Señor Fish - Downtown / Little Tokyo

For the longest time I thought Señor Fish was a one of a kind restaurant located only in Eagle Rock (the Rock). [I had been to the Rock SF numerous times during the years I attended Oxy. It was conveniently close to campus and also a great change from the Cooler or Marketplace meal plan menu selection.] I realized my mistake while wandering around Little Tokyo (LT) looking for lunch. Apparently there are six Señor Fish restaurants in SoCal.

Even more surprising to me was that the LTSF establishment significantly differs from the Rock SF. First, LTSF is gigantic! It is easily twice the size of the Rock SF. Second, LTSF has a GIANT bar, a Happy Hour (weekdays 4pm-9pm; weekends 12-4pm) and a later happy hour cleverly titled Happier Hour (12pm-1am). The Rock SF serves alcohol, but not to the extreme as LTSF (no giant bar). Third, LTSF has table service. Contrast to the Rock SF where a patron must order at the register, pay at the register, take a number, and sit down to wait for the food. Fourth, the whole look and vibe of LTSF is more hip and fun than the Rock SF. I’d take my friends to LTSF and my family to the Rock SF.

I ordered the Lunch Special. Any weekday between 11am and 3pm, for $6.95: 2 tacos, rice, beans, and a drink. I chose asada tacos. The tacos were tasty. Pretty much how I remember them to be at the the Rock SF.

I know what you’re thinking — Space, bar, tacos - this place sounds great! I would be inclined to agree if it weren’t for the 50 minute wait between ordering food and food arriving (we ordered around noon, but food arrived around 12:50). This is a huge handicap and makes it unlikely that LTSF will be repeated during the lunch hour. However, the Happy Hour will be another story.

Señor Fish
422 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0566

Colorado Wine Company: White Trash Tasting

I know it’s been approximately two weeks since the annual White Trash Tasting at Colorado Wine Company took place, but I must mention how great it was! [Or maybe "I thot it wers pertd dam goot" would be more appropriate? Or maybe that's too inappropriate(ly wonderful)]. Every wine was paired with the delicious delicacies any income bracket can enjoy: Boules de Fromage, Charcuterie de 7-Eleven, Frito Tarte, and Gâteau au Chocolat en Plastique. (Translation: Cheese puffs, Slim Jims, Homemade Chili and Frito Chips, and last but not least a Ding Dong). In the few short hours between 4pm and 6pm, CoWineCo transformed into a magical world: crowded like Target on a Sunday, tasty like Taco Bell at 3am, and the feeling of a receiving a great deal like a Birthday card filled with cash.

My roommate, boyfriend, and I arrived shortly after 4 to find the place packed to full capacity. Never before had I seen a wine for line and never before have I waited so happily in line for wine! The service was impeccable as usual. When I arrived it was John at the register, Jen at the food table, and George & Drew serving the wine. Although busy, everyone was in great spirits. This was probably my favorite part about the whole event because a lot can be said about a staff that is friendly, passionate, and thoughtful. I want to go on a tangent about it, but I’m stopping myself. Just know that I think this place is the tops.

In the end, the pairing of wine AND food was a wonderful reminder to me that I shouldn’t only drink my wine after dinner. Instead, I should buy more bottles so I can drink while eating and when I am not eating. Thank You, CoWineCo.

Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985

Vampire Weekend

Last Thursday my roommate and some old friends went to see Vampire Weekend at the Wiltern. Before the show, we stopped at Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock and got some of “the best pizza in Los Angeles.” I have not tried enough pizza in the city to know if this statement holds true, but I do know I like their pizza. I ordered the Wheat Crust with Cheese and Eggplant. I was expecting the eggplant to be cubes or slices that were baked in with the pizza, but they turned out to be isosceles triangles that were either fried or just soaked in some oil before they were baked on top. Regardless of how they were cooked, it worked well with the wheat crust. I don’t know if I will get the wheat pizza again though because it was a little too dry for me. Sometimes in the battle between health and tastiness, you should just go for the tastiness. I learned my lesson! My roommate ordered a medium pizza Half Tomato, Garlic, Artichoke and the other Half Mushroom and Sausage. I got to try a piece of his, and the Tomato, Garlic, Artichoke tasted so fresh!

