Restaurant Review: HOME in Los Feliz. Could Have Been Better.

I hope this was just a one off experience. 

We went to Home for the first time on a Sunday evening to pick up my daughter from a play date in Los Feliz. Los Feliz is in a charming part of Los Angeles, but we don't usually go there only because living on the Westside, it's a bit hard to get to on a regular basis. Not knowing what to eat around there, I searched on Open Table for restaurants in Los Feliz, and Home was one of the choices. I checked out the website for the restaurant and it looked beautiful. There was an image of its Lemon Chicken Piccata that just looked mouth watering. I then booked through Open Table to get 100 dining points. 

Chicken Piccata Promo picture on Home Website.

 When we got there, the restaurant was expecting us. They have a nice corner table on the outdoor patio waiting for us. Beautiful lanterns hung from the arching trees in the patio. We were charmed. I ordered the chicken piccata from the photo. My husband ordered the chicken Tuscany.My daughter just wanted fried calamari. My chicken piccata tasted good, but a few pieces of the accompanying roasted vegetables were still frozen. That was a bit sloppy in execution, but I didn't ask them to take it back or anything. My husband's chicken Tuscany arrived with the bed of pasta and no chicken. When he asked the waitress if he was supposed to get chicken with his dish, she goes "whoops, looks like you got the Tuscany without the chicken!" That was kind of humorous, and we laughed. She apologized and had the kitchen later bring a side plate of the chopped chicken breast for my husband to toss into his by now cold bed of Tuscany penne pasta, and offered to give us a free dessert. That was nice. 

Well, when it was time to order the dessert, we ordered the cheesecake. Our waitress said it was her favorite. But when she came back, she informed us that they were out of the cheesecake. This was around 8:15 pm. Okay, so we ordered the flan. When the bill came, they charged us for the dessert anyway. Forget about the offer of complimentary dessert. Despite the chicken dishes mishap, my husband was too chicken to point this out and paid the bill in full. I didn't want to leave much of a tip, but he didn't like to make a point the way I felt he should, and decided to tip 12% as a compromise as opposed to his normal 20%. 

The location and ambience of Home with dining under the trees was really nice and magical. It's just that the shoddy execution of the chicken dishes left a fowl taste in my mouth.

Mien Nghia, a Great Noodle Restaurant

There was this place, Mien Nghia, in Chinatown, that served the best Southeast Asian/ Cantonese noodles. A friend of mine from Vietnam introduced me to it a few years back and I would go there every time I'm in Chinatown. However, a couple of years ago, much to my disappointment, when I went back to that hole in the wall, it was closed. I mentioned this to that friend of mine and was told that Mien Nghia actually has another restaurant in Rosemead, on Garvey. So I went there with my daughter last week.

Mien Nghia San Gabriel Valley is not a hole in the wall, but a full on restaurant with ample parking. There is no ambience to speak of, but the food still has the same deliciousness: Noodle in different broths with different kind of toppings. You can choose to have the egg noodles, or the rice noodles, thick noodles, or thin, or a combination. I chose a combo thin egg and rice noodles with fish slices and pork kidney. It was quite satisfying.

I found out from the manager there that Mien Nghia has been around for 30 years, first in Chinatown, and then they opened a second restaurant here in Rosemead around 15 years ago. The one in Chinatown closed due to increased rent there.

I like all kinds of soup noodles: Chinese style beef noodle soup, Japanese ramen, Vietnamese Pho or Hu Thieu, and Cambodian glass noodles. I'm not sure what  kind of cuisine Mien Nghia is, but probably something inspired by southern Asian cuisine. Another kind of taste, but delicious.

Try it!

Mien Nghia Noodle Express
7755 E. Garvey Blvd.
Rosemead, CA 91770

Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden

Ever since I got rid of my lawn, I've been looking into various drought tolerant plants to grow in my front yard instead. I've fallen in love with the Ceonothus, or the California lilac, which can grow up to a majestic 20 feet tall, depending on the species.The tree bears beautiful purple blooms which, when rubbed in water, generates suds and hence are also called soap flowers.

Not many commercial nurseries carry the ceonothus, but I found that Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden in Westwood has them. This nursery is a branch of the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens in Claremont, a wonderful garden that features native flora in all its glorious manifestations.  It's branch nursery in the Westwood Veterans Garden sells California native plants from the RSA Botanica Gardens. Bryce, the young man who works at the nursery is the most helpful and knowledgeable person who can give you great ideas on how to grow native plants in your garden.

So far, I've purchased several ceonothus plants over the summer, but they've all died on me, I think because of the unseasonably hot southern California summer this year. (It's imcomprehensible since these plants are supposedly native to California, drought tolerant, and should be used to this weather, but whatever). I just bought two more ($9.50 for a one gallon plant) because I'm determined to have a ceonothus tree survive in my yard. Wish me luck.

By the way, Grow Native Nursery is a non-profit that works with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System to maximize veterans’ opportunities in the sustainable horticulture industry. Go visit the nursery for great plants and to support a great cause. It only opens Wednesday through Sunday, so make sure to go on those days.

Grow Native Nursery at the Veteran's Garden
100 Davis Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Grand Central Market.

The downtown LA Grand Central Market is in the midst of transforming into a more upscale food market. It is currently a mix of foodie hangouts such as Eggslut, Wexler's Deli, C and G Cafe, and many ethnic, been there forever food stands. Hope it stays that way. You don't want the upscale yuppy foods to drive out the traditional Chinese, Salvadoran, or Mexican stands. 

