Archives for September, 2011

The Taste Fashion Bites Brunch on Rodeo Drive

Posted on Sep 05, 2011 under Archives | No Comment
The Taste Fashion Bites Brunch

The Taste Fashion Bites Brunch

Last Sunday my friend Chris and I attended The Taste, a four day food festival sponsored by the LA Times and Food & Wine magazine.  Here are some pictures from the Fashion Bites Brunch presented by Ciroc vodka and Infiniti.  The event stretched for three blocks up and down Rodeo Drive.

Chris at Fashion Bites Brunch

Chris at Fashion Bites Brunch

Over fifty restaurants, exhibitors and wineries attended all hosting booths with food and beverage samples.  Here are pictures of some of the tasty food and drinks that we tried:

Factor's Deli

Factor's Deli

Factor’s Deli had bagels with salmon, red onion and tomato.

Factor's bagel

Factor's bagel

Greenleaf had tasty organic granola with yogurt.

Greenleaf

Greenleaf

greenleaf granola

greenleaf granola

Locando del Lago had a variety of dishes including squash carpaccio, soup, and focaccia.

Locando del Lago

Locando del Lago

soup

soup

squash carpaccio

squash carpaccio

prosciutto sandwich

prosciutto sandwich

Breadbar had a great tomato quiche.

tomato quiche

tomato quiche

Cake Mamas offered a nice variety of cupcakes.

Cake mamas display

Cake mamas display

chocolate salted carmel cupcakes

chocolate salted carmel cupcakes

The Farm offered a yummy braised pork belly and egg dish.

pork belly and egg

pork belly and egg

The Sprinkles truck was on hand to provide a variety of tasty cupcakes.

Sprinkles truck

Sprinkles truck

vanilla and devilsfood cupcakes

vanilla and devilsfood cupcakes

Fig and Olive had some tasty sandwiches.

Fig and Olive

Fig and Olive

mushroom and cheese open sandwiches

mushroom and cheese open sandwiches

Napa Valley Grille offered some refreshing gazpacho.

gazpacho

gazpacho

Green & Blacks chocolates were a crowd favorite offering a dozen varieties of chocolates.

Green & Blacks chocolates

Green & Blacks chocolates

Studio City’s Sweet Butter had our fave of the day, a creamy mushroom soup.

mushroom soup

mushroom soup

Pure Cheesecake had delicious cheesecake samples.

almond cheesecake

almond cheesecake

traditional cheesecake

traditional cheesecake

Dinner at Church and State

Posted on Sep 05, 2011 under Archives | No Comment
Church and State restaurant

Church and State restaurant

Brasserie Church and State serves up French bistro fare in the heart of downtown’s Art District.   Large Warhol-esque paintings, brick floors and strings of lights surround diners as they choose from entrees including a house-made charcuterie, bouillabaisse, steak frites and a variety of cassoulets.   The small but lively bar offers an extensive wine list with two dozen pours by the glass.  I recently visited the eatery to include it in an article on downtown Los Angeles for travelhoppers.com.  Here is what my friend Dalbert and I ate:

Endive salad

Endive salad

I started with a Belgian endive and watercress salad with blue cheese, fuji apples and walnuts with a sherry vinaigrette.  We also shared some warm bread with a delicious soft butter spread.

bread and butter

bread and butter

Dalbert ordered the special roasted tomato, squash and eggplant appetizer.  The portions were huge and the fresh tomatoes were delicious.

roasted tomatoes squash and eggplant

roasted tomatoes squash and eggplant

We both had the steak frites for our main course, a New York strip loin with french fries and a bearnaise sauce.

steak frites

steak frites

The creamy mac and cheese was a perfect side dish with macaroni, gruyere cheese and a thick bechemel sauce.

Mac and cheese

Mac and cheese

The dessert selection was plentiful.  We chose the lemon tart and the rich chocolate pudding.

dessert selection

dessert selection

lemon tart

lemon tart

chocolate pudding

chocolate pudding

Next time you find yourself downtown stop by Church and State for comfy French bistro fare, 1850 Industrial Street, call 213/405-1434 for reservations.

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