"15" - New Italian in Echo Park

I thought the news that Two Boots was coming to Echo Park was exciting, but I'm really looking forward to the prospect of a cozy and sparkling new Italian spot in our neck of the woods. As I was leaving Walgreen's this morning, I noticed the space that formerly housed Burrito King had its arches filled in, is painted a deep brown and looked suspiciously sleek.

Pulling over for a closer look I chatted with a couple of friendly construction guys who filled me in on some basic details. 15 is going to serve Italian cuisine and is scheduled to open on August 13. According to my sources, 15 is the owner's lucky number therefore it has become the name of his/her new restaurant. Questions remain: Who is the owner and is this their first restaurant? What's on the menu? Is this the beginning of a transformation of this corner of EP?

As an Eastsider who is enjoying this eastward movement of yummy new spots (Elf Cafe, etc.), I am anxiously awaiting the opening of 15 and will, of course, report back with a review.

Breakfast Burritos at Tacos Villa Corona

I am not a breakfast person. Don't get me wrong, I eat my Kashi oatmeal every morning at work and we usually have some cereal or toast on the weekends. But big, heavy breakfasts confound me.



However, there is one exception and that would be the breakfast burrito at Tacos Villa Corona in Atwater Village. While we usually only eat them every once in a while, they are almost always amazingly good. Max and I like to share the basic with spinach and chorizo which is more than enough for us. This past Saturday we were in the mood and the boys did not disappoint (though they did use bacon, not chorizo).

Kwik-E-Mart - Who Knew?

We were already in the Valley Saturday morning, so I was able to convince Max to come with me to Burbank to visit the Kwik-E-Mart, otherwise known as 7-11 dressed up for the Simpson's movie opening. Gimmicky yes, but irresitable. But who knew it would be so crazy? I thought we'd just stroll in for a quickie look around. Fat chance. There was a line around the corner and when we finally got inside the owner reported similar long lines every day for the last two weeks until 2am! It was a kick and we got ourselves a pink frosted donut, two 6-packs of Buzz cola, and a Squishee.

NY Pizza Invasion Continues: Two Boots Pizza Coming To Echo Park

Say what you will about the blogosphere, I love my regular Eastside blog stops: Atwater Village Newbie, Franklin Avenue, Chicken Corner (a great Echo Park blog), and the Echo Park Historical Society. Catching up on the latest Echo Park news, I noticed this post on EPHS's blog:

The owners of this commercial building on the southside of Sunset Boulevard between Lemoyne St. and Glendale Blvd. recently exposed part of the metal facade to reveal some of the original brick walls and stone arches of the building (see the black and white photo, courtesy of Mary-Austin Klein and Scott Fajack). The owners, which also run the popular Echo nightclub, recently won the backing of the EPHS to remove a section of the facade as they renovate part of the building for a pizza parlor. They need a final OK from the city before they can take off the rest. They do not have immediate plans to restore the arched windows or the remainder of the facade but we would expect the results will have nearby residents asking them to take the rest of that cheesey metal siding off and let that building's historic beauty shine through. We hope they listen.


I'm sorry, there's a new pizza parlor moving into the hood? Joy! A call to the Spaceland folks confirmed it and provided more details. Two Boots Pizza is going to occupy a space attached to the Echo, which as the post described, is shedding its tacky exterior to reveal its historical charm. But more on Two Boots. Their website describes it as:

...New Orleans cooking with pizza and beer in a funky, family-friendly environment, TWO BOOTS (the boots representing the geographical shapes of Italy and Louisiana)...

New Orleans cuisine and pizza is this girl's idea of a perfect combination. How does this work exactly? We're talking blackened catfish po'boys, strombolis, jambalaya, and chicken parmesan heros. And their pizzas? With cornbread crusts and names like The Newman (soprassata, sweet italian sausage on a white pie), The Bayou Beast (BBQ, shrimp, andouille, crawfish, jalapenos, and mozzarella), and my favorite pizza name so far, The Dude (cajun bacon chesseburger pie - tasso, ground beef, cheddar, and mozzarella), Two Boots is obviously not your standard pizza joint.

Reviews (professional and bloggers) seem mixed, but I'm willing to give Two Boots a chance, especially since they're going to be within walking distance from home. Others here, here, and here.

They have six NYC outposts including one in Grand Central Station and another on Bleecker. I believe this is going to be the first Two Boots outside of NY and I officially welcome them with open arms into the hood.

A Lovely Summer Evening

A few Saturdays ago, Jess and Jed hosted an absolutely lovely and mostly vegetarian dinner party at their home in Silver Lake.

Jess made lentils which were delicious, hints of cinnamon and curry. Sometimes lentils just hit the spot and are so comforting. These balanced out the meal perfectly.

Jed manned the grill, expertly preparing and serving the meaty portobello mushroom burgers.

David Korty had his opening that night at China Art Objects so I believe everyone saw his show before heading to he dinner party. As we were leaving the show, we bumped into Brett and Jen who were driving into the parking lot. Now Jen is indeed quite the cook, but I couldn't believe she drove around town with Mario Batali's cookbook on her lap. Turned out that they had just realized the dinner party was a potluck and were planning their last minute dish which, of course, turned out to be fabulous. Below, grilled shrimp. Simple and summery.
For dessert, Max made strawberry shortcakes with a lemon verbena infused whipped cream from the Chez Panisse Fruit cookbook. A perfect end.

The Foodie Blogroll

I'm so honored and excited to be a new member of the Foodie Blogroll. Created by a professional food critic, travel writer and food blogger, the FB is a community comprised of folks who love food. If they're anything like me, they love eating it, talking and writing about it, making it, dreaming about it, and plan trips around it. Basically, these are my people. And I'm looking forward to getting to know them through their blogs. You can find the lovely Foodie Blogroll in the bottom right hand corner of my blog. Bon appetit!

Tonight's Dinner: Salmon Cakes with Roasted New Potatoes and Mixed Lettuces with Radish, Avocado, and Red Onion

As previous posts have indicated, my husband Max regularly impresses me with his culinary skills. Our weeknight dinners are almost always delicious, healthy, and beautifully presented.


Max hit it out of the ballpark tonight. The salmon cakes were accented with cilantro, scallions, celery and a hint of tabasco. Moist on the inside with a perfectly crunch on the exterior, I could have easily consumed five. We got these tiny new potatoes at the Hollywood Farmer's Market yesterday. Max roasted them and lightly sprinkled a little fleur de sel over them. Perfect. Served with a light salad with a citrus vinaigrette completed a most wonderful Monday dinner.