Golden State teams with Bludso's, takes over Tar Pit space

Jason Bernstein and James Starr, owners of the Golden State on Fairfax, are taking over the former Tar Pit location on La Brea Avenue to open a restaurant with Kevin Bludso, of Bludso's BBQ in Compton. Yes, the duo behind L.A.'s favorite upstart craft beer/beer float/burger joint is teaming with the man behind L.A.'s favorite Texas-meets-Compton barbecue. And on top of that, there will be cocktails.

What sounds like a dream come true for beer-and-barbecue fans was born of the friendship between Bernstein, Starr and Bludso and the idea that "it would be be amazing if we all collaborated on a place," Starr says. The idea was further spurred by a recent trip to Texas for Bludso's grandmother's 90th birthday. "We got real insight into where Kevin came from and what inspired him to open his place," Starr says. Bludso is a Compton native but worked for his grandmother during summers at her barbecue stand in Corsicana, Texas. "It turned out to be a research trip that reinvigorated us to make this a reality."

Bernstein says there's no name yet, "but 'Bludso's' will be in there." The trio, along with manager Noah Galuten, hope to open by the end of the year. The kitchen will be outfitted with a smoker, of course. And presumably the Tar Pit's Art Deco-inspired dining room will get a makeover. 

"We're trying to focus all our attention on trying to create a beer list and a cocktail list that go well with barbecue," Bernstein says. "We're really trying to examine what that would be. The goal is to have everything really curated and not have a kitchen sink cocktail list of 30 things. Just a handful of really simple, well done cocktails."

The menu "in its soul will be the same menu as Bludso's," says Starr. That means Bludso's brisket, ribs, chicken and hot links. "And a few more items," Starr adds. Galuten says that there also will be pie. And hopefully the new Bludso's-on-La-Brea will play some of the same hits as the Bludso's-on-Long-Beach-Boulevard. Such as from Cameo and Natural Four. 

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-- Betty Hallock

Photo: The mural inside Bludso's. Credit: Betty Hallock.

BBQ Bootcamp, the second annual edition

Grillmeister Frank Ostini of the Hitching Post II in Buellton, Calif., is hosting the second annual BBQ Bootcamp March 8-11 at Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang. The four-day, three-night grilling weekend should teach you everything you want to know -- and possibly more -- about traditional Santa Maria-style barbecue.

Boot camp, though, seems hardly the concept, since plenty of free time is built into the schedule. Guests can roam the 10,000-acre dude ranch’s walking and horseback riding trails, or find relief from barbecue-induced aches and pains at the ranch spa. 

Beds in “deluxe cottages” promise to be soft, too, and all rooms have wood-burning fireplaces to keep everybody warm and cozy.

Morning classes are taught by Ostini with Alisal executive chef Pascal Godé. Afternoons are free for all of the above activities. And after dusk, Santa Ynez winemakers show up to pour their Pinots and Rhone-style reds. 

The first night, Thursday, features a Western-style welcome dinner. Friday night, Astini and Godé cook a meal to accompany Hitching Post II wines (made under the Hartley Ostini label). Saturday, students show what they've learned with a grill-your-own dinner, while local winemakers pair wines with each course. Sunday, breakfast at leisure, and when good and ready, head on back to L.A. with a leather-bound BBQ booklet in hand for future reference.

Sounds like fun. The only drawback? The price, which starts at $2,650 for four days and three nights, based on double occupancy. For more information, contact Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort at (800) 4-ALISAL or (805) 688-6411. More information at www.alisal.com.

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-- S. Irene Virbila
twitter.com/sirenevirbila

Photos: Frank Ostini explaining meat. Credit: Lisa Cohen

Hotel Erwin's newest addition, Barlo, opens Thursday

The Hotel Erwin has opened its newest restaurant addition, Barlo, located on the ground floor of the Venice hotel. Barlo offers hotel guests and locals a laid-back setting to sip on refreshing cocktails and munch on reasonably priced eats before or after heading to the beach.

Executive chef Jason Wiggin and food and beverage director Ryan Wingo have created a seasonally changing menu with not comfort food per se but comforting food using organic ingredients. The menu includes plates such as a purple kale salad, shrimp and grits, pork belly buns and beet pickled "deviled" eggs; bar snacks include anchovy puffs, truffle frites and bacon caramel corn; daily changing desserts; house-made ginger ale; and seasonally driven libations including the Porch Swing with Hendricks gin, gooseberry preserves, watermelon juice and lemon and the Disappear with Tito's vodka, Clear Creek pear brandy and house-made sour syrup.

