Backyard Bite

Sunny Spot, Venice

822 Washington Blvd · Venice, CA 90292 · Neighborhood: Venice

Having already been a fan of Sunny Spot since they opened their doors this past November, I was super excited to learn that they were launching their inaugural brunch weekend just in time for Mother’s Day. A special Friends and Family sampling enabled me to try a few items on their menu. With every bite, I couldn’t help but think of friends whom I knew would really enjoy this place. It’s a very diverse menu and should make a lot of foodies salivate with glee.

Since he boldly arrived on the LA food scene in 2008 with his clever Kogi truck marketing tactics, Roy Choi has been redefining our food culture. He filters it through his own sensibilities, fusing upscale cuisine with street food and the foods he grew up with. With Kogi, he combined his Korean influences with Mexican tacos. He took what used to be a boring old IHOP and transformed it into A-Frame – a sleek, contemporary “modern picnic.” And now, such is the case with the fifth installment of his ever-growing empire, Venice’s Sunny Spot.

Roy and owner Dave Reiss elevated the previous resident Beechwood, by creating a sophisticated yet laid back, delicate yet bold dining experience, putting an LA spin on Caribbean fare.

Imagine a DJ sampling the ill’est beats; Roy knows how to take the best elements from various cuisines and make them work together like a badass mix tape – he summons up emotions. Sunny Spot is bolder than most restaurants in this part of Venice. Don’t let the dainty and floral décor fool you, the dishes here are man-friendly, savory and hearty. The plates are meant to be shared, and you’ll find yourself wanting to sample a lot. You’ll also find yourself wanting to save room for dessert, but this almost never happens.

As for the brunch menu, Sunny Spot is not your typical eggs and/or sandwiches kinda brunch. Instead, you have the option of Korean style baked steak and eggs, Jamaican Oxtail Stew, a ginormous plate of pillowy soft Banana French Toast, Smoked Baby Back Ribs or their popular Two Fisted Burger. The meat is expertly prepared so it falls off the bone…  it’s really tender.

Roy’s spin on the traditional Cuban sandwich is instead a Cuban Torta with prosciutto, provolone, pickled jalapeño, mayo and mustard. Oh, yeah, Roy doesn’t mess around. There’s something on the menu here for your Paleo-dieting-CrossFit-loving-meat-eater friends and yes, also for your mom, who’d possibly rather get down with a Hearts of Palm Salad or a yummy bowl of AnSon Mills Porridge.

The atmosphere is chill and cozy. A DJ spins island songs while you sip a creamy Jamaican Coffee (spiced with Rum of course). Then you take in some California sun on the patio and you find that you can’t help but dance in your seat a little bit grooving to the mood setting beats. Ahhhh, life is good.

Although my boyfriend and I had devoured two huge dishes, we couldn’t help but get down with another plate – the smoked ribs. When I was done, I licked my fingers clean and smiled sheepishly. Nothing but savory, finger-licking good flavors in this dish. Two and a half hours later, we found ourselves lingering out on the patio just enjoying the calming ambiance, the good-looking people and the satisfying comfort food.

Brunch at Sunny Spot is like you’ve left LA and gone on vacation to a tropical island – minus the groping from TSA.

Bring your mom for mother’s day! Bring your date for brunch, dinner or perhaps their killer happy hour.

Anyway you go, you won’t be disappointed. And if you are – oh well, too bad. Go stand in line at GJelina.

BYB Tip: Parking is valet but also breezy around the corner side streets. Make a reservation in advance – especially for dinnertime.

If you go for dinner, be sure to try the sous vide, deep fried, Jerk Wings. Ah-Mazing! Also, great for private parties!

Stüssy x Plan Check Bar x Backyard Bite

1800 Sawtelle Blvd · West Los Angeles, CA 90025 · Neighborhood: West Los Angeles

For my second visit over at the new-ish Plan Check Bar I got to help collaborate a special event. The trendsetters over at the street wear brand Stüssy (yes, remember them??) paired up with the new bar/restaurant just north of “Little Osaka” for a funky fresh evening. The private event was a cool little meeting of the minds; a mash up of fashionistas, bloggers, foodies and entertainment industry folk. There was no stanky fru fru, nor any of that “hollywood” pretentiousness going on here. Everyone simply gathered to share in some good food and good fun.

Stüssy collaborated with Plan Check’s Ernesto Uchimura (the former Umami Burger corporate chef) on a special menu for the night’s festivities.

