Soup Kitchen Wednesday at Campanile - All Bark With Very Little Bite

Campanile is known as an iconic LA institution. In the fickle world of restaurants, it has stood the test of time for the past twenty years, winning numerous awards and nominations including the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award and the James Beard Best California Chef Award. Plus, chef Mark Peel even appeared on Top Chef Masters just last week. So, given all this, I was really excited to try their $22 three course "Soup Kitchen" menu.

The space itself is stunning, exuding the feel of a castle. The soaring ceiling is mostly composed of skylights, filling the restaurant with a bright white light that gradually dimmed into candlelight as the evening wore on. Walking in past a gurgling Mediterranean fountain, I immediately noticed the patterns traced on the stone wall which give the room the look of a Medieval feast hall. I was ready for a meal fit for a king.

As soon as we sat down they brought a bread basket and butter. Hurrah! I wish more places would bring bread immediately, instead of waiting till after you've placed your order. I have a tendency to show up at restaurants starving, so a little bread to munch on while I mull over my evening's meal is a welcome treat. Campanile is partnered with their neighbor, La Brea Bakery, and all their bread comes from there. The multi-grain bread was dense and nutty, but nothing to write home about. Far superior was the airy white bread, with just the right amount of chewiness and a nice crust.

Our waiter, a distinguished older gentleman, made sure to point out the Wednesday Night Special, explaining that they had first started the deal during the Writer's Strike. As soon as the recession became "official," they decided to reintroduce it. It always features the soup of the day, a chicken, fish, or vegetarian entree, and ice cream or sorbet for dessert.

After placing our order, we were pleasantly surprised when Chef Mark Peel himself came out of the kitchen to chat with us. I love when "celebrity chefs" can actually be found in their restaurant instead of just on TV. After speaking with us for a brief spell, he continued to circulate the room, clearly at ease with his guests. We were off to an impressive start.


First came the chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup. The yogurt imbued it with a really nice tang and creaminess while hundreds of tiny slivers of cucumber gave it a great texture, especially when eaten with the smooth richness of the avocado garnish. A perfect dish for all the hot days of summer. If I could change one thing, I probably would have used more avocado for the garnish, both for the texture and also to break up the monochromatic look of the dish.


Next came the Pappardelle with Wild Mushrooms and Garbanzo Beans. I opted for pasta since I don't like fish and we're currently on the poultry section of my cooking school, so with all the leftovers I eat a lot of chicken these days. But my dining companions both got the Halibut and assured me it was delicious.

The pasta was good, but not great. It could have used a little more oil as some of it stuck together, and the garbanzo beans were harder then I would have expected, almost like little nuts! However, I do give them credit for being fairly generous with the mushrooms considering their price tag. They were buttery and delicious, thoroughly enjoyable, just like the accompanying slivers of garlic and Parmesan.


We ended with Vanilla Ice Cream. I have to say, this was the most disappointing part of the meal. I understand that this is the "cheap" menu, but they couldn't afford any other flavors? The vanilla itself was very custardy and rich, I would guess it has about five egg yolks in those three little scoops:) Although, for my personal taste, it could have been a little sweeter. The hazelnut biscotti served on the side was buttery with a great crumb and flavor. I only wish they'd giving us a full sized biscotti on such a big plate.

Overall the meal was tasty, but certainly not the rapturous experience I'd come to expect after all those accolades. And while I appreciate the value and the $22 price tag, I'd be happy to see them charge $25 or $30 and spring for a better dessert. I give this three out of five belt notches.

Campanile Soup Kitchen Wednesdays: $22 for three courses.
624 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-938-1447

Heaven must be missing some Cupcakes: The LA Cupcake Challenge

Stop for a minute and imagine your own personal heaven. Maybe there's some clouds, a few harps scattered about, possibly a dove. But now focus on the good stuff. If your heaven looks anything like mine, there are bites of deliciousness as far as the eye can see. I got a chance to actually experience a taste of heaven this past Saturday at Drink:Eat:Play's annual LA Cupcake Challenge.

The hallway outside the ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel was abuzz with excitement. Men and women of all ages clumped together, eagerly studying the ballots that foretold the deliciousness to come. We scanned the forty different flavors, the choices running the gamut from the traditional (chocolate, vanilla and red velvet), to the original (sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel), to the downright mysterious (sunday mimosa, pigs on tap.)

