Reviews - - Page 9

by Bliz

Top Chef Masters: Episode 5

: Left to Right: Michael Chiarello, Nils Noren, Lachlan Patterson, Rick Moonen

First of all, congratulations on your recognition. After years of toiling in ungodly circumstances, shedding blood and tears, and doing so before there was any prospect of becoming a celebrity chef, you’re finally getting some well deserved attention in the national spotlight. What’s more, you’re donating your time to helping out a charity that you care about and I’m sure those organizations sing your praises for your hard work. If I may make one humble suggestion though. And this is a minor thing I’ve come to notice with the TCM cast, could you guys please.. for the love of God.. PLATE YOUR MOTHER F$%#ING FOOD before time runs out?! Is it that hard?! Do you see that clock with the numbers on it? When there is only the number 00:15 shortly followed by the the number 00:14 then followed by 00:13.. you see where I’m going with this? Just take what you have and put it on the damn plate.

Is it because you hate your charity or charities in general? I mean don’t get me wrong, I hate babies with cancer as much as the next guy, but I always own up to it. Sometimes it’s the first thing I tell people about myself when being introduced. You’d be surprised, there’s dozens of us out there. Dozens! Go ahead, say it chef.. you can do it. Say, “I hate cancer babies.” How much do you hate cancer babies chef? Say, “Almost as much as I hate Kelly Choi and her dead goat fetish.” Wow chef, that’s a lot of hate. Doesn’t that feel good to get that off your chest? I know I feel better. Glad we had this little talk. Let’s discuss this week’s TCM episode shall we?

More cancer baby hate after the jump..

in TV 3 comments

by Bliz

Top Chef Masters: Episode 4

Left to Right: Mark Peel, Anita Lo, Douglas Rodriguez, John Besh

After a brief hiatus for the holiday, Top Chef Masters has returned, and I’d love to say I’m excited about that fact. I’d love to say that, I really, really would, but Ludo taught me something last episode: I like the d-bags. And by “like,” I mean love to hate, curse their name and feel better about myself as a human being in general because of their existence on a reality show. I wanted to love the civil, the calm, the professional, but that just isn’t the case. Top Chef Masters is no Top Chef.. but I’m still going to tune in every week.

I never really bought into the claims that without Padma and Coliccho the show wouldn’t be as good either, but Tom’s appearance on last night’s episode proved me wrong. Only walking on set for a meager 30 seconds, Tom brought an insight and context to what was going in the challenge that I had yet to see on the Masters spinoff so far this season.

“I can tell right off the bat, [The Masters] understand something the normal Top Chef contestants never do,” he quipped. “These guys know you don’t get bogged down in the challenge… because through cooking you can pretty much tell any story.” And there the chefs were, walking around cool as cucumbers. Fuck you Tom, I love you. Padma, I’d take you over a dozen Chois any day.

in Eggs / TV 3 comments

by gansie

The New Paper vs. Plastic Debate

I’m used to press dinners. And they’re almost always the same. Food. Drinks. Chatter with writers. Drunk. Stuffed. Repeat.

Last night I was invited to a preview performance of A Tactile Dinner. I mistakenly thought it was a press dinner. I don’t know much about the Futurism movement, besides what I soaked up during college Art History classes, but what I do know is this was NOT the “press dinner” I was used to. It was way more performance than food (audience forced to eat with one hand–no utensils, and play a music box with the other), but an experience nonetheless.

Regardless, check out the photo above. It’s a fucking box of water. What looks like it should be filled with Hawaiian Punch is actually filled with freaking water. Is this the new paper vs. plastic debate?

Event details post jump. And please excuse the bare nails. But, ps – have you checked out my new fav blog?!?!

in Drinks / Trends 3 comments

by Russell Warnick

A Bazaar Duel

Editor’s Note: When I (this is gansie) was 12 my jazz dance recital class performed to Paula Abdul’s Opposites Attract. At the time I thought it was the silliest thing I ever heard: how could two people that didn’t agree on a majority of issues actually like each other. Turns out almost every couple I know are comprised of fairly dissimilar people. Same is true for Britannia and his love-thang. Brit will experiment with rare ingredients; his boy doesn’t even like bananas. Here’s their he vs. he take on one of the most innovative and popular restaurants in the country.

