Hillary Eaton

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

Make / August 10, 2016

The Best Cocktail in Los Angeles

When it comes to getting your drink on, there is no shortage of amazing bars that make up the burgeoning cocktail scene that we have in Los Angeles. With unparalleled takes on classic cocktails, small-batch spirits, farm-fresh ingredients and bartenders who push the boundaries of what we know, L.A. is a cocktail city to be reckoned with. So whether you’re on the lookout for a speakeasy-style space to sip a Sazerac, a cocktail made from cannabis oil or a full-blown omakase experience, these bars have just the drink you’ve been looking for. 

 

Originally appeared on Best Hotel Restaurants in L.A.

Travel / August 10, 2016

10 Best Hotel Restaurants in L.A.

If you’re the type of person who plans trips around food (guilty) or you’re just looking to give yourself a dose of that good vacation vibe, a hotel with a solid restaurant might be just what you need. Luckily for tourists and locals alike, L.A. has no shortage of phenomenal hotels in which to unwind and taste the city’s unparalleled food scene. From Roy Choi’s homage to hot pot at the Line in Koreatown to Michael Hung’s delightful riff on American cuisine at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills, these spots are bona fide culinary destinations as much as they are great places to stay the night. If you’re planning a trip around a Sunday brunch or just looking for a romantic date night on the town, here are 10 places to check out — and maybe even check into for the weekend. 

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

Travel / August 10, 2016

Where to Find the Best Breakfast Sandwiches in L.A.

From each perfectly orange oozing yolk, to every smoky bite of bacon or herb-flecked sausage between a piece of toast or warm brioche bun, eating a truly great breakfast sandwich can become something of a spiritual experience.

That’s especially true in Los Angeles, a city with no shortage of outstanding breakfast sandwiches to satiate your most basic first-meal-of-the-day desires. From a fried clam–and-bacon sandwich to an homage to the McMuffin, here are 10 delicious options to start your day off right. 

Originally appeared on MUNCHIES

Explore / August 10, 2016

This Chef’s Culinary Incubator Is Changing the Way Chefs Develop Restaurants

It’s a common problem in the restaurant industry: Poorly matched partnerships between chefs and financiers can pose issues—and even sink restaurants before they open—when the two sides don’t see eye-to-eye.

Alvin Cailan of LA’s egg sandwich mecca EggSlut discovered this firsthand in the course of opening EggSlut Grand Central Market. “That was the time I really needed to grow [from the food truck] into a brick-and-mortar spot and didn’t have the money,” he tells me. “So I sought out partners that could help, not realizing what the consequences were for creating such a relationship.”

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

Explore / August 10, 2016

The Fijian Version of Ceviche Is a Tropical Powerhouse of Coconut, Lime and Chili

Helmed by Aussie chef Louis Tikaram, West Hollywood hot spot E.P. & L.P. has brought L.A. the type of modern Asian cooking that is often categorized as “pan-Asian.” But in this case, the cuisine would be more aptly described within the context of its origin: Australia.

Tikaram’s cooking comes from a country culturally steeped in — and immensely populated by — central and Southeast Asian immigrants. It’s a melting pot where different cultures and cuisines collide with native traditions and flavors.

At E.P. & L.P., that regional diversity is combined with California’s unparalleled fresh produce and reflected in dishes such as abalone with hand-ground curry paste and Thai aromatics, wood-grilled lamb neck with lettuce, herbs and chili jam, and succulent octopus with farmers market greens. It makes for a unique dining experience that draws inspiration from Asia and Australia as much as it does Los Angeles itself. 

Originally appeared on MUNCHIES

Eat / August 10, 2016

How This Pastry Chef Is Reinventing Asian Desserts

There are certain desserts that some pastry chefs fall back on at a typical modern Asian restaurant. We all know them: the lychee sorbets, tropical fruit tarts, and matcha cheesecakes of the world. If I never see another chocolate spring roll it will still be far too soon.

There are usually two pitfalls for such dessert menus. If you’re lucky, you might find a few watered-down versions of more traditional desserts, the chef likely hoping to temper some of the flavor profiles some diners may be unfamiliar with, like mung bean, anko (red bean paste), ube (purple yams), and the like. Otherwise you’re likely to see desserts that incorporate Asian flavors pushed through the sieve of French technique, a formula that seems to be used as an excuse to not innovate further.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Enter Zen Ong, the head pastry chef of LA’s modern Asian hotspotE.P. & L.P., who is turning out finessed desserts that are as carefully thought-out, unique, and delicious as their savory counterparts by chef Louis Tikaram.

 

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

Make / June 16, 2016

Redbird Is Re-Engineering Brunch Cocktails

Cocktails are an intrinsic part of what makes brunch brunch,but more often than not restaurants attract customers with quantity over quality. Enter the (bottomless) mimosa and (endless) bloody Mary.

At Redbird‘s newly launched brunch, bar director Tobin Shea’s inventive cocktail list invigorates the usual cocktails to pair with chef Neal Fraser’s opulent brunch dishes. The most popular of Shea’s new creations are his takes on the bloody Mary — made with clarified tomato, clarified lemon, white balsamic vinegar, fennel, basil, and pepper vodka — and the mimosa, crafted from a combination of Chablis white wine and clarified orange juice that’s been force-carbonated.

Originally appeared on MUNCHIES

Explore / June 16, 2016

These Butchers Are Bringing Middle Eastern Whole-Animal Roasts to LA

It’s a balmy Thursday evening in Hollywood, and with the sun having finally set, it’s begun to get dark, save the crackling fire pit that Debbie Michail is crouched in front of. She’s quickly checking a pot of turmeric rice sitting atop the smoldering embers, grilling skewered chicken hearts, and balancing pans on varying makeshift cook surfaces over the flame while her partner, Alex Jermasek, breaks down birds, removing their backbones with quick knife strokes. Behind them, an array of other birds—from Cornish hens to ducks—are tied with rope to what looks like the structural remnants of a chain-link fence, held together by plywood, cinderblock, and bricks. The birds twist and sway in place from the heat of the fire, golden-skinned and glistening.

This is Logmeh, the pop-up that’s bringing Middle Eastern whole-animal roasts cooked over large, open fires to LA.

Originally appeared on VICE

Explore / June 16, 2016

Elizabeth Falkner Wants Female Chefs to Learn from One Another

From discrimination and prejudice to unequal pay and limited opportunities, the difficulties women face as chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and food manufacturers are endless.

Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) wants to change that. Since its establishment in 1993, WCR has made a name for itself as an invaluable resource for young female chefs and restaurateurs who want to network, learn, and gain mentorship from other women in industry. The organization pushes for things such as equal pay, balance in work life, and the establishment of a support system for females within the workplace.

In preparation for their annual conference—which includes mentorship training, panels from female chefs ranging from Mei Lin to Nyesha Arrington and Mary Sue Milliken, and presentations on topics such as advances in kitchen technology, contracts, and career exit strategies—we caught up with chef and WCR board member Elizabeth Falkner to talk about some of the issues still facing women in the industry.

 

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

Eat / June 16, 2016

Silver Lake’s Knuckle & Claw Is Now Slinging Lobster Rolls in Santa Monica

Westsiders, rejoice: You now can get Silver Lake’s popular Knuckle & Claw lobster rolls without having to cross the 405.

The second outpost of the Martha’s Vineyard–inspired seafood shack from owners Nikki Booth and Chloe Dahl is the latest spot to grace Santa Monica’s bustling Main Street. It’s offering its simply dressed seafood sandwiches plus a few new menu items exclusive to the new location.