It featured classic Stüssy inspired references as the titles of the dishes: I.S.B. (International Stüssy Burger), Worldwide Tribe Fries, The Livin’ Large, and Stoopid Fresh Donuts, to name a few examples.

The main course was an International Stüssy Burger made with Akaushi Beef, Jalapeño Escabeche, Americanized (house made) Cheese, Smokey Bacon, Battered Onion Straws, Knowledge Sauce and Uchimura’s classic Crunch Bun. If that sounds like a lot – it was. Plan Check doesn’t mess around when it comes to burgers. It was a huge, savory, Man-Burger.

Uchimura also put a delicious spin on their usual donut dessert. They were so good they disappeared from our table faster than you could say Stoopid Fresh. They included Cereal Milk Ice Cream from Milk and Caramelized Cornflakes. A must try.

The roughly 150 attendees left fully satisfied, full and/or drunk and with doggie bags that included a Stüssy designed Plan Check Tee.

If you didn’t get in to the party but want to try the special menu, you’re in luck. It’ll be available at Plan Check throughout the month of May.

For more info on Plan Check: Check out my previous post on their opening this past February.

Check out some some pics from the night!

Amy T. Shuster is an actress, writer and food enthusiast. Her blog is backyardbite.com, which focuses on creating positive content to generate awareness of local independent foodie “gems” in the Los Angeles area. Amy lives and dines in Los Angeles, CA.

The Pie Hole Los Angeles, Downtown

714 Traction Ave · Los Angeles, CA 90013 · Neighborhood: Downtown

Think back… way back… to your fondest “Pie” memory… Smelling the aroma of your grandmother’s pumpkin pie coming from the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning… Perhaps you think of enjoying warm apple pie on Independence Day with friends. Every American has a personal connection with pie. Me? Oh, I’m a sucker for a good chicken potpie. I can eat it anywhere, any time and it always hits the spot, especially on a cold rainy day. Whatever the case may be for you, Pie is a special food that makes us think of family, friends and no doubt triggers warm fuzzy feelings. Pie makes us happy.

Sean Brennan, co-owner of The Pie Hole Los Angeles says it best…

“Who has a slice of pie and a cup of coffee and feels shitty afterwards!?”

Enter on an ambitious group of entrepreneurs who decided to bring to LA a bit of what pie means to them. What used to be a sketchy Mexican restaurant is now a place for the community to gather. After some gentle coercing from her son Matt, the matriarch of the Pie Hole, Rebecca Grasley finally realized her dream of opening up a pie shop.

Luckily for us, she brings her award winning family recipes and a family lovin’ to The Artist District in downtown Los Angeles. The Pie Hole hasn’t had their doors open for more than little over half a year, yet residents to the neighborhood are very proud and very protective of their little Pie Hole. Located directly across from the popular sausage kitchen Wurstküche, Los Angeles locals stop in daily for savory chicken potpies or mac and cheese pies and saunter over in the evenings for a sweet treat. Along with various (changing daily) specialty pies, The Pie Hole Los Angeles offers custom coffee brews from the LA coffee maker Groundwork coffee as well as an emotional attachment, family history and sincere love of the pie itself.

The Backyard Bite recently sat down with longtime friends and co-owners, Matthew Heffner and Sean Brennan to find out what makes their little Pie Hole so gosh darn special.

BYB: So, what’s your story? How did the Pie Hole come about?

Matt: We’ve been friends for 4 or 5 years now. Sean has had years of restaurant experience and my mom had always wanted to open up a pie shop. I always tell (people) the story about how my dad was going to open up a sporting goods store and then my mom would say, “We can put a pie counter in there!” When I was a kid, it’s all she had ever talked about. So when she retired, and all her kids had moved away I thought, man, I wish there was a way I could invest in this idea myself and start a business. So I said, ‘mom you should open up a pie shop! You’ve always talked about doing it, your pies have won awards in state fairs for years…’ it’s something that she loves to do, and is good at. She’s never been a shoot from the hip kinda person. But she said, “yeah, ok! Let’s do it!”

Sean: (I told them) There’s a market opportunity here, there’s sort of a trend going on now, and if you are going to do a “pie-thing”, you should do it, but there’s going to be a right way and wrong way to do it. I always give this advice to anybody starting up a business, get a partner – someone who knows what they are doing and then, invest in it and get it going. I thought they had a great idea there.

BYB: Was there a lot of compromising in taking the idea from your mom’s kitchen and turning it into a commercial brick and mortar shop?

