard.

But in the nick of time, I've found the promised land of Brussels sprouts, and it's not even in Belgium (nar nar). The FarmBoy stand at the Fairfax Farmers' Market has a huge thing of Brussels sprouts, 1.99 a pound, and they are wee, and green, and the leaves are tightly wrapped. So, go get some!

And if mine turn out delicious tomorrow, I'll share the recipe. I'm kind of making it up, so we'll see how it goes.. but it involves brown butter, so how can it really be bad?

[thanks to flickrich for the photo]

Fairfax: The Third Wave

a little local color

In the near-seven years that I've lived a quick walk away from Fairfax Village, that stretch of the eponymous street between Beverly and Melrose, it went through an odd transformation. While its traditional mix of old-country Jewish establishments and gritty punk rock sensibility still held strong, a new urban hip-hoppy scene developed there over the last couple years: think Japanese kids in baggy shorts and fancy Nikes stopping for mandelbrot at Schwartz Bakery. Now Fairfax is changing once again, to something hipper, a bit more grown-up, and far more delicious.

I have walked this stretch of Fairfax maybe five million times, so I quickly learned what it's about: guys decked out in skinny black jeans, pale gaunt scowls, and spikey dyed hair share the sidewalk with headkerchiefed bubbes picking up their Sabbath rugelach from Diamond Bakery. At Canter's Deli, you can order your matzoh ball soup from a booth dedicated to none other than devotee Rodney Bingenheimer, local hero who pretty much created an alternative music scene here in Los Angeles. Or do some late-night brooding in a dark banquette at Damiano's, then wash down the sausage pizza an ornery tattooed waitress threw on your table with a bottle of kosher wine you picked up at Sami's market up the street.

Hall of Fame

But in the last few years, the vibe took an unexpected turn -- to streetwear. It started with Supreme, with its giant stylized skate bowl taking up most of its shop; and now every other storefront is some riff on the streetwear theme. Shops like Flight Club LA, Hall of Fame, and alife elevate the scene with stark, gallery-like stores, while Reserve teaches the skater kids some hip-hop history with its collection of vintage art and graphic design books.

peaceful coexistence

Lately a whole new thing is going on. Somewhere amongst Fairfax's Jewy punk-rock history, the street-kid finery, and the tiny art-nerd subculture held down proudly by the Family bookstore and Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater, things are getting fancy. But it's a kind of fancy that still suits the neighborhood. Delicious things are afoot, but they don't seem to come with pretentiousness.

Schwartz kosher bakery and Animal, together in perfect harmony

John Shook and Vinnie Dotolo's restaurant animal opened last week, and while definitely a fine dining establishment, it also has, even with no art on the walls yet, a bit of edge, not to mention a sense that it will quickly become a go-to for regulars looking for a casual place to dine on artful market-fresh dishes.

Largo no longer

Even the French restaurant slated to open in the Black Sea space can't be too snotty. I mean, it's owned by the former manager of Dominick's -- a place that beautifully walks the line between an elevated dining experience and an unostentatious atmosphere. And, it's going to be called Mec -- French for dude. Dude.

soon to be Golden State

And then of course, there's Golden State. Granted I'm biased, as the owners, Jason Bernstein and Jim Starr, are close friends of mine, but this also means I can tell you more about these guys. Between the two of them, they have an encyclopedic knowledge of food, wine, and especially beer -- they're really thoughtful about eating and drinking. But don't expect their restaurant, taking over the Nova Express Cafe space, to be stuffy: their goal is to bring the best of what California has to offer -- in beer and wine, as well as pub food and a few impressive culinary tricks up their sleeve. To me, Golden State could be exactly what our neighborhood needs: good food and drink, reasonable prices, in a casual, but not dumbed down, venue.

what will come?

I'm guessing this is just the beginning -- now that Largo has moved to the Coronet Lounge space on Beverly, its old space is available, and there are a few others up for grabs as well. Here's hoping, as the Fairfax District grows and changes, that it gets more and more delicious.

animal. soft opening. i was there.

putting on the finishing touches

You know those stories girls tell, where they had nosebleed seats at the concert (you know, Billy Joel or the Stones or something), and some guy treks up to their section and whisks them down to the front row to squeal and revel in their favorite pop idol's sweaty rockstar glory? I kinda had that tonight.

