Square One - Brunch in Los Feliz

We joined some friends for a family brunch this morning at Square One in Scientologyville on Fountain near Vermont. We had all read some good reviews of the place and were looking forward to checking it out. Square One prides itself on the quality of it's ingrediants, including organic, local and small farm produce.



Sometimes a review of a restaurant is so particular to my circumstance or experience that I'm sure another person or at another time, the review would be opposite. But we didn't really have the best time at Square One...



First the food. I ordered the Brioche French Toast and it was light, fluffy and super sweet. Almost too sweet, it was a better desert than a breakfast for me this morning. The f.toast comes with a couple of options: bourbon pecan style, fresh fruit, etc that might have been worth exploring.

We got the baby boy a little plate of scrambled eggs which he decided not to eat. But they looked fine. Very simple. Phoebe ordered the pancakes and like some of the reviews we'd read, they were pretty bland and boring. Maybe good enough for an undescriminating baby but a dull dish for an adult.



There was a dearth to high chairs, though the resaturant + patio is quite large and there were only a couple of other babies in the place. I felt like Square One would be a better spot for people without kids or even the solo eater with a newspaper.



The highlight of the meal was the amazing bacon. Perhaps the best bacon in LA. Perhaps the best I've ever had. A side of one strip is $1.50 is is surely worth it; the bacon was flavorful, very meaty and a delicacy.

Ultimately, I'd prefer to have stayed in Eagle Rock for brunch (Cindy's, The Table, even Swork) would have been better / easier grub.

The service at Square One was poor. Not rude at all, but our table never got cleared and there were only 2 highchairs for a restaurant that could seat, what 20 parties including the back patio. That strikes me as not the best number. So that made our meal a bit of a challenge. The menu offers a really cool range of items, however, including omlets, baked egg dishes, etc. Thier lunch menu starts at 11:30 and includes cold and hot sandwiches, a variety of salads (roasted beet salad, kinda cobb, cured salmon).

I would definitely try Square One again, but it would be a better dining experience with a different meal and perhaps a baby free trip.

Download the Square One menu

Square One:
4854 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA
(323) 661-1109
Open from 8am to 4pm (closed Mondays)

Google Map Square One

The Donut Man dips it in a dream...

My buddy Jan and I had talked about paying the Donut Man a visit for quite a while. Some food places are blogged about incessantly (hello Pinkberry) and others not so much. You know you've found a gem when those more rare spots get mentioned and they get raves in the the most passionate and exciting language. So we decided to set out first thing Sunday morning for what could possibly be the best donut in Los Angeles.



Donut Man is a one of a kind donut shop that coincidentally is located on historic Route 66. Jim Nakano is the Donut Man, an American-born Japanese man who has run his 24 hour a day donut stand since the 1970s. His background may not interest some eaters, but it is a tale particularly Californian: Nakano was born in the US and spent 3 years in an internment camp during World War 2. The arc from illegally imprisoned youth to successful businessman is -- in itself - a worth celebrating. Yes, Donut Man is a story of the American dream; a Route 66 tale worthy of a John Lasseter sub plot in the film Cars.



Donut stores (and especially the donut / chinese food mashup) are a co0mmon an entry business for immigrants. The food genre is at once basic and universal; it's working class and regular. Thus the genre is rarely innovated. Against that backdrop, the Donut Man, in the outer reaches of Los Angeles county, has revolutionized the donut. His finest is one that in Beverly Hills would command a higher price and would make the 90210 cup cakes cry and shrivel up.



The first thing I noticed was how pornographic this donut is. The seasonal strawberry donut at Donut Man is overwhelmingly seductive. Seriously, click on the image of the strawberry donut and look at the details. The fruit is fresh and firm. The glaze shiny like a Tiffany diamond. There is absolutely no Photoshop in this picture. The starburst effects are nature's way of saying "good morning. your long drive is about to be rewarded!"



