When it comes to football, the food you enjoy alongside the game has become something of an event itself. So for the Super Bowl’s 50th anniversary, we’ve put together the best L.A. takeout menus worthy of the big 50: from platters of smoked meat, to caviar and Champagne, to gourmet sandwiches and everything else in between. Dig in.
The ocean is endless in its bounty: a plethora of delicious fish, crustaceans, and mollusks; Maldon sea salt; The Deadliest Catch; tales of half-naked half-fish ladies, mythological sea gods, and sunken treasure.
And now, even vodka.
Nestled along the western-facing slopes of Maui’s Haleakala volcano in the rich agricultural region of Kula, Hawaiian Sea Spirits Distillery and Organic Farm is doing something the world of spirits has never seen before: taking deep ocean water and turning it into premium booze.
The Smiths—a third-generation Hawaiian family—began experimenting with ocean water as a more eco-conscious, sustainable ingredient for vodka that was still unique in both taste and process. In 2005, the Smiths settled on using one of Maui’s largest life forces—the ocean that surrounds it—to create a vodka that pays homage to the nature of the island. Their self-proclaimed “family affair and true labor of love” combines sustainably harvested, organic sugar cane with mineral-rich seawater, which is sourced from 3,000 feet below the coast of Kona on the nearby Big Island.
Of course, there are all sorts of strange things from which vodka can be distilled, including rice and even quinoa. But it’s the seawater—along with distilled sugarcane, which is more typical in rum than vodka—that lends Ocean vodka its refined, subtle taste and solidifies it as one of the most innovative takes in modern vodka-making.
To get a better understanding of the process behind this one-of-a-kind vodka, I sat down with Hawaiian Sea Spirits’ master distiller, Bill Scott, to talk shop.
When it comes to the multitude of ethnic cuisines that make up L.A.’s culinary landscape, certain neighborhoods have become synonymous with certain types of food. If you’re in the mood to slurp soup dumplings, you know the SGV is where you’ll go. East Los Angeles reigns as the unofficial taco capital, and for those who are craving some rich tonkotsu ramen, you’ll want to head over to Sawtelle Japantown.
But while L.A.’s Indian food scene is typically associated with a hub of great Indian restaurants in Artesia’s Little India area, the Westside has its share of spots that can hold their own. From new openings to longtime neighborhood gems, from Southern Indian cooking to Punjabi-style, these are the best Indian offerings (in no particular order) on the Westside.
Chances are, with all this “new year, new you” talk, you’ve already resolved to be healthier in 2016—and high on your priority list is probably drinking more water. Good for you. H20 is the best way to keep your body healthy and hydrated. But let’s face it, water can be boring. To make quenching your thirst feel less like a task, we’ve rounded up a few fancy options that’ll help you hit your goal and look cool doing it.
The holiday season is upon us, and Christmas is mere days away. Chances are you’ve already picked out a tree, but if the notion of decking it out in traditional red and green just hasn’t inspired you to start trimming, look no further than these 4 ideas. From a floral-wrapped fir to one that doubles as an art gallery, go for a design that feels true to your own style this year.
When it comes to restaurant lingo, nothing is more perplexing than somm-speak.
While overhearing an expediter yell at a line cook in the middle of service can sound foreign to the uninitiated, the world of “soigne” has nothing on the strange, poetic language that sommeliers—and, consequently, wine writers—have adopted when talking about wine.
Because descriptions like “loamy forest floor” can sound ridiculous to casual wine drinkers, MaryseChevriere—sommelier at Dominique Crenn’s Petit Crenn in San Francisco—decided to channel foofy wine slang into art. The result: Fresh Cut Garden Hose, an Instagram account that contains a series of cartoons inspired by the strangest of somm-speak.
Ever since Hanjip announced it was opening in Culver City, there’s been a lot of talk about it being a game-changer. Besides being the latest offering from the growing juggernaut of Bombet Hospitality Group (Terrine, Faith & Flower, Viviane), Hanjip was created in partnership with Chef Chris Oh (Seoul Sausage, Escala, Nomad Kitchen) — and it focuses on high-quality Korean barbecue.
But what differentiates Hanjip, which opened last week, from other spots in what is arguably the best city for Korean barbecue outside Seoul?
While there’s been a lot of attention given to the location itself, the fact that it’s not in Koreatown is really not its most intriguing selling point. Famed Korean barbecue spots such as Genwa have been creeping out of Koreatown as far west as Beverly Hills, plus there are dozens of great places to grill raw meat throughout Southeast Los Angeles, from Artesia to Hawaiian Gardens and beyond. A Culver City spot just seems to be in tune with the natural sprawl of a popular L.A. dining trend.
Are you hosting Friendsgiving? Responsible for the Turkey? Don’t freak out, follow these pro-tips from some of LA’s best chefs and get ready for a Thanksgiving to remember. Whether it’s how to nail the perfect side dishes or secrets to a chef-worthy brine, these fail-safe tips are everything you need and more to put together the perfect feast. Happy Thanksgiving!
You curate your wardrobe, your home, and your Instagram feed with the eye of an art director so why should your dinner table be any different? Forget plastic plates and glasses; elevate your table settings with these super stylish dinnerware sets, modern cutlery, and designer plates. Now your table setting will be just as perfectly put together as everything else in your life, naturally.
If Los Angeles was a doughnut, it would be a rum-, pineapple-, coconut- and mint-flavored ring covered in shredded coconut — at least according to Blue Star Donuts, the Portland-based gourmet doughnut shop that just opened its third outpost on Abbot Kinney.
Blue Star’s signature brioche, European-ish doughnuts are made from a combination of eggs, flour and butter in a process that takes 18 hours. The shop also is turning out doughnuts laced with an ample hit of booze — “donuts for adults,” as they like to call them.
But it’s not just the booziness that makes these doughnuts grown-up. They’re also lacking in the syrupy sweetness of most frosted treats. With flavors like hard apple cider, blueberry bourbon basil and horchata, Blue Star is subtle when it comes to sugar.
And in typical Blue Star fashion, a new location brings new flavor concepts. As with its Tokyo and Portland shops, Blue Star takes inspiration from the culture that surrounds its L.A. shop and translates that into seasonally rotating flavors exclusive to the location.
So what does a Los Angeles doughnut taste like? In addition to the aforementioned homage to the piña colada, Blue Star has translated Los Angeles’ health consciousness into a Greek yogurt and honey donut topped with freshly made granola.
For the next L.A.-specific flavor, Blue Star will be tapping into Los Angeles’ undying obsession with brunch via a mimosa doughnut infused with sparkling wine and an orange-scented glaze, as well as a nod to our nearby wine regions with a grenache-laden ganache.
1142 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; (310) 450-5630, bluestardonuts.com.
