Clifton’s cafeteria: The place where L.A. finds itself

With its long history and family tradition, Clifton’s Brookdale still draws diners of all stripes. ‘It’s like coming home,’ one patron says.
By Mary MacVean, Times Staff Writer
February 4, 2009
On Broadway downtown — amid a jumble of shops selling gold necklaces and sports socks and electric guitars, amid exhaust and noise and has-been theaters, amid hipsters, the down and out and the just plain out of it — an authentic piece of history goes about the business it began during the Great Depression, feeding everyone who walks through the glass doors.

Wander into Clifton’s Brookdale, the cafeteria on Broadway at 7th Street, and it might seem obvious what makes it unique. Perhaps the waterfall that cascades over several ledges. Or the huge moose head hanging on a wall overlooking one of the dining rooms and the bear holding a fishing pole. Maybe the tiny — and popular — tree trunk chapel with its neon cross and inspirational recorded message. But it’s more than these. READ MORE

Newest addition

This is our new puppy Casey, he is an 8 week old Boxer and a monster!
Casey is just the nicest, sweetest boy who will soon be looking for a playmate…

Baumbach’s wine research

Mouse au Vin
by Noah Baumbach January 26, 2009

Red wine may be much more potent than was thought in extending human lifespan, researchers say in a new report that is likely to give impetus to the rapidly growing search for longevity drugs. The study is based on dosing mice with resveratrol, an ingredient of some red wines. . . . [In a related study] scientists used a dose on mice equivalent to just 35 bottles a day.
—The Times.

August 24, 2008

I uncork a 2003 Haut-Médoc, which has a delightfully oaky nose, and pour a glass for myself and a bowl for my subject, Louis, the gray-and-white mouse I’ve selected for this study. I’ve chosen him for his serious and restrained demeanor—among the other rodents, he keeps to himself. Cautious by nature, he sniffs the wine apprehensively, but after a sip or two he laps it up eagerly.

The Château La Croix opens up in the glass, developing a full body and a luscious texture, and really hits its stride by the sixteenth bottle. Once we get a good head on, Louis is able to do the treadmill for twice his normal length of time and I do a pretty solid forward roll.

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Wurstküche, downtown L.A.’s new sausage-and-beer kitchen

An emporium for the encased is ensconced.
By Jessica Gelt
November 24, 2008
“We’re young; let’s have fun with encased meat,” says Joseph Pitruzzelli, the 27-year-old co-owner of Wurstküche, downtown L.A.’s new sausage-and-beer kitchen. Such is the love between a boy and his brats.

Stuffed neatly into a small slice of real estate on Traction Avenue and 3rd Street, Wurstküche is no ordinary sausage hang. It features more than 20 tubular varieties of meat, including the obscure (buffalo, beef and pork with chipotle), the classic (bratwurst) and the bizarre but surprisingly tasty (alligator and hickory-smoked pork, rattlesnake and rabbit). FOLLOW THE LINK

I Know You Asshole

In the spirit of A Continuous Lean

An interesting evening in

The following are notes from the last wine dinner my friend Heather hosted. If you don’t give a rat’s ass about wine, you don’t care. So don’t bother.

As Bacchus Smiles From The Heavens…

There is nothing like good food, good wine, and a bad girl
~ Chinese Proverb

Dr. “L” Riesling 2006

Light, bright, and refreshing, Riesling is ostensibly known as “adult lemonade.” The Dr. Loosen (loh-zen) vineyards are organic, which allows the grape to develop to it’s full potential, and come to you unscathed by technological meddling. The vineyard is situated along the banks of Mosel, lending cool but voluptuous environs for the piquant, acidic grapes. Nose – peach, apple, orange, slate, melon, slight floral.

Amuse Bouche: spring pea pancake, house cured gravlox
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Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner 2005

Gruner Veltliner is a little known grape that has been gaining esteem over the past few years and is finally giving Austria a credible name in wine production. This particular wine features “federspiel” on the label (a measure of the ripeness of the grape when harvested) and “terrassen” (meaning the grapes are sourced from many different terraced vineyards.) Nose – white pepper, mineral, citrus, tobacco, clove, white plum.

First Course: celery root veloute, poached egg
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Domaine Berrod Fleurie 2005

Gamay is my favorite Spring ingress, made to be drunk young and ripe, this grape echoes the fresh, damp scent of new things growing. It’s an oft-misunderstood grape, generally seen as bumbling next to Pinot Noir’s elegance – yet it maintains similar qualities. Historically, it saved village growers from poverty during the Black Death in France in the 1360′s, because it ripened faster and was much less finicky than Pinot Noir. 2005 is noted as an exceptional year for gamays. Nose – cherry, violet, banana, wet earth, pomegranate, raspberry, black currant.

Second Course: charred sushi grade tuna, grilled escargot, braised fennel
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Chateau Routas Cyrano Syrah 2003

Syrah is the milder, French cousin of Shiraz. While many use the names interchangeably, I find Syrah to be less tannic with a more sophisticated nose – likely due to terroir. This particular Syrah was named after Cyrano De Bergerac, a French writer and duellist, whose life story was satirized – mostly reducing him to a swashbuckler with a prominent nose. As such, we can expect a robust and venerable bouquet, undoubtedly Chateau Routas’ aim. Nose – thyme, rosemary, lavender, black pepper, balsam wood, black cherries, leather, plum, red licorice.

Third Course: roasted leg of Spring lamb, cous cous, mint gremolata
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Yalumba Viognier Botrytis 2005

Dessert: raspberry flan