Apple Picking in Oak Glen, California

When I was living in the East Coast, I loved eating apples.  Over the years though, especially after moving to California, I've lost my taste for this fruit.. The supermarket bought apples tasted dry, the texture isn't as crisp as I remembered, the skin is waxy, and the apple flavor is just not quite there.

When I decided to go apple picking with Chloe at Riley's Farm, one of the few places that allow U-Pick apples in Southern California, I wasn't expecting much. I just thought it would be fun getting out of the city for a bit. It took us about an hour and a half to get to Oak Glen, near Yucaipa, across the hot, charmless expanse of San Bernardino County and the 10 Freeway. But when we turned onto Oak Glen Rd to go up the mountain, the landscape all of a sudden turned lusher. Riley's Farm in Oak Glen was bustling with activities. It has a full on New England theme with a "publick house" called "Hawk's Head" that serves food that surprisingly tasty, a fruit shack, guys dressed in minutemen costume, and women in old New England garb. School groups were there, as were lots of families and young couples. The place reeks of tourist trap, of course, but it was fun nonetheless.

 

The apple trees at Riley's Farm were loaded down with lots of apples. So much apples in fact, that tons have ripened and fallen onto the ground to rot and get eaten by bees and squirrels. The apple varieties included red delicious, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Senshu apples as well as Bartlett pears. The sizes of the apples were not big, but they were delicious. The apples were bursting with flavor and we couldn't help eating them while we picked. I think I liked the Senshu apples the best, but all were tasty. We picked two large bags of apples and pears for $18 each. Not cheap, but well worth the price and effort.

Apple picking is in season right now. Go to Riley's Farm for some luscious fruit and pumpkins.

Riley's Farm
12261 S. Oak Glen Road
Oak Glen, California 92399


909-797-7534

Jesus in LA

The other day, while driving to the Hollywood Bowl for a girls' night out, we saw this character walking down the street.  All of us shouted "JESUS" in unison and started snapping photographs. It's amazing that this certain image of Jesus is so ingrained in people's minds such that when a lanky white dude with long brown hair, a beard, and sporting a long shapeless robe, people instantly identify him as Jesus. I'm not even a Christian of any sort, but decades of visiting museums and looking at art by Europeans are enough to imprint the Europeans' image of Jesus in just about anyone.

A few days later, I saw on TV news that this Jesus character had been spotted all over Los Angeles, at LACMA, and other locations.  Apparently, "Jesus" is a man by the name of Kevin Lee Light who dons his Jesus garb regularly and roams the streets of LA and makes appearances in various events just to be spotted by unsuspecting people like myself. He even has a web site dedicated to photos people snap of him. http://www.isawjesusinla.com/. He is seen at the gay pride parade, at the hot dog stand, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and just mingling with regular folks, as you know who also did.

Since no one in his or her right mind would really think Mr. Light is the real Jesus, sometimes, I truly wonder what drives people like him to do what they do. Does he even have a day job? I wonder. Maybe he's a carpenter by trade. At least he gives people something to talk about.Only in LA.

Awesome Ceviche in the Ungentrified Hood

Our neighbors Bill and Martha were planning to go to have ceviche the other night and invited us to join them. They say they found this place called La Cevicheria on Pico, just off Crenshaw Boulevard and it's really good. They added that it's also kid friendly, knowing we have a teenager with us. We took them up on the invitation, along with our fifteen year old daughter. Along the way, we picked up a bottle of chilled white wine from Vons because the restaurant does not have a liquor license.

Bill drove all of us there. The restaurant is definitely in the ungentrified part of town, in what people call "Arlington Heights", sandwiched between a couple of makeshift storefront Latino evangelical churches with congregations singing away during evening worship. La Cevicheria is a hole in the wall with maybe eight tables in all. 

Martha is Mexican by heritage, so she ordered for us: The bloody clams ceviche, aguas chile shrimp, siete mares soup, mussels in butter sauce, and a seafood stew.  The food is heavenly. The bloody clams ceviche is marinated in lime juice with a  hint of mint and worcestershire sauce. Aguachile de cameron is shrimp in lime juice, with a perfectly blended sauce of pureed chiles and garlic. The stew has fish, clams, octopus, scallops, shrimp with side of rice to put in the stew. I am not sure what is in the stew, but it is simply divine. Siete mares soup is good, although the garlic butter mussels is just a tad over done.

Photogrid composition of my photos

We met the chef Carolina. She says the restaurant has been around for 12 years. She and her husband are the chefs, and she prepares the sauces every day.  The food is a combination of Guatemalan cuisine and some Vera Cruz. I am surprised that the restaurant hasn't expanded to Santa Monica or Malibu, or enjoyed the reputation of other tony seafood places on the Westside. It definitely tastes better than any Mexican seafood restaurant I've been to, other than the seafood shack on Careyitos beach in Costa Alegre, Mexico.

Perhaps its the location that scares some people off.  Perhaps it's because the restaurant is just too small. However, I prefer the unpretentious atmosphere and gourmet cuisine of La Cevicheria. I will definitely come back to try their fish tacos and other fish plates next time. They were out of fish the night we visited. Can you imagine?

La Cevicheria

3809 W. Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90019

323-732-1253