Loteria Grill (Santa Monica)

Signage.

Tamarindo Margarita.

 

Skip the cocktails and grab some micheladas.  

They're tastier and cheaper.

Michelada Oscura with Indio cerveza.  

If you want a more beer-centric beverage, order it made with a darker beer. 

Chips with Guacamole and smokey salsa.  

It's not the best guac or salsa but it is also far from the worst.  It's also overpriced so I wouldn't order it again.

 Chiles Rellenos - Ancho chile, filled with black beans, goat cheese and chorizo; Chile Poblano, stuffed with plantain, queso fresco and picadillo.  Served with white rice and stewed champiñones.

A filling plate of food but kinda bland for Mexican.  The stuffed Ancho chile was the best thing I ate here though.

 

 Caipirinha - muddled lime, simple syrup and cachaca.

Enchiladas de pipian served with rice and black beans.  

 Michelada Clasica made with Sol lager.  

If you want a undetectable brew and prefer the tomato-ie, spicy goodness of a michelada, opt for a lighter chela.

 

My meal here was okay, but nothing more sadly.  I had higher hopes based on my breakfast at their Farmer's Market location.  It's all good though.  I'd gladly return for some chilaquiles.  #CantWinThemAll

 

  

Telegraph's Stock Porter

Telegraph Brewing Co - An instant favorite brewery of mine only because they make a beer that I love! 

And while their stock porter isn't the beer I speak of (Reserve Wheat is!) , it's a goods example of "session beer," in my book.  It's not overly anything!  Not too hoppy, not too malty, not boozy or really light.  Just right to knock down several glasses without getting [too] trashed.

 

For a porter, it's actually light and carbonated a bit much.  But that's Telegraph's signature on it.  It is a Belgian porter after all!  You'll definitely get the yeast in aroma but all else is signature porter - dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee and dark fruit.  A perfect porter for unseasonably warm weather or a primer for cold months ahead  Worth a try!

Tacos Punta Cabras (Santa Monica)

½

A new favorite seafood joint of mine.

The have a small menu and a daily special that changes every now and then.

They have mezcal too!  But no liquor license.  #Wtf

When I first heard about this place, there was one dish I really wanted to try - The Cauliflower Tostada.  Yup, a raw, shaved, marinated cauliflower tostada.  And guess what?  It worked!  Here, the veggie acted much like tofu in that it  served as a blank canvas for the citrus marinade.  All the while, retaining a crunchy texture and holding on ever so slightly to its inherent flavor, this tostada was a winner in my book.  However, for an extra $1, order a...

       
...Seafood Tostada.  It's the better value of the two and the seafood is really fresh.  As much as I liked their Tostada Mixta (scallop & shrimp), my favorite was their special of the day.

 This day, their special was a mixta tostada as the base with added octopus, cucumber, and special sauce.  On the side, a habanero pineapple puree.  Dope!

  
 Speaking of sauces, they have some vinegar based ones you can help yourself to.  

  The only dish I wouldn't recommend is their coctel.  It wasn't bad.  It just paled in comparison and there are dozens of places around town that make better ones.  I thought theirs was pedestrian.

 
 What wasn't pedestrian, however, were their tacos.  Particularly so, their shrimp tacos.  On a freshly made hand-made tortilla, no less!

 Almost as good, their fish tacos.  But seriously get the shrimp taco and tostada mixta or special of the day.  Start there, by all means.  I highly recommend this place.   

Umami Burger (Los Angeles - Arts District)

Umami strikes again.

This time, close to home and work in the Arts District across the street from Wurstkuche and a stones throw away from Church & State, Bestia, Handsome Coffee, Stumptown Coffee, Guerrilla Tacos and many more bustling businesses in the area.  

Umami moved into the former District Lounge which sucked more than (insert porn star name here).  Post to follow [one day}. 

A peek inside the main dining room.  The patio out back looks much the same as it did before.

The Arts District Manly Burger (not on the menu) - This artery-clogging beauty features a 50/50 blend of beef and bacon.  Can you say Slater's 50/50?  The patty is topped with pork belly and the bacon onslaught continues with a slathering of baconaise (bacon mayo).  The bun? Oh it's just been toasted slightly...with bacon fat.  But fear not, there's no bacon in the cheese, just beer.  The whole thing sounds over-the-top, but it's really not.  It's not a salt bomb, like you would expect.  The bacon makes its presence felt more with it's smokiness than anything else.  I mean, the bacon grease bun...I couldn't taste it nor feel it.   Very good burger, either way.  But for $14, no side and for the size of it, I'd pass on ordering it again.  Once was enough for me.         

Cerveza en botella y lata.

What I will return for, is the locally sourced beer.  It's rather slow when I'm getting off of work so it's the opportune time for me to go.  I'm sure I'll get more food as well, but at that time of day, I'm really just looking to enjoy a cold one.  


   

Bruery's Tart of Darkness (2013)

½

I love dark stuff and sour stuff.  So what happens when both worlds collide??  Tart of Darkness, that's what!

Stout meets sour. 

I've had a coffee ipa but never a coffee sour.  I was skeptical before and I was skeptical again when I tried this coffee beauty.  I was enlightened both times.  It works!  To wrap your head around this beer, don't think, sour stout, think stout sour.  What I mean to say is, Tart of Darkness has more in common with a sour than a stout.  So think of it in those terms.  The chocolate and coffee aspect in this beer are subtle in the nose and more prevalent in the finish.  But through and through, this is a sour and a unique one at that.  It's dry, well-carbonated and has a thin mouth-feel.  Again, much like a sour and not a stout.  This 750ml bottle usually sells for $25 but you can get it at Uncle Henry's Deli, for the same price that the Bruery sells it for on their premises.($20)  Highly recommended!