On my not-so-recent trip to LA I decided to pay a visit to a not-so-new-restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Beverly Hills. The Bazaar’s food concept is similar to that of minibar in DC: adventurous meals in one bite. I was too impatient to wait for a reservation at minibar so I figured jumping on a plane was the easiest thing to do, natch.

The LA Times 4-star-rated Bazaar is an Alice in Wonderland of sorts, the décor is ostentatious and the furniture is playful. Exactly what is needed when one eats food from Andrés. Upon entering the restaurant you are greeted by Bar Centro, a place where the drinks are as simple as a Dry Martini or unusual as a Nitro Raspberry Daiquiri, which was worth every penny (how many pennies are in $20?)

For dinner there’s a choice of dining in one of two rooms, Rojo or Blanco, one room steeped in traditional Spanish flair or one of white drapes, white chairs and white tables. I have poor taste so I opted for the latter.

There were four of us dining, two friends from LA and my better half (Deej). If you are a regular reader to ES you will know that my other half is not so easy to please when it comes to his palette. Despite this we tried the Seven Wave tasting menu.

Here is my take and my bf’s barely clothed hatred take on our experience. And whatever Mr. Picky has to say, do know that the meal was a lot more expansive than we had anticipated and certainly worth the money.

in Desserts / Rants & Raves / Restaurants / Sandwich 11 comments

by gansie

There’s No Time For Frozen

I was totally tricked.

But that’s okay. I actually tried more frozen food in one sitting than I’ve had in my entire life. Learning experience, right?

I got this invite (above ) to a demonstration at a local cooking school. I briefly scanned the details, saw that I could bring a guest, let 80P check his schedule and then I confirmed. I assumed this event was tied to the chef, Trish Magwood‘s book tour. She would cook recipes from her book, the food writers would munch, possibly write about the event, and the cycle of: product—PR—press would continue as normal.

Now, I truly hate when bloggers bitch. Like I super fucking hate it. Food writers are truly blessed with ridiculous perks: free food, trips, wine, cookbooks and inflated egos. I guess that’s the problem in the first place. Maybe I expect too much.

in Rants & Raves / Trends 21 comments

by tvff

Taco Bell HQ News: Heat Is Where It’s At

Americans don’t want spicy food. Oh, they think they do, but they really don’t. The want medium — “zesty” — but not really, truly hot.

That’s always been the conventional wisdom. It’s said that, while there are always the daredevil diners who will pour the habanero sauce on anything, middle-America isn’t interested in being challenged with real heat. In other words, most of us are wimps.

But could the conventional wisdom be going by the wayside? Might the American palate be shifting in a way that opens up menus at national restaurant chains to items that deliver the goods in terms of a truly spicy meal? That’s what the folks at Taco Bell are counting on with the recent expansion of the Volcano Menu. Proven sales performance and an overall belief in changing culinary trends have them convinced they have a product that can sell well around the country with a genuinely spicy dish.

But could the heat be enough to impress me, the undisputed Endless Simmer king of chicken wings?

in Cheese / Red Meat 8 comments

by Russell Warnick

Meeting Tom Colicchio

A few weeks back I was on vacation in Santa Monica and coincidentally so was Tom Colicchio. Well, he wasn’t on vaca but he was there to publicize his new book, ‘wichcraft. I got off the plane (Virgin America, which I think deserves its own discussion regarding their food) and immediately made my way to the Williams-Sonoma. And I was very excited.

Unfortunately this wasn’t a Q&A nor was he taking photos. The rather overly guarded store security only permitted for photos to be taken of him while signing. Boo!

But I have to say, this guy is a legend. He was very nice and answered my questions and he even asked me some. But he was most certainly intimidating, even sitting down.

‘Wichcraft is a collection of Tom’s and co-author Sizar Ortuza‘s favorite recipes from the restaurant of the same name, located in L.A., NYC and San Francisco. When I got back from my trip I decided to throw a couple of the sandwiches together for a boys brunch. They were indeed a hit, not that there was any doubt. Read about them after the jump…

in Bacon / Celebs / Cheese / Eggs / Recipe / Sandwich 6 comments