The donut itself is sweet but not overbearing. I found the sugar crust on the donut minor compared to some overwhelmingly sugary donuts I have had in the past. The first bite screamed "fresh fruit" -- I could not believe how fresh the fruit in this donut tasted. Most donuts present a fruit taste simply by having some hyper processed gel or goop. But this had farmer's market worthy fresh fruit on a less heavy, less greasy donut. This is the treat that would have kept Krispy Kreame from bankruptcy!

What is it? Well the Donut Man makes 2 fresh fruit donuts a year, depending on the season: strawberry and peach. The strawberry donut has nearly an entire basket of big strawberries in it! The peach donut, supposedly, has nearly an entire peach between the donut. Peach season, I was told by a friendly young woman who works there, starts in late July or early August. Now you know next when to find me at Donut Man!

As I edit this I am eating another seasonal donut at home many hours later. And while still good, is hardly as rock star as it was this morning. Diminishing returns and all. But it is still better than most treats I've had... even hours and hours later. Clearly there is no substitute for traveling to Glendora and eating a Donut Man breakfast there. In fact, when I was halfway through my first seasonal strawberry a group of hungry eaters rolled in the the parking lot. One woman in the group laughed at my eager chomping and (not knowing we drove 20+ miles to get there) asked "couldn't wait to get home?" Oh there is "no waiting to get home" in eating at Donut Man.

I've been intrigued by the concept of obsession. The pursuit, the chase -- the drive to Glendora!! -- is not defined as the means to an end -- but the pursuit is the purpose. Donuts are a dime a dozen and are often closer than miles and miles away. But few are as artisan-al, are as drive worthy, as Donut Man. Simply put, Donut Man makes the Tiffany Diamond of donuts.


Donut Man does make other donuts. This is the lemon one.


This is the chocolate with coconut sprinkles.


this is the bavarian cream. amazing. no shortage of cream filling!


This is the nifty box.


This is all that is left.

Donut Man
915 E. Route 66
Glendora, California 91741
(626) 335-9111
Open 24 hours



Photo credit of Jim: Carol Williams

Casa Diaz news

So my post on the Yuca's / Casa Diaz merger started completely one sided: more Yuca's. Then the next week I went to eat lunch at Casa Diaz three times. (Yes that is too much I know I know.) I couldn't help myself. The food was too good. And the prospect of eating food that was about to go on the food blog extinction list was too enticing.

I feel like I owe Casa Diaz an apology for not having eaten there earlier. The first time I ate lunch I got the pork duo: carnitas and al pastor.



The four tacos on a plate was pretty impressive.



Each taco came with an avocado sauce and some firey salsa roja and some springs of cilantro. They were delicious. The meat was quality and the flavor was rich. The sauces added to the experience for sure. But I prefer the four alarm fire of a roja-only presentation like at La Estrella.



I subsequently tried (but did not photograph) the chicken mole burrito was my favorite item at the restaurant. Amazing complexity of flavor with a rich cinnamon-cumin spice aftertaste> I've never eaten a burrito so fast.



Good news taco hunters: the merger between Yuca's and Casa Diaz is truly a merger. There will be Yuca's tacos on the menu but there will remain Casa Diaz food too. I saw one of the owners of Yuca's at the restaurant when I was there the third time, so the changeover is happening fast. But I talked to an employee that has been there for some time and she reassured me that the mole burrito was going no where. That, in fact, much of the menu will remain the same. Thank the taco (and burrito) gods. Yuca's and Casa Diaz are both treasures. I look forward to seeing how the evolution occurs. My only advice: ditch the "Yuca's Hollywood" name unless Arnold and Bruce Willis are investors!

Revised July 7, 2007

I went to Casa Diaz / Yuca's on Hollywood the other day and gone are the Al Pastor tacos (RIP) and in their place are the Pibil tacos which are good (and for now) cheaper than Yuca's. I told them replacing one with the other is a mistake and the worker who has been there for a few years just smiled. Certainly the Pibil is great. But Casa Diaz had great Al Pastor. It's a shame. But sometimes "Progress" leaves a few things behind. Such is Los Angeles.

