Los Angeles Day 3: A farmers market in Hollywood, brunch and a US popup

Over the first few days of my visit, all I heard in relation to food pretty much every where I went was "organic", "healthy" and "local". I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised, since the city of Angels is packed to the brim full of aspiring actors trying to look their best. What did surprise me was how easy it was to get your hands on all this great produce. All through the week, you can spot farmers markets around the town, with a seeming abundance of them on Sunday. Chatting with Charlie the night before, he encouraged me to visit one with him right in the heart of Hollywood, home to some of the suppliers of his restaurant.

Lining the streets for a couple of blocks either way were rows of stalls selling fresh fruit, veg, meat and even live seafood. As with most markets, we went along, checking out the stalls, snagging tasters when on offer. Apart from freakishly large strawberries, most of the fruit and veg tasted pretty great, with the oranges in particular tasting like no orange I had ever tasted. Sweet and delicious. Some blueberries, some of those oranges and some apples bought, we headed down to Silver Lake for some coffee.

I don't know a whole lot about coffee, but I know I love it. It seems the Angelenos love it to, and with the queue heading out of the door at Intelligentsia, I knew it had to be good, people normally only queue for the good stuff. When I finally got my lips around a cup, I knew it was. A deeper and slightly more bitter brew, but delightfully smooth. It didn't last very long, so once we were done, we gave up our seats to the waiting hordes and headed for lunch.

Charlie assured me that the food at our next stop Canele was good. He knew the owners who had very much the same ethos in food as he had, try and use the freshest and most seasonal ingredients in the best way that you could. As it was Sunday brunch, I ordered conservatively with a cheese and mushroom omelette, and a side of home cured bacon. The food was certainly good, with a faultless omelette, garlicky crisp home fries and a well dressed salad. The sad thing was that it took over an hour to turn up and the staff were looking sadly flustered with all the people they had to serve. Disappointing, but at least the food was good.

I really wanted an opportunity to meet other "foodies" and when I learnt of a pop up food and cocktail evening at the Roosevelt hotel held by Made by Meg, I signed up. What followed were lovely cocktails by mixologist Matthew Biancaniello paired with plates of food by Meg Hall. Some pairings were great, some were good, and some dishes were a little disappointing, but on the whole, the night was a great success. The chocolate terrarium to end the night was quite a delicious show stopper. I met a gaggle of LA food lovers who kept me company and were lovely to chat to, and all in all had a lovely evening. A really great day seeing and meeting a less touristy side of LA.

Click here for more LA pics

Silver Lake Intelligentsia - 3922 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Canele - 3219 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90039-1831

The Hackney Wizzle Munch Tour

Hackney Wick is one of those areas people who live in London don't go to unless they actually live there. I mean, seriously, all there is there are warehouses and canals filled with shopping trolleys, surely there can be no reason to visit? At least that was my opinion until Nicola (she of Shedlikesfood fame) decided to organise a tour to prove that there was more to Hackney Wick than rats and pigeons. As the token South Londoner and a habitual hater of East London, she was taking a real chance inviting me along, but she was confident that the wares of Hackney Wick would be enough to convince me that there be good things amongst all these warehouses.

So, early start and the first stop was breakfast at The Counter Cafe

Who knew such a great little cafe existed in the middle of pretty much nowhere? Surrounded by those ever present warehouses, The Counter is an oasis amongst the urban wilderness. Upon arrival, we ordered a few coffees to perk us up from the early morning start. My order of a flat white was velvety smooth and had that slight natural sweetness synonymous with the Antipodean coffee I drank out in Melbourne. Great start.

We were then served mini portions of a few of the Counter Cafes classics. The first were masala scrambled eggs which were delicately spiced and just made me wish I had a bigger portion (that was until my brain kicked in and the realisation that eating a little at a time on a food tour was probably a sensible thing). For "dessert" we were served their signature french toast served with a sweet but slightly tart compote of berries and banana. I love french toast and I love berries and bananas. I loved this dish.

With all these complex carbs, I really needed to work off a few before we headed off towards our next destination. Luckily enough, there is a table tennis table out back to do just that and after a few rounds with Lex, we were ready to move onto our next destination, the Hackney Pearl.

Lunch at the Hackney Pearl

The short stroll along the canal to the Hackney Pearl was quite welcome, helping us further digest some more of the food we had just eaten, steeling us for the feast that the Hackney Pearl had prepared for us. It was pretty empty when we first arrived but slowly filled up throughout the time we were there until bursting point when we left a few hours later.