A brunch menu is in the works, and winter-inspired drinks -- Bourbon with apple butter -- are expected to pop up on the cocktail menu come November.

Barlo at Hotel Erwin, 1697 Pacific Ave., Venice, (424) 214-1063, barlovenice.com.

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photos: From top, Barlo at Hotel Erwin and shrimp and grits. Credit: Caitlin Keller / Los Angeles Times

Survival cooking demo at High Desert Test Sites workshop

Artists Danielle McCullough and Gabie Strong will lead a sun-print cyanotype-process workshop, "Blast Site: A Workshop for Conjecture," on Nov. 12 at the High Desert Test Sites headquarters in Joshua Tree.

The workshop explores survival in the high desert, primarily grounded in post-apocalyptic science fiction, plant guides, archaeological archives and 20th century art history. The day's itinerary includes a guided hike through Blast Site, a cyanotype-process printing demonstration using sunlight and materials gathered from the desert floor, a survival cooking demonstration and a barbecued vegetarian lunch.

The lunch is part of an overall arts experience, incorporating native vegetation. Mushrooms marinated in a homemade vinegar and desert aromatics will be seared on hot rocks in a fire pit and served on mesquite flour flatbread, with pickled nopalitos, homemade yogurt and pinion seeds. Alcohol-based tinctures and teas derived from an assortment of local desert plants will be served to workshop attendees too. 

Registration for the workshop is $120 per person. Highdeserttestsites.com.

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photo credit: Gabie Strong and Danielle McCullough, Blast Site: A Monument for Future Failures, 2011. Cyanotype fabric, painted leather, slipcrete, silver, ash, paint, pallets, wood, 16mm film with pen and ink,  and 16mm projector. Installed in at Shangrila, New Moon exhibition, Joshua Tree. Photo courtesy of Gabie Strong.

5 Food Events You Should Know About: Salute! beer festival; A.O.C wine tastings; Lambrusco Day at Cube; garden workshop; L.A. Street Food Fest

Salute! beer and food festival: Ojai Beverage Co. hosts the 2nd annual Salute! More than 100 beers from local and national craft breweries will be paired with food from regional restaurants, benefiting local community organizations including the American Cancer Society. Featured craft breweries include Lagunitas Brewing Co. from Petaluma and North Coast Brewing Co. from Fort Bragg. There's a VIP tasting on Friday  with a connoisseurs beer reception followed by a four-course dinner. An unlimited beer and food-tasting session takes place Saturday. Tickets start at $43.30 (including tax) and are available online at salutebeerfestival.com. 655 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, (805) 646-1700.

Destination wine: Every Monday night, A.O.C. hosts "Flights & Bites" offering wine tastings accompanied by small plates from different regions around the world. Two flights of wine are paired with cuisine from the region. Upcoming wine capital destinations include Santa Ynez's Dragonette Cellars on Monday and Languedoc-Roussillon on June 27. 8022 W. Third St., L.A., 323-653-6359, aocwinebar.com.

Perfect pair: Cube Café celebrates a wine favored among its staff and patrons by participating in International Lambrusco Day. On June 21, the restaurant will be offering special discounts on the Medici Ermete Lambrusco "Concerto" and the Rinaldini Lambrusco "Vecchio Moro" throughout the day, whether by the glass, half-bottle or bottle, along with recommended food pairings such as pizza Napoletana and spicy fried chicken. 615 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 939-1148 x1, eatatcube.com.  

Urban farmer: Located in Mar Vista, Ocean View Farms boasts more than 500 garden plots and flower gardens. On June 26 at 10 a.m. the six-acre West L.A. community garden is offering a free workshop, "From the Ground Up: Seed Starting and Garden Planning," courtesy of master gardener Christy Wilhelmi. 3300 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 915-1123, oceanviewfarms.net.

Street food at the Rose Bowl: On July 16, the Pasadena Rose Bowl will be taken over by the L.A. Street Food Fest to host the 2 nd annual Summer Tasting Event. More than 80 vendors, including  gourmet food trucks and celebrity chefs, will bring street food to the historic site. Tickets are $25 to $150. Brookside Park, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, lastreetfoodfest.com.

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--Caitlin Keller 

Photo: Salute! Credit: Salutebeerfestival.com

Times Food Editor Russ Parsons has ribs in his head

Sunday found me in a Texas state of mind. And not just because of the Mavs (but as long as we’re on the subject, let’s hear a big shout-out for old guys!). Honestly, it was mostly the ribs on the barbecue that did the trick. That and some country music on the box, and I was ready to fly to Austin.