After dinner we headed over to see Vampire Weekend perform at the Wiltern. For those of you know familiar with Vampire Weekend, they are an “indie” band from NYC that formed after they graduated from Columbia while working full time jobs. Although they fall under the “indie” genre, it’s not your typical indie, not to my ears at least. Nicholas Thorburn (The Unicorns, Th’ Corn Gangg, Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway) calls them “trust fund frat rock,” but I don’t really agree with that….Maybe we’re thinking of different frats. They are bouncy, lyrical, happy, and remind me of summer. The song that gets played most on the radio is A-Punk:

Three interesting facts:

1. They became popular through blogs; Yay, the power of blog!

2. They were on the cover of Spin Magazine (March 2008) with the caption: Year’s Best New Band BEFORE their debut album was released!

3. They were dubbed “the Whitest Band” by Christian Landor, the creator of Stuff White People Like in a Salon.com interview (click on the link to read their interview! I especially like the last question: “The white people who like your site — are you just giving them another way to feel self-congratulatory? “)

It was their second night there and they played a fun set. It was short, but sweet. Even though they do not have many songs to perform (they only have one album under their belt), it seemed like everyone knew them, creating a warm sense of unity. Or something. They did play a few songs that have not been released yet which I found to be catchy and a sign that their next album will have at least one good song on it. As you can see in the picture of the stage, I was not close nor did I try to push my way to the front.

One part of the night that I especially enjoyed was the part where I finally REGISTERED TO VOTE! Yay! Right when you walk into the Wiltern there is a table of people making sure you have registered to vote. I know that in a few short weeks I will be bombarded with numerous jury duty summons, but it’s worth it! I read recently that California has slightly more than half a million registered voters now than it did four years ago. Registering totally got me pumped up! If you haven’t registered, go HERE. In California, the deadline to register to vote for an election is 15 days before each local and statewide Election Day, so that would mean the absolute last day you can register is October 21th, 2008. Anyway, that’s all I’m saying; I don’t care who you vote for or why you’re voting for so-and-so, I’m still going to make fun of you for the other decisions you make in life (like that ridiculous hat you wear every so often….) So you might as well just do it.

Casa Bianca
1650 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Get Directions(323) 256-9617

The Wiltern
3790 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Get Directions(213) 388-1400

The Oinkster

This past Friday I met up with some friends at The Oinkster in Eagle Rock. I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. Their pork is brined with soy and honey so it has a sweet and savory taste going for it, combined with the red cabbage slaw and caramelized onions. Even though you can’t really see it, there was also some Carolina BBQ sauce in the sandwich.

Through research I have found that Carolina sauce could mean either North Carolina sauce or South Carolina sauce. North Carolina has three types according to the region of origin: Eastern (vinegar with pepper flakes), Piedmont (tomato-based and vinegar), and Western (tomato-based and thicker). South Carolina is home of the yellow mustard and vinegar based BBQ sauce (sometimes a little ketchup is thrown in there, but primarily it’s a mustard sauce). The sauce the Oinkster was using was most likely a North Carolina version, but I am not qualified to determine the region. I do know that it was delicious. Also, they have homemade house ketchup and chipotle ketchup. Yum!

Although I did not drink, I recognized the sweet deal of 3-5 dollar beers (draft: Stella, Widmer, Fat Tire, Miller Light, Stone Pale Ale, Arrogant Bastard; bottle: Rolling Rock, New Castle, Grolsch, Guinness, Kirin Ichiban, Corona, Stone Levitation, Stone IPA, Boddingtons). They also have a happy hour during the week from 3-6pm for both beer and food.

Overall, everything was quite tasty, making it a great post-drinking (or between drinking) spot. Of course you can always dine here without the involvement of alcohol, but what fun is that? Eating here reminded me of what it was like to live near a variety of food options (there are a lot of too many Italian restaurants, Starbucks, and Pinkberry in my neighborhood). I giggled when I saw the cops.

