Cafe Stella to begin serving brunch this Friday

It was always a shame to see that prime Cafe Stella patio seating at ground zero of Sunset Junction going to waste. After all, the stretch of Sunset Boulevard, from Descanso to Fountain, is home to one of L.A.'s most bloodthirsty brunch corridors (Dusty's, Millie's, Madame Matisse, Flore, Town & Country, Cafe Tropical, Cliff's Edge, Good, Casbah, Malo, Local and more).

Cafe Stella will now bring its classic French fare into this frenzied summer food-and-drink milieu, and not just on the weekends. The restaurant has announced brunch service Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the menu: brioche with clarified butter, fleur de sel and maple syrup; Moroccan eggs with Merguez lamb sausage; lemon-ricotta pancakes; eggs Benedict and a special housemade Stella morning bun.

As an added bonus, any coffee drinks you order will be made by a barista next door at Intelligentsia and brought to your table by your server. Not in the mood for coffee? There'll be a variety of alcoholic beverages, including a bay leaf blackberry mimosa.

Cafe Stella, 3932 W. Sunset Blvd. (323) 666-0265.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Cafe Stella owner Gareth Kantner gets excited about the Stella morning bun. Credit: Cafe Stella.   

Mother's Day recipes: Breakfast in bed

What's that? You didn't make brunch reservations for Mother's Day? Better get dialing. Or we have another tried-and-true option: breakfast in bed. 

Here's a photo gallery look at some Mother's Day menu suggestions from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen. Included are recipes inspired by the menus of some of L.A.'s most popular restaurants. (You know, the ones you forgot to call for reservations.)

We've got French toast from Square One Dining, and BLD's blueberry ricotta pancakes and cornmeal Belgian waffles. 

For something a bit more savory, there's Le Pain Quotidien's quiche Lorraine and zucchini-basil frittata, a cheese omelet and tomatillo salsa, or slow scrambled eggs draped with prosciutto.

And then, for something sweet, we've got chocolate-orange scones, Meyer lemon muffins and Square One's brown-butter pecan coffeecake.

Happy Mother's Day. And don't forget to clean up the kitchen when you're done.

-- Rene Lynch

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Bacon bits: Bacon wins 'Meat Madness' challenge, and more recipes

 

It's official! Bacon wins So Good's "Meat Madness" tournament, earning enough votes to warrant the blog's distinction as the "greatest meat in the land."

So Good author/owner Jon Eick decided to hold the challenge during March so it would coincide with NCAA basketball's "March Madness" tournament, and bacon faced 31 other challengers from four meat "regions" ("Red" Meat, Pork, Chicken and Seafood). The championship round pitted bacon, the No. 1 Pork seed, against steak, the No. 1 "Red" Meat seed. Bacon was declared the winner Friday with 57% of the vote.

"While there are other meats that may or may not be as popular as bacon, no other meat has online supporters who are as fervent, motivated and organized as lovers of bacon," Eick says. In all, more than 10,000 votes were submitted during the tournament.

If you're looking for more ways to showcase the "Meat Madness" champion, here are a few new recipes from around the Internet:

• Saucy chicken and bacon casserolefrom Weekly Times Now, Southbank, Victoria, Australia
• Steamed asparagus with Gorgonzola and bacon from the Detroit Free Press
• Homemade bacon from the Melbourne, Australia-based blog "Tomato." 
• Bourbon and pecan brie and bourbon bacon toasts from Woodford Reserve from the blog "Amy's Table."

I'm adding these to my list of 1,001 things to do with bacon. Follow the jump to see the list as it stands now.

-- Noelle Carter

Image courtesy of Jon Eick at sogoodblog.com. 

Hey Micky’s, you’re so fine

Nearly two years after it was destroyed by an electrical fire, Micky’s reopened April 17. The WeHo bar and restaurant now has a modern gray, white and orange color scheme, a larger dance floor, two new patio bars, an upstairs VIP lounge and a sassy tagline: “Drink triple. Dance double. Act single.” That should come easily enough thanks to weekly parties like “Hot Rod Wednesdays,” which features live bondage shows.

It’s not just the parties or Micky’s Speedo-style logo that has people drooling, though. The extensive cocktail list features fun and fruity variations of classic drinks such as a mojito sweetened with fresh mango and a wild berry martini made with blueberries and raspberries. Of course, the large patio on Santa Monica Boulevard makes for a lively place to eat while watching the parade of buff bods and flashy dressers barhop. On the brand new menu: burgers, nachos, crab cakes, mac and cheese – perfect for soaking up booze. But the make-your-own omelet bar during brunch should make Micky’s worth rolling out of bed for on Sunday mornings.

