Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Gourmet Cobbler Factory
Even though we haven't seen true autumn weather in Southern California, this time of year it's hard to avoid the fall temptations.The other day I had an hour to kill before a volunteer assignment, had to eat something and was not ready for dinner.I drove by the Gourmet Cobbler Factory and remember hearing several recommendations for it in the past. Fruit pies are very dear to me and this sounded like a great afternoon snack.
I'm not sure what the difference is between a pie and cobbler. Possibly it has something to do with the crust - no crust on the bottom of a cobbler? Either way, they both taste great and hit the spot.
The shop has a really casual, local vibe, not to mention the welcoming sight of mini sweet potato and mini pecan pies. It appeared that most of their orders were for large cobblers but they do have "singles", which could easily feed two people. Service was prompt, friendly and no nonsense.
This cobbler did have a very thin crust at the bottom, brimmed with fruit slices and the filling was a bit on the runny side. It was like the most awesome peach soup in a way. They serve the cobbler a la mode as well if desired.
The fact that the cobblers had just come out of the oven and were warm in the center made me giddy. In fact, they were expected to stay warm for over an hour. Not that I knew because I dug in within minutes.
Just another great example of a neighborhood gem doing what they do just perfectly.
Milo and Olive's Heavenly Wood Fired Garlic Knot
Over the past several months, probably after LA Times Food Writer, Jonathan Gold's review of Milo and Olive, I saw photos of their popular Wood Fired Garlic Knot all over the media. |
| Garlic Knot straight out of the wood fired oven |
While I adore warm bread and garlic, I reserve my carb intake for special items that are worthy of the splurge. The knot sounded great, but it looked like a larger version of the little garlic knots you see in pizza places, made out of the pizza dough. What was the big deal? But then again, they are a creation by Restaurateur and Pastry Chef Zoe Nathan.
There was a bit of time to kill and I hadn't eaten since breakfast. Driving through Santa Monica I saw Milo and Olive, a very popular and trendy restaurant. I decided to go in to check out their bakery.
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| Top bump taken off the knot - nice and crunchy. And comes in a large cup |
They told me there would be a 20 minute wait since each knot is made to order. I went off to grab a cup of coffee, and walked back in just before the 20 minutes were up.
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| String holding top of knot in place, drenched in garlic oil. Almost wanted to eat that too! |
They packed the knot very nicely to go and since I had to leave for Venice in a few minutes, I just devoured it in the car. And trust me, I rarely eat in the car, especially food that's dripping with oil.
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| Avalanche of roasted garlic (much milder than raw), herbs and of course, steam |
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| Bottom of the cup after finishing the whole garlic knot. Plenty of garlic infused oil to spare, after dipping |
Definitely worth a try. Or several.
Comfort Carbs at Heirloom Bakery and Cafe
South Pasadena doesn't get credit for some of the solid food establishments it contains. It's not exactly the international food capital of L.A., but there are some highlights.Another local comfort food favorite of mine, the Heirloom Bakery and Cafe, in the Mission West area is a very convenient snack, breakfast or lunch stop adjacent to the Gold Line train station.
On my first visit, I noticed this large tray in the glass case with these cubes of mac and cheese.
After taking it home, smashing it with a fork and heating it up 2 minutes in the microwave, I had this comforting bowl of warm bubbling mac and cheese, complete with bread crumb topping.
It's surprising how much volume that cube grows into once smashed and heated. The pasta is al dente with gourmet cheese flavors.
The quiches, or at least the mushroom/spinach/parmesan quiche pictured here taste very savory, light and fluffy. They come whole or cut into these very generous slices.
This gorgeous multi-layered banana and chocolate cake looks like the perfect slice of cake in my head. The flavors remain subtle, natural and not overly sweet.
With the ubiquitous cupcakes, especially the red velvet, it's hard to stand out. I particularly loved the presentation of this one with delicately piped frosting and a lovely red rose petal as garnish. Simple and elegant.
In the cupcake department, one can't do much better than their Hostess inspired cupcake. I love the way they packed it upside down in this plastic container - very smart.
I've had several grown-up versions of the highly processed Hostess cakes that I loved as a child but can barely tolerate as an adult.
This one looks and tastes the best, in my opinion, and also wins in the moistness category.
The advantage of taking it home is being able to enjoy it out on the patio, in the sun. The smooth as silk chocolate ganache, moist cake and marshmallow cream filling satisfy every sweet craving imaginable.
All in all, this bakery and cafe provides a fantastic tucked away (on Meridian Avenue rather than on Mission) retreat for when you crave those comforting carbs.
Comfort Carbs at PappaRich
Do you love the combination of sweet/salty? Do you love bread? Love butter And oh, did I mention salt? How about all those things rolled up into 1 delicious, warm, fresh out of the oven light and airy bun?
You have to try PappaRich. It's a Korean-Euro fusion cafe (first American branch of this wildly popular bakery/cafe) that serves the buns, large sandwich cookies and very high quality teas, coffees among other beverages.