The Oinkster
2005 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 982-8865

Eagle Rock: Colorado Wine Company

I love the Colorado Wine Company. So much, in fact that I need to say it again… I love the Colorado Wine Company! I have been going there ever since it first opened in 2005. Not only are the owners, John and Jen, some of the sweetest and most friendly people, but anyone that has worked or currently works there, are also great people.

I tried to think of the main reason behind why I enjoy Colorado Wine Company, but found that I am unwilling to settle on just one. Instead, I have made a list:

- I already mentioned that the owners/staff are amazing (but it is worth repeating).
- The atmosphere is organized, intimate, and cozy.
- The prices of wines by the glass are reasonable.
- I am always able to find a great bottle within my 8-15 dollar price range.
- I am always able to get a great recommendation for the aforementioned bottle; very knowledgeable people!
- Nobody judges your palate, there is “Wine For Everyone.”
- The art on the walls is constantly changing and showcasing talented, local artists.
- I always make a new friend while I am there; the people who I meet are laid back, friendly, and fun.
- Parking is rarely a problem.
- They send out witty newsletters and have a beautiful and active website.

This past Friday I went to their weekly tasting with my roommate. The tagline to the tasting was “Happy Thoth Day!” in celebration of the first day of Thoth, the ibis-headed god of knowledge, in the Egyptian calendar. The best reason to raise your glass! Here is the list of the wines in order of how they were served:

1. Tangent Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Edna Valley, California
2. Mr. Riggs Riesling 2006, Clare Valley, Australia
3. Lonardi Valpolicella 2004, Verona, Italy
4. Wisteria Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, California
5. Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Barossa Valley, Australia

I am not going to go into great detail about how each one tasted, but instead want to stress that they were all delicious! These are the quick notes I wrote later in the evening about the wines: Favorites are 1, 3, 5. Tangent was sweet, perfect to start the tasting. Mr. Riggs was not as sweet as I expected for a Riesling, but quite satisfying. The Valpolicella was great, light in taste. Wisteria was good, but where does it come from? Earthworks was full bodied and pleasant, could drink a lot more of it.

The Co Wine Co is one of the remaining reasons, aside from a few friends in the area, that I return to Eagle Rock. When I am on that side of town, I always try to stock up on some inexpensively priced wines. I am willing to pay more here than I would at Trader Joe’s because I know that John and Jen have put a lot of time and effort into choosing amazing wines and I fully trust their judgment and selection (in comparison to me just choosing wines by which one has the cooler label). I came home with bottles Tangent and Valpolicella from the tasting, and two other bottles that I found around the store that looked good.

Whether to pick up a bottle, sit down for a glass, or have a cold one from their impressive beer selection (No Bud Lite here), I encourage everyone to visit Colorado Wine Company! Check out their website (also sign up for their newsletters) to see what event works best for your schedule. I have included information on two of their weekly tastings and their hours of operation, but I know they offer events on other days so it is best take a look at their event calendar.

Friday Wine Tastings (5 wines; 15 dollars) - 5:30-8:30pm

Lazy Sunday Tastings (4 wines; 12 dollars) - 1:00-4:00pm

Store Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11:00am-9:00pm
Thursday-Saturday: 11:00am-11:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm

Wine Bar Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 4:00-9:00pm
Thursday-Friday: 4:00-11:00pm
Saturday: 1:00-11:00pm
Sunday: 1:00-5:00pm

Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985

Brownstone Pizza

This one I’m keeping short and simple:

Service was fast and friendly and the food was good. Atmosphere was semi-awkward; they had TVs playing horse racing. All pizza slices with toppings were just cheese pizza with toppings reheated on top. There were no premade special pizzas made available by the slice. I don’t know if this is common or if we were there at a bad time, but my slices with toppings reheated on were not as good as they would have been if the toppings were baked initially with the rest of the pizza.

I am glad that there are more independent pizzeria places popping up throughout the city. However, it’s location might not be the most lucrative, it is literally down the road from Casa Bianca, rated as the best pizza in Los Angeles. But, their service is fast and next door to the amazing Colorado Wine Company, making it a convenient spot to stop by before or after sipping a glass of wine.

Brownstone Pizzeria

2108 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Get Directions(323) 257-4992