8857 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 657-1176; mickys.com

-- Alexandra Le Tellier

Photo: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

Nutrition labels at independent L.A. restaurants

 

Raul Morales, owner of Taqueria Vista Hermosa, shows off his new menu board, which lists calories for every menu item.

Seven independent restaurants -- including the popular Chichen Itza -- are letting customers know the nutritional content of their standard menu items in a project aimed at curbing obesity in South Los Angeles.

The restaurant owners, along with some politicians and health officials, celebrated that effort Thursday at Mercado La Palmona near downtown. It's called the "smart menu" program,

The menu labeling project was organized by South Los Angeles Healthy Eating, Active Communities, part of a statewide initiative sponsored by the California Endowment to prevent obesity in young people. HEAC provided the recipe analysis and menu signs.

The other restaurants taking part in the labeling program are Burger Plaza Grill, La Maison de la Creme, Mo Chica, Oaxacalifornia, Taqueria Vista Hermosa and Thai Corner. They're all housed at Mercado La Palmoma.

Tax day deals for those tax day blues

 

Restaurants are offering an edible tax break today. Among them: T.G.I. Friday's and P.F. Chang's. At T.G.I. Friday's, diners earn $5 Bonus Bites cards for purchases (excluding alcohol and taxes) of between $15 and $25 or $10 cards for purchases of more than $25. P.F. Chang's is offering 15% off your food bill. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants is also offering cheap drinks, a $10.40 menu, and diners can get a $10.40 certificate toward future purchases.

$10.40, get it? 10-40?

-- Rene Lynch

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George Wilhelm / Los Angeles Times

Small Bites: Casa gets a new chef, chocolate (and cheese) is everywhere [UPDATE]

Casa gets a new chef: It seems like just last week that we interviewed Kris Morningstar about the opening of Casa; and like only yesterday that he quickly left the modern Mexican restaurant for greener kitchens. Now, Casa is announcing the appointment of a shiny new chef -- Nick Albrecht. Albrecht hails from Seattle's Brasa Restaurant and will reportedly place a strong premium (along with seemingly every other chef in the city) on seasonal farmers market produce. This week, under Albrecht's guidance, Casa is introducing new dinner and cocktail menus for spring. Also, according to Eater L.A., the restaurant's outdoor bar and patio are now fully functional; to celebrate, Casa will host an "all day and night fiesta," on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 350 S. Grand Ave., L.A. (213) 621-2249.

'Tis the chocolate season: Two chocolate-errific options loom on the culinary horizon. Up first, Luna Park's new Sunday Chocolate Brunch menu. Served from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., everything on the decadent menu is delivered to your table alongside a basket of chocolate banana bread. The options (which would overwhelm even Veruca Salt) include chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate maple syrup, chocolate banana French toast, chocolate strawberry crepes with chocolate sauce and dark chocolate mojitos. (OMG, I just got totally dizzy writing that, and weirdly sick and hungry and hot-flashy all at once.) 627 S. La Brea, L.A. (323) 934-2110.

Next up, the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa is serving a Chocolate Afternoon Tea on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. The relaxed and decidedly classy experience includes a selection of savory sandwiches, scones, tarts, torts and crème brûlées, all sassed up with various chocolate essences. The center of the scene is dominated by a lavish chocolate fountain flanked by sculpted chocolate art. 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena. (626) 568-3900.  [Update: A previous version of this post said that the Chocolate Afternoon tea begins at 1 p.m. It actually begins at noon.]

Monday is for cheese: Join cheese magnate Andrew Steiner of Andrew's Cheese Shop; everybody's favorite, sprightly pastry chef Zoe Nathan; and chef Evan Funke at Rustic Canyon for a very special evening of cheese worship. The Local Artisan Cheese Dinner features crispy, cheese-stuffed morels, roasted baby beets with sheep's milk ricotta, goat cheese ravioli, braised Niman Ranch short-rib gratin with blue cheese and brown sugar crème fraîche trifle. Monday. $55. 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 393-7050.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: David Sprague / For The Times

Beverly Hills goes for broke with a month of promotional dining offers

The recession is hitting in places high and low. Last month, The Times reported that even Beverly Hills isn't immune to the market fall-out and that city officials were projecting a $24-million drop in tax revenues over the next 16 months (a sum that equals about 15 % of the general fund budget).