Matt: Oh yeah, for sure. What you have to remember is that mom would bake only one or two pies. When she comes in the shop now, it’s still hard for her to get her single pie recipe out in 30 pies. She’s still living in New Jersey, but she’ll come in every few months and bring in new recipes and ideas. She’ll talk to our executive chef Adrianna Sullivan (Providence, Water Grill, Nickel Diner, Eveleigh, Manhattan Beach Post) and make sure they are on the same page. It’s really a nice working environment. Adrianna takes (my mom’s) recipes and puts them through a creative process where everything is a little bit tweeked and she is able to make them more commercial.  This way, we are able to do 10 or 12 pies instead of just one at a time. My mom would come in here and do one single pie, one crust at a time and by midnight she’d finally have 10 pies. And she still does that! For Thanksgiving she flew in and she did all of our pumpkin pies. She made my great-grandmother’s recipe and made every single pie – one at a time, in one mixer.

BYB: Ooh, I bet those were good.

Matt: We’re talking like 40 pies over 3 days. It was just a lot of love and a lot of work going into them. I like to think that those Thanksgiving pies had a little something extra special in them.

BYB: Your pies change seasonally?

Matt: Oh, yeah. They change and everything is fresh. Nothing comes from a can, we don’t freeze anything. Everyday, we have a truck here delivering produce every morning.

BYB: Where do you get your produce?

Sean: We have local purveyors. Our strawberries for example, come from a farm where Chef Adrianna lives.

Matt: My machinist boss (from my other job) owns an avocado and lemon farm and he came in today with a huge box of lemons and was like “Hey! Can you use these!?” They are in the lemon meringue pie’s today! I’m going to text him later – that will really make his day. It’s called “Baker’s Green Acres.” It’s great.

Sean: We have regular deliveries that come. We always know the source of everything. It’s all local. That’s the best part about running a restaurant or pie shop in California; it’s the largest agricultural state in the country and there’s so much good stuff. Plus we keep the menu really limited. We felt very early on that there’s no way you can execute a massive menu well. We wanted to be the best pie shop in L.A., and we wanted to be able to offer the best quality product. That’s our goal. And the only way to do that is to focus on 5 or 6 sweet pies during the day so that you can just really kill it.

BYB: How many pies get made throughout the course of the day?

Matt: Well, it depends on the day. I just got done talking to our chef and she just finished 80 chicken potpies, it’s 4 pm now, and they are still going. The base of the pies – the “stuff” that goes inside is cooked off in the morning – but baking and cooking are just so different. In a restaurant you can run your kitchen until that individual stuff runs out. But here, for instance the chicken, you have to slow simmer and reduce down and everything gets set up each day. It’s not like we can just say, ‘ok, now we need 5 more pot pies.’ That decision had to be made three days ago. So it IS like a bakery in the sense that there’s a cap. Though it’s also kinda like a restaurant where we are working all day towards that end goal. It’s an interesting hybrid that we’ve created here.

BYB: Matt, do you make any of the pies?

Matt: Sure! I do when my mom flies in from Jersey. I’ve baked with her for years. It’s a nice mother-son thing we’ve got going on. It’s one of the things she looks forward to because owning a pie shop is something she’s always dreamt of doing. She likes to watch the kitchen work – it’s a well-oiled machine.

Sean: It’s really important, in doing anything, but especially in doing a restaurant, to focus on the elemental parts and just try to execute it really well. And we have a true love and passion for what pie represents and what it can do for people. Who has a slice of pie and a cup of coffee and feels shitty afterwards? By far, for the folks that are here right now, this is going to be the highlight of their day.

BYB: Did I hear you right? Did you say “Pie-light” of their day? 

Sean: No, but I will now, that’s pretty awesome! Where we feel super strongly about is in the experience, and scaling that was interesting.

“Matt and his mother grew up LOVING pie and it meant so much to them. I think everybody can relate to something like that. (People come in and say) ‘Oh, my grandma made pies… I make pie… pie reminds me of the holidays and the holidays make me feel good!’ and that’s exactly what we want to do for people.”

Matt: For my family, the history was never passed down. We don’t have these long standing family heirlooms, but what we do have is our recipes. So my mom and I on Thanksgiving will make my great-grandmother’s recipe, (she’s someone) whom I never met, but it’s just a little something that I get to experience from her.

Sean: Yeah, and for them to be able to do that, on Thanksgiving – I mean, we’ve got a full staff and some people had never met his mom before and it’s like, now here she is; she’s coming in and making pies. This is what grounds us and this is what we do. You can’t front on pie. For me it’s that emotional attachment, that family history and that love of the pie itself. That is what sets us apart from any other pie establishment, I think. I just really like it. It’s such a blast to be here everyday.