Papparoti (its original name) is derived from the Italian words “Pappa (Father)“ and “Roti (Bun)“, which they consider to be the
‘Father of all buns.‘
I must have passed by their unassuming Pasadena store dozens of times without even noticing. Thanks to a coworker who turned me on to these delights, I got hooked.
Notice the crisp, cookie-like edges.
The buns strike a balance between the mocha cream paste which is layered over a round dough, creating a crispy exterior and the soft pat of butter in the surprisingly airy interior.
Walking into the store, the air smells strongly of mocha. So much so that I wondered whether they piped the fragrance in. But more likely, the fresh baked buns give off their heady scents. One visit and bite and you'll be addicted.
I usually check when a fresh batch will come out of the oven in order to time the visit. Otherwise they may reheat a bun, which isn't bad, but doesn't give you quite the same 'high'.
Buns run around $3 each and one is adequate, but many take them home in the dozens. I did warn you how addictive they are.
On a recent visit I noticed the introduction of other flavors besides the original, including cheese and chocolate.
This is neither a new place nor one I just discovered. I've been enjoying it for a couple of years.
It's just that each time I return, like I did with another coworker the other day, I sort of re-discover it again.
Nobody described it better than my favorite food critic, Jonathan Gold. Let me conclude with his profound words:
"PappaRich, fat, warm, breast-shaped things that are utterly soft beneath their crackly, subtly mocha-flavored crusts, barely sweetened, and concealing a payload of salty melted butter at their core.
A single bun is enough to fill a reasonable person to bursting, but the play of air and crunch, salt and sweet, warm and hot..."
What better way to describe these buns always make it to my short list of comfort carbs?
Comfort Carbs at Great Harvest Bread Co
Like many people these days, in my daily diet I limit my carb intake. When I indulge, it really has to count. That doesn't mean the carbs have to be decadent.At Great Harvest Bread Company, located in South Pasadena, and many other franchise locations, you can eat your hand-crafted bread and feel good about it.
Within 48 hours the flour gets baked into fresh, nutritious and tasty baked goods. In the morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. they serve up hot out of the oven breads.
The chalkboard menu in the store indicates the offerings of the day. You can also pick up a flyer in the store or join their mailing list from the website to hear about specials.
Although I often overlook the flyers into the case of sample breads that they offer for tastings. They will cut you a whole slice to enjoy right away.
In addition to breads, they serve cookies, muffins, scones and other extras. Inside the bakery one can find enticing pancake/baking mixes, kitchen accessories, and recently I picked up some E. Waldo Ward preserves.
One regularly available item I like to pick up for breakfast is their berry cream cheese scone. If you've had the hard and dry scones and didn't like them, try these.
Crunchy and browned on the outside, the juicy berries and cream cheese add just enough moisture inside to balance it out. Rather than a grainy texture, the stone ground flour imparts a slightly nutty and smooth taste.
I rarely stray from this flavor but have tired their cinnamon chip scone also.
Among their sandwich offerings I discovered this gem of a grilled cheese sandwich. You pick your bread, of course. I go with the Dakota, multi-grain bread, with a seed-coated crust. Just look at the grill marks on the bread!
And they even serve this savory treat with an Andes chocolate mint.
Along with the carbs, the cheese has taken a reduced role in my diet due to recent lactose digestion issues. But when I need the solid comfort of a grilled cheese, this one appeals to every sense.
The flavors in this sandwich form a very 'adult' flavor, not your childhood Kraft single wrapped cheese on white bread with the crusts cut off. Hearty and satisfying.
Stay tuned for a more comfort carb recommendations.
Dine LA: Short Order - More Than Just Burgers
During this recent DineLA restaurant week period, I availed of 3 participating locations all starting with the letter "S".Short Order, located at the Original Farmers Market, is the collaboration of Nancy Silverton and Amy Pressman, who met almost 30 years ago at Spago and stayed friends ever since. Pressman's passing during fall of last year shortly before this special project of hers came together really encouraged me to support her efforts.
My group and I arrived just before the dinner rush since they do not take reservations, and we were seated upstairs at the communal table immediately.
The communal table definitely served as fun people watching since it contained a couple of Top Chef former contestants. I didn't really stare at the whole group, who were circulating quite a bit, but fairly quickly recognized Marcel Vigneron and Alex Reznik. Both chefs whose food I've loved.
Among quite a few menus the beverage choices stood out, especially the "adult milkshakes". Most notable is the Charlie Brown - a vanilla custard shake with chocolate ganache and roasted Spanish peanut infused bourbon (infused in-house in an immersion circulator).
They serve custard shakes which are more popular in the east coast and midwest. An interview I read of Amy Pressman just before her passing mentioned that they were inspired by Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack in Manhattan, making custard ice cream and hand-spinning shakes into four flavors.
The daily special vanilla custard shake with crushed graham cracker and caramel and the chocolate shake with Guinness practically overflowed from their jars. Each of us ordered different flavors.
