Tar Pit Mark Peel & Roy Choi Mashup!

Ok, so being fans of the Kogi truck and Campanile etc. Mrs. Marvin and I jumped at the chance to go to this leap year special mashup. Our reservation was early and we were one of the first few tables. We had no idea what to expect and we were not disappointed. The friendly staff greeted us warmly and we were seated in a spacious corner booth. Nice.
I started with a signature cocktail; The Viva La Raza. It combined Jalapeño infused tequila, passion fruit juice, lime, agave and smoke. It was unusual and tasty. So, good I had another and shared sips with the Mrs. as we talked about it and perused the menu.
Next, The Uni Abalone Felony risotto with Cracked-Out vinaigrette. It came with an egg yolk to stir in and was decadently rich and almost unbelievably good! Easily, the best risotto I've ever had. We also ordered the burger which was PERFECTLY cooked with grilled onions, homemade pickles and aged cheddar. This was a no frills burger that had it right where it counts. Delicious. Sides were hot crispy fries and deeply savory greens with bacon. We shared bites of everything and toasted our good luck. We even chatted with Mark Peel. Awesome.

Banh Mi My Tho

Now if you're reading this you likely know what Banh Mi are. But if you don't.. Banh Mi are Vietnamese baguette sandwiches. (The French "occupied" Vietnam and their effect on vietnam's culinary history was significant to say the least.) With fillings like beef or pork, even pate' sometimes. Along with pickled carrots and daikon and sometimes jalapeño all adding crunch and depth to these deceptively simple and dirt cheap sandwiches. Chicken curry is sold by the quart and is also very reasonable. All sorts of delightful Vietnamese dishes to try; noodles, fried shrimp. But don't miss the Banh Mi. You can get them at other places closer to home but never better or cheaper at about 2 bucks for a big sandwich!! Go early but expect a wait anyway. They run out of curry early!

Orochon Downtown for unique Ramen

Ok. I love ramen. And when we were in Japan we had some excellent ramen. We'd been looking for a place to try and saw Orochon on TV because of it's fiery ramen challenge. Basically, dare to ingest a HUGE bowl of bubbling hellfire in it's entirety. Then, assuming you survive. You get your polaroid picture taken and place on the "wall of bravery". Fun to watch if you're lucky enough to see someone try. Usually only a few mouthfuls is all they can take. IT'S THAT HOT!!!
All fiery (foolish?) feats aside, the ramen here is GOOD. Choose from three broths: miso, soy sauce or salt. And then choose just how spicy you want it. I always get miso broth and hyper level spicy which is pretty hot but not a punishment to eat. Mrs. Marvin gets the same but less hot at level 5 which is only mildly spicy. We both like to add their delicious chasu pork slices and green onions on top. Also, gyoza are cheap Japanese draft beer are a must. Sometimes crowded so plan for a wait if you come at peak times. Great stuff to see and do afterward around Japan town!

Viet Noodle Bar

Ok, so Viet Noodle Bar has been open for some time now. We were enjoying a stroll during "Summer Night" on the Boulevard and decided to stop in. First off, this place is nicely quiet. No blasting music or TV. Just a selection of books along the wall to peruse while you eat or wait. Long wooden tables are perfect for pulling up a stroller for the little one. There were several families there enjoying the calm environment. We started with the shrimp crepe. Served with lettuce to wrap and a mildly spicy peanut(?)dipping sauce. It was crunchy and hot and very nice. Mrs. Marvin had the Lemongrass Chicken Bahn Mi. Served in a decent baguette the lemongrass chicken was very good indeed. So good in fact, that I ate her leftover half for lunch the next day. I had the Hanoi style Chicken Pho which I guess basically means larger flatter noodles. So good !! And the noodles weren't in a giant knot for me to struggle with which can be a small problem elsewhere. I love Pho and usually favor Pho Cafe' for Chicken Pho when I'm under the weather. So, there's another good place for Pho and Bahn Mi. And since Viet is in Atwater Village I'll be there for lunch with baby Marvin again soon.

Big Mista delivers the goods at Atwater Farmer's Market

Finally, after strolling past Big Mista for the last several weeks and being impressed by the traditional look and smell of their BBQ. Today was the day. I ordered the Mini Mista. A sandwich combo with one side and a soda for 6.50. I chose brisket at the insistent prompting of another loyal customer. I was going to order brisket anyway but he was right. This subtlety spiced brisket is outta site with a generous portion nearly big enough for two. The mac and cheese was also good and just the stuff you expect. Cheesy and dense with gooey parts and crispy bits. And the mildly spicy bbq sauce served on the side everyone can enjoy. No cole slaw today but I'm told it's good so next time I'll be definitely trying that and some collard greens too. Oh, and sweet potato pie made by Mama herself? Well, yes of course. And the butter cookies were so good I may have to jog home next Sunday. They were barely held together and wonderful things of simple beauty.

Other great stuff at the Atwater Village Farmers' Market I feel I must mention:
Pupusas and Strawberry Lemonade (a Mrs. Marvin fave)
Great Tamales
Green Olives
eggs with nearly orange yolks that put supermarket eggs to shame
Giant Blackberries bigger than I've ever seen, Ever.

Girl Scout Cookies are back (if you can find them)...

This time of year I find myself craving Girl Scout Cookies. And one in particular: The Thin Mint. For me, the king of the GS Cookie. (Mrs. Marvin prefers the "All Abouts" with their cheery Girl Scout sayings printed on them. Now discontinued sadly. Maybe public outcry will bring them back?)

Now, I thought I'd just look online and maybe order some from a local troop. Support a good cause and help send some Scouts to the Jamboree (do they even do that anymore?) No such luck. I did get a link that took me to another site that told me a lot but didn't get me any closer to cookie satisfaction. We eventually gave up and later stumbled upon a troop of brownies selling cookies @ The Trader Joe's on Hyperion. And then another group at the Gelson's on Franklin Ave. I thought this just might make someone's day. So, there you go. And the "cookie season" runs until March 29th. So, get yours while you can. Or resort to Ebay if you must... And no, I'm not kidding.

Local Fave Los Feliz Cafe' OPEN !!! The people have spoken...

I drove by the recently closed Los Feliz Cafe' today and noticed their "Open" sign was illuminated. So, Mrs. Marvin and I immediately went for breakfast just this morning. After closing it's doors November 30th. The number of calls and emails asking to keep the place open prompted the City(which owns the property as part of the golf course)to give our local fave a reprieve from restaurant heaven. Can you imagine losing your job without notice on December 1st and getting it back December 3rd. Crazy! The new operators are a nice Armenian family who I'm told treat the staff quite well. And everyone seems perfectly happy to be staying put instead of looking for new jobs. They also plan to add some Armenian dishes to the menu which is just fine by me. The rest of the menu will stay as is. I'll be there, and keep going there. It's close, it's friendly, it's cheap and it's good. The people have spoken. Hooray for Los Feliz Cafe'!!