In April, Beverly Hills will launch into grand-scale action in an attempt to bring visitors and business to the city's posh hotels and upscale restaurants and retailers. The monthlong effort, called "Breakfast in Beverly Hills," is coordinated by the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau and features discounted breakfast specials at 25 participating restaurants. In addition, every hotel in the city is offering a free extra- night stay (when a certain amount of nights are booked) and complimentary breakfast for two each morning.

Retailers will get in on the action by offering deals and sales throughout the month of April. Every weekend, you'll find a host of fun activities and shows. Balloon artists, magicians, stilt walkers, guitarists and saxophonists will be at predetermined (and normally staid) street corners across the city.

In addition, every Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., celebrated chefs from area restaurants will perform cooking demonstrations on the cobblestone street of Via Rodeo at the mouth of the picturesque Two Rodeo shopping strip. Each chef will create a signature dish for onlookers, who can take home the recipes along with a list of wine pairings created by Julie Brosterman, sommelier of the Wine Valet.

The fact that GQ magazine called L.A. the "the Best Breakfast City in America" in March doesn't hurt the cause (although the piece itself was a tad snarky). Dining deals include: An organic continental breakfast buffet at Bar Noir at Maison 140, $14; a free cappuccino with purchase of a breakfast special atIl Fornaio; scrambled eggs, toast, Coney Island fries, sausage and coffee for $7.99 at Marty D's; and a complimentary jar of house-made jam with breakfast special purchase at BondSt.

Also, just to show that Beverly Hills isn't losing its knack for excess, Raffles L'Ermitage is offering a "Breakfast in Beverly Hills Suite Package." Stay one night in their luxurious, one-bedroom suite for $1,500 and receive a second night free. Oh, and you'll also get, you guessed it, complimentary breakfast.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Eric Boyd / Los Angeles Times

This Just In: Du-par's opens in Oxnard

Du-par's now has an Oxnard location; its grand opening is planned for Friday. Like the Du-par's Farmhouse at the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles (and sister restaurants in Studio City and Thousand Oaks), it's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. 

The original Farmers Market location was renovated and reopened in 2007 after the Du-par's chain was bought in 2004 by investors led by W.W. "Biff" Naylor (who has breakfast food in his blood -- his father founded the first Tiny's Waffle Shop in Fresno in the '20s).

The Oxnard Du‑par's menu will look familiar: breakfast (including the classic buttermilk hotcakes, the recipe for which is safely locked away in the Du-par's at the Farmers Market) is served around the clock, along with chicken pot pie, steak, burgers, turkey and mashed potatoes, and fruit pies. 

Medardo Hernandez, formerly of Wolfgang Puck's Granita and Spago, is Du-par's executive chef. Biff Naylor's daughter Jennifer Naylor, former executive chef and general manager of Granita, is a consultant to Du-par's.

Du-par's, 2420 E. Vineyard Ave., Oxnard.

-- Betty Hallock

Photo at Du-par's Farmhouse at the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles by Los Angeles Times

Happy Mardi Gras! Got king cake?

It's Mardi Gras -- got your king cake?

It may not be so common on the West Coast, but the king cake is very popular in the southern U.S. (generally eastern Texas to Florida) where Mardi Gras is celebrated. It's typically a brioche-like coffee cake in the shape of an oval ring, and sometimes containing a filling or two. The cake is frosted and decorated with colored sugars (purple, representing justice; green, representing faith; and gold, representing power). Hidden inside one may find a plastic baby or a bean, making that person "king" or "queen" for a day (and also making him or her responsible for providing the next king cake at a king cake party).

Largely drawn from Catholic tradition, the king cake spans a number of cultures and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. From the classic French gâteau de rois to Mexico's la rosca de reyes, it commonly marks the celebration of Epiphany, or the arrival of the three kings in Bethlehem on the 12th day of Christmas.

I had my first king cake several years ago. I was training at a restaurant in New Orleans after completing my culinary studies and happened to be in town for the Carnival season (Carnival starts on Epiphany, or Jan. 6, and ends with Mardi Gras, the last day before the start of Lent). The energy was simply amazing, the whole city swept up in a celebration that just continued to build as Mardi Gras drew near. And while I loved the parades around town and the revelry in the French Quarter, it's probably the king cake parties with local friends that I remember most fondly.

Since then, I try to get back to New Orleans whenever I can to celebrate Mardi Gras. When I can't (more often than not), I love to celebrate locally with friends. I'll make a king cake or two, and we'll throw a small party.

I've included a recipe for my king cake. While they're easy to find online, shipped king cakes can be dry and lacking in flavor. This homemade version may involve a little work, but the results are worth it. And outside of Carnival season, the recipe makes a great coffee cake any time of the year.

Happy Mardi Gras!