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'!!

Square One

I'd passed this place so many times on my way back and forth to Hollywood. But after finally reading a tempting little description in the LA weekly I had to try it. We were up early on a Saturday morning and made our way west on Fountain Ave. Located just across from the Scientology Center (yikes) Square One is a little slice of heaven. Everything here is so very good. And most everything here is sourced locally. The infamous Nueske bacon was thick and tasty with a deep smoky flavor and my over easy eggs were tasty. Mrs. Marvin had the skillet prepared eggs with Chorizo and cheese that arrived steaming hot and still in the pan. Spicy and wonderful, matching nicely with Gruyere cheese. And my favorite part, they have great coffee from Intelligentsia. At 3 bucks for a bottomless cup it's a bargain for sure. And the freshly squeezed orange juice was perfect. Also there are a variety of fresh fruits and jams. We tried the vanilla pear which was unusual and tasty.
Friendly and attentive staff make this our new fave spot for a quiet morning meal. A must for breakfast in my opinion. They serve lunch too but who can wait?

Sanamluang

This is a Thai late night all time favorite. Sanamluang is found at Kingsley on Hollywood Blvd. I'm usually passing by this place on my way home late at night. And since they're open 'til 4am that suits me just fine. Frequented by Thai locals and those in the know. Noodles are an easy call here. Try the General's Noodle soup big enough to share or any of the other more mysterious varieties. Their great Pad Thai hits the spot every time. Shrimp cake is a good starter with sweet&hot sauce for dipping. And Pad Prik King, spicy green beans and shrimp with rice. Or feeling really hungry and had a few? Try the pork belly with Chinese broccoli served over steamed rice. Yes. Chewy and crunchy stir fried bits of deliciousness paired nicely with slight bitterness of Chinese broccoli. Perfect at 2 am or 2pm. Along with an iced coffee or tea this is a reasonable meal anytime of day or night.

Empress Pavillion

Now, I'll admit it. This is one of the first places I'd ever had Dim Sum. So it certainly holds a place in my heart.
Anyway, Empress Pavillion is a loud and thriving heartbeat of a restaurant. Get off the 110 at Hill and you're there. Find a spot in the lot, get a number and prepare to wait a bit. If you happen to get here after 11:30 or so you may be turned away. Very popular with folks after church on the weekends. I often see tables with three generations represented. With lazy susans for getting those dishes to everyone around the biggest of tables. And then there's the dozen or more carts pushed by women who will tell you what they have. Sometimes in Chinese sometimes in English or maybe both. It can get a little crazy. But that's half the fun. Getting a bunch of little dishes to share and trying new things. We always get the Chinese broccoli served with a savory oyster sauce. Probably good for you but I don't care. Har Gow, Shu Mai, steamed pork buns and a good variety of vegetable and seafood dumplings. I usually skip the fried stuff here but there's that too. Don't forget to try the spare rib rice with a bit of Chinese sausage. Or just the pork spare rib by itself. Steamed with a bit of black bean and chile. Almost every time we go, I try something I've never had before. Just recently it was shrimp dumplings with shark fin. The time before that whole prawns, head and all. Yum. Can't find a favorite item? Ask one of the jacketed waiters or go find it on foot if you dare. Just be sure to bring your card to be stamped in the appropriate area. One of my all time favorites.