The ribs were from one of my favorite recipes. Couldn’t be simpler: Mix a bunch of spices in a bowl and sprinkle it over some cleaned rib racks (pulling that cellophane-like membrane from the underside of the ribs helps make them tender).

Smoke the ribs for a couple of hours over hickory. If you’ve got a nice smoker, use it; I don’t and my old Weber kettle works just fine –- I just stack the coals against one side and put the ribs on the other so they cook slowly. (You barbecue boys, look at the pink smoke ring on those ribs!)

3 Food Events You Should Know About: L.A. Mag's Island Style Cook-Off; Taste of Farmers Market; Bommer Canyon BBQ

Pupu, L.A. style: Los Angeles Magazine's Island Style Cook-Off is underway, celebrating pupu this month. Four Angeleno chefs accepted the challenge to creatively interpret the Hawaiian appetizer, and the resulting dishes are on the Web for all to judge. There are also recipes posted to try at home. Voters will determine which two will go to the event finale, where the chefs will vie for the Hawaiian Islands Master Chef title. Taste the pupu creations for yourself and sip some island-style drinks (with umbrellas, of course) when the final throwdown commences June 29 at Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. Tickets are $20 per person, available online at lamagislandstylecookoff.eventbrite.com. Check out the competing chefs and their entries below:

Mark Gold from Eva Restaurant: Roasted foie gras with sushi rice, tea-smoked plum and grated yuzu.

Neal Fraser from BLD Restaurant: Hawaiian tuna poke, wasabi tobiko and sambal crème fraîche. 

Eric Greenspan from the Foundry on Melrose: Chile-glazed Spam with saffron pineapple risotto and coconut-crusted shrimp.

Brendan Collins from Waterloo & City: Seared foie gras, char siu tete de Spam, caramelized pineapple sherbet and five-spice brioche.

Taste This! The third annual Taste of Farmers Market, a tasting tour of the market’s restaurants, bakeries, confectioners and grocery shops, returns next month. On July 12 from 5 to 9 p.m., visitors can sample dishes of worldly origins and witness cooking demonstrations by Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW-FM (89.9)’s "Good Food" program. The event is a celebration of the Original Farmers Market, which opened in July 1934. Ticket prices range from $35 to $65, available online at www.farmersmarketla.com or by calling (323) 933-9211.

BBQ in Bommer Canyon: Generally not available to the public, Bommer Canyon in Irvine opens its ranch-style doors July 10 for the annual Bommer Canyon BBQ. Slow Food Orange County will host the event, which features a barbecue chicken dinner accompanied by live music and guest speaker A.G. Kawamura, former secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Proceeds will benefit local nonprofits committed to the principles of Slow Food, including community gardens and farmers markets. Tickets are $50 per person, available online at www.brownpapertickets.com. 1 Bommer Canyon Road, Irvine, slowfoodoc.org.

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--Caitlin Keller

Photos: Los Angeles Magazine's Island Style Cook-Off entries. Credit: James and James Productions 

Follow the Butchers

I’ve recently started following L.A.’s artisanal butcher shops on Twitter, a brilliant use of the social media for the home cook.

If I open my Twitter account, between tweets on the developing Syria crisis, José Andres’ travels in Spain, Scrivener and iA Writer updates, and our own Food section's tweets, McCall’s Meat & Fish Co. notes they've got in “Wild Black Grouper, Skate Wing, Black Cod, Salmon, Tuna, Scallops, Halibut, Black Bass, Branzino, Clams, Mussels." Not to mention Berkshire pork and fresh calves’ liver. I read the post and my mind instantly switches over to planning the weekend's menu. 

Amelia Posada and Erika Nakamura, the two women behind Lindy & Grundy Meats have used social media to churn up a frenzy of anticipation for their new Fairfax Avenue butcher shop. Via Twitter, they might report that the butcher case is now stocked with “beef & bacon grind, rack of lamb, lamb loin chops, pork chops, fresh chickens, bone marrow, sirloin tip steaks, london broil, rancher steaks” or “fresh Mexican chorizo and have just made a batch of espresso chili with marrow.”

Then comes a flash from Grindhaus, the little sausage shop that could, trumpeting “Spicy Beef w/Garlic, Bratwurst, Kielbasa, Pork w/Grn Chilis, Spicy Italian, Wild Boar, Chkn Chorizo."

By the time I get to the farmers market, I’ve already got a main course in mind and can build my shopping around it. Sweet.

To note: Both butcher shops and sausage shop are open Sundays.

