Tortillas, Tequila and a Toast to North Africa?

An intriguing tribute to Curtiz's 1942 masterpiece, yet oddly enough Mexican in every other way, guests are greeted at the door with a placard to note, "You are leaving Venice, California and entering Casablanca, Morocco." Small, quaint and uniquely relaxed, a mix of rounded booths and four-tops orbit around this gem's center attraction - a small fire cast inside a brick oven with handmade tortillas arranged in a salute to all things amazing. You won't find grease-laden chips diapered by a sheet of wax paper here. Guests enjoy freshly prepared flour tortillas served with verde salsa and butter - hot, moist and tinged by traditional cookware - this is undoubtedly one of my favorite portals of south-of-the-border cuisine.


Casablanca, located eight blocks from Venice Beach, sits on the corner of Rose Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard (220 Lincoln, Venice). Seafood-based dishes are their specialty, however, I've sampled the chicken fajitas and shredded chicken burrito - both of which brought joyous satisfaction to an already delightful pre-meal of handmade tortillas. For it is impossible to leave this refuge of sacred cuisine hungry.

Tiered levels of tequila bottles cascade behind the bar in an usual display of gold and glass, clear and corked; it is obvious that Casablanca's diversified tequila selection is not for the faint of heart.


But not to worry. For those guests unable to pair their dish with a particular refinement of tequila, Casablanca offers daily specials served with two shots of distilled agave, hand-picked and carefully matched to the cuisine at hand.

Simply put, this establishment is more than a restaurant - it is an oasis of unique intrigue only found in Venice, California. Enjoy my friends and be sure to try the Cadillac Margarita - it's every bit classic mixed with everything octane.

Casablanca is located at 220 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291

With breakfast this good, who needs the L & D?

I’ve heard people raving about BLD for some time now, particularly about their incredible ricotta blueberry pancakes. The restaurant has been featured on Food Network and in Food and Wine, not to mention the word of mouth buzz throughout Los Angeles. I’ve meant to visit to try their food myself—okay, mainly to try these pancakes I’ve heard so much about—but it seems like every opportunity I’ve had has been after 5pm, which is when they switch from their ‘Supper’ menu that still includes the pancakes to the ‘Dinner’ menu which omits them.

Finally, this past Sunday, I had the chance to visit for brunch with a few friends. However, after seeing the variety of breakfast and lunch options on all of the surrounding tables, pancakes was the last thing on my mind. Everything looked tasty. Fortunately, my companions all had the same dilemma. With a little collaboration, we decided to go family style and order a bunch of plates for the whole table to sample.

We ordered four items, but unfortunately I can only recall three of the four. If I were a real journalist, I’d admit this memory lapse is unforgivable. Fortunately, I’m not a journalist. However, I’d much rather place the blame on my friends who ferociously guarded this fourth plate.

The other three items that I can recall included Spanish scramble, eggs Florentine and, of course, the ricotta blueberry pancakes. The pancakes, as expected, were incredible. The portion was generous and they tasted great. I think there’s enough hype that not much more needs to be said.

The egg entrees were given a choice of potatoes. Whether the Spanish chorizo home fries, fingerling potatoes or french fries, you can’t go wrong no matter which you choose.

What really made the Florentine was the hollandaise. A great hollandaise is a must for any solid breakfast menu, and I would be confident ordering any item on the menu that includes the sauce, whether the Florentine or any of the Benedict variations.

As for the Spanish-inspired dish we shared, diners have the option of ordering it as a frittata or scramble. We opted for the scramble, however, either is likely to offer the same colorful punch of flavor. Such a large plate on it’s own might have been a bit overwhelming though, but it made a great dish to share.

The problem with BLD is that everything looks so tasty. By the time you sit down and look at your menu, you’ve probably seen at least four or five dishes at other tables that you really want to sample. Hopefully you won’t be quite as indecisive as us and will be able to settle on just one. From our experience, I’d imagine whatever you do end up choosing will not disappoint.

BLD is located at 7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036-2701
Visit their website at www.bldrestaurant.com

European charm in Old Towne Orange

I like to think that I'm someone who appreciates change. It's better to see a commercial area get reborn and revitalized rather than slowly die off, affecting the community around it. However, I find this notion flies right in the face of my strong sense of nostalgia.

I have fond childhood memories of visiting Old Towne Orange with my family. Honestly, I mainly remember getting dragged through antique store after antique store. Still, as much as I disliked wandering aisles full of musty old furniture, I did enjoy the trips to Watson's Drug Store and a few of the other unique shops around the Orange Circle. All in all, I have some strong memories of the area, which has made it tough watching it slowly fade away through the years.

When it comes down to it, what I really want to see is a renewal of historic areas like Downtown Orange that celebrates and preserves the glory of the past while meeting the likes and interests of the modern community. I have watched with caution as Orange has slowly gone through this transition, keeping my fingers crossed, hoping the area would not end up overrun with big box retail and restaurants like Pasadena.

After a visit to the Circle's newest establishment, Haven Gastropub, at the far south end of Glassell St., I feel I may finally have reason to breath just a little easier. Old Towne has had some great places for some time--Felix Continental Cafe, the Filling Station--the fate of the area has remained uncertain. However, Haven offers hope that Orange may be on its way to being one of the best hang outs in Orange County.

At first sight, one recognizes that a lot of care has gone into creating Haven. The place combines contemporary style with traditional European pub elements, such as rustic brickwork, large iron chandeliers and dark wood furniture. Of course, to be a good pub, the place needs to have a solid assortment of beers, among other libations. If the six foot tall chalkboard with the long list of microbrews is any indicator, very few should be left disappointed. I imagine quite a few others will be pleased with their scotch bar.

While I appreciate a place that serves a good assortment of beers, the true test of the place is whether it lives up to its namesake and serves "high quality food." Despite having a limited menu, the house burger I got was excellent and a sign of good things to come. The sandwich included a hearty beef patty topped with a great selection of ingredients, including roasted peppers, st. agur cheese, fresh arugula and pickled onions.

As impressive as the burger was, it's the fries--or perhaps the condiment served with the fries--that stole the show. Don't get me wrong, the fries were terrific, but I particularly appreciated the homemade ketchup that accompanied them. While I would have enjoyed a little more tang, I loved the sweetness of the brown sugar. Preference for sweet or tangy aside, the place deserves a lot of credit for their commitment to making sure every item they serve is fresh and tastes great.

My only real disappointment with Haven would be the size of the menu. However, the word is this is only a test menu and a broader menu is on the way. Considering what I've seen so far, I'm happy to know the owners are committed to slowly building a top quality menu rather than quickly putting together a large assortment of mediocre items. My only hope is that they choose to add a few more reasonably priced items so I can justify dining here a time or two a week after work.

All in all, I'm surprised that Haven has only been open for a couple of weeks, even with the limited menu. The great atmosphere and top quality menu show that a lot of thought has gone into the restaurant. With only two weeks in the books, I can't wait to see what this place can do in a few months.

Haven Gastropub is located at 190 S. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
For more information, visit their website: www.havengastropub.com

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