BYB: It’s the “pie-light” of your day.

Sean: Haha, it is now!

BYB: I was so impressed by the buzz surrounding The Pie Hole even before you had actually opened. You have such a large social network presence. How did you guys get that going?

Matt: That wasn’t so much us. We definitely helped propel it, but I think it just caught on. We made pies for Bloomfest, which is a festival that is on this street every year. People were so excited after that, they just kept emailing us and twittering us. They just couldn’t wait to try the pie and were just really excited about it. All that buzz was organic.

BYB: How did this location come about?

Matt: I thought this was a fantastic little neighborhood. I remember thinking – wow, this is so cool! There were people walking their dogs at 11:00 at night…

Sean: Our criteria, was that we were looking for a really well developed sense of community. Foot traffic and things like that, but we always stuck to the basic premise which was: pie means family; family brings an emotional connection and that means something. The neighborhood down here is SERIOUS. They are not messing around. Now that we are a part of it – if something were to happen to us, they would rally around – there would be protests – it’s so cool. There’s something really special going on down here and it’s not yet defined either, it’s still growing. There are so many other cool things happening around here too in the Arts District. Over by Church and State there’s a bunch of stuff over there too. I just feel like we got here just at the right time.

Matt: I’ve lived in a lot of neighborhoods and I’ve never felt the sense of togetherness that this place has – ever…. Pie is a community-based food. Everyone has an emotional attachment.

Sean: We wanted to focus on accessibly. Your abuelita should come in feeling that this place is just as accessible as the hip kids from the Arts District do. It should be the same experience.

BYB: Pie should not be intimidating.

Matt: No way. It’s pie!

BYB: I hear that you handmade all of the décor in the shop? It’s actually the first thing I noticed when I walked in. The shop is very simple, it’s minimal, but you can sense that there was a lot of care that went into the making of the furniture, there’s a personal touch to it all.

Matt: We made it together.

Sean: I still have splinters.

Matt: Every piece of décor you see in there was thought of and executed by us and a group of friends. Everything. It was a pretty awesome experience to be able to do that. We were going for a wood and steel (theme), the chairs were made locally. The wood is from a reclaimed wood place. From May of last year to October, this place was a wreck, there was spackle and holes in the wall… it’s really neat when somebody walks up to a counter that you made and puts their purse down on it and there’s a transaction being made.

BYB: Tell me about your collaboration with Groundwork coffee roasters.

Matt: Our beans are organic and they are our own beans. Nobody else has our beans.

Sean: They roast for us, but it’s our own blend. We went through an exhaustive testing. We want people to come in for a cup of coffee and know it’s gonna taste the same (every time). There are a million different coffee options, but we wanted to use local businesses and focus on that… keep it as L.A. as possible. After all, we are called, “The Pie Hole Los Angeles” and if we ever open up a location in New York, it’s still going to be called The Pie Hole Los Angeles.

We really want to represent the L.A. food community and restaurant scene. We are proud of it and it’s really on the come up. (So) we put it in our name… This is L.A. and we are super proud and we don’t want to be doing anything else.

BYB: Last question, I just gotta ask… what are your favorite pies? 

Sean: I like the lemon meringue.

Matt: My favorite, I think possibly of all time is the maple custard. It is to die for. It’s probably our best seller.

Sean: Bi-Coastal customers say it’s the LA version of the crack pie from Momofuku. I’ve had people tell me, THIS is your crack pie “don’t touch it, don’t change it, this is serious.”

Matt: One of the coolest things to do is to switch somebody over from their favorite pie, they say “well, I’m thinking about this one, but what’s your favorite?” and I’ll say it’s the maple custard and if you haven’t tried it you have to. You can see the trepidation in their face and they go “ehh, alright.” And then they’ll come back and say “that was AMAZING” and they are so excited. Two days later, they order three more and it’s really cool to see that. It’s one of my favorite things, to bring out an emotion in people.

Pepsi + LA artist Jorge Oswaldo

Coke or Pepsi? That’s the age-old question. For Dave Chappelle, the answer is easy; it’s whoever pays him more. For Los Angeles based Latino artist Jorge Oswaldo, it’s whoever gives him wall space. Jorge was recently commissioned to design a Pepsi inspired, 60×20-foot mural for the De La Barracuda wall, better known for hosting such talents as Ron English, Shepard Fairey and street artist JR.

