Dinner: No Utensils Required

When I was young, it was a special treat to have breakfast for dinner. Whether it was waffles at home or pancakes at the local diner, supper was made special by simply reversing the order of eating.  Part of its appeal was the sheer fun of shaking things up, part was that we were breaking the rules.  Nowadays, when I want to recreate that childhood tradition, I order a sandwich for dinner.   I like the simplicity and whimsy of a meal in a bun.  Eating with my hands, I feel like a kid again, yet with gourmet ingredients, sandwiches have been elevated to adult fare.  I know bread gets a bad rap here in L.A., but here are 5 sandwiches that are worth the carbs. 

Sloppy Roast Pork @ Next Door By Josie
http://www.nextdoorbyjosie.com/
Santa Monica


Sloppy, yet refined, this behemoth bursts with succulent, slow-roasted pork, crispy, fried rapini, aged provolone, and creamy garlic mayo.  Due to its Hungry Man-proportions, You may be tempted to use a knife and fork, but by eating with your hands, you get all the drippy, finger-licking goodness.  FYI, Josie's has 2 TVs above the bar, so this is the spot for way above-average, sports bar food.  

Duck Confit Bahn Mi

Josie's offers another gourmet twist on a classic sandwich.  Delectable duck confit, pickled daikon, shredded carrots & cucumber, and more of that addictive garlic mayo.  Often, baguettes have the unfortunate tendency to scrape the roof of your mouth with their crunchy crust, but this version is just-enough-crisp, with a chewy, soak-up-goodness interior.  It's worth crossing the 405 for these two sammies.

Spicy Bird @ Umamicatessen

www.umami.com/umamicatessen/
Downtown

I never understood the praise for Umami burgers until I tasted the Spicy Bird.  You won't miss the beef in this super-tender turkey burger, which is topped with melted beer cheddar cheese, hatch chilis, frizzled onions, and diablo sauce.  Insider tip: the Spicy Bird is only on the secret menu: Umami's method for testing new recipes or bringing burgers from other locations.   For the adventurous, order the accompanying fries with brainaise, a pig-brain blended aioli.

Short Rib Sandwich @ Olive & Thyme
www.oliveandthyme.com
Toluca Lake


This is L.A.'s gourmet answer to the Philly Cheesesteak.  Tender, braised short ribs are tempered by cool, horseradish crème fraîche.  Combined with melt-in-your-mouth, caramelized onions on country sourdough toast, it is an almost orgasmic experience.  So hearty, this sandwich begs to be shared; plus you'll want to save room for the abundance of fresh-baked desserts at this shabby chic cafe.

Lobster Roll @ Son Of A Gun
www.sonofagunrestaurant.com
West Hollywood

Sandwiches also make good appetizers.  At Son Of A Gun, the itty-bitty lobster roll (see lemon wedge for size comparison) whets your whistle for their delicious menu of maritime delights.  A buttery, toasted bun brims with luscious lobster salad, creamy lemon aioli, and truffle, potato chips.  Good things do come in small packages.

Baco Slideshow

Bäco Mercat Downtown March '12
www.bacomercat.com
eat: Toron Bäco, Mushroom Coca, Caesar Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Favas, Creamed Spinach, Wild Boar, Goose Confit, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Banana Cream Pie
sip: G.B. Long, Gin-pop!, R.B. Italiano

What is my aversion to writing about my favorite restaurants? It's not a question of selfishness, and that I want to keep them all to myself for fear of overcrowding. Quite the contrary--I want to scream from the rooftops about their excellence and share unforgettable meals with friends. No, I am afraid that my words won't adequately describe their awesomeness. Like a letter to a new love, I want each sentence to wholly embody my emotions, yet fret about misinterpretation. To quell my fear, I'm going to take a cue from teenagers, who use pictures, not words, to express their adoration (see: sexting). After my first meal at Bäco Mercat, Chef Josef Centeno's eclectic, comfort food joint, I was speechless. Now that I've returned, I'm officially obsessed with this pleasure palace. Let the slideshow begin...


My first visit was on aptly auspicious Leap Day. With work friends, we lingered over a long lunch on the patio, warmed by winter's sun and entertained by downtown's theatrical sidewalks.

G.B. Long: Rye, Campari, Grapes, Soda

A lovely libation for a sunny day. Peppy, potent, and oh-so-pretty in pink.

The Toron Bäco: oxtail hash, pickle, tater, cheddar, arugula
A stellar sandwich, thanks to orgasmic oxtail (never thought I'd write those 2 words together), a pan-fried potato cake, and Centeno's signature bread, doughy deliciousness reminiscent of NYC's Momofuku pork buns. So good I'd name my first born Bäco.

Caesar Brussels Sprouts, Pecorino, Anchovy, Garlic
A decadent spin on an old standard, served warm and bathed in olive oil.