Mr. Ramen - Roots Ramen and Reggae

Tonight was Friday night, the beginning of memorial day weekend and we thought it would be fun to all go down to Little Tokyo and begin our exploration of the large block of Japanese restaurants on First Ave.

One of the first places that caught our eyes was Mr. Ramen. We walked up and down the block looking for a the right menu and MR. Ramen had what we were looking for: some solid ramen options, good appetizers and reasonable prices. We headed inside and learned that they have no high chairs. The fate of our night was altered by that fact a bit.



We chose a double table and ordered one mabo ramen and one friend chicken ramen. I also got the bud + gyoza special which was one bud for a buck and an appetizer of gyoza. The beer came first and then the gyoza a few minutes after that (at prescisely the moment when I was getting tired ot waiting). The gyoza had been very freshly fried; they were crispy and hot hot hot to eat! Mr. Ramen supplied a small amount of shoyu and vinegar and two dipping cups for a make your own situation. I added 4 or 5 drops of chili sauce to some shoyu and enjoyed the gyoza. They were purely veggy gyoza which I immediately found a bit disappointing. But the mix of cabbage and onions and hotness were a fine way to kick off the meal. I usually prefer gyoza with meat and a veggie mix but that was not to be had by us tonight.



Then two enormous bowls of ramen were brought out of the kitchen. The first thing I noticed was that the meatyness of the ramen seemed a bit congealed from the start, but that was somewhat of an illusion. The fried chicken (kara-age style) was a bit fried in a sauce style as opposed to the drier style I am used to. The noodles were cooked just a hair more than needed but were firm enough. The mabo ramen was a bit on the bland side. I stirred up the bowl after about half way and realized that there might have been enough tasty goodness in the bottom that I should have mixed the ramen around first. The ramen at mr ramen made me wish it was the dead of winter outside and i needed a hearty hot meal to brave the cold outside. the meal was solid and good but not the amazing ramen dish that i know must reside in little toyko.



To some extent Mr. Ramen likely was hurt by it being my first stop in the discovery of Little Tokyo. At the same time, the pork in my mabo ramen was boring, there were few spices or extras in the bowl other than a few pieces of scallion. It was a decent meal for sure but one iId be even happier about if it were 20% cheaper or 15% better. Or if I had been 85% drunker.

The atmosphere was really mellow, which made our fussy son sound all the louder. But there was some interesting reggae playing throughout our meal. The music started off charming and quirky but then became somewhat odd as the same artist played for awhile. Not that I needed to hear some cd purchased at the Japanese art museam at LACMA, but the ramen/reggae combo was weird after awhile. The service was just ok (though with no high chairs it is clear this is not a kid friendly place) and the food just ok. Then again, if I imagine myself a bit tipsy and transported to a Harajuku ramen shop this would be what I'd expect to find.

I will go back for sure...but it will be a long time. I'm just sure there are better spots out there. One new one opened up that specializes in mainly sushi and had an employee handing out fliers by their door. And i regret a bit not going there. Maybe next time. Not bad dishes for the price but instead of inspiring me to come back, Mr. Ramen has inspired me to keep searching for the Ultimate Little Tokyo Ramen spot!

Mr. Ramen is located at 341 1/2 E 1st St Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-4252

Find Mr. Ramen on Google Maps

Yuca's to open 2nd location!

Eating LA reports news that makes the recent Pinkberry controversy recede into the background:

One of Grub in LA's favorite taco stands -- the James Beard award winning Yuca's -- is opening a second location! Yuca's on Hollywood is now open for business, though it does seem like it might take a bit of time for the amazing kitchen and it's recipes to make the transition (they must need a big moving van or something).



You can bet I will review the new location on my lunch break from work on Monday. Will it compare to the world famous original? Will the carnitas at Casa Diaz retain the title of "best carnitas" (according to LA's taco guru, the Taco Hunter)? Is this the taco equivalent of Superman teaming up with Batman?