Being a big fan of malt flavors, I decided on the Coffee Malt shake. The jar size is just right with a creamy yet not too heavy consistency. One doesn't have to wait to get the shake through the straw. I loved the frothy texture, especially on the top, which reminded me of the foam you'd find on a cappuccino.
The menu contains regular, classic fries or these Spuds, torn pieces of baked potatoes fried to a crispy golden color. The dipping sauce of baked potato fixins such as sour cream with chives and bacon bits cling to all the rivulets on the spuds to add punches of flavor.
I didn't know if Chef Christian Page, formerly Chef de Cuisine at Eva, would remember me, especially with all the chef buddies around. But he did and spent a fair amount of time chatting with us (and posing for a couple of fun pictures with a colleague).
He gave some good tips on the menu and I have to say, between the hat, button down shirt and cool apron, definitely one of the chic chefs I've seen around town. I've tried his food and loved it, which is another reason for wanting to come to Short Order.
Let me reiterate that his constant relaxed state and grace under pressure really really impressed me yet again. We had a lot of hiccups in our service, to put it mildly, between their recent opening and a new server who was nice but was not familiar with DineLA!
Many components of our meal were forgotten and we had to remind the staff repeatedly. It was hard to stay positive, but the chef definitely helped me to roll with the punches.
The shake won as the best thing to order but unexpectedly, this Bean Salad won for me as a close second. The mixture of green and yellow wax beans, gigante beans, garbanzo beans, red onion, oregano, parsley, and lemon vinaigrette melded perfectly.
It's always good to try a well seasoned salad as well as a high protein salad, since I'm always looking for sandwich (low carb) lunch alternatives. Chef Christian mentioned that many of the staff eat this salad daily and I can see why. I took most of mine home and it might have even tasted better the next day, still crispy.
The salad of market greens, persian cucumber, celery, dill, champagne vinaigrette also provided a light, crispy side for the entrees.
For the DineLA menu we were given a choice of 3 burgers for the entree. Nancy's, Ida's or Amy's. I had read that these burgers were meant to be the simpler flavors that chefs enjoy when they are not working. They are named after the people who inspired them, which is true to eating what the chefs actually make at ahome.
As much as a I love high quality beef burgers, and heard Ida's burger was inspired by In N' Out Burger, I opted for Amy's Turkey Burger, based on the recommendation of food critic Jonathan Gold.
It contained organic turkey, sage cheddar, melted celery, leeks, mustardy mayo. Very clean and light, I particularly enjoyed the all green condiments and the notion of melted celery, which was probably braised or sauteed. I loved the seeded mustard, choice of lettuce, juicy turkey and general lightness of it all. Even the bun, which I usually do not eat, was delicious and light enough to eat.
Was it a burger I'd crave? Probably not. In fact I've enjoyed other burgers more. It was solid though, and a burger you don't feel guilty about eating afterward.
They offer burgers made with various meats, including lamb, so I'd definitely be willing to give others a try.
I'd gone to a brunch earlier that day at friends' house and did not have a huge appetite to begin with, so had packed half of everything to go. At this point Chef Christian kindly came out with a tray of more items to try - Pretzel Dogs and Pretzel Pups.
I'd been eyeing this dish of mini pretzel dogs at a neighbor's table. Even though I didn't eat it until the next day, it heated up well. I loved the La Brea Bakery pretzel bun, well seasoned dog and lightly pickled cabbage kraut, along with mustard. My third favorite dish on the menu so far.
My friends took home the Corn Dogs with Anson Mills corn batter, mustard. If they were the same dogs with batter instead of the bun, they were probably also tasty.
These cute little decorative touches, like the banana peel doorstop, add a great whimsy to the open air setting upstairs.
The staircase lies next to the original clock tour, which looked charming at dusk.
This charming table upstairs contains one of a couple of beautiful in-table fireplaces.
Upon walking out, I saw this sign outside the kitchen, explaining the story behind Short Order.
My group walked over to Bob's Coffee & Donuts, one of my favorite vendors in the market and an L.A. institution. They had run out of most of their items since it was near closing time.
I decided to do a quick visit to Short Cake and Single Origin, around the corner from Short Order and utilize the $5 certificate they'd given us as part of the DineLA menu.
The decor exuded a very happy, energetic vibe. Even 5 minutes to closing there was no lack of customers in line.
Items in the case included uniquely intriguing flavors such as: chocolate cardamom cream cake, double baked croissants, curry raisin/buttermilk blueberry/sesame date/feta scallion scones, brown butter cranberry muffins. I picked up a sesame date scone for breakfast and a cookie for late night snack. It is indeed a delightful bakery.
I'd only tried one of Amy Pressman's creations, an extremely elaborate Peruvian-inspired dessert, at Test Kitchen during a Ricardo Zarate dinner.
Despite not having a huge sweet tooth and being insanely full, almost everything appealed to me from the cases. I'm sure her spirit is extremely proud of this swan song.
