Sampler Platter: Veterans Day deals, Toshi Sushi celebrates anniversary, Ruby Tuesday gets posher, bacon envelopes and chocolate mousse Peeps

Even among fast casual eateries there's a caste system. And Ruby Tuesday wants to move out of the neighborhood it shares with Applebee's and Chili's and into the classier 'hood alongside Olive Garden and Outback Steakhouse. All this and more essential food news:

--Speaking of Applebee's, they're giving a free meal to Veterans today. Krispy Kreme giving away free doughnuts. Consumerist
--Ruby Tuesday upgrades with fancier decor, more expensive food. New York Times
--Toshi Sushi, "greatest omakase bargain in Little Tokyo," celebrates anniversary. Sinosoul
--Mendocino Farms to open 2nd downtown venue at 5th and Flower streets. Blog Downtown
--Portland brewer makes beer from Bac-O Bits, Nutella and more. Houston Chronicle
-- Food pioneer: Chef Fergus Henderson. The Times
--The folks who made Bacon Salt bring you Bacon Envelopes. J&D Foods
--Crispy tripas at Rambo's Taco Truck in Eagle Rock. Gourmet Pigs
--Miniature finger-food plates: Absurd or absurdly practical? The Kitchn
--Everyone loves the cheese dust. Dorito's DIY commercial contest returns.
--Burlingame officials try to run Curry Up Now truck out of town. California Taco Trucks
--Chocolate mousse-flavored Marshmallow Reindeer Peeps, new for the holidays.
--A roundup of pumpkin-based restaurant specials. Caroline On Crack

--Elina Shatkin

Photo: Toshihiko Seki, owner and chef of Toshi Sushi in downtown Los Angeles, prepares a plate of sashimi and rolls. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Henry "Hank" Silva, longtime owner of Bill's Taco House, 1920-2009

Henry M. Silva, who owned South L.A. institution Bill's Taco House on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, died Friday of natural causes at his home in San Pedro.

He was 88. 

Silva bought the Taco House from its original owner in the '50s, and though friends knew him as Hank, customers assumed his name was Bill.

Silva grew up in the Central Valley, picking fruit and cotton. In 1939, he moved to Los Angeles, served in the Navy in World War II, then returned to L.A., working at various jobs. An insurance check after an injury helped him buy the Taco House, about a mile east of USC.

The Taco House taco is a seasoned hamburger patty, grilled and cut into three pieces, with a slice of "yellow" cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and a spicy chili gravy in a fried taco shell. Like the tacos, the enchiladas are made with hamburger patties. Noted customers have included Barry White and Wilt Chamberlain.

A 2003 article in the Los Angeles Times revealed the three secrets to Taco House's longevity: "1. Being down with your peeps. 2. Keeping your prices low. 3. Gravy."

Silva sold the Taco House in 1985 but remained an active member of the community. A neighborhood Head Start school on East Martin Luther King Boulevard, the Silva Center, is named in his honor. 

-- Betty Hallock

Photo credit: Kevin P. Casey / Los Angeles Times

Sampler Platter: Classic Julia Child, CandyCots, bacon cheddar, insane sandwiches and amazing food art

Regarding the bacon cheddar cheese in the photo, all we can say is: Why didn't someone think of this sooner? And now, a dose of food news to kick off your week.

• Food as spectator sport: Michael Pollan ruminates on the concurrent rise in the popularity of cooking shows and the decline of cooking in American kitchens. New York Times
• Glasgow chef claims chicken tikka masala originated in Scotland. Indian Express
• How to make the ketchup at Umami. Plus, 15 delicious versions of the classic hamburger in Saveur magazine's "Burger Bible" issue.
• Totally amazing Mona Lisa, made from 3,604 cups of coffee with varying amounts of cream. The Daily What
• With “Julie and Julia” set to open Aug. 7, PBS serves up a slew of classic Julia Child cooking shows: cheese souffles, elegant eggs, roasted veal chops, sweetbreads and more.
• Gastronomy digs newly opened Cham Korean Bistro, an antidote to the "mostly soulless chains" that dot Pasadena.
• Eating L.A. digs Ricardo's Fish Tacos stand outside Le Barcito in Silver Lake.
• The Rubix Cubewich: the sandwich equivalent of a Rubik's Cube. Insanewiches
• An oldie but a goodie: "Sandwiches That You Will Like." WQED
• CandyCots, a brand of new super-sweet apricots, might be the next fruit craze. Brand X

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Rob Takata / For The Times

Taco Zone truck attacked in Echo Park, as told by Twitter

Was the Taco Zone taco truck in Echo Park the victim of a hate crime, a jealous competitor, gang activity or vandals? Police don't know, but that doesn't make it any less frightening  that on Friday night the truck was set on fire.

Fire-starters weren't the only ones at work that night. The Twitterati were also in full force. This is their story:

The truck generally parks on Alvarado Boulevard two blocks north of Sunset Boulevardnear the Vons supermarket. Food blogger and former Metromix staffer Katherine Spiers, who happened to be there at the time of the attack, reports on her Tumblr blog that the truck was hit by poorly aimed Molotov cocktails. No one was hurt, according to LAist, which also points out that Councilman Eric Garcetti reported and then Tweeted about the incident.

Spiers notes that volunteer security officers are now manning the Taco Zone perimeter. Also, there's word about a possible benefit showfor Taco Zone. The Mae Shi have been asked to play, according to drummer Jacob Alonzo Cooper's Twitter feed. More details to come.

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Times deputy Food editor Betty Hallock was driving by and swung through the Vons parking lot to take this photo. She then posted it on Twitter. Credit: Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times

Taco trucks are feeling the crunch across the U.S.

