Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Lowdown: The Spanish Kitchen


In Los Angeles, the land of superb authentic Mexican cuisine, The Spanish Kitchen stands out as one of the best gourmet restaurants. It’s dimly lit, but warm interior, is decorated with dark woods, leather, ornamental iron-work, and soft red lights. Guests are invited to sit down, get comfy and enjoy any of the panoply of tasty dishes they’ve got to offer.

Like any good Mexican restaurant, the bar has a lengthy menu of top shelf tequilas, for those that can handle it, and offers a variety of dressed up margaritas, such as pomegranate and prickly pear. Salsa and chips arrive at the table right away, and the guacamole that can be ordered to go with them is delicious! (What kind of Mexican restaurant would it be if it had mediocre guac?)

For starters, there’s the sweet corn tamale. I shared it with three other people as an appetizer, but it was so delicious we wished that we had all ordered our own! Their fajitas are a generous portion of meat served in a sizzling hot pan with peppers and onions, tortillas and fixings on the side, so you can make your own at your table. I ordered the Mexican barbeque pork, cooked in a banana leaf and served with tortillas to wrap it up in- so tender and flavorful!

While we were too full to stick around for dessert, they offer traditional vanilla flan, which I’m sure would have been just as good as the rest of our meal. The Spanish Kitchen also has “Enchilada Mondays”, boasting fourteen different enchiladas to choose from. “Tequila School” classes beginning in June. Intrigued? Then check The Spanish Kitchen out at…

—Kaelin Burns

826 N La Cienega Blvd
(at Willoughby Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 659-4794

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The Lowdown: Crazy for Gelato




Gelato cafés have peppered the Los Angeles area over the years, but the fad-factor seems to have resurged as lines inside them have started snaking out the doors again. What makes gelato different from ice cream? many would ask.

Beats me. But trusted sources (namely the World Wide Web) have revealed that the difference between gelato and ice cream is that gelato has less fat and no air added, which accounts for its rich creamier taste and denser consistency.

For the moment, it seems ice cream aficionados are jumping ship and climbing on board the gelato craze, but whether it’s due to preferences in taste or the more colorful and sophisticated aesthetics of a gelato cafe as opposed to that of an ice cream parlor remains a mystery. What also remains to be seen is whether ice cream can reclaim its crown as the king of frozen desserts from the cold clutches of gelato.

You can see evidence of the phenomenon off the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Brightly lit, colorful, and inviting stands Angelato Café. Through its glass face, you can see dozens and dozens of flavors neatly lying side by side in the long cooler that stretches across the entire café. There are over 100 flavors, and in the smorgasbord you’ll find everything from tequila lime to cola float and even buttered popcorn!

With the staggering options you’re faced with, you could spend a good half-hour alone balking at the glass case and deciding what to order. In fact, quite a few people do, which partly accounts for Angelato’s crowded storefront and long lines.

So if you have nothing to do for a good while, and especially if you haven’t had the pleasure of indulging in gelato yourself, stop into a gelato café and decide for yourself if it lives up to the hype.

To find out more about the history of gelato visit this site http://www.angelatocafe.com/history.htm

—Jane Rothstein

Angelato Café
301 Arizona Avenue
Santa Monica, 90401
Phone (310) 656 - 9999