Nickel for your thoughts

Los Angeles has a remarkable way of surprising even the most seasoned visitor. Time and time again you can venture into downtown for just an evening only to stumble upon one of the city’s hidden, but truly great gems.

Our encounter with The Nickel Diner was only slightly different, being as we were making an intentional first visit upon receiving a Top Chef referral (Monica May, Executive Chef at the Nickel Diner appeared as a judge for the Quick Fire challenge on the Magic Chefs episode of Top Chef Masters—aired 7/8/09 on Bravo).

You’ll find the Nickel Diner in one of those notorious downtown LA neighborhoods where you cant avoid several requests for change, or help but breathe a sigh of relief when you return to find your car is still intact where you parked it. That’s only to say that this particular neighborhood is one of many in downtown on the verge of renaissance. The Nickel Diner is no stranger to this reality—the wall above the entryway reads, “This is the place. There is no place quite like this place anywhere near this place so this must be the place.” There simply isn’t a truer statement to make.

Set with a 1930/40’s feel, The Nickel Diner is a nugget of originality in a restaurant industry saturated with ho-hum gimmicky 1950’s diner mock-ups. With timeless American jazz and ballad playing softly in the background you feel like you’ve stepped onto the set of a classic LA movie like Chinatown. This is a diner, natural and without the pretension and gimmick.

We started with the refreshing, homemade mint lemonade. For dinner we ordered the Double Stuffed Chicken and the Lowrider Burger.

First, the chicken. Mushroom duxelle stuffed under the skin, on a bed of old fashioned hazelnut stuffing, and served with sautéed spinach and pan gravy. I’ve never had chicken so perfectly cooked, and served over stuffing—it was just how you imagine and desire the perfect homemade meal would taste and make you. It’s just chicken, but so moist and perfectly seasoned. Each bite was filled with more flavor than the last. Even on a summer night this meal will make you feel all warm and good inside.

Next, the burger. Poblano chilies, pepper jack cheese, pickled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and spicy aioli with a side of shoestring french fries. This burger offered a gratifying blend of spice without being too spicy and overwhelming the true flavor of the beef.

When dessert time rolled around our hipster waiter asked if we were “Ready for the tour?” With a tray of samples set before us, the expansive selection included homemade pop tarts and ding dongs. With everything made fresh and daily and looking so scrumptious, we opted for a slice of the S’more Cake. Even next to their Cher cupcake, this is probably the most theatrical dessert The Nickel Diner has to offer. Brought to the table along with the cake is a blowtorch that is used to roast it right there in front of you. A rich, dark cocoa, fluffy and marshmallowy heaven is what you’re in for with each bite. One is enough to share for this rich dessert, but definitely worth the order. It’s rich without being too sweet because of the bitterness the dark chocolate offers. Even a chocolate skeptic would enjoy, and definitely even better with the company of a hot black coffee.

We also couldn’t resist ordering a couple of the homemade ding-dongs to take for a late night snack. In the words of our server, “Think of how good a ding-dong is—now think of how good a homemade ding dong would be.” Josh is wise. There is nothing regrettable about the ding-dong order. Treat yourself to this delicious, little indulgence any day of the week.

No matter what you order here, you’ll walk out satisfied. The Nickel Diner can easily be tagged as a landmark that offers not just generous portions for generous prices, but honestly delicious food and an authentic throwback atmosphere. We walked away $32 later and planning our next visit.

Nickel Diner is located at 524 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
or more information, visit their website: www.5cdiner.com

Now that's a smart cup of coffee!

Perhaps it grew out of necessity--needing something strong to help me through late nights of essays and exam-cramming during college--but I've never been a fan of the wide variety of mixed coffee drinks. I like my coffee simple, usually with nothing extra added. If I do order something other than a press or drip coffee, it'll either be a cappuccino or Americano. Occasionally I'll visit a coffee shop and sample one of their signature blended drinks. I usually end up disappointed with a drink that has lost any hint of coffee due to the excess of chocolate or other sweet syrups that have been added. Usually, these drinks turn out to be nothing more than coffee drinks for people who don't like coffee.

This weekend I was hanging out with some friends in Venice who said that I had to try a new coffee shop that opened up on Abbot Kinney, Intelligentsia. Knowing that my friend is very choosy with his coffee, I was certain that this place must be top quality considering the praise he was giving.

In most circumstances, I would just order a standard cup of coffee, but on this particular day, even the breeze from the nearby ocean wasn't enough to make ordering a hot coffee reasonable. Even though it was against my better judgment, I took my friends recommendation and ordered an iced mocha.

I've never tasted a mixed coffee drink that has tasted as incredible as Intelligentsia's iced mocha. Rather than just using a chocolate syrup and serving a drink that just tastes like an over-sweetened chocolate milk, Intelligentsia uses a bitter chocolate that perfectly compliments the coffee.

Intelligentsia's commitment to serving the highest quality premium coffee is clear in the design of the store. As expected with any shop in this trendy area of Venice, the decor is sleek and stylish. However, the layout of the place isn't meant to just compliment the look but actually has a purpose. Rather than walking up to a single counter to order drinks and then pick them up somewhere down the row, customers walk up to one of four kiosk-like counters. There they meet their personal barista who takes the order and prepares the drink(s) right on the spot. While this process seemed a little gimmicky at first, the quality of my drink made me a believer in Intelligentsia's mission to provide a unique experience centered around excellent coffee.

While I'm still partial to my standard cup of joe, I'm happy to know I can find an incredible, summer-friendly coffee drink.

Intelligentsia is located at 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
For more information, visit their website: www.intelligentsiacoffee.com