Bellygasm

Vivoli Cafe & Trattoria: As Good as Grandma's Gnocchi

Vivoli Cafe & Trattoria
www.vivolicafe.com
7994 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 656-5050

Category: Italian

Y'know the saying, "eat like a trucker". Well, fuhgeddaboudit. As of this day forward, I'll be eating like musicians.

It's not everyday that I get to meet new friends, listen to some of the best live music west of the Mississippi, and learn an important life lesson. When Radoslav Lorkovic, a Croatian-born musician, said "Vivoli makes the best gnocchi like my grandmother used to make," I knew we're in for a treat.

Scanning Vivoli's menu transported me to a trattoria in Rome. The Insalata di Caesar (caesar salad) was worthy of a king, with strategic shavings of fresh parmigiano reggiano and a dressing that brings out the flavor of crisp romaine rather than dominate.  When the Gnocchetti come a Sorrento (potato gnocchi with mozzarella, tomato, and basil), arrived with the sweet scent of tomato and basil, it drew me in like a siren song. The small gnocchi was so delicate that it almost brought me to my knees. Oh mercy, mercy me.

On the other hand, the Spaghetti al Ragu' di Carne con Porcini (spaghetti pasta with a rich beef veal ragout and porcini mushroom sauce) was robust and earthy, a perfect marriage developed from slow cooked meat and high quality porcini. Every morsel was an operatic experience. I was at once thrilled and humbled, reaching highs and lows, with each disappearing strand of spaghetti from my plate.

By the end of the meal, I learned that Rad and the great Jimmy LaFave have toured throughout Europe, and one of their favorite country to perform in is Italy. And, they certainly are living the dream. To quote Julius Caesar, "experience is the teacher of all things." And if I've learned anything from this spectacular dinner, it is that musicians know where to eat.

Umami Burger: It's so mmm, mmm... good. It's Umami good.

Umami Burger
umamiburger.com
850 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 931-3000

Category: Burgers

Umami? I say, U-Damn Good. WOW. The burger left me speechless. To quote my bf, "it makes The Counter look like they don't know what they're doing." 4realz. It's that good.

I shared the signature Umami Burger as well as the Hatch Burger which comes with 4 different types of chiles "to spice up my life". I started with the Umami which completely blew me away. The patty was perfectly cooked, pink on the inside, loosely formed, far from a hockey puck, and with just enough jus on my plate after I halved the burger that I gladly mopped it up. Waste not, want not, baby!

I didn't bother taking too much time to dissect each ingredient; I just couldn't wait to taste another bite and let the fifth taste consume me. It was pure heaven. As someone who stopped eating beef for 8 yrs after the mad cow scare, if this is the way to go, then hallelujah, praise the Lord!

The Portuguese buns made me wonder if I should pick up baking or at least plan a pilgrimage to Portugal. Between burgers, I had some Malt Liquor Tempura Onion Rings. It was interesting but frankly, I came for the burger, and I was ready to conquer the Hatch. Even with the freshly diced, perfectly squared cubes of chiles, I must confess that I did take advantage of the homemade condiments for additional flavor.

If I had the burgers in reverse order, I might have given both the same grade. But since the Unami Burger required no enhancement, I give it an A+ and an A for the Hatch. Finally, I've been reading reviews after reviews and blogs after blogs about Umami Burger ad nausem that it felt like a déjà vu. It definitely lived up to my expectation, and it's namesake. It's so mmm, mmm, mmm... good. It's Umami good.

Read more of my dinning out musings on yelp: bellygasm.yelp.com

The Curious Palate: Pork Cheeks Are Not Just for Fancy Dinner Anymore

 

The Curious Palate
thecuriouspalate.com
12034 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 437-0144

Categories: American (New), Cheese Shops

No. 2 pencils down. Time to ditch your Spidey lunchbox. Pork Cheeks are not just for fancy dinner anymore.

For starter, the complexity of the Pork Cheek Chili caught me completely off guard. Cubes of meat with bits of bacon and a hint of heat and smokiness made me wonder if there's a cowboy cooking in the kitchen. I enjoyed it so much that I found myself scrapping the bowl.  Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, the Cubano sandwich showed up with slow-roasted Berkshire pork, Fra' Mani Ham, Gruyère Cheese and whole grain mustard pressed on a rustic roll. The thought of it just made my mouth water. It's one hell of a sandwich. I almost regretted that I was splitting the sandwich to make room for a salad. And boy, am I glad I got the White Bean Salad with English Peas. The beans was cooked perfectly, a textbook example of al dente. The equal portion of fresh peas tasted as sweet as the morning dew.  And the greens.... let's just say I'll be hunting for them at the farmer's market this week.