First drink of the day in hand (it was just about 12 at this stage), we started with a selection of starters including a veggie mezze (with some really good mushed up carrots, creamy slaw and a tzatziki of sorts) and a ball of chicken liver pate which was far too “livery” for my tastes, but seemed to go down well with the rest of the table.

The mains were the real star with a whole slow roast lamb shoulder and salsa verde. The lamb was unctuous and so tender that strands of meat were just dripping off. When presented with this grand lump of meat, we questioned how long it had been cooking, receiving the response “ A long time, I had to constantly wake up during the night to keep it moist”. A real labour of love, it was certainly appreciated.

The behemoth of an Eton Mess we had for dessert was perfectly nice, if a little heavy on the cream, not a qualm you often hear from me. A better balance of meringue and fruit would have been ideal, but even then, we all tucked in heartily. By the time we were done, it hardly looked like we had made a dent into the beast.

Upon completion, it was time for another meander. Doubling back on ourselves, we headed back over the bridge, down past the canal, straight past the Counter and onwards deep into warehouse territory. Before we knew it, we were standing outside Formans, a massive grey and salmon pink building belying it’s true nature. Famous for its smoked salmon and smoker (as well as holding the record for the worlds fastest pin-boned and carved side of smoked salmon), it also contains a restaurant and a pretty bewildering art gallery.

We made our way to the balcony which with its Astroturf and stunning view of the Olympic stadium would have been the perfect setting for the conclusion of our tour. Unfortunately, it started to spit which consequently turned into an almighty downpour and we were restricted to remaining indoors.

The selection of Formans cheeses and dessert wine were a wonderful finale, and it was an absolute miracle that I managed to get through so much cheese. I had another engagement to head to (yet more food!), but I left “The Wick” enlightened and realising that it was more than just warehouses, rats and smelly canals. It had been a brilliant day and I have only Swift to thank for sorting out. I'm sure I will be back to Wick soon!

The Counter Cafe - 4a Roach Rd, Hackney Wick, London E3 2PA

The Hackney Pearl - 11 Prince Edward Road, Hackney Wick E9 5LX

Forman and Fields - Stour Rd, Fish Island, London E3 2NT

A Man Who Brunches - New York

Back in London, we can always rely on the good old English full breakfast. Sausages, bacon, beans, mushrooms, hash browns, toast and lashings of butter all washed down with a mug of builders finest. Over in New York, they turn their noses up at such delights and instead opt for Brunch. Eaten slightly later (normally between 11 and 1), we are talking pancakes, thin strips of streaky bacon, eggs any and every way, all washed down with as much filter coffee as is humanly possible. No nonsense.

I love the English attitude to breakfast, but the New Yorker's have managed to reinvent it all on their own. In the few days that I have here, I managed to fit in three different outings for brunch:

'Wichcraft:


Wichcraft is essentially a chain of upmarket sandwich shops scattered across New York. Created by the same man who runs the chain of Craft restaurants, a fine pedigree in itself, the order of the day is sandwiches with a bit more thought and execution than your everyday Pret. They serve mainly to a lunch crowd but have a range of sandwiches to cater for the brunch crowd. I went for what was called "Fried Eggs" which contained bacon and Gorgonzola alongside the aforementioned eggs. I even picked up a slight warming chilli kick, a nice if unexpected touch. All washed down with a decent coffee, a great little place to drop by if you're on the go and in need of nourishment.

'Wichcraft @ Flatiron (Website) - 11 East 20th street @ Broadway, New York




Clinton Street Baking Company:


When asking for New York dining recommendations, one place that is never far from most peoples thoughts is the Clinton Street Baking company. Located on the Lower East side, it's not exactly near all the other local tourist haunts but is certainly worth the detour. Famous for their pancakes, unless you arrive the minute they open, you are in for a wait. I was there around half ten and was told a 45 minute wait would ensue. 10 minutes later, wave upon wave bustled their way through the front door, only to be told they would have to brave the elements once again as the wait had now increased to an hour and a half.



Inside, it's tiny. People are seated wherever there is space, be it near to the coffee machine, at the window or in the actual "dining room". Even so, the atmosphere is jovial and the service efficient and with a smile. I think the promise of a good feed helps, but I happily passed the time with a coffee and stared into the kitchen, mesmerised as the brigade of chefs produced dish after yummy looking dish.



Eventually, it was my turn and I took my seat at the "bar" and ordered. I went for the French Toast Brioche with Pecan and Caramelised bananas, and as if that wasn't enough, I ordered a side of smoked bacon. I know I should have got the pancakes but enough has been said about them and I wanted to try something different. And the french toast was fantastic. Delicate brioche dipped in egg and fried, the toast still moist and soft but certainly not soggy. The caramelised bananas added a nice sweetness and the pecans crunch. Bacon was crisp, smoky and not greasy, a winning combination.