Stay tuned loyal readers.


Yuca's on Hollywood is located at: 4666 Hollywood Blvd Los Feliz 90027

Pinkberry vs. Roseberry (Best LA Fro Yo Round 1)

It took me well over a year to check out Pinkberry, but when I did I was hooked. While a fan, I am not a close-minded loyalist (no names mentioned). In fact, I want to see the wide-spread adoption of the phenomena that I credit Pinkberry with creating. The health craze around frozen yogurt has some room left to innovate, to bring prices down, etc. I am also convinced that I have yet to taste the truly hands down best fro yo in town.

So here is the kick off of the challenge: let all the pretenders be tested against the best. And if you look at the multiplicity of frozen yogurt knock offs that have popped up like cudzu weeds in LA this is going to be a 12 round battle. When I first learned of Rosegreen I was a bit suspicious, since most of the pinkberry online discussion is pretty combative and, honestly, mean. There's Kiwiberry vs. Pinkberry anger over at Coleen Cuisine that makes me almost want to swear off the yogurt, were it not as good as it really is.

Let the fro yo comparisons begin!!

Round 1: Pinkberry vs. Roseberry
(this ongoing contest assumes an intimate familiarity with Pinkberry...)

Roseberry is now called Rosegreen which makes me laugh. WTF does the name mean...it's like a game of telephone where the ending sentence means nothing. The word rose must have been chosen because it is basically a similar color to pink and berry? well that is the same word. What is amazing is someone who is so hell bent on ripping off Pinkberry would get cold feet along the way and decide to change the store name as to, I assume, avoid a lawsuit. I mean seriously, what is the easiest thing to jettison? The ripped off name or the ripped off product and store aesthetics?? Clearly the name could be spared.



I have mixed feelings about a store that so clearly is trying to capitalize on the success of another. There is virtually no innovation at Roseberry (I think I will continue to call a spade a spade by using the old name). Nothing about the experience is different, well except the lack of a line to place an order. Oh and instead of really cool indie rock and electronica that plays at Pinkberry, Roseberry was tuned into power 106 where hip hop lives. Barf. Clearly the high schoolers who work there have control over the radio. what no super cool iPod playing the good fringe of the KCRW sounds??

On to the actual food. The most salient points to compare a Pinkberry to a Roseberry are: price, serving size, toppings and taste. Pinkberry and Roseberry are the same price. Both have a small, medium and a large and they escalate at the same rate. Both are on the spendy end of treats. Pinkberry and Roseberry each have only two flavors of yogurt: plain and green tea. Not that anyone would care, but the green tea choice is less expensive than at Pinkberry. I'm not sure why green tea flavor is more expensive than plain at both establishments, but it is. Weird. Both establishments have 5oz / 8oz / 10oz sizes but Roseberry seems to provide more yogurt per order. It is possible that this is just psychological, since the employees don't weight the yogurt to make sure they aren't giving you enough. I've always felt like there was a bit of a Fro Yo Nazi air about at Pinkberry. That does not exist at Roseberry. The topings at Roseberry are virtually identical to Pinkberry which is a minus for Roseberry because it wouldn't take more than 1 teenager to suggest a novel topping. And since there are no "rice cakes" aka "mochi," Roseberry doesn't even carry my favorite Pinkberry topping. Boo! Roseberry may have a few toppings Pinkberry doesn't have but an extra fruit choice or M&Ms doesn't register for me. I think I'm bitter about no mochi. And the sign that declares "no double or triple serving of berries" strikes me as weird. Why can't you have Roseberry with two orders of raspberries? Ok so how does Roseberry taste? Pretty good actually. The real difference between the two stores is noticable but not very significant to me. I think Pinkberry may be a little sweeter and Roseberry a little tart-er but unless you go to either every day, the difference is not that big a deal really. The real big significant difference is something I still need to investigate. I think Roseberry is LOW FAT yogurt as opposed to the NON FAT yogurt at Pinkberry. The differnce gives Roseberry a creamier texture and a more substantial density. I think that is why other reviewers think that Roseberry portions are more substantial. It melted a bit slower too, but that could be because of the fat content.