The Curious Palate is my new favorite market/café. Now, I know what good farm-to-table cooking is all about.

P.S. I almost took home the Guincale behind the counter with fat to meat ratio of 3:1. It gives a new meaning to heart healthy, eat happy.

Check out more of my reviews on yelp: bellygasm.yelp.com

Metro Café: Cappuccino Froth Stiff Enough to Give You a Mustache

 

Metro Café
metrocafela.com
11188 Washington Place
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-6821

Categories: American (New), Diners

When a friend told me to meet her for dinner at Metro Cafe, she said, "You'll like this Serbian/Euro diner. They know how to make a real cappuccino with froth stiff enough to give you a mustache." Being an ex-Eurotrash with occasional relapses, I was secretly excited. Before my friend hung up the phone, she added, "It's located in a No-tel Motel. Just kidding. Look for the Travelodge." Naturally, an image of the shower stabbing scene in Psycho flashed across my mind.

For starter, I had Seared Tuna on a bed of Hummus made from English Peas. I was charmed at first bite. The tuna was perfectly seared and thinly sliced with just the right amount of pink on the inside. Unsuspectingly, the tuna played the supporting role on the plate. The star was the hummus, a perfect juxtaposition in terms of taste and composition. It was as delicate as the tuna but earthy with a natural sweetness of straight from the farmer's market kind of produce. Under dim lighting, it was the technicolor green of a world class golf course on HDTV. Without a doubt, the appetizer was the winner of the evening. The Lamb Osso Bucco with Pappardelle was fork tender and dee-li-cious. Dolly certainly did not die in vain. To cap a satisfying meal, the cappuccino was just as promised: full body and a stiffy. Just the way I like it. Shhh, don't tell that to my Mother... Norman?

Quality ingredients. Imaginative menu. Well-priced wine list. Atmosphere that almost makes you want to smoke a pack of Gitanes. No, I don't work for Metro Cafe. I'm just a girl in da hood with a hearty appetite.

See my other reviews on yelp: bellygasm.yelp.com

Kogi BBQ: oh, Kogi Your so Fine, Your so Fine You Blow My Mind, Hey Kogi, Hey, Hey, Hey Kogi

Kogi
Los Angeles, CA
(714) 697-4683
kogibbq.com

Categories: Korean, Food Stands

I swear i just spent 5 minutes debating btx clicking 2 star for "Meh, I've experienced better." or 4 star = "Yay! I'm a fan", cuz my inside voice, which coincidentally sounds a lot like Elmer Fudd was tellin me, "keep very vehree quiet." Alas, I decided I must be true to myself. Shrink's order.

I have a love, love, love, (pause) hate, (pause) love-love relationship with Kogi tacos. I dream of Kogi tacos. I wish I could nod my head, and a plate of Kogi tacos miraculously appear before me. 1 short ribs, 1 bbq chicken, 1 tofu. I wake up; I check the Kogi twitter feed to see what I missed last night. I go to the loo; I check to see if there's a new special.

I may sound a lil' obsessed. So, I stalk it on cyberspace. I only know what I like. No rabbit stew. I just want my tacos, and I want it now.

I will now serenade Kogi, my beloved taco:

oh, Kogi
your so fine
your so fine
you blow my mind
hey Kogi
hey, hey
hey Kogi
hey, hey 3x

Find more of my eating out reviews on yelp: bellygasm.yelp.com

French Market Café: Propose Marriage to the Next Girl You Meet Named Lorraine

French Market Café
frenchmarket-cafe.com
2321 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 577-9775

Categories: Grocery, French, Specialty Food

Bonjour! Ca va? Très bien. Merci. Je voudrais une quiche lorraine, une croissant, et une café chaud. Donc, répétez avec moi.

That's about all I remember after 2 years of college French. But as one shameless Francophile who would drop everything for a trip to Pahree, it ain't faux; it's fo' realz.

If you order as I just demo, you will go no wrong. Never mind that I've yet to work up the chutzpah to actually order them en Français. Between not wanting to waste anytime correcting myself after butchering the accent and embarrassing myself, I just want to order and quietly enjoy the buttery, flaky croissant with a nugget of chocolate surprise in the middle. The light, airy quiche makes you want to propose marriage to the next girl you meet named Lorraine. Bien sûr, a taste of the heavenly balanced, aromatic hot coffee with a hint of nuttiness and the smoothness of velvet makes you want to shout, "Viva La France!"

They also have a great selection of wine. Go for breakfast or brunch. Grab a bottle or 2. 3 if you're thirsty. Trust me. You'll be seeing life through rose-colored glasses. Sing it ,s'il vous plaît: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPp29GcsLNE

Get more of my culinary adventures on yelp: bellygasm.yelp.com