Clinton Street Bakery certainly had a lot to live up to, and even with a 45 minute wait, I actually enjoyed every minute of it. If anything, the wait just built up my hunger and I demolished my food the minute it arrived. Worth the trek and don't be surprised if you're there a while.

Clinton Street Baking Company and Restaurant (Website) - 4 Clinton Street (btw. East Houston & Stanton), New York




Spoon:


Conveniently located on the ground floor of where I was staying, Spoon is a relative new comer to the Brunch stakes. Originally opened as a catering outfit, it serves coffee and sandwiches during the week and opens its doors to the Brunch crowd at the weekends.

Family friendly, a rarity in New York it seems, it was packed to the gills with well behaved and well dressed young children. I went with my cousin and her one and a bit year old who proceeded to cause a ruckus, throwing veggies heavenwards whenever possible, only to generate coo's of forgiveness from the adults around her just by pulling adorable faces.

The brunch menu is limited but irresistible. I wanted to eat everything. Pancakes were on there as standard, in both blueberry and chocolate versions, but I wanted something more savoury and went for the baked eggs.



This was like baked eggs deluxe. Alongside the two baked eggs was sausage meat, spinach, mushrooms, they even managed to pack a hash brown in there. It was topped off with a Parmesan crust and was a very hearty brunch. Lucky that, as it was the only thing I ate before I boarded my flight back to blighty.

A fitting end to a rather OTT feasting trip. Rumour has it that Lucy Liu is a local and often comes to Spoon for brunch. I didn't spot her this time, but the next time I am back in New York, I may well be camped in Spoon on the look out.

Spoon (Website) - 17 West 20th Street
(between 5th & 6th avenues), New York

The Perfect Brunch at Lantana

If I had to choose, I think breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day. There isn't much that can beat a bacon and egg sarnie on buttered white bread, especially to beat away those post "oops I had one too many" blues . Or even a bowl of cereal doused in ice cold milk. There are few ills in the world that a few slices of toast licked with butter and a mug of builders tea can't fix.


I think the scene is adequately set. Its Saturday and I need to eat. I have nothing planned, the weather is nice, I am up early and am heading for one of the most hyped places in recent eating history. Lantana is a small (-ish) cafe located just off Charlotte Street. It specialises in what I consider "breakfast food", but certainly has a good reputation for a whole lot more and has been mentioned so many times in the blogosphere, one more write up couldn't hurt.



I really don't have an issue eating on my own and Lantana is perfectly set up for its solo visitors with its "breakfast bar" out the front. I get there early (for a Saturday). Its 11:30 and its buzzing and already packed bar one seat out the front which I happily occupy. First up I ordered a flat white from the infectiously cheerful Aussie girl who was serving me. The sign outside claims that it is one of the best in London, and indeed it is very good. Although it arrived lukewarm (my second was piping hot), it was as smooth and creamy as any coffee I have tried in London and had that mellow caffeine hit which jolted me back from my pre-food malaise. Great stuff.



What I got next was as close to brunch heaven as your going to get (IMHO). It looks like a bit of a mess but there is so much going on here. First, there's the main part of the dish, the halloumi. Salty and perfectly grilled, its a perfect foil for the iron rich spinach, sautéed with fine flecks of garlic, located underneath. Dive a little further and you hit the deep and earthy flavours of the flat cap mushrooms, dotted with a herb pesto. All this topped with a perfectly poached egg yielding a golden runny yolk. On the side, some of the sweetest roast tomatoes I have ever eaten as well as some toasted sourdough, slowly mopping up the juices collecting at the bottom of the plate. In addition, I ordered a side of bacon (I need meat), the perfect foil for all of the above.

I really hope my description gave this dish justice. I know its not been the same experience for everyone, but this was as close to a perfect dining experience as I can remember. I ate my food so fast that I was sure I was going to give myself indigestion and even considered ordering more food although I was thoroughly stuffed.

I really like this place, can you tell? It is already seriously hyped up, and I guess I have just added to it, but the food they are churning out is seriously tasty, as is their coffee. I would love to eat here every day if it wasn't for the fact that I work miles away and that it is quite dear. I guess you get what you pay for, but come pay day, your going to find me out the front, reading my book, drinking my coffee and best of all, tucking into my food.

Lantana (website), 13 Charlotte Place, W1T 1SN