Located directly across from Fairfax high school on Melrose Avenue, this type of busy foot traffic is quite an honor for an up-and-coming artist. As an art lover myself, I chatted with Jorge about the inspiration for his artwork and how he got involved with Pepsi for this project. I wanted to provide a soapbox for him to explain the meaning behind his art, and find out how it’s relevant to all kinds of artists and even foodies too!

Backyard Bite: So you’re a graphic designer at Stüssy by day and a fine artist by night. How did this collaboration with Pepsi come about?

Jorge Oswaldo: Rob Abeyta and SA Studios contacted me to see if I would consider doing the mural. Sure, it’s a corporation, but nobody says, “I want to be a starving artist when I grow up!” It’s nice to have the opportunity to get paid to do what you love. So, of course, I said yes!

BYB: Have you ever done a mural this size before?

JO: Nothing like this. This mural was an opportunity for me to challenge myself as designer and work on a much larger scale that I am used to dealing with. I used to have my own mural company many years ago, but we would paint the walls and it was usually small scale.  I love experimenting with different mediums. I’ve worked on canvas, plexi-glas, vinyl (the stuff used to make signage) and am always looking to extend the reach to my audience in any format. However, this project is my first time working with wheat pasting. I have been working with complex arrangements of shapes for as long as I can remember, and that technique I found is a good way to apply the art without losing any of the detail or taking too long to erect.  I had to give thought to the design as it would appear to my viewer both far away as a whole and also how it would look close up in detail. There was a lot to consider.

BYB: What is wheat paste? Isn’t that the stuff that makes spaghetti stick when you throw it against the wall?

JO: Haha, yeah, sort of. It’s a technique used to adhere paper. Some people call it potato paste, rice paste or flour paste. It’s basically a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water. You basically mix equal portions of flour and water and heat it up until it gets thick. You can also smear some cooked rice into a paste and use that. This technique has been used to bind books, make papier-mâché and do collage since ancient times. A lot of street artists like this technique because it’s cheap, accessible and quick.

BYB: Cool. So, where did the inspiration for the mural come from?

JO: Well, I love discovering new shapes! Especially ones I have forgotten about. So when I was creating the design, researching and looking over the gamut of different Pepsi logos over the years, it was a huge thrill for me to be able to see how I could re-construct these iconic logos in my style. In the foreground, I decided that I wanted to depict what Pepsi represented for a 2012 audience.

It’s an organized chaos of sorts. It’s seductive and fresh, hip, bold and vibrant. You can’t help but look at it and your eyes are constantly moving around the image. There’s a flow to it. While the “cluster” or “globe” represents a newer generation of Pepsi, I also wanted to pay homage to the iconic Pepsi Cola history by deconstructing the logos of the past. They live in the backdrop as a foundation for the piece. I incorporated the words “Pepsi-Cola” together into a subtle white backdrop.

BYB: The Backyard Bite always roots for the underdog and is all about connecting with one’s community. I think it’s pretty cool that Pepsi, this big corporation, is reaching out on a grass roots level to connect with its consumers and fans. How do you feel being a part of this?

JO: It’s great to be included in such a project. They could have just made a billboard or ad and left it at that. I think that they are proving that they can keep up with the times and are making powerful connections that are important to the current generation of Pepsi drinkers. I think their new slogan ”Where there’s Pepsi, there’s music” is really smart because to me music is such a giant emotional component, and in a way it’s redefining how we relate to brands, in their case beverages. We’re not just being told to “drink Pepsi” we are being included in the process and are actively being engaged. An emotional connection is something I always strive for in my personal work.

BYB: Brands and logos have been showing up a lot lately in your current works. Why the obsession with logos?

JO: I use logos that people see on an everyday basis… I simply bump up the contrast. I re-edit familiar shapes and make them slightly different; sometimes just changing its size or color, but just enough to allow you to see them in a new light.

In a way, you are seduced and attracted to these logos all over again. Only this time, you find yourself looking at the details, appreciating them, almost as if you were seeing them for the first time. I like to instigate reactions based on someone’s likes or dislikes, and (the viewer) ultimately decides what those reactions mean to them. Also, If someone likes my work, it begs the question, ok well, do they like me, the artist as a brand, or are they subconsciously just drawn to the brands that are represented in the artwork?

BYB: Why is this type of work important to you?

JO: I think that it’s important because we are so inundated with brands in our everyday lives and these logos are really in essence just symbols. Why are they so relevant in our society? Cavemen drew symbols on walls essentially recording their history. Later the Egyptians used hieroglyphics and they recorded their particular moment in history.