At four o'clock the doors were swung open and the mob swelled into the ballroom. Everywhere I looked mini cupcakes beckoned me with their come hither swirls of frosting. There were towers upon towers of the yummy treats. Just the thought of all that sugar was overwhelming! I grabbed a plate and made it to about three displays before it was full. Clutching the ballot in one hand and the plate in the other, I studied the sold out crowd and began to worry that the purveyors would run out of cupcakes before I'd had a chance to make my way around the room. Besides, I wanted to do this systematically, giving each cupcake it's due, rather then wolfing them down in an effort to get to all of them.

It was at this moment that I spied the very clever team from the CIA (the Cupcake Intelligence Agency.) This foursome had begun to set their plates down at an empty table, leaving one member of the team behind to guard their spoils. Seeing how many cupcakes they had already amassed, I decided to trust them with my little hoard and asked if I could join them. They graciously agreed.

With a home base established, I went about collecting samples from every display and leaving them at the table. The atmosphere in the room grew giddy as the first of many sugar highs began to set in. People's eyes twinkled as the bakers explained their wares. Strangers smiled at strangers as if to say, "Can you believe this is real?!" And everywhere you looked there was the breathtaking sight of mountains of mini cupcakes.

Having collected my treasures, I then went about the delectable task of judging the contest. The first challenge was figuring out exactly which cupcakes were which. The shops that had marked their cupcakes with some sort of label were much appreciated. Sometimes it took the CIA, myself, and our two other table mates to figure out which was which. Cupcaking is definitely a team sport! And now, dear readers, a confession: Although I only took one bite from most cupcakes, by the time I had made my way through the 26 "original" entries I was much too full to attempt the "traditional" entries. But I would like to congratulate Big Man Bake's "Red Velvet" for winning first prize in that category.

The prevailing theme of the year seemed to be bacon (and you know how I love my bacon)! Three separate shops put out a bacon offering with varying levels of success. Far and away the best of these attempts was the "Breakfast Cake" from My Delight Cup Cakery. This consisted of a pancake flavored cake with maple frosting sprinkled with fresh bits of bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. Although I did not "shoot" the entire cupcake in one mouthful like some of my brave table mates, one bite was enough to convince me that these people are culinary geniuses. Willy Wonka may have unsuccessfully attempted to stuff an entire dinner into a piece of gum, but the ladies behind My Delight have truly captured the essence of an indulgent breakfast in a single cupcake (and no one turned into a blueberry at the end!). The cupcake was sweet and salty and moist and creamy and utterly unique. While I didn't vote for it, it was one of my absolute favorites and I am delighted to announce that it won Best Original Cupcake.

My vote for Best Original went to the Caramel Banana cupcake from Jus Minis. Nineteen year old Executive Culinary Director Justin Polacek was actually brulee-ing individual banana slices at the event, giving his table the added excitement of a fiery demonstration. Far from being just for show, those little coins were the perfect compliment to his luxurious cupcakes. The bruleed banana had the satisfying crunch of caramel coupled with the creamy softness of the raw banana. Add to this a cupcake that tasted like a deep and richly flavored banana bread, as well as some silky chocolate frosting (who doesn't love that combo??) and you have one phenomenal cupcake. So phenomenal, in fast, that it won first place in the "Best Overall" category. Congratulations Justin! Here's hoping that this win gives him a chance to start selling his cupcakes in stores in the LA area, not just in Riverside!

My vote for Best Overall went to the Key Lime cupcake from My Delight Cup Cakery (they of the fabled breakfast cake - both pictured above.) Another big trend I noticed this year was putting a surprise filling inside the cupcake. The treats were filled with everything from pumpkin puree to strawberry jam to caramel that oozed forth as if from a truffle. I am all for this trend as it adds yet another dimension of flavor and excitement to the cupcake. My Delight's Key Lime cupcake gave us a spectacular example of how a filling could elevate the taste. They nestled a tart and pungent dollop of creamy key lime filling inside their sweet little cake. They then topped it with a super soft meringue that had just a hint of a crunch from being baked on the outside. With the multitude of flavors and textures, (and my Florida native's love of key lime), this was one of the highlights of the show for me. Here's hoping that My Delight expands out of the Ontario area and comes to LA sometime soon!

Having failed to bring Tupperware, My Delight Cup Cakery was kind enough to give me one of their handy plastic trays, which I loaded down with all the treats that would not yet fit in my stomach. (This feat of ingenuity, coupled with my foresight of wearing expandable pants, earned me the title of Chief of the CIA, an honor for which I will forever be grateful!). It is four days later, and I am still enjoying the fruits of my labor (although I think they will all be gone after today!).