 

The demand for food from mobile vendors grows as the Latino population increases. But officials in some places see the vehicles as nuisances and create laws to curb their operation. Read the full story here.

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Making a run for the Border Grill taco truck

Pulling up alongside the Kogi taco truck? The Too Hot Tamales.

A Border Grill taco truck will be parked tonight at 433 S. Spring St. -- outside the new Ed Hardy store -- from 6 to 10 p.m. selling $2 tacos and $5 quesadillas made with hand-made tortillas. It'll also vend potato rajas, brownies, pomegranate lemonade and more as part of downtown L.A.'s monthly art walk.

Border Grill and Ciudad chef-owner Mary Sue Milliken -- who will be stopping by, along with business partner and fellow chef Susan Feniger -- said the taco truck is a bit of an experiment. But if customers seem to enjoy it, there could be more where it came from.

"We've been thinking about doing something like this for years," said Milliken, adding that there seems to be more of a demand than ever for fresh food on the go -- and not just fast food, mind you, but healthful food served up with convenience and a gourmet twist.

If successful, Milliken said, it opens up a number of new avenues, literally. Under discussion are Border Grill trucks that follow specific routes and  make appearances at birthdays, barbecues and other special occasions.

"You see the food scene in New York and D.C., and the Kogi truck here ... we should have just jumped on in when we first thought about it," Milliken said. "But this gives us a chance to take our stuff on the road and dip our toe in the pond and see what happens."

It will be an experiment in more ways than one. Tonight's truck is rented, and will be festooned with Border Grill banners. It will give the chefs an opportunity to mull over the interior possibilities -- just in case they decide to buy one of their own.

"It's an exciting time for food on the go," Milliken said.

-- Rene Lynch

Photo credit: Fran Gealer

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-- A look at Susan Feniger's new restaurant, Susan Feniger's Street

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Cinco de Mayo recipes: tuna tostadas, carne asada, chicharrones . . .

 

If you are like me, you're always looking for an excuse to break out the chips and guac. So I was happy to dig through the Times Test Kitchen's archives for some recipes in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Still, I wanted to come up with something ... different. (Nothing against refried beans, mind you!)

So this is a photo gallery of the menu I came up with:

There are grapefruit margaritas to start, along with appetizers including radish salsa, tortillas and chicharrones de queso -- roughly translated as fried cheese, tuna tostadas with chipotle mayo and queso de chiva fundido con pipián verde -- roughly translated as more cheesy goodness. For the main course, choose from green corn tamales, El Cholo's famous chiles rellenos, carne asada tacos, achiote-marinated fish tacos, duck tacos with a chile-cherry compote (I told you I wanted different) and two types of veggie enchiladas.

But I wasn't completely nontraditional. I did include guacamole. And, for a finisher, flan. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

-- Rene Lynch

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Photo credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Sampler Platter: Offal art, marshmallow Peeps, kogi in the O.C.

Monday food news...

• Explore the fashion and artistry of raw meat in "Offal Taste," a photo series filled with beef heart necklaces, tripe brassieres, a headdress made of animal intestines and more. Eat Me Daily
• Easter-themed food meme of the week: Some fanatic compiles "Marshmallow Peeps on the Internet -- A Study," 130 Peep websites worth visiting. Unlikely Words
• In Saveur magazine's 12 Restaurants That Matter, the only L.A. joint is... Musso & Frank. (The eateries are listed in the tab on the left that says "Articles.")
• Franklin Avenue gets hip to Jitlada's southern Thai cuisine at this weekend's Songkran Thai New Year Festival.
• Kogi truck will be coming to the O.C. Fast Food Maven
• Glenn Close can stuff a fistful of carrots in her mouth. Daily Mail

-- Elina Shatkin

Credit: Bob Carey / Los Angeles Times

Spam tacos at Spamapalooza

The ham that didn't pass its physical, aka Spam, got its due at Spamapalooza today. As part of a promotional event for the upcoming production of "Spamalot" at the Ahmanson Theatre, the Center Theatre Group hosted a Spam-themed mini-festival in the Music Center's courtyard earlier today. Ye olde jesters and clowns were on hand as musical theater lovers and Monty Python fans (see picture after the jump) lined up for tickets while the 'Tina Taco Truck in the courtyard dished out Spam tacos (three for $6). Don't tell this to vegans, but the dirty truth about Spam is that it tastes just like salty, grilled tofu.

Sampler Platter: Bakon, breast-feeding, cave man snacks, ramen

Welcome to the week in food news...

• Microwaveable cave man meat snacks from Japan. Gizmodo
• Is breast really best? Hanna Rosin's story in the Atlantic questions the conventional wisdom that breast-feeding is better than bottle-feeding and stirs up a hornet's nest of debate in the N.Y. Times.
• O'Neills Irish Pub in Lexington, Ky., installs tableside beer taps and charges by the ounce. Lexington Herald-Leader
• Round 1 of Taco Madness 2009 continues at LA Taco, where you can vote for your favorite taqueria.
• "Share your story of what you are doing to change your position and help others, despite losing your job" and Clive Berkman will be your personal chef for a week.
• Potatomato hits up Mama Ramen in Lomita with its gourmet ramen options like steak.
• Say hello to Bakon, premium bacon-flavored vodka. Royal Bacon Society
• Is avocado oil the new olive oil? It's the vegetable oil with the highest smoke point. Fork in the Road

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Left: A taco from Carnitas Michoacán. (George Wilhelm / Los Angeles Times) Right: A pair of roasting chickens. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)