Today, post Internet and post Web 2.0 – everybody is creating their brand. Tools like Facebook and Twitter facilitate personal brand creation and ultimately can help them achieve popularity or success. The brands and logos we associate with in our everyday lives on some level define who we are and also act as billboards announcing to the world who we are. We choose to create part of our identities in this way.

Brands, logos and shapes are everywhere. It’s all one great big cluster, each one trying to vie for your attention.

It’s important for artists to record their moment in history, and that moment right now is a very brand driven one. I’m not saying it’s either good or bad, it’s just the way it is.

BYB: If you could do whatever you wanted to a logo without any legal repercussions, what would you do?

JO:  I would want to take something pretty well known and change it up a bit. For instance, take the McDonalds’ arches and turn them purple for a day. I think that this particular little shift would be enough to make people really take notice. We’ve become so accustomed to seeing those golden arches that they are just sort of there in the background of our unconscious mind. People get so caught up in routine and just begin to accept things without question, good or bad, because they got used to it. I just want to make people look again, and sometimes you need to change things up. Something as simple as color – swapping it to the opposite side of the color spectrum would definately give people a little jolt of fresh perspective.

BYB: What do you think that color change would do to people?

JO: I don’t know what that might do, but it would definitely be a fun experiment. Those designers, years ago, made specific choices and decided why the McDonalds arches should be gold. Maybe they knew that specific color would do something to people. It’s bright and welcoming, or maybe it just makes you hungry. In changing it, that would force people to evaluate whether or not that color is even relevant anymore. People would still eat there anyway, right? If you saw the purple arches, wouldn’t you be curious? Would it make you want to go inside to see what was happening in there? Would it still be the same McDonalds?

BYB: I don’t know… I haven’t been inside a McDonalds in years! It would definitely make me wonder what was going on and find out why there was this “special” purple McDonalds. It would be a good experiment!

JO: There you go. You’re already thinking about it.

BYB: Often times, disregarding cost, people grab the bottle of Tropicana, the Cheerios box, or Philly Cream Cheese package simply because it’s a recognizable brand. It’s almost like you are subliminally trying to show people in your art that they are hardwired to favor something familiar?

JO:  Well, I think that the minute you are born, you are wired to choose. Mom or Dad? Bottle or boob? Milk or water? Coke or Pepsi? You see? I think that is simply what being human is all about. Choices.

We subconsciously or consciously align ourselves with images, products, brands, and create our identity in this way. You have the right to say ‘I like this, or I don’t like that’ – and it’s just human nature.

BYB: Do you think that our ability to recognize images serves as a barometer for how connected we are to the world?

JO: Well, for instance, I recently created a giant Facebook sculpture and that created an interesting reaction in people. My older sister saw a picture of it and said, “I don’t get it… it’s a giant “F.” Yet her 10-year-old son, my nephew, who was looking over her shoulder shouted out, “Hey Mom, that’s the Facebook “F!” This just amazed me that this little guy, who doesn’t even have a Facebook account, knew exactly what it was, simply because of its specific shape. That just shows you the permeation of symbols and the influence they have on people. They have the potential to initiate a reaction in people.

BYB: Why a 9-foot tall Facebook Logo?

It’s a re-presentation. Most of the world sees this specific logo on a daily basis either on their computer or as the tiniest icon their smart phone. On the flipside, this little “F” has such a broad reach.  I thought of Facebook as having an enormous, virtual size but it can’t really be physically quantified. In history of the world, the tallest man to ever live was 8 feet 11 inches tall. I wanted to make the sculpture one inch bigger than the tallest human. At 9 feet tall, I was able to give it a different set of rules and again, introduce a familiar symbol in a very different light. You are forced to reckon with the enormity of Facebook – literally right in your face.

BYB: So, getting back to this project with Pepsi. Was it everything you imagined it would be?

JO: Everything about the project, the mural, the art party – everything, just blew me away. SA Studios helped a ton in the organization of it all. Pepsi threw this huge art event at the De La Barracuda space for upwards of 500 people. It was huge. Shout out to everyone at Pepsi, SA Studios and The Guild for making it happen! It’s definitely opened up my eyes as to where I can see my art going next.

 

Click here to check out pics from last nights party at the De La Barracuda space.

Jorge’s Pepsi mural is located at 7769 Melrose Ave directly across the street from Fairfax High School. His art can be seen this summer at the Torrance Museum’s survey of up and coming artists at their annual Baker’s Dozen show.

Visit www.JorgeOswaldo.com to check out more of his work.

