What the foie gras? Man meets jelly doughnut at Umamicatessen

You may have heard of Umamicatessen. It's a new restaurant on the edge of the Jewelry District in downtown Los Angeles that has, in addition to its regular Umami Burger menu, a roster of deli sandwiches curated by Micah Wexler, chef of the swank Middle Eastern restaurant Mezze, and a pork-intensive concession called Pigg, a restaurant within a restaurant, from Chris Cosentino, who is famous in San Francisco for his offal menu at Incanto and his cured meats at Boccalone.

There are 17 different kinds of ham at Pigg, and if you're in the mood, you can get your fries drenched in an aioli flavored with pureed pigs' brains, ''brainaise.'' Umamicatessen has an extensive cocktail bar: That brainaise probably sounds like a good idea when you're on the other end of three or four Sazeracs.

We are at Umamicatessen this morning for its doughnut concession, which bears the un-Googleable name & a, which also probably sounded good after three or four Sazeracs. & a fries its doughnuts to order, which is unquestionably a good thing. You would really like the tres leches doughnut, soaked in its various dairy tinctures and served in a puddle of cajeta, Mexican caramel. The hot beignets, which come with a sort of pot de crème flavored with dark coffee and burnt citrus peel in the style of a New Orleans café brulôt, is pretty spectacular. But the object before us is a foie gras doughnut; round, hot and crisp, dusted with ground peanuts. One end leaks jam –- "forest berry'' from the cult jelly-man Robert Lambert in the Bay Area, which tastes like what the Wine Spectator means when it notes the jammy notes in a $150 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon –- and the other a loose, mild foie gras mousse.

A cynical man might insist that the foie gras was put into the doughnut mostly to justify the cost of the jam: Nobody is going to pay $8 for a jelly doughnut, no matter how life-changing. But there is that sweet spot in the middle of the doughnut where foie meets jam, the peanut dust comes into play, and you are essentially dealing with the most luxurious peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the world. It is an extraordinarily good bite. Then you're left with the rest of what is merely an extremely good doughnut, but somehow that's OK too.

846 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, (213) 413-8626. 

-- Jonathan Gold

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Dario Cecchini plans visit to Valentino

Photo: Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times

Dario Cecchini, famed butcher of Panzano, comes to Valentino

Valentino's Piero Selvaggio is hosting Dario Cecchini "for a day of butchery and Chianti regional cucina." Cecchini, whose butcher shop in Panzano outside of Florence is a gastrotourist meat lover's shrine, will collaborate with Valentino executive chefs Luciano Pellegrini and Nico Chessa for a lunch and dinner on Thursday, April 19. 

The renowned butcher from Panzano is teaching a one-day-only whole-pig butchering class. The class will be followed by a lunch featuring traditional pork dishes from Panzano in Chianti.
Dinner will be prepared by Cecchini and chefs Pellegrino and Chessa, featuring traditional Chianti dishes such as Cecchini’s arista alla porchetta and crostini with lardo. 

The pig butchery class starts at 10 a.m., with lunch at noon. $65 all inclusive; proceeds benefit Meyer Children Hospital in Florence. Limited to 50 guests.

Dinner is at 6 p.m. and costs $125 inclusive of tax and tip; $155 with wine parings. Limited to 60 guests. Call for reservations.

3115 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 829-4313, www.valentinosm.com. 

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Photo: Handout

Hungry Cat celebrates lucky 7 (years) with $1 oysters

The Hungry Cat in Hollywood turns seven years old Thursday, and it's giving customers a "happy birthday" present: dollar oysters. Yep, $1 oysters all day. (Normally they're $15 for a half-dozen or $30 for 12.)

Happy hour is all day long, too, with half-off cocktails and craft beer. Available at the Hollywood location only.

1535 N. Vine St., Hollywood, (323) 462-2155, www.thehungrycat.com.

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3 Events: Meet Mr. Petrossian; Spice Table; 'New Orleans'

Caviar cocktail hour: Armen Petrossian will be in town on Thursday to host a caviar tasting at Petrossian West Hollywood. The Petrossian president also will lead a Q&A, an opportunity to speak with an authority on all things caviar. Founded in 1920 by his father and uncle in Paris, Petrossian is a leading purveyor of caviar. A wide variety of its caviar from around the world will be served, followed by a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception. 7:30 p.m. $150 per person. Call (310) 271-6300 for reservations. 321 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 271-0576, www.petrossian.com.  