Cream of Mushroom Coca

The aforementioned bäco dough becomes coca, a cracker-crisp flatbread. Topped with earthy, sautéed shrooms, sage, and pecorino, it's a walk in the Italian woods.

Banana Cream Pie
Adorable, but not sweet. Fresh banana pudding fills up a flaky, buttery bowl, lined with brandied butterscotch, no less.

For dinner, we dine inside. Thanks to the building's beautiful detail--brass-lined windows and soaring ceilings--fussy decor isn't necessary. I dig the vintage wood desk chairs and a rare, restaurant feature: well-spaced tables so you aren't smothered by fellow diners.

(left) Gin-Pop!: gin, bäco pop, ginger shrub
The housemade pop (orange, ginger, juniper soda) adds zing to this delightful quaff

(right) R.B. Italiano: bourbon, Ramazzotti Amaro, root beer reduction, tonic
A childhood fave for grown-ups, thanks to herbaceous Amaro and smoky bourbon.

Crispy Fava beans, Mint, Sherry vinegar

Welcome back, Spring! Seasonal goodness done simple

Creamed Spinach, Bacon, Mushroom, Persillade
Another phenomenal twist on a classic. More like a gratin, with a blistered, brown top and gooey cheese. Rich is an understatement.

Wild boar Sugo Emmental, Celery, Toasted Bread
"A fancy Philly Cheesesteak" describes our waiter, but only in regards to style (meat+cheese+bread) not substance. More like a savory millefeuille, each layer is sublime: buttery bread, succulent, slow-cooked boar (aka sugo), pungent emmental, pickled onions, and a heap of sprouts.

Pulled Confit Goose Leg
A "niçoise salad" is the apt metaphor for this Gauguin-colorful dish. Unctuous goose, tangy blood oranges, pickled radish, bitter treviso, peas, and pear mostarda (a mustard/fruit relish) make up a veritable rainbow of yum.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake
The ubiquitous molten chocolate cake gets upgraded with a welcome wallop of peanut butter, both hot (melted inside) and cold (ice cream). "A giant peanut butter cup" proclaims my friend, Barndi.

Brooklyn Passeggiatta

Brooklyn. Whether you love it or love to hate it, it is the holy grail for explorers of the edible. Throughout the borough, ethnic enclaves serve up regional fare: Russians in Brighton Beach, Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, and Italians in Carroll Gardens. Let's focus on the latter, a neighborhood I once called home. In Carroll Gardens, the streets are peppered with old-school Italian joints, pastry shops, and seasoned butchers, whose friendly paesanos affectionately call you "sweetie" without any hint of sexism. While authenticity & flavor abound, you also get big portions, affordable prices, and the simple joy of knowing that your dollar is helping a local business. Following are three long-standing classics whose lack of websites mean you'll have to check them out the old-fashioned way: in person.





Defonte's Sandwich Shop
379 Columbia Street
Red Hook








Head under the BQE to an unassuming corner of Red Hook for this historic house of heroes. Open since 1922, Defonte's is a true neighborhood joint, dishing up hot prepared food and those famous hearty sammies. Opt for the Italian Stallion - prosciutto, fried eggplant, roasted peppers, and fresh mozz made in-house. There's no seating--many regulars are workers who eat in their trucks parked outside--but the waterfront is a 15-minute walk away. Picnic Brooklyn-style, watching ships sail by with a primo view of Lady Liberty.









Ferdinando's Focacceria
151 Union Street
Columbia Street Waterfront











Time stands still in this century-old restaurant of Sicilian specialties. Whether you chose the sunlit front or the dark, exposed-brick back area (pictured at start), the interior is comfortably charming, with a vintage tiled floor, coffered ceiling, and old-timey black & white photos on wood-paneled walls. Start with arancini, which are not the mini street-food-size you may be accustomed to. These are breaded and fried baseball-size bombs of ground beef, peas, and rice. We went for the gusto--topped with ricotta, tomato sauce and cheese--and weren't disappointed.


Many frequent Ferdinando's for their panelle, a deep-fried, chickpea patty. It comes on a chewy, white bun with homemade ricotta cheese. In these days of healthy eating, I know that "white food" is a no-no, but make an exception for this deliciously simple sandwich.




Continue with the eggplant parmigiana,
a two-handed winner that is as sloppy as scrumptious.
Wash it all down with ice-cold Peronis.











Court Street Pastry
298 Court Street
Carroll Gardens








Get your dolce at this wonderland of Italian cookies, cakes and pastries. Their cannolis are divine - crunchy, cinnamon-y shells filled with creamy, rich ricotta. Around the holidays, they sell traditional sweets like sanguinaccio, an Easter chocolate pudding sweetened with pig's blood. While that may sound downright disgusting, the blood is barely noticeable and imparts more salty than meaty flavor to this dense, almost gritty pudding.