McCall’s Meat & Fish Co., 2117 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles; (323) 667-0674; www.mccallsmeatandfish.com. Twitter handle @mccallsmandf 

Lindy & Grundy, 801 N. Fairfax Avenue (at Waring), Los Angeles; (323) 951-0804; www.lindyandgrundy.com. Twitter handle @LindyGrundy

Grindhaus, 5634 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; (610) 906-2677; www.GrindhausLA.com. Twitter handle @GrindhausLA.

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— S. Irene Virbila

Photo: Butchers Amelia Posada, left, and Erika Nakamura of "Lindy & Grundy's" on Fairfax Avenue. Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Father's Day dining guide 2011

Every May, moms are showered with Champagne brunches. Once Father's Day rolls around, dads should get to indulge gastronomically too, and we're not talking chocolate-covered strawberries. Sure, golf, a Dodgers game, a hike, even fishing are all nice gestures.... But we're thinking beer, burgers and such.

Susan Feniger's Street: After the eatery ran it as a special on the lunch menu at the request of a regular, the burger’s success landed it a permanent spot on the menu. Made with all-natural Angus beef, Vermont white cheddar, homemade pickles and yuzu kosho sauce, the Brioche Cheeseburger is a burger lover's burger especially when paired with the Ridge Zinfandel, the Godfather cocktail (Jameson Irish whiskey, Maker's Mark and amaretto liqueur) or the Lost Coast Downtown Brown, with aromas of roasted malt and cocoa. 742 N. Highland Ave., L.A., 323-203-0500; eatatstreet.com.

Bouchon: Ground in-house by Bouchon's very own butcher, the beef patty is made of chuck, sirloin and brisket. It's served on a brioche bun with aged cheddar from Hudson Valley, New York; butter pickles; bibb lettuce and heirloom tomatoes. Le Burger Bouchon is great paired with the restaurant's specially crafted beers: The Blue Apron by Brooklyn Brewery is a heavier and fuller-bodied Belgian ale while the White Apron by the Russian River Brewing Co. is a lighter, crisp pilsner. 235 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-271-9910; bouchonbistro.com.

Drago: In honor of pops, the Santa Monica flagship is pairing its pints with a five-course pork tasting menu. A menu consisting of head cheese, pig trotter croquettes and pork belly displays snout-to-tail utilization in full effect. Optional beer pairings for the "Festa del Papa" include the Ommegang Abbey Ale and Ayinger Brewery's Celebrator Doppelbock. 2628 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-828-1585; celestinodrago.com.

A-Frame: Chef Roy Choi created the Double Cheeseburger in homage to the Korean-owned burger stands scattered throughout South L.A. Inside its toasted brioche bun, the thin salt-and-peppered patty is topped with white cheddar, tomato confit and pickled red onion. A single splash of Tapatio is what makes this burger a true West Coast staple. Suggested pairings are a Dogfish IPA or a Hitachino Nest beer. 12565 Washington Blvd., L.A., 310-398-7700; aframela.com.

Salt’s Cure: Free-range and grass-fed, the house blend of Santa Barbara beef is sandwiched in a perfectly toasted poppy seed bun. Wagon Wheel Cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and house-cured bacon from Tamworth pigs get nice and cozy with the 7-ounce patty, making for quite the mouth-watering burger. 7494 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo, 323-850-7258; saltscure.com.

Son of a Gun: So it's not a burger, but the fried chicken sandwich from Son on a Gun is not to be missed. With a spicy b&b pickle slaw and rooster aioli, chef Vinny Dotolo’s inspiration for the sandwich stems from Bakesale Betty's, Chick-Fil-A and McDonald's. Best paired with Mama's Little Yella Pils, Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale or try the Hopf Helle Weisse. 8370 W. 3rd St., L.A., 323-782-9033; sonofagunrestaurant.com.

Rustic Canyon Wine Bar: Comprising distinct flavors -– sharp cheddar, onion fondue, bread and butter pickles and an herb remoulade -– the Niman Ranch Burger is a complete burger eating affair with hand-cut French fries. The seasonal kitchen recommends pairing the medium-rare patty with Reissdorf Kolsch, a light and refreshing German beer from Cologne, a strongly hopped amber ale like Red Seal Ale from North Coast Brewing Co. or the Orval Trappiste Ale, a longer roasted and therefore very rich Belgian ale (made by monks, no less). 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-393-7050; rusticcanyonwinebar.com.

--Caitlin Keller

Top photo: fried chicken sandwich

Credit: Son of a Gun restaurant

It's Bigmista's world -- take a bite out of it

Bigmista's is a farmers market force, propelled to the upper stratum of Southern California barbecue by the husband-and-wife team of Phyllis Strawder and Bigmista himself: Neil Strawder. Eat up!

Photo: Bigmista himself, Neil Strawder, prepares to toss some links on the grill. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times