Happy birthday: Spice Table is celebrating its one-year anniversary throughout the week with $1 Tiger beers, $5 Prosecco and a $15 9-ounce ribeye and Tiger beer combo. Other deals will be announced during the week on Facebook. The Vietnamese-Singaporean restaurant also is collaborating with Ken Arbuckle of La Descarga, who has created beer "cocktails," including Craftsman's Heavenly Hefe with apricot preserves, ginger and orange bitters; Mission's Dark Seas Imperial Stout with cinnamon, nutmeg and coconut syrup; and AleSmith's Old Numbskull with tamarind and lime. Chef-owner Bryant Ng is bringing back some favorite dishes, such as foie gras satay, pineapple pickle and ginger-spiced baguette. Look for a drawing for for a dinner for two, gift certificates and Prosecco and wine giveaways. 114 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 620-1840, www.thespicetable.com.

'Food Obsessionals': The Culinary Historians of Southern California meeting Saturday features a presentation by Albert Sonnenfeld on "Food Obsessionals: New Orleans and the French Connection." A culinary historian, freelance journalist, restaurant consultant and reviewer, Sonnenfeld has directed the series Arts of the Table: Studies in Culinary History for Columbia University Press, where he has published "Culture of the Fork." 10:30 a.m. in the Mark Taper Auditorium of the Central Library. Free. For more information, visit the CHSC website at www.chscsite.org. 

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Photo: Caviar at Petrossian West Hollywood. Credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times

4 Events: Ray's and Stark, Chaya, Golden Road Brewing, Papilles

Birthday party: On March 5, Ray's and Stark Bar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is celebrating its first year with a party. Executive chef Kris Morningstar has devised a menu featuring the best dishes of the year, such as chile with chorizo, dates, local goat cheese and almond sauce; squid ink pasta with garlic, chile, mint, opal basil and bottarga; and crispy pork belly with black vinegar sauce.   Sommelier-barsmith Paul Sanguinetti and general manager Martin Riese will DJ throughout the evening and guests will be able to participate in free screen printing on the patio. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 857-6180, www.raysandstarkbar.com.

Good things come in threes: To commemorate Chaya Downtown's third birthday, the restaurant is featuring a three-course prix-fixe menu ($33 per person) and $3 happy hour specials during March.  The menu will consist of roasted heirloom beets with baked cana de cabra cheese, arugula, fennel and balsamic must, grilled Wagyu flank steak and sweet potato frites, with Belgian chocolate fondant with raspberry coulis and mascarpone ice cream for dessert. For happy hour, guests can savor bar bites such as the spicy tuna hand roll, buttermilk-poached chicken skewers with soy glaze and seven spices, and a flat bread of the day with a chef’s choice of marinara, olives, asiago and arugula.  On March 16, the official anniversary date, Chaya Downtown will host a “Flights and Bites” wine tasting with Chateau Ste. Michelle for $33 per person. 525 S. Flower St., Los Angeles, (213) 236-9577, www.thechaya.com.

Beer for benefit: Golden Road Brewing is teaming up with the Whole Planet Foundation to raise money for the organization by hosting a beer festival on March 11.  Attendees will be able to sample the brewery's signature beers, including the Point the Way IPA, Golden Road Hefeweizen, Either Side of the Hill (strong ale) and Get Up Offa That Brown.  Food will be provided by Whole Foods Market and local vendors.  The foundation is dedicated to alleviating poverty in the developing world by providing families with the tools to expand their home businesses.  Tickets for this event are $20 per person and can be purchased online. 5410 W. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, (213) 373-4677, www.eventbrite.com, www.goldenroad.la.

"Off the Clock" wine tasting: On Sunday, wine aficionado Santos Uy will be highlighting five wines along with a myriad of sweet and savory bites from his new restaurant, Papilles, at local wine shop Domaine LA.  The featured wines will include a 2010 Batic Pinela and 2000 Lopez de Heredia Rosado. The tasting is capped at 25 guests, with tickets ($15 per person) available for purchase online.  6801 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 932-0280, www.domaine547.com.

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Photo: Chaya Downtown. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Plan Check opens today in West L.A.

West L.A.'s Little Osaka neighborhood welcomes a new addition to Sawtelle Boulevard with Plan Check, which opened its doors to the public Wednesday.

The restaurant incorporates architectural elements to make for an industrial appeal -- kudos to the neighborhood's culture bustling with architects, developers and designers -- and features communal tables, booths and a large outdoor patio.

Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger takes the reins at this new joint alongside barmen Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix of Harvard & Stone, La Descarga and Black Market Liquor Bar.

The menu features American comfort food with dishes such as the blueprint burger ($11) with smoked blue cheese, pig candy bacon, fried onions and steak sauce; smoky fried chicken ($12) with gravy, yam preserves and spicy pickled okra; and short rib pot roast ($15) with red wine, bone marrow turnover pie and sweet n' sour mirepoix. The bar program includes cocktails like the godzilla ($10) and bento box ($10); craft beer, wine and a variety of Japanese whiskeys. The moonshine house soda, with flavors like yuzu and tangerine, is pretty good, too.

Plan Check is open 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

1800 Sawtelle Blvd., L.A., (310) 288-6500, plancheckbar.com.

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Photo: Plan Check. Credit: Howard Wise

3 Events: Lamb Showdown; Common Grains; 'American Menu'

Panel + soba: Common Grains will host a panel discussion at Atwater Crossing on Sunday, featuring grain miller and farmer Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills in South Carolina and Monica Spiller from the Whole Grain Connection, a nonprofit aiming to enhance the desirability of organic and sustainable grains. Other grain experts also will speak, and a rice exhibition highlighting ancient varieties of grain will be on display. There will be a three-course prix fixe soba lunch, a collaboration between Sonoko Sakai and Mutsuko Soma of Common Grains, Roxana Jullapat of Cooks County and Naoko Moore of Toiro Kitchen, after the lecture. Sunday 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Panel discussion is free; $45 per person for priority seating to the panel discussion,  prix fixe lunch and a donation to the Whole Grain Connection. Payment is accepted prior to the event via PayPal or at the event with cash or check. RSVP to commongrains@wagstaffworldwide.com. Atwater Crossing, 3245 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, www.commongrains.com.  

Lamb-off: On  Feb. 20, Food GPS presents its inaugural Lamb Showdown, pitting Walter Manzke of the coming République & Factory Baking Co. against Zach Pollack and Steve Samson of Sotto. The six-course dinner features four savory courses with American lamb and two desserts with sheep’s milk dairy. Each diner gets a vote, judging boldest flavor, most originality and best presentation. Eagle Rock Brewery will be pouring three beers for each guest throughout the course of the dinner. Fifteen percent of event proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Tickets are $75 per person, available online. If you have any additional questions, contact Food GPS founder Joshua Lurie at joshua@foodgps.com. 7:30 p.m. Guelaguetza, at 3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, www.foodgps.com. 

"American Menu Design": On Feb. 11., the Culinary Historians will present Jim Heimann speaking on "American Menu Design" at the Los Angeles Public Library. This talk, based on a sampling from  Heimann's collection of over 5,000 menus, will focus on the graphic appeal of the menu and the history of American eating habits for over a century. A reception with themed refreshments will follow the talk. Heimann is an L.A. native;  his books include the recently published "Menu Design in America," "California Crazy," "Car Hops and Curb Service, May I Take Your Order?" and "Sins of the City: The Real Los Angeles Noir." He has worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, educator and author; he's now executive editor of Taschen Publishing America and is a faculty member of Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, where he has taught since 1987. Free. 10:30 a.m. Mark Taper Auditorium, Downtown Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., www.chscsite.org.

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'Moveable Feasts' dinner series by Los Angeles Nomadic Division

 

 

The nonprofit public art initiative known as Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND) was founded in 2009 to curate site- and situation-specific contemporary art projects in L.A. and farther afield.

The organization has featured "Nomadic Nights," an ongoing series of events, in various locations throughout L.A. that reflect the diverse ways in which contemporary artists engage and present visual culture through their work, performances and ideas.

New to the organization this year is "Moveable Feasts," a dinner series that incorporates elements similar to "Nomadic Nights" by making art accessible to the public but is different in that the engagement of people and culture will be more intimate through the added component of food.

"Moveable Feasts" will take place at restaurants throughout the city once a month. Each event will be held in honor of a different artist, will take place in a different neighborhood of L.A. and will feature a specially selected three-course menu. As of now, four dinners are planned for January through April at locations in West Hollywood, Venice and downtown.

On Sunday, LAND will host its first of the "Moveable Feasts" series with a dinner at Lucques on Melrose Avenue in honor of L.A.-based artist Mungo Thomson. Thomson, whose work includes various media  exploring backgrounds and space, was part of LAND's exhibition "The Secret Knows" in Austin, Texas, "The Secret (Still) Knows" in L.A. and "Nothing Beside Remains" in Marfa, Texas.