 

About the author

Amy Shuster is an actress, writer, producer and food enthusiast. Her blog is, backyardbite.com, which focuses on creating positive content to help generate awareness of local independent foodie “gems” in the Los Angeles area. Amy lives and dines in Los Angeles, CA. (And yes, she is the proud girlfriend to artist, Jorge Oswaldo!)

 

THE 4.20 (Weed+Chinese) Herb Dinner by Laurent Quenioux and Starry Kitchen, (some secret location) Los Angeles

When I was a young kid, my mom would always make sure to tell me to eat my greens. Somehow, I don’t think that eating a 5-course meal, centering on Chinese herbs and Cannabis, was what she was referring to. When I learned about the “special” dinner that was being arranged by Starry Kitchen owner Nguyen Tran and Chef Laurent Quenioux, I didn’t immediately jump out of my seat from excitement. Not really being a fan of “exotic” food, I was perhaps at the least, a little curious, and in the end, my curiosity won out.

I felt a certain foodie duty to partake in this underground dining experiment. I did it for my readers, yes, I took one for the team. After all, it was all set to go down on 4/20 day.

It is my understanding that this budding idea of doing a weed-themed dinner started back when Prop 19 was put on the ballot about 2 years ago to legalize Marijuana. The law obviously didn’t pass, still the the chefs wanted to plan some sort of special herb dinner regardless. They held a successful mini dinner, on April 1st that fed only a select few, approx. 30 guests. The diners included the LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold and High Times editor (and author of the Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook), Elise McDonough. Shortly after the success of this dinner, tickets became available on Event Bright for a much larger event: a  5-course herb-filled feast for 100 lucky guests on April 20th. It sold out immediately. What? You’re surprised? Los Angelenos are serious about their underground supper clubs, and probably even more serious about their herb.

So this was the experience:

For a cool hundred bucks (plus tips), we were taken on a Lionel Ritchie Listening Tour with an “optional” dinner to follow (wink, wink). The prix fixe meal would consist of Chinese Herbs and some Lady Jane action. Day of the dinner, we were emailed the top secret location of our meeting place.  And under the guise of Mr. Commodore Booty McHooters, our host lead us to the dining spot in a single file line. McHooters, or Nguyen Tran, as known to his Starry Kitchen fans and customers, is often known for his crazy antics (eg. dressing up like a giant banana). I found him and the whole production thoroughly amusing.

7:45 ish The guests have now been seated.

Behind the scenes… A well-oiled machine.

All hands on deck! 105 plates are being prepped simultaneously. Cameras were everywhere documenting this extravaganza.

If you look closely, you can see NBC reporter Kim Baldonado in the background.

On to the menu. Here’s what they served us:

Dish 1: Silky Bantam Chicken, Chicken Skin, Avocado, Pink Grapefruit, Cannabis Leaves, Citrus Oil, Pickled Beets, Solomon’s Seal

Really interesting chewy, thick texture and taste… And by interesting, I mean, I didn’t love it. It was the first dish of the night, so we ate.

Internal monologue: Oh, no. So this is what “herb” tastes like? What did I get myself into…?

Dish 2: Spare Ribs, Angelica Root, Wolfberries, Bergamote Glazed Pork Belly, Green Apple, Green Garlic Slaw

Beautifully plated. Delicate texture. Pork belly fat was a bit tough to get into but the ribs were perfect.

Internal monologue: Ooh, Ribs? Pork Belly? This is more like it! Yum! Where are the herbs here? In the slaw?

Dish 3: Monkfish, Congee, Cannabis Ezpaote Pesto, Nettles, Shiso, Young Carrots

Silky melt-in-your-mouth quality. Delicate fish, delicious pesto.

Internal monologue: Probably my favorite dish so far. Is this green stuff the herb? Can I eat the leaf? Whatever, it’s tasty, I’m killin’ this plate.

Dish 4: Beef Culotte, Onion Bacon Cannabis Tart, Sunchoke, Nameko

Tender Beef. Delicious crunchy tart.

Internal monologue: Damn, this is yummy, but I’m SO full! Arrrghhh Ughhhhhh. Must. Keep. Tasting.

Dish 5: Osmanthus Panna Cotta, Rhubarb, Namelaka, Blood Orange Sorbet, Cannabis Soil, Kumquat, Asparagus

Amazing flavors. A delicious little plate.

Internal monologue: Damn, this dessert is so good! Why didn’t they start with this dish!? Wait a sec, am I eating SOIL!? And what’s this asparagus doing in my dessert!? It’s kinda good though… it works! Are you gonna eat yours? Crap. Am I high? Bring me another! No more food? Aww.

