Carmela Ice Cream (Pasadena)

Today's Menu.

Guinness & Heirloom Tomato Sorbet.

Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean & Salted Caramel.

I just had to take some home!

Obika Mozzarella Bar (Los Angeles - Century City)

½

Signage.

Uva Brutta.

Non Alcoholic Ginger-Beer-Based Drink.

Basket of Assorted Breads & Olive Oil.

 Burrata & Anchovies Bruschetta.

N'Duja Sausage, Mozzarella and Roasted Peppers Bruschetta.

Smoked Mozzarella and Braised Radicchio Bruschetta.

Negroni - Gin, Vermouth & Campari.

 
Orecchiette Napoletano - Pasta with Zucchini, Fresh Mint & Fiore Sardo Smoked Pecorino.

Pollo con Carciofi – Free Range Chicken Pan Sautéed with Artichokes & Mint Pesto.

 

Trio of Desserts - (top to bottom) Tiramasu, Mousse di Ricotta with Honey, Orange Peel, Pine Nuts & Golden Raisins & Torta Caprese - Flourless Chocolate & Almond Cake.

Menu Cover.

Open Sesame (Manhattan Beach)

 Menu Cover.

 Jalab - Rose Water and Grape Syrup Infused with Incense.  Topped with Pine Nuts & Slivered Almonds.

 Yogurt Dip - Yogurt Tossed with Cucumber & Dry Mint.  Served with Pita.

Charbroiled Grilled Tiger Shrimp Marinated in Garlic, Olive Oil, Cilantro & Pepper. Served over Basmati Rice with Spicy Hummus & Tabouleh Salad.

Laban - Chilled Yogurt Drink with Dry Mint and Salt.

Chicken Shawarma - Marinated Chicken Breast and Thigh Cooked on an upright spit, Thinly Sliced and Served with Hummus, Garlic Sauce, Wild Cucumber Pickles, Pita and a House Salad.

Pernil

A few weeks ago I decided to make something, after not having made anything for quite some time.  I went over a list of bookmarked recipes but too many of them seemed so labor intensive and the more I looked them over, the more I began to slowly get lazier and lazier about making something.  Then, it dawned on me that I had set aside a certain recipe for a game-day/fight night.  Pork Pernil!  Sure, it would take the better part of the day to roast, but as far as "active prep time," I was done in 15 minutes - tops!   Anyway, I'm feeling lazy again.  So I'm not gonna re-post the recipe that I used.  If you want the recipe for Mark Bittman's Pork Pernil, click here. 

The pork shoulder I used was almost 9 lbs.  I roasted it for approximately 7 hours at 275 degrees and I crisped up the skin for 10 minutes on my highest setting.  The pork came out moist and I would make it again but first I would alter a few things.  If you'll notice on the original recipe, it doesn't specify how much salt to use.  I under-salted the thing and I used 1 tbsp of kosher salt.  So one step I would take to remedy this, is to double the salt or better yet, keep the salt level the same but first, brine the meat over night.  Another step I would add, is to marinate the meat once it's been slathered with the onion paste.  The recipe doesn't call for this, but I would advise doing so to allow the meat to better absorb the flavors.  And now, the pics.     

The Pernil Slathered with the Onion Paste.

Looks burnt, but not!

The finished product.

Cliff's Edge (Silver Lake)

 

No signage needed when you have a huge tree smack dab in the middle of your dining room/patio.

Crusty Bread & Balsamic-Olive Oil Dipping Sauce.

Cocktail Menu.

Old Fashioned - Eagle Rare 10 Yr, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar, Grapefruit & Lemon Oils.

  

Shrimp Brochette with Rouille.

Fries, Parsley & Gorgonzola Sauce.

Pork Medallions with Rosemary & Garlic Jus, Fingerling Potatoes & Cavalo Nero.

Kabocha & Sweet Potato Ravioli, Sage & Brown Butter Sauce, Forest Mushrooms & Wilted Spinach. 

The scene at the fairly new Bar inside Cliff's Edge.

The Wellesbourne (Los Angeles - West Los Angeles)

Signage.

The latest trend - Library Themed Bars.

...but this one has a cozy Fire Place...

...and a Foosball Table.

Drink Menu.

Brandy Alexander - Brandy, White & Dark Creme De Cacao Liqueur, Milk & a Sprinkle or Nutmeg over the top.

Your bill arrives inside of a hollowed out book. 

Menu Cover.