Overall, it had been a day with many highs (see above) and a few lows ("this lavender cupcake tastes like lotion"). I would like to thank Drink:Eat:Play for putting on such a magical event; it surpassed all my expectations. It was even so well organized that by the end there were still plenty of cupcakes to spare! Thank goodness this is an annual event, as I can't wait to experience another day in my own personal heaven.

Check out all of Drink:Eat:Play's wonderful events at:
http://www.drinkeatplay.com/

Check out Jus Minis at:
http://www.jus-minis.com

Check out My Delight Cup Cakery at:
http://mydelightcupcakery.com

Umami Burger - Yum-a-Yumi!!

So I'm adding a new section to the blog called: "Everyday Deals."  These are the places where you can get absolutely fabulous food for under $10 an entree everyday.  No waiting for Tuesday nights or Happy Hours (though I'm more then happy to wait for those as well:)  So, what better way to start of this section, then with a place people have been raving about: Umami Burger.

It's easy to miss the restaurant, as it is a nondescript store front on La Brea, wedged between such non epicurean delights as a donut shop and a car wash.  But find it we did.  Normally, I try and avoid valet parking (what's the point of $3 chicken when you've paid $10 for valet?), but for a mere $2, Umami gets the prize for the cheapest valet parking around.

H and I walked in to be greeted by our dear friend J.  It's really a very small restaurant, but they've made delightful use of the space, using warm woods and neutral colors, as well as leaving one wall entirely open to windows so that light pours in.  We settled in to to the simple table with a paper table cloth and small succulent plant. 

The menu is simple: one narrow page of burgers with the reverse of the page detailing sides, drinks, and desserts.  But I say, if you do one thing and do it well, then that's all you need.  I'm sick of the cheese cake factories of the world doing a mediocre job on EVERYTHING.  I hope this micro-specialization continues.  

And speaking of micro-specialization, these guys specialize in Cola!  They don't have a liquor license, but they will happily send you across the street if you want to bring in your own booze.  But... should you be less alcohol inclined, they have a wonderful assortment of unusual sodas.  I opted for a Chai Cola.  The first sweet sip is filled with the complex spices of chai tea, although it does have a bitter aftertaste.  Think next time I'll opt for a different unusual option. 

  

Then came the house specialty: The $9 Umami Burger.  Umami is that fifth elusive taste.  When it's not sweet, spicy, sour, or bitter, it's: Umami.  And this burger has it in spades.  Juicy, perfectly cooked beef, earthy complex mushrooms, a crispy parmesan cracker, a sharp, melted cheese that I'm guessing is gruyere, and an oven roasted tomato, all encased in a meltingly soft bun.  They warn you that you will crave this one, and they are indeed correct.  Be prepared to get hooked into a lifetime of deliciousness.  

  

Being a SoCal kinda girl, my beautiful friend H opted for the $9 SoCal Burger.  This lovely patty is topped with butter lettuce, caramelized onions, oven roasted tomato, and what they call: house made processed cheese.  Do not be put off by visions of kraft singles dancing in your head.  This is more akin to a manchego: creamy and flavorful.  This burger is sweeter then the Umami, but still cravably delicious.  

J opted for the $10 Turkey Confit Burger, which, while tasty, simply wasn't in the same league as the other two.  I would skip this one if I were you.

We ordered the $3 triple cooked hand cut fries.  While they had a crisp exterior and a nice dusting of salt, they were so thick that it almost seemed more like eating a potato then eating a french fry.  Of course, the house made ketchup made anything utterly palatable.

Far superior in the realm of sides is the $2.5 malt liquor tempura onion rings.  The light tempura coating and the complex hint of the malt flavor elevate these onion rings far above their normally greasy, soggy counterparts.  (Oh, these are greasy too, it's just a different, yummier kind of grease:)  I think I'd eat just about anything in that malt liquor tempura batter.

  

We ended with Cake Monkey's $3.75 Raspberry Red Velvet Ding Dong.  The red velvet cake is light and spongey, and the chocolate coating actually tastes like chocolate.  I imagine this is what ding dongs used to taste like before all the chemicals came rushing in to make things taste like plastic.  Oh, and then there's the delectable tang of the raspberry filling all mushed together in your mouth.  Perfectly sweet!

Overall, we had a wonderfully delicious evening at Umami Burger and will certainly be back for more.  Four and a half belt notches!!