Tickets to the event are $150 per person and include a three-course dinner with wine as well as a signed copy of Thomson's People, a magazine created by Thomson that addresses reception and empty space.

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Image Credit: Mungo Thomson, People, 2011. A LAND Exhibition: Nothing Beside Remains.

Farmshop to open artisan market Jan. 29

Farmshop in the Brentwood Country Mart is welcoming a new addition to Jeff Cerciello's restaurant and bakery: a full-scale artisan market.

The market, comparable in size to the restaurant itself, boasts a deli, cheese and charcuterie counters, products such as Jessica Koslow's Sqirl preserves and seasonally inspired prepared foods. Also stocked on the market's shelves are California wines, craft beers and housewares from L.A. favorites including Heath ceramics.

Managing the floor is Emiliano Lee. With years of experience working as a cheese monger and manager (and even a "fresh foods wrangler" who sourced sustainably farmed produce) while working at Liberty Heights Fresh in Salt Lake City, Farmshop's new hire knows his cheese.

Lee, a Bay Area native, is thrilled to launch a market filled with foods crafted in California. The advocate brings farmstead American cheeses to Farmshop's cheese counter from Oregon and Vermont but mainly from California producers such as Bellwether Farms, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove Chevre, Marin French Cheese, Franklin's Cheese, Vella Cheese, Laura Chenel's Chevre, Andante Dairy, Garden Variety Cheese and Bleating Heart.

With the market in place, Cerciello and team are working to add an educational component with dinners, tasting events, cooking demonstrations and book signings on the horizon.

The artisan market at Farmshop will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

225 26th St., Suite 25, Santa Monica, (310) 566-2400, farmshopla.com.

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Photo: Farmshop's artisan market. Credit: Spencer Lowell

3 Events: Marino's mammas face off; Golden Road; butchery class

Naples vs. Venice: On Thursday, Marino Ristorante is taking the Naples-vs.-Venice battle to the kitchen, with Mamma Maria Marino representing Napoli and Mamma Luciana Ongaro representing Venezia. The two will prepare a six-course menu that features side-by-side Neapolitan and Venetian classics. Maria helped her late husband Ciro re-create Neapolitan recipes at Marino and raised their three children in the restaurant (Rosanna, the CFO at Marino; Mario Jr., the general manager and maître’d; and Sal, executive chef at Marino and chef-owner of Il Grano). Luciana, the daughter of a prominent chef in Venice, inspired her son Stefano (Rosanna Marino’s husband) to open the erstwhile All’Angelo. Examples from the menu: Manila clams gratin with garlic aioli (Naples) and salted cod crostini (Venice); double-wide rigatoni stuffed with veal, beef and pork (Naples) and thick Venetian spaghetti with pulled duck (Venice); and rolled sirloin with raisins, eggs and pine nuts in tomato sauce (Naples) and milk-braised Niman Ranch pork (Venice). $65 per person (includes a glass of Prosecco upon arrival) and $35 optional wine pairing. 6001 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 466-8812, www.marinorestaurant.net. 

Golden Road party: Golden Road Brewing is hosting a double celebration on Sunday, the launch of its pub and its brand-new 16-ounce cans. The pub will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with chef Adam Levoe grilling burgers (vegan and non-vegan) on the outdoor patio, served with a can of Golden Road beer, either the Point the Way IPA or Golden Road Hefeweizen, for $10. The full menu will also be available, along with draft beer options. 5430 W. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, (213) 537-4655, www.goldenroadbrewing.com.

Class at Huntington Meats: Suzanne Tracht, chef-owner of Jar, is collaborating with Huntington Meats at its 3rd Street Farmers Market shop for a series of classes on butchery and cooking. A class on beef takes place on Sunday. Huntington’s butchers, John Escobedo and Robert Ore, will present an “up close and personal” class, and Tracht will present a cooking demo and discuss how to best use the various cuts of meats. The upcoming schedule includes pig on Feb. 26, lamb on March 25 and beef cuts for spring on April 22. Topics for January: breaking a side of beef, portioning primal cuts, and grading to grinding. Learn how to prepare beef cuts in winter, including short ribs, briskets and roasts. The price is $65 per guest. 6 to 8 p.m. Reserve by calling Huntington Meats at (323) 938-5383. 6333 W. 3rd St. at the Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles.

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Photo: Golden Road Brewing. Credit: Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times