I've been hearing about the opening of animal, the restaurant from local caterers John Shook and Vinnie Dotolo (aka the Two Dudes -- remember their Food Network show?) for a good while. And I was excited: I watched the show, and saw the dudes -- eminently competent chefs -- in action, so I had a bit of personal investment in the enterprise. I felt a lingering affection for the space from its T on Fairfax days. And, come on, Fairfax is my hood. Of course I'm stoked about new spot a quick walk from home.

But I knew these guys cook pretty fancy, so I figured it'd be a while before I made it over. I mean, I certainly didn't think I'd be spending tonight sharing a dining room with the fish guy, the insurance guy, and some hipster swilling Tecate from a can with his flatiron steak with bordelaise and sweetbreads. But then comes Jason. My dear friend Jason Bernstein, who's written here before, is, along with our friend Jim Starr, opening a bar and restaurant -- Golden State -- across the street from animal in the coming months (more on that soon!). Jason and Jim were invited to animal's friends and family opening tonight, but Jim had other plans, Jason called me, I was in, horray!

Friends, animal is good. It's funny to think how the food is best typified as light, extremely fresh, almost feminine in its delicacy, amidst all the hoopla about the greasy stoner dudes who opened a restaurant called animal. In fact, tonight there are several seafood options, and quite a few vegetable-centered ones as well. (Who knows if they'll be there tomorrow: as Shook explained to us when he stopped by the table, the menu -- as well as the beer and wine list -- is in constant flux.) The amberjack poke is a beautiful dish: pink and dainty with the freshest fish, tiny wedges of rosy peach, and lightly spicy harissa. The rock cod, served with a chervil butter and vegetables (melty leeks and spinach, sweet farmer's market carrots in orange and gold), never felt heavy, but had the savory punch of a much richer dish.

The food shined the brightest when it was at its simplest. Heirloom spinach with poached egg, bacon, bread crumb, and la serena cheese, was delicious: like no other spinach I've encountered, it had a crinkled leaf and a kale-like heartiness. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, slightest acidy tang, rich with egg yolk -- good, good good. And for dessert, we opted against the wacky bacon chocolate bar, and went with a simple take on a classic: ginger creme brulée. I agree with Jason's assessment: the creme brulée was spectacular. Beneath the crackly browned sugar crust, the ginger added sweet warmth without a hint of sharpness, and the texture of the custard was absolutely luscious.

It's a new place, and they've still got some kinks to iron out: the copper bar is gorgeous, but the stark white walls are aching for art (although, ladies, the women's bathroom? Surprisingly well-decorated. With vintage accents and fresh flowers, it might be the coziest room in the restaurant!). The espresso machine isn't in working order yet, Jason had to ask for a glass for his beer, and, the service is a bit rushed. But these are all fix-its. Overall, the place is inviting and funky, bustling with conversation. Even though, sigh, I'll have to go back to the cheap seats for my weeknight dinners, it's nice to know the view from the front row is very, very good.

animal is at 435 North Fairfax, between Oakwood and Rosewood.
Call for a reservation: 323 782 9225

4 non-food-related things that are really cool

Oh, Los Angeles, you never fail me.

• The Silent Movie Theater. I mean, they show a documentary about tea, complete with an intermission tea party -- a generous serving of rare oolong and home-made potstickers -- on their lovely Spanish patio. They screen Jim Henson rarities, and when the 8pm and 10pm screenings sell out, they add another screening at midnight. There are couches. What's not to love?
  

• Taking the subway to Staples Center. Faster than traffic, easy peasy, drops you off across the street, and if you're lucky, the whole train will break into Bon Jovi's "Wanted, Dead or Alive" mid-commute.

• Tuesday nights at Heartbeat House, an awesome dance studio in Atwater Village. First, JP will whip you into gear with his Latin/hip-hop stylings and sweaty, high-energy beats in his Zumba class. Then Heather gets you to work muscles you didn't know you had, all in the most feminine way, in her Bellydance class. Might be my favorite two hours of the whole week. (They also have an 80s dance party class, people!)
  

• Thai massage. Is the best thing ever. For one, it's cheap ($45 for an hour!). For another, along with all the regular massage stuff, they yoga you. So, not only are you kneaded and smushed, but your sore, stagnant, muscles are stretched in just the right ways. Quite possibly the best, and most effective, massage I've ever had.

[Thanks to KarenLeah for the Silent Movie Theater photo.]