One Caveat: get there early!  We arrived at 7pm and sat down in a mostly empty restaurant.  By the time we left at 8:30, hordes of hungry diners stared longingly through the glass at our table.  This is not a restaurant to linger in!!  Get in, eat scrumptious burgers, and then move on before ravenous diners start swiping food off your plate.  

Umami Burger is located at:

850 S. La Brea Ave.

Los Angeles, CA  90036

323-931-3000

www.umamiburger.com

$2 Taco Tuesdays at The Spanish Kitchen

The first thing that hits you when you walk into the Spanish Kitchen is the wall of sound. Granted, I went on a very crowded night (apparently, everyone was as excited about $2 tacos as I was), but I actually feared that I must be doing significant damage to my ears just by sitting inside. And it's not that they had music blasting, it was just the sheer acoustics of the place. So, my husband, P, and I settled in for a night of yelling at each other (lovingly, of course - it was just out of necessity!).

We didn't have a reservation, so we had to wait fifteen minutes at the bar. Despite the acoustics, the decor of the place is lovely. The large, wrought iron bar takes up the main wall, surrounded by soft tortilla colored walls. The other wall is painted with a mural of what I can only assume is Spain, with it's fertile crops and flower boxed windows.

The hostess came and found us and brought us up to our table. While I waited for P to settle up the bar tab, I noticed the napkins smelled funny. To be sure, I smelled his too. Yup, definitely a funky odor. I don't know what they use to wash them, but it is not pleasant. Oh dear, I'm supposed to wipe my mouth with this??

Then came the chips and salsa. The chips were still warm (which I love!), but they were lacking salt - and there was none on the table. The dark red sauce had a slight kick, but otherwise wasn't too flavorful.

Oh well, we're here for the tacos! All tacos are served "with your choice of salsa" and in a hard or soft shell. Or at least, that's what the menu said. So, I chose three tacos from a selection of fourteen, and three sauces (out of twelve) that I thought would compliment them nicely. However, when the waitress finally made it to our table, she informed me that, no, you don't get to choose your salsa. They will just bring you some. Even though that's in direct contrast to what the menu says. I asked her what kind they would bring and she had no idea. All right then.

The best thing I can say is that the tacos came out very quickly. Granted, they came out without any salsa, so I had to flag someone down to bring us some. Then when it came, it was like pulling teeth to get a description of the four salsas. Looking around I couldn't help but notice that other tables had different looking salsas. So, essentially, they just randomly decide for you and have taken all choice out of the matter, thus making the description of twelve salsas on the menu into one big tease.

The tacos are about as small as you would expect $2 tacos to be, no more then four inches in length. I apologize that I wasn't able to take any pictures of them. (Who knew digital cameras don't charge when they're plugged in to your computer?? What's that? Oh, everyone knows cameras don't work like ipods? Oh, ok, I guess I'm just an idiot:)

The first one I tried was the Mexican BBQ Pulled Pork Taco. This turned out to be the best of the three, which is kind of like saying that "Wonderland" is Paris Hilton's best movie. Possibly true...but still, not an impressive feat. The pork was tender but too fatty, and the bbq had a slight hint of cinnamon. All of the tacos came with a sprinkling of chopped lettuce and tomatoes. These added texture, but were lacking the bright flavor I have come to expect when eating vegetables in California. Mostly, I think they just make the tacos look a little more full.

Next I tried the Char Grilled Veggies Taco. The restaurant must make a tidy profit on this little number, because there is practically nothing in it. Just a few grilled peppers in varying colors, some onions, and the aforementioned lettuce and tomatoes. There may have been a little carrot square too - there was something crunchy, but it didn't have any flavor and it was hard to tell in the dark restaurant. Mostly, I tasted tortilla.

Finally I went for the Seasoned Ground Beef Taco. Talk about a dud. The name leads me to believe it must have been cooked with some seasoning, but I certainly couldn't taste any. It was mostly just overcooked and flavorless.

Now, you know I love dessert, but P and I were so disheartened by the quality of our meal, we just wanted to go home (Where, I must admit, we had leftover homemade Texas Sheet Cake:).

So we got out bill, which wrongly charged us for an extra taco. Perfect ending.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Your meal was $6 lady, what do you expect?" But, as P pointed out, "You can get a much better meal at In and Out for $6." So save your money and your stomach, and skip the Spanish Kitchen. This gets 1 belt notch out of 5.

If for some reason you still want to go (don't!), here's the info:

Tacos are $2 all night on Tuesday Nights

826 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Phone: 310-659-4794
www.thespanish-kitchen.com