When I asked McHooters if he was going to get to eat anything he simply said “Oh, I haven’t eaten all day! This is what I live for – just planning these crazy events gives me a high. I love it. It’s all about having fun!” Said by a true adventurer.

It was about a three and a half hour dinner or so from start to finish and despite the lag time between dishes, I thought they ran a pretty tight ship considering the amount of guest in such a small space. Hemp beer and custom cocktails, were mixed by Josh Goldman and I thought they were paired very well with the food just as the servers were quick and efficient in bringing it all out to the tables simultaneously.

For me, the best part of the event was actually the camaraderie that happened among guests. There was such an eclectic group of people: younger, older, foodies, non-foodies, bloggers, techies, birthday people and I’m sure, a few stoners for good measure.

I even ran into a few foodie friends! Shout out to fellow blogger @kevinEats. Behold our post-dinner faces.

Perhaps it was our common bond, the thrill of the experience, or simply the curiosity of the unknown – regardless, we all had a great time enjoying some eclectic food and indeed became buds by the end of the night. Get it? “Buds.” Heh Heh.

Note: We were warned a head of time that we would not feel some crazy psychedelic high after the meal and that the “herbs” were mostly suggestive. We were only given the minutest of amounts anyway, around 3 ounces for 100 people. However, by the time the desert was eaten, our talkative friends were suddenly very quiet, and our quiet friends had become rambunctious and giddy.  I was certain I felt some sort of “fuzzy feeling” but perhaps it was simply the high of doing something deliciously taboo… Or maybe, I was just drunk.

Whatever, just call me a cab, I’m too full to drive.

 

 

Destini Café, Playa Del Ray

423 Culver Blvd · Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 · Neighborhood: Playa Del Rey

If Buddha had a favorite dive restaurant, this would probably be it.

This tiny little gem is impossible to spot from the street, and I found myself driving back and forth a few times before my friend flagged me down from outside the restaurant. One could compare the experience of finding Destini Café to those trippy 3D Stereograms which slowly reveal themselves after you stare at them blankly for a while. Ahhh, there it is! I was never really good at those anyways. Luckily for me though, my friend arrived first and pointed the place out along with the adjacent alley where I would carefully drive down to park my car. We’re not in Kansas Los Angeles anymore, kids. The view from the parking lot was stunning.

 

Then, I turned around.

The place is surely a no frills café. Very simple. There’s a tent covering the outside seating area with a huge flowing Buddha fountain in the center to bless your every bite.

The cuisine can be best described as Korean-Chinese with various Singaporean and Thai dishes sprinkled throughout the menu. You can get anything from Pad Thai to Bulgogi, Ramen or stir-fry. My friend and I came here for a mid-day lunch and lingered for a long while. They never once interrupted us, or hurried us out. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed the food.

They also have over 20 organic teas, which along with their other many beverage options take up an entire side of the menu.

I opted for the Spicy Hot Chocolate, which to me, tasted very much like a Chai Tea Latte. Regardless, it was very good.

Per my friend’s recommendation, I tried the Dol sot Bibim Bap. It is a Korean rice bowl topped with beef and vegetables and it arrived to our table in a sizzling clay pot that was very hot. I had never had it before so I didn’t know how to properly eat it. Shame on me. When it came to the table, I started to dig in immediately but my friend kindly instructed, “You’re supposed to mix it all up first!” She also informed me that if I didn’t scrape the rice off the bottom with the spoon it would get stuck and become burnt. Puerto Ricans call this crispy rice Pegao – which I make at home. Here, it was very crunchy and good!

Same dish. All mixed up.

My friend ordered the Black Bean Noodle Bowl. However, she told me that she recognized it as the Korean dish called Ja Jan Myeon. She said it was “originally a Chinese dish that Koreans have made into a street food – a favorite of college students, best at the end of a long night of drinking!” She said it’s usually made with pork but here they made it with beef. She ate it all up and called it “delish!”

Little places like this can be hit or miss, but Destini Café is legit. It’s a true gem that offers delicious and authentic Asian cuisine.

Special thanks to my AWESOME pal Hilary for bringing me here, 40 weeks pregnant, just a few days shy of having her baby!

BYB TIPS:

Local’s come for brunch and rave about their (western style) breakfast such as an Apple Chicken Sausage Scramble or the Maple Bacon and Avocado Omelet. Drive down the alley to find free parking in back.