A bonus category exists: location and parking. Frankly, going to PInkberry is a pain in the ass. No matter which one I go to there is never any parking and I have to travel some 15-30 minutes depending on if I go from work or from home. The extra edge of "did I get a parking ticket" doesn't really make the experience better for me. And Fro Yo at $5 a pop is expensive enough. I don't need a $50 parking ticket to go.

So the winner is... well I think it is a draw really. Pinkberry may be inspired by a store in Korea, but I've never been to Korea so I consider it an orignal and an institution. Roseberry shows very little (aka no) originality which makes me feel a bit like I am cheating when I go there. But the convenience to my house (and it is right across from the yummy Porto's Bakery!) make Roseberry my top choice. A somewhat reluctant top choice. If Pinkberry to a Roseberry were to add mochi and play better music and innovate somehow, that may put me over the edge.


Roseberry is located at:
312 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203

Mitsuwa Market Place (San Gabriel, CA)

I'm on a mission to find all the elements necessary to make a stunning Pinkberry concoction in my own home (at a savings too!). One of our favorite toppings is the mochi balls ("rice cakes" Pinkberry calls them).
So I put the baby in the car and we drove to the Mitsuwa Marketplace in San Gabriel to find sutible mochi. (We called ourselves "Mochi Hunters.")

San Gabriel is a 15 minute drive from Highland Park/Eagle Rock which for us was no big deal. A nice drive on a sunny weekend day actually. The San Gabriel Mitsuwa is a moderate sized version of the prominent Japanese markets in LA. This location is bigger than the typical Mexican markets in Highland Park but smaller than a large grocery store. (To wit: this Mitsuwa has a video store and a home appliance section in addition to many food isles.)

As I got the baby into a shopping cart I was greeted by smiles and hellos from the Mitsuwa clients who were speaking in Japanese to each other outside the market. From the Japanese I remember it was clear they were dishing about a family friend... But to me it was a very nice and welcome introduction ... and transported me back to Tokyo when I was a boy.

I felt a little weird going to a Japanese market mainly for what would be considered dessert or candy. So we perused every isle in the market. The vegetable section is small but filled with the basics of Japanese cooking. And everything looked great and fresh as can be. Presentation here is good too. Next to the produce is a "deli" section with marinated food (plums, beans, fish cakes), tofu, to go potstickers and the like. In the back of the store is a to-go sushi section and a small bakery section.

I grabbed a box of Japanese style curry and a package of tofu -- so I was a real grocery shopper now! The candy and cookie ilse was stocked with lots of chocolates, gummies and the like. But the only mochi type candy they had was the Botan Rice Candy which I remember being bored by as a kid. Botan is a cube of sweet mochi flavored orange and, at $0.89 a package, is not expensive but is not cheap enough for my Pinkberry project.

So I asked a cashier for help findingmochi candy and was told that they had nothing but the Botan. However she suggested I try the Sugimotoya soft candy which are flavored like either red beans or green tea. The candy is fine (mild actually) but isn't quite what I was looking for.

I grabbed some Kasugai Kiwi gummy candies and Calpico yogurt drink for old time sake and checked out. In the end, I didn't find what I wanted but I did leave with $17 of yummy treats and surprises. A fun trip and a cool store, especially for a favorite Japanese food or candy item. Certainly a great store for specifically Japanese food.




Cost: All prices seem very reasonable
Taste: A diverse range of good food.
Experience: One of the best Japanese markets in LA.

Find a Mitsuwa Marketplace Location near you.

San Gabriel Store
Yahoo! Map
515 W Las Tunas Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